joe wright Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Joe Wright to Tackle Action With 'Hanna'
Filed under: Action », Focus Features »
The director of Atonement, The Soloist, and Pride & Prejudice is jumping into the action pool? That's what The Hollywood Reporter indicates: Director Joe Wright, best known for Oscar-friendly drama, is about to sign on the dotted line to helm Hanna, which THR describes as a La Femme Nikita style project: "The story centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father's world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life."Sounds to me like a fairly conventional, rather familiar tale -- so then why were Danny Boyle and Alfonso Cuaron both (briefly) attached to the project? I have to assume that there's more on the page than just another action flick to draw in directors like that. And to those who may doubt that Wright can handle high-end action, I recommend you take another look at the most talked-about sequence from Atonement (a long and staggeringly cool tracking shot of a horrific battlefield) and think about how that would look in a "fun" action film.
Also, I bet they change the title.
UPDATE: Keira Knightley Officially 'My Fair Lady' for Joe Wright
Filed under: Classics », Music & Musicals », Romance », Casting », Sony », RumorMonger », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels », Daniel Craig »
Last summer, it was reported that Columbia was setting up a remake of My Fair Lady and that Keira Knightley was pursuing the iconic, Cockney role of Eliza Doolittle. While Knightley has been "attached" ever since, The Telegraph reports that Scarlett Johansson was also vying for the role. But Knightley won out, and the Telegraph not only confirms that she's got the role, but that Joe Wright will be directing. Emma Thompson is writing the script. Knightley has been taking singing lessons ever since the possibility came up (and I actually think she proved she had a good voice in The Edge of Love), and I think she'll be absolutely charming as Doolittle. But then I'm biased towards her. Even if you aren't (and I expect many "too skinny!" comments), I think the combination of Wright and Thompson pushes this into very, very promising territory. Thompson can do no wrong by me.
What will really tip the balance is who they cast as the grumpy, misogynist Professor Henry Higgins. The Telegraph reports that Daniel Craig is being considered, and he'd certainly be ideal as the grim Higgins, probably moreso than the dapper Hugh Jackman. I wouldn't mind seeing Patrick Wilson become a contender, and I half wonder if Gerard Butler's vocal chords were trotted out on Saturday Night Live as an audition. Just you wait, and practice your R's, and we'll see whose face Knightley must become accustomed to.
UPDATE: Screenrush caught up with Joe Wright, who says he never signed on, and is uninterested. Given the shakiness of the initial report, it's unclear whether Knightley's casting is official either.
What Director's World Do You Want To Live In?
Filed under: Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking »
I'm shamelessly stealing this idea from a discussion posted on last week's episode of Slashfilm After Dark. A reader asked the good hosts over there what director or cinematographer's world they would most like to live in. Of course, this is one of those questions you think of a thousand answers to after the fact, but at the time I picked Joe Wright. I want to live in his misty, sun-drenched version of the English countryside where it rains only if you happen to be in a Grecian temple with Mr. Darcy and are thus trapped for hours.
But over this weekend I indulged in a little Douglas Sirk, and I may have to add him as a second choice. I abhor the stuffy social circles presented in his films (he may be critical of it, but it doesn't make it easier to live in!), but I would rather love to be drenched in popsicle-hued Technicolor, the light coordinating perfectly with my lipstick. I'd love to be dressed impeccably, enjoying cocktail hour, secure in a misty land of economic bliss and fabulous furniture. On the other hand, it would be pretty dull (do you get to truly enjoy popsicle Technicolor if you're living in it? Isn't it hard on the eyes?), so perhaps Sirk is best kept as a vacation away from Wright.
Here's where the sharp and classy tastes of the Cinematical readership can jump in. What director or cinematographer's world do you want to live in?
But over this weekend I indulged in a little Douglas Sirk, and I may have to add him as a second choice. I abhor the stuffy social circles presented in his films (he may be critical of it, but it doesn't make it easier to live in!), but I would rather love to be drenched in popsicle-hued Technicolor, the light coordinating perfectly with my lipstick. I'd love to be dressed impeccably, enjoying cocktail hour, secure in a misty land of economic bliss and fabulous furniture. On the other hand, it would be pretty dull (do you get to truly enjoy popsicle Technicolor if you're living in it? Isn't it hard on the eyes?), so perhaps Sirk is best kept as a vacation away from Wright.
Here's where the sharp and classy tastes of the Cinematical readership can jump in. What director or cinematographer's world do you want to live in?
