La notte non aspetta è un film del 2008 diretto da David Ayer, basato su un racconto di James Ellroy.

Leggi altre notizie su: | David Ayer | Keanu Reeves | Forest Whitaker | Hugh Laurie | Chris Evans

Deivids Ajers, labākais dialogu autors braucošās un stāvošās automašīnās, kā arī Kristiāns Beils, kuram šī ir pēdējā labā kinoloma, tā arī nespēj izvilkt pasākumu līdz “Training Day” augstumiem. Filmā absolūti viss ir kaut kāds ļoti apšaubāms, un spēcīgas galvenās sižeta līnijas, kas ļautu mums aizmirst visus šos pseidomeksikāņus, reģipša bandītus, zāles kulītes laupīšanu uzvalkos ar kaklasaitēm, etc, gluži vienkārši nav. Galvenais, ko jūs iznesīsiet azotē no kinoteātra – vērtīgais padoms, ka ja izdzer pudeli etiķa, testi neuzrādīs narkotisko vielu sastāvu organismā.

in 2009 martcore says
otrreiz nesaņemtos

Sinopse:

Uma visão seca sobre a amizade, lealdade e ambição nas duras ruas do centro de Los Angeles. Jim Davis é um ex-fuzileiro dispensado do exército perseguido pelas memórias da guerra. Enquanto tenta entrar para a polícia, Jim mata o tempo com seu amigo desempregado numa viagem de drogas, violência e mulheres. Nas ruas de Los Angeles lealdade é a única lei e a traição está por todos os lados. Siga essa regra ao pé da letra ou sinta o peso de tempos de violência.

- Bom. Legalzinho.

- Assistido em 10/10/2009

Street Kings

Director: David Ayer.

Guión: James Ellroy, Kurt Wimmer y Jamie Moss,

basado en una historia del primero

Intérpretes: Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Jay Mohr, Chris Evans, Naomie Harris, Cedric the Entertainer.

Música: Graeme Revell.

Fotografía: Gabriel Beristain

Montaje: Jeffrey Ford

EEUU. 2008. 109 minutos.

James Ellroy

La relación de James Ellroy, uno de los más notables escritores de serie negra de los últimos años, con el cine no está exenta de controversias ni lógicas censuras críticas referidas no tanto al material adaptado cuanto al cómo a definiciones narrativas y sobretodo estéticas de ilustración del asfixiante, más bien nihilista e hiperviolento universo literario del autor de El Gran Desierto. Las dos adaptaciones más célebres de sus obras, LA Confidential de Curtis Hanson y The Black Dahlia de Brian De Palma, siendo dos películas estimables por muchos motivos (y diversos una de otra: las dos comparten un elaborado encourage de época, pero la primera se raíla sobre lo férreo de un muy bien sincretizado guión, y en cambio la segunda postula más por el tour de force visual, las opciones manieristas de un –magnífico- realizador manierista), saben enunciar pero no acaban de contener en su seno el meollo sórdido que da carta de naturaleza y propiedades al texto literario. Tiene que ver, probablemente, con los límites de lo que es ética y estéticamente admisible en dos obras de grandes estudios: cabe, ya digo, enunciar la corrupción, pero no transcribir a fondo lo irrespirable que resulta; o, enfocado de otro modo, cabe servir el relato enfundado en lo glamouroso de unos iconos estéticos –los referidos a la estética de la ciudad de Los Angeles en los años treinta y cuarenta- pero no vestir, con la acerada precisión de la letra de Ellroy, el trasfondo realista que empeña hasta lo trágico los obtusos mecanismos de ser, pensar y actuar de los protagonistas de las novelas. Por eso, y sin ser artefactos cinematográficos tan logrados como las obras citadas, tanto Dark Blue como esta Street Kings, obras afiliadas netamente al cine de acción, y ambas dirigidas de forma artesanal por, respectivamente, Ron Shelton y David Ayer, dejan traslucir, en su caligrafía más desnuda y arrás de suelo –y su ambientación contemporánea-, algunas de las enseñas narrativas de la obra del autor que, bajo la espectacular fachada, se nos escatimaban en las películas de Hanson y De Palma. En el caso de la película que nos ocupa, aún más, tomando en consideración que no se adapta una novela de Ellroy, sino de una historia original creada por él mismo, quien también participó en la confección del screenplay. (Nota bene: existe otra adaptación de una novela de Ellroy, concretamente de Sangre en la luna, a cargo de James B. Harris, titulada Cop, de 1988; no puedo hablar de ella porque lamentablemente no la he visto).

