Press release:
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Gets Summer Play Date
The Release of the New Steve Carell Comedy Moves to July 29, 2011
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Responding to overwhelmingly positive test screening results, Warner Bros. Pictures is moving the release date of “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” starring Steve Carell, to July 29, 2011.
The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, who stated, “From our early recruited screenings, we have seen that audiences love ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.’ From all indications, we feel strongly that the film has a very broad appeal, so we have decided to release it where it will have the widest possible platform. The studio is very excited to include this film in our powerhouse Summer slate, alongside films like ‘The Hangover Part II,’ ‘Green Lantern’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.’”
“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” also stars Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, John Carroll Lynch, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.
Carell leads the cast as straight-laced, fortysomething Cal Weaver, who is living the dream—good job, nice house, great kids and marriage to his high school sweetheart. But when Cal learns that his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), has cheated on him and wants a divorce, his perfect life quickly unravels. Worse, in today’s single world, Cal, who hasn’t dated in decades, stands out as the epitome of un-smooth. Now spending his free evenings sulking alone at a local bar, the hapless Cal is taken on as wingman and protégé to handsome, thirtysomething player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling). In an effort to help Cal get over his wife and start living his life, Jacob opens Cal’s eyes to the many options before him: flirty women, manly drinks and a sense of style that can’t be found at Supercuts or The Gap. But despite Cal’s makeover and his many new conquests, the one thing that can’t be made over is his heart, which seems to keep leading him back to where he began.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa directed “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” from a screenplay by Dan Fogelman. The film is produced by Carell and Denise Di Novi, with David A. Siegel, Vance DeGeneres and Charlie Hartsock serving as executive producers. Warner Bros. Pictures presents “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” a production of Carousel Productions and DiNovi Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and has been rated PG-13 for coarse humor, sexual content and language.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Review: Michael Douglas' Performance in Original "Wall Street" Still Amazes
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 104 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux
Wall Street (1987)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone
WRITERS: Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone
PRODUCER: Edward R. Pressman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Claire Simpson
COMPOSER: Stewart Copeland
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, James Karen, Terrence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader, Saul Rubinek, and Tamara Tunie
Although I was hot to see it when it was first released, I finally watched director Oliver Stone’s Wall Street – 23 years after it debuted in theatres. The film, which follows a young stockbroker’s adventures with an immoral corporate raider, is certainly one of Stone’s most popular films.
Wall Street opens in 1985, as Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a junior stockbroker (salesman) at Jackson Steinem & Co., struggles to get out of a rut and make it big. Fox wants to become involved with his hero, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), the corporate raider and Wall Street player who is legendary for both his ruthlessness and his success. Bud’s father, Carl (Martin Sheen), an airline maintenance worker and union president, inadvertently provides his son with the information that captures Gekko’s interest. Gekko takes on Bud as a kind of apprentice and co-conspirator and helps him to become wealthy. Bud also gets a new girlfriend, an interior decorator named Darien (Daryl Hannah), a close friend of Gekko’s. Bud, however, begins to lose himself the deeper he goes in with Gekko.
Michael Douglas’ performance as Gordon Gekko is one of the best of the last quarter of the 20th century. Simply, it is magnificent. It is hard to believe that at the time of the film, Douglas was apparently considered a mediocre actor – more of a film producer than a performer. In Douglas’ hands, Gekko not only personifies “Wall Street greed,” but also the nature of greed and the competitive urge in humanity. Douglas as Gekko could make you think the phrase, “tour de force,” was created specifically to describe such an awesome and awe-inspiring performance. Like Raging Bull, Wall Street is a movie that enters the rarefied air of remarkable dramatic films made important because of great performances by lead actors.
Still, Wall Street is not completely about Michael Douglas. Charlie Sheen’s stiff-acting style actually makes Bud Fox the perfect dupe/foil for Gekko. Sheen’s (then) exceedingly fresh-looking baby face embodies America’s youth (relatively speaking), and his facial expressions are all about lust for success and money. At other times, Sheen depicts in Fox that inherent guilt that keeps our gluttony and baser appetites in check, for the most part.
