- Rod Lurie (The Contender) will be doing a remake of Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs. James Marsden will star, and the story will be relocated from rural England to the Deep South.
- Spider-man 4, due out in May of 2011, may be in 3-D.
- Kevin MacDonald (State of Play) will be adapting Isaac Asimov’s time travel novel The End of Eternity.
- Clark Gregg has joined the cast of Iron Man 2.
- David Slade, who directed the great unseen thriller Hard Candy (starring a pre-Juno Ellen Page) will direct the third Twilight film. And I still won’t see it.
- Universal will be remaking David Cronenberg’s Videodrome.
- Michael Caine has joined the cast of Chris Nolan’s next film, Inception. He joins Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard.
- Robert Rodriguez is rebooting the Predator franchise. His Predators hits theatres next July.
- Denzel Washinton will star in Tony Scott’s Unstoppable. It will be the fifth film for Scott and Washington.
- Again unnecessary: Russell Brand is in talks to star in a remake of Drop Dead Fred.
- Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas are teaming up again for a sequel to Wall Street. Charlie Sheen played Douglas’ protégé in the first film … this time it will Shia TheBeef.
- Robert Zemeckis is considering making a Roger Rabbit sequel using motion capture technology.
- Miramax has bought the rights to remake the French thriller Tell No One.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Nanook Taxi
At the Mayfair.
Friday
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman returns to yet another X-Men movie, this one a prequel telling the Wolverine origin story. Also satrs Danny Huston and Liev Schreiber.
The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Matthew McConaughey makes another romantic comedy. And it will suck.
Hunger
The film concerns young men imprisoned in Ireland for political crimes who decide to go on Hunger Strikes in 1981. Won quite a few awards in Britain last year, opens Friday at the Bytowne.
Sars Wars
Zombie film from Thailand. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Saturday
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks stars in the Oscar-winning film from 1994. At the Mayfair.
Tremors
At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Mayfair is showing both original Predator movies, if you have time to bleed.
Predator
Predator 2
Monday
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
From director Peter Greenaway. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The Mayfair is showing this double bill of Mexican-themed classics, just in time for a swine flu epidemic ... uh, I mean, Cinco de Mayo. There will be traditional Mexican folk dancers performing at 6:30 … or maybe there won’t be.
Frida
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Nanook Taxi
At the Mayfair.
Friday
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman returns to yet another X-Men movie, this one a prequel telling the Wolverine origin story. Also satrs Danny Huston and Liev Schreiber.
The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
Matthew McConaughey makes another romantic comedy. And it will suck.
Hunger
The film concerns young men imprisoned in Ireland for political crimes who decide to go on Hunger Strikes in 1981. Won quite a few awards in Britain last year, opens Friday at the Bytowne.
Sars Wars
Zombie film from Thailand. Midnight at the Mayfair.
Saturday
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks stars in the Oscar-winning film from 1994. At the Mayfair.
Tremors
At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Mayfair is showing both original Predator movies, if you have time to bleed.
Predator
Predator 2
Monday
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
From director Peter Greenaway. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
The Mayfair is showing this double bill of Mexican-themed classics, just in time for a swine flu epidemic ... uh, I mean, Cinco de Mayo. There will be traditional Mexican folk dancers performing at 6:30 … or maybe there won’t be.
Frida
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
I'm Not From Here; I Can't BE An Example For Anyone."
Wendy and Lucy
2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt
Starring Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Scott Wilson, Will Oldham.
1 hour 20 minutes
Michelle Williams stars as Wendy who, with her dog Lucy, stop off in a small Oregon town on their way to Alaska in search of work. Wendy doesn’t have very much money, and her car is almost dead. Things go from bad to worse when Wendy is caught shoplifting food, which leads to her dog disappearing.
Wendy and Lucy is the second film from director Kelly Reichardt, after Oldjoy, the story of two old friends who go on a road trip and then hike to some famous hot springs. Like Oldjoy, Wendy and Lucy is not overly concerned with the story, but rather the characters, in this case almost exclusively Wendy. Unlike other movies (especially independent ones), Wendy and Lucy doesn’t follow the usual route of making the small-town locals eccentric characters, but rather portrays them as being rather ordinary, no different really than people you’d meet anywhere.
That, however, may be the film’s undoing, because at the end of a long-feeling hour and twenty minutes, you’re not quite sure what the point of it all is. Wendy ends up in town, problems arise, and they’re not resolved, only abandoned, not to put too fine a point on it. Michelle Williams is very convincing in her role, but everyone just seems to be there to feed her character’s plot.
2 ½ stars
Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt
Starring Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Scott Wilson, Will Oldham.