Review: The Soloist
Filed under: Drama », Theatrical Reviews », Dreamworks »
Hollywood loves to stereotype people with mental illnesses as being merely quirky, or easy to cure if you just give 'em a lot of the right kind of love. The Soloist aims for a more realistic portrayal, and even tries to build awareness about the problems of homeless people in America. Unfortunately, the overall film isn't compelling, and the plot falls into the easy traps of traditional melodrama.
Steve Lopez's nonfiction book was adapted by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich, Catch and Release). Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) is always on the hunt for more material to fill his LA Times column space, even cannibalizing his own cycling accident to tell a good story. When he encounters Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) playing violin by a statue of Beethoven, and learns that this homeless man once attended Juilliard, he figures he's hit the columnist jackpot. Little by little he starts to try to "fix" Nathaniel -- finding him a cello and a safe place to play, taking him to symphony rehearsals -- but it's not all that easy. And naturally, Steve's life starts to change too, and he's not sure how to handle it.
From Page to Screen: The Soloist
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », From Page to Screen »
Steve Lopez first stumbled onto Nathaniel Anthony Ayers near a tunnel in Los Angeles, not far from Skid Row. Lopez, a weekly columnist for the Los Angeles Times, was hard up for a column topic, heard an unusually talented street musician in an unlikely place, and struck up a conversation. Articulate, clearly unwell, and doing impressive things with a broken-down violin, Ayers half-intrigues and half-amuses Lopez, who comes back to see him. On his second visit, Lopez notices Ayers scrawling names in the asphalt. "Who are those people?" Lopez asks. "Oh, those are just my classmates from Juilliard," Ayers answers.
Wait, what? That last sends Lopez back to his office to do some Googling and make some phone calls. Indeed, it turns out that Mr. Ayers attended Juilliard as a bass violinist before paranoid schizophrenia drove him out and eventually onto the streets. If the word "Juilliard" means nothing to you, suffice it to say that musicians with the chops to get into the immensely prestigious New York City academy do not ordinarily wind up homeless. Here, Steve Lopez thought, was a column. Maybe a couple.
Scenes We Love: Pride and Prejudice
Filed under: Romance », Trailers and Clips », Scenes We Love »
Pressed into weekend service by the Tony Stark to my Pepper Potts (aka Scott Weinberg), I'm getting my revenge by posting the girl movie of all girl movies ... Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice.
I know for a lot of people, there is only one version of this story, and that's the legendary BBC production starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. For me, it's Wright's, although it's taken awhile for me to get past a few touches that are terribly inaccurate to the book and Regency period ... such as everyone's badly dressed hair (I'm looking especially hard at you, Jena Malone), the peeling paint in the Bennet's house, Lady Catherine visiting Elizabeth in the dead of night, everyone running around half dressed in front of each other, etc. I've loosened up on it after every viewing, and after reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I've shrugged all those minor annoyances off. After all, if you're going to add to the story, it might as well be for purely aesthetic and sexy reasons, like the scene below ... and it better be done well enough to sweep you off your feet.
Incidentally, if you visit Jane Austen's Chawton cottage, the gift shop is full of P&P gifts. The official Mr. Darcy is still Colin Firth, but the Elizabeth Bennet is Keira Knightley. Despite doing a wonderful job, Matthew MacFadyen just can't dethrone Firth from the tea towels.
I know for a lot of people, there is only one version of this story, and that's the legendary BBC production starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. For me, it's Wright's, although it's taken awhile for me to get past a few touches that are terribly inaccurate to the book and Regency period ... such as everyone's badly dressed hair (I'm looking especially hard at you, Jena Malone), the peeling paint in the Bennet's house, Lady Catherine visiting Elizabeth in the dead of night, everyone running around half dressed in front of each other, etc. I've loosened up on it after every viewing, and after reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies I've shrugged all those minor annoyances off. After all, if you're going to add to the story, it might as well be for purely aesthetic and sexy reasons, like the scene below ... and it better be done well enough to sweep you off your feet.
Incidentally, if you visit Jane Austen's Chawton cottage, the gift shop is full of P&P gifts. The official Mr. Darcy is still Colin Firth, but the Elizabeth Bennet is Keira Knightley. Despite doing a wonderful job, Matthew MacFadyen just can't dethrone Firth from the tea towels.
