Cinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.com/media/feedlogo.gifCinematicalhttp://www.cinematical.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Public Enemies ... On A Scale of 1-10?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/02/public-enemies-on-a-scale-of-1-10/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,



It's the Fourth of July weekend, and what better way to celebrate America's independence than by watching a John Dillinger decide taxation with representation wasn't nearly as much fun as the patriots made it out to be. Public Enemies has gone wide this week, brandishing their tommy guns in the hopes of stealing some of Transformers' box office thunder. If anyone can do it, it might just be Johnny Depp, who does appeal to a crowd that Optimus Prime just can't reach.

Jeffrey Anderson was full of praise for Michael Mann's film, likening it to earlier crime classics such as Max Nosseck's Dillinger or Don Siegel's Baby Face Nelson. "... it equals them, capturing some of their raw energy and allure and clocking in as a longer, but equally fast-moving and adrenaline-pumping example Somehow Mann only manages to use the extra time for flash and spectacle, and hardly any for depth or detail, but that only helps to speed things along. Happily, he also avoids the typical origin story, and plunges right in ... One of the movie's main themes is that Dillinger lives for the moment, unwilling or unable to consider the future, and with little use for the past. That's Mann's credo as well, and it's what keeps the lengthy Public Enemies in shape. Most scenes come with an intense immediacy, with an effective use of shaky cams and stark lighting, giving chaos an open invitation to rear its ugly head at any time. The bullets are loud and plentiful and when they hit, the blood is not shy about making an exit."

But that's one smooth criminal's opinion. Give us yours!


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]]>Billy CrudupBillyCrudupChristian BaleChristianBalejohn dillingerJohnDillingerJohnny DeppJohnnyDeppMichael MannMichaelMannPublic EnemiesPublicEnemiesUniversalElisabeth RappeThu, 02 Jul 2009 22:02:00 ESTReview: Public Enemieshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/review-public-enemies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/review-public-enemies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/review-public-enemies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Essentially there are two kinds of gangster movies: those made during the time when men wore hats in real life and those made during the time when men wore hats that came from wardrobe. The first type are usually in black-and-white, punchy, nervy and full of wisecracks. The second type are usually longer and more violent, but slower-paced and nobler of purpose, as if the hats suddenly carried an extra weight, an extra sadness. What Michael Mann has achieved with the new Public Enemies is an often fascinating, striking combination of the two.

I walked into the new film, convinced that it could never top lean, mean B-movie classics like Max Nosseck's Dillinger (1945) or Don Siegel's Baby Face Nelson (1957) in which these gangsters were initially immortalized. But it equals them, capturing some of their raw energy and allure and clocking in as a longer, but equally fast-moving and adrenaline-pumping example. Somehow Mann only manages to use the extra time for flash and spectacle, and hardly any for depth or detail, but that only helps to speed things along. Happily, he also avoids the typical origin story, and plunges right in.

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]]>christian baleChristianBalecinematicalfilmmarion cotillardMarionCotillardmichael mannMichaelMannmoviepublic enemiesPublicEnemiesJeffrey M. AndersonWed, 01 Jul 2009 08:45:00 ESTCan Johnny Depp Save 'Public Enemies'?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/30/can-johnny-depp-save-public-enemies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/30/can-johnny-depp-save-public-enemies/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/30/can-johnny-depp-save-public-enemies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Johnny Depp in 'Public Enemies'Are you psyched to see Captain Jack Sparrow as a real-life gangster? Johnny Depp plays an infamous criminal in Michael Mann's Public Enemies, which opens tomorrow. But in a world where giant robots draw huge crowds, "do audiences want to see Depp as a fairly realistic, non-fantasy version of Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger?"

That's the question asked by Anne Thompson, a veteran industry analyst. She describes the movie as only "fitfully engaging ... often flat as a pancake." She says that Michael Mann's "biggest misstep here is the same as the Wachowskis with Speed Racer. His pursuit of what interests him formally may leave audiences behind." Like David Fincher's Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Mann's own Collateral and Miami Vice, Public Enemies was shot on high-definition video. Thompson claims: "When moviegoers watch a period film, no matter how authentically recreated, they aren't expecting it to look like this. There's something jarring about the way Public Enemies shoves us into the past."

I don't know about you, but I could use a good shove now and again. I've enjoyed Mann's last two films, and the trailers for Public Enemies have done a good job of whetting my appetite. The cast, including Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, and Billy Crudup, looks solid. I don't have any preconception about how period films should look -- I want a good, well-told story with interesting characters. How about you? Do you have certain expectations about how films set in the past should look? Do you want to see Johnny Depp as a "fairly-realistic, non-fantasy" bank robber?

