Seduced and Abandoned (2013 film)

Last updated
Seduced and Abandoned
Seduced and Abandoned (2013 film).jpg
Directed by James Toback
Written byJames Toback
Produced by Michael Mailer
Alec Baldwin
James Toback
Morris S. Levy
Alan Helene
Neil Schneider
Larry Herbert
CinematographyRuben Sluijter
Edited byAaron Yanes
Production
company
Distributed by HBO Documentary Films
Release dates
  • May 20, 2013 (2013-05-20)(Cannes)
  • October 28, 2013 (2013-10-28)(United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Seduced and Abandoned is a 2013 American documentary film directed by James Toback. The film details the journey of Toback and actor Alec Baldwin, as they try to sell a film concept at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012. Taking part in several pitch sessions with producers as well as interviews with directors and actors, the duo explore the film production aspect of film financing. The film premiered at the festival a year later on May 20, 2013.

Contents

Cast

Production

After discussing a film idea for quite some time, actor Alec Baldwin and writer/director James Toback decided to go to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and document their search for investors. [3] During their time at Cannes, Baldwin and Toback interviewed many high-profile figures in the film industry. [4] "I knew all the directors I approached," said Toback. "I was pretty friendly with a few of them. Alec wanted those particular directors. Ryan Gosling was his idea. I've known Jessica Chastain for several years, and she was my idea. I hadn't thought about Diane Kruger before, but then we ran into her in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel [in Cannes, France]." [5]

Release and reception

Seduced and Abandoned premiered in the Special Screenings section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2013. [6] A week prior to its premiere at the festival, the North American rights to the film were acquired by HBO Films. [7] It later aired on HBO on October 28, 2013 and will be given a cinematic release in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2013. [8] [9]

The film received positive feedback from critics. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 86% based on reviews from 22 critics, with a rating average of seven out of 10. [10] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reports the film with two different scores. When combined, the film has a score of 74 based on 19 reviews. [11] [12]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, calling the film "the year’s most entertaining put-on." Holden described it as a film that "rambles entertainingly from topic to topic. [...] There is hardly a dull moment." [13] Hank Stuever of The Washington Post called the film "a fun, larky travel essay and commentary on the film biz, an exquisite wallow in the most rarefied sort of first-world problems." [14] Conversely, David Hinkley of New York Daily News gave the film a negative review, stating, "In a perfect world, Seduced and Abandoned might have told us why it's so hard for grownups to find anything they want to see at the movies these days. Alas, while it flirts with that question and answer, in the end it plays a little too much like a home movie for the film industry." [15]

Related Research Articles

<i>Murder by Numbers</i> 2002 film by Barbet Schroeder

Murder by Numbers is a 2002 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Barbet Schroeder and starring Sandra Bullock in the main role alongside Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling, and Michael Pitt. It is loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb case. The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered in competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taki Theodoracopulos</span> Greek writer and publisher

Panagiotis "Taki" Theodoracopulos is a Greek writer and publisher who founded Taki's Magazine and co-founded The American Conservative. His column "High Life" appeared in British weekly The Spectator from 1977 to 2023. He has lived in New York City, London, and Gstaad.

<i>The King Is Alive</i> 2000 film by Kristian Levring

The King Is Alive is a 2000 drama film directed by Kristian Levring. The fourth film to be done according to the Dogme 95 rules, it was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Toback</span> American screenwriter and film director

James Lee Toback is an American screenwriter and film director. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1991 for Bugsy. He has directed films including The Pick-up Artist, Two Girls and a Guy and Black and White.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Hat Harry</span> American film and television production company

Bad Hat Harry Productions, Inc. is an American film and television production company founded in 1994 by director Bryan Singer. It has produced such films as The Usual Suspects and the X-Men film series, as well as the television series House. The name is an homage to Steven Spielberg and comes from a line uttered by Roy Scheider in the 1975 feature Jaws: an elderly swimmer in a bathing cap teases police chief Martin Brody about not going in the water; Brody replies, "That's some bad hat, Harry." The original 2004 logo paid animated homage to this scene. The current logo, introduced in 2011, is taken from the police lineup scene of the companies' first film,The Usual Suspects.

