New leadership, pricey renovations, the massive exposure that arises from holding an event at Lincoln Center -- each of these factors are worthy of analysis when considering the New York Film Festival, but ultimately the program comes down to the whims of five people.
Selected by a handful of critics and journalists, NYFF stands out on the festival circuit for its idiosyncratic, cinephile-oriented program that features highlights from the year in world cinema, but no world premieres.
Even though everything in the 17-day festival screened somewhere else first (much it at Cannes, Toronto, or Berlin), it's still a fascinatingly eccentric compilation of big screen accomplishments.
Some highlights to look for as the festival gets under way this Friday:
Wild Grass
Octogenarian French New Wave veteran Alain Resnais' beguiling romantic comedy went virtually unnoticed in the main competition at Cannes last May, dwarfed by the shadows of Quentin Tarantino and Michael Haneke (whose black-and-white period piece "The White Ribbon" also screens at NYFF). But Resnais proves that he's still got a few tricks up his sleeve with his beautiful and oddly hilarious look at romance amid midlife crises. The movie was selected for the opening night slot, and appropriately so -- it appeals to young movie buffs and old school arthouse lovers alike.
Trash Humpers
Harmony Korine's naughty return to form follows a demented group of killers as they engage in the eponymous sexual activity as a means of social rebellion, while their deeds unfold on VHS camcorder footage to mix the "Kids" writer's penchant for freaks with an unsettling degree of realism. "Trash Humpers," which Korine conceived and shot a mere three months ago in his hometown of Nashville, mystified audiences in Toronto but was met with widespread critical approval. A late NYFF addition, it's surefire bet for cult popularity. Then there's the press conference, which may or may not involve cast members showing up in character. Stay tuned for more.
To Die Like a Man
Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues premiered this magnificently shot and deeply felt portrait of a transvestite in the Un Certain Regard section of Cannes. Though already deemed "undistributable" by at least one journalist at a press screening earlier this week, "Man" deserves an audience attuned to its mixture of emotional fragility and celebratory queerness. Imagine "Transamerica" as directed by John Waters and you might get halfway there. The rest is a collage of signifiers almost too intense for words.
Antichrist
By now, the whole world knows about Lars Von Trier's frightening and knowingly twisted look at an ailing couple (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainesborough) going crazy in the wilderness. Genital mutilation and talking animals notwithstanding, "Antichrist" is actually far more poignant than its sensationalistic reputation would have you believe. But NYFF attendees will have to be be willing to sit through the whole thing if they want to figure that much out.