Ayer

David Ayer, guionista afiliado al cine de género que dio sus primeros pasos con U-571 y obtuvo cierta reputación merced de los libretos de Training Day y de The Fast & The Furious, entró en contacto con el universo ellroyano merced de su participación en el guión de Dark Blue. Street Kings es su segunda película tras Harsh Times, ambas obras que ofrecen relatos policiacos con un cierto trasfondo naturalista, temática que bebe mucho de diversas series televisivas de prestigio –The Wire y The Shield a la cabeza- de las que también hereda un cierto gusto estético y un ritmo. En ese sentido, esta Street Kings ofrece una escenografía más bien funcional. Ayer maneja el relato con el brío necesario para presentar rápidamente los personajes y conflictos en liza, se sirve del ya canónico recurso de trenzar las secuencias mediante el recurso a esas panorámicas de la ciudad, en este caso a menudo cenitales, en correspondencia con un gusto por la iluminación algo sombría de la que se sirve constante todo el metraje. Rehuye buena parte de los efectismos al uso, y sirve las contadas secuencias de violencia con sequedad y sin miramientos, pero también sin aspavientos, alejándose, como diversos otros thrillers de los últimos años –puedo citar por ejemplo We own the night de James Gray o incluso Cleaner de Renny Harlin-, del infamo patrón estético que, por allá a finales de los noventa, estuvo a punto de abdicar a los excesos irreales, entre cartoon y efecto roller coaster, hijos de la infografía (o más bien –que no se diga que estoy contra el progreso técnico- de una determinada concepción e implementación del sentido y funcionalidad de esa infografía).

La Jungla

Debe decirse que lo más agradecible del relato es que éste se sirve de forma de lo más honesta (ello y a pesar de plantear diversos juegos-retos al espectador: atiéndase sin ir más lejos a la larga secuencia-prólogo, en la que no sabemos que Tom Ludlow, encarnado por Keanu Reeves, es policía hasta que, tras asaltar la morada de unos coreanos y aniquilarles a todos, descubre a unas chicas secuestradas y llama a la comisaría), recurriendo al rigor y la congruencia para ir llenando espacios referidos a la moralidad, que son los que en realidad se imprimen sobre los coyunturales, aunque sea con esos propósitos más bien entomológicos que caracterizan la mirada de Ellroy. En este caso, considerando que la trama se engarza directamente en un conflicto del departamento de asuntos internos de la policía –a partir del asesinato de un policía que era confidente de ese departamento, Terrence Washington-, no existen subterfugios argumentales al cuadro de corrupciones, oposiciones y luchas de poder en el seno policial (temática siempre presente en la obra de Ellroy pero aquí central). Rápidamente identificamos la tipología de Ludlow, antihéroe, detective atormentado y de maneras algo abruptas (como ya sucedía en The Black Dahlia y Josh Hartnett, es demérito del filme que esté protagonizado por un actor de perfil más bien blando como es Keanu Reeves, a pesar de sus esfuerzos interpretativos; lucían mucho mejor Kurt Russell y Russell Crowe en Dark Blue y LA Confidential), damos con la enquistada enemistad entre dos aspirantes a comisario, los Capitanes Jack Wander (Forest Whitaker) y James Briggs, de asuntos internos (Hugh Laurie). Conecemos a la camarilla de agentes-soldado que ejecutan los deseos de sus superiores (el Sargento Mike Clady, encarnado por Jay Mohr, también Santos y Quicks)… Son puestos los unos con y contra los otros en el tablero de una ciudad-monstruo, lleno de sanguinarios delincuentes (algunos, polis infiltrados), y en el que la figura de la mujer es siempre una víctima. El devenir y solución de la función, coherente narrativa y estilísticamente con el completo aparato cinematográfico controlado por Ayer (otra virtud del filme, pues a menudo los desenlaces se busca una cuadratura convencional, cosa que aquí no sucede), nos deja la impronta de un paisaje desolado, en el que los términos de la legalidad se quebrantan sin apenas cuestionarlo (tanto es así que el espectador tiene que hacer un esfuerzo de abstracción para encajarlos con la trama), en el que la ambigüedad moral es lo más parecido a la redención, y en el que, en fin, la porfía contra un sistema contaminado en su propia esencia es tan descabellada que ni siquiera se plantea. Todo se reduce a la mera –y difícil- supervivencia en la jungla.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421073/

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/streetkings/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/street_kings/

http://www.labutaca.net/films/60/duenosdelacalle.php

Todas las imágenes pertenecen a sus autores

2008: Street Kings di David Ayer

La critica si è divisa: Ciak parla di “un’ottima suspense e un duello di attori in grande forma”, per Il Giornale il film “è scritto con la sinistra, per non dire con i piedi, è di un’improbabilità rara e di una sciatteria impressionante”, La Stampa parla di “solido soggetto del film…  buona tensione narrativa e un cast di prim’ordine”, Il Mattino sottolinea che “lo sguardo obliquo e maledetto di Ellroy viene normalizzato dalla routine di genere”.

Un’opera certamente non banale e con l’ambizione di essere uno spietato affresco di una città infernale dove gli aspetti positivi brillano per la loro assenza. Una requisitoria contro le forze dell’ordine e contro chi detiene il potere. Un quadro impressionante di egocentrismo, falsità, corruzione, violenza, arrivismo… Uno dei lavori meno rassicuranti che si siano visti negli ultimi tempi: una storia a tinte forti, sgradevole nel suo realismo, senza compromessi o reticenze.

Peccato che il tutto sia infarcito di inutili e retorici effetti spettacolari di cui non si sentiva il bisogno (che hanno l’unico risultato di distrarre lo spettatore dal tema principale del film, il contrasto tra il rispetto della legge da una parte e la difesa dell’ordine e della sicurezza dall’altra) e che regia e sceneggiatura facciano agire il protagonista (figura estremamente interessante nella sua problematicità) come un superman alla Rambo (con la conseguenza inevitabile di togliere credibilità e plausibilità a quanto vediamo sullo schermo). Peccato. Probabilmente i realizzatori del film hanno avuto paura che la sola forte denuncia non sarebbe bastata a richiamare gli spettatori e hanno preferito mascherarla dei soliti mirabolanti effettacci che caratterizzano tutti gli action-movie di ultima produzione (del resto Hollywood non ha creduto molto in questo lavoro fatto uscire in America quasi alla chetichella).

Tratto da un romanzo di James Ellroy (coautore della sceneggiatura), “lo scrittore noir più importante dopo Chandler” (Il Messaggero),  La notte non aspetta è diretto da David Ayer, noto per lo screenplay dell’ottimo Training day e per la regia del meno riuscito Harsh Times. I giorni dell’odio.

Ottima l’interpretazione di Keanu Reeves, dell’emergente Chris Evans, ma soprattutto del perfetto Forest Whitaker.

scheda

sito ufficiale

Harsh Times (2005) by writer/director David Ayer stars Christian Bale as Jim Luther Davis, a former Ranger hourably discharged after six years of service. He is currently living in Los Angeles and wants a career in law enforcement. His best friend Mike Alonzo, played by Freddy Rodriguez, just wants a job so his wife Sylvia (Eva Longoria) will get off his back.

Jim has a girlfriend in Mexico, Martha (Tammy Trull) that he wants to marry and bring across the border. That is why he’s so desperate for work.

This is extremely fast paced, skillfully cut and very rough.  It gives an excellent impression of things spinning out of control, which they do for Jim.

While waiting to see if he’s been accepted into the LAPD Jim goes about his business,  which largely consists of petty crime, drinking, smoking pot, waving his gun around and getting his friend Mike into trouble.  Jim has the kind of bad dreams that you wake up from shaking, sweating and screaming, but insists that he’s fine.

Whatever his experiences were in the war they have certainly left him with a bad case of  post traumatic stress but judging from what his friends say about him he’s always been a little wild and this merely seems to add to that.

In comparison to the life Jim’s living in LA, the girlfriend Martha’s place in Mexico is very much a paradise. Low tech, few people, poor, but hopeful.

Watching Bale I am again amazed at how good he really is at this kind of thing. The Spanish is perfect, his accent never slips. He can portray a guy that goes crashing through five emotions in thirty seconds and lands at violence with diabolical accuracy. Jim loses control over small things, but remains disturbingly calm in the face of guns and violence, of which there is plenty.

His friend Mike only wants to get a job and make his wife happy, but you can see how he gets swept up in Jim’s wake. Rodriguez does a good job as well as the “straight man”, not that that’s a completely correct term here. But watching his reactions to Jim you can see how close to the whirlwind he’s standing and how it affects him. He comes close to losing his wife and everything he’s worked for as  a consequence of this friendship.

Right from the get go you get the sense that this is a downward spiral, spinning hard. Jim can’t wait to selfdestruct and the only question is how many he will take with him and that makes it painful to watch.

The brief respite Jim and Mike get in Mexico is as close to idyllic as anything can get, right up to the point where Jim’s demons take over. At that point he has been offered a job by the Feds as a “contact” in Colombia and he refers to himself as “a soldier of the apocalypse”. He has been adviced that he shouldn’t marry, so he’s going to have to forsake the only good thing in his life, Martha, in order to get a job.

His friends tell him that he’s making the wrong choice. It’s obvious to anyone that he’s making the wrong choice.

At the same time there is no way he’s going to be able to hold on to the normal life he thought he wanted, too badly damaged already. He makes the choice most likely to get him killed and even then it can’t seem to happen fast enough.When Martha tells him she’s pregnant, he snaps.

In the end Jim never even makes it to the training facility in Georgia, circumstance eat him alive before then. And it has some very bad ramifications for Mike as well.

All in all, this is a movie for those who don’t have a problem with violence and moral ambiguity, or a lead character who is actually not very likable. The dialogue is rife with derogatory comments on any- and everything, up to and including the law enforcement, which is not portrayed in a very favourable light here.

To me this movie stands and falls with Bale and Rodriguez. Had it not been for these two actors this could have been a total dud.

Mule

Recent scuttlebutt:

• Puffball Russell Brand downplayed any involvement with the latest Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, saying, “There’s been some talk of doing a Pirates movie, but, I’ve got eight other things to do [including] Get Him To The Greek with Judd Apatow… So I don’t know if there’ll be time to be a pirate, I’ve got enough of that in me private life.” Chortle! (Access Hollywood)
• Training Day scribe David Ayer, whose directorial debut Harsh Times displayed a penchant for men yelling racial epithets at each other and OTT Christian Bale performances, has a new gig. He will write and direct Last Man, a space opera with a hardened soldier and his rookie charges defending themselves from becoming alien breakfast on a distant planet. Did Fox lose John Carpenter’s phone number? (Variety)
• Filmmaker Chris Waitt’s 2008 documentary A Complete History of My Sexual Failures chronicled his reconciliations with girlfriends past to find out where it all went wrong. Now Austin Powers director Jay Roachis making a feature version. If Waitt is played by either Mike Myers or Jim Carrey, then my personal sexual failures will include auto-castration. (Variety)
• Fox has snapped up the rights to Mr. Popper’s Penguins, a book beloved of kids who live in places with no TV. Tome tells the tale of a house painter whose dreams of exploration end with him wrangling a penguin circus. This pleases pere Erich von Squally, who thinks more movies should be made about house painters. Pic is written by Sean Anders and John Morris, who penned Sex Drive. This angers Mr. S, who believes they should be shot. (Variety)
• Dakota Fanning might be too busy to play a Runaway. She’s signed on to Stephenie Meyer sequel New Moon, which is being prepped for a Nov. 20 opening by director Chris Weitz. Fanning is due to play Jane, who sucks blood for the Volturi. Kristen Dunst’s crown as the pre-eminent preemie vampire could be under serious threat. (People)

Buy at AllPosters.com


In “Street Kings,” a police thriler held by David Ayer, Keanu Reeves is Tom Ludlow, a veteran of the police special squad of Los Angeles, it feels difficult to face life after the death of his wife.

When the evidence suggests is responsible for the violent execution of a colleague, he is being forced to go against the police culture, questioning the fairness and honesty of all who surround him.

Forest Whitaker is Captain Wander, the supervisor and mentor of Ludlow, whose duties include protecting it and keep it within the limits of the law and away from the clutches of Internal Affairs Captain Biggs, however, Ludlow, adding to a couple of homicide detectives, leading to a blind search to find the killers of his former partner.

The determination of the fruit when the two detectives finally find the murderers, but their attempts to do justice will face and overcome many barriers …
In City of Angels, moral codes to be followed to become difficult to meet, especially for those who have the duty to protect the citizens …

Director David Ayer, starring Keanu Reeves (Detective Tom Ludlow), Forest Whittaker (Captain Jack Wander), Hugh Laurie (Captain James Briggs), Terry Crews (Detective Terrance Washington).

Tom Ludlow is a rule-bending cop who nonetheless gets results because he kids himself he’s past caring and regularly tops himself up with vodka. His wife died after a brain haemorrhage but was in another man’s bed at the time. Ludlow only has a job because his captain’s prepared to keep the line and defines the truth as how you look at it. Familiar territory to James Ellroy, who co-wrote the script. His mark is also all over the staccato pace and macho dialogue that’s spat rather than said.

Ludlow’s ex-partner, Detective Washington, has reported him to Internal Affairs. Following Washington into a store, Ludlow becomes involved in a shoot out with two local thugs. The thugs are identified as Fremont and Coates but drugs were found in Washington’s car, implying he was selling on drugs taken as evidence. Off-duty Ludlow finds the bodies of Fremont and Coates, the state of the bodies mean they were clearly murdered long before Detective Washington was fatally shot. His captain, Wander, urges Ludlow to “turn the page and close the book” but Ludlow’s girlfriend says he shouldn’t turn his back on Washington. Giving a man who believes he has nothing to lose a sense of purpose is dangerous if you want to keep the status quo. Doesn’t take Ludlow long to work out he’s a pawn, but the question is whose and will it corrupt him in the process?

Keanu Reeves is credible as a grieving man fighting a losing battle with the chaos around him who knows he can’t trust anyone. Forest Whitaker as the politically ambitious captain, who regards knowing the dirt on everyone including his own unit as an insurance policy, is manic, slightly over-played now and then. Hugh Laurie reprises House albeit less grumpily but it’s a way of signalling to a British audience that he’s serious here. Terry Crews’ Washington is well-judged, a man who thought that the means didn’t matter if the end result was desirable but becomes sickened by the stench of corruption and coverts to an evangelist for Internal Affairs and at the same time can’t understand why his fellow cops don’t follow him.

The pace is intense. The action nonstop. And it stays that way as the plot twists and turns through the multi-ethnic mayhem and macho angst. It questions whether when you’re dealing with corruption and law-breaking on a daily basis don’t you become tainted too? Where corruption is rife, who’s the good guy? And just how wide a line separates police from criminal? Where are the women? Washington’s widow believes he was a good man but is packing for a new life elsewhere. Ludlow’s girlfriend is a slightly-drawn character who chides him for only seeing her when he gets shot. No surprise she’s also a nurse and hence knows her role in his life only too well. Frenetic but worth sticking with.

Street Kings (2008)

Ein spannugsgeladener und wendungsreicher Actionstreifen. Keanu Reeves und Forest Whitaker machen ihren Job gut und Hugh Laurie aka Dr. House hat spielt so wie man ihn kennt. Das Ende wirkt aber leider sehr konstruiert.

7/10

Trailer

I’m a big comic book head and the X-Men have always been one of my favorite. 2 Characters held a special place in my black heart, Wolverine and Cyclops. The X-Men movies that have been released so far have been decent each leaving you hoping for a better film in the next which they have done. When I heard they were doing a prequel on Wolverine I got hyped and knew this would be the film to see. The Film is based on Wolverine’s origin and time with team X, and if you know anything about Wolverine you will know he has one of the sickest origins in comic history!

This movie will also chronicle his time before his skeleton became bonded with the metal adamantium.

If you’re a regular visitor to the site, which you should be, you’ve obviously noticed it hasn’t been updated this past week. Fear not, this was only a temporary hiatus, brought upon me by circumstances I had absolutely no control over. Indeed don’t think it was all fun and no work for me here, no… Not one film was watched, I was just extremely busy elsewhere, but I am back now and The Movie Planet will normally resume its regular output later today. In the meantime, there’s obviously been a crapload of film news during my absence, and I’ve decided to get through all the major stuff quickly in a sort of mega-”Links Of The Week” edition, enabling me to have a clean slate upon my next post. Enjoy.

Movie Announcements

New hotshot comedy actor Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express) will produce and have a supporting role in I’m With Cancer, based on the experiences of producer Will Reiser (Da Ali G Show), who wrote the script here.

Spanish director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage) will make his English-language debut with an adaptation of David Moody’s novel Hater, written by Glen Mazzara (16 episodes of FX’s The Shield), here.

The 2004 French heist movie Cash Truck (original title Le Convoyeur) is getting a remake in English, titled Armored, adapted by David Ayer (Harsh Times) &  Andrew Kevin Walker (Sleepy Hollow), potentially directed by F. Gary Gray (Be Cool) and potentially starring Eric Bana (The Other Boleyn Girl) here.

Acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Body Of Lies) will return to sci-fi and direct an adaptation of the novel The Forever War, a project he’s been pursuing for 25 years here.

20th Century-Fox has hired screenwriter Allan Loeb (21) to pen a sequel to the 1987 classic Wall Street here.

A big budget Chinese movie based on the legend of Hua Mulan has been announced here. It will be the fifth Chinese film on the subject and the first since 1964.

Bull Durham director Ron Shelton has declared he’s thinking about a sequel here. Star Kevin Costner has however recently stated he’d never do one.

Writer/Director Nancy Meyers (The Holiday) is making a new romantic comedy, which will star Steve Martin (Baby Mama), Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!), Alec Baldwin (My Best Friend’s Girl) here.

Gary Winick (Charlotte’s Web) will direct the revenge comedy Rat Bastard, written by duo Heather McGowan & Niels Mueller (Tadpole) here.

The French comic book series Du Plomb Dans La Tête (literally something like A Bullet In The Head), will be adapted into the American film Headshot here.

A new muppet movie, a detective comedy titled Happytime Murders will be made, directed by Brian Henson (Muppet Treasure Island) and written by Todd Berger (Chasing Christmas) here.

Steve Carell (Get Smart) will star in the Napoleonic comedy The Adventures Of Brigadier Gerard, based on short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) here.

Musical sensation Elton John (The Lion King) is writing a musical that will star Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder) here.

Amy Adams (Charlie Wilson’s War) will star in the romantic comedy Leap Year here.

The multitalented Kevin Smith (Clerks 1 & 2) is planning a space comedy here.

Liev Schreiber (Love In The Time Of Cholera), Helen Hunt (Bobby) and Carla Gugino (Righteous Kill) will star in the drama Every Day here.

Plot Announcements

Actor/Director Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) reveals the plot for his latest movie, Gran Torino, here.

The plot and songs for the untitled new romantic comedy by Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown), starring Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder) and Reese Witherspoon (Rendition) has been revealed here.

The plot for Full Love, the promising second directorial effort for action superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme (JCVD), has been revealed here.

The plot for the new Star Trek movie has been revealed here.

Casting & Various Hiring News

Despite the next Superman movie being a franchise reboot, Brandon Routh will apparently return in the lead here.

Actor Brad Pitt (Burn After Reading) has stepped down from the Micky Ward boxing biopic The Fighter, to be directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain) and starring Mark Wahlberg (The Happening), leaving that film’s future in jeopardy here.

 The Fame remake has been cast here.

Talented actor Don Cheadle (Traitor) has replaced talented actor Terrence Howard (Iron Man) as the hero’s best buddy Jim Rhodes in Iron Man 2 here. Howard is confused and upset.

Relative newcomer Brad Ingelsby has been hired to adapt the comic book Sleeper here.

Third film co-writer George Nolfi will write the fourth Bourne film here.

It seems Brett Ratner (the Rush Hour films) will direct the new Conan movie here.

Movie Cancellations

Lethal Weapon 5 won’t be made, as co-lead Mel Gibson turned down the script here.

Acclaimed director David Fincher (Zodiac) believes his long-gestating adaptation of Rendezvous With Rama will never get made here.

It seems the long-gestating Goonies 2 won’t be happening after all here.

The eagerly anticipated new He-Man movie has been canceled here.

Other

One of the best teen movies of recent times, 10 Things I Hate About You, is getting adapted for television here.

There’s gonna be a roller coaster based on the Saw franchise here…What?

Un film del 2008, regia di David Ayer, con Keanu Reeves / Forest Whitaker / Amaury Nolasco / Hugh Laurie. Prodotto da 20th Century Fox (107min)

Drammatico / Poliziesco / Thriller

Dopo la morte di sua moglie, la vita del poliziotto Tom Ludlow è entrata in crisi. A dargli uno scossone è uno scandalo all’interno del dipartimento di polizia di Los Angeles nel quale resta coinvolto, che lo vedrebbe implicato nell’omicidio di un collega. A Tom non resta che andare contro la cultura della polizia, quella in cui ha sempre creduto, per provare la sua innocenza.

El actor australiano Eric Bana protagonizará el thriller Armored, remake de la francesa Le Convoyeur que dirige el especialista en el género F. Gary Gray.

La historia, relocalizada ahora en Michigan, tendrá a Bana como un hombre que comienza a trabajar para una empresa de transportes blindados. Su carisma logra crear fuertes lazos con sus compañeros, que finalmente le incluirán en un plan para atracar uno de los vehículos. Lo que desconocen sus colegas es que el misterioso hombre esconde sus propios objetivos.

David Ayer y Andrew Kevin Walker se han encargado de la adaptación del guión.

Riddle: How do you make Keanu Reeves a good actor? Answer: You don’t. You make his character an alcoholic and claim that the alcohol is why he exhibits a lack of emotion. And thus, you have the premise for the movie Street Kings. I know what many of you are thinking: Doesn’t seem like a movie The Roman would be tempted to watch, and you’d be correct sir. But I don’t discriminate. I’m not like that. Obama for change, man. Obama for change. And though not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination—and I have an amazing imagination, it’s quite spectacular—Street Kings wasn’t painful either. It’s a cookie-cutter movie, to be honest. But sometimes it’s nice to watch these kinds of movies to remember what the “norm” is supposed to be. The formula. Because when you watch so many movies outside the formula, you start to think the obscure is the norm and then a movie like Street Kings that is nothing special suddenly appears much more special because you think it’s not like any other movie. But, it is—just not the movies you’ve been watching (another good exercise is to occasionally watch a really bad movie like Bloodrayne or Alexander just to remember why other movies are so good. Like, I occasionally get a crappy burrito at Taco Bell to remember why I love Chipotle so much).

Story: Corrupt cops are doing corrupt things! Keanu must face corruption as one of the corrupt…and the perimeter of a rectangle is A(2)+B(2).

Acting: I promised I would go through this entire review without once mentioning the highlight of Keanu’s acting ability in The Matrix. Nope, I’m not gonna do it. Just not gonna do it. You want me to, I know, but I’m not gonna say “woah,” nope, I’m not gonna do it. Forget Keanu. This movie starred Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, Chris Evans, Common, Jay Mohr, and even Cedric the Entertainer. So, let’s move through them quickly. First—Forrest Whitaker, one of the greatest of today’s actors—phone’s this shit in. My god, he was not in his A game this time around at all. Even Keanu was like “Hey, Forest…you know you won an Oscar right? Have you ever thought about trying to act?” Yeah. Sorry, Forest, but, the fuck, man? Next, we’ll go to the cameos of Common, who is proving to be one of the good actor/rapper types, and Cedric, who was not needed in this film at all and they could have used anyone. Okay! Man, I am on a roll! Jay Mohr is next, who looks re-goddamn-diculous in his porn star mustache. Seriously, he needed to shave that thing. Every time I saw him, I didn’t care if he could act or not, I just wanted to punch him in the fucking throat. The best actors in this film were Hugh Laurie, who has a small part, but shines in it. In fact, the only scene where Forest did do any acting, was with Laurie and the two were great together, having their little battle of words. But it was Chris Evans who stole this movie. You know what? Fuck Shia LeBeouf! He thinks he’s the only young actor in Hollywood who has an ounce a talent. Fuck you! I can name three off the top of my head. Jim Sturgess. Bam! Dominic Monaghan. Bam! And Chris Evans. He was one of the only redeemable qualities of the Fantastic Four franchise. He was the best actor in Sunshine. And in Street Kings, he mops up everyone. Everyone. Keep an eye of this guy. Oh, um, not many chicks in this film, unfortunately (I like chicks, what can I say?).

Directing: David Ayer’s last film was Harsh Times, which is basically the same movie as Street Kings. He also does a lot of writing—he even wrote Traing Day (a movie I loathe)…I’m starting to see a pattern.

Street Kings is a very eh movie. Not bad, not good, just sort of there. It made a few Hollywood people a couple bucks and keeps everyone happy. Keanu is still acting. Maybe he’ll step it up for his remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still—which seems to have nothing to do with the original and I’m pretty sure Tom Cruise was originally attached to the film, which would have been awesome because even if the man is a little nuts, he’s a fine actor—and Tropic Thunder has forgiven him of all things anyway.

I’ll be back soon with Angels with Dirty Faces. The first of the 1930 era films.

