2009. Dir: Various. Starring: Natalie Portman, Ethan Hawke, Chris Cooper, Cloris Leachman and Julie Christie. ●●●○○
It's difficult to review a collection of shorts like New York, I Love You, do you review each of the shorts as individual pieces, or try to assess the whole collection as a single entity? Luckily we have a template as this is a follow up to the critically acclaimed 2006 film Paris, Je T'Aime which presented a number of Gallic themed romances. Unfortunately New York doesn't live up to the high standards of his European predecessor.
The premise is relatively simple, 10 renowned directors (including Mira Nair and Brett Ratner) take a geographical area of the Big Apple and portray a love affair which somehow encapsulates the feel and atmosphere of the region whilst being linked by a mysterious French girl filming segments of life with her video camera. One of the main issues of the project is that none of the films seems to be uniquely presenting a way of life in the city, they're all stories that could easily be transplanted to an alternative zip code.
Three of the shorts stood out of the pack as worth watching.
Mira Nair is an old hand at the short film format, having worked on 8 and the 9/11 memorial collection. Here the chaste romance between Hasidic bride to be Natalie Portman and Jain divorcee Irfan Khan as they barter over diamond prices, cleverly highlighting the differences and ties between them over their irreconcilable faiths is fascinating and beautifully played.
Ethan Hawke, Maggie Q, Chris Cooper and Robin Wright have two very different conversations about hooking up with strangers in the city, with pull the rug under our feet consequences (alas the first meeting was rather ruined in the trailer) which blindside the audience in a surprising yet shocking way, and both involve the female taking charge of the sexual nature of their conversations reversing the usual gender expectations. Yvan Attal takes a lo-fi hand held approach to the direction allowing the actors room to breathe. Hawke himself probably takes the performance crown for the piece for this section and for his delightfully funny miming in the linking segments.
The final section, and the only one with a real sense of place, is Joshua Marston's Coney Island set two hander with Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman alternatively hilariously bickering and touchingly quiet as they walk to the seafront. The dialogue between them clearly illustrates the nature of their relationship and the underlying love between them. It's one of the few scenes that offers contrast and a lightness of touch missing from most of the other films.
Other scenes, such as the ponderous Shekhar Kapur segment (wasting John Hurt and Julie Christie) and the overtricksy opener with Andy Garcia and Hayden Christiansen (directed by Jiang Wen), are best avoided but as with all collections there's an unfortunate inconsistency in quality which combined with the drabness of the collection makes this tough to recommend.
Hopefully by the time we get to Shanghai, I love you some of those issues will be resolved.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
New York, I Love You
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Animal Kingdom
2010. Dir: David Michod. Starring: James Frecheville, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Jacki Weaver and Ben Mendelsohn. ●●●●○
From Peter Weir to Gillian Armstrong to Nicole Kidman to Heath Ledger there is a proud heritage of Australian talent making it big in America. If there's any justice in the world of the cast and crew, as well as the director, of Animal Kingdom are about to join that lofty list of ex-pats. It's a movie that acts as a calling card, as well as being a wonderful achievement in itself.
The plot contains all the ingredients required for a modern tragedy in it's very literal sense. The characters manouvre themselves as driven by their flaws, but their passivity or otherwise, into doomed yet predicatable avenues. Essentially the movie looks inside a Melbourne-based crime family, as viewed through the semi-innocent eyes of newcomer James Frecheville. As "J" he moves in with his grandmother "Smurf" Cody just as the armed robbery squad begin to tighten their grip on his wayward uncles.
I won't say any more about the plot, it contains enough twists and turns to keep you guessing which of the family memebers will make it to the end credits, and to doubt the motivations and loyalties of the majority of the players.
The cast do a wonderful job. Jacki Weaver, as the dominant matriarch, is an incredible presence, certainly deserving of her Oscar nomination. Like Richard III she can "smile, and murder whilst she smiles", showing the determined strength of a lioness favouring her cubs. James Frecheville makes a odd decision in the lead role, virtually disappearing into himself, underplaying every line and with barely a flicker of emotion on his face. It's brave but it works, as an audience surrogate he displays the awe and teenage emptyness that resonates in the role.
