2011. Dir: Jason Reitman. Starring: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt, Elizabeth Reaser and Collette Wolfe. ●●●●○
I have yet to see all of the nominated performances in the Academy Award for best actress this year, or at least six of the higher profile contenders that didn't make the cut, however it's hard to believe there are five more deserving, more lived in performances than Charlize Theron's monstrous Mavis Gary inYoung Adult. But to single out Jason Reitman's fourth feature for it's central performance feels as insubstantial as praising George Clooney in Up in the Air or Ellen Page in Juno, almost as if it's missing the point. Not only does Reitman coax out these superb characterisations he, along with screenwriter Diablo Cody, create these distinct believable roles for the actors to inhabit.
The ghost writer of a popular (waning but still generating enough buzz to render her with minor celebrity status in her home town) series of teenager fictional novels, gripped by writer's block and sensing a lack of direction following her divorce, Mavis journeys homeward in a vague but determined attempt to reclaim her highschool sweetheart, the popular jock Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson. Unfortunately Wilson isn't just married but his wife (a special needs teacher with a pub band) has recently pushed out their first baby, or "baggage" in Mavis's eye.
Added to this the biggest emotional connection she seems to able to make in Mercury, Minnesota, beating out her parents and her dog accessory (another contender for best dog of 2011), is with a overweight comic-book geek Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt). A high-school alumni who she barely remembers as "hate-crime guy" - the result of a perceptive homophobic attack which left Freehauf unable to walk without a stick (as well as damaging other vital organs) - in spite of sharing neighbouring lockers for their entire education.
Mavis no longer fits in Mercury. She has ostracised herself, at once romanticising her recollections and editing out the emotional damage she caused to those classmates not in her circle, creating a secondary world where she was the victim of a small town that held her back rather than the bitchy spider at the centre of the web of teenage malice. In her memory the past was as rosy and perfect as the storylines of her novels, where she was lauded for her fair mindedness and beauty by all her classmates, where her self confidence and determination give her the rewards she deserves.
Charlize is able to bring all this out in her finest performance to date, a sneer, a squint, a complicated make-up routine all weapons in the arsenal to show disdain for her fellow humanity and to ensnare her former beau. Even her self-acknowledged alcoholism and delusional fantasies regarding her emotional levelheadedness seem to be engineered internally to make the grand gesture. Never for a moment do you not know how Mavis is feeling but at the same time it's obvious she believes she's never letting it on.
Oswalt is also a revelation, hitherto best known for his stand-up and TV comedy work, his holy fool of a character combines obvious provision of comic relief with his anarchic opinions and frank sexual talk and yet he is incisive seeing through Mavis and her plot machinations with ease. Everytime he talks you feel the resentment of the town as much as Mavis and with a much clearer peception and cause than her disgust, yet he is unable to escape, tied down by his disability emotionally and physically.
Like the real world Mavis both grows and doesn't grow over the period of the movie, the path she is on is both different and the same, she goes on a journey and yet ends in the same emotional space. Reitman and Cody expertly lets the back story permeate through the piece, saving the sucker punch of Mavis and Buddy's split until major monologue closing the second act. It's so perfectly rendered by all involved that we begin to sympathise with the monster, against all our better judgements we want better for Mavis. It's that empathy which allows us to put our own thoughts on the last scene, where does Mavis go after that will largely depend on where you would go. Would Mavis develop and learn? Only if you would.
Diablo Cody deserves a major shout-out for her delicious dialogue, it's not the geeky hipster speak she virtually invented in Juno (her detractors get some sly knocks her as she virtually admits to how she picked up on teenage dialects), but instead is nuanced as well as pithy when required.
I would love to give this film five blobs, but in all fairness it didn't blow me away like my previous lucky few to receive that accolade, that said this is a very strong four blob film and I heartily recommend it to all of my readers.
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
Young Adult
Saturday, 4 February 2012
I hate to hate you, baby (Out this week - 03/02/12)
It's a cracking week for film choices here in the UK, especially if by and large you don't like people. In fact there's glorious amounts of bile and wrath inviting us to our local multiplex and art-house venue, whether it's caustic writers, poisonous cults or twisted superheroes you're bound to come across some first class sociopaths. I am so happy for that.
I got my box office predictions wrong again last weekend as War Horse kept the number 1 spot whilst The Descendants galloped up to the second place, knocking my bet Monster in Paris down to fourth. This week I'm thinking that whilst Chronicle isn't in as many screens as a couple of other releases the two days previews and decent reviews will give it the top spot.
As for my top pick, I'm was torn between the more arthouse choices, however Roman Polanski has pulled together a terrific cast for Carnage and I'm going to have to reward that alone and make it film of the week.
