The Playlist

What Are You Seeing This Weekend? The 'Star Trek' Franchise Faces Off Against Indies 'Frances Ha' & 'Erased'

By Emma Bernstein
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May 17, 2013 3:10 PM
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News

We haven't hit Memorial Day Weekend yet, but it's official: Summer Blockbuster Season is underway. Between comic books, Michael Bay's latest flick, a Tom Cruise vehicle, and summer dalliances in the Hamptons, the second installment of the rebooted "Star Trek" franchise almost seems superfluous. Almost. Still, there's plenty of other delightful fare at the cinemas: another "Taken" imitation, a New-York-set coming-of-late-20s-ager, a B-horror movie set in Maine, a Korean thriller that may or may not feature Oedipal urges, and plenty of engaging documentaries. So enjoy the early onset of summer, faithful readers! And tell us what you want to see to celebrate it in the comments below!

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Review: Endearing & Buoyant ‘Frances Ha’ Marks A Terrific Gear Shift For Director Noah Baumbach

By Rodrigo Perez
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May 15, 2013 3:55 PM
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Reviews

Loose, limber and driven by a fierce energy and staccato/pause rhythm we haven't seen previously from this filmmaker, Noah Baumbach's sublime "Frances Ha" is a fresh and vivacious near-reinvention of the director/writer's comedic milieu. An enchanting riff on friendship and the late-20-something right of passage into true adulthood, while the buoyant comedy does focus on those who still don't have their shit together, it is however, leagues more rich and emotionally layered than the average arrested development dilemma that seems to characterize 20/30-something comedies of late.

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Interview: Noah Baumbach Talks 'Frances Ha', Liking His 'Unlikeable' Characters, What's Next & More

By Erik McClanahan
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May 14, 2013 11:04 AM
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1 Comment

Interviews

We recently had the good fortune to speak with filmmaker Noah Baumbach as he starts the long, winding road of press for the upcoming release of his latest film, the sublime black-and-white character piece and uproarious comedy "Frances Ha," starring Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Baumbach). The writer/director, shot 'Frances' on the quick and quiet (hardly anyone knew it even existed until it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last year), though he claims he didn't set out to keep the movie a secret.

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Watch: The Scene From Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha' That Took 42 Takes To Get Right

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 9, 2013 9:22 AM
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1 Comment

News

Earlier this week we dropped our 15 Most Anticipated Indie Films Of The Summer, not only to give some attention to the movies that will be flying a bit more under the radar, but as a reminder that there is plenty of great stuff to see that doesn't involve superhero underoos and explosions. And one film this writer has already fallen in love with pretty hard is Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha." It's a big-hearted tale of that awkward time between striving for youthful dreams and settling for realistic adult responsibilities, and it's captured with huge belly laughs and a resonant emotional core. It's also terrifically entertaining. But it didn't come easily.

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The Playlist's 15 Most Anticipated Indie Films Of The Summer

By Jessica Kiang
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May 7, 2013 11:58 AM
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6 Comments

The Playlist's 15 Most Anticipated Indies Of The Summer

Features

So perhaps the blockbusting sturm und drang of “Iron Man 3” has you slavering for more KA-BLAMMO, in which case our Most Anticipated Summer Blockbusters is the article for you. If, however, you're already getting a slight tension headache at the prospect of weeks upon interminable weeks of tentpole releases and the din of clashing opinions that attends the redistribution of billions of dollars of wealth, never fear. The gods of counterprogramming have been especially kind this year, and there's a wide selection of upcoming, smaller-budgeted, lesser-distributed gems in which the only things that collide are intersecting lives, the only ticking time bombs are repressed emotions, the only things that break are hearts, and the only things that blow up are grandiose expectations, right in some sad sack's face. You are also much more likely to get some full-on nudity.

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Exclusive: Noah Baumbach Says 'While We're Young' With Ben Stiller Will Shoot This Fall; Cagey About New Untitled Film He Is Shooting Now

By Erik McClanahan
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April 8, 2013 2:24 PM
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1 Comment

News

We recently had the good fortune to speak with filmmaker Noah Baumbach as he starts the long, winding road of press for the upcoming release of his latest film, the sublime black-and-white character piece and uproarious comedy "Frances Ha," starring Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Baumbach). During our interview, which we'll post in full closer to the film's release date, "The Squid and the Whale" director, who shot 'Frances' on the quick and quiet (hardly anyone knew it even existed until it premiered at the Telluride Film Festival last year), dished on some of his upcoming projects and it seems he's hitting a prolific stride.

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Watch: Play Fight With The New Trailer For Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha' Starring Greta Gerwig

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 5, 2013 1:47 PM
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7 Comments

News

How long has it been since we've had a movie like this? After a long Oscar season, and lots of serious movies and discussions, a new trailer for Noah Baumbach's "Frances Ha" has appeared like a spring breeze.

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Watch: New Clips from Noah Baumbach’s ‘Frances Ha’ and Abbas Kiarostami’s ‘Like Someone In Love’

By Tess Hofmann
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February 13, 2013 4:39 PM
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News

Two film festival favorites from 2012 are slated to be hitting theaters in the coming months via IFC Flims, and some new clips are available for your viewing pleasure. The first, from “Like Someone In Love,” arriving on screen this Friday, shows the young prostitute Akiko (Rin Takanashi) protesting her assignment to a particular elderly client. Director Abbas Kiarostami’s characteristic leisurely pacing comes into play, and it’s a captivating scene -- if partly because of the voyeuristic sense that comes with a seedy story about prostitution in the foreign setting of Tokyo.

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First Poster & Clip From Noah Baumbach's 'Frances Ha' Starring Greta Gerwig

By Cain Rodriguez
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February 11, 2013 2:30 PM
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4 Comments

News

Shot in damn near-complete secrecy and announced to the world as part of last year’s TIFF line-up, Noah Baumbach’s newest film “Frances Ha” hits theaters later this year and a new poster and clip have arrived online.

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Finally Finished? Wong Kar-Wai's 'The Grandmaster' To Open The Berlin Film Festival

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 19, 2012 7:50 AM
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2 Comments

News

The legend goes that when Wong Kar-Wai brought "2046" to the Cannes Film Festival, the print was still dripping as he worked until the very last minute to finish it. And to say that his latest, the martial arts biopic "The Grandmaster," has had a few road bumps and delays would be an understatement. The film has been in production on and off for the past couple of years, and had things gone according to plan, it would be in theaters in China now, opening this week. But of course, WKW had to continue tinkering, and the release date was pushed to January 8, 2013. But it seems the end is nigh, god willing, and "The Grandmaster" has set an international bow.

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