A smattering of films from international directors and Cannes veterans will screen at this year's 47th annual New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center said Tuesday.
The festival will open Sept. 25 with the U.S. premiere of "Wild Grass," a film from Alain Resnais ("Hiroshima Mon Amour") which tells the story of a variety of characters brought together by a stolen purse. Almodovar's new film, "Broken Embraces," about a heartbroken screenwriter who is also blind, will close the event on Oct. 11.
Other notable films amongst the lineup include Sundance favorite "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire" and Cannes Palme d'Or winner Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon." Todd Solondz's "Life During Wartime," Lars von Trier's "Antichrist" and a retrospective featuring a high-definition 70th-anniversary restoration of Victor Fleming's "Wizard of Oz" will also be featured.
The festival runs Sept. 25 - Oct. 11 at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. The complete program is as follows:
Wild Grass / Les herbes folles
Alain Resnais, France, 2009; 113m
The venerable Alan Resnais creates an exquisite human comedy of manners, mystery and romance with some of France’s - and our - favorite actors: Sabine Azéma, André Dussollier, Emmanuelle Devos and Mathieu Almaric. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, USA, 2009; 109m
Precious is sixteen and living a miserable life. But she uses all the emotional energy she possesses to turn her life around. Director Lee Daniel’s audacious tale features unforgettable performances by Mo’Nique, Mariah Carey and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe. A Lionsgate release.
Broken Embraces / Los abrazos rotos
Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 2009; 128m
Almodóvar’s newest masterwork is a candy-colored emotional roller that barrels from comedy to romance to melodrama to the darker haunts of film noir and stars his muse, Penélope Cruz, in a multilayered story of a man who loses his sight and the love of his life. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
Jacques Rivette, France, 2009, 84m
The legendary Jacques Rivette returns with an elegiac look at the final days of a small-time traveling circus.
Lars von Trier, Denmark, 2009, 109m
Surely to be one of the year’s most discussed films, Lars von Trier’s latest chronicles a couple’s efforts to find their love again after a tragic loss, only to unleash hidden monsters lurking in their souls. An IFC Films release.
Don Argott, USA, 2009, 101m
Bound to be controversial, this intriguing account of the travails of the legendary Barnes collection of art masterworks and the foundation set up to protect it raises vital questions about public vs. private “ownership” of art.
Catherine Breillat, France, 2009, 78m
Two sisters reading Charles Perrault’s 17th century tale of perhaps the first “serial killer” becomes a meditation on the enduring fascination with a character who has served as inspiration for countless novels, plays and films.