1 hour 20 minutes
Michelle Williams stars as Wendy who, with her dog Lucy, stop off in a small Oregon town on their way to Alaska in search of work. Wendy doesn’t have very much money, and her car is almost dead. Things go from bad to worse when Wendy is caught shoplifting food, which leads to her dog disappearing.
Wendy and Lucy is the second film from director Kelly Reichardt, after Oldjoy, the story of two old friends who go on a road trip and then hike to some famous hot springs. Like Oldjoy, Wendy and Lucy is not overly concerned with the story, but rather the characters, in this case almost exclusively Wendy. Unlike other movies (especially independent ones), Wendy and Lucy doesn’t follow the usual route of making the small-town locals eccentric characters, but rather portrays them as being rather ordinary, no different really than people you’d meet anywhere.
That, however, may be the film’s undoing, because at the end of a long-feeling hour and twenty minutes, you’re not quite sure what the point of it all is. Wendy ends up in town, problems arise, and they’re not resolved, only abandoned, not to put too fine a point on it. Michelle Williams is very convincing in her role, but everyone just seems to be there to feed her character’s plot.
2 ½ stars
Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
I Love You. They're Watching.
Tell No One
2006. Dir. Guillaume Canet.
Stars Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Jean Rochefort.
Tell No One is a French Hitchcock-style thriller about a man named Alex (Cluzet) who's wife is killed one summer night. He is suspected of the murder, but a notorious serial killer takes the blame instead. Eight years later, events occur that cast suspicion upon Alex once again, while at the same time he begins to believe that his wife was never really dead in the first place.
This leads to a labyrinth mystery involving Alex's friends and family, and his wife's family as well, revealing just how connected they all are. The problem is that the film never really sets up the connections; rather, every time a clue is given, the film waits five minutes to tell you who a character is so that you can understand the connection. This may be ingenious to some, but I found it annoying, as the film was impossible to properly follow.
Everything leads to the last 15 minutes of the film, where the film ties all the loose ends together by introducing a couple of extra character connections, lest there be any plot holes left behind. Again, some critics have said the film is almost airtight in this regard, but I found it cheating. Plus, I spotted a fairly large plot home, in invisi-text below (highlight the spoiler below with your cursor if you want to read it):
BEGIN SPOILER
Alex's wife was told he was killed, and that is why she chose to leave and hide. She comes back though, because she found out he was still alive because of the investigation resuming being in the newspapers. However, after her "death", he was a prime suspect, so that would also have been in the newspapers, and she would have found out right away that he was still alive.
END SPOILER
Overall, I thought the film was trying to be too clever for its own good, and cheated its way out of explaining things.
2 stars. Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
2006. Dir. Guillaume Canet.
Stars Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Jean Rochefort.
Tell No One is a French Hitchcock-style thriller about a man named Alex (Cluzet) who's wife is killed one summer night. He is suspected of the murder, but a notorious serial killer takes the blame instead. Eight years later, events occur that cast suspicion upon Alex once again, while at the same time he begins to believe that his wife was never really dead in the first place.
This leads to a labyrinth mystery involving Alex's friends and family, and his wife's family as well, revealing just how connected they all are. The problem is that the film never really sets up the connections; rather, every time a clue is given, the film waits five minutes to tell you who a character is so that you can understand the connection. This may be ingenious to some, but I found it annoying, as the film was impossible to properly follow.
Everything leads to the last 15 minutes of the film, where the film ties all the loose ends together by introducing a couple of extra character connections, lest there be any plot holes left behind. Again, some critics have said the film is almost airtight in this regard, but I found it cheating. Plus, I spotted a fairly large plot home, in invisi-text below (highlight the spoiler below with your cursor if you want to read it):
BEGIN SPOILER
Alex's wife was told he was killed, and that is why she chose to leave and hide. She comes back though, because she found out he was still alive because of the investigation resuming being in the newspapers. However, after her "death", he was a prime suspect, so that would also have been in the newspapers, and she would have found out right away that he was still alive.
END SPOILER
Overall, I thought the film was trying to be too clever for its own good, and cheated its way out of explaining things.