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]]>billy crudupBillyCrudupchristian baleChristianBalefeaturedjohnny deppJohnnyDeppmartion cotillardMartionCotillardmichael mannMichaelMannpublic enemiesPublicEnemiesPeter MartinTue, 30 Jun 2009 16:02:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: 'Revenge of the Fallen' Defines Critic-Proofhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/weekend-box-office-revenge-of-the-fallen-defines-critic-proof/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/weekend-box-office-revenge-of-the-fallen-defines-critic-proof/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/29/weekend-box-office-revenge-of-the-fallen-defines-critic-proof/#commentsFiled under: ,

Well, don't we all feel a little silly. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the movie that received the most hysterically negative reviews of 2009 opened to by far the year's biggest numbers -- $201 million since Wednesday, according to estimates. That's just a couple million shy of the first-five-days-of-release record set by The Dark Knight, though that movie opened on a Thursday. (It's tough to truly compare opening weekends of mega-blockbusters these days, since God knows on what day of the week they all hit theaters.) I hope everyone is looking forward to Transformers 3, where Autobots will discover fart jokes.

The only movie to dare take on Revenge of the Fallen in wide release, was the Nick Cassavetes weepie My Sister's Keeper, which opened to a respectable $12 million -- almost as strong as Cassavetes' The Notebook, though unlikely to be carried to an $80 million cume by good word-of-mouth. Year One took a big tumble, falling off 70% its middling opening; I guess Michael Cera and Jack Black aren't quite the automatic draw that battling cyborgs are. And The Hangover continues to ride a wave of audience goodwill; it will likely have reached $200 million by this time next weekend.

As for your weekly Up v. Finding Nemo update -- it's still neck-in-neck, with Nemo ahead by about $3 million after five weeks of release. If this weekend's heftier drop-off for Up is any indication, it may be starting to lose a little steam, which would mean that Nemo would get to hold on to the Pixar crown.

The full top 10 after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: 'Revenge of the Fallen' Defines Critic-Proof

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]]>my sisters keeperMySistersKeeperthe hangoverTheHangovertransformers: revenge of the fallenTransformers:RevengeOfTheFallenupweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeyear oneYearOneEugene NovikovMon, 29 Jun 2009 11:45:00 ESTWhen Is It OK to Change the Original Ending?http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/when-is-it-ok-to-change-the-original-ending/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/when-is-it-ok-to-change-the-original-ending/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/when-is-it-ok-to-change-the-original-ending/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

'My Sister's Keeper' (Warner Brothers / New Line)How faithful should film adaptations be? The issue arises both with novels and with films that are remade: fans of the original are none-too-pleased to see the personality of beloved characters changed, settings or time periods moved, or -- horror of horrors! -- the ending changed. Watchmen ignited a mini-firestorm with the decision to alter the ending of the original graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. On a somewhat smaller scale, faithful readers of Jodi Picoult's novel My Sister's Keeper are upset that the ending was changed for Nick Cassavetes' just-released movie version.

Author Picoult disclaims responsibility while trying to be diplomatic. "Yes, I know the ending is different," she writes on her official site. "Yes, I know some of you are very upset. I didn't change it. The author has no control over the movie, and it was hard for me to accept too. However, there's a great deal in the movie that I think is great, and I enjoyed watching it - and I hope you did too." She suggests that her fans let Warner Brothers know how they feel. As a point of interest, four out of five comments on my review for Cinematical have complained about the ending.

It seems foolish to try and establish a hard-and-fast rule that original endings should never be changed -- filmmakers should have the artistic right to exercise dramatic license when adapting a work to a different medium. Yet how often have film versions actually improved endings that they've changed?

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]]>cinematicalmy sisters keeperMySistersKeeperPeter MartinSun, 28 Jun 2009 16:33:00 ESTInterview: 'Cheri' Director Stephen Frearshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/interview-cheri-director-stephen-frears/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/interview-cheri-director-stephen-frears/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/interview-cheri-director-stephen-frears/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Multiple Oscar nominee Stephen Frears is a tough nut to crack. Amiable but terse, his excellent multilayered films do the talking for him, from his first collaboration with Christopher Hampton and Michelle Pfeiffer on 1998's Dangerous Liaisons to 2007's The Queen. In his latest film, Cheri (read Cinematical's review here), Frears turns his lens onto the cloistered and often duplicitous world of wealthy courtesans. Frears' films often focus on subversive outsiders who must make their own "family," as it were, such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Grifters, and My Beautiful Laundrette. But Cheri's delicious spin on sex, love, and aging is typical of its source material from author Colette, whose books Cheri and The Last of Cheri present a world of upside-down relationships and self-sufficient, frankly sexual women.

