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The Notable Films of 2013: Volume Four
In this fourth volume I look at a remake of an early 80s horror classic, a remake of a famed caper film, a second outing with the soldiers of the G.I. Joe division, the third chapter in the "Evangelion" cinematic saga, a fifth round of action for John McClane, a sixth trip behind the wheel for Dominic Toretto, and the umpteenth adaptation of Charles Dickens' greatest work.
There's also Channing Tatum in a wrestling singlet, a gangster movie with all the trimmings, several dark and twisted tales from the UK, several strange takes on young girls coming of age, both the latest feature and a re-release of an acclaimed classic from Japanese animators Studio Ghibli, and an Aussie filmmaker reinterpreting of one of the great American novels.
The Europa Report
Opens: 2013
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Christian Camargo, Daniel Wu, Anamaria Marinca
Director: Sebastián Cordero
Analysis: The most mysterious of next year's science-fiction films is this effort from Ecuadorian filmmaker Sebastián Cordero ("Ratas, Ratones, Rateros," "Crónicas"). The story involves six astronauts who go on a private mission to Jupiter's fourth moon, Europa, in search of extraterrestrial life. Shot in Brooklyn in late 2011, the cast is a mixture of international talent including Sharlto Copley ("District 9"), Michael Nyqvist ("Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol") and Christian Camargo ("Dexter"). "Battlestar Galactica" composer Bear McCreary is also onboard to do the score.
That's all that's really known about the film so far. No specific release date is set, even though viral marketing has begun. A teaser trailer released a few months ago showcased some great imagery - a real classic science-fiction feel akin to films like the underrated "2010: The Year We Make Contact" which also dealt with signs of life on Europa. However, the trailer was also frustratingly short and vague, not letting us in on the tone or the story beyond what we already knew. Still, the secrecy is to its advantage right now as it has gotten people talking.
Evil Dead
Opens: April 12th 2013
Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore
Director: Fede Alvarez
Analysis: Just over twenty years since "Army of Darkness" hit cinemas, the "Evil Dead" franchise finally returns to screen albeit in a very different form. After a decade of discussion about a fourth film, years of confusion over the franchise's fate, and months of hassle over a lawsuit from rivals trying to cash in on the brand - things finally became clear in 2011. It was then when director Sam Raimi and actor Bruce Campbell revealed they had seemingly given up on a fourth film with Campbell's Ash character.
Instead, they had finally settled on a script they all approved of for a remake of the original 1981 low-budget classic. Raimi and Rodo Sayagues penned this version, while Diablo Cody came in to give it a final polish. The story involves a group of teenagers who go to a cabin in the woods and find a mysterious book that unwittingly summons up dormant demons living in the nearby woods. Initially cast as the lead character, Lily Collins had to drop out and was ultimately replaced by "Suburgatory" star Jane Levy.
The original "Evil Dead" set out with a serious tone in mind, but became better known for it elements of unintentionally comedic and over-the-top gore. Said elements became the focus of the much more outright comedic sequels. The biggest change with the remake, aside from a much larger budget of $14 million, is that the tone is quite different. Under Raimi's guidance as producer, acclaimed Uruguayan short film director Fede Alvarez came onboard to direct. The result is a film that plays it very serious and very dark.
While the visual look is akin to today's torture porn horror features, reports from the set and footage of the final product indicate the production is keeping many of the key scenes that made the original so memorable. From the tree rape to the possessed hand, the difference here is the gore is much more icky and realistic. Alvarez made it a point to use only practical effects on the film, especially in terms of the key elements. The result seems to work though as fans of the series brought the house down at the film's Comic Con presentation this year in San Diego. On chat boards and Twitter, a lot have expressed an eagerness to check it out rather than treating it with the usual scepticism that most horror remakes receive.
Fast Six
Opens: May 24th 2013
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Dwayne Johnson, Luke Evans
Director: Justin Lin
Analysis: Who would have thought it? By the fifth entry in a film series, the audience knows what to expect and those in charge aren't keen to shake things up lest they chip away at their fan base. That's why 2011's "Fast Five" came as quite a shock with its fresh and fun approach. The filmmakers essentially dumped the "Point Break"-lite storylines and niche underground street racing elements. Instead, they opted for a wide-appealing action-toned ensemble heist film with an international flavour. They also kept the elements that worked such as the key cast members, the flash cars, and the unintentional undercurrent of machismo meets homoeroticism.
This fifth film's grander locales, the ambitious and more practical set pieces, and some key casting additions all clicked beautifully - resulting in easily the most profitable film of the franchise with $626 million worldwide. It also scored many of the best reviews of the series, revitalising a brand that was seen as tired and over. As a result, both a sixth and seventh film in the series quickly went into development after those involved realised they would need more than one movie to tie up the storylines and characters.
A seventh film is a while off though, plans to shoot it back-to-back dumped shortly after they were first suggested, and "Fast Six" is being developed as its own beast. Story details are scarce, but it is certain that this will revolve around the group of characters from the last one re-assembling for another heist - this time in Europe. Dwayne Johnson's memorably macho Agent Luke Hobbs is also coming back, though the colder climate means we'll miss the light sweaty sheen he seemed to sport throughout F5.
Also back for this outing is Michelle Rodriguez's Letty, seemingly killed in the fourth film and revealed to be alive in the last one. Johnson's character gets a new agent in the form of MMA fighter Gina Carano who impressed with her debut performance this year in "Haywire." There's also "The Raid" actor Joe Taslim as a "cold-blooded killer who fights using martial arts and parkour."
If "Fast Five" lacked in one area it was the villain. While Johnson was a blast, Joaquim de Almeida's Brazilian drug lord and his anonymous henchmen were a bit of a wash. The filmmakers have instead come up with a different angle this time - a rival team attempting to pull off the same robbery. Well-groomed Welshman Luke Evans heads this group, the actor replacing the once linked Jason Statham. Shot in London, Los Angeles, Tenerife and Glasgow - this entry hits Memorial Day weekend and is expected to be one of Summer's box-office juggernauts.
A Field in England
Opens: 2013
Cast: Julian Barratt, Michael Smiley, Reece Shearsmith, Peter Ferdinando, Ryan Pope
Director: Ben Wheatley
Analysis: One filmmaker who has outright exploded onto the scene this year is Ben Wheatley. While his 2009 debut film "Down Terrace" scored him plenty of notice, his 2011 hitman drama meets crazy "Wicker Man" cult tale "Kill List" became an acclaimed cult hit by the time it opened internationally earlier this year. Boasting a chilling atmosphere of dread and excellent performances, it is a stunning work that has easily made my 'Best Films of 2012' list.
Wheatley followed that up with the darkly comic "Sightseers" the other month which has already nabbed awards and strong reviews as well. For his 2013 effort, the filmmaker delivers a psychedelic horror yarn set during the English Civil War in the 17th century. The action follows a group of deserters who flee a battle. They soon encounter a treasure-hunting alchemist, and a patch of strange mushrooms - after which things take a turn for the decidedly weird.
Shot in black-and-white and filmed in the space of just two weeks on a field in Surrey, the film is currently in post ahead of a late 2013 release. Despite the dark sounding premise, there will likely be humorous elements as well as Wheatley is employing various British TV comedy talents in supporting roles. Wheatley jokes that "there's quite a lot of penises in it, and quite a lot of muskets." Sounds like plenty of cocks and cocking for everyone - fantastic.
Filth
Opens: 2013
Cast: James McAvoy, Jamie Bell, Jim Broadbent, Imogen Poots, Eddie Marsan
Director: Jon S. Baird
Analysis: Jon S. Baird ("Cass") adapts "Trainspotting" author Irvine Welsh's controversial "Filth" for the big screen, with actor James McAvoy no doubt relishing the chance to play a bipolar bigoted junkie Edinburgh cop. The character is an utterly despicable prick, a sexually abusive misogynist who would be the absolute worst kind of co-worker. It's an odd leading character, but that's the nature of the surreal black comedy within the book itself - the kind where a tapeworm living inside the main character gets its own monologue.
Jamie Bell, Jim Broadbent, Imogen Poots, Eddie Marsan and a ton of other great British actors all pop up for roles in the film which starts out dealing with a murder, and ultimately becomes a complicated storyline about ex-wives and the cop's own past. It's an ambitious film and a highly secretive one which was shot early 2012 and is still awaiting a concrete release date. McAvoy's performance will likely draw high praise, the question is if the rest of the film around him will either be a piece of inspired genius or an eccentric outright failure.
Foxcatcher
Opens: 2013
Cast: Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Bennett Miller
Analysis: "Capote" director Bennett Miller, and that film's scribes E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, re-team for this true crime drama. Steve Carell has been cast as John du Pont, heir to the du Pont chemical fortune and a paranoid schizophrenic who built a wrestling gym called Team Foxcatcher on his Pennsylvania estate so that the U.S. Olympic team could train. In 1996, he shot and killed his close friend, gold medal-winning wrestler David Schultz (Mark Ruffalo), at the training centre.
After the murder, du Pont locked himself in his mansion for two days while he negotiated with police on the telephone. A motive for the crime was never established, and du Pont himself died in 2010 in a Pennsylvania prison at the age of 72. Also onboard are Channing Tatum and Sienna Miller as Schultz's brother and wife respectively. Tatum has said that the film is the single most challenging acting role of his career so far.
Currently shooting in Pennsylvania, photos leaked from the set are surprising. While Tatum looks much like he always has, Ruffalo sports an interesting half-bald hairdo. Carell meanwhile has lost a bunch of weight and greyed his hair, becoming almost recognisable in the process. Boasting a stellar supporting cast and Miller's track record, this looks like it could be a potential awards contender next year.
Foxfire
Opens: 2013
Cast: Katie Coseni, Ali Liebert, Claire Mazerolle, David Patrick Green, Kent Nolan
Director: Laurent Cantet
Analysis: Previously adapted into a 1996 film that marked one of the earliest roles for Angelina Jolie, Joyce Carol Oates’ novel "Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang" follows five young girls who form their own 'gang' celebrating female pride. They start by carrying out what is initially basic pranks and mild vandalism, but it soon escalates to assault, car theft and ultimately kidnapping.
The earlier film made numerous changes to the book including swapping the setting from 1950s upstate New York to the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s. The timeline was compressed from years to weeks, the girls come from nicer homes, and the stunts they pull are fairly tame. This version marks "The Class" director Cantet’s English language debut and sticks closer to the source material including keeping the original 50's NYC setting and the darker tone.
The cast are all unknowns, not even the supporting roles are filled out with any familiar names, so it all depends upon a strong script, direction and solid performances. Unfortunately reviews out of Toronto this past Fall were mixed at best. The acting has been slammed as inconsistent, the 143 minute runtime as needlessly excessive, and the tone as forced and inert. Though it has been picked up for distribution in Europe, it's still trying to find a home in the United States.
From Up On Poppy Hill
Opens: March 15th 2013
Cast: Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Ron Howard, Jeff Dunham, Gillian Anderson
Director: Goro Miyazaki
Analysis: Studio Ghibli's latest feature, and the highest-grossing Japanese film of 2011 with a $56 million haul, finally comes to the United States and other western territories in early 2013. Much like "Only Yesterday" or "Ocean Waves," this is a smaller and quieter work from Ghibli with a real world setting and a youth-oriented focus. While this year's 'Arrietty' lovingly wallowed in the rich details of its 'world in miniature,' this one is all about recreating a simpler period in time.
Set in 1963 Yokohama in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics the following year, the story follows a high school girl living in a boarding house. She and a boy who works for the newspaper club decide to clean up the school's dilapidated 'Latin Quarter' clubhouse. Unfortunately the school's chairman intends to demolish the building and they must try to persuade him to change his mind.
Based on a 1980s manga, the helmer is Goro Miyazaki who is the son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki who co-founded the studio. Goro's first directorial effort, "Tales from Earthsea," is generally considered the worst film to have come out of the Japanese animation studio so far. Thankfully 'Poppy Hill' has received a more impressive reception, but the few early non-Japanese publication reviews from film festival screenings are still calling it mid-range Ghibli at best.
Pacing issues and awkwardly forced moments seem to be the most common criticisms, but all praise the film's atmosphere and historical period recreation. Also, a run-of-the-mill Ghibli film is still better than 90% of the other animated efforts on the market. The 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami almost stopped the film's production in its tracks, but Miyazaki and his animators pressed on, claiming it was their responsibility to do so. Despite the problems, they met their target date.
Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are producing this North American audio dub which includes such voice talents as Sarah Bolger, Anton Yelchin, Ron Howard, Jeff Dunham, Gillian Anderson, Chris Noth, Isabelle Fuhrman, Emily Osment, Beau Bridges, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dern, Christina Hendricks and Aubrey Plaza amongst others.
Frozen
Opens: November 27th 2013
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Analysis: They made a fortune off of his "The Little Mermaid," now Disney Pictures is tackling the Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Snow Queen" in this 3D CG animated musical fantasy-comedy that will open in time for Thanksgiving 2013. Kristen Bell voices the twelfth Disney Princess, Anna the Ice Princess. When Anna is cursed by her estranged sister, the cold-hearted Snow Queen Elsa (Menzel), her only hope of reversing it is to survive a perilous, but thrilling journey across an icy and unforgiving landscape.
Joining her is the rugged, thrill-seeking outdoorsman Kristoff (Groff), his one-antlered reindeer and a hapless snowman. She must conquer the elements and battle an army of frozen sinister warriors if she ever hopes to melt the Queen's frozen heart. All three are expected to sing and speak in their roles, with the original songs provided by Broadway's Robert Lopez ("Avenue Q") and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
The Frozen Ground
Opens: 2013
Cast: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, Radha Mitchell, 50 Cent
Director: Scott Walker
Analysis: On paper this $27 million thriller has a strong premise. The true story centers on the early 80's investigation of Robert Hansen (Cusack), a respected family man who systematically abducted some two dozen women and flew them into the Alaskan wilderness where he released and then hunted them.
The film will follow the case and the investigations of an Alaskan State Trooper (Cage) who, with the help of one of Hansen's victims who escaped (Hudgens), sets out to bring the man to justice. Shot in and around Anchorage, the stark scenery combined with the fact that this actually happened makes for a compelling tale. Yet newcomer Walker's script has received some mixed reviews.
The casting of the likes of Cage, Hudgens and 50 Cent brings all sorts of baggage, and producer Emmett Furla Films have so far released various disappointing thrillers. Cage's record in this genre of late - "Seeking Justice," "Trespass," and "Stolen" - has been terrible, even with decent casts involved in each. A leaked and then pulled early promo trailer showed good footage, but did the film no favors with some god awful editing. The delay of this from December to an unspecified early 2013 date is also not a good sign, but I hope it will surprise.
Gambit
Opens: 2013
Cast: Colin Firth, Cameron Diaz, Alan Rickman, Tom Courtenay, Stanley Tucci
Director: Michael Hoffman
Analysis: A remake of the classic 1966 crime caper film with Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine, this new version comes from the pen of the Coen Brothers. Opting not to direct, several helmers were attached in recent years until "The Last Station," "Soapdish," and "Promised Land" director Michael Hoffman was locked down and shooting took place in 2011.
