LeapBackBlog 2010 Film Awards – Part 5: Films

Film in 2010 was fantastic, full of great performances, great directing and great work behind the camera (or in post-production). More so than the last few years, 2010 had a greater number of excellent films, which made choosing the best films, performances, directors, and technical achievements very difficult. The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done, and 2010 features a lot of amazing breakthrough performances), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements

Part 2: Supporting Performances

Part 3: Directors

Part 4: Leading Performances 

Films:

127 Hours

Unflinching, 127 Hours is an intense film, the audience feeling each moment of panic, dread, elation, and euphoria.  The story centers on outdoorsman Aron Ralston and his incredible true story of survival against all odds. Danny Boyle directs the film to be a manic barrage of images and sounds, each conjuring emotions that create the journey. The film is a thrill ride, juxtaposing extreme emotions – a difficult task as it primarily takes place in a claustrophobic canyon. But what else would you expect from Boyle and his fantastic cast and crew?

Black Swan

A beautifully shot film about Nina’s rise to ballerina in her company’s new production of Swan Lake, Black Swan turns dark once director Darren Aronofsky warps it to be a psychological thriller. It is a scary film with jolting moments. But as it plays with the psyche of Nina struggling with the pressure to be perfect, the narrative is often unreliable, making for an interesting journey deeper into the darker recesses of Nina’s mind. The acting and technical work are aesthetically wonderful, leaving the film to be all the more alluring.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

The first half of the finale in the Harry Potter series, Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the perfect set up to what should be an action packed Part 2. But the film does not just merely play as a prologue. It is a very sad film at heart with characters being pushed closer to their breaking point and feeling the sheer anguish of their situation. However, director David Yates is very good at inserting humor into even the darkest films, and this is no different with many fun moments. And like many of the other films in the series, the aesthetics are amazing.

Inception

A heist film taking place on many levels within the target’s dream, Inception is simply an amazingly grandiose film. How writer-director Christopher Nolan every put it together is mind boggling. The acting and aesthetics are fantastic, but it is the characters and story (and astounding visuals) that make this (probably) the best film of the year. More than any other film during 2010, Inception was the cinema experience. But again, it is not all just spectacle. The story and characters are just as dense and rich. It is truly a masterful piece of filmmaking.

Kick-Ass

Probably the most fun of all these films, Kick-Ass is about a normal kid who tries to be a superhero. Director Matthew Vaughn’s realistic(ish) approach to the material pays off resulting in great action scenes, hilarity and genuine emotion. The cast is phenomenal and really elevate the film. Vaughn made this for fans of the genre who were tired of the predominantly sappy and lame adaptations coming out of Hollywood (though, of course there are a few great ones too, Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight for example), and we loved it.

The King’s Speech

The true story of King George VI’s friendship with his speech therapist, overcoming a debilitating stammer to lead his country during WWII, The King’s Speech is at its heart a buddy film (only surrounded with grave stakes and real consequences), which is very well crafted and structured hitting all the right emotional notes. Director Tom Hooper is also able to find humor in the serious subject matter and the cast is superb. It makes for a great companion piece to Hugh Whitemore’s Winston Churchill films.

Never Let Me Go

Aesthetically brilliant, Never Let Me Go is tragic but hopeful tale of three children who grow up to be harvested for their organs. It is the most beautiful film of the year with wonderful cinematography, music and performances. Yet, the subject matter is difficult, as the dystopian film is haunting and ultimately heartbreaking. Director Mark Romanek and screenwriter Alex Garland structure the story to focus primarily on the three children and their emotional journeys.

The Social Network

Probably the favorite to win the 2011 Oscar for Best Picture, The Social Network is the story of the founding of Facebook – lies, deceit, betrayal, and other fun stuff. It features excellent performances, music and a genius script by Aaron Sorkin. Director David Fincher does masterful work turning scenes of programming into exciting espionage. But what really makes it a great film is the character work, as the audience follows an antagonistic Mark Zuckerberg as if he were the hero of the story.

Temple Grandin

While this may just be a made for TV movie (though HBO’s homegrown movies are generally quite good), Temple Grandin is nonetheless one of the year’s best. It is a biopic about Temple Grandin an autistic woman who grows up to be a top scientist in the field of animal husbandry. Director Mick Jackson does good work visually expressing the perception that Temple has on her world, while also allowing the wonderful performance by Claire Danes to play as the center of the piece. It is a heart-lifting and inspirational treat of a film.

