'The Island President' comes to DOC NYC

By Sarah Sluis

This year's DOC NYC lineup includes The Island President, which won the People's Choice Documentary Award at the Toronto Film Festival. Audiences were undoubtedly charmed into casting their vote not just because of the film itself, but the charisma of the documentary's subject, the president of the Maldives.

President Mohamed Nasheed was imprisoned and tortured multiple times by the previous, dictatorial regime before being elected in the first fair election in thirty years. When he assumed office, he focused on the island nation's most pressing issue: Staying above water. The Maldives, which has a population of just under a million and takes a few hours to reach--by plane!--from India, has over 2,000 islands, many just above sea level. The citizens' constant struggle with erosion became a pressing political issue after the 2004 tsunami devastated entire islands in the archipelago, which had to be abandoned. Then the former president misappropriated over $100 million in aid in the aftermath of the natural disaster. The islands' erosion problems signify global warming. If carbon dioxide levels in the air continue to rise, the Maldives will be underwater in less than a century, a sort of canary-in-the-coal-mine for the problems that will be unleashed by global warming.

Director Jon Shenk (Lost Boys of Sudan) has remarkable access to the inner workings of the president's regime. The audience is privy to the kind of compromises, drudgery, and deal-making required of a politician, and its close trail of its subject hearkens back to 1960's documentary classic Primary. President Nasheed shows he's game to unusual PR tactics like holding a conference underwater in SCUBA gear in order to bring attention to his country's plight, so it's easy to understand why he would welcome a filmmaker's cameras.

Shenk chooses the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit as the movie's climax. Nasheed ends up being a bridge between the developed and developing countries. The biggest carbon emitters, such as the U.S. and Europe, want everyone to reduce carbon emissions, while developing nations such as India and China argue they use just a fraction of the carbon of these rich nations and need to increase carbon emissions as their nation grows. The Maldives, as a small developing nation, offers a compelling argument for developing nations to help their own. Being on the inside reveals interesting insights. "I think India wanted to be like Canada [is to the U.S.], hiding behind China," President Nasheed observes, since India is rather reluctant to make the kind of stand at the summit that China is. I can't imagine many leaders are willing to let a documentarian sit at their meetings with aides and occasionally showing the kind of political and PR legerdemain that must be used in these situations. The Island President may be aiming to be an environmental documentary, but it's actually one of the most fascinating political documentaries in recent years.

DOC NYC brings 'Into the Abyss,' 'Scenes of a Crime'

By Sarah Sluis

Now in its second year, DOC NYC combines a curated selection of documentaries, many making the festival rounds, with panels geared toward those in the entertainment industry. Last year's selections included Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams and Errol Morris' spectacularly funny and bizarre Tabloid.

This year's selections at DOC NYC also promise to showcase movers-and-shakers. In advance of DOC NYC's Nov. 2-10 festival, I took a look at two documentaries focusing on the (in)justice system: Werner Herzog's Into the Abyss and Scenes of a Crime.

After seeing countless documentaries and TV shows about innocent people on death row, I expected Herzog's Into the Abyss to choose an seemingly innocent, death row-bound inmate to profile. No. Herzog believes that Michael James Perry, scheduled to die for a triple homicide, is guilty. He just doesn't believe that execution is an appropriate punishment. In typical Herzog fashion, he opens wide the case and its consequences without pushing too hard in one direction. When it comes to poetic metaphors, however, he occasionally veers too far, as when he lingers on a landfill swarming with flocks of grub-seeking birds. Herzog interviews a woman who lost her brother and mother to the killings, and Perry's accomplice, Jason Burkett, who was also found guilty of homicide but sentenced to life in prison. Herzog also interviews the woman who married Burkett after he was sent to prison and is pregnant with his child.

