Choosing a film this week is a tough job, there's a whole range of releases that is bound to include something that appeals to everyone although possibly not appealing enough to persuade anyone to actually go to see them. It's odd in that even as I type this up, reading the reviews and watching the trailers, even as I can appreciate the quality offerings I just can't imagine buying a ticket for any of them - even my film of the week. Incidently I've sidestepped the revisionist Westerns and genre bending horrors to select a little known French movie as the pick of the week, whilst I suspect it won't break out of the art-house circuit (just 2 screens this weekend) it got some minor awards buzz back in December including a trio of Satellite Award Nominations. So the RLAG film of the week is Mozart's Sister.
Has the blockbuster season started yet? I know it hasn't in America as this weekend the biggest opener is a Farrelly brothers re-imagining of a classic comic trio that precisely no-one really wants to see. However here we have the first big box office behemoth opening this weekend in Battleship presumably to avoid Euro 2012 which is known to affect cinematic attendance in the UK. I think we can safely assume it will take the box office crown this week, but I also suspect that - based on the reviews - it will be the second box office disappointment for Taylor Kitsch. Last week I foolishly imagined Mirror Mirror would lead the pack however not only did it fail to pass The Hunger Games but Titanic 3D, which I suspiciously avoided last week, was the clear box office champion. I hang my head in shame.
Mozart's Sister
Classic music fans everywhere will be fascinated by this French movie concentrating on the early life of Wolfgang's older sister, a prodigy whose genius was later overshadow by that if her male sibling mainly because of his gender. Clearly this film is in the shadow of Amadeus but could well be an interesting companion piece that displays a different side to that well known family dynamic.
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Exquisite costuming, but the translations seem to let the trailer down.
Blackthorn
Sam Shepard picks up the mantle of Butch Cassidy from Newman in this 20's set Western focussing on Cassidy's (now called Blackthorn) career as a Bolivian horse trader, only he gets the itch to return back to the States and right a terrible wrong. Cue plenty of contemplative vistas and shoot-outs. Stephen Rea also stars.
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Cabin in the Woods
Twisty Turny horror movie produced by Joss Whedon and directed by one of his prodigies Drew Goddard. It's spent an awful long time on the shelves due to the financial implosion at MGM but that shouldn't be considered indicative of it's quality given the high praise from most critics. Thor himself (Chris Hemsworth) leads the usual selection of disposable teens but it's the presence of Richard Jenkins and Sigourney Weaver in a potentially spoilerish cameo that make this seem like an interesting spin on the deserted cabin horror sub-genre.
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La Delicatesse
Do you remember when Audrey Tatou was set to be a huge star? Well, whilst her international career prospects may have been stalled by The Da Vinci Code she is still a bona fide draw in France and for French exports hence we're seeing this uninspiring looking lump of whimsy in which Tatou falls unexpectedly for another man after her "the one" is tragically killed. Should do reasonably well at cinemas.
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Battleship
Oh, come on, this slice of boring Hollywood crap designed purely to sell toys and appeal to pre-pubescent boys should be throttled at before it gets a chance to throw away millions on hum-drum sub Transformers CGI. What's worse is I hear the plot sees the US Navy firing the first guns so therefore seems to applaud the aggressor. Is this really the type of message we want our children to see at cinemas? Liam Neeson pops up as an Admiral and Taylor Kitsch and Rhianna are among the sailors looking to kick start their acting career with this bilge.
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Oru Kal Oru Kannadi
Something tells me this cheap looking trailer will not be the one that persuades non-Bollywood followers to try something a little different (bearing in mind Houseful 2 made the UK and US top tens last weekend). It's about a guy and a girl and the guy's best friend who gives him all the worst advice in how to woo her, which is at least very familiar to all audiences.
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Edge
Carol Morley's recent semi-doc Dreams of a Life was exceptionally well received in the last quarter of last year and it's probably that good will which has led to her previous feature starring local girl (to where I'm living) Maxine Peake getting it's release. That said the glooming looking chamber piece about six characters in a dour hotel is hardly likely to gain the same traction.
