sin nombre Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Watch This: Cary Fukunaga's Levi's Commercial
Filed under: Trailers and Clips »
.jpg)
Ever since newbie writer-director Cary Fukunaga stormed this past Sundance Film Festival, taking the Best Director award for his fantastic film Sin Nombre (read my review here), I've been itching to see what the guy does next. While he's probably busy working on projects as part of deals with both Focus Features and Universal Pictures, it looks like Fukunaga carved out enough time to direct a commercial for Levi's 'Go Forth' campaign.
The commercials (there are two in total, with one directed by Lying helmer M. Blash) use Walt Whitman poems ("America", "O Pioneer") in a voiceover to illustrate the spirited adventure and liveliness of today's American youth, "but also to refresh and reinvent the idea of a pioneering spirit for the times in which we live," according to creative director Susan Hoffman. Fukunaga directed the "America" commercial, while Blash helmed the "O Pioneer" spot. The ads themselves are pretty unique and fun, and they're shot beautifully; it's stuff like this that has me itching to see what sort of sandbox Fukunaga will play in next. Sin Nombre, which follows the intertwining stories of three teenagers set against a backdrop full of people riding atop trains in the hopes of crossing the Mexico/U.S. border, is now available on DVD and I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't seen it yet. I also suggest watching it in conjunction with the documentary Which Way Home, now airing on HBO.
Watch both Levi's commercials after the jump.
Spin-ematical: New on DVD for 9/1
Filed under: New Releases », DVD Reviews », New on DVD », Home Entertainment »
State of Play
A Russell Crowe-starring thriller that entangles 3 deaths, Washington politics, old-school journalism, and new wave blogging, State of Play is by far your best mainstream choice this week. In his review, Jeffrey M. Anderson said: "it's probably the best newspaper/journalism movie in years," and "State of Play moves well, with grace and intelligence as well as a measure of scrappiness and a sense of working by the seat of one's pants." Buy it. Also on Blu-ray.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Tennessee
A movie co-starring Mariah Carrey might not seem like a noteworthy piece of cinema, but it's more than meets the eye. The film focuses on woman and her brothers who set out to find their estranged father in hopes that he will help save their leukemia-suffering sibling. In his review, Joel Keller said: "Tennessee isn't action-packed, but it has a story that should keep you engaged from start to finish." Rent it.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Unwigged & Unplugged Live Concert DVD
This isn't exactly a film, but seeing that Unwigged and Unplugged was the costume-free tour of Spinal Tap, mixing the band's hits with the musical numbers from A Mighty Wind, it's definitely worth mentioning here. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer sound great with nothing more than their voices and guitars, and add a lot of anecdotes in for good measure. Buy it.
Add to Netflix queue | Buy at Amazon
Also out: Impact, Methodic, Bring it On: Fight to the Finish
Tribeca Review: Which Way Home
Filed under: Documentary », Drama », Tribeca », Theatrical Reviews »
Which Way Home and the recently-released Sin Nombre would make for an excellent double feature, as the former -- currently screening in the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival -- is a riveting documentary that taps into the same concept and themes of Sin Nombre, except it's all real and it's all heartbreaking to watch. Like Sin Nombre, Which Way Home follows the stories of several children attempting to illegally cross the Mexican border into the United States by way of riding on the tops of trains. But while Sin Nombre works in a fictional plot involving love, friendship and gang violence, Which Way Home covers the topic from several different (and fascinating) points of view. From the boys and girls riding the trains to the kids who've already been caught and are on their way back home, the film brings us everything we'd expect from a solid, well-made documentary -- injecting passion, honesty and heart into a topic that certainly needs more attention drawn to it.
Director Rebecca Cammisa attacks her subject from every conceivable angle; the most central (and noteworthy) being the risky life-threatening adventure of two best friends, Kevin and Fito. Both boys, barely teenagers, have set out from their small town on a quest to make it to America in the hopes that someone will adopt them, give them work (so they can send money home) and provide a better life. This is no small task, mind you, as a map early on shows us just how long (hundreds of miles) and tedious the journey really is -- with the boys needing to ride on the rooftops of cargo trains from one town to the next; each carrying a heavier police force as they inch closer to the border.
