Robert Zemeckis Begins New Film Adaptation of Dahl's "The Witches"

Robert Zemeckis Works His Magic on the Roald Dahl Classic as Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Witches” Gets Underway

The film stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer and—just announced—Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on “The Witches,” a fantastical adventure from Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”), starring Oscar winners Anne Hathaway (“Les Misérables,” “Ocean’s 8”) and Octavia Spencer (“The Help,” “The Shape of Water”), Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci (“The Hunger Games” films, “The Lovely Bones”), and award-winning comedy legend Chris Rock. Newcomer Jahzir Kadeem Bruno (TV’s “Atlanta”) also stars, alongside Codie-Lei Eastick.

Reimagining Roald Dahl’s beloved story for a modern audience, Zemeckis’s visually innovative “The Witches” tells the darkly humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphaned boy (Bruno) who, in late 1967, goes to live with his loving Grandma (Spencer) in the rural Alabama town of Demopolis. The boy and his grandmother come across some deceptively glamorous but thoroughly diabolical witches, so Grandma wisely whisks our young hero away to an opulent seaside resort. Regrettably, they arrive at precisely the same time that the world’s Grand High Witch (Hathaway) has gathered her fellow cronies from around the globe—undercover—to carry out her nefarious plans.

The screenplay is by Guillermo del Toro and Robert Zemeckis & Kenya Barris (upcoming “Shaft”), based on the book by Roald Dahl. Zemeckis also produces, alongside Jack Rapke, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Luke Kelly. Serving as executive producers on the film are Michael Siegel, Gideon Simeloff, Marianne Jenkins and Jackie Levine.

Zemeckis’s behind-the-scenes team includes a roster of his frequent collaborators, including Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“Forrest Gump”), production designer Gary Freeman, Editor Jeremiah O’Driscoll, and Oscar-nominated costume designer Joanna Johnston (“Allied,” “Lincoln”).

An Image Movers Production, a Necropia/Experanto Filmoj Production, “The Witches” is filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the UK. It is currently scheduled for theatrical release October 16, 2020 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Review: "Spotlight" Deserved All the Praise it Received and More

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Spotlight (2015)
Running time:  128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language including sexual references
DIRECTOR:  Tom McCarthy
WRITERS:  Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy
PRODUCERS:  Blye Pagon Faust, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, and Michael Sugar
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Masanobu Takayanagi
EDITOR:  Tom McArdle
COMPOSER:  Howard Shore
Academy Award winner including “Best Picture”

DRAMA with elements of a biopic

Starring:  Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Brian d'Arcy James, Stanley Tucci, and Billy Crudup

Spotlight is a 2015 drama from director and co-writer Tom McCarthy (The Visitor).  Part biographical, Spotlight is based on a true story and is a dramatic retelling of The Boston Globe's efforts to uncover child sex accuse in the Boston area that was perpetrated by Roman Catholic priests.  At the 88th Academy Awards (Sunday, February 28, 2016), Spotlight won the Oscar as the “Best Picture of 2015.”

Spotlight focuses on the editors, reporters, and employees at the venerable newspaper, The Boston Globe, which has a small group of journalists known as the “Spotlight” team.  Spotlight is the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative unit in the United States.  The Spotlight team works on investigative newspaper articles that take months to research and write before they are published.

In 2001, The Boston Globe hires a new editor, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber).  Baron meets with Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton), the editor of the Spotlight team. Baron had read a Globe column about a lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian (Stanley Tucci), who works with adults who were victims of childhood sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests and also the parents and their children who are currently being abused.  Garabedian says that the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law (Len Cariou), knew that the priest, Father John Geoghan, sexually abused children and did nothing to stop the abuse.

Robinson gathers his Spotlight team:  Michael Rezendes (Mike Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James) and begins the investigation.  However, they discover a scandal of child molestation and  a cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese that is massive, widespread, and older than they could ever imagine.  In order to uncover this conspiracy, the Globe and Spotlight will have to shake the cultural, political, social and spiritual foundations of a city and a church that is determined to keep its darkest secrets hidden.

Spotlight is one of the best films that I have seen over the first 16 years of this 21st century.  I do remember early in my “career” as a “serious” movie watcher reading the writings of people who took American films seriously, and they often talked about “important movies.”  Such films focused on topical or historical matters of importance to America; or were based on true stories that once resonated with Americans or still did to some extent; or they were about racism, bigotry, prejudice, and discrimination based on skin color, sexual orientation, gender, religion, ethnicity, etc.; or they were about terrible events in history, such as wars or genocide (in particularly, the Holocaust).

Then, there seemed (to me at least) to be a backlash against “serious movies.”  Audiences supposedly hated movies with messages or movies in which the filmmakers used the characters as mouthpieces for their believes and agendas.  To me, the result was fewer films like Silkwood, The Killing Fields, and Platoon and more escapist fare like Back to the Future, Armageddon, and Pirates of the Caribbean and like films which have dominated movie theaters for the better part of four decades.

Well, the important movie is back and the result is Spotlight, a film that not only concerns something of great importance, but is also greatly entertaining.  By now, dear reader, you have heard that Spotlight is supremely directed, excellently written, superbly acted, and just an all-around great freakin' film, and that is all true.  I could not stop watching Spotlight.  I think director Tom McCarthy's biggest achievement in this film is to give this story a hypnotic power that holds the viewer in vice-like grip until the credits role and the end of the film.

However, I think Spotlight's true power and achievement are in its indictment of us.  How does great evil “get away with it” in the end?  The fault is not only on the institution which commits and covers up crime, in this case the Roman Catholic Church in general and the Archdiocese of Boston specifically.  The fault is also with basically an entire society, in this case Boston, as the social, political, and economic order down even to the personal level either looks the other way or mitigates the fact that horrible crimes are being committed against that society's most vulnerable members, the children.

It seems that much, if not all, of Boston found a way to avoid punishing, to say nothing of stopping, a group of men (priests and bishops) who basically had the faith, respect, and worship of everyone from raping and sexually abusing children.  The Spotlight is not on why it happened, but is (1) on the people who let it happen, let it keep happening, and let it go unpunished and (2) on the people who decide that it is time to stop the abuse, the abusers, and their apologists and sympathizers.

10 of 10

Tuesday, December 6, 2016


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.


NOTES:
2016 Academy Awards, USA:  2 wins:  “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, and Blye Pagon Faust) and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy); 4 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Mark Ruffalo), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Rachel McAdams), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Tom McCarthy), and “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Tom McArdle)

2016 Golden Globes, USA:  3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Tom McCarthy), and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer)

2016 BAFTA Awards:  1 win: “Best Original Screenplay” (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer); 2 nominations: “Best Supporting Actor” (Mark Ruffalo) and “Best Film” (Steve Golin, Blye Pagon Faust, Nicole Rocklin, and Michael Sugar)

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Marvel Movie Stars to Appear at 2016 Wizard World Philadelphia

Marvel Stars Unite in Philadelphia! Evans, Hemsworth, Hiddleston among Wizard World Guests, June 4-5

Only 2016 Appearance for Hiddleston As Marvel Universe Standouts Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan, Frank Grillo Also To Appear At Pennsylvania Convention Center

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marvel blockbuster films such as Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Avengers and Thor and hit TV programs such as "Agent Carter" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." have attracted millions of fans, with megastars Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston among the main attractions. Now, those three plus popular supporting actors Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Sebastian Stan and Frank Grillo will gather for the first time at Wizard World Philadelphia on Saturday and Sunday, June 4-5, 2016 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, it was announced today by Wizard World (OTCBB:WIZD), producer of the largest comic con and pop culture convention series.