Oliver Stone even draws out Wall Street’s religious subtext in scenes where the devilish Gekko mentors (or tempts) Fox on how to get ahead the unethical and illegal way. Stone and Douglas are quite good at presenting their vision of greed. Wall Street makes it look sexy – as if greed were really good, as Gekko says in his legendary monologue. Wall Street is still fantastic, and it may make you remember just how good Stone and Douglas were when they were at the top of their respective games.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Razzie Awards: 1 win: “Worst Supporting Actress” (Daryl Hannah)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Wall Street (1987)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Oliver Stone
WRITERS: Stanley Weiser and Oliver Stone
PRODUCER: Edward R. Pressman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Claire Simpson
COMPOSER: Stewart Copeland
Academy Award winner
DRAMA
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Darryl Hannah, Martin Sheen, John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, James Karen, Terrence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader, Saul Rubinek, and Tamara Tunie
Although I was hot to see it when it was first released, I finally watched director Oliver Stone’s Wall Street – 23 years after it debuted in theatres. The film, which follows a young stockbroker’s adventures with an immoral corporate raider, is certainly one of Stone’s most popular films.
Wall Street opens in 1985, as Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a junior stockbroker (salesman) at Jackson Steinem & Co., struggles to get out of a rut and make it big. Fox wants to become involved with his hero, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), the corporate raider and Wall Street player who is legendary for both his ruthlessness and his success. Bud’s father, Carl (Martin Sheen), an airline maintenance worker and union president, inadvertently provides his son with the information that captures Gekko’s interest. Gekko takes on Bud as a kind of apprentice and co-conspirator and helps him to become wealthy. Bud also gets a new girlfriend, an interior decorator named Darien (Daryl Hannah), a close friend of Gekko’s. Bud, however, begins to lose himself the deeper he goes in with Gekko.
Michael Douglas’ performance as Gordon Gekko is one of the best of the last quarter of the 20th century. Simply, it is magnificent. It is hard to believe that at the time of the film, Douglas was apparently considered a mediocre actor – more of a film producer than a performer. In Douglas’ hands, Gekko not only personifies “Wall Street greed,” but also the nature of greed and the competitive urge in humanity. Douglas as Gekko could make you think the phrase, “tour de force,” was created specifically to describe such an awesome and awe-inspiring performance. Like Raging Bull, Wall Street is a movie that enters the rarefied air of remarkable dramatic films made important because of great performances by lead actors.
Still, Wall Street is not completely about Michael Douglas. Charlie Sheen’s stiff-acting style actually makes Bud Fox the perfect dupe/foil for Gekko. Sheen’s (then) exceedingly fresh-looking baby face embodies America’s youth (relatively speaking), and his facial expressions are all about lust for success and money. At other times, Sheen depicts in Fox that inherent guilt that keeps our gluttony and baser appetites in check, for the most part.
Oliver Stone even draws out Wall Street’s religious subtext in scenes where the devilish Gekko mentors (or tempts) Fox on how to get ahead the unethical and illegal way. Stone and Douglas are quite good at presenting their vision of greed. Wall Street makes it look sexy – as if greed were really good, as Gekko says in his legendary monologue. Wall Street is still fantastic, and it may make you remember just how good Stone and Douglas were when they were at the top of their respective games.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Michael Douglas)
1988 Razzie Awards: 1 win: “Worst Supporting Actress” (Daryl Hannah)
Monday, December 20, 2010
--------------------------
Sunday, December 19, 2010
San Diego Film Critics Not Feeling Sociable; Choose "Winter's Bone"
San Diego Film Critics Society Choose Top Films of 2010
December 14th, the San Diego Film Critics Society announced their film awards for 2010 and surprised everyone by being the first film critics group NOT to choose The Social Network as the best film of the 2010. The San Diego critics chose hot indie drama, Winter's Bone.
In fact, San Diego was being quite contrary. Winter's Bone won two acting awards: Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Supporting Actor for John Hawkes - both well deserved. San Diego even went with Colin Farrell as Best Actor for Ondine and not with Colin Firth (The King's Speech) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), the two names that have dominated film awards thus far.
