Los Angeles Times Presents Hollywood Film Festival
Entering their sixteenth year, the Hollywood Film Festival and Hollywood Film Awards announced that the Los Angeles Times will be the Presenting Sponsor of this year s festival and star-studded gala.
“We are very honored and excited to have the Los Angeles Times as our Presenting Sponsor,” said founder and CEO Carlos de Abreu. “The Times is a Hollywood institution, and their support and leadership will help take the festival and awards to the next level.”
The festival, which starts October 18, encompasses five days of screenings at ArcLight Cinemas Hollywood and culminates with the prestigious Hollywood Film Awards Gala on October 22. The event honors cherished stars and up-and-coming talent, and traditionally kicks off the film awards season with the biggest stars and top industry executives in attendance. Times publisher and Tribune Company CEO Eddy Hartenstein will present one of the evening special awards, with details to be announced next month.
“The Los Angeles Times is Hollywood’s hometown news source and we have been at the forefront of entertainment coverage since trailblazing filmmakers and producers invented the industry,” said Times Vice President, Film Advertising, Francie Berns. “We re excited to present the first marquee event of the all-important film awards season and support the creative community.”
“We are very proud to be the first stop of the awards season. In the last nine years, a total of 85 Oscar nominations and 32 Oscars were given to the honorees of the Hollywood Film Awards,” said de Abreu.
The 2011 awards show reached a total TV audience of more than 41 million media impressions, in addition to more than 300 million online and print readers impressions.
“In addition, we are very happy to continue to bridge the gap between established Hollywood and emerging filmmakers. Craig Brewer, director of “Footloose,” “Hustle and Flow,” and “Black Snake Moan,” was discovered by the Hollywood Film Festival with the world premiere of his first film, “Poor and Hungry,” added de Abreu.
Aside from celebrating accomplishments on screen, the Hollywood Film Awards established the “Hollywood Gives Back” program to expand and continue highlighting and assisting important local and national charities to raise funds. Over the years, the Hollywood Film Awards has contributed to such charities as the following: The Art of Elysium, Artists For Human Rights, Artists for Peace and Justice, MatchingDonors.com, Children s Hospital Los Angeles, the Enough Project, and Variety The Children s Charity of So. CA, among others.
Further, the Hollywood Film Awards selects individuals to be recipients of their “Hollywood Humanitarian Awards” in recognition of their contribution to the betterment of their communities or society at large. Prior recipients include Nobel Peace Prize winner and ex-President of East Timor, Dr. Jose Ramos-Horta, Nobel Laureate Jody Williams, Father Rick Frechette, and actor and activist Sean Penn.
The Hollywood Film Awards Gala ceremony draws more than 1,100 attendees, including such A-list celebrities and stars as Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Kristin Scott Thomas, Berenice Bejo, Annette Bening, Halle Berry, Orlando Bloom, Josh Brolin, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Jennifer Connelly, Cameron Crowe, Russell Crowe, Penelope Cruz, Billy Crystal, Ted Danson, Viola Davis, Benicio Del Toro, Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Jean Dujardin, Clint Eastwood, Elle Fanning, Colin Farrell, Will Ferrell, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Goldie Hawn, Amber Heard, Jonah Hill, Julianne Hough, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Janet Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Angelina Jolie, Felicity Jones, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Greg Kinnear, Diane Lane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ray Liotta, Lucy Liu, George Lucas, Michael Mann, Matthew McConaughey, Ewan McGregor, Mike Myers, Christopher Nolan, Ellen Page, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Sydney Pollack, Keanu Reeves, Andrea Riseborough, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Scorsese, Will Smith, Octavia Spencer, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Emma Stone, Oliver Stone, Sharon Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Charlize Theron, Marisa Tomei, Robert Towne, John Travolta, Cicely Tyson, Naomi Watts, Harvey Weinstein, Forest Whitaker, Michelle Williams, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Shailene Woodley, Anton Yelchin, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, among many others.
ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD FILM FESTIVAL
The festival was created to bridge the gap between established Hollywood and the global creative community, as well as discovering embryonic filmmakers. This year will be our 16th anniversary and the Hollywood Film Festival will take place from Oct 18 to 22, 2012, at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. “The ultimate networking opportunity for filmmakers looking for a break,” says Variety. Some of our film finalists have been acquired by HBO, Miramax, IFC, and Starz, among other distributors, and filmmakers have secured agents, managers, and jobs. One of our winners, Craig Brewer (director of “Hustle and Flow,” “Black Snake Moan” and “Footloose”), was discovered by the Hollywood Film Festival(r) with the world premiere of his first film “Poor and Hungry.”
ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD FILM AWARDS
The Hollywood Film Awards were created to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking, both in front of and behind the camera, and launch the awards season. Last year alone, our recipients received 12 nominations and 5 Oscars. In the last 9 years, a total of 85 Oscar nominations and 32 Oscars were given to our honorees. The awards are bestowed at a GALA ceremony that takes place at the prestigious Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Festival and Awards Contact:
Hollywood Film Festival®
433 N. Camden Drive, Suite 600
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
info@hollywoodawards.com
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
"Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures" Coming to Blu-ray
INDIANA JONES: THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES ON BLU-RAY™ FOR THE FIRST TIME - AVAILABLE ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
The ultimate adventure collection debuts on Blu-Ray™ with seven hours of bonus features including nearly an hour of previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage.
Every unforgettable exploit of world-renowned, globetrotting hero Indiana Jones finally comes home with pristine picture and sound when INDIANA JONES: The Complete Adventures debuts on Blu-Ray September 18, 2012 from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Paramount Home Media Distribution. The cinematic classic that started it all—Raiders of the Lost Ark—has been meticulously restored under the supervision of director Steven Spielberg and sound designer Ben Burtt. Additionally, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade have both been remastered alongside 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull making this landmark release the first time all four films in the epic and award-winning franchise have been available together in sparkling high definition.
Also, see RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK™ IN IMAX – FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
Director Steven Spielberg and Executive Producer George Lucas’ RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK™ is currently playing in select IMAX theaters for a one-week engagement that began September 7th and WILL END September 14th.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
"The Hangover Part III" Starts Shooting for May 2013 Release
Cameras Roll on “The Hangover Part III”
Director Todd Phillips takes stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis on one last wild ride
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part III,” the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ record-shattering comedy franchise.
This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.
“The Hangover Part III” reunites Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug. Returning to the ensemble are Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor and, as the guys’ long-suffering wives, Gillian Vigman, Sasha Barrese and Jamie Chung. John Goodman joins the cast as well.
Phillips directs from a screenplay he wrote with Craig Mazin, who also collaborated with him on the screenplay for “The Hangover Part II.” Phillips is producing the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers.
Also back for another round are Phillips’ behind-the-scenes creative team from the first two films: director of photography Lawrence Sher, editor Debra Neil-Fisher and costume designer Louise Mingenbach. They are joined by production designer Maher Ahmad (upcoming “Gangster Squad”) and editor Jeff Groth (“Project X”).
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, “The Hangover Part III” is scheduled for release on May 24, 2013, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Director Todd Phillips takes stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis on one last wild ride
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part III,” the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ record-shattering comedy franchise.
This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.
“The Hangover Part III” reunites Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug. Returning to the ensemble are Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor and, as the guys’ long-suffering wives, Gillian Vigman, Sasha Barrese and Jamie Chung. John Goodman joins the cast as well.
Phillips directs from a screenplay he wrote with Craig Mazin, who also collaborated with him on the screenplay for “The Hangover Part II.” Phillips is producing the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers.
Also back for another round are Phillips’ behind-the-scenes creative team from the first two films: director of photography Lawrence Sher, editor Debra Neil-Fisher and costume designer Louise Mingenbach. They are joined by production designer Maher Ahmad (upcoming “Gangster Squad”) and editor Jeff Groth (“Project X”).
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, “The Hangover Part III” is scheduled for release on May 24, 2013, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Google Play and Steven Spielberg Host "Lincoln" Sept. 13th
You’re Invited to a Google Play Hosted Hangout with Director Steven Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for the World Premiere of the “Lincoln” Trailer on September 13th
First-Time-Ever Event Will Be Broadcast Live in Times Square
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures and Google Play announced today that they will debut the theatrical trailer for “Lincoln” during a Google+ Hangout on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 4 p.m. PT.
The event will also feature a live conversation with Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who portrays Robert Todd Lincoln in the highly anticipated film slated for release in November.
The “Lincoln” trailer will be the first film trailer to launch during a Google+ Hangout, which allows people to connect face-to-face-to-face via group video chat. In another first, the Hangout will also be broadcast live on the ABC SuperSign in the heart of New York City’s Times Square.
