Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Michael Fassbender Goes From One Bronte To the Nexthttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/michael-fassbender-goes-from-one-bronte-to-the-next/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/michael-fassbender-goes-from-one-bronte-to-the-next/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/michael-fassbender-goes-from-one-bronte-to-the-next/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The Brontes are all the rage for adaptation right now. It's undoubtedly due to Edward and Bella bestowing their favor on Wuthering Heights, and had they chosen Great Expectations, perhaps we'd see Dickens adaptations flinging themselves to the big screen. I love corsets and cravats, so I'm not going to complain, and I'm certainly not going to whine if Cary Fukunaga gets this cast for Jane Eyre. Variety is reporting that Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska are in talks to play Jane and Rochester for Fukunaga, and oh, how torrid it would be!

This is actually the second time Fassbender has circled a Bronte adaptation. Last May, he was said to be in talks for Wuthering Heights, but Ed Westwick stepped into that particular waistcoat. It's a shame. I think Fassbender would have made an excellent Heathcliff, and may have been the first one to actually snarl, bang his head against a tree, and slap people convincingly. But he will make a very simmering Rochester, and is the only actor who could top Toby Stephens' wonderful turn in 2006.

Wasikowska is still a bit of a dark horse. She's becoming one of those much-discussed names, but most of us have yet to really meet her until Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland hits theaters. She's very pretty, but is just "ordinary" (if that doesn't sound too terrible) enough to fit the part of plain Jane, and as an Aussie, she'll be able to turn on an English accent better than Ellen Page. If this is the Jane Eyre that makes it to the screen, I'll be happy. Let the eerie screams, mysterious fires, and lingering looks commence.

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]]>cary fukunagaCaryFukunagaCharlotte BronteCharlotteBronteFocus FeaturesFocusFeaturesJane EyreJaneEyremia wasikowskaMiaWasikowskaMichael FassbenderMichaelFassbenderMoira BuffiniMoiraBuffiniRuby FilmsRubyFilmsToby StephensTobyStephensElisabeth RappeFri, 20 Nov 2009 15:48:00 ESTJoe Wright to Tackle Action With 'Hanna'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/joe-wright-to-tackle-action-with-hanna/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/joe-wright-to-tackle-action-with-hanna/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/17/joe-wright-to-tackle-action-with-hanna/#commentsFiled under: ,

The director of Atonement, The Soloist, and Pride & Prejudice is jumping into the action pool? That's what The Hollywood Reporter indicates: Director Joe Wright, best known for Oscar-friendly drama, is about to sign on the dotted line to helm Hanna, which THR describes as a La Femme Nikita style project: "The story centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father's world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life."

Sounds to me like a fairly conventional, rather familiar tale -- so then why were Danny Boyle and Alfonso Cuaron both (briefly) attached to the project? I have to assume that there's more on the page than just another action flick to draw in directors like that. And to those who may doubt that Wright can handle high-end action, I recommend you take another look at the most talked-about sequence from Atonement (a long and staggeringly cool tracking shot of a horrific battlefield) and think about how that would look in a "fun" action film.

Also, I bet they change the title.

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]]>hannajoe wrightJoeWrightScott WeinbergTue, 17 Nov 2009 18:15:00 ESTReview: Pirate Radiohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/13/pirate-radio-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

'Pirate Radio' (Focus Features)

Tethered to reality by only a slender thread, Pirate Radio quickly cuts loose and floats off into its own imaginary layer of the Earth's atmosphere, where only good-hearted, pleasant-thinking, die-hard romantics can survive. Welcome home, Richard Curtis, where have you been?

Writer/director Curtis rose to fame on the basis of his screenplay for Four Weddings and a Funeral, featuring an ensemble of quirky yet appealing men and women chasing love and happiness, followed, notably, by his script for Notting Hill, but he's been writing off-kilter comedy sketches and episodic television for many years. Pirate Radio proves that his gift for writing witty one-liners and creating funny situations remains intact. His skills as a film director and shaper of material are a little more fuzzy and undefined, however.

As with Love, Actually, his previous directorial effort, Pirate Radio (AKA The Boat That Rocked) is filled with episodes that feel randomly assembled, knit together by proximity and happenstance more than narrative necessity. For all the laughter and positive feelings that Pirate Radio generates, it's a lightweight treatment of a potentially heavyweight subject.

