JohnKrasinski Tagged Articles at Cinematical

By: James Rocchi, reprinted from the Sundance Film Festival, 1/22/09

Writer, director and actor John Krasinski isn't knocking himself out trying to be cool about the debut of his film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (which Scott Weinberg reviewed here) in the Dramatic Competition at Sundance: " Being at Sundance, I think, is the greatest honor I could ever have for this movie, truly. Sundance has always been -- before I got the show (The Office), before I came to Sundance -- it's always been to me, that place where film making is done for film lovers. There's a feeling here that people appreciate taking chances and doing bold things, and I think my cast and crew took big chances. ..." Krasinski spoke with Cinematical in Park City about adapting a seemingly unadaptable book, his respect for the late David Foster Wallace, casting Julianne Nicholson (Flannel Pyjamas) as the woman facing an army of Hideous Men, and much more.

You can listen to the interview here at Cinematical by clicking below:



You can also download the interview in full right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

By: Scott Weinberg, reprinted from the Sundance Film Festival, 1/21/09

I'd heard a few unpleasant rumblings regarding the Sundance title Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, in addition to numerous opinions on how the source material (a collection of stories by the late David Foster Wallace) had been labeled more or less "unfilmable." But that's pretty much the same stuff I heard about a Sundance title from last year called Choke ... and I ended up really liking that flick. Plus, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men marks the directorial debut of the very likable John Krasinski (yep, good ol' lovable Jim from The Office), AND it boasts a very colorful cast, a scant running time, and a premise that sounds pretty interesting.

But ... unfortunately I'm going to side with the "unfilmable" naysayers this time out, because, despite a few (early) sections that deliver some chuckles alongside some slight-yet-interesting insights into the male psyche, much of Mr. Krasinski's first feature is an aimless, pretentious mess. Well-intentioned? Sure. Intermittently entertaining? I suppose. But a full-bore movie movie? I'd say no.

The title is pretty accurate: Our lead character is a lovely graduate student played by the lovely Julianne Nicholson, and it's her goal to delve deep into the male personality ... exactly WHY we're not entirely sure, and as the interviews progress, a viewer would be hard-pressed to see the value in these self-serving diatribes. The movie wants to be some sort of Vagina Monologues for Males (the Penis Debates?), but aside from the few interviews that are played for laughs, the material is considerably more grating than it is insightful.

Oh, Nancy Meyers. I thought The Holiday was endless pap, full of admittedly charming actors in predictable situations over the length of a Quentin Tarantino WWII riff or Michael Mann crime drama, and man, was I pleasantly surprised by Something's Gotta Give for precisely the first half before Diane Keaton's extended crying fit signaled the end of something playful and the beginning of something painful.

But this could be cute, this It's Complicated of yours. The trailer seems to suggest as much. Meryl Streep (in her third film of the year come Christmas time) finds herself torn between the renewed flame of her ex (Alec Baldwin) and the flirtations of her architect (Steve Martin). You know what, that actually seems surprisingly simple despite its title, and middle-aged romance is certainly in your wheelhouse, so the benefit of the doubt is indeed yours.

If I can just make one small request: keep it short. Keep it simple. The natural charm of even a cast like this can only go so far. Don't wear it out. Be romantic. Be comedic. And then leave us be. That'd be a gift I'd cherish above most.

In Sam Mendes' Away We Go, Verona (Maya Rudolph) and Burt (John Krasinski) touch down in a number of spots around North America in search of a new home after Burt's flighty parents decide to go live in Antwerp. Thanks to a script from Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida, Away We Go is far less wrist-slittingly depressing than Mendes' last outing, Revolutionary Road, if quite a bit more twee.

The clip below is from a scene where three concerned airline attendants don't want to let Verona board the plane because she looks more than eight months pregnant, even though she assures them she's not. This goes out to all the mommies and daddies (and expecting mommies and daddies) out there who have to deal with anyone eyeballing and/or touching your belly when it's not welcome. Hands off! (Unless you're John Krasinski armed with a stethoscope, of course.)

Watch the clip after the jump

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

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

Part of me completely forgot we were getting a double bill from director Sam Mendes this year (though, technically, it's last year and this year, but regardless it feels like we're getting two films from the man during a very short period of time). Once again Mendes returns to themes of family with Away We Go, however unlike Revolutionary Road, you probably won't have a desire to off yourself when the credits begin to roll.

What intrigues me most about Away We Go is its cast. Mendes went from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet to a bearded John Krasinski and a pregnant Maya Rudolph. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, it's just an odd pairing. The chemistry looks to be there, though, and the supporting cast is pretty fantastic with three power women leading the way in Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney and Catherine O'Hara. Oh, and Jeff Daniels squeezes himself in there too.

Watching the trailer, this doesn't feel like a Mendes film. It sorta gives me this ultra indie, hippie-ish Noah Baumbach funny (yet tender) dysfunctional family vibe (it was written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida, so maybe that's where it's coming from). Yes, I dig it ... though I'm hoping its charm turns out to be unique, and not just another piece off the Little Miss Sunshine gravy train. Watch it below and let us know what you think. Does it have potential? Away We Go hits theaters in limited release on June 5.

Sundancers enjoyed unseasonably warm weather (41 degrees in the afternoon) as the festival headed toward its concluding weekend.

