Happy Birthday to
Eric Roberts
54 today
Can you believe Julia's big brother is as old as 54, they seem to grow up so fast. I remember when people were saying he might have an really interesting career ahead of him, and whilst it's true Eric hardly seems to have stopped workig (12 projects on the go according to imdb) they mostly look like straight to DVD dreck. It's a real shame.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Eric Roberts
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Film News (17/04/2010)
Of course the biggest news this week is the release of the Cannes line-up. Never ones to mix-up the formula this years competition is dominated by films from known and respected male auteurs. Of them there are a few that I would definitely like to be in the crowd to guage the response as it happens. Curiously I was invited as a plus one, but as my friend is a yellow badge and has her own film to plug I don't think it would be much fun.
Of most interest to me are the two entries that made my top 20 [anticipated films] for 2010: Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu's Biutiful and Mike Leigh's Another Year. In the competition I'd also be intrigued to see La Princesse du Montpensier and Utomlyonnye Solntsem 2 from Bertrand Tavernier and Nikita Mikhalkov respectively.
Outside of the competition my tastes are more mainstream. Robin Hood, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Wall Street 2 - Money Never Sleeps you all know about, bu I'll also be interested to hear the word from Stephen Frears' Tamara Drewe which I wasn't expecting for another year at least.
Anyway let's march on to the usual mix of film and casting news.
Jackie
I think it goes without saying that Darren Aronofsky loves his wife deeply (I imagine if I was married to the lovely Rachel Weisz I would be pretty enamoured too) in teir last collaboration - the divine but confused The Fountain - she essentially played his muse through 10 centuries, the love between Hugh Jackman's stand-in and Weisz being the universes only true constant. So it is hardly surprising that Aronofsky has cast her in his latest biopic of the iconic first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.
The film will document the days between JFK's assassination and the funeral as Jackie must cope publicly and privately with the grief, pain and expectations of the nation. 
This picture is stolen from awardsdaily.com, but you get a chance to see the subject and the performer together. (Thank you, by the way)
It's the sort of role that any actress would kill for, and I would imagine that Darren knows what he's doing. I just hope he is able to objectif the performance more, in The Fountain he was so busy adoring Rachel with the camera that she came across as one-dimensional and this role deserves more than that.
Read on for rebellious dancing, art house pastiches, drunken footballers and an unusual case of fraud (sounds like a great saturday night).
Footloose
The endless delays on the Footloose remake have led to another star and director moving through the revolving door of it's production office. So to recap Chace Crawford is out (following Zac Efron) as is Kenny Ortega. And whilst there is no news on the lead (although Zac's diary is looking free again) Craig Brewer has taken the reins. Yes, that's the same Craig Brewer who made Christine Ricci all sweaty in Black Snake Moan. Suddenly I'm very intrigued.
I heard You Paint Houses - and offshoot
Bobby DeNiro has been babbling on about his next collaboration with Martin Scorsese as if it's planned to start soon (whereas we all know Marty has Hugo Cabret and Silence on his slate first). I suppose if I was De Niro I'd want people excited about this too, so you can't blame him. So far it's all be a retread of the previous rumours, that they're working together on the biopic of alleged mob assassin Frank Sheeran who may or may not have killed Jimmy Hoffa, expect that he's also announced a side project to be filmed at the same time. In his own words:
"We have a more ambitious idea, hopefully, to make it a two-part type of film or two films. It’s an idea that came about from Eric Roth to combine these movies using the footage from ‘Paint Houses’ to do another kind of a [film that is] reminiscent of a kind of 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, [a] certain kind of biographical, semi-biographical type of Hollywood movie — a director and the actor — based on things Marty and I have experienced and kind of overlapping them."
Now if that doesn't get you all excited then I don't know what will.
Namath
Now that Jake Gyleenhaal is officially buff he's obviously looking around for a greater variety of roles that will show this off (something for which we are all grateful), one of these is the biopic of American Footballer Joe Namath. I confess I know nothing about who this fella is - feel free to enlighten me in the comments - but I'm sure that any American Football movie will have plenty of time for the camera to linger over Jake as he hits the team bath.
Mmmm.
Untitled Bill Anthony Jakob biopic
Our fourth, and last, biopic of the week is almost certainly the least known of the subjects. Above we've had President's wives, mob enforcers and athletes, but somehow I think Jakob's story could be just as much fun. In 2008 Jakob descended on a sleepy Missouri town claiming to be a Federal agent and wiping the crime from the streets. He was extraordinarily successful. Only he wasn't a fed, just an ardinary guy trying to make a difference. Like a real life superhero. Of course the real FBI arrested him for fraud. It'll be interesting to see which way screenwriter Clark Gregg goes with this bizarre tale.
Friday, 16 April 2010
Out this week (16/04/2010)
It's not a classic week of releases, but it's safe to say that a number of the films coming out are generally looking good. There's also a "twin" theme which I'm very pleased to see. I'm personally going to be checking out the thinly veiled Blair film (only 3 weeks until the election) and Channing Tatum's abs, but I think the top film of the week, and this is based purely on the very high standard of reviews, will be Cemetery Junction.