Continue reading Review: Pirate Radio

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]]>bill nighyBillNighykenneth branaghKennethBranaghphilip seymour hoffmanPhilipSeymourHoffmanpirate radioPirateRadiorhys ifansRhysIfansrichard curtisRichardCurtistom sturridgeTomSturridgePeter MartinFri, 13 Nov 2009 13:33:00 ESTDiscuss: Which Trailers Are You Sick Of?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/discuss-which-trailers-are-you-sick-of/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/discuss-which-trailers-are-you-sick-of/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/03/discuss-which-trailers-are-you-sick-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

I'm grateful for this Friday, because that's the day that The Men Who Stare at Goats comes out and I can stop seeing its trailer relentlessly attached to anything and everything I see (and given that I try to see most anything and everything out there, it's really only a 'me' problem, I suppose). One night, I had myself a triple feature and saw the preview not one, not two, but three times; as a pal put it, he had "more than a feeling" that I was getting sick of it.

Before that, it was a summer of Taking Woodstock time and time again, and it would already seem that Shutter Island's move to February will insure that I'll be sitting there, trying to piece the thing together for the next three months when not perfecting my New England Leo impersonation.

So, whether currently or in your own formative years, what trailers have you been just absolutely burnt out on? Did you and your friends quote along with them as they played? Were you actually ever turned off from seeing a film because you had it advertised to you too much? Come on, let it all out...

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]]>ang leeAngLeedemetri martinDemetriMartinewan mcgregorEwanMcgregorfeaturedgeorge clooneyGeorgeClooneyleonardo dicaprioLeonardoDicapriomartin scorseseMartinScorseseshutter islandShutterIslandtaking woodstockTakingWoodstockthe men who stare at goatsTheMenWhoStareAtGoatstrailersWilliam GossTue, 03 Nov 2009 21:02:00 ESTReview: 9http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/09/review-9/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/09/review-9/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/09/review-9/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



It's safe to say that every film starts out small, and that many of them then end up staying small for any number of reasons. Beyond that, only a lucky few make the leap to feature-length, and even then, it doesn't always turn out for the best. Saw was once a mere fraction of itself, a grimy and gritty little morality play unlikely to spawn a seriously successful franchise that just won't die. The minds behind Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow dedicated themselves for years to creating a low-budget trailer for the film, only to then be granted the chance to flesh out their pulpy serial throwback with millions more. Wouldn't you know it, District 9 just became the summer's least expected blockbuster to the tune of $100 million, and even that was born of a like-minded showcase reel.

And then there's Shane Acker, whose original short for 9 was a wordless little post-apocalyptic breath-taker that rightfully earned itself an Academy Award nomination in 2005. Once an expanded take garnered the support of a recognizable voice cast and producers like Tim Burton, his vision was well on its way to the big screen, and all things considered, it's a small wonder that this small wonder made it through the Hollywood machine with most (though not all) of its mystique intact...

Continue reading Review: 9

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]]>christopher plummerChristopherPlummercrispin gloverCrispinGloverelijah woodElijahWoodjennifer connellyJenniferConnellyjohn c. reillyJohnC.Reillymartin landauMartinLandaushane ackershane ackers 9ShaneAckerShaneAckers9tim burtonTimBurtontimur bekmambetovTimurBekmambetovWilliam GossWed, 09 Sep 2009 09:09:00 ESTInterview: Emile Hirschhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/interview-emile-hirsch/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/interview-emile-hirsch/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/interview-emile-hirsch/#commentsFiled under: ,



In the last few years, Emile Hirsch has become a go-to resource for directors of all sorts of films: After starring in Sean Penn's Into the Wild, Hirsch took on the reins of Speed Racer, a massive, effects-driven action film from The Matrix's Wachowski brothers, and then collaborated on screen with Penn again, in a supporting but essential role in Gus Van Sant's Milk. In his latest project, Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, Hirsch tackles yet another period character, this time playing a young Vietnam veteran who regains a little bit of his humanity when the iconic music festival descends on his hometown.

Cinematical recently spoke to Hirsch in an exclusive telephone interview about his role in Taking Woodstock. In addition to discussing the challenges of bringing a character to life whose behavior, if not very identity, has become as familiar to audiences as the imagery of Woodstock itself, Hirsch revealed some of the sources of inspiration he took for his portrayal, and talked about the futility of coming up with a strategy for one's acting career.

