Very quiet this week, after five weeks of double figure releases we're down to just seven picks hitting the multiplexes (although if I'm perfectly honest only 3 of them are actually coming on strong with the other four all limited release foreign language choices). We're deep within the blockbuster season now, with all the necessary large scale counterprogramming that is such a part of the season. Mind you choosing the top film this week is hardly a stretch. There aren't many US auteurs as recognisable as Wes Anderson, every frame, every shot can instantly be categorised as part of his canon, and it's fair to say the style has it's fans and acolytes - note how last years Submarine was instantly compared to Anderson's work. Unsurprisingly then the runs like a gay film of the week is Moonrise Kingdom.
Last week The Dictator did indeed climb it's way to the top of the box office charts, taking nearly double Avenger Assemble in it's fourth weekend. Although both of these will drift downwards now, especially Sacha Baron Cohen's showcase which will, I expect, slip significantly leaving an easy win for Will Smith's return to the big screen with Men in Black 3.
Moonrise Kingdom
Anderson is an acquired taste, a director who splits audiences between those who can stomach his artificial and ordered universe and those who cannot. Personally I tend to err of the anti-side but I cannot deny the superb reviews and craftmanship involved so it's an easy pick for the top film. As ever the cast for this teenage love story is amazing with Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and a cameoing Harvey Keitel among the stars on board.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Read on for a unique take on fairy tales, time travelling aliens and the ultimate in self help book adaptations.
There's an element of enforced quirk to the proceedings, but couldn't you just take any frame from this trailer and put it on your wall?
Tales of the Night
This French animation is both exceptionally simply and deliciously complex in it's central conceit of using traditional silhouette puppetry styles to illustrate original fairy stories. If I had kids this would what I would take to the cinema to see.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Hommes Libres
The classic French resistance sub-genre gets a welcome twist highlighting Algerian immigrants in their fight to help defeat the Nazi's from within. Cultural and religiously clashes abound in the thriller trailer and any film that includes the combined talents of Tahar Rahim and Michael Lonsdale must be worth taking a punt on.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Men in Black 3
Coming 10 years after a disappointing sequel amid horrendous production difficulties it comes as no surprise that early reviews of the third entry in the popular comedic alien franchise have been scathing. Based on Will Smith's very own time travel idea it's a chance to see whether his charisma and box office pulling power has been retained after nearly four years off. I certainly won't be heading out to see the finished product no matter how well it performs with the masses or how good Josh Brolin's impersonation of Tommy Lee Jones. Emma Thompson also stars.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Gabbar Singh
Appearing on just two screens is this Teluga movie from India boasting a simple plot revolving around a cop, and thug with political ambitions and a pretty girl. Expect lots of action, the odd song and a predictable ending.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
What to Expect when You're Expecting
Hollywood has officially run out of ideas as evidenced by the bizarre choice to turn a how to guide about pregnancy into a hyperlink comedy (I expect all the stories end happily). The all-star cast is led by Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lopez and Anna Kendrick, each of whom will take the money and run whilst the film flops at the box office.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Rahe Chardi Kala Punjab Di
Punjabi melodrama about an adopted Muslim girl trying to reunite with her Sikh birth parents and all the emotional and religious baggage you'd expect from such a tumultuous set-up.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Following your own formula (Out this week - 25/05/12)
Friday, 25 September 2009
Will Smith
Happy Birthday to
Will Smith
41 today
Oddly this photo just jumped out at me. Big Willy (heh heh) is probably the most bankable star in Hollywood, his last 10 cinematic releases took an average just shy of $160m, but right now he's taking time off with the family. IMDB have 25 projects in developement, with only Spielberg's Old Boy in the pre-production phase. On the off chance it does get made I'm in there.
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Six Degrees of Separation
1993. Dir: Fred Schepisi. Starring: Stockard Channing, Will Smith, Donald Sutherland, Ian McKellen and Mary Beth Hurt. ●●●●○
A tiny lack of funds has meant I had to skip the cinema, and great Kate, at the weekend and watch a DVD instead, randomly selecting Schepisi's 1993 con movie.
I see you may be confused by that categorisation, but in essence Six Degrees follows a con from the point of view of the mark. The film is told in a semi-flashback style, each development of the story being framed by chat at weddings, dinner parties and gallery openings narrated by sophiticated Manhattanites Ouisa and Flan Kitteridge (Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland). On a seemingly ordinary Saturday night, whilst closing a business deal with Ian McKellen's Suuff eerfrikern accent when Paul (Will Smith) bursts into their apartment bleeding from his stomach.
He then claims to be a) a friend of their kids' from Harvard and b) the son of Sidney Poitier. These both turn out to be gibberish, but he manages to get a clean shirt, a bed for the night and $50. In return he makes dinner, entertains them with incisive, but in retrospect rather dry conversation, and brings a boy from the streets back to the house for some illicit rumpy pumpy.
I won't give any more of the plot away, as it successive twist is both generally satisfying to watch and logical, but ultimately the lives of the Kitteridges and Paul continue to mingle as they find out more about him.
