Frozen River

Tomorrow will see the release of Courtney Hunt's "Frozen River" in New York and Los Angeles. The critical reception to the film has been relatively positive (as of this writing, it rates 74% at Rotten Tomatoes and a robust 86% at Metacritic) but most of the praise is being heaped upon Melissa Leo's performance. Are we looking at the first serious candidate for Best Actress gold next year? Reviews like these ones can't hurt:

From the New York Times:

Ms. Leo’s magnificent portrayal of a woman of indomitable grit and not an iota of self-pity makes “Frozen River” a compelling study of individual courage.

From Variety:

Unafraid to show herself weathered by the cold, harsh elements and never working to make auds love her, [Star Meliss] Leo builds the kind of perf that invites concentration, and then high respect.

From EW:

In Frozen River, [Melissa] Leo's acting has a brittle severity and power. Every moment of her performance feels torn from experience, and so does the movie, which finds a suspense in broken lives that are hanging in the balance.

The question now is whether Sony Pictures Classics will be able to keep the momentum going until December, when higher profile projects (and actors) hit the screens. At this point, Leo is looking like this year's Amy Ryan (albeit in the lead category). If several of the critics awards go Leo's way, she most likely will make it all the way to the Kodak theater next year. In short, somewhere in cyberspace, Tom O'Neil is weeping.

Here's a look at the film:

When Bad Movies Happen to Good People

There is something in all of us (I'm sure) that can appreciate unquestionably bad, deeply flawed, garishly executed, lamentably botched films every now and then. My list is too long to re-produce here, but rest assured that some of the classically bad movies are there (i.e., "Valley of the Dolls," "Showgirls"), as well as more obscure fare ("Clambake"). There's a poetry to bad movies and they often inspire the oddest, most thoughtful tributes. Case in point, "Doomsday." One of my favorite people, Rich over at Four Four, just posted what I think is one of the freshest, funniest takes on a film I've ever read. Since I have really no intention of seeing the film, I went along with the ride and came out of it pretty giddy. So I invite you to take the plunge and check it out. But heed Rich's warnings:

When I wrote about it earlier this year, I promised a screen-cap-heavy recap of Neil Marshall's Doomsday upon its DVD release. It's out this week and so below is the delivery of my promise. I figure that a) this is a film whose appeal is easier to show then to tell about and b) since this shit was practically made to live on video, I can make something of a primer. That said, I'm not exactly sure how this post could be useful as it will spoil things for people who haven't seen it and it goes over what those who have already know. But whatever: it's a love letter to a movie that I adore (in the same live-blog format that I covered another film with ambiguously intentioned humor that I'm obsessed with, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls).

Some of this is NSFW, and Doomsday is pretty (hilariously!) gruesome, so sensitives should beware. After the jump, tits-out shooters, exploding bunnies and still-screaming decapitated heads...and those are only the gifs!

Read here.

Trailer: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Today's Classic: Tyrone Power

I always look forward to the Times weekly take on new DVD's, so why not plug them too? Today, the spotlight is on legendary actor Tyrone Power (and that was his birth name, by the way. And, oh, what a name). My first exposure to Mr. Power came in the form of "Alexander's Ragtime Band," a fairly disposable but highly entertaining excuse of a film to showcase the talents of gifted composer Irving Berlin.* I remember being more impressed by Alice Faye, but never forgot that good looking, sweet guy with the effortless acting skills.

In any case, Fox is releasing the "Tyrone Power Matinee Idol Collection," which includes 10 of his most popular pictures:

With their slim premises, small casts and restricted settings, movies like “Love Is News,” “Café Metropole” and “Second Honeymoon” (all with Young, and all from 1937) are typical of the moderately budgeted star vehicles that kept theaters open between blockbusters. Power seems more at home in these modest endeavors than he does in prestige pictures like “The Rains Came” (1939), in which he plays an Indian doctor laboring among the starving masses of Ranchipur; gravity was not his strong suit. As one of Hollywood’s few leading men who actually seemed comfortable wearing an ascot, Power was most convincing when he was playing in the upper registers of superficiality. His specialty was the disinherited heir, the inattentive husband, the aristocratic wastrel who discovers commitment in the last reel. The emotion he projected most strongly, in his prewar films at least, was a boundless sense of self-enjoyment, of an impish, uncomplicated ability to have fun, a skill that served him well in the swashbucklers that remain his best-remembered movies, from “The Mark of Zorro” to “Prince of Foxes” (1949).

