The brand new red band teaser for the surrealist movie Under the Skin, starring Scarlett Johansson. This made a big splash at the Venice Film Festival back in August, and is finally coming out stateside on April 4th:
The Academy Revokes Best Original Song Nomination
Ha! Apparently the Academy agreed with me that the Best Original Song nomination for "Alone, Yet Not Alone," from the movie of the same name (above) that no one has ever heard of, was a suspicious and embarrassing error, because they have now rescinded the nomination entirely. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Board of Governors convened last night to discuss stripping songwriter Bruce Broughton of his Oscar nod, and has now officially done it, declaring him as having "illegally lobbied" the music branch and used his own status as a former governor to influence others to vote for his song. Well, this little dust-up probably assures that more people will hear it than ever would have anyway, so despite Broughton's apparent "devastation," he can at least be happy about that.
NEW IMAGES: "X-Men: Days of Future Past"
Hype for the new X-Men movie coming out May 23rd has kicked into high gear. Empire has these new images, plus a couple more along with the set of covers for all the mutants (many of which have been derided by the fans). Looking at these pictures, I'd completely forgotten that Ellen Page's Kitty Pryde was back in this one:
TRAILER: "The Fault in Our Stars"
Shailene Woodley stars in the new romantic drama about teens with cancer falling in love. It's based on the novel by John Green, but it seems a bit Nicholas Sparks to me. Comes out June 6th:
Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "Rush" (2013)
Another brand new film is your best bet this week on blu-ray, as Rush, Ron Howard's race car movie about Formula One, is finally out. This was a great movie, one of my favorites of the year actually, and it was sadly snubbed completely by the Oscars despite great reviews. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl are the rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda, who raced against each other in the 1976 Formula One season. It's an exciting, visceral thrill ride, so if you missed it in theaters (and you probably did), now's the time to give it a chance. Trust me, it's good.
Trailer:
REVIEW: "Her" (2013) Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson. Dir Spike Jonze
Her is a delightfully creative, sweet and refreshingly original movie from Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich and Where the Wild Things Are), and the first that he wrote himself. Boasting two great performances, one from Joaquin Phoenix, who acts entirely alone on screen for most of the film, and one from Scarlett Johansson, who in a purely vocal turn, gives what's probably the best performance of her career.
In a near future that's the polar opposite of most depressing, apocalyptic futures we see in the movies, we are treated to a utopian, pastel colored Los Angeles, where high water pants are back in style and people walk around glued to their phones and handheld devices, usually talking to themselves in a crowd. The tech aspect of this future is not so hard to believe, as it's only a slight step forward from where we are now, and many will recognize the isolation that comes with constantly being wired in. The loneliness that persists in an otherwise utopian future is a fascinating idea that Jonze hooks onto, and Phoenix plays the protagonist, Theo, as a normal, friendly and sweet guy (a change from his usual eccentric characters), who's going through a divorce and wanting desperately to connect with someone, or something.
That connection comes with his new operating system, a device with high artificial intelligence named Samantha. Scarlett Johansson provides Samantha's voice, and astoundingly, with no visual or physical body to speak of, manages to create a fully formed, emotional, and functioning person out of the OS. Samantha is in many ways the ideal woman for any man- funny, sympathetic, encouraging and programmed to cater to his every need- yet Jonze also gives Samantha feelings of insecurity, jealousy and her own intellectual desires, meant to make her more endearingly human and convince us that Theo and Samantha can actually develop a real relationship of sorts. It doesn't require too much suspension of disbelief, since Samantha comes across so real (there are only a couple of moments where it crosses the line into silliness as you can't entirely forget that she IS an operating system, after all), and Phoenix's performance is so natural that you forget he's acting almost entirely alone in every scene.
Her is a meditation on relationships in general, a very personal movie that brings up ideas about how people relate to each other and what makes someone suited to one person and not another. What other supporting cast there is includes Amy Adams giving another great turn as Theo's nerdy best friend whose own marriage is breaking up, and Rooney Mara as Theo's bitter ex-wife who harbors resentments about the end of their relationship. The originality of the story is exciting to watch unfold, along with the look and feel of the production design that fills out all corners of the screen at every moment. The movie may be a tad long, as the middle section drags a bit before ramping up at the end, taking Samantha's journey to its logical conclusion- but this is a lovely romance and exploration of relationships, well worth seeing as one of the Oscar nominated films of the year.
