After an exhaustive yearlong search to find the show’s next host, Jon Stewart is returning to The Daily Show on a part-time basis, just in time for the 2024 election season. But he won’t be doing it alone. He’ll host Monday night’s broadcast beginning Feb. 12, with a roster of rotating correspondents from Tuesday to Thursday. For some, his return speaks to the dire state of late-night TV.
Stewart left the chair of the satirical news program in 2015, and ever since his absence, the show has taken a dive.
Stewart left the chair of the satirical news program in 2015, and ever since his absence, the show has taken a dive.
- 1/27/2024
- by Kalia Richardson and Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
In what has been one hell of an election year, Jon Stewart is cutting through all of it with his biting political comedy Irresistible starring Steve Carell, Rose Byrne and Chris Cooper. The Focus Features film was originally set to hit theaters on May 29, but like all films impacted by the pandemic, it pivoted to PVOD and drops today.
Written by Stewart, Irresistible follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor against a Republican rival (Byrne) in a small Wisconsin town. This marks a reunion of sorts for Stewart and Carell, who was a recurring correspondent on The Daily Show between 1999 and 2005. The film is also Stewart’s latest outing as a feature film director. His first pic, Rosewater, was released in 2014 and told the story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who was accused and brutally interrogated by Iranian forces for being a spy.
Written by Stewart, Irresistible follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor against a Republican rival (Byrne) in a small Wisconsin town. This marks a reunion of sorts for Stewart and Carell, who was a recurring correspondent on The Daily Show between 1999 and 2005. The film is also Stewart’s latest outing as a feature film director. His first pic, Rosewater, was released in 2014 and told the story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who was accused and brutally interrogated by Iranian forces for being a spy.
- 6/26/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s another notable theatrical release to hit Pvod due to Covid-19: Focus Features’ Jon Stewart-directed political comedy Irresistible. Originally scheduled for a May 29 theatrical release, the Steve Carell-Rose Byrne-Chris Cooper movie now will play in homes starting Friday, June 26.
Irresistible will be available for the 48-hour rental price of $19.99 on such platforms as Amazon, Apple, Comcast, DirecTV, Fandango, Google/YouTube, Charter/Spectrum, Verizon, Microsoft, Dish, Sony, Cox, Altice, Vudu, Frontier and Row8.
There’s also the possibility, I hear, that the movie will still play theatrically starting the weekend of June 26, in those cinemas that are open.
Irresistible follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town. Part of the rush to get the movie out there stems from the timeliness of the current election year and releasing Irresistible before this...
Irresistible will be available for the 48-hour rental price of $19.99 on such platforms as Amazon, Apple, Comcast, DirecTV, Fandango, Google/YouTube, Charter/Spectrum, Verizon, Microsoft, Dish, Sony, Cox, Altice, Vudu, Frontier and Row8.
There’s also the possibility, I hear, that the movie will still play theatrically starting the weekend of June 26, in those cinemas that are open.
Irresistible follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town. Part of the rush to get the movie out there stems from the timeliness of the current election year and releasing Irresistible before this...
- 5/22/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The first trailer for Jon Stewart’s upcoming film Irresistible has arrived and it features the Democrats trying to get back on top in conservative America.
In the trailer for the film, which was written and directed by Stewart, Steve Carell appears as a Democratic political consultant hired to help a retired ex-Marine colonel (Chris Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town.
“We need some ways to road test a more rural-friendly message,” Carell’s character says in the trailer, suggesting the Democrats focus on Cooper’s former colonel,...
In the trailer for the film, which was written and directed by Stewart, Steve Carell appears as a Democratic political consultant hired to help a retired ex-Marine colonel (Chris Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town.
“We need some ways to road test a more rural-friendly message,” Carell’s character says in the trailer, suggesting the Democrats focus on Cooper’s former colonel,...
- 1/24/2020
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Political maverick and former talk-show host turned filmmaker Jon Stewart is returning to the director’s chair for the first time since 2014’s “Rosewater” with “Irresistible,” a political satire starring Steve Carell, Chris Cooper, and Rose Byrne. It’s Stewart’s first stab at an outright comedy film, and he also wrote the film. Below, Focus Features has dropped the film’s first trailer ahead of a high-profile summer release date of May 29, 2020 — Memorial Day Weekend.
The film stars Carell as a successful Democratic strategist who, after discovering a video of a retired marine colonel, played by Chris Cooper, pledging support for the rights of his local townsfolk’s undocumented workers, is convinced he’s found a way into the right-wing-skewing Heartland. But he’s soon pitted against Faith (aptly named and played by Rose Byrne), who’s dispatched by the Republicans to challenge Gary (Carell) in a race that...
The film stars Carell as a successful Democratic strategist who, after discovering a video of a retired marine colonel, played by Chris Cooper, pledging support for the rights of his local townsfolk’s undocumented workers, is convinced he’s found a way into the right-wing-skewing Heartland. But he’s soon pitted against Faith (aptly named and played by Rose Byrne), who’s dispatched by the Republicans to challenge Gary (Carell) in a race that...
- 1/24/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Focus Features will release the latest film from director Jon Stewart called “Irresistible” on May 29, 2020, the distributor announced Wednesday.
Steve Carell, Chris Cooper and Rose Byrne star in the political comedy that the former “Daily Show” host both wrote and directed.
“Irresistible” is a satire about what happens when a small Wisconsin town becomes the main attraction of our political circus. After the Democrat’s top strategist Gary (Steve Carell) sees a video of a retired Marine Colonel (Chris Cooper) standing up for the rights of his town’s undocumented workers, Gary believes he has found the key to winning back the Heartland. However, when the Republicans counter him by sending in his brilliant nemesis Faith (Rose Byrne), what started out as a local race quickly becomes an out-of-control and hilarious fight for the soul of America.
Steve Carell, Chris Cooper and Rose Byrne star in the political comedy that the former “Daily Show” host both wrote and directed.
“Irresistible” is a satire about what happens when a small Wisconsin town becomes the main attraction of our political circus. After the Democrat’s top strategist Gary (Steve Carell) sees a video of a retired Marine Colonel (Chris Cooper) standing up for the rights of his town’s undocumented workers, Gary believes he has found the key to winning back the Heartland. However, when the Republicans counter him by sending in his brilliant nemesis Faith (Rose Byrne), what started out as a local race quickly becomes an out-of-control and hilarious fight for the soul of America.
- 1/22/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Following her critically acclaimed Netflix series “Russian Doll,” Natasha Lyonne is heading back to the big screen. The actress is joining Steve Carell in the ensemble cast of Jon Stewart’s upcoming comedy “Irresistible.”
The movie, also starring Topher Grace, Rose Byrne, and Chris Cooper, follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired ex-Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town. Lyonne’s role is currently unknown.
Variety first reported that Stewart and Carell would team together on what would be Stewart’s second directing project. His directorial debut was 2014’s political drama “Rosewater,” which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
Stewart will also produce “Irresistible” alongside Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide.
Lyonne most recently starred in “Russian Doll,...
The movie, also starring Topher Grace, Rose Byrne, and Chris Cooper, follows a Democrat political consultant (Carell) who helps a retired ex-Marine colonel (Cooper) run for mayor in a small Wisconsin town. Lyonne’s role is currently unknown.
Variety first reported that Stewart and Carell would team together on what would be Stewart’s second directing project. His directorial debut was 2014’s political drama “Rosewater,” which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
Stewart will also produce “Irresistible” alongside Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide.
Lyonne most recently starred in “Russian Doll,...
- 5/9/2019
- by Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
“Irresistible,” a new political comedy which is being directed by Jon Stewart and stars Steve Carell, has landed at Focus Features, the studio announced Tuesday.
Focus will partner with Plan B Entertainment to produce and distribute “Irresistible,” a comedy set during a political campaign.