Read more here.

*Every time I hear the name Irving Berlin, I remember an episode of "Who's the Boss?" where Samantha, having had a song written for her by Chad McCann, lists all the other composer duos like Lennon and McCartney, Rodgers and Hammerstein, until her best, less knowing friend Bonnie offers "Irving and Berlin!" Yes, I'm old. And no, I did not google any of it. Oh, bonus: that particular episode features an appearance by Ray Charles.

Rumor mill: Depp set for Wonderland

Johnny Depp is reportedly in talks to star as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

This is the latest, most unsurprising, rumor to come of the film. All we have to do now is wait for another London tabloid to report that Helena Bonham Carter will play the Queen of Hearts, Danny Elfman is already working on the score, and claim Christopher Lee is on board to narrate.

I don't really have anything else to add to this, but I posted mainly to hear people's suggestions for potential actors to play the other characters in the film. We know who our Alice is, but there are dozens of characters left and no other actors have been added to the cast.

Any thoughts?

That's My "W."

Powerhouse Ryan Adams over at AwardsDaily just posted the trailer for "W." I'm shocked that this trailer is already out. How did this happen? Why am I still waiting for the trailers for "The Reader," "Revolutionary Road," and "Milk" while this project gets the red carpet treatment? Please ponder those questions as you watch the following:



Half Lifetime movie, half campy fun? (Seeing Thandie Newton as Ms. Rice made me chuckle, but it also made me think "....hmmm. That was a bit of inspired casting."

Revisiting Brideshead

The Times just published a nice little piece on the upcoming "Brideshead Revisited" which, while satiating some of my thirst for information on this project, manages to give up a little too much information. Visit at your own peril. Nevertheless, here's an interesting excerpt:

As much as it is a story about a lost period of English history — a final shining moment before everything changed forever — “Brideshead” is a novel about the inexorable pull of Catholicism. The issues it raises are particularly relevant now, Mr. Brock said, though viewers may interpret what they see differently depending on the role of faith in their own lives.

The film begins its limited US release on August 1. Personally, I cannot wait.

D-Day and...Fergie? Really?

Several news outlets are reporting that Fergie is either (a) in talks to co-star in "Nine" or (b) has already been cast. Think about that for a second if you will. Now read this:

While it’s still not clear who the Black Eyed Peas frontwoman will be playing, the only big role still not cast as of earlier this week was Saraghina, a woman described as a “whore from Guido’s youth.”

Now, I'm not a music snob, but...really, Mr. Marshall? Hopefully this is a small role.

May I suggest that an ideal addition to the cast and this particular role would be Emily Blunt. The woman is a powerhouse actress and a very fine singer. Plus, it would help make the film that much classier (if that's even possible). Stay tuned.

Source.

Emma Thompson to pen My Fair Lady remake

Digital Spy reports that Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson is set to write the new My Fair Lady remake, which will star Oscar-nominee Keira Knightley as Eliza Doolittle. Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis is rumored to be in talks to star as Henry Higgins in the musical.

The stage musical (called Pygmalion), which starred Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison, was made into a 1964 film starring Harrison and Audrey Hepburn. The movie went on to win 8 Academy Awards, including statues for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor.

While talking with Parade, Thompson joked that the remake would take a long time to write because she doesn't use a computer:

"I'm a Luddite, and I write longhand with an old fountain pen," she said.

This makes me considerably less anxious about the thought of a remake because, well, Emma Thompson knows her shit. I'm actually sort of excited now.

Are Brad & Leo Inglorious Bastards?

According to Variety, Quentin Tarantino met recently with new daddy Brad Pitt to discuss the lead role in QT's war time epic "Inglorious Bastards." Variety also reports that QT will be meeting with Leonardo DiCaprio this week to discuss another role in the film.

Several studios said the script is vintage Tarantino and they're eager to be in business with him at a reasonable price. DiCaprio and Pitt would be appearing in a Tarantino-helmed project for the first time, though Pitt previously spoke Tarantino-scripted dialogue in a small but memorable stoner turn in the Tony Scott-directed "True Romance."

Source.

I'm shocked and awed by the possibility of a Leo/Brad match up. While I'm hot and cold with QT, I always eagerly await his projects; the fact that he's tackling a different genre is an added bonus. If you're curious about "Inglorious Bastards," you might want to take a look at this write up by AwardsDaily goddess Sasha Stone. I haven't read the article myself because...well, frankly, I've decided to "craigkennedy it."*

*"craigkennedy it" V. craigkenned-ied it, craigkennedy-ing it
v. intr. To avoid becoming affected or spoiled by exposure to in-depth information about yet to be released feature films.

Kate Hudson Joins Nine

The cast of "Nine" just added another Academy Award nominee to its roster. According to People magazine, Kate Hudson will be joining Academy Award Winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, and Judi Dench. I'm exhausted just typing this!
Source.

Ghost Town trailer

The trailer for Ghost Town, a new comedy starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, and Téa Leoni has been released. From Cinematical:

Ricky Gervais stars as a jerky dentist who can't be bothered to do the simplest thing for another person -- like, say, hold the elevator. But then he goes in for a colonoscopy and dies for a little less than seven minutes. Upon leaving the hospital, he discovers he can see dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. Of course, in a predicament like this, he has to face his jerkish past, but he also has to do something else -- help the ghost of Greg Kinnear keep his widowed wife from shacking up with the wrong guy.

Great movie transformations...

Yahoo! has compiled a list of what they feel are the greatest movie transformations (go there for commentary)...

Nicole Kidman - The Hours


Robert De Niro - Raging Bull


Christian Bale - The Machinist


Charlize Theron - Monster


Dustin Hoffman - Tootsie


John Hurt - The Elephant Man


Eric Stolz - Mask


Eddie Murphy - Norbit


Mike Myers - Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me


Gwyneth Paltrow - Shallow Hal


Billy Bob Thornton - Sling Blade


Al Pacino - Dick Tracy


Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder

Decent list, but...

Don't you feel like this list is missing someone? I can't quite place who it is, exactly...

Oh, right.

In the Boston area...

It's unlikely, but if you are in the Boston area between July 10-July 27, you might want to check out the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which is running its 13th annual Boston French Film Festival. This year's line-up is particularly impressive, featuring 21 premieres.

The opening night feature is Shall We Kiss? Described as a "romantic comedy within a romantic comedy," it is directed by Emmanuel Mouret and stars Virginie Ledoyen. Also premiering is Hunting and Gathering, Claude Berri's César-winning romantic comedy, which stars Audrey Tautou as an immigrant who falls for a motorcycling chef, played by Guillaume Canet. There will also be a showing of Tell No One, a "standout" at this year's festival. Directed by Canet, the thriller has already been purchased by American producers to be remade. The film, based off of a novel by Harlan Coben, boasts incredible acting talent, including Francois Cluzet, Marie-Josee Croze, Jean Rochefort, Andre Dussollier, Kristin Scott Thomas and Nathalie Baye. A Secret, which garnered several César nominations last year, will also be screened. (Links feature links to trailers, FYI.)

Other premieres feature an array of French acting and direction talent, including Gerard Depardieu, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Daniel Auteuil, Ludivine Sagnier, Claude Miller, and Claude Chabrol, among others.

Kate and that Elusive Oscar

Tom O'Neil over at Goldderby recently posted a piece entitled "Will Kate Winslet Become Oscar's Biggest Loser?" Semantics aside, I think being nominated 5 times means that Winslet is one of the most respected actors in Oscar history, but I'm a glass half-full type of dame. Here's an excerpt:

While Kate Winslet made Oscar history by racking up five nominations before she was 32, this English beauty has yet to win. If, as expected, she gets a nod for one of her upcoming performances in "Revolutionary Road" and "The Reader" and loses again, she will have tied the dubious achievements of lead Deborah Kerr and supporting player Thelma Ritter with six losses. And if, as some in the forums are speculating, she pulls off that Oscar rarity and reaps nominations for both roles and remains winless she would stand alone as Oscar's biggest loser among actresses. (Peter O'Toole is the biggest loser among actors with eight defeats).

More...

I'm an unabashed Kate Winslet fan. I'll proudly say, with no qualms, that she is one of the greatest actresses working in cinema (second only to Meryl Streep). This fanaticism blurs my vision a bit, and with each nomination I become convinced that yes, indeed, she has a serious chance of winning. Notwithstanding "Revolutionary Road," after reading "The Reader" a few months ago, I became convinced that this is the role that will finally bring Kate her Oscar. Too early to tell, and of course, the film's release date is still up in the air. But a girl can dream and add her voice to the mass choir exclaiming: "Why hasn't Winslet won one?" (See below for some context).



Genius.

REVIEW: Wanted - Fruit of the Loom

Grade: C+
Starring: James McAvoy (Wesley); Morgan Freeman (Sloan); and Angelina Jolie (Fox).

You know a film is in trouble when it features a loom, peanut butter, and rats. I wish I was kidding, but those three elements are vital to understanding the convoluted, improbable mess that is “Wanted.”

The film, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, tries its very best to rip off “The Matrix.” Ne’erdowell protagonist? Check. Boring office job, cubicles and all? Check. Generic name? Check (Wesley Gibson). But why stop there? The protagonist here is emasculated to the point of castration. He has a cheating girlfriend and an overweight female boss who makes his life miserable. I specify that the boss is female because the weird undertone of the film where practically all of Wesley’s troubles are caused (to varying degrees) by women. The abuse he suffers at the hands of the supervisor is such that poor Wesley is reduced to having panic-attacks, which he controls with some sort of prescription pills. As far as the philandering, Wesley simply ignores it. Curious. In any case, the events that quickly unfold one night will change Wesley’s existence forever.

The Plot

One thousand years ago, a secretive society known as “The Fraternity” was established. The group consisted of members with tremendous abilities to: (a) take major blows to the head and other sensitive body parts followed by a swift recovery; and (b) curve bullets. The “curving” the bullets part is facilitated, obviously, by keen targeting skills. These gifted individuals are given assignments to kill and they are so effective in accomplishing their missions that they never miss a target volitionally. Well, hardly-ever.

The film opens with a cleverly-shot assassination attempt of one of the Fraternity members by another. The “new” visual effect introduced here traces the path of a bullet from what appears to be a mile away. And it is as exciting as it sounds. The film offers nothing that can be described as innovative or different or challenging. It is a by-the-numbers endeavor that fails to incite the least bit of credibility or imagination. I’m not sure what I found more irritating, the cavalier excuses yarned to relieve the audience of any discomfort about assassinations that are proscribed by some magical loom or the cartoonish plot contrivances that appear to have been drawn up, at best, by a drunken frat boy.

Wesley’s quest to avenge his father (and save his own heiny in the process) takes an interesting turn during the film’s final act, but alas, it’s too late. All the rats and peanut butter in the world (and even Terrence Stamp!) could not save the film from its disastrous denouement.