2010 Awards (Winners in bold and CAPS):
BEST FILM: - WINTER’S BONE
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST DIRECTOR – Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik, WINTER’S BONE
BEST ACTRESS – Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE
Carey Mulligan, NEVER LET ME GO
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Tilda Swinton, I AM LOVE
BEST ACTOR – Colin Farrell, ONDINE
Aaron Eckhart, RABBIT HOLE
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Lesley Manville, ANOTHER YEAR
Blake Lively, THE TOWN
Dale Dickey, WINTER’S BONE
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – John Hawkes, WINTER’S BONE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
John Hurt, 44 INCH CHEST
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Chris Morris, FOUR LIONS
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Michael Arndt, TOY STORY 3
Neil Jordan, ONDINE
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, WINTER’S BONE
Laeta Kalogridis, SHUTTER ISLAND
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Peter Craig & Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, THE TOWN
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – I AM LOVE
BIUTIFUL
MOTHER
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
BEST DOCUMENTARY – EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
A FILM UNFINISHED
INSIDE JOB
THE TILLMAN STORY
WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Wally Pfister, INCEPTION
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 HOURS
Eduardo Serra, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Matthew Libatique, BLACK SWAN
Robert Richardson, SHUTTER ISLAND
BEST ANIMATED FILM – TOY STORY 3
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
TANGLED
THE ILLUSIONIST
BEST EDITING – Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Andrew Weisblum, BLACK SWAN
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jon Harris, 127 HOURS
Lee Smith, INCEPTION
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Dante Ferretti, SHUTTER ISLAND
Guy Hendrix Dyas, INCEPTION
Robert Stromberg, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Thérèse DePrez, BLACK SWAN
BEST SCORE – Rachel Portman, NEVER LET ME GO
A. R. Rahman, 127 HOURS
Clint Mansell, BLACK SWAN
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – 44 INCH CHEST
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINTER’S BONE
BODY OF WORK FOR 2010
Rebecca Hall, (RED RIDING 1974, PLEASE GIVE, THE TOWN)
KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Duncan Shepherd (San Diego Reader film critic)
http://sdfcs.org/2010/12/14/san-diego-film-critics-choose-top-films-of-2010/
December 14th, the San Diego Film Critics Society announced their film awards for 2010 and surprised everyone by being the first film critics group NOT to choose The Social Network as the best film of the 2010. The San Diego critics chose hot indie drama, Winter's Bone.
In fact, San Diego was being quite contrary. Winter's Bone won two acting awards: Best Actress for Jennifer Lawrence and Best Supporting Actor for John Hawkes - both well deserved. San Diego even went with Colin Farrell as Best Actor for Ondine and not with Colin Firth (The King's Speech) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), the two names that have dominated film awards thus far.
2010 Awards (Winners in bold and CAPS):
BEST FILM: - WINTER’S BONE
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST DIRECTOR – Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik, WINTER’S BONE
BEST ACTRESS – Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE
Carey Mulligan, NEVER LET ME GO
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Tilda Swinton, I AM LOVE
BEST ACTOR – Colin Farrell, ONDINE
Aaron Eckhart, RABBIT HOLE
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Lesley Manville, ANOTHER YEAR
Blake Lively, THE TOWN
Dale Dickey, WINTER’S BONE
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – John Hawkes, WINTER’S BONE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
John Hurt, 44 INCH CHEST
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Chris Morris, FOUR LIONS
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Michael Arndt, TOY STORY 3
Neil Jordan, ONDINE
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY – Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, WINTER’S BONE
Laeta Kalogridis, SHUTTER ISLAND
Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Peter Craig & Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, THE TOWN
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – I AM LOVE
BIUTIFUL
MOTHER
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
BEST DOCUMENTARY – EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
A FILM UNFINISHED
INSIDE JOB
THE TILLMAN STORY
WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Wally Pfister, INCEPTION
Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, 127 HOURS
Eduardo Serra, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Matthew Libatique, BLACK SWAN
Robert Richardson, SHUTTER ISLAND
BEST ANIMATED FILM – TOY STORY 3
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
TANGLED
THE ILLUSIONIST
BEST EDITING – Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
Andrew Weisblum, BLACK SWAN
Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jon Harris, 127 HOURS
Lee Smith, INCEPTION
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Dante Ferretti, SHUTTER ISLAND
Guy Hendrix Dyas, INCEPTION
Robert Stromberg, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Stuart Craig, HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1
Thérèse DePrez, BLACK SWAN
BEST SCORE – Rachel Portman, NEVER LET ME GO
A. R. Rahman, 127 HOURS
Clint Mansell, BLACK SWAN