<i>The Slaughter Rule</i> 2002 American film by Alex Smith

The Slaughter Rule is a 2002 American coming of age sports drama film directed by Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith and starring Ryan Gosling and David Morse. The film, set in contemporary Montana, explores the relationship between a small-town high school football player (Gosling), and his troubled coach (Morse). The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Day Night Day Night</i> 2006 American film

Day Night Day Night is a 2006 drama film written and directed by Julia Loktev. It documents 48 hours in the life of an anonymous 19-year-old as she prepares to become a suicide bomber in Times Square. It premiered on May 25, 2006 in the Directors' Fortnight section of the 58th Annual Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Exposed</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by James Toback

Exposed is a 1983 American drama film written, produced and directed by James Toback. It stars Nastassja Kinski, Rudolf Nureyev, Harvey Keitel, Ian McShane and Bibi Andersson.

<i>Drive</i> (2011 film) 2011 American action drama film

Drive is a 2011 American action drama film directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The screenplay, written by Hossein Amini, is based on James Sallis's 2005 novel. The film stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver. He quickly grows fond of his neighbor, Irene, and her young son, Benicio. When her debt-ridden husband, Standard, is released from prison, the two men take part in what turns out to be a botched million-dollar heist that endangers the lives of everyone involved. The film co-stars Bryan Cranston, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman, and Albert Brooks.

<i>Snowtown</i> (film) 2011 Australian film by Justin Kurzel

Snowtown is a 2011 Australian biographical crime drama directed by Justin Kurzel in his directorial debut and written by Shaun Grant based on the true story of the Snowtown murders.

<i>Only God Forgives</i> 2013 film by Nicolas Winding Refn

Only God Forgives is a 2013 action film written and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vithaya Pansringarm. It was shot on location in Bangkok, Thailand, and as with the director's earlier film Drive it was also dedicated to Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby</i> 2013 American film

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby is the collective title of three films written and directed by Ned Benson in his directorial debut, and starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy, alongside a supporting cast of Viola Davis, Bill Hader, Katherine Waterston, Ciarán Hinds, Isabelle Huppert, and William Hurt. After the film split into three parts, Him and Her were screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival as a "work in progress". Them premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Them premiered in the United States on September 12, 2014, while Him and Her were released together as double feature on October 10, 2014.

<i>Lost River</i> (film) 2014 film by Ryan Gosling

Lost River is a 2014 American fantasy thriller film written, co-produced, and directed by Ryan Gosling, in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan, Iain De Caestecker, Matt Smith, Ben Mendelsohn, Barbara Steele, and Eva Mendes.

<i>As I Lay Dying</i> (film) 2013 film

As I Lay Dying is a 2013 American drama film directed and co-written by and starring James Franco, based on William Faulkner's 1930 novel of the same name. The film stars Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny McBride, Logan Marshall-Green, Ahna O'Reilly, Jim Parrack, Beth Grant, and Brady Permenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morris S. Levy</span> American film and television producer

Morris S. Levy is a film, television, and theatrical producer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Kings Point, New York. He is the founder and President of M.E.G.A. Films, a New York-based production company. He often films in Great Neck as well as all over the New York City area. His films have appeared in the Sundance Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Tribeca Film Festival amongst other festivals. His film A Novel Romance won the Audience Award and Best Picture Award at the New York International Film Festival. His TV series, Cop Show won best comedy, among other awards at the 2015 New York City Webfest. His 2020 critically acclaimed film ″Angie: Lost Girls″ won Best Picture at the Moving Parts Film Festival and also won an Award of Excellence from the Accolade Global Film Competition. Mr. Levy is a producer of the Off-Broadway show My Life on a Diet starring Renee Taylor, which received rave reviews from the NY Times, NY Post, LA Times, and was nominated for a 2019 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show. He is also a producer on the Off Broadway show Mornings at Seven starring Tony Roberts, Judith Ivey, and Don Lauria. Before entering the entertainment business, he was a principal in a ladies' clothing company and was also prominent in the New York nightlife business as a promoter/owner.

