HOLLYWOOD – AFI FEST 2017 kicked off Thursday night with opening-night film “Rules Don’t Apply” screening at the TCI Chinese Theater. Warren Beatty’s long-awaited period dramedy arrived with eded-to-mixed reviews, but the bigger news was how subdued the whole affair was.
Beatty, who wrote, directed and starred in the movie, was on hand alongside co-stars Lily Collins (stunning), Alden Ehrenreich (growing his hair out to play Han Solo?), Matthew Broderick (with wife Sarah Jessica Parker there to support) and Oliver Platt, among others. That may not sound like a murders’ row of red-carpet talent, but the opening night of AFI FEST is traditionally a packed event no matter what movie is screening. This year it was decidedly not. There were a significant number of no-shows for the premiere itself and the post-screening party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was nowhere near as crowded as in previous years (there was almost zero spillover to the pool deck, which is usually a given). This wasn’t necessarily the festival or 20th Century Fox’s fault. Yes, a significant amount of press had already seen the movie a few weeks earlier (including this pundit), but it goes without saying that because of the election (a subject that came up in almost every conversation), the industry may simply not be in the mood to party at the moment.
Before AFI’s big night, there was a reception for “A Monster Calls,” with Felicity Jones at the fantastic Gracias Madre restaurant in West Hollywood (go if you are in town), but there is so much more in store over the next week or so. Beyond the screenings and conversations with talent such as Isabelle Huppert and Annette Bening at AFI, there is a “Nocturnal Animals” Los Angeles premiere at the Hammer Museum tonight; an A24 reception celebrating all their prestige films; the first public screening of “Hidden Figures” on Sunday; dueling “Jackie” at AFI and “Manchester By The Sea” at the Academy Theater screenings on Monday night; “La La Land“’s AFI moment on Tuesday night; and events for films such as “Hell Or High Water,” “Patriots Day” and “Toni Erdmann,” just to name a few.
Of course, that doesn’t even take into account the Governors Awards on Saturday night where Jackie Chan will be the main honoree. That soiree has turned into an Oscar campaigning event where the talent on hand turns more heads than at the Academy Awards itself. Who isn’t on hand to shake hands and deliver air kisses creates just as much buzz as who is.
How quickly Hollywood gets back in the swing of things will be a trend to watch over the next few days. Hint to anyone running an awards-season event over the next week or so, though: Keep the alcohol flowing.