Deals. After picking up the Nazi zombie flick Dead Snow, IFC Films added another comedy to its roster, acquiring Armando Iannucci's In the Loop just hours before its premiere, according to Mike Jones at Variety. The film stars Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, James Gandolfini, and Steve Coogan. A 2009 theatrical release is planned, per indieWIRE. But where's the bidding wars for docs? A. J. Schnack of All these wonderful things writes: "For the first time in anyone's recent memory, the first half of the fest had come and gone without a major doc sale."

Reviews/Interviews. Would-be comedy Paper Heart is "partially built around Charlyne Yi's persona," says Eric D. Snider, "and I find her persona boring." Oh, dear. The "typically hilarious" Michael Cera also appears. James Rocchi was busy, interviewing the great Kevin Spacey about Shrink and talking with actor / director / writer John Krasinski about Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. James also reviewed Ondi Timoner's documentary We Live in Public, which he called "incisive, exciting and thought-provoking."

Prison drama Bronson, from Pusher trilogy director Nicolas Wining Refn, has created a fair amount of buzz, and Scott Weinberg knows why, describing it as "raw, blistering, harsh and compelling." Scott also took a bemused gander at Bobcat Goldthwait's World's Greatest Dad, with Robin Williams essaying the titular role of a father dealing with life after his teenage son "dies while masturbating." Yes, folks, it's a comedy! To end on a musical note, Erik Davis caught The Carter, a doc about rapper Lil' Wayne, "a passionate, talented man who's slowly losing himself." You can check out all our coverage at the fabulous Sundance hub at Moviefone.

Blog Talk. After the jump: Woody Allen's soul, Bobcat's schedule, and Paris Hilton.

Writer, director and actor John Krasinski isn't knocking himself out trying to be cool about the debut of his film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (which Scott Weinberg reviewed here) in the Dramatic Competition at Sundance: " Being at Sundance, I think, is the greatest honor I could ever have for this movie, truly. Sundance has always been -- before I got the show (The Office), before I came to Sundance -- it's always been to me, that place where film making is done for film lovers. There's a feeling here that people appreciate taking chances and doing bold things, and I think my cast and crew took big chances. ..." Krasinski spoke with Cinematical in Park City about adapting a seemingly unadaptable book, his respect for the late David Foster Wallace, casting Julianne Nicholson (Flannel Pyjamas) as the woman facing an army of Hideous Men, and much more.

You can listen to the interview here at Cinematical by clicking below:



You can also download the interview in full right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

Hey folks, just a quick heads-up regarding our Sundance coverage. The Cinematical crew (Erik Davis, Scott Weinberg, James Rocchi and Eric D. Snider) are on the ground now in Park City, picking up badges, planning our schedules, searching for parties housing free food, etc ... Over the next 10 days, here's a little taste of what you should expect from our team:

• Reviews -- As always, our expert team of film nuts will bring you a whole bunch of reviews (most of which will be full-length) of films screening here at Sundance. We'll also throw in a few themed dispatches with shorter reviews for multiple flicks.
• Interview Series -- Once again, we'll be bringing you a series of interviews in a variety of formats. We've lined up a series of fantastic audio interviews (with folks like John Krasinski, Paul Giamatti, Patton Oswalt and Antoine Fuqua, among others), and I'll also be running around with a little Flip camera; crashing parties, piecing together on-the-spot interviews with whatever celeb/filmmaker crosses my path.
• Sundance in 60 Seconds -- Every night of the festival, Cinematical's Peter Martin will provide a round-up of not only highlights from our coverage, but also tap into what other people are saying about the fest.
• Sundance Movie Posters, Trailers, Images and Clips -- Look for a whole bunch of Sundance movie posters, images, trailers and clips (some of which are exclusives) to sporadically pop up on the site each day.
• Twitter -- Myself (http://twitter.com/erikdavis), James Rocchi (http://twitter.com/jamesrocchi) and Eric D. Snider (http://twitter.com/ericdsnider) are all on Twitter and will be throwing up short bursts of brilliance throughout the fest. So feel free to follow our daily adventures over there as well.
• Moviefone -- Our main Sundance hub has gone live over at Moviefone, where you'll not only be able to check out all our shenanigans, but also coverage from our cool cousins over at indieWIRE, as well as tons of Sundance photos and more. So bookmark this page for constant Sundance updates.

Other than that, the rest of our crew will remain at home, pumping out non Sundance-related posts keeping you up to date on all the goings-on in the movie world. So dive in, have fun and let us know if you have any questions!

Update: Cinematical was informed that the film still does not have a title, though we imagine one will be announced soon. See full (and accurate) press release after the jump.

Since news first broke about Sam Mendes making the leap to comedy with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, I've become awfully curious to see if the man famous for heavy subject matter can pull off a straight rom-com. Coming Soon has received a press announcement from the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tuscon, Arizona, and according to them, the spa has been chosen as one of the locations for the road flick. More importantly, we now know that the film is going by the slightly awkward title of Farlanders.

McSweeney's founder Dave Eggers co-wrote the script with his wife, Vendela Vida, and the story centers on an expectant couple played by Krasinski (sporting some much-maligned facial hair) and Rudolph as they travel the US looking for the perfect place to start their family. The film has a big ensemble cast to play the various 'characters' our couple will meet along the way -- including some very funny women like Catherine O'Hara, Cheryl Hines, and Allison Janney.

Production began back in April, and according to the release, the Arizona shoot will begin in June. Some of the other locations include Colorado, Connecticut, and Florida. There is no official release date, so I guess I'll have plenty of time to get used to that title.

Farlanders The Untitled Sam Mendes Comedy is due to arrive in theaters in 2009.