It's now the middle of August. That means that the weather will soon start to get cooler, the days will become shorter, and hopefully for the rest of this year in Hollywood, the movies will continue to get better. After a lackluster first half, and an even worse first month of summer, the rest of 2010 looked grim, except for a handful of promising movies.
After the summer's first much-anticipated films such as Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood failed to leave an impression on moviegoers, the rest of the season seemed to rest on the shoulders of the later part of the summer. And it didn't let us down. Pixar's Toy Story 3 has now grossed $4oo million domestically, and over $900 million worldwide. Christopher Nolan's dream-thriller Inception was the most talked-about movie for weeks upon its release in July, thriving on repeat business, word-of-mouth, and the audiences' appetites for an original storyline. Even The Twilight Saga: Eclipse managed to attract more critical love than its two predecessors, and has almost crossed the $300 million mark in North America. And we can't forget this summer's most acclaimed indie comedy The Kids Are All Right. After it expanded to more theaters, it quickly became an audience favorite.
Now, from September through December, there are a batch of new adventures headed to our silver screens. The last few months of the year are always when studios plan to unleash their films that they hope become Oscar-bait. Many of these movies turn out to be independent films. Coming from someone who loves them, after I hear continuous critical raves for an indie, I'm more than happy to find one being shown in my area. I realize that it's now my chance to see it, and find out what all the fuss is about. And this Fall has its share of indies. There's the creepy faux-documentary Catfish. We have Ryan Reynolds battling claustrophobic conditions in Buried. Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams pair-up for the love story Blue Valentine. Also, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are competing ballerinas in Darren Aronofsky's dark thriller Black Swan.
Although Summer is usually the season of the blockbuster, this Fall will have a presentable package of them. Facebook takes center stage in David Fincher's new drama The Social Network, which will tell the intriguing story of its creation. TRON: Legacy, a sequel to 1982's TRON, will attract sci-fi fans and conjure up '80s nostalgia. And the movie that we've all been waiting for, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1, will surely become the biggest film of the year, and have Potter fans and moviebuffs alike in a frenzy.
Now that I have your attention and your excitment is brewing, let's get this preview rolling.
Never Let Me Go (Sept. 15) Based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and directed by Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo), the film follows a group of students in a British boarding-school. Although the school is a haven-like place, the students' instructors hold secrets about their grim purpose in life. They soon embark on an emotional journey that has them come to terms with their futures and feelings towards one another. Starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly, and Andrew Garfield.
Catfish (Sept. 17) In this faux-documentary, a man is filmed as he pursues a relationship with a girl he met on Facebook. As the group of friends take a trip to the girl's house, they soon realize that nothing is what it seems.
The Town (Sept. 17) A master theif (Ben Affleck) begins a relationship with a bank manger (Rebecca Hall) after a recent robbery. All the while being with her, he also tries to keep off the radar of an FBI agent (Jon Hamm). Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan, this marks the second directing job for Affleck, following his 2007 film Gone Baby Gone. Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, and Chris Cooper also appear in this heist thriller.
Buried (Sept. 24) Ryan Reynolds is Paul Conroy, a truck driver who wakes up in a coffin six feet underground with just a knife, a lighter, and a cell phone. Not able to recall how he got there, Paul must begin to piece everything together to find out how he arrived in this death trap before time runs out.
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (Sept. 24) Set 21 years after Oliver Stone's first Wall Street film, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is released from prison after his crimes in the finance world. When he tries to warn Wall Street of a forthcoming stock market crash, there isn't anyone who will believe him. Gordon chooses to try and fix his relationship with his daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) who blames her father for her brother Rudy's suicide. Meanwhile, the mentor of an up and coming Wall Street trader Jacob (Shia LaBeouf) mysteriously dies, and he suspects it's at the hands of his hedge fund manager. Since Winnie and Jacob are engaged, Jacob accepts Gordon's offer for revenge, and in turn Jacob starts to help Gordon with his relationship with Winnie.
The Social Network (Oct. 1) Who ever thought that a movie would revolve around Facebook? Let alone that it would work? Director David Fincher was up for the challenge. The story follows Harvard student Mark Zuckerburg (Jesse Eisenberg) as his social status skyrockets when he creates today's most popular networking site. But it doesn't come without its consequences. Also starring Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, and Rashida Jones.
Secretariat (Oct. 8) In Disney's latest sports drama, Diane Lane plays Penny Chenery, who after taking over her ailing father's financially troubled Meadow Stable, led her racehorse Secretariat to a Triple Crown victory in 1973. Also starring John Malkovich, James Cromwell, Kevin Connelly, and Dylan Walsh.
Conviction (Oct. 15) Based on a true story, Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank), an out-of-work single mother puts herself through law school so she can represent her brother Kenneth (Sam Rockwell) in court, who has been wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, and Juliette Lewis round out the cast.
Hereafter (Oct. 22) Clint Eastwood's latest film chronicles three separate storylines dealing with mortality. Matt Damon plays a San Francisco citizen who has the ability to speak to the dead, which ruins many of his relationships. French actress Cecile de France plays a Paris anchorwoman who almost perishes in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. And two new actors, Frankie and George McLaren, play English children around the time of the tragic 2005 London subway bombings. Bryce Dallas Howard, Jay Mohr, and Richard Kind also star in this supernatural drama.
Paranormal Activity 2 (Oct. 22) After seeing Paranormal Activity last Fall, I couldn't help but think, "They can't possibly make a sequel. Not after that ending." As it turns out, the filmmakers found a way to do so. The trailer doesn't provide too much information; but what we can gather is that the demon-possessed Katie (Katie Featherston) is back to cause more terrifying trouble.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1 (Nov. 19) The seventh and final chapter of the Harry Potter saga is being split into a two-part epic, with part two being released on July 15th next year. In this grand finale, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide not to return to their beloved school of magic, Hogwarts. Instead, the trio set out on a perilous journey to obtain Lord Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes, which are items safeguarding parts of his soul. And Harry knows that only one of them can triumph in the end, and realizes that his final confrontation with Voldemort is fast approaching.
Black Swan (Dec. 1) You wouldn't expect Darren Aronofsky, director of such gritty films as The Wrestler and Requiem for a Dream to make a movie about competing ballerinas. But it's a film about a ballerina tapping into her dark side. That sounds more like Aronofsky, certainly. When the director of a NYC ballet company decides to present Swan Lake, director Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) needs to replace his main ballerina, Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder). He needs a girl who can portray both the elegant White Swan, and the sensual Black Swan in the production. Soon, competing dancers Nina (Natalie Portman) and Lily (Mila Kunis) start an unusual friendship that roots itself in their rivalry, and Nina soon finds a dangerous part of herself that begins to surface.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Dec. 10) In this third installment of the fantasy franchise, Edmund Pevensie (Skandar Keynes), Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley), and their cousin Eustace (Will Poulter), set sail on the high seas of Narnia and battle various dangers to travel to the great lion Aslan's (voiced by Liam Neeson) home at the edge of the world.
TRON: Legacy (Dec. 17) Joseph Kosinski directs this sequel to 1982's TRON. 27-year-old Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) is disturbed by the disappearance of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who was once the world's top video-game developer. When Sam detects a signal from his father's abandoned arcade, he gets taken to a world that has kept his father imprisoned for 20 years. With the help of a warrior, Quorra (Olivia Wilde), the two Flynns journey across this new world in order to take down a powerful villain that will do everything he can to keep them trapped.
Little Fockers (Dec. 22) After Greg (Ben Stiller) and Pam (Teri Polo) marry and have 5-year-old twins, Greg begins to feel the onset of a mid-life crisis, as he worries about being an attentive father and sustaining a job to support his family. As Greg's father-in-law Jack (Robert DeNiro) realizes something's amiss, his suspicions about Greg rise once again. Much of the original cast of the first two return, including Blythe Danner, Barbara Streisand, and Owen Wilson. New additions are Laura Dern, Jessica Alba, and Harvey Keitel. There isn't any word yet if Dustin Hoffman will reprise his role as Greg's father.
True Grit (Dec. 25) This adaptation of a 1968 novel by Charles Portis, which is also a remake of the 1969 John Wayne western, is directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. When the father of a teenage girl, Mattie Ross (Hallie Steinfeld), is murdered by a drifter named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), she sets out on a quest for revenge with the help of a one-eyed marshal named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). Matt Damon and Barry Pepper also take part in what is sure to be another unique vision by the Coen brothers.
Blue Valentine (Dec. 31) The life of a married couple, Dean and Cindy (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams), is examined over the course of a few years as Cindy encounters some difficulties with marriage, and as Dean focuses on keeping their family together.
Thus marks the end of this preview. You couldn't ask for a better crop of movies to hit your multiplex this Fall. As always, there is something for everybody, and there should be at least a couple of films that match your taste. Although your first response might be to seek out the latest blockbuster, that's fine. But I highly recommend to occasionally look for an indie that's playing close by. It's a wonderful surprise to find how much originality can be on display in an indie film. With everything that's coming out this season, it'll be a challenge not to find some quality cinematic escapism. That being said, have a terrific Fall. And as I always say, enjoy the movies!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
No need to cook at home, RSVP to this 'Dinner'
Many people know that a lot of the time, PG-13 comedies fail to hit their targets; whereas R-rated comedies attract larger followings since they're allowed to be more edgier and risk-taking. If we believe that Dinner for Schmucks is one of those dull PG-13 comedies, we might have to call ourselves schmucks for suspecting so. Directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents), the film is a remake of Francis Weber's film The Dinner Game (Le diner de cons). The two uproariously-mismatched main characters deliver laugh-upon-laugh as they navigate ways to keep their 'friendship' going long enough to make it to the anticipated dinner. You can't ask for anything more from a Steve Carell-Paul Rudd pairing.
Tim (Rudd) is in the running for a promotion at his office. He's then given the chance to join more of his elite co-workers to a dinner held by their boss. The objective is for each attendant to bring the biggest idiot they can find, and then bring them to the dinner to be ridiculed. Tim is then thrust into a moral tug-of-war as people are telling him he should/should not do it. Fate soon shines upon him, and he meets the socially-inept Barry (Carell), an IRS agent who's main hobby is performing taxidermy on mice and creating what he calls "mouseterpieces," imitating famous worls of art. Now that he's found his schmuck, Tim tries to survive the time he has with Barry until the dinner.
Steve Carell brings all of his charismatic wit to the role; his silliness going beyond much of his other work. At one point, Tim describes him as a "tornado of destruction." That's certainly one way of putting it. But we as an audience reap the benefits of that. Carell's character throws the laughs like an endless supply of confetti. And his facial expressions dance along the lines of creepy and funny. Paul Rudd's serious-minded Tim works well off of Barry's eccentric personality, making the two as awkwardly paired as apples and oranges. Rudd isn't by any means a bad actor; but you just wish that his character wasn't so stern, and would allow him to shake loose sometimes and join in on the fun with his co-star, like he did with Jason Segal in last year's I Love You, Man.
There's an abundance of amusing supporting roles as well. We have Therman (Zack Galifianakis, with his always-present beard), who is Barry's co-worker and nemesis, and believes that he can control people's minds. There's also Darla (Lucy Punch), Tim's out-of-her-mind ex-girlfriend, who stalks him as much as she obsessively loves him. And Kieran (Jemaine Clement), is the epitome of a strange, sensitive artist who works with Tim's girlfriend, Julie. I couldn't for the life of me, however, stop picturing Russell Brand with this role that seemed tailor-made for him. It was a missed opportunity for Brand, but Clement is a worthy substitute.
The appealing aspect of the film is that it doesn't depend on too much crude and sexual material to get laughs. Many of them are delivered by the dialogue, along with some nice touches of physical comedy. Particularly a scene with Barry and Darla throwing wine bottles at each other and engaging in unsuccessful role-playing.
Although it's titled Dinner for Schmucks, the actual dinner is only the last 25 minutes of the movie. Before that, we begin to wonder when the dinner will happen; or we would occasionally forget that there's one involved. If the film was cut down a little bit, there might have been more time for the dinner party. I would have loved to see more of Jeff Dunham's character with his ventriloquist-dummy wife, a clever nod to his comedy routine; as well as the loony animal psychic (Octavia Spencer).
Not much time is dedicated to the actual dinner as many advertisments have promised; and we're left with a wanting to see more of these "guests of honor." But surprisingly, the screenwriters bring an adequate amount of zaniness that comfortably fits into the last half hour. As we anxiously, and sometimes impatiently, wait for the climax, Carell keeps the movie alive. He serves our craving for his oddball humor like he does every week on The Office. Jay Roach, thankfully, didn't feel the need to overload the movie with too many obsenities than were needed. All he needed was a talented comic and some screwball comedy.
Final grade: B+
Tim (Rudd) is in the running for a promotion at his office. He's then given the chance to join more of his elite co-workers to a dinner held by their boss. The objective is for each attendant to bring the biggest idiot they can find, and then bring them to the dinner to be ridiculed. Tim is then thrust into a moral tug-of-war as people are telling him he should/should not do it. Fate soon shines upon him, and he meets the socially-inept Barry (Carell), an IRS agent who's main hobby is performing taxidermy on mice and creating what he calls "mouseterpieces," imitating famous worls of art. Now that he's found his schmuck, Tim tries to survive the time he has with Barry until the dinner.
Steve Carell brings all of his charismatic wit to the role; his silliness going beyond much of his other work. At one point, Tim describes him as a "tornado of destruction." That's certainly one way of putting it. But we as an audience reap the benefits of that. Carell's character throws the laughs like an endless supply of confetti. And his facial expressions dance along the lines of creepy and funny. Paul Rudd's serious-minded Tim works well off of Barry's eccentric personality, making the two as awkwardly paired as apples and oranges. Rudd isn't by any means a bad actor; but you just wish that his character wasn't so stern, and would allow him to shake loose sometimes and join in on the fun with his co-star, like he did with Jason Segal in last year's I Love You, Man.
There's an abundance of amusing supporting roles as well. We have Therman (Zack Galifianakis, with his always-present beard), who is Barry's co-worker and nemesis, and believes that he can control people's minds. There's also Darla (Lucy Punch), Tim's out-of-her-mind ex-girlfriend, who stalks him as much as she obsessively loves him. And Kieran (Jemaine Clement), is the epitome of a strange, sensitive artist who works with Tim's girlfriend, Julie. I couldn't for the life of me, however, stop picturing Russell Brand with this role that seemed tailor-made for him. It was a missed opportunity for Brand, but Clement is a worthy substitute.
The appealing aspect of the film is that it doesn't depend on too much crude and sexual material to get laughs. Many of them are delivered by the dialogue, along with some nice touches of physical comedy. Particularly a scene with Barry and Darla throwing wine bottles at each other and engaging in unsuccessful role-playing.
Although it's titled Dinner for Schmucks, the actual dinner is only the last 25 minutes of the movie. Before that, we begin to wonder when the dinner will happen; or we would occasionally forget that there's one involved. If the film was cut down a little bit, there might have been more time for the dinner party. I would have loved to see more of Jeff Dunham's character with his ventriloquist-dummy wife, a clever nod to his comedy routine; as well as the loony animal psychic (Octavia Spencer).
Not much time is dedicated to the actual dinner as many advertisments have promised; and we're left with a wanting to see more of these "guests of honor." But surprisingly, the screenwriters bring an adequate amount of zaniness that comfortably fits into the last half hour. As we anxiously, and sometimes impatiently, wait for the climax, Carell keeps the movie alive. He serves our craving for his oddball humor like he does every week on The Office. Jay Roach, thankfully, didn't feel the need to overload the movie with too many obsenities than were needed. All he needed was a talented comic and some screwball comedy.
Final grade: B+
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