SXSW in 60 Seconds: Friday, March 20, 2009
Filed under: Independent », SXSW », Festival Reports », Cinematical Indie »
The die-hards and the locals kept trudging into screenings on Friday, the penultimate day of the SXSW film festival, no doubt dodging sidewalk-jamming musicians. Reports filtered in that there was a massive crowd at the Austin Convention Center to see the late afternoon screening of the critically-debated doc Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo, and I imagine plenty of people showed up in the evening for the hilarious and unexpectedly poignant Best Worst Movie.
Cinematical Coverage. Yours truly wrote about Gerald Peary's documentary For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. I enjoyed the chronological overview, but the academic approach made me feel like I was watching a term paper. The inaugural broadcast of The Cinematical Roundtable featured writers Drew McWeeny, Scott Weinberg, and William Goss talking about four SXSW presentations that will be hitting theaters in the coming months: The Haunting in Connecticut, Observe and Report, Drag Me to Hell, and The Hurt Locker.
Two films that played at SXSW opened in theaters today; Eugene Novikov thought I Love You, Man was a "sweet, amusing, and perfectly acceptable comedy," but was especially noteworthy because Paul Rudd "begins to stake out his territory as a comedian and a leading man." Erik Davis extolled the virtues of Cary Joji Fukunaga's drama Sin Nombre, both in his republished Sundance review and in his reminder notice -- with trailer!
You can check out all of our SXSW 2009 coverage by clicking here.
Blog Talk. Now that the festival is almost over, new SXSW Producer Janet Pierson is being hailed for the outstanding job she did. Anne Thompson has a great roundup / photo gallery at Variety, Kim Voynar profiles Pierson at Movie City News, and Eric Kohn talks to Pierson about the film selection process at The Wrap.
Review: Sin Nombre
Filed under: Foreign Language », New Releases », Theatrical Reviews », Focus Features »
(We're reposting this Sundance review to coincide with the film's theatrical release this weekend)
By: Erik Davis
One of the more fascinating and gut-wrenching films at this year's festival, Sin Nombre managed to snag a couple of awards (Best Director and Best Cinematography in U.S. Dramatic Competition) before skipping town with a writer-director who's sure to become Hollywood's next great filmmaker. The film, while frequently heartbreaking to watch, also comes with its own unbelievable story. Focus Features became involved early on based solely on its script, and then proceeded to provide financing to a first-time feature director for a film that was entirely in Spanish and featured some main actors that had never been in a movie before. The good news for Focus is their gamble paid off, and Sin Nombre is easily one of the best films of 2009 so far.
Essentially a road trip thriller with a love story mixed in, Sin Nombre tracks the fate of three teenagers traveling through Mexico on their way toward the U.S. border. Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) is living a hard life in Honduras when her father and uncle decide it's time for the three of them to attempt to cross over into the United States and meet up with dad's "other family" in New Jersey -- full of brothers and sisters her pop fathered before he was caught and deported. But the journey is a tough one: First the trio must cross a river into Mexico, and then hop a train (by riding on its roof) for a three-week journey to the border. Before the train arrives, Sayra's father tells her that half the people traveling with them (100-200) will either die or be caught by border police and sent back home. Nevertheless, the promise of a better life on the other side is too appetizing to ignore.
Reminder: Excellent 'Sin Nombre' In Theaters Today!