The Performances

James McAvoy joins the long list of actors playing the young hero at the cusp of discovering his supernatural abilities. McAvoy is a fantastic actor, equal parts vulnerability and cheekiness. I’ve deeply admired his work in varied fare like “Atonement,” and “The Last King of Scotland.” This is why I’m sad to report that he was woefully miscast. Don’t get me wrong, McAvoy has a grand ole time inhabiting Wesley’s skin, and his excitement is contagious; but this might be one of those rare occasions where an actor is so above the material at hand that he ends up being a disservice to the whole thing. McAvoy’s Wesley does not really change. There is no real transformation, but rather we see an actor biding his time, fully aware that “the best is yet to come” in a few minutes. I’m not looking for Stanislavski in summer movies, but I was oddly disconnected from this protagonist in a way that I was not from a Thomas Anderson. And, given Keanu Reeves’ acting skills, that’s saying a lot.

The always-reliable Morgan Freeman does a serviceable job in a disposable archetype of a role – Morpheus he ain’t. I hope the paycheck was substantial.

Which brings me to Angelina Jolie, the one highlight in this film. Jolie could truly become the 21st century action film star if she wanted to, but judging by her latest film choices, she’s happy to jump in and out of genres, so don’t hold me to that. Her strange beauty makes one wonder if film stars are truly earthlings. Her knowing smirk and fearless physicality bring on the necessary ingredient of any action film: adrenaline. Jolie, as Fox, does not do anything that is earth-shattering, and she’s given variations of this same performance in films too numerous to mention, but she is a joy to watch: it’s simply sensational to see a woman kick ass on a continuous basis, and that she does—in spades.

Overall

Watch at your own risk: predictable plot twists and too many set ups that have no real pay off. Less than stellar performances by the leads, with the exception of Ms. Jolie. Also features a rambunctious, pounding soundtrack by Danny Elfman.

Maury Yeston composes three new songs for Nine

Tony-winning composer Maury Yeston, who scored the original Broadway production of Nine, has written three new songs for the upcoming Rob Marshall film adaptation of the musical, which stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, and Penelope Cruz. Marshall says there will be no dubbing, as all of the actors can "carry a tune" and have been taking singing lessons.

The new songs are:

• Take It All, to be performed by Cotillard, Cruz, and Kidman

• Simple, a duet between Cruz and Kidman

• Cinema Italiano, a "big dance arrangement" penned for a Vogue journalist, who Kate Hudson is reportedly playing

The film, which Marshall sees as a "celebration of beautiful, strong, independent women," will begin rehearsals this August. Set in the mid-60s, the musical is about a filmmaker, Guido (Day-Lewis), and the women who shape his life. Approaching his fortieth birthday, Guido suffers a midlife crisis, which lands him a string of romantic entanglements. Cotillard plays his wife, Luisa; Cruz plays his mistress, Carla; Kidman plays a British actress, Claudia, who achieves international fame through working with Guido; Loren plays Guido's mother. I can only assume that Dench plays Lilliane.

The film is set for a December 2009 release.

Stars to align for KVIFF

I realize that this is unlikely to receive any reads, but...

The 43rd annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, held every year in the Czech Republic, has some notable guests lined up. This July, the likes of Robert de Niro, Brenda Blethyn, Nick Nolte, Danny Glover, Saffron Burrows, Melonie Diaz, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Tom McCarthy, Arthuro Ripstein, Nicolas Roeg, Les Blank, and John Sayles will attend. Christopher Lee will also be there, as he will be receiving The President's Award for his body of work. The Swell Season, the Oscar-winning duo of Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (who first met in the Czech Republic), will also be there as special musical guests. They will be playing songs from their film, Once, as well as brand new material which will appear on their second album. Mamma Mia!, the new musical film starring Meryl Streep, will be the closing night feature.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival began in 1946, shortly after World War II ended, when the country was still Czechoslovakia. The festival persisted through the Communist takeover of 1948, though the climate of the festival and the nature of the films became much more political. The festival has a really fascinating history, really, which you can read about on the official website.

You can view all of the Official Selection - Competition entries here. You can view all of the East of the West (films from central and eastern Europe) Films in Competition here. The Forum of Independents, a section for new filmmakers from all around the world, entries can be viewed here.