Cinematical: The character you played in Into the Wild had his own tragic past, but the way that he dealt with it was with a greater degree of serenity. Did you see any parallels or similarities when you took on this role in Taking Woodstock?

Continue reading Interview: Emile Hirsch

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]]>ang leeAngLeeemile hirschEmileHirschinto the wildIntoTheWildmilksean pennSeanPennspeed racertaking woodstockTakingWoodstockthe deer hunterTheDeerHunterTodd GilchristFri, 28 Aug 2009 20:02:00 ESTReview: Taking Woodstockhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/review-taking-woodstock/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/review-taking-woodstock/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/28/review-taking-woodstock/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

It's no accident that at the very beginning of the movie, the title shows up broken into three words, one on its own separate line: Taking. Wood. Stock. The immensely likeable comedian Demetri Martin plays Elliot Teichberg, a menschy young guy who is spending his summer at his parents' ramshackle motel in the Catskills in yet another attempt to stave off their foreclosure. He has a life back in NYC, sure, but his work as an interior designer and painter isn't going so well, and his friends are all leaving for San Francisco. Elliot, or Ellie as his parents call him, is the consummate Good Jewish Boy - he runs the local Chamber of Commerce, helps around the hotel, and withstands his Russian mother's browbeating (played by Vera Drake's Imelda Staunton).

It's only sheer luck and desperation that leads him to call the Woodstock folks after a nearby town decides they don't want a hippie invasion after all. The rest, as they say, is history, much to Elliot's bemusement. Obviously, though, the free love and plentiful drugs help grease the wheels of his own individuation, as the Summer of Love draws to a close and the darker era of Altamont and Manson creep closer.

Continue reading Review: Taking Woodstock

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]]>ang leeAngLeedemetri martinDemetriMartinemile hirschEmileHirschimelda stauntonImeldaStauntonliev schreiberLievSchreibermamie gummerMamieGummerpaul danoPaulDanotaking woodstockTakingWoodstockJenni MillerFri, 28 Aug 2009 18:02:00 ESTInterview: Demetri Martinhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/26/interview-demetri-martin/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/26/interview-demetri-martin/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/26/interview-demetri-martin/#commentsFiled under: ,



For a guy who's a successful stand-up and burgeoning actor, it's hard to imagine a performer with as slight a presence as Demetri Martin. The comedian began his career just a few years ago with appearances and writing gigs on both The Daily Show and Conan O'Brien, and moved on to a special and eventually a series with his namesake. In his latest role, as the main character in Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, he plays a young man inadvertently caught up in history-making events when he agrees to host a music festival in his hometown of Bethel, New York. Perhaps appropriately, his performance is a study in modesty, but it's one that will no doubt define him as an actor and establish his presence among mainstream audiences like never before.

Cinematical recently spoke to Martin in an exclusive telephone interview about his participation in Taking Woodstock. In addition to talking about the conception and creation of his increasingly familiar, but surprisingly featherweight persona, Martin talked about tapping into what director Ang Lee wanted for his period piece, and looked back on the legacy of Woodstock, particularly in the context of contemporary pop culture.

Cinematical: What was the process for you of developing this character? In a way it seems not completely dissimilar from the persona you have in your comedy, but at that same time it's not supposed to be you.

Continue reading Interview: Demetri Martin

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]]>ang leeAngLeedemetri martinDemetriMartinliev schreiberLievSchreibertaking woodstockTakingWoodstockTodd GilchristWed, 26 Aug 2009 22:02:00 ESTInterview: Tim Burtonhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/interview-tim-burton/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/interview-tim-burton/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/interview-tim-burton/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


At Comic-Con, legends come a dime a dozen, and those are just the ones on the printed pages of the comics on the exhibition hall floor. But in Hall H, the epicenter of the convention's surprises, revelations and exclusives, true groundbreakers and history-makers are in comparatively short supply. This year, however, there were several, including James Cameron, Peter Jackson, Hayao Miyazaki, and Terry Gilliam; but even in such rarified company, Tim Burton stands head and shoulder above in terms of providing memorable, specific, and ongoing inspiration to the folks who like to look up at these filmmakers' latest projects.

Suffice it to say that a checklist of his most iconic films would be redundant, since virtually all of them qualify, either because of their source material, or his interpretation of it. But the filmmaker has two high-profile projects coming out in the next year or so, each of which applies his inventive style in different ways: first, there's 9, Shane Acker's computer-generated post-apocalyptic odyssey, which Burton is producing; and in 2010, there's Alice in Wonderland, his adaptation of the classic novel by Lewis Carroll.