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – 44 INCH CHEST
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
WINTER’S BONE
BODY OF WORK FOR 2010
Rebecca Hall, (RED RIDING 1974, PLEASE GIVE, THE TOWN)
KYLE COUNTS AWARD
Duncan Shepherd (San Diego Reader film critic)
http://sdfcs.org/2010/12/14/san-diego-film-critics-choose-top-films-of-2010/
Review: "Hero" or "Ying Xiong," by Any Name is Great
Hero (2004)
Original title: Ying Xiong (2002)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China/Hong Kong; Language: Mandarin
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Yimou Zhang
WRITERS: Feng Li, Bin Wang, and Yimou Zhang
PRODUCERS: Bill Kong and Yimou Zhang
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Christopher Doyle
EDITORS: Angie Lam and Ru Zhai with Vincent Lee
Academy Awards nominee
MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang, Daoming Chen, and Donnie Yen
If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you may like Ying Xiong, better known by its English title, Hero. However, the two movies aren’t exactly alike. Crouching Tiger is an epic love story in which the romance is intertwined with political intrigue, betrayal and mystery. Hero is both a love story and a revenge tale, but both of those elements are ultimately submerged for a philosophical and spiritual message of national heritage. They are similar in this: I thought Crouching Tiger was by far and away the best film of 2000, and I think Hero is better than the vast majority of films that have been released domestically in the time since Hero first appeared theatrically in China (2002). Hero was also a 2003 Oscar® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
In the story, the Nameless Hero (Jet Li) seeks to murder the King of the province Qin (Daoming Chen). Decades earlier, the King’s forces massacred Nameless’ people in the province of Zhao as part of his campaign to unify the lands that would eventually become China. Nameless reaches the Emperor’s palace and shares the story of his journey up to that point. There is, however, another facet to the story. Nameless also takes on the challenge of defeating three swordsmen, Sky (Donnie Yen) and the assassin couple, Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), who also plot to kill the Emperor. Or as the Emperor of Qin discovers, is there more to the story of Nameless and three assassins than Nameless is telling the Emperor.
Although Hero will draw comparisons to the aforementioned Crouching Tiger, the film shares more with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon in terms of narrative and Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of Time in terms of its visual appearance and its spirit. Regardless of what other films it may resemble, Hero is an exemplary feat of filmmaking that is both thrilling and poignant. Awash in colors and emotion, Hero has beauty that will make your head swoon. The writing defines the lead characters so well, and the cast plays them with such furious conviction that you can’t help but live vicariously through them.
To enjoy such thrilling characters that you can’t help but feel their joy and sorrow, their triumph and noble resignation, or feel their boldness for martial confrontation and feel like you are in battle with them is what we ask of great movie characters. And to find such great characters in a movie that lives up to the promise of its players is an infrequent treat. To find a movie that delves into history and sends a message to the present that makes us realize the importance of the past is all the more rare.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
Original title: Ying Xiong (2002)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: China/Hong Kong; Language: Mandarin
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality
DIRECTOR: Yimou Zhang
WRITERS: Feng Li, Bin Wang, and Yimou Zhang
PRODUCERS: Bill Kong and Yimou Zhang
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Christopher Doyle
EDITORS: Angie Lam and Ru Zhai with Vincent Lee
Academy Awards nominee
MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION/DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang, Daoming Chen, and Donnie Yen
If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you may like Ying Xiong, better known by its English title, Hero. However, the two movies aren’t exactly alike. Crouching Tiger is an epic love story in which the romance is intertwined with political intrigue, betrayal and mystery. Hero is both a love story and a revenge tale, but both of those elements are ultimately submerged for a philosophical and spiritual message of national heritage. They are similar in this: I thought Crouching Tiger was by far and away the best film of 2000, and I think Hero is better than the vast majority of films that have been released domestically in the time since Hero first appeared theatrically in China (2002). Hero was also a 2003 Oscar® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
In the story, the Nameless Hero (Jet Li) seeks to murder the King of the province Qin (Daoming Chen). Decades earlier, the King’s forces massacred Nameless’ people in the province of Zhao as part of his campaign to unify the lands that would eventually become China. Nameless reaches the Emperor’s palace and shares the story of his journey up to that point. There is, however, another facet to the story. Nameless also takes on the challenge of defeating three swordsmen, Sky (Donnie Yen) and the assassin couple, Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), who also plot to kill the Emperor. Or as the Emperor of Qin discovers, is there more to the story of Nameless and three assassins than Nameless is telling the Emperor.
