Today’s Telluride Film Festival featured four films that I attended a screening of and have a specific reaction to. Unlike yesterday’s three films, which featured a focus on the British contenders and two Venice holdovers, today featured a Cannes title, a Berlin title, and two films that are premiering at this year’s edition of the festival. Let’s dive into them
La Bola Negra: Directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
There is no doubt in the ambition that this directing duo has for their queer epic. The technical aspects, the scope, the vision- it all really works to craft something wholly original and entirely unique. Its three major storylines are oftentimes difficult to follow and keep track of, but for the most part the audience will be able to understand what it is attempting to convey. However, the film’s biggest issue is its style-over-substance mentality; so much of the nearly three-hour runtime feels unnecessary or “overstating the point,” with noise cancelling out any information. The ensemble cast shines the brightest of anyone, though the modern day storyline is the one that is the most impactful, written from the heart and experiences of the filmmakers in question.
Score: 7/10
The Debut: Director Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg’s follow-up to A Real Pain is far more bombastic and ambitious in scope, while still maintaining the “character study” mentality he loves to focus on. Julianne Moore really gives it her all as an inexperienced actress falling in love with the art form to a dangerous degree, and Paul Giamatti is the heart of the entire film, performing both distant and entirely human. The absurdity for the sake of absurdity might seem off-putting for some, but for the vast majority of its runtime, so much of what happens is invigorating, and the work done by the two actors (including the ensemble as a whole), about the medium, makes this a necessary viewing.
Score: 8/10
Rose: Director Markus Schleinzer
Schleinzer’s film, accompanied by a tribute to its Lead Actress, Sandra Hüller is breathtaking in its immersive atmosphere, letting the audience become enthralled by the environment of a time period centuries ago. Focusing on a woman disguised as a man to assist people in need, the concealment of who she really is, leading to a sad ending (no spoilers), might be disturbing to witness, but it is expertly executed and strong overall. Hüller central performance is astonishing, really becoming the titular character and, like the film’s mood, is one that is entirely human and explorative of who we really are as people.
Score: 8/10
Tender Loving Care: Director Mike Leigh
Knowing this was rumored to be Leigh’s final film made this a film I needed to prioritize. However, despite knowing the director’s signature style of conversations, this proved to be a disappointment of the festival. Unlike, say, his 2024 film, Hard Truths, there is just not a whole ton of substance or narrative here, to an irritating degree where one wonders if there was a point besides being “the swan song.” One understands there might be a vision or statement being made regarding true connection, but it’s not enough to justify a feature-length film, and for some viewers, it proved to be a difficult experience to endure.
Score: 5/10
As always,
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