Second day was a lot of walking, waiting and doing interviews. Watch out for the latest from Tilda Swinton, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer and a rare interview with William Hurt. But here are my thoughts on two films from this second frenetic day.
Blind Date Watching Stanley Tucci's Blind Date is like watching a master-class of acting in its purest form. Tucci's first stint behind the camera in some eight years, his remake of the Dutch award-winner by the late Theo Van Gogh is hauntingly hypnotic. Tucci and the formidable Patricia Clarkson star as a married couple that has suffered a tragedy. Now the only way they can now relate to one another is by meeting as different characters through a series of personal ads.
A study of the games we play to mask our fears and sorrow, Blind Date is a tough sell, commercially, but still is an extraordinary achievement. Two characters and one set, yet as a film maker, Tucci pulls the audience in with his cinematic simplicity by taking away layer upon layer of two fragile characters trying to immerse themselves in their own world to shield from pain.
Using three cameras to shoot, Tucci's film is a character study and his lenses reveal an extraordinary amount, yet as actors, Tucci and Clarkson are astonishing in revealing little of themselves. It's a fascinating work, punctuated with moments of high comedy, but ultimately it's a tragedy about grief and tormented relationships. Both actors deliver masterful, powerful and unforgettable performances, in this heartbreaking work that is a major triumph for both Tucci the actor and director.
Transsiberian Sundance is generally a festival in which it's tough to find interesting genre films, and Transsiberian is a refreshing change of pace, and a film that is very likely to be sold. In simple terms, this nifty, taut thriller revolves around a Trans-Siberian train journey from China to Moscow, which becomes a thrilling chase of deception and murder when an American couple encounters a mysterious pair of fellow travelers.
Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer play a couple hoping this overseas trip will resolve some of their marital issues, but get more than they bargained for when they meet an attractive couple that turns out to be drug dealers. Ben Kingsley gives another powerful performance as corrupt Russian cop, but Mortimer turns out to be the real star here, giving a wonderful performance as a woman with a shady past who confronts her worst nightmare.
Director Brad Anderson has crafted a wonderful Hitchcockian entertainment that is visually full of depth as he allows his characters to be pit against trains and the harsh snowy terrain of Eastern Europe. He cleverly builds up the suspense without resorting to typical studio denouements. Stylishly executed and tightly cut together, Transsiberian is a frenetic, exhilarating thriller.