Michelle Pfeiffer leads the cast as the stunning Lea de Lonval, a famous courtesan whose friend Madame Peloux, played with busty abandon by Kathy Bates, encourages Lea to have an affair with Peloux's louche son Cheri, the pale and effeminate Rupert Friend. Neglected as a child while his mother was dealing with her affairs, Cheri is hardly likeable or loveable, but somehow their affair becomes less about sex and more about the love both he and Lea have lacked in their lives. Peloux throws a wrench into the whole thing when she plans a wedding for Cheri to another courtesan's child, Edmee, played by newcomer Felicity Jones. What happens after that surprises them all.

Cheri opens June 26th in limited cities. Visit the official website for more information.

Cinematical: What's the difference between releasing a movie like Cheri during Oscar season as opposed to the summer blockbuster season? Is it more or less stressful?

Stephen Frears: The problem with competing for the Oscars is it's very tough, so in a way it's quite a relief being [released] at another time of the year. You're all right if you've got the one that gets everybody's attention, but fighting for attention is quite difficult. I've released films in that season that have been just overlooked.

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]]>CheriChristopher HamptonChristopherHamptondangerous liaisonsDangerousLiaisonsFelicity JonesFelicityJonesKathy BatesKathyBatesmichelle pfeifferMichellePfeifferRupert FriendRupertFriendStephen FrearsStephenFrearsThe QueenTheQueenJenni MillerFri, 26 Jun 2009 21:02:00 ESTReview: Cheri http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-cheri/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-cheri/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-cheri/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



The French writer Colette, born Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (1873 - 1954), lived one of those witty, charming lives you've read about, doing things like performing at the Moulin Rouge and having affairs with Josephine Baker, while marrying several rich husbands. She wrote, among many other things, what would become the famous musical Gigi, which Director Vincente Minnelli turned into a dull, immobile Oscar-winning hit in 1958. The English film director Stephen Frears would have been 13 when Colette died, though at that age, he had most likely never heard of her. But now, 55 years later, the two have teamed up for the new movie Cheri, based on Collete's 1920 novel about a passionate affair between an aging courtesan and a spoiled younger man.

Frears seems like the right man for the job. After all, his similarly sexy costume drama Dangerous Liaisons (1988) was another Oscar-winning hit. And in his Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005) he dealt with issues of sexuality and censorship on the stage, so he seems prepped to make something really sexy and full of wit and charm, especially given that he's re-teamed with his Dangerous Liaisons star Michelle Pfeiffer. It's a win-win scenario that quickly turns lose-lose. For some reason, Cheri is dead on arrival, a cold fish. It just lies there, too lethargic to be funny and too timid to be sexy, but not deep enough for any real drama.

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]]>chericinematicalcolettefilmmichelle pfeifferMichellePfeiffermovierupert friendRupertFriendstephen frearsStephenFrearsJeffrey M. AndersonFri, 26 Jun 2009 19:02:00 ESTReview: The Hurt Lockerhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-the-hurt-locker/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-the-hurt-locker/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-the-hurt-locker/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



By: James Rocchi (reprinted from The Toronto International Film Festival, 9.13.08)

Based on journalist Mark Boal's real experiences following bomb disposal experts in Iraq, The Hurt Locker isn't just a welcome return to big-screen action from director Kathryn Bigelow (who has wrung both fame and infamy from her art with Near Dark, Strange Days and Point Break). It's an assured, confident, swaggering piece of moviemaking that manages to not only evoke every war of the 20th century but also, despite the claims by makers and some reviewers that it's an 'apolitical' film, speaks very specifically to the Iraq war. Even so, plunging us into the thick of things alongside the highly-trained men (and they're all men here) who defuse bombs for the Army, Bigelow and Boal avoid the speeches and postures and long, contemplative talks of home front films like Stop-Loss and In the Valley of Elah by staying in Iraq, and they shun the loopy, loony formal experiments of Brian De Palma's Redacted. Boal and Bigelow stay laser-focused on one group of men with a singular mission, and make us live in the constant possibility of death. Viewed from half a world away, a bomb is a political concern; viewed from less than a foot away, a bomb's just a high-stakes exercise in problem-solving, where making a mistake means a final, terminal education in the physics of expanding gases.

