Telluride Dispatch #4: ‘Cover-Up,’ ‘Tuner,’ and the Friends We Made Along the Way
The final day of the 52nd Telluride Film Festival, September 2, always hits with a bittersweet pang. The cinematic highs are tempered by the looming end of this mountain mecca’s magic. As the last screenings unfolded, exhaustion and a readiness to go home mixed with the sad worry of whether I’ll get to return for a tenth time, a feeling I’ve carried through all nine years of my coverage.
Day four kicked off with Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus’s gripping documentary, Cover-Up, at the Palm Theatre, a fitting cap to Telluride’s provocative narratives. Seymour “Sy” Hersh, a titan of political journalism, takes center stage, his breakthrough reporting exposing constitutional wrongdoings over the past 60-plus years. From uncovering the My Lai massacre’s horrors (where the military scapegoated Lt. William Calley) to revealing LBJ’s Vietnam lies, Watergate’s secrets (rivaling Woodward and Bernstein), and later Abu Ghraib’s torture and Biden-era Syria and Gaza policies, Hersh’s work lays bare moral corruption.
After 20 years of pursuit, Poitras got Hersh to agree to this fascinating study of investigative journalism, balancing his career milestones with a retrospective on his rise from small-town kid to legend of his craft. Hersh’s sharp wit and no-bullshit attitude are on full display, his fierce source protection and disdain for sanctimonious politicians—both parties—was refreshing and electrifying.
Cover-Up probes censorship versus self-censorship, underlining truth’s vital role. At the Q&A, Poitras, Obenhaus, and Hersh unpacked their collaboration, with Sy urging journalists to challenge our government officials’ misconduct, decrying history’s cycle of lies. Cover-Up is a provocative portrait of passion, principles, and perseverance. At the end of the Q&A, when Hersh was asked why he’s still working after decades, Sy paused and shrugged. “Because I’m a patriot.” (Grade: B+)
In between screenings, the AwardsWatch team gathered for a quick lunch at the annual Labor Day picnic in the front yard of the Herzog theater, a festive gathering that allowed us to take a deep breath before heading out for our final film at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival, Daniel Roher’s Tuner.
Tuner had become a festival darling whose buzz had been growing all weekend long, leading to a soldout crowd at the Palm. The film stars Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu in two outstanding, breakthrough performances. Woodall plays Nick, a piano tuner who was once a virtuoso until hyperacusis (an intense sensitivity to sound) forced him to stop playing. He works alongside his aging partner and father figure (Dustin Hoffman), tuning pianos for the wealthy of New York City. His perfect pitch lets Nick tune with minimal equipment, recognizing notes the way Matt Damon solved equations in Good Will Hunting, as a patron beside me noted.
On one job, Nick meets a beautiful, aspiring pianist, Ruthie (Liu), and the pair’s small rivalry blossoms into a sweet romance. On another job, Nick is pulled in with a shady crowd, who take advantage of his keen hearing to crack safes. When things get tight financially, Nick is tempted to join them in small robberies.
Tuner is Daniel Roher’s narrative feature debut, but his Oscar win for directing Navalny (2022) foreshadowed his skill as a filmmaker. His eye for humor and dramatic detail makes Tuner one of the year’s most charming, sweet films. Hoffman’s grumpy, matter-of-fact mentor is one of my favorite supporting performances of the year, and, once again, echoes Telluride’s imperfect fathers theme. A simple crime thriller with gentle, romantic moments, Tuner’s harmony of comedy and heart hit all the right notes. (Grade: B+)
And just like that, the 52nd Telluride Film Festival has vanished in a blink. The drive out with the AwardsWatch crew mirrored our arrival, the San Juans’ vibrant greens, yellows, and reds now softer, as if reluctant to see us go. Our soundtrack featured Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter, a far cry from my usual Avett Brothers, Lumineers, or Mumford and Sons vibe, but I enjoyed learning about their work (I have to admit I really liked “Good Luck, Babe!”) But that’s what life is about, right? Trying new things, seeking new adventures. And this Telluride was packed full of those kinds of decisions. From tasting oysters for the first time to daring to try fried cheese (a bold leap for someone who likes neither cheese nor seafood of any kind).
I saw ten films in total. Many about flawed fathers who made decisions to chase ambition. This theme resonated hard with me, as I wrestled with missing my kids for these few days. But these are choices I’ve made without regret. I refuse to make myself irrelevant, and I hope rather than judge me for these choices, my children will find inspiration from the fact that I sought out (and achieved) most of my life’s dreams. Life does not end with parenthood, no matter what Billy Crudup’s character in Jay Kelly might believe. When we make choices that erase who we are, we can never again be fully ourselves. Like Shakespeare himself wrote, “This above all: to thine own self be true.”
Back at our Montrose hotel, we tried recording a podcast in the lobby, but beeping microwaves, and sleep-deprived delirium (and a little too much cabernet) drove us to quieter ground. I haven’t laughed as hard as I did at that moment in so many years. I also haven’t cried as much as I did this weekend in ages. But emotions run high when you are both with and absent from those you love.
The night ended late with deep talks—some about film, some too personal to share—that will stay with me forever. I am so thankful to be part of the AwardsWatch team, and to get to spend time at the festival and award shows with this group as well as my other team at The Contending (not to mention many others that make up our little community of film lovers). And as we mentioned on the podcast, thank you to everyone who read and supported our work (including those of you on the ground with us at Telluride). I hope to be back next year for my tenth Telluride. I am already dreaming about the mountains.
Now, it’s time to be with my children.
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