PaulAuster Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Sundance Review: The Missing Person
Filed under: Drama », Sundance », Noir », Mystery & Suspense », Theatrical Reviews », Festival Reports », Oscar Watch », Sundance Reviews 2009 »
The Missing Person, playing at Sundance even as its star Michael Shannon earns an Oscar nomination for his work in Revolutionary Road, isn't merely a clever, cool spin on the classic private eye story, but it also works as a private eye story. It showcases a lurching, hunched, quietly lived-in performance by Shannon but offers more than just that performance. It has the knowing, humane touches of Paul Auster's brilliant urban fiction but still manages to rope in familiar crime genre characters like the rich widow, the collaborating cabbie, the wanted man, the ethical crimelord, the unethical businessman, the femme fatale and -- most importantly -- the sad-sack, mercenary-but-moral private eye.
John Rosow (Shannon) lives and works and drinks -- and does a far better job of the last thing in that list than the first two -- in a shabby office in Chicago. The phone rings. Get to the train station by 7, he's told. Board the Zephyr Express from Chicago to L.A.; there's a man to follow. An old friend in New York recommended him, and he's got the job if he wants it: "Five hundred dollars a day, plus expenses ... not including gin." After Miss Charlie (Amy Ryan) gives him the dossier of background and some cash, Rosow shaves, puts on a brown suit, goes to the train and takes the job. Because that's what a private eye does, as near as he can tell. And aside from the ringing phone being a cell, we could be in the 30's or the '40s or the '50s with the train and the gin and the cash and the job. But, of course, we're not.
Eva Green Blazes a Trail to the Country of Last Things
Filed under: Action », Drama », Casting », Newsstand »
As we are doing quite a bit of 007-related stuff here at Cinematical this week (and because of my eternal love for Bond girls) I thought I would drop some news on you concerning the latest Bond girl -- the super-hot Eva Green. According to the great team over at Production Weekly, Green is set to star in director Alejandro Chomski's upcoming film In the Country of Last Things. The film, which will be Green's next role following her work in director Chris Weitz's His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass opposite Nicole Kidman and her Casino Royale co-star Daniel Craig, is being adapted by the director from the novel by Paul Auster. In the film, Green will play Anne Blum who is on a quest to find her brother amidst a post-apocalyptic world of crime, starvation, urban decay and deprivation. During this quest, she ends up finding more than she bargained for when she makes some unexpected friends and even ends up finding true love among the ruins of civilization. Green has seen quite a career upswing since appearing in her first film in 2003 -- Bernardo Bertolucci's The Dreamers. From there, she went on to star as the object of Orlando Bloom's affection in Ridley Scott's excellent and underrated film Kingdom of Heaven.
Then, she landed the coveted role as Bond girl Vesper Lynd in the latest Bond film Casino Royale -- which has led her to even more roles in spite of the so-called "Bond girl curse" which causes a career stall to an actress who appears in a Bond film. All in all, pretty good for only being at it three years and having to overcome a so-called "curse." With all she has going for her, I wonder what the beautiful and talented Green will do next? Whatever it is, you can bet I'll be watching -- especially if she keeps wearing outfits like the one in the picture up there. Nice.
There's no word on other casting for In the Country of Last Things. The film is currently in pre-production and scheduled to start shooting in Argentina this winter.
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
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Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
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