In between Hall H panels, Cinematical caught up with Burton to discuss his work on 9 and Alice in Wonderland. In addition to talking about the technological opportunities and challenges presented on both films, he offered a few secrets about the forthcoming spectacle of Alice, and reflected on the filmmaking style - and substance - that has made his idiosyncratic body of work a happy home for outsiders and mainstream audiences alike.

Continue reading Interview: Tim Burton

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]]>9alice in wonderlandAliceInWonderlandedward scissorhandsEdwardScissorhandssan diego comic-conSanDiegoComic-conshane ackerShaneAckertim burtonTimBurtontimur bekmambetovTimurBekmambetovTodd GilchristWed, 05 Aug 2009 22:02:00 ESTIndie Roundup: Michael Moore's Fest, 'Dare,' Online Viewinghttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/indie-roundup-michael-moores-fest-dare-online-viewing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/indie-roundup-michael-moores-fest-dare-online-viewing/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/08/05/indie-roundup-michael-moores-fest-dare-online-viewing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Cinematical's Indie Roundup

Indie Roundup reviews the past week of news from the independent film community and provides a peek at what's coming soon.

Festivals. Its official name is the Traverse City Film Festival, but unofficially it's "the Michael Moore fest," thanks to the filmmaker's role as founding father. Good reports on the fifth edition, which wrapped last weekend, can be found at Spout (by Karina Longworth) and indieWIRE (by Thom Powers).

Deals. Image Entertainment acquired Adam Salky's Dare, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year. Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford, and Ashley Springer star as "high school students that enter into an unusual triangle of friendship and love." Tim Grierson of Screen wrote: "As refreshing as it is legitimately sexy." Release plans have not yet been announced. [Per indieWIRE.]

Online / On-Demand Viewing. If you hurry, you can still watch the acclaimed documentary 45365 at SnagFilms for free. it's available through tomorrow (Thursday, August 6) as part of their SummerFest preview series. The doc examines life in Sidney, Ohio, as filmed over the course of nine months by two men raised in that small town.

If you're hungry for more (legal) online viewing, check out the newly-launched SpeedCine, a very simple search engine that lets you find out what movies are available to watch through various providers like Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix, either free of charge, for a one-time fee, or by subscription. It's in beta, which means they're still working on it, but right now it flies along very quickly and efficiently. I'm rather amazed -- and very pleased -- to see so many movies that are available at no charge.

Who won the battle for the Indie Weekend Box Office crown? Find out after the jump.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: Michael Moore's Fest, 'Dare,' Online Viewing

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]]>45365500 days of summer500DaysOfSummeradamadam salkyAdamSalkydareemmy rossumEmmyRossumfeaturedfree online moviesfree online viewingFreeOnlineMoviesFreeOnlineViewingindie roundupindie weekend box officeIndieRoundupIndieWeekendBoxOfficespeedcinespeedcine.comthe coveTheCoveThirstPeter MartinWed, 05 Aug 2009 21:02:00 ESTFunny Trailer for Coens' 'Serious Man'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/funny-trailer-for-coens-serious-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/funny-trailer-for-coens-serious-man/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/30/funny-trailer-for-coens-serious-man/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I never skip a Coen brothers movie, even the ones that hardly anyone mentions anymore, like The Man Who Wasn't There. Even when the movies don't quite work, they all have wonderful moments I'd hate to miss. I prefer the comedies -- don't shoot me when I say I liked Burn After Reading better than No Country for Old Men -- so I'm looking forward to their next movie, the dark comedy A Serious Man, which will open in limited release starting October 2.

The first trailer for A Serious Man has just been posted to the Apple site, and if you didn't know it was a Coen brothers movie, the visuals would give it away almost immediately. You also realize quickly that this is a non-star movie -- only a few character actors may seem familiar. The cast includes Richard Kind, Adam Arkin and Fyvush Finkel.

Michael Stuhlbarg plays Larry Gopnik, whose life appears to be crumbling around him in ways that might be heartbreaking in another movie. In the hands of Joel and Ethan Coen, however, it looks like A Serious Man could be as darkly and weirdly funny as Barton Fink. The trailer itself isn't as laugh-out-loud as the one for Burn After Reading -- every time I saw Brad Pitt in the gym I started giggling -- but it's hardly short on humor. Check it out after the jump and see whether you agree.