The brothers - Ben Mendlesohn's brooding, violent "pope", Sullivan Stapleton's drug addled Craig and Luke Ford's out-of-his-depth Darren - are all uniquely drawn with strong characterisations. As drama goes you understand the motivations and consistency of each of their journeys. Only Guy Pearce as the stoic and sermonising cop out to get them gives a throwaway performance.
Of course that's likely, this is a story about the changing dynamics of a family, admittedly one deeply involved in reckless criminal behaviour. The writing, also by director David Michod, superbly outlines the depths to which the characters are able to go and the principles they are prepared to betray.
Not that there aren't issues with the piece, the 80's synth score is often over-bearing and there's an unfortunately tendency to add slow-motion to underscore depth in the action, however these are certainly forgiveable flaws.
Michod is the real hero of the piece, and will certainly be picked up by Hollywood for bigger projects in the future. I just hope that he can retain the control over the content that has made his debut so electrifying. Unmissable entertainment.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Tuesday Trailers - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
I almost don't want to play this trailer. Not because it's bad, in fact as trailers go it has some nice moments which seem to indicate laughs can be had in Woody Allen's latest London set dramedy. Instead I'm reluctant as it only goes to reionforce the slightly masochistic relationship I've developed with Allen. No matter how much he disappoints me, how many Whatever Works he produces, I still keep going back for more.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is released on 18 March 2011.
Javier Bardem
Happy Birthday to
Javier Bardem
42 today
Recently picking up his thrid Oscar nomination for Biutiful Javier is oneof the most successful European actors of all time, equally at home in edgy independent fare or the bigger blockbusters, as well as being extraordinarily and unconventionally handsome. In 2012 we'll be seeing him caught in an illgal card game in Andrew Dominik's Cogan's Trade and there may also be Bond villian duties.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Running (28/02/11)
I didn't go as far as last week, but there has been a definite improvement in pace so I'm happy with what I have been doing. Next week will see an even bigger cut back in long distance.
4 runs
17.7 miles
2 hours 50 minutes
So that's an average speed of 6.23 mph.
Charles Durning
Happy Birthday to
Charles Durning
88 today
The inspirational (trust me) character actor worked in a wide variety of fields before turning to acting, including professional boxing, a dance instructor and a spell in the US Army. His first major performance for the cameras wasn't until he was about 40, so there's hop for all of us. Still working although nothing looks like it'll get international distribution.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Film Musical event of a lifetime (Film News - 26/02/11)
Wow, Oscar night already. I'd love to pretend I'll be staying up all night to watch it but it is on exceptionally late and isn't on free view here either, so I guess I'll catch up with the winners in the morning. In the meantime here are some articles that have caught my eye, as well as the monthly update on cinema release dates for films we've covered here in the past.
Les Miserables
It's one of the most successful and popular musicals of all time, last year it past it's 26th anniversary on Broadway and it's 10,000's performance in London, and yet there hasn't been a film adaptation for Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg's work. Not that they haven't tried both Alan Parker and Bruce Beresford have had high-profile attempts to put it together but it's all come to nothing, until now. With the world at his feet, and the prospect of a surprise best Director oscar this evening, Tom Hooper is seriously considering taking it on as his next project. You know damn well that it will be massively popular, but will it be any good?
I confess I've never seen the musical, in spite of the exhortations of a number of my friends, for me it seems to be a monumental folly, an extraordinarily overlong retelling of an already padded out novel (Victor Hugo, not known for his brevity). However it has won numerous Olivier and Tony awards, a few of the tunes are catchy and I don't know anyone who's really hated it. It's also pretty clear that a movie with this sort of heritage will produce a much better box office return than, say Nine even if recreating the French revolution will cost significantly more and may thereby resurrect the moribund musical genre.
Another factor going for the adaptation is the central relationship between petty criminal Valjean and obsessive policeman Javert which should create an interesting dynamic for the two actors who takes these roles, and as we've all seen recently Hooper is a master at dissecting male relationships. Keep our fingers crossed for this I think.
Read on for timeless romance, Miami vice, more dream levels, an old mans love, unsolved murders, soccer and a fast and loose biopic. As well as the usual round-up of castings and release schedules.
