I'm a little ashamed about this week's releases. Not that the releases themselves have shamed me, but that the excitometer numbers are a little high. You see although part of it is based on what I think about the trailers and the concept equally a large part is defined by reviews, cast, off-screen talent and awards buzz. So there are three films getting high scores this week, and I have to admit it's mainly due to the oscar noms. So ignoring them I'd probably recommend Samantha Morton's foster drama The Unloved (although it was screened on Channel 4 last year so I'm not sure why it's getting a cinema release. Regardless, mathematically the film of the week is The Lovely Bones.
Closed Book
Tom Conti is a blind art historian, Daryl Hannah his mysterious assistant helping him with one last book. There are secrets galore in this murky thriller, but aside from the money shot of Conti with just empty eye sockets there's little to recommend it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Crazy Heart
This is the film that will bring Jeff Bridges his fully deserved Oscar. Naturally this film would have normally faded away over time, but for this reason only it will stay in the history books. I'm sure Jeff's performance as a washed-up country singer hitting the bottom of his bottle and rock bottom of his life is worthy, however...
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Headless Woman
The third feature from acclaimed Argentinian director Lucretia Martel follows a middle class mother of three who begins to lose her sanity after running over a neighbours dog.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Last Station
Based on the final days of Leo Tolstoy's life, apparently the vast majority of the screenplay is based on the diaries that most of the characters are keeping. In that respect it's as close to the truth about what happened as can be made about events that took place 100 years ago.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson's adapatation of the Alice Sebold novel. The novel has a wistful attitude to death which may have been lost in translation but Jackson's always a fascintaing director, even when he mis-fires - as this might be - it's worth taking a look at.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●●●○
Solomon Kane
Puritan adventure (now's there's a combination you don't hear everyday) as 16th century soldier James Purefoy battles ancient demons and shadowy sects to save Rachel Hurd-Wood (and his soul, apparently). Expect much blood-letting and faux-important speeches. Max von Sydow and Pete Postlethwaite lead the supporting cast.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
The Unloved
First shown on TV last year, Samantha Morton's disection of the foster care system, with all it's failures on display, gets a belateded cinematic release. Morton writes from the heart, having spent much of her childhood in care and the deeply unsettling child's view of situations they cannot understand or control is hugely affecting.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Friday, 19 February 2010
Out This Week (19/02/10)
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Tuesday Trailers - The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson's latest epic is having a hard time over in the States, reviews have been withering and the box office isn't looking special (open it wide now, before too much damage is done...) However I'm still looking forward to seeing it, regardless of whether Jackson has hit the tone of Alice Sebold's novel he is still a unique auteur and should be supported. The trailer below gives us a glimpse to what in store:
The Lovely Bones is released on 29 January 2010.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Susan Sarandon
Happy Birthday to
Susan Sarandon
63 today
The sizzling liberal firecracker, who's been a classic pinup since her Rocky Horror/Atlantic City days, is on my radar for 2 upcoming performances. The first is as a boozy Grandmother in Peter Jackson's Lovely Bones adaptation where she'll be stealling every scene she muscles in on, then it's Shia LaBeouf's mother and conscience (educated guess) in Wall Street 2: Money never sleeps.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Rachel Weisz
Happy Birthday to
Rachel Weisz
38 today
Yes, the English Rose that is Mrs. Darren Aronofsky is celbrating her 38th today. Congratulations. She's actually got quite a busy year ahead of her what with Lovely Bones and (if it happens) Dirt Music. I shall definitely be lining up to see her work this year.
Thursday, 1 January 2009
20 Films for 2009 - Lovely Bones
As promised here is the first of the 2 films I'm most looking forward to in 2009But before I start let me just be clear about the rules in my selection process.
1. I adjust the film year for the American readership (that makes this sound a lot more official than it is but there you go). So Revolutionary Road is out, even though I will certainly see it.
2. I only include films I think have a reasonable chance of opening in the UK. So no New York, I Love You; although if that does get a UK release it's jumping up to number 2 on this list.
3. On IMDB the filming must have started, and it must be recorded as a 2009 film. It's arbitrary I know, and I'm sure Eastwood will finish The Human Factor in time, nevertheless it's out of this list for now.
Anyhoo the first film, or the twentieth depending on your point of view is Peter Jackson's adaptation of the superb novel The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Here's a photo of director and some of the cast huging each other on set for no particular reason:
The book concerns (and this isn't a spoiler as it's on the first page) the murder of a teenage girl and how the family and friends cope with their tragedy. I'm not ashamed to admit that whilst reading the book I cried during nearly every chapter, the story packs an enormous emotional wallop and it's hard not to feel an intense connection with the characters. Especially with Susie Salmo, the heroine, looking back on her family from heaven.
I'm certainly keen to see what can be made from this beautiful novel, however I have my doubts about Peter Jackson being the man to do it. Yeah, LOTR was fine but I can't be the only person who thought King Kong was a touch self-indulgent. The cast also fills me with dread - Marky Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz are both extremely atractive but limited performers and if Marky tries to act like he did in 2008's The Happening we could all be in trouble.
Finally I'm worried about Heaven. What I liked about the novel was hat Heaven didn't appear to be overly supernatural. There have been delays in the filming due to the design template of this, so clearly they are not going for a naturalistic tone, if this detracts from how heaven works in Sebold's novel I will be greatly disappointed.
Please feel free to comment about whether you're looking forward to The Lovely Bones, should it be higher on the list or should I forget about it completely?
Wednesday, 29 October 2008
Catching up - Birthdays
Here are the birthdays I have missed:
Name Age Birthday Coming Soon (if I have an interest in seeing it)
Bill Murray 58 21 September
Mickey Rooney 88 23 September
Will Smith 40 25 September Seven Pounds
Gwynneth Paltrow 36 27 September
Mira Sorino 41 28 September
Marion Cotillard 33 30 September Public Enemies, Nine
Julie Andrews 73 01 October
Clive Owen 44 03 October Duplicity, Boys are Back in Town
Susan Sarandon 62 04 October Lovely Bones
Kate Winslet 33 05 October Revolutionary Road, Reader
Mary Badham 56 07 October
Sigourney Weaver 59 08 October Avatar
Melinda Dillon 69 13 October
Angela Lansbury 83 16 October
John Lithgow 63 19 October
Viggo Mortensen 50 20 October Appaloosa, The Road
Joan Fontaine 91 22 October
Kevin Kline 61 24 October
Bob Hoskins 66 26 October Christmas Carol
Peter Firth 55 27 October
Jane Alexander 69 28 October
Richard Dreyfuss 61 29 October W.
And a picture for Richard as it's his birthday today:
