the Long & the Short of It

REEL REVIEW: Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (2009) ****

2009-11-17T10:40:00.000-06:00

written by: Geoffrey Fletcher
produced by: Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey & Tyler Perry
directed by: Lee Daniels

rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language.

109 minutes

She sits silently in the back of her class and dreams.She picture a life with her nice Math teacher, living together in Westchester. After all, he always smiles at her. She would love to have a light-skinned boyfriend with nice hair. Her dreams of Hollywood stardom and the adoration of cute boys take her away from the reality that's hardened her into a prison of numbness. She is Claireece "Precious" Jones (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) and although she goes by Precious, no one sees her that way. They see an obese, illiterate sixteen year-old who mumbles her words and avoids eye contact. She has been mentally, verbally, physically and sexually abused all her life. She is pregnant with her second child from her father. That's only a glimpse at this girl's harrowing life and the most incredible element that chips away at the despair is that Precious has hope.

By all rights, she should be as down and out as everyone she has encountered. Living at home with her welfare mother in Harlem circa 1987 is hell. Precious is beaten, told she should have been aborted and is treated like a slave. She had her first child on her kitchen floor as her mother kicked her in the head. That child, named Mongol because she was born with Down Syndrome, is under the care of her mother, Mary (an amazing Mo'Nique) but lives with her grandmother which keeps the welfare checks coming in. Despite this horrific environment, Precious manages to have a vivid imagination which helps her escape and a spark of resilience that can be seen every so often.

It is only when a couple unforgettable women come into her life that she is able to see a way toward normalcy. She may not know what normal is but it has to be better than where she's at. Precious is sent to the "Each One, Teach One" GED education center, where she meets sympathetic teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), after being expelled from junior high. In a small class setting of similar girls and a teacher who is actually giving Precious the attention she needs, she tried to break out of her coma and deal with the daily punishments and humiliations. She is on the frustrating path of learning to read and write while trying to deal with issues like starvation. Another source of help is welfare counselor Ms. Weiss ( an effectively unglammed Mariah Carey), who attempts to reaffirm Precious' self-worth. While both these women are empathetic toward Precious' situation, neither of them go easy on her. Both integral characters expect her to push herself and fight the forces in her life that kick her down. And despite how hard it is to watch Precious endure such pain and affliction, it is inspriring to see her take one day at a time.

Lee Daniels knows a few things about strong women and difficult subjects, having produced films like "Monster's Ball" and "The Woodsman." This is a bold and confident sophomore effort as a director (I haven't seen "The Shadowboxer" with Cuba Gooding, Jr. & Helen Mirren) instead of a cautious, safe or stereotypical approach. Daniels knows that he has to take us way down into the lacerating depths before he can bring about any levity, and he does so by providing some lighter moments. In fantasy sequences where we retreat into Precious' day-dreaming imagination and from the antics of her GED classmates, we're able to come up for air before the choke-hold of reality tightens on us once again. Yes, as I anticipated, it is a difficult film to watch but these moments make it possible to go on.

If Daniels makes it easier for us to watch the film by mixing up the tone, it is Sidibe that will mesmerize. Don't get me wrong, without a doubt Mo'Nique deserves all the Oscar buzz she's getting. In fact, her monologue toward the end, seals the deal. She plays one of the most vile characters I've seen in any recent film. The most difficult thing to come to terms with is that her character actually exists. Just as there are kids out there like Precious, who hardly have any hope, there are also parents/guardians out there like Mo'Nique's Mary. Sidibe is the one who has to take all the blows though. She gives life and character to Precious through her expressions (or at times, lack thereof) and in her narrating voice overs we hear her resilient attitude, "The other day, I cried. I felt stupid. But you know what? F*** that day." Regardless of her lack of self-esteem, she carries on and takes you on her journey and you want to fight with her.

Daniels and screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher aren't providing any remedy for the devastating lives we see here. While the story strikes several staggering low points, hope is never far from view. Without a doubt, the film is harrowing to process at times but it retains an undeniable emotional grip through unbelievable horror.

Saphirre, the author of the book (hence the lenghty title), has said that the character of Precious is a composite of teens she had come across while working and living in New York City. That's the most sobering reminder to me. These people are real. They're out there. There are viewers who might even see themselves in the roles portrayed here and as hard as that is to see, I'm glad it's out there. You probably know someone like Precious without even knowing it.

The Skinny:

The film was originally titled, 'Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire', but the change was announced in February 2009, by Tyler Perry. It was confirmed soon afterwards by the film's distributor Lionsgate. The change was made to avoid confusion with the 2009 action film "Push".

Helen Mirren was originally cast as Mrs. Weiss.

The film was shot in five weeks.

Over 400 girls were interviewed from across the country for the part of Precious. Sidibe was cast a mere six weeks before the start of shooting after being forced to the audition by friends.

Sidibe read the novel Push years before when her mother, singer Alice Tan Ridley, was approached to play the role of Mary in an earlier production that never came to fruition.

Over the course of the shoot the production lost an editor, a cinematographer, three continuity people, three locations managers, two producers, two assistant directors, two sound people, two video playback people, and two caterers.

Mo'Nique played a character by the name of Precious in director Lee Daniels's previous film 2005's "Shadowboxer."

The film premiered in January 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival as Push: Based On The Novel By Sapphire,where it won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for best drama, as well as a Special Jury Prize for supporting actress Mo'Nique.

musician Lenny Kravitz, in his acting debut, was cast as John McFadden; a nurse who shows kindness to Precious.

The theme song for the film, titled "Push," was written and produced by Robin Thicke.

Interview with director Lee Daniels

REEL REVIEW: The Box (2009) **1/2

2009-11-06T09:48:00.000-06:00

written by: Richard Kelly (story by: Richard Matheson)

produced by: Richard Kelly, Sean McKittrick & Kelly McKittrick

directed by: Richard Kelly

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.

115 min.

Writer-director Richard Kelly's new film is being described by some as psychological horror while others are seeing it as a science fiction thriller. This shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with his films (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) since it's so obvious he defies those genres and how we've come to know them while incorporated them into one absurd film. That's not an insult. An original, well-made film that hooks you despite it's absurdity can still be intriguing when it's not boring, maybe even entertaining. It's not hard to get lost in this film's tone and atmosphere but it's also easy to get frustrated at how convaluted and overambicious it gets. That may wind up pushing your buttons which could be exactly what Kelly is aiming for.

The film starts out like an episode of The Twilight Zone and sure enough, it was made into one back in the mid 80's. Kelly adapts the short story "Button, Button" by the great Richard Matheson into the first 15 minutes of the story. But then he jettisons it into an assortment of confounded directions.

First, we read an internal CIA memo typed across the screen. It states that a severe burn victim named Arlington Steward has recovered and is delivering units related to the Mars project.

We are then introduced to Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur (James Marsden) Lewis, a loving married couple living in Richmond, Virginia circa 1976. They live in a nice brick home in a the seemingly idyllic suburbs where a school bus picks their son, Walter (Sam Oz Stone) right at their front step. Arthur works at NASA Langley doing research for the Viking mission to Mars and Norma teaches high school literature, specifically Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit. When Arthur doesn't get the job he was hoping for and Norma is told that she will no longer get a discounted on Walter's tuition, they start to realize that they will soon no longer be able to afford the life they wish to maintain.

Enter the mysterious Mr. Steward (Frank Langella), a polite, well-dressed older man with a grotesquely disfigured face offering them a life-changing opportunity. He presents them with a box that has a unit inside containing a button. He gives them an envelope with a key to unlock the bubble dome housing the button. Steward tells them if they press the button two things will happen. First, someone, somewhere in the world whom they do not know, will die. Second, they will receive one million dollars in cash. If they do nothing with it, Steward returns and takes the box back, never to be seen again. The box will then be reset and giving to someone else whom they do not know. However they choose, Steward will return the next day at 5pm.

Kelly presents viewers with the required "what would you do?" as the couple deal with their moral struggle both together and individually. At first, logic is at play as they both wonder how any of it could be real. How can they even know that this button will kill anyone? Is it an impossible choice? Is the decision obvious? Norma and Arthur then must decide if they could handle being responsible for someone's death. Since Kelly doesn't portray this couple as destitute, it's hard to truly feel compassion for two people who already admit they live beyond their means and want to keep it that way. What remains on their mind is that money would help them with the life they desire. Not the life they need, mind you.

That's where Matheson's script ends and we enter The Richard Kelly Zone. It's a dimension with that 70's glow, a sharp HD visual delight and a compelling score by Arcade Fire. Where nose bleeds are at every turn, zombie-like people talk in catatonic mantras, and hotel swimming pools become portals to the afterlife. Admittance into such a world need only require a push of a red button. No, that's not a spoiler since it wouldn't be a feature-length film if the button wasn't pushed. Unfortunately, the film is thrust the into the same sci-fi silliness that director Alex Proyas dropped on us earlier this year with the incomprehensible Knowing.

That's too bad since Kelly opens up with such promise and suspense only to push you through several trippy Kubrickian sequences that distract us with more questions. There could very well be the work of aliens here, or divine intervention, maybe a top-secret government agency....it's anyone's guess really and clearly that's the way Kelly wants it.

This is a film where the plot and far-reaching concepts take the spotlight over the acting. That wouldn't be so bad if there was a growing strength in the story or if the acting had felt real. Langella does stand out by bringing some class to his ominous bad guy that could have veered toward camp. It's ironic that the guy who played Skeletor at one time is now playing the bad guy with half his face off. Too often though the emotions of the two leads felt forced and their behavior unrealistic. It was difficult to detect the needed chemistry between Diaz and Marsden which is problemic since it was already hard to feel sorry for these two. Plus, both of their southern accents seemed unnecesary and distracting since they were inconsistent at best. I wound up feeling worse for their son, who always seemed to get brushed off to the wayside. No surprise really, since children are too often treated like a device in these stories.

While Kelly's feverish imagination tends to swallow this movie whole, it really is quite involving while you're watching it. During reflection and post-viewing discussion is where all the plotholes and flaws become clear. But, who knows, this may become one of those midnight favorites at the local art house. Like the titular box, it's hard to take your eyes off the film and decipher what it's all about when you're sitting there staring at it. Only when you spend time away from it do you start to questions its real function. It may be missing the quirk and twisted charm of Donnie Darko but neveretheless fans of that cult classic will still want to check this out.

The Skinny:

Veteran character actor, Basil Hoffman, was also in the original version of this story when "Button, Button" aired on "The Twilight Zone: Profile in Silver/Button, Button (#1.20)" (1986).
This marks the first feature-length film scored by members of the Canadian band Arcade Fire (Win Butler, R�gine Chassagne and Owen Pallett)
It also marks the first PG-13 film to be directed by Richard Kelly.
Charlie Clouser's score from 2004's Saw was used for the trailer.
On the commentary of Tony Scott's "Domino",Richard Kelly outright dismissed shooting a 1970's period piece with a digital camera. But after seeing David Fincher's
"Zodiac", Kelly's position quickly changed and he was quoted saying, "It can be done."
Production began in November 2007 and concluded in February 2008.
Most of the filming took place in the Boston, Massachusetts area, with scenes shot in downtown Boston, South Boston, Waltham, Ipswich, Winthrop, Milton, Medfield, Quincy, Kingston, and North Andover, as well as other localities.
Some filming took place on the Milton Academy campus, and a large indoor set was built inside a former Lucent Technologies building in North Andover to recreate a NASA laboratory.
The production crew also journeyed to NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., to shoot a number of scenes for the film.
Kelly's father had worked at NASA Langley in the 1970s and 80s.
Many background extras were reused in different scenes, and people with period correct 60s and 70s cars were encouraged to participate.
The film was originally scheduled for release on October 30, 2009, but on July 31, 2009, it was announced the release date was to be delayed to November 6, 2009.

http://www.youaretheexperiment.com/

REEL REVIEW: Motherhood (2009) ***

2009-10-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

written by: Katherine Dieckman

produced by: Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, Jana Edelbaum & Rachel Cohen

directed by: Katherine Dieckman

rated PG-13 for language, sexual references and a brief drug comment.

90min.

Being a mother is different for every woman but there are some feelings, situations and experiences that all mothers can relate to. Writer and director Katherine Dieckman knows that and draws from her own life here as she shares her experiences raising children with her husband in New York City. It's a film certain to resonate with urban mothers (especially those in the 35 to 50 age range) trying to hold on to their identity as they face the daily grind of folding laundry, packing lunches and a sink full of dirty dishes.

The daily grind is exactly what Dieckman gives us, as we spend a day with Eliza (Uma Thurman), a married mother of two, who is scrambling to get everything together for her six year-old's birthday party at 5pm. She and her husband, Avery (Anthony Edwards) live in two rent-stabilized apartments in West Village. The bedrooms are in one; the kitchen, office and living room are down the hall in the other. It's tight but they seem to make it work. Once an aspiring fiction writer, Eliza now blogs snippets of her life from home when she's not picking up toys or kids. She comes across an online pop-up ad for a parenting magazine contest, asking mothers to answer in 500 words or less "What does motherhood mean to me?" We then see her compelled to add this task to her already loaded "To Do" list for the day, the only catch is....it's due by midnight!

Eliza encounters many unforseen obstacles that prevent her from crossing everything off her list. There just so happens to be a film shooting below her apartment which results in her car being towed. Her husband won't answer his cell phone (when he finally appears, he sees that it was on vibrate, "Oh, look at that, eight calls."). She has to use her husband's bicycle to get food and decorations for the party. Not an easy task, especially on a flat tire. The cake decorator got her daughter's name wrong and berates Eliza for giving Clara a "trendy" name. Does any of this sound familiar? It should, since this harried mother is not the first woman who wonders how her current life had come to define her.

Like many parents (not just mothers), Eliza has seen her career desires sidelined by familial obligations. We've seen this portrayed in other films before, so right away many people will connect to this material. We know these characters. They're our friends, neighbors and co-workers. They may even be us, which is relieving when we see them make the same mistakes we do. In fact, the night after I saw this film, my three year-old scolded me for not buckling her in her car seat before we drove off, something that Eliza had done with her son. Thurman, a mother of two herself, exudes an honest familiarity here. It doesn't feel like she's acting the part, just like she knows it. While that does sell the viewer, Thurman also comes across a tad overstated and neurotic at times. It's hard to tell if some of her antics are for comedies sake, dramatic effect or that we just don't know enough about her. That may be the case since we're only spending a day with her.

There are only a few other adults we see Eliza interract which is not uncommon for a stay-at-home-mom. She can talk and hang out with her pregnant best friend, Sheila (Minnie Driver, pregnant in her third trimester in real life!) who is a good listener and shares an interesting bathtub remedy. Eliza also gets noticed by a younger messenger (played by newcomer Arjun Gupta) who strikes some sexual sparks as she lets her guard down. She sees him noticing her for more than just a mother, a feeling she's unaccostumed to. The scene suffers from its length, as the tone goes from nervous awkwardness to silly awkwardness. It's clear that these interactions have their purpose and revelations but they border on trite.

Eliza also meets plenty of other frazzled moms on the playground where one mom goes to spot celebrities (Jodie Foster has a uncredited cameo as herself, being stalked by paparazzi as she plays with her kid). The addition of rude neighbors and parking nightmares send us plunging into Eliza's maddening routines. Dieckmann knows that Eliza can seem a bit self-indulgent in her whining. At the birthday party, an older neighbor (Alice Drummond) comments that women of an earlier generation dealt with the same pressures but never dreamt of complaining. Sure, her remark seems appropriate but I wonder what Dieckman was trying to say since the majority of filmmakers that worked on this project are women.

Many married couples who have children, come to the point where they realize that their lives have been all about providing and prioritizing for their kids. While the film is focusing on Eliza, it's refreshing that the character of her husband is not written off. Too many times, the husband comes across as clueless, abusive or aloof in film. That's not the case here. Edward's Avery is patient and caring with his children and seems to almost be scrambling as much as his wife albeit with less neurosis. As a parent, we often wind up making mistakes that we had sworn we never would as we get caught up in the same day after day duties. It's good to see that Dieckman reminds us that it's possible not to lose who we and be appreciated for what we do.

Mommy Tracks, On Screen and Off

Thurman on Motherhood

"Zombieland" Chicago red carpet screening!

2009-09-29T18:55:00.001-05:00

For anyone that happens to frequent film screenings throughout the year, you may make at least one undeniable observation....there is an entire subculture in attendance at these events. I often see the same people at each screening that I have come to call "the usual suspects". They clearly know each other and often tip each other off to the next screening in their own clandestine fashion. It's as if they live for these screenings and at times it appears that they live at these theaters. It's clearly fodder for a sitcom pitch. I just watch and smile and wonder how they get their passes. Now, I consider myself a film enthusiast, but these folks seem to be in a class all their own. Well, that class was in for a dramatic change this week.

On Monday, September 28th, I passed up the opportunity to see a screening of "The Invention of Lying" for my love of the undead. That's right. I can't help it. Zombies, I love thee! Already, I bet you know what movie I'm referring to. That's right folks, hundreds of select Chicagoans were treated to a very special red carpet screening of "Zombieland" with stars Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg. That's cool in and of itself, but even better was the chance to become a zombie yourself!

My screening pass had stated that if attendees arrived early enough, there would be an opportunity to be "zombie-fied" and walk the red carpet with the two leads. How could I pass that up? While the screening was at 7pm, I wouldn't be able to make it there until about a quarter to six and I assumed "early" would mean 5ish. I told my buddy Otto to get there as soon as he could and scope out the place to see how the what the crowd was like. Sure enough, he arrived at 4:30 and he let me know how crazy it already was. Yes there was a tent with a red carpet inside parallel with the curb in front of the theater. Yes, there were "Zombieland" posters everywhere. And yes, there were fans (including "the usual suspects") dressed up as zombies everywhere. It was quite a surreal and assuredly geeky experience.

