Third verse, same as the first, Jackie is a punk, Judy is a runt. Entries 15-11, let’s go:

15. Up: The aughts have been pretty good years for Pixar– the studio has put out seven films in ten years, and of those films only one has displayed a poverty of creativity and wit (Cars), while the rest have been both commercial and critical smashes. Undoubtedly, they have contributed a great number of films for consideration on lists such as these, but for my money the best of their efforts hails from 2009: Up, simply put, is the finest film Pixar has produced to date, proof of the company’s continued evolution from the days of Toy Story leading up to the release of Wall-E. Ostensibly a children’s movie, Up finds plenty of time to be silly and yet it’s far too mature to simply be pegged as entertainment for kids; the opening sequence alone, a montage that tells the story of the life protagonist Carl shares with his wife Ellie, is far too real, and far too bittersweet, to be intended specifically for an audience of children. This is typical for Pixar, who never write their films for a single audience demographic, but Up perhaps best exemplifies their particular approach to filmmaking and shows how much they have improved their craft over the years.

14. Grizzly Man: In October, 2003, Timothy Treadwell’s passion  caught up with him after 13 years and killed him: Having spent more than a decade of living in the presence of fearsome grizzly bears, Timothy found himself in the wrong place and exactly the wrong time, staring down a starving bear in a season where food was more scarce than usual. An outside glance at Treadwell’s story suggests a severely disturbed young man whose fascination with ursus arctos horribilis led him (along with his girlfriend) to a tragic and sudden end, and maybe in the hands of another filmmaker Grizzly Man would have come to exactly such a conclusion. Werner Herzog, however, believes that Treadwell had a deathwish; when we see footage shot by Treadwell himself, wherein the obviously unhinged environmentalist states, “I’d die for these animals”, we start to see what the director is talking about. While we will never know for sure if Treadwell truly desired death at the claws of the grizzly bears he so desperately worked to document and, theoretically, protect, we can certainly appreciate the beauty of the footage he captured in his many years in the Alaskan wilds– and take heed of the cautionary tale Herzog weaves about obsession.

13.  American Splendor: Is this, perhaps, the best comic book movie of the 2000’s? It’s no superhero movie– and for the best of the best of that genre, look no further than Spider-Man 2 or Hellboy 2– but this 2003 biopic about the life and times of curmudgeonly comic book everyman Harvey Pekar best captures the intended spirit of both its creator and his work, examining his life and art with a blend of fiction and reality as it weaves footage of the real Pekar within the narrative told by the film and, of course, Paul Giamatti’s transformative performance. While he lacks his subject’s liveliness, he fully encapsulates the cynical, humanist attitudes of the common man hero– and there is no doubt that Giamatti put on extra shlubb for the role as well. The film reconstructs the details of Harvey’s life, from his separate friendships with Robert Crumb (James Urbaniak) and Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander) to his relationship with Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis), additionally covering major moments in his career– notably, his volatile late night and on-air confrontations with David Letterman. The film is frequently hysterical and often touching; much like the comic, American Splendor achieves both by drawing on the experiences of the mundane and the ordinary. Ultimately, as much as directors Berman and Pulcini make us laugh, their film most pointedly enlightens us with the harsh truth that most of us will lead lives that are overwhelmingly routine. If that epiphany is depressing to you, at least give American Splendor credit for being so boldly perceptive.

12. In the Mood For Love: Unapologetic romantic Wong Kar-wai’s finest film and most vividly told love story, In the Mood For Love is a period piece that transpires in 1960’s Hong Kong; Wong reflects his setting by eschewing more pointedly sexual imagery for the suggestive. Rather than show explicit love-making, he draws restrained body language from his actors instead, calling for use of innocuous gestures over more overt signifiers to build mounting sexual tension between his characters. The short story? It works. Films are rarely as sensual as this without getting into the specifics of sex, but the sexual chemistry between Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung boils over into every frame without ever getting more explicit than what can be relayed through what their eyes say. In the Mood For Love tells the story of two strangers, both committed in their own marriages, who walk into each other’s lives by mere chance. Over time, they develop a platonic relationship as they deal with their separate realizations that their spouses have been unfaithful to them. Seeking a way to assuage the emotional impact of the betrayals, they take solace in each other, kick-starting their own affair. Everyone is at their best here; Tony and Maggie are a natural pairing, and while they have both been excellent in films since, they have never been better. Most of all, Wong is at the height of his romantic powers, and Christopher Doyle’s beautiful photography immerses the viewer in the world in a way few cinematographers working today can.