Chris Cooper also joins the previously announced cast of Carell and Rose Byrne. Stewart will also produce alongside Plan B Entertainment.
Also Read: Jon Stewart Admits He Should've Taken Donald Trump's Presidential Candidacy More Seriously (Video)
“In the age of fake news, Jon Stewart continues to be the real deal. He’s been making us laugh at the bipartisan commitment to bending the truth for years, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with him and Plan B as Jon brings his signature wit to the big screen with the incredibly versatile talents of Steve, Rose, and Chris,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement.
Focus will partner with Plan B Entertainment to produce and distribute “Irresistible,” a comedy set during a political campaign.
Chris Cooper also joins the previously announced cast of Carell and Rose Byrne. Stewart will also produce alongside Plan B Entertainment.
Also Read: Jon Stewart Admits He Should've Taken Donald Trump's Presidential Candidacy More Seriously (Video)
“In the age of fake news, Jon Stewart continues to be the real deal. He’s been making us laugh at the bipartisan commitment to bending the truth for years, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with him and Plan B as Jon brings his signature wit to the big screen with the incredibly versatile talents of Steve, Rose, and Chris,” Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski said in a statement.
- 3/19/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Jon Stewart has found his next film project. It’s called Irresistible, it’s based on an original idea that he came up with, and he wants Steve Carell to star in it.
Just in case you don’t remember, before Carell became the big star that he is, he was a contributor on Comedy Central’s news satire program The Daily Show with Stewart. So it’s kinda cool that the two will eventually be working together again.
There’s no information on what the story for the film will entail, but it is said to be a political satire film, which, as you know, is one of Stewart’s strengths.
Stewart previously directed the 2014 film Rosewater, which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
If you’re a fan of Stewart or Carell,...
Just in case you don’t remember, before Carell became the big star that he is, he was a contributor on Comedy Central’s news satire program The Daily Show with Stewart. So it’s kinda cool that the two will eventually be working together again.
There’s no information on what the story for the film will entail, but it is said to be a political satire film, which, as you know, is one of Stewart’s strengths.
Stewart previously directed the 2014 film Rosewater, which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
If you’re a fan of Stewart or Carell,...
- 10/8/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Tony Sokol Jan 24, 2020
Steve Carell thinks he found a way for the Democrats to win the Heartland in first trailer for Jon Stewart's "Irresistible."
"Twenty bucks says I do better with fear than you do with shame," Republican political strategist Faith (Rose Byrne) tells Steve Carell's Democratic strategist Gary in the first trailer for Irresistible. Jon Stewart's second feature film will open in North America on May 29, Memorial Day weekend, according to Deadline. The political satire will hit theaters just in time for election season when the only other new movie on the cinematic ballot is Kenneth Branagh’s Disney fantasy film Artemis Fowl.
Irresistible was produced by Stewart, along with Plan B, Brad Pitt's production banner. Focus Features will distribute the film in the U.S., Universal Pictures International will distribute abroad.
Stewart retired from The Daily Show, in 2015.He made his feature film directorial debut with...
Steve Carell thinks he found a way for the Democrats to win the Heartland in first trailer for Jon Stewart's "Irresistible."
"Twenty bucks says I do better with fear than you do with shame," Republican political strategist Faith (Rose Byrne) tells Steve Carell's Democratic strategist Gary in the first trailer for Irresistible. Jon Stewart's second feature film will open in North America on May 29, Memorial Day weekend, according to Deadline. The political satire will hit theaters just in time for election season when the only other new movie on the cinematic ballot is Kenneth Branagh’s Disney fantasy film Artemis Fowl.
Irresistible was produced by Stewart, along with Plan B, Brad Pitt's production banner. Focus Features will distribute the film in the U.S., Universal Pictures International will distribute abroad.
Stewart retired from The Daily Show, in 2015.He made his feature film directorial debut with...
- 10/4/2018
- Den of Geek
Tony Sokol Oct 4, 2018
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart will direct his next feature and is calling in former correspondent Steve Carell
Standup comic, actor, activist and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart is set to direct his next feature, an original political satire called Irresistible, and he is calling on his former correspondent, actor Steve Carell, to star in the film, according to Variety.
Irresistible will be produced by Stewart, along with Plan B, Brad Pitt's production banner which is currently working on the upcoming features Beautiful Boy and If Beale Street Could Talk. Plot details are being kept under wraps while the project is in the process of securing financing.
Stewart retired from the Comedy Central late-night talk show in 2015 to focus a sanctuary for abused animals he runs with his wife in New Jersey. He made his feature film directorial debut with Rosewater in 2014, which he...
The Daily Show's Jon Stewart will direct his next feature and is calling in former correspondent Steve Carell
Standup comic, actor, activist and former Daily Show host Jon Stewart is set to direct his next feature, an original political satire called Irresistible, and he is calling on his former correspondent, actor Steve Carell, to star in the film, according to Variety.
Irresistible will be produced by Stewart, along with Plan B, Brad Pitt's production banner which is currently working on the upcoming features Beautiful Boy and If Beale Street Could Talk. Plot details are being kept under wraps while the project is in the process of securing financing.
Stewart retired from the Comedy Central late-night talk show in 2015 to focus a sanctuary for abused animals he runs with his wife in New Jersey. He made his feature film directorial debut with Rosewater in 2014, which he...
- 10/4/2018
- Den of Geek
Jon Stewart will return to the director’s chair for upcoming political satire, Irresistible, Variety reports.
The former The Daily Show host is slated to direct the film, which is based on his original idea. Steve Carell, a former Daily Show correspondent during the Stewart era, is reportedly the top choice to star, though financing and scheduling is still being established.
Stewart made his directorial debut with 2014’s Rosewater, which is based on the true story of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was jailed on charges of espionage and interrogated...
The former The Daily Show host is slated to direct the film, which is based on his original idea. Steve Carell, a former Daily Show correspondent during the Stewart era, is reportedly the top choice to star, though financing and scheduling is still being established.
Stewart made his directorial debut with 2014’s Rosewater, which is based on the true story of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was jailed on charges of espionage and interrogated...
- 10/4/2018
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
Jon Stewart is returning to directing.
The former host of “The Daily Show” will direct the feature film “Irresistible,” a political satire, individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. Steve Carell is also in early talks to star, an individual with knowledge of the project said.
The film is based on Stewart’s original idea, and it is his first since his directorial debut, 2014’s “Rosewater,” and his first since leaving “The Daily Show” in 2015. Plot details are still under wraps.
Also Read: Jon Stewart Strolled Down Hollywood Blvd in an Incredible Hulk Costume (Video)
Stewart will also produce the film with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. The project is in the beginning stages of development, and it’s unclear when production will begin.
“Rosewater,” a drama, was the story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained and tortured by Iranian forces for several months under suspicion that he was a spy.
The former host of “The Daily Show” will direct the feature film “Irresistible,” a political satire, individuals with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. Steve Carell is also in early talks to star, an individual with knowledge of the project said.
The film is based on Stewart’s original idea, and it is his first since his directorial debut, 2014’s “Rosewater,” and his first since leaving “The Daily Show” in 2015. Plot details are still under wraps.
Also Read: Jon Stewart Strolled Down Hollywood Blvd in an Incredible Hulk Costume (Video)
Stewart will also produce the film with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. The project is in the beginning stages of development, and it’s unclear when production will begin.
“Rosewater,” a drama, was the story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained and tortured by Iranian forces for several months under suspicion that he was a spy.
- 10/3/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Jon Stewart looks to have found his next gig after staying off the grid since leaving “The Daily Show” in 2015 — and he’s bringing a familiar friend on board.
The former talk show host will direct “Irresistible,” a political satire based on his original idea, sources tell Variety. Sources say Steve Carell is the top choice to star, though financing and scheduling needs to be worked out first.