Herzog, a native of Germany, has an outsider's eye. He picks parts of Texas' decay that American eyes have been trained to ignore. Never has a truck stop or trailer home been imbued with such desolate meaning. The triple homicide itself showed a shocking disregard for life: Three people died so a couple of boys could joyride for 72 hours in a red Camaro. Perry and Burkett seemed to commit the crime for bragging rights, but one of them grew up in such extreme poverty, it made me wonder. For him, was stealing a red Camaro the equivalent of someone else's million-dollar heist, each offering the opportunity of unimaginable wealth?

Scenes of a Crime mines the territory of Morris' classic The Thin Blue Line, laying out a miscarriage of justice, minus the reenactments. The film's primary focus is the twelve-hour, videotaped interrogation of a father of six, who police officers believe harmed his baby and led to his death. After so many hours of interrogation, the man confesses, using the exact scenario suggested by police. His defense attorneys call it a coerced confession, but it is incredibly hard to persuade a jury that someone could falsely confess to a crime. The footage is excruciating to watch, and the filmmakers focus far too much screen time to the repetitive, painful questions. There must have been a more effective way to make the viewers feel as if they were undergoing an interrogation themselves. When they repeat the footage later on in the documentary, it feels more redundant rather than imbued with new meaning.

One bright spot is the filmmakers' choice to intercut the interrogation with a police training video laying out the Reid technique. After watching the step-by-step process, I realized I'd seen this many times on reality cop shows (like "The First 48"). Something about seeing psychological manipulation laid out so plainly had a chilling effect. Let's put it this way: If I were one of those sympathetic drug lords in "The Wire," I would make my underlings watch the video so they could figure out how to beat this technique.

By focusing so much on the footage of the interrogation, the documentary takes awhile to get to the heart of the matter. After reading a lengthy piece about medical professionals misdiagnosing shaken baby syndrome recently, I assumed that this would be the crux of the case. Instead, it becomes clear that the baby died of sepsis--though jurors did not agree and found him guilty. It's a shock to find out that this poor man is serving twenty-five years to life, and I hope the man successfully appeals his case. Though the filmmakers never bring it up, racism and discrimination undoubtedly played a part. Why else would a doctor shout out, "They murdered their baby!" when it was only one of three options on the differential diagnosis? Or a juror state that she was a human resources manager and she just thought the man was lazy, and she didn't like him? Stereotypes about black male fathers may have been the tipping point that led multiple people to assume the man was guilty, not innocent until proven guilty.

DOC NYC has much more in store, so check back for additional coverage of the documentary festival.

Anne Hathaway cast in 'Les Miserables'

By Sarah Sluis

I have a special fondness for the musical Les Misrables, which my high-school French teacher used to instruct us in the vagaries of the French language. Singing along with my fifteen-year-old classmates to Cosette's innocent rendition of "There is a Castle on a Cloud" in French ("Mon Prince est en Chemin")? Priceless. Universal Pictures has moved incredibly fast with its film adaptation of Les Misrables, casting the main roles shortly after announcing the project. The musical, based on Victor Hugo's 1862 novel, was first staged in London in 1985, so it's odd that the studio is now moving with so much speed. They've already set a release date: Dec. 7, 2012.

Anne Hathaway will play Fantine, a poor working-class woman whose condition is made worse by her chronic illness and her status as a single mom. She joins Russell Crowe, who will play Javert, the police inspector who makes the lives of Fantine and Jean Valjean miserable. Valjean, a criminal turned wealthy factory owner, will be played by Hugh Jackman. Most encouragingly, the production will be helmed by newly minted Oscar winner Tom Hooper. Last year, he received the Best Director award for the critical and commercial success The King's Speech.

The stage version of Les Misrables is sung all the way through. The question of how to blend the songs with dialogue (presumably spoken, not sung) will shape whether the movie ends up being a success or a failure. Musicals are no longer the pariahs they once were, but success is still something of a gamble. Who would have thought the poppy songs in Mamma Mia! would appear to effortlessly blend onscreen, leading to a global success? With its prestige December release date, Universal is undoubtedly hoping the movie will end up more like director Rob Marshall's adaptation of Chicago ($300+ million) and less like his adaptation of Nine ($50 million). Hooper has shown he can sensitively adapt history with The King's Speech and "John Adams," but will he be suited for a musical historical epic? In little more than a year we'll find out.