Unfortunately, my name wasn't on some list in order for me to qualify to be transformed into a zombie. Fah! Little did they realize (or care) I would have been a great zombie. I know the swagger, the contortions and appropriate "Gak!" sound effects (thank you, Roger Kirkman!) which I found lacking in many of the zombies that passed us by as we were in line for the screening. Otto and I took turns going in and out of the line to take many pics of the undead both in and outside the theater.

Once seated, the spotlight beamed down to the bottom of the screen where Harrelson and Eisenburg were met with a roaring applause. They didn't really have much to say. The typical "Hello Chicago, good to be here!" and "Thank you, enjoy the film!" that was followed by a quick departure. Fine with us. Myself, Otto, "the usual suspects" and all the other zombies were more than ready to see the undead on the big screen.

All I'll say about the movie is that it is fun, gory and one of the funniest movies I've seen all year. Right away, it knows what it is and who it's for. If you're a fan of the genre, you'll have a blast! Now go check out my friend Otto's blog for his take of the evening with far superior photographs!

some of the zombies working their way to the theater

REEL REVIEW: Pandorum (2009) ***

2009-09-25T13:30:00.002-05:00

REEL REVIEW: Fifty Dead Men Walking (2009) ***

2009-08-22T19:56:00.000-05:00

written by:Kari Strogland

produced by: Kari Strogland, Stephen Hegyes, Peter La Terriere, & Shawn Williamson

directed by: Kari Strogland

Rated R for strong brutal violence and torture, language and some sexuality.

117 min.

The first time I came to know anything about the Irish Republican Army (or IRA) was in the early 90's. Of course, my introduction was through film, as is often the case, and it just so happened to be two films that were a year apart. In 1992, a spoiled assassination attempt by an off-shoot IRA group resulted in an obsessive vendetta against a CIA analyst in "Patriot Games". That film had a modern day setting, unlike 1993's "In the Name of the Father" which followed the true story of Gerry Conlon, who back in the mid 70's, was wrongfully convicted of IRA terrorist activity while visiting London. Both films depicted the IRA as a radical group of paramilitary, determined to do anything to liberate Ireland from the UK.

In Canadian screenwriter, producer and director, Kari Skogland's film, we're given more than one perspective of the IRA, revealing the thin line that is blurred between revolutionary and terrorist. The story, loosely based on the autobiography of the same name by Martin McGartland tells of his undercover activity with the IRA. It shows the brutality toward 'touts' (or traitors) to their cause as well as the shameful steps the British police took to get a handle on the IRA's activity. By the late 1980's, the long-standing tension between the British and the Irish had culminated in what would be called "The Troubles", located predominately in Northern Ireland. Which is where we find Martin (Jim Sturgess), a young hustler in Belfast, selling women's lingerie door to door. His apolitical stance has distanced him from the IRA, yet their activity is ever present.

After witnessing brutality enacted by the IRA toward one of his friends, Martin reluctantly accepts an offer by the British Special Forces to become an undercover informer. He reports to a man named Fergus (Sir Ben Kingsley), who becomes his handler and in time, father figure. There's no way Martin could have known the type of life-threatening danger he was getting himself into, in fact, it's never quite clear what his motivations are. He soon becomes a rising asset to both the IRA and the British police, despite the risk to his girlfriend (Natalie Press) and their son. Martin continued as an agent, gradually realizing he'd be spending the rest of his life paranoid, on the run and in hiding. It wasn't all for nothing though. The information Martin provides saves the lives of at least fifty men who would have wound up dead if not for his involvement.

Skogland delivers a crisp thriller that will interest anyone craving action and a story without neglecting character. She starts out the film with a thoroughly attention-grabing scene with Martin in the late 90's, leaving you knowing full well that we are about to be his story. Her only weaknesses come when she relies too heavily on similar conventions like montage scenes and adrenalized punk music. It's not awful, it's just that we've seen this approach countless times. Still, she does not romanticize any of the characters and their storyline at any point, thankfully. The best scenes are the ones where she gives us Sir Ben and Sturgess, as we see the reliance each other has on the other over time. It becomes clear that for these two characters, it becomes more of a necessary relationship. Both are estranged from their own father/son relationship and due to where they are in life, are in need of one. She really allows them to take their time and work off each other well. It becomes clear that they need each other since both of their own father/son relationships are either non-existent or estranged.

I can't say I really thought much about the talents of Sturgess before this film. Seeing him in "Across the Universe", he struck me as another up-and-coming pretty boy. I had not seen much of his work since and knew that his performance would really have to sell this small iindependentfilm. Here he shows a strong handle on a wide range of emotion while also giving a very physical performance, running all over town and getting beaten to a pulp. What really interested me about the film was the subject matter, and of course, Kingsley but Sturgess' work is excellent here. Meeting him for a Q&A after the screening, he came across very engaging and involved in his craft. I look forward to going back and seeing his past films as well as his future work. I'm hoping Kingsley's involvement in this film brings more attention to it.

There was an announcement made before screening that the film was only being releases at this time in Chicago, Boston & New York, for whatever reason. Although iindependentcinema has reached a bbroaderaudience over the years, it's still a struggle for filmmakers to keep a movie afloat. Here's one of those films worthy of your time.

The Skinny:

Man on the Run was a working title for the film. Casting was completed in November 2007.
Filming began on location in the Northern Irish villages of Killough and Ardglass in late October 2007 and went on until December 2007.
The film premiered on 4 September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.
Since then it has screened at the 2009 Kingston Canadian Film Festival. The UK premiere was held on the 4th of April 2009 in Belfast, where the film was shot. Jim Sturgess was unable to attend, as was Sir Ben Kingsley, who recorded a video message for the audience to thank them for attending.
Phoenix23, the Belfast band who recorded three tracks for the soundtrack; "Hit the Ground Running", "Its a Blast" and "Hurricane" were in attendance. The film went on general release in the UK on 10 April 2009.
McGartland, an Irish Catholic, was arrested by the Royal Ulster Constabulary police in 1989 at age 16 for petty crime. After that arrest, he agreed to infiltrate the IRA, and pass information on their activities under the codename Agent Carol to the RUC Special Branch which dealt with counter terrorism activities.
For his information he was later described as "one of the RUC's most important agents inside the IRA's Belfast Brigade during the early Nineties."
In 1991 his cover was blown, and he was kidnapped by the IRA to be interrogated then killed.
He escaped by leaping from an upstairs window and fled to England, receiving money to set up a new life in North East England.
His autobiography was a best seller, and he released a follow up about his time on the run.
In 1997 he came to press attention after Northumbria Police revealed his location when they attempted to prosecute him for holding false identities, which he claimed he required to evade discovery by the IRA, which was upheld in court. Also in 1997 The BBC made a short documentary on him.
In 1999, he survived being shot six times in an attack on his home in Whitley Bay.
He stated the IRA had been responsible, which they denied. Months after the shooting it emerged that the RUC had linked the gun used to shoot McGartland to the murder of a drugs dealer in Northern Ireland by the IRA.
He alleged the British Government was covering up the IRA's involvement to preserve the ceasefire declared by them in 1997. He successfully sued several media outlets for falsely claiming at the time that the attempt on his life had come about due to his links to a North East drugs gang.
Kingsley's role is an amalgam of several, very sketchily delineated policemen.
McGartland claims the film distorts the facts, and it has teetered on the verge of being pulled from cinemas in the wake of the renewed sectarian violence in Northern Ireland this year.
As of the time of the release of the film, he was still in hiding yet Strogland communicated with him via telephone during filming.

NOTE: During the Q&A, I asked Sturgess if Ben Whishaw was ever involved in the movie. He uncomfortably said that before he came on, there was "a Ben" that had spent time in Belfast researching the role. Interesting.

Video Interview with Sturgess

Interview with Sturgess

Stogland talks "Fifty Dead Men Walking"

REEL REVIEW: A Perfect Getaway (2009) **

2009-08-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

written by: David Twohy

produced by: Robbie Brenner, Mark Canton, Ryan Kavanaugh & Tucker Tooley

directed by: David Twohy

rated R (for graphic violence, language including sexual references and some drug use)

97 min.

Unfortunately, this movie does not live up to its title. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why director David Twohy ("Pitch Black") considers his audience chumps enough to swallow such an inane "twist". Yes, everyone is talking about "the revealing twist" in this film. A twist that once revealed, is just flat insulting. A well executed twist should make a viewer backtrack in their mind (possibly more than once), taking in all that has previously occurred which would in turn lead to several little "ah ha" moments. Anyone attempting such with this film will picture the entire previous hour and a half fall apart reel after reel.

What a shame since everything leading up to the big twist delivers a satisfying summer thriller. The setting is a Hawaiian island, the build-up is intriguing with a capable cast. Screenwriter Cliff (Steve Zahn) and baby-hungry Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are on their honeymoon, seeking out a special hiking trail that leads to a secret beach. Just as they begin their trek, they overhear a group of frightened hikers discuss a double murder in Honolulu of another newlywed couple on the island. They start to discuss whether or not they should turn back when they come across another couple, former special-ops stud Nick (Timothy Olyphant) and his girlfriend Gina (Kiele Sanchez) and we see the four of them strike up a tentative friendship. Nick is undeniably charismatic, as he tells his tales of near-death experiences and military history, while Gina displays her disemboweling animal skills. She used to be a butcher. This behavior and the recent news of murder, triggers Cliff into paranoia, leading him to believe this couple could be the killers. Add to the mix another couple they encounter, strung-out Cleo (Marley Shelton) and hot-tempered Kale (Chris Hemsworth), that act even more suspicious. Actually, too suspicious.

It's obvious Twohy tries to throw us and his ambition is admirable but the end result falls flat. It seems like his script was a nice studio pitch that was rapidly greenlit before any semblance of payoff could be found. That's unfortunate since enough time and care is spent on structure, characterization and (as mentioned) a capable cast. As a director, Twohy comes across a little too self-aware, constantly pausing on certain clues and plot devices in an effort to tell instead of show. He's always thinking but rarely considering the intelligence of the viewer which is a epic failure.

The slow builds to the B-movie plot twist provides a fairly entertaining story with actors that draw your attention. Zahn has proven he is much more than comic relief with his work in "Rescue Dawn" and here he plays the nice guy who could easily be dismissed. As his wife, Jovovich hides her accent well and for most gives a softer side from her typical action heroine. After playing Nikki on "Lost", it's great to see Sanchez getting more work, she really dives into her role with much exuberance. She certainly deserves to have more work lined up for her. The standout would have to be Olyphant, who delivers a confident swagger in a role that could have been all machismo. It's also nice to see that Hemsworth's role as George Kirk from this summer's "Star Trek" wasn't a fluke. He really does quite a bit with what little he is given here. It's a shame these actors are thrust into the last half hour of blue-tinted flashback exposition and laughable action.

By the time August hits, I look forward to a movie that's gonna give me something other than the typical summer #1 box office hits. Give me something character-driven and unique, humorous or thrilling...even throw in a tropical location. I'm open! Just don't insult me with a preposterous set-up to a predictable twist that takes too long and by that time, not only is it too much to swallow but it's too hard to care.

The Skinny:

In addition to working together on this film, Jovovich ("Resident Evil") and Olyphant ("Hitman") have both worked on films that were adaptations of video games.
The film was shot in Puerto Rico and Hawaii.

Interview with Milla Jovovich

Interview with Timothy Olyphant

Interview with Sanchez & Olyphant

Interview witth Zahn & Jovovich

REEL REVIEW: Rachel Getting Married (2008) ***1/2

2009-08-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

written by: Jenny Lumet

Produced by: Jonathan Demme, Neda Armian, & Marc E. Platt

directed by: Jonathan Demme

rated R (for language and brief sexuality. )

114 min.

Watching "Rachel Getting Married" is to attend her wedding. You literally feel like a fly, buzzing from wall to wall as you take everything from the preparation to the post wedding cool down. Disregarding any formulaic conventions, here is an intoxicating drama that is truthful, painful, humorous and genuine.

Recently on leave from rehab to attend her sister's wedding, self-absorbed narcissist Kym (Anne Hathaway) returns to her well-off Connecticut family for a few days. It's hard enough for a recovering addict to return home, but thrust into the chaos of a weekend wedding ceremony, everything and everyone is especially heightened. At first, the sisters show genuine endearment for each another. While Rachel (Rosemary DeWitt) does her best to accept Kym for who she is, it is obvious there is tension in their relationship. Their father Paul (Bill Irwin) does not know how to act around Kym other than to dote or walk on eggshells. It's an awkward situation all around, especially for Paul's wife, Carol (Anna Deveare Smith) who doesn't seem to have a respected voice in the family despite being the rock for Paul over the years. The girls' relationship with their estranged mother (Debra Winger) is also an added stressor, portrayed as awkward, at best, throughout the film. As the camera walks us through each room of the house, we meet new friends and family that will take part in the wedding but we also can't help wonder when the next emotional eruption will occur. Looming over all of the them like the elephant in the house, is the family's past tragedy that occurred many years previously, for which Kym is responsible.

Without really knowing any other way and unable to deal with the spotlight on someone else, Kym adds tension to what would ideally be a time of celebration. Demme is careful not to portray Kym as the problem adult-child, or as a one-dimensional thorn in everyone's side. She may not know what to do in such a critical moment in her life but we at least see her try. As we see her deal with her demons, she is also devastated that Rachel has chosen someone else as her maid of honor and tries to maintain her local rehab meetings over the weekend. Unfortunately, for everyone, she comes across as narcissistic, vomiting raw emotion hardly anyone can understand. Needless to say, this leaves Rachel an emotional wreck during what should be the most important day of her life.

Not since "The Godfather" have we seen such a realistic depiction of what people do and say at a wedding, not to mention how they act. Like that Coppola classic, the wedding itself takes place at the family's house which becomes a character in and of itself. Several interesting supporting characters are introduced as either friends or family of the bride and groom. All come across as real people, far from the typical catty bridesmaids or frat brother groomsmen we so often see in rom-coms. These characters are unarguably genuine, especially Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe), the gentle and talented groom who sings Neil Young's Unknown Legend as his wedding vow. Kieran (Mather Zinkel), is his best man, who who has also been in rehab but is now clean. Ironically, Kym finds Kieran in the same local rehab meeting even before she finds out his "best man" status. Both men are seen as quite, patient support systems for the sisters of growing contention.

Many of these supporting cast members form the band that compose the soundtrack of the film which becomes yet another integral character. Demme gathers a community of ragtag musicians and artists (like Robyn Hitchcock and Fab 5 Freddy) and lets them saunter throughout the house, rehearsing for the wedding. They are left to interact and exist with the main characters in a rare and natural style, the likes of which are rarely seen on film.

Hathaway earns her Oscar nomination but the more challenging role went to DeWitt as Rachel. She has so much more to do. She's the bride going through all the commotion of a wedding weekend while at the same time she is challenging with her feelings toward Kym. She wants Kym to feel involved, loved, but Kym doesn't make it easy. We've seen addicts before but so seldom do we see a sibling struggle with how to be their for someone she loves without losing their mind. In the role of Rachel, DeWitt is more memorable and impressive.

There have been several complaints about the HD handheld camera that Demme employs for the rehearsal and wedding ceremonial. Some of said it's nauseating or like watching old home video footage. Some even say that the toasting sequence at the rehearsal dinner is excruciatingly long. They're missing out. They don't realize that Demme is actually benefiting the story and the characters by approaching these scenes in this fashion. Demme's wandering cameras expose raw and unfiltered characters with an appropriate closeness. The liberates him to focus on moments of discomfort, following Kym's determination to be in the limelight as she forces her self-centered behavior into uncomfortable areas of confession and humiliation.

We have all heard the phrase "there's one in every family" which refers to those relatives that are a challenge to be around or communicate with. These family members may be going through a variety of emotions and/or dealing with difficult situations and often unknowingly drag everyone around them down with them. Writer Jenny Lumet (daughter of Sidney) must know families, for all we know she could even be drawing from her own. What she and director Jonathan Demme do here is expose just how those siblings, daughters, fathers and estranged mothers deal or not deal with whatever familial sheen they inevitable wear. After all, sheen does eventually wear off to reveal what really lies beneath.

The Skinny:

The film opened the 65th Venice International Film Festival. The film also opened in Canada's Toronto Film Festival on September 6, 2008
The screenplay was written by Lumet. daughter of director Sidney Lumet and granddaughter of Lena Horne. Lumet, a junior high school drama teacher, has written four earlier screenplays, but this was the first to be produced.
The film and was shot in Stamford, Connecticut in a naturalistic, documentary style. The working title for the film was originally Dancing with Shiva, but was officially changed to Rachel Getting Married.
It was Sidney Lumet himself who approached Demme about his daughter Jenny's script.
The kid playing the guitar in the film is actually Demme's son.
Filming took 33 days and occurred in late 2007.
Demme had wanted to work with Anne Hathaway ever since he spotted her in a crowd at a screening five years earlier. He immediately took her in consideration for the role of Kym.
Hathaway later said of her first reading Lumet's script: "I was in my old apartment in the West Village [Manhattan], just pacing back and forth between the kitchen table and the couch. I somehow wound up on the floor sobbing by the last page."
DeWitt was considered by the film's casting directors. Demme and the rest of the crew were impressed and immediately wanted her to play Rachel.
Bill Irwin is one of Demme's dear friends and neighbor.
Irwin is also an accomplished circus performer, often performs in musicals is one of the actors on Sesame Street who has portrayed Mr. Noodle for Elmo's World.
Tunde Adebimpe's role, Sidney, was originally offered to American film director Paul Thomas Anderson while he was working on the post-production of the movie "There Will Be Blood."
Adebimpe is the lead singer/muscian for the popular art-rock band TV on the Radio.
Demme was concerned about Debra Winger's interest in doing the film, but he pumped up his courage to ask her because they had met several times before at the Jacob Burns Center, a film center close to their homes. Winger later accepted the role of Abby.
A diverse array of musicians, actually played by director Jonathan Demme's son Brooklyn and his friends, attend Rachel's wedding performing both before and after the ceremony. Various musical soundtrack themes are played "live" during the film.
Jenny Lumet spent about 7 weeks writing the script. It was her first to be made into a film, even though it was the writer's 5th screenplay.
The dishwasher scene was based on an actual event involving Sidney Lumet and Bob Fosse.
Childhood photos of Anne Hathaway's younger brother Thomas served as photos of Ethan in the film.