Channing is terrific, as she slowly realises this is not just an after dinner anecdote but a real person that they casually discuss. Her character alone seems to realise that Paul has actually gained very little from them in his trick, aside from giving them fresh perspective on how they view themselves. Sutherland also nails his character but the journey is less dramtic.
The weaker link is definitely Smith, making his transition from Fresh Prince to movie stardom. He's scenes with the Kitteridges are fine with just the right amount of confidence, but he loses his nerve in other places. Especially in the scene with Trent Conway (Anthony Michael Hall), Paul's flamboyant sometime lover. It's an odd scene as Trent is going all doolally over Paul, but when they kiss (an oddly chaste kiss) even the extreme angle of the shot does not hide the gap between their faces and the dubbed "mwoah".
John Guare adapted the film from his 1990 stageplay, which in turn is based on a true incident of a serial con artist pretending to be the son of Sidney Poitier, and whilst knowing that gives the film an aura of truth there are still some jarring elements. It seems hard to believe that all the characters fall for Paul's story; and the ending is a trite forced but these are forgiveable issues.
Judianna Makovsky also needs congratulating on finding a stunning array of suits and dresses that make Stockard Channing appear like a supermodel - she's a new name to me, although she has a fascinating CV, including the upcoming Cirque du Freak which should be a nice stretch for her talents.
By the way, for those of you who don't spend your free time playing six degrees of Kevin Bacon, here is Ouisa helpfully explaining the concept: "I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet. The President of the United States, a gondolier in Venice, just fill in the names. I find it extremely comforting that we're so close. I also find it like Chinese water torture, that we're so close because you have to find the right six people to make the right connection... I am bound, you are bound, to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people."
Monday, 19 January 2009
Seven Pounds
2008. Dir: Gabriele Muccino. Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Michael Ealy and Barry Pepper. ●●●○○
Between Bad Boys 2 and Hancock Will Smith has opened 7 films with a total US gross of $1.27bn, an average of $182m. Seven Pounds will struggle to hit $75m, his lowest tally since 2001's Ali. This film does not deserve to be the film the ends Will's $100m run, although I can understand why it will be. It is a measured and sophisticated look at the nature of love and sacrifice, it touches on how you deal with guilt and the nature of goodness, it is at heart a very bleak story with a flwaed hero. It is a film which I am glad to recommend.
The film opens with Ben Thomas (Smith) waering a "cinnamon" short sleeve shirt making a 911 call and speaking directly to camera. I won't tell you the details of this call, for fear of spoiling the effect, but we then jump back a couple of months and show how Ben got to that situation. Ultimately Ben is suffering from guilt brought on from a car crash which killed 7 people, including his wife. Ben blames himself for the crash as he was checking a text message at the time - I'm not sure that explains why so many people died (none of them appear to be wearing seatbelts in the fuzzy flashbacks, although perhaps that's how I'd feel not how Ben feels).
In order to assuage the guilt Ben is dishing out random acts of kindness to strangers that he feels deserve a better or new life, or just to ensure they live. For instance he gives his house to a battered wife and one of his kidney's to an Ice hockey coach.
Most of the story revolves around him meeting Emily Posa (Dawson) via the medium of a tax audit, the beginnings of a romantic entanglement between the two of them and finally Ben offers the greatest gift he can for her.
Will Smith gives a thoroughly committed performance of a man ripped apart by what has happened to him and unable to share his deep inner thoughts. When his brother interrupts a romantic evening between Ben and Emily and Smith tells her he no longer wants to lie to her that line reading comes so naturally and fully we all want him to open up and tell all his dark secrets. Rosario Dawson is also superb, at one moment fragile and shrunken the next deeply territorial.
The rest of the parts are grossly underwritten. Woody Harrelson's blind pianist appears to be either sanctimonious or plain stupid. And Barry Pepper, an actor who always makes the periferies of the movies he's in shine, is criminally underused - shoved into a couple of scenes to say "I'm not sure" and cry. Joe Nunez, as the motel owner, provides some well earned comic asides without which the film would have been lesser.
Gabriele Muccino's direction seems more fluid than The Pursuit of Happyness, his english language debut (I really dislike that movie) but the decision to place the 911 call at the beginning of the movie, possibly to ratchet up some will he/won't he tension only succeeds in making the film a tragedy before you know it's end.
Philippe Le Sourd (A Good Year) does a great job as DP, letting you catch things in the corners of the screen which foretell where the film is going but without becoming ominous. Especially Ben's "pet", which was gorgeously lit at all times.
At this point I would consider giving the film a 4, only I didn't agree with the actions Ben took. Berate me in the comments for this if you like but I find the judging and testing to discover whether the other characters were good was distastefull, even if you will be donating your bone marrow. After all who are we to just whether others are good, or even if the people he killed in the car crash were good. Also the final gifts were done for the wrong reasons. You have to ask whether Ben's love for Emily was strong enough for him to save her or for him to stand by her, or was he merely distracted by her from completing the goals he had already set. And I'm not sure which route would have required more love.