2 stars. Saw with Steph at the Bytowne.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
2009 Cannes Film Festival Line-Up
OPENER
"Up," U.S., Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
CLOSER
"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," France, Jan Kounen
IN COMPETITION
"Bright Star," Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
"Spring Fever," China-France, Lou Ye
"Antichrist," Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
"Enter the Void," France, Gaspar Noe
"Face," France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
"Les Herbes folles," France-Italy, Alain Resnais
"In the Beginning," France, Xavier Giannoli
"A Prophet," France, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
"Vengeance," Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
"The Time That Remains," Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
"Vincere," Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
"Kinatay," Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
"Thirst," South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
"Broken Embraces," Spain, Pedro Almodovar
"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," Spain, Isabel Coixet
"Fish Tank," U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
"Looking for Eric," U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
"Inglourious Basterds," U.S., Quentin Tarantino
"Taking Woodstock," U.S., Ang Lee
OUT OF COMPETITION
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
"The Army of Crime," France, Robert Guediguian
"Agora," Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"A Town Called Panic," Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
"Ne te retourne pas," France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
"Drag Me to Hell," U.S., Sam Raimi
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Petition," China, Zhao Liang
"L'epine dans le coeur," France, Michel Gondry
"Min ye," France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
"Jaffa," Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
"Manila," Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
"My Neighbor, My Killer," U.S., Anne Aghion
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Bong Joon Ho - "Mother"
Alain Cavalier - "Irene"
Lee Daniels - "Precious"
Denis Dercourt- "Demain Des L'Aube"
Heitor Dhalia - "Adrift"
Bahman Ghobadi - "Nobody Knows About Persian Cats"
Ciro Guerra - "The Wind Journeys"
Mia Hansen-Love - "Le Pere De Mes Enfants"
Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Propescu and Ioanna Uricaru - "Tales From The Golden Age"
Nikolay Khomeriki - "Tale In The Darkness"
Yorgos Lanthimos - "Dogtooth"
Pavel Lounguine - "Tzar"
Raya Martin - "Independencia"
Corneliu Porumboiu - "Police, Adjective"
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang - "Nymph"
Joao Pedro Rodrigues - "To Die Like A Man"
Haim Tabakman - "Eyes Wide Open"
Warwick Thornton - "Samson & Deliah"
Jean Van De Velde - "The Silent Army"
Hirokazu Kore-ede - "Air Doll"
"Up," U.S., Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
CLOSER
"Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky," France, Jan Kounen
IN COMPETITION
"Bright Star," Australia-U.K.-France, Jane Campion
"Spring Fever," China-France, Lou Ye
"Antichrist," Denmark-Sweden-France-Italy, Lars von Trier
"Enter the Void," France, Gaspar Noe
"Face," France-Taiwan-Netherlands-Belgium, Tsai Ming-liang
"Les Herbes folles," France-Italy, Alain Resnais
"In the Beginning," France, Xavier Giannoli
"A Prophet," France, Jacques Audiard
"The White Ribbon," Germany-Austria-France, Michael Haneke
"Vengeance," Hong Kong-France-U.S., Johnnie To
"The Time That Remains," Israel-France-Belgium-Italy, Elia Suleiman
"Vincere," Italy-France, Marco Bellocchio
"Kinatay," Philippines, Brillante Mendoza
"Thirst," South Korea-U.S., Park Chan-wook
"Broken Embraces," Spain, Pedro Almodovar
"Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," Spain, Isabel Coixet
"Fish Tank," U.K.-Netherlands, Andrea Arnold
"Looking for Eric," U.K.-France-Belgium-Italy, Ken Loach
"Inglourious Basterds," U.S., Quentin Tarantino
"Taking Woodstock," U.S., Ang Lee
OUT OF COMPETITION
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," Canada-France, Terry Gilliam
"The Army of Crime," France, Robert Guediguian
"Agora," Spain, Alejandro Amenabar
MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS
"A Town Called Panic," Belgium, Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar
"Ne te retourne pas," France-Belgium-Luxembourg-Italy, Marina de Van
"Drag Me to Hell," U.S., Sam Raimi
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
"Petition," China, Zhao Liang
"L'epine dans le coeur," France, Michel Gondry
"Min ye," France-Mali, Souleyumane Cisse
"Jaffa," Israel-France-Germany, Keren Yedaya
"Manila," Philippines, Adolfo Alix Jr., Raya Martin
"My Neighbor, My Killer," U.S., Anne Aghion
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Bong Joon Ho - "Mother"
Alain Cavalier - "Irene"
Lee Daniels - "Precious"
Denis Dercourt- "Demain Des L'Aube"
Heitor Dhalia - "Adrift"
Bahman Ghobadi - "Nobody Knows About Persian Cats"
Ciro Guerra - "The Wind Journeys"
Mia Hansen-Love - "Le Pere De Mes Enfants"
Hanno Hofer, Razvan Marculescu, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Propescu and Ioanna Uricaru - "Tales From The Golden Age"
Nikolay Khomeriki - "Tale In The Darkness"
Yorgos Lanthimos - "Dogtooth"
Pavel Lounguine - "Tzar"
Raya Martin - "Independencia"
Corneliu Porumboiu - "Police, Adjective"
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang - "Nymph"
Joao Pedro Rodrigues - "To Die Like A Man"
Haim Tabakman - "Eyes Wide Open"
Warwick Thornton - "Samson & Deliah"
Jean Van De Velde - "The Silent Army"
Hirokazu Kore-ede - "Air Doll"
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Earth
From Disney and the makers of Planet Earth, comes this documentary, in honour of Earth Day, about three animal families over the course of a year or so. I think it’s elephants, penguins and ducks, though I could be wrong about that last one.
Highway 61
Bruce McDonald week continues at the Mayfair with Highway 61 starring Dom McKellar. The McDonald fest ends on Friday with McDonald’s new film Pontypool, with star Stephen McHattie in attendance.
Friday
The Soloist
From director Joe Wright (Atonement) comes this true story about an L.A. Times columnist (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a homeless, schizophrenic musical genius (Jamie Foxx).
Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams received rave reviews last fall for this film, from the director of OldJoy. Opens on Friday in Ottawa at the Bytowne.
12
A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men. At the Bytowne.
Moving Violation
After Pontypool ends, Stephen McHattie will introduce this cult classic that he stars in. At the Mayfair.
Fighting
I think the title says it all. I think, but I do not care.
Obsessed
Beyonce beats up a white chick from Heroes. Yeeeeaaaah.
Saturday
Nosferatu
After the success of the Metropolis screenings featuring live music, the Mayfair is next giving the same treatment to F.W. Murnau’s silent horror classic Nosferatu, based on the story of Dracula.
Alligator
This month’s Saturday Night Sinema at the Mayfair is this Jaws-with-Gators rip-off, penned by John Sayles. Free for Mayfair members.
Sunday
Adventures of Milo & Otis
The Humane Society is holding this charity screening at the Mayfair. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to attend. I AM NOT KIDDING about that.
Monday
Raging Bull
Robert DeNiro’s Oscar-winning role as boxer Jake Le Motta. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
Unrepentent
About Canada’s genocidal treatment of the Native peoples of this land. At the Mayfair.
Endgame
From conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the Mayfair.
Earth
From Disney and the makers of Planet Earth, comes this documentary, in honour of Earth Day, about three animal families over the course of a year or so. I think it’s elephants, penguins and ducks, though I could be wrong about that last one.
Highway 61
Bruce McDonald week continues at the Mayfair with Highway 61 starring Dom McKellar. The McDonald fest ends on Friday with McDonald’s new film Pontypool, with star Stephen McHattie in attendance.
Friday
The Soloist
From director Joe Wright (Atonement) comes this true story about an L.A. Times columnist (Robert Downey Jr.) who befriends a homeless, schizophrenic musical genius (Jamie Foxx).
Wendy and Lucy
Michelle Williams received rave reviews last fall for this film, from the director of OldJoy. Opens on Friday in Ottawa at the Bytowne.
12
A Russian remake of 12 Angry Men. At the Bytowne.
Moving Violation
After Pontypool ends, Stephen McHattie will introduce this cult classic that he stars in. At the Mayfair.
Fighting
I think the title says it all. I think, but I do not care.
Obsessed
Beyonce beats up a white chick from Heroes. Yeeeeaaaah.
Saturday
Nosferatu
After the success of the Metropolis screenings featuring live music, the Mayfair is next giving the same treatment to F.W. Murnau’s silent horror classic Nosferatu, based on the story of Dracula.
Alligator
This month’s Saturday Night Sinema at the Mayfair is this Jaws-with-Gators rip-off, penned by John Sayles. Free for Mayfair members.
Sunday
Adventures of Milo & Otis
The Humane Society is holding this charity screening at the Mayfair. Well-behaved dogs are welcome to attend. I AM NOT KIDDING about that.
Monday
Raging Bull
Robert DeNiro’s Oscar-winning role as boxer Jake Le Motta. At the Bytowne.
Tuesday
Unrepentent
About Canada’s genocidal treatment of the Native peoples of this land. At the Mayfair.
Endgame
From conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. At the Mayfair.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- Supposedly, Transformers 2 will be clocking in at 2 hours and 28 minutes. Why? Who knows.
- Sofia Coppola’s next film will be Somewhere, the story of a bad-boy actor (played by Stephen Dorff) who lives at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. when a visit from his daughter (played by Elle Fanning) forces him to examine his life.
- David O. Russell will direct The Fighter (previously slated to be directed by Darren Aronofsky). Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg will star.
- Demetri Martin is joining Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball.
- Marlon Wayans will star in Living Biblically, about a man who spends a year of his life living, as literally as possible, by the rules of The Bible.
- Angels & Demons comes out next month, but Columbia has already decided to move forward with the third Robert Langdon story, called the Lost Symbol.
- Jason Statham will take over for Charles Bronson in a remake of The Mechanic
- Sofia Coppola’s next film will be Somewhere, the story of a bad-boy actor (played by Stephen Dorff) who lives at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. when a visit from his daughter (played by Elle Fanning) forces him to examine his life.
- David O. Russell will direct The Fighter (previously slated to be directed by Darren Aronofsky). Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg will star.
- Demetri Martin is joining Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball.
- Marlon Wayans will star in Living Biblically, about a man who spends a year of his life living, as literally as possible, by the rules of The Bible.
- Angels & Demons comes out next month, but Columbia has already decided to move forward with the third Robert Langdon story, called the Lost Symbol.
- Jason Statham will take over for Charles Bronson in a remake of The Mechanic
Deserve's Got Nothin' To Do WIth It
Unforgiven
1992, dir. Clint Eastwood
Stars Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett
2 hours 11 minutes
Clint Eastwood’s last Western played Monday night at The Mayfair. Winner of four 1992 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Unforgiven is the story of an aging former gunslinger and killer William Munny (Eastwood) who is brought back from retirement, sobriety, and quiet family life, by a young excited bounty hunter (Woolvett) to kill two cowboys who had maimed and disfigured a young prostitute, after which her fellow brothel co-workers pooled together $1,000 to place on their heads. Munny recruits his former partner (Freeman), for the job, but each of the trio find that they are no longer the men they used to be, or want to be, or both.
This is the underlying theme of the film, and maybe even the purpose of it, from Eastwood’s perspective as the director. It is indeed the last Western he made (so far, though I think it’ll stick), and throughout the film the idea of legend versus truth comes into play. The brothel is in town run and presided over by sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), who has no patience for vigilantes or violence, except by his own hand, that is. Before the aforementioned trio arrive into town, a famous assassin, English Bob (Harris) comes into town to seek the bounty, complete with his own biographer (Rubinek) to record (and embellish) every detail for history’s sake. Little Bill and English Bob have a past together, and within minutes of Bob showing up into town, Little Bill takes his guns, beats him up, and locks him in the town jail. There Little Bill explains to the biographer the difference between the legends of the West and the reality of it.
After that, Munny and his group arrive into town to take on the job, but only Munny finds that he has the stomach to be a killer. Ironically, he had been the most reluctant of the three. Little Bill takes matters into his own hands after the job is done, requiring Munny to return to town to enact revenge on him.
With Unforgiven, Eastwood had crafted what many called a fitting eulogy to the Western genre, although there have been a few great Westerns in the 17 years since, including Tombstone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the HBO television series Deadwood. Those, however, have all been revisionist Westerns, much in the mold of Unforgiven, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call Unforgiven Eastwood’s passing of the torch to another generation.
5 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
1992, dir. Clint Eastwood
Stars Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Jaimz Woolvett
2 hours 11 minutes
Clint Eastwood’s last Western played Monday night at The Mayfair. Winner of four 1992 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Unforgiven is the story of an aging former gunslinger and killer William Munny (Eastwood) who is brought back from retirement, sobriety, and quiet family life, by a young excited bounty hunter (Woolvett) to kill two cowboys who had maimed and disfigured a young prostitute, after which her fellow brothel co-workers pooled together $1,000 to place on their heads. Munny recruits his former partner (Freeman), for the job, but each of the trio find that they are no longer the men they used to be, or want to be, or both.
This is the underlying theme of the film, and maybe even the purpose of it, from Eastwood’s perspective as the director. It is indeed the last Western he made (so far, though I think it’ll stick), and throughout the film the idea of legend versus truth comes into play. The brothel is in town run and presided over by sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), who has no patience for vigilantes or violence, except by his own hand, that is. Before the aforementioned trio arrive into town, a famous assassin, English Bob (Harris) comes into town to seek the bounty, complete with his own biographer (Rubinek) to record (and embellish) every detail for history’s sake. Little Bill and English Bob have a past together, and within minutes of Bob showing up into town, Little Bill takes his guns, beats him up, and locks him in the town jail. There Little Bill explains to the biographer the difference between the legends of the West and the reality of it.
After that, Munny and his group arrive into town to take on the job, but only Munny finds that he has the stomach to be a killer. Ironically, he had been the most reluctant of the three. Little Bill takes matters into his own hands after the job is done, requiring Munny to return to town to enact revenge on him.
With Unforgiven, Eastwood had crafted what many called a fitting eulogy to the Western genre, although there have been a few great Westerns in the 17 years since, including Tombstone, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and the HBO television series Deadwood. Those, however, have all been revisionist Westerns, much in the mold of Unforgiven, so perhaps it would be more accurate to call Unforgiven Eastwood’s passing of the torch to another generation.
5 stars.
Saw by myself at the Mayfair.