Plot details have yet to be revealed, but the movie will be in Stewart’s political wheelhouse. His first directing gig was 2014’s political drama “Rosewater,” which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
Stewart will also produce, along with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Sources say the project is in the beginning stages of development as financiers and distributors come on board. It is currently unknown when production will start.
The former talk show host will direct “Irresistible,” a political satire based on his original idea, sources tell Variety. Sources say Steve Carell is the top choice to star, though financing and scheduling needs to be worked out first.
Plot details have yet to be revealed, but the movie will be in Stewart’s political wheelhouse. His first directing gig was 2014’s political drama “Rosewater,” which centered on journalist Maziar Bahari, who was detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogated him under suspicion that he was a spy.
Stewart will also produce, along with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. Sources say the project is in the beginning stages of development as financiers and distributors come on board. It is currently unknown when production will start.
- 10/3/2018
- by Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
★★★★☆ Jon Stewart's assured directorial debut Rosewater (2014) is a dramatic reconstruction of the real-life arrest and detention of Iranian-Canadian filmmaker and journalist Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia-Bernal). In 2009, Bahari was detained in solitary confinement in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison accused of espionage. Although based in London, Bahari had come to Iran to visit his mother Moloojoon (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and cover the presidential elections for Newsweek. Following the landslide victory of Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in elections many deemed to have been rigged, there was widespread demonstrations. When these were brutally suppressed, Bahari captured some damning footage.
After his film was aired, the state security officers came for Bahari who was staying with his mother in her Tehran Apartment. He was arrested and his laptop and DVDs seized as evidence. Stewart, best known as the former host of The Daily Show, wisely focuses on the absurdity of Bahari's situation and the illogical accusations of the Iranian regime.
After his film was aired, the state security officers came for Bahari who was staying with his mother in her Tehran Apartment. He was arrested and his laptop and DVDs seized as evidence. Stewart, best known as the former host of The Daily Show, wisely focuses on the absurdity of Bahari's situation and the illogical accusations of the Iranian regime.
- 9/7/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Every day, more and more films are added to the various streaming services out there, ranging from Netflix to YouTube, and are hitting the airwaves via movie-centric networks like TCM. Therefore, sifting through all of these pictures can be a tedious and often times confounding or difficult ordeal. But, that’s why we’re here. Every week, Joshua brings you five films to put at the top of your queue, add to your playlist, or grab off of VOD to make your weekend a little more eventful. Here is this week’s top five, in this week’s Armchair Vacation.
5. Ballet 422 (VOD)
There are very few things in this world quite like the birth of a new creative venture. Be it the making of a film, the writing of a new novel or the painstaking artistry that goes into the crafting of a new sculpture, watching an artist or...
5. Ballet 422 (VOD)
There are very few things in this world quite like the birth of a new creative venture. Be it the making of a film, the writing of a new novel or the painstaking artistry that goes into the crafting of a new sculpture, watching an artist or...
- 6/19/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Director: Jon Stewart; Screenwriter: Jon Stewart; Starring: Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jason Jones; Running time: 103 mins; Certificate: 15
Based on Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari's memoir Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival, Jon Stewart's directorial debut Rosewater is a fascinating and unflinching look at how the truth is treated as hostile by oppressive political regimes. It also highlights the courage of those who sacrifice their liberty by not surrendering their morality.
Rosewater charts the mistaken arrest, incarceration and interrogation of Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) after he is accused of being a spy by the Iranian authorities while covering their elections in 2009. His 'crime' was to record footage depicting the nation's internal turmoil and send it to broadcasters on the outside world. An interview with satirical American programme The Daily Show - then presented by this movie's writer-director Jon Stewart - only compounded matters.
Based on Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari's memoir Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival, Jon Stewart's directorial debut Rosewater is a fascinating and unflinching look at how the truth is treated as hostile by oppressive political regimes. It also highlights the courage of those who sacrifice their liberty by not surrendering their morality.
Rosewater charts the mistaken arrest, incarceration and interrogation of Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) after he is accused of being a spy by the Iranian authorities while covering their elections in 2009. His 'crime' was to record footage depicting the nation's internal turmoil and send it to broadcasters on the outside world. An interview with satirical American programme The Daily Show - then presented by this movie's writer-director Jon Stewart - only compounded matters.
- 5/8/2015
- Digital Spy
In an extract from this week's Guardian film show, critics Xan Brooks and Peter Bradshaw review the directorial debut of Daily Show host Jon Stewart. The film, which premiered at the Telluride film festival last September, was inspired by an interview Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari (played in Rosewater by Gael Garcia Bernal) gave to Stewart – and which led to his imprisonment and torture Continue reading...
- 5/8/2015
- by Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw, Catherine Shoard, Henry Barnes and Dan Susman
- The Guardian - Film News
The first inkling that Jon Stewart was looking beyond his job as the host of The Daily Show came in March 2013 when he announced that he was taking a 12-week sabbatical to direct Rosewater, a film inspired by the book Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival. Written by the London-based journalist Maziar Bahari, it covers his arrest when reporting on the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and his incarceration for 118 days in an Iranian jail.
- 4/17/2015
- The Independent - Film
The world is upside down, or as David Lynch puts it: "The world is wild at heart and weird on top." The countries that are peace keepers are also the biggest manufacturers of weapons and the most profitable industries are the ones that are destroying this planet. One percent of the population owns more than the other ninety-nine together. Our system is fundamentally unjust. That is a fact and many of today's urgent problems are obliging us to examine the very framework of our society.When you scroll through the programme of this year's Human Rights Watch Film Festival (Hrwff), you cannot but notice that most of the 16 films, except for John Stewart's directing debut Rosewater, a film about the life of the Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari, are documentaries. They are bringing us unknown stories from all over the world and they point to issues concerning violations of human rights.
- 3/18/2015
- by Ana Sturm
- MUBI
Rosewater is a movie that Jon Stewart basically had to make after The Daily Show played a major role in the imprisonments of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari. It works really well as an apology and as an effort to further Bahari’s mission to increase the visibility of journalists who have become political prisoners. Unfortunately, it’s not a particularly good piece of filmmaking.
Stewart is quite green and it shows in almost every facet of the movie. The performances he gets from his actors aren’t quite up to the level of the material he’s trying to create. The movie lumbers along at times where they should move faster and speeds through moments I would love to see breathe more. It doesn’t feel like a student effort, that would be a bridge way too far, but it does feel like a movie by a director that’s learning as he goes.
Stewart is quite green and it shows in almost every facet of the movie. The performances he gets from his actors aren’t quite up to the level of the material he’s trying to create. The movie lumbers along at times where they should move faster and speeds through moments I would love to see breathe more. It doesn’t feel like a student effort, that would be a bridge way too far, but it does feel like a movie by a director that’s learning as he goes.
- 3/11/2015
- by Arthur Tebbel
- Comicmix.com
Rosewater, literally pressed from the folds of the flowers and combined with sweat to make an evocative fragrance popular in Iranian culture, and showered on the devout in holy places. The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart makes his feature writing and directorial debut with a small, powerful film taking its namesake from the holy liquid and perverting it as the fragrance worn by the protagonist’s interrogator over the course of a 118-day solitary confinement in Tehran. Based on actual events, and inspired by the protagonist’s chance encounter with the actual The Daily Show in 2009 and, in a moment of life being stranger than fiction, the role The Daily Show played in his incarceration, Stewart departs from a career of comedy to tell an important story of fellow journalist Maziar Bahari and humanity’s global and eternal quest for freedom.
Read more...
Read more...
- 3/2/2015
- by Kyle North
- JustPressPlay.net
Update: Samantha Bee has also announced that she will be leaving The Daily Show, following a deal with TBS for a second series. Along with the scripted comedy Bee and husband Jason Jones will be executive producing, the former correspondent will also be hosting a show that will be "a platform for Bee to apply her smart and satirical point of view to current and relevant world issues," as detailed by a press release. Bee's final appearance on The Daily Show has not been revealed.
