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New movies from Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Danny Boyle and others are drawing attention at this year's Telluride and Venice film festivals.
By Eric Ditzian

Natalie Portman at the Venice Film Festival last Wednesday
Photo: Danny Martindale/ Getty Images

Around this time last year, George Clooney's "Up in the Air" opened at the Telluride Film Festival and rode that initial buzz to six Academy Award nominations. A year later, another crop of high-profile films have premiered at Telluride and the Venice Film Festival, including new work from Danny Boyle (director of 2009's Oscar winner "Slumdog Millionaire"), Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler") and Ben Affleck ("Gone Baby Gone").

Which films will we be feting in the weeks and months to come? Here's a look at the most buzzed-about movies from both fests.

"Black Swan" Just days before Aronofsky jetted off to Venice to present his follow-up to "The Wrestler," the director confessed to MTV News that he gets very nervous before one of his film's premieres. "When 'The Wrestler' showed at Venice the last time, I walked out in the middle," he said. "I couldn't handle it. I snuck back in the end. It was not a pleasant experience."

Aronofsky may have been nervous, but "Black Swan" was indeed well-received, with rapturous praise reserved for star Natalie Portman that immediately makes her a Best Actress Oscar front-runner. Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood dubbed her turn a "dazzling tour de force."

The film follows Portman as a ballerina ready to take over the lead role in her company's production of "Swan Lake," until a rival dancer (Mila Kunis) shows up and begins to drive Portman toward madness. " 'Black Swan' is a brilliant mind f---," wrote Peter Sciretta of SlashFilm. "It is one of the boldest films I've seen produced by a Hollywood studio in years."

"127 Hours" Danny Boyle debuted "Slumdog" at Telluride in 2008, a decision that came to be seen as a wise one, and the critical darling went on to sweep the Oscars months later. Boyle's back now with a true story about a hiker (James Franco) who becomes trapped under a boulder in the wilderness and must saw off his own arm to escape. Like Portman, Franco is being discussed as a potential Oscar nominee.

"[Franco] pulls off a virtual one-man show," said Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter. "The actor already has demonstrated tremendous versatility, and just this year, viewers have seen him as one of Julia Roberts' lovers in 'Eat Pray Love' and as Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in 'Howl.' Here he manages to create a radically different character -- an extroverted adventurer who is forced to turn reflective. Expect Oscar to come calling next year."

"The Town" Ben Affleck's heist drama does not premiere until Wednesday (September 8), but anticipation is high based on the director's past work and the new film's impressive ensemble, including Jon Hamm, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall and Chris Cooper.

"It's hard to disavow a movie when you've written, directed and acted in it," Affleck told The New York Times. "This is an emblem of the person I want to be going forward."

"The King's Speech" British director Tom Hooper might not be well- known on American shores, but his new film just might be the buzziest one to debut at Telluride or Venice. Colin Firth stars as member of the British royal family who overcomes numerous obstacles to become King George VI. He's joined by Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush and Guy Pearce, among others.

"After several additional screenings and a rare standing ovation Sunday night as part of a companion tribute to Firth ... the film has provoked talk of widespread awards recognition," said The Hollywood Reporter. "While other films also attracted partisans, 'The King's Speech' was seen as having the broadest support across a broad array of awards categories."

"I'm Still Here" The questions began early in 2009: Just what the heck was going on with Joaquin Phoenix, with that bushy beard and the unhinged public appearances? Phoenix and Casey Affleck filmed the entire unraveling, and now audiences are starting to decide for themselves: documentary or mockumentary? Trouble is, not everyone is convinced they've come to the right conclusion.

" 'I'm Still Here' finally addresses the question of whether Joaquin Phoenix's decision to give up acting to pursue a hip-hop career was on the level or a setup. The answer seems to be: a bit of both," reports Variety.

Affleck, of course, is not exactly setting the record straight, which only amps up anticipation for the film. "Elliptically, I would say ... I sincerely don't want to influence people's interpretation," Affleck told reporters in Venice, according to The Associated Press. "I can tell you there is no hoax. It makes me think of 'Candid Camera' or something."

From the saucy Jessica Alba in "Little Fockers" to James Franco's grueling journey in "127 Hours," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more -- updated around the clock -- visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

'We're failing too many kids,' Davis Guggenheim tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner

"Waiting for Superman"
Photo: Paramount Pictures

"Waiting For Superman," like "Catfish," is a documentary that came out of this year's Sundance Film Festival with major buzz. But the two films couldn't be more different. Directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth"), "Superman" sheds a glaring and startling light on the crippling flaws of America's school system.