The Press Can Spin This ANyway They Want
State of Play
2009, dir. Kevin MacDonald
Stars Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Robin Wright Penn, Harry Lennix, Viola Davis
2 hours 7 minutes
State of Play is the new film from director Kevin MacDonald, director of The Last King of Scotland, and grandson of Emeric Pressburger. The film depicts the investigation by both the police and the press into the death of a young woman on a subway platform.
Russell Crowe plays a seasoned journalist investigating a separate double homicide, which he eventually, and perhaps inevitably, links to the young woman. Rachel McAdams plays Crowe’s younger colleague, and Helen Mirren plays their editor-in-chief. Ben Affleck plays a Congressman and boss to the young woman, who just happens to be Crowe’s old college roommate.
The film is a condensed version the BBC mini-series from 2004, with 6 hours worth of story crammed into 2 hours. I thought the film was fairly clever in all of its twists (even the ones there were obvious 20 minutes ahead of time), but, like last month’s Duplicity, the story was done in by the last, unnecessary twists that after further thought, really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and certainly complicates matters from a legal perspective.
Overall, a decent thriller with one too many plot turns, though I am really curious to check out the original mini-series.
3 ½ stars
Saw with Steph and Paddy at Silvercity.
2009, dir. Kevin MacDonald
Stars Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman, Jeff Daniels, Robin Wright Penn, Harry Lennix, Viola Davis
2 hours 7 minutes
State of Play is the new film from director Kevin MacDonald, director of The Last King of Scotland, and grandson of Emeric Pressburger. The film depicts the investigation by both the police and the press into the death of a young woman on a subway platform.
Russell Crowe plays a seasoned journalist investigating a separate double homicide, which he eventually, and perhaps inevitably, links to the young woman. Rachel McAdams plays Crowe’s younger colleague, and Helen Mirren plays their editor-in-chief. Ben Affleck plays a Congressman and boss to the young woman, who just happens to be Crowe’s old college roommate.
The film is a condensed version the BBC mini-series from 2004, with 6 hours worth of story crammed into 2 hours. I thought the film was fairly clever in all of its twists (even the ones there were obvious 20 minutes ahead of time), but, like last month’s Duplicity, the story was done in by the last, unnecessary twists that after further thought, really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and certainly complicates matters from a legal perspective.
Overall, a decent thriller with one too many plot turns, though I am really curious to check out the original mini-series.
3 ½ stars
Saw with Steph and Paddy at Silvercity.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Upcoming movies in the next week
Wednesday
Vampiro
Lee Demarbre’s documentary about the former WWE wrestler from Thunder Bay. Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair, followed by Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Friday
The Owl and the Sparrow
At the Mayfair
El Topo
The orginal Midnight Movie, Friday and Saturday at midnight, at the Mayfair.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy
Canadian film about the relationship between a single mother, her son, and a washed-up fighter. AT the Bytowne.
17 Again
Matthew Perry gets wet(?) and becomes Zak Efron. It happens, people.
Crank High Voltage
Jason Statham beats people up.
State of Play
Based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Harry Lennix, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams. From Kevin McDonald, the director of The Last King of Scotland.
Saturday
Play Misty For Me
Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, about a disc jockey who is being stalked by an avid fan. At the Mayfair, part of their month-long Clint Eastwood festival.
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for this, his last Western, about an old bounty hunter brought out of retirement for one last job. One of the greatest westerns ever made, also stars Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Gene Hackman in his Oscar-winning role. At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Princess Bride
Mayfair’s Sunday family matinee is this classic film from the late 1980’s. Starring, among many good actors, Andre the Giant.
Monday
Elephant
Bytowne’s Must See Cinema this week is this recent film, the middle part of Gus Van Sant’s trilogy of Death (along with Gerry and Last Days). Based not so loosely on the Columbine massacre, which by no coincidence was ten years ago this week.
Tuesday
Tuesday brings the start of the Mayfair’s Bruce McDonald mini-festival, starting with Roadkill and Hard Core Logo.
Roadkill
Hard Core Logo
Vampiro
Lee Demarbre’s documentary about the former WWE wrestler from Thunder Bay. Wednesday and Thursday at the Mayfair, followed by Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Friday
The Owl and the Sparrow
At the Mayfair
El Topo
The orginal Midnight Movie, Friday and Saturday at midnight, at the Mayfair.
Nurse.Fighter.Boy
Canadian film about the relationship between a single mother, her son, and a washed-up fighter. AT the Bytowne.
17 Again
Matthew Perry gets wet(?) and becomes Zak Efron. It happens, people.
Crank High Voltage
Jason Statham beats people up.
State of Play
Based on the acclaimed BBC miniseries, starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Harry Lennix, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams. From Kevin McDonald, the director of The Last King of Scotland.
Saturday
Play Misty For Me
Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, about a disc jockey who is being stalked by an avid fan. At the Mayfair, part of their month-long Clint Eastwood festival.