Continue reading Funny Trailer for Coens' 'Serious Man'

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]]>a serious manASeriousManCinematicalcoen brothersCoenBrothersethan coenEthanCoenfilmjoel coenJoelCoenmichael stuhlbargMichaelStuhlbargmovierichard kindRichardKindtrailerJette KernionThu, 30 Jul 2009 12:45:00 ESTReview: Away We Gohttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/05/review-away-we-go/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/05/review-away-we-go/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/05/review-away-we-go/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Burt and Verona (John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph) don't quite have things figured out yet. I mean, they pretty much have each other pegged, enjoying a marriage-less relationship, keeping each other warm on those cold Colorado nights, and they know that they want to bring a kid into this world -- well, want to or not, the baby's coming, and so they'll keep it warm as well.

Their parents won't be of much help. After all, his (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels) are making plans to take off for Europe just before the baby's due, a trip years in the making and selfish as all get out, while hers passed away some time back. So Burt and Verona decide to visit other family and friends, looking for people they can depend on in places they could grow up in, let alone grow old in -- looking for a place that might help them figure out together the whys and hows of keeping it all together.

Continue reading Review: Away We Go

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]]>american beautyAmericanBeautyaway we goAwayWeGocatherine oharaCatherineOharachris messinaChrisMessinadave eggersDaveEggersjeff danielsJeffDanielsjim gaffiganJimGaffiganjohn krasinskiJohnKrasinskimaggie gyllenhaalMaggieGyllenhaalmaya rudolphMayaRudolphmelanie lynskeyMelanieLynskeypaul schneiderPaulSchneiderrevolutionary roadRevolutionaryRoadsam mendesSamMendesvendela vidaVendelaVidaWilliam GossFri, 05 Jun 2009 14:10:00 ESTCannes in 60 Seconds: 2009 Awards / Films With Distributionhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/25/cannes-in-60-seconds-2009-awards-films-with-distribution/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/25/cannes-in-60-seconds-2009-awards-films-with-distribution/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/25/cannes-in-60-seconds-2009-awards-films-with-distribution/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Cannes in 60 Seconds - 2009

The Cannes Film Festival drew to a close on Sunday evening with the presentation of the Palme d'Or to Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon. Filmed in black and white, it's "a two-and-a-half hour parable of political and social ideas set entirely in a north German village in 1913 and 1914," says Dave Calhoun at Time Out London. Haneke "solidly resists answering the 'what's it all about?' question and makes you work hard to make sense of what you're seeing." David Hudson at IFC's The Daily has gathered the reviews, some of which endeavor to answer the "What's it all about?" question.

As is often the case, the nine-member jury passed out awards to as many films as possible. The Grand Prix (or runner-up) went to Jacques Audiard's A Prophet; Special Jury Prize to Alain Resnais for Wild Grass; and Best Director to Brillante Mendoza for Kinatay. Christoph Walz won Best Actor for his performance in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Charlotte Gainsbourg won Best Actress for Lars von Trier's controversial Antichrist. The complete list of winners can be easily viewed at indieWIRE. The festival's official site has a great set of award ceremony photos.

Here's a roundup of Cannes films we can expect to see in coming months. Corrections and updates will be appreciated.

CANNES TITLES WITH U.S. DISTRIBUTION

  • Antichrist (IFC)
  • A Prophet (Sony Pictures Classics)
  • Bright Star (Bob Berney and Bill Polhad)
  • Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (Sony Pictures Classics)
  • Drag Me to Hell (Universal)
  • Humpday (Magnolia Pictures)
  • I Love You Phillip Morris (Consolidated Pictures Group)
  • Inglourious Basterds (Weinstein Co.)
  • Looking For Eric (IFC)
  • Precious (Lionsgate)
  • Taking Woodstock (Focus Features)
  • Tales From the Golden Age (IFC)
  • Thirst (Focus Features)
  • Up (Disney Pixar)
  • The White Ribbon (Sony Pictures Classics)

You can access all our Cannes coverage via this handy link.

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]]>a prophetAProphetcannes film festivalcannes in 60 secondscannes2009CannesFilmFestivalCannesIn60Secondsjacques audiardJacquesAudiardmichael hanekeMichaelHanekethe white ribbonTheWhiteRibbonPeter MartinMon, 25 May 2009 10:03:00 ESTAsian Cinema Scene: 'Thirst,' 'Ponyo' Trailerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/11/asian-cinema-scene-thirst-ponyo-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/11/asian-cinema-scene-thirst-ponyo-trailer/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/11/asian-cinema-scene-thirst-ponyo-trailer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Asian Cinema Scene

Erotic Vampires. Park Chan-wook's Thirst will have its international premiere at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, but it's already opened in its native South Korea. In his review for Screen International, Darcy Paquet says that the "visually arresting vampire movie Thirst looks certain to create a stir: adopting a more lyrical mode than before, this complex and supremely inventive work sees the filmmaker back on top form."

I've read the knowledgeable Paquet at his site Koreanfilm.org for years, so his opinion is very encouraging, especially when you consider Park's best work includes Old Boy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, and Joint Security Area. [Via In Contention.] Even better: those of us in the US don't have to wait long to see it. Focus Features will release Thirst in July.

Gentle Fish. If you haven't marked August 14 on your calendars yet, please do so now. That will mark the US theatrical debut of Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo, the master filmmaker's latest work of art. The plot revolves around a princess who just happens to be a goldfish, and her desire to grow legs and walk on land. She develops a friendship with a 5-year-old boy who tries to help her realize her dream. The poster and a still can be viewed at Ain't It Cool News.

Under John Lasseter's committed oversight, Walt Disney Pictures has done right by Studio Ghibli so far, making the original Japanese-language version available at some venues and ensuring that the English dubbing is as faithful as possible. While we wait for the inevitable English-language trailer, here's a teaser, evidently for its release in France, that is silky, poetic, and non-verbal.

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]]>asian cinema sceneAsianCinemaScenehayao miyazakiHayaoMiyazakiold boyOldBoypark chan-wookParkChan-wookponyoponyo on the cliffponyo on the cliff by the seaPonyoOnTheCliffPonyoOnTheCliffByTheSeathirstPeter MartinMon, 11 May 2009 20:15:00 ESTReview: The Limits of Controlhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/01/review-the-limits-of-control/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/01/review-the-limits-of-control/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/01/review-the-limits-of-control/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

'The Limits of Control' (Focus Features)

A man with no name sits down at an outdoor cafe and orders two espressos in separate cups. A flock of birds gently take flight. A helicopter briefly whirls overhead. The man sips espresso. Silence. Calm.

A man with no name sits down at an outdoor cafe and orders two espressos in separate cups. A flock of birds gently take flight. A helicopter briefly whirls overhead. The man sips espresso. Silence. Calm. He is approached by another person, who sits down. The other person says "You don't speak Spanish, right?" The other person says something more, in Spanish or in another language. The man removes a matchbox from his pocket. The other person places a matchbox with the same design, but a different color, on the table. The matchboxes are exchanged. The other person says something more, and leaves. The man opens the newly-exchanged matchbox, takes out a tiny piece of paper, unfolds it, reads the coded, hand-written message on it, puts it in his mouth, and swallows it along with another sip of espresso.

A man with no name sits down at an outdoor cafe ...

So goes Jim Jarmusch's The Limits of Control, the perfect summer movie for people who prefer museums to amusement parks. Wearing a multitude of enigmas on its well-coifed sleeve, the film is cool, dark, mysterious, and altogether refreshing. Isaach De Bankolé plays The Man With No Name (actually identified as "Lone Man" in the credits), and if that moniker calls forth memories of Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, so much the better, though Lone Man's espressos, matchboxes, and chastity place him firmly within the realm of post-modern masculinity.

Continue reading Review: The Limits of Control

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]]>bill murrayBillMurraygael garcia bernalGaelGarciaBernalisaach de bankoleIsaachDeBankolejim jarmuschJimJarmuschjohn hurtJohnHurtpaz de la hertaPazDeLaHertathe limits of controlTheLimitsOfControltilda swintonTildaSwintonPeter MartinFri, 01 May 2009 18:02:00 ESTCannes Film Festival Reveals Lineup, Somehow Gets Cooler Than Everhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/04/23/cannes-film-festival-reveals-lineup-somehow-gets-cooler/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ah, the Croisette. I can feel the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, the gentle crash of the waves reverberating through my ear canal... oh, wait. None of that rings a bell, because I've never been to the Cannes Film Festival.

