Skyfall Teaser

The big question is "but can Sam Mendes direct action?". The Skyfall teaser would suggest yes. Everything else should be slickly in place. Let the first Bond with a title not penned by Ian Fleming commence!

The Master. Will be. Amazing.

This teaser for PT Anderson's The Master confirms many things: Jonny Greenwood's score is going to be amazing; the combination of Mihai Malaimare Jr's cinematography, Leslie Jones & McNulty's editing & Paul Thomas Anderson is going to be amazing. Joaquin Phoenix is going to be amazing. And we already knew Philip Seymour Hoffman is going to be amazing.

Prometheus - fever pitch

At this point, Prometheus has done such a good job preparing us for its arrival, with a series of smart viral teasers, it better live up to the hype.

Here're two more.

Noomi Rapace:

And a hopefully misleadingly straight forward, short, interview with Charlize Theron, currently only on imdb - http://www.imdb.com/rg/s/4/title/tt1446714/#lb-vi2445713945.

It's Meryl vs Viola, again

Meryl Streep reunites with Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel for a relationship comedy opposite Tommy Lee Jones, and everyone is already thinking "Oscar". Fair enough, it is Meryl Streep. Comparatively, this fits in alongside One True Thing, but minus the cancer and plus Something's Gotta Give's middle-aged  sexuality. Are you ready to see Meryl almost do bad things to a banana? I could be more excited if it had a less abysmal title that hadn't already been used once too often.

With another terrible title and potentially wearying premise, Viola Davis continues her bid for an Oscar with Won't Back Down, the story of a determined teacher and mother who risk everything to change their children's inner city school. Davis plays every inspirational teacher ever while Maggie Gyllenhaal does her take on Erin Brockovich-y feistiness. There is reason to hope for more than teeth-gritting sincerity though, as it's made by intriguing Phoebe in Wonderland writer / director Daniel Barnz and co-stars the always great Holly Hunter.

Way too soon to say Oscar, but people are saying it anyway and why not? Being nominated is at least 60% about popularity & marketing.

Killing Them Softly - Preview

Andrew Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford was a thing of masterful beauty, and not just because of Roger Deakins' Oscar-snubbed work - the elegaic old-school pace, the swoon-worthy cinematic indulgences, every single great performance, the detailed characters, crying cowboys, all of it - just brilliant.

So there is every reason to be very very excited about his latest project, Brad Pitt starring heist-gone-wrong thriller Killing them Softly. Co-starring James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Richard Jenkins and introduced by the enticing clip below:

The Master - Preview

A charismatic intellectual (who may or may not be based entirely on L Ron Hubbard) starts a popular American cult after surviving WWII. A young drifter becomes his right-hand man. Presumably things don't end all that well.

To be honest, the premise for Paul Thomas Anderson's new film, The Master, is not overly enticing. But everything else about it is. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is the cult leader, Joaquin Phoenix is his wing man, Amy Adams and Laura Dern are along for the ride, Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood makes the music again and, obviously, Paul Thomas Anderson writes & directs. No further explanation needed. I'm there.


PT Anderson has yet to make a bad movie, or one not distinctly a PT Anderson original (even when channeling Scorsese - directly - and Altman - loosely - in Boogie Nights & Magnolia, respectively). His first three films took in huge, sprawling, brilliant casts playing out complex multiple story lines. His last two, and now The Master, are oddball character studies ranging from the cute and quirky (Punch Drunk Love) to the deeply eccentric (There Will Be Blood). Time will tell exactly where The Master lies (and just how offended the Church of Scientology should reportedly be) but following There Will Be Blood, there is no doubt Anderson is a filmmaker working at the top of his game. We should have much to look forward to.

The Gangster Squad - Trailer

Sean Penn. Josh Brolin. Ryan Gosling. Emma Stone. 1940s Los Angeles Gangsters.
Should add up to pretty awesome.

From Zombieland director, Ruben Fleischer, this seems possibly a touch over-stylised, so perhaps adjust expectations from "great" to "entertaining". More sharp suits, though. And guns.

Wish they had cut back on Sean Penn's make up. It's all I notice in any of his scenes.

Argo - Trailer

Ben Affleck's third outing as director is Argo a bit of a Hollywood farce, a bit of a political drama and incidentally based on a true story. 

His debut, Gone Baby Gone was a good story well told that deserved to be seen more. His sophomore effort, The Town, was a smart mix of action, drama & interesting characters that almost made it to the Oscar race. The 70s setting of Argo should fit his unfussy, thoughtful storytelling well, and means that, at the very least, there will cool suits and cool beards. 

