Stars to Watch: Part 7 – Movies Spotlight – October 2011

Cinema constantly has new talent each and every year, making great films and opening audiences’ eyes to new characters, stories and worlds. October offers new films from three such talents.

Juno Temple

What She’s Been In:

A British actress, Temple, 22, got her start through her family connections – her mother is a producer, and her father is a director. In 2000 she got a small role in her father’s film Pandaemonium. However, her career did not really being until 2006 when she took a supporting role in Notes on a Scandal, only to follow it up with another supporting role in Atonement in 2007. Her performances were praised by critics setting her up for tons of supporting roles in both indie and Hollywood films, including: St. Trinian’s, The Other Boleyn Girl, Year One, Greenberg, and Kaboom. She won her first leading role in 2009, co-starring with Eva Green in Jordan Scott’s Cracks (which was not released until 2011).

Breakthrough:

While Temple has not had a big breakthrough yet in Hollywood or among average moviegoers, this month and next year should surely make her a known entity with high profile projects coming out. However, for critics and filmmakers, her work in Notes on a Scandal and Atonement placed her among the best young actresses. Each film was critically acclaimed – Notes on a Scandal receiving four Academy Awards nominations and Atonement receiving one win and six additional nominations including Best Picture.

October Films:

In October, Temple has two films. First, she stars in Dirty Girl about a high school student who does not fit in at school or in her small town. She decides to run away, bringing her gay friend Clarke along for the ride. It co-stars Jeremy Dozier, Milla Jovovich and William H. Macy. While it is a little indie film, it should showcase Temple’s ability to carry a feature in the lead role, which should translate into more opportunities for her. Then, later in the month, she has a supporting role in the big Hollywood action adaptation of The Three Musketeers. Temple plays Queen Anne, an ally to the Musketeers. It also stars Milla Jovovich, as well as Logan Lerman, Ray Stevenson, Orlando Bloom, Matthew Macfadyen, Luke Evans, and Christoph Waltz. The Three Musketeers will be the biggest release of her career to date.

Upcoming:

Temple has eight upcoming projects between now and early 2013 (so yeah, she has been busy). First up is Little Birds about two girls in trouble who run away to LA. Temple stars, while Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth and Kay Panabaker co-star. Next, she has a supporting role in William Friedkin’s new black comedy Killer Joe about a young man whose life is in danger due to mounting debts. He decides to put a hit out on his evil mother with the goal of collecting the insurance money from her death. It stars Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch and Thomas Haden Church. Then, she co-stars in Small Apartments with James Caan, Rebel Wilson and Dolph Lundgren about a man surrounded by strange events and odd neighbors. After that, she stars in the horror romance Jack and Diane with Riley Keough and Jena Malone about two teenage girls who meet in New York and have a connection, but one of them has a dark secret (hence the horror part). Then she stars with Alessandro Nivola, Emily Mortimer and Imogen Poots (also a star to watch) in the thriller A Single Shot about the tragic death of a young girl that starts a cat and mouse game between hunter John Moon and backwater criminals who are after him. Next, the film that could be her big breakthrough, even though she only has a small role: The Dark Knight Rises – Chris Nolan’s final piece to his Batman trilogy. After that she stars in The Brass Teapot with Alia Shawkat and Michael Angarano. It is a comedy thriller about a couple who finds a magic brass teapot that makes them money whenever they hurt themselves – how far are they willing to go? And last but not least is Magic, Magic a thriller with Emily Browning and Michael Cera about a young woman vacationing in a remote part of Chile who starts to mentally unravel.

Career Highlights:

1)      Notes on a Scandal (2006) – supporting (DVD, Streaming)

2)      Atonement (2007)* – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Greenberg (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD)

4)      Cracks (2011) – lead (DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks

Felicity Jones

What She’s Been In:

A British actress, Jones, 27, got her start growing up in a family that is passionate about film and theatre. Her uncle is the actor Michael Hadley. She started her career at age eleven in an after-school workshop. She got her first role in 1996 in the TV movie The Treasure Seekers and then got a supporting role in the TV series The Worst Witch. She continued to get TV roles including her first lead in Northanger Abby. In 2008 she got her first major film role in Britain as a supporting character in Brideshead Revisited. She then took a role in the Miniseries The Diary of Anne Frank and the movie Cheri. Appearing last year in Julie Taymor’s adaptation of The Tempest, she had her first theatrical release in America.

Breakthrough:

Jones has not had a major breakthrough for average moviegoers, however she had her first exposure in the States last year both appearing in The Tempest, which was poor received, and the underrated Cemetery Junction, which saw a straight to video release in the States after a theatrical run in the U.K. The film is by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, and is a good comedy set in the 1970s about three working class friends in a dreary suburb of Reading looking to make better lives for themselves. The film has a nice nostalgic feel. Jones plays the love interest of the main character in the film. She is delightful and shines in all her scenes.