Longtime Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones...
Longtime Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones...
- 2/24/2015
- Rollingstone.com
Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Celebrating Individual and Community Efforts to Effect Change
18-27 March 2015, London
Barbican, British Museum, Curzon Soho, Ritzy Picturehouse
(London, February 12, 2015) – The 19th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London will be presented from 18 to 27 March, 2015 with a programme of 16 award-winning documentary and feature films, Human Rights Watch said today.
The festival will include live music performances following screenings of Beats of the Antonov and No Land’s Song and a Guardian Masterclass focusing on human rights reporting and digital storytelling. The festival will take place at the Barbican, British Museum, Curzon Soho, and Ritzy Brixton.
“This year’s festival features many determined, brave individuals – such as Colombia’s philosopher-politician-teacher Antanas Mockus, the Afghan school founder Razia Jan, and Guatemala’s first female attorney general, Claudia Paz y Paz – who have made huge personal sacrifices to bring about change”, said John Biaggi, director...
Celebrating Individual and Community Efforts to Effect Change
18-27 March 2015, London
Barbican, British Museum, Curzon Soho, Ritzy Picturehouse
(London, February 12, 2015) – The 19th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in London will be presented from 18 to 27 March, 2015 with a programme of 16 award-winning documentary and feature films, Human Rights Watch said today.
The festival will include live music performances following screenings of Beats of the Antonov and No Land’s Song and a Guardian Masterclass focusing on human rights reporting and digital storytelling. The festival will take place at the Barbican, British Museum, Curzon Soho, and Ritzy Brixton.
“This year’s festival features many determined, brave individuals – such as Colombia’s philosopher-politician-teacher Antanas Mockus, the Afghan school founder Razia Jan, and Guatemala’s first female attorney general, Claudia Paz y Paz – who have made huge personal sacrifices to bring about change”, said John Biaggi, director...
- 2/19/2015
- by John
- SoundOnSight
There has been a lot of chatter -- jokes, tweets, rueful speculation -- noting the paradox of Brian Williams' forced six-month leave from the anchor chair at "NBC Nightly News" and Jon Stewart's near-simultaneous announcement of his retirement from "The Daily Show," but the biggest irony may be this one: we all care who'll replace Stewart (if, indeed, anyone can) but aren't the least bit concerned with who's replacing Williams (Lester Holt, as it turns out). And the reason is simple: we consider fake newsman Stewart accountable, while we hold no such expectations for real newsman Williams.
The truth is, Stewart and Williams -- who seem like pals whenever the latter visits the former's show -- have a lot more in common than either would probably like to admit. They're both from Jersey, both telegenic, both funny. Indeed, it's Williams' efforts to be amusing that seem to have led to his undoing.
The truth is, Stewart and Williams -- who seem like pals whenever the latter visits the former's show -- have a lot more in common than either would probably like to admit. They're both from Jersey, both telegenic, both funny. Indeed, it's Williams' efforts to be amusing that seem to have led to his undoing.
- 2/13/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Jon Stewart’s Egyptian doppelganger Bassem Youssef is getting the documentary treatment courtesy of The Daily Show’s Sara Taksler. Tickling Giants, a chronicle of how Youssef went from being a heart surgeon to hosting an immensely popular — and controversial — satirical news magazine, has already been filmed, with difficulty, in Egypt. Now it’s looking for completion funding via Indiegogo as it eyes the fall film fest circuit.
The making of the film was kept under wraps until shooting finished because of safety concerns for the crew in Egypt. The production says that when one cameraman was filming a viewing party for Youssef’s Daily Show-esque Al Bernameg, a person unhappy with the program beat him up and took his memory card. Because the government had begun checking hard drives, to get the last drive out of Egypt someone unrelated to the film had to fly the footage out of the country.
The making of the film was kept under wraps until shooting finished because of safety concerns for the crew in Egypt. The production says that when one cameraman was filming a viewing party for Youssef’s Daily Show-esque Al Bernameg, a person unhappy with the program beat him up and took his memory card. Because the government had begun checking hard drives, to get the last drive out of Egypt someone unrelated to the film had to fly the footage out of the country.
- 2/12/2015
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
Jon ‘The Daily Show’ Stewart made his motion picture directorial debut last year with Rosewater, the true story of Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist who was detained and violently interrogated in Iran for 118 days, suspected of being a spy. One of the main pieces of evidence his captors used as proof of his guilt was a satirical interview he did on Stewart’s ‘The Daily Show’. Stewart directed and wrote the film which he adapted from the memoir ‘Then They Came for Me‘, by Maziar and Aimee Molloy. It starred Gael Garcia Bernal as the journalist and also features Kim Bodnia, Haluk Bilginer, Dimitri Leonidas and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
Though not Oscar material, Rosewater was generally well-received. Jim Batts here at Wamg gave it 3 ½ stars and wrote: “Stewart directs with a confident, steady hand. … this is an impressive first work from the beloved comic observer. When he’s through with the anchor desk,...
Though not Oscar material, Rosewater was generally well-received. Jim Batts here at Wamg gave it 3 ½ stars and wrote: “Stewart directs with a confident, steady hand. … this is an impressive first work from the beloved comic observer. When he’s through with the anchor desk,...
- 2/9/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Based on the experiences of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari, the comedian’s smart directorial debut suggests that there may be life after The Daily Show
Related: Jon Stewart: ‘When you get someone arrested, you feel close to them’
Twenty years ago I used to wonder if Jon Stewart was ever going to come into his own. It was obvious he was brilliant, but TV didn’t have a format for his gifts. Some soon-cancelled chatshows, a couple of movies, a book, and the endless treadmill of the stand-up circuit: these were his lot. Turned out his perfect format was being worn by a jockish fratboy with a hip sportscaster’s shtick called Craig Kilborn: The Daily Show. Within a couple of years – particularly during the weeks-long Florida recount controversy of 2000, when he and his Daily Show reporters stopped shaving and washing, as if caught in some neverending seventh...
Related: Jon Stewart: ‘When you get someone arrested, you feel close to them’
Twenty years ago I used to wonder if Jon Stewart was ever going to come into his own. It was obvious he was brilliant, but TV didn’t have a format for his gifts. Some soon-cancelled chatshows, a couple of movies, a book, and the endless treadmill of the stand-up circuit: these were his lot. Turned out his perfect format was being worn by a jockish fratboy with a hip sportscaster’s shtick called Craig Kilborn: The Daily Show. Within a couple of years – particularly during the weeks-long Florida recount controversy of 2000, when he and his Daily Show reporters stopped shaving and washing, as if caught in some neverending seventh...
- 1/12/2015
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
With the holiday season beginning and people around the world embracing their freedoms, ‘Rosewater,’ the screenwriting and directorial debut of ‘The Daily Show’ host Jon Stewart, is also reminding audiences the lengths some will go in order to protect the rights of others. The biographical drama, which is based on the inspiring true story of BBC journalist Maziar Bahari’s months-long capture in Iran in his quest to protect citizen’s right to vote, is now playing in theaters. Open Road’s film is based on Bahari’s New York Times best-selling memoir, ‘Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival,’ which is now available in paperback and retitled [ Read More ]
The post Enter to Win a Rosewater Prize Pack in Shockya’s Twitter Giveaway appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Enter to Win a Rosewater Prize Pack in Shockya’s Twitter Giveaway appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/25/2014
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
In anticipation of the premiere of Jon Stewart’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, "Rosewater", SydneysBuzz recently joined an exclusive media call hosted by BoomGen Studios with Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari.