11. Lord of the Rings: Not much is left to say about Peter Jackson’s triumphant adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterwork of fantasy literature; by producing even half-competent film renditions of the novels, Jackson would still have been successful, but each entry in the series is faithful and true to the books without ever chaining itself to the source to its own detriment. This is undoubtedly Tolkien’s work, but injected with Jackson’s ideas and sensibilities. It is also an extraordinary exercise in world-building. The Middle Earth of the novels is brought to life in stunning detail; even if the films aren’t your cup of tea, the amount of effort that went into creating the creatures, locations, and cultures of Tolkien’s fantasy universe goes above and beyond what other directors may have offered. Middle Earth is just so palatable here that you want to live in it yourself, or at least take extended visits– so long as it’s not entrenched in world war. With its sweeping overhead shots and wide angles capturing large-scale battles and fantastical vistas, the trilogy could easily have been empty spectacle. Jackson’s cast provides that ever-so-important human element that completes the effect and fully brings the world to life. The characters and actors are innumerable, from Elijah Wood as Middle Earth hobbit savior Frodo to the incomparable Ian McKellen as the archetype-defining wizened mentor and advisor Gandalf; to give appropriate praise to each would require another thousand words at least, but suffice to say that uniformly excellent acting from the cast is the last hook needed to fully pull audiences into the film’s world. Immersive, inventive, imaginative, and bold, The Lord of the Rings is an epic masterpiece and undoubtedly one of the greatest cinematic achievements of this decade.

Elizabeth Banks stands out in any crowd but in THIS crowd...

(Warner Brothers) Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, Miranda Richardson, Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Bobb’e J. Thompson. Directed by David Dobkin

Although we love our brothers and sisters, our lives are one long game of “who’s better.” The term “sibling rivalry” takes on an additional dimension when one of the siblings is famous and successful.

Fred Claus (Vaughn) has a secret – he is the older brother of Nicholas Claus (Giamatti), better known as Santa. Nearly from birth his mother (Bates) made it clear which sibling was her favorite, with a barrage of “Why can’t you be more like your brother” remarks tossed Fred’s way. And to be truthful, Nicholas has a pretty long shadow to step out from. He is so filled with goodness that he becomes a living saint and as such, he and his family also become immortal (don’t ask me to explain it – just go with it and you’ll find your head aching less).

At an early age Fred learned to resent the attention his younger brother got and chose to turn away from his family. He lives in Chicago now, just skating by on charm and full of promises that he rarely keeps, driving his girlfriend Wanda (Weisz), who works as a meter maid, crazy.

When a misunderstanding with a group of Salvation Army Santas leads to a fight in a toy store, Fred has no choice but to turn to his little brother to bail him out of jail. He also needs cash to open an Off-Track Betting parlor directly across the street from the Chicago Mercantile and time is of the essence. In order to get the cash, Fred agrees to work for his brother as Christmas approaches.

Despite the misgivings of Annette (Richardson), Nicholas’ wife, Nicholas sends head elf Willie (Higgins) to fetch Fred via flying reindeer and sleigh. He arrives to find the situation in the North Pole not as hunky dory as you might expect. Longer wish lists and a population explosion of children have left the elves unable to keep up with demand very well. Nicholas copes with the stress by overeating and to make matters worse, the powers that be have sent Clyde Northcutt (Spacey) – an efficiency expert – to report on the state of things at Santa’s Workshop. If the report is bad enough, Clyde can shut the whole operation down…permanently.

Nicholas puts Fred to work in the Naughty/Nice department, making the determination which children get presents and which kids get nothing. In the meantime, he has to deal with a one-dimensional DJ (Ludacris) and an unrequited romance between Willie and Santa’s Little Helper, a tall and buxom number-cruncher named Charlene (Banks). To make matters worse, someone is actively trying to sabotage the operation and is using Fred as the fall guy. Can even a saint – or a saint’s brother – save Christmas?

This movie got scathing reviews when it was first released in 2007 and in some ways, I can see why. It advertised itself as a comedy (and with Vaughn in the cast, who could blame them?) and I think that might have been the original intentions of the filmmakers to produce one.

But this isn’t a comedy, and if you expect it to work as one, you’re going to dislike this movie intensely. What Fred Claus REALLY is, is a family holiday movie. Granted, there are some scenes that are actually funny (the Siblings Anonymous scene comes to mind off the bat) and the by-play between brothers Nicholas and Fred are pretty realistic and laugh-inducing, too.

What’s at the heart of this movie is the sibling rivalry between the two brothers, and Fred learning to grow beyond it. His life is empty without people in it and his relationship with his brother has informed all the other relationships in his life since. If Fred comes off as a bit of a huckster, well it’s more or less a defense mechanism