October Film:

Jones does have a chance to have a breakout performance with Like Crazy, a role that she already won the Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Acting at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is directed by Drake Doremus and also stars Anton Yelchin (a star to watch) and Jennifer Lawrence (also a star to watch). It is about a British (Jones) and American (Yelchin) student who fall in love, but when her visa expires she decides to illegally stay to be with Jacob. Then she gets deported. Can the two maintain their relationship so far apart?

Upcoming:

Jones has six upcoming projects. First she stars with Ed Westwick and Bill Nighy in the (most likely straight to video) snowboarding romance Chalet Girl. Next, she has a supporting role in the mystery Page Eight. The spy film also stars Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, Tom Hughes, and Michael Gambon. Then she stars in the drama Albatross about a bookish teenager who befriends a novelist who then has an affair with her father. It co-stars Julia Ormond and Sebastian Koch. After that she stars in the rom-com Hysteria about the invention of the vibrator with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Hugh Dancy. It has been well received in advanced screenings. Then she stars in the comedy Cheerful Weather for the Wedding about a bride who realizes she is about to make a terrible mistake. And lastly, she is reteaming with her Like Crazy director for a still Untitled Project with Guy Piece, Kyle MacLachlan and Amy Ryan.

Career Highlights:

1)      Cemetery Junction (2010) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks

Amber Heard

What She’s Been In:

An American actress, Heard, 25, got her start when she decided to drop out of high school at age seventeen and move to New York to model and act, and then on to Los Angeles to focus on acting. She got her first role in 2004 being cast on the pilot of The WB show Jack & Bobby. She got single episode roles on The O.C. and The Mountain as well. In 2004 she also got her first film role taking a supporting part in Peter Berg’s Friday Night Lights (which paved the way for the wonderful TV series). She took a number of roles in B-movies and TV movies before getting her next two good Hollywood roles, playing supporting parts in North Country and Alpha Dog. She did an episode of Criminal Minds and Californication as well. In 2006 she got her first leading part in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane directed by Jonathan Levine (who just made the great movie 50/50). It had a ton of positive buzz at that year’s Toronto Film Festival and was quickly acquired by The Weinstein Company, but never saw a theatrical release and after a year sitting on the shelve went straight to DVD. She next won a series regular role on the short-lived The CW series Hidden Palms (by Scream and The Vampire Diaries writer Kevin Williamson). She has since taken roles in smaller films such as Never Back Down, The Informers, The Joneses, The Stepfather, and And Soon the Darkness. Her biggest hit to date came in the form of a very funny small supporting role as 406 in Zombieland. This year so far she starred in Drive Angry 3D with Nicolas Cage, John Carpenter’s The Ward and the recently cancelled The Playboy Club (for which she was the main character).

Breakthrough:

While Zombieland and The Playboy Club increased her visibility for average-moviegoers (and TV-watchers), Heard’s first big hit (and biggest U.S. hit) was Pineapple Express co-starring Seth Rogen, James Franco and Danny McBride. The stoner comedy directed by David Gordon Green is about a process server who witnesses a murder and goes on the run with his marijuana dealer. Heard plays Rogen’s girlfriend. The film is quite funny and for most filmgoers it showcased her comedy skills for the first time.

October Film:

In October Heard stars in her potentially biggest film to-date with The Rum Diary, in which she plays opposite Johnny Depp. The film is directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on a novel by Hunter S. Thompson. It is about an American journalist (Depp) who takes a freelance job in Puerto Rico during the 1950s, only to experience a strange lifestyle balancing between the island culture and the ex-patriots who live there. Heard plays Chenault, the fiancé of a wealthy American businessman (played by Aaron Eckhart), who fools around with Depp’s character. This film, should it be well received, will likely serve as Heard’s big break in Hollywood.

Upcoming:

Currently, Heard only has one film upcoming, probably due to The Playboy Club being picked up, but with its cancellation, her slate should soon fill up. It is called Syrup and is about a slacker who has a million-dollar idea for a new soft drink. However, to see it through he must trust his attractive corporate counterpart (she works for Coke) who wants to help him succeed. Heard plays 6 (yup that is really her name), the girl at Coke that wants to help. It co-stars Shiloh Fernandez, Kellan Lutz and Brittany Snow.