Watch This: Keira Knightley in Domestic Abuse PSA
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Politics », Trailers and Clips »
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We're used to seeing women in peril on the big screen every day; Mary Sues, damsels in distress, call it what you want -- but the sad truth is that for most women, being victimized isn't just limited to the box office. The recent events surrounding Rhianna and Chris Brown have brought the issue of domestic abuse into the spotlight once again, and the disturbing fact remains that most young girls still have some very strange ideas about what constitutes abuse. So while most celebrities don't like to be role models (because they need role models themselves), it's nice to see someone in 'Young Hollywoood' take a stand. Keira Knightley is now starring in a PSA that will be shown on TV and in theaters in the UK about domestic violence for the charity Women's Aid.
The ad has Knightley leaving the set to come home to a jealous and abusive boyfriend, as the abuse continues you see the camera pull away with the tag line, "Isn't it time someone called cut?" as you hear Knightley screaming in the background. The shocking (but highly effective) spot was directed by Joe Wright, who directed Atonement and Pride and Prejudice with Knightley and everyone involved devoted their time for free for the PSA. The ad will begin airing in the UK on April 6th, with an extended version shown in theaters in front of over 15 films.
Do Wright and Knightley take things too far here in depicting domestic violence, or do you feel it's necessary to take things to a very nasty place in order to get the message across?
Discuss: Too Attractive to Be Believable?
Filed under: Casting », Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand », Angelina Jolie »
There is something rather odd in the way Hollywood values the external beauty of its players, while simultaneously decrying it for being shallow and unrealistic onscreen. Have you ever noticed that? This came to mind when I was reading Changeling press a few weeks ago -- you might have read Clint Eastwood's sincerely lovely quote regarding his leading lady, Angelina Jolie: "She is an actress hampered by her gorgeous face, I think the most beautiful face on the planet. People sometimes can't see past that, to her talent. She's on all these magazine covers so it's easy to overlook what an amazing actress is underneath." It's an interesting thought, and a valid point when it comes to Jolie's career -- her looks and personal life outstripped her Oscar win long ago, and her acting talent was called into question soon after meeting Brad Pitt.
However, I don't really want to debate Jolie's talent, but rather the idea that an actor or actress can be hampered by their looks. (And yes, we discussed a variation of this in regards to Keira Knightley a few weeks ago.) Remember when Spike Lee didn't want to cast Halle Berry in Jungle Fever because he thought she was "too pretty"? The same problem nearly prevented Joe Wright casting Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice -- he thought she was too attractive to play Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately, I can't think of any comparable stories regarding male actors, and Google is coming up woefully short. Paul Newman always struggled against it, though, but I don't know if he was ever hampered by it.
Trailer for Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.'s 'The Soloist'
Filed under: Drama », Music & Musicals », Awards », Dreamworks », Trailers and Clips »
I'm of two minds when it comes to this fall's sure-fire awards contender, The Soloist. One half of me is in mild awe that, even in 2008, we find ourselves staring down an awards bid in which a failed journalist and a failed musician help restore one another to their former glory, live life to the fullest, so on, so forth, etc. Yeah, I know it's based from a true story, but that doesn't make it instantly inspirational (well, it does for some).
The other half, however, acknowledges that two talented actors could make something special out of the material, and judging from this new trailer over at Yahoo! Movies, Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx might be just the men for the respective roles. (Oh, and Joe Wright's directing, perhaps out of a need to make a film that didn't involve the melodramatic romances carried out by a character played by Keira Knightley.)
So what do you guys think? Will this be as much of a cross between Resurrecting the Champ and Shine as I suspect it to be, or is your personal performance-hunch-o-meter positively a-tingle?
First Look: 'The Soloist' with Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx
Filed under: Drama », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Movie Marketing », Images »
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Over at USA Today, they've got a first look at Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx in The Soloist, due out November 21st. Based on a true story, Downey Jr. plays Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who discovers a schizophrenic music prodigy (Foxx) living on Skid Row. On this role versus playing a superhero in Iron Man, Downey Jr. notes, "I've loved every part of Iron Man. But the last thing you want is to be seen as that guy, who just does that role." Funnily enough, he says this as he's about to play another real-life reporter not long after he took on the role of Paul Avery in Zodiac. Next up for Downey Jr.? Well, Superman, of course -- this way he can play superhero and reporter! The perfect mix! The Soloist also stars Stephen Root and Catherine Keener, and it was directed by Joe Wright (whose Atonement popped up on all sorts of awards lists last year).
Whaddya think? Can you see Jamie Foxx as a homeless, schizophrenic music prodigy?
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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