SydneysBuzz congratulates Jon Stewart for his directorial debut “Rosewater”, based on the 2011 memoir and New York Times Best Seller Then They Came For Me, by Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari, played by Gael Garcia Bernal. The film is a fictional telling of Bahari’s experience in solitary confinement in Tehran for accusations of espionage after filming Iranian protests after the country’s 2009 corrupt elections.
"Rosewater" is more than a noble act intending to expose one of countless stories about journalists worldwide who have been wrongly accused and tortured for alleged spying. It is a work of personal connection born out of Stewart’s friendship with Bahari and given a Stewart-like twist of absolute absurdity. As seen in the film, Bahari’s captor uses a satirical clip of The Daily Show's Jason Jones interviewing him in Tehran as evidence against him for conspiring with American spies:
Bahari: He’s not a spy. It’s a show… a comedy show. He’s a comedian pretending to be a spy.
Captor: So can you tell me why a American pretending to be a spy had chosen to interview you?”
Bahari: And why would a real spy be on a TV show?”
Stewart’s bold move into drama is not easy and deserves recognition – especially for venturing out of his established identity as one America’s most talented comedians and satirists. Although there are moments of lightness sparsely peppered throughout the film, it is an outrageous and surreal account that exposes the plight of journalists who risk their freedom and lives for the voices and truth of many.
Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari share their experience of making “Rosewater” and share their views on the film’s impact:
Stewart: We felt that this story is really crucial and relevant, and should be seen as a part of events, and not as an artifact of history. I think that was our frustration with the more glacial elements of filmmaking, and is what I think spurred us to try and expedite the project… so that it could be seen in the context of the timeframe in which the whole Green Movement and the election took place.
Bahari: The film tells the timely story in terms of what is happening to journalists today, not only in Iran, but around the world. The film is inspired by my story and the book, but it is really the story of thousands of journalists around the world. I think because of the portrayal of Iran in the media – especially the American media and Hollywood films – it’s very important for people to see this film in order to have a more nuanced image of Iran, to understand Iran better.
Do you see this film as having an impact with not just the way that Americans view Iran, but the policy we have towards Iran?
Stewart: It’s hard to say, because obviously those types of issues occur incrementally. In America, they (Iran) are referred to by some as “The Axis of Evil”. In Iran, America is referred to by some as “The Great Satan”. It’s a very low bar of conversation for us to try and clear in terms of nuance. I think anything that you can add to the dialog that increases our ability to see each other as human is an important contribution to the conversation. That, in and of itself, we hope is just something to consider.
Hopefully, the American audience will see certain things within that are a reflection of our own culture, of our own issues, and not just be able to dismiss it as the singular extremity of one eccentric regime. In terms of actual progress of things - you just don’t know - but in terms of what we hope it contributes to the conversation is that.
Bahari: Some people within the Iranian government watch the film and they see it and can see how ridiculous their actions are, how brutal some of the other people within the government are. I think even if one person changes his behavior within the Iranian government, I’ll be happy.
I think for the people in the United States, it’s very important to see this film because they can see human beings, young people, enlightened, open-minded people in the first half of the film who are part of the Green Movement. And if they ever want to attack or bomb Iran, these people are going to suffer much more than the Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian government.
What is the trickiest part of portraying a real portrait of the Iranian people in “Rosewater”?
Stewart: I don’t think it’s that tricky, because it’s true. It is a very complex, nuanced and interesting society. I think in general, I had to own a little bit of my inauthenticity. I’m not Iranian, and although it’s based on the memoir of someone who is and is very familiar (and Maziar was collaborating throughout the script), I’m not one of the great Iranian directors that you see. And if they were to do it, it would have an inherent nuance to it that I could never provide. The hope is that for a western audience to have a more nuanced version than what they’re accustomed to.
Some see “Rosewater” as the first American film to humanize Iranians. Stewart responds:
Stewart: We didn’t need to make a contrived attempt at humanizing, because they’re human. So as long as we tried to paint people and consider what their daily burdens were, whether it was his interrogator, or what his mother was going through, or what Davood was going through, and the younger people of Robat Karim… As long as we tried to be authentic and honest about what their daily struggle would be, they would be inherently humanized, because ultimately, that’s just the truth of who they are.
What would you like Iranians to know about why you made this film?
Stewart: I would hope that they just view the project for its qualities and that it’s not a political statement. Maziar’s memoir is an impression of his experience. This film is an impression of that memoir, so it’s already sort of twice removed, but I hope that Iranians would see it as a universal story - that somebody outside of Iran is trying to understand the cost of oppression, the cost of suppression to their culture, but also to all cultures. I can’t stress that enough.
Governments everywhere have their pressure points that they try and apply to their people, to keep information that they don’t want to get out from getting out. I think if there’s a point or a subtext to the movie that would be important, it is the idea that to build those apparatuses within governments, to do that to their people, is far more damaging to that government and to that country than what any piece of information could ever be. That’s for western countries, non-allied countries, enemies, the United States, any of them.
What did you learn about the Iranians and the Muslim world that you didn’t understand before “Rosewater”?
I don’t think my view was skewed to the point of, “Wait a minute… They eat with their mouths? This is insane!” There wasn’t anything sort of earthshattering with that. For me, it was more about being impressed by the hospitality. There wasn’t a moment when you could go past somebody where they wouldn’t immediately invite you to their house for two to three dinners.
Did you have intentions of directing before “Rosewater”?
Stewart: It grew very organically when Maziar had gotten out of prison and we had become friendly. He would come through New York, and we would have breakfast and talk about writing his memoir. We talked about how to make it into a film, but more as producers, and as we sent it around to various writers who were already more gainfully employed than how we could employ them… We just got frustrated that it was a year and a half and there was very little movement. That’s really what drove the initial impulse to write it. Directing grew out of becoming slightly territorial at that point.
Stewart discusses the casting of Gael García Bernal:
We cast a pretty wide net as far as actors are concerned… I think for me, knowing Maziar, he has such an interesting way of being able to compartmentalize the duress and still retain a sort of sense of mischief and humor. The actor had to really bring agility to those scenes. You know, there’s one scene where in the span of two and a half minutes, he goes from being terrified that he’s going to be beaten, to being incredulous that he gets to call his wife, to being overcome with joy when he finds out that he has a daughter, to being pummeled against a wall, to laughing in his interrogators face… He had a likeness and a subtlety about the way he could shift those gears in a non ostentatious way that I thought really captured what we would need to capture to make this thing feel authentic.
Maziar (on Gael and how Iranians feel about him playing an Iranian): They complained much less than I expected. Many Iranians watched the film in different places (London, Toronto and La) and actually congratulated Gael on his performance, and it’s an amazing performance.
To learn more, visit the “Rosewater” official website.
SydneysBuzz congratulates Jon Stewart for his directorial debut “Rosewater”, based on the 2011 memoir and New York Times Best Seller Then They Came For Me, by Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari, played by Gael Garcia Bernal. The film is a fictional telling of Bahari’s experience in solitary confinement in Tehran for accusations of espionage after filming Iranian protests after the country’s 2009 corrupt elections.
"Rosewater" is more than a noble act intending to expose one of countless stories about journalists worldwide who have been wrongly accused and tortured for alleged spying. It is a work of personal connection born out of Stewart’s friendship with Bahari and given a Stewart-like twist of absolute absurdity. As seen in the film, Bahari’s captor uses a satirical clip of The Daily Show's Jason Jones interviewing him in Tehran as evidence against him for conspiring with American spies:
Bahari: He’s not a spy. It’s a show… a comedy show. He’s a comedian pretending to be a spy.
Captor: So can you tell me why a American pretending to be a spy had chosen to interview you?”
Bahari: And why would a real spy be on a TV show?”
Stewart’s bold move into drama is not easy and deserves recognition – especially for venturing out of his established identity as one America’s most talented comedians and satirists. Although there are moments of lightness sparsely peppered throughout the film, it is an outrageous and surreal account that exposes the plight of journalists who risk their freedom and lives for the voices and truth of many.
Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari share their experience of making “Rosewater” and share their views on the film’s impact:
Stewart: We felt that this story is really crucial and relevant, and should be seen as a part of events, and not as an artifact of history. I think that was our frustration with the more glacial elements of filmmaking, and is what I think spurred us to try and expedite the project… so that it could be seen in the context of the timeframe in which the whole Green Movement and the election took place.
Bahari: The film tells the timely story in terms of what is happening to journalists today, not only in Iran, but around the world. The film is inspired by my story and the book, but it is really the story of thousands of journalists around the world. I think because of the portrayal of Iran in the media – especially the American media and Hollywood films – it’s very important for people to see this film in order to have a more nuanced image of Iran, to understand Iran better.
Do you see this film as having an impact with not just the way that Americans view Iran, but the policy we have towards Iran?
Stewart: It’s hard to say, because obviously those types of issues occur incrementally. In America, they (Iran) are referred to by some as “The Axis of Evil”. In Iran, America is referred to by some as “The Great Satan”. It’s a very low bar of conversation for us to try and clear in terms of nuance. I think anything that you can add to the dialog that increases our ability to see each other as human is an important contribution to the conversation. That, in and of itself, we hope is just something to consider.
Hopefully, the American audience will see certain things within that are a reflection of our own culture, of our own issues, and not just be able to dismiss it as the singular extremity of one eccentric regime. In terms of actual progress of things - you just don’t know - but in terms of what we hope it contributes to the conversation is that.
Bahari: Some people within the Iranian government watch the film and they see it and can see how ridiculous their actions are, how brutal some of the other people within the government are. I think even if one person changes his behavior within the Iranian government, I’ll be happy.
I think for the people in the United States, it’s very important to see this film because they can see human beings, young people, enlightened, open-minded people in the first half of the film who are part of the Green Movement. And if they ever want to attack or bomb Iran, these people are going to suffer much more than the Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian government.
What is the trickiest part of portraying a real portrait of the Iranian people in “Rosewater”?
Stewart: I don’t think it’s that tricky, because it’s true. It is a very complex, nuanced and interesting society. I think in general, I had to own a little bit of my inauthenticity. I’m not Iranian, and although it’s based on the memoir of someone who is and is very familiar (and Maziar was collaborating throughout the script), I’m not one of the great Iranian directors that you see. And if they were to do it, it would have an inherent nuance to it that I could never provide. The hope is that for a western audience to have a more nuanced version than what they’re accustomed to.
Some see “Rosewater” as the first American film to humanize Iranians. Stewart responds:
Stewart: We didn’t need to make a contrived attempt at humanizing, because they’re human. So as long as we tried to paint people and consider what their daily burdens were, whether it was his interrogator, or what his mother was going through, or what Davood was going through, and the younger people of Robat Karim… As long as we tried to be authentic and honest about what their daily struggle would be, they would be inherently humanized, because ultimately, that’s just the truth of who they are.
What would you like Iranians to know about why you made this film?
Stewart: I would hope that they just view the project for its qualities and that it’s not a political statement. Maziar’s memoir is an impression of his experience. This film is an impression of that memoir, so it’s already sort of twice removed, but I hope that Iranians would see it as a universal story - that somebody outside of Iran is trying to understand the cost of oppression, the cost of suppression to their culture, but also to all cultures. I can’t stress that enough.
Governments everywhere have their pressure points that they try and apply to their people, to keep information that they don’t want to get out from getting out. I think if there’s a point or a subtext to the movie that would be important, it is the idea that to build those apparatuses within governments, to do that to their people, is far more damaging to that government and to that country than what any piece of information could ever be. That’s for western countries, non-allied countries, enemies, the United States, any of them.
What did you learn about the Iranians and the Muslim world that you didn’t understand before “Rosewater”?
I don’t think my view was skewed to the point of, “Wait a minute… They eat with their mouths? This is insane!” There wasn’t anything sort of earthshattering with that. For me, it was more about being impressed by the hospitality. There wasn’t a moment when you could go past somebody where they wouldn’t immediately invite you to their house for two to three dinners.
Did you have intentions of directing before “Rosewater”?
Stewart: It grew very organically when Maziar had gotten out of prison and we had become friendly. He would come through New York, and we would have breakfast and talk about writing his memoir. We talked about how to make it into a film, but more as producers, and as we sent it around to various writers who were already more gainfully employed than how we could employ them… We just got frustrated that it was a year and a half and there was very little movement. That’s really what drove the initial impulse to write it. Directing grew out of becoming slightly territorial at that point.
Stewart discusses the casting of Gael García Bernal:
We cast a pretty wide net as far as actors are concerned… I think for me, knowing Maziar, he has such an interesting way of being able to compartmentalize the duress and still retain a sort of sense of mischief and humor. The actor had to really bring agility to those scenes. You know, there’s one scene where in the span of two and a half minutes, he goes from being terrified that he’s going to be beaten, to being incredulous that he gets to call his wife, to being overcome with joy when he finds out that he has a daughter, to being pummeled against a wall, to laughing in his interrogators face… He had a likeness and a subtlety about the way he could shift those gears in a non ostentatious way that I thought really captured what we would need to capture to make this thing feel authentic.
Maziar (on Gael and how Iranians feel about him playing an Iranian): They complained much less than I expected. Many Iranians watched the film in different places (London, Toronto and La) and actually congratulated Gael on his performance, and it’s an amazing performance.
To learn more, visit the “Rosewater” official website.
- 11/25/2014
- by Erin Grover
- Sydney's Buzz
Title: Rosewater Director: Jon Stewart Starring: Gael García Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Kim Bodnia, Jason Jones, Dimitri Leonidas, Haluk Bilginer, Arian Moayed, Amir El-Masry. The feature film ‘Rosewater’ is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir ‘Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival,’ written by the BBC journalist Maziar Bahari. This true story, marks the screenwriting and directorial debut of Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ host, Jon Stewart. Rosewater follows the Tehran-born Bahari, a 42-year-old broadcast journalist with Canadian citizenship living in London. In June 2009, Bahari returned to Iran to interview Mir-Hossein Moussavi, who was the prime challenger to controversial incumbent president Mahmoud [ Read More ]
The post Rosewater Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Rosewater Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/20/2014
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
Michael C. with your weekly new release review...
A key part of Jon Stewart’s appeal is that no matter how maddening the news is he doesn’t lapse into ironic detachment. His isn’t someone throwing up his hands in surrender, but the guy who can’t help but marvel at the variety of ways government finds to sabotage our best intentions and allow stupidity to win out over rationality. So it should be no surprise to anyone familiar with Stewart that Rosewater, his directorial debut, is marked by the same earnest intellectual curiosity.
As director and screenwriter Stewart brings a sly complexity to material that could have been one note or overwrought in other hands. His trademark wit is not absent from the film but it has been restrained and left to simmer under the surface as Maziar Bahari’s months long imprisonment and torture at the hands...
A key part of Jon Stewart’s appeal is that no matter how maddening the news is he doesn’t lapse into ironic detachment. His isn’t someone throwing up his hands in surrender, but the guy who can’t help but marvel at the variety of ways government finds to sabotage our best intentions and allow stupidity to win out over rationality. So it should be no surprise to anyone familiar with Stewart that Rosewater, his directorial debut, is marked by the same earnest intellectual curiosity.
As director and screenwriter Stewart brings a sly complexity to material that could have been one note or overwrought in other hands. His trademark wit is not absent from the film but it has been restrained and left to simmer under the surface as Maziar Bahari’s months long imprisonment and torture at the hands...
- 11/17/2014
- by Michael C.