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]]>cinematicalthe hurt lockerTheHurtLockerCinematical staffFri, 26 Jun 2009 14:02:00 ESTReview: My Sister's Keeper http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-my-sisters-keeper/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-my-sisters-keeper/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/26/review-my-sisters-keeper/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

My Sister's Keeper (Warner Bros. / New Line)

I'm not ashamed to say that I cry at the movies. Not frequently, but occasionally a story and its characters will grab hold of me to the extent that I'm completely caught up in the emotions and feelings being expressed. Films as disparate as John Ford's The Searchers and Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express have caused me to weep with joy, relief, and sorrow.

Despite a relentless barrage of scenes evidently designed with the sole goal of jerking tears, Nick Cassavetes' My Sister's Keeper did not make me cry. It is, however, one of the most glorious-looking terminal cancer pictures I've ever seen. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Black Stallion, The Natural) paints the oft-mundane proceedings in an otherworldly glow, as though the transition to the next life had already begun. That's the guiding principle of the movie as a whole; even though an inflammatory and emotionally wrenching issue serves as the linchpin for the plot, great pains are taken to soften the blows so as not to inflict lasting damage upon the viewer.

Frankly, that latter point, much more than whether I personally shed tears, is what prevents My Sister's Keeper from escaping middlebrow territory. Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric are splendidly noble as Brian and Sara Fitzgerald, whose daughter Kate (Sofia Vassilieva) is diagnosed at a young age with leukemia. Brian and Sara conceive another child with genetic modifications so she can serve as a donor to her sister. Anna (Abigail Breslin) (*) seems fine with all the body part donations until Kate's condition worsens to the point that she needs a kidney transplant. Then 11-year-old Anna marches into the office of well-known lawyer Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) and demands medical emancipation from her parents.

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]]>abigail breslinAbigailBreslinalec baldwinAlecBaldwincameron diazCameronDiazjason patricJasonPatricmy sisters keeperMySistersKeepernick cassavetesNickCassavetessofia vassilievaSofiaVassilievathomas dekkerThomasDekkerPeter MartinFri, 26 Jun 2009 09:02:00 ESTInterview: 'The Hurt Locker' Director Kathryn Bigelow and Screenwriter Mark Boalhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/25/interview-the-hurt-locker-director-kathryn-bigelow-and-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/25/interview-the-hurt-locker-director-kathryn-bigelow-and-screen/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/25/interview-the-hurt-locker-director-kathryn-bigelow-and-screen/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



(By James Rocchi - reprinted from the Toronto International Film Festival, 9/10/08)

The Hurt Locker sees director Kathryn Bigelow craft a big, booming tale of tension based on journalist Mark Boal's experiences and interviews with bomb disposal experts in the streets of Iraq. Toronto didn't just see The Hurt Locker earn raves from many critics; it also saw the film get picked up by Summit Entertainment for distribution. Cinematical spoke with Bigelow and Boal in Toronto about breaking the audience's unconscious link between an actor's salary and a character's destiny, whether or not their film is really apolitical, the fun and excitement of blowing things up on-set, how making the movie yourself is the best way to be sure you make the movie you want to and much more.Cinematical's podcast content is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

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]]>cinematicalkathryn bigelowKathrynBigelowmark boalMarkBoalthe hurt lockerTheHurtLockerCinematical staffThu, 25 Jun 2009 21:02:00 ESTIndie Roundup: 'Whatever Works,' 'Harmony and Me,' LAFF 'Stoning'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/indie-roundup-whatever-works-harmony-and-me-laff-stoning/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/indie-roundup-whatever-works-harmony-and-me-laff-stoning/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/indie-roundup-whatever-works-harmony-and-me-laff-stoning/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Indie Roundup

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

Openings. This weekend will finally see the release of Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, an extraordinary, ticking time bomb of a movie. Michelle Pfeiffer returns to the screen in Stephen Frears' "scandalous romp" Cheri. The very timely Iranian tale The Stoning of Soraya M., which just played the Los Angeles Film Festival, should ignite further discussion. Afghan Star features four women who (literally) risk everything in a televised singing contest.

Box Office. Woody Allen's Whatever Works performed just fine, pulling in $29,574 per-screen at nine locations. The re-issue of 1947's Brighton Rock (a very good film starring Richard Attenborough as a small-time hood) drew $10,626 at one theater; Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow scared up $5,363 in business. Several films expanded: Duncan Jones' Moon to 21 theaters ($8,541 per screen), Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro to eight locations ($7,176 per screen), and Sam Mendes' Away We Go to 132 theaters ($6,600 per screen).