Carnage
Yasmina Reza's caustic four hander gets the big screen treatment from one of cinema's most notorious auteurs, trapping bourgeois Manhattanites Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly in an apartment and watching the veneer of respectability peel away. Delightful.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Young Adult
Charlize Theron bristles as the teenage fiction writer returning to her home town to snare her former beau Patrick Wilson. It also marks the return of Jason Reitman and Juno scribe Diablo Cody. Expect spot-on dialogue and great performances throughout.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Sean Durkin's highly original first feature received massive praise at last years Sundance and was heavily buzzed throughout the year for his stylistic choices and Elizabeth Olson's breakout performance. Somehow it's never caught on with audiences and didn't receive a single Oscar nod. Saying that I think we can expect fantastic things from both of them in the future.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Chronicle
Leading the rest of the pack, and by far the most compelling feature on wide release, we have this found footage superhero horror hybrid as three friends are bestowed with extraordinary powers only to discover the darker sides of their personalities. Will probably be remembered for a long time.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
If you don't like your children I suggest taking them to see this horrid looking sequel to the 2008 semi-flop Brendan Fraser kids adventure. Note that Fraser been replaced by eyebrow raise Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - not sure if that gets explained in the script - and Michael Caine gets a new house on the back of his role.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Man on a Ledge
After it's disappointing debut at US cinemas last weekend I doubt Sam Worthington's latest attempt to display leading man status will fare much better on this side of the pond, regardless of supporting Jamie Bell's bigger draw here. Ed Harris and Elizabeth banks are among the other cast you'll recognise in this plot so simple they named the pic after it actioner.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Best Laid Plans
British boxing movie that sort of uses the central relationship structure of Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" although I question whether it allows itself to have the bleak ending of that masterpiece. Steven Graham plans the chancer in debt to a Nottingham crimepin, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje his mentally challenged friend forced to fight for him.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○
Jack and Jill
Finally, in the why bother to see this crap category, we have Adam Sandler's latest "comedy" where he plays annoying titular non-identical twins, no doubt learning some life lessons whilst farting and fighting in an irritating sub-slapstick way. In the trailers best (only) joke Al Pacino (along with Johnny Depp cameoing as himself) has his Oscar smashed by Jill. I suspect the Academy will want it back anyway after this dross.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
20 for 2011: 5 - Young Adult
Kicking off the top five is a unlikely non-romance Young Adult.
It's extremely difficult to imagine a world where Charlize Theron can't just click her fingers and get any man she wants, but in the latest collaboration between director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody we are expected to do just that. The last time the two joined forces they createdthe critical and commercial smash hit Juno and whilst the dialogue will probably be less self-conciously hip this time around we can still expect some classy zingers and real understanding of how people work.
Theron plays an author of "young adult" fiction who moves back to her midwest hometown to reconnect with old flame Patrick Wilson, who's now married to Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen in the Twilight movies so no stunt casting there). Lessons will probably be learnt about being yourself and accepting other people for who they are - I don't mean to be trite I am looking forward to this.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
You give me fever (Film News - 14/08/10)
Not much of a week for breaking news, in fact half of the stories I'm running are additional casings to already announced projects. That said if this first item doesn't a) get to the top of the box office the week it opens and b) doesn't garner serious award consideration for the lead then I will be very surprised.
Untitled Peggy Lee Project
Pleased with the critical and commercial success from the real life of Kitchen queen Julia Child, Nora Ephron has decided to mine the biography of another 50's icon with her next film about singer and actress Peggy Lee. Best known for her interpretation of the Jazz standard Fever, Lee recorded over 50 albums and received 12 Grammy nominations. As well as an Oscar nod for her alcoholic singer in Pete Kelly's Blues.
It's still to be confirmed what aspect of Peggy's life will be the centrepoint of the biopic, there's certainly plenty to choose from either artistically or emotionally - Peggy married and divorced 4 times in 25 years. Saying that there's no great battle against addictions or family tragedy that often forms the backdrop for musical biopics so there are legitimate concerns that there will be a lack of conflict in the tale.
Reese Witherspoon is currently tipped to take the lead and there's a certain physical similarity to Peggy (above) that might just work.
Read on for an unlikely sci-fi, more roadside castings and the object of Charlize Theron's affections.
Isopod
The latest highly unlikely rumour - as picked up from a rogue tweet - is that Barry "Rain Man" Levinson is set to direct a indie sci-fi thriller Isopod in the Carolinas. It'll hardly be Levinson's usually oeuvre, but he has done sci-fi before (Sphere) and there's certainly been plenty of genre hopping in his career. In animal clasification the Isopoda are crustaceans with seven pairs of similar legs (from the latin iso ~ same and pod ~ foot) and are typically flattened. I am rather hoping the film will focus on a genetic abnormally which creates gigantic woodlice (left), essentially docile but capable of destroying entire forests in their rampant search for decomposing plant matter.
On the Road
Walter Salles has extended his cast once again, and there are even more interesting faces amongst the supporting characters including Alice Braga, Steve Buscemi and Terrence Howard.
Young Adult
I know it's only been a week since we first mentioned this Reitman/Cody collaboration with Charlize Theron setting off to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, and perhaps I should let the story lie low for a bit before updating but the news on the street is that Josh Brolin is set to play the jock that turns her down for a second time. Now I find Josh as sexy as the next guy but I'm still not convinced he'd be able to walk away from Charlize. Just saying.
Josh ponders his options.