On another note, John Goodman seems to be cornering the market for playing period Hollywood film producers. 

Anna Karenina will be gorgeous

Atonement lenser Seamus McGarvey & composer Dario Marianelli are back on board for Joe Wright's Anna Karenina so we know that, at the very least, it will look & sound gorgeous.

Joe Wright brought an interesting creative vision to both Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, so it will be interesting to see what he brings to Anna Karenina.

The Hunger Games - Review

Being the first in the inevitable trilogy based on Suzanne Collins' massively successful teen novels, comparisons to the increasingly abysmal Twilight films are inevitable. But unfair. Other than the fanatic tween following, deer hunting in the woods, a tricky teenage love triangle and the presence of semi-wolves, The Hunger Games is thankfully anything but Twilight.

There is more cause for reservation in the film's premise - a daring mix of Survivor, 1984, Winter’s Bone and The Truman Show, with a healthy dose of the Occupy Movement thrown in for good measure - which involves teenagers hunting and killing each other in a dystopian future.

It's far from senselessly violent, though - following a violent uprising where thirteen worker districts rebelled against the elite Capitol in a post-Apocalyptic North America, the vulnerable-feeling, but victorious, Capitol implements the "Hunger Games", an annual televised competition intended to keep the Districts in their place with a combination of intimidation and just a sliver of hope. Each year, each district must offer up one boy & one girl between 12 – 18 to fight to the death for glory, food  & supplies for their district. The Games have become the ultimate reality show for the idle Capital in which the Districts must compete whole-heartedly, simply because the stakes are so high.

Katniss Everdeen finds herself competing in the games when she volunteers to protect her sensitive younger sister. To give more away would be unfair, but suffice it to say that The Hunger Games is miles from the emo-idiocy of the Twilight series. Though the premise at times tests the limits of disbelief, it is nonetheless heartfelt, intelligent and frequently imaginative.

And, thankfully, Katniss is the polar opposite of Twilight's Bella Swan. Where Bella’s story seems to teach girls to be massively over-aware of their feelings and willing to compromise everything for the love of an emotionally underdeveloped 200 year old boy, Katniss is a genuine role model that teaches young girls that they can kick ass for the right reasons. Katniss altars the rules of the game, and possibly far more, by holding on to her humanity, compassion and selfless generosity even when she is told to preserve her own life at all costs.

Initially, Jennifer Lawrence is in very similar territory to her Oscar nominated Ree from Winter’s Bone, summoning her courage to feed and protect her younger siblings, but Katniss’s courage and defiance is far quieter and gentler than Ree's, and her journey is quite different. Somehow, though, Lawrence lets the similarity enhance, rather than dilute, the impact of her performance. She plays Katniss with a conviction and thoughtfulness that quietly draws you into Katniss’ inner world and makes you feel her journey every step of the way.

Director Gary Ross also helps elevates the film, mostly, above its teen trappings with memorable sets - from the earthy squalor of District 12 to the glitzy excesses of the Capitol, all with a slickly modern take on vintage 1950s style - smart camera work and editing that is always on the move, keeping you dizzyingly amidst the action, but cutting away right before suggestion would give way to gore, and effective performances from his cast, old and young, known and unknown, but his most important contribution is a commitment to the heart of his characters above the spectacle. Once the games begin, Katniss is never safe and the decisions she needs to make feel extremely human. Even head jock from District 1 gets a moment to be tragically human.

An intense, thoughtful thrill ride that mostly transcends its teen-lit origins and serves as a sobering reminder that it never bodes well to indulge a financial elite at the expense of the other.

Sound of My Voice - Trailer

Some actresses complain that there are no good parts. Brit Marling writes and produces her own. And she has, so far, carved a nice little niche for herself as the reigning queen of smart indie Sci-Fi dramas. Her other 2011 drama, Another Earth, is a strong character drama with a smart sci-fi twist. Sound of my Voice unashamedly luxuriates in a trippy psychological puzzle about faith, time travel and a MMMM-type cult. Built on a series of escalating chapters, Sound of my Voice is all about the tense atmosphere and head games. Looks like a whole lot of perplexing fun.


Thanks to Skallakind and Salon.com for the recommendation.

Looper - Trailer

Poster via Collider

Whether reinventing film noir for high school and lo-fi daylight in Brick, or having globe trotting, highbrow, post-modern fun with big names in The Brothers Bloom, or helming the loved / hated Fly episode of Breaking Bad, Rian Johnson has already established himself as an intelligent and endlessly inventive writer / director.