The original starred Caine as a cat burglar who uses the help of a Hong Kong showgirl (MacLaine) to steal a priceless antique from the world's richest man (Herbert Lom), and everything that can go wrong does. This new take replaces them with Firth as a British art curator and Diaz as a Texas rodeo queen who team to sell off a fake Monet painting to England's richest man (Alan Rickman).
Producer Mike Lobell has been trying to get the film made for over a decade. The Coens' script was long considered one of the great unproduced scripts circling Hollywood since it was first penned back in 2003. On the flip side, their last attempt to adapt a classic British caper film was "The Ladykillers" which is often considered the worst film the duo has ever made.
Will this be a repeat? Opening in the UK last month, the film got slammed by critics for having no actual laughs, despite the often puerile jokes. Recurring comments include the leads having no chemistry, half-hearted performances all around, and frequent failed attempts to play out very dated broad farce and screwball comedy to no effect. Already at 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, this looks to be dead on arrival.
Gangster Squad
Opens: January 11th 2013
Cast: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Nick Nolte
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Analysis: An impressively cast ensemble true story crime drama, Fleischer's film follows a secret "off the record" police task force in the 1940s and 50s as they try to keep the east coast mob from moving into Los Angeles. In particular, high-profile gangster Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (Penn) who was a member of the so-called "Jewish Mafia."
Joining the actor names mentioned above in supporting roles are the likes of Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie and Troy Garity. Former L.A. cop and novelist Will Beall penned the script which "Zombieland" helmer Fleischer directs. Fleischer says he aims to make an iconic gangster movie that uses the L.A. setting as a key element of the action.
Considering Fleischer's career has been made on mostly action comedies, many were wondering how he would go handling both dramatic and period elements. The first trailers came out and the surprise was mostly about the glossy sheen on display - it's a stylised and flashy piece which plays up the period elements and look - think a more glamorous and less complicated "L.A. Confidential." Fleischer admitted they took some liberties with the true story aspect which is ultimately about the Penn/Brolin face-off for the future of Los Angeles.
Things changed in July though in the wake of the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. The key set piece of the movie involved mob goons shooting submachine guns at moviegoers through the screen of Grauman's Chinese Theater. The scene was featured prominently in the trailer, a trailer that was quickly yanked from release. The sequence is crucial to the story though, which caused the studio to call in everyone for a week of reshoots which shifted the setting of the gunfight to L.A.'s Chinatown district.
This pushed the film back from its original early Fall bow to a January release date. Costing a fairly high $75 million, the studio now faces another problem in the form of a media re-examining the influence of violent movies in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre. As the first major movie release of the year, this has become an unexpected gamble for the studio. A carefully considered campaign has to be in place as things move forward, and hopefully the film itself will be strong enough that people will consider it on its own merit.
The Gatekeepers
Opens: February 1st 2013
Cast: Ami Ayalon, Avi Dichter, Yuval Diskin, Carmi Gillon, Yaakov Peri
Director: Dror Moreh
Analysis: Dror Moreh's acclaimed documentary explores Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service - the domestic counterpart to its more well-known external intelligence branch the Mossad. Inspired by Errol Morris’s Oscar-winning documentary "The Fog of War," which extensively interviewed famed U.S. Defense secretary Robert McNamara, Moreh decided to try something similar and even more ambitious. His goal was to get at least several of the former heads of Shin Bet to appear on camera and discuss their work.
The surprise is that he was able to land six of them to participate, including Yuval Diskin who was in charge of the organisation at the time of the interview. Assembled in a loose chronological order, the film consists of seven segments which cover key events such as the agency's rise to prominence during the Six Day War, the "300 bus" incident, the assassinations of Yahya Ayyash and Yitzhak Rabin, and the peace process in the wake of the Oslo Accords and during the Second Intifada.
Issues of torture, collateral damage and the morality of targeted assassinations are also delved into, and result in some surprisingly personal confessions from these former giants of what remains a highly secretive organisation. It took three years to produce the final film which assembles interview footage, archival footage and CG animated recreations. The result drew unanimous raves from critics at the various film festivals it played at during the Fall. Sony Classics are now giving it a limited theatrical bow in early February.
G.I. Joe: Retaliation
Opens: March 29th 2013
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson
Director: Jon Chu
Analysis: Stephen Sommers' 2009 franchise launcher "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" was like much of the director's work - overstuffed with characters and ridiculous in the extreme. It was a CG-fuelled kiddie movie of cartoonish violence and sillier performances that bore very little relation to the actual G.I. Joe toy and cartoon franchise. Grossing $300 million worldwide on a costly budget of $175 million, Paramount's announcement of a sequel surprised many.
"Zombieland" scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the script, "Step Up" series director Jon Chu took over the helm, and the cast underwent a big shake-up with only five actors from the first film - Channing Tatum, Lee Byung-hun, Ray Park, Arnold Vosloo and Jonathan Pryce - reprising their roles here. Instead, both The Rock and Bruce Willis have been enlisted with the latter playing the original Joe himself - General Joe Colton.
What can be seen is something a bit more grounded in reality than the previous film - less about Saharan secret bases and super CG submersibles, and more about straightforward action. The plot is fairly routine - the G.I. Joes are framed as traitors and are all seemingly wiped out. The few that remain must stop Cobra from taking control of nuclear missiles and launching them at various cities. Even so, there's still a goofy appeal here with sequences such as ninjas sword fighting whilst hanging from ropes along the sides of a sheer cliff.
The film made major headlines back in May when, one month before its scheduled release, it was pushed back a whopping nine months. Officially the delay was to both add 3D and boost the international marketing campaign. Unofficially, word was that test screenings for the film did not go so well. Some extensive reshoots were done to work back in Channing Tatum's character who originally died quite early on in the film. Between the time of shooting and the time of release, Tatum's star had soared and he suddenly became a big asset.
It is expected he will now take on a more substantial role in the final product. With a budget hovering at around $185 million, this is a big gamble for Paramount. Ultimately though they did the right thing, giving the film necessary breathing room instead of letting it become a casualty at this year's overcrowded Summer box-office. How the final product will fare we'll have to wait and see, but for now I've considerably more anticipation for this sequel than I had for anything I saw in the lead up to the first film.
Girl Most Likely
Opens: July 19th 2013
Cast: Kristen Wiig, Annette Benning, Darren Criss, Matt Dillon, Natasha Lyonne
Director: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Analysis: Many of us suspected it would only be a matter of time before former SNL star Kristen Wiig broke out and made it big - in 2011 she did just that with the success of "Bridesmaids". Now she's been able to translate that success into making this passion project which she's been keen to do for some time. She's also managed to convince Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, who helmed HBO's "Cinema Verite," to come onboard and direct it.
Previously titled "Imogene," Wiig plays a modestly successful New York playwright who stages a fake suicide attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend. Unfortunately this leads to her being put into the custody of her estranged and gambling-addicted mother (Benning) to try and shake some sense back into her. Thrown into the mix is her outright odd brother (Chris Fitzgerald), a hunky tenant (Darren Criss), and her mom’s new boyfriend who claims to be a CIA agent (Matt Dillon).
Reviews out of Toronto were mixed with a lot of praise for the performances, especially Wiig giving a low-key and subtle take, that overcome the deficiencies of Michelle Morgan's script. Described as sitcom-esque and contrived, with jokes revolving around the differences between New Jersey and New York residents, reactions varied considerably depending upon how the reviewers felt about the actors. All had issues with the story and dramatic turn of the third act, the degree to which they complained though varied considerably.
A Glimpse Inside The Mind of Charles Swan III
Opens: February 8th 2013
Cast: Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Katheryn Winnick, Patricia Arquette
Director: Roman Coppola
Analysis: It's interesting how timing works out. Ten years ago Roman Coppola's debut film "CQ" opened to solid reviews and little box-office, meaning that it quietly disappeared. Now, back with his second feature, this one is guaranteed not to suffer the same unfair fate. Even with a high profile cast though, the sad fact is that attention is being paid due to its leading man - Charlie Sheen. Not only does this mark his first major onscreen role since leaving "Two and a Half Men" and the subsequent tabloid meltdown, the story seems to mirror aspects of his life.
In 'Swan,' Sheen plays a successful 1970s graphic designer who is irresistible to women. He soon slinks into a spiral of self-doubt and depression after being dumped, and must turn his life around. If it works, this could put Sheen firmly back on the comeback trail. While some frown upon his ego and personality, the man still has a major fan base which will likely come out in force for this. Add in a raft of impressive cameos, even some of the Sheen-haters might take a look as well.
Screened at the Rome Film Festival, reviews were actually pretty good, with plenty of praise for the period recreation and the film's production values. The full on fantasy scenes, infantile and sexualised dreams that the character becomes a part of to escape his despair, sound like fun. Script issues however, namely the lack of both a solid story and the title character's development, were cited as the film's major drawbacks.
Gods Behaving Badly
Opens: 2013
Cast: Christopher Walken, Alicia Silverstone, Oliver Platt, Sharon Stone, Edie Falco
Director: Marc Turtletaub
Analysis: "Percy Jackson: A Romantic Comedy"? Sounds like it with this film adaptation of Marie Phillips' comedic novel which sets up the premise that the Greek Gods are alive, dysfunctional and living in a brownstone in modern London (which will be changed to New York City for this film). It's there that a young couple (Silverstone and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) encounter them and soon their budding relationship, and the world as we know it, threatens to crumble.
The book scored a lot of praise for its comedy - the gods portrayed as seedy, down on their luck has-beens. An impressive cast are set to play the Olympian pantheon including Christopher Walken (Zeus), John Turturro (Hades), Sharon Stone (Aphrodite), Oliver Platt (Apollo), Edie Falco (Artemis), Phylicia Rashad (Demeter), Nelsan Ellis (Dionysus), Gideon Glick (Eros), Henry Zebrowski (Hermes) and Rosie Perez (Persephone).
As a premise it's quite promising, and actually would be better suited for a sitcom rather than a one-off film. The question now is if debut director Marc Turtletaub has the chops to keep the edge and humor or if it will be toned down in order to appeal to more regular rom-com fans. Whatever the case, the film has seen some delays as it was shot in Summer 2011, and then underwent reshoots a few months ago. Independently funded, it's only expected to get a limited release sometime early in 2013.
A Good Day to Die Hard
Opens: February 14th 2013
Cast: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney, Cole Hauser, Sebastian Koch, Amaury Nolasco
Director: John Moore
Analysis: After twelve years of dormancy, 2007's "Live Free or Die Hard" revived the franchise. The lack of director John McTiernan, lack of Bruce Willis' hair, the toning down of the violence to PG-13 levels, and some CG assisted athleticism gave the film a different feel to those that had come before. Still, the critics liked it, and the worldwide box-office was solid with a $383.5 million haul. Good enough that Fox soon began work on a fifth entry in the series.
With the fourth film introducing us to a now adult Lucy McClane (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), it seemed logical that the fifth one would incorporate John's son Jack as a young adult. At the same time, there was talk that the action would be set outside the United States for the first time, allowing the fish-out-of-water comedy of seeing John McClane living up to the stereotype of the worst kind of tourist - loud, bombastic, arrogant and ignorant of the culture around him.
Lo and behold, the speculation was right with the plot revealed to involve John McClane heading to Moscow to find his wayward son. Turns out Jack is a CIA operative working to prevent a nuclear-weapons heist by a Russian crime boss. Young Aussie actor Jai Courtney, seen in small roles in Starz' "Spartacus: Blood & Sand" and more recently "Jack Reacher," beat out more well-known names to play the younger McClane.
He's a solid choice, with more concern likely to be focused on the film's writer Skip Woods ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "Swordfish") and director John Moore ("Max Payne," "Behind Enemy Lines"). While judgement is still out on the quality, the first trailers certainly impressed with the scale. From scenes of massive destruction including multiple car bomb explosions, to a helicopter gun ship soaring over a cityscape - it all looks quite flash.
Though there's an over reliance on CG, there's also a welcome return of the irreverence of the series that was sorely missed in the last film. In fact, the shot of a villain (Cole Hauser) using a carrot like an orchestra conductor's wand has become something of an internet sensation - go figure. Is this the end? Willis said he'd be open to do a sixth film, but that would be the final outing of John McClane. In the meantime, let's hope 'Good Day' proves as much fun as the other odd-numbered entries in this series.
The Grandmaster
Opens: 2013
Cast: Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Song Hye-kyo, Chang Chen, Julian Cheung
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Analysis: AT LAST it's here. It took nearly a decade to get going, and years to complete, but the latest work from acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar Wai ("In the Mood for Love," "Chungking Express") is finally arriving a full six years after his previous effort "My Blueberry Nights".
This $25 million Mandarin-language biopic of Yip Man, a grandmaster of the martial art Wing Chun and master of the legendary Bruce Lee, began shooting back in December 2009. However, Wong's attention to even the tiniest detail meant it has stopped and started again numerous times with the delays frustrating many. Yuen Woo-ping is handling the fighting and choreography, an odd choice for the material some would say.
One factor not working in its favor is the over exposure of Yip Man himself in rival projects which managed to make it through production and into cinemas while this take was stuck in development hell. In the past four years there's been both "Ip Man" and "Ip Man 2" which starred Donnie Yen, not to mention the unrelated "The Legend is Born - Ip Man" with Dennis To - all three exploring different times in the man's life. It's confusing to casual viewers in regard to which version is which, so much so one wonders how many will think this is either a copycat of the franchise or even an "Ip Man 3".
Trailers so far have shown some startling and wondrous imagery, fantastical shot compositions with luscious use of slow motion and a more physical sense than we've come to expect from the filmmaker. The movie will have its world premiere on January 8th in China, ahead of an international festival debut mid-February at Berlinale.
Grand Piano
Opens: 2013
Cast: Elijah Wood, John Cusack, Kerry Bishé, Dee Wallace, Allen Leech
Director: Eugenio Mira
Analysis: "'Speed' at a piano" is the basic premise for this high-concept psychological thriller from "The Birthday" and "Agnosia" director Eugenio Mira. Despite being in English and starring both Elijah Wood and John Cusack, this is actually a Spanish production (from the producers of "Buried") that was shot in both Chicago and Alicante this Fall. The concept itself is one of those simple ones that makes you wish you had thought of it.
Wood plays a famed concert pianist, a virtuoso who was forced into early retirement because of crippling stage fright. Five years later he returns to the stage for a comeback performance. Moments before he begins to play, he discovers a note written on his music sheet - he must not stop playing, if he does both he and his wife will be killed. Somehow he has to find a way to alert someone to his predicament and save two lives - all whilst stuck in the one place giving a performance.
Gravity
Opens: October 18th 2013
Cast: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Analysis: There were real struggles to get this 3D epic sci-fi action survival thriller off the ground with numerous casting changes, financial issues and behind-the-scenes kerfuffles. Finally, after much back and forth, filming got under way on a project that even James Cameron was too scared to touch because it was so ambitious and frankly insane. The challenges, however, haven't fazed "Children of Men" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" director Alfonso Cuaron.