Filed under: Action », Drama », Foreign Language », New Releases », Exhibition »
.jpg)
We'll be re-posting my review from Sundance a little later on, but I felt this film deserved its own reminder post and so here I am reminding you that one of the best films from this year's Sundance Film Festival hits theaters today. From what I can tell -- and according to the Film in Focus website -- you can see Sin Nombre this weekend if you live in Hollywood, California (Arclight Cinema), Santa Monica, California (Laemmle Monica 4 Plex), Los Angeles (Land The Landmark), San Francisco (Kabuki 8 and Land Embarcadero Center) and New York City (Lincoln Plaza 6). On April 3rd, the film looks to be expanding to Chicago, Dallas, Cambridge, Pasadena and San Diego.
I like to call Sin Nombre a road trip romance thriller (or some variation of that), as it follows the stories of three teenagers on different paths, yet all of whom have the same goal: protecting their future. Most of the action takes place on the top of a train heading for the Mexican border, where hundreds of people gather in the hopes that they'll make it across and achieve a better life for themselves and their loved ones. Director Cary Fukunaga has crafted a beautiful film that's tragic yet hopeful, and so if you're looking to see something this weekend that's a tad off the beaten path then I seriously cannot recommend Sin Nombre enough. Watch the trailer below.
Sundance Review: Sin Nombre
Filed under: Drama », Foreign Language », Independent », Sundance », Theatrical Reviews », Focus Features », Sundance Reviews 2009 »
One of the more fascinating and gut-wrenching films at this year's festival, Sin Nombre managed to snag a couple of awards (Best Director and Best Cinematography in U.S. Dramatic Competition) before skipping town with a writer-director who's sure to become Hollywood's next great filmmaker. The film, while frequently heartbreaking to watch, also comes with its own unbelievable story. Focus Features became involved early on based solely on its script, and then proceeded to provide financing to a first-time feature director for a film that was entirely in Spanish and featured some main actors that had never been in a movie before. The good news for Focus is their gamble paid off, and Sin Nombre is easily one of the best films of 2009 so far.
Essentially a road trip thriller with a love story mixed in, Sin Nombre tracks the fate of three teenagers traveling through Mexico on their way toward the U.S. border. Sayla (Paulina Gaitan) is living a hard life in Honduras when her father and uncle decide it's time for the three of them to attempt to cross over into the United States and meet up with dad's "other family" in New Jersey -- full of brothers and sisters her pop fathered before he was caught and deported. But the journey is a tough one: First the trio must cross a river into Mexico, and then hop a train -- by riding on its roof -- for a three-week journey to the border. Before the train arrives, Sayla's father tells her that half the people traveling with them (100-200) will either die or be caught by border police and sent back home. Nevertheless, the promise of a better life on the other side is too appetizing to ignore.
Sundance '09: Our 12 Most Anticipated Films
Filed under: Sundance », Fandom », DIY/Filmmaking », Lists »
.jpg)
It's just about time for myself and a few trusty Cinematical cohorts (James Rocchi, Scott Weinberg and Eric D. Snider) to pack up our bags and head for the mountains of Park City, Utah -- home to, of course, the Sundance Film Festival. Once we're on the ground, we'll be posting reviews, interviews, scene/party coverage, photos, videos and whatever else there is to throw online that way you, our most loyal readers, will feel like you're right smack in the middle of the biggest film festival of the year. And to get the ball rolling, here are our 12 most anticipated films of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
12 Most Anticipated Sundance Films
1. Big Fan
The Wrestler screenwriter Robert D. Siegel returns to New Jersey as director for this drama about a hardcore NY Giants fan (Patton Oswalt) who suffers major consequences when he's beaten up by his favorite player.
We Say: Hey Giants fans, at least we can watch them beating someone ...
Sundance Film Festival
2. 500 Days of Summer
A quirky, offbeat comedy about a girl who doesn't believe in true love and the guy who falls head over feet for her.
We Say: Cliché? Maybe. But when else will we get to see indie darlings Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star opposite one another?
Sundance Film Festival
3. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
Based on the collection of short stories, Hideous Men follows a female grad student who, following a breakup, decides to interview men in an attempt to uncover the secrets behind their unpredictable behavior.
We Say: Fans of The Office's John Krasinski (who wrote and directed) will get to see his debut as a filmmaker.