Deals. Our friends at indieWIRE provided details on the acquisition of Stanley Tucci's Blind Date (due in theaters late this summer or early fall) and West of Pluto, directed by Henry Bernadet and Myriam Verreault. Pluto screens tonight at the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF).

Trailer. Also screening at LAFF this week is Bob Byington's Harmony and Me, which revolves around a 20-something musician (Justin Rice) who still pines for his dearly departed girlfriend. The film has been showing up at festivals all over the place, and the trailer has a good, bouncy vibe.

After the jump: Watch the trailer for Harmony and Me! Plus, more on LAFF.

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'Whatever Works,' 'Harmony and Me,' LAFF 'Stoning'

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]]>bob byingtonBobByingtonharmony and meHarmonyAndMeindie box officeindie roundupIndieBoxOfficeIndieRoundupwhatever worksWhateverWorkswoody allenWoodyAllenPeter MartinWed, 24 Jun 2009 21:15:00 ESTMichael Bay Defends 'Transformers' Racial Stereotypeshttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/michael-bay-defends-transformers-racial-stereotypes/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/michael-bay-defends-transformers-racial-stereotypes/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/24/michael-bay-defends-transformers-racial-stereotypes/#commentsFiled under: ,

Among the criticisms leveled at Michael Bay's rock 'em, sock 'em Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen are charges that two of Bay's secondary robot characters, Mudflap and Skids, promote offensive racial stereotypes. The director doesn't disagree -- he just doesn't see anything wrong with it.

Lest you think that these critics are being hopelessly, knee-jerkingly PC, consider the following: The comic-relief robots have enormous jug ears and bug eyes. One of them has a gold tooth. They speak in a high-pitched, rapid-fire drawl that calls to mind Chris Tucker and the Wayans brothers (as reported here by Erik Davis, the voices were done by black actor Reno Wilson, and comedian and voice talent Tom Kenny, who also voices Spongebob Squarepants). Their "street" dialogue runs along the line of one of them suggesting "popping a cap" in another robot.

"We're just putting more personality in," Bay told the Associated Press. "I don't know if it's stereotypes - they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it."

Mudflap and Skids are hardly the only thing that critics are finding wrong with Bay's sequel, but in a film that's chock-a-block full of things to hate, it still stands out as one of the most egregious botches. In her review in the New York Times, critic Manohla Dargis wrote that the characters speak with "conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas."

"I purely did it for kids," the director said. "Young kids love these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them."

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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' Premiere Photos

    Actress Megan Fox is interviewed during the "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" world premiere in Tokyo in this June 8, 2009 file photo. While many of the 23-year-old's peers might want to avoid the label "sex symbol" for fear it would obscure their acting talent, Fox, whose new "Transformers" sequel debuts in theaters on June 24, 2009, is just the opposite. Picture taken June 8, 2009. REUTERS/Michael Caronna/Files (JAPAN ENTERTAINMENT)

    Reuters

    TV personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849092), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    TV personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849086), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    TV personality Kim Kardashian arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849083), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Singer Ciara arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849152), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Singer Ciara arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849148), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Singer Ciara arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849144), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Singer Ciara arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849142), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Singer Ciara arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849141), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

    Musician Mark Hoppus arrives at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival's premiere of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" at the Mann Village Theatre on June 22, 2009 in Westwood, California. 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival - "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Premiere - Arrivals Mann Village Theatre Westwood, CA United States June 22, 2009 Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage.com To license this image (16849123), contact WireImage.com

    Steve Granitz/WireImage.com

Continue reading Michael Bay Defends 'Transformers' Racial Stereotypes

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]]>MichaelBayTransformers2Dawn TaylorWed, 24 Jun 2009 13:32:00 ESTToronto Announces First 24 Films for 2009 Festhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/toronto-announces-first-24-films-for-2009-fest/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/toronto-announces-first-24-films-for-2009-fest/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/toronto-announces-first-24-films-for-2009-fest/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Is the Toronto International Film Festival upon us already? I still have poutine stains on my shirt from last time! Yes, the 2009 fest is less than three months away, and TIFF has just announced the first batch of films that will play. All 24 will be making their North American premieres, so unless you've been to the festivals at Cannes, Venice, or Berlin, it's unlikely that you've seen any of them. Exciting!