The story follows brilliant medical engineer (Bullock) on her first shuttle mission, along with a veteran astronaut (Clooney). The pair are the sole survivors when debris destroys their space station. Their only chance of survival is to reach rescue before they run out of air. Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, with one left alone and having to essentially hopscotch from satellites to vessels to floating debris - all the time facing hazards of all sorts.
It's an intense experience, little to no dialogue and essentially a one person feature for much of its runtime. Cuaron is trying to be as realistic as possible with the film, so much so that the actors won't be donning any kind of make-up which should prove interesting. In fact, the only live-action element we see for almost the entire film is the actor's faces in their fishbowl helmets.
The majority of the movie is completely CG animated, which has reportedly allowed for Cuaron to do some pretty astonishing things in terms of filmmaking (such as some REALLY long single takes). At least one of the effects houses that worked on the film called it the hardest project they have ever undertaken. Due to the amount of post-production on this, there's been some real confusion as to when we will see it. Those few who have seen it at test screenings have been reportedly quite startled and amazed. However, it's going to be a tricky project to market.
Great Expectations
Opens: 2013
Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane
Director: Mike Newell
Analysis: This god-knows-what adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic boasts a strong cast of English actors with young pouty "War Horse" lead Irvine playing the new Pip, Fiennes as the escaped convict Magwitch, and Carter as the reclusive Miss Havisham.
For those who have never read or seen the story, it follows an orphan named Pip who falls for the adopted daughter of a wealthy spinster. He soon becomes a distinguished gentleman of society thanks to an anonymous benefactor. The big question of course is what new elements will "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" director Mike Newell and writer David Nicholls ("One Day") bring to this version to make it stand out.
Many have struggled to adapt Dickens in contemporary times, but it was 2005's BBC series take on "Bleak House" which succeeded in an unexpected way. That production kept the setting, but stripped it of the author's trademark sentimentality - resulting in a dark, gripping soap opera of a kind that made the material seem fresh. This adaptation's key point of difference is the focus on the love story between Pip (Irvine) and Estella (Holliday Grainger).
Hitting the UK the other month, shortly after a new BBC mini-series version with Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby arrived on small screens, reviews haven't been great. While some have praised the performances and called it easily accessible, others label it as a superfluous version that doesn't bring anything new. In fact, it's claimed that it extracts some of the meat and humor from the story. We'll see for ourselves when it opens internationally early in 2013.
The Great Gatsby
Opens: May 11th 2013
Cast: Leonardo Di Caprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Joel Edgerton
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Analysis: Here you have one of the most thematically dense novels of the 20th century, one stuffed with symbolism and allegory - a work so literary that none of the three previous cinematic adaptations ever did it anything close to justice. Yet the person to crack it this time is Baz Luhrmann, a filmmaker who is essentially all surface and a devout believer of the "more is more" approach?
Granted, in some ways the "Moulin Rouge" and "Romeo + Juliet" director is perfect for the material. With his meticulous attention to detail in regards to costumes, make-up, art direction, production design and score, his films are visual and auditory feasts brimming over with spectacular sets, sumptuous clothes, anachronistic music and lavish indulgences.
That's combined with a story showcasing the spectacle of America's roaring 20's, and the indulgent excesses of the wealthy and their hangers on. It was one the single greatest time periods for fashion and design, giving the flapper dresses and art deco architecture a more contemporary and immediate energy is what he'll be great at.
More concerning is whether he and co-writer Craig Pearce can adapt the material without chucking all the subtlety out the window. Portraying the disillusionment of Nick, the hollowness of high society, and the overall disintegration of the American dream is a tricky and demanding task for even the most disciplined of filmmakers. Will Baz be able to curb his operatic excesses to deliver a meaningful take on the material?
The trailers released thus far answered that question loud and clear. Rather than trying a different and more grounded approach, Luhrmann has doubled down on his strengths to deliver a highly stylised and melodramatic take with awkward line deliveries and a lot of green screen. It has drawn comparisons to "Sucker Punch" of all things, yet it's also oddly compelling and I have found myself re-watching them a lot more than I expected.
Mulligan and Edgerton in particular look well-suited for the project (Maguire not so much), and one has to consider that an 'out there' approach like this might have more success adapting Fitzgerald's novel than the failed straightforward adaptations thus far. Over budget, over time and over produced, it's certainly a film with commercial rather than critical ambitions which explains its half-year delay from this Christmas to early Summer. Some will call it a fresh spin on a classic and others a pile of glittering garbage, I can't wait to see which side of the line I fall.
ALSO OPENING:
Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo
The third of four films released in the "Rebuild of Evangelion" tetralogy, this is where Hideaki Anno's cinematic remake of his classic mid-90's TV anime series really starts to take a different direction to its small screen counterpart. Last we saw, Shinji and Rei were still frozen in the impaled Unit-01 while Tokyo-3 and Geofront were abandoned. The third film picks up the action much further down the line and has been getting an interesting mix of reviews. From all reports it's the most ambitious of the three films, in a few ways it sounds like it may have over-reached. The film gets a limited theatrical run in the United States early in the year ahead of a disc release mid-year.
Everything Will Be Fine
Originally aiming to be wrapped by now for a premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in March, filmmaker Wim Wenders' next project won't actually even begin shooting in Montreal until February. As a result a late 2013 release is the earliest we'll likely see the Sarah Polley-led film which deals with a man who, driving aimlessly after a trivial domestic quarrel, accidentally hits and kills a child. It then shows his life over the next twelve years and how it destroys him. The project, penned by Bjørn Olaf Johannessen, is Wenders' first narrative feature since 2008.
Fading Gigolo
Actor John Turturro jumps back into writing & directing with this recently wrapped indie comedy in which he decides to become a professional male prostitute as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend Murray (Woody Allen). With Murray as his "manager," the duo quickly find themselves caught up in this unexpected business. At the same time, they try to keep at bay the suspicions of the Hasidic Jewish community in which they live. Their clientele will include characters played by the impressive likes of Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis and Sharon Stone. Allen reportedly rewrote and edited sections of the script so it'll be interesting to see what kind of tone this will set.
Fellini Black and White
Another film in pre-production to begin shooting very early 2013 for a potential end of year festival run is Henry Bromell‘s indie biopic of legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini. The story is set in Los Angeles in March 1957 and deals with the 48 hours that Fellini went missing right before attending the Oscars where his film "Nights of Cabiria" was nominated. Wagner Moura will play the director, also onboard is Nina Arianda as his wife, William H. Macy as his publicist, Terrence Howard as a jazz musician, Abbie Cornish as the veterinarian Fellini briefly falls for, and Peter Dinklage as the vet's husband.
Felony
After a strong debut with his 2007 "cop with tinnitus" thriller "Noise," Australian filmmaker Matthew Saville returns to the big screen for another project centered around a troubled law enforcer. This time out it's Joel Edgerton in the lead as a decorated Sydney police officer who lies about a running a cyclist off the road after having a celebratory drink with his fellow officers. Edgerton penned the script for the project which also stars Tom Wilkinson, Melissa George and Jai Courtney. Having just finished shooting, I'd expect a release in Australia later this year and maybe a festival premiere in the Fall.
Fill the Void
Israel's official foreign language entry for this year's Oscars, Rama Burshtein’s directorial debut failed to make its way into the final round of voting. Nevertheless the film had a great run of success on the Fall film festival circuit where Sony Pictures Classics acquired it for North American distribution. I expect they'll give this the same treatment they gave to last year's Israeli Oscar nominee "Footnote." The story itself centers on a young Orthodox Hasidic girl whose family is struck by tragedy when her older sister dies in childbirth just as the young girl is about to be married. When her older sister's husband is pressured to remarry, her mother makes a shocking proposal - will the young girl now be forced to raise her nephew as her own?
Fruitvale
Short film director Ryan Coogler ventures into features with this indie drama that sports an impressive cast and Forest Whitaker as a producer. Octavia Spencer, Michael B. Jordan, Chad Michael Murray, Kevin Durand, Tristan Wilds and Melonie Diaz star in the true story tale of the murder of 22-year old Oscar Grant. Grant was a Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008. The film was a success story of the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab program, and so is understandably scheduled to have its world premiere in Park City next month.
Get a Job
"Rodger Dodger" and "P.S." director Dylan Kidd has roped in an impressive cast for this comedy about a recent college graduate, his friends, and their attempts to secure employment in Los Angeles. This seems them having to lower their expectations about life as they enter the real world during a recession. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Anna Kendrick, Bryan Cranston, Alison Brie, John Cho, Miles Teller, Marcia Gay Harden, John C. McGinley, Nicholas Braun, Jorge Garcia, Brandon T. Jackson and Bruce Davison all star in the film which wrapped a few months ago. No word on a release as yet, but a festival premiere mid-year sounds the likeliest possibility.
Getaway
No, not a remake of the Steve McQueen classic. Rather, this is a fairly ordinary looking thriller from director Courtney Solomon ("An American Haunting," "Captivity") in which Ethan Hawke plays a burned out race car driver whose wife is kidnapped. His only hope to save her is to follow the orders of the mysterious voice (Jon Voight) who is watching his movements through cameras mounted on the car he's driving. His only ally is a young hacker (Selena Gomez). Warners is essentially dumping the film in theatres at the end of August, and so far there's been nothing shown from it that could generate any real interest.
Ginger and Rosa
"Orlando" director Sally Potter returns to helm this 1960s coming-of-age tale which opened in the UK this past October and hits internationally early in 2013. American Elle Fanning and Australian Alice Englert star as young British teenagers who grow up fast as the Cuban Missile Crisis looms in the background. Things take a morally tricky turn when the underage Rosa falls for Ginger’s writer dad (Alessandro Nivola). An impressive supporting cast play mentor or parental figures here including Annette Bening, Christina Hendricks, Timothy Spall and Oliver Platt. Decent, but restrained reviews in the British press praised the two girls. They were more mixed on some of the adults, and many mentioned problems of pacing, self-consciousness and indulgence on Potter's part.
Girls Against Boys
A brutal indie revenge movie in which naïve college student Shae (Danielle Panabaker), preyed on by a number of men, teams up with her bartender co-worker Lu (Nicole LaLiberte) to get revenge. Their graphic murder spree doesn't just include their attackers, but soon any man unlucky enough to cross their path. When Lu’s truly sadistic side starts to emerge, Shae finds herself struggling to survive. Michael Stahl-David ("Cloverfield") is one of the victims in the film which became something of a SXSW favorite back in March for its more psychological character-driven approach than other films of this type. Anchor Bay picked up the film, which is getting a limited bow on February 1st.
Graceland
Drafthouse Films is releasing this "High and Low"-esque thriller from filmmaker Ron Morales about a Filipino politician's chauffeur named Marlon (Arnold Reyes) who gets no respect from his boss. One day a kidnapper pulls the car over and demands Marlon act as a go-between if either he or the politician want to see their daughters again. Marlon himself is soon the prime suspect in the eyes of the cops. Playing the Asian film festival circuit over the Fall, reviews were pretty good and called it a surprisingly relentless thriller with a message about the way justice is treated in this economically unequal world. Expect a limited theatrical and VOD release.
The Grand Seduction
Currently shooting, Brendan Gleeson and Taylor Kitsch star in this English-language remake of the Quebec movie hit "La Grand Seduction" (aka. "Seducing Dr. Lewis"). The original's writer/director Ken Scott was originally slated to direct it, but opted instead to direct a remake of his more recent comedy "Starbuck" at Dreamworks. As a result, actor turned filmmaker Don McKellar ("Last Night") took over the helm with "Goon" scribes Scott and Michael Dowse penning the script. Gleeson will play a resident in a tiny fishing village where the locals are promised a new factory to boost the economy. The only condition? They have to get a doctor to take up a full-time residency on the island. The villagers soon devise a scheme to convince a young doctor (Kitsch) to become a local.
Grave of the Fireflies
Last month GKids acquired the North American theatrical rights to Isao Takahata and Studio Ghibli's 1988 animated classic "Grave of the Fireflies". To celebrate the film's 25th anniversary, the distributor is planning a limited theatrical re-release in the United States. The story deals with the devastation of Japan during the final months of WWII as seen through the eyes of two children. It is considered by many film critics and historians as one of the single greatest and most powerful war films ever made. Certainly there is not much else like it - an adult film about children that, despite its animated form, is deeply affecting and incredibly emotional.
The Green Blade Rises
Best known for his work in different capacities on three different Terrence Malick films, AJ Edwards makes his directorial debut on this project which Malick is producing. The film is described as the "untold story" of the early years of Abraham Lincoln's life. From his abandonment by his father in the harsh winter wilderness, to a tragedy that marked him forever, and the two women who guided him into becoming one of the most influential U.S. Presidents in history. It's presently not known who is playing the role of Lincoln himself, but Diane Kruger, Jason Clarke, Brit Marling and Wes Bentley all have key roles as family members or mentor figures. Shot in October in just a few weeks, it's likely headed for a Fall festival run.
Downey Talks "Iron Man 3," New Photo
Speaking recently with Nuts UK, actor Robert Downey Jr. talked more a little more about the tone of the upcoming third "Iron Man".
"I think Shane has gone for a dark feel in this movie. It's a lot grittier and goes back to its comic-book roots. It's shaped into a really special movie - and Shane as been instrument [sic] in that."
Asked about Ben Kingsley's work as the villain The Mandarin, he said: "I always think there's something more terrifying about a villain who's a genius, as opposed to just relying on strength or ability. We all know what a fantastic actor Ben Kingsley is, and he pulls off the evil genius with real terrifying results."
Meanwhile, Marvel have unleashed a new photo with an Xmas-themed message. Check it out below:
First Photos From Boyle's "Trance"
USA Today has posted the first photos from Danny Boyle's new thriller "Trance." Rosario Dawson, James McAvoy and Vincent Cassel star in the film which opens March 27th in the UK.
The official storyline has McAvoy playing a fine art auctioneer named Simon who works for an underworld boss called Franck (Cassel). They plot the theft of a Goya masterpiece from a major public auction. When Simon double-crosses the gang during the robbery, Franck knocks him unconscious.
In the aftermath, Simon claims the injury has left him with no memory as to where he stashed the artwork. Franck is forced to enlist a charismatic hypnotherapist (Dawson) in a bid to get Simon to talk. As they journey into Simon's psyche the boundaries between reality and suggestion begin to blur.
Starting out as an art heist thriller, Boyle says it "develops into something sleeker and more psychological, with twists and turns... I wanted to do an updated noir, give it a contemporary spin in terms of emotion. Noir is usually cold. I wanted it to be more emotionally charged."
Boyle adds that this is the first time he has "put a woman at the heart of a movie." It's almost a chamber piece with only the key characters and no-one else involved - "Their only point of reference is to each other. There are no outsiders." The film also contains plenty of graphic nudity, sex and violence which is always a bonus.
Wes Anderson Reveals "Budapest" Cast
"Moonrise Kingdom" filmmaker Wes Anderson is still not forthcoming about the plot for his next project "The Grand Budapest Hotel," other than saying it's set in Europe and is a period picture.