True Grit

A classic western in style, True Grit features some of the year’s best performances, cinematography, music, and dialog. It is a hoot. Writer-directors Joel and Ethan Coen tell the tale of Mattie Ross who hires a U.S. Marshall to help her track down her father’s killer. The film has a perfect mix of humor, violence and drama to both entertain and enthrall its viewers. For those that love westerns (as I do), this is probably the must see of the year.

Kick-Ass (2010) – Review

Kick-Ass is a remarkable blending of homage and parody, action and humor, drama and silliness. The film has it all. At its core, it is a coming-of-age story about a teenage boy finding his way in the world – only, to do so he decides to become a superhero despite having no powers or physical abilities. The film also has two sub-plot stories pertaining to differing relationships between parent and child. These three story structures are interwoven and intersect throughout the film, each with its own emotional journey – and Matthew Vaughn did an excellent job giving each narrative thread enough screen time and impact to resonate individually with the audience, thus each character matters, which benefits the overall experience – even despite all the laughs and silliness that the film offers, there is still a connection between the characters and audience. And the film does offer quite a few hilarious moments. These jokes are both at the expense of prior superhero films and books (the character of Kick-Ass has many visual, audio and narrative references to Spider-Man, while Big Daddy has many referring to Batman, even Adam West’s version) and the nature of what the characters are actually doing and reacting to on screen. The character of Mindy ‘Hit-Girl’ is outrageous – which sparks different reactions depending on the disposition of the viewer. She is an eleven-year-old girl whose father has brought her up in isolation, loving her completely, but raising her quite differently – to be a deadly assassin. We see the girl in action. And the film is unflinching in its depiction of violence, only some find it more shocking because the character is eleven. And she has a foul mouth, which again is seemingly only shocking and offensive because the character is eleven. However, taking the character as she is portrayed in the world of the film, she is wonderfully cute and spunky and brings that to her alter ego, which does produce a number of laughs. It is the situation as a whole for many of the characters that produces most of the best moments of humor, be them relatable (being awkward around a girl) or absurd (most of everything involving the relationship between Mindy and her father – their introduction in the film is one the funniest and best in recent memory). Director Vaughn seems to blend in his British gangster film style from a lot of his previous work into the film, especially in the scenes involving Frank D’Amico. The film walks an interesting line throughout, there is a feeling of light-hearted comedy that is constantly being impacted with action and drama, but where Vaughn excels is in his ability to master all three aspects and balance them to their best use, thereby engrossing the audience in the drama of the story, giving them the action they expect and making them laugh too throughout the whole film, really a masterful job done. He is also able to pay homage to superhero movies and comics. While many of the jokes do stem from the ridiculousness of superheroes in the real world, there is a definite sense that the filmmakers involved here truly love and care about comics and their byproducts, and there are many references and shout outs in the film (it is awesome that one of the characters is reading Runaways in one shot). On the technical side of the film, along with Vaughn’s superb directing, the film benefits from having a great cast and crew. The production design by Russell De Rozario in the film was pitch perfect (I especially liked his Atomic Comic set and Frank D’Amico’s apartment). It captured the world that each character inhabited perfectly, and helped tell their story visually. The score by the team of John Murphy, Henry Jackman, Ilan Eshkeri, and Marius De Vries and particularly the pop-music cues where able to capture the atmosphere of each character’s perceived  world, while also giving the audience insight into their emotional make up (using Banana Splits Tra La La Song for Hit-Girl’s first action sequence was sheer brilliance). The score also played off the talents of each composer involved, which helped Vaughn accentuate the style and mood for each scene (for example Jackman worked on The Dark Knight’s score, and you can hear the reference to that film in moments of the score here). The cinematography by Ben Davis fit each scene well. Davis was able to enhance the ambience of each sequence or scene with his work. He along with Vaughn also did quite a good job of staging many of the scenes as if the audience were looking at a panel in a comic through their shot selections. Stylistically, it was very fitting to the overall homage feeling to the piece. The dialogue was great, funny and worked throughout – the script by Vaughn and writing partner Jane Goldman, which was written at the same time as Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. were writing the graphic novel, is able to capture the humor in the situations that these characters find themselves in, but like the film as a whole it also takes stock in the characters and gives them real arches that audience can relate to and invest in. And finally, the cast was great. There are no weak performances in the piece. Clarke Duke, Even Peters, Lyndsy Fonseca, and Sophie Wu were all good in their supporting roles as Kick-Ass’s high school friends. Frank D’Amico’s henchmen, played by Michael Rispoli, Stu ‘Large’ Riley, Jason Flemyng, and Dexter Fletcher are also good in their supporting parts (Flemyng and Fletcher have appeared in all three of Vaughn’s directed films). The film, though, benefits greatly from the fantastic group of actors playing the main characters. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, still and maybe forever McLovin as far as the general movie-going population is concerned, is surprisingly good here – he has to do more range and play off the image that people associate with him, and he does so very well. Mark Strong is as always great; he was the ideal choice to play the villain. Nicolas Cage (who I normally would be unexcited about upon seeing his name in the credits) was hysterical. His approximation of Adam West’s Batman voice was fantastic. Chloe Grace Moretz stole the show (at least upon first viewing). Her mixture of cuteness and sarcasm amplifies her performance in a role that very easily could have not worked at all. She is just right in her approach and handling of the material. Lastly, Aaron Johnson did an excellent job too. He was able to guide the viewer through the world and his performance was completely relatable, which it needed to be for his character to work. Kick-Ass is a rare film – it is both absurdly violent and silly, and yet completely works, creating a humorous action-packed, yet meaningful, cinematic experience. 9/10