REEL REVIEW: District 9 (2009) ***1/2

2009-08-13T22:46:00.000-05:00

written by: Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell
produced by: Peter Jackson
directed by: Neill Blomkamp

"District 9" is worthy of becoming the sleeper sci-fi hit of the summer. It may resemble aspects of previous films but for a change it's not a prequel, sequel, remake or reboot. Why, in that sense, it may even be considered refreshing. For a movie made on a small budget of $30 million, consisting of no-name actors and an even lesser-known South African-born director, that's quite an accomplishment. The film starts out in a documentary style fashion and then lays out an imaginative story set in a unique landscape.

For over two decades, an enormous spaceship has mysteriously made its home hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa. The residents became accustomed to living in the shadow of this behemoth, yet there were questions looming. How and why did this ship arrive on Earth? It's unclear how it lost gas and parked itself above this particular city back in 1982. It didn't take long though for the government to jimmy their way in. There they found a hurt, hungry, and destitute alien species in need of a home. A familiar state for many refugees who make their way to another civilization but quite an unfamiliar sight for us humans.

Initially, there was a well-intentioned alien integration effort attempted but that didn't last long. The aliens soon experienced human prejudice, poverty and the apartheid policies of the time which already segregating nonwhites. To the working class locals, the aliens have become not just an unpredictable threat but quite a financial drain as well. A portion of their tax-paying dollars are spent providing for District 9, the shantytown ghetto the aliens have been assigned to reside in. Regardless of their mental and technological advances, they are labeled "Prawns" due to their offensive, crustacean-like appearance. While they can speak our language and can walk as we do, they resemble a cockroach/shrimp hybrid that is quite disgusting. This and their love for cat food doesn't make for good alien PR much less help in amicable inter-species relations.

Over time, as the human complaints rise, the restlessness and anger of the aliens come to a boil as well. Something had to be done. That's where private-interest corporation Multi- National United (MNU) are brought in to try to sell the aliens on relocating to District 10, a "better location", otherwise known as concentration camps. We soon see pencil-pushing bureaucrat Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), married to the boss' daughter (Vanessa Hayword), assigned as the supervising field agent of this forced eviction. Wikus comes across as an almost likable company guy, happy to follow through with his mission regardless of whose life it costs. Surrounded the MNU military police and cameramen, he exudes an expected air of prejudice and arrogance. We see a layer of fear and apprehension underneath his facade that is inevitably revealed in a most harrowing way.

Through a careless mishap, Wikus is thrust into a life-changing transformation that sends him on the run, becoming Joburg's most wanted man. Not to give too much away but it soon becomes quite clear that everyone wants a piece of him, literally. From the MNU military leader Koobus (David James) and the weapon-hungry corporate heads, to the Nigerian smugglers that call District 9 home, it seems he has no one to turn to except those which he sought to evict. Wikus forms an awkward alliance out of necessity with an alien named Christopher Johnson (Jason Cope) and his son, Little CJ, in hopes of self-preservation. Not only does this relationship form the heart of the movie, it also catapults the film into an adrenalized and excited climax.

This is the gritty R-rated world that writer and director Neill Blomkamp has established and immersed us in. It should be noted that some scenes, while essential in conveying the appropriate drama, are not always easy to stomach. There's no getting around the handheld camerawork that some viewers can't stand, and the dramatic gore and vivid action scenes may be a bit much as the humans and aliens mistreat each other in a variety of ways. At no point does any of this feel gratuitous or indulgent. In combining the timeless themes of segregation, prejudice, and xenophobia with the sci-fi genre, Blomkamp has no choice but to portray how it might actually all go down in his.

At 29 years-old, Blomkamp has made an intelligent, stylized directorial debut with the help of producer Peter Jackson and co-writer Terri Tatchell. This not only makes him one to watch in the future but it should also instill hope in a genre that has lately relied on CGI and bombastic explosions over style, substance and characterization. The CGI here is flawless and serves the story well. Even in the bleached-out daylight, the aliens we see walk around feel like actual beings that were placed in these tin-shacked slums. Add to that the character of the smug Wikus and we are given someone to follow in a world we already invested in. We want to know what becomes of him even if he's not all that likable, we can relate to his desperation. Therefore, credit must be given to another first-timer, actor Sharlto Copley, who displays a wide range of talent, digging deep where needed, and at times, quite funny. It would be no surprise to see Copley and Blomkamp work together again in the future.

Smart films of this genre are sadly something rare in this world of short-attention span viewers. A film like Duncan Jones' (another debut) recent "Moon" is an exception that comes to mind. Despite how enthralling a film like this is, it seldom reaches the masses it deserves. The film already has great buzz with the studios' creative viral-marketing, and the contagious praise from the San Diego Comicon but it will still take continued word-of-mouth to succeed. Far from the typical alien invasion we often see, this is an action-packed story with an engaging, emotional awareness amid all the Prawn-human chaos.

The Skinny:

As part of the marketing campaign in North America, posters were put up in major cities on bus stops, the sides of buildings, etc. designating areas that were restricted for humans only, with a number to call (866.666.6001) in order to report non-humans. The title of the film was generally not included, although the URL address for the film's official website was.
The initial premise of the whole film is based on the Short Film Alive in Joburg (2005), written and directed by Blomkamp, which depicted in a a documentary-style the struggles of social interaction between aliens and inhabitants of Johannesburg ("Joburg"), South Africa.
he film was based on director Neill Blomkamp's childhood in South Africa during apartheid.
After the feature film based on the _HALO: Combat Evolved_' video game series which was to be directed by Neill Blomkamp fell through, producer Peter Jackson went to Blomkamp and offered him $30 million to make whatever he wanted. The result was this film.
Sharlto Copley had not acted before and had no intention of pursuing an acting career. He stumbled into the leading role as 'Neill Blomkamp' placed him on-camera during the short film.
All of the "prawns" in the film are CGI with the sole exception of the ones on the operating table in the medical lab.
The mutilated animal carcasses in the background of many scenes were real and with only a few exceptions, were already in the real slums and shacks used for the filming.
All the shacks in District 9 were actual shacks that exists in a section of Johannesburg which were to be evacuated and the residents moved to better government housing, paralleling the events in the film. Also paralleling, the residents had not actually been moved out before filming began. The only shack that was created solely for filming was Christopher Johnson's shack.
Backstory for many elements of the film had been created but not explained on film, such as why only the prawns could use their weapons and humans could not.
The creatures used in the small fighting arena were meant to be rodents/pests which were aboard the ship.
The idea of the prawns being obsessed with cat food came from two inspirations. In impoverished areas of Johannesburg, Neill Blomkamp would see people selling cheese poofs and other snack foods out of large 3-foot tall bags and wanted the aliens to have a similar cheap food. The decision to make them cat food came from one of the producers who used canned cat food to bait hooks when fishing for prawns in Vancouver.

REEL REVIEW: Paper Heart (2009) **1/2

2009-08-03T12:24:00.002-05:00

written by: Nicholas Jasenovec & Charlyne Yi
produced by: Sandra Morillo & Elise Salomon
directed by: Nicholas Jasenovec

rated PG-13 (for some language)
1 hr, 28 min.

Here's a sweet enough film blending meta-reality and fantasy that can't quite seem to figure out what it is. A documentary? A mockumentary? Hard to say. There definitely is comedy throughout this film directed Nicholas Jasenovec , which focuses on comedian/musician Charlyne Yi as she searches for answers to the questions: What is love and does it exist? and Does true love exist?

For reasons unexplained, it appears Yi doesn't believe in love and isn't sure if she's capable of experiencing it. Now, that's a sad and potentially serious situation to be in which many people can relate to, yet Yi is all smiles and awkward giggles. This can be a bit off-putting at times since we haven't been given the chance to know who she is and are left wondering what brought her to this point. It's obvious Yi is cute and endearing in her own disheveled look but it's unclear why she chose to embark on this quest. While her brand of humor is entertaining we're still left wanting to know more as the film progresses. Once we come to terms with the idea that it is unlikely we will know if the protagonist we see onscreen is the real Yi, hopefully we can enjoy the journey.

After interviewing fellow actors and friends like Martin Starr and Seth Rogen, she decides to travel cross-country with a small film crew and hit up the requisite, supposed "random people" for their take on love. Along with biologists, newlyweds, and seasoned lovebirds, Yi also encounters a a romance novelist, a psychic, a divorce lawyer and a Las Vegas Elvis minister. The most creative and lively moments can be seen when the interviewees back stories are illustrated with hand-made dioramas and paper cut-out figures. The biker-bar run-in, similar to PeeWee Herman's, was a bit stereotypical; as one patron described love as 'thirty minutes in the back seat'. Sigh. The high point though was Yi's interaction with with a playground full of kids in Atlanta, who freely offer their advice on love; some with wisdom well beyond their years. The answers and explanations given certainly run the gamut on love. There are moments here of heart and truth that rise above the expected hilarity and quirk.

Throughout this process, things get complicated when the crew goes back to Los Angeles where Yi is introduced to actor Michael Cera (playing Michael Cera playing Michael Cera) at a party. We see her not making a big deal out of her increased communication with Cera while traveling and filming continue. Like a high schooler brushing off any acknowledgement of possible infatuation, she finds herself falling for him and the two eventually hit it off as they tentatively date. Jasonevec sees this budding romance as an ironic opportunity and starts to film Charlyne and Michael every chance he gets. After all, she's doing a movie about love and the lack thereof and then this happens: it's perfect!

Since they are both playing themselves, it's hard to determine if this budding non-romance is really happening. Their scenes together, performed with a dash of improv, rarely rely on the script and their whole relationship confirms that love can be found when you're least looking for it. It should be noted though that Yi and Cera are supposedly dating off screen. That may be why he agreed to this role to begin with but it's difficult to see what exactly Cera brings to the role of boyfriend except that he's nice, kinda funny and seems to share common interests with Yi. In a scene where the two of them are recording music together, it becomes clear that could be all she needed.

The concept of the film was created and written by both Yi and Jasenovec, and takes a life all it's own once the cameras start rolling. Jasenovec is played by actor Jake M. Johnson (last seen in "Redbelt") which was the first "huh?"moment that makes you realize this wasn't a straight-up doc seeing as how there was someone playing the director. The beginning is enjoyable and interesting in it's "woman on the street" feel as we see Yi asking random passerbys in Vegas what love is. It felt real. Yet once we notice the director was clearly played by another person, it's an unfortunate ripcord effect which leaves one continuously trying to determine how close this movie represents reality.

The awkwardness of the relationship scenes felt real but something seemed to be missing. It was difficult to care for these two because we were given nothing to invest in. You really need to be a steady fan of Cera to swallow all his trademark antics and if you're not, that could be distracting. Another problem might be Yi herself. If we knew more of her before seeing this film, it might be easier to root for her. We briefly come close when we see her among her family as she introduced Cera to them. She can be very interesting and often funny here but it's a lil distracting that you cannot tell whether she is 13 or 33 years old (turns out she's 23), plus, it's even hard to tell if that smile and laugh of hers is genuine or simply a case of social anxiety. Why is she doing all this? What is she trying to show (or tell) the audience about love? Is it all part of the film's character or is this really Yi? It's never clear.

If you have that many questions after going along with such a journey, then you have to wonder if time was well spent. In the end, I have no idea what this film is trying to say. It just seems chock full of many of the endless cliches on love that we already know. That's too bad since there is enough creativity, humor and heart going on here....then again, maybe this paper heart is a bit too thin

"Paper Heart" has a U.S. release date of August 7th (limited) & August 14th (wide)

REEL REVIEW: Knowing (2009) **

2009-03-19T17:43:00.010-05:00

written by: Ryne Pearson, Juliet Snowden, Stiles White and Stuart Hazeldine.
produced by: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Alex Proyas & Steve Tisch
directed by: Alex Proyas

Rated PG-13 for disaster sequences, disturbing images and brief strong language.
122 min.

When I first saw the poster for this film, I was convinced it was yet another Roland Emmerich disaster containing global disasters. Then I saw Nicolas Cage's name attached and I immediately figured I'd be waiting for the DVD release. Once I realized this was the new film by Alex Proyas (The Crow, Dark City and I, Robot) though, I knew I had to give it a theatrical shot which was only confirmed after I saw the exhilarating trailer.

The film opens up in 1959 outside a Massachusetts elementary school where a focused little girl, Lucinda Embry is seen staring up at the sky as her teacher tries to gather all the children back into class from recess. There is no indication of who or what she is looking at, only that she is being spoken to by indecipherable whispers. Back in class, her teacher (Danielle Carter) is collecting drawings made by the children to be put into a time capsule that will be opened by students fifty years later. The assignment is to draw out what they imagine the future will look like, but when Lucinda's paper is collected the teacher is frustrated that hers is meticulously filled with numbers. A disturbed Lucinda watches as her paper is taken away and added to the rest of the pile to be sealed for students yet to be born.

When the capsule is unearthed fifty years later, each present day student is given an envelope that contains the various drawings. It just so happens that Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), a boy more interested in The Discovery Channel than The Cartoon Network, opens the envelope that contains Lucinda's dizzying numbers. While he finds this interesting he finds it curious that a strange blonde man in a long, dark coat watches him in the distance and then disappears. Caleb lives with his father, MIT astrophysics professor John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) since his mother died which has brought them closer together. Yet it has also distanced John from any passion for his profession and finds him nursing away his sorrow with a bottle of booze each night. When John stumbles upon the numbers late one night, he notices they are not exactly random. He discovers a cypher system within the list that accurately depicts a series of dates, fatalities and cooridinates representing major disasters that have happened in the world in the last fifty years. This sounds remarkable enough until John finds out that three of the dates have yet to take place and are set in the near future.

John feels he has stumbled across these numbers for a reason yet he doesn't quite know what to do with this information. He shares this chilling data with a colleague (Ben Mendolsohn) who only becomes more worried for his already reclusive friend. While stuck in traffic on his way to pick up Caleb from school, he is alarmed by a set of familiar numbers on his GPS device which correlate to the location of the next disaster. This motivates him to get out of his vehicle to find out why traffic has stopped. Before John can find out anything, we see a giant 747 falling out of the rainy night toward the line of cars, plowing through power lines above and then crashing in a field on the other side of the highway. In a state of shock, John runs toward the wreckage amid torn debris and enflamed screaming people as he tries to help survivors. He is without any luck, the numbers predicted the exact amount of people that would die form this catastrophe.

Traumatized by this event, John becomes more determined to intervene and prevent more destruction from happening. Unfortunately, it's here that Nicolas Cage gets in the way of the film. No surprise there. At almost every illogical turn, Cage strays further away from a stunned professor and closer to the gaped-mouth, flashlight-swinging action hero viewers have come to know. There's no explanation why he leaves Caleb alone in the car to encounter identical strange men as he follows his numerical quest or how he thinks he can possibly prevent the next disaster. It's not the worst performance from Cage but if it makes you actually recast the lead while watching the film, well, that's a disaster right there.

Not even the addition of the usually delightful Rose Byrne as Diana, Lucinda's daughter, could add a redeeming factor to the film. She's just not given much to do except sob and scream as she and her daughter Abbey (Lara Robinson, who also plays Lucinda) team up with Cage and son. Cage's character's poor parenting must be contagious because we even find her leaving both children alone in a vehicle unattended. There appears to be no room for realistic responses or plausibility in this overwrought script which leaves the viewer as frustrated as Diana when she comes to the conclusion that they can't do much to prevent her mother's prophetic dates.

Of course, the writers must carry the responsibility as well. Their weak subplots and deep plot holes make what should be startling situations both laughable and predictable. For example, the origin and purpose of these strange "whisper men" (they are the source of the indecipherable whispers after all) remain a mystery which is inexcusable considering the impact they have throughout the film, especially the ending. I knew it was a bad sign when a revealing plot element at the end made me think, "Oh no. Not that". What a shame since the story did start out like some of the best X-Files episodes, examining philosophical themes like whether or not universal events are random or determined. But then it just seemed like substance suffered to weak dialogue and spectacular effects.

As expected, Proyas and his crew deliver the right suspenseful tone and some truly breathtaking visuals but it just doesn't have the same impact as his previous films. Even one of the most impressive large-scale subway derailments ever filmed is minimized by characters reacting unnaturally to crucial situations. I'll still follow the work of this talented director, but Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage will have to be put back on notice as one of the youngest actors to consistently phone it in. What started out as a very intriguing sci-fi thriller leaves the audience with that knowing feeling that they should have seen coming.

The Skinny:

Knowing was originally written by novelist Ryne Pearson, and the project was set up at Columbia Pictures.
Both Rod Lurie and Richard Kelly were attached as directors, but the film eventually went into turnaround.
The project was picked up by the production company Escape Artists, and the script was rewritten by Stiles White and Juliet Snowden.
Director Proyas was attached to direct the project in February 2005.
Summit Entertainment took on the responsibility to fully finance and distribute the film. Proyas and Hazeldine rewrote the draft for production, which began on March 25, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia.
The director hoped to emulate The Exorcist in melding "realism with a fantastical premise".
The film is set in Boston, and to represent the city, filmmakers used Australian locations such as Geelong Ring Road, Melbourne Museum, Mount Macedon, and Collins Street. Filming also took place at Camberwell High School, which was converted into John Adams Elementary, set in Boston circa 1958.
Interior shots took place at the Australian Synchrotron to represent an observatory. Filming also took place at the Haystack Observatory in Westford, Massachusetts.
In addition to practical locations, filming also took place at the Melbourne Central City Studios in Docklands.
Proyas used a Red One digital camera, marking the film the first time the director used digital cameras. He sought to capture a gritty and realistic look to the film, and his approach involved a continuous two-minute take in which Cage's character sees a plane crash and attempts to rescue passengers. The take was an arduous task, taking two days to set up and two days to shoot. Proyas explained the goal, "I did that specifically to not let the artifice of visual effects and all the cuts and stuff we can do, get in the way of the emotion of the scene."