He has, however, confirmed some of the names that will be participating. Speaking with THR this week, Anderson said:
"I can tell you properly who it is: We have Ralph Fiennes, and we have Tilda Swinton and Jeff Goldblum, Willem Dafoe, we have F. Murray Abraham and Jude Law, and we’ve got Adrien Brody, Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, and Mathieu Amalric. And I think Owen [Wilson] is gonna have a little part, too. Oh, Saoirse Ronan has quite a big part. I’m thinking if I’ve forgotten anybody. Yeah, we have a good group."
Production is slated to begin shortly with a 2014 release being targeted.
New "Star Trek" Sequel Stills, Details
The upcoming issue of Empire magazine boasts a major feature on J.J. Abrams' much anticipated "Star Trek Into Darkness". As a result, they've released a bunch of new images along with a couple of select key quotes from cast and crew about the project.
Meanwhile Abrams has given a few quotes to TrekMovie and says that the sequel doesn't require you to have seen the first movie:
"The characters are a group of people who have recently come together and find themselves up against this incredibly terrifying force. His name is John Harrison and he is sort of an average –- that is what makes him so scary –- he is just an average guy who works in an organization called Starfleet, and he turns against the group because he has got this back-story and this kind of amazing secret agenda.
After two very violent attacks, one in London and one in the U.S., our characters have to go after this guy and apprehend him. And it is a far more complicated and difficult thing then they ever anticipated. "Into Darkness" is very much about how intense it gets and really what they are up against.
He adds that despite the dire consequences and ominous title, don't expect too much doom and gloom -
"This is a movie that they certainly go ‘Into Darkness,' but I would be the wrong director if it was about characters staying there. This is very much a movie about hope, about love, about romance, and about facing something that is truly terrifying and finding a way through the connection of your family and surviving and being stronger afterwards."Click the photos for access to further scans from the article.
Vin Diesel's "Hannibal" Moving Forward?
Every filmmaker and many actors have a long-term dream project. For over a decade actor Vin Diesel has been pursuing his - a biopic of Hannibal the Conqueror with himself directing and/or playing the legendary Carthaginian military commander.
This past weekend, Diesel gave a quick but vague update on his Facebook page suggesting there's some movement on the project at last. Here's the full quote:
“When a dream is born in your childhood... When you spend a decade daring to pursue it... The day, a head of a studio says... "I want to make all three films of your Hannibal trilogy!" Haha... It takes a minute to sink in... Shhhhh... It's still sinking in.”No further information was forthcoming, but it's at least a sign that one of history's most famous strategists and warriors may finally get a big screen outing that is long overdue.
The Notable Films of 2013: Volume Three
In this third volume I look at films that include a teaming of the three giant talents of Michael Fassbender, Ridley Scott & Cormac McCarthy; a "Dark Knight" star's directorial debut; true life stories about the West Memphis Three, Princess Diana, and a champion of alternative AIDS medicines; and numerous animated features about aliens, witches, minions, leaf men and cavemen.
There's also an Aussie surfing movie; an Icelandic sea survival story; a Thailand-set action tale; a Chile-set indie stoner drama; and sci-fi sagas set in an underwater fantasy world of mermaids, a space military academy for children, and an Earth physically divided by income inequality.
The Counselor
Opens: November 15th 2013
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem
Director: Ridley Scott
Analysis: A year ago Ridley Scott was considering a number of projects that he could potentially direct once he wrapped work on his sci-fi epic "Prometheus." A few weeks later came word that Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy had sold his first spec script to a trio of producers. Though there have been several film adaptations of McCarthy's novels like "The Road" and "No Country for Old Men," the author himself wasn't involved in them and had essentially stayed out of the film world. Until now.
All of a sudden Scott's lethargy over what project to do next vanished. Within three weeks he was set to direct the film and a fortnight after that had convinced his "Prometheus" star Michael Fassbender to join him. In fact, the film came together with astonishing haste, scoring a dream cast and getting in front of cameras by this past July.
The early synopses for the film sounded like a less legal-centric John Grisham 1990s thriller about a lawyer who finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking. Script reviews since then have revealed the film to be a more dialogue-driven, nihilistic "Traffic"-style look at the war on drugs and cartel violence.
There's also reportedly a lot of eroticism and sex in the film, with Cameron Diaz onboard as a slutty sociopath in one of the more memorable supporting roles in the project. Brad Pitt also has a small, but key role as a shadowy character named Westray. I'd expect a flashy Toronto premiere ahead of the film's general release in mid-November.
The Croods
Opens: March 22nd 2013
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Emma Stone, Clark Duke
Director: Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders
Analysis: The first film that DreamWorks Animation is pushing out through its new deal with 20th Century Fox, this 3D CG caveman comedy was originally going to be an Aardman Animations production. The venerable British studio ended up departing the project with "How to Train Your Dragon" director Chris Sanders coming onboard to take the helm.
The story? An earthquake forces a caveman to lead his family across a volatile world in search of a new home. Said caveman is scared of anything new in life, and so has kept his family sheltered over the years. Now he's forced to venture out into a dangerous world for the first time. Add to that a restless daughter eager to see more of what's out there, Ryan Reynolds voicing a hunky nomad who could serve as a love interest, and assorted jokes about a crusty mother-in-law and cavemen understanding technology.
With numerous delays and shifts of personnel on the project, one wonders how much of the behind-the-scenes problems have had an impact on the final film. DWA's films have seen an uptick in overall quality over the past 2-3 years with the aforementioned 'Dragon' and "Puss in Boots" being the best of the bunch. With the financial flop of "Rise of the Guardians" the other month though, the studio is in need of a hit and hopes this first of three DWA films scheduled to hit next year will find the audience that movie failed to reach.
Dallas Buyers Club
Opens: 2013
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts
Director: Jean-Marc Vallee
Analysis: This long in-development $5 million indie drama finally went into production in New Orleans last month, and has already caused something of a stir due to the skeletal thinness of at least two of its stars. Originally set to be a Brad Pitt-led, Marc Forster-directed film, it then became a Ryan Gosling-led, Craig Gillespie-directed project. Finally, it has ended up being a Matthew McConaughey-led, Jean-Marc Vallee-directed film which McConaughey himself helped out with financing on.
The story is loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a "drug taking, women loving, homophobic man" who was diagnosed with full-blown HIV in 1986 and given one month to live. The FDA-approved, AZT medication he was given for treatment brought him to the brink of death. Pushing it aside, he ended up becoming a smuggler of non-toxic, anti-viral medications from all over the world. Other AIDS patients soon sought out his medications and he started the titular club which gave paying members alternative treatments.
The FDA and pharmaceutical companies soon waged war on Ron who managed to stay alive for a further six years until his death in 1992. McConaughey lost 30-40 pounds (13-17 kg) in order to assume the role, and as a result has been photographed looking gaunt and virtually unrecognisable as compared to his usually muscular frame (yes that's him in the picture above).
Gael Garcia Bernal was previously cast in the key supporting role of a drag queen and AIDS patient named Rayon, but had to bow out. Instead, Jared Leto stepped in to replace him with this marking Leto's first on-screen role in four years. Like McConaughey, he's also lost weight for the role. It's a project that actors and filmmakers are obviously keen to do, but studios have generally balked at the idea because it's admittedly not a particularly commercial film. If the quality is good enough though, it's certainly a potential awards candidate.
Dark Blood
Opens: 2013
Cast: River Phoenix, Judy Davis, Jonathan Pryce
Director: George Sluizer
Analysis: Twenty years after filming came to an abrupt halt, "The Vanishing" director George Sluizer has found a way to complete the unfinished final feature of actor River Phoenix. Back when it was filming, the project was originally scheduled to have an eight week shoot - five on location in Utah and three for interior scenes to be shot in Los Angeles. Those interiors were never finished due to Phoenix's death from a drug overdose in October 1993. A few weeks later it was determined that the project had to be abandoned as several important scenes could not be completed.
The film has Phoenix playing an unstable young widower and desert dweller whose wife died of radiation-induced cancer. Some time later, a Hollywood couple (Judy Davis and Jonathan Pryce) travel to the desert on a second honeymoon in an attempt to save their marriage. When their car breaks down, they are rescued by Phoenix's character who holds them prisoner and lusts after the wife.
The insurer that owned the footage was all set to incinerate it back in 1999, but Sluizer managed to nab all 700kg of film stock and smuggle it back to the Netherlands. Sluizer is 80 and his health is deteriorating, so he decided to finish re-editing the material and make some adjustments to it so that a completed film could be released before he dies. The result uses a combination of stills and Sluizer's own narration to fill in the gaps for the missing interior scenes.
Screened at the Netherlands Film Festival in September, reviews were mixed/positive with at least one comparing it to a desert-set spin on Polanski's "Knife in the Water." The location photography and direction were widely praised, but the script is reportedly quite clunky. Descriptions of the narrative sound downright strange at times with the absurdity of the characters and story said to only be grounded by the committed performances.
A trailer released online does show the film's age, but also an impressive visual style that hearkens back to Sluizer's original "The Vanishing." Phoenix himself, with close cropped dark hair, looks quite different from what we are accustomed to. Yet, he still gives off the same fire and intensity that made him one of the most promising young actors of his generation. Due to a legal tussle over the rights to the original negative, a commercial release is unlikely. However, screenings at festivals over the coming year sounds like a real possibility so keep an eye out.
Dead Man Down
Opens: March 8th 2013
Cast: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, Terrence Howard, Isabelle Huppert
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Analysis: Danish director Niels Arden Oplev made a name for himself back in 2009 with his Swedish-language adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Shot for television on a budget of just $13 million, the footage was good enough that it was re-cut into a feature which went on to become an acclaimed international hit. Though David Fincher's costly $90 million English-language version was more technically proficient, the fact that Oplev's film is not only comparable, but even preferred in some circles, is a testament to his skill.
Here, in his first film since 'Tattoo', his leading lady Noomi Rapace returns to play a woman seeking retribution after she was left disfigured. Colin Farrell plays a professional killer and right-hand man to an underground crime lord (Terrence Howard) - the same crime lord responsible for Rapace's injury. She seduces and blackmails the killer into taking out his boss, and their intense relationship leads to a violent plan for revenge.
The story sounds fairly generic, but it boasts a script by long-time "Fringe" executive producer J.H. Wyman. The first trailer arrived a week ago and was quickly pulled in deference to the victims of the recent Newtown school massacre. Copies can still be found online if you look around though, and frankly it looks great. Oplev's skill at making a film seem much bigger than its modest budget, is in full effect. This has resulted in some impressive camerawork and shot compositions along with short bursts of large scale action.
Farrell, sporting a buzz cut and dark beard, continues his second career renaissance and makes a more compatible match for Rapace than any of her other Hollywood leading men so far. There is also got a great supporting cast including Dominic Cooper, Armand Assante, Franky G, the aforementioned Terrence Howard playing an utter badass, and even beloved French actress Isabelle Huppert. This could well be an early year surprise.
The Deep
Opens: 2013
Cast: Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Jóhann G. Jóhannsson, Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir
Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Analysis: Filmed before he worked with Mark Wahlberg on "Contraband" and the upcoming "2 Guns," Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur helms this survival drama which has made the shortlist of nine films up for a Best Foreign Language Oscar nomination this year. Premiering in Toronto to a tremendous response and quick international sales all over the world, the film is poised to be a critical and commercial success when it opens across various international territories in early-mid 2013.
Inspired by true events, the story follows the crew of a small fishing boat which capsized outside the Westman Islands in the middle of winter in 1984. Only one man survived, an out-of-shape loner type who swam to safety after spending hours in the freezing cold sea. While others are quick to paint him as a national hero, and both journalists and scientists struggle to figure out how he pulled off this super-human feat, he must deal with the death of his friends and the consequences of his survival.
Reviews raved about the film's offshore scenes with all the action on the sea said to rival the best works of Hollywood filmmakers. It's especially impressive that none of the scenes involved the use of computer animation, including the actor swimming ashore onto sharp rocks and between pummelling waves. Full praise also came for the slick production values and performances, along with some daring directorial choices such as the way the Eldfell volcanic eruption of 1973 is worked into the narrative and character back story. Definitely one to catch.
Despicable Me 2
Opens: July 3rd 2013
Cast: Steve Carell, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Al Pacino, Steve Coogan
Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Analysis: Universal and Illumination Entertainment shook up the CG animated feature world with 2010's "Despicable Me," a fairly economical $69 million film which scored solid reviews and ended up raking in over half a billion dollars worldwide at the box-office. It was the second highest-grossing animated film of 2010, behind only "Toy Story 3," and immediately turned Illumination into a serious rival to both Pixar and Dreamworks Animation.
The company's subsequent films "Hop" and "The Lorax," weren't as well-regarded or successful, so the green lighting of a sequel was inevitable. In fact, Universal thinks there's enough material here that they have already begun work on a spin-off film centring on the cute yellow Minions with the plans to get it into theaters by Christmas 2014. Back to the immediate sequel though, and the various key talent from the first film are back - including Kristen Wiig who takes on a new role in the sequel.
Joining them for this entry is the likes of Al Pacino as the villain, and both Steve Coogan and Ken Jeong in key unspecified roles. Universal is keeping the plot specifics under tight wraps, with the various purpose-built trailers released so far not showcasing any real footage from the movie. Even so, they've been cute and funny little short films that work on their own. Set for the July 4th weekend, just two weeks after Pixar's "Monsters, Inc." prequel opens, it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Devil’s Knot
Opens: 2013
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, Dane DeHaan, Martin Henderson, Mirielle Enos
Director: Atom Egoyan
Analysis: While it has been in the news for two decades in the United States, the case of the West Memphis Three doesn't seem as well-known internationally. So a film like this, from acclaimed Canadian helmer Atom Egoyan and boasting a solid cast, has the potential to take the story to an audience who otherwise would have no interest in the already produced documentaries about the murders and subsequent miscarriages of justice.
For those unfamiliar with the case, the bodies of three eight-year-old boys were found bound and beaten in the small religious community of West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. The cops believed it to be the work of a satanic cult and a month later arrested three teenagers for the crime. After twelve hours of interrogation, one of them (who was mentally handicapped) confesses under duress. Put on trial and convicted, despite no real evidence connecting them to the crimes, the trio claimed innocence and continued to do so from prison.
Further examination of the evidence by forensic experts lent credibility to their innocence and apparently suggested one of the boy's stepfathers, Terry Hobbs, did the murders. Celebrities and parents of the two other victims urged an appeal of the court's decision but it wasn't until a new judge and evidentiary hearing in 2010 that they were allowed to walk free. Now comes this narrative feature, based on the 2002 book by Mara Leveritt, that is expected to cover the entire case up until their release.
To help tell this tale, Egoyan has landed an astonishing cast led by three young unknowns as the WM3. Also onboard are Colin Firth as a private investigator, Bruce Greenwood as the original judge, Martin Henderson and Stephen Moyer as the prosecutors, Amy Ryan as Firth's wife, Dane DeHaan in an unspecified role, Alessandro Nivola as the ultimately suspected Terry Hobbs, and the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Mireille Enos, Kevin Durand and Elias Koteas in key roles as parents and town residents. A late 2013 release is expected, and this could prove an awards contender if it comes together right.