Adaline
Gabriele Muccino is obviously gutted at losing Passengers from his schedule as he's now considering another sci-fi inflected romance, this time about a woman who stops aging at the turn of the 20th century until she meets the right man. The project previously has Andy (Hitch) Tennant and Katherine Heigl attached but with them dropping out it seems the film may be leaning more to the weepie audience. It's a difficult combo to get right, but I wish them the very best. 
Cocaine Cowboys
The dramatic retelling of 2006's documentary (left) hit might still be in the works, according to David O. Russell and Mark Wahlberg. It focuses on 70's crime icon Jon Roberts and his aspirations and experiences with drug cartels in Miami. Right now it looks like we'll have Russell and Wahlberg collaborating for the fourth time soon whatever film he decides to make.
Inception 2
Tom Hardy has waxed lyrically this week about his forthcoming role in The Dark Knight Rises for which he plans to bulk up (what, even more you say) but he also let slip that his contract for Inception included a lock-in clause for a sequel. I very much hope that's a legal machination to prevent the rights falling into the wrong hands and not an indication that the story will continue. I quite like the open-ended ending it currently has.
Old Mans War
I always see to be writing about sci-fi movies here, yet exceptionally few of them ever get made. Really at the moment there's only Prometheus and the Avatar sequels on the horizon. So please read on with a healthy dose of scepticism as Paramount have picked up the rights to John Scalzi's highly praised novel (left). The memories and personality of a septuagenarian are transplanted into a genetically enhanced body of a young soldier. The plot then gets weird when he meets a woman who reminds him of his dead wife. On board to direct is Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot, Poseiden) which seems like an odd choice so expect some changes before it goes before the cameras.
Paperboy
It looks like Precious director Lee Daniels has finally settled on his next project, and the bad news it's a thriller (I'm still trying to forget Shadowboxer). Based on the Pete Dexter's Florida set novel it meanders through a complex plot involving investigative journalism and unsolved murders whilst touching upon the seedy underside of the popular holiday destination. He's been talking to Bradley Cooper, Sofia Vergara and Alex Pettyfer about heading up the cast.
Seigneurs
Football doesn't often make it to the big screen, the latest attempt Goal was seen as a horrendous failure, but that hasn't stopped this latest French comedy from getting the go ahead. It will focus on a former star player who coaches his local amateur team in an isolated fishing community in Northern France. Combined with Zebras and Playing the Field it looks like soccer is beginning to ascend in cinema.
Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft
A couple of years ago we heard about a fictional biopic of sci-fi author H.P. Lovecraft (there he is on the right, and you can kind of see why he wrote sci-fi novels) but then the trail ran cold. The latest update is that Big Fish/The Nines scribe John August has been brought on to revise the script. August has a solid genre background so he should be a nice addition to this dreams unleashed project.
Casting News
There's been the usual round of casting speculations including a (very)longlist of actors vying to replace Matt Damon as the central character in Bourne Legacy including Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Garret Hedlund, Kellen Lutz and on and on for 10 more possible actors! Robert Downey Jnr is all but confirmed as Paul Thomas Anderson's private eye in Inherent Vice, Uma Thurman and Jessica Biel will be among the ladies Gerard Butler will woo in Playing the Field, and Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts and Rebecca Hall have all been linked to roles in the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck wife swap drama The Trade - that is providing the wives and players in the New York Yankees who inspired the story don't manage to prevent it from even happening in the courts.
Release Schedules
Not much going on with the latest release changes. I guess we're still consolidating after the winter. Mind you summer's beginning to look less empty - I now have two movies I want to see between 20 May and 02 September - shame they're both out on the same date.
Hanna - Who'd've thought that Joe Wright would be making a summer tent pole movie - well the latest release shift for his hit girl thriller has shifted straight into the mid May onslaught. Seek revenge through your children on 06 May 2011.
Conspirator - Robert Redford's historic-political drama about the trial of Mary Surratt shuffled out of Toronto last year with little support but it should still pick up an audience in a dull looking summer. Join mob mentality on 01 July 2011.