Matthew Vaughn – Movies Spotlight – April 2010

Matthew Vaughn is best known for producing Guy Ritchie’s breakout films, but he is also a very talented director. His third film, Kick-Ass, comes out this month on the 16^th. The film, based on Mark Millar’s comic book series, is touted to be loads of fun.

First as a Producer:

After graduating from Stowe School in England, Vaughn decided to take a year off before going to university and travel the world on a Hard Rock Café tour, which landed him eventually in Los Angeles. There, he began working as an assistant to a director, but decided to return to university in the U.K. However, just a few weeks into his first semester he was determined to return to L.A. and make movies, having caught the film bug. Though, upon his return to Hollywood, he realized that everyone else in town had the same dream; so he again returned to England. But in England he found success. In 1995 he produced his first film, a thriller called The Innocent Sleep. While the film itself was unsuccessful, it did give Vaughn the chance to break into the British film industry and garner him some experience. Next, in 1998, he would produce his good friend Guy Ritchie’s feature debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, a film that would propel Ritchie to fame worldwide. With the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Vaughn and Ritchie would team up again for Snatch., which was just as well received. The pair then worked on Mean Machine, Vaughn producing and Ritchie executively producing. The film was made as a vehicle for their friend and co-collaborator on their first two films, Vinnie Jones. Then the luck ran out: the team of Vaughn producing and Ritchie writing and directing made Swept Away, a film that Ritchie wrote for his new wife Madonna to star in. The film was lambasted by critics and fans alike. It also marked the last time the duo would work together in any capacity. Vaughn worked on a few English television series as executive producer before deciding to direct films himself as well as produce them. In 2009, Vaughn worked with Michael Caine and director Daniel Barber on the well-received thriller Harry Brown.

Then as a Director:

For his first feature, Vaughn chose J.J. Connolly’s novel Layer Cake, a crime drama/thriller very much in the style of Ritchie’s early work. The film is also notable for being the breakthrough film for Sienna Miller as well as for Daniel Craig both as a leading man and as an action star, which certainly facilitated his winning of the James Bond role in Casino Royale. Vaughn also worked with cinematographer Ben Davis and composer Ilan Eshkeri, both of whom would work on Vaughn’s next two films. Due to the box office and critical success of Layer Cake, Vaughn was offered to direct X-Men: The Last Stand, which he accepted. However, late in pre-production (two weeks before filming was scheduled to start), Vaughn left the project. Brett Ratner was hired to direct the film, not so much for his filmmaking talent, but more for his ability to work fast and on budget. (Like everyone else) Vaughn was critical of Ratner’s final product. Vaughn left the film due to Fox and Marvel putting too much pressure on him to finish the film in a short amount of time, when Vaughn still had issues with the script, which he felt was not very good and flawed. There was also a large amount of studio creative interference (similar to Sam Raimi’s experience with Spider-Man 3). Vaughn decided he could not make the quality film he wanted to under those conditions and left the film. With X-Men behind him, Stardust was his next project. Along with producing and directing the film, Vaughn worked with Jane Goldman on the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel. Goldman, like Davis and Eshkeri, would join Vaughn’s collaborative team, again working with him on Kick-Ass. Stardust was again a success for Vaughn, and showed that he had the range to make different types of films and that he was quite adept at combining the comedy, action and fantasy genres, something that would prove important for his next project. The film also boosts a fantastic cast. At the premier of Stardust, Vaughn met Mark Millar. The two talked about Kick-Ass, and Vaughn bought the rights before the first issue even came out. The comic and script were done at the same time making the process very collaborative and organic. Vaughn decided to finance the film independently so that he could maintain control over the project, fearing what happened during X-Men. Kick-Ass premiered at the SXSW Film Festival to rave reviews. Vaughn seems to get better with each film he makes. Vaughn was also briefly attached to direct Thor, but left the project when his deal with Marvel expired.

Comic Book Hits:

Vaughn’s last two films have been excellent, both among the top comic book films made to date. Kick-Ass showed off his ability to garner brilliant performances from his cast (notably from Aaron Johnson and Chloe Grace Moretz). He also did a great job of mixing humor, drama and action together to make a very compelling and thrilling narrative (though, for some it might have been too violent). For his next film, X-Men: First Class, Vaughn again shows off his talent to mix genres and hit multiple varying emotional and excitingly enthralling beats. The film also showcases his keen visual eye and stylistic skill, as it has a wonderful aesthetic to it. X-Men: First Class opened to very good reviews from both critics and (especially) fans (I feel it is the X-Men film we all deserved by never got with the first four). The best aspect of the film is Vaughn’s crafting of the relationship between Professor X and Magneto and the performances he gets from James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. It is a great film that will hopefully have future installments with the same cast and Vaughn at the helm.

Future Projects:

Upcoming in 2011, Vaughn is producing the film The Debt. The film yet again features co-collaborators Davis (D.P.) and Goldman, who worked on the script with Vaughn. The film is directed by John Madden and features Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson. It is a remake of the 2007 Israeli film about three Mossad agents on a mission to capture and kill a notorious Nazi war criminal, set in 1965. Vaughn is also linked as a producer to One Chance, the story of unlikely British reality star Paul Potts, and another Mark Millar creation American Jesus, which Vaughn is slated to direct as well, but the project is nowhere near ready for production. Also up in the air are possible sequels to Kick-Ass (Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall) and X-Men: First Class.

Matthew Vaughn Career Highlights:

1)      Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) – producer [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

2)      Snatch. (2000) – producer [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

3)      Layer Cake (2004) – director [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

4)      Stardust (2007) – director* [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

5)      Kick-Ass (2010) – director* [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

6)      X-Men: First Class (2011) – director* [Blu-ray/DVD/Rent]

* Editor’s picks

At the Movies – April 2010

Must See in Theatres:

Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn) – Action – Apr 16

Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar, the film is about an unpopular high school kid and comic book fan who one day decides to become a super-hero, regardless of the fact that he has no powers, training or meaningful reason to do so. Director Vaughn, best known for Layer Cake and Stardust (which he famously left X-Men: The Last Stand to make), is a perfect choice for the material as he is a master of mixing action, adventure and comedy.  From Stardust, Vaughn brings his behind the camera creative team of co-screenwriter Jane Goldman, cinematographer Ben Davis and composer Ilan Eshkeri to the project along with newcomer composer Henry Jackman, who contributed additional music to The Dark Knight and the Pirates of the Caribbean series. The cast features Nicolas Cage, Mark Strong, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jason Flemyng, and Clark Duke along with two young actors poised to have breakout years: Chloe Moretz and Aaron Johnson. On paper, aside from Mark Strong, the cast does not seem like anything to write home about, but based on the trailer they are perfect for the material and tone. Advanced reviews from the SXSW Film Festival rave about how much fun the film is and how great its young cast performs. What sets this apart from the bigger releases of the month is the quality that Vaughn brings to the project, based on his past work, as he is one of the better filmmakers (this being his third feature film, he also produced Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.), the awesomeness of the trailer and the great advanced reviews the film has been receiving. Check out the trailer.