MTV caught up with the award-winning director while he was in the midst of a promotional blitz that has included appearances and screenings at schools across the country — one of which MTV was proud to host in conjunction with our Get Schooled campaign. Despite a hectic schedule (which explains why he didn't have the time to do that Justin Bieber concert movie), Guggenheim sat down with us to talk education reform, the reasons why MTV viewers should care about their neighborhood schools and what the average person can do to sustain the conversation he hopes to start with his film.

MTV: Why tackle this subject now?

Davis Guggenheim: Well, I'm a parent and I have three kids. I worry about what education they're going to get. ... Everyone knows the world has changed, but our schools haven't changed. They're not built to prepare our kids for this new economy. Right now, if you don't graduate high school and don't go to a four-year college, your chances are really limited. We're failing too many kids. Kids who watch MTV should be really worried about whether they're getting the right education and whether their friends and siblings are getting a good education, so they can have a good life and a piece of the American dream.

MTV: With a film like this, people feel outrage, depression, etc. What is the message or emotion you want people to take away from it?

Davis Guggenheim: There are two feelings when you see this movie. The movie climaxes in a scene where the kids I follow end up at a lottery and you realize that their future is going to be determined by how a bingo ball bounces, literally. They are there holding a card with a number, but instead of winning a lot of money, you win a chance to have a future in America, and it's heartbreaking and it's really un-American. You say, "Wait a minute. This is not our country; we shouldn't have to play bingo to get a good education." That's the harsh realization, but the other emotion that comes out of the movie is a sense of hope. In the last 10 years, there is a new generation of reformers who are doing an amazing job, in every city across the country. They're starting to break the code on how you can educate kids, even in the toughest neighborhoods. So there's a lot of hope if we focus on these reforms and smart reforms, and put away all the adult problems, we can actually start helping kids.

MTV: Is there a call to action at the end?

Davis Guggenheim: Yeah, there really is. The call to action is, "The stakes are even higher than we thought; it affects all of us. But we can do it and it takes people stepping up, being outraged, and demanding that our schools are great for every kid."

MTV: What is the first thing the average American who sees the film and wants to do something can do?

Davis Guggenheim: The first step is to be informed. What I find is that a lot of people think they know what's going on but really don't. With No Child Left Behind, you can actually go on and learn the scores of your school. But I think that the best way is to go see this movie. Like "An Inconvenient Truth," it became this primer, this experience people had and they shared with each other and became empowered to fight for change. When that happens, anything is possible. Some people might go in and tutor a kid, another might want to become a teacher, other people might want to reform their school district. That's what a film does — it creates a conversation and inspires people to incite change.

MTV: What has the response been like so far?

Davis Guggenheim: Even moreso than "An Inconvenient Truth," and I never thought I'd have an experience that would surpass "An Inconvenient Truth." But even more than [that film], there has been this rallying around the movie. Paramount, a major movie studio, decides to release it. At Sundance there were standing ovations, tears, people are coming up to me and saying "I want to help this one kid, I want to pay for their private school," "I want to reform my district." It's very exciting to see a movie like this have this effect on people.

MTV: Moving forward, aside from having made the film and getting the word out, what is next?

Davis Guggenheim: Well I'm trying to raise three good kids and make sure, even with a private school, that they have a great education. But it's not enough to make the movie, I'm on a campaign to fix our schools. ... Next month I'm in a different city every day getting people to join our conversation on how to fix our schools.

MTV: Well, now it's understandable why you were a little too busy to tackle the Justin Bieber concert movie.

Davis Guggenheim: [He laughs.] I think they found someone more talented than me. [But] my daughters love him and my 4-year-old still thinks she's going to marry him. ... It's so cute. I like his music.

MTV: So it was just a matter of too-busy schedules and timing?

Davis Guggenheim: Scheduling, timing and I needed to serve this movie first. I have to spend the next six months on this.

From the saucy Jessica Alba in "Little Fockers" to James Franco's grueling journey in "127 Hours," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.

Check out everything we've got on "Waiting for Superman."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• 2010 Sundance Film Festival Video Highlights

• Sundance Film Festival 2010

Jolie dropped out of the sci-fi drama last week.
By Adam Rosenberg

Natalie Portman
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" premiered at the Venice Film Festival last week, and critics are still buzzing over the ballet-centric thriller and star Natalie Portman's standout performance. Also in the news last week was Angelina Jolie's departure from Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi drama "Gravity," in which she was set to star alongside Robert Downey Jr. With the role vacated, a long list of potential replacements surfaced, including "Swan" star Portman.

Now it seems that Portman may be the top choice to step in for Jolie. The young star received a formal offer from Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter. The next step is for her to read the script and make a decision.

"Gravity" is an "$80 million [budgeted] 3D survival story," which Cuaron will direct. The male and female leads play astronauts who are stranded after a disaster leaves their space station inoperable. Downey's role is a small one in comparison to the one Portman is now up for — the story primarily revolves around her character's desire to get back to Earth, where her daughter is waiting.