All are scheduled to appear on both days, except Hiddleston, who will attend on Saturday only. All will greet fans, sign autographs, pose for photo ops (solo and in several different themed combinations) and conduct interactive Q&A panels.

"This will be the greatest collection of Marvel stars in one convention setting," said John Macaluso, Wizard World CEO. "As if it weren't enough to have Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth return to the Tour, the addition of Tom Hiddleston in his only appearance all year is a huge coup for fans. When you combine that with Michael J. Fox, David Duchovny, Stephen Amell and Norman Reedus, among the many others already attending, this will be one show fans won't want to miss."

A wide variety of VIP admission packages for individual and groups of the Marvel stars are now available. Fans can visit wizd.me/PhiladelphiaMarvel for options.

Evans, who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors for both big budget and independent features, can next be seen in Captain America: Civil War, the third installment of Marvel’s Captain America franchise. In each film, Evans, who attended his first Wizard World event in New Orleans in January, reprises his role as the famed Marvel Comics character, “Steve Rogers,” who transforms into Captain America after volunteering for a top secret research project in hopes of defending America’s ideals. Both films grossed over $713 million each at box offices worldwide.

Hemsworth, a big hit at last weekend's Wizard World Cleveland show, was first introduced to U.S. audiences in Star Trek in 2009. Three years later, Hemsworth also starred in Universal’s big revisionist fairy tale Snow White And The Huntsman opposite Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart and in the horror feature The Cabin in the Woods. As prolific as 2012 was for the Melbourne, Australia, native, 2015 was even bigger, with four feature films including The Avengers: Age of Ultron, In the Heart of the Sea, Vacation and Blackhat. He also will play the lead in the sequel The Huntsman Winter's War and a key role in the reboot of Ghostbusters, both scheduled for release this year.

Hiddleston, who played "Loki" in Thor: The Dark World, The Avengers and Thor, will also be featured in the lead role this month's I Saw the Light, about the life of country-western singer Hank Williams. The London-born star has top billing in the series "The Night Manager" and had a co-starring role in last year's hit film Crimson Peak.

The Marvel stars join an already standout Wizard World Philadelphia celebrity field which includes David Duchovny ("The X-Files"), the Back to the Future trio of Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson and "The Walking Dead" standout Norman Reedus, with many more to be announced.

Wizard World comic con and gaming events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Philadelphia show hours are Thursday, June 2, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, June 3, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 4, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

For more on the 2016 Wizard World Philadelphia, visit http://wizd.me/PhiladelphiaPR.


About Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD)
Wizard World, Inc. (www.wizardworld.com) produces comic cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched Wizard World Store (www.shopwizardworld.com), CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM), and ComicConBox™ (www.comicconbox.com), a premium subscription-based monthly box service. Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The Wizard World 2016 schedule is available at: http://wizardworld.com/searchby/city/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve certain risks and uncertainties. The actual results or outcomes of Wizard World, Inc. may differ materially from those anticipated. Although Wizard World, Inc. believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any such assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, Wizard World, Inc. can provide no assurance that any of the forward-looking statements contained in this letter will prove to be accurate.

In light of the significant uncertainties and risks inherent in the forward-looking statements included in this letter, such information should not be regarded as a representation by Wizard World, Inc. that its objectives or plans will be achieved. Included in these uncertainties and risks are, among other things, fluctuations in operating results, general economic conditions, uncertainty regarding the results of certain legal proceedings and competition. Forward-looking statements consist of statements other than a recitation of historical fact and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "intend," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "estimate" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Because they are forward-looking, such statements should be evaluated in light of important risk factors and uncertainties. These risk factors and uncertainties are more fully described in Wizard World, Inc.'s most recent Annual and Quarterly Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under the heading entitled "Risk Factors." Wizard World, Inc. does not undertake an obligation to update publicly any of its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. 

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Gotham Awards Names "Spotlight" as the "Best Feature" of 2015

Honoring independent films, the Gotham Awards are the first major awards of the film awards season.  The Gotham Awards are presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), an organization which helps independent filmmakers by connected artists with resources at all stages of film development and distribution.

This year, the 2015 Gotham Awards kicks off the 2015-16 season.  The Gotham Awards ceremony was held on Monday, November 30, 2015 at Cipriani Wall Street.

The 2015 IFP Gotham Independent Film Award winners:

Best Feature
Spotlight
Tom McCarthy, director; Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin, Blye Pagan Faust, producers (Open Road Films)

Best Documentary
The Look of Silence
Joshua Oppenheimer, director; Signe Byrge Sørensen, producer (Drafthouse Films)

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Jonas Carpignano for Mediterranea (Sundance Selects)

Best Screenplay
Spotlight, Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Open Road Films)

Best Actor*
Paul Dano in Love & Mercy (Roadside Attractions, Lionsgate, and River Road Entertainment)

Best Actress*
Bel Powley in The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Sony Pictures Classics)

Breakthrough Actor
Mya Taylor in Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)


* The 2015 Best Actor/Best Actress nominating panel also voted to award a special “Gotham Jury Award” jointly to Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, and Brian d’Arcy James for their ensemble work in Spotlight. (Open Road Films).

Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ Grant
For the sixth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Directors ‘Live the Dream’ grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs or IFP’s Screen Forward Lab. In 2015, Screen Forward Lab directors have been included in this opportunity for the first time. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film or episodic series. The nominees are:

Chanelle Aponte Pearson, director, 195 Lewis - WINNER


Gotham Independent Film Audience Award
IFP members will determine the 7th Annual Gotham Independent Film Audience Award with nominees comprised of the 14 nominated films in the Best Feature, Best Documentary, and Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award categories. All IFP current, active members at the Individual Level and above will be eligible to vote.  Voting will take place online from November 18th at 12:01 AM EST and conclude on November 25th at 5:00 PM EST. In addition, IFP will be scheduling screenings of the nominated films for IFP members in the theater at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP in Brooklyn. These screenings will take place from November 4-11. The winner of the Audience Award will be announced at the Gotham Awards Ceremony on November 30, 2015.

Tangerine
Sean Baker, director; Darren Dean, Shih-Ching Tsou, Marcus Cox & Karrie Cox, producers (Magnolia Pictures) - WINNER

Gotham Appreciation Award
A Gothams Appreciation Award is given to Ellen Cotter for her contribution to theatrical distribution, including leadership of the Angelika Film Centers.

Breakthrough Series – Longform
:
A continuing or limited series with episodes running 30 minutes or longer.



Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, creator (USA Network)
 (WINNER)
Breakthrough Series – Shortform:
A continuing or limited-series new digital media programming comprising five or more episodes with the majority under 20 minutes.  



Shugs and Fats, Nadia Manzoor and Radhika Vaz, creators (ShugsandFats.TV) (WINNER)


Gotham Tributes
The Gotham Independent Film Awards, selected by distinguished juries and presented in New York City, the home of independent film, are the first honors of the film awards season. This public showcase honors the filmmaking community, expands the audience for independent films, and supports the work that IFP does behind the scenes throughout the year to bring such films to fruition.