The Hangout is being hosted by Google Play, which boasts the world’s largest collection of ebooks and is home to millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and a growing selection of magazines. Not to mention over 600,000 apps and games.
Fans interested in participating are asked to upload a short video to their own YouTube channel with the #LincolnHangout tag explaining who they are, why they are interested in “Lincoln” and what they would like to ask Spielberg and Gordon-Levitt about the film.
To learn more about the submission process and about how to tune in to this live Hangout, visit www.lincolnmoviehangout.com.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln,” a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln” is produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox film, in association with Participant Media, releases in U.S. theaters exclusive on November 9, 2012, with expansion on November 16, 2012.
First-Time-Ever Event Will Be Broadcast Live in Times Square
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamWorks Pictures and Google Play announced today that they will debut the theatrical trailer for “Lincoln” during a Google+ Hangout on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at 4 p.m. PT.
The event will also feature a live conversation with Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who portrays Robert Todd Lincoln in the highly anticipated film slated for release in November.
The “Lincoln” trailer will be the first film trailer to launch during a Google+ Hangout, which allows people to connect face-to-face-to-face via group video chat. In another first, the Hangout will also be broadcast live on the ABC SuperSign in the heart of New York City’s Times Square.
The Hangout is being hosted by Google Play, which boasts the world’s largest collection of ebooks and is home to millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and a growing selection of magazines. Not to mention over 600,000 apps and games.
Fans interested in participating are asked to upload a short video to their own YouTube channel with the #LincolnHangout tag explaining who they are, why they are interested in “Lincoln” and what they would like to ask Spielberg and Gordon-Levitt about the film.
To learn more about the submission process and about how to tune in to this live Hangout, visit www.lincolnmoviehangout.com.
ABOUT THE MOVIE
Steven Spielberg directs two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln,” a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook and Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln” is produced by Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, with a screenplay by Tony Kushner, based in part on the book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The DreamWorks Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox film, in association with Participant Media, releases in U.S. theaters exclusive on November 9, 2012, with expansion on November 16, 2012.
Review: "Johnny Belinda" is a Powerful Drama (Remembering Jane Wyman)
Johnny Belinda (1948) – B&W
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Jean Negulesco
WRITERS: Allan Vincent and Irmgard von Cube (based upon the play by Elmer Harris)
PRODUCER: Jerry Wald
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ted McCord
EDITOR: David Weisbart
COMPOSER: Max Steiner
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Jane Wyman, Lew Ayres, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorhead, Stephen McNally, Jan Sterling, Dan Seymour, and Alan Napier
The subject of this review is Johnny Belinda, a 1948 American drama that earned a best picture Oscar nomination. The film is based on a play of the same name by Elmer Harris, and the play is based on a real-life incident that occurred in the area of Harris’ summer residence. The film focuses on a deaf young woman and the doctor who befriends and teaches her.
Cape Breton is a small island on the northeast corner of Nova Scotia, and the kindly Robert Richardson (Lew Ayres) is the new doctor in a small fishing village on the island. Dr. Richardson takes a professional interest in Belinda MacDonald (Jane Wyman), a deaf mute, whom most everyone calls “Dummy.” Using his past experience and some medical text, Dr. Richardson teaches Belinda to communicate through sign language and by reading people’s lips.
A whole new world unfolds before Belinda, and she even surprises her doubting father, Black MacDonald (Charles Bickford), who more or less uses his daughter as a common laborer, and her aunt, Aggie MacDonald (Agnes Moorhead). Things turn ugly, however, when the town bully, Laughlin “Locky” McCormick (Stephen McNally), rapes Belinda, and she ends up pregnant – turning the town against her, her family, and her dear friend Dr. Richardson, whom the town mistakenly believes to be the baby daddy.
Jane Wyman earned the “Best Actress” Oscar for her turn in Johnny Belinda as a young deaf woman who finds herself awakening to the world, both its best and worst, when she learns to communicate. It’s actually an amazing performance when considering how quiet and undemonstrative the character is, and Wyman captures it with equally soft grace. Hers, however, isn’t the only good performance. Lew Ayres is steadfast as Dr. Richardson, so convincing that Dr. Richardson seems to be a real person who somehow stepped into the film’s fictional setting. Charles Bickford as Belinda’s father and Agnes Moorhead as her aunt provide a solid counterbalance to the influence of Dr. Richardson in Belinda’s life.