- FilmExperience
In my review of Jon Stewart's Rosewater, I expressed my appreciation for the audacity of the film even if I thought it fell a bit short of achieving something truly spectacular. Part of that disappointment came from my appreciation forthe rich, complex story of Maziar Bahari, a possibly impossible task to translate all the nuance and surrealism of the tale intact for a general audience. As I wrote, "Stewart's passion for the project comes out in almost every frame of film. While not quite the masterpiece I was perhaps unfairly hoping for, this directorial debut from one of the great comedic minds of this era is still something well worth seeking out, despite it not being the bleak, hard-hitting and darkly comic work I...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 11/17/2014
- Screen Anarchy
Part of the fun of watching Jon Stewart make the rounds to promote his feature directorial debut Rosewater is hearing the Daily Show host riff on everything from politics to parenting, not to mention thoughtfully explaining some of the larger ideas behind his film. In the past week or so, Stewart has appeared on everything from Charlie Rose to The Late Show With David Letterman to The O'Reilly Factor. Most of the interviews were pretty standard, with Stewart explaining how he became friends with journalist Maziar Bahari and ended up directing the true story of Bahari's Iran imprisonment and later
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- 11/16/2014
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Bravely refusing to allow aggressive political leaders abrasively dictate the actions you take, as you strongly support people’s right to choose, is an admirable trait not everyone possesses. But when a person defies intimidation, and willingly puts their life on the line to support those freedoms, a much needed revolution that progresses those liberties is often the result. That courageous struggle is admirably showcased in the new biographical drama, ‘Rosewater.’ The film is is based on the true story of how journalist Maziar Bahari relentlessly reported the violation of Iranian citizens’ right to vote in 2009, even though his actions led him to be imprisoned and beaten by authorities for [ Read More ]
The post Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari Talk Rosewater appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Jon Stewart and Maziar Bahari Talk Rosewater appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 11/15/2014
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Rosewater Review Roundup: Do Critics Like Jon Stewart's Film About an Imprisoned Journalist in Iran?
Jon Stewart makes his directorial and big-screen screenwriting debut with Rosewater, which is about the true story of a journalist who was arrested in Iran on suspicion of being a Western spy and spent 118 days in a prison, where he was tortured. The movie is based on the 2011 memoir Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival of Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari, who lives in London. In Rosewater, Mexican actor Gael García Bernal plays Bahari, who had traveled to Iran in 2009 to cover the presidential elections, leaving behind his pregnant wife. The journalist, a contributor for Newsweek magazine, was arrested and...
- 11/14/2014
- E! Online
The category of Iranian prison movies with feel-good endings is a small subgenre, and one that "Rosewater" is likely to have all to itself for the near future. With his feature film writing and directing debut, "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart clearly wanted to make a people-have-the-power message picture that resonates at least as much with American youths as longtime students of political repression in the Middle East. That transparent desire to make the material as accessible as possible to U.S. moviegoers—starting with the old-fashioned notion of having all the Iranians speaking to each other exclusively in English—results in an overly slick take on potentially tough subject matter. For better or worse, torture-themed films don’t get much easier to take than this one. The initially easygoing protagonist, who spends the second half of "Rosewater" in solitary confinement, is Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal), an Iran-born,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Chris Willman
- The Playlist
Part existential mystery, part Freudian detective story and fully an indictment of the American success story, Cannes Best Director winner Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" offers a cold, ponderous experience without answers, easy or otherwise. Steve Carell takes a sharp, Oscar-baiting turn as a wealthy, queer (in every sense of the word) wrestling patron John Du Pont opposite Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo as brother wrestlers. Pushed back from its original release date, the murky drama was a labor of obsessive, meticulous love for Miller, who speaks candidly about the project in Anne Thompson's in-depth interview. Unlikely to pick up much in the way of Oscar glory, Jon Stewart's also fact-based "Rosewater" tells the riveting true story of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who was imprisoned in Tehran under suspicions of being a spy. Gael Garcia Bernal bravely takes on this role, ruthlessly interrogated and blindfolded by Iranian intelligence operatives,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
In his memoir, "Then They Came for me," journalist Maziar Bahari chronicles an exceptionally difficult period in his life. The book recounts his imprisonment and torture in Iran following the Green Revolution and has now been turned into the movie "Rosewater" directed by Jon Stewart. Gael Garcia Bernal ("Y tu Mamá También," "Amores Perros") plays Bahari in Stewart's film. It is a role which has Bernal spend a significant portion of the film playing a character in jail, one who mainly gets to interact with an interrogator. Bahari does not even know the name of this man who tortures him for an extended period. Playing the role of Bahari in prison cannot have been an easy task, but Bernal is quite clear about the fact that the Maziar Bahari he is playing is not the Maziar Bahari who wrote the book. There are simply (and by necessity) too many intermediaries...
- 11/14/2014
- by Josh Lasser
- Hitfix
Jon Stewart’s first film is passionate and principled, as I expected, but also hopeful, almost serene, and even gently amusing, which I did not. I’m “biast” (pro): love Jon Stewart…
I’m “biast” (con): …but was a little worried whether he could pull this off
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I had a lot of hopes for Jon Stewart’s first foray into narrative cinematic storytelling, which he’s never done before. I expected something passionate, principled, and political. In these I was not disappointed… and I was also pleased to discover that he has an aptitude for telling a complicated story that plays on multiple levels, both personal and cultural, in a smartly streamlined, easy to swallow way. What I wasn’t expecting was his tone in Rosewater: hopeful, almost serene, even gently amusing.
I’m “biast” (con): …but was a little worried whether he could pull this off
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
I had a lot of hopes for Jon Stewart’s first foray into narrative cinematic storytelling, which he’s never done before. I expected something passionate, principled, and political. In these I was not disappointed… and I was also pleased to discover that he has an aptitude for telling a complicated story that plays on multiple levels, both personal and cultural, in a smartly streamlined, easy to swallow way. What I wasn’t expecting was his tone in Rosewater: hopeful, almost serene, even gently amusing.
- 11/14/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Jon Stewart's directorial debut, the feature film Rosewater, is now playing in theaters as of today. To celebrate the film's release, last night's "The Daily Show" hosted by Jon Stewart was an episode dedicated entirely to Rosewater everything. They started by recapping the segment recorded in Iran that first lead to journalist Maziar Bahari's imprisonment in 2009, featuring Jason Jones who made the segment. Then they bring out Maziar Bahari for a discussion, ending with actor Gael García Bernal, who plays Bahari in the film. Stewart, still awkward about hosting a show to promote a movie he made, let John Oliver host while he hid in the background. It's a refreshing, fun recap of the story behind this film and the people who made it. John Oliver hosts the show, and Jason Jones, Tim Greenberg, Gael Garcia Bernal and Maziar Bahari discuss the inspiration for and making of the film Rosewater,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
When you browse to the CNN website, you can choose between Us and international editions of the site. While both feature current news items, one edition is focused more heavily on stories about celebrity gossip, xenophobic fears and sports. The other focuses on stories about foreign politics, military activities and human-rights figures. I probably don't have to tell you which is which. The fact is, a majority of Americams don't care about what is happening in other countries. If they did, those stories would be the ones featured in the Us edition of CNN, and you would already know the story of Maziar Bahari, the Iranian Canadian journalist imprisoned by the Iranian government for 118 days in 2009 accused of being a spy.
If you have the slightest interest about happenings outside the Us, especially in the Middle East -- an area typically ignored and/or misrepresented by most public education here...
If you have the slightest interest about happenings outside the Us, especially in the Middle East -- an area typically ignored and/or misrepresented by most public education here...