The "Film Tribute Awards" went to Steve Golin; Todd Haynes; Helen Mirren; and Robert Redford

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Review: "The Wind Rises" and Lifts Miyazaki's Ode to Artists

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Wind Rises (2013)
Kaze tachinu – original Japanese title
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some disturbing images and smoking
DIRECTOR:  Hayao Miyazaki
WRITER:  Hayao Miyazaki (based upon the manga by Hayao Miyazaki); English screenplay adaptation by Mike Jones
PRODUCERS:  Toshio Suzuki and Geoffrey Wexler (English version)
COMPOSER:  Joe Hisaishi
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/BIOPIC/DRAMA

Starring:  (English voices) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin, Mae Whitman, Werner Herzog, Jennifer Grey, William H. Macy, Elijah Wood, and Ronan Farrow; (Japanese voices) Hideaki Anno, Jirô Horikoshi, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto, Masahiko Nishimura, Mansai Nomura, Jun Kunimura, Mirai Shida, Shinobu Ôtake, Morio Kazama, and Keiko Takeshita

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated film (anime) biopic and drama from director Hayao Miyazaki.  The film's original title is Kaze tachinu, and it is adapted from Miyazaki's manga (comics), Kaze tachinu, which was published in Model Graphix magazine from 2009 to 2010.  The manga in turn is loosely based on the novel, The Wind Has Risen (1936-37), by author Tatsuo Hori.

The Wind Rises is a fictionalized account of the life of Jiro Horikoshi (1903–1982).  Hirokoshi was a designer of fighter aircraft for Japan, in particular the Mitsubishi A6M Zero (or simple, the Zero), which was used by the Empire of Japan during World War II.

Walt Disney Studios released the film in English back in February 2014 through its Touchstone Pictures division.  Frank Marshall acted as the English version's executive producer.  The Wind Rises was the final film directed by Miyazaki before his retirement in September 2013.

The Wind Rises opens in Japan in 1916.  Young Jiro Horikoshi longs to become a pilot, but cannot because of his poor eyesight.  Jiro even dreams of meeting famous Italian aircraft designer, Giovanni Battista Caproni (Stanley Tucci), a figure that will often haunt Jiro's dreams over the years.  Seven years later, two important things happen.  Jiro begins studying aeronautical engineering, and he also meets a girl, Nahoko Satomi.

After he graduates, adult Jiro (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) starts working for an aircraft manufacturer (Mitsubishi).  Jiro begins a quest to built a fighter aircraft for Japan that will match the best that any other country has to offer, especially that of Japan's ally, Germany.  Jiro reunites with the adult Nahoko (Emily Blunt) and begins a romance with her.  However, Nahoko's illness and his professional setbacks threaten Jiro's dreams.

The Wind Rises was somewhat controversial in Japan because of Jiro Horikoshi's aircraft inventions and how they were used by imperial Japan during the second World War.  However, The Wind Rises is not a biographical drama in the conventional sense, which is why I call it a “biopic.”  It is a movie with both biographical elements and fictional attachments.  For instance, the Jiro-Nahoko Satomi romance is fictional, and Nahoko is a character from Tatsuo Hori's novel, The Wind Has Risen.

The Wind Rises not only takes a look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II, but it is mainly inspired by his quest to create fighter aircraft for Japan that would match the best aircraft created in Europe and the United States.

The Wind Rises is an impressionistic spectacle.  Miyazaki deliberately deviates from fact in order to examine the artistic process, revealing Jiro Horikoshi as an artist in full bloom.  The “wind” in this film is a metaphor for the imagination that soars.  The wind is also a vehicle by which the artist travels to meet the man who inspired him,  Giovanni Caproni, in the realm of daydream and imagination – first as a pupil and then, as an equal.  In this film, Miyazaki does not make “wind” ethereal; rather, it is beauty that is fragile and even corruptible.

The Wind Rises is a bittersweet goodbye from Miyazaki to his admirers and fans.  This retirement had to happen eventually, but our sadness need no be overwhelming.  The wind still rises, and the beauty of Hayao Miyazaki's art will live on.

8 of 10
A

Friday, January 2, 2014


NOTES:
2014 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film of the Year” (Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki)

2014 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (Japan)

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Jennifer Lawrence Burns in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Running time: 146 minutes (2 hours, 26 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language
DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence
WRITERS: Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn (based upon the novel by Suzanne Collins)
PRODUCERS: Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jo Willems
EDITOR: Alan Edward Bell
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
Golden Globe nominee

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seyour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin, Willow Shields, Paul Malcomson, Lynn Cohen, Jena Malone, and Toby Jones

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a 2013 dystopian science fiction film directed by Francis Lawrence, and it is also a direct sequel to the 2012 film, The Hunger Games.  The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is based upon Suzanne Collins’ 2009 novel, Catching Fire, the second novel in The Hunger Games trilogy.  In Catching Fire the movie, Katniss Everdeen becomes a target of the Capitol after her victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion.

The Hunger Games takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, and what was once North America is now the nation of Panem.  Panem is composed of 12 districts and The Capitol, which rules over the districts. Every year, The Capitol takes one boy and one girl (called “tributes”) from each of the 12 districts to become contestants in The Hunger Games.  Part entertainment and part intimidation of the 12 districts, these games are broadcast throughout Panem, and the 24 participants must fight to the death until only one of them remains alive – the victor.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens a few months after the first film.  Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) were the winners of the 74th Hunger Games.  Now, the young victors have returned to their home, the impoverished District 12, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is waiting for Katniss.  Snow is upset that the outcome of the most recent Games has sparked rebellion in the districts of Panem, with Katniss' actions in the Games being the inspiration for rebellion in the districts.

Katniss (“The Girl on Fire”) and Peeta (“The Baker's Boy”) are going on a victory tour through the districts.  During this tour, Snow wants Katniss to sell the untrue idea that her actions in the Games were out of genuine love for Peeta and were not an act of defiance against the Capitol.  This scheme doesn't exactly work out.  So Snow calls for the 75th Hunger Games to be special.  These Games will be a “Quarter Quell,” and the tributes will be selected from previous victors.  Katniss and Peeta suddenly find themselves in the Games again, and this time, the target on Katniss' back comes from players inside and outside of the Games.

Catching Fire is the middle book in Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games trilogy, although the third book, Mockingjay, is being adapted as two film.  However, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire doesn't suffer the fate of some middle films in a trilogy.  Sometimes, the middle film can come across as filler material, or it can be packed with too many characters that are not important or too many subplots that won't be resolved until the third film.  An example of that is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which was a collection of pointless action scenes that didn't really serve much of a purpose beyond titillating young males and selling lots of tickets.

Catching Fire the movie is intense and gripping, almost every scene is important, not just to what came before or what will come after, but also to the story being told now.  When I reviewed the first film two-and-a-half years ago, I wrote that I could say without reservation that The Hunger Games captures the sense of the life and death struggle of Katniss and her competitors.  I can say the same for Catching Fire.  Like its predecessor, this movie is driven by character drama and by intimate man vs. man confrontations/encounters that freely range from sudden romance and friendship to cold-bloodied murder and assorted calculated cruelties.

I will say that I think this film offers more characters than the story can present in full-measure, not revealing how rich and how important they are.  However, almost every character does enough to be interesting or intriguing, and there are many excellent performances.  Donald Sutherland is even better and more menacing as President Snow than he was in the first film.  Woody Harrelson manages to further develop Haymitch Abernathy, surprisingly showing that there is much more to the character than one might think.  Josh Hutcherson makes Peeta Mellark the dashing young hero and co-lead that he could not be in the first film, even if that was the intention.  And I'm always happy to see Jeffrey Wright, although I wish his character, Beetee Latier, had more meat on the bone i.e. substance.

Still, as was true in The Hunger Games, Jennifer Lawrence is everything to Catching Fire. Whatever problems this film may have, Lawrence’s skill-set as an actor delivers a performance that glosses over narrative and cinematic glitches.  She is a true movie star, and her radiant presence bleeds across the screen, leaving me awash in the essence of Katniss.  Pardon my lack of articulation, but Jennifer is the real deal.

In the first film, we watched a young woman, Katniss, who was a poor nobody, struggle to survive and ultimately to triumph, becoming a star and a legend.  Catching Fire depicts Katniss' struggle to accept her fate.  The adventure is calling the hero, and she has to be dragged towards her destiny.  This kind of story is an archetype, and when told correctly, it can be mesmerizing.  So, as she did before, Jennifer Lawrence makes The Hunger Games: Catching Fire more than it ought to be.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, November 20, 2014


NOTES:
2014 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, and Will Champion for the song “Atlas”)

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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"Transformers: Age of Extinction" Premieres in Hong Kong

Michael Bay’s “Transformers: Age of Extinction” Strides into Hong Kong for the City’s Historic First World Premiere of a Hollywood Blockbuster on June 19, 2014

HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paramount Pictures’ world premiere of Michael Bay's highly-anticipated film, “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION,” will have its world premiere in Hong Kong at the Cultural Centre on Thursday, June 19th. The event will mark the biggest and first-ever global premiere of a Hollywood blockbuster staged in Hong Kong.

“We are very excited to be hosting the film’s world premiere in Hong Kong where we were welcomed with great enthusiasm during production”

Bay and his star-studded cast, including Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Li Bingbing, Han Geng and the band IMAGINE DRAGONS, will be in town to walk the red carpet. Fans from around the world can soon vie for places at this glamorous event bordering the magnificent Victoria Harbour. The red carpet event for “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” will begin at 4:30 p.m. (HKST) for spectators to cheer on the filmmakers, cast and crew to help celebrate the film’s first ever showing anywhere in the world. This latest installment in the TRANSFORMERS franchise has set yet another bar for cinematic innovation.

The premiere in Hong Kong is exciting not only for the local community, but also for fans and members of the press from all the over the world who are expected to flock to the city to witness and cover the activities. The premiere will also feature a 21-foot tall Optimus Prime robot that has never been displayed anywhere, which fans are not to miss!

“We are very excited to be hosting the film’s world premiere in Hong Kong where we were welcomed with great enthusiasm during production,” said director Michael Bay. “It's the perfect location to unveil the film ahead of its worldwide opening later this month. I hope the people of Hong Kong and China enjoy how we've showcased much of the region's unique and iconic scenery in the movie.”

Celebrating this movie milestone, the Grammy Award-winning band IMAGINE DRAGONS, who wrote the original song “BATTLE CRY” for “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION,” will perform live on the rooftop of Harbour City following the film’s screening, with the world-renowned Victoria Harbour as the backdrop, on June 19th at 9:45 p.m. (HKST).

The red carpet session and the IMAGINE DRAGONS live performance will also be streamed on Yahoo (http://yhoo.it/1qTRu1G) in 24 markets, allowing fans across the globe to share in these first-ever moments held in Hong Kong.

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” is the fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise. Produced By Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce. Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures. Written By Ehren Kruger. Directed By Michael Bay.

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” is produced by Paramount Pictures, with production assistance in mainland China by 1905 (Beijing) Network Technology Co., Ltd., China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises.

The film will release on Thursday, June 26th, 2014 in Hong Kong and on Friday, June 27th, 2014 in the U.S.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

New "Transformers: Age of Extinction" Poster (May 14, 2014)

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is the fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise. Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star. The film begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.

Transformers: Age of Extinction is in theaters 06.27.14

Official site: TransformersMovie.com

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformersmovie

Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformers / Hash tag - #Transformers

Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two to the world premiere in Hong Kong to see the film and and watch Imagine Dragons perform live on June 19. For official rules: http://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf

Get the official Transformers: Age of Extinction movie app, available now on iOS and Android!
Choose your side, complete missions and get ready for the film release.

To download the App please visit:
Itunes: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAIT514
Google Play: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAS514

Imagine Dragons Composes Original Song for "Transformers: Age of Extinction"

MICHAEL BAY’S “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION”  TO FEATURE AN ORIGINAL SONG BY THE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BAND IMAGINE DRAGONS

THE BAND CONTRIBUTED CREATIVELY IN THE SCORING PROCESS WITH THE FILM’S COMPOSER STEVE JABLONSKY

WILL PERFORM LIVE AT THE FILM’S WORLD PREMIERE IN HONG KONG ON JUNE 19th

HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 13, 2014) – Director Michael Bay, film composer Steve Jablonsky and Paramount Pictures are collaborating with the Grammy Award-winning band IMAGINE DRAGONS to feature the band’s original music in the upcoming film “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer.

Following an early footage screening of the film, IMAGINE DRAGONS wrote the original song “BATTLE CRY,” which Bay used in critical points in the film. Additionally, the band contributed original music during the scoring process by recording cues with Jablonsky, the film’s composer, and Hans Zimmer, who assisted in the process. The collaboration resulted in added depth to the sound of the film.

“We’re incredibly lucky that Dan, Wayne, Ben and Daniel were available to work with us,” says director Bay. “I remember being drawn to the emotion of ’Demons’ and ’Radioactive’ the first time I heard those songs, and I knew I wanted that same energy and heart for this movie.  They’ve created a really epic, otherworldly sound for ’Battle Cry.’”

“The TRANSFORMER franchise has set the bar for cinematic innovation over the years,” says Alex Da Kid, label head at KIDinaKORNER records. “We are excited to collaborate with Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures and view this as an incredible global platform.”

IMAGINE DRAGONS will perform its new single live at the film’s worldwide premiere in Hong Kong, one of the locations in the film, on June 19th. Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two (2) to Hong Kong to be among the first to see “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” and IMAGINE DRAGONS at the world premiere. Open to U.S. residents ages 18+. Enter by May 30, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. No purchase necessary. For official rules and promotional details, visithttp://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf

Grammy Award-winning rock band IMAGINE DRAGONS is one of 2013’s breakout artists, having played to sold-out audiences in North America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Their debut full length album, Night Visions,  (KIDinaKORNER/ Interscope Records) arrived on the Billboard Top 200 at #2 with the best first-week sales for a full-length debut by a new rock band in over six years.

Certified multi-platinum selling over 4 million copies worldwide, the album was propelled by the success of the multi-platinum single, “It’s Time,” with follow-up singles “Radioactive”  selling over 10 million globally and “Demons,” which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.  Rolling Stone proclaimed Imagine Dragons “the biggest breakout of the year” and Entertainment Weekly called 2013 the “Year of the Dragons.”

IMAGINE DRAGONS are Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), and Daniel Platzman (drums).

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” is the fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise. Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star. The film begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.

Produced By Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce.

Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures. Written By Ehren Kruger. Directed By Michael Bay.

“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” opens in theaters on June 27, 2014.

Review: "Lucky Number Slevin" a Crime Film Treat

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 235 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, sexuality, and language
DIRECTOR:  Paul McGuigan
WRITER:  Jason Smilovic
PRODUCERS:  Chris Roberts, Christopher Eberts, Kia Jam, Anthony Rhulen, Robert Kravis, and Tyler Mitchell
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Peter Sova, ASC
EDITOR:  Andrew Hulme
COMPOSER:  J. Ralph

CRIME with elements of mystery and thriller

Starring:  Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Lucy Lui, Stanley Tucci, Bruce Willis, Dorian Missick, Mykelti Williamson, and Peter Outerbridge

The subject of this movie review is Lucky Number Slevin, a 2006 crime thriller.  The film is about a young man trapped by a case of mistaken identity that lands him in the middle of a brewing gang war between two rival crime bosses and also makes him the target of an infamous assassin.

Slevin Kelevra (Josh Hartnett) arrives at his friend, Nick Fisher’s New York City apartment only to find him missing, but Slevin does strike up a friendship with Nick’s chatty neighbor, Lindsey (Lucy Lui).  Later, two thugs looking for Nick arrive at the apartment and mistake Slevin for his missing friend.  It turns out that Nick owes a lot of money to two crime bosses:  $96,000 to The Boss (Morgan Freeman) and $33,000 to The Rabbi (Sir Ben Kingsley).

The Boss and The Rabbi, once partners, are now bitter, deadly enemies.  Before long, The Boss wants Slevin to perform a high-profile hit against The Rabbi’s son as a way to pay off his $96,000 debt.  The Rabbi just wants his money, and he gives Slevin a few days to come up with the cash.  And it doesn’t matter to them that Slevin isn’t Nick – that’s just his hard luck.  How unlucky is Slevin?  The infamous assassin, Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis), is also gunning for Slevin, or is he?  Slevin suddenly has to hatch an ingenious plot to win this game of death.  And what is the Kansas City Shuffle?

Paul McGuigan (GANGSTER Number 1) mixes sub-genres in his crime flick, Lucky Number Slevin.  It blends noir, gangster flicks, and the con game into a violent little tale of betrayal, crass brutality, and revenge.  The viewer that doesn’t figure out the trick early on will find himself rewarded for having waded through this often slow moving and gabby flick.  Even figuring out the surprise midway through the movie makes the waiting pay off.  Figure out the secrets early on, and you might have to enjoy Lucky Number Slevin’s execution and style.  (Strangely, the direction and writing on this film seem at their best during the flashbacks.)

The performances are good, but not great.  It’s these actors’ status as movie stars – whether it be A-list, B-list, or lower – and their ability to sell a character they’re playing that makes what they’re doing look good and convincing (although Sir Ben Kingsley seems an automatic for the most part).  Meanwhile, Josh Hartnett is a “face.”  He’s handsome and has movie idol written all over him, but he still hasn’t found enough good material to make him iconic.  Lucky Number Slevin isn’t that kind of great material, but it’s good enough for the time being.  Sexy, vulnerable, and utterly sympathetic, Hartnett makes this odd and sometimes uneven tale a sweet treat for fans of crime cinema.

7 of 10
B+

Updated: Friday, July 19, 2013

Review: Jennifer Lawrence Feeds "The Hunger Games"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hunger Games (2012)
Running time: 142 minutes (2 hours, 22 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens
DIRECTOR: Gary Ross
WRITERS: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray (based upon the novel by Suzanne Collins)
PRODUCERS: Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tom Stern (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Stephen Mirrione and Juliette Welfling
COMPOSERS: T-Bone Burnett and James Newton Howard

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Liam Hemsworth, Toby Jones, Dayo Okeniyi, Alexander Ludwig, and Amandla Stenberg

The subject of this movie review is The Hunger Games, a 2012 dystopian science fiction film. Directed by Gary Ross, the film is based upon Suzanne Collins’ 2008 novel, The Hunger Games, which is the first novel in The Hunger Games trilogy. The film is set in a future in which teenagers fight to death on live television, and the story follows a 16-year-old young woman who volunteers to participate. Of note: Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh served as a second unit director on this movie.

The Hunger Games takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, and what was once North America is now the nation of Panem. Panem is composed of 12 districts and The Capitol, which rules over the districts. Every year, The Capitol takes one boy and one girl from each of the 12 districts to become contestants or tributes in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment and part intimidation of the 12 districts, these games are broadcast throughout Panem, and the 24 participants must fight to the death until only one of them remains alive – the victor.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is a 16-year-old teen living in the impoverished District 12. During the raffle to choose the district’s tributes, Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place as a girl tribute in the 74th Hunger Games. Along with District 12’s boy tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss travels to the decadent Capitol for the fight of her life.

I can say without reservation that The Hunger Games captures the sense of the life and death struggle of Katniss and her competitors. This is a science fiction film that is driven by character and intimate man vs. man confrontation – from sudden romance and friendship to cold-bloodied murder and assorted calculated cruelties. Not having the narrative space the novel has, the script efficiently depicts both the devastating poverty of District 12 and the detached self-indulgence and shameless plentitude of The Capitol.

However, Jennifer Lawrence is everything for this movie. Whatever problems this film may have, Lawrence’s skill-set as an actor delivers a performance that glosses over narrative and cinematic glitches. Pardon my lack of articulation, but homegirl is real. Here realness is why Lawrence comes across as genuine as a backwoods girl who fights to feed and house her younger siblings while the very hillbilly drug marketplace that killed her father is coming for her. In the series of scenes in The Hunger Games that takes Katniss from the moments before the battlefield to the start of the 74th Hunger Game, Lawrence sells Katniss’ nervousness. Her fear is palatable, and Lawrence uses her performance to transport us to the battlefield with Katniss.

There are other good performances. Of course, Stanley Tucci is good, but his goodness is breathtaking as the scary host with the most, Caesar Flickerman. Lenny Kravitz gives such a good turn as Katniss’ mentor, Cinna, that he leaves you wanting more. Still, Jennifer Lawrence is the show. She is to The Hunger Games what Robert De Niro is to Raging Bull, the star actor that makes a regular film into something special.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, March 25, 2012

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"Margin Call" Sure as Heck Ain't Marginal

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Margin Call (2011)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: J.C. Chandor
PRODUCERS: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, and Zachary Quinto
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Frank G. DeMarco
EDITOR: Pete Beaudreau
COMPOSER: Nathan Larson
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Aasif Mandvi, and Mary McDonnell

Margin Call is a 2011 ensemble drama written and directed by J.C. Chandor. This independent film takes place over a 36-hour period and is set in an investment firm during the early days of the 2008 financial crisis.

At an unnamed investment firm, a typical morning in 2008 turns atypical with a round of layoffs. One of these fired employees, Eric Dale (Stanley Tucci), passes a USB drive to one of his former subordinates, Peter Sullivan (Zachary Quinto). While perusing the data on the drive, Sullivan makes a shocking discovery, so he alerts the firm’s trading desk bosses, Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey) and Will Emerson (Paul Bettany). The news goes to more senior executives, including division head, Jared Cohen (Simon Baker), and finally to CEO John Tuld (Jeremy Irons). How they fix this crisis could damage the firm, to say nothing of the damage done to people and entities outside the firm.