Good for Dates:

Date Night (Shawn Levy) – Comedy – Apr 9

The film is about a couple that goes out for a night on the town in an attempt to spice up their seemingly boring marriage, who, upon taking someone else’s reservation, is mistaken for another couple turning the evening into something more thrilling and dangerous (it is a bit like North By Northwest meets Adventures in Babysitting or The Night Before, no?). The film is highlighted by its stars Steve Carell and Tina Fey, but also features a fantastic group of supporting actors including: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Mark Ruffalo, Oliva Munn, Leighton Meester, Kristen Wiig, Ray Liotta, Taraji P. Henson, Jimmi Simpson (from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Common, and (the awesome) James Franco. However, with all this talent the film may still be undone by its director, Levy, who is not know for his ‘great’ films. The screenwriter Josh Klaussner was an assistant to The Farrelly Brothers and worked on Shrek the Third and he wrote the Shrek Forever After script, so his background is rooted in writing comedy (I guess). But on a brighter note behind the camera, Christophe Beck is scoring the film. But not to worry, no doubt the film will be funny and entertaining (I mean just look at who is in it again). Plus, there is no way Carell and Fey will not make a good on screen team (right?). Check out the trailer.

Fun Movies:

Clash of the Titans (Louis Leterrier) – Adventure – Apr 2

A remake of the 1981 film of the same name, the movie is about the mortal son of Zeus who embarks on a treacherous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from taking over Earths and the heavens. Director Leterrier, known for his action filmmaking, will likely bring more action to the story, which is probably a good thing. The film will be big, fun and in 3-D (it was delayed a bit to outfit it for the latest trend), yet do not expect loads of quality filmmaking. The film stars Sam Worthington but impressively features Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Mads Mikkelsen, Pete Postlethwaite, and Danny Huston in supporting roles, as well as young actors: Gemma Arterton, Nicholas Hoult and Alexa Davalos. Behind the camera, Leterrier has assembled the team of production designer Martin Laing, who did decent work on City of Ember and Terminator Salvation, composer Ramin Djawadi who did Iron Man and FlashForward, and Peter Menzies Jr. who shot Leterrier’s last film The Incredible Hulk. The creative team behind the film as a whole does not make this a must see, but the film does have a strong cast and should make for a fun theatre experience. Check out the trailer.

Death at a Funeral (Neil LaBute) – Comedy – Apr 16

A remake of the 2007 film by Frank Oz (and oddly using Dean Craig’s same screenplay, only adjusted for Americans, as the original is British), the movie is about a funeral ceremony that turns into a crazy fiasco involving family secrets, drugs, missing bodies, and revelations. Another odd thing about the film is that playwright LaBute is directing; it just seems like rehashing a perfectly good film of three years ago is not the best use of his talent (but what do I know). Based on the trailer (having seen the original), the film looks to be the same as its predecessor, even Peter Dinklage returns in the exact same role (but maybe I am missing the point, and the film is merely being reworked for a new audience). Though, the movie does feature a pretty great ensemble cast including: Zoe Saldana, James Marsden, Keith David, (Mr. AT&T himself) Luke Wilson, Martin Lawrence (does he ever need a decent film), Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock (who is sort of the main character, if there is one), Danny Glover, Columbus Short, Regina King, Ron Glass, Loretta Devine, and Kevin Hart (who is usually a riot) – there  is a lot of comedic talent here. Check out the trailer.

