thenationofartists.com

By Elliot V. Kotek
(Sept. 12, 2010)

What a day, Saturday!

Kicked off the day with interviews of three Oscar-nominated actors: Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis and Melissa Leo, each fantastic in “Conviction.” Sam Rockwell and director Tony Goldwyn rounded out the interviews on this Fox Searchlight title that has serious acting chops on display throughout. Consider this the gritty (and, therefore, better, in my opinion) “Erin Brockovich.” Swank is back to her best in a string of life-and-death moments capturing the life of Betty Anne Waters.

The film’s screenwriter, Pamela Gray, also came by for a chat. Very cool indeed.

Mitch Glazer and Kelly Lynch from “Passion Play” dropped by to talk about Glazer’s romantic, poetic fantasy — a strange fable akin to something we’d perhaps expect from the offspring of David Lynch and Terry Gilliam — a world of circuses, bird women, jazz men and gangsters starring Megan Fox, Bill Murray and Mickey Rourke.

Doc filmmakers included “Windfall’s” Laura Israel, “Women Art Revolution’s” Lynn Hershman-Leeson, and double-Oscar-nominee Rachid Bouchareb, with whom I had an amazingly interesting conversation regarding “Outside the Law” — the follow-up to his change-inducing “Indigenes” (“Days of Glory”).

We’ll be bringing these interviews from Moving Pictures’ media lounge to you on our website.

Finished the day off with screenings of Israeli documentary “Precious Life” and the midnight madness screening of “Bunraku” — a visionary martial arts dancefest akin only to films like “Kung Fu Hustle” and “300,” films that each created their unique visions and that deserve to be seen on big screens. Woody Harrelson, Ron Perlman, Josh Hartnett and a range of cats and kittens feel their way through Guy Moshe’s highly original world.