Not only is Zachary Quinto a cast member of Margin Call, but his production company, Before the Door Pictures (owned with fellow Margin Call producers, Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa), is also one of the companies behind this film. Because he produced this movie, I think it means that Quinto may have a good sense for quality screenplays. Margin Call is sharply written, and rather than bogging down the audience in the jargon of mortgage back securities and investment trading, the script looks at the characters, personalities, and people behind the decisions that rock the financial foundations of both our nation and also of the entire world.

Writer/director J.C. Chandor has earned an Oscar nomination for this screenplay, but the more impressive feat is directing this cast. There are three Oscar wins between Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons and a lot of superb work on the theatre stage. Stanley Tucci has years of excellent performances behind him, and he deserves an Oscar. The rest of the cast is rock solid.

Chandor gives each actor a chance not only to shine as an individual performer, but also to help bring all the performances together to tell a riveting story. Chandor and his cast turn this character drama into a Wall Street thriller. There are some hiccups in the script, and there are also moments when the performances seem like stiff dialogue reading, but they don’t hurt this excellent film. Overall, Margin Call has a better story and screenplay than Oliver Stone’s Wall Street (1987), although Margin Call doesn’t have a monster performance like what Michael Douglas gives Wall Street. Thus far, however, Margin Call is this new century’s signature film about the callous greedy.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (J.C. Chandor)

Friday, February 10, 2012

2012 Independent Spirit Award Nominations Complete List

2012 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)
50/50 - Producers: Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, Seth Rogen
Beginners - Producers: Miranda de Pencier, Lars Knudsen, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Jay Van Hoy
Drive - Producers: Michel Litvak, John Palermo, Marc Platt, Gigi Pritzker, Adam Siegel
Take Shelter - Producers: Tyler Davidson, Sophia Lin
The Artist - Producer: Thomas Langmann
The Descendants - Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Mike Mills for Beginners
Jeff Nichols for Take Shelter
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar for Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Tom McCarthy for Win Win
Mike Mills for Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash for The Descendants

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)
Another Earth
Director: Mike Cahill
Producers: Mike Cahill, Hunter Gray, Brit Marling, Nicholas Shumaker

In the Family
Director: Patrick Wang
Producers: Robert Tonino, Andrew van den Houten, Patrick Wang

Margin Call
Director: J.C. Chandor
Producers: Robert Ogden Barnum, Michael Benaroya, Neal Dodson, Joe Jenckes, Corey Moosa, Zachary Quinto

Martha Marcy May Marlene
Director: Sean Durkin
Producers: Antonio Campos, Patrick Cunningham, Chris Maybach, Josh Mond

Natural Selection
Director: Robbie Pickering
Producers: Brion Hambel, Paul Jensen

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling for Another Earth
J.C. Chandor for Margin Call
Patrick deWitt for Terri
Phil Johnston for Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser for 50/50

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD - Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not listed

Bellflower
Writer/Director: Evan Glodell
Producers: Evan Glodell, Vincent Grashaw

Circumstance
Writer/Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Producers: Karin Chien, Maryam Keshavarz, Melissa M. Lee

1Hello Lonesome
Writer/Director/Producer: Adam Reid

Pariah
Writer/Director: Dee Rees
Producer: Nekisa Cooper

The Dynamiter
Writer: Brad Inglesby
Director: Matthew Gordon
Producers: Kevin Abrams, Matthew Gordon, Merilee Holt, Art Jones, Mike Jones, Nate Tuck, Amile Wilson

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Lauren Ambrose for Think of Me
Rachael Harris for Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye for Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn

BEST MALE LEAD
Demián Bichir for A Better Life
Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Ryan Gosling for Drive
Woody Harrelson for Rampart
Michael Shannon for Take Shelter

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jessica Chastain for Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston for 50/50
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana for Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Albert Brooks for Drive
John Hawkes for Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer for Beginners
John C. Reilly for Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll for Midnight in Paris

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joel Hodge for Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke for The Off Hours
Darius Khondji for Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron for The Dynamiter

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)
An African Election
Director/Producer: Jarreth Merz

Bill Cunningham New York
Director: Richard Press
Producer: Philip Gefter

The Interrupters
Director/Producer: Steve James
Producer: Alex Kotlowitz

The Redemption of General Butt Naked
Director/Producers: Eric Strauss, Daniele Anastasion

We Were Here
Director/Producer: David Weissman

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
A Separation (Iran)
Director: Asghar Farhadi

Melancholia (Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany)
Director: Lars von Trier

Shame (UK)
Director: Steve McQueen

The Kid With a Bike (Belgium/France/Italy)
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Tyrannosaur (UK)
Director: Paddy Considine

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

Margin Call
Director: J.C. Chandor
Casting Director: Tiffany Little Canfield, Bernard Telsey
Ensemble Cast: Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci

FILMMAKER GRANT NOMINEES:

PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD – The 15th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.

Chad Burris for Mosquita y Mari
Sophia Lin for Take Shelter
Josh Mond for Martha Marcy May Marlene

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD – The 18th annual Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Simon Arthur for Silver Tongues
Mark Jackson for Without
Nicholas Ozeki for Mamitas

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD – The 17th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Heather Courtney for Where Soldiers Come From
Danfung Dennis for Hell and Back Again
Alma Har’el for Bombay Beach

"Captain America: The First Avenger" a Fun Adventure Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 of 2011 by Leroy Douresseaux


Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston
WRITERS: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based upon the comic books by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Amir Madani
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Shelly Johnson
EDITORS: Robert Dalva and Jeffrey Ford with Michael McCusker
COMPOSER: Alan Silvestri

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/WAR

Starring: Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Richard Armitage, Stanley Tucci, Samuel L. Jackson, Toby Jones, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, Kenneth Choi, JJ Field, Bruno Ricci, Lex Shrapnel, Michael Brandon, and Martin T. Sherman

Captain America is a superhero character created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (cover dated March 1941), which was published by Timely Comics (the predecessor of Marvel Comics). Over the seven decades of his existence, Captain America has appeared in comic books, a 1944 movie serial, a 1990 film, and live action and animated television series.

Captain America returns to the big screen in Captain America: The First Avenger, the fifth film produced by Marvel Studios (a sister company of Marvel Comics). The film follows the adventures of a young man deemed unfit for military service during World War II who becomes a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals.

The story begins in March 1942, a time of momentous events, obviously with World War II being the main event. In Europe, Nazi officer, Johann Schmidt AKA the Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), has stolen a mysterious cube-like tesseract, which he believes will provide the power to make him and his terrorist organization, HYDRA, more powerful that Hitler and the Third Reich. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in New York City, Brooklyn native, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a short, scrawny, sickly young man, is rejected for military service as 4F for the fifth time. Rogers’ best friend, Sgt. James “Bucky” Barnes (Sebastian Stan), tries to comfort him, but Rogers won’t be consoled and is desperate to serve his country.

Rogers’ convictions capture the attention of Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), an immigrant scientist working for the U.S. government’s Strategic Science Reserve. Erskine’s secret project is a serum that he hopes will create super soldiers, and Erskine wants to test it on Rogers. With the help of military inventor, Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Erskine finds success and the serum turns Rogers into a tall, muscular marvel.