But those who have seem to love it, and with a lineup like this year's, it's not hard to see why. As we recently mentioned, the fest will open with Pixar's apparently awesome Up, and showcase the latest from Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds), Ang Lee (Taking Woodstock), Terry Gilliam (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), Michael Haneke (The White Ribbon), Pedro Almodovar (Broken Embraces), Ken Loach (Looking for Eric), Lars von Trier (Antichrist), Alejandro Amenabar (Agora), Michel Gondry (L'epine dans le coeur) and Park Chan-wook (Thirst), among others.

Yes, there's more. Sundance hit Precious (formerly Push) will make an appearance, as will SXSW fave Drag Me to Hell (to see all those tuxes and gowns jolt from their seats might qualify as an entertainment all its own). The 62nd Festival will run from May 13th to the 24th, and Erik, Scott: you still totally have time to send me, and I still totally have time to get a tux, and to update my passport, and to learn French... Just think about it.

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]]>cannes film festivalCannesFilmFestivalfeayuredWilliam GossThu, 23 Apr 2009 13:45:00 EST'Eagle of the Ninth' Recruits Kevin MacDonald and Jamie Bellhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/31/eagle-of-the-ninth-recruits-kevin-macdonald-and-jamie-bell/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/31/eagle-of-the-ninth-recruits-kevin-macdonald-and-jamie-bell/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/31/eagle-of-the-ninth-recruits-kevin-macdonald-and-jamie-bell/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

At last year's Cannes Film Festival, it was reported that Kevin MacDonald was interested in directing the Roman epic The Eagle of the Ninth once he wrapped up State of Play. Nearly a year later, Variety is reporting that he's officially on board along with scriptwriter Jeremy Brock, and beginning to assemble his cast.

The cast is a little surprising -- Jamie Bell is signed to play a Celtic slave, and Channing Tatum is in talks to join him as his Roman owner. I would have expected MacDonald to favor a British cast, and not an all-American type like Tatum, but hey -- he's certainly got the build and bone structure for a Roman officer.

Ninth is based on Rosemary Sutcliff's popular 1954 novel, and centers on a young Roman officer named Marcus Aquila. Forced into an early retirement after being wounded, he travels north with his Celtic slave (who will be played by Bell) to discover what became of his father's Ninth Legion, who vanished in the Scottish Highlands. Marcus also seeks to retake the legion's gold Eagle and reclaim the legion's honor. (The facts Sutcliff based her book on have since been debunked -- the Ninth Legion existed after 117 A.D., and is now believed to have been slaughtered in the eastern half of the Roman Empire. Not as poetic, though.)

As I believe there can never be too many sword-and-sandal epics, I'm anxious to see this one come together, especially since they'll be bowing to authenticity and in the Scottish Highlands. It may be fudgy on the facts, but that doesn't mean it won't be an enjoyable costume drama.

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]]>Channing TatumChanningTatumfocus featuresFocusFeaturesJamie BellJamieBellkevin macdonaldKevinMacdonaldRosemary SutcliffRosemarySutcliffThe Eagle of the NinthTheEagleOfTheNinthElisabeth RappeTue, 31 Mar 2009 20:02:00 ESTDavid Cronenberg Planning a Sequel to 'Eastern Promises'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/30/david-cronenberg-planning-a-sequel-to-eastern-promises/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/30/david-cronenberg-planning-a-sequel-to-eastern-promises/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/30/david-cronenberg-planning-a-sequel-to-eastern-promises/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Sequels are rarely good news -- but this one is. MTV News caught up with David Cronenberg, who revealed he was moving forward with a sequel to Eastern Promises.

"We are going to have a meeting very soon between me, Steve Knight and Paul Webster to discuss what the script would be," Cronenberg said. "I have some very strong ideas about what I would like to see, but I would like to hear what they have to say as well. And then after that, if all goes well, Steve goes away and writes a great script. If we all like it, we make it." If they make it, Viggo Mortensen will return.

Cronenberg has never had any interest in revisiting his work -- and little of it ever has the loose ends that Eastern Promises did. "It's the first time I've ever been in a situation where I actually want to do a sequel to something. I've never had the desire to do that before. But in this case, I thought we had unfinished business with those characters. I didn't feel that we had finished with Nikolai and we had done a lot of research that was more than we could stuff into that one movie."

I'm thrilled beyond belief. The film exists perfectly fine on its own, but the mysterious Nikolai is begging to be explored further onscreen. I'll tip-toe around spoilers, but I never could understand why so many audience members believed it to be a happy, cut-and-dried ending.