Sunday, 8 August 2010
Worst Honeymoon Ever (Film News 08/08/2010)
Naturally with me not being here it's been an incredibly busy week with loads of new productions appearing on the periphery demanding my attention. I'm hoping that's a good sign that we're going to gets an increase on interesting movies - personally I've been generally disappointed by the overall quality of projects getting the green light.
Honeymoon with Harry
I won't pretend this piece of news is recent, or that I am desperate to see the adaptation of Bart Baker's unpublished novel, but the genesis of the production is quite unique. First optioned in 2004 Paul Haggis (Crash, Quantum of Solace) was due to write and direct this tale of a combative father and son-in-law as they recover from the sudden death of the woman they both love. The writers strike and other projects got in the way so this was shelved and has since gained the reputation of being one of the best unfilmed scripts in Hollywood.
Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, having worked together on Neil Burger's Dark Fields (left - note Bobby's decidedly unsharp shoes), are anxious to reunite on the screen and have chosen this juicy concept as the vehicle for that. Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married) has allegedly been approached to direct the piece.
Overall that's a fine team that few would argue with wanting to see on screen even if the first half of the spec comes close to the relationship in Meet the Parents.
Read on for sex education, American classics, superheroes, communing with the dead and literary dilemmas. As well as the latest production news.
The Abstinence Teacher
You wait a year for a Sandra Bullock story then two come along at once as she has is now in talks to Star in Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton's Little Miss Sunshine follow-up with Steve Carell. In it Bullock will play a free-spirited sex education teacher with liberal views facing backlash in a generally conservative small town. Sounds like it will do wonders for her image.
On the Road
I had been fairly ambivalent about the big screen adaptation of Jack Karouac's (right) ground breaking beat novel, it seem to me not that it's unfilmable but it does raise the question of why you would want to film it. That said Viggo Mortensen and Amy Adams have now been added to the supporting cast so I am beginning to waver.
The Shadow
Earlier in the year there were the stirrings of rumours that The Shadow is due a remake now the stench of the Alec Baldwin original has cleared away and the comic book receipts keep coming in. Latest twist is that Quentin Tarantino may end up directing, and whilst I'm not the greatest fan of Inglorious Basterds this would be the perfect opportunity for Quentin to indulge in all his ultra-violent fantasies and for it to fit in the universe. 
Skippy Dies
It is deeply disappointing that this will not be a final chapter to the long running Aussie children's drama about a bush Kangaroo that rescues idiots in National Parks (left). Instead it's from Paul Murray's boarding school set novel about a student who tries to commune with his dead roomie. Whether it's a celebration of innocence, an paean to hope or just downright depressing this could be a project to look out for and might just be a major career starter for two teenage boys out there.
Young Adult
This might take a bit of suspension of disbelief but in this Diablo Cody scripted Jason Reitman directed piece Charlize Theron will play a writer of "young adult" fiction who seeks out an old high school love interest who then scorns her having no wish to revisit his time as a teenager. Whether this leads to bunny boiler type actions from Charlize or a long hard look at how her life has turned out is unclear but there is sure to be ultra-hip dialogue and a nicely ironic look at society. I look forward to finding out why anyone would say no to getting back with Charlize though (I'm gay and I'd totally be up for making a go of a relationship...)
Production News
Every month I trawl though old news stories to identify which rumours have become reality and whether anything I missed is suddenly underway, and every month I am pleasantly surprised by some of the revelations. Over the last 5 weeks the you tube documentary project Life in a Day has filmed so we await to see if there is anything decent to come out of that, work has begun on the Disney fantasy The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Sam Mendes has decided for On Chesil Beach to be his next film in the absence of Bond and the above Young Adult has already begun the pre-production process, becoming only the second 2013 film that I'm interested in - look out for it in a 20 for 2013 countdown.
The films have also appeared with no fanfare:
Me.
Adaptation of a 1971 darkly comic play ("Untold Damage") which looks at the changing dynamics within a family following a tragic little league baseball injury. Was filmed for television with Richard Dreyfuss and Geraldine Fitzgerald which makes it an interesting cast to beat in this remake.
Detachment
The inspirational teacher sub genre of movies is a perennial favourite so it's no surprise to see another version roll into production, even if this seems more Half Nelson than Dead Poets Society as the substitute teacher is inspired by his students into becoming a better person. Adrien Brody will be taking the central role with a supporting cast including Marcia Gay Harden as the head and James Caan, Lucy Liu and Blythe Danner as other teachers. The big surprise is they've entrusted this to the directorial hands of barking mad Tony Kaye (American History X) - stand by for rows in the editorial suite and long protracted legal battles before it ever gets released.
I'm not sure when this pic was taken but I think Mr. Brody is enjoying his post-Predators buffness.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Charlize Theron
Happy Birthday to
Charlize Theron
35 today
Easily one of the most beautiful women on the planet Charlize only seems to get any attention for her performances when she uglies up (or at least dowdies down). Taking a break at the moment Charlize looks like she next hit our screens in the Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody project Young Adults or the on-off Mad Max:Fury Road (currently off but I expect it'll be back).