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood won his first Oscar for this, his last Western, about an old bounty hunter brought out of retirement for one last job. One of the greatest westerns ever made, also stars Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, and Gene Hackman in his Oscar-winning role. At the Mayfair.
Sunday
The Princess Bride
Mayfair’s Sunday family matinee is this classic film from the late 1980’s. Starring, among many good actors, Andre the Giant.
Monday
Elephant
Bytowne’s Must See Cinema this week is this recent film, the middle part of Gus Van Sant’s trilogy of Death (along with Gerry and Last Days). Based not so loosely on the Columbine massacre, which by no coincidence was ten years ago this week.
Tuesday
Tuesday brings the start of the Mayfair’s Bruce McDonald mini-festival, starting with Roadkill and Hard Core Logo.
Roadkill
Hard Core Logo
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Future Film Round-up
- The Farrelly brothers are making a Three Stooges movie, and are negotiating with Jim Carrey to play Curly, Sean Penn to play Larry, and Benicio Del Toro to play Moe. Ok? Ok.
- Vanessa Redgrave has joined the cast of Robin Hood, as has William Hurt.
- Ladies, calm down, but … Zak Efron has dropped out of Footloose. Please find a way to go on with your lives.
- Woody Allen 2010 has added Nicole Kidman to its cast.
- Richard Linklater is shooting a “thematic and spiritual” sequel to Dazed and Confused. So, same ideas, none of the same characters.
- Rhys Ifans has joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (both parts, presumably).
- Tony Scott will next direct Unstoppable, about an … unstoppable … runaway freight train filled with toxic chemicals. Something tells me they’ll stop it … or maybe they won’t.
- Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are making a film called Date Night (shockingly not for Universal Pictures), with Mark Wahlberg and James Franco co-starring.
- Peter Morgan will complete his Tony Blair trilogy (The Deal, The Queen) with The Special Relationship. Michael Sheen will reprise his Tony Blair, with Dennis Quaid starring as Bill Clinton (Russell Crowe had been rumoured), and Julianne Moore as Hillary Clinton. Like the first part, The Deal, this will be made for cable television. Peter Morgan will direct it himself this time.
- Michael Sheen, however, also has to do his fill of crap (The Underworld films) and thus has joined the cast of the Twilight sequel, New Moon.
- Footloose-less Zak Efrom will star as Johnny Quest.
- Vanessa Redgrave has joined the cast of Robin Hood, as has William Hurt.
- Ladies, calm down, but … Zak Efron has dropped out of Footloose. Please find a way to go on with your lives.
- Woody Allen 2010 has added Nicole Kidman to its cast.
- Richard Linklater is shooting a “thematic and spiritual” sequel to Dazed and Confused. So, same ideas, none of the same characters.
- Rhys Ifans has joined the cast of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (both parts, presumably).
- Tony Scott will next direct Unstoppable, about an … unstoppable … runaway freight train filled with toxic chemicals. Something tells me they’ll stop it … or maybe they won’t.
- Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are making a film called Date Night (shockingly not for Universal Pictures), with Mark Wahlberg and James Franco co-starring.
- Peter Morgan will complete his Tony Blair trilogy (The Deal, The Queen) with The Special Relationship. Michael Sheen will reprise his Tony Blair, with Dennis Quaid starring as Bill Clinton (Russell Crowe had been rumoured), and Julianne Moore as Hillary Clinton. Like the first part, The Deal, this will be made for cable television. Peter Morgan will direct it himself this time.
- Michael Sheen, however, also has to do his fill of crap (The Underworld films) and thus has joined the cast of the Twilight sequel, New Moon.
- Footloose-less Zak Efrom will star as Johnny Quest.
3 Week Movie Catch-Up
I Love You Man (2009)
Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones
Funny “bromance” movie, lots of good laughs, plus the usual Apatow-esque cast of overly-weird supporting characters.
Silvercity, with Steph, Gary, and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
Duplicity (2009)
Dir. Tony Gilroy. Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson.
More twists than a bag of pretzels. Roberts and Owen are charming, yet dislikable, but the final twists that [SPOILER] negates almost the entire film feels way too convoluted, even for this film. Not as good as Gilroy’s debut Michael Clayton, but a decent rental-worthy film.
Silvercity, with Paddy. 3 stars.
Alien (1979)
Dir. Ridley Scott. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto.
In space, no one can hear you scream. Ridley Scott’s second film is still frightening and adrenaline-pumpking 30 years later, even after I’ve seen it more than a dozen times. Still the best of the Alien films, just because it’s more about the characters and the atmosphere, rather than the effects and the monster.
Bytowne, with Paddy. 5 stars.
