Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Springtime with Valkyrie?


I'm not quite sure what to make of this bit of news -- but I'm still posting it for the sheer comedic value.

According to MSNBC Scoop, the word coming out of early screenings is that "Valkyrie" is a bust. According to the reporter, there were several instances during the screening were viewers laughed (uncomfortably) at the most inappropriate moments. The main culprit appears to be the decision not have Cruise don a German accent...in, you know, a film about Germans.

To illustrate this point further, we're given this example:

A scene where Cruise’s character, Claus Von Stauffenberg, is forced to give the infamous “Heil Hitler” salute. “It’s an unsettling scene but you almost start to laugh," the source says. "His character is resisting it but you never forget it’s Tom Cruise saying ‘Heil Hitler.’ It’s funny and shocking at the same time.”

Making things even worse, a "reviewer" stated that: "This is not his Oscar moment.”

To be honest, I think folks would have laughed regardless of the accent. Maybe people are just not buying Cruise in the role. I wonder if they laughed during other non-Cruise scenes (should there be any).

In any case, while I haven't seen the film, I'd still give it a shot if only because I like Bryan Singer so much.

Source.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

New Milk clips released



Milk the Movie has released several short clips from the film, all under one minute.

I don't want to screw around with embedding on this site, so I'll link to each individual video here:

  1. Would you go get us some cake?
  2. Is it just me or is he cute?
  3. What do you think of my new theatre?
  4. Harvey introduces Anne Kronenberg
  5. This is the most wonderful dinner
  6. Harvey's 48th birthday

"Religulous" Out of Oscar Contention


According to the Huffington Post, Bill Maher's documentary "Religulous" was left out of the short list issued by the Academy. Another huge snub included "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired," which is my favorite documentary of the year so far. Here are the lucky 15 films that did make it in:

"At the Death House Door"
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"Fuel"
"The Garden"
"Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts"
"I.O.U.S.A."
"In a Dream"
"Made in America"
"Man on Wire"
"Pray the Devil Back to Hell"
"Standard Operating Procedure"
"They Killed Sister Dorothy"


Source.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Revolutionary Road


Sasha over at AwardsDaily was one of the lucky few to take part in a screening of "Revolutionary Road" this past week. While she's precluded from revealing her impressions of the film just yet, she did make some clever intimations. Definitely check out the comments section for the post, in which she reveals that Leo may walk away with his first Oscar. She's also put RR at the top of most categories in the AD tracker column. Also looking good is another favorite of mine, Michael Shannon ("Bug"). This bodes incredibly well and I'm looking forward to reading her full review soon.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Review: The Guitar


Dir. Amy Redford
Starring: Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole, Paz de la Huerta

Grade: B

Every day, in every corner of the world people are greeted with the news of their impending demise. How does one go about their life after being told you only have months to live? Amy Redford, in her directorial debut, looks at this very question head on. "The Guitar" has the feel of a silent or foreign film, but it is quintessentially a genuine American independent film – something rare these days. While the film is not without its imperfections, it features a magnificently nuanced, anchoring performance by Saffron Burrows and a strong supporting cast. It is not common to walk out of a film about death with a big smile on one’s face; its message of unexpected hope is effective and inspiring.

The Plot

The film opens with Melody Wilder (Burrows) ambling around the crowded streets of New York City. In a daze, the film flashes back to earlier that day when she received a stark diagnosis from her doctor (Janeane Garofalo). Melody has two months to live, at most. Redford holds the camera on Melody’s face as she receives the news. It is a frightening moment, and Burrows’ face maps out every possible emotion in a matter of seconds; from dismay to shock to terror. As if things could not possibly get worse, that same day she gets two more strikes: she’s fired from her office job and is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend in quick succession.

Melody, who appears not to have any friends or family, retreats from the world. She contemplates suicide, but at the most opportune moment, she fortuitously spots an ad for a loft by the Hudson River. After abandoning her apartment, she enters into a short lease for the loft. Once in the loft, Melody goes through a sort of re-birth and embarks on a journey where she collects every possible material thing you can find in a catalogue: Vera Wang mattresses, curtains, fabrics, towels, bathrobes, etc.

The idea of consumerism in the face of death is as intriguing as it is perplexing. The general arch in films or stories dealing with impending death find the protagonist going on a spiritual journey, reconnecting with people from the past, trying to right any past wrongs. But Melody, safe in her cocoon, is more interested in filling up her empty loft with as many possessions as possible: to acquire things is to be human.

Thankfully, two people enter into her world, both delivery persons. Mail delivery man Roscoe (De Bankole), and pizza delivery girl Cookie (de la Huerta) are attracted to the melancholy woman in the loft. Life keeps interjecting itself through Roscoe and Cookie, and soon Melody is able to connect on a human level again. The scenes featuring these interactions constitute the film’s strongest moments. They have a naturalistic, almost ad-libbed vibe that makes up for some of the script’s weaker spots.

Visually, the repeated images of the guitar Melody wanted since childhood is a powerful one. The guitar ends up being a dramatic symbol of the intersection between the material and the most human of things: music. Melody finds her voice through her guitar, and the music it makes. Her childhood's desire re-visited and fulfilled, we feel like she comes full circle.

Redford proves to be a reliable and promising director and she gets wonderful performances from her cast. It should be noted that New York itself is the overarching character in the film. Its complex beauty captured beautifully by Bobby Bukowski’s camera.

