(Photo courtesy of Mill Valley Film Festival)

Day five of the festival was the culmination of a three-day Sir Ian McKellen celebration, both on the larger, festival scale and on a mind-blowing, personal scale for yours truly.

The legendary actor flew into the Bay Area to receive a lifetime achievement award at MVFF, but being the generous soul that he is, he gave much more of himself to festivalgoers and the film critic community than any of us could have expected.

Magneto-level Photobomb

Sir Ian arrived on Saturday to meet up with his good friend, author Armistead Maupin. As luck would have it, Mr. Maupin also invited the San Francisco Film Critics Circle (of which I am an unlikely member) to join in on the fun and celebrate Sir Ian’s career at the beautiful Parallel 37 restaurant at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Needless to say, I was beside myself. Like most of us, I’ve grown up watching Ian McKellen on screen and have marveled at more of his performances than I can count on my fingers and toes. I couldn’t believe I was going to meet him, but my nervousness dissolved just as he walked into the room. Unlike some celebrities, especially ones of his stature and accomplishment, he actually looked thrilled to hang around and chat with our merry little group. There were about 25 of us in a room uncomfortably small for our number, but no one cared a bit—Sir Ian was happy, so we were happy, as you can see below.

He didn’t have to, but Sir Ian took the time to talk to each and every one of us, and he was as lovely as anyone you could hope to meet. I got so excited at one point that I started photobombing for no reason, one example of which you can see below. (He’s talking to excellent film critic Zaki Hasan of ZakisCorner.)

As you can tell, I was having a grand old time. It was an unforgettable experience and just the start of Sir Ian’s Bay Area takeover.

All Class

On Sunday, the celebration moved to the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael (one of the main MVFF sites, just up the road from Mill Valley), where McKellen was to receive a lifetime achievement award. I wasn’t able to watch the ceremony (I was upstairs watching the wild and weird Angelica), but I saw him step out of the car in front of the theater to the excitement of a raucous (but respectful) crowd of superfans. He signed autographs for two little girls (giddy as can be) and made his way through the flashing lights with his good friend Mr. Maupin (see photo below).

This next part I heard second-hand, but apparently when Sir Ian walked into the theater, he didn’t head straight for the green room as scheduled. Instead, he walked up to the young people working the concession counter and shook all of their hands.

I wish I was able to watch the award ceremony, but regret nothing (Angelica was awesome). I would, however, be in attendance for McKellen’s final appearance the next day, which was a big, big treat.

Longtime Ally

To cap off his visit to the Bay, McKellen gave a presentation called “Women I’ve Filmed With,” in which he celebrated some of the greatest women he’s, you know, filmed with. Sitting in front of an adoring, exceptionally knowledgeable crowd (they knew all his deep cuts), he guided us through his expansive career chronologically (via powerpoint, adorably), stopping along the way to talk about wonderful women like Ava Gardner, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Stockard Channing and Rachel Weiss, and spoke in-depth about lesser-known but equally monumental women like Lilian Baylis (who managed the Old Vic and many other famous theaters).

One of my favorite anecdotes was one McKellen shared about filming a movie called Scandal, which he did just as he’d completed his “coming-out journey,” as he put it.

“To show the world that I intended to carry on acting as I always have,” he remembered, “I thought it would be a rather good idea to play this part. He’s called John Profumo, an English politician and a raging heterosexual.” He recalled having to do a sex scene with Joanne Whalley and graciously confessed that he “didn’t know what to do.” He consulted with his friend actor Edward Petherbridge, who drew stick figures in curious positions on a scrap of paper. “I’ve still got (the paper),” McKellen admitted, to waves of laughter from the crowd. “I’m now an expert on the missionary position.”

One of the warmest bits of praise McKellen gave was in the direction of the great Dame Judi Dench. “Everybody Loves Judi Dench,” he said matter-of-factly, the audience nodding their heads in universal agreeance. “She’s loveable. She makes women smile and they want to be as gentle and forthright as she is, and all the men want to give her a hug. It’s alarming when you’re on stage with her because she has a direct link to the audience. If you’re not careful, you can’t get in there—there’s a lovefest going on.”

It was clear that McKellen’s career was shaped in no small part by his female colleagues and counterparts on the stage and screen. This year’s festival is in tribute to women in film, and the fact that McKellen so selflessly dedicated an hour-and-a-half or so to praising female artists was a staggeringly beautiful thing.