Although Hero will draw comparisons to the aforementioned Crouching Tiger, the film shares more with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon in terms of narrative and Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of Time in terms of its visual appearance and its spirit. Regardless of what other films it may resemble, Hero is an exemplary feat of filmmaking that is both thrilling and poignant. Awash in colors and emotion, Hero has beauty that will make your head swoon. The writing defines the lead characters so well, and the cast plays them with such furious conviction that you can’t help but live vicariously through them.
To enjoy such thrilling characters that you can’t help but feel their joy and sorrow, their triumph and noble resignation, or feel their boldness for martial confrontation and feel like you are in battle with them is what we ask of great movie characters. And to find such great characters in a movie that lives up to the promise of its players is an infrequent treat. To find a movie that delves into history and sends a message to the present that makes us realize the importance of the past is all the more rare.
10 of 10
NOTES:
2003 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
2003 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Foreign Language Film” (China)
----------------------
"The Social Network" Leads Chicago Film Critics Nominations
The Chicago Film Critics Association announced their nominations on Friday. The winners will be named tomorrow (Dec. 20th). As usual, The Social Network dominates, but the Coen Bros.' True Grit is right behind David Fincher's highly-acclaimed flick:
The nominees are:
BEST PICTURE
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Winter’s Bone
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Black Swan, Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
Four Lions, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain & Chris Morris
Inception, Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay Abaire
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt
True Grit, Joel & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
Shutter Island, Robert Richardson
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Black Swan, Clint Mansell
I Am Love, John Adams
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
True Grit, Carter Burwell
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I Am Love
Mother
A Prophet
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Armie Hammer, The Social Network
Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Bansky, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Aaron Schneider, Get Low
John Wells, The Company Men
The nominees are:
BEST PICTURE
Black Swan
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Winter’s Bone
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David Fincher, The Social Network
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
Christopher Nolan, Inception
BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Black Swan, Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz & John McLaughlin
Four Lions, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain & Chris Morris
Inception, Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
The King’s Speech, David Seidler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay Abaire
The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Michael Arndt
True Grit, Joel & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
Inception, Wally Pfister
Shutter Island, Robert Richardson
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Black Swan, Clint Mansell
I Am Love, John Adams
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The Social Network, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
True Grit, Carter Burwell
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Inside Job
Restrepo
The Tillman Story
Waiting for Superman
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Biutiful
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
I Am Love
Mother
A Prophet
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Despicable Me
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled
Toy Story 3
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Armie Hammer, The Social Network
Katie Jarvis, Fish Tank
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Tahar Rahim, A Prophet
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Bansky, Exit Through the Gift Shop
Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine
David Michod, Animal Kingdom
Aaron Schneider, Get Low
John Wells, The Company Men
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Review: "Pieces of April" is a Potent Thanksgiving Drama (Happy B'day, Katie Holmes)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux
Pieces of April (2003)
Running time: 80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, sensuality, drug content and images of nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Peter Hedges
PRODUCERS: Alexis Alexanian, John Lyons, and Gary Winick
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tami Reiker (D.o.P)
EDITOR: Mark Livolsi
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/FAMILY with some elements of comedy
Starring: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Derek Luke, Sean Hayes, Alison Pill, John Gallagher, Jr., Alice Drummond, Lillias White, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., and Sisqó
We’re all familiar with Christmas movies or even the generally labeled “holiday movie,” which (I guess) is supposed to cover the entire “holiday season,” ostensibly Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Are there films we can label as genuine Thanksgiving Day films – films dedicated to that day and have little or nothing to do with Christmas?
Now, Peter Hedges’ Pieces of April can join any existent shortlist of great Thanksgiving Day films. It’s the story of April Burns (Katie Holmes), who invites her family to Thanksgiving dinner at her teeny apartment on New York’s Lower East Side. April has a history of bad behavior, petty crimes, and (really) bad boyfriends, but she’s starting to get her act together. Her father, Jim (Oliver Platt), reluctantly gets his family together for the long trip to NYC, perhaps sensing that this is the last time he will have his entire little family together. His wife Joy (Patricia Clarkson, who earned an Academy Award nomination and won several post season film awards for her performance here), is dying of breast cancer, and Joy and her daughter April have a history of terrible confrontations and hard feelings.
Although I didn’t really go for Hedges documentary-style or the film’s grainy, digital camera realism, the technique does bring the audience directly into the actors. It’s a visceral experience to get in so close to them; it takes sharing the emotions of the characters beyond merely being a vicarious experience. The performances are, for the most part, all good (Derek Luke and Sean Hayes are shaky), and makes being so intimate with the characters a rewarding experience. In fact, the actors don’t show their hands. They make the characters so real that you ignore the fact that they’re playing. It’s like being a fly on the wall or an invisible man privy to an intimate and intensely private, personal family drama.
So maybe Hedges (one of the screenwriters on About a Boy), made all the right choices, and whatever one might question about his choice of visual style, it makes what could have been a pedestrian, feel good, disease of the week, family melodrama, TV movie into a fine film.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Patricia Clarkson)
2004 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Patricia Clarkson)
Pieces of April (2003)
Running time: 80 minutes (1 hour, 20 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, sensuality, drug content and images of nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Peter Hedges
PRODUCERS: Alexis Alexanian, John Lyons, and Gary Winick
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tami Reiker (D.o.P)
EDITOR: Mark Livolsi
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/FAMILY with some elements of comedy
Starring: Katie Holmes, Patricia Clarkson, Oliver Platt, Derek Luke, Sean Hayes, Alison Pill, John Gallagher, Jr., Alice Drummond, Lillias White, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., and Sisqó
We’re all familiar with Christmas movies or even the generally labeled “holiday movie,” which (I guess) is supposed to cover the entire “holiday season,” ostensibly Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Are there films we can label as genuine Thanksgiving Day films – films dedicated to that day and have little or nothing to do with Christmas?
Now, Peter Hedges’ Pieces of April can join any existent shortlist of great Thanksgiving Day films. It’s the story of April Burns (Katie Holmes), who invites her family to Thanksgiving dinner at her teeny apartment on New York’s Lower East Side. April has a history of bad behavior, petty crimes, and (really) bad boyfriends, but she’s starting to get her act together. Her father, Jim (Oliver Platt), reluctantly gets his family together for the long trip to NYC, perhaps sensing that this is the last time he will have his entire little family together. His wife Joy (Patricia Clarkson, who earned an Academy Award nomination and won several post season film awards for her performance here), is dying of breast cancer, and Joy and her daughter April have a history of terrible confrontations and hard feelings.
Although I didn’t really go for Hedges documentary-style or the film’s grainy, digital camera realism, the technique does bring the audience directly into the actors. It’s a visceral experience to get in so close to them; it takes sharing the emotions of the characters beyond merely being a vicarious experience. The performances are, for the most part, all good (Derek Luke and Sean Hayes are shaky), and makes being so intimate with the characters a rewarding experience. In fact, the actors don’t show their hands. They make the characters so real that you ignore the fact that they’re playing. It’s like being a fly on the wall or an invisible man privy to an intimate and intensely private, personal family drama.
So maybe Hedges (one of the screenwriters on About a Boy), made all the right choices, and whatever one might question about his choice of visual style, it makes what could have been a pedestrian, feel good, disease of the week, family melodrama, TV movie into a fine film.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Patricia Clarkson)
2004 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Patricia Clarkson)
------------------
About this Movie: TRON: Legacy
Press release:
TRON: LEGACY (In Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D)
WALT DISNEY PICTURES
Website: Disney.com/TRON
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/TRON
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/TronLegacy
Genre: Action-Adventure
Rating: PG
U.S. Release Date: December 17, 2010
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Producers: Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Steven Lisberger
Executive Producer: Donald Kushner
Written by: Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (credit not final)
Based on characters created by: Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy® Award-winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, “TRON: Legacy” hits U.S. theaters on Dec. 17, 2010, in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.