In the "Masters" category are films by three directors who qualify for that distinction. Portugal's Manoel de Oliveira -- who is 100 years old (!) and has made 50 films, most of them in the last two decades -- has a new one called Eccentricities of a Blond-Haired Girl, about a man enchanted by a woman he sees from his window. Alain Resnais (Last Year at Marienbad), the 87-year-old Frenchman who got a lifetime achievement at Cannes this year, has Les Herbes Folles (The Wild Grass), a romantic adventure that begins with a lost wallet. And Hirokazu Koreeda, a Japanese spring chicken at 48, will present Air Doll, about a sex doll that becomes a real person -- Lars and the Real Girl meets Pinocchio? Koreeda made the haunting Nobody Knows a few years ago, so I'm onboard for whatever this Air Doll thing is.

The other 21 films announced today are from filmmakers ranging from the old and venerable to the new and enthusiastic. They span, the globe, too, representing countries you expect to see at international film festivals (France, Germany, Italy, etc.) as well as some with much smaller film industries, including Kazakhstan, Colombia, Malaysia, and Uruguay. The complete list of films and their descriptions is in TIFF's press release, as is information about buying passes. The festival runs Sept. 10-19. We'll see you there, right?







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]]>tiff2009toronto international film festivalTorontoInternationalFilmFestivalEric D. SniderTue, 23 Jun 2009 19:45:00 ESTSpin-ematical: New on DVD for 6/23http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-6-23/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-6-23/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/23/spin-ematical-new-on-dvd-for-6-23/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Confessions of a Shopaholic
Perhaps we shouldn't expect anything from a movie about a shopaholic, but this comedy's ditzy heroine and silly story can't even compare to other notable films in the romcom genre. In her review, Jette Kernion said: "Confessions of a Shopaholic tries to have it all ... Unfortunately, it's never as good as the movies it tries to imitate." Skip it. Also on Blu-ray.

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Inkheart
Yet another film in Brendan Fraser's ever-growing collection of familial adventure. (Will he ever leave it behind and return to his dramatic roots?) Nick Schager describes the film as "a scattered collection of ideas, most of them cavalierly mixed together and barely fleshed out." Skip it. Also on Blu-ray.

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The Pink Panther 2
It might not seem possible, but as Eric D. Snider wrote in his review of the Steve Martin-starring sequel: "Despite being a sequel that is completely unnecessary, The Pink Panther 2 is actually better than its predecessor," and "It has several funny sequences and a general tone of good-natured frivolity." When fluffy fun is on the agenda, Rent it. Also on Blu-ray.

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Phoebe in Wonderland
Tim Burton's spin on Alice in Wonderland is quickly coming our way. But for now, there's the Elle Fanning-starring tale of a girl trying to find her place in real life. Kim Voynar said: "there are so many rich layers to explore in this carefully crafted story; it's rather like a kaleidoscope, in that what you see and get out of it shifts and changes depending on which character's perspective you're looking at, and what ideas you bring to watching it." Rent it.

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Also out: The Code, Bob Funk, Dragon Hunters, Table for Three, Mr. Troop Mom, Simon Says, Legend of the Bog, Backwoods, He's On My Mind, War Wolves

Continue reading Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 6/23

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]]>Alices HouseAlicesHouseCinematicalConfessions of a ShopaholicConfessionsOfAShopaholicDVD RecommendationsDvdRecommendationsInkheartPhoebe in WonderlandPhoebeInWonderlandThe Pink Panther 2ThePinkPanther2Waltz with BashirWaltzWithBashirMonika BartyzelTue, 23 Jun 2009 11:03:00 ESTMichael Bay Trashes 'Transformers' Marketing and English Language in Leaked Emailhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/michael-bay-trashes-transformers-marketing-and-english-languag/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/michael-bay-trashes-transformers-marketing-and-english-languag/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/michael-bay-trashes-transformers-marketing-and-english-languag/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,



I sincerely hope that Michael Bay never retires from moviemaking to go live in a monastery or something, because the world would be far less entertaining without his histrionics.

The latest saga comes via his e-mail account and TMZ. Back in May, Bay flamed Paramount Studios for failing to promote Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to his satisfaction. According to Bay, he's encountering people on the street who have no idea that his Transformers sequel will be coming out this summer, and that the film has taken a back seat to Star Trek and G.I. Joe.

"I have been waiting, and waiting for the 'anticipation' of an 'event movie' to make it into the 'public zeitgeist.' You all talk so glowingly about Transformers being the movie of the summer but unfortunately this has not gotten to the public ... You can feel in your gut the presence of a big movie coming. Right now we are not an event. We are just a sequel which is very different." Bay went on to name-drop Jerry Bruckheimer and "my good friend Steven," who would never stand or expect such poor promotion of their films."

As TMZ points out, Bay backtracked a little in an e-mail on June 6, and thanked everyone for their hard work ... but mimicked the nasty tone of his earlier missive before giving them them a big e-mail bear hug. "You have treated me so well. Paramount is like family." Which is probably why they keep on loving you, Michael, and forgiving your rants about a 23 flash frame cut of Megatron.