The Losers (Sylvain White) – Action – Apr 23

Based on the comic book series, the film is about members of a CIA black ops team, after being betrayed and left for dead, who seek out those who tried to put them down (a bit like The A-Team). It should be interesting to see how White handles the material given his lack of experience in the genre, but based on the trailer the action looks good. Plus, the script is by action veterans Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt. The cast is also strong featuring Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (not playing a ghost), Idris Elba, and Jason Patric. And fitting to its comic book origins, White has enlisted Superman Returns and X-Men composer John Ottman to score the film. The film should be an action packed (it is produced by Joel Silver after all) per-summer summer blockbuster style film – big on spectacle, light on depth. Check out the trailer.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Samuel Bayer) – Horror – Apr 30

A remake of Wes Craven’s 1984 original, the film is about a serial-killer who kills people in their dreams. The film was re-imagined by Michael Bay’s horror production company Platinum Dunes.  The film also marks famed music video director (dude did Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit video among many other icon others) Bayer’s first feature. Jackie Earle Haley plays Freddy Krueger which seems to be an inspired choice to go along with a fairly talented young cast including: Katie Cassidy, Kyle Gallner, Rooney Mara, Thomas Dekker, and Kellan Lutz. It is odd, though, that the film is coming in April opposed to October. While re-…(take your pick: dos, makes, imaginings) runs rampant, like it or not, this looks to be one of the better rehashing on the horizon. Check out the trailer.

Art-House Watch:

Leaves of Grass (Tim Blake Nelson) – Comedy – Apr 2 (LA/NYC)

The film is about an Ivy League professor who is convinced to return to his hometown in Oklahoma, though reluctant, where his twin brother, a small-time marijuana grower, has come up with a plan to take down a local drug lord. Tim Blake Nelson, know more for acting than directing, makes his fourth feature film and it looks to be his best (course one of those three priors is O). The draw of the film, however, is the fantastic dual performances from lead Edward Norton (as he plays both brothers). The film also features a good supporting cast with Nelson, Susan Surandon, Keri Russell, and Richard Dreyfuss. Norton’s performance got a lot of attention at the SXSW Film Festival and should make the film worth a rent (for those not in LA or NYC). Check out the trailer.

Warlords (Peter Chan and Wai Man Yip) – Martial Arts – Apr 2 (LA/NYC)

The film is about a heroic tale of three blood brothers who struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on a Qing Dynasty story: ‘The Assassination of Ma’. The film is by veteran director Peter Chan and won many awards in Asia before being exported to the U.S. The movie also features big stars including Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jet Li (which is likely the person whose name got this U.S. distribution, likely Magnolia Films is hoping it will be like Hero, House of Flying Daggers or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). It should be an interesting work for genre fans. Check out the trailer.

The Perfect Game (William Dear) – Sports – Apr 16

Based on W. William Winkur’s book, the film is about the true story of a group of boys in 1957 from Monterrey, Mexico (yet it is in English), who became the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series (spoiler alert!). The film is by Disney B-movie veteran William Dear and features music from Rocky composer Bill Conti. So, it will likely be a bit over the top on the heartfelt cheesiness, but that is not always a bad thing in these types of movies. The film stars Clifton Collins Jr. and Cheech Marin, while featuring Louis Gossett Jr., Bruce McGill, David Koechner, and Emilie de Ravin in a supporting roles. The film looks to be a feel good story and is being compared to The Blind Side. Check out the trailer.

I Love You Phillip Morris (Glenn Ficarra & John Requa) – Comedy – Apr 30 (Limited)

Based on the book by Steve McVicker, the film is about a married con man who, after a dramatic car accident, reassesses his life and realizes he is gay. He decides to live his new life to the fullest, something that lands him in jail where he meets his soul mate, Phillip Morris. He is then committed to getting himself and Phillip Morris out of prison. Is it love or all just one big con? The film is the directorial debut of comedy writing team Ficarra & Requa (they did Cats & Dogs, Bad Santa and Bad News Bears, the remake) and oddly is produced by Luc Besson. The film stars Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor and Leslie Mann, a pretty good comedic lineup. The film is being heralded as having Carrey’s best performance as real life con man Steve Russell, while others state that it is just another in a long line of outlandish characters. Check out the trailer.

Please Give (Nicole Holofcener) – Comedy – Apr 30

The film is about a New York City couple who butt heads with the daughter of their tenant, an elderly woman, renting their apartment. Director Holofcener is known for her films dealing with a sort of snobbiness of upper middle-class white America and how that attitude or way comes into conflict with those of other classes or dispositions (as seen in Friends with Money). The film features a solid cast including: Rebecca Hall, Amanda Peet, Catherine Keener (who seems like she appears in all the director’s features), and Oliver Platt. The film should appeal to fans of director or actors’ prior works, or those looking for something depicting social confrontation with comedic implications. Check out the trailer.