Career Highlights:

1)      Friday Night Lights (2004) – supporting (DVD, Streaming)

2)      North Country (2005) – supporting (DVD, Streaming)

3)      Pineapple Express (2008) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

4)      Zombieland (2009) – supporting (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s picks

The Ides of March (2011) – Review

Review: The Ides of March is a good and very well-made political drama, performance and aesthetically speaking, but it lacks any real sense of emotional connect to the audience. It plays more as a drama, in terms of the audience watching it to find out what happens, than a thriller. Even though all the performances are very good, the audience does not care about the characters, and this is due to director (and co-writer) George Clooney’s inability to create characters that are relatable to the audience, or at least present them as such. As is, the film is presented much more as a tale to be followed, completely plot driven. While there are emotional scenes for the main character Stephen and great moments between characters, they all serve the plot and not the character(s). The viewer never feels invested in Stephen, and thus the drama and mild thriller aspects of the narrative do not engage the audience on a higher emotional level. However despite this shortcoming, Clooney (et al.) still makes a very good film (that could have been great). This is due to fantastic aesthetics, wonderfully written scenes and great performances. It sounds odd that a film can have great performances but not connect with the audience, but it is a matter of how the characters are presented to the audience – whether the viewer is merely supposed to follow them on their journey or actively participate (plot driven versus character driven). However, there are very good plot driven films that still have character moments that allow for a meaningful connection with the audience, so they can be invested, and this is simply lacking in The Ides of March (which I think would otherwise be a great film instead of just a good one). The film’s aesthetics are however quite brilliant and many of the scenes are among my favorites of the year (specifically one between Stephen and Tom Duffy near the end of the second act), elevating the film considerably. An aspect of the film that is also interesting is the portray of American politics as a soul-crushing profession that eats up virtue and spits out emptiness. The characters have goals of making the country better and on the outside seem to be honest, but once the film digs into the backchannels and behind the scenes of their campaigns there is something rotten at the center (and it sure seems like this is probably the case in real life as well). If there is any character drama in the film at all, it is the transition in Stephen’s expression and overall body language from the beginning to the end. All in all, The Ides of March has a lot to like about it (on one viewing, though I question how much it holds up on multiple viewings), but Clooney seems more interested in the style, performances and look of the film than its emotional core.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: George Clooney has directed four features now, and The Ides of March is probably his best (though, many would argue Good Night, and Good Luck. is a better film – but I think it is vastly overrated). Each of his films show off his love for style and the aesthetics of filmmaking, and this is no different. The film is beautifully shot. Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael’s lighting is brilliant and among the best of the year, while Sharon Seymour’s production design and sets fit the tone and style of the film perfectly. As much as I liked Papmichael’s work, Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe even more marvelous. The Ides of March also features really good acting throughout. Jeffrey Wright seems to be having some fun with his character, and it works well. Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman are fantastic in their supporting roles, stealing most of the scenes they are in. Clooney is his typical stoic self, but with hints of cracks (but really this is the same type of performance he always gives). The lead Ryan Gosling is very good as well (with Crazy, Stupid, Love. and Drive, he might be having the best year of any actor), but his performance is slightly overshadowed by the lack of any connection with the audience – and thus we do not care about his character aside from wanting to see how things play out.

Summary & score: Otherwise very well made, The Ides of March is missing its soul, but even so is a good political drama. 8/10

Movie of the Week – Mission: Impossible III

This week’s movie is Mission: Impossible III (2006).

The action film is about Ethan Hunt, a secret agent who comes out of retirement when one of his trainees is captured by a sadistic arms dealer. Like the first two films in the series, part three is directed by a well-known filmmaker – J.J. Abrams (however, unlike parts one and two, this is actually a really good movie). Abrams co-wrote the script with his Star Trek and Fringe collaborators Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Also frequent collaborators of Abrams, fantastic composer Michael Giacchino, cinematographer Daniel Mindel and production designer Scott Chambliss provide the film with a great aesthetic. It boosts a wonderful cast as well with Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman (who plays such an excellent villain), Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, Eddie Marsan, and Laurence Fishburne. While Abrams already had a successful TV career, this marked his feature film directing debut. He structured the film almost flawlessly – the narrative is continuously moving forward, there is never a dull moment, but there are also enough character moments and emotion to keep the viewer invested in the characters, which is rare. It is a very well-directed film (and among my favorites of the last decade). While Abrams is not directing part IV, he is producing it. Kanye West also provided two tracks for the film (the song Impossible and a remix of the theme). It is one of the best action movies of the last decade (and one that is criminally underrated, probably due to Tom Cruise’s public persona) and a must-see for action genre fans. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

At the Movies – October 2011 – Part 3: This Month’s Best Films

Must-See of the Month:

The Ides of March (George Clooney) – Political Drama – Oct 7

Summary: Rumored to be a veiled commentary on the Howard Dean campaign (at least Beau Willimon’s play is, for which the film is based), the film is about an idealistic campaigner staffer, Stephen Myers, who gets a crash course on dirty politics while working on Presidential hopeful Governor Mike Morris’s campaign. Filmmakers: Actor George Clooney is back in the director’s chair for his fourth feature and is also producing. He is working with (the hardest working man in the movie-business, he has scored eight movies this year alone) composter Alexandre Desplat (The Tree of Life), cinematographer Phedon Papamichael (Sideways), production designer Sharon Seymour (The Town), and executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio. Cast: The film stars Ryan Gosling and features a great supporting group with Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei, Jeffrey Wright, Max Minghella, and Jennifer Ehle. Expectations: Advanced reviews have been oddly mixed. I say this because on one hand this is among the ten likely Best Picture nominees for 2012’s Oscars in most expects’ predictions but on the other hand the buzz out of the Toronto Film Festival has been not great. I have not been a big fan of any of the films Clooney has directed to date, as well. So then why is this the must-see of the month you ask? Well, it has a great cast, crew and potential – plus, this is a weak month, movie wise. All that said, it will probably be a good to decent political drama. Check out the trailer. Review.

Worth Checking Out:

Like Crazy (Drake Doremus) – Romance – Oct 28 [limited]

Summary: The film is about an American who falls in love with a British girl. Her visa expires but she stays in the States for him. She is found out and deported. Now, they must deal with being in a long-distance relationship, while also coming to terms with meeting new people and maybe not being together. Filmmakers: Writer-director Drake Doremus has made three indie features and some shorts prior to Like Crazy, but none have received the same acceptance and gotten the same traction as this. He is working with an indie crew including pianist and composer Dustin O’Halloran, cinematographer John Guleserian and production designer Katie Byron (the latter two have worked with him before, while all three are again working with him on his next feature). Cast: The cast features excellent young actors Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones (a star to watch) and Jennifer Lawrence, as well as Charlie Bewley and Chris Messina. Expectations: The film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (and Jones won the Special Jury Best Actress Prize). It looks like a very good romance, more on the dramatic side of the things than comedy, but critics have loved it during its festival run – though, average moviegoers not as much. Check out the trailer. Review.

At the Movies – October 2011 – Part 2: Hollywood Films

Serious Films:

Margin Call (J.C. Chandor) – Thriller – Oct 21

Summary: The film is about America’s financial crisis, revolving around the key people at an investment bank during the early stages of the meltdown. Filmmakers: Writer-director J.C. Chandor makes his feature debut, and is working with a pretty good indie group featuring composer Nathan Larson (Our Idiot Brother), cinematographer Frank DeMarco (The Winning Season) and production designer John Paino (Win Win). Cast: The film has a great ensemble cast with Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto (who is also a producer on the film), Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci. Expectations: The cast alone is enough for me to want to see this, despite my initial feelings of ‘not another Financial Crisis movie’ (similar to the ‘not another Iraq War movie’ feeling that moviegoers were collectively experiencing a few years ago). Plus, it has been very well received in its advanced screenings. What sets it apart is that it both looks like an informative piece on the crisis and a good thriller. Check out the trailer.

In Time (Andrew Niccol) – Sci-Fi – Oct 28

Summary: The film is about Will Salas, a man living in a world in which people stop aging at twenty-five and must work to earn time to continue living. Will meets a mysterious man who bestows upon him more time than he knows what to do with, but must go on the run when the corrupt police and elite class that control the society want the time for themselves. Filmmakers: Writer-director Andrew Niccol is very well suited for the material (having written and directed Gattaca and Lord of War, and he also wrote The Truman Show). He is working with composer Craig Armstrong (who has not really worked on sci-fi before), excellent cinematographer Roger Deakins (True Grit) and production designer Alex McDowell (who has a good body of work in the genre). Cast: The film stars Justin Timberlake and co-stars Amanda Seyfried, while Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Galecki, Cillian Murphy, Matthew Bomer, and Vincent Kartheiser (playing the villain is right in his wheelhouse) round out a good supporting group. Expectations: My anticipation for this film has waned a bit since I first saw the teaser trailer, which was great. The normal trailer is good too, but when I saw the more expansive ‘super’ trailer I lost a lot of the enthusiasm I had for the film, primarily due to questions on whether Timberlake can carry a film like this. I hope I am wrong and he can, because I really like good sci-fi films. In any case, the film looks like a decent thriller (a sci-fi Robin Hood tale of sorts) that will hopefully not just be all gloss and have substance as well (which is also an issue arising from the longer trailers). Check out the trailer.