- 11/14/2014
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
The idea of incarceration, whether justified or unlawful, is terrifying, and when solitary confinement and torture are added to the mix the thought that any of us would last a day — let alone 118 — is most likely a pipe dream. But that’s exactly what Iranian-born Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) faced after leaving his pregnant wife in London and returning to his home country in 2009 to cover the presidential elections. After the results are announced as heavily and suspiciously in favor of the incumbent leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the populace reacts with outrage and protest. Bahari captures footage of the people in the streets and awakes the next morning to Iranian authorities rousting him from bed and taking him into custody. He’s immediately placed in solitary confinement, labeled a spy and interrogated mercilessly by an unnamed man whom Bahari calls Rosewater (Kim Bodnia). The days and weeks tick by as he’s threatened, pressed...
- 11/14/2014
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
John Oliver took over “The Daily Show” again to help promote Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater” “I’ll take another spin in the non-premium host chair,” Oliver said as he interviewed all the key “Rosewater” people, including “The Daily Show” staffers who helped inspire the film, Jason Jones and producer Tim Greenberg, plus Maziar Bahari and Gael Garcia Bernal. Elisabeth Hasselbeck returns to “Fox & Friends,” reveals cancer scare The former “View” co-host says she had a tumor removed from her abdomen a month ago. “The Big Bang Theory” pays tribute to Carol Ann Susi A brief message for the “Mrs. Wolowitz” actress ended last night’s episode with the message: “Every time you spoke we laughed. You’re in our hearts forever.” Click Read Full Post For More What if Jon Stewart's movie is a hit and he leaves “The Daily Show”? Comedy Central should be feeling nervous about the performance of Stewart’s "Rosewater,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Norman Weiss
- Hitfix
"Rosewater," the debut film from "The Daily Show"s Jon Stewart, is a moving and engaging portrayal of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari's imprisonment by the Iranian government, and his struggle for freedom while being beset by particularly ridiculous lines of questioning.
Why Jon Stewart?
The connection to "The Daily Show" and Bahari's arrest is quite strong -- while covering the last round of elections, correspondent Jason Jones and his producer travelled to Tehran to film one of their trademark satirical pieces. As Jones' over-the-top interview style accused Bahari of being a spy, the segment showed the normalcy of the populace that live within what President Bush dubbed "The Axis of Evil."
Following this interview, and as the election results became controversial, Bahari was arrested and held captive in solitary confinement for months. He was accused of spying, of course, and they played the Jones sequence as proof. His writing...
Why Jon Stewart?
The connection to "The Daily Show" and Bahari's arrest is quite strong -- while covering the last round of elections, correspondent Jason Jones and his producer travelled to Tehran to film one of their trademark satirical pieces. As Jones' over-the-top interview style accused Bahari of being a spy, the segment showed the normalcy of the populace that live within what President Bush dubbed "The Axis of Evil."
Following this interview, and as the election results became controversial, Bahari was arrested and held captive in solitary confinement for months. He was accused of spying, of course, and they played the Jones sequence as proof. His writing...
- 11/14/2014
- by Jason Gorber
- Moviefone
Jon Stewart has been making the rounds to promote his film Rosewater (ahem), but he said on Thursday night's show that plugging his directorial debut for a full half-hour of The Daily Show felt too "weird." That's when he summoned John Oliver, his solution for all Rosewater-related problems, by rubbing a Queen Elizabeth II teapot. The Last Week Tonight anchor hosted the rest of the show (with Stewart lurking in the background), interviewing the film's star, Gael García Bernal, and Maziar Bahari, the tortured Iranian journalist he portrays in the film. Bahari kicked things off by telling Oliver, "You're welcome." He explained, "If it was not for my arrest, Jon would not make a film, you would not host the show, and you would not have your show now."...
- 11/14/2014
- by Margaret Hartmann
- Vulture
Rosewater
Written and Directed by Jon Stewart
USA, 2014
Jon Stewart’s feature debut, Rosewater, is an uneven affair that excels when it stays focused on the restorative power of humor and hope. Not surprisingly, Stewart struggles with the dramatic elements, but a nuanced performance from Gael García Bernal pulls us through the rough spots. Ultimately, this is a flawed but earnest film that effectively straddles the line between uplifting humanism and preachy polemic.
Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Maziar Bahari (Bernal) had witnessed firsthand the tragic consequences of living an outspoken life in times of tyranny. His father was imprisoned and tortured by the Shah in the ‘50s, while his sister, Maryam, (Golshifteh Farahani) suffered similar torment at the hands of the Khomeini regime in the ‘80s. And yet, from this death and despair came the promise of renewal. Bahari fled to Canada, where he studied journalism and became...
Written and Directed by Jon Stewart
USA, 2014
Jon Stewart’s feature debut, Rosewater, is an uneven affair that excels when it stays focused on the restorative power of humor and hope. Not surprisingly, Stewart struggles with the dramatic elements, but a nuanced performance from Gael García Bernal pulls us through the rough spots. Ultimately, this is a flawed but earnest film that effectively straddles the line between uplifting humanism and preachy polemic.
Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Maziar Bahari (Bernal) had witnessed firsthand the tragic consequences of living an outspoken life in times of tyranny. His father was imprisoned and tortured by the Shah in the ‘50s, while his sister, Maryam, (Golshifteh Farahani) suffered similar torment at the hands of the Khomeini regime in the ‘80s. And yet, from this death and despair came the promise of renewal. Bahari fled to Canada, where he studied journalism and became...
- 11/14/2014
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
This weekend’s onslaught of smaller new films will have awards contenders and big names to jostle with at the box office. Awards hopefuls Foxcatcher and The Homesman begin their theatrical runs in limited New York and L.A. rollouts, with the former a likely winner in the first weekend when the numbers come in Sunday. The films from Sony Pictures Classics and Roadside Attractions, respectively, tell particularly American stories, though from very different eras. The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart took time off in 2013 to work on his directorial debut. Open Road’s Rosewater, starring Gael García Bernal, will begin its theatrical rollout this weekend. It will be the biggest opener of this weekend’s cadre of specialty newcomers, playing in several hundred locations in the U.S. and Canada. Actor Chris Lowell also makes his filmmaking launch with Beside Still Waters. The project had smooth sailing until it came time for distribution,...
- 11/14/2014
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
If ever a film earned rooting interest, it is Rosewater. As an admirer of Daily Show host Jon Stewart, I had high hopes for his filmmaking debut, a heartfelt drama about the imprisonment of Iranian-born journalist Maziar Bahari in Tehran during the aftermath of presidential elections in 2009. Although he is Mexican, Gael García Bernal seems credible as the savvy reporter who left his pregnant wife in London for what was supposed to be a brief trip to his homeland. The simmering situation in Tehran, and the reporter’s bold efforts to chronicle the story, result in his arrest. Because we know that Bahari is alive and well, the tension in Rosewater must come from the ...
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- 11/14/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Chicago – Journalists are under fire, both in the hot zones of the world’s conflicts, and within the economics of the shrinking news business. One journalist – Maziar Bahari – became part of the drama in the 2009 Iranian presidential elections, and that story is told in writer/director Jon Stewart’s new film, “Rosewater.”
Stewart, of course, is the host of “The Daily Show” on the Comedy Central TV network, and it was a 2009 report on the show that played into the Iranian-born Bahari’s imprisonment shortly after the election. The journalist was covering the story, but became part of it when he was detained by Iranian officials, thrown in prison and interrogated as a spy using “enhanced” techniques. The film called “Rosewater” was based on Bahari’s book, “They Came for Me,” and Jon Stewart came full circle with the story by adapting the screenplay and directing the story.
Gael García Bernal...
Stewart, of course, is the host of “The Daily Show” on the Comedy Central TV network, and it was a 2009 report on the show that played into the Iranian-born Bahari’s imprisonment shortly after the election. The journalist was covering the story, but became part of it when he was detained by Iranian officials, thrown in prison and interrogated as a spy using “enhanced” techniques. The film called “Rosewater” was based on Bahari’s book, “They Came for Me,” and Jon Stewart came full circle with the story by adapting the screenplay and directing the story.
Gael García Bernal...
- 11/14/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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