Political Throwback? (Film News - 04/09/10)

Festival season is upon us, everywhere you look there are raves for one film or seething criticism for another. Naturally Venice, Telluride and Toronto will be acting as useful sieves for deciding what to watch over the next few months - or at least how excited we will be about some of the upcoming releases. Black Swan, for instance, is suddenly even more interesting. Elsewhere there some minor stories, often at least partly related have begun to filter through.

Farragut North

George Clooney has made a directorial career of looking back at the past where we could view events with historical perspective. It therefore makes sense that his next film, the first to have a modern setting, has a theme that harkens back to the political insider pictures from the mid 20th century like The Candidate and The Best Man.

Beau Williamson's play on which this is based, and which in turn is adapted from events on the Howard Dean campaign trail in the 2004 Presidential election, sees an enthusiastic staffer slowly come to the realisation that politics is all about back-stabbing and out-maneuvering the rivals. In fact reading that this may be closest thematically to Primary Colors, offering almost a flipside of the ultimate upbeat ending of that film.

Clooney's already assembling an impressive cast with Star Trek's Chris Pine set to reprise his acclaimed stage performance in the lead and to be surrounded by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei.


Here's a publicity shot from Chris Pine stage performance in the role - can anyone explain what the blood on his forehead is about, or should I wait until the film is released.

I've always been a huge fan of films that actually look at adult themes and adult situations and exposing the shenanigans that take place inside the political campaign arena will certainly be worth a good look at. Can't wait.

Read on for teenage gladiators and a satisfying snick.



Hunger Games

With the Potter and Twilight 'literary' franchises about to reach their conclusions it's small wonder the studios are hunting high and low for their next high grossing adaptation. Deadline have decided that their next bet will be Suzanne Collins' best-selling trilogy about teenagers fighting to the death in gladiatorial contests in a future dystopian and totalitarian USA.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine 2

David Slade (Twilight: Eclipse) has been mentioned alongside the next Wolverine film for some time now, but that hasn't stopped a very interesting rumour about Darren Aronofsky reportedly circling the project now that the Robocop reboot is definitely off his dance card and with The Fountain star Hugh Jackman having a first choice director clause in his contract it's not looking like the deal is done for Slade just yet. Saying that I actually want to give both of these talented directors a word of solemn advice - don't do it. It was not the directing of the first Wolverine film that made it fail it was the shocking script and the clear profiteering of the project, do something you really want to do for yourself you won't regret it. Thank you.



Admittedly there is one good reason for watching Wolverine...

By the way I'd like to apologise for no Production News this week - I haven't really had the opportunity to scour IMDb to catch up with the latest schedules. I doubt there's much going on anyway and the segment will definitely return in October.