movies
The Montclair Film Experience
As the Montclair Film Festival returns , its co-directors share why there ’ s nothing like going outtothe movies — now and all year long
WRITTEN BY JULIA MARTIN
You just can ’ t keep the Montclair Film Festival down . After a couple ofplague-like years — the first pandemic year was followed byTropical Storm Ida in 2021 , which devastated the nonprofit ’ s headquarters — the festival is back in force , from Oct . 21 to 30 . The trademark MFF catalog is , once again , thick with adizzying array of films and top Hollywood talent , including Daniel Craig and Brendan Fraser , who are joining local hero Stephen Colbert for in-person conversations .
We sat down with Montclair Film co-heads Tom Hall and Beth Gottung for aconversation about festival highlights ( that was peppered with Hall ’ s trademark pity analogies ) to learn what ’ s new at the nonprofit ’ s Claridge Theater , and the future of Montclair Film .
NICE TO SEE YOU , TOMAND BETH . WHAT CAN VIEWERS LOOK FORWARD TO AS HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR ’ S FESTIVAL ?
HALL : Opening night , Friday October 21 , will feature Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery , starring Daniel Craig playing a detective who travels to Greece to solve a mystery involving a cast of colorful suspects . The star-studded cast includes Edward Norton , Janelle Monae , Leslie Odom Jr . and Kate
WHODUNIT ? Daniel Craig returns as Detective Benoit Blanc in Gass Onion , the sequel to 2019 ’ s Knives Out . Craig will also headline Montclair Film ’ s annual fundraiser at NJPAC .
Hudson . It ’ s a throwback to the all-star mystery films of the early ’ 70s : Think The Last of Sheila meets Death on the Nile .
Craig will also headline Montclair Film ’ s annual fundraiser at NJPAC , which will be part of the festival for the first time this year . The October 28 event , billed as a “ Tribute to Daniel Craig ,” will feature the British actor , the star of five James Bond films , in conversation with Stephen Colbert .
The Good Nurse , screening the first Saturday of the festival , is based on the true story of New Jersey nurse Charles Cullen , now in state prison in Trenton after confessing to murdering up to 40 patients . Eddie Redmayne plays Cullen and Jessica Chastain is the nurse who exposed him . After the film , Colbert will moderate a Q & A with Redmayne and director Tobias Lindholm .
Another highlight will be The Whale with Brendan Fraser on Sunday , October 23 , at the Wellmont , followed by a Q & A with Fraser moderated by Colbert . In the film , Fraser plays ( with the help of a “ fat suit ”) a 600-pound man trying to reconcile with his daughter , played by Sadie Sink from Stranger Things . It ’ s a really powerful and moving family drama . Fraser left the movie business after injuring his back doing his own
CRAIG : COURTESY OF MONTCLAIR FILM ; OPPOSITE PAGE : MITSU YASUKAWA
22 FALL 2022 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE