tokyo Tagged Articles at Cinematical

"Slim pickings" is the best way to describe this week's releases. Isn't anyone planning to stay home and watch DVDs?

Two Lovers
Joaquin Phoenix can't decide between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. Directed by James Gray, this suffocating drama is dark, thoughtful, and "more true to real human existence than most of the dreck that comes out of Hollywood studios," wrote Kim Voynar. I wasn't quite as impressed by it as she was, but it's still my top pick in a slow week. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.

12 Rounds
Wrestler John Cena stars in Renny Harlin's latest train wreck (as I described it in my review), a sober drama that resolutely refuses to embrace its loonier plot elements (fire engine smashing through New Orleans, an out-of-control street car). Aidan Gillen (The Wire) provides one of the few pleasures as an exceptionally-nasty master criminal. Also on Blu-ray. The "Extreme Cut" adds less than three minutes of footage. Skip it.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li
I was hoping against hope that this might provide some cheesy fun, but Nick Schager slammed that door shut: "Fighting sequences are dreadfully lethargic ... their choreography is of a dull, unimaginative sort." Not even Kristin Kreuk can save this one. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.

Also out: Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience.

After the jump: "Indies on DVD" provides several good rental choices, a landmark film by Spike Lee hits Blu-ray, and a long-dismissed effort by director Hal Ashby gets dusted off.

The arrival of Watchmen this weekend has caused the other studios to flee in terror, but not the indies! There are several smaller films opening in limited release today, and the Indie Spotlight is here to round 'em up for you. Make a note of the ones that sound good and watch for when they come to your city (or to cable, or to DVD, etc.).

• Everlasting Moments (pictured) is a Swedish drama, based on a true story, about a young female photographer in the early 1900s. It was on the shortlist for the foreign-language category at the Oscars this year, but was not nominated. Cinematical's Kim Voynar lurved it at Telluride last September, calling it "that rare cinematic experience that you settle back, bite into, and then savor as the subtle richness of the film cleanses the palate and fills the soul." Mmm... Swedish palate cleanser.... At Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of the reviews agree with Kim.

• Phoebe in Wonderland delighted many of us at Sundance last year (including Cinematical's Kim Voynar) with its imaginative, funny depiction of a smart little girl who has trouble conforming to society's rules. I'm a little surprised by the mixed reviews (about half and half) at Rotten Tomatoes; I thought the general consensus was a lot more positive. Oh well. Don't listen to them, listen to Kim and me. It's a sweet movie. Look for it on about a dozen screens around the country.

• 12, from Russia, was nominated for an Oscar last year. That makes sense, considering it's a remake of 12 Angry Men, which was nominated for three Oscars itself back in 1957. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 89%, with critics using words like "riveting," "aggressively entertaining," and "intense." It's playing in L.A. and New York now, and it will tour the country in the coming weeks.

Land of the Lost
This comedic remake of the classic Saturday Morning show takes some license with the material, but it's got Will Ferrell and it's got Sleestak. Where can I buy my ticket? Ferrell plays scientist Rick Marshall, who's written a book on time warps (which is particularly odd since IMDB says his character is a Forest Ranger). Despite a Today Show interview that goes hilariously wrong, Marshall apparently proves his theories by traveling across time and space with two colleagues to a world of dinosaurs, ape people and lizard men. Check out the trailer below.





The Damned United
Michael Sheen of Frost/Nixon plays Brian Clough, who for forty-four days coached the Leeds United soccer team (or football team as they call it on that side of the pond). Based on true events, Clough was apparently a controversial figure. I got the impression the trailer was assuming I already knew who he was, so perhaps a different approach would be appropriate for the non U.K. markets.

Deadline
Brittany Murphy stars as a writer who moves into an old house so she can work in peace, but the ghost of a young woman murdered in the house (Thora Birch) is getting in the way of her deadline. This looks like generic ghost plot number 4 and there's something about Murphy here I find off-putting. Not sure if it's her "I don't want to be bothered by the outside world" attitude or her out of control hair. Despite the premise this looks like a less than spirited effort.

Not every city ode has to be steeped in love and mainstream appeal, which is probably why Tokyo! isn't getting half the love that Paris, je t'aime got. But it should. Oh yes, it should. Above you can see the trailer for the film that will be released in New York on March 6, and in Los Angeles and nationwide on March 20.

It's not exactly like the Paris and upcoming New York versions. There are only three directors for this puppy, and they're directors known for their original visions -- Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind) heads "Interior Design," Leos Carax (Pola X) heads "Merde," and Bong Joon-ho (The Host) heads "Shaking Tokyo." If that's not enough to sway you, check this: Gondry's segment is about a girl who metamorphoses into something very unexpected, Carax follows a "shit" creature who terrorizes Tokyo whilst wearing a green corduroy suit, and Joon-ho's centers on an agoraphobic man who falls in love with a pizza delivery woman during an earthquake.

All set in Tokyo. What could be better?

You might remember that there was another city getting an anthology treatment, but outside of the Paris and New York love. Back in March of 2007, I posted about Tokyo, an upcoming triptych about life in the Japanese city -- coming from one interesting collection of directors: Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and The Host helmer Bong Joon-ho. Now it looks like the title has become an exclamation -- Tokyo! -- The Hollywood Reporter posts that Liberation Entertainment has picked up the North American rights to the feature, and we've finally got some segment details.

"Merde" -- Leos Carax's piece follows "a man who engages in provocative acts on the streets of Tokyo."

"Shaking Tokyo" -- The relationship piece from Bong Joon-ho, this segment focuses on a recluse who falls in love during an earthquake. I guess getting him out of his comfort zone helps matters along.

"Interior Design" -- And finally, there's Michel Gondry's piece, which is said to be "a fable that centers on a couple drifting apart." Knowing Gondry, it'll probably be much more than the story of a deteriorating relationship.

Added note: Julie Dreyfus, aka Sofie Fatale from Kill Bill, has a role in one of the segments. No specific date for the film's release has been set, but Liberation Entertainment plans to get it out by the end of the year. I'll take that as a holiday treat. How about you?

Grabbing a trio of directors to create a film about a famous, high-density city is nothing new. In 1989, Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese got together to make New York Stories. Now another city is getting its cinematic treatment, but the spin is a little bit different. Instead of merging an incredibly verbose filmmaker with two men known for their manly features, we're getting a popular music video director-turned-quirky filmmaker, an occasional French director and the man who brought us killer tadpoles. Michel Gondry, Leos Carax and Bong Joon-ho are all negotiating to take on Tokyo -- a triptych covering three stories that take place in the Japanese city.

There is very little news on the Commes des Cinemas feature, other than the fact that it will give three views of Tokyo. However, The Host director Bong Joon-ho has shared a little about his offering. While the plots are being kept secret, the South Korean filmmaker just finished his during a long plane ride, and it will involve the relationship between a Japanese man and woman. Each segment is set to be filmed simultaneously in Tokyo this July or August, and a source for The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that each with get liberal access to the city since it's so Tokyo-centric. I, for one, am anxious to see what each of the directors will do. They're all quite different, which should make for an interesting collection of largely unique visions.

Though there hasn't been an official announcement regarding another sequel in the Mission Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise hinted to a possible scene in the fourth installment that would require the city of Tokyo to literally shut down ... everything. Oh that Tom Cruise and his nutty ideas.

Cruise made the comment alongside director J.J. Abrams while the two were off promoting Mission Impossible 3 in Japan. The actor went on to explain that, although citizens would hate life and traffic would hit an all-time high,  he promised an action sequence that would be remembered forever. In return, Tokyo would only have to shut down for one week -- a minor inconvenience for, what could potentially be, Tom Cruise running throughout the streets at super-human speed.

Though it sounds absurd, a similar situation arose during filming of MI:3 in Shanghai. At that time, the Chinese government closed off large sections of the city at night to allow for filming some of the pic's more elaborate scenes. Personally, after being named Forbes most powerful celebrity, I think Tom Cruise is trying to see exactly how powerful he really is. I'm still waiting for the day when the guy tries to buy a planet and name if after himself. Screw Mars or Jupiter -- Planet Cruise sounds so much more ... relaxed. Am I right? Or am I right?