<i>An Imperfect Murder</i> 2017 film

An Imperfect Murder is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by James Toback. It was screened out of competition at the 74th Venice International Film Festival.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind is a 2018 American documentary film directed by Marina Zenovich, celebrating the life and career of comedian Robin Williams, who died in 2014. An HBO production, it features interviews with Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Billy Crystal, among others. It also includes outtakes and little known clips from Williams' stand-up routines.

<i>Arctic Dogs</i> 2019 film directed by Aaron Woodley

Arctic Dogs is a 2019 animated comedy film co-written and directed by Aaron Woodley and co-directed by Dimos Vrysellas. The film stars the voices of Jeremy Renner, Heidi Klum, James Franco, John Cleese, Omar Sy, Michael Madsen, Laurie Holden, Anjelica Huston and Alec Baldwin.

<i>Crown Vic</i> (film) 2019 film by Joel Souza

Crown Vic is a 2019 American crime thriller film written and directed by Joel Souza, with Alec Baldwin having served as one of the producers, and stars Thomas Jane, Luke Kleintank, Gregg Bello, David Krumholtz, Bridget Moynahan, Scottie Thompson, and Josh Hopkins. The film focuses on the events during a night shift for veteran LAPD officer Ray Mandel and his trainee Nick Holland. The film's title derives from the Ford Crown Victoria, a car widely used by US police, which the main characters also use.

<i>Scenes from a Marriage</i> (American miniseries) American drama television miniseries

Scenes from a Marriage is an American drama television miniseries developed, written and directed by Hagai Levi produced for HBO, and starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. It is an English-language remake of the 1973 Swedish miniseries of the same name by Ingmar Bergman. It was presented at the 2021 Venice Film Festival and it premiered on September 12, 2021, on HBO. For his performance, Isaac was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a SAG Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, with Chastain also earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or Television Film.

References

  1. ↑ Theodoracopulos, Taki (25 May 2013), "What's Cannes all about? Seducing someone important: High life", The Spectator , retrieved 11 November 2013
  2. ↑ Ross, Deborah (9 November 2013), "Ryan Gosling couldn't play Taki better than Taki: Seduced and Abandoned Review", The Spectator , retrieved 11 November 2013
  3. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 15, 2012). "Alec Baldwin And James Toback Team On Cannes Docu 'Seduced And Abandoned'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  4. ↑ Lombardi, Ken (October 25, 2013). "Alec Baldwin on his new documentary, "Seduced and Abandoned"". CBS News . CBS . Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Interview with James Toback". HBO . Home Box Office Inc. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Official Selection 2013: Special Screenings". Cannes Film Festival . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Cannes: HBO Acquires North American Rights To Alec Baldwin/James Toback's 'Seduced And Abandoned' Feature Docu". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. May 13, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Seduced and Abandoned: pitching a film in Cannes". TV Weekly Now. October 28, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Seduced and Abandoned | TotalFilm.com". Total Film . Future Publishing . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Seduced and Abandoned". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Seduced and Abandoned: Season 1". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Seduced and Abandoned". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ Stephen, Holden (October 17, 2013). "Have I Got a Movie for You: Alec Baldwin and Neve Campbell in 'Seduced and Abandoned'". The New York Times . Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  14. ↑ Stuever, Hank (October 27, 2013). "HBO's 'Seduced and Abandoned': Cannes they get serious or is it all some kind of joke?". The Washington Post . Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  15. ↑ Hinkley, David (October 28, 2013). "'Seduced and Abandoned,' TV review". New York Daily News . Daily News, L.P. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.