War Horse - Spielberg's still settling on a final release pattern for his patented serious and silly combo with this latest tiny shift. Follow your pet across Europe on 25 March 2011.
Bourne Legacy - It's yet to really enter into the pre-production phase, in fact as you can see above they're still 14 stars to disappoint before they can even begin, however the latest Bourne movie has a release. Forget your past on 17 August 2012.
No, Damon won't be appearing in this.
Elizabeth Taylor
Happy Birthday to
Elizabeth Taylor
79 today
Liz is one of the few remaining stars of the 1940's, a bone fide link with the Golden age of Hollywood even though she's been retired for ten years. As I write this I've just read Liz has been hospitalised with heart problems so I'd just like to extend my warmest wishes. Get well soon. x
Saturday, 26 February 2011
Are you a strong creature? (Out this week - 25/02/11)
We're back to the normal pace this week with seven hig profile releaes, and a couple of Bollywood entries. Although the box office lead could easily go to any one of the options available the film of the week remains Oscar-nominated Aussie entry Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom
Family crime drama from Oz, with newcomer James Frecheville getting overwhelmed by the criminal fraternity he finds himself drawn into led by his violent, unpredictable uncle Ben Mendelsohn and his Oscar-nominated grandmother Jacki Weaver.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Howl
James Franco proves he's no one trick pony with his extraordinary performance as beat poet Allen Ginsberg, however movies are really the best way to present poetry and despite the best efforts of a supporting cast including Jeff Daniels and David Strathairn and animated sequences to illustrate the literary illusions it may be best to just go to the page.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Rite
It's had dreadful write-ups and has taken a paltry $30m in the US in spite of hitting the top of the box office on it's opening weekend, that said there must be mileage in watching Anthony Hopkins hamming it up as a priest in constant battle with the Devil.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Drive Angry
Nicolas Cage, and his latest crime against hair styling, escapes from hell (wtf???!!!) to rescue babies being sacrificed to Satan - nice tie up to The Rite, do I hear a double bill planned - in this pleasantly barmy sounding 3D high octane adventure
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
I am Number Four
It's a film that will probably be remembered more for it's genesis that the half-baked alen invasion meets teen romance plot. Its the first movie from James Fry's publishing house whoich sounds a little like the Mills and Boon writing model for stories designed for film adaptations. There needs to be better quality control though.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
No Strings Attached
Oh, Natalie Portman, what have you done. Released in mid Oscar voting season this turkey about a fuck buddy relationship developed with Ashton Kutcher may just cost her the golden statue. Kevin Kline also stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Satrangee Parachute
Bollywood kids comic-drama with five friends lost in Mumbai searching for a parachute - no, really - whilst their family freak out in their small village. Looks like it may appeal to younger children.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Seedan
Sentimental love story between an orphaned servant girl who is taken care of like her daughter by the owner of the house and the owner’s son who comes in to stay for a few days before leaving for USA. Remake of another Bollywood movie.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
West is West
Completely unnecessary and curiously delayed sequel to hit British/Pakistani comedy East is East whish this time sees our wife-beating bigamist father return to Pakistan to show his youngest son about his heritage.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
And here are some minor releases I missed out from last week:
7 Khoon Maaf
Dark comedy about a serial killing/serial marrying woman, a Bollywood anser to Bluebeard perhaps. Irfan Khan has a starring role.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Nadunissi Naaygal
Ugly sounding Tamil/Teluga movie based around the psychotic behaviour of a woman who was sexually abused as a child.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Shine of Rainbows
From the sacharine and gag-reflex inducing title onwards this Irish-Candadian co-productions looks very missable, especially when the imdb plot synopsis goes: A lonely orphan's life is transformed by an extraordinary woman who teaches him to conquer grief and discover the magic in nature and himself. Shudder.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Friday, 25 February 2011
Tom Courtenay
Happy Birthday to
Tom Courtenay
74 today
Born in Hull in 1937 the reserved and gentle performer Courtenay has been over-shadowed by other British actors who rose to fame during the kitchen-sink 60's, especially by his frequent co-star Albert Finney. Next up, for both of them in fact, is the screen adaptation of Ronald Harwood's Quartet.
