I don’t know about anyone else but sometimes Festival Season makes me a bit more depressed than it does excited. All day I read about these films I’m dying to see and reading how everyone is gushing (or not) over them and I’m stuck at my computer either waiting months for the release or just hoping that they get released at all! The latter can definitely be said for two films from Cannes, Synechdoche, New York and Che. I must admit I am a huge Charlie Kaufman fan and Synechdoche is probably the film I am looking forward to the most this year. Not only did I have to read all the mixed reviews of the film but I wasn’t even sure when I would be able to see it. Of course, no news came for months and it was only recently that I was assured the film will be released in my beloved city, but it was no easy wait.
Now as for Che, I’m not a gigantic fan of Soderbergh but am really looking forward to this film, nonetheless. Despite less than stellar reviews it is a film that sounds like a different experience, in the vein of Grindhouse which I loved and am still angry about not having a proper DVD release (I refuse to purchase two seperate and incomplete DVDs) but that’s another story. Yet, I still sit here with promising, yet uncomfirmed, news only coming in recent days.
As I read the reports from Telluride, Venice and now Toronto I get anxious in anticipation of all the good films finally being unleashed (no doubt for Oscar season) but yet again may have to await for many of them to secure a distro deal. Maybe it’s because I’m an anxious person. I get these tendencies to be extremely organizational and complete sometimes. Like how I don’t own every Coen Bros movie yet or how I still don’t have my own copy of Citizen Kane or that I haven’t yet seen all of Sidney Lumet’s films. Perhaps it’s because I’m jealous. I have to sit here and listen to others rant about how they loved the new Kevin Smith when all I want to do is see the new Kevin Smith!!
It’s just an overload of good films that are finally seeing the light of day. It’s like discovering the Beatles all over again. It’s frustrating that you’ve never heard it before but it’s so liberating.
How do you guys feel? Does it just make you anxious reading all the news about how The Wrestler was amazing, yet you probably won’t get to see it until next year? I want it now! All now!