The parallel is too obvious to comment on (Film News - 20/11/10)

Another week - another chance to make disconnected irreverent comments about the state of modern Hollywood. Still no pictures, and I still don't have a real clue what I'm doing. By the way thanks for the comments over the past couple of weeks I promise to reply to them on my return to Manchester next weekend - I may even spill the beans on some personal stuff (oh, how I love to trail the real world for you).

Vulture

This week may be chock full of remakes, the first of which is a English language attack on an Argentinean success story that's still to reach the pinnacle of it's achievements. At the moment Comancho is best known for it's inclusion in the Un Certain Regard selection at Cannes, by the end of the year it could well find itself Oscar nominated after having been selected by it's home country. The story revolves around a less than perfect ambulance chasing lawyer who finds his loyalties and his courage in question after stumbling across a wider conspiracy.

Scott (Crazy Heart) Cooper is set to call the shots on this, which does give me hope that it will be slightly better than most US remakes. (I realise I am an incredibly hypocrite having only seen one picture not in the English Language at the cinemas this year.)

Read on for Fashion, the future, Tolstoy, international police, bad parenting, cat burglars, assassinated presidents and a warning to the studios.



Tom Ford's Next Movie

Snappy title, eh? Contrary to our expectations last year it looks like fashion designer-cum-director Tom Ford will be returning behind the camera for a self-penned comedy. I had doubts about Single Man, see my review back in February, but I can't deny Ford had style in abundance. Which only makes the idea of him making a comedy all the more intriguing.

Afterburn

You've got to love Gerard Butler's tenacity, haven't you? After scoring big with 300 he has continued with the action thriller theme in countless films of falling quality. Be honest, what says crappy CV more than say, a combination of Gamer and Law Abiding Citizen. Yet he's interested in this project described as Mad Max meets Indiana Jones - in a future Earth devastated by solar flares one lone hero must find important artifacts. I'm mainly worried about why he has to find them? Surely in a scorched planet life will be tough enough milking cockroaches and fighting off cannibals without pointless quests to find ancient writings?

Anna Karenina

Given the recent success of The Last Station in reminding us of Leo Tolstoy extraordinary reputation at the time of his death, no to mention we are now passing the centennial anniversary of his passing it's no surprise to read a new version of his classic novel of love and betrayal in 19th century Russian aristocracy is set to get another film version. This time Keira Knightley is set to step in front of a train as Anna with Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) reuniting with his star to direct. This is bound to be classy and be warned tissues will be required for the last reel.

Man from UNCLE

I'm not sure I remember the TV series about international detectives Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin(Robert Vaughn and Robert McCallum). Naturally I remember catching the odd episode as a kid, in a vague channel hopping kind of way, but the tone of the series completely escapes me. It's therefore going to be difficult to second guess what the planned big screen adaptation will be like, are we up for a modern take on UNCLE in a post cold war anti-terrorism plot, or will it be a retro look at the 60's. Are we going to get tension or laughs? Steven Soderbergh is circling the project with Scott Z. Burns (The Informant!) set to redraft the script and George Clooney interested in a major role. I can only assume with this trio that we could see a serio-comic take on it, and this is one update I'm keeping an eye on.

Wilson

I don't know why but I'm always shocked by the variety of subject matter provided by graphic novels, gone are the days of it being just semi-pornographic action hero stuff (if indeed it ever was the case). The latest series to edge closer to a big screen adaptation is based on Daniel Clowes' portrait of a man apart from society due to his brutal honesty and caustic character. The plot progresses as he attempts to reconcile with his ex-wife and his daughter he never knew he had. It's not a tones throw away in plot terms from Alexander Payne's upcoming The Descendants (maybe just turned on it's head in terms of character loyalties) so it shouldn't come as a big surprise to hear he's interested in directing.

Gambit

Some remakes are beyond the pale (see the last film listed here) whereas others are perfectly acceptable. Such as this remake of the Michael Caine/Shirley Maclaine starring 60's crime caper. Enjoyable fun as it is, there are no suggestions of masterpiece attached to it so I'm very interested to see how the Coen brothers update works.

Lincoln

Steven Spielberg's presidential biopic is back, now with Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. Given the delays and other projects Spielberg has continuously put in his way before I won't be holding my breath for this.

Wizard of Oz

Robert Zemeckis has officially stated he has no interest in directing the remake of the 1939 classic. My advice to all Hollywood directors is to pass as well, otherwise the ghost of Judy Garland will surely track you down and destroy your career.