The Rum Diary (Bruce Robinson) – Drama – Oct 28

Summary: The film is about Paul Kemp, a freelance journalist who takes a job for a run-down Caribbean newspaper. Surrounded by lost souls, he decides to secure a niche for himself going after a big, potentially dangerous, story. Filmmakers: Writer-director Bruce Robinson has not made a film since 1992, and has not made anything good since his first film Withnail & I in 1987 (this is his fourth film). That being said, he has a very good group working with him, including composer Christopher Young (Drag Me to Hell), cinematographer Dariusz Wolski (Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy) and production designer Chris Seagers (X-Men: First Class). Cast: He also has a good cast with Johnny Depp starring and supporting work from Amber Heard (who is ready to breakout), Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi, and Richard Jenkins. Expectations: The last time Johnny Depp starred in something based on a book by Hunter S. Thompson we got Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (of course, Terry Gilliam was involved it that too). The Rum Diary looks to be an all-over-the-place misadventure romp, that hopefully all comes together and works – and not totally incoherent. Check out the trailer.

Anonymous (Roland Emmerich) – Drama – Oct 28

Summary: The film presupposes that all of William Shakespear’s works were in fact written by someone else – the Earl of Oxford Edward De Vere – his name removed because of his involvement in the Essex Rebellion opposing the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, being her alleged offspring. Filmmakers: Disaster-film specialist Roland Emmerich is directing (leading to suspicions that somehow Earth will be destroyed in the film at some point – or at least the literary world). He is working with frequent collaborators composers Harald Kloser and Thomas Wanker and cinematographer Anna Foerster, as well as first-time production designer Sebastian Krawinkel (however, he was the art director on Inglourious Basterds). Cast: The film stars Rhys Ifans with supporting work from Vanessa Redgrave, Rafe Spall, David Thewlis, Edward Hogg, Xavier Samuel, Sam Reid, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Joely Richardson, making for a decent group. Expectations: Edward De Vere is the most popular candidate as the alternative author to the works of Shakespeare, and it should be interesting to see how the theory is presented in the film (it was first made popular in 1920). Emmerich seems like an odd choice for the film (as this probably could have been the typical period stuff that Academy voters love), but he should bring scale and action to it. The cast is fairly solid and the story interesting, thus this at least should make for a decent rental. Check out the trailer.

Action/Adventure:

Real Steel (Shawn Levy) – Action – Oct 7

Summary: The film is about a former boxer who sees an opportunity to get back into the fight-game training a humanoid underdog robot boxer (yes, this does sound ridiculous, but alas this is what Transformers has done to us, along with two unwatchable sequels). Filmmakers: Hollywood director Shawn Levy is at the helm (for his 8^th straight somewhat entertaining but mostly bad movie, plus this is the man who directed the cinema blaspheming remake: The Pink Panther, and will never be forgiven) with Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis producing (and likely focusing on money over quality), awesome composer Danny Elfman (Dick Tracy and Batman), very good cinematographer Mauro Fiore (Avatar), and production designer Tom Meyer (who is a random choice given his past credits). When I look at this list of mostly top-notch filmmakers, it makes me sad that their talents will be spent making Real Steel and not something with some potential of being decent. Cast: It stars Hugh Jackman (who is an A-list star who has only arguably made one great film: The Prestige), and features supporting work from Evangeline Lilly, Kevin Durand, Anthony Mackie, Hope Davis, and Dakota Goyo. Expectations: As you may have guessed, I do not expect much from Real Steel, and realistically nor does anyone else (my brother and I are even planning a terrible and ridiculous movie marathon with this, Transformers 3 and Battleship, once all three are out on Blu-ray). That being said, will it be entertaining on some level? Yes, probably. Will it make money and continue Hollywood’s progression into making bigger and bigger terrible movies? Wait; has that not been the case since Jaws (though, who am I kidding, many of my favorite films are blockbusters)? The real problem is that there are only so many great directors, and those directors do not really want to make stuff like this…But at the same time, stuff like this funds great movies that do not make any money (something like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World or Never Let Me Go from last year for example). So, really the problem is the average moviegoer who only cares about the spectacle and not the art or meaning (anyway, this could go on and on and probably already has). Check out the trailer.