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Gospel of Us
I did want to give more blobs to this cinematic oddity, but finding reviews or in reality an audience for this strange experience seems difficult. It's the filmed elements of Port Talbot's acclaimed Passion Play from last year with Michael Sheen in the role of Jesus. I do wonder why it wasn't opened last weekend but I'm sure the producers have their reasons and I do hope that non-Christian cinema-goers see this which is as much about community as it is about God.
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Saturday, 14 April 2012
Forgotten Genius (Out this week - 13/04/12)
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Logical conclusion of Lansley's health reforms (Out this week - 24/02/12)
It's another exceptionally busy week again, with 13 releases competing for our bucks this weekend, although as always it's worth noting most of these films look rubbish or at least completely forgettable. Honestly will anyone be talking up this weeks Denzel vehicle in the year end best of lists. Talking of best ofs it's the Oscars this weekend and many pundits are predicted a near clean sweep for French silent movie The Artist, it's slightly apt that this weekend we have the release of one film that was cruelly ignored by the Academy and another that could well be bothering the voters next year, especially BAFTA with it's high calibre prestige cast list, indeed I can think of no excuse for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel not to reign forth as the film of the week.
By the way the post title references the current health bill making it's way through Parliament that may open up more competition into the NHS. The conclusion being outsourced off-shore nursing care.
Anyhoo, last week I was right in my box office predictions with Woman in Black holding the top spot and Nic Cage being the highest New Entry, surprisingly though the only new film in the top ten. This weekend we have to assume the double whammy of Dame's Judi and Maggie will charm the older crowd and when combined with a 426 cinema release (58 more than it's biggest rival) that Exotic will be box office champ too.
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
It's a comedy staring some of Britain's best loved movie stars (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Dev Patel) set around an old people's home in India. It therefore pulls a huge amount of buttons for the UK's cinema-going public, and should do blockbuster figures on this side of the pond - note it's only getting a limited release in the US in May. I really don't understand the difference between the British and American audiences.
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Read on for a rundown of the rest of this weeks releases and a plethora of exciting trailers.
Rampart
Perfect counterprogramming this weekend sees Woody Harrelson falling apart as a violent angry cop seeing his world burst open at the seems following filmed abuse of a suspect. Sigourney Weaver and Ned Beatty are among the classy supporting players in this James Ellroy scripted thriller.
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Safe House
I hear from American reviewers that this latest Ryan Reynolds vehicle is perfectly OK, does nothing flashy or genre-bending but does pass the time. Of course Ryan's hopelessly outclassed by Denzel Washington as the CIA traitor he needs to keep alive. Brendan Gleeson, Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard are among his suspicious superiors.
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Adopted
Am I surprised that Melanie Laurent, star of Inglorious Basterds and Beginners has turned her skills to directing. Not really. Nor am I surprised at the whimsical quirky tone that some of the romantic elements of the trailer imply. I am surprised there seems to be a coma induced infidelity plot though, you don't see many of those.
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Red Dog
As hokey and silly as this true life Aussie shaggy dog tale seems I suspect there's an audience out there for it's homespun mythology and likeable characters. Not sure why Josh Lucas has the main role (excluding the eponymous Koko) but I guess he's a name that garners some recognition. Apparently Keisha Castle-Hughes is in there somewhere too. True fact I was part of the focus group that chose the poster.
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Black Gold
Historic part European part Qatari release that may usher in a dawn of Middle Eastern blockbusters, only slightly undermined by the casting of Mark Strong and Antonio Banderas as warring Sheikhs in post World War I America.
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Blood Car
Fun little premise from this strange American indie about a car that runs on blood. I expect the comedic team behind it are an acquired taste so it could build a cult following. Or be forgotten in 6 weeks.
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Gelecek Uzun Surer
Roughly translated to Future Lasts Forever. Or it at least appears to in this elegant existential Turkish drama about a PHD student who wanders off the beaten track and can't seem to find her way back.
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Jodi Breakers
If this romantic comedy about a gigolo who's paid to break up relationships by suspicious relatives then falls for one of his marks seems familiar that's probably because we had a French version of this, Heartbreaker, just two years ago.