Perhaps because director Jean Negulesco allows this quartet of brawny performances to breath and develop without melodrama, Johnny Belinda is a solid weepy, the kind of tear-jerker that doesn’t jerk tears out of the audience so much as it touches them in a profound way. Negulesco finds room in the script for the rest of the cast who aren’t so much characters as they are the backdrop to this little drama. The denizens of Cape Breton are insular, conservative, and oh-so set in their ways, and it’s a nifty move of directing that allows these people and the way they live to enhance the drama. Negulesco uses these obstacles and adversaries our protagonists face to make Belinda’s ultimate victory even sweeter.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1949 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Jane Wyman); 11 nominations: “Best Picture” (Warner Bros.), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Lew Ayres), “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Charles Bickford), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Agnes Moorehead), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White” (Robert M. Haas and William Wallace), “Best Cinematography, Black-and-White” (Ted D. McCord), “Best Director” (Jean Negulesco), “Best Film Editing” (David Weisbart), “Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture” (Max Steiner), “Best Sound, Recording” ((Warner Bros. Sound Dept.), and “Best Writing, Screenplay” (Irma von Cube and Allen Vincent)
1949 Golden Globes, USA: 2 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama (shared with The Treasure of the Sierra Madre-1948) and “Best Motion Picture Actress” (Jane Wyman)
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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Sunday, September 9, 2012
Winners at the 69th Venice Film Festival Announced
Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" Wins, Then Loses the "Golden Lion"
Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" Wins the Golden Lion
Founded in 1932, the Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. The 69th edition just ended... with some controversy.
Apparently, there is a new rule for the festival's film awards. The film that wins the "Golden Lion," which is the Venice Film Festival's top prize, cannot win other awards. The jury (with Michael Mann as this year's President of the jury) initially awarded the Golden Lion to Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which focuses on an L. Ron Hubbard-like figure. The jury had also awarded the film other awards. In order to give The Master several trophies, the jury had to reconsider the Golden Lion, so they gave it to Pieta, a film by Korean director, Kim Ki-duk.
Official Awards of the 69th Venice Film Festival
• VENEZIA 69
GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk (Republic of Korea)
SILVER LION for Best Director to THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Germany, France)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in the film THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Hadas Yaron in the film LEMALE ET HA’CHALAL by Rama Bursthein (Israel)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Fabrizio Falco in the films BELLA ADDORMENTATA by Marco Bellocchio (Italy) and È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprí (Italy)
AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to Olivier Assayas for the film APRES MAI by Olivier Assayas (France)
AWARD FOR THE BEST TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY) to Daniele Ciprì for the film È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprì (Italy)
• LION OF THE FUTURE – “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to KÜF (MOLD) by Ali Aydin (Turkey, Germany) VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer
• ORIZZONTI ("Horizons" - honors new trends)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM (full-length films) to SAN ZIMEI by Wang Bing (France, Hong Kong)
SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE (full-length films) to TANGO LIBRE by Frédéric Fonteyne (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)
ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to CHO-DE by Yoo Min-young (South Korea)
EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012-EFA to TITLOI TELOUS by Yorgos Zois (Greece)
GOLDEN LION FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 2012 to Francesco Rosi
JAEGER-LECOULTRE GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER AWARD to Spike Lee
PERSOL AWARD to Michael Cimino
L’ORÉAL PARIS PER IL CINEMA AWARD to Giulia Bevilacqua
Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" Wins the Golden Lion
Founded in 1932, the Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. The 69th edition just ended... with some controversy.
Apparently, there is a new rule for the festival's film awards. The film that wins the "Golden Lion," which is the Venice Film Festival's top prize, cannot win other awards. The jury (with Michael Mann as this year's President of the jury) initially awarded the Golden Lion to Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, which focuses on an L. Ron Hubbard-like figure. The jury had also awarded the film other awards. In order to give The Master several trophies, the jury had to reconsider the Golden Lion, so they gave it to Pieta, a film by Korean director, Kim Ki-duk.