Interview with Proyas

REEL REVIEW: Gran Torino (2008) ****

2008-12-14T19:22:00.000-06:00

written by: Nick Schenk (screenplay/story) & Dave Johannson
produced & directed by: Clint Eastwood

rated R (for language throughout and some violence)
1 hr. 56 min.

If it wasn't for iconic characters like The Man With No Name and Dirty Harry, there would be no way to take Clint Eastwood's latest acting role seriously. One of the more resonating characteristics of these gun-toting, take-no-crap personas is the way in which they resolve their problems with a blast of gunfire and a resoluting wisecrack, while walking away without a second thought. Many of us wish at times that we could get away with that behavior, so does racist Korean War vet, Walt Kowalski. Retired after 50 years from the local Detroit Ford plant and recently widowed, Walt grumbles and growls his days away as he nurses his perfectly-manicured postage stamp of a lawn in his well-maintained, picket-white fenced home.

Walt is that old goat who looks around at his world and wonders how things have gotten the way they are. His selfish and chubby Midwest sons, busy with their careers, have alienated themselves (most likely due to his cold gruffness) as they plot out how to get Walt into a senior home. He groans at his grandkids with their piercings and blackberrys but also at the persistant Father Janovich (Christopher Carley) from his wife's church. Walt doesn't care for the baby-faced padre who promised his wife that he'd get him to confession. It would seem Walt cares only for a handful of things at this stage in his life: his Lab retriever Daisy, his M1 rifle from the war, and his mint condition 1972 Gran Torino, a symbol of days long gone. Walt finds himself as lost and without a place as the company he used to work for.

What gets under Walt's skin the most though is the noticeable influx of Asian Hmong immigrants he finds himself surrounded by in what used to be a blue-collared neighborhood. No country for this old man, indeed! Eastwood plays up Walt's disdain to the hilt but we can't despise him because we realize he's cut from a different time period. While there's no excuse for his abrasive racism, you can't help but respect who he is and that's a tribute to the actor who's playin' this worn-down character. With all this build up, it's obvious that Walt is destined to get a serious thawing.

That comes in the form of the neighbor teen, Tao (Bee Vang) who tries to steal Walt's beloved vehicle in a gang initiation stunt. He thwarts the freshman thief but this encounter just catapults the inevitable. The botched theft is what brings a livid Walt rifle-first into the Hmong neighbors as he winds up breaking up a gang fight on his front lawn. Inadvertantly scaring off the gangbangers, Walt unintentionally winds up saving Tao and his family from further violence. All he wanted was them to stay off his well-kept lawn. What follows is an outpouring of gratitiude from the Hmong family and as punishment for his actions, Tao is made to work for Walt (though it's unclear who this is punishment for) in order to restore honor to the family.

Tao's older, plucky sister, Sue (Ahney Her) starts to wear down Walt's calcified heart as she becomes his introduction to her family which finds him coming to terms with the Hmong culture. Through his encounters with the various generations, he starts to see that he is a haunted man, empty and without peace. A man who hides behind any racial epithet possible without any possibility of anyone really getting to know who he is. Walt is soon won over by Hmong traditions, befriending Thao with hopes to teach him some self-respect before the gang activity worsens. But he sees there isn't much hope or future for Tao and his family and is compelled to intervene, driving away local gang members and earning the respect of the Hmong community.

For Walt, defending the defenseless is a form of atonement and an act of contrition. The killings in Korea still effect him, as he tells Tao, "I used to stash guys like you five fet high in Korea. Used 'em for sandbags," which only confirms that some resolve is needed. He now has a reason to do away with his bitterness and protect these kids against anyone who would do them harm. Yet unlike the typical Eastwood vengeance flick we're used to, this is as much in line with Will Munny (from "Unforgiven") in that there is a price one must pay when violence is used. Esatwood knows it would be plain stupid at his age to have Walt decimate the gangs in the hood. Instead, we're given an emotional resonance that becomes enthematic for the entire film. There's a final validation here for Walt which gives the viewer a rewarding cinematic experience.

Eastwood successfully culminates all the tough-guy characters he's known for into Walt Kowalski, an incorrigible soul who has to deal with issues of life, death, racism and salvation. While it may not be his best performance it certainly is one of his more ballsy ones. Is it a perfect script? No, not really. Are there flaws? Some. It's not a scholastic take on race relations, but newcomer Schnek understands the venomous mentality of men like Walt, who live and breathe outdated American values, only to find their faith rewarded by the degeneration of respect in the youth and the rise of foreign perspectives in their own backyard. I appreciated the fact that Eastwood used primarily first-time Hmong and Asian actors. It lended an added authenticity and naturalness to the characters that at time is jarringly noticeable but a welcome surprise nonetheless.

Like many of his smaller films (Million Dollar Baby) there's an exacted simplicity that is to be commended here. An easy-going yet purposeful filmmaking style that is long gone. At 78 years, Clint has no peer. No one else can do what he does, making him the best there is at what he does. If this is to be Eastwood's swan song as an actor (gasp!) then this is quite appropriate. For anyone who enjoys Clint's acting, his humor, his honesty and craftsmanship as a director....this is a must see.

The Skinny:

The film will see a limited release in the States on December 12th and 17th and then a wider release on January 9th, 2009.
Filmmakers chose to produce the film in the state of Michigan, being one of the first films to take advantage of the state's new law that provided lucrative incentive packages to film productions.
Filming began in July 2008;locations included Warren, Royal Oak, and Grosse Pointe Park, with work on the final cut endint in late October 2008.
Hmong crew, production assistants, consultants and extras were used.
There has been debate over the film's depiction of Hmong gang culture, with some criticizing its authenticity and fearing that the film will perpetuate stereotypes of Asian youths.
Eastwood described the character's relationship with his two prized objects (the Gran Torino and M1 rifle, "He worked on the line in the Ford plant and retired and had this one car he bought himself. It's sort of a symbol of his days with the Ford plant. The M-1 is sort of a symbol of his days in the military... He's clinging to the memory of the war. You'll find out when you see it, some of (the memories) are not as pleasant as others. That helps make him even tougher to get along with."
Of the character, Eastwood said, "He's one of these guys who finds it very hard to accept change... [and that the film] just shows how his life goes and how he gets involved with the Hmong people who are living next door."
Eastwood's starring role was his first since Million Dollar Baby in 2004.
The character of Tao is Van's first acting role and is described as "the neighborhood wimp", and the large height difference between Tao and Kowalski was a deliberate echo of the mentor relationship Kowalski has to the character. Vang said, "Tao is literally 'looking up' to [him]".
Open casting calls for Hmong actors were held in Hmong communities in Saint Paul, Fresno and Detroit. All but one of the ten Hmong leads were acting in a film for the first time, as were many of the Hmong extras.
Eastwood's son, Scott (son of flight attendant Kathryn Reeves) plays a spineless thug named Trey in a hilarious scene where Walt defends Sure from some African-American thugs.
For authenticity, Eastwood encouraged ad-libbing among the actors in the Hmong language. An authentic Hmong shaman was cast, though it was claimed his ceremonial scenes were made more exotic.
Eastwood has win Best Actor recently at the National Board of Review Awards.
Eastwood often composes music for his films and this one is no different. This time he actually sings a little of the theme song, Gran Torino, that can be heard in the final scenes.
He wrote the song, which is nominated for a Golden Globe, with his son, Kyle, Michael Stevens and singer, Jamie Cullum (who can be heard singing in at the end credits).

Eastwood talks cars and Gran Torino

REEL REVIEW: Slumdog Millionaire (2008) ****

2008-11-26T19:36:00.002-06:00

written by: Simon Beaufoy
produced by: Christian Colson
directed by: Danny Boyle

R (for some violence, disturbing images and language)
2 hrs.

I can't remember the last time a film had me so absolutely absorbed from beginning to end. "Slumdog Millionaire" is that rare film and is so far the best movie I've seen all year. It exudes such a breathless exilleration in its visual and narrative style that made it difficult for me to take my eyes off the screen. It's a classic Dickensian story of adversity told with passion and visual virility surrounded by a bleak setting occupied by some truly sadistic characters. Director Danny Boyle shows his love for the buoyant culture and life of India and it's teeming energy. Through the slums of Munbai he hits the ground running (literally) with a kinetic, addictive quality that can't be denied.

Loosely adapted for the screen from the Vikas Swarup novel "Q and A", as a searing portrait of a child's indominable will to survive and to above all else....love. It's crafted with such harrowing scenes of peril and heart-wrenching intensity, while also delivering sweet humor and tender exchanges. Eighteen year-old orphan Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), from the slums of Mumbai, is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on Kaun Banega Crorepati the Hindi version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"

Since no one has ever gone as far in the game as Jamal, he is accused of cheating, arrested and brutally interrogated by a suspicious police inspector (Irfan Kahn). In order to protect his life, Jamal must carefully explain how he came up with the answers to the challenging game show questions. He leads us through the history of his life as a "slumdog", including scenes of him as a resilient boy determined to obtain the autograph of a famous Bollywood star; the death of his mother during an anti-Muslim raid on the slums, and how he and his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) befriended an orphaned girl, Latika who becomes the object of his desire. To go into the story any further would be a disservice to those who have yet to see it (not to mention a dizzying task) as it is best to view this amazing film with little knowledge going in.

At no time does screenwriter Simon Beaufoy resort to any type of known rags-to-riches convention. In fact, as I was watching the film I couldn't help but think about what a task it must have been to write all these different time periods that revolve around Jamal in the hot seat with ubiquitous host Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor). This is a far cry from lazy storytelling. Boyle takes the machinations of a traditional tragic romance and breathes new life into expected clichés, leaning more toward the Jamal's harrowing life than his fragments of joy. It's all crammed into a sprawling story of a life lived under the foot of poverty, violence, and guilt, revolcing around a single miracle evening that could possibly produce an entire reversal of fortune.

Boyle's signature kinetic frenzy is on hand here as he wraps the viewer up in the chaotic motion of Indian street life. We're shown that the value of life is cheap, the tattered communities are built on towers of rubbish, and the citizens do the best they can. Boyle plays with time and location to a dazzling degree, keeping the viewer unsettled as the camera shadows extreme trauma of these three children. They witness horrifinh events that would scar any age and a "Oliver Twist" style exploitation from a kingpin of orphaned street beggars. Through it all, one constant remains in Jamal''s life, his connection and pursuit of Latika (Freida Pinto), whose liberation from the clutches of sexual and physical abuse becomes a personal quest for Jamal.

As a child, Jamal doesn't see Mumbai as a land of despondency, it's simply just a new land to conquer under the instruction of his brother. It's to Boyle's credit that the humor he infects in such a challenging story is cautious to progress the story instead of just play for laughs. Most notably when the boys stumble off a train and arrive at the Taj Mahal, a place they are clueless about, inadvertently becoming guides to gullible tourists while stealing their shoes for profit. While the film does have some disturbing situations, it's saved from a somber tone by Boyle's celebration of survival, backed by composer A. R. Rahman's phenomenal soundtrack of vivacious hip-hop and electronic cuts that propel the story.

It must be noted that the standoput performances are of the young children who play the three characaters that we follow. Young Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar) gets himself into some hilarious situations, where Young Salim ( Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) is forced to be too serious for his age and then there's shy and brave Young Latika (Rubiana Ali), all actors who have never acted before and you would never know. Their presence on the screen is so natural that one would think they didn't even know they were being filmed. But the true testament to their amazing work is how they respond to the dire circumstances the encounter. The best decision the film's producers made was to pluck these children from the streets of Mumbai, resulting in such distinct performances that makes the adventures and horrors they witness seem all the more real.

The final act of the film focuses inevitably on Jamal and Latika. There are moments of genuine tenderness here without resorting to pure saccharine. That's no easy task but Boyle knows that it's better to "show" than "tell" an audience what is happened to a character. Something that many directors have no patience for. It's turns out to be a perfect fit that the actors playing these two characters are both relative newcomers. Having no knowledge of any previous work, I was able to be introduced to their world without distraction and becomes absolutley involved in their longings and desires. Their relationship is surrounded by outrageous suspense especially at the end, leaving the viewer on the edge of their seat as Jamal faces down a final trivia question that could make or break his life. It's no surprise that the answer is intertwined with his life experiences but it also specifically catapults his future.

I've like most of Danny Boyle's in the past but most of all I really respect that he is a stylized director who purposely switches genres with each film. Here teamed with co-director Loveleen Tandan (whore experience as a casting director came in handy), he has really outdone himself. Delivering a somewhat unconventional love story that combines classic storytelling and filmmaking techniques with Boyle's uncanny ability to switch styles as necessary to create an innovative cinematic experience. This is by far one of the best movies of 2008 and will likely remain my personal favorite. The film is a great example of why people love movies.

The Skinny:

After failing to find a suitable actor in India, Patel was cast as the lead role, Jamal, after Boyle's daughter first saw him on the English TV show "Skins" and urged her father to take a look.
Mercedes-Benz asked that its logos be removed in scenes taking place in the slums. The company, according to Boyle, did not want to be associated with the poverty-stricken area, fearing that that might taint its image.
The actor whose autograph young Jamal gets is Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh Bachchan is a very real, and very famous Indian actor, and the original host of the Indian version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'.
Pinto graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. She modeled for two years before meeting Boyle and being cast.
Boyle considered hundreds of young male actors, though he found that Bollywood leads were generally "strong, handsome hero-types", not the personality he was looking for.
To hone the script, Beaufoy made three research trips to India and interviewed with street children, finding himself impressed with their attitudes. Swarup used many ideas from student director Asim Bhatti while working on the script.
The screenwriter said of his goal for the script, "I wanted to get (across) the sense of this huge amount of fun, laughter, chat and sense of community that is in these slums. What you pick up on is this mass of energy."
By the summer of 2006, British production companies Celador Films and Film4 invited Boyle to read the script Slumdog Millionaire. He initially hesitated since he was not interested in making a film about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Boyle soon found out that the screenwriter was Beaufoy, who had written 1997's The Full Monty, one of the director's favorite British films, and decided to revisit the script.
Boyle was impressed by how Beaufoy wove the multiple storylines from Swarup's book into one narrative, and the director decided to commit to the project.
The film was projected to cost $15 million, so Celador sought a distributor to share costs. Fox Searchlight Pictures made an initial offer that was reportedly in the $2 million range, and then Warner Independent Pictures made a $5 million offer that Fox Searchlight could not top.
Filmmakers traveled to Mumbai in September 2007 with a partial crew, and they began hiring local cast and crew for production. When preparing for filming, Boyle decided to translate nearly a third of the film's English dialogue into Hindi.
The director fibbed to Warner Independent's president that he wanted 10% of the dialogue in Hindi, and she approved of the change.
Filming locations included shooting in Mumbai's megaslum and in shantytown parts of Juhu, so filmmakers controlled the crowds by befriending onlookers.Filming began on 5 November 2007.
In a recent podcast on Creative Screenwriting, Beaufoy talked about all the child actors involved in playing the three main characters. He stated that once the producers cast them in the film, they made a deal with the families that the children's schooling would be paid for through their teen years as long as they stayed in school.
Composer A. R. Rahman planned the score over two months and completed it in two weeks.
He has stated he was aiming for "mixing modern India and the old India" with the music, but that the film and soundtrack "isn’t about India or Indian culture. The story could happen anywhere."
Boyle, who "hated sentiment" and told Rahman "Never put a cello in my film", wanted a "pulsey" score. Rahman appreciated that Boyle liked how Indian films mix music, saying the director wanted "edgy, upfront" music that did not sound suppressed.
Composing pieces to fit the images, he noted "there’s not many cues in the film. Usually a big film has 130 cues. This had just seventeen or eighteen: the end credits, beginning credits."
Describing the music as one of the parts he liked most in the film,Boyle wanted to include M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" from early on in production on the score, which appears along with an original track Rahman composed, "O...Saya," featuring Arulpragasam.
M.I.A., who Rahman described as a "powerhouse" and Boyle hailed as "a gift" to the soundtrack gave brief film notes on some scenes to Boyle upon request during editing.
The soundtrack for the film will be released via N.E.E.T. — available online on 25 November, and at record stores on 23 December.
The soundtrack has received a 2008 Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30th, 2008, where it was positively received by audiences, gaining "strong buzz".
The film also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2008, where it was "the first widely acknowledged popular success" of the festival,winning the People's Choice Award.
The film has made it on several Top 10 end of the year lists, has received various nominations and has already won various awards for writing, directing, acting and film.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/

Interview with Patel

Interview with Boyle & Beaufoy

REEL REVIEW: Son of Rambow (2008) ****

2008-04-30T19:17:00.000-05:00

rated PG-13 for violence and reckless behavior.
1 hr. 35 min.

written & directed by: Garth Jennings
produced by: Nick Goldsmith

Watching writer/director Garth Jennings new film, I couldn't help but recall the wonder and excitement I felt the first time I devoured the movies that shaped my childhood. Leaving the movie theater as a wee lad, I remember feeling as if there was no end to the movie I had just seen. It continued on in my mind, living inside me as the characters embodied my actions. I believed wholeheartedly that I could pilot a "piece of junk" through outer space with a wookie as my copilot or that I could crack a whip in search of the lost Ark. If that sounds familiar to you then this lovable film will bring you back to that time with a smile on your face and maybe even a tear in your eye.

The film takes place just outside of England in 1982, right around the time Stallone's socially-challenged Vietnam vet was introduced to cinemas. It is indeed the movie "First Blood" that brings two young boys together in an unlikely friendship. Unlikely because they are worlds apart despite living in the same town. Will Proudfoot (Bill Milner) is an introverted loner who takes refuge in drawing up an entire book of colorful stories. He lives with his mother, younger sister and grandmother who are all part of the Plymouth Brethren, a religious sect that shuns worldliness, secular music, TV and movies. Then there's freckled Lee Carter (Will Poulter), the thieving, charismatic troublemaker at Will's school. His teachers call him "the devil child" and yes he is a hellion but right away we see that he is just as endearing as Will. He lives with his much-older brother, Lawrence (Ed Westwick), unchecked and on their own while his mother lives in Spain with their stepdad. A situation ripe with mischief.

Lee runs a video piracy business at home for his brother and has secretly decided to make a home movie himself. His goal: to make it the best ever and enter it into the local young filmmaker's contest. Lee finds an awe-struck ally in the imaginative Will, who is soon recruited by Lee to be his stunt double for an action movie he is making. Once Will sees his first ever movie over at Lee's place, a pirated copy of "First Blood" well, it's all over! He becomes obsessed with all things Rambo! He imagines himself as the "Son of Rambow" (stay till the end of the credits for a funny audio clip about the title) and enthusiastically immerses himself in the character...literally. We see Will jump from heights, fall from a tree and swing into a lake all for the sake of the art. Both boys develop an indelible bond as they become amateur cinematic collaborators.

But this wouldn't be the hilarious, touching and joyous film that it is if all went well for our boys. When a busload of French exchange students are dropped off at their school, pretty boy, Didier (Jules Sitruk) enters the scene. He captivates the uniformed girls and boys with his black leather, red boots and his new wave music but provides a driving wedge between the boys when he practically takes over production. Another challenge is fellow Brethren brother Joshua (Neil Dudgeon) outing his Will's forbidden celluloid adventures while horning his way into his family, putting Will and his family in danger of expulsion. But the most heart-wrenching of challenges is of the hurt caused by the growing egos and stubborn pride of both boys. You really want them to be the best of friends and it breaks your heart when anything opposing that occurs.

Director Jennings ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") and his producing partner Nick Goldsmith really hit the jackpot finding these two non-actors as their leads. They really are perfectly cast and just flawless. I would imagine that Jennings has reels of edited film of these boys that didn't make the released cut. The supporting cast is excellent as well, particularly Jessica Hynes as Will's devoted mother who patiently tries to relate to his burgeoning backsliding. Little does she know that as much as her son wants to be a good son, he also wants to be the "Son of Rambow". Not only do the laugh-out-loud scenes make the film but the quieter, character moments add a sweet sincerity.

When I found out that the film is partly based on Jennings' own childhood experiences of filmmaking, it made me love the film all the more. No wonder the film has so much heart. It can be seen in the writing and visual storytelling which seem straight out of a fond reminiscing dream. His use of scribbly graphic animation is used wisely, not overdone but rather caters to Will's vivid imagination. The film is a wonderfully unpretentious reminder of the unlimited possibilities of make believe. The only possible way to not like this film is if you hated being a child and you hate children. It's been a long time since I sat in the theater and felt the same exuberance as the main characters but this film did just that for me.

The Skinny:

The movie was filmed in the following locations: Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK, Ashridge Park, Little Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK, Rex Cinema, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, UK & Richborough Power Station, Sandwich, Kent, England, UK
The film was shown as part of the Premieres category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was later shown at the 51st BFI London Film Festival.
The film is a project that Jennings and Goldsmith — collectively known as Hammer & Tongs — worked on for some years. Its development was interrupted when they were asked to make "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and it is their second major feature film. It was inspired by Jennings' own experiences as a child in the 1980s, when video equipment first became available to the public, and the film lovingly recreates the atmosphere of an English comprehensive school of the time, using a soundtrack of familiar and less familiar pop tracks from the era to good effect.
The film was shot primarily in the English town of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire: featuring Ashlyns School and The Rex, a recently refurbished Art Deco cinema.
The film includes a vintage clip of Jan Pinkava winning the BBC Screen Test competition.
The minor role of Danny, an acolyte of Didier, a glamorous French exchange student, is played by Stanley Kubrick's grandson, Sam Kubrick-Finney.
When Will watches the pirated version of "First Blood" that Carter illegally filmed in the cinema we see the cinema-curtains open on the film's first-credit. All films screened in British cinemas at that time would legally have to start with the British Board of Film Classification's classification certificate directly before the start of the film.
"Son of Rambow" has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences at the Sundance Festival.
The film opens on May 2nd, 2008.

Interview with Jennings & Goldsmith

80th Annual OSCAR Winners!

2008-02-25T21:50:00.000-06:00

Well, the Oscars are a wrap. I did alright with my predictions. Jason Bourne kicked my butt though. Still sore. I picked the winners for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Adapated Screenplay -- and some others. Not bad, I guess. Here are winners....

AND THE OSCAR WENT TO:

Best Picture: No Country for Old Men
Best Director: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton
Best Original Screenplay: Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old Men
Cinematography: No Country for Old Men
Film Editing: No Country for Old Men
Art Direction: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Costume Design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Original Score: Atonement
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" -- Once
Best Makeup: La Vie en Rose
Sound Editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Sound Mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Visual Effects: The Golden Compass
Best Animated Feature Film: Ratatouille
Best Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters -- Austria
Best Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side
Best Documentary Short: Freeheld
Best Live Action Short: Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)
Best Animated Short: Peter and the Wolf

What did you think about this year's Oscar winners?

I don't really feel like anyone was slighted. Best Supp. Actress was the most wide open.

Did you think Jon Stewart did a good job with the hosting?

He was great! I really enjoyed him, even better than before. Easy on the sarcasm but he did what he does and he did it well.
He kind of disappeared for the last hour, but I guess they usually do that towards the end when everyone wants to wrap it up already and get to the parties.
I loved him playing video games with that lil girl. Funny.

What were the big surprises of the night?

Just two that I can think of: Tilda Swinton and The Bourne Ultimatum wins.

Any huge disappointments?

Besides the orchestra cutting speeches short....Not really.
That Jerry Sienfeld bee thing was stupid.

Oh, and who looked awesome, and who didn't?

I thought Marion Cotillard, Julie Christie, Laura Linney, Helen Mirren and Jennifer Garner had the best looks of the night among the ladies. But other than those three....sheesh, none of the women really know how to get dressed up I guess. On the guy's side, Javier Bardem, Daniel Day-Lewis and George Clooney both looked great, and so did Denzel Washington.
Who didn't? Um, Tilda Swinton (although I like her) didn't look too flattering....I think it was the dress. All the other dresses didn't do anything for me.

Some other suprises and delights:

Best couple AND Best Moment award goes to: Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova winning for the song 'Falling Slowly' from the movie "Once".
I think I saw a ring on Marketa Irglova's left hand. Yay!
John Stewart being a gentleman and bringing back Marketa Irglova to make her great acceptance speech. Yay!
Brad Bird winning for "Ratatouille"! I love Mr. Bird.
"Atonement" and "Juno" only winning one award each.
Scorcese's eyebrows always make me feel better about my own.
Seeing Diablo Cody next to Harrison Ford was funny. Surreal.

Okay so, time for your thoughts on Hollywood's big night -- discuss away!

click here to read what happened just offstage

National Lampoon's Animal House 30 year Reunion screening!

2008-02-25T15:17:00.003-06:00

I was reading the Friday newspaper yesterday and I came across an local event taking place this weekend that I realized I just had to experience. No, it had nothing to do with the Oscars but it did have to do with the movies. It was a cast reunion and screening of "National Lampoon's Animal House", the classic comedy film from 1978. I had never seen it in a theater, I think my first time seeing the film was on Betamax with my father and cousin. they loved that movie to the point of memorization. So, I thought it'd be cool to see the movie that introduced me to characters like Otter, Boon, Neidermeyer, D-Day and of course John Belushi as John 'Bluto' Blutarsky.

For those of you unfamilar with the film, it's basically a college party film that takes place in 1962. It's about a misfit group of Delta House fraternity boys who take on the system at their Faber College. The movie was adapted by Douglas Kenney, Christopher Miller and Harold Ramis Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at Dartmouth College, Ramis's experiences in the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity at Washington University in St. Louis, and published in National Lampoon magazine. It was directed by John Landis.

The film starred: Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert, Tom Hulce, Belushi, James Widdoes, Stephen Furst, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Mark Metcalf, Martha Smith, and introduced moviegoers to Kevin Bacon and Karen Allen. And that's why I just had to attend this event today! I just had to meet Karen Allen in person. Why? Because the next big movie she was in after this one happens to be one of my all-time favorite "Raiders of the Lost Ark"! There's no way I could pass up meeting Marion Ravenwood in person! She and five other cast members: Peter Riegert, Stephen Furst, Mark Metcalf, Martha Smith and Otis Day were gonna be at the Hollywood Blvd. movie theater in Woodridge, IL (a suburb of Chicago) all weekend. Before the screening of the film, they would appear for signings in the lobby and then for a Q&A in the actual theater.

My friend Mike and I went to the 4pm showing that cost only $6.00. Pretty nice. The actors showed up around 3pm to a packed house for their for signing. all I cared about was meeting Karen Allen. She was the last to arrive and let me tell you that her smile is even more wonderful in person. There were three photos to choose from for her to sign on the table in front of her. each signature cost $20 (that's for any of the actors! Sheesh!) but Allen is well-worth it to me. I had her sign a photo of her as Marion from "Raiders" and she singed it "To David, All the Best, Karen Allen" which made me gush.

As she signed, I told her I really enjoyed a movie she was in back in 1993 called "King of the Hill" a little-seen film directed by Steven Soderbergh. She stopped writing and her eyes lit up as she shared that that was one of the favorites as well. Mike took some pics of her at the table (as did I) and she was kind enough to agree to have one taken with me. I'm blurry but who cares....it's Karen Allen. She doesn't look 54 at all! As I left, I thanked her and told her I was looking forward to May 22nd!

This theater is kinda original in that it is one of the few that serve food and alcohol in both the lobby and in the theater. Inside the theater, there are office lounge chairs positioned in rows in front of long bar-like tables, some also suround round tables. Servers come by before the film starts to take your order from a menu that has just about any kind of food or drink imaginable. We sat down in the second row with a bucket of beer while we awaited the Q&A. The theatre was very decorative (a lil too gaudy but that's the look they're going for I suppose) and had vintage movie posters all over the walls.

Once the actors arrived, they sat down in chairs below the screen and answered audience questions. They started out with all of them going around answering the host's question. He asks them all what their favorite line from the movie is. Karen Allen stated hers was, "I think I'm in love with a retard." All of them seemed happy to be up there for the Q&A, they seemed to be enjoying themselves with Riegert and Furst being the funniest. As they closed, the Q&A, the host had all of them go around and tell us what they were currently working on. Mark Metcalf (Neidermeyer) runs a restaurant called Libby Montana's near Milwaukee, WI. Stephen Furst (Flounder) is producing a film based on a Jodi Piccoult novel starring Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin and Abigail Breslin. Martha Smith listed off some forgettable direct-to-DVD film she was in recently. Karen Allen mentioned her own textile company called Karen Allen Fiber Arts and of course she mentioned her reprising role as Marion in the new Indiana Jones movie (for which they crowd cheered). Peter Riegert stated he was in between jobs and had directed a film not too long ago. And Otis Day said he is still touring and he has a film coming out called "Otis Day and the Nights: Band on the Run".

Karen Allen is the first to take the stage!

The cast is seated for the Q&A (from left to right: Mark Metcalf, Stephen Furst, Martha Smith, Karen Allen, Peter Riegert, and Otis Day)

Metcalf gets help from Furst re-enacting

his favorite line from the film, "Are those pledge pins?!?!"

Neidermeyer and Flounder together again!

After the Q&A was over, it was time for the cast to leave for the theater next door for another panel and screening. I clapped with everyone else and watched as that Karen Allen smile walked right past me, knowing that the next time I see her she'll be with Indiana Jones. Sigh. So, we watched "Animal House" which was fun to watch in an evironment where everyone knew it by heart and were singing and shouting out lines. Overall, it was just a very cool experience to watch a movie 30 years-old right after seeing some of the cast. I was totally geeked to meet Karen Allen....can ya tell?

2007 OSCARS: The "Should" & "Will" wins....

2008-02-23T20:51:00.003-06:00

I feel it's been a great year for films and it's that time of year again. The Oscars are this weekend and I know I haven't really shared much about the nominees. Well, here's a look at who I think should win and who I think will win. That's right, what you see below in the red is who I think should win and what you see in purple is who I think will win. If there is just red, then that's who I think should and will win. I'll be sittin' on the couch at home with my wife come Sunday night talkin' it all in.

Best Picture
Atonement
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Juno

I haven't seen "Atonement"or "Michael Clayton" yet and I know they're great but they're just not Best Picture ths year. "Juno", while a quirky lil gem that has become huge and could be this year's suprise, just hasn't really remained with me after watching it a month ago. It was some great performances and is well-written and directed but I didn't find it terribly unique. It's really between "No "Country"and "Blood" and I think it will go to "No Country" due to the variety of solid performances, great cinematography and screenplay. The Coen brothers have had a well-deserved fan following for some time and it'd be great to see them get the gold.

Best Director
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Jason Reitman - Juno
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Usually this category is a shoe-in to match the Best Picture category. It is given out before the Best Picture win, so it usually is a precursor but sometimes the talent of the director overshadows the film. Not in this case. I think the Coens will take it. They made an excelent film that didn't necessarily feel like a "Coen brothers" film. Plus, the Coens won the Directors Guild Award last month, and that winner automatically becomes the Oscar front-runner.

Best Actor
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tommy Lee Jones - In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Now I know this will likely go to Day-Lewis but I think Tommy Lee Jones really did his best work yet in this film. Check it out here

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose
Ellen Page - Juno
Laura Linney - The Savages

I know everyone's rootin' for Page but I just can't see it. He performance was great and all but it didn't really stay with me. I think Christie could win for her graceful performance as a woman dealing with Alzheimer's. But after seeing Cotillard's work....whoa. She was simply mesmerizing. Check it out here

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Well, this is kind of a lock. Bardem did an amazing job as the Buster Brown, neo-Western Terminator. While, it'd be great to see Holbrook get it since he's never won an Oscar, I think it'll go to Bardem.

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There
Ruby Dee - American Gangster'
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

I think it's between Blanchett and Ryan. I'd be happy with either. I dunno even know if Blanchett will be there seeing as how she's like 7 mths. pregnant. Ruby Dee could snatch this one right out from under these two but I dunno. This category is usually the first acting category awarded and it's always up in the air.

Best Animated Feature Film
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's up

I've only seen "Ratatouille" and I know for certain it will win, hands down. I'm looking forward to director Brad Bird's speech.

Best Foreign Film
'Counterfeiters' (Austria)
'Beaufort' (Israel)
'Katyn' (Poland)
'Mongol' (Kazakhstan)
'12' (Russia)

I chose the film from Austria cuz the trailer looks good. Check it out here

Best Original Screenplay
Juno - Diablo Cody
Lars and the Real Girl - Nancy Oliver
Michael Clayton - Tony Gilroy
Ratatouille - Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco & Brad Bird
The Savages - Tamara Jenkins

Well, this one's kind of a no-brainer. I have a feeling this 'critical darling' will only win this award. I'd have no problem with that. Cody's quirky, clever and real script is at times a bit to excessive in the pop-culture reference but there is still plenty of real characterization going on and for a comedic drama, that's rare.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Atonement - Christopher Hampton
Away from Her - Sarah Polley
'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' - Ronald Harwood
No Country for Old Men - Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
'There Will Be Blood' - Paul Thomas Anderson

Polley did a fantastic job with Away from Her but with her directorial debut, it's just great to get the nom. It's hard enough to write a good screenplay but adapting an already published work that may have a built-in fanbase must be even more difficult. I give it to "No County"cuz there were some really great lines with some clever dialogue.

Best Documentary Feature
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

I've only seen "Sicko"and it was fine but not really worthy of a nomination. There are two other docs that got snubbed, In the Shadow of the Moon and The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters but that's the way it goes. I'd like to see Taxi to the Dark Side win. It looks harrowing, compelling and something a subject that hasn't been covered. It's a documentary murder mystery that examines the death of an Afghan taxi driver at Bagram Air Base from injuries inflicted by U.S. soldiers. In an unflinching look at the Bush administration's policy on torture, the filmmaker behind Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room takes us from a village in Afghanistan to Guantanamo and straight to the White House.

Best Original Score
Atonement - Dario Marianelli
The Kite Runner - Alberto Iglesias
Michael Clayton - James Newton Howard
Ratatouille - Michael Giacchino
3:10 to Yuma - Marco Beltrami

It would be awesome if a Pixar film won this category. The score of their films always raise it's level of entertainment. Plus, Micahel Giacchino has worked magic on both Alias and Lost. I'd love for him to get it. It'll go to "Atonement" cuz I think that's the only award it will get.

Best Original Song
Falling Slowly - Once
Happy Working Song - Enchanted
Raise It Up - August Rush
So Close - Enchanted
That's How You Know - Enchanted

Let me just say that if "Once" doesn't take it, it will ruin my evening. Knowing how Oscar usually treats this category, I bet the film won't win but it'd be a welcome surprise.

Best Film Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum - Christopher Rouse
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Juliette Welfling
Into the Wild - Jay Cassidy
No Country for Old Men - Roderick Jaynes
There Will Be Blood - Dylan Tichenor

There was a lot of quick shots to work through in "No Country" and smooth transitions were key.

Best Documentary - Short Subject
Freeheld - Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
'La Corona (The Crown) - Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
Salim Baba - Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
Sari's Mother - James Longley

I have no idea but this sounded fun.

Best Cinematography
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Roger Deakins
Atonement - Seamus McGarvey
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Janusz Kaminski
No Country for Old Men - Roger Deakins
There Will Be Blood - Robert Elswit

There's some talented nominees here but there's a reason veteran Roger deakins is nominated twice. He's just that good. He's worked with the Coens before and with "No Country" he's working with wide-open Texas landscapes and tight interior shots. Every inch of the film looks good.

Best Costume Design
Across the Universe - Albert Wolsky
Atonement - Jacqueline Durran
Elizabeth: The Golden Age - Alexandra Byrne
La Vie en Rose - Marit Allen
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Colleen Atwood

I know most of the films that usually win this category are period pieces and that Colleen Atwood has won numerous times already but "La Vie En Rose" stand out to me in it's simplicity.

Best Sound Mixing
The Bourne Ultimatum - Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
No Country for Old Men - Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
Ratatouille - Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
3:10 to Yuma - Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
Transformers - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin

This may just be another category that "No Country"takes but I can't help but thinking of all that noise that went on in that French kitchen in Paris. All that stirring and shaking and slurping really gave that film a kinectic feel.

Best Sound Editing
The Bourne Ultimatum - Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
No Country for Old Men - Skip Lievsay
Ratatouille - Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
There Will Be Blood - Matthew Wood
Transformers - Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins

You know the familar sound of them robots 'transformin' back and forth is just too cool, right? Come on, you know it.

Best Live Action Short Film
'At Night'
'Il Supplente (The Substitute)'
'Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)'
'Tanghi Argentini'
'The Tonto Woman'

I saw all of these and have discussed them here

Best Animated Short Film
'I Met the Walrus'
'Madame Tutli-Putli'
'Même les Pigeons vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go To Heaven)'
'My Love (Moya Lyubov)'
'Peter & the Wolf'

Dunno if I'll get to see any of these but I like the title of this one. I know, real deep.

Best Makeup
La Vie en Rose - Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
Norbit - Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Ve Neill and Martin Samuel

I asked some co-workers if they saw "Norbit" (knowing they probably have) and sure enough they did. I asked them if they were offended by the film. No, they weren't. I asked them if they think Eddie Murphy should hang it up. No, they don't mind him. I asked them if Murphy should at least scale down his roles per film to maybe....one. They agreed. When I told them "Norbit" was nominated for an Oscar one of them was shocked, "For what?" she asked. I told her it was for makeup, to which she replies, "Why? Everyone knew it was him! Yeah. While I think the make up was great on "Pirates"I still think the highlight of that movie was the visual effects. A film with great make-up work doesn't have to involve much, sometimes if it serves the character and the story well, it's rarely noticed and it helps the actor transform seamlessly. That's the case with "La Vie En Rose".

Best Art Direction
American Gangster - Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
Atonement - Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
The Golden Compass - Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
There Will Be Blood - Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson

While all of these movies looked good and I haven't seen all of them, I would say that the overall look of "There Will Be Blood" was as much a star of the film as the actors. You really felt like you were in a dusty, dry landscape with sweaty, bloody and oily drenched actors. That had to do with the look of the film.

Best Visual Effects
The Golden Compass - Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
Transformers - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier

I'm not a huge fan of any of these films but I do kow what Iike in Visual Effects. I like to be watching a film and not even think that I'm seeing any visual effect. I didn't see "The Golden Compass" yet but I know it has fantasy characters that need CGI in order to make them interact and believable. Obviously I know there's a need for CGI when bringing robots to life but I guess for me the most convincing F/X are the ones where I'm not really even noticing them, where the entire world created is touched by them but not overwhelmed by them.
That's why I chose the pirate world. From Davey Jones to the surreal multiple Jack Sparrows this one did it for me. It left me with the most memorable visual effects. Still, I bet the voters will give it to those oversized robots.

ONCE AGAIN, MY PICKS FOR WHO WILL WIN ARE:

Best Picture: No Country for Old MenBest Director: Joel Coen & Ethan CoenBest Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be BloodBest Actress: Marion Cotillard in La Vie en RoseBest Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem in No Country for Old MenBest Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan in Gone Baby GoneBest Original Screenplay: JunoBest Adapted Screenplay: No Country for Old MenCinematography: No Country for Old MenFilm Editing: No Country for Old MenArt Direction: There Will Be BloodCostume Design: Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetOriginal Score: AtonementOriginal Song: "Falling Slowly" -- OnceBest Makeup: La Vie en RoseSound Editing: No Country for Old MenSound Mixing: No Country for Old MenBest Visual Effects: TransformersBest Animated Feature Film: RatatouilleBest Foreign Language Film: The Counterfeiters -- AustriaBest Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark SideBest Documentary Short: Salim BabaBest Live Action Short: Tanghi ArgentiniBest Animated Short: Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis

REEL REVIEW: 2007 Oscar-nominated Live Action Shorts

2008-02-19T15:34:00.004-06:00

The Oscars are upon us and this year I was able to do something for the first time in preparation for next Sunday night. I was actually able to go out and watch all five nominated Live Action Short Films. Last Friday, in a bizarre reversal, my wife and I had to cancel our babysitter due to my wife's migraine. So after our daughter was down for the night, I wound up going out to the movies with our babysitter. Before you get any ideas, it helps to know a little more. I had a greenlight from my wife, our babysitter is a good friend from church and she's around my mother's age. Paulette is an actress friend who shares the same passion for film that I do and we decided to make the most of the evening and head on over to the Landmark Theatres where both the Live Action and the Animated Short Films are showing.

Every time I watch the Oscars I have no idea what any of those Short Films are about. This time I'll at least know what the Live Action nominees are. All five films were shown for a regular $10.00 admission price. With all films being as great as they were, we definitely got our money's worth (well, Paulette's money's worth since she wound up treating me for my birthday). Alright, I'll look at all the nominees and then I'll let you in on my criteria for a good short film.

The 2008 Academy Award nominees for the category of Live Action Short are as follows and in order of appearance....

Tanghi Argentini - Belgium (2006) ****

written by: Anja Daelemans

directed by: Guido Thys

unrated

14 min.

language: Dutch

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY:

This is the first Academy Award nomination for Guido Thys.
This is the second Academy Award nomination for Anja Daelemans.
She was previously nominated for:

FAIT D'HIVER (2002) -- Nominee, Short Film (Live Action)

FILM SYNOPSIS:

An office clerk with a desire and need to tango enlists the support of a workplace colleague as he prepares for a date.

That's the only description listed for this gem and that's all I'm gonna give. This short was just that....short yet lacking nothing. If you ever get the chance to see it, you'll see what a clever, funny and refreshingly sweet story.

At Night - Denmark (2007) ***

written & directed by: Christian E. Christiansen

produced by: Louise Vesth

unrated

39 min.

language: Danish

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY:

These are the first Academy Award nominations for Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

The time is Christmas and New Year. Three girls between 18 and 20, are hospitalized with cancer. All three of them have serious problems, not just in terms of health, but also in terms of their relationships with their nearest and dearest. The girls find a haven in each other's company, where they are free from the fear of death and loneliness. A substantial part of the film describes their sense of humor, unrestrained candidness and uncompromising zest for life.

Truly a remarkable accomplishment in writing, acting and overall design. It's a real subject that has touched everyone at some point in life and this is a great look at three young woman who turn to each other for support and love as they face an uncertain future. Very moving but the longest short of the bunch (more on that later).

Il Supplente - The Substitute - Italy (2006) ***

directed by: Andrea Jublin

language: Italian
unrated

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY:

This is the first Academy Award nomination for Andrea Jublin.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

The arrival of an unusual newcomer galvanizes the students in a high school classroom.

This was the movie that got Paulette and I bustin' with laughter. It had a hilariously unexpected story that seemed almost improvisational. Not surprising at all that this came from Italy seeing as how most comedy that I see coming from that country is very funny while often making a poignant claim about society. A little disjointed at times but it succeeds nonetheless.

The Tonto Woman - United Kingdom (2007) ****

written by: Joe Shrapnel

produced by: Matthew Brown

directed by: Daniel Barber

unrated

35 minutes

language: English

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY:

These are the first Academy Award nominations for Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, a cattle rustler named Ruben Vega (Francesco Quinn, yes, that's Anthony's son) discovers a woman named Sarah (Charlotte Asprey) living in isolation in a desert shack after being held captive for eleven years by the Mojave Indians. Intrigued by her solitary existence, he sets out to find why she lives in such an inhospitable place. He uncovers a tale of kidnapping, betrayal and of a woman discarded by society. This is the story of a woman who comes to realize she can regain control of her life and decide her own destiny.

This was the most beautiful looking film of them all. While I may be a lil biased cuz of my love for a good western, the wide-open vistas of the dry landscape (filmed primarily in Spain) was breathtaking. It was a nice switch to see such a strong female character in a western short. It was one of the films that I really wanted to see more of, which is good and bad (more on that later as well).

Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets) - France (2006) ***

written & directed by: Philippe Pollet-Villard

unrated

31 min.

language: French

ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY:

This is the first Academy Award nomination for Philippe Pollet-Villard.

FILM SYNOPSIS:

A pair of unlucky thieves find their fortunes have changed when they take in a deaf homeless boy.

Another hilarious short as you can tell by the above sentence. The film almost knows it's clever and a bit too cute for it's own good. Still, it's undeniably endearing and wacky.

One thing that stood out to both Paulette and myself even while we were in the theatre, is that these movies weren't all that short. Now, I think of a Live Action Short as being about 15-20 minutes max. Now none of them were bad, it's just that when you're sitting in a theatre watching a short and you find yourself invested in the characters after 20 minutes past, you start to wonder (well, at least I did) when this film will end. Just how "short" is this Short?

I tried to find out on Wikipedia, which only told me the following history....

This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate awards, "Short Subjects, one-reel" and "Short Subjects, two-reel". A third category "Short Subjects, color" was used only for 1936 and 1937. From the initiation of short subject awards for 1932 until 1935 the terms were "Short Subjects, comedy" and "Short subjects, novelty".

....hmmm, well that didn't help. No real description as to what (if any) are the time requirements of a Live Action Short Film. Is that a big deal though?

Well, yeah it became one for us as we discussed which one would be the best contender for Oscar winner. With that in mind and after much mulling, I came up with some criteria in order to ascertain a standout nominee. Since these films are called "Shorts" then a successful one should adhere to that. Crazy, I know.

A short film should be relatively short (15-20 minutes is decent to me) and not leaving you wanting more. The film gives just enough characterization and story that when it comes time for an end....you're not wishing it would continue. I mean that in the best way possible. You are content with the lil gem you were given. The problem I found with "At Night" and "The Tonto Woman" was that they were not only too long for me but they were so good that I wanted more. Say What? How is that a problem? Well, that doesn't fit the criteria I mentioned above. These two shorts were wonderfully done, unique dramas yet I woulda been fine seeing in a full feature format. The ones from Italy and France were a bit too cutesy for me. Although I laughed out loud more than once while watching these two yet it still didn't hold up to the surprising sweetness of "Tanghi Argentini".

Therefore, my pic would be the entry from Belgium. It may not be my favorite of the five but it did meet the critieria that we came up with. It'll be interesting to see what short is picked as the winner.

Cinematical's review of All the Oscar-nominated Shorts

REEL REVIEW: The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) ***

2008-02-15T00:16:00.006-06:00

PG (for scary creature action and violence, peril and some thematic elements)
approx. 1 hr. 30 min.

written by: David Berenbaum (adaptation), Karey Kirkpatrick (screenplay) & John Sayles (2nd rewrite) based on source material by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi (from children's book series: "The Spiderwick Chronicles")
produced by: Mark Canton. Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Larry J. Franco & Karey Kirkpatrick
directed by: Mark Waters

Well look at that! English actor Freddie Highmore turns sweet 16 today on Valentine's Day and what is he doing to celebrate? He's got a new film coming out called "The Spiderwick Chronicles"! Not every 16 year-old can claim that! Pretty cool, huh? I guess I celebrated early with him by seeing a screening the other night of this film. It's based on Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi's bestselling children's book series of the same name. I never read them and probably never will but I did enjoy the movie plenty. I felt like a lil kid again watching magical movies like "The Neverending Story" or "Labryinth". It was a welcome break from the moody, serious fare that I've taken in recently. Although, the story has it's share of thrills, humor, slime and wonder, it's no lightweight.

The story opens up with a frantic man holed up in a cob-webbed attic of a large house in the surrounded by a howling forest. He's fumbling through this large old book full of what appears to be his own writings of instructions and maps as well as drawings of creatures and fairies. It appears he's in what looks to be a study full of shelves, books, desks, creepy-crawlie things in jars and papers with pinned butterflies. He sits in his chair reasonably spooked by the wild sound in the distance as he closes his book with a wax seal, obviously determined that no one opens it again as he wraps it up and locks it in a chest.

Eighty years later, the large house is still there and we just know that book will be opened by someone in the SUV that's pulling up the drive. Soon enough, the Grace family is introduced and we see that the film will revolve around the three children. There's Jared and his twin brother, Simon (both played by Highmore), their older teen sister, Mallory (the wonderful Sarah Bolger) and their recently separated mother, Helen (Mary Louise Parker) all of them are starting anew here after moving from New York. Strange things start to occur and at first Jared gets the blame as he's the one who usually gets into the most trouble. He insists what he hears crawling in the walls is not his imagination nor his own doing but no one believes him.

Jared is that misunderstood and often unappreciated child often seen stuck in a family on the verge of breaking. He blames his mother for his parents' failing marriage and wants to move in with his dad. His frustration though is derailed by whatever is stirring in the house and once he follows the curious trail up into that old attic, we know something will be found.

Jared finds a key that opens a certain trunk and a book written by his great-uncle Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn). The book is Spiderwick's "Field Guide to the Fantasy World" and it is indeed the book that was desperately locked away eighty years ago. Well, we know how curious young boys can be, especially ones that are short-tempered and adventurous. Does he take heed of the note attached to the book warning anyone not to open the book? Of course not, instead Jared finds that the book is crammed with all sorts of information about faeries, brownies, boggarts, goblins, trolls, and a big ogre named Mulgarath.

Little does Jared know that after he broke the seal on that book, it's existence is made known to all those magical beings in the forest surrounding the house. The one who will do anything to get his crawls on it is Mulgarath (played with Nick Nolte looking like he did in that DUI pic) and we don't even really need to know why cuz he is the baddie who can take on all shapes and sizes. All we're told is that if the book falls into his possession all that exists is doomed. That's reason enough to keep the book safe. Common sense right? If you wanna live keep the book away from anybody. But then again it is in the hands if a curious young boy who has no clue that cuz scent of the book is in the air and Mulgarath's goblins are in hot pursuit.

Jared doesn't find out all this just by reading the book. The keeper of the book turns out to be a brownie named Thimbletack (voiced by Martin Short). No, not a chocolicious treat but a fat lil rodent-looking creature who was pals with Spiderwick back in the day. He tells Jared as long as the book stays with them in the protective circle around the house that Spiderwick conjured up, they'll be safe. But children don't stay within a magical protective circle for long and pretty soon all mayhem breaks loose with the children running from trolls and goblins while unsuccessfully trying to keep the book in one piece.

The children aren't alone in their desperate attempt to keep the book intact and the,selves alive. They get some assistance from Hogsqueal (hilariously voiced by Seth Rogen), a "hog-goblin" wanting Mulgarath dead for the killing of his family yet gets distracting while trying to eat birds. They also seek the help of the house's previous inhabitant, their poor Aunt Lucinda (Joan Plowright) who grew up without her father (yes, Spiderwick) due to his obsession with all things magical. Now she's living in the local looney home on account of her talk of goblins and ogres. It probably didn't help that she had piles of salt on the window sills and a stockpile of honey, oatmeal and tomato sauce. Yeah. But once she realizes what Jared has done, she tells him there's only one thing he can do and that's find her father, who she believes is still alive in some fairy land and have him destroy the book.

As I mentioned I haven't read the book and was unaware of what exactly there about before I saw this film. While I feel it was while written, I do wonder where the screenwriters pulled a lame subplot of two dead-beat fathers from. I know it's my own personal gripe, but I didn't like seeing Jared heartbroken when his sister had to break it to him that his father (a brief cameo by Andrew McCarthy) has left the family form some chick in the city. I also didn't like seeing Spiderwick unintentionally spend all his life consumed by his mythical world while his daughter grew old without him around for eighty-something years. I know all families have their dysfunction but the film didn't seem to show any men in a good light. But that's really my only problem with a film that delivers some solid fantasy entertainment.

Veteran designer Phil Tippett and ILM do an amazing job on all the CGI and creature effects. None of it really felt like the actors were working with effects and that's kinda rare nowadays. I was kinda surprised at the PG rating of the film. Parents might wanna gauge whether or not their child can handle some of these scares but then again if they are already reading these books then they might be prepared for what's creeping around the corner.

Although I knew he was a talented actor, I was still surprised by Highmore's work here. I didn't even know till the end credits that he played both brothers. Both brothers personalities were evidently different which must of made it more attractive for Highmore. In fact, the entire cast did an excellent job with the material they were given, adding enough subtle characterization to come through. It's easy to expect some overacting in this kind of story but I really didn't see any here.

It seems director Mark Waters ("Freaky Friday" & "Mean Girls") has made a fun movie that doesn't condescend the viewer or over-complicate the story. There are so many series of children's books currently being adapted that it might as well become it's own film genre. I didn't plan on seeing this one at all but I'm glad I landed some screening passes and was able to experience a movie that served a mixture of humor, slimy thrills and excitement. It'd be great if this film would serve as a warning for children not to open books that have notes warning not to do so but I doubt they will glean that. They will likely leave the theatre satisfied with a thrilling fantasy that made them jump, laugh and maybe even shed a tear. In fact, kids of all ages can kick back and enjoy a rare experience at the movies....fun!

The Skinny:

This marks the second time Martin Short has played a character in a Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies film, previously playing Ooblar the Yolkian in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
This was Nick Nolte's second family film to be released by Paramount Pictures. In 2006, the first being Over the Hedge, which was made by DreamWorks Animation. Paramount had distributed the film as a result of its acquisition of DreamWorks, whose animation division became its own company in late 2004.
Arthur Spiderwick is Jared Grace's great-great-uncle (which is a misnomer since the relationship is really known as "great-granduncle"), but Lucinda Spiderwick, Arthur's daughter, is described as a great-aunt (which similarly should be called "grandaunt") when, in fact, the daughter of one's great-granduncle would really be one's First Cousin Twice Removed.

The Cast and Creators of "The Spiderwick Chronicles"

The Effects of "The Spiderwick Chronicles"

Interview with Sarah Bolger

Interview with Mark Waters

It's here! NEW Indiana Jones trailer!

2008-02-14T08:16:00.007-06:00

.....THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES!