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]]>michael bayMichaelBayParamounttransformers 2transformers revenge of the fallenTransformers2TransformersRevengeOfTheFallenElisabeth RappeMon, 22 Jun 2009 18:02:00 ESTWeekend Box Office: 'The Proposal' Wins a Busy Weekendhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/weekend-box-office-the-proposal-wins-a-busy-weekend/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/weekend-box-office-the-proposal-wins-a-busy-weekend/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/22/weekend-box-office-the-proposal-wins-a-busy-weekend/#commentsFiled under: ,

It may have seemed like an "off" week by summer standards in terms of releases, but two debuts and two strong holdovers meant that four films grossed $20 million or more, which is rare for a non-holiday weekend. The top dog, surprisingly, turned out to be The Proposal, which rode a genial marketing campaign and a set of sneak previews to $34 million dollars -- Sandra Bullock's best opening weekend ever, by far. (Related question: did Bullock "open" this movie? I'm inclined to think not, though it's a perfect role for her.)

Year One is a bit tougher to read. Certainly with the Cera/Black/Ramis combination, it was expected to open bigger. Generally poor reviews didn't help; I haven't seen the film, so I'm a bit handicapped in the analysis. If I had to guess, I'd say that people saw it as a bit of a novelty item. Silliness can be hard to sell if it's not low-brow.

But the weekend's real story, I'd say, is once again The Hangover, which stuck around in second place after dropping less than 20% in its third weekend. It's hard to find a precise analogue for it at this point; Box Office Mojo stretches with "R-rated summer comedy breakout," which category it will dominate after it speeds ahead of Wedding Crashers in about two weeks. The movie did add nearly 200 new screens; still, when people talk about word-of-mouth giving a movie legs, this is what they're hoping for.

Meanwhile, Up is now pretty much running neck-in-neck with Finding Nemo for the title of highest-grossing Pixar release. It will be close.

The full top 10 after the jump.

Continue reading Weekend Box Office: 'The Proposal' Wins a Busy Weekend

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]]>featuredthe hangoverthe proposalTheHangoverTheProposalupweekend box officeWeekendBoxOfficeyear oneYearOneEugene NovikovMon, 22 Jun 2009 11:02:00 ESTMichael Cera and Jack Black Talk About Going To 'Year One'http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/michael-cera-and-jack-black-talk-about-going-to-year-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/michael-cera-and-jack-black-talk-about-going-to-year-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/michael-cera-and-jack-black-talk-about-going-to-year-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

The buzz might be mixed on this weekend's primitive buddy comedy Year One, but the combination of Jack Black and Michael Cera is a pretty irresistible one on-screen and off. Our friends at Moviefone caught up with the comedic duo, who were more than happy to talk about getting back to their prehistorical roots (both in the acting and follical sense of the word), define bromance, rip on each other's bad breath, and update us on the Arrested Development movie, School of Rock 2, and whether or not either of them will be doing some ghostbusting.

From the sound of it, neither actor really enjoyed being a caveman thanks to feathery wigs that just never stay out of your lunch (welcome to the fun of long hair, boys!), and the close encounters with bodily excrement. When asked what time period they'd like to return to, both opted for eras of a little more refinement:

If you guys could live during any time throughout the course of history, when would it be?
Black: My favorite time in history ... the Renaissance.
Cera: I would say ... the '30s. The 1930s.
Black: The '30s? Wait, isn't that the Depression?
Cera: Like '33, that was a great age.
Black: Come on, the Renaissance! Haven't you ever been to the Renaissance fair? Don't you wish that was real life? A little mead, a little roast ...

That knowledge undoes everything girls have been taught about men! I mean, for years girls have labored under the delusion that you wanted to return to the simpler days of hunting with spears, and cooking by fire. If you prefer civilization then please, start up some petitions or websites or something to set the record straighter ...

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]]>Arrested Development movieArrestedDevelopmentMovieColumbia PicturesColumbiaPicturesGhostbusters 3Ghostbusters3harold ramisHaroldRamisJack BlackJackBlackMichael CeraMichaelCeraMoviefoneSchool of Rock 2SchoolOfRock2Year OneYearOneElisabeth RappeFri, 19 Jun 2009 20:02:00 ESTReview: Year Onehttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/review-year-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/review-year-one/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/19/review-year-one/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Harold Ramis has worked in comedy a long time, and his career has taken many directions. With his work on the Ghostbusters (1984) script and his straight-man performance in the film, he managed to allow Bill Murray room to move and riff within the confines of a visual effects-heavy summer blockbuster. As for the meticulously crafted classic Groundhog Day (1993), I hesitate to call any movie "perfect," but it comes close. But then there were phoned-in hits like Analyze This (1999) and Analyze That (2002) that seemed too tightly wound and too slavishly dependent on plot to be very funny.

Ramis' new film Year One, on the other hand, comes closer to the spirit of his directorial debut Caddyshack (1980). I'm not saying it's quite as funny or as brilliant, but it's in the same spirit. It cares thankfully little about its plot or its character arcs, or historical accuracy; it's a bit flabby and careless, but it's also gleefully stupid, and it has the ability to knock you off guard and make you giggle helplessly.


Continue reading Review: Year One

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]]>cinematicalfilmharold ramisHaroldRamisjack blackJackBlackmichael ceraMichaelCeramovieyear oneYearOneJeffrey M. AndersonFri, 19 Jun 2009 09:02:00 ESTReview: The Proposalhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/review-the-proposal/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/review-the-proposal/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/review-the-proposal/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,



I love watching Sandra Bullock, who is enjoyable even in the lamest of films. And sadly, there are so many lame movies starring Bullock, and so few that I would enjoy watching more than once -- Infamous is a rare exception. After I saw Speed, I said that I thought Bullock could be this generation's Carole Lombard, but unfortunately the actress has not yet found her Howard Hawks or Ernst Lubitsch. The Proposal is yet another Bullock-starring formulaic romantic comedy with little to offer except sparkling performances, and not just from Bullock.

Margaret Tate (Bullock) is the terror of the Manhattan publishing office where she's editor-in-chief, and even her charming assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) is scared of her. Her Achilles heel turns out to be that she's ... Canadian, and she's about to be deported for a year due to some visa problems. So Margaret hurriedly declares that she's engaged to Andrew, who's American. You don't have to have seen Green Card to guess the rest of the story.

Continue reading Review: The Proposal

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]]>anne fletcherAnneFletcherbetty whiteBettyWhiteryan reynoldsRyanReynoldssandra bullockSandraBullockthe proposalTheProposaltouchstoneJette KernionThu, 18 Jun 2009 21:15:00 ESTIndie Roundup: 'Food, Inc.,' Vietnam Doc, Dallas Without AFIhttp://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/indie-roundup-food-inc-vietnam-doc-dallas-without-afi/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/indie-roundup-food-inc-vietnam-doc-dallas-without-afi/http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/18/indie-roundup-food-inc-vietnam-doc-dallas-without-afi/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Indie Roundup

Indie Roundup looks back at the past seven (or, sometimes, eight) days of news in the indie film community, along with a peak ahead to what's coming soon.

Opening. The highest-profile "indie" is Woody Allen's Whatever Works, wiith Tatia Rosenthal's stop-motion animation feature $9.99, Francois Velle's NYC drama The Narrows, Andy Abrahams Wilson's Lyme disease doc Under Our Skin, and Tommy Wirkola's Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow vying for attention on a limited number of screens. On the festival circuit, CineVegas drew to a close on Monday (Eric D. Snider covered it for us), the same night that Silverdocs opened in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Los Angeles Film Festival starts tonight and the New York Asian Film Festival kicks off tomorrow.

Box Office. Last weekend saw several strong openings, with Robert Kenner's doc Food, Inc. leading the way ($20,171 per-screen), followed by Duncan Jones' sci-fi drama Moon ($17,006 per screen), and Francis Coppola's family drama Tetro ($15,252). The doc Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love ($10,866) and Le combat dans l'ile ($10,217) also debuted nicely, while the expansion of Sam Mendes' Away We Go brought in good business ($12,463). Daryl Wein's very informative AIDS activist doc Sex Positive drew $3,408 at one theater.

Online Viewing. How about a doc about a doc? Keir Moreano's documentary As the Call So the Echo follows an American doctor who unexpectedly finds himself in Vetnam after he decides to donate unused medical equipment. The film is available for free streaming at Babelgum, courtesy of the good folks at Cinetic.

After the jump: How will AFI Dallas the Dallas International Film Festival fare without AFI?

Continue reading Indie Roundup: 'Food, Inc.,' Vietnam Doc, Dallas Without AFI

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]]>afi dallasAfiDallasas the call so the echoAsTheCallSoTheEchodallas film societyDallasFilmSocietyfoodfood incFoodIncinc.Peter MartinThu, 18 Jun 2009 20:02:00 EST