Official Awards of the 69th Venice Film Festival
• VENEZIA 69
GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk (Republic of Korea)
SILVER LION for Best Director to THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Germany, France)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix in the film THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Hadas Yaron in the film LEMALE ET HA’CHALAL by Rama Bursthein (Israel)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Fabrizio Falco in the films BELLA ADDORMENTATA by Marco Bellocchio (Italy) and È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprí (Italy)
AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to Olivier Assayas for the film APRES MAI by Olivier Assayas (France)
AWARD FOR THE BEST TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY) to Daniele Ciprì for the film È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprì (Italy)
• LION OF THE FUTURE – “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to KÜF (MOLD) by Ali Aydin (Turkey, Germany) VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer
• ORIZZONTI ("Horizons" - honors new trends)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM (full-length films) to SAN ZIMEI by Wang Bing (France, Hong Kong)
SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE (full-length films) to TANGO LIBRE by Frédéric Fonteyne (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)
ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to CHO-DE by Yoo Min-young (South Korea)
EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012-EFA to TITLOI TELOUS by Yorgos Zois (Greece)
GOLDEN LION FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 2012 to Francesco Rosi
JAEGER-LECOULTRE GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER AWARD to Spike Lee
PERSOL AWARD to Michael Cimino
L’ORÉAL PARIS PER IL CINEMA AWARD to Giulia Bevilacqua
"Think Like a Man" a Frothy Battle of the Sexes
Think Like a Man (2012)
Running time: 122 minutes (2 hours, 2 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content, some crude humor, and brief drug use
DIRECTOR: Tim Story
WRITERS: Keith Merryman and David A. Newman (based on the book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, by Steve Harvey)
PRODUCER: William Packer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Larry Blanford
EDITOR: Peter S. Elliot
COMPOSER: Christopher Lennertz
ROMANCE/COMEDY
Starring: Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Gabrielle Union, La La Anthony, Chris Brown, Wendy Williams, Sherri Shepherd, Caleel Harris, Arielle Kebbel, Steve Harvey, Tony Rock, and Luenell with Matt Barnes, Shannon Brown, Rasual Butler, Darren Collison, Lisa Leslie, and Metta World Peace
Think Like a Man is a 2012 ensemble romantic comedy from director Tim Story (Fantastic Four). The film is based on comedian and actor Steve Harvey’s 2009 advice book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. The film follows four male friends who conspire to turn the tables on the women in their lives when they discover that their ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them.
Cedric (Kevin Hart), Dominic (Michael Ealy), Zeke (Romany Malco), Michael (Terrence J), Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara), and Bennett (Gary Owen) are friends who like to get together and talk about their relationships with women. Cedric is going through a divorce, and Bennett is happily married. Jeremy’s relationship with his longtime girlfriend, Kristen (Gabrielle Union), is frayed, although he doesn’t seem to notice it. Dominic uses deception to begin a relationship with Lauren (Taraji P. Henson), a successful businesswoman.
Zeke meets Mya (Meagan Good), a young woman who has just decided that before she has sex with a new boyfriend, he has to wait 90 days. Zeke, however, always wants to “hit it” right away. Michael begins a relationship with Candace (Regina Hall), a single mother, but Michael is a mama’s boy, and that creates strife in the new relationship.
However, Kristen, Lauren, Mya, and Candace decide to take the advice of Steve Harvey (playing himself) as presented in his book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, to help them get the upper hand in their relationships. When the guys discover what their ladies are doing, they decide to get familiar with the same book. Game on!
The first thing I want to say is that Kevin Hart is a pure scene-stealer. Hart not only plays a character, Cedric, but he is also the film’s narrator. As the narrator, he practically owns half this movie. He’s good; he’s funny.
The other half of the ownership goes to director Tim Story. I think that Story’s talent as a director is largely untapped. His two Fantastic Four films for 20th Century Fox were underserved by uneven screenwriting. Story shows his skills in Think Like a Man, because there are so many characters and so many actors playing them that the director has to get a handle on them. Handle them Story does, which is quite a feat, as there are way too many characters in this movie. Still, Story gives every actor the opportunity to make the most of his or her character, and most of the actors take advantage of the opportunities. That is why Think Like a Man movie works.
Think Like a Man is a frothy, romantic comedy, and it has the same cinematic bubbles and fizz to tickle the nose that movie audiences find in frivolous romantic comedies featuring predominately white casts. Tim Story delivers the same feel-good charm which directors of those other films do, but with a way-too large cast.
Think Like a Man may be the best romantic comedy starring a predominately African-American cast to date. It’s sweet and filled with empty calories, but they feel good going down. They’re so good that you might want more… later.
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, September 08, 2012
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