Standard
What does the official opening night film say about this year's festival? Everything, really. Safe, standard, and, if nothing else, reliable. The Judge parallels my overall feelings about this year's line-up in both form and content. There are solid performances, a bevy of stars, a mix between moments of artistic flourish and populist appeal, and a well-worn script that teeters on being overlong without ever actually being boring.
Of course, we all know the opener plays a very particular role here. You want to set a celebratory tone, while only teasing what's to come. However, between the new get-tough-on-premieres stance and outright scoops by the New York Film Festival (taking both David Fincher and P.T. Anderson's new titles), I fear that the real story this year will be the films that you're not playing.
Sincerely,
Christopher