Diana
Opens: 2013
Cast: Naomi Watts, Naveen Andrews, Douglas Hodge, Geraldine James, Juliet Stevenson
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel
Analysis: Originally going under the name "Caught in Flight," Ecosse Films produces this biopic of Princess Diana Spencer focuses not on her death or her impact on the royal family. Instead, the film details the affair she shared with a man who was said to have been the love of her life - Dr. Hasnat Kahn (played by "Lost" star Naveen Andrews). The affair lasted from 1995 until a few months before her death in 1997.
"Downfall" director Oliver Hirschbiegel helms the project which boasts a script by Stephen Jeffreys ("The Libertine"). It is the casting of Aussie actress Naomi Watts as Diana though that has caused most of the commentary so far about the film. Watts is a solid actress, but bears little resemblance to the late princess - even with her hair done up in similar fashion. Watts replaced the originally cast Jessica Chastain who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
The actress is certainly aware of the pressure on her, telling the British tabloids: "Playing Princess Diana was the hardest thing I’ve done. Because of the pressure of everyone's beliefs about who she was, and the fact that it was just really hard to claim her as my own since everybody feels they know her." As a result she deliberately didn't try to mimic her appearance and physicality. Instead, she tried to "embody her and get the essence of her."
The film is also expected to deal with the emotional impact on Diana in the wake of the affair's end. The princess was reportedly devastated when the relationship was over, and her dating of Dodi Fayed was alleged to have been an attempt to make Dr. Kahn jealous. The project is already under so much pressure and scrutiny that, frankly, it has to deliver something powerful and daring or it simply won't work. If that happens, the backlash could be extreme.
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His & Hers
Opens: 2013
Cast: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Ciaran Hinds, Viola Davis, William Hurt
Director: Ned Benson
Analysis: For his feature debut, filmmaker Ned Benson is certainly going for broke with this two-film project that deals with one story, albeit from the differing perspectives of the two key characters at the heart of it. Though both films can apparently be watched as stand alones, they are also interwoven and work as a whole as well.
The story follows a married New York City couple - a restaurateur named Conor (James McAvoy) and his wife Eleanor (Jessica Chastain) who makes the decision to go back to college. Eleanor suddenly scuttles off to her family home one day, avoiding all contact with Conor. The film will then explore how a close relationship like this broke down, and the emotional fallout that subsequently ensued.
At one point this was looking like a "Zero Dark Thirty" reunion with Joel Edgerton in the lead role, but he had to depart the project which allowed for the much hotter Scottish hunk James McAvoy to step in. With this being Chastain's first post-ZDT film, a lot of eyes will be upon it. Can the dual film experiment work?
Dom Hemingway
Opens: 2013
Cast: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant, Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke, Kerry Condon
Director: Richard Shepard
Analysis: The latest wickedly dark comedy from the director of 2005's under seen "The Matador," a film which featured one of Pierce Brosnan's most fun turns as an aging, alcoholic, bisexual assassin. Here, the focus is on a mutton chop-sporting Jude Law who plays a profane, prone to anger and larger-than-life safecracker. Said crook has just finished a twelve year stint in prison for keeping his mouth shut, and now he is back out on the streets determined to collect what he is owed.
Having just wrapped filming a few weeks ago in London, the HanWay and BBC Films co-production has been in the tabloids due to Law's romance with wardrobe assistant Ellen Crawshaw. However, it's the film itself that's far more exciting, especially with "Withnail and I" and "Hudson Hawk" scene stealer Richard E. Grant co-starring. With Grant bringing his great and under-utilised comedic talents to bear, count me in.
Don Jon's Addiction
Opens: 2013
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, Tony Danza
Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Analysis: Rising star Joseph Gordon-Levitt can play a lot of things, but one of the last things you can probably picture him as is a bouncer. The "Inception" actor has taken to the challenge with gusto, bulking up and shaving down to star in, write and make his directorial debut on this indie comedy that is set to debut at both Sundance and Berlinale.
JGL plays a modern day Don Juan type and porn addict. After meeting a recently widowed older woman, he sets out to become less self-centered. Of course, casting Scarlett Johansson as his love interest is hardly selfish, but how many men out there wouldn't love to do the same if they were in the same position.
Unlike some other filmmakers, Gordon-Levitt has no concerns about keeping things too secret and has been regularly updating the status of the production over the past few months via his personal Tumblr account. Festival reviews will determine how large a release this will get, but everything is in place for a potential crossover hit.
The Double
Opens: 2013
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Cathy Moriarty, Noah Taylor
Director: Richard Ayoade
Analysis: Still best known for his work as the nerdy Maurice Moss opposite Chris O'Dowd in the cult British sitcom "The IT Crowd," Richard Ayoade took an impressive step into the filmmaking world with 2010's award-winning coming-of-age comedy "Submarine." Now he's swapped adapting Joe Dunthorne’s sarcastic bit of teen angst for something even more challenging - a novella by classic Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
Though ill-received at the time of release, the dramedy remains one of the great early 'high concept' works with a premise readily adaptable to various times and places. That setup? A meek man finds his life in tatters after what he believes to be an exact copy of himself has begun working in his office and attempts to ruin him. Said double also has a polar opposite personality - extroverted, confident, even aggressive.
With a script adapted by Ayoade and "Mister Lonely" scribe Avi Korine, the story is set in contemporary times in the United States with the lead character a Government clerk. Shot in London last summer, the project has attracted a solid cast including Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska in the lead roles. The first stills and details about the project hint at a darker tone and more abstract feel than expected, with Ayoade calling the entire project a reflection on loneliness and our need to be loved.
Drift
Opens: 2013
Cast: Sam Worthington, Xavier Samuel, Myles Pollard, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Roby Malcolm
Director: Morgan O'Neill, Ben Nott
Analysis: Sam Worthington returned home in late 2011 for this $11 million surfing drama shot around the Margaret River region in Western Australia. The "Avatar" star plays a bohemian surf photographer and filmmaker who inspires the main characters. Think something akin to a less flashy version of Heath Ledger's "Lords of Dogtown" turn, albeit one with a whole lot more hair.
"Sea Patrol" actor Morgan O'Neill penned the script and co-directs the true story tale which follows Jimmy and Andy Kelly (Xavier Samuel, Myles Pollard), brothers who battled killer waves, conservative society and ruthless bikers to kick start an entire global industry and help create the laid-back surf attitude lifestyle that many live today.
Wrekin Hill and Hopscotch Films will distribute the film sometime early in 2013, a little later than expected as more than a few people were hoping to see it out around now. A recent trailer revealed a solid, if familiar looking comedic drama which mainly has the distinction of some stunning location photography, big surf action set pieces and various 1970s style quirks.
The East
Opens: 2013
Cast: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Julia Ormond, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Zal Batmanglij
Analysis: Zal Batmanglij's debut film, 2011's "Sound of My Voice," finally opened in cinemas this year after more than a year of being a cult favorite on the film festival circuit. It was a real surprise, a micro-budget thinking person's sci-fi feature with career launching performances from Brit Marling ("Arbitrage") and Christopher Denham ("Argo"). Though rough and hardly flawless, it has an energy and promise that makes it a film that's worth checking out.
Two years on Batmanglij returns to Sundance, with Marling in tow, to premiere this thriller which Fox Searchlight has already picked up for distribution. This time Marling's character is the one going undercover to expose a dangerous group of devout followers. Gone is the sci-fi tones, here Marling plays a private intelligence firm operative who is assigned to infiltrate an anarchist collective known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.
Infiltrating her way into this group of predominantly eco-terrorists, she begins to find herself unexpectedly torn as she starts to fall in love with the group's charismatic leader. Batmanglij and Marling reportedly co-wrote this before 'Voice', and filmed it before 'Voice' hit theaters. Along the way they pulled in an excellent cast like those listed above, as well as Toby Kebbell and Shiloh Fernandez. Along with the Park City premiere, the film will also screen next month in Ann Arbor, Michigan as part of the Sundance Film Festival USA initiative.
Elysium
Opens: August 9th 2013
Cast: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Diego Luna, Alice Braga
Director: Neill Blomkamp
Analysis: The last of the three 'Scorched Earth' films to hit this year, "Elysium" boasts a grimier and grittier aesthetic compared with the high-tech gloss of "Oblivion" or the fauna-filled jungle settings of "After Earth." It also boasts the best cast and most promising director in the form of Neill Blomkamp. The first feature from the South African-born filmmaker was 2009's "District 9," an astonishing $30 million blend of sci-fi action and political satire that ended up scoring both a Best Picture Oscar nomination and $210 million in worldwide box-office.
This time out, Blomkamp has a budget four times the size he had on "District 9" to tell this story set on a ravaged Earth where the wealthy now live on a pristine, man-made, space wheel station. Onboard is a government official (Jodie Foster) who enforces strict anti-immigration laws to preserve the luxurious lifestyle of those onboard. Meanwhile, the majority of the world's population is stuck planet-side on a now barren and overpopulated Earth. Matt Damon plays an unlucky ex-con who agrees to go on a daunting mission to bring equality to these polarized worlds.
Like D9, this one is full of social commentary and subtext about class warfare, income disparity, economic divisions, immigration policy and exploitation of poorer countries. Blomkamp has said it is "exponentially greater than District 9, in terms of just how much stuff there is in the film." It certainly sounds like a more thematically rich project than the other two scorched Earth films which are more straightforward sci-fi action adventure stories. However, the film has taken a while to come together and underwent reshoots over a year after principal photography - indicating the studio may be a bit nervous about it. There's been a couple of promising photos of a bald Matt Damon, but still no footage as yet which makes me wonder what the final product will look like.
Emperor
Opens: March 8th 2013
Cast: Matthew Fox, Tommy Lee Jones, Eriko Hatsune, Toshiyuki Nishida, Masayoshi Haneda
Director: Peter Webber
Analysis: Roadside Attractions acquired "Girl with a Pearl Earring" and "Hannibal Rising" director Peter Webber's new historical drama shortly after its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Decent, but tepid reviews from the festival strongly praised Tommy Lee Jones' performance as General Douglas MacArthur. The same reviews dismissed the stiffness of the story, along with the blandness and clumsiness of the lead character played by Matthew Fox.
The story is set in the days immediately after the Japanese surrendered at the end of World War II. MacArthur was made the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces. Fox plays General Bonner Fellers, a Japanese expert brought in to make a crucial decision - should Emperor Hirohito be tried and hanged as a war criminal? There's a third subplot as well aside from MacArthur's occupation and Fellers' investigation, and that is the search by Fellers for a Japanese friend lost amidst the post-war chaos.
The script by both Vera Blasi ("Woman on Top," "Tortilla Soup") and David Klass ("Kiss the Girls," "Walking Tall") is what has come under the most fire from critics. Complaints have been targeted at its concentration on both a generic love story and an under served investigation plot, even if both have key moments about how a culture can't be rebuilt until the victors first understand it. The same reviews, however, have praised the various production values of the film which was mostly shot in New Zealand. It may be a simple take on a complicated and rich story, but it should be interesting nonetheless.
Empire State
Opens: 2013
Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Roberts, Nikki Reed, Michael Angarano
Director: Dito Montiel
Analysis: Showing a lot of promise with his debut feature "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," filmmaker Dito Montiel couldn't match the quality with his second film "Fighting" which also did little at the box-office. More recently, his third film "The Son of No One" proved disastrous. Boasting a $15 million budget, the film was widely panned and grossed just $30,000 in a short-lived theatrical run in the United States before quickly heading to disc.
The blow hasn't fazed Montiel though, he's gotten up and is now tackling this true story heist thriller. Adam Mazer ("Breach," "You Don't Know Jack") penned the script which deals with the 1982 robbery of $11 million from the Sentry Armored Car Company - the biggest cash robbery in U.S. history at the time. It also turned out that a considerable amount of that stolen money had been embezzled in advance.
Dwayne Johnson plays an NYPD officer who stands in the way of two childhood friends who've planned the robbery of the armored car depository. Liam Hemsworth, Emma Roberts, Michael Angarano and Nikki Reed also star in the film which was shot in New Orleans this past summer. Roberts describes it as one of the darkest movies she's done so far, a film with far more commercial possibilities than Montiel's last two films. Here's hoping it works for him.
Empires of the Deep
Opens: 2013
Cast: Olga Kurylenko, Steve Polites, Maxx Maulion, Pierre Bourdaud, Jean-Michel Casanova
Director: Michael French
Analysis: Making waves a few months ago for all the wrong reasons, this independent 3D action-adventure fantasy feature has earned the title of the biggest US-Chinese co-production in history. Shot nearly three years ago, the project is the obsession of real estate magnate Jon Jiang. An in-depth New York Times piece back in 2010 on the film says the project is his attempt to create a lavish English-language spectacle to rival anything in Hollywood.
With a budget said to now clock in at around $130 million, it's easily the most costly Chinese movie ever. The story itself is an "Avatar"-esque tale set in the mystical world of mermaids and described by Jiang as a "serious love tragedy." Dig a little deeper though and things start to smell. Jiang is obsessed with Hollywood to the point of madness, blindly dismissing local filmmakers like Zhang Yimou as being "not qualified to make my movies."
The script has reportedly gone through over forty drafts with the help of ten screenwriters. TV documentary producer Michael French is the credited director, but he was the fourth to helm the project after the previous three left. The budget itself was originally only going to be about $50 million, and the only cast members of note are former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko and Taiwanese pop star Alec Su. Reports from the set indicate a mess of a production with sloppy shooting schedules, and allegations of unpaid wages and hazardous working conditions.
Originally slated for release mid-late 2011, there is still no locked down release date as yet. Two months ago a trailer leaked online which drew often hilarious derision from bloggers. The human elements of the final film looked more akin to a psychedelic Las Vegas stage show take on "The Little Mermaid." Those live action scenes are mixed in with awkwardly strobing and highly unconvincing digital effects which mostly showcased giant crabs and lobsters wrestling with each other. Already written off as "so bad it has to be good" in various circles, it should at least prove a laugh.
Ender's Game
Opens: November 1st 2013
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Moises Arias, Aramis Knight
Director: Gavin Hood
Analysis: Twenty-eight years after its publication, and seventeen years after he first put pen to paper on a screenplay adaptation, eccentric author Orson Scott Card's sci-fi tale "Ender's Game" is finally coming to the screen. First set up at Warners ten years ago with Wolfgang Petersen attached to direct, news on the project would seem to re-emerge and then disappear every few years as those involved would lose interest and move on.
It wasn't until about three years ago that the current incarnation started to come together at Odd Lot Entertainment. First, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" helmer Gavin Hood became attached to direct in late 2010, followed shortly by "Star Trek" and "Transformers" scribes Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who came onboard to produce in early 2011. Summit Entertainment picked it up for distribution, and production finally got underway in February this year.