Beeswax
Our first twin film, from the mumblecore movement, has identical sisters Jeannie and Lauren face major decisions in the way they go forward in their lives. It's low-key approach and lack of plot direction may turn off some viewers.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Boogie Woogie
A satire of the London Art circle, that neither appears to be funny nor terribly satirical. Probably best to go back to the Banksy doc from a few weeks ago.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Cemetery Junction
Slice of life comedrama from Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, follows three friends in Reading as they face the transition into the patterns that may will set the rest of their life. Christian Cooke is the lead character (getting a job selling insurance) but it's Ralph Fiennes as his boss and Emily Watson that are the draws for me.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
City of Life and Death
The siege of Nanjing is in vogue these days, with John Rabe coming out a couple of weeks ago. This Chinese film is certainly getting the better notices and would certainly be a great choice for anyone interested in that period of the 20th century.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Crying with Laughter
It's the dark side of Facebook as stand-up Stephen McCole falls in with a sinister ex-classmate in Edinburgh. This is a drama, not a comedy mind, as the plot revolves heavily around sexual abuse.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Dear John
Amanda Seyfried falls in love with Channing Tatum's abs in this weepie from Nicolas Sparks (The Notebook). Did well in the States, should do well here, but won't be box office champ.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Ghost
Pierce Brosnan plays ex-Prime Minister Adam Lang (not Tony Blair) and Ewan MacGregor his unnamed ghost writer in this thriller adapted from the Richard Harris novel and directed by Roman Polanski. Should be right up his street.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Give me your Hand
Our second film about twins, this time boys, has a very different tone as the 18 year olds hitchhike to their mothers funeral and have romantic and sexual encounters on the way (note gay interest here...)
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Heavy
Good timing for this British thriller about a Prime Ministerial candidate whose brother has shady links with the underworld. Oddball cast include Vinnie Jones, Stephen Rea and Christopher Lee.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Paathshala
This weeks obiligatory Bollywood entry. The not-so-promising tagline: "Teaching is a noble profession".
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Repo Men
Forest Whitaker and Jude Law play repossion men in the future, only they're not here to take your TV, they're here to take your kidney. I don't like the future.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Veda AtatUrk Farewell
Turkish biopic of the soldier and master politician who unified the Ottoman Empire. Probably no a hatchet job.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Ondine
2010. Dir: Neil Jordan. Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Stephen Rea and Alison Barry. ●●●●○
For those of you who read all of my reviews you will know that coming out of Leap Year I was considering giving up on cinema altogether. Luckily the next film I went to see was the dreamy and delightful Ondine.
In the film Colin Farrell's recovering Alcoholic fisherman, Syracuse, discovers the titular semi-naked lady (Alicja Bachleda) in his net. Her accent is indistinguishly foreign, she is nervous about meeting new people and she has no memory from before she was in the water. Naturally his daughter, played precociously but pitched perfectly by Alison Barry, starts to believe Ondine is a type of Mermaid.
From this deceptively simple premise builds a complex story where you, as the viewer, must choose whether you believe that Ondine really is a mermaid or whether there is something darker behind her mysterious appearance. As it's a fairy story at heart the various sidelines in the plot, which include Barry's kidney disease, chronic alcohol abuse and strangers in the village all fold into that main question.
Colin Farrell gives a superb performance here, as he always does when in loveable rogue territory, clearly portraying the pressures and conflicts he faces as a result of his latent addiction and the tough decisions that need to be made by a parent. As a result you completely believe everyone of his relationships with his family and community. Whilst Bachleda has less to work with, essentially playing a cypher, she retains the mystery throughout her performance, and her physicality is such that you just don't know the answer to that central enigma.
The rest of the supporting cast is fine, rather than good, although Stephen Rea's priest is a sardonic delight.
Neil Jordan is an assured hand directing this sort of adult fairytale and he fully takes us to a semi-fantastic alternative worldview. There were times I was so caught up with the action that I wanted to shout at the screen - always a good sign - especially when Farrell slips off the wagon.
I would also like to heartily recommend the cinematography, not that Christopher Doyle (Rabbit-Proof Fence, Paranoid Park) needs my praise, but it's truly invaluable to maintaining the mood. As was Kjartan Sveinsson's original music.
Overall this was a beautiful mood piece, only let down by the slightness of the tale and perhaps a inconsistency of tone (it's for young adults, not children).
Emma Thompson
Happy Birthday to
Emma Thompson
51 today
You know they say you should never meet your heroes? Well I think meeting Emma Thompson would probably be quite safe, there are few actresses that come across as normal and fun loving as she does in interviews. She's just come off a fanastically busy year culminating in te acting/writing gig of Nanny McPhee so it's no wonder she's taking a bit of a break from the screen right now.