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef.
Leone’s second film of his Dollars trilogy finds Eastwood’s Man With No Name teaming up with rival bounty hunter Van Cleef in tracking down and apprehending the head of a gang of Mexican bandits who happens to be addicted to marijuana. Surprisingly, it takes them over two hours to apprehend the pothead Mexican.
Mayfair, with Steph and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.
The Dollars trilogy concluded with The Man With No Name (who is repeatedly named Blondie throughout the film) alternately teaming up with or competing against Wallach and Van Cleef (this time a bad guy) to find a cache of stolen Confederate gold during the later years of the Civil War. Leone’s masterpiece, with the tensest dual in Western history ending off the film.
Mayfair, with Paddy. 5 stars.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Dir. Martin Scorsese. Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton.
One of my ten favorite films of all time, and just in time for Easter, Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis (from a script by Paul Schrader) explores the conflict between the godliness and humanity of Jesus Christ. The film is infamous (and controversial) for the half-hour plus end sequence where Jesus sees what his life would be like had he decided not to follow his calling. This is a fantastic film that shows Jesus in a way that no one else would dare, which makes it that much more appealing.
Mayfair, all by myself. 5 stars.
The Godfather (1972)
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Richard Castellano, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda, John Cazale, Sterling Hayden, Diane Keaton.
Routinely called one of the greatest films of all time, and the 1972 Academy Award Best Picture, The Godfather is the sprawling story of the Corleone crime family from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s. I’ve seen this film more times than I can think of, and I’ve always been impressed by Pacino and Caan, but always felt that Brando was just okay. But last night, watching the film on the big screen, I saw for the first time how great Brando is in a very understated way. He is not the most dynamic, and definitely not the loudest, but he is absolutely the soul of the film.
Bytowne, with Steph and Paddy. 5 stars.
Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones
Funny “bromance” movie, lots of good laughs, plus the usual Apatow-esque cast of overly-weird supporting characters.
Silvercity, with Steph, Gary, and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
Duplicity (2009)
Dir. Tony Gilroy. Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson.
More twists than a bag of pretzels. Roberts and Owen are charming, yet dislikable, but the final twists that [SPOILER] negates almost the entire film feels way too convoluted, even for this film. Not as good as Gilroy’s debut Michael Clayton, but a decent rental-worthy film.
Silvercity, with Paddy. 3 stars.
Alien (1979)
Dir. Ridley Scott. Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto.
In space, no one can hear you scream. Ridley Scott’s second film is still frightening and adrenaline-pumpking 30 years later, even after I’ve seen it more than a dozen times. Still the best of the Alien films, just because it’s more about the characters and the atmosphere, rather than the effects and the monster.
Bytowne, with Paddy. 5 stars.
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef.
Leone’s second film of his Dollars trilogy finds Eastwood’s Man With No Name teaming up with rival bounty hunter Van Cleef in tracking down and apprehending the head of a gang of Mexican bandits who happens to be addicted to marijuana. Surprisingly, it takes them over two hours to apprehend the pothead Mexican.
Mayfair, with Steph and Paddy. 3 ½ stars.
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Dir. Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.
The Dollars trilogy concluded with The Man With No Name (who is repeatedly named Blondie throughout the film) alternately teaming up with or competing against Wallach and Van Cleef (this time a bad guy) to find a cache of stolen Confederate gold during the later years of the Civil War. Leone’s masterpiece, with the tensest dual in Western history ending off the film.
Mayfair, with Paddy. 5 stars.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Dir. Martin Scorsese. Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey, David Bowie, Harry Dean Stanton.
One of my ten favorite films of all time, and just in time for Easter, Scorsese’s adaptation of the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis (from a script by Paul Schrader) explores the conflict between the godliness and humanity of Jesus Christ. The film is infamous (and controversial) for the half-hour plus end sequence where Jesus sees what his life would be like had he decided not to follow his calling. This is a fantastic film that shows Jesus in a way that no one else would dare, which makes it that much more appealing.
Mayfair, all by myself. 5 stars.
The Godfather (1972)
Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Marlon Brandon, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Richard Castellano, Talia Shire, Abe Vigoda, John Cazale, Sterling Hayden, Diane Keaton.
Routinely called one of the greatest films of all time, and the 1972 Academy Award Best Picture, The Godfather is the sprawling story of the Corleone crime family from the mid 1940s to the mid 1950s. I’ve seen this film more times than I can think of, and I’ve always been impressed by Pacino and Caan, but always felt that Brando was just okay. But last night, watching the film on the big screen, I saw for the first time how great Brando is in a very understated way. He is not the most dynamic, and definitely not the loudest, but he is absolutely the soul of the film.
Bytowne, with Steph and Paddy. 5 stars.
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