]]> http://waytooindie.com/news/mvff38-diary-day-5-mckellen-mania/feed/ 1 http://waytooindie.com/review/movie/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel/ http://waytooindie.com/review/movie/the-second-best-exotic-marigold-hotel/#respond Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=30836

The success of John Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the 2011 phenomenon that brought together a veritable dream team of England’s finest actors, can be easily measured by taking a look at the long, twisty lines that will undoubtedly form for the film’s sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, at multiplexes across the country this weekend. Unfortunately, I anticipate that many will view the sequel as inferior because it’s a decidedly more easy-going, low-stakes affair than its predecessor. I don’t think it trumps the first film as the best of the two, but I also don’t find it fair to glibly criticize it as “second best”, either. Rather, the two films complement each other well and share a comfortable co-existence.

While Best Exotic is a more dramatically textured film, but Second Best Exotic is just as textured, only comedically. Now that the residents of the Jaipur, India hotel have settled into their once-unfamiliar surroundings (the culture-clash elements from the first movie are all but gone), their problems are less urgent, though no less compelling. Cockney sh*t-talker Muriel (Maggie Smith), a one-time racist curmudgeon, has now matured and calmed down a smidge, though her barbs are as sharp as ever. She’s outwardly resigned herself to the fact that she may not have much time left in this world, though subconsciously she just might be hoping the future holds something glorious for her. Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Evelyn (Judi Dench) want to be more than just friends, but struggle to express their affection for one another, the return of Douglas’ estranged, bitter wife Jean (Penelope Wilton) complicating things further.

Sitting proudly at the center of the film is Sonny (a top-form Dev Patel), the hotel’s neurotic, entrepreneurial co-manager (alongside Muriel), whose impending marriage to the effervescent Sunaina (Tina Desai) serves as the film’s main thrust. Sonny’s ambitious plans to open a second hotel have taken his mind off of the wedding, unsurprisingly driving away his beautiful bride-to-be. What’s worse, he fears Sunaina’s handsome family friend Kushal (Shazad Latif) may be in prime position to steal away his beloved. None of the film’s myriad storylines think outside the box, but the cast’s brilliant performances elevate the material. Patel is especially impressive, his comedic timing as sharp as anyone else’s, if not sharper.

The needle in the film’s side is the sheer number of storylines going on all at once. Returning to the fold is horny Norman (Ronald Pickup), who’s traded in his perv card for a loyalty badge, fully committed to his lover Carol (Diana Hardcastle), who he suspects may not be as devoted to the relationship. Celia Imrie’s love-hungry Madge is back, too, this time caught in the crossed gazes of two wealthy suitors. On top of all that, Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig join the ensemble as new residents, the former’s novelist character setting his sights on Sonny’s mom, reprised by Lillete Dubey. There’s a lot to keep track of, and some of the storylines get lost in such crowded company.

Everything else about the film is perfectly approachable and appealing, though. It’s a charming, sweet film, but not a saccharine one. Best of all, the veteran actors get to flaunt some new colors. Nighy gets to stretch out further comedically this time around; Douglas has taken on a job as a tour guide, hiring a young boy to feed him historical information through an ear piece. When the boy abandons his post to play soccer with his friends, the clueless Douglas is left to nervously spout unintelligible rubbish in front of the skeptical tourists (Nighy’s squirming is hilarious). Smith’s signature brash insults are actually funnier in this film, like when she flatly informs someone that, just because she’s looking at her, that doesn’t mean she’s paying attention to what she’s saying.

What’s particularly refreshing about spending time with the aging eccentrics for a second time is that we don’t have to trifle with the tired fish-out-of-water theme that drove the first film. The juxtaposition of posh, proper Englishmen and women exploring a developing country is of little interest to me, and thankfully, this film isn’t interested in it either. Jaipur is a living, breathing backdrop that, instead of informing the story, permeates it in an elegant, subtle way. The characters definitely consider the hotel and Jaipur their home, and they don’t have to say it; you can see it in the way they move and occupy their environment. This unspoken message lends the film warmth.

Second Best is capped off by the obligatory Bollywood dance sequence, and I’m going to level with you: I dug the hell out of it. What’s not to like about watching dozens of people in awesome clothes bopping around and having a great time? The Bollywood dance is one of the rare instances in film when you’re almost positive no one on screen is acting; they look like they’re in a genuine state of bliss, and it’s totally irresistible. Madden couldn’t help himself, and I can’t either.