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Leap Year
2010. Dir: Anand Tucker. Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow and Neal O'Donovan. ●○○○○
I am, at last, returning to the shocking load of outstanding reviews. You could say I was perfectly entitled to procrastinate as job number one is the unenviable task of reviewing Anand Tucker's Leap Year. I suppose I could sum up my poinions of it by saying I want my money (and possibly the two hours of my life) back, but there were some - very minor - positives so here goes.
For those of you far more savvy to the dangers of rom-com hell than I am here is the back of a fag packet version of the plot: 20 something decorator (Amy Adams, looking more and more like an excited rodent - honestly she should join up with Renee Zellweger's squinty guinea pig and they could do a live action Wind in the Willows) in a long-term relationship (with dull Adam Scott, acting dull-ly) and desperate to marry follows her beau to Picture postcard Ireland to propose to him on February 29th. Only to land on the wrong end of the country. She gets a lift with hunky local barman (Matthew - actually quite - Goode) and craaazzeeee stuff happens.
Oh, where to begin. I will ignore the dodgy geography, the crude stereotyping and even the twee moralising as all of these are Hollywood Ireland tropes that have become as much a part of the legend of the Emerald Isle as the reality (and you only have to look at a film like The Quiet Man to know those factors aren't really an issue at all). In fact as an advert for Ireland it works very well - I know I want to go back to take another look now I've seen the rolling countryside and beautiful scenery.
Amy Adams is a very pretty and very talented actress, but I'm not sure if these work as a combination. If you look at her last two performances - in this and Julie and Julia she tries so hard to be likeable as well that she comes across as smug and grating. Perhaps the doe-eyed innocent really is the limit of her capabilities.
Matthew Goode fares slightly better, in a rogueish sort of way, but that's possible due to the set-up where you're comparing his devil-may-care live-life-to-the-full attitude to the practical Scott. Even so it's less of a performance than a caricature - and it pares horribly in comparison to A Single Man.
I'd also like to point out that John Lithgow was in this movie, as Amy's drunk Irish father. Of course you know he's in the movie because he's in the trailer - not that you'd know from watching the movie where his screen time is less than it is in the trailer. Really. It's a worrying trend of putting scenes in the trailer that don't make it to the film but I'll rant about that some other time.
The writing is fairly by the book, with every twist and turn coming a mile off and no cliche left unturned. Anand Tucker's direction is also terribly pedestrian, he appears to be regressing in his ability and all the majesty he created in Hilary and Jackie now seems like a very distant memory.
There were some nice moments - the kitchen scene was special and for the one moment in the film you felt there was some chemistry between the two leads - but on the whole these were too few and far between to make the slightest difference. It remains my second one star film for 2010. I hope to God [or at least I did at this point bearing in mind I've been to the cinema 4 more times since then] I start seeing better movies soon.
Adrien Brody
Happy Birthday to
Adrien Brody
37 today
Career-wise I'm not sure of what to make of the Academy Awards youngest ever best Actor winner. On the one hand he has done plenty of high-profile pictures in the last 5 years (The Village, King Kong, Cadillac Records) but on the other hand he still appears to be a niche actor who is barely noticeable in those films. Next up is Predators (which I confess I have no interest in seeing) but it could be his last chance to prove he can holdthe centre of a big effects movie.
Monday, 12 April 2010
Saoirse Ronan
Happy Birthday to
Saoirse Ronan
16 today
Saoirse (which I always think I'm spelling incorrectly) has had a fantastic start to her career. Working with high quality directors as diverse as Gillian Armstrong, Joe Wright and Peter Jackson and picking up her first Oscar nod for the complex and undertstaed performance as young Briony Tallis in Atonement. Later this year she'll be in the hotly anticipated The Way Back and she's currently filming the assassin thriller Hanna. Which means there are at least two good reasons to keep an eye on her career.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Personal News (11/04/10)
I've been trailering this post for the last week and a bit, so I'm very hopeful that I'll get a few hits on it. In essence it's a breakdown of the recent changes in my life, but maybe it's a lot lot more.
I have now moved to Manchester. It's a vibrant and exciting city with - I hope - a few more chances for me to make my mark. The tour of "Of Mice and Men" is over - I am currently being offered another tour, but I'm still umming and ahhing about that (well it's a workshop based tour rather than show based which might just be tour much like teachig - any thoughts please let me know). I am, of course, unemployed right now. Except for a bar job I'm managed to get for Saturday nights at the Rembrandt on Canal Street, which was a lot of fun last night. And tomorrow I'm spending a couple of hours on stand-by for Office Angels. And today I filmed a student film; Doug. But apart from that it's been very quiet with no longer term prospects coming up.
All this is window dressing, mind, as we move to the reveal of Dead Weight, the short film I made back in January. I have to day I thik it's brilliant. Managing to really accentuate the comedy in the script and the situation. Of course the credit for that lies with the director John Bale and his very talented production company - Project Darklife.
The film has now been accepted for the 3RD BABELGUM ONLINE FILM FESTIVAL - you can watch the film, and vote for it here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