Sundance Film Festival
4. Moon
A character study about a lone astronaut (Sam Rockwell) stationed on the moon for three years who begins to unravel physically and mentally.
We Say: A whole film of just Sam Rockwell? Sign us up!
Sundance Film Festival
5. Art & Copy
Doug Pray directs this documentary which delves deep inside the advertising industry to reveal the hidden secrets behind some of the most successful and innovative campaigns of our time.
We Say: Pray's Surfwise was one of the greatest (and most overlooked) docs of 2008, and so we'll gladly welcome his next outing.
Sundance Film Festival
6. Sin Nombre
A social-political thriller set on the Mexican border about three teens whose fates collide on a train heading for the United States.
We Say: Writer-director Cary Joji Fukunaga is one to watch having taken home a student Academy Award for his previous short film, Victoria para chino.
Sundance Film Festival
7. I Love You Phillip Morris
The writers of Bad Santa make their directorial debut with this story about a cop-turned-con man (Jim Carrey) who falls for a fellow inmate (Ewan McGregor) while in prison. But is it all just one big con?
We Say: There's nothing about this on-screen recipe that doesn't reek of fun festival flick.
Sundance Film Festival
8. Reporter
Executive produced by Ben Affleck, Eric Daniel Metzgar's documentary travels deep into the Congo following New York Times reporter Nicholas D. Kristof on a mission to expose the affect this kind of journalism has on the rest of the world.
We Say: Definitely a worthy watch during this, the age of the disappearing journalist.
Sundance Film Festival
9. The Missing Person
Starring Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan and Frank Wood, The Missing Person tells of a private investigator/alcoholic who lands the case of his life ... if he can just stick around long enough to crack it.
We Say: The promise of a smooth noir caper with a few sweet performances has more than piqued our interest.
Sundance Film Festival
10. World's Greatest Dad
In an attempt not to feel shame following his son's death, a father (Robin Williams) writes a fake suicide note which ultimately gets published and becomes a huge hit – leading him to dive into a career as a fake author.
We Say: It's directed by funnyman Bobcat Goldthwait, whose keen eye for devilishly dark comedy (see: Stay) has us very interested.
Sundance Film Festival
Sundance First Look: 'Sin Nombre' and 'Afghan Star'
Filed under: Sundance », Fandom », Movie Marketing », Images »
.jpg)
Above: An image from Sin Nombre (click below to enlarge)
In a little under a month from now, Cinematical will once again invade the Sundance Film Festival looking to bring back word on what's shaping up to be a pretty fantastic slate of new movies. But why wait until then to begin exploring some of these flicks -- consider us your one-stop-shop before, during and after the Sundance Film Festival for news, reviews, interviews, images, trailers, clips and posters. Click here for all our Sundance coverage.
Above you will see a brand new image from the buzzed-about dramatic thriller Sin Nombre, directed by the very talented Cary Joji Fukunaga. I've watched at least one of Cary's short films and he's definitely an emerging director who I know we'll see plenty from in the future (trust me -- remember that name). From the Sundance site: "A social-political thriller in the tradition of American film noir, Sin Nombre is set on the border, where Mexico becomes the crucible and the fearsome gangs of today's Mexican countryside, the gauntlet, to freedom. The stories of Sayra, a teenager living in Honduras and hungering for a brighter future, and teen gang members Smiley and Casper, for whom the Mara Salvatrucha is nearly their entire universe, become interlaced on the train to the border, a journey that will determine the future of their lives." Sin Nombre is screening in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section.
Gallery: Sin Nombre
_thumbnail.jpg)
Jeremy Renner Wants To Be An Avenger
Directors We Love: Jim Jarmusch
Indie Roundup: 'Sweetgrass,' 'Clarkworld,' 'Broken Embraces'
Shelf Life: Fight Club_thumbnail.jpg)
Watch: Famous 'Matrix' Scene Re-Created with LEGOs
_thumbnail.jpg)