This year he takes on Sci Fi and time travel in what looks to be a nifty, brain frying little thriller. Casting Bruce Willis as the future version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an odd choice that necessitated Gordon-Levitt's ostensibly effective face alteration make up, and will hopefully pay off in the context of the completed film. At the very least, a smart summer thriller with a sharp premise. At the very best, a new sci fi classic.

LOL - Trailer

And following on the best thing of the week, here is the worst thing ever:

"It's so good to love someone so much it hurts". And then he sings. To her. And the production designer's name is "Happy". PIMP (Puked. In my pants.)

New Prometheus Teaser

The marketing for Prometheus is amazing. If we are not building up to a new Sci Fi classic, the marketing team deserves all kinds of awards (and a punch in the face). But I have all confidence that Sir Scott's film will live up to the very considerable hype.

The latest teaser continues to establish the Prometheus universe, without giving away the Prometheus plot. Michael Fassbender is, as always, inspired. His hesitation before "distressing... unethical..." is filled with suggestion and dread:

Cinematography of 2012

The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki

 

It couldn't be anyone else (although it was almost Robert Richardson). Terrence Malick's films always boasted exceptional cinematography, and The Tree of Life easily stands as the best of the bunch. From dreamlike memories of 1950s domestic life - both blissful & sinister - to absurdly ambitious depictions of the birth & infant years of the universe. Exceptional & impressive in every way.  

Hugo - Robert Richardson

Warm, glowing & perfect in every detail, Robert Richardson's swoon-worthy work for Martin Scorsese's epic but intimate masterpiece almost overtook The Tree of Life for first place. Where Tree of Life has an endless stream of unforgettable images, Hugo has single frames filled with so much incredible detail, you could press pause & just stare for hours. It puts Paris on an impossibly high pedestal.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - Hoyte van Hoytema

Dusty, stuffy & always perfectly composed, Hoyte van Hoytema's lensing is quiet & unobtrusive while it sucks you deeply into both the period & the dizzying plot. Looking like a spy thriller lifted straight out of the 70s, it manages to pay homage while creating iconic images all its own (the sound-proof room... the landing strip conversation...)

Martha Marcy May Marlene - Jody Lee Lipes

You could write essays on Martha's mental state based solely on the images composed by Jody Lee Lipes. Shot almost entirely in long, unhurried shots that, together with the editing & performances, create the ambiguous tension of Martha's existence. Subtle & unflashy, but exceptional.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Jeff Cronenweth

Shot on digital in gloomy alleys, apartments, libraries, & the notorious Vanger family island, Jeff Cronenweth's images are by turns intimate, sinister & shocking; always soaking up every last ounce of atmosphere, facial flinch or particular shade of black.  

Hanna - Alwin H Kuchler

There are massive tonal shifts in Hanna, & Alwin Kuchler's cinematography negotiates them all perfectly. From the intimate danger of Hanna's snow hunting to her first teenage experiences on the back of a motorbike, through the diverse escape & fight sequences in underground chambers, dilapidated playgrounds, shipping docks & abandoned theme parks to the cherry on top: a thrilling single-take that follows Eric Bana out of a train station, down an escalator into an empty subway & through a visceral fist fight with a small army of hit men. Exceptional, exciting & effective.     

Drive - Newton Thomas Sigel

Wrapping it's characters in a perpetual warm neon glow, Newton Thomas Sigel makes 80s retro look cooler than ever while enhancing the graceful tension of director Nicolas Winding Refn's pacing. Through the occasional emergence of human warmth & explosions of unexpected violence on screen, Sigel's camera remains as cool & collected as the Driver. 

War Horse - Janusz Kaminski

All the sentimentality of War Horse is forgivable solely on the grounds of how gorgeous it looks. From sun-kissed farmlands to the misty trenches of no man's land, War Horse is ever a thing of painterly beauty.

The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman

The Artist's Hollywood is not a flashy, glitzy Hollywood, but a quietly inventive perspective of one man's life in the movies. Remarkably gorgeous for a simple, uncluttered film shot in grainy period black & white.  

We Need to Talk About Kevin - Seamus McGarvey

A movie that drenches you in blood & violence without showing any actual violence & precious little blood. The colour red refuses to leave the Khatchadourian family alone, while Kevin's expressive eating habits take on a disturbing life of their own. Seamus McGarvey's camera brings director Lynne Ramsay's vision to life.

Honourable mentions:

Jane Eyre - Adriano Goldman

Midnight in Paris - Darius Khondji

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 

- Eduardo Serra

Another Earth - Mike Cahill

Moneyball - Wally Pfeister