Quote of the Day

"I’m making a film in November with Ben Whishaw called Peter Hujar’s Day about the photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda in December of 1974 in New York City. This is a film about what it is to be an artist among artists in a city where no one was making any money."

Thanks to the two readers who sent me this from Passages director Ira Sachs' new interview with IndieWire (wherein they mostly talk about Passages, out this weekend; see all of our Passages coverage here) -- news of his next movie! If Ira and Ben want to keep working together forever I would be in heaven. And a movie about gay photographer Peter Hujar at that! I know Hujar's work but not a ton about him as a person; that said the scene he was a part of -- downtown New York in the 1980s -- is one of my great obsessions and seeing Sachs tackle it sounds like, dare I say, even more heaven. Let's hope that Ben reenacts lots of Peter's self-portraits...

Ben Wants To Take Your Picture

We've posted about the possibility of this a couple of times previously but now that it's officially officail we're gonna post about it again, dammit -- what, I'm supposed to leave a chance to post a photo of Ben Whishaw on the table? Hardly! Yesterday Deadline confirmed (thx Mac) that Ben is reuniting with his Passages director Ira Sachs next on a bio-pic of the photographer and artist Peter Hujar -- the film will co-star actress (and daughter of Julian) Stella Schnabel as Hujar's friend Linda (that last bit of info comes from this previous post of mine where Ben talked about what the movie was going to be about for the first time). If you're unfamiliar with Hujar's work make yourself familiar -- he's one of the most important gay artists of the 80s dammit!

Peter Hujar's Day is Coming

It's turning out to be a very gay day today and I wouldn't have it any other way -- I just shared the news that the leather love story Pillion is screening at NYFF and I believe that the closested cop drama Plainclothes (which I reviewed right here) is supposed to get a trailer at some point today. But first we've got the poster and the trailer for Ira Sachs' new movie Peter Hujar's Day, which stars Ben Whishaw as the titular gay photographer alongside Rebecca Hall as Hujar's good friend, journalist Linda Rosenkrantz. The two spent a day talking on the record in 1974 and this film documents that day and conversation. Couldn't be more excited -- it hits theaters on November 7th! Watch:

Talk To Me, Ben Whishaw

This one won't be for everyone but I quite liked Peter Hujar's Day, Ira Sachs' new film starring Ben Whishaw & Rebecca Hall, at NYFF -- click over to Pajiba to read my review today! It's a hangout movie where a lot of the hanging out is banal but I think that's part of its point? Anyway as I say over there -- who the hell wouldn't want to just hang out with Ben Whishaw & Rebecca Hall for 76 minutes? It was like heaven to me. (I previously shared the trailer right here.)

NYFF Make My Dreams Come True

Just a couple of weeks ago I shared the poster and a teaser trailer for Park Chan-wook's new movie No Other Choice starring his ol' pal Byung-hun Lee and I said therein, and I quote, "This movie's premiering at Venice  and I am keeping all of my assorted limbs knotted up in hope that it'll head to NYFF from there." Well unknot me cuz it came true! NYFF just announced their Main Slate this morning for their 2025 edition and Master Park's movie is up in its business -- as are several other movies I am champing at me bit to gnaw right into. So why not a list? Not counting the Opening Night film (which is Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt and so obviously my jam) here are the 10 movies out of the Main Slate that I'm the most anticipating...

My 10 Most Anitipcated NYFF63 Main Slate Movies

No Other Choice -- dir. Park Chan-wook

There's really nothing I can shriek in enthusiasm about this movie that I haven't been shrieking since it was announced. Park Chan-wook is a god, period, the end.

Jay Kelly -- dir. Noah Baumbach

Normally I try to steer clear of George Clooney vehicles but I tend to love Baumbach movies whatever he throws at me and most importantly he got his gal pal Greta Gerwig acting again. Gerwig seals the deal every time. Plus Patrick WIlson, Laura Dern, Riley Keough, Jim Broadbent, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crudup and Isla Fisher! Also Emily Mortimer co-wrote this! 

The Mastermind -- dir. Kelly Reichardt

Not only is it the never-steers-me-wrong Reichardt behind the camera and not only does the movie star Josh O'Connor but the movie stars Josh o'Connor looking like the raffish lit professor everybody, including the other teachers and parents, are all trying to fuck.

The Secret Agent -- dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho 

Wagner Moura is one of the greatest (and come on, look at the picture, sexiest) on the world stage right now, and his teaming up withthe genius behind Bacurau is white hot shit. Plus Moura won Best Actor at Cannes and Mendonça Filho won Best Director so hopes are obviously big.

Sentimental Value -- dir. Joachim Trier

And speaking of Cannes this follow-up from the director and star of the masterpiece The Worst Person in the World won the Grand Prix at that fest. I will follow these two anywhere, together or seperately, but together tastes best!