After a very public battle with enemy agents, Rogers dons a colorful costume and begins selling War Bonds, but he wants to do more for the good old U.S. of A. While touring Europe, fate gives Rogers a chance to be a hero again and Captain America (Chris Evan) is born. Now, only Captain America and a small band of soldiers can save the world from the Red Skull and HYDRA.

At times, Captain America: The First Avenger is intensely violent, thus its PG-13 rating. Besides that, the film is really a family action adventure that blends the superhero and war movie genres. It cleverly mixes light-hearted, golden nostalgia for Depression and World War II era America with good old two-fisted tales of American fighting men. For the most part, director Joe Johnston seamlessly blends the period film elements with the action set pieces featuring red-bloodied American men kicking evil, Euro-trash ass. In fact, Captain America: The First Avenger reminds me of Johnston’s underrated 1991 Depression-era flick, The Rocketeer (which was also adapted from a comic book).

Although the acting is mostly good, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers and Captain America is the clear standout. Evans is so good that you soon forget the special effects that transform this strapping young actor into the small, frail kid that Steve Rogers is before the super soldier serum turns him into beefcake.

The last third of the film lacks the punch and humor of the first two-thirds. By the end, Captain America’s square-jawed optimism and the film’s gentle humorous tone are replaced by a Captain America that is a fighting machine and by standard action stuff. Still, Captain America: The First Avenger is not really like most superhero movies. It’s a different-looking fantasy action adventure and a fun one, at that.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Review: "Road to Perdition" is Powerful (Happy B'day, Tom Hanks)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 95 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Road to Perdition (2002)
Running time: 117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence and language
DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes
WRITER: David Self (from the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner)
PRODUCERS: Sam Mendes, Dean Zanuck, and Richard D. Zanuck
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Conrad L. Hall (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jill Bilcock
COMPOSER: Thomas Newman
Academy Award winner

CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tyler Hoechlin, Daniel Craig, Liam Aiken, and Stanley Tucci

Almost everything about Road to Perdition is superfine, from the beautiful and evocative (to call it haunting seems trite) photography of Conrad L. Hall (for which he posthumously won an Academy Award) to the varied performances of the cast. In a broad sense, the film is about the relationships between men, specifically the father-son relationships that are made by birth or created by the bond of friendship. In a narrow sense, the film is about a boy coming to grips with loving his father despite his revulsion to his father’s profession.

The bonds of loyalty break when Michael Sullivan, Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin) witnesses a gangland killing perpetrated by his father Michael, Sr. (Tom Hanks) and Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig), the only son of his father’s boss. Daddy is a hitman/enforcer for John Rooney (Paul Newman), a mob boss. Connor initiated the brutal killings to cover his trail of deceit against his father. In a half-baked plan to cover himself, Connor kills Sullivan’s wife, Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and younger son, Peter (Liam Aiken), and narrowly misses having Michael Sr. killed. Father and son Michaels take to the road while the elder Sullivan plots his revenge against Connor. That vendetta destroys the father-son relationship the Sr. had with John Rooney. To staunch the blood flow, the Chicago mob hires a talented hit man (Jude Law) to kill Sullivan and son.

Of the many quality elements that stood out in this film, the one that shined the most to me was Tom Hanks’ performance. No longer is he merely an actor, he is an artist: creating, communicating, and storytelling. In a way, his performance becomes symbolic of the character type for which he plays. Sullivan, Sr. isn’t a saint. He is, we must painfully admit, an evil man, who loves nevertheless loves his family and loyalty in that order. When his family is wrecked, his loyalty disintegrates, and all that he has left to love is his boy. Their time “on the run” is time best used to revealing that love to his son. This isn’t the script telling us that; it’s Hanks’ performance told through his facial expressions and in the tenor of his voice. Although the son is the film’s narrator, this is a story about his father and how the son comes to separate the man that is his father from the man who can be a cold, merciless killer.

This is a high quality Hollywood production that doesn’t break the rules. In fact, although Hanks is ostensibly a villain, the filmmakers quietly downplay his wickedness. The script is good, but relies on the audience’s familiarity with father-son relationships, stories about loyalty and betrayal, as well as viewers having an understanding how crime organizations work, at least from a Hollywood point of view. In Road to Perdition, we watch a talented director (Sam Mendes) work his actors (Paul Newman also turns in an excellent pathos-filled performance.) into making the familiar seem special, and that in itself is an accomplishment.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Cinematography” (Conrad L. Hall: Nomination and award were posthumous. His son Conrad W. Hall accepted the award on his behalf.); 5 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Paul Newman), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Dennis Gassner-art director and Nancy Haigh-set decorator), “Best Music, Original Score” (Thomas Newman), “Best Sound” (Scott Millan, Bob Beemer, and John Pritchett) “Best Sound Editing” (Scott Hecker)

2003 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Cinematography” (Conrad L. Hall: Posthumously) and “Best Production Design” (Dennis Gassner); 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Paul Newman)

2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Paul Newman)

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Production Begins on Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer"

Director Bryan Singer in Production on 3D Epic Action Adventure “Jack the Giant Killer”

Stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway in London on acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer’s 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Killer,” with Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Jack, for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures.

“Jack the Giant Killer” tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend — and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced “X-Men: First Class,” for release later this year. “Jack the Giant Killer” also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Julie & Julia”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.

Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.

The creative filmmaking team includes Singer’s longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) and editor John Ottman (“X2,” “Superman Returns”). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”).

“Jack the Giant Killer” is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a summer 2012 release.

A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Emma Stone Gets an A for "Easy A"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 106 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Easy A (2010)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teen sexuality, language and some drug material
DIRECTOR: Will Gluck
WRITER: Bert V. Royal
PRODUCERS: Zanne Devine and Will Gluck
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Grady
EDITOR: Susan Littenberg
Golden Globe nominee

COMEDY

Starring: Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, Aly Michalka, Penn Badgley, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Dan Byrd, Cam Gigandet, Fred Armisen, and Malcolm McDowell

The recent teen comedy, Easy A, takes as its inspiration the classic American novel, The Scarlet Letter (1850), written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Easy A focuses on a clean-cut high school student who uses rumor and innuendo to improve her social status at school.

At Ojai North High School, no one really notices Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone), except her bitchy best friend, Rhiannon Abernathy (Aly Michalka). It is to Rhiannon that Olive lies about losing her virginity to a college student, and, in what seems like an instant, that little white lie is all over campus. This causes Olive to run afoul of the campus Christian crusader, Marianne Bryant (Amanda Bynes). Olive compounds that first lie by helping Brandon (Dan Byrd), her gay friend who is being bullied, stage an act to trick their fellow students into believing that Dan is now straight. Soon, however, Olive learns that being the talk of the school isn’t necessarily a good thing – especially when the talk is that you are easy and a whore.

Although it belongs to the well-worn teen comedy genre, Easy A is fresh and spry. Much of the credit for that should go to the film’s star, Emma Stone, who comes across as being much more mature than her age (22) would suggest. This film’s plot, pacing, and philosophy flow through her, and Stone handles it with ease, talent, and uncommon professionalism for an actress her age.

The other thing that makes Easy A seem different is that it is real or tells its tale by dealing with issues and situations confronted by real teenagers. Director Will Gluck and screenwriter Bert V. Royal are able to mine so much excellent comedy, humor, and satire from that realism. Easy A rips people apart for being so hypocritical and judgmental. It derives humor not only from that, but also from the fact that people are often critical of others to cover for something about themselves they don’t like.

