TheThirdMan Tagged Articles at Cinematical

An intriguing remake rumor has popped up on CHUD. Devin Faraci is reporting that longtime friends Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio might star in a remake of Carol Reed's classic thriller The Third Man. Canal Plus is said to be shopping around the project, which includes a screenplay penned by Steven Knight.

The details are scarce (and it may not happen at all), so it's not known whether this would be a straight up-remake or a rewrite, or who Maguire or DiCaprio would be playing. But the idea is enough to undoubtedly cause reactions of anger and panic around film fans, but think about this calmly. It's not as though Maguire, DiCaprio, or Knight are untalented slouches, and it's the kind of story that could be given a modern rewrite and stand on its own feet. I would actually love to see this rewritten, and set in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'd love to see it set it in years immediately preceding the Soviet Union, putting Harry Lime and Holly Martins in the dangerous, free-for-all Yeltsin economy. (Faraci suggests making it sci-fi, which would be very brave and very awesome.)

The Third Man is one of those stories like Dashiell Hammet's Red Harvest that is flexible enough to work in another adaptation and lose nothing of its original power. I'm very curious to see if this comes together, and in what form. DiCaprio would be the perfect actor to play the smirking Lime. I just hope they don't mimic my favorite scene. Some things are better left to Welles.

It's time for a little more The Third Man love. Elisabeth already shared one of the best scenes from the film, and now I've got to give love to the trailer. See, I hadn't seen the trailer until tonight, and once I did, it quickly became one of my favorite examples of cinematic spazziness ever. Yes, it's like a lot of other mid-20th century trailers in layout and execution, but this perspective on Carol Reed's film takes the cake.

As we all know (or should -- if you haven't seen the movie rent it now), The Third Man follows an American pulp novelist named Holly Martins who moves to Vienna at the behest of old friend Harry Lime. But when he arrives, he discovers that his old friend has died under mysterious circumstances. Being a popular pen behind mystery fare, Holly decides to crack the secrets himself. Jazzed by a score by Anton Karas (which Roger Ebert perfectly described as "jaunty but without joy"), the film is dark without ever seeming thick and weighty, beautiful without ever being distractingly grandiose, and smart without ever getting preachy.

And then comes the trailer where everything is funneled into an only partially accurate romantic frame. The female voice breathes (as if she's about to pass out): "desired by one woman." The male voice claims that "hanging is too good for him," as if there's a moral judgment on punishment. And best of all: "He'll have you in a dither with his zither." It's a line that's both completely accurate in describing the score, yet utterly ridiculous and misleading.

Enjoy it for yourself after the jump!

Note release dates, which are spaced from today through next Sunday.

Burn After Reading (12/21)
The Coen Brothers shine a bright light on Washington spy silliness, and then, by extension, all of the silly extremes we indulge in, producing a very funny comic fable that should reward multiple viewings. With George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Available on DVD and Blu-ray. Buy it.

The House Bunny (12/19)
Anna Farris' comic brilliance transcends the shopworn material. As Erik Davis suggested, "enjoy the movie for what it is: A simple, seductive slice of late-summer sunshine." Available on DVD and Blu-ray. Rent it.

Mamma Mia! The Movie (12/16)
I think you'd do better to spend your money on another album by Abba; this musical has bewildering choreography and a wandering camera that doesn't know where it should be. Still, Meryl Streep has a lot of fun with it, and her presence covers a multitude of sins. Available on DVD and Blu-ray. Rent it.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (12/16)
Big budget, big battle scenes, and big nothing when all is said and done. A huge waste of talent and time that fails to entertain on the most basic of levels. (But I still like Maria Bello!) Available on DVD (wide screen and full screen) and Blu-ray. Skip it.

Death Race (12/21)
Jason Statham I can understand, but how did Joan Allen keep a straight face? A monstrous disappointment for action fans, with its hyped-up CGI'd incomprehensible racing scenes. Available on DVD and Blu-ray "unrated," though you'd do better to leave it "unwatched." Skip it.

Also out: Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (Amazon.com Exclusive) (12/19), The Women (2008) (12/19), Traitor (12/19), We Are Wizards (Amazon VOD).