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One for the Money
Do you remember when Katherine Heigl was all set to be a huge star? Neither do I, but apparently post Knocked Up everyone thought her career was all set. Unfortunately it's been down hill all the way since then and don't expect this laugh-free trailer to help her stem the tide no matter how much she persuades Debbie Reynolds to ham it up as her Gran.
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Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya
Bollywood producers seem able to wring romantic situations from the most unlikely set-up, including, in this case Stockholm syndrome. I expect the girl will turn out much better at being in control than her kidnapper, enough to make the premise more palatable.
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Deviation
It's been so long since Danny Dyer last had a cinematic release I can't remember what it was. This time he's playing somewhat against type as a violent sociopathic serial killer on the run from Broadmoor. Will be in DVD bargain bins on Monday.
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Naachle London
Odd curiosity a completely British film in Hindi, in the style and design of a Bollywood romantic comedy and incredibly proud of it's roots. I'll be very interested to see how this does in the box office statistics.
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Readers with a long memory will of course know what's coming, but for those of you who don't I sort of have a thing for Danny Dyer. He's arrogant and in many ways the a prototype of the problems with modern Britain but I'll always be up for a quick BJ behind Lidl. Just feast you're eyes on my traditional picture of Danny in the buff.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Brothers
2009. Dir: Jim Sheridan. Starring: Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Sam Shepard and Bailee Madison. ●●●●○
The effects of war on the home front and familial relations of warriors has been a common dramatic device that can be traced back to the traditions of Greek theatre. As a narrative techinque is can be used as a shorthand for pro-war propaganda, for bold broad statements about the futility of conflict or for trying to treat the subjects as disconnected to the war, as men first not as an extension of the rights and wrongs of the particualr war and to remind the audience that the soldiers are only trained to fight and kill and not to deal with the psychological after-effects.
Brothers clearly fits into that third category. The legality or morality of the conflict in Afghanistan is therefore completely ignored, instead the film focusses on Marine Captain Tobey Maguire's deployment and how his family cope first with him being reported as missing in action and then the surprising aftermath.
Maguire is the elder of the films titular brothers with Jake Gyllenhaal as his lost younger brother. For every positive character trait exhibited by Maguire Gyllenhaal is able to show the opposite. Maguire is a family man, with an abiding love for wife Natalie Portman and a respect for his father Sam Shepard (following him into the military) whereas Gyllenhaal is a borderline alcoholic ex-con (just released at the start of the picture) with father issues and no long term relationship on the horizon.
I don't want to spoil what happens in the third act, but if you've seen Susanne Bier's original you will know that following capture and emotional torture by the Taliban Maguire's character returns to the family with deep scars and pathological jealousy of how Gyllenhaal has reformed himself in the wake of the tragedy and got closer to Portman. By the end the roles of the brothers, whilst not reversed, are certainly more blurred.
The story veers towards melodrama at many points, but the grounded and tender performances more than keep that in check - our leading trio are all superb with Maguire's wide eyed intensity adding to the characters histrionics as he processes the appalling indignities he has endured, whilst Portman's is torn between the man she loved but no longer recognises and his brother who is slowly emerging as a better man.
The realism of the family scenes are such that we fully believe in the shifting dynamics and Sheridan's sensitive handling is able to succesfully balance the themes of jealousy, redemption and how we are shaped by our parents.
There are problems though. There were a couple of scenes, which I felt didn't fit into the overall picture - Carey Mulligans house visit complete with heavy handed dream references and freaky eyed baby seemed unneccessary and the surprise visit of Gyllenhaal's pickup to a kids birthday party seemed to be unsurprising to either her of the family. On the other hand other aspects could have been extended. For instance the rebuilding of the relationship between Gyllenhaal and Shepard seemed rushed, like there was a scene missing and I would have liked to have seem more trust built between them.
Overall this is a great film that really understands and empathises with it's central protagonists without judging them. It deserves to be lauded and remembered as this conflicts Coming Home.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Sam Shepard
Happy Birthday to
Sam Shepard
66 today
Sam has never been very prolific, prefering to spend as much time writing as starring in major cinema releases, so when he does grace the screens he's usually worth watching. Next up is Brothers for Jim Sheridan, as Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal alcoholic father.