'Footloose' outstepped by 'Real Steel'

By Sarah Sluis

Despite three new wide releases this weekend, last week's Real Steel narrowly won the first place spot by dipping just 40% to $16.3 million. While the robot-centered picture didn't overwhelm in its first outing, its second round has brought the expensive production to a more respectable $51 million cumulative total.

In second place, the reboot of Footloose debuted to $16.1 million. The inexpensive movie drew the greatest support from older females. 75% of all viewers were women, and 73% were over 18. The movie, which is set in a small town, drew the greatest support from Heartland locales, with Salt Lake City and Oklahoma City receiving the honors of being the dance film's top two markets. Former "Dancing with the Stars" regular Julianne Hough stars, so she undoubtedly helped the movie appeal to the show's older female viewers.

The sci-fi/horror remake The Thing underperformed, earning just $8.7 million. The movie joins other scary offerings that have failed to connect with viewers, including Apollo 18 and Dream House. Horror movies are supposed to be low-budget sure things, but the misfire of The Thing shows there are more factors at work. As Halloween approaches, it will be interesting to see if Paranormal Activity 3 helps reverse this trend.

The Big Year was a big bust. The salaries of Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson were probably barely covered by the comedy's paltry $3.3 million opening. I thought making fun of but also celebrating bird watching sounded like a hoot, but audiences didn't agree and critics warned that the feature was not particularly funny.

Director Pedro Almodvar is something of a brand name on the indie circuit, so it's no surprise his latest, The Skin I Live In, earned $38,500 per screen in six locations. The movie ran in the New York Film Festival, giving the Spanish-language genre hybrid additional advance publicity for city dwellers. Such a strong per-screen average sustained over six screens (as opposed to the two often reserved for opening weekend) bodes well for the unusual drama's future.

The generic cop vs. serial killer picture Texas Killing Fields had a rote performance at the box office, averaging $3,000 per screen at three locations. Take Shelter, one of my indie favorites this year, boosted its per-screen average by $500 from last week, even as it doubled the number of theatres in its release. In 24 locations, the drama had a mean of $5,300 per location.

This Friday, Paranormal Activity 3 starts the Halloween horror deluge, Johnny English Reborn offers up British spy humor, and the swashbuckling The Three Musketeers draws its sword.

'80s remakes 'Footloose' and 'The Thing' compete at the box office

By Sarah Sluis

This weekend, remakes of 1984's Footloose and 1982's The Thing head off against the second weekend of sci-fi-with-heart picture Real Steel, which could win the box office even if it drops by half.

The remake of Footloose (3,549 theatres) has more critics tapping to the beat than not, with 74% of reviewers giving the movie a Rotten Tomatoes positive rating. Our critic David Noh, who admits to not liking the original, calls the second an "utterly unnecessary, ham-fisted remake." Still, there's a chance the movie will gain the support of younger and possibly older women, with box-office pundits predicting a $15 million finish.

The latest incarnation of The Thing (2,997 theatres) bills itself as a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter film. Thanks to the enthusiasm of the filmmakers and "grotesquely imaginative special effects," critic Maitland McDoangh declares "there's plenty to entertain current horror fans." The sci-fi/horror hybrid should grab around $10 million.

The comedy trio of Steve Martin, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson get together for The Big Year (2,150 theatres), but the results do not appear to have the spectacular plumage of the rare birds they're seeking. "A compromised comedy outfitted in fresh feathers," according to critic Harry Haun, the story chronicles three birders intent on seeing the most flying creatures they can within a single year. The well-meaning comedy hasn't taken flight among critics, who gave the movie just a 38% positive rating.