Portman already has a 2011 jam-packed with work. She'll be promoting three features — medieval stoner comedy "Your Highness," romantic comedy "No Strings" and Marvel superhero summer blockbuster "Thor" — and continuing development on the adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," which David O. Russell is writing/directing and Portman will produce/star in. THR also reports that Terence Malick is after the young actress for a role in a "Jerry Lee Lewis-related project" that he is developing with Brad Pitt, and that Tom Stoppard is seeking her out for yet another project.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

• The Evolution Of: Natalie Portman

Club banger premiered on Ryan Seacrest's radio show Tuesday morning.
By James Dinh

Rihanna
Photo: WireImage

After going deep and dark on her last album, Rihanna has returned to the dance floor with her new single "Only Girl (in the World)." The song, which premiered early Tuesday morning (September 7) on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, plays off the title of her Last Girl on Earth tour and was produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate, who were also behind her hits "Don't Stop the Music" and "Hate That I Love You."

On the high-energy track, Rihanna yearns for her lover to keep her at the center of his attention over a pulsing electro beat. The singer's voice remains silky on the verses, then bursts out on the song's monstrous chorus.

"Want you to make me feel like I'm the only girl in the world/ Like I'm the only one that you'll ever love/ Like I'm the only one who knows your heart/ Only girl in the world," she belts.

"Only Girl" is a departure from "Russian Roulette," the stark lead single from her 2009 album Rated R. The new track only furthers speculation that the singer's fifth album, Loud, will contain material that isn't as dark as the songs on her last full-length.

Back in June, producer Sean Garrett told MTV News that he was working with Rihanna on material that was "very positive and very explosive. Heavy in the club."

Last week, Ri tweeted at Seacrest a hint that new music would drop soon: "In less than 10 dayz ima send u sumn special," she wrote, "and ur gonna play it OVER and OVER, like I'm the only girl in the world!"

What do you think of Rihanna's new single? Do you prefer the singer's uptempo club bangers or her darker material? Sound off below!

• Rihanna

Actor denies drug allegations that rapper made while freestyling at a concert on Friday.
By Gil Kaufman

Wyclef Jean and Sean Penn
Photo: Getty Images

Back in his Hollywood "Bad Boys" days, Sean Penn might have reacted to a harsh dis with his fists instead of his words. But Penn took the high road over the Labor Day holiday weekend, releasing a measured response to a harsh lyrical attack from former Fugees leader Wyclef Jean as the two continued their public sparring match over 'Clef's failed bid to run for the presidency of Haiti.

"Mr. Jean is clearly unfamiliar with the physical demands put upon volunteers in Haiti," read the statement, which was released by a spokesperson for Penn. "As aid workers there, the notion of depleting the body's immune system thru the use of illicit drugs is ludicrous."

The letter was in part a response to some new lyrics Jean threw down at Hot 97's On Da Reggae Tip concert in New York on Friday. He switched up the verses to his 2004 song "President" in order to take aim at Penn and his former Fugees bandmate Pras, who both questioned Wyclef's fitness to run earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

"I got a message for Sean Penn: Maybe he ain't see me in Haiti because he was too busy sniffing cocaine," Jean sang at the show on Friday, adding, "I got a message for Praswell, even though you don't want to support me, I got love for you, even though you only kicked eight bars in the Fugees."

Penn, who has lived in a tent in Haiti since just after January's earthquake, also used his statement to explain to 'Clef exactly what he's been doing on the ground and why the lyrical roundhouse failed to connect.

"More specifically, J/P Haitian Relief Organization (a.k.a. JPHRO) has a ZERO tolerance policy for any and all illegal drugs," Penn's statement said, referring to the non-governmental organization the actor co-founded to help the island just hours after the quake hit. "As the leader of this organization, Sean Penn has not only set this policy, but adheres to it. That Mr. Jean would make such a false accusation is reckless and saddening, but not surprising."

When Jean spoke about his plans to run for Haiti's head of state on CNN's "Larry King Live" in August, Penn, who was also a guest on the show, expressed concerns about the singer's motivations for seeking political office.

"Right now, I worry that this is a campaign that is more about a vision of flying around the world, talking to people. It's certainly not one of the youth drafting him. I would be quite sure that this is an influence of corporations here in the United States and private individuals that may well have capitalized on his will to see himself flying around the world," Penn said.

The actor also wrote in a Huffington Post column that despite Jean's public support for the island nation, the MC wasn't around during critical moments after Haiti's devastating January earthquake.

"I was there for those six months after the earthquake and so many of us on the ground wondered where he was when that kind of attention was so necessary and absent, and why he was NOT helping to keep this desperate situation in the news," he wrote. "None among us felt or expressed anger toward it, but rather a universal sadness for his silence, as he is America's most admired cultural link to Haiti."

• Wyclef Jean