The Three Musketeers (Paul W.S. Anderson) – Action Adventure – Oct 21

Summary: Yet another retelling of Alexandre Dumas pere’s story, only this time it is a big action-heavy adventure with lots of explosions and slow-motion. Filmmakers: If you are going to go for a crazy over-the-top mindless action film, might as well hire Paul W.S. Anderson to direct it. He has made Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, AVP, and Death Race – none of them good (though there are times when I actually think Resident Evil is a good movie, but those moments are briefer the older I get), but all entertaining (on a ‘I do not care about anything other than cool looking action sequences’ level). He is working with composer Paul Haslinger (who scored Resident Evil: Afterlife for him), cinematographer Glen MacPherson and production designer Paul Austerberry (who both worked on Death Race). Cast: The redeeming thing about this film is that the cast is kind of excellent, especially given the genre. The Musketeers are played by Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans, Matthew Macfadyen, and Logan Lerman, and the cast also includes Milla Jovovich, Juno Temple, Orlando Bloom, Christoph Waltz (as the villain!!!), Mads Mikkelsen, and Til Schweiger (see, I told you it was awesome). Expectations: This cast alone makes this a definite rent for me, but will it be any good? Probably not, though the filmmakers seem to be going for a Pirates of the Caribbean feel, so that could be fun. Would I see this over Real Steel? Yes, yes I would. Check out the trailer.

Johnny English Reborn (Oliver Parker) – Action Spoof Comedy – Oct 28

Summary: James Bond wannabe Johnny English is back, and this time he is up against international assassins going after the Chinese Premier. Filmmakers: Comedic actor and sometimes director Oliver Parker is helming the spoof and has a surprisingly very good group with him including composer Ilan Eshkeri (Stardust), cinematographer Danny Cohen (The King’s Speech) and production designer Jim Clay (Children of Men). Cast: Joining star and executive producer Rowan Atkinson and sidekick Ben Miller this time around are Dominic West, Gillian Anderson, Rosamund Pike, Daniel Kaluuya, Richard Schiff, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Togo Igawa. Expectations: This has a pretty strong cast and group of filmmakers for a spoof, and I generally enjoy Atkinson’s brand of slapstick. Johnny English was funny, but this one looks like it will be much better. Check out the trailer.

Comedy:

The Big Year (David Frankel) – Comedy – Oct 14

Summary: The film is about three competitive bird watchers (really? This is a movie) who compete to spot the rarest birds in North America at a prestigious annual event (yup, still trying to understand why). Filmmakers: Director David Frankel has a decent comedy background with Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada, and the film is produced by Ben Stiller. Joining them are composer Theodore Shapiro (Tropic Thunder), good cinematographer Lawrence Sher (The Hangover Part II) and production designer Brent Thomas (Diary of a Wimpy Kid). Cast: The film stars Owen Wilson, Jack Black (who desperately need to be funny in something after the terribleness of Year One and Gulliver’s Travels) and Steve Martin. The supporting cast is potentially great with Jim Parsons, Rosamund Pike, Rashida Jones, Joel McHale, Tim Blake Nelson, Anjelica Huston, Anthony Anderson, Dianne Wiest, Brian Dennehy, Kevin Pollak, and Corbin Bernsen. Expectations: The trailer is not too good and honestly these three leads are a bit tired these days for this type of throwaway bland (mail-it-in) comedy. However, I really like a number of the supporting players who could make this better than it otherwise looks. Check out the trailer.

Horror:

The Thing (Matthijs van Heijningen Jr.) – Action Horror – Oct 14

Summary: The film serves as sort of a prequel/remake to the 1982 film of the same name. It is about a grad student, Kate Lloyd, who travels to an Antarctica research site when the discovery of an alien craft is made. When strange happenings start to occur, Kate believes something seriously wrong is going on (though, presumably we have all seen Kurt Russell’s The Thing and thus more or less know what is going to happen to poor Kate and the other scientists). Filmmakers: Dutch director Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. makes his feature debut with the film. He is working with a crew that specializes in action: composer Marco Beltrami (Scream 4), cinematographer Michel Abramowicz (From Paris with Love) and first-time production designer Sean Haworth (but he was the art director on films like Thor and Avatar). Cast: The cast is great for the genre with Mary Elizabeth Winstead starring and support from Joel Edgerton, Eric Christian Olsen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Ulrich Thomsen. Expectations: You must have very guarded expectations when a classic is remade, especially when it is a first-time director tackling what many consider the best horror film of all-time from horror master John Carpenter. The cast is solid though, which does give me some hope. Check out the trailer.

At the Movies – October 2011 – Part 1: Independent Films

Art-House Dramas:

Dirty Girl (Abe Sylvia) – Drama – Oct 7 [limited]

Summary: The film is about is Danielle, a high school student who just does not fit in. She decides to run away from home with her chubby gay friend Clarke, a bag of flour (a school project simulating childcare) and a Walkman full of 80’s tunes (as it takes place in 1987). Filmmakers: Writer-director Abe Sylvia makes his feature debut. He is working with an indie crew, including composer Jeff Toyne, good cinematographer Steve Gainer (Super) and production designer Alan Muraoka. Cast: The most intriguing aspect of the film is its great cast; it stars Juno Temple (who is ready to breakthrough in Hollywood), and has good supporting players in Milla Jovovich, Mary Steenburgen, Nicholas D’Agosta, William H. Macy, Tim McGraw, Dwight Yoakam, and Jeremy Dozier. Expectations: While I do not think Dirty Girl will make Juno Temple a known actress among most moviegoers, I do think it is another good role for her to get noticed by directors (plus, she has a supporting role in next year’s Chris Nolan film The Dark Knight Rises). The film itself looks like a decent indie drama – probably quirky and a little funny. But really, it is a vehicle to further springboard Temple who is a good emerging talent. Check out the trailer.

The Skin I Live In (Pedro Almodovar) – Drama – Oct 14

Summary: The Spanish film is about a brilliant plastic surgeon haunted by past tragedies who designs a new synthetic skin that can withstand any kind of damage. He decides to first try it on a mysterious volatile woman whom he is obsessed with. Filmmakers: It is the twenty-first feature film from Spain auteur writer-director Pedro Almodovar. He is again working with frequent collaborators very good composer Alberto Iglesias, cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine and production designer Antxon Gomez. Cast: The film stars Antonio Banderas with support from Elena Anaya, Blanca Suarez, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes, Barbara Lennie, and Fernando Cayo (a couple of which have been in a few of Almodovar’s other films). Expectations: The Skin I Live In was nominated for Best Picture at the Cannes Film Festival and is being heralded as one of Almodovar’s best works (as he seems to be on a great creative streak). It looks very fractured and strange (based on the trailer), but also aesthetically interesting. Many critics are calling it Banderas’s best work since Frida and a likely breakthrough for Suarez (at least in Spain). Check out the trailer.

Texas Killing Fields (Ami Canaan Mann) – Mystery Thriller – Oct 14

Summary: The film is about a Texas homicide detective who teams up with a New York City cop to investigate a series of unsolved murders in the bayous – a place where locals dare not enter. Filmmakers: Director Ami Canaan Mann (daughter of excellent filmmaker Michael Mann, who is also a producer on the film) makes her feature debut. She is working with a good group, including composer Dickon Hinchliffe (Winter’s Bone), cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh (Lone Star) and production designer Aran Mann (Ami’s half-sister, who was the assistant art-director on Collateral and Miami Vice). Cast: The film stars Jessica Chastain (who might be the breakthrough actress of 2011), Sam Worthington and Jeffrey Dean Morgan with supporting work from Chloe Grace Moretz (2010’s breakthrough actress), Stephen Graham and Jason Clarke, making for a really good set of actors. Expectations: I had high hopes for this film based on who is in it, but it is not playing well at festivals (sidebar, who is the best director whose parent(s) was/is also a director? I am drawing a blank other than Sofia Coppola). Even so, it is probably worth a rental for those who enjoy good performances and crime dramas. Check out the trailer.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin) – Drama/Thriller – Oct 21 [limited]

Summary: The film is about a young woman who is haunted by painful memories and paranoia as she struggles to re-assimilate with her family after escaping from an abusive cult. Filmmakers: Writer-director Sean Durkin makes his feature debut, and is working with composers Daniel Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes (Tiny Furniture) and production designer Chad Keith (Take Shelter). Cast: It stars Elizabeth Olsen (in what many critics are calling a breakthrough performance) with support from Hugh Dancy, Sarah Paulson and John Hawkes. Expectations: Martha Marcy May Marlene was nominated for Best Film at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and won Durkin the Best Director prize. It looks to be a great character drama, highlighted by strong performances. I suspect it will be among the Oscar Best Picture short list (top 25 contenders), but probably not among the final ten (though it should do well at the Independent Spirit Awards). Check out the trailer. Review.

Red State (Kevin Smith) – Horror Thriller – Oct 21

Summary: Set in Middle America, the film is about a group of teens who receive an online invitation for sex, follow up on it, only to discover that it is a ploy by fundamentalists with a sinister agenda (and then it gets crazy). Filmmakers: After probably the worst film of his career (Cop Out, living up to its name), writer-director Kevin Smith is back with probably his most unique film to date (given his past work). He is working with his cinematographer David Klein (who has shot almost all his films) and indie/TV production designer Cabot McMullen (Trucker). Cast: The film has a good ensemble cast featuring Kevin Pollak, John Goodman, Marc Blucas, Patrick Fischler, Melissa Leo, Kerry Bishe, Stephen Root, Anna Gunn, Kyle Gallner, and Michael Angarano. Expectations: Fed-up with critics, Smith decided to make Red State on his own dime and promote it himself taking it on the road to different cities across the States, where it has played to mixed reviews (the other two films he made for next to nothing were probably his best Clerks. and Chasing Amy). He also announced that it would be his third to last film (followed by the two-part hockey comedy Hit Somebody). Smith was among my favorite filmmakers of my teens (as with many my age – who does not like Mallrats at 15?) and one of my main influences to start writing and go to film school. Thus, I always want him to be successful and despite the mixed reviews I look forward to seeing this. Check out the trailer.