Watch the Trailer on Yahoo! Movies

REEL REVIEW: Rambo (2008) ***

2008-01-28T07:44:00.000-06:00

rated R (for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images and language)
1 hr. 33 min.

written by: Art Monterastelli & Sylvester Stallone (from source material by David Morrell)
produced by: Avi Lerner & Kevin King
directed by: Sylvester Stallone

Let's get this outta the way right from the start. I like the Rambo films. It's not a guilty pleasure either or cuz I particularly like violent films. I like them solely because it's one man taking on injustice and the violent atrocities of man. I'll admit, the character of Rambo become more and more out-of-control as the sequels were released. He became more and more buff, put in impossibly outnumbered combat situations and escaped certain death countless times. The icon of Rambo became crazy with all the political mumbo-jumbo of the Reagan surrounding the second sequel, "First Blood: Rambo Part II", not to mention all the merchandise like action figures and cartoons. Ugh! Everything about the character got out-of-hand. No wonder everyone made fun of Stallone for his muscle-bound, seemingly muscle-headed role.

Still, "First Blood", the first Rambo move was awesome! I was a lil over 10 years-old when I finally saw that 1982 film (unbeknownst to my mother) and it certainly left an impression on me. It was the action but soon after I realized Rambo's sensitive backstory. Yes, I included sensitive and Rambo in the same sentence. Here was a decorated Vietnam veteran, whose war buddies were all dead and found no place or function in society. He was trained by his country to be the ultimate weapon, the perfect warrior, but came to realize he had no place in his country anymore. It was one of the first movies where you saw a veteran at war with his own country. That still is a cool concept for me.

Unfortunately, what began as a franchise of high adventure and sympathy for the underdog and the veteran protagonist became a feral cartoon. Now, 20 years later, "Rambo" comes full circle finding its rightful home in utter bloody chaos. We find John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) in Thailand where he was at the start "Rambo III" working as a boatman and snake wrangler. He's away from America, away from any politics and trying to lead a life of solitude while evading his demons. A group of Christian missionaries find the battle-scarred loner and ask him to drive them up the river to the heart of the Burmese civil war in order for them to deliver some hope to the villagers there. Rambo know better, he knows without weapons the war zone up north will not change despite anyone's good intentions and actions.

Rambo knows this and director Stallone shows us in the beginning previous scenes the atrocities of the Burmese military committed onto their own people. Villagers are mutilated and beheaded while a truckload of villagers are forced to walk in a swampy mindfield while the Burmese soldiers place bets on who might survive. When the movie title appears in blood red, we know that these oppressed people will have their rescuer and the dead will be avenged. But right now Rambo's not budging. He turned down the request of missionary leader Michael (Paul Schulze) which gives his spirited girlfriend (the only gal in the group) a chance to persuade the hulking loner. Either something she says stirs him or he just hasn't seen a cute blonde like Sarah (Julie Benz) in quite a while cuz we next a reluctant Rambo steering the group up the river.

On their way, the group witness how dangerous both the river is and their quite guide, as they see how Rambo deals with pirates. This doesn't sit well with Michael and once they arrive he lets Rambo know he won't be needed on the way back as they plan on returning by land. Returning home alone, a conflicted Rambo thinks about what Sarah told him about making a difference in people's lives while wrestling with what he is, a warrior. When he's visited by a Colorado church pastor (Ken Howard) he knows the missionaries are in trouble. He asks Rambo to lead a group of mercenaries he's hired (wuh?) to the village to rescue them cuz communication has been cut off and we know why. We were shown the vicious Burmese military obliterate the village where the missionaries are, cutting an unbelievable path of genocide. Woman are beaten and raped, limbs are cut off, children are stabbed or shot at point blank and thrown into a fire if their not old enough to join the military. Bodies explode near the missionaries as the try to evade death or capture. Amid the carnage, Sarah and Michael and another missionary are captured and taken away.

This leaves Rambo in a position to turn his back or assume his psychologically tattered solider mentality and launch into battle once again. Of course, it's obvious what he does. He does what he does best and he doesn't allow a band of mouth mercs get in his way. These mercenaries don't know what to make of Rambo until they actually see him in action and then they follow his lead. Yes, once Rambo turns on his military mojo the film goes crazy! It explodes with a hurricane of aggression aimed directly at those clueless Burmese soldiers. Wave after wave of bloody fury assault us as Rambo turns predator in a very dynamic manner that explodes across the screen with all the horror and fist-pumping that is expecting in franchise. Stallone serves up an insane amount of gore in the film's finale (amplified with rickety CGI), and I gotta say I commend him for the the fearlessness of the realism of it all. Sure, it's uneasy to look at, it's assaulting after all. But Stallone has built up the enemies despicable actions enough where you just hold on in your seat and go along with him.

This is probably the first Rambo movie where you really feel what it would be like in the heat of battle. There's no shirtless, slo-mo shots (thank you!) with Rambo jumping over a gorge with a blasting M60. Stallone is going for the heart of darkness here, exhibiting this decades long civil war that most don't know about on very realistic terms, stunning viewers with real depictions of death and carnage. He's said in interviews that if he were to do another Rambo film, it would have to be socially relevant to some existing injustice. This film doesn't recoil from any of it, displaying a gruesome rain of death and unspeakable acts of violation. It's a bleak perspective and Stallone perhaps distances himself from the mindless body count craziness of the two earlier films by coming closer to authenticity. It still may seem overboard to some, but putting the viewer in the middle of pure hell really drives home a vivid theme about the futility of peace and war. Fighting slaughter with slaughter is exhilarating, but Stallone shows us there's an unavoidable price to pay.

Unlike Stallone's return to his other iconic character in 2006's "Rocky Balboa", this film isn't about healing any old wounds nor is it necessarily a return to the melodrama underneath the first Rambo film. It's not the superficial action romp that most have come to associate with the character either. It seems Stallone is hungry to prove a point this time around, and he unleashes a torrent of violence in a manner that's just plain berserk. It cannot be stressed enough: "Rambo" is a monumentally vicious film. Is it odd to see a hulking Stallone in his 60's run through the jungle like a runaway rhino? Nope. I like the idea of him not being the lean machine he once was and I find that time away from the character can bring an added dimension to the role.
There's a lotta talk about how absurd it is for actors at this age returning to such physical roles but this is nothing new in cinema. John Wayne did it, so did Lee Marvin and James Coburn, why not Sly? After all, coming back to what became such a cartoon character at this age brings about a needed maturity.

It seems that during this considerable downtime, Stallone has reassessed his work as John Rambo and his iconic screen history, and is comfortable raging again in this ruthless exclamation point on a surreal series of films. The film concludes Rambo's mournful journey well enough for me although it was way too short. Still, I'd be fine with it finally ending here. Then again, studio head Harvey Weinstein is quoted as liking the opening weekend numbers, so he might be pushing Stallone for another one. That'd be a mistake but a part of me would be curious. Stallone is far from my favorite actor but I do like the guy. He's funny, intelligent, self-deprecating and humble. I know....you're stunned.

The Skinny:

James Brolin was attached to play the Col. Samuel Trautman role after Richard Crenna died in 2003, but the role was written out of the script.
Stallone originally set out to make this film before Rocky Balboa (2006), but Rocky got green-lighted by MGM, and he had to put Rambo on hold.
This is the first Rambo film to be directed by Sylvester Stallone.
This is the first Rambo film without Crenna, who portrays Col. Sam Trautman in the three previous films.
This is the first Rambo film without a score composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who died in 2004.
The most recent installment of the Rambo franchise has undergone many name changes during pre-release, and has been known as the following: Rambo IV, Rambo IV: In the Serpent's Eye, Rambo IV: Pearl of the Cobra, Rambo IV: Live for Nothing or Die for Something, Rambo: To Hell and Back and John Rambo - Mirroring the final installment of the Rocky franchise, Rocky Balboa. This is still the title being used in Germany, France, Spain, Israel and Italy, because First Blood's original title in these countries is Rambo (except in Spain that First Blood was translated by Acorralado that means surrounded). Even in North America, Rambo: First Blood Part II was referred to by most filmgoers simply as "Rambo."
The film holds the record with the most kills out of the entire Rambo series, with 236 kills and an average of 2.59 kills per minute
Stallone has described the film as "sort of like Beyond Rangoon, but with rocket launchers."
This recent Stallone quote cracked me up...."I'm now starting "Rambo" and I'm looking for a young actor to star opposite me. I've been looking for the next Robert Mitchum or Steve McQueen, but the fact is they just don't exist. Tough guys today are getting their hair done at Hollywood hairdressers. Whatever happened to having a beer and scratching your balls?"
As for the whole human growth hormone (HGH) Jintropin controversy in Australia, according to ninemsn.com and other sources, when interviewing officers asked Stallone why he took Jintropin, he said: "As you get older, the pituitary gland slows and you feel older, your bones narrow. This stuff gives your body a boost and you feel and look good. Doing Rambo is hard work and I am going to be in Burma for a while. Where do you think I am going to get this stuff in Burma?"
The film was shot on location in Burma, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, & USA and cost a reported $50,000,000
"Rambo" opened in 2,751 theaters on January 25th and has grossed $6,490,000 on its opening day. Over the opening weekend Rambo grossed an estimated $18,150,000. It was second highest grossing movie for the week behind Meet the Spartans.

comingsoon.net Interview with Stallone

Interview with actors Benz, Marsden and McTavish

cinematical Interview with Stallone

movieline Interview with Benz

movieline Interview with Stallone

3 More Hollywood Deaths

2008-01-23T17:56:00.000-06:00

While news is still trickling in about Heath Ledger's apparent accidental sudden death yesterday. Toxicology reports won't reveal much for another 12 days at most. I'm still kinda reeling I guess. I'm trying to keep up with news but no one knows anything yet and at the same time I wonder why I wanna know more. He's dead. No additional knowledge or perspective into the moments leading up to or after will change that. I guess part of the shock that people want to know the whys and hows of events like these.

This news definitely overshadowed any breaking events from Sundance or the Oscar nominees that were announced yesterday morning. It also made me think of some of the other recent deaths in the film and television world. Specifically three actors, two veterans of television and one being another actor who has died far too young.

Suzanne Pleshette (1937-2008)

Husky-voiced actress Suzanne Pleshette died on January 19th at age 70 of lung cancer. She is best known for her role in "The Bob Newhart Show" where she matched wits and sarcasm with Newhart. It was their marriage and interaction which made the show successful for so long. A native New Yorker, Pleshette had already had a full career on stage and screen by 1971, then apparently when TV producers saw her on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, they noticed a certain chemistry between Suzanne and another guest, Bob Newhart.She was soon cast as wife to Mr. Newhart’s Chicago psychologist, and the series ran six seasons, from 1972 to 1978, as part of the CBS Saturday night lineup. I mostly caught the show in reruns where it seemed somewhat dated (especially now) but no less clever and hilarious.

This past Halloween I was watching Hitchcock's 1963 film "The Birds" and realized she was in it. I must have forgotten that she was the brunette that used to have a thing with Rod Taylor's Mitch. Of course, his attention was focused on Melanie Griffith's momma, Tipi Hedron but I kinda liked Pleshette's character over Hedren. After some digging, I found that Pleshette had some say in her character's demise. She told Hitchcock it would look good if her ear was all bloody and hanging off, so he sent her to the prop department. When it came to shooting the scene, Hitchcock had Annie facing the other way, so the viewer never sees the ear, which Pleshette recalled "was part of his delicious sense of humor."

Pleshette had been married twice and mourned the loss of her third husband, actor Tom Poston, just last year. She had married Poston, Bob Newhart's costar in his show "Newhart" in 2001. She was previously married to her "Rome Adventure" costar Troy Donahue, that 1964 marriage ended after eight months. Her second husband was Texas oilman Tommy Gallagher, to whom she was wed from 1968 until his death from lung cancer on 2000. She had been scheduled to receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 31, 2008, which would have been her 71st birthday.

Allan Melvin (1923-2008)

Allan Melvin was an American character actor who appeared in several television shows and is probably best remembered for his role as Sam the Butcher, Alice's boyfriend on "The Brady Bunch". I also remember Melvin for his other classic 70's role as Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's neighbor and pal on "All in the Family" and would later have a more prominent role in the early 80's spin-off, "Archie Bunker's Place". Besides these two roles, Melvin also had reoccurring roles on "The Phil Silvers Show" which ran thru the 1950's, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" as one of Rob's old army buddies and he was a frequent patron on "Alice". Melvin also made eight guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show in eight different roles.

One thing I didn't know was that Melvin worked primarily as a voice-actor after "Archie Bunker's Place" went off the air in 1983. This wasn't any new venture for Melvin though, having voiced such cartoon characters as Magilla Gorilla, the lion Drooper on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and Bluto on The All-New Popeye Hour in the 60's. He provided several characters' voices for the TV show H.R. Pufnstuf and the voice of Vultan, King of the Hawk Men on The New Adventures of Flash Gordon. Turns out he had a well-oiled voice and was a great mimic of voices.

Melvin died on January 17th at age 84 from cancer. We'll miss ya, Barn!

Brad Renfro (1982-2008)

Brad Renfro debuted at the age of 12 for his role in 1994's "The Client" with Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones. A Tennessee native, he acted in 24 movies and several television episodes since then. A year after his debut, he played Huck Finn in 1995's "Tom and Huck" with Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Then in 1996, he was cast as young Michael Sullivan for Barry Levinson's "Sleepers" based on the novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra. Renfro's character was portrayed as an adult by Brad Pitt. Renfro went on to act in other films, including 2001's "Ghost World" and "Bully" and 2005's "The Jacket" with Keira Knightley and Adrien Brody. He also appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and completed filming on the unreleased film "The Informers", co-starring Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke and Billy Bob Thornton.

Much of his career was marred by an unfortunate pattern of substance abuse and occasional petty crime. In 2006, he spent 10 days in jail for convictions of driving while under the influence and attempted heroin possession. It is unknown whether or not his death on January 15th was due to any substance abuse. His body was found in his Los Angeles apartment, after he had reportedly spent the previous night drinking with friends. He is survived by one son, known only as "Y Renfro".

I dunno what happened with Renfro. It seems a cyclical pattern of drug abuse and legal trouble had followed him for quite some time, almost like he couldn't come out of it. He was raised by his grandmother in Knoxville but it's unknown whether he was close at all with any family. I found a lonely quote from him, "Everybody thinks I'm, like, a bad boy. I've had my day, but I just sit at home and play the blues mostly," as well as a plea to his fans, "If you've never tried drugs, DON'T. And if you have, pray".Yet another untimely life was taken far too young.

Heath Ledger (1979-2008)

2008-01-22T17:34:00.000-06:00

My cell phone buzzed in my pocket around 3:50pm as I rode the train home from work today. It was my friend Mike. I figured we would talk about him wanting to sell me his 60" HD TV but instead he told me some news that I had expected. Heath Ledger had suddenly died within the past hour. What? I couldn't believe it. I asked for details. Mike didn't know any just yet, the news was just coming in.

I called my wife as I made my way through the snow to my chiropractor appointment and she confirmed. His housekeeper found his naked body laying on his bed, supposedly sleeping pills were involved. How sad. How tragic. I immediately thought of how his daughter, Matilda Rose will no longer have a father. Then I thought of how at 28 years-old, here's a guy who was really just starting to get some incredible roles.

The last film I had seen him in Todd Hayne's "I'm Not There", the film about the many different Bob Dylan personas. Ledger played one of the many incarnations of Dylan and he played it with such ease and comfort. There was no pretension or force in his acting, he just became that role and he was much more versatile than people gave him credit for. Another actor who starred with Ledger in that movie (although didn't really share any scenes with) is Christian Bale. Of course they both have scenes together the highly-anticipated film "The Dark Knight" which will be released this July. Ledger plays The Joker in the rebooted Batman franchise directed by Christopher Nolan. We've only seen clips of him in the trailer but so far (and from what the film's cast has said) his work looks phenomenal. It looks like that will be the last film he ever worked on.

There were two other recent films though, one is out on DVD and another just began filming. I don't know how much work he had begun on Terry Gilliam's "The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus" but I know he had finished 2006's "Candy", where he played a poet addicted to heroin with fellow Australian actress Abbie Cornish ("A Good Year"). Who know what kinda role he woulda played in Gilliam's film. The director always does something interesting and Ledger had worked with him before on the dreadful 2005 film "The Brothers Grimm". It's too bad we;ll never see that collaboration.

I've liked Ledger's work ever since I first saw him in 1999's "10 Things I Hate About You". He had a carefree bravura about him which was attractive. His look was unique. He wasn't quite a pretty boy, although he was boyish he had a sorta rugged charisma about him that made you notice him. After that role, he played Mel Gibson's son in the 2000 American Revolution war drama, "The Patriot" directed by Roland Emmerich. It seemed he was heading in that young action star direction but his next role proved he strived for diversity.

He had a small role as Billy Bob Thornton's son in 2001's "Monster Ball", directed by Marc Forster. It was a strong role that demanded a great deal of emotion as he played a victim of severe family dysfunction. That same year, I also really liked him in the modern take "A Knight's Tale" where he showed not just more comedic timing but also took a successful turn at adventure and romance.

Ledger received an Oscar Nomination for his role memorable role as Ennis Del Mar in Ang Lee's 2005 drama "Brokeback Mountain". He played a cowboy struggling with his feelings for his best friend (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and for me, he was the best part of that film. Where Gyllenhaal's unconvincing performance kinda ruined the film for me, Ledger's delivery seemed a lot more realistic to me. He hooked up with co-star Michelle Williams on that set and they eventually had a daughter, Matilda Rose. When asked about fatherhood, Ledger said, "Matilda is adorable, and beautifully observant and wise. Michelle an I love her so much. Becoming a father exceeds all my expectations. It's the most remarkable experience I've ever had - it's marvelous." That's what saddens me the most, I suppose. Not that we will never see him perform again but that his daughter will no longer have a father.

I'm sure more news of his death will surface but whatever comes out, it doesn't change much. A great talent has died too young and too soon.

Heath Ledger's biography on imdb

USA Today's report on Ledger's death

My Top Ten Films of 2007 list....and then some!

2008-01-16T12:46:00.000-06:00

At the end of the year and the beginning of a new one I always start stressing out. It's not cuz I'm racking my brain trying to figure out what my New Year's resolution(s) will be and it's not due to any holiday anxiety. I don't let any of those bug me. No, the thing that really boggles my brain is the inevitable year-end Top Ten list. Yes, that subjective list that you'll see all over the place where critics complete and publish or blog or proclaim over the air (or podcast....but I guess that's still air. Is it?). I don't rack my brain over the Top Ten books of the year cuz although I enjoy reading books I often wait for a softcover or paperback release. I gave up on trying to compile a Top Ten list in the music category cuz, well....besides a handful of soundtracks, nothing really seems to move me lately.

So, you know where this is going, right? That's right, the year-end thorn in my side is usually the Top Ten Films of the year. I'm reading and hearing everywhere that 2007 was a great year for film. I guess I'll agree with that statement as long as don't look at the box-office grosses for the films of last year. That's something I never really do anyway. It's obvious sequels and giant robots are gonna bring in big revenue and while those movies are fun, rarely are they delivering anything new.

When I make my list I try and remember what I call the "Most Movies" of the year. What does that mean? these are films that I consider the most movies that have....moved me, surprised me, made me belly laugh so hard I wanted to pee, made me cry, shocked me, confused me, made me think, left me wanting more and showed me something unique or different. Hours, days and months may pass and I still can't get these movies outta my head. I still recommend them and I still wanna go back and see them.

Now this list has been very difficult for me. I hate putting films in order. I think they're all great in their own right. But when you make a list, you have to be a slave to it and lay it all down. There are many films that were left off and I'll list those underneath as "notable mentions". Now, those notable mentions don't necessarily mean that I think the films of my Top Ten are better but that just seem to fit my aforementioned criteria more adequately. So without further ado, here is my 2007 Top Ten Film list....

10. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

9. In the Valley of Elah

8. Zodiac

7. Rescue Dawn*

6. Ratatouille*

5. Into the Wild

4. I'm Not There*

3. There Will Be Blood

2. No Country for Old Men

1. Once

The picture above is of my co-worker Eve (on the left) myself (on the right-duh) with Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the stars of "Once" taken November 27th, 2007.

Notable Mentions: The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Fuzz, 300, Eastern Promises*, Rendition, 3:10 to Yuma, Away from Her*, The Host, Knocked Up, Sunshine, The Namesake, Breach*, Waitress, Stardust*, The Simpsons Movie, Disturbia*, 1408*, Talk to Me, A Mighty Heart and You Kill Me*

* these are films I've seen yet haven't reviewed yet

Okay, so you may look at both my Top Ten and notable mentions list and think I'm missing some movies. You're right! There are certainly plenty 2007 movies I want to see
(I know....you think I see enough as it is, right?) and have yet to see. Here's the long, all-over-the-place list in no particular order....

Juno
Michael Clayton
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Hairspray
Enchanted
Shoot Em Up
Resident Evil 3
28 Weeks Later
Persepolis
The Kite Runner
The Hunting Party
Gone Baby Gone
The Jane Austen Book Club
Atonement
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
No End in Sight
Sicko
In the Shadow of the Moon
The Savages
Charlie Wilson's War
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Starting Out in the Evening
Ten Canoes
Control
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
La Vie En Rose
Death Proof
The Orphanage
Across the Universe
Superbad
the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Margot at the Wedding
After the Wedding
The Water Horse
Killer Sheep
The Lookout
American Gangster
The Lives of Others
Interview
Delirious
Paprika
Black Book
The Great Debaters
The Darjeeling Limited
Dan in Real Life
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Lions for Lambs
August Rush
Lars and the Real Girl
For the Bible Tells Me So
Jesus Camp
Bella
Beowulf
My Kid Could Paint That
Youth Without Youth
The Game Plan
Stephen King's Mist
The Golden Compass

So what about you....what would YOUR Top Ten be?

REEL REVIEW: There Will Be Blood (2007) ****

2008-01-14T12:17:00.000-06:00

rated R (for some violence)
2 hrs. 38 min

written by: Paul Thomas Anderson (based on the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair)
produced by: Paul Thomas Anderson & Scott Rudin
directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Here's another film that has remained with me a week after viewing and that's why it made it on my Top Ten Films of 2007 list. I saw it because I have never seen a movie starring Daniel Day-Lewis where I wasn't absolutely mesmerized by his performance. This film only supported that statement, the man is an amazing actor and this movie is a quite an experience. It definitely supports the fact that oil and religion don't mix, not today and certainly not in the desolate Northern California landscape of the late 1800's. That's right, the film is about oil and greed and religion and deception. It's a dirty movie where you will feel the grime and dust cake your skin in your seat, you feel the heat just as much as the characters on screen do.

This is a film that demands your undivided attention and does so easily from the beginning. Writer & Director Paul Thomas Anderson starts off with unprecedented form by not giving any dialogue for about the first 15-30 minutes. That's right, no one utters a word but the film still manages to speak volumes on many levels. We're shown a barren desert landscape somewhere in California with the swelling sounds of orchestral strings accompanying the sharp bite of a tool striking the earth. The man is Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and he is indeed meticulously chipping away at a wall deep down a man-made well, searching for his fortune. He mines for silver alone, an independent man with no need of assistance let alone words. He has no one to turn to when calamity strikes, and yet he has the will to overcome that calamity in order to stake his claim.

In an unprecedented move, Anderson only uses music amid the sounds of a birthing industry for this opening scene and that's what hooks you in. I sat there finding myself riveted as I'm sure others were in the quiet theatre. I was forced to pay attention, almost as if right from the start viewers are asked to make the decision to become thoroughly invested. Very soon, we see that Plainview is not your average turn-of-the-century entrepreneur who pulled himself up by his bootstraps. No, this is a man consumed by himself, who surrounds himself by those who would believe in him. Yet we see right through the charismatic salesman. Plainview doesn't care about anyone, he even flat out says later on that he often finds himself despising other people.
Years later, Plainview has his hands in multiple wells which has made him a rich man. He travels around speaking to townspeople living in prospective lands with a prop, an adopted a son named H.W. (first-timer Dillion Freasier), who was orphaned as a baby when a collapsing rig killed his father. That may seem like a compassionate act by Plainview but like anything else, we find he has his ulterior motives. H.W. is unaware that Plainview isn't his real pappy, and Plainview exploits his mini-me so he can call his enterprise a family business. This behavior is dealt with eventually as is many other of Plainviews unrepentant ways. We see that a man cannot repent until he actually sees the need to.

The film does play like a work of classic literature in ways I can't really describe, it just has an epic scope. Like any such work, there is an antagonist and what's interesting is that a reader (or viewer) is usually already rooting for a respectable protagonist but not in this film. One night, a mysterious young man named Paul (Paul Dano) appears and tells Plainview he knows where there are untapped oil reserves. He tells Plainview that for $500, he will disclose the location of his family's ranch. Of course, Plainview is soon on the scene and trying to cheat the old farmer (David Willis) out of his property under the guise of wanting a quiet place to hunt quail. The farmer's other son, Eli Sunday (also played by Dano) suspects the real motivation for the purchase, and so their clash of wills gets underway. Hence, we have our classic protagonist in Sunday, a Pentecostal preacher in the small local church. He wants to make sure his congregation--and their spiritual leader--are taken care of but he too is a charlatan with ulterior motives.

So you have two charismatic people at odds with each other who are more alike than they'd ever admit. It's ironic that this is essentially a war between oil and religion....sound familiar? As much as these two characters are continuously at odds one commonality is that money and salvation can change who a person is. There are continuous clashes throughout this film of the material and the spiritual. I'm not gonna get into the specific cause and effects of either of these characters actions but both definitely cause serious repercussions to those around them. All of it is gripping and powerful, as Anderson shows us two men consumed with their own agenda and the misery that comes from it.

The story comes from Upton Sinclair's eighty year-old novel Oil! about an oil baron who engages in a mental battle with a revival type preacher who holds the key to a plot of land with oceans of crude bubbling underneath the surface. Both want control of the gusher, because both are looking to line their coffers. Anderson uses that set up and runs with it, creating an ominous title change that does indeed provide that human life source but also blood from the earth. Oil is the fuel for everything. It powers cars, it invigorates communities, and it compels men to trade their souls for its reward.

I'm probably not the best person to call this film a masterpiece but nonetheless, that's how I see it. The only other film by Anderson that I've seen is his last one, 2002's "Punch Drunk Love". I know some may find that shocking but I knew that "Boogie Nights" was more or less a cover of Scorcese's "Good Fellas" and that "Magnolia" was a take on Altman's "Short Cuts".There's nothing wrong with that but I figured if I'd seen those movies....why watch those? I know, heresy.

A protagonist like Plainview can make or break a film. He's a great literary character that you can't take your eyes off of but you don't like him. What is most riveting as I watched the film is trying to find out why he thinks so highly of himself. Maybe he doesn't, maybe he has his demons, but he sure comes across like a guy who really believes what he's doing is right. An strong actor is needed for this role and I can't see anyone else but Day-Lewis as Plainview. I can't help thinking that this movie would not be nearly as excellent as it is had a different actor been cast in the lead. The entire cast is fantastic, including Ciaran Hines as Plainview's right-hand man and Kevin J. O'Connor as a shady grifter. Dano falters a little in trying to play a convincing older version of himself, but as the awkward and often sinister preacher, he's able to sell the man as both a righteous lunatic and a scheming con artist.

This is by far Daniel Day-Lewis' film. That's who you see this for. He commands every scene with his John Huston-inspired characterization. He's an actor who famously gets lost in the roles he takes and this is no exception. I've enjoyed every performance I've seen him in since I first saw him in his Oscar-winning role as Christy Brown in "My Left Foot". He plays Plainview in multiple stages of life, from a determined young man to the over-confidence of middle age and on into old age, broken and alone with his ego. Though Plainview has the gift of gab when it comes time to pitch his sale, he is most often a man of few, carefully chosen, often biting words. Some viewers and critics see his performance as grand standing and entirely over-the-top. I can see that but Day-Lewis is so captivating that I forgive it and become absorbed by him.

There's also much talk about how the movie ends. While I would never spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet, I can't seeing it ending any other way. This topic isn't unusual though, I hear many discussing the conclusion of "No Country for Old Men" as well. I understand the complaints but I respect both endings for the fact that they remain true to the characters and however a story ends, that's what should matter. Like the Coen brothers film, here's a film that will haunt you for some time. I saw it three weeks ago and I'm still seeing images and discussing it with others. Not many films can do that today.

The Skinny:

Anderson stated that he watched 1948's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre every night before filming this movie.
In an interview on the National Public Radio program "Fresh Air with Terry Gross," Paul Dano told Gross that he had originally been cast in the much smaller role of Paul Sunday, Eli's brother, and another actor had been cast as Eli. However, after Dano had already started filming his one scene as Paul Sunday, Anderson decided to replace the actor playing Eli. Anderson then asked Dano to play Eli Sunday (a much bigger role) as well as Paul Sunday, and they decided to change the film to make the brothers identical twins. Anderson asked Dano to play Eli on a Thursday, and filming for the role began four days later, on the next Monday. Day-Lewis, by contrast, had a whole year to prepare to play Daniel Plainview.
The film was originally given a 12A rating in the UK for cinema exhibition, meaning that children of any age could see it, with adult supervision if they were younger than 12. In a curious move, the distributors subsequently appealed to the British Board of Film Classification to consider raising the certificate. The BBFC agreed, and the film was subsequently uprated to a more restrictive 15, preventing anyone under that age from being admitted to screenings regardless of parental supervision.
Day-Lewis accepted the role of Daniel Plainview as he had been a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's previous 2002 film, Punch-Drunk Love. According to Producer JoAnne Sellar, the film might not even have been made at all if Day-Lewis declined the role.
Anderson owns a vintage 1910 Pathe camera which contains a special 43mm lens. The lens was specially modified to be used in the film as it has very low resolution and can shift colors at corners. Only certain shots of the film used this lens; for example a shot of Plainview sleeping in the train with an infant H.W.
The main character Daniel Plainview was modeled loosely after famous oil man Edward Doheny and his characteristics were based on Count Dracula. Doheny's Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills was used at the end of the film.
The town of Marfa near the Texas-Mexico border was used to simulate Bakersfield, California. A reason to support the use of the town is that there are many abandoned shafts dug out at the early 20-century. One of the shafts used in the film is a deep shaft, 60-70 feet that connects to a mechanically-dug perpendicular tunnel at the bottom. Other sets like the church where built from there.
Anderson planned to have the restored bowling alley (used at the climax) located next to the Greystone Mansion to be entirely painted in white to give some Kubrick symmetry and menacing quality (also a nod to 1971's A Clockwork Orange). However, he changed it to its original state when it was later decided that the bowling alley was to be given away for ownership after filming.
Day-Lewis improvised the speech he gives to the citizens of Little Boston, about building schools, bringing bread to the town, etc. Anderson says of this, "It was delicious. It was Plainview on a platter."
Day-Lewis used oral histories from the time period to create Plainview's distinctive voice.
In the summer of '06, during filming, a photographer snapped an onset photo of a person they believed to be Day-Lewis, albeit with a great deal of physical alterations. The photo appeared used on various film websites and in magazines as an example of how drastically Day-Lewis had changed himself for the role. Upon viewing the film and applying common sense, it turns out, this person was NOT, in fact, Daniel Day-Lewis; it was instead actor Vince Froio, who portrayed Plainview's "closest associate" at the end of the film.
According to Anderson, the director and crew were "pretty loose about where scenes would take place." This sometimes meant filming scenes three or four different times in different locations, and evaluating the result each time.
Shooting began in mid-May 2006 in New Mexico and Marfa, Texas, with principal photography wrapping August 24, 2006. The first public screening was on September 29, 2007 at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
Daniel Day-Lewis received many awards including a Golden Globe for his performance, and the film has been nominated for numerous Academy Awards, AMPAS and BAFTA awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Originally, Paul Thomas Anderson had been working on a screenplay about two fighting families. He struggled with the script and soon realized it just wasn't working.Homesick, he purchased a copy of Sinclair's Oil! in London and was immediately drawn to the cover illustration of a California oilfield. As he read, Anderson became even more fascinated with the novel and adapted the first 150 pages to a screenplay. He began to get a real sense of where his script was going after making countless trips to museums dedicated to early oilmen in Bakersfield, CA.
He changed the title from Oil! to There Will Be Blood because, "at the end of the day, there [was] not enough of the book to feel like it [was] a proper adaptation."
He wrote the original screenplay with Day-Lewis in mind and approached the actor when the script was nearly complete. He had heard that Day-Lewis liked "Punch-Drunk Love", which gave him the confidence to hand him a copy of the incomplete script.
According to Day-Lewis, simply being asked to do the film was enough to convince him.In an interview with the New York Observer, the actor elaborated on what drew him to the project. It was "the understanding that [he] had already entered into that world. [He] wasn't observing it - [he'd] entered into it - and indeed [he'd] populated it with characters who [he] felt had lives of their own."
According to Joanne Sellar, one of the film's producers, it was a hard film to finance because, "the studios didn't think it had the scope of a major picture."
For the role of Plainview's son, Anderson looked at people in Los Angeles and New York City but he realized that they needed someone from Texas who knew how to shoot shotguns and "live in that world."The filmmakers asked around at a school and the principal recommended Dillon Freasier. They did not have him read any scenes and instead talked to him, realizing that he was the perfect person for the role.
To start building his character, Day-Lewis started with the voice. Anderson sent him recordings from the late 19th century to 1927 and a copy of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", including documentaries on its director, John Huston, an important influence on Anderson's film.
According to Anderson, he was inspired by the fact that Sierra Madre is "about greed and ambition and paranoia and looking at the worst parts of yourself." While writing the script, he would put the film on before he went to bed at night.
To research for the role, Day-Lewis read letters from laborers and studied photographs from the time period. He also read up on oil tycoon Edward Doheny upon whom Sinclair's book is loosely based.
Anderson tried to shoot the script in sequence with most of the sets on the ranch.
Halfway into the 60-day shoot, Anderson replaced the actor playing Eli Sunday with Paul Dano. A New York Times Magazine profile on Day-Lewis suggested that the original actor had been intimidated by Day-Lewis's intensity and habit of staying in character on and off the set.
Both Anderson and Day-Lewis deny this claim and Day-Lewis stated, "I absolutely don't believe that it was because he was intimidated by me. I happen to believe that — and I hope I'm right."
Anderson first saw Dano in 2005's "The Ballad of Jack and Rose" and thought that he would be perfect to play Eli Sunday, a role he originally envisioned to be a 12 or 13-year-old boy. To prepare for the role, Dano researched the time period that the film is set in as well as evangelical preachers.Three weeks of scenes with Sunday and Plainview had to be re-shot with Dano.
The interior mansion scenes were filmed at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, California, the former real-life home of Edward Doheny Jr., a gift from his father Edward Doheny. Scenes filmed at Greystone involved the careful renovation of the basement's two lane bowling alley.
Anderson dedicated the film to Robert Altman, who died while Anderson was editing it.
Richard Schickel in Time magazine praised There Will Be Blood as "one of the most wholly original American movies ever made."
Anderson had been a fan of Radiohead's music and was impressed with Jonny Greenwood's scoring of the film Bodysong.
While writing the script for There Will Be Blood, Anderson heard Greenwood's orchestral piece Popcorn Superhet Receiver, which prompted him to ask Greenwood to work with him. After initially agreeing to score the film, Greenwood had doubts and thought about backing out, but Anderson's reassurance and enthusiasm for the film convinced the musician to stick with the project.
Anderson gave Greenwood a copy of the film and three weeks later he came back with two hours of music recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. The film also contains a Brahms Violin Concerto used as a motif.

Interview with Anderson and Day-Lewis

Interview with Anderson and musician Jonny Greenwood