The story is set seven decades after a hostile alien race have attacked Earth. Preparing for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young children in order to find a future prospect to lead the International Fleet. Enter Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy and strategically brilliant boy pulled out of his school to join the elite. Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult war games, distinguishing himself as the military's next great hope in the epic battle that will determine the future of Earth.
While Card penned the earliest drafts of the film adaptation back in the late 1990s, Gavin Hood penned the script for this and Card has specifically stated that only a few scenes from the film actually appeared in the novel. That said, he's not that fussed about liberties being taken with the source material. When discussing his visit to the set back in April, he said: "My book was already alive in the mind of every reader. This is writer-director Gavin Hood's movie, so they were his words, and it was his scene." Card himself recorded a voice-only cameo as a pilot making an announcement to his passengers.
Orci says the book and film both explore modern warfare's reliance on video game-like aspects - how this new technology is desensitising people to the actual horror of warfare. It's an interesting issue and one certainly worth exploring, however Card's contentious public image in the wake of certain op-ed pieces about homosexuality and gay marriage could become a talking point in discussions about the film. That said, Card's political and religious beliefs aren't reflected in the novel, and any adaptation with a sizeable budget like this (said to be over $100 million) will likely play it safe at every turn.
Epic
Opens: May 24th 2013
Cast: Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried, Beyonce Knowles, Christoph Waltz, Josh Hutcherson
Director: Chris Wedge
Analysis: The latest work from "Rio" producers Blue Sky Studios is this CG animated loose adaptation of William Joyce's kids book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs". Joyce's other works will be familiar to audiences of this genre as they formed the basis for both Blue Sky's "Robots" and Dreamworks Animation's recent "Rise of the Guardians."
Here though you have a project that has been unkindly described as "Ferngully" meets "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" with a dash of "Avatar." "Ice Age" director Chris Wedge very nearly left his own studio and Fox because the latter didn't want to produce the project which Wedge had been pursuing for some time. They relented though, and now we finally get to see if this eco-friendly fantasy tale was worth the investment.
The story follows a teenager who finds herself transported to a deep forest setting, there she must band together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save both their world - and ours. Recent trailers have showed some surprisingly imaginative and fun use of the natural world to tell this tale of battles on a large scale. There seems to be more thought, emotion and consideration on offer here than one usually expects from Fox animated movies.
Errors of the Human Body
Opens: 2013
Cast: Michael Eklund, Karoline Herfurth, Tómas Lemarquis, Rik Mayall, Ulrich Meinecke
Director: Eron Sheean
Analysis: Eron Sheean helms this psychological thriller set in the world of genetic research, a film that has been playing the genre festival circuit over the past six months. Reaction has been mostly positive, with Michael Eklund's performance in particular scoring consistently good notices. The praise has been enough for IFC to take notice and acquire the low-budget feature for release through its 'IFC Midnight' label.
The story follows a brilliant genetics researcher invited to join a lab in Germany, only to slowly uncover the reason for why he was truly brought there - a nightmare that he's at least partly responsible for. The character is also dealing with the emotional scars of a personal tragedy - only adding to his guilt and despair. Along the way it showcases the different ways this field affects the personalities of those who work in it, and the effects on multiple levels of a breakdown of communication.
Sheean himself spent a good amount of time at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, so his research and attention to detail is said to be frighteningly accurate. On the flip side, it also has a definite out there feel to it as the character's mental state begins to break down. Comparisons to films like "Altered States" and early-era Cronenberg have come up in several reviews, comparisons which only make me more excited.
Escape From Planet Earth
Opens: February 14th 2013
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, James Gandolfini
Director: Callan Brunker
Analysis: Canadian animation and design company Rainmaker Entertainment is known for its various computer animated children's shows and direct-to-disc movies over the years like "ReBoot" and the various "Barbie" titles. Now they try their hand at theatrical feature filmmaking with "Escape from Planet Earth," a 3D animated family comedy that is built on the idea that the aliens of the story are us.
Specifically, the action follows admired astronaut Scorch Supernova - a blue alien who masters in daring rescues with the help of his nerdy, by-the-rules brother. When warned of a dangerous planet named Earth, he heads there to check out the danger - only to find himself caught in a trap set by a ruthless human General at Area 51. As a result, the weakling brother has to man up to save his brother, his family and his planet.
Announced over five years ago and long-delayed ever since, it marks a rare attempt by Harvey Weinstein to get into animation - and it has cost them. The film's former writer/director Tony Leech and producer Brian Inerfeld launched a $50 million lawsuit alleging Weinstein and his brother intentionally sabotaged the film through overspending, incompetence and "contempt for contractual obligations." TWC's attorneys fired back and called the claims "false, gratuitous, slanderous, preposterous." It's something of a dark cloud that hangs over the film with no one quite sure at the moment how accurately the final credits of the film reflect the actual work done. Expect to hear more details about this closer to the film's release.
ALSO OPENING:
The Coup
Owen Wilson's first action film since "Behind Enemy Lines," this Thailand-shot action thriller follows an American family who recently moved to South East Asia - only to find themselves caught in the middle of a coup. The family frantically looks for a safe escape route in an environment where foreigners are being executed on the spot. "Quarantine" and "Devil" director John Erick Dowdle helms the film which also stars Michelle Monaghan and Pierce Brosnan. Though it has already scouted locations and was supposed to begin shooting in October, I can't find any confirmation that any actual shooting has begun (the Thai Film Office strangely doesn't list films currently in production). It's still targeting a late 2013 release though.
Crystal Fairy
"The Maid" director Sebastian Silva helms this first of two projects that he and actor Michael Cera worked on together. Both projects, the other being "Magic Magic," are set in Chile and are scheduled to premiere at Sundance this year. This is the decidedly lower profile one, shot in under two weeks on a shoestring budget. The story has Cera's character inviting a stranger (Gaby Hoffman) to join him on a road trip. Her free and esoteric nature clashes with Jamie’s acidic, self-absorbed personality as they head into the desert for a Mescaline-fueled psychedelic trip. Cera himself calls it a "kind of a meandering movie, there's not really a thrust to it." It sounds unexciting, but we'll see.
Dark Skies
Not to be confused with that mid-90's TV series that tried to rip-off the success of "The X-Files," this low-budget supernatural thriller comes from "Legion" and "Priest" director Scott Stewart. The story deals with a couple trying to save their family from an apparent alien presence who prays on their children. The tone is very much akin to the likes of "Insidious" and "Sinister," albeit with the demons replaced by shadowy corporeal beings from another world. It's fairly generic material, but the trailer does have a decent atmosphere and the presence of Keri Russell immediately gives it more cred than it probably deserves.
Decoding Annie Parker
Breast cancer isn't a subject that has really been focused on in films outside the cable television realm. Yet, Steven Bernstein's dramedy about two women inexorably linked by this terrible disease has managed to attract a solid cast. Helen Hunt stars as geneticist Mary Claire King who famously discovered a gene linked to breast cancer in 1990, and Samantha Morton plays the title character of Annie Parker - a woman who resolves to fight her cancer diagnosis. Set over the course of a fifteen-year period, other cast members include the reunion of "West Wing" alumni Richard Schiff and Bradley Whitford along with Rashida Jones, Aaron Paul, Bob Gunton, Alice Eve and Maggie Grace.
Delivery Man
Quebec-born filmmaker Ken Scott remakes his own 2011 high-concept French-language comedy "Starbuck" for Dreamworks. Vince Vaughn steps into the lead role played by Patrick Huard in the original - a man with a perpetually adolescent personality. He soon learns that, as a sperm donor, he has fathered 530 children. Around 30% of the now grown-up kids are trying to force the fertility clinic to reveal his true identity. On top of that, his girlfriend is pregnant and does not feel that he is mature enough to be a father. Scott signed on for the remake to primarily reach a broader audience, whilst still making sure the key ingredients from the original were retained. Filming is currently under way in New York ahead of a release in October.
The Devil's Rapture
Previously known as "The Occult," this $10 million indie thriller from "The Roommate" helmer Christian E. Christian and "The Divide" scribe Karl Mueller was shot back in the Spring in North Carolina. While it sounds a little better than either of those aforementioned films, nothing revealed so far separates it from the various generic yet highly profitable faith-centric horror films of recent years (ala "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," "The Devil Inside"). The story here deals with young girls within said cult going missing, leading to a division within the ranks as the youngsters believe the elders are killing them off. Jennifer Carpenter ("Dexter"), Rufus Sewell ("Dark City") and Colm Meaney ("Hell on Wheels") star.
Disconnect
In his first non-documentary feature, "Murderball" helmer Henry Alex Rubin tackles this indie ensemble drama which boasts three interconnected stories about people affected by the Internet and other forms of modern communication - namely issues of cyber-bullying, identity theft and online prostitution. It also boasts a solid cast including Jason Bateman, Alexander Skarsgard, Max Thierot, Paula Patton, Hope Davis, Andrea Riseborough, Michael Nyqvist and Frank Grillo. Reviews out of Toronto last year were politely dismissive - calling it obvious, self-important and "self-consciously operatic" in one case. While the material sounds overly familiar, the compelling performances are said to lift the quality to higher levels.
Dorothy of Oz
The least interesting of the upcoming Oz-related films is this $60 million 3D computer-animated musical adaptation of the 1989 book by L. Frank Baum's grandson Roger. In this version, Dorothy and Toto return to the Land of Oz when it comes under attack by a Jester using the wand of the Wicked Witch of the West. Indie producer Summertime Entertainment is hoping to make a franchise out of this, and they've certainly cast up well with the likes of Lea Michele, Patrick Stewart, Oliver Platt, Dan Aykroyd, Hugh Dancy, Martin Short, Kelsey Grammar and Bernadette Peters all providing voice work. However, the trailer plays very flat and looks like a direct-to-video title. It's essentially 'Oz' for the pre-school crowd and no one else.
Drinking Buddies
A new rom-com from SXSW fave Joe Swanberg ("Uncle Kent") which has considerable commercial appeal. Anna Kendrick, Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson and Ron Livingston star in this story which follows two beer geeks, Luke and Kate, who are inseparable friends and work together at a Chicago brewery. Despite their obvious attraction to each other, he has a live-in girlfriend and she romances an older music-producer boyfriend. What ensues is a film exploring relationship politics in the age of texting, and it's all apparently improvised according to Kendrick. With Swanberg's past experience, not to mention "Beasts of the Southern Wild" cinematographer Ben Richardson doing the visuals, this should be good.
Driven
Best known for his TV work such as ITV's "Vera" and "Clapham Junction," UK actor David Leon has turned to directing in recent times and makes his feature debut with this semi-autobiographical crime thriller about Leon's own childhood experiences growing up in late eighties Newcastle. He's also snagged an impressive cast including Peter Capaldi ("The Thick of It"), Iwan Rheon ("Misfits"), Damian Lewis ("Homeland") and Jessica Brown-Findlay ("Downton Abbey"). Filming kicks off shortly for a late 2013 release.
Eden
Making a film about sex trafficking can be potentially exploitative if not handled with care. It seems "The Off Hours" writer/director Megan Griffiths has done it the right way with this drama winning two Audience Awards at film festivals (including SXSW) along with several other nods. Based on a true story, Jamie Chung plays a young Korean-American girl abducted and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers. She soon joins forces with her captors in a desperate plea to survive. Said to boast more believable characters than you'd expect in these kinds of films, it's this more grounded approach - and the work of Chung and co-star Matt O'Leary - that's the draw here.
Elsa and Fred
Currently filming in New Orleans and Rome, "Il Postino" and "The Merchant of Venice" director Michael Radford helms this $10 million rom-com remake of the 2005 Spanish/Argentine film "Elsa y Fred". Shirley Maclaine plays a retiree living in New Orleans who has always dreamed of living that fountain scene from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" but with the love of her life whom she hasn't found. Christopher Plummer plays a straight-laced widower who moves into her apartment building. Their friendship soon blossoms - she teaches him how to live again, and he tries to make her dream come true before she succumbs to a terminal illness.
Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes
Set to premiere in competition at Sundance this year, "Tanner Hall" filmmaker Francesca Gregorini casts rising young actress Kaya Scodelario as a troubled girl who becomes preoccupied with her mysterious, new neighbor. The woman apparently bears a striking resemblance to her dead mother, and Emanuel offers to babysit her newborn - in the process she unwittingly enters a fragile, fictional world. Jessica Biel, Alfred Molina and Frances O'Connor also star. Right now it is awaiting the reviews out of Park City to tell the tale.
The English Teacher
"Weeds" and "The Larry Sanders Show" director/producer Craig Zisk shot this indie dramedy around this time last year. Sadly though, no new details have really emerged since then and still no word on a potential release. Julianne Moore plays a popular small town high school English teacher who brings a lot of energy to her teaching, but at the cost of a personal life. When a promising former pupil returns home after failing as a playwright in New York, she suggests her high school perform his unproduced play.
News Shorts: December 22nd 2012
Stills from The World's End, After Earth, Jack the Giant Slayer, Iron Man 3, Paranoia, and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.
Posters for This Is The End, G.I. Joe Retaliation, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Dark Skies, A Haunted House, Snitch, Phantom, Stoker, Side Effects, Shadow Dancer, Bullet to the Head, and a motion poster for The Croods.
An official site is up for M. Night Shyamalan and Will Smith's "After Earth".
"New Blu-ray release dates include 'Hotel Transylvania,' 'Paranormal Activity 4' and 'Seven Psychopaths' on January 29th; 'Alex Cross' and 'Cloud Atlas' on February 5th; 'Silent Hill: Revelation,' 'Silver Linings Playbook,' 'Skyfall' and 'The Sessions' on February 12th; 'Argo' and 'Sinister' on February 19th; 'Chasing Mavericks,' 'Holy Motors,' 'Lincoln,' 'The Loneliest Planet,' and 'The Master' on February 26th; 'Life of Pi' and 'Wreck-It Ralph' on March 5th; 'Hitchcock,' 'Smashed' and 'Storage 24' on March 12th; 'Killing Them Softly' and 'A Royal Affair' on March 26th…" (full details)
"Disney has completed its acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC. Based on the closing price of shares, the transaction comes down to a total of approximately $4.06 billion…" (full details)
"Disney’s "Cars" spin-off "Planes," which was originally set for the direct to video treatment, will now hit theaters on August 9th 2013…" (full details)
"Jackie Chan's final action film 'Chinese Zodiac' will score a theatrical release on a few hundred screens in the United States in either spring or summer next year…" (full details)
"Roadside Attractions has retitled the Kristen Wiig and Darren Criss-led dramedy 'Imogene' to 'Girl Most Likely'. 'Girl' will score a release on July 19th 2013…" (full details)
"'Bridesmaids' and 'Pitch Perfect' star Rebel Wilson will host the MTV Movie Awards which are scheduled to air on April 14th 2013…" (full details)
"Producer Dan Lin says they are deep in pre-production on the 'Godzilla' reboot that Gareth Edwards is directing. Filming is expected to begin in March…" (full details)
"The upcoming video game based on J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' reboot has scored an April 23rd 2013 release date for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC…" (full details)
Casting: Sturgess, Stewart, Murray, Ventimiglia
Guardians of the Galaxy
It's reportedly down to either Jim Sturgess ("Cloud Atlas"), Zachary Levi ("Chuck") and an unnamed third actor to play Peter Quill (aka Star-Lord) in James Gunn's upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie for Marvel Studios.