50/50 (2011) – Review

Review: 50/50 is just what it sets out to be – a dramedy that is both very funny and dramatically impactful (with some tear-jerking scenes). Director Jonathan Levine does a great job focusing the attention completely on the characters, even the setting (Vancouver doubling for Seattle), plays into the characters. In doing this, he has set the audience up to be fully invested in them, especially Adam – who is played to be a very average guy, but it works quite well in this film because Adam is completely relatable to the whole audience (for the most part), which makes his journey all the more powerful and emotional. The film is actually surprisingly intense (in a ‘wow this is really sad’ sort of way), due in most part to the very good performances and the frank nature of Will Reiser’s writing. However, there is some fantastic comedy that lightens the film wonderfully, and changes the overall complexion of the film as a whole – this probably the hardest thing to get right – balancing the drama and comedy (especially the comedy). Creating tear-jerking scenes is one thing (Lifetime movies do a great job at it, but are any of them really that good?), but creating truly impactful dramatic scenes and scenes that are very funny (some being one in the same in 50/50) that flow together is very difficult, and Levine does it very well. This is the strongest aspect of the film. A small criticism that I have is that I wanted more scenes between Katherine and Adam (though, many directors believe it is good to leave your audience wanting more). Their relationship makes sense and works in the narrative, so that it not the issue; rather I just enjoyed their scenes and would have liked a few more, which also speaks to the lack of a fully satisfying ending. The ending works fine (as it plays a bit like The Graduate’s ambiguous ‘what now’, as many films have done since), but again I wanted more (a sense of closure for the characters’ relationships I guess, though the film does sort of have that, really I just want to see what happens next). However, this is really a minor issue. Overall, the narrative does work very well and Levine’s structure both plays off the drama and comedy while keeping the plot moving forward. 50/50 is both a very well played drama and a funny comedy. It is a film about relationships (with friends, parents and significant others) and how good relationships bring so much to our lives.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Jonathan Levine, now three features in, has shown himself to be one of the best young filmmakers working with 50/50. The best aspect of the film is the performances he garners from his actors, and the way he allows them to just play their scenes without big camera moves or tons of cuts. This is also due to the great work of cinematographer Terry Stacey, composer Michael Giacchino (whose scores usually stick out, but here he toned it down to match the mood of the film, I mean this is the composer who scored Lost, Up, Super 8 and Let Me In after all) and production designer Annie Spitz – all three of whom created visuals and music to perfectly fit the tone of the performances and play off and reinforce the characters, which is so important in character pieces such as 50/50. The performances overall were very good. Philip Baker Hall, Matt Frewer and Anjelica Huston provide great work in their small supporting roles. Bryce Dallas Howard is a lot of fun playing the girlfriend in a difficult position. Seth Rogen plays his typical pop-culture referencing comedy self, but in this film he works very well playing against the lead. Anna Kendrick is again fantastic (in really her second real dramatic performance). Joseph Gordon-Levitt is just right in his role as Adam – he plays the average guy very well, but also put enough anima into it that the audience not only connects but really feels for him.

Summary & score: 50/50 is much more than just an R-rated comedy or manipulative tear-jerking drama, it is a wonderful dramedy that will have you laughing and probably crying both through genuine emotion. 8/10

Movie of the Week – Hot Rod

This week’s movie is Hot Rod (2007).

The comedy is about a wannabe stunt man, Rod, who must pull off a huge stunt to raise fifty-thousand dollars to save his step-father, who needs a heart transplant, so that he can then fight him to prove to him that he is a man. The film is by the Lonely Island group from SNL (director Akiva Schaffer, star Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone in a supporting role). It also features a fun score from Trevor Rabin, which goes well with the great cheesy 80’s throwback soundtrack (which is mostly hair-band stuff) and the overall motive of 80’s references. Stephen Altman’s production design and Andrew Dunn’s cinematography are also fitting for the narrative. In addition to the Lonely Island guys, the cast is fantastic with Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Isla Fisher, Will Arnett, Sissy Spacek, and Ian McShane featuring in support. Hot Rod is a very silly, random and hysterical comedy (and thereby not for everyone). Really, it was made specifically for fans of Lonely Island and does not have too much mainstream or breakout potential – but, as a fan of their work, I find the film to be very funny. Hot Rod is not the typical ‘Movie of the Week’, as it is not a cinematic work of art nor does it showcase the work of great actors or an auteur director. It is just a film I find to be funny that is not very well known. Enjoy. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming