Thursday 18 May 2023

Best Sellers (2021 Lina Roessler)

A struggling publisher tracks down former successful author who under contract from fifty years ago still owes them a book. He's initially a nightmare, but they start to work together... The writer (of this) is Anthony Grieco, his only published screenplay.

Unlikely sounding teaming of Aubrey Plaza with Michael Caine works quite well - the latter is as good as ever. At 88, and with mobility problems, Caine has admitted this may be his last role. If it is, it's a fitting one. (Bet it isn't, though.) Also with Scott Speedman, Ellen Wong, Cary Elwes

A largely Canadian crew (it was filmed there in suitably wintery locations) with DP Claudine Sauvé and editor Arthur Tarnowski. It was interesting to read that Plaza was shot with a tight lens and Caine had more of a wide, messy one with distortions.

Caine's character maybe becomes a bit too sweet too quickly but we generally enjoyed it and its twists. The writer thinks the heart of it is 'daddy issues'; it's dedicated to 'My Dad' - presumably Roessler's?

The Manhattan Bridge



There's something very old and low tech about the places they're on tour.



Good extensive interview with writer and director here, in which the writer, fondly refers to The Apartment ('it's perfect') but asks the intriguing question - Can you imagine pitching that today? It's a weird sex comedy about a guy lending out his apartment to get ahead, then falls for a girl who tries to commit suicide there! Ok. that's not quite the synopsis, but I know what he means...

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