Levi plays Fandral in the upcoming "Thor: The Dark World" and did not appear on a short list of five actors named last month as potential casting for the part. The third actor meanwhile is expected to be screen tested after the holidays. [Source: Variety]
Snow White and the Huntsman 2
Kristen Stewart has confirmed she's returning for the upcoming sequel to this year's fantasy epic take on the classic Grimm fairy tale.
"I'm so excited about it, it's crazy. I'm not allowed [to talk about it]. The other day I said that there was a strong possibility that we're going to make a sequel, and that's very true, but everyone was like, 'Whoa, stop talking about it.' So no, I'm totally not allowed to talk about it." [Source: ET Online]
Left Behind
Chad Michael Murray ("House of Wax," "One Tree Hill") is in negotiations to join the cast of the bigger budgeted reboot of the "Left Behind" franchise.
Murray would play journalist Cameron “Buck” Williams in the end-of-the-world thriller that also stars Nicolas Cage. [Source: Deadline]
How Soon Is Never
Milo Ventimiglia is set to produce and star in the indie film adaptation of Marc Spitz‘s autobiographical novel "How Soon Is Never?"
The story deals with a rock journalist who, in trying to get his own life back on track, attempts to reunite the band The Smiths which broke up in 1987. The individual members swore they would never reunite. [Source: Deadline]
TV News: Walking, Leverage, Mother
The Walking Dead
No surprise here, AMC has renewed its flagship drama 'The Walking Dead' for a fourth season. Glen Mazzara is also stepping down as show runner once production on the final episodes of the third season have wrapped.
The departure of Mazzara was due to a difference of opinion about the direction of the show moving forward. As a result a lot of fans and fellow producers have taken to social media to express their anger. [Source: Deadline]
Leverage
Just days before the fifth season finale goes to air, TNT has decided not to move forward with another season of "Leverage."
Earlier this month show runner Dean Devlin penned a letter suggesting the upcoming Christmas finale was the episode with which he intended to end the series. [Source: The Live Feed]
How I Met Your Mother
In a last minute turn around, CBS' sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" is being renewed for a ninth season.
The news comes after cast negotiations went to the wire, especially with actor Jason Segel who was set on bailing. [Source: Deadline]
Garth Franklin's Worst Films of 2012
Due to the lag time for various overseas film releases here in Australia, I'm a few weeks and a dozen films away from locking down my 'Best Films of 2012' list. That said, I'm ready to move forward with this other piece celebrating a far more ignominious honor.
I can't write as colorful a 'Worst Films of 2012' list these days as used to. Why? Mainly that my tolerance for sh-t has dropped as I've aged, so I deliberately avoid a lot of the visibly awful films that I used to see out of some strange sense of obligation. This year I skipped the "Ghost Rider" and "Atlas Shrugged" sequels, the Three Stooges update, Lee Daniels' much derided "The Paperboy," and anything that involves Tyler Perry and/or Adam Sandler in any capacity. Looking back, I can safely say I enjoyed at least half the films I caught at the cinema this year - in any year that's a good ratio.
That said, it still means there was a good six dozen or so films I saw that ranged from the decidedly average, to the poor, to the downright soul crushing. It's time to look at the ones I personally found the worst offenders.
1. Piranha 3DD
How do you screw up one of the most fun guilty pleasure films of recent years? Easy, you make a sequel that takes the story somewhere stupider, meaner and sillier. You not only remove any of the enjoyment, but all of the brand's freshly rebuilt credibility so that even the most loyal fan can only turn away in disgust. 3DD is such a truly awful sequel that it will make you feel deeply ashamed about liking the original in the first place.
This follow-up to 2010's unexpectedly fun "Piranha 3D" takes every step wrong that you could think of. Aside from the odd cameo, none of the original cast is back and have been replaced by various direct-to-disc talent. Gone too is any of the wink-wink sensibility or even remote attempts to play any of this seriously. The film is obvious and vulgar right from the get go, indulging in its crass stupidity that is made all the more obvious by the awful direction, acting, editing and effects.
The production values are astonishingly amateurish, and not in an ironic kitschy way either. "Josh cut off his penis because something came out of my vagina" is a typical line of dialogue from "Feast" scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan's script. Said script boasts a sense of humour that's always juvenile, and often crosses an icky boundary - jokes designed for that kind of guy who masturbates to the rape scene in "Showgirls."
There's no characters, no real story, and even at 70 minutes it all feels padded out to the extreme. David Hasselhoff shows up to parody himself, Ving Rhames delivers an unnecessary cameo that I hope he got paid for. This is the kind of movie that not only makes me hate movies, it makes me hate life. So deplorable on every conceivable level.
2. Red Dawn
The world has changed considerably from the culture that spawned the original violent cult classic "Red Dawn." 1980s filmmaking titan John Milius brought his far right politics and love of firearms to bear in a story that has lasted better than various other efforts of the time. That's mainly because Milius doesn't do things by half, resulting in an incredibly violent and epic scaled bit of nonsense that embraced militarism to the extreme. Why use a pistol when a rocket launcher would do the job just as well?
In comparison, Dan Bradley's scaled back and contemporary remake is not only far less engaging, you'd be hard pressed to find a worse film this year. Poorly cast, badly acted, terribly scripted and horrifically directed, everything that could go wrong in a film does. Too dour by half, the film lacks the scale, ambition, conviction, satire and campy appeal of the original. Instead, this joins the ranks of the most generic of action films ever made, trying to please everyone and in the process appealing to no one.
The ONLY cast member even approaching adequacy is Chris Hemsworth, the Aussie hunk's charisma single-handedly stopping the film from entirely imploding in on itself. In comparison there's his brother played by the greasy looking Josh Peck, a mumbling selfish prick who routinely endangers others with his stupidity. Peck's character is terrible to begin with, but his performance is quite frankly the worst acting turn I've seen this year - bar none.
How this thing cost around $70 million to produce I can't even begin to fathom, it looks like it was done for one-fifth of that amount. For all its clunky melodramatic kid antics, 2010's Australian country town "Red Dawn"-esque invasion tale "Tomorrow, When the War Began" is a considerably more enjoyable successor to the Milius original than this turkey.
3. Lockout
Producer Luc Besson's attempt to remake "Escape from New York" in a low Earth orbit setting, "Lockout" has none of the John Carpenter classic's charm or ingenuity. Trying to dabble in comedy and self-parody, the film unintentionally takes it way past the line to result in an outright farce of the most unfunny kind.
In fact the ridiculousness of the whole story is far funnier than the deplorable attempts at zingers that a game Guy Pearce delivers with an often tired groan. Pearce looks great, healthier than he has in years, and the cocky personality type is actually quite suited to the actor. Unfortunately he's saddled with some of the clunkiest dialogue I've heard in years.
He's not helped by a supporting cast that includes the termite-friendly Maggie Grace, with whom he shares absolutely no chemistry, and the always fun Peter Stormare who is unfortunately restrained for once. The villains, led by "Misfits" star Joe Gilgun as a tattooed psycho, are so unpleasant they're not even worth mentioning. In fact, they seem to be mainly there to leer, attempt to rape Grace's character at one point, and otherwise fill out a runtime.
Once Pearce's character hits the station, everything becomes a mess of scenes involving running around corridors, pretending to be prisoners, and ultimately engage in a final act that makes no real sense. There's a subplot about the framing of Pearce's character that's very tired and overdone, but at least it's competently shot. The same can't be said for many of the effects, such as an orbital skydive, which sport worse graphics than many free iPhone games.
4. The Cold Light of Day
Henry Cavill is an incredible specimen of manhood, a beautiful face where every feature is chiseled to perfection and yet still very masculine. His pre-"Man of Steel" and "Immortals" body on display here is naturally handsome, neither the starved look of a waxed twink or the grotesque puffery of a juicing gym-rat. I'm concentrating on his beauty because the occasional shot of glistening chest hair is about the only welcome distraction in this aborted attempt to launch a cost-efficient and heavily Bourne-inspired spy thriller franchise.
Using a slightly altered premise to last year's very similar and similarly awful Taylor Lautner vehicle "Abduction," 'Cold' ages up the hero and transfers the locale to picturesque places along the Iberian coast. Solid talent who have delivered great performances in the past are all stuck with unimpressive bit parts, especially Bruce Willis whose role ultimately amounts to an extended cameo.
Cavill's performance isn't great, but a big part of the problem is that they have made his character so thoroughly unlikable. He's the perfect stereotype of the worst kind of ugly Western tourist - arrogant, loud, self-centered, narcissistic, rude and completely devoid of any discernible intelligence, nous or real world experience. His entire job for 95% of the film is merely to run, scream at people and/or look pensive while all the supporting characters calmly explain every plot point with great detail.
Films like this are green lit for one purpose - to effectively serve as a tax break for the production company or the film's financier. As long as it keeps to a modest budget, even the most awful film will earn a return and the backers can use the money they save from the Government to buy Ayn Rand memorabilia on eBay. The only thing that separates a movie like this from the worst direct-to-DVD titles is the production values and talent. It's an embarrassment for everyone involved but, thankfully, no-one but the most forgiving of viewers will end up seeing it.
5. Silent House
Incestuous rape and child abuse are horrific subjects that, handled with intelligence and judicious care, can yield thought-provoking and emotional works in various genres, even horror. Unfortunately this remake of the 2010 Uruguayan low-budget horror thriller decides to use them as a "ha ha, gotcha!" twist to prop up it is already highly dubious home invasion story.
The remake keeps the formula of shooting the entire film in seemingly one long take, albeit with plenty of power outs and dark environments to hide the joins of separate shots and setups. It also boasts a solid turn from star Elizabeth Olsen and an admirable desire to emphasise atmosphere - at least at first. The setup is interesting, but there's nowhere near enough material here for a feature.
As a result the decent first half-hour gives way to an often meandering and tedious second half-hour. The film tries to milk the idea of several potential threats - violent squatters, visions of a seemingly supernatural girl, questions over our heroine's sanity. Ultimately though it falls back on a twist that's predictable, cheap, and ultimately just plain icky.
It is pure gimmick horror, built on a technical trick rather than the solid foundation of a good story. Characters often behave in the most stupid ways, the shaky cam is more nauseating than nail-biting, and the constant sense of trying to induce tension actually robs the film's few really tense moments of their impact. One good performance and a high concept do not make a movie.
6. Taken 2
The first "Taken" was a welcome surprise, a stripped down action thriller based on a simple premise and around a strong leading man in Liam Neeson. Unfortunately this follow-up is utter nonsense that suffers from textbook sequel-itis - everything is bigger, louder, dumber and duller. This one has been made with a PG-13 rating in mind, rather than conceived as an R-rated effort that was later trimmed to appease the MPAA like the first film. As a result the action is safe enough this time out to take your toddler along.
Neeson once again proves the reliable core, but the steel-eyed determination just isn't there this time. Not helping is the shift of focus which now alternates between the various members of the Mills family and Rade Šerbedžija's flat villain. Neeson also spends a good portion of the film chained up in a basement, leaving things up to Maggie Grace to save the day. Why Besson has such a raging erection for her I can't fathom as I've yet to see the "Lost" actress give a performance I like. She's not helped by a script which turns her character into a stunt driver, even though she keeps reiterating how she can't actually drive well.
At a fairly lean 91 minutes one can't really call "Taken 2" bloated, yet so much of it seems like useless fat that could have been replaced with a decent plot and maybe some actual thrills. Even big fans of the first one will be surprised by the lethargy and lack of imagination on offer, for mindless nonsense it's incredibly tedious.
The replacing of Pierre Morel as director with the decidedly less talented Olivier Megaton is partly to blame, but more is Besson's need to create this follow-up without any real justification other than the first one making money. Birthed for the most cynical of reasons and made at nearly double the cost, is it any wonder it turned out less than half as engaging as its progenitor?
7. Battleship
The shock of "Battleship" isn't that they've managed to make a movie out of a Hasbro game, it's that seemingly so much effort has gone into creating something with so little imagination. Director Peter Berg is obviously phoning in this one, so he's quite literally photocopied the template of Michael Bay's "Transformers" films which allows him to avoid any heavy lifting.
The design work, the filming style, the masturbatory patriotism, the ham-fisted dialogue, the sound design, the score, and so on appear designed to fool the audience into thinking this is a Bay-directed spin-off. In fact, the only thing it lacks is Bay's now signature sense of cringe-inducing humour, something I wouldn't in a million years believe I would come to miss. If any film could really use some robot testicles, casual racism and gay panic jokes to lighten up the tedium, this would be it.
The cast struggle with the material which delivers exposition with all the bluntness of a beige sledgehammer. Taylor Kitsch's character is an unfocused delinquent who is seemingly a genius, the only way we know that last part though is because every other character tells us so at every opportunity they can get. He's a guy that rose up the Navy hierarchy faster than anyone in history, though we're never told how exactly. With his tight body and square jaw though, one can make an educated guess. After all, how does the Navy separate the men from the boys? With a crowbar.
The whole thing clocks in at a whopping 132 minutes for no real reason, not helped by much of the action actually having little to do with duelling ships. This takes no risks, establishes no real characters or even attempts to tell a coherent story - meaning it has no real reason to exist. Big, shiny and empty - this so-called tribute to the Navy is about as welcome as a post-shore leave ship wide outbreak of the clap.
8. Snow White and the Huntsman
This revisionist take on the "Snow White" story posits the original dark Grimm fairytale not as the cautionary horror story it was, but as an awkward epic medieval swashbuckling fantasy it never needed to be. Despite some interesting production design and a quite affable turn by Chris Hemsworth, this take on the story proves an insufferably dull and needlessly dreary affair that lacks grandeur or edge.
That's partly because Snow White herself is such a bland presence. There's no fire in her heart, in fact Kristen Stewart's heroine is oddly muted and purely reactionary which makes her journey one you care very little for. As a result, your attention wanders to both the redoubtable huntsman and the mad queen. Hemsworth's gruff and grounded character is the one best suited to the film's fantastical, but tangible landscape. He's also far more game than his female co-star, from spinning his axes with gusto to even giving us a quick flash of tit.
In contrast there's Theron who is bordering on "Mommie Dearest" territory here as the sorceress and queen. The lack of any attempt to reign it in takes away significantly from what should be her chillier and creepier moments. There's a cast of great English actors as the dwarfs, but none have any real personality (and not that much screen time) so it feels like a wasted opportunity. Same goes for Sam Claflin's bland 'handsome prince' and childhood friend who remains enigmatic and uninteresting.
Production values are fine, but it's an overly long and overly stuffed film that relies more on its flashy art direction than bringing any new elements to the tale. When it does, they seem directly lifted from far better works such as Miyazaki's "Princess Mononoke." It's an awful script that's not helped by direction from Rupert Sanders that's a little too enamored with itself rather than the tale it's supposed to tell. Going into this year, I would not have believed this would be worse than Tarsem's gonzo Bollywood kid fantasy tale "Mirror Mirror." I was wrong, although the quality line separating them isn't very much.
