James Toback (Tyson) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) went to the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 hoping to find financing for their film described as “a political-erotic Middle Eastern adventure inspired by Bernardo Bertolucci’s classic Last Tango in Paris.” That 10 days of craziness trying to secure funding was filmed by Toback and the result is Seduced and Abandoned. Everything from meetings with producers and financiers to encounters with actors and directors were filmed during their Cannes visit, and Seduced and Abandoned shows the tug-of-war between art and commerce.
Seduced and Abandoned will debut on Monday, October 28, 2013 at 9pm ET/PT on HBO.
Seduced and Abandoned Details [Courtesy of HBO]
James Toback and Alec Baldwin first met on the set of Woody Allen’s Alice. A series of long conversations later led to the ideas that evolved into Seduced and Abandoned. The plan was to travel to Cannes to pitch their story, tentatively titled Last Tango in Tikrit, and explore the current state of the business of cinema. There was no script, providing the opportunity for something unique and memorable to emerge from the daily uncertainty.
Bertolucci, Coppola, Polanski and Scorsese provided invaluable insights through their reflections on their careers. But surprises also punctuate the film, as when Ryan Gosling offered, according to Toback, “the richest splash of brilliant anecdotes and observations about himself and the tribulations of film actors, as revealing as anything I’ve ever seen.”
Ultimately, the film turns the camera back on those who still can’t resist the devilish and beautiful temptations of a love affair with cinema, despite the outrageous odds against success. As the film builds to its climax, there’s no doubt that Toback and Baldwin remain hopelessly seduced. But will they be abandoned?
Source: HBO
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This post was last modified on October 14, 2013 9:12 pm