Sequels often shoot themselves in the foot when they retread ground already covered by their predecessors; heightened whimsy, airiness and positivity are what distinguish Second Best from The Best. In a poignant rumination near the end of the first film, Dench’s Evelyn says, “All that we know about the future is that it will be different. Perhaps what we fear is that it will be the same. So we celebrate the changes.” Cheers to that.

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Tonight marked the 20th anniversary of the Screen Actors Guild Award show, an award ceremony that has become a great precursor to help predict how the acting categories could turn out for the Oscars. The biggest reason for this is that the actors who make up this guild also make up a large part of the voting group for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Tonight Lupita Nyong’o took home a Screen Actors Guild Award for her brilliant role of 12 Years a Slave, beating out Jennifer Lawrence who recently won at the Golden Globes. Arguably the most exciting category was for the Best Male Lead category, where Matthew McConaughey, Bruce Dern, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all had a fair shot of winning. Though it was Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) who puts himself in the front of the race for the Oscar with the win here. McConaughey’s counterpart in the film, Jared Leto, also walked away a winner. Unsurprisingly, Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) won for Best Female Lead and American Hustle for ensemble cast.

On the television side of things, Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) continued to add to their trophy collection from their Golden Globes wins from last week. Other big winners were Julia Louis-Dreyfus for Veep and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey. Also, Rita Moreno received a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in film, broadway, music, and television.

The full list of 2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Winners:

Film

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyers Club
Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Forest Whitaker, The Butler

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Brühl, Rush
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, The Butler

Television

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Homeland

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series
30 Rock
Arrested Development
The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family
Veep

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series
Claire Danes, Homeland
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Kerry Washington, Scandal

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries
Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra
Jeremy Irons, The Hollow Crown
Rob Lowe, Killing Kennedy
Al Pacino, Phil Spector

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or miniseries
Angela Bassett, Betty & Coretta
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Holly Hunter, Top of the Lake
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a film about adapting to new circumstances and learning to trust from the most unexpected places. Converted into a screenplay by Ol Parker based on the novel These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach, comes a film about elderly British citizens who are about to embark on journey that will expand their horizons.

Each with their own reason, a several British senior citizens decide to spend some of their retirement time in India. We are introduced to each of them separately because they do not yet know one other. However, together they sit next to one another in the airport as they await their flight to India. The one thing most of them share in common is that they all seem to have some level of racism.

Evelyn (Judi Dench) is going in hopes to start her life over. Graham (Tom Wilkinson) is going back to resolve an issue he had there from his youth. Couple Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton) are looking to save money after losing much of their retirement savings. Muriel (Maggie Smith) is on an experimental medical program where surgery takes place in India. Norman (Ronald Pickup) is a on the prowl to pick up woman (preferably half his age) to feel young again and Madge (Celia Imrie) is seeking a rich man to take care of her.

When they arrive at the hotel it is suddenly apparent that the advertisements for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel were a little misleading. It was promised to be a beautiful luxurious hotel when in reality it is a major work-in-progress that is infested with cockroaches and birds. The owner of the hotel is the kind and ambitious young entrepreneur Sonny (Dev Patel) who inherited the failing hotel from his father.

Most of the group is completely overwhelmed by the vast amount of people and how difficult the culture is in India. One describes it like a wave; only if you resist it will it knock you over. While other struggle in various amounts, the exception in the group is Graham. He is confident and understanding of the culture because he grew up there.

While the whole cast is noteworthy, Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson steal the show. Both deliver performances that are charming. Though the purpose of Dev Patel’s character tries to play the jack of all trades but focuses on comic relief he comes off as over-the-top.

Director John Madden not only received a lot of help from the cast but also the location of the film. Lots of vibrant and contrasting colors pop off the screen to represent India. Overcrowded streets with tiny vehicles zooming by also helps surround the viewer in the exotic setting. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is simply gorgeous to look at.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does not do much heavy-lifting but rather lets the veteran cast carry the film. It is an incredibly easy film to watch because it is mostly cheerful and uplifting. But it is also very safe so it plays out just exactly how you would expect it to. For these reasons it is easy to see why it is a hit for the targeted audience but it falls short of something spectacular.