9. Total Recall
Len Wiseman's embarrassing sci-fi action spectacle isn't so much a new adaptation of the Philip K. Dick short story, as it is an oddly toothless and toned down homage to the previous Verhoeven/Schwarzenegger 1990 sci-fi cult classic adaptation. Verhoeven's film is a feast of riches with its gratuitous violence, playful misogyny, twisted sensibility and ballsy risk taking. Wiseman's on the other hand could not play it more safe, fusing the most generic of sci-fi tropes with a design sensibility that meshes the "Portal" video games, Ridley Scott and an Apple store.
Swapping out Mars for a "Blade Runner" and "Minority Report"-inspired cityscape, the film still hits many of the same story and action beats as the Arnie classic, albeit without any of that movie's visceral or emotional engagement. That's partly due to the PG-13 rating, but more to do with how astonishingly flat this derivative take on the material is.
Even the acting is decidedly downgraded, none of the actors leaving any impression aside from Kate Beckinsale who looks like she basically just walked in off the set of the latest "Underworld" chapter. Beckinsale is the only one who seems to be having any fun, and so automatically lights up the screen in this otherwise dreary tale.
There's some good action on display that's crisply shot, but the idiocy of the dialogue and the sheer amount of computer graphics make the whole endeavour feel featherweight and inconsequential. It's a textbook example of everything that's wrong with remakes - it doesn't go back to the source material, it adds absolutely nothing new, and ultimately it is too slavishly beholden to the previous adaptation to step out of its shadow.
10. This Means War
Even though McG's action rom-com is about two spies in love with the same girl, the only reason it isn't higher on this list is that it can be read in an entirely different way. Looking at the film on the surface, it is the worst kind of throwaway trash. The action is incredibly dull, and the comedy is not only bland, it's stupid. Not helping is that the leads have zero chemistry with their leading lady.
Languishing in development for years, the script has been re-written so many times that there's no actual story left beyond the basic premise, while the dialogue has no real world connotation whatsoever. Chelsea Handler pops in and out to dispense advice about throwing one's cooch about as often as possible and to whomsoever wants to enter her tunnel of terror. Most of these sagely zingers are directed at Reese Witherspoon who is a few years too old to get away with this unbelievably naive, single white girl routine.
The whole point is both Tom Hardy and Chris Pine's BFF spies are supposed to be infatuated with her, which is odd as she has about as much sexual charisma as a block of asbestos. Hardy and Pine actually have far more chemistry with each other than with their co-star, their scenes brimming with enough homoerotic tension that the film can be seen from an entirely different perspective - two hetero buddies coming to terms with their love and desire for each other.
Numerous critics, even Roger Ebert, have all spoken about how the film both makes more sense and works much better from this perspective. It helps with the casting of pretty boy Pine and man's man Hardy. Hardy is the male equivalent of Angelina Jolie - as in your own sexual orientation be damned, who wouldn't want a go? Sadly, even with this fascinating subversive layer to soften the blow, it remains a god awful film. Pine and Witherspoon have starred in far worse, but Hardy doesn't escape so easy. After all, this is the only real flaw on his film resume over the last four years since he broke through with "Bronson" in 2008.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Awakening, Bait 3D, Bel Ami, Beneath the Darkness, Intruders, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Mirror Mirror, The Possession, The Raven, Red Lights, Resident Evil: Retribution, Seeking Justice, Underworld: Awakening, Wrath of the Titans.
Nine Films Vie For Foreign Language Oscar
Nine films have made it to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category at the upcoming 85th Academy Awards®.
This shortlist will be shrunk down to the five nominees to be announced with the rest of this year's nominees on Thursday, January 10th 2013.
Those that made the cut include:
"Amour," directed by Michael Haneke (Austria)
"Beyond the Hills," directed by Cristian Mungiu (Romania)
"The Deep," directed by Baltasar Kormákur (Iceland)
"The Intouchables," directed by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano (France)
"Kon-Tiki," directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Norway)
"No," directed by Pablo Larraín (Chile)
"A Royal Affair," directed by Nikolaj Arcel (Denmark)
"Sister," directed by Ursula Meier (Switzerland)
"War Witch," directed by Kim Nguyen (Canada)
Amongst those films from the previous round that didn't make the cut are Christian Petzold's "Barbara" (Germany), Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani's "Caesar Must Die" (Italy), Rama Burshtein's "Fill the Void" (Israel), Cate Shortland's "Lore" (Australia), Atiq Rahimi's "The Patience Stone" (Afghanistan), and Kim Ki-duk's "Pieta" (South Korea).
Vampires, Bats & Cats Top Worst Film Poll
A few weeks ago RiffTrax got its users to vote for the Worst Movie of All Time, a vote that was helped along by some major portal sites giving it a promo push.
The vote ultimately involved over 500,000 people taking part, a sizeable sample by anyone's count. Now, the results are in and here are the unfortunate winners:
- The Twilight Saga (35,593 votes)
- Batman and Robin (27,929 votes)
- Catwoman (22,544 votes)
- Spider-Man 3 (19,152 votes)
- The Last Airbender (18,086 votes)
- Super Mario Bros (17,755 votes)
- Battlefield Earth (16,138 votes)
- Jack and Jill (15,720 votes)
- Son of the Mask (14,680 votes)
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (13,792 votes)
- High School Musical (12,878 votes)
- Birdemic: Shock and Terror (11,076 votes)
- Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (10,795 votes)
- Troll 2 (10,384 votes)
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (10,353 votes)
- X-Men: The Last Stand (10,341 votes)
- The Room (8,918 votes)
- The Happening (8,286 votes)
- Eragon (8,272 votes)
- Transformers: Dark of the Moon (8,269 votes)
For the full list, click here.
Sources: Rifftrax, Worst Previews
TV News: SHIELD, Vatican, Saint
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Chloe Bennet ("Nashville") has been cast as 'Skye' in Joss Whedon and Marvel's upcoming series "S.H.I.E.L.D.". The character is described as a confident woman slightly obsessed with superhero culture and the shadow organizations that exist within it. [Source: The Live Feed]
Vatican
Showtime has ordered the contemporary thriller pilot "The Vatican" which will mark the first time filmmaker Ridley Scott will direct a TV pilot.
The series would explore the relationships and rivalries, spirituality, power and political machinations within the modern day Catholic church.
Paul Attanasio ("House," "Donnie Brasco") penned the script and will produce along with Scott and David Zucker ("The Good Wife"). [Source: The Live Feed]
The Saint
Roger Moore and Ian Ogilvy are joining the cast of the pilot for the upcoming TV reboot of "The Saint" property. Both actors previously played the title character in earlier incarnations of the series.
The story follows Simon Templar (Adam Rayner), a brilliant criminal who uses his considerable illicit skills as a modern-day Robin Hood as he infuriates local law enforcement and woos Patricia Holm (Eliza Dushku), his on-again, off-again romance. [Source: Deadline]
Script News: Prince, Revoc, Warden
The False Prince
"Game of Thrones" writer and story editor Bryan Cogman has been hired to adapt Jennifer Nielsen's young adult novel "The False Prince" for Paramount Pictures.
The first in a trilogy, the story follows a nobleman who devises a plan to find someone to impersonate the recently slain king’s long-lost son and act as a puppet. An orphan finds himself chosen with three other boys in the running. [Source: THR]
Revoc
Summit Entertainment has picked up "City State" director Olaf de Fleur's post-alien invasion thriller script pitch "Revoc".
Plot details are being kept under wraps. David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are attached to produce. [Source: THR]
Warden
New Line and Mosaic have picked up John and Thomas Sonntag's action spec "Warden". Jimmy Miller and Lawrence Inglee are producing.
The story centers on a prison warden who -- when his wife and son are kidnapped -- is blackmailed into helping the American head of a Mexican drug cartel escape from his own high-security facility. [Source: Variety]
First Photo: "Mad Max Fury Road"
There was doubt earlier, but now it has been confirmed by Warner Bros. Pictures - AICN has posted the first photo of Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in the upcoming "Mad Max: Fury Road." The photo was signed by Hardy and given to one of the crew members.
In this outing, Max (Hardy) gets caught up with a group of people fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by the imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). A battle erupts on the road in front of them as they attempt to push the rig to safer terrain.
Lindelof Won't Return For "Prometheus 2"
Ridley Scott's sci-fi epic "Prometheus" proved one of the year's most divisive films, and now the film's scribe Damon Lindelof will not be returning for the proposed sequel.
Jon Spaihts penned an earlier draft which was a direct "Alien" prequel. When "Lost" show runner Lindelof came onboard, he made major changes which turned it into the standalone "side-quel" the film ended up being. As a result he took much of the blame for the film's flaws.
Asked by Collider if he's penning a second "Prometheus," Lindelof says:
"I am not. Ridley [Scott] and I talked at great length during the story process of the first movie about what subsequent movies would be if Prometheus were to be successful. And I think that the movie ended in a very specific way that hinted at, or strongly implied that there were going to be continuing adventures worthy of writing stories.
What those stories would be would not necessarily usurp or transcend the Alien franchise as we saw it because we know that the Nostromo hasn’t come along yet. So the idea was to set up a universe that… Is it a prequel? Okay. If that’s what we want to call it, sure. But the sequel to this movie is not Alien. The sequel to this movie is this other thing.
The thing about Prometheus was it was a rewrite. Jon Spaihts wrote a script and I rewrote it. And still it was a year of my life that I spent on Prometheus, kind of all in. The idea of building a sequel to it—from the ground up this time—with Ridley is tremendously exciting.
But at the same time, I was like, 'Well that’s probably going to be two years of my life.' I can’t do what J.J. [Abrams] does. I don’t have the capability. I’m usually very single-minded creatively. I can only be working on one thing at a time. So I said to him, 'I really don’t think I could start working on this movie until I do this other stuff. And I don’t know when the other stuff is going to be done.'
And he was like, 'Well, okay, it’s not like I asked you anyways.' He and I are on excellent terms and it was a dream come true to work with him. But much to the delight of all the fanboys, I don’t see myself being involved in Prometheus-er."
"Pitch Perfect" Sequel In The Works
"Pitch Perfect" actor Skylar Astin says Universal is already developing a sequel to this year's college acapella musical comedy which received good reviews and $76 million in box-office from a $17 million budget.
Astin tells Movieweb that "I do have a meeting with a Universal representative next week. And I know that Rebel Wilson had hers last weekend. It's definitely a talking point."
One issue will be the song choices. Because these movies are shot months out, song selection is a tricky thing as the numbers have to be relevant around the time it hits cinemas. Astin says: "If we film this next year, and it doesn't come out for another year and a half, will that song still be popular? Will it be over played? I think they did such a perfect job. The music landed so perfectly when it came out the first time, I can't imagine, if the same people are involved, that lightning won't strike twice. I will sing whatever they want me to sing."
Corman Remakes Eight Poe Tales
Classic B-movie king Roger Corman is developing new low-budget 3D horror adaptations of eight Edgar Allan Poe stories which he previously adapted and directed back in the 1950s and ’60s.
The eight films will include "House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Raven," "The Tomb of Ligeia," "Premature Burial, "Tales of Terror," and "The Hunted Palace."
Corman will only produce these films. Each will have a budget of around $2-2.5 million with the first to be filmed next year. The plan is to release two of these each year with Corman’s New Horizons Productions self-financing the films.
Source: THR
Review: Jack Reacher
An efficient mesh of a 90's John Grisham-esque thriller procedural with flashes of a 70's/80's vigilante movie, Chris McQuarrie's adaptation of Lee Child's "One Shot" proves a surprise. Strangely marketed on its few action beats, the film itself is more of a moody pulp thriller - a confident and well-paced crowd pleaser that showcases some welcome smarts. There's a cocky, but not arrogant, attitude here which knows how to have fun and can reign it in when appropriate.
Much of the issues people will have with this is the baggage they bring with them. In the books a key trait of the Reacher character is his physicality - he's a 6'5" blond muscle giant. Tom Cruise, even with all his dedication, does NOT resemble that look in any way. As someone who hasn't read the novels, it's not an issue for me as I don't have a picture of Reacher in my head. The result of which is I went with the character, one that has far more of a distinct personality than Cruise's other onscreen action persona Ethan Hunt.
In fact the film goes out of its way to separate itself from other action films of the ilk. Aside from some cell phone usage, the events shown could have easily taken place in the 80's or 90's. Reacher is an ex-military cop, a man who lives entirely off the grid and in the present. He seems to have only one outfit and no agenda, just riding into town and taking care of business the old fashioned way. There's a classic western sensibility on offer, but without that genre's often languid pacing or overly broad sensibility.
The film starts off with an excellent 8-10 minute opening - a sniper opens fire on a public square, picking off five seemingly random people. The subsequent police investigation picks up the wrong guy, a guy who asks for Reacher's help. These scenes are done without dialogue of any kind, and the result delivers both palpable tension and a feeling that McQuarrie is steering this ship with a sense of cool confidence.
We don't lose that feeling as his signature snappy dialogue comes into play. The story is familiar, resembling many a familiar cheap airport novel, but it is filled with moments that make proceedings feel fresh. From a sequence exploring the backstories of the victims and then viewing them again from a different perspective, to the moments of action which all have a raw and practical sensibility.
These include a really impressive car chase that's much more about timing and skilled driving than it is about incidental damage and flashy cars. Same with the fights which are considerably more believable and enjoyable than anything in the likes of "The Raid" because they are not overly choreographed and over indulgent violent ballets. Reacher's fighting is all about efficiency and incapacity - quick, devastating blows to the soft bits.
Performances are solid across the board, Cruise bringing his usual committed work and seemingly relishing getting to play a bit of a prick here. At times his delivery of the dark witticisms are a bit out of his range, but most of the time they give him back a welcome edge. Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins and David Oyelowo lend solid support with Robert Duvall in particular having a fun side role as a gun shop owner.
The villains of the piece are a surprise. On the one hand is young Aussie hunk Jai Courtney as the enforcer Charlie. Courtney has definite presence and a distinct look which gives his character an edge. He has little dialogue, but in his few scenes he shows good promise. Then there's the pure fun of seeing veteran German filmmaker Werner Herzog as an evil and relatively anonymous villain. Herzog spends most of his time talking about the fingers he chewed off to survive in a Siberian gulag, and has great fun milking the value out of each and every word he has to say.
Judged in terms of plausibility you're going to find so many holes you won't know where to begin. It's all preposterous, character motivations here are often very hazy. For all its dramatic beats and action tone, there's also a surprising amount of humor as well from retorts with bite, to a near slapstick fight in a bathtub.
Even the hokier moments though are pulled off with polish, be it Caleb Deschanel efficiently composed photography to Stephen M. Rickert's slick but restrained editing. Often exciting even if far-fetched, it's a fun ride with a real economical sensibility. The film's just the right length, scenes and characters never overstaying their welcome. Well-constructed and easily entertaining, it lays the groundwork for hopefully more Reacher stories hitting the big screen.
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