Nor’ Easter coming?
New Yorkers don’t care, thanks.
We turned out in droves last night for the opening of the New York Film Festival, which was sizzling. Not only for the premiere screening at Alice Tully Hall, but at all the other screenings last night of James Gray’s “Paper Tiger.”
It didn’t hurt that the movie actually has three big names — especially in New York. They are Scarlett Johansson, Miles Teller, and Adam Driver. They were all there for the premiere, the red carpet, and the Q&A on stage latter with the natty Festival programmer Dennis Lim.
James Gray is a much beloved NY filmmaker whose 1994 debut, “Little Odessa,” caused a sensation. He’s made seven more films since then including the more recent “Armageddon Time,” and this one, set in Brooklyn in the 1980s. It’s a story about a regular family — Teller, Johansson, and their teenage sons — getting sucked into the world of very dangerous Russian mobsters.
“Paper Tiger” is kind of a throwback film. It reminded me of a Sidney Lumet film, which is high praise. Gray felt Alfred Hitchcock’s presence, he said later. But it really feels like something from the days of Playhouse 90, in its intimate portrayal of good people suddenly having their “house” fall in on them. Even Arthur Miller would be impressed.
Scarlett was the only one of the trio to make it to Tavern on the Green for the annual swanky after party. And why not? Her performance is sensational, and she should take bows. She had just flown in from London shooting “The Batman 2,” which she told is “hard work.” We also talked about husband Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry comedy club with Pete Davidson.
She said, “I think they should take it all over the place, like to Miami, where they can put on all kinds of things like parties and art exhibits. It’s going to find its purpose.” She unfortunately missed last week’s free comedy show on the ferry because she was stuck in London.
As for Jost and “SNL,” which returns tonight, I told her how impressive it was to see her husband doing more acting on the show playing a hilarious blowhard Pete Hegseth. “He’s loving it,” she said. “He’s surprised by the reaction.”
Some of the other luminaries we ran into included the legendary actress Lois Smith, now 95 and working like crazy! She’s got a new indie movie set for next spring! What a thrill!
A great opening night for the New York Film Festival — buzzier than it’s been in a long time.