Viewers of Pedro Almodvar films know the director is no stranger to the bizarre, but The Skin I Live In (6 theatres) comes close to topping them with its thriller/horror elements. Antonio Banderas stars as a vengeful plastic surgeon, and Elena Anaya his "patient." Noh dismisses the movie as "pretentious pulp," but I found myself riveted by the "sense of dread and revulsion [Almodvar instills] so badly that it hurts."

Texas Killing Fields (3 theatres) is several flaws short of Seven or Zodiac, but the story of police tracking down a mysterious serial killer has enough sway to entertain on a Friday night when nothing else is going on. Perhaps this movie will do well in its native Texas, but everyone else will be better served seeing it at home.

On Monday, I'll see if Footloose was able to outdance Real Steel, if audiences turned out for The Thing, and if The Big Year is as big of a flop as some are expecting.

'Lone Ranger' returns to the saddle with a lower budget

By Sarah Sluis

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp commented on his recent trend toward starring in blockbusters. "Basically, if they're going to pay me the stupid money right now, I'm going to take it," he said. One of his next "stupid money" projects will be Lone Ranger, though the money just got a little bit less stupid.

Disney halted pre-production of the project in August when the estimated budget ballooned to over $250 million. The re-imagined movie will have a lower, $215 budget, thanks to 20% pay cuts from Depp, Armie Hammer, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Gore Verbinksi. If the production goes over budget, Bruckheimer Films, not Disney, will be on the hook. Variety mentions that the screenplay itself was reworked to rein in the budget, with "some pricey f/x sequences involving supernatural elements" eliminated. What might those "supernatural elements" be, you ask? Werewolves. Apparently, this was done in all seriousness. Depp, who has some Native American heritage, will play the Lone Ranger's sidekick, Tonto, who is also Native American, and he wanted the film to honor, not stereotype, the race. The werewolves (if they're still in the film at all) would be explained as being Native American mythical creatures that turn out to be very real. The choice to adapt Lone Ranger is an unusual one. Most of the remakes currently entering Hollywood involve properties familiar to the younger generation, but this twenty-something only knows of the TV series from pop culture references. Perhaps this level of pre-awareness is enough for a green light from Disney.

Depp's over-the-top Jack Sparrow won over audiences in part because his portrayal made fun of the ridiculously over-the-top spectacle of a film he was in. Will he go for a similar performance as Tonto in the Lone Ranger? The western will be working with a similarly effects-laden story with a large budget to match. Depp has a number of projects in the works right now (including Dark Shadows and The Thin Man), but it appears he'll be free when the production shoots early next year. Most likely, the movie's December 2012 release date will be switched up for a spot in summer 2013, unless they're as fast as the Ranger's "fiery horse with the speed of light and a cloud of dust."

Nora Ephron set to adapt 'Lost in Austen'

By Sarah Sluis

The works of Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and other late 19th-century British novelists have been remade countless times. An adaptation of Jane Eyre opened just this year. In the literary world, the Austen impulse has gone toward genre mashups like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. The former is currently in feature development.

For those that prefer their period romance unadulterated, the 2008 British miniseries "Lost in Austen" provided a lighter reimagining of the genre. The story centered on a modern-day woman who accidentally is transported into the plot of Pride & Prejudice, becoming Elizabeth Bennet. She finds herself falling for Mr. Darcy before she's intended to, despite her best efforts to stick to the plot. Nora Ephron has decided to write and direct a film version of the series, substituting her native New York City for the original modern London locale.

Ephron's last directorial effort, the 2008 film Julie & Julia had a similar interplay between life and fiction. The Julie in the title cooks her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, with the movie following the stories of both characters. Ephron seems like a good fit for a riff on one of the most enduring classic romantic books. Interestingly Sam Mendes (director of Revolutionary Road and the upcoming Bond 23) is making one of his first producing-only credit appearances, producing with his Neal Street Productions partner Pippa Harris, who produced Road for Mendes. Ephron's last project, a biopic of Peggy Lee starring Reese Witherspoon, still appears to be stuck in development, so hopefully production will move quicker on Lost in Austen since the script framework is already in place.