* * * 1/2
BOX OFFICE 1/24-1/26: 'Ride Along' Tops for the 2nd Week
On an uneventful weekend, the only new release was the horribly-reviewed I, Frankenstein, which bombed with $8 million. It was an expected failure though, as the movie had zero buzz and no star power heading into the weekend. The rest were all holdovers, as Ride Along again took #1 with $21 million, which is a pretty good hold. Second place was Lone Survivor, which made another $12 million for a $93 million total, a decent sized hit for Universal, as the movie will cross $100 million next week.
The Nut Job held on in third, with $12 million, and Jack Ryan dropped to fifth with $8 million, making the reboot of that particular franchise something of a non-starter (worldwide it's earned $76 million total). In fourth was the unstoppable Frozen, pulling in another $9 million to bring its new total to $347 million and begging the question, where will that movie stop? I wouldn't even rule out $400 million at this point. Its wordwide total is similarly massive, at $810 million.
Top 5:
- Ride Along- $21.2 million
- Lone Survivor- $12.6 million
- The Nut Job- $12.3 million
- Frozen- $9 million
- Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit- $8.8 million
As for the Oscar movies, American Hustle now has $127 million in the bank, while The Wolf of Wall Street has $98 million and will cross $100 in the next week. Her has $19 million total, while the re-release of Gravity has brought it to $261 million so far, and the movie is also coming back to IMAX screens next weekend as its Oscar campaign really kicks into high gear. Next week it's the coming of age comedy That Awkward Moment with up and coming stars Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, and at long last, the expansion of Labor Day, the romantic drama with Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin. Remember that one? Tune in next weekend to see if anything can top Ride Along in its third week.
Alfonso Cuaron wins the DGA
As expected, Alfonso Cuaron won at the Directors Guild Awards tonight, solidifying Gravity's frontrunner status at the Oscars, while The Square won for Best Documentary Feature. Historically, the DGA in its 65 year history has nearly always predicted the Best Picture winner (90% of the time actually), and Gravity's win combined with the PGA win last week would seem to launch it into first place. But since this year is a three way race, with two other very strong movies in the hunt- 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle- there may be time for things to shift before Oscar voting begins on February 14th. The smart money would be to bet on Gravity at this point, but with the guilds splitting up all over the place, the BAFTA awards may become the most important precursor now, which take place on February 16th. Because it happens during voting, that show will tell us which film has the momentum at that point, and since Gravity and 12 Years a Slave are both considered "British" productions, there's no telling what they'll prefer. I think 12 Years a Slave is still very much in contention here, as that PGA tie showed there's quite a lot of passion for it. But maybe Gravity is too big to be stopped? Stay tuned, as the most wide open Oscar race in years continues to play out.
Sundance Roundup: 5 Movies To See in 2014
The 2014 Sundance Film Festival is just starting to wrap up, and as it's usually the first venue to see what upcoming films might make a splash this year, it's time to look at several that received rapturous response and have already been bought by a distributor. These are the ones that caught my eye, and will be released sometime in the coming months:
WHIPLASH; Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons. Dir. Damien Chazelle
Miles Teller, the standout from The Spectacular Now, stars in this film about a teenage drummer who's run through the ringer by a near sadistic music teacher (J.K. Simmons). This was the first film of the festival to grab everybody's attention.
"This is a muscular and accomplished work of kinetic cinema based around two tremendous acting performances." (Salon)
"The film is gripping, funny and inspiring: Imagine 'The Karate Kid' with Mr. Miyagi played by R. Lee Armey." (New York Post)
LAGGIES; Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell. Dir. Lynn Shelton
The new dramedy from indie director Lynn Shelton stars Keira Knightley as a directionless young woman who befriends teenager Chloe Grace Moretz. It also received a very positive response from the festival crowd and was picked up the new studio A24 for release.
"Funny, human, clean and still messy, 'Laggies' is the indie film equivalent of a bumblebee- it shouldn't be able to fly and manuever, but it does and does so superbly." (Film.com)
"Keira Knightley gives a delightfully loose-limbed performance in Lynn Shelton's polished sixth feature." (Variety)
THE SKELETON TWINS; Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig. Dir. Craig Johnson
I'm looking forward to this one- starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as an estranged brother and sister who reunite after his suicide attempt, the performances are both highly praised and their chemistry is tops, as usual. Another comedy-drama, the kind of movie that tends to shine at Sundance.
"Sibling bonds are fertile territory for indie dramedies, but 'The Skeleton Twins' distinguishes itself from the pack with a pair of knockout performances from SNL veterans Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig." (Variety)
"It is rare to see a film as tonally balanced as 'The Skeleton Twins.' It is both a tearjerker and a crowdpleaser, often in the same scene." (Film Threat)
LIFE, ITSELF; Director Steve James
Another one I'm excited about- the director of Hoop Dreams, Steve James, began this documentary about the life of the great Roger Ebert in 2011, and it apparently brought audiences to tears at every festival showing. The title was taken from Ebert's own memoir, and he was thrilled to know that the director of a movie he so passionately championed from the beginning wanted to document his long, rich life.
"A fulsome appreciation of the life and work of the world's most famous film critic." (Hollywood Reporter)
"James cuts- as in all of his best work- straight to the human heart of the matter, celebrating both the writer and the man, the one inseparable from the other, largely in Ebert's own words." (Variety)
BOYHOOD; Director Richard Linklater
Finally, the last movie out of Sundance that really caught my attention is Boyhood, the epic coming of age film from director Richard Linklater, who's literally been filming this movie for 12 years. He followed a 6 year old boy as he grew to the age of 18, filming a couple of weeks every year, and according to critics, the result is a deeply moving tribute to the evolution of human life.
"Perhaps never has the long arc of the journey from childhood to college been portrayed as cohesively and convincingly as Richard Linklater has done in a film that can be plain on a moment-to-moment basis but is something quite special in its entirety." (Hollywood Reporter)
"Unshakeable, witty, and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time." (Time Out New York)
"There's a rough-edged, organic quality to 'Boyhood' that recalls the work of European helmers Linklater so admires: Fassbinder, Bergman, Bresson." (Variety)
REVIEW: "Inside Llewyn Davis" (2013) Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan. Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen
The Coen Brother's latest film is a lyrical, dreamlike ode to the beauty of failure, no matter how contradictory those terms may seem. It's a haunting evocation of the early 1960's Grenwich Village folk scene, and at the center of it is Llewyn Davis, a wannabe folk singer with loads of talent and even worse attitude. He's played by Oscar Isaac (known mostly for a bit part in Drive) in a fully lived in, incredibly natural performance, and the specific personal nature of the tale of one sad sack loser makes for one of the most beautiful and profound films of the year.
It's 1961 in New York City, at the very beginning of the burgeoning folk scene, and Llewyn is something of a lost soul, whose old partner killed himself and whose solo record is doing nothing on the charts. He spends his days drifting between different friends' couches, depending on who'll take him in, considering he's a bit of a shmuck who owes money to countless people and treats many of his so-called pals with a diffident attitude. The chip on his shoulder may well be earned, thanks to the dire circumstances he's stuck in, a constant loop of shit, as one of his friends, Jean calls it (a grumpy and hilarious Carey Mulligan). Show business is tough, and folk music hasn't quite taken off yet. But Llewyn is devoted to his artistry, and displays a terrific voice, as we get to hear in several scenes that show off Isaac's own, pretty decent set of pipes. The Coen's recreation of early 60's New York is drenched in sepia toned shading and smoke filled, dark and crowded bars, evocative of pictures and images you might have imagined those days to look like. Breaking with Roger Deakins for once, French cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel brings a whole new look to the Coen's world, one that adds even more to the mystique of this particular time and place.
As Llewyn stumbles from one episodic incident to another he bumps into several quirkily written, familiar Coen characters, from John Goodman as an eccentric old time jazz player, to Justin Timberlake in a bit part as the "sell-out" folk singer who writes commercial space songs, and F. Murray Abraham in a crucial role as music producer Bud Grossman who tells Llewyn in the movie's most devastating scene, "I don't see a lot of money in this." This film would be something of a downer if not for the joyous uplift of the music, and as much as the story examines one specific case of somebody who couldn't make it work, it's just as much a love letter to the beauty of art itself, and the incredible devotion of artistically driven people to express themselves through what it is they love and strive to create. T-Bone Burnett collaborated with the Coens on the music for this film, as he did with the best-selling soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou? in 2001, and they've got another winner here.
This lovely, strange, beautiful and exquisitely made movie is one of the Coen's very best, in a long filmography that is now filled with one American masterpiece after another. It's a small jewel of a film, and one that you should seek out as soon as possible, for the performances, the music, the look and the feeling that will enrich your life for having seen it.
* * * *
REVIEW: "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013) Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson. Dir. Francis Lawrence
Boy, what a difference a director makes. Happily, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a huge improvement on its predecessor. Unhappily, you can only do so much with the source material, and much of Catching Fire was a rehash of the original Hunger Games novel, which conveniently placed Katniss and Peeta right back in the arena so they can battle a whole new set of artificial challenges sent in from above.
But we'll start with the good stuff first, and there's quite a bit. With new director Francis Lawrence at the helm, the pacing is hugely improved from the first outing, and the movie is purely entertaining throughout, moving along from one confrontation and crisis to another, with Katniss' own internal conflict increasing with every new hurdle thrown her way. Also welcome is the steady camera, as Gary Ross' ugly and unnecessary shakicam has disappeared entirely, allowing us to actually see everything they're able to make of the world of Panem this time around. The budget has clearly been magnified, and the production and costume designers make the most of it, showing off some spectacular settings and much improved CGI, along with outrageously colorful costumes on the citizens in the Capitol, who must have had a lot of fun getting dressed in the morning. An eyeful of this world at every moment adds to the enjoyment, and the film's never boring.
Also back is Jennifer Lawrence, herself a newly minted superstar after her blockbuster year in 2012, and she once again brings a fierce intensity to Katniss Everdeen. There's always intelligence and courage behind her eyes, and she's a worthy anchor to the franchise that will likely define her early career. Unfortunately, the two love interests she's saddled with are not nearly as interesting as she is, and she has no chemistry with either one of them, which makes it hard to get invested in the half-hearted love triangle that's been set up. I still maintain they should have jettisoned the Liam Hemsworth character entirely for the films, as he was tangential at best in the books and completely useless in the movies. Josh Hutcherson fares no better here, as Peeta is in the movie more, but hardly has anything interesting to do or say. Philip Seymour Hoffmann and Jeffrey Wright bring some more A-list talent to the increasing cast of characters, as a duplicitous agent of Donald Sutherland's evil President Snow, and a fellow older tribute in the games. Hoffmann basically sleepwalks through his role though, looking like he strolled onto the set every day smirking, happy to be cashing one of his easiest paychecks.
As for the story, Catching Fire details the aftermath of the last Hunger Games, as Katniss and Peeta are now celebrities, tasked with selling their fake love story to the increasingly rebellious citizens that populate the 12 districts of Panem, as they hunger for revolution in the wake of Katniss' example. Katniss also wavers between her love for Peeta or Gale, but all that is brought to a halt when Snow announces the new Hunger Games, which will be a special anniversary round that draws the tributes from the pool of existing victors (which of course, is what gets Katniss and Peeta back in the arena). By the way, if all that exposition sounds like another language, it basically is- these movies are for fans of the books and no effort is made to bring in anyone new (not that it needed to, as box office results have shown).
The Hunger Games books weren't exactly a beacon of originality. As I watched this movie I realized the games are essentially Survivor meets Jumanji, with a bit of The Truman Show thrown in. The books were actually quite violent as well, with the explicit death of another child just around every corner, but since these films are aimed at a teen audience, and corporate necessity dictates a PG-13 rating, you will never get the full impact of those deaths in the movies the way it was depicted on the page. But strictly as a franchise film, it does what it's supposed to do, and in a much more visually attractive, entertaining and satisfactory manner than the first one. If you're a Hunger Games fan, this is a faithful, well-acted rendering, and you will more than get your money's worth.
* * *
Blu-Ray Pick of the Week: "Captain Phillips" (2013)
Captain Phillips is out on blu-ray today and is by far the best of the bunch in the new release pile. Shamefully snubbed by the recent Oscar nominations in Director and Actor (although still a Best Picture nominee), this is a great movie, an exciting and visceral thriller about the hostage taking of Captain Richard Phillips by Somali pirates in 2009. Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances of his career in one of the best movies of the year, so if you didn't see it in theaters, now's the time to check it out.
Trailer:
