Happy Birthday to
Forest Whitaker
50 today
Do you reckon Forest is raising his eyes skyward because he is disappointed or relieved that My Own Love Song - the Renee Zellweger vehicle he performed in last year - hasn't made it to the UK yet? Frankly it's looking less and less likely that it will. The sad thing is in the 5 years sine winning an oscar nonearly all of his films has been disappointing (excluding Where the Wild Things are, obviously) and there's nothing coming up either.
Showing posts with label Forest Whitaker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forest Whitaker. Show all posts
Friday, 15 July 2011
Forest Whitaker
Saturday, 2 October 2010
We Want Sex (equality) - (Out this week 01/10/10)
Actually I'm in two minds about film of the week, I should go for the high concept thriller with Ryan Reynolds which looks excellent, or maybe the delightful hand drawn animation that surprised everyone. No, like a chump I'm settling for the British union comedy purely due to excessive buzz from across the water. Go see Made in Dagenham.
Bella
Winner of the People's choice awards at the Toronto film festival back in 2006 (proof that the people's choice doesn't necessarily mean anything) this is a slight looking look at the intersecting lives of a group of New Yorkers.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Buried
It's Ryan Reynolds in a coffin for 90 minutes. Certainly the concept sounds higher than thou, but it looks like the actual film has a fully rounded feel that overcomes it's gimmicky set up. Stephen Tobolowsky and Tess Harper are among those he calls for help.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Endhiran: The Robot
Plot description for this Bollywood entry is as follows: A gifted scientist constructs an equally gifted robot, who sets out into the world for the first time with some unexpected and mind-blowing consequences. Almost makes it seem worth watching.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
I spit on your Grave
Did the notorious video nasty concerning the rape and revenge of Jennifer Hills really need to be remade for a 2010 audience? Given the poster is playing up it's "unrated" then I expect it does.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Little Big Soldier
Jackie Chan is back doing what he does best in this Chinese martial arts comic/drama. Watch his little soldier cature big soldier (and valuable hostage) Leehom Wang than transport him through bandit country. It's like a Chinese Midnight Run.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Made in Dagenham
I've heard a lot of good things from the festival circuit about this Calender Girls/Norma Rae hybrid, but the British press have been surprisingly sniffy about the overall quality and the slightness of it's worldview. Slly Hawkins, Bob Hoskins and Miranda Richardson are among the faces you'll recognise.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Poice, Adjective
Not your average police procedural drama from Romania. Essentially dealing with low level corruption, or at least bind eye tatics. Involves long sections of reading dictionaries. That said the reviews have been very positive and tell of how gripping the film is.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Secret of Kells
October is goin to be a month of unusual animated projects, starting with this delightful had-drawn piece which surprised everyone with a animated oscar nomination last year. The story takes in magical books, monsters, monks and warriors so should be worth a peek.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Takers
It's sat on the shelf desperate and alone for so long it's looking like a knock off of just about every film tren of 2010. That said it maaged the number 1 spot in the US so it can't be complete rubbish. Matt Dillon and Marianne Jean-Baptiste are probably the only cast members that might be a draw.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Anjanna Anjaani
Bollywood picture delayed from last week - and I'm not putting it at the top two weeks running. Appears to involves a lot of bars from reading the cast list - including a gay bar and a stripper club.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
And missed off last weeks releases:
Dragon Hunters
European answer to How to Train Your Dragon which follows two dragon hunters (natch) in an alternative Earth populated by people eating monsters. They're not very good at their job and really want to grow mussels (very French). Forest Whitaker heads the English language voice cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Friday, 18 June 2010
Charity Begins at the Cinema (Out this week - 18/05/10)
Last week the lack of big ticket releases and World Cup fever kept Sex and the City 2 on top of the UK box office charts for the third week running. I'd like to say there'll be a strong challenger this week but I just don't think that's likely in one of the least interesting release dates since the beginning of the year. Maybe the double screening of hit men comedies will manage to budge the New York foursome? In terms of likely quality I would have to present Please Give as the film of the week.
Ajami
Both highly acclaimed on the festival circuit and in the US, where it was nominated for the best foreign language picture in 2010, this joint Israeli Palestinian venture about small scale drug dealers is slipping out in a very limited release. I hope it finds an audience if even it isn't showing anywhere close.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Hierro
This Spanish horror starts like a Flightplan rip-off with Maria's son disappearing on the ferry to El Hierro island. Instead of trying to investigate the thriller elements it then segues into familiar horror abduction territory and scary visions.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Killers
The first of the pair of assassin comedies stars Ashton Kutcher as a CIA sponsored killer who retires from the game and marries Katherine Heigl. Obviously his work comes looking for him. The best gags are in the trailer. No, really, they're the best gags.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
MacGruber
I did think that maybe I wasn't interested in this SNL adaptation because over here we don't have the show so there is no built in expectation and because the property is spoofs is barely a memory. The least successful wide opening in the US box office history tells me that it's an international sense of apathy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Our Family Wedding
Yet another woeful looking American comedies. This time it's America Ferrera and Lance Gross getting married whilst their different cultural backgrounds tear apart the in-laws. Saved from a humiliating one blob of anticipation because Forest Whitaker is in it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Please Give
Nicole Holofcener adds to her rich back catalogue of films that concern women as real people front and centre, as well as re-teaming with her lucky charm Catherine Keener. This one dissects upper middle calls attitudes to charity and guilt.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Raavan
Everywhere I see this movie I see the tagline TEN HEADS,TEN MINDS,A HUNDRED VOICES ONE MAN - Did such a man ever exist? Tragically there is no ten headed man in the trailer. I would probably ask for my money back if I went.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Trash Humpers
Harmony Korine's latest is filmed with camcorders, features actors covered in latex to appear elderly, and has been described as a dystopian nightmare. It also features trash humping. I don't think Ill be going.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Wild Grass
Renowned French auteur Alain Resnais creates a very unlikely romance in this darkly comic exploration of two lonely souls united by a crime and kept together by obsession. Certainly worth a look.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Wild Target
The British equivalent of Killers, this time with Bill Nighy as the hit man who can't quite bring himself to kill Emily Blunt. Rupert Grint and a score of British character actors tag along. Best jokes are probably in the trailer in this one too.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
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: ●●●○○○○○○○
Monday, 21 December 2009
Where the Wild Things Are
2009. Dir: Spike Jonze. Starring: Max Records, Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara and Lauren Ambrose. ●●●●●
I will start this review by confessing that I have never read Maurice Sendak's Where the wild things are. Regardless of it's status as one of the greatest children's books ever written I was never exposed to it's beauty as a child. The biggest compliment I can say having seen the film is "I wish I had". If the book has even half the emotional richness that the film has then every child should have that opportunity.
By now you probably know that I liked Where the Wild Things Are. I really really liked it.
The plot (bearing in mind this is not really plot driven) follows a small boy (Max Records) first in his normal every day life then, following an arguement with his mother (Catherine Keener), in a fantasy land populated by "Wild Things" where he escapes to. In both environments he plays, fights, builds forts and (fails to)connects with everyone else.
There are so many things this film gets right it's difficult to choose which ones to look at. Primarily the casting of Max is perfect. I don't know whether the boy can act but he was incredibly natural, both on screen and in his actions. The changes in emotional state from joy to fear to petulance as perfectly played and as spontaneous as children can be. Later as Max begins to realise the psychology of the Wild Things and as he appreciates the shift in dynamics that takes him from being the child to the parent he handles the subtle changes incredibly well.
The screenplay perfectly judges to tone. It is a kids film, they could watch it and understand everything that is being said, enjoy the comedy of throwing mud balls at each other and feel the fear when the Wild Things may turn on Max. Yet it's also an adults film. In growing up we start to hide all those emotions that Max allows to run rampant, but that doesn't mean they don't exist - or that they ever fully go away. As an adult I can recognise those Wild Things and appreciate them - I want ot be Max and face them.
The Wild things themselves are brilliant. Both as physical creations - the things they do are pure fantasy but because they are real people in big suits (with some addition FX shots to clean up the facial expressions) we can feel their movements as much as see them. The voice performances are all suited to the characteristics their Wild Things portray, but special kudos go to Lauren Ambrose as K.W. (representing the pull of family) and Paul Dano as Alexander (loneliness).
A brilliant film that should be seen by everyone.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Forest Whitaker
Happy Birthday to
Forest Whitaker
48 today
Forest has been a long time hero of mine ever since he first caught my eye in Good Morning Vietnam. A consumate character actor, with a fascianting back catalogue. Although I'd have to argue he won the Oscar 7 years later than he should have done (Ghost Dog). Coming soon are the voice gig in Where the Wild Things Are and helping the wheelchair bound Renee Zellweger in My Own Love Song.
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