Notes:
· Producer Steven Lisberger co-wrote and directed the original “TRON” (1982).
· Jeff Bridges, winner of both the Oscar® and Golden Globe® for his role in “Crazy Heart,” reprises the role of Kevin Flynn, which he originated in “TRON” (1982).
· Bruce Boxleitner reprises the roles of Alan Bradley and Tron, which he originated in “TRON” (1982).
· Grammy® Award-winning Daft Punk is composing the music for “TRON: Legacy.”
· “TRON: Legacy” forges a new frontier in filmmaking with its avant-garde, cutting-edge technology—set to blow away today’s audiences. Among the film’s firsts: it is the first 3D movie to integrate a fully digital head and body based upon an existing actor, creating the younger version of Jeff Bridges’ character; it’s the first movie to make extensive use of self-illuminated costumes; it’s the first movie to create molded costumes using digital sculpture exclusively, creating molds directly from computer files using CNC (Computer Numerical Cutting) technology; it’s the first 3D movie shot with 35mm lenses and full-35mm chip cameras; and it’s the first movie to record uncompressed HD Video to Hard Drive.
· The world of “TRON: Legacy” has an exciting, pulsing vibe that sets its lifestyle apart from any other on or off the planet. From electric light suits to state-of-the-art hair and makeup, elements of the trend-setting world of “TRON: Legacy” are showing up on fashion runways, and companies such as Hurley, adidas, Oakley and Burton are featuring “TRON”-inspired lines targeted for the young male consumer in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products.
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D high-tech adventure about a father and son (Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund) who embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.
Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/TRON
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/TronLegacy
Genre: Action-Adventure
Rating: PG
U.S. Release Date: December 17, 2010
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Producers: Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Steven Lisberger
Executive Producer: Donald Kushner
Written by: Eddy Kitsis & Adam Horowitz (credit not final)
Based on characters created by: Steven Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a rebellious 27-year-old, is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winner Jeff Bridges), a man once known as the world’s leading video-game developer. When Sam investigates a strange signal sent from the old Flynn’s Arcade—a signal that could only come from his father—he finds himself pulled into a digital world where Kevin has been trapped for 20 years. With the help of the fearless warrior Quorra (Olivia Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe—a universe created by Kevin himself that has become far more advanced with never-before-imagined vehicles, weapons, landscapes and a ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to prevent their escape. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and scored by Grammy® Award-winning electronic music duo Daft Punk, “TRON: Legacy” hits U.S. theaters on Dec. 17, 2010, in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.
Notes:
· Producer Steven Lisberger co-wrote and directed the original “TRON” (1982).
· Jeff Bridges, winner of both the Oscar® and Golden Globe® for his role in “Crazy Heart,” reprises the role of Kevin Flynn, which he originated in “TRON” (1982).
· Bruce Boxleitner reprises the roles of Alan Bradley and Tron, which he originated in “TRON” (1982).
· Grammy® Award-winning Daft Punk is composing the music for “TRON: Legacy.”
· “TRON: Legacy” forges a new frontier in filmmaking with its avant-garde, cutting-edge technology—set to blow away today’s audiences. Among the film’s firsts: it is the first 3D movie to integrate a fully digital head and body based upon an existing actor, creating the younger version of Jeff Bridges’ character; it’s the first movie to make extensive use of self-illuminated costumes; it’s the first movie to create molded costumes using digital sculpture exclusively, creating molds directly from computer files using CNC (Computer Numerical Cutting) technology; it’s the first 3D movie shot with 35mm lenses and full-35mm chip cameras; and it’s the first movie to record uncompressed HD Video to Hard Drive.
· The world of “TRON: Legacy” has an exciting, pulsing vibe that sets its lifestyle apart from any other on or off the planet. From electric light suits to state-of-the-art hair and makeup, elements of the trend-setting world of “TRON: Legacy” are showing up on fashion runways, and companies such as Hurley, adidas, Oakley and Burton are featuring “TRON”-inspired lines targeted for the young male consumer in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products.
“TRON: Legacy” is a 3D high-tech adventure about a father and son (Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund) who embark on a life-and-death journey of escape across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.
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