The Movie Teller (Spanish: La contadora de películas) is a 2023 comedy-drama film directed by Lone Scherfig from a screenplay by Walter Salles, Rafa Russo, and Isabel Coixet based on the novel by Hernán Rivera Letelier. It stars Bérénice Bejo, Antonio de la Torre, Daniel Brühl, Sara Becker, and Alondra Valenzuela. It is a Chilean-Spanish-French international co-production, and follows a story where a girl's gift for recounting the events in Hollywood movies transforms her family's fortunes in rural 1960s Chile.
| The Movie Teller | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | La contadora de películas |
| Directed by | Lone Scherfig |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | La contadora de películas by Hernán Rivera Letelier |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Daniel Aranyó |
| Music by | Fernando Velázquez |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | A Contracorriente Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 116 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
| Box office | $292,840[1] |
Plot
editSet in a mining town in the desert of Atacama in the 1960s, against the backdrop of political change in Chile and the decadence of salpetre mining communities in the country, the plot tracks the plight of María Margarita, a young woman possessing the gift of telling movies, who thereby becomes the resident "movie teller".[2][3]
Cast
edit- Bérénice Bejo as María Magnolia[3]
- Daniel Brühl as Nansen[3]
- Sara Becker as María Margarita[4]
- Antonio de la Torre as Medardo[4]
- Alondra Valenzuela as María Margarita[4]
- Mario Horton[5]
- Pablo Schwarz[5]
Production
editWalter Salles was the driving force behind the project, with an involvement of more than 10 years.[6] The film is an A Contracorriente Films (Adolfo Blanco and Manuel Monzón), Selenium Films (Vincent Juillerat), Altiro Films (Andrés Mardones) and Contadora Films AIE Spanish-French-Chilean co-production, with the participation of RTVE, TVC, and Euskaltel-Telecable and backing from ICAA, ICEC, and Crea-SGR.[5][6][2]
Release
edit
The film was scheduled to land a special presentation at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival on 15 September 2023,[7] and opened the 68th Valladolid International Film Festival on 21 October 2023.[2][8] Distributed by A Contracorriente Films,[6] it was released theatrically in Spain on 27 October 2023.[9] Its Chilean theatrical bow by Cinépolis was scheduled for 7 November 2024.[10]
Reception
editAccording to the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, The Movie Teller has a 90% approval rating based on 10 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 6.7/10.[11]
Steve Pond of The Wrap wrote that "in its happiest moments", the film "is glorious and yes, a little corny; in its darkest ones, it's still lovely and sad".[12]
Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood deemed the film to be "a must-see" for movie lovers everywhere.[13]
Maggie Lovitt of Collider gave the film a B+ rating, deeming it to be "a love letter to the community that grows from the seeds of storytelling".[14]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024
|
16th Gaudí Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Daniel Brühl | Nominated | [15] |
| Best Editing | Bernat Aragonés | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Supervision | Elisa Sirvent, Patricio Pereira | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Mercè Paloma | Nominated | |||
| Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Patricia Reyes, Jesús Martos | Nominated | |||
| Best Visual Effects | Bernat Aragonés | Won | |||
| 79th CEC Medals | Best New Actress | Sara Becker | Nominated | [16] | |
| 38th Goya Awards | Best New Actress | Sara Becker | Nominated | [17][18] | |
| Best Art Direction | Carlos Conti | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Mercè Paloma | Nominated |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Movie Teller". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "'La contadora de películas' abrirá la 68 edición de la Seminci el 21 de octubre". Cadena SER. 2 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Yossman, K.J. (17 January 2022). "Daniel Brühl Boards Lone Scherfig's 'The Movie Teller' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ a b c Valdivia, Gonzalo (15 August 2023). "La Contadora de Películas llega a la pantalla grande". La Tercera.
- ^ a b c Tabbara, Mona (10 May 2022). "Embankment unveils first look at Lone Scherfig's 'The Movie Teller' (exclusive)". ScreenDaily.
- ^ a b c "'La contadora de películas', de la danesa Lone Scherfig, inaugurará la 68 Seminci de Valladolid". rtve.es. 2 August 2023.
- ^ "TIFF Red Carpets and special screenings Friday September 15". Tribute.caa. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
- ^ Niño, Victoria M. (21 October 2023). "Un homenaje a las salas de cine desde Atacama". El Norte de Castilla. Grupo Vocento.
- ^ ""La contadora de películas" adelanta su fecha de estreno al 27 de octubre". Mundo Plus. 12 October 2023.
- ^ "La Contadora de Películas se estrena el 7 de noviembre en Chile". Televitos. 11 September 2024.
- ^ "The Movie Teller". RottenTomatoes. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Pond, Steve (17 September 2023). "'The Movie Teller' Review: Lone Scherfig Delivers a Lovely Ode to the Power of Cinema". The Wrap.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (15 September 2023). "'The Movie Teller' Review: Bérénice Bejo, Daniel Brühl In An Enchanting Chilean Cross Between 'The Last Picture Show' And 'Cinema Paradiso' – Toronto Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Lovitt, Maggie (15 September 2023). "'The Movie Teller' Review: Lone Scherfig's Adaptation Mines the Art in Heartbreak | TIFF 2023". Collider.
- ^ Oteo, Jana (5 February 2024). "Premios Gaudí 2024: Lista completa de los ganadores". La Razón.
- ^ "Candidaturas de los Premios del Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos, Medallas CEC". Decine21. 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Premios Goya 2024 | Palmarés completo: todos los ganadores de la gran noche de 'La sociedad de la nieve'". Cinemanía. 11 February 2024 – via 20minutos.es.
- ^ "Todos los ganadores de las Medallas del CEC (Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos de España)". Escribiendo Cine. 6 February 2024.