The Performances

The film features some very fine supporting performances. Isaach De Bankole is particularly effective as Roscoe. De Bankole played the best friend in last year’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The sensitivity he brought to that role is put to good use in “The Guitar.” De la Huerta is funny and sensual and brings a sense of vulnerability to tough girl Cookie. I thoroughly enjoyed the little moments both characters were afforded apart from Melody – specifically Roscoe fidgeting with his wedding band in the elevator after meeting Melody or Cookie looking through the mail slot to see Melody playing her guitar.

But the film is Burrows’ and she rises up to her task admirably. Burrows is a woefully underrated actress. She has made some terrific films in the past, including “The Loss of Sexual Innocence,” “Miss Julie,” and most recently, “The Bank Job.” She is in practically every scene of the film and has limited dialogue. At times, hers felt like a silent film performance. I’m glad to see a very capable actress fulfilling her promise so stunningly.

Overall

The film’s well-intentioned message and ending is sure to polarize viewers – not me. My main issue with the film has to do with the screenplay: Melody’s isolation from the world is not fully explained, apart from some flashback scenes involving her self-absorbed parents. Further, the message of consumerism in the face of death could have been better developed, and not simply boiled down to a series of catalogue purchases.

Finally, I felt that the tone of the film suffered from the tension between a strong female director’s vision and the very male gaze that permeates the script. Having said that, I’m looking forward to Redford’s next film – hopefully she will write it as well.

Post-Script: To my utter surprise, Saffron Burrows, Amy Redford, screenwriter Amos Poe, and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski were in attendance at the showing I attended last night and stayed for a Q&A after the film ended. The group stuck around for more than half an hour answering pretty complex questions with charm and grace—that is apart from a downright inappropriate answer by the screenwriter, which I won’t even repeat here. I actually gathered the nerve to ask Amy Redford a question, specifically whether she had pulled a Hitchcock cameo in the film, which she confirmed. Overall, we saw a team of people who are incredibly proud of their final product and who worked hard to get this film and its message to the screen.

On a personal note, I’ve been a fan of Saffron Burrows for ten years now, so it was incredibly surreal to see her in person. All I could get out in the end was an ineloquent “huge fan” as we were exiting the theater because I was too nervous. But she was very sweet and gracious to not just me but to everyone who swarmed around her after the Q&A. It was also a kick to walk out of the theater and see the shocked faces of the people coming in to see the next showing when they saw Burrows in the flesh.


Poor, poor quality "guerilla" photo from the Q&A (I only had my phone camera):

Friday, November 7, 2008

The Mother of All Casts: Meet the Ladies (and Man) from "Nine"

Only one thing could pull me out of the dungeon, and this is it!


Classy, no? I'm ecstatic at the prospects for this film, but I will confess I'm not loving the set up -- it looks too much like "Chicago," which isn't necessarily a bad thing (I genuinely enjoyed that film), I just wish they would have been a bit more original. Still, the ladies look fierce. I think D-Day either had the day off or took the picture himself.

From left to right: Dame Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Fergie, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson (and...who is that last girl on the upper right? Is it the "Three Men and a Baby" boy all grown up and in drag?)

Update: On second look, I think D-Day IS in the picture -- is he the slumped figure in the lower right? That makes it just a tad more intriguing.

Source

And just for the heck of it, here's the new face of Dior:

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Some things just need to be said...

We congratulate President-Elect Barack Obama, Vice President-Elect Joe Biden, their families, and the puppy they will soon be adopting.

And a small, related note from k: Now that the election is over, more of my time should be open to update ITG. Both Dorothy and myself very sorry that we have been so busy and unable to update regularly.




Wednesday, October 29, 2008

How to Get Ahead in Dead-vertisement

OK, I just *had* to post this.



Consider it a "blog-by." Back to the dungeon! (seriously, I look forward to posting again regularly pretty soon!).

Monday, October 27, 2008

A brief little update...

Hello everyone,

Both Dorothy and myself have been absolutely swamped lately, which is why, for anyone who happens to check ITG regularly, there have been no updates.

Things should hopefully lighten up within the next week or so.

Cheers!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Kate and Leo do Revolutionary Road photoshoot

Kate Winslet Fan has some gorgeous pictures from a new photoshoot featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, stars of the upcoming film, Revolutionary Road. I can only assume that the photos were taken on set.

Click on the thumbnails for full sized pictures.



'Once' to become Broadway musical



According to The LA Times, the Oscar-winning film Once, written and directed by John Carney, is set to become a Broadway musical due for a 2010 open.

Tony-winning producers John N. Hart Jr., Jeff Sine and Fred Zollo have acquired the live theater rights to the movie with the intention of bringing it to Broadway during the 2010-2011 season.

No word yet on the creative team for the theatrical adaptation of "Once," though producers are expected to announce that shortly.

Now, I love Once, and I love Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, but I really, really, really don't think this is going to work. Part of what made Once so great was the Irish setting, the intimacy of the direction, the realness and subtlety of the performances, and Hansard and Irglová's harmonies. I think making it a stage production could potentially strip the film of its charm.

Please, someone tell me I'm not crazy for feeling this apprehension.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Times Features "Milk"


Today's New York Times gives us a terrific (if short) profile of "Milk," the man and the film. Here's just a taste:
Already the film is drawing attention as an early contender in the coming Oscar race. Following early screenings, for instance, Hollywood insiders and others have been startled by Mr. Penn’s picture-perfect rendering of Mr. Milk, a politician who was at once gawky, ambitious and unforgettable to those whose lives he touched. “Sean’s portrayal of Harvey is so beautifully right,” Cleve Jones, a Milk friend who is played in the film by Emile Hirsch, said in a phone interview.

Read the rest here.