I suppose we've just seen this dynamic with Nicolas Cage and Chloë Grace Moretz in Kick-Ass, but this seems way more realistic (if that makes any sense). I like the way Saoirse Ronan's career has taken shape thus far. She was one of the best parts of Joe Wright's Atonement--earning an Oscar nomination in the process. She has gone back-and-forth between kiddie roles (City of Ember) and ones that demand a little more maturity (The Lovely Bones).
Coincidently, Wright is directing Ronan once more in the upcoming Hanna: a tale of a young girl who is trained by her ex-CIA father (Eric Bana). When the government tracks him down, Hanna is captured and then unleashes the fury on everyone around her. Cate Blanchett plays an agent who has the wrath of dad and daughter upon her.
To her credit, Ronan looks very believable as a pint-size assassin; at least in this two minute first glance. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Blanchett ends up being Hanna's mom.
Quite possibly the most well-known movie critic in the world, Roger Ebert has selected the popular The Social Network as the best film of 2010. Network has been dominating the awards circuit as of late, earning all but one--losing to Winter's Bone.
A few other regulars such as Black Swan, and The King's Speech show up, along with some other lesser known treats: I Am Love, Winter's Bone, and The Ghost Writer. He later goes on to list two Special Jury prizes, as well as a second-tiered ten films.
See Ebert's list, explained in his own words, after the break.
This is a different vibe than I anticipated after watching the very funny first look during the "infomercial" for NZT--a wonder drug that unlocks every part of the user's brain. This full trailer seems way more sinister.
Bradley Cooper is a struggling writer, with bad habits and even worse hair. He ingests a nondescript pill and instantly becomes the smartest man in the world. Then he starts tripping, suffers blackouts, and becomes paranoid that people are out to get him. Sounds like my office Christmas party last night.
The New York Times' film critic A.O. Scott has thrown his hat into the ring for 2010's top ten movies. Scott goes into great detail about the state of film before finally divulging his list. Unlike most pundits, there's no The Social Network, The King's Speech or Black Swan; filled instead with less heralded pictures.
An easy way to impress Scott it seems is to create something cross-generational, with capitalistic traits or laced with eccentricity.
1. Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson. "The crisis of finance capitalism as a great crime story."
2. Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich. "The triumph of consumer capitalism as an epic love story."
3. Carlos, directed by Olivier Assayas. "The failure of global revolution as farce, melodrama, erotic thriller and music video."
4. Somewhere, directed by Sofia Coppola. "An eccentric, perfect poem about fame, loneliness and cross-generational need."
5. The Kids Are All Right, directed by Lisa Cholodenko. "An eccentric, perfect comedy about love, betrayal and cross-generational confusion."
6. Greenberg, directed by Noah Baumbach. "A deliberately imperfect comedy about an eccentric fleeing from love, running from betrayal and wallowing in cross-generational confusion."
7. 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle. "It's all fun until someone loses an arm. And then, strangely enough, it's even more fun."
8. Last Train Home, directed by Lixin Fan. "The future of global capitalism, in China and elsewhere: a family tragedy in the form of a documentary, as full of anger, dignity and pathos as a play by Arthur Miller."
9. Secret Sunshine, directed by Lee Chang-dong. "A family tragedy from South Korea, in the form of a melodramatic crime story. As dense and gripping as a great novel."
10. Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy. "All of the above. None of the above. Everything and nothing. An elaborate art-world stunt in the form of a documentary. Or vice versa."
Terrence Malick's long-awaited The Tree of Life is close to reaching maturity (see what I did there?). Initially thought to have been ready for the 2009 award season, then later switched to 2010 film festivals; it will now (probably) been seen during the summer of 2011, most likely at Cannes.
I had read that Tree was Malick's epic narrative about a family and their three sons, but even after seeing the trailer in front of Black Swan, it's still hard to fathom what the hell's going on. Brad Pitt (Cool World) is the take-no-shit father and Jessica Chastain (The Debt) is the more forgiving and loving mother. Pitt takes out his rage on his eldest son, who grows up to be Sean Penn (an equally angry individual).
There are some pretty stunning scenes here, but for now, it all just adds up to a big question mark. Perhaps with the next full trailer we'll learn more answers; I must admit, the amount of mystery surrounding this has me intrigued.
It's tough to imagine anyone getting faster or furious-er, but then here comes Vin Diesel and Paul Walker once more and they snap on a seatbelt for a fifth installment. Things I learned after watching the trailer:
1. Look at least twice into peep-holes when letting someone into your place of illegal work
2. Leaping off and through buildings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil will not cause you bodily harm.
3. The mission just went from impossible to mission in-freakin-sanity.
4. One must stop thinking like a cop, because you're in Vin Diesel's world now.
5. Jordanna Brewster looks great in a bikini.
6. Every car should be equipped with gatling guns.
Hot Tub Time Machine dipped its toe into 1980's comedy, now here's another. Take Me Home Tonight stars Topher Grace (Traffic) as Mike, a twenty-something who is unsure of his occupational future, all the while working at the local Suncoast Video. He sees his high school crush and does what any self respecting man would do: lies to her, saying he works at Goldman Sachs.
Grace, as usual, plays the lovable doofus with highly inappropriate friends. Anna Faris (Lost in Translation), Michelle Trachtenberg (Mysterious Skin), Dan Fogler (Ball of Fury) and Michael Biehn (The Abyss) all join in on the fun. This formula has certainly been played, but perhaps there's enough tread on the tires to pull it off. If anything, it's guaranteed to have the best soundtrack in history.
Probably not the first montage we'll see of 2010 films, but this one will be tough to top. Extremely well put together, with the cutting and musical cues. Actually weird to think that the year is almost over.
If you're curious as to what films were used, just click here to see all 270 of them.
The 2011 Golden Globe nominations were revealed this morning. Historically, the Globes have offered up some unconventional choices--this year was no different. Tom Hooper's The King's Speech led all films with seven nods (drama, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, screenplay, score). David Fincher's The Social Network and David O. Russel's The Fighter both secured six. Also (rightfully) getting a some love were Inception, Black Swan, The Kids Are Alright, and Blue Valentine. On the flip side, The Tourist, Love & Other Drugs and Alice in Wonderland should not have been recognized for anything save for 'most attractive cast.'
As with any award show, some worthy candidates were bound to be left off, though these are not necessarily a precursor to the more celebrated Academy Awards (hopefully this is the case with True Grit, which was completely and inexplicably absent)--the Screen Actors Guild Awards will be a better judge. Both will be known in the upcoming weeks.
Unlike the Oscars and others, the Globes separate film into 'drama' and 'musical or comedy' fields, instead of lumping them into one all encompassing category.
The Golden Globe ceremony will be hosted by Ricky Gervais, and broadcast live on Sunday, January 16, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Learn the complete list of nominees after the break.
Over at Funny or Die, Will Ferrell (Shake) and John C. Reilly (Bake) put a fresh spin on David Bowie and Bing Crosby's classic Christmas mash-up of 'Peace on Earth' and 'Little Drummer Boy.' Almost completely a line-for-line recreation of the original collaborative video, the two comedians still manage to throw a little of their trademark humour near the end.
Also notable are the two's ridiculous haircuts and accents, but extra points have to be given for having the matching wardrobes of their more restrained counterparts. Love the looks Ferrell gives Reilly during their duet, as well as the strain in their faces trying to hold onto the notes. I really cannot watch this enough.
Check out the new rendition, as well as the genuine inspiration below.
Jack Sparrow is here once more for a fourth swashbuckling adventure. After getting his ship back, stealing the heart of Davy Jones and returning from the dead, Sparrow this time is in search of the mystical Fountain of Youth--which for those of you who can't understand literal meanings, gives its finders eternal wrinkle-free skin.
Gore Verbinski, who was behind the previous three (Curse of the Black Pearl, Dead Man's Chest, At World's End) is gone, replaced by Rob Marshall. Also noticeably missing are longtime contributors Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley--perhaps sick of the corsets and greasy hair. Ian McShane and Penélope Cruz will pick up the slack.
You could substitute scenes from any of the previous chapters into this trailer and only the diehards would know the difference. It's just a lot of Johnny Depp walking around gingerly, speaking in a silly voice while avoiding danger. As long as Depp's around, these stories will almost write themselves. I believe I read a while ago, that two additional installments are already in the works and will be filmed back-to-back.
Noted author Stephen King has come out with his yearly top ten film list. As usual, King's 'best-of's' offer up some no-brainers (Inception, The Social Network) and some real head-scratchers (Jackass 3D, Takers). Either way, it's an interesting take, from an interesting writer.
See the full list and King's own explanations (given to Entertainment Weekly) after the break.
The New York Times magazine put together multiple silent vignettes appropriately entitled 'Fourteen Actors Acting.' Famous, rich people including Natalie Portman, Noomi Rapace, Robert Duvall and Vincent Cassel got together with director Solve Sundsbo, and music by Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, to create a series of shorts breaking down the essential emotions of their field.
They're definitely all worth checking out; my favourites are 'Angry Matt Damon,' 'Terrified Jennifer Lawrence,' 'Dejected Tilda Swinton,' and 'Seductive James Franco.'
This upcoming Friday, the apocalypse will reign down upon us in the form of a talking, hungry, CGI'd bear who goes through life stealing food and generally being a dick. For no good reason, Warner Brothers is distributing the Hanna-Barbera cartoon which will bring nightmares joy to children around the holidays. For the parents, the feature length film will be spent lamenting on how they could have better used the $13 entry fee.
Animator Edmund Earle did what we all wish we could in real life: assassinate the thieving mammal with a shotgun blast. I have not seen the actual cinematic abomination--not will I, but if it had more footage like this, I could be tempted.
For those who care, Dan Ackroyd (Canadian Bacon) is playing Yogi, while Justin Timberlake (The Social Network) is his miniature friend Boo-Boo.
AFI just unveiled its favourite American films of 2010. A good mix of wide and limited releases here, although not many surprises in its selections. Outside of their USA list, AFI also gave out two special awards. See the whole list below.
The first trailer for Kenneth Branagh's Thor. This is the latest film from Marvel Studios independent productions, following the Iron Man series and The Incredible Hulk.
Chris Hemsworth plays the titular hero, an Asgardian warrior who is banished from his home for apparently being arrogant and whiny. Nice cast here: Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgård, Clark Gregg.
To be honest, this looks like a more expensive Mortal Kombat. I understand the need for fantastical elements, being that it features other worlds, but the sets all look overly cartoony. Hemsworth is appropriately beefy enough, but perhaps Thor doesn't translate to the screen as well as the other Marvel source material.
Here's what happens when you lose a bet, boys and girls. Far from The Prestige and The Fountain, Hugh Jackman must have needed some extra cash around the holidays. Why else then star in a film about enormous boxing robots. Perhaps the producers thought mixing Raging Bull with Transformers would equal box-office magic?
A viral campaign for Neil Burger's Limitless (formerly, Dark Fields) has started, with Bradley Cooper doing a faux informercial for NZT, the film's fictional wonder drug--think Viagra, but for the brain. When you see these ridiculous spots on television and the laundry list of side effects that accompany the "benefits", one wonders why any sane person would ingest them, making this video all the more hysterical. My favourite part is when Cooper just confidently hurls himself off of a cliff face into the ocean below.
An easy choice this week. Christopher Nolan has set the bar high on mind-bending thrillers, Inception may never be caught in fact. The question of whether the top ever stops spinning matters not; this is a rare film that gets better with each subsequent viewing. Multiple chances to dissect the multi-layered narrative should be welcomed.
This is worth a buy for the extras as well. Some behind-the-scenes featurettes explaining the technology and how those incredible zero gravity scenes were filmed. Expect for this to be talked about in the near future when nominations for the Golden Globes and Oscars are revealed. Nolan is a lock (although, the same was thought with The Dark Knight) for writing and directing, as is Hans Zimmer's pummeling score. A few acting nods would be deserved as well.
Director Darren Aronofsky intimately welcomes us into the world of ballet. Throughout, the camera follows its cast like a voyeur. The actors seem to float across the stage; we are so close, we can hear each determined footstep, every laboured breath. Like The Wrestler before it, we are invited into a realm that is unfamiliar to us. We are taken backstage, away from the lights and audience, the makeup and costumes. This is a truly gritty realm, where bodies are bruised, feet disfigured.
Natalie Portman has never been more beautiful however. More than any other, she has flawlessly transitioned from the child actor ranks to her profession's A-listers. Her first film was 1994's Léon (in North America, The Professional). Sixteen years later, she somehow has not lost her innocence. She possesses this film like no other in her career. She is Nina, a woman obsessed about her craft. For years, she has stolen objects from her idol, Beth (Winona Ryder) as a way to get closer to her. She is also the most dedicated dancer in the company. She spends every morning stretching and posing. Her meals are regimented, her rest is monitored; every day patterns itself after the next. Nina is not without her demons however. We learn she has a history of self-mutilation, scratching mostly. To counteract this, her nails are constantly trimmed and filed, even wearing mittens to bed. Peculiar markings start to appear on her body--abrasions on her back and cuts on her fingers. At one point, a cuticle is picked at until an inch long piece of skin peels away like the outer layer of a fruit.
Nina is a grown-up child. Her pink wallpaper is adorned by pretty butterflies; the multitude of stuffed animals that surround her watch her like inanimate guard dogs. The master of her keep is her mother Erica, a highly possessive and exceptional Barbara Hersey. You get the feeling that Erica's heart is in the right place--she gave up her dream of dancing to give birth to her daughter. But the ideal cinematic mother she is not. She is covetous, more like Margaret White than Elaine Miller. If anything, Swan acts as a PSA for parents on the hazards of pushing their children too far.
Thomas (Vincent Cassel), the director of the company is re-imagining the classic 'Swan Lake.' In it, a princess has been cursed to live her days as a swan until a prince can save her. But the prince falls for the wrong girl, and the princess kills herself. Nina's skill set is unmatched, but what she lacks is emotion. The lead ballerina is required for two roles; Nina is perfect for the white swan, but she moves without passion, without purpose. Traits that are needed for her darker winged counterpart.
To facilitate a reaction, Thomas aggressively pushes the virginal Nina sexually, kissing her suddenly and ordering her to masturbate at home. Further complicating things is the introduction of Lily (Mila Kunis), a rival West Coast dancer, into the production. A fascinating relationship appears between the two. Lily is envied and feared. She is everything Nina is not, living a life uninhibited, spending nights before shows at raves, taking psychedelic drugs. Ryder's appearance is brief but important. The former prima ballerina, Thomas uses Beth and then throws her away like a unwanted plaything, moving onto a younger version. This seems to be an endless cycle. Ryder's lack of screen time doesn't take away from the profoundness of her decline. It is a frightening thing to behold.
With only five films underneath his formidable belt, Aronofsky has succeeded once more in creating a perplexing, yet masterfully congruent parable. His talent lies in the ability to chronicle the faulty. Swan is his greatest achievement thus far. Nina's madness is evident, but it's purposefully blurred as to when it arrived. She is a sultrier Jekyl and Hyde. On one side, a subservient pawn, pleasing her mother and Thomas. Nina slowly descends into madness, stopping at nothing to reach her potential. Challengers to her throne, a deteriorating lucidity; obstacles become inconsequential. After all, the show must go on. Swan evokes squirming in the most enjoyable way possible. It is a terrific psycho-erotic thrill ride. Nina spends the entirety in the search for perfection. It can be attained, but at what cost?
Ridley Scott is in the middle of casting another Alien film--this time a supposed prequel to the original. Rest assured, there will be plenty of face-hugging and acidic blood to go around. Noomi Rapace (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Natalie Portman (Léon) are a few of the actresses Scott is surveying for the lead that Sigourney Weaver made famous.
I'm sure this is what the conspiracy theorists have been thinking all along when men landed on the moon in 1969. Here is the first teaser trailer for Michael Bay's third (and if it's as bad as the last one, hopefully last) Transformers films.
I went over the first poster and the new additions of the cast here; the first footage isn't anything special. But I hear Moon has a new Ferrari shapeshifting robot, so it's got that going for it.
This looks so-so, but it has Timothy Olyphant from television's Justified in it. Four is about nine aliens that have landed on Earth and a malevolent force that is wiping them out in order of their numeral. Alex Pettyfor is Four; he's had enough when One, Two, Three have been murdered and he stands his ground with help from Dianna Agron (Glee). This appears to have a lot of numbers and counting in it; it's like PG-13 Sesame Street.
The completely Pink Floyd free third installment of the Transformers franchise is currently being filmed. And here is the first poster:
If it wasn't for the TF3 in huge metallic font, this one-sheet would look like any one of the Transformers films. Here of course is Optimus Prime, along with some embers from a supposed explosion that took place slightly offscreen. I liked the first 'robots in disguise' flick, but the second was one of the worst films of 2009--all rehashed material and racist talking cars.
This newest chapter suggests something in space, but most of the earthlings are back for another go around: Shia The Beef, Josh Duhamel, John Turturro, while new blood will be filled by Patrick Dempsey, Alan Tudyk, Ken Jeong, John Malkovich (for some reason), Frances McDormand (again, why?), and...
...Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who's taking over Megan Fox's role as resident looker.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon arrives to hurt your brain July 1, 2011.
Kevin Bacon plays the ultimate Kevin Bacon fan in a clever and pretty funny commercial for Logitech Revue. Bacon makes fun of his celebrity and also quotes lines from Tremors. In the spot, Bacon's character uses the technology to search for his favourite actor's videos and movies.
A new film by Peter Mullan--a somewhat semi-autobiographical film that takes place in 1970's Glasgow. It tells the story of John McGill, an intelligent boy who unfortunately grew up with the wrong family. Neds takes its name from the slang name for a specific type of gang in Scotland: Non-Educated Deliquents.
It's had great reviews from those who have seen it, and the trailer looks pretty interesting. It's going to have a January 21, 2011 release in the United Kingdom, but an American date has yet to be set.
Here is a poster and trailer for Brad Anderson's Vanishing on 7th Street. Hayden Christensen (Shattered Glass), Thandie Newton (Run, Fat Boy, Run) and John Leguizamo (Super Mario Bros.) star as survivor of some apocalyptic event where shadows eat people's bodies and leave their clothes.
I have slight hope for this one since Anderson was behind the great The Machinist. At the same time, with Christensen in it, there's sure to be plenty of whining. Plus, it's about living shadows that eat people and leave their clothes.
Perhaps foreshadowing the 2011 Oscars, The King's Speech walked away with five wins at the British Independent Film Awards in London, England, including three of four acting categories. The Tom Hooper drama had a successful weekend at the box-office in a largely limited release. Also popular was Gareth Edwards' low budget sci-fi film Monsters, which earned three trophies. Along with the regular winners, Helena Bonham Carter and Liam Neeson were given honourary accolades.
We are shown the Duke of York's problem from the get-go. His royal address for the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1925 is as awkward to witness as it is painful for the future Monarch to exercise. Meetings with speech specialists provide erroneous answers such as smoking and speaking with marbles in the mouth. They all go for naught. A final straw is provided by Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian who found a home in the United Kingdom. Mixed into this deeply inward story is the onset of World War II. With the rise of Hitler, the Western world is in dire need of a rallying cry. Unfortunately, the man who could provide this shout, can barely muster an audible whisper.
Colin Firth competently captures the Duke (the soon to be King George VI) at his best and worst. He is a man at the peak of celebrity, yet he struggles with a condition that is so ordinary and common. Strip away the palace and the servants, he is a person like you or I. Firth's presentation is the pinnacle of a career filled with noteworthy performances. And how refreshing it is to watch Helena Bonham Carter when she's not playing a raving lunatic. After being certifiable in the later Harry Potter chapters and pretty much every Tim Burton film, Bonham Carter delivers Queen Elizabeth to us in a dignified manner. Here, we are graciously reminded once more of her merits in the field. The way she reacts to her husbands tribulations and triumphs perfectly mimics the way we feel as well.
Logue's methods are unorthodox to say the least. A comical montage of muscle relaxing, and breathing techniques are utilized to break ground. To release tension a more formal relationship is barred within Logue's walls. He requests to be called Lionel; the Duke--to his early chagrin--is now Bertie, a familial tag. The way Logue is able to refer to the future ruler of the Commonwealth so personally is striking. The British rule was and continues to be one of aristocracy. For a commoner to address royalty as anything but is a shock to the system. The relationship that Firth and Rush embody is the best onscreen duo of the year. It made me smile to think what started as an assignment ended up a lifelong friendship.
Bertie finds a taste of early success when it is learned he is able to form cogent sentences while singing and/or swearing. His complication with his stammer is mental. A compelling moment takes place when Bertie wears headphones and listens to classical music while reciting Shakespeare. Feeling foolish, he throws them down in disgust and storms out. As a consolation, Lionel gives him a recording of the process. At home after much hesitation, his Highness plays it and hears back a voice the great poet intended.
Bertie's father, George V (Michael Gambon) is a respected leader. He is hard on his sons, as I suspect his father was on him. When he succumbs to sepsis in 1936 the crown is rightfully passed down to his eldest son Edward. The two Prince's could not be any different. While Bertie is reserved and a homebody, married with two kids. Edward (Guy Pearce) lives the life of a jet-setter; we are first introduced to him as he lands a plane in a field. He carries on with a twice divorced American woman named Wallis Simpson (a whole other movie onto itself). Shockingly, he abdicates his status to be with his love. All rights are passed to Bertie, and the rest as they say, is history.
To me, the most powerful scene comes early when Bertie tells a bedtime story to his daughters Elizabeth and Margaret. He spins a fairy tale of a Prince who is turned into a penguin; due to his flippers he is unable to embrace his children. This fable becomes an allegory for his very own life. Bertie pauses throughout the fable. Sometimes for emphasis, more often than not for clarity's sake. His hinderance has always kept others at an arms length away. With Lionel's help, he can finally share with the world the voice he's always had.
If you've been waiting for a film where Mel Gibson talks through a hand puppet in the shape of a beaver, your calls have been answered. Gibson is Walter Black, a man facing a crippling depression, whose only cure is not what you'd call recognizable--or sane for that matter.
This reminds me of Lars and the Real Girl, which I enjoyed quite a bit. The question will be whether audiences will warm to not only the subject matter, but Gibson himself in a starring role after he has been justifiably crucified in the media for hateful behaviour towards Jews, African Americans, women...probably anyone who is not Mel Gibson.
Staunch Gibson supporter and friend Jodie Foster directs and also co-stars along with Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) and Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone).
I love me some animal footage; I honestly could watch Planet Earth all day. Disney has come out with some great features the last few years, usually chronicling multiple families of species and watching them do their thing. This time we're taken on the African plains to join a pride of lions and a coalition(*) of cheetahs as they hunt for food and generally attempt to survive the harsh elements and other predators.
(*)Who knew that a coalition was the correct term for a group of cheetahs? Other bizarre names for creatures include: a congress of ravens; a business of ferrets; a congregation of alligators; a crash of rhinos; a rafter of turkeys; a murder of crows.
It's impossible not to marvel at the cameramen and women and their shots of these wild animals in their natural habitat. They are both the bravest and stupidest people in the world. It's funny that Vega4's song 'Life is Beautiful' is playing in the background. And it's true, life is beautiful. But life can also rip you to shreds and then feed your carcass to its young.
Check out Jason Statham in the new Transporter...no wait...it's another Death Race. I mean the third Crank. Or something with Guy Ritchie? Nope. Hmm...
I actually like Statham, but he's covered the tough-as-nails-British-guy-with-unthinkable-karate-moves-and-driving-skills-while-at-the-same-time-getting-all-the-girls-and-saving-the-day motif a few times over. In The Mechanic he plays an assassin whose boss is murdered, so he goes rogue to get his revenge on the people that ordered the hit. He acts as a mentor to Ben Foster (a supremely gifted actor, who plays creepy as well as anyone), who then both go on a rampage through the ranks of some illegitimate organization.
Mark Wahlberg is once again teaming up with director David O. Russell to adapt Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, a hugely popular video game on the Playstation 3 console. Although it's a much different genre than what he's tackled in the past, I'm fine with Russell behind the camera. As well, Wahlberg's best performances (Three Kings, I ♥ Huckabees) have generally come while under his instruction.
December is littered with must-sees. We're in the thick of awards season right now, and a lot of festivals films are finally being seen in limited and later wide release.
December 3rd Black Swan
I've been waiting for this one for a long time. Every time I read a review, my anticipated love for the film grows, as well as my hatred for those who have already been lucky enough to see it.
Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassell, Barbara Hershey and Winona Ryder star in Darren Aronofsky's take on the ballet Swan Lake. Portman plays Nina--the lead in the production--who begins to hallucinate, sprout black feathers and get it on with another ballerina (Kunis). Aronofsky has only been responsible for five films (Pi, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler) but is without a doubt one of the most talented and interesting directors in the business. Early word is that Portman is on her way to be in the final five for Best Actress at the upcoming Oscars. Expect Aronofsky and the film itself to make the cut as well.
When I was younger, I remember fast forwarding through all the other musical numbers and getting right to the The Sorcerer's Apprentice--where Mickey Mouse accidentally brings an inanimate broom to life, leading to anarchy. This was by far the most popular segment, but after revisiting the film years later, as well as the additions from the 2000 version, it's still amazing to witness how beautiful the hand drawn animation continues to be. The image from the high-definition is impeccable.
Frank Barnes is a simple man with a simple life. He wakes up, clocks his hours, goes home. His world seems quite tedious. Thankfully, his two lovely daughters work at Hooters. After twenty-eight years of a monotonic freight transporting existence, he is being replaced for younger (and cheaper) blood. One of whom is Will Colson (Chris Pine): the relative of a union representative. His introduction to the elder statesmen is met with well-earned ire and scorn.
The problem arises from a common enemy: laziness. Dewey (an appropriate name if there ever was one) is an engineer who, in a way to save time, doesn't connect the air brakes between the lead and corresponding cars on a train he needs to move. Dewey sets the train's power to 100% in order to get the half-mile machine rolling. The locomotive is not on the right track, so against everything he is taught (yet, something that is needed for a gripping story) Dewey departs, gets himself locked out; the only thing he can do is watch his mistake leave unmanned on the main track. Dewey will soon be working in the fast-food industry.
The film takes place in various rail yards through Pennsylvania by the fictional Allegheny and West Virginia Railroad. The story, we are told, is based on a true events: a similar situation happened in Ohio in 2001. In the exaggerated film version, Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) leads the charge in stopping the mechanical runaway whose cargo cars are filled with extremely poisonous liquids. Her solution? Derailment, causing hundreds of gallons of venom to be spilled. It's okay though, because it would happen away from civilization, harming only the wildlife and our ecosystem. Thankfully, that plan is derailed (ahem), clearing the way for an equally cockamamie scheme: blasting away with shotguns at a safety switch--helpfully located right beside the fuel tanks.
Denzel Washington (Barnes) plays his usual maniacal self, laughing at almost every line of dialogue. He's won two Oscars though so we can forgive him. The not so funny thing is how Colson is allowed a job, regardless of his pedigree. He makes error after error, then responds harshly when it is brought up. Perhaps his behaviour can be attributed to his marital issues. For some reason, his wife won't talk to him and he is restrained from having contact with their son. Barnes and Colson's discourse is heated, spurred by their different periods in life. This is halted when they learn that they are heading straight for the runaway vessel. They steer away with moments to spare, then afterwards start pursuing in hopes of slowing its pace.
Unsurprisingly, director Tony Scott has woven another anarchical story; his trademark visual design and fast cutting is on full display here. I've enjoyed many of his efforts in the past: True Romance (1993), and Man on Fire (2004) to name a few. On paper, Unstoppable seems like the perfect vehicle for Scott's recognizable style. The suspense is evident; there are certainly some impressive images throughout. Something doesn't sit right though. The automated antagonist is relentless, the action even more so. But, the faster everything went, the more witless it became.
If this film tells us anything, it's that saving lives by risking your own is a sure-fire way to get back in the good graces of your spouse. After the threat has subsided, Barnes can be seen chuckling again. He has made a new friend. I can picture them now, sitting around Hooters enjoying a nice meal, taking in the view.