precensione di Antonello Qualapis

Roma, notte d’agosto, caldo umido, strade trafficate (molte auto girano persino senza conducente), sale cinematografiche con l’aria condizionata: è il caso di spararsi almeno quattro film di seguito per godersi il fresco. Abbiamo visionato le seguenti pellicole in una sola notte: La notte non aspetta di David Ayer, La notte dei girasoli di Cabezudo, Il resto della notte di Munzi per concludere con E venne il giorno… di M. Night Shyamalan.
Night: parola chiave per interpretare questi film nel modo migliore, anche se diversi dal punto di vista narrativo, l’oscurità della notte che avvolge personaggi e strade è  la medesima, spesso così intensa da rendere impossibile la visione per parecchi minuti, molti spettatori hanno tentato invano di illuminare lo schermo con un accendino. Si piange, si ride, si osserva per ore a bocca aperta, ci si emoziona, si urla in sala come ossessi, si intraprende una lotta a suon di gomitate con il vicino; la fattura di queste pellicole è mirabile, formalmente e contenutisticamente parlando, assistiamo al miracolo cinematografico estivo che distrugge senza pietà noia e depressione.
Da non perdere, poi, l’agghiacciante  film Denti di Lichtenstein, che presto sarà affiancato da una pellicola simile, di prossima uscita: Mazza ferrata di Freakstein, così anche le femminucce potranno provare brividi di terrore, tra l’altro i produttori del film stanno pensando anche ad un seguito: Mazza ferrata versus denti dove i protagonisti dei due film si incontrano e sboccia l’amore carnale con scene ultragore!!. Nelle sale anche il tenerissimo Animals in love di Laurent Charbonnier, scambiato da alcuni per un film porno, è un documentario che di erotico ha soltanto la voce narrante di Cecile de France e per questo lo consigliamo in lingua originale e possibilmente in compagnia della bellissima attrice francese che tutti ricordano nel film Alta tensione di Alexandre Aja. Scene come l’accoppiamento di due enormi rospi nel fango (la scena dura 20 minuti!) e di due gabbiani in volo, lasciano senza fiato. Altri momenti toccanti :
Due canguri che in preda a raptus riproduttivo si uniscono saltando e finiscono sotto ad un’auto in corsa, un rinoceronte distratto che possiede un ippopotamo addormentato, nel bel mezzo di un’orgia gorillesca, un gorilla in calore che insegue l’operatore e poi ancora, un piccolo marsupiale della Tasmania che vi mostrerà l’incredibile. Il film si conclude con un’amara frase di Voltaire: “…nonostante tutto, cari miei, dobbiamo dirlo, beati loro!”.

(Street Kings, Usa 2008) Directed by: David Ayer . Written by: James Ellroy David Ayer . Starring: Keanu Reeves Forest Whitaker Hugh Laurie Terry Crews Chris Evans Cedric the Entertainer Common The Game .

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A Los Angeles un agente deve indagare sulla morte misteriosa di un collega.

Ennesimo adattamento dal principe del noir contemporaneo James Ellroy, La notte non aspetta è un film molto violento e cupo, duro sia per il linguaggio usato sia per la crudezza di non poche scene. Il modello stilistico e contenutistico è l’inarrivabile L.A Confidential, romanticismo puro e violento reso per il grande schermo da Curtis Hanson. Qui invece la regia tarantolata di Ayer (Harsh Times -I giorni dell’odio) sceglie di assecondare più l’azione che il romanticismo dei personaggi “neri” di Ellroy. Ne viene fuori un ibrido, ricco di sequenze e situazioni già viste, proprio in L.A Confidential, ma anche di molte altre narrazioni di Ellroy: la corruzione della polizia; la “squadra” nella squadra; il poliziotto con problemi in famiglia. L’azione non manca anche se Ayer eccede in virtuosismi (ralenti eccessivi) che potevano essere evitati: a mancare è semmai una certa dose di imprevedibilità e di verosimiglianza. Appare ad esempio molto strumentale ma poco incisivo il rapporto tra i due poliziotti a caccia degli assassini del sergente Washington (che cosa spinge in particolar modo l’agente Disco a divenire sodale di Keanu Reeves-Tom Ludlow). Mal sviluppati anche i rapporti con il gentil sesso, elemento che non dovrebbe mai mancare in un noir dignitoso e che qui è limitato al racconto superficiale e per nulla coinvolgente del protagonista con un’infermiera. E poi, il cast: sulla carta molto interessante, che coinvolge attori navigati come Keanu Reeves e Forest Whitaker accanto al Dr House – Hugh Laurie e al giovane Chris Evan eppure, al di là proprio dei limiti di messa in scena e di sceneggiatura, clamorosamente fuori fuoco. Soprattutto la prova dell’imbolsito Reevs appare lontanissima dalla fisicità straripante dell’omologo Russell Crowe-Bud White di ], così come l’interpretazione di Whitaker è troppo sopra le righe, addirittura patetica in un finale deludente e che pare la brutta copia del capolavoro di Curtis Hanson del 1997.