Peter Hujar's Day -- dir. Ira Sachs

It's Ben fucking Whishaw playing Peter fucking Hujar -- you think I'm not all over this? Anyway I was extremely annoyed I couldn't see it at Sundance so I'm happy to have been given this second shot, even if I wasted months -- months!!! -- of my life without it. I won't hold it against you, Ben!

Miroirs No. 3 -- Christian Petzold

Since 2012 Christian Petzold has made five straight up masterpieces in a row with Barbara, Phoenix, Transit, Undine, and Afire -- I'm hoping he hasn't broken that streak by daring to make a movie with a title that has more than a single word in it, but I think we might be in safe hands. I mean he's reunited with actress Paula Beer yet again. We're gonna be fine.

The Fence -- dir. Claire Denis

I tend to swing wildly on my opinion of Denis movies, but the main thrust seems to be I like her more recent work while her earlier, typically more lauded works have left me cold. I'm such a maverick! Anyway Denis regular Isaach De Bankolé is her leading man this time, which is always a good sign, but this also co-stars Matt Dillon and Tom Blyth? Mkay.

Rose of Nevada -- dir. Mark Jenkin

Yeah yeah okay it stars Callum Turner and George MacKay

as fisherman, obviously it was gonna make my list. 

That's literally all I know or need to know. Fish me good, fellas!

Landmarks -- dir. Lucrecia Martel

Since The Headless Woman in 2008 

I've been a Lucretia ride-or-die-for-lifer.

Not even reading what this is about. Sign me up.

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Runners-up:  It Was Just an Accident (dir. Jafar Panahi), A House of Dynamite (dir. Kathryn Bigelow), Resurrection (dir. Bi Gan), Romería (dir. Carla Simón), Kontinental ’25 (dir. Radu Jude), If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (dir. Mary Bronstein), Duse (dir. Pietro Marcello)

Just a footnote on the concept of "Runners-up" here -- I literally could have listed every single other movie that didn't make my top ten. The only reason there are runners-up at all is I limited myself to a list of ten. As happens with every NYFF there are titles that come out of nowhere to slam me onto the floor in the best of way, and sometimes the ones I'm most excited about don't totally land. Usually though I always leave NYFF happy, because as I've said before they might not get all of the big exciting world premieres but year after year they do an incredible job curating the movies from around the globe that are the most worth seeing. I love my hometown fest! Click here to buy passes -- general tickets go on sale on September 18th (and earlier for FLC members). The fest runs from September 26 through October 13, 2025. 

Quote of the Day

"... what I took from Fassbinder for this film was beauty. Meaning, I wasn’t making realistic cinema, I was making iconic cinema. So I thought of the woman’s face, the man’s body, the costumes, the spaces as opportunities for visual impact. So we were looking at Beware of a Holy Whore, but mostly for wardrobe. ... the color of the sweaters is incredible. And I think that in certain kinds of cinema, and Fassbinder more than almost anyone else, what lingers with you is the impact of color and bodies. ... For me, pain in cinema is great pleasure because it’s not my own. ... Like Splendor in the Grass, the most painful movie ever made, is the most beautiful movie ever made."

Interview Magazine spoke to Passages director Ira Sachs and his love for Fassbinder came up and I feel foolish now, that I don't recall thinking of Fassbinder at all when I saw Passages earlier this year. (Here is my Sundance review of the movie, which just hit theaters this past weekend.) It seems very obvious here in retrospect! I had considered going to see the movie a third time (I watched it twice at Sundance) over the weekend but didn't make it, so my memory is admittedly vague now, but recognition of that influence still walked straight up to me and slapped me across my face with its obviousness anyway. Anyway check out the entire chat, Sachs is very smart and very smart about film specifically and it's always a pleasure to see what he's got to say. And he also repeats last week's news that he's making a movie about gay photographer Peter Hujar starring Ben Whishaw next! Very exciting, that.

Ben Whishaw Eight Times

A perfect distillation of why I hate Awards Season can currently be seen by the fact that Ben Whishaw isn't getting any attention for his killer low-key work in Ira Sachs' Peter Hujar's Day (reviewed here) -- I'm not saying he's my pick for peformance of the year (sorry haters but that remains to be Timmy) but there are about three or four people actually getting nominated for things that I think Ben acts circles around. Oh well! Awards stay meaningless but I'll be able to revisit this film forever (or until the world explodes, whichever comes first). These shows weren't made to honor this kind of subtle work though, so I get it -- I still maintain that Ben is our Great Gay Hope for our first out Best Actor winner. (Unless Ian McKellen's finally given a role like he was with Gods & Monsters again, anyway.) For now since we' not getting to see him at the statue-shows we'll just enjoy this new lusciously-locked photoshoot of Ben for Man About Town magazine; hit the jump for 'em all...