If you're curious and into research, there's some fantastic essays in Vol II of the Russian Criminal Tattoo encyclopedia. Given the scarcity of books on the topic I imagine this went into their research, plus the essays are rather Cronenberg-esque in the way they examine the tattoos and their effect on the human body. It gives an insight as to what Cronenberg and Mortensen might have had in mind when they created Nikolai. Definitely worth a read ... and a sequel.

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]]>david cronenbergDavidCronenbergeastern promisesEastern Promises sequelEasternPromisesEasternPromisesSequelfocus featuresFocusFeaturesviggo mortensenViggoMortensenElisabeth RappeMon, 30 Mar 2009 21:02:00 EST'Taking Woodstock': An Ang Lee Comedy?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/26/taking-woodstock-an-ang-lee-comedy/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/26/taking-woodstock-an-ang-lee-comedy/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/26/taking-woodstock-an-ang-lee-comedy/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When I last posted about Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, I called it a "gay-themed project" and speculated that the film might be about how the main character's involvement in Woodstock "served as redemption for giving up his own artistic ambitions and living most of his life in the closet." Now that I've seen the trailer, which you can watch below, that pompous description seems laughably wrong-headed. This won't just be "lighter" than much of Lee's previous work, as I also wrote; it's a full-on slapstick comedy, complete with a classic underdog storyline, and showdowns between hippies and uptight old fogeys.

Mainstream comedies tend to be under-directed. Even the Team Apatow films, while generally outstanding, don't exactly distinguish themselves formally or stylistically. But Lee is so damn deliberate and meticulous, with every shot and every cut calculated just so, that I'm really curious to see how he handles something this lightweight and apparently raucous. It certainly looks like a new Ang Lee mode; his last film that could be called a comedy was 1993's wistful Eat Drink Man Woman, and Woodstock seems to be worlds away from that film. Before that, Lee made a Taiwanese film called The Wedding Banquet that sounds like it might be closer, but I haven't seen it.

Anyway, I think Demetri Martin, who stars and introduces the trailer, is an extraordinarily funny guy (anyone seen his show on Comedy Central?), and how awesome is it to see someone other than Christopher Guest cast Eugene Levy in an actual movie as opposed to the latest direct-to-DVD American Pie "sequel"? This looks like fun; it's set to be released August 14th.

Continue reading 'Taking Woodstock': An Ang Lee Comedy?

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]]>ang leeAngLeedemetri martinDemetriMartineat drink man womanEatDrinkManWomaneugene levyEugeneLevytaking woodstockTakingWoodstockthe wedding banquetTheWeddingBanquetEugene NovikovThu, 26 Mar 2009 11:02:00 ESTReview: Sin Nombrehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/20/review-sin-nombre/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/20/review-sin-nombre/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/20/review-sin-nombre/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



(We're reposting this Sundance review to coincide with the film's theatrical release this weekend)

By: Erik Davis

One of the more fascinating and gut-wrenching films at this year's festival, Sin Nombre managed to snag a couple of awards (Best Director and Best Cinematography in U.S. Dramatic Competition) before skipping town with a writer-director who's sure to become Hollywood's next great filmmaker. The film, while frequently heartbreaking to watch, also comes with its own unbelievable story. Focus Features became involved early on based solely on its script, and then proceeded to provide financing to a first-time feature director for a film that was entirely in Spanish and featured some main actors that had never been in a movie before. The good news for Focus is their gamble paid off, and Sin Nombre is easily one of the best films of 2009 so far.

Essentially a road trip thriller with a love story mixed in, Sin Nombre tracks the fate of three teenagers traveling through Mexico on their way toward the U.S. border. Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) is living a hard life in Honduras when her father and uncle decide it's time for the three of them to attempt to cross over into the United States and meet up with dad's "other family" in New Jersey -- full of brothers and sisters her pop fathered before he was caught and deported. But the journey is a tough one: First the trio must cross a river into Mexico, and then hop a train (by riding on its roof) for a three-week journey to the border. Before the train arrives, Sayra's father tells her that half the people traveling with them (100-200) will either die or be caught by border police and sent back home. Nevertheless, the promise of a better life on the other side is too appetizing to ignore.

Continue reading Review: Sin Nombre

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]]>cinematicalsin nombreSinNombreCinematical staffFri, 20 Mar 2009 20:02:00 EST