NYFF52 Day 15: Sad Goodbye in 'Life of Riley'; Good Riddance in 'Listen Up Philip'

All of these women (Caroline Silhol, Sandrine Kiberlain and Sabine Azéma) believe they are going on vacation with George in "Life of Riley" (“Aimer, Boire et Chanter”). Photo courtesy of the New York Film Festival.

HEADS UP: Picking up where we left off last year, but expanding a tad (OK, quite a bit but still pithy), we will limit comments about New York Film Festival films to no more than 200. And ... Lights. Camera. ACTION! ...

“LIFE of Riley” (“Aimer, Boire et Chanter”), a film nominally about death, will forever be known as the final film of Alain Resnais.

The French director died shortly after his film won the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize at the 64th International Berlin Film Festival. “Life of Riley” is in the first of its two U.S. premiere screenings tonight at “The 52nd New York Film Festival.”

The film unfolds in broad, comedic overtones in its treatment of how three couples receive the news of the terminal illness of their friend of the title, George Riley. He is never seen but is the central character.

“Life of Riley” is largely faithful to its source material, Alan Ayckbourn's play of the same name, which channels another of the playwright's works, “Relatively Speaking.”

Set in the English countryside, AS's “Life of Riley” has a fairy-tale quality, mainly owing to budget-driven comic strip panels that introduce scene changes. It is also akin to watching a play, fitting since play rehearsals figure prominently in the plot.

Some viewers may find this device disconcerting but it is surreal and fanciful, adding to the absurdist nature of the proceedings. (See video below).

Starring several AR collaborators, including (André Dussollier and Sabine Azéma, his widow) “Life of Riley” is a delightful little souffle and a fitting memorial to a long career marked by experimentation and innovation.

If likable is an apt description of the main characters in “Life of Riley,” loathsome fairly sums up the leads in “Listen Up Philip.” The film has its second U.S. premiere screening tonight and opens nationally on 17 Oct.

Alex Ross Perry's offbeat dramedy concerns Philip Lewis Friedman (Jason Schwartman) during the imminent publication of his second novel. Philip is a literary light-in-the-making with many dark sides. Before he implodes he takes himself off to the country home of his idol, Ike Zimmerman (Jonathan Pryce). (See video below).

Jonathan Pryce and Jason Schwartzman have a bromance in "Listen Up Philip." Photo by Sean Price Williams.

The literary cub and literary lion knock along well enough for no other reason than they are two sides of the same coin. They like what they see, someone who is too brilliant and talented for this pedestrian world.

What everyone else sees, however, is a boor. An egomaniacal, arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed, self-centered, insecure and insensitive fellow.

JS and JP play their parts, inspired by Philip Roth and William Gaddis), to perfection. They are utterly credible, as are the women who do not suffer them gladly (Joséphine de La Baume, Elisabeth Moss and Krysten Ritter).

“Listen Up Philip” is smart and witty. It could benefit, however, from editing to tighten the pace and take viewers out of their misery.

Here are despicable characters. A little of them goes a long way.

Visit http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2014 to learn more about The 52nd New York Film Festival, including tickets and showtimes.

Four Stars (and Counting) for 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'

Mentor (Ralph Fiennes) and mentee (Tony Revolori) at work in swanky surroundings in "The Grand Budapest Hotel." Photos from Fox Searchlight Pictures.

IT is somehow fitting that so soon after the Academy Awards that the movie-going public should be treated to a really good film.

For the viewing pleasure is Wes Anderson's “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” The film opens today in the United Kingdom, as well as a handful of theaters in Los Angeles and New York. It opened yesterday in Germany. On 14 March, it rolls out in other major cities in the United States and Canada.

Sweeping in scope and scale, “The Grand Budapest Hotel" recounts the adventures of one M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes), a concierge of the first order plying his trade at an Eastern European Hotel of the first order before the outbreak of Word War II. It was filmed in Germany and the UK. (See video below.)

In typical WA fashion, the story is multi-layered rather than convoluted. WA does not do convoluted, he only does multi-layered. The film opens in the present day with a young girl who has been reading a chapter in the memoir of a character only identified as The Author (Tim Wilkinson). The chapter recounts a visit he made to the Grand Budapest Hotel in the 60s. While there, he met the owner Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) who gave him an earful about his former august lodging house.

Here is where the action starts as Zero recalls how he met M. Gustave, his training as a lobby boy and how he assisted his mentor in clearing his name after the former is accused of murder. In the interim, there is a murder investigation, murder charge, murder trial, will-reading, cross-country chases, death threats, prison break, police pursuit and sundry other incidents, accidents and mishaps.

To bring these droll, madcap, thoroughly entertaining proceedings to pass, WA assembles a cast of the first order. In process, he also delivers a film that is more at home in the Golden Age of Hollywood than in this mad, modern digital age. “The Grand Budapest Hotel” is a wonderful patchwork that combines elements of WA's previous works – a staple of his – particularly “The Darjeeling Limited” and his best work to date, “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

It also has as kindred spirits the best of “The Great Race,” “The Three Stooges” and “Keystone Cops” films.

Half the fun of watching “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which was the opening night film of the 64th Berlin International Film Festival last month and which won the festival's Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear award, is watching some of the finest actors in the business do their thing. WA smartly has them work within their range of comedy. To that end, for example, Harvey Keitel is not awkward as prison inmate Ludwig.

Indeed, another WA staple is assembling top talent. Perennials Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman are checked in, along with semi-regulars and newbies F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Jude Law, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton.

M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) and his bevy of blondes holed up at “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” arguably boasts one of the best all-star comedy casts in filmdom. It ranks right up there with “The Pink Panther,” “Blazing Saddles” and “It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” As for sheer star power, it ranks with another film – a drama – about a great hotel, “The Grand Hotel.”

Looking for a place to stay for an hour and a half or so? Then, check into “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

“The Grand Budapest Hotel” is rated R for language, some sexual content and violence; visit http://www.grandbudapesthotel.com/ to learn more about the film.