The film understands that the complicated, rough and tumble politics of high school are a microcosm of what happens in the larger world. We all want to be accepted and loved, and yes, we will use other people and tell lies to get our way.

Easy A is brutally honest and funny. Sometimes, it isn’t as clever as the filmmakers think it is, which makes the film awkward, especially in the last act. Still, I give this movie credit for being a teen film that tackles the high school rumor mill and social ladder with such sparkling wit and lack of political correctness. Easy A envisions teen angst and the high school drama from a different angle, and the reward for watching it is a memorably good time at the movies.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

NOTES:
2011 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Emma Stone)

Review: "The Devil Wears Prada" is Still Devilish Fun (Happy B'day, Anne Hathaway)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 156 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sensuality
DIRECTOR: David Frankel
WRITER: Aline Brosh McKenna (based upon the novel by Lauren Weisberger)
PRODUCER: Wendy Finerman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Florian Ballhaus
EDITOR: Mark Livosi, A.C.E.
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY

Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, and Daniel Sanjata

Fresh out of college with her journalism degree, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has decided to go to New York City to pursue her dream of serious writing, although her parents would have preferred Stanford Law School. Her impressive college resume lands her job at Runway Magazine, the fashion bible of NYC. Andy’s job is to be the assistant to Emily (Emily Blunt), who is in turn the assistant to the fearsome Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), Runway’s editor-in-chief and the most powerful woman in fashion. This is a job, as Nigel (Stanley Tucci), one of Miranda’s employees, tells Andy, a job that a thousand other girls would kill for. However, Andy isn’t much on fashion, and her wardrobe is more off-the-rack drab than haute couture. She’s really wrong for the job, and Miranda is a prickly, domineering, ice queen who quickly dismissed the two assistants prior to Andy. Still, Andy begins to like her new job, and that’s when it conflicts with her circle of friends, especially her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier). Now, Andy has to balance a burgeoning profession career with her personal life, even while’s she finds herself drawn closer to the dragon fire that is Miranda Priestly.

The Devil Wears Prada relies on two basic and familiar storylines – the fish out of water story and the career girl’s adventures, and the movie does both well because of its star. Meryl Streep’s name may be first on the marquee, and she gives a tour-de-force performance (as is her want), but this is Anne Hathaway’s movie. The girlish looks and charms she showed in Disney’s The Princess Diaries franchise and the dramatic chops she showed in Brokeback Mountain both come to play in The Devil Wears Prada, the former more than the latter. Her Andy Sachs is both spunky and serious, and Anne shows so much of that in her highly emotive facial expressions – done with exquisite subtly.

Of course, much of this film’s attention is on Streep’s flashy and brassy turn as Miranda Priestly, but ever the consummate professional and actor-as-artist, Streep’s theatrics are completely in the context of the film. She doesn’t stop the film cold when she turns on Miranda’s cold. Streep’s performance allows for this movie to have something that successful films need – great scenes. Great movies have several great scenes, and while The Devil Wears Prada isn’t great, it is easily the top comedy of 2006. Streep anchors the great scenes (or even builds them) that make this movie a must-see for movie lovers.

The Devil Wears Prada is one of those flicks that deserves and has earned such film critics’ clichés as “devilishly clever,” deliciously wicked,” “fiendishly clever,” etc., and even “scrumptious.” That’s because the script allows us to tag along on a crafty romp through the fashion world the movie has fashioned. As snarky as the comedy about the fashion industry in this movie may be, the ultimate treat is two outstanding performances by Streep and Hathaway. Their chess match, or test of wills, as it may be, is the pillar of this ingeniously constructed comedy.

7 of 10
A-

Thursday, July 20, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Pat Field)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Emily Blunt), “Best Costume Design” (Pat Field), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Nicki Ledermann and Angel De Angelis), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Aline Brosh McKenna)

2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Meryl Streep); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Emily Blunt)

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Alex Gibney Hits the Jackpot with "Casino Jack" Documentary

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 81 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010)
Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Alex Gibney
PRODUCER: Zena Barakat, Alison Ellwood, and Alex Gibney
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Maryse Alberti
EDITOR: Alison Ellwood

DOCUMENTARY – Politics

Starring: Tom DeLay, Thomas Frank, Adam Kidan, Bob Ney, Ron Platt, Sue Schmidt, Melanie Sloan, Neil Volz with Stanley Tucci and Paul Rudd

For almost 20 years, Jack Abramoff was an American lobbyist. He was also a businessman, film producer, and political figure. His ascendancy as an influential and powerful man, both as a lobbyist and within the Republican Party, began when the Republicans seized control of both houses of Congress in 1994. Over the next 12 years, Abramoff lobbied Congress for Indian casinos, sweatshop owners in Saipan, and even shadowy Russian interests. He eventually went to prison for defrauding his Native American clients and corruption of public officials.

Written and directed by Alex Gibney, Casino Jack and the United States of Money is a documentary film about Jack Abramoff, his career, his lobbying activities, and the people around him – including Congressmen, congressional staffers, fellow lobbyists, and assorted figures within conservative and right-wing Christian politics. Gibney won an Oscar for his 2007 documentary, Taxi to the Dark Side, but Gibney deftly plumbed the depths of economic and political scandal in the Oscar-nominated documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

However, Casino Jack and the United States of Money is not just about Abramoff. It is really about the buying and selling of the American government with lobbyists as the go-betweens for the buyers (powerful business interests) and the sellers (Congress). Gibney dazzles with stories of Indian tribal councils spending millions of dollars to keep their casinos and to keep other tribes from having casinos. There is the sex slave industry in Saipan and a murdered Greek casino tycoon. Cold War intrigue mixes with African revolutionaries. Congressmen take lavish, overseas golf trips – transportation by private, corporate jet. But the real story is about the looting of the American government, our broken system of government, and the perilous state of our democracy.

Jack Abramoff was in prison while Gibney was making Casino Jack and the United States of Money, and although he was able to interview Abramoff in prison, Gibney was unable to film the former lobbyist for inclusion in the film. Not having Abramoff is a glaring omission, but this film is really about Casino Jack Abramoff AND the United States of Money. For all that the film covers Abramoff, his career, activities, associates, and business partners, the underlying theme of this documentary is the legalized bribery and influence peddling that has basically turned the American government over to people who can afford to buy it.

Gibney’s gift is to take subjects like accounting, finance, government, and law and make them interesting. Like the Enron movie, this Jack Abramoff movie is about corruption, and Gibney fills the film with interviews of the people involved and the people who are reporting on the takeover. What could be a boring piece of journalism is instead a compelling narrative that will wake up the viewer to corruption about which he should and must care. Gibney convinces the viewer that the corruption matters to him because it affects him and perhaps it will make that viewer become engaged and maybe even outraged.

Gibney can even find the humor in the con game. His interview with former Republican House Majority Leader, Tom Delay, reveals a man in denial about his activities with Abramoff. It is funny to watch Delay deliver half-truths and spin with smooth-as-silk dishonesty, as if he did not unethical, let alone wrong. I don’t know if Casino Jack and the United States of Money will make people take to the streets and demand change (probably not), but it is an important documentary in the modern history of American politics. It exists as a warning, a signpost on the road to American ruin. Ignore it at your peril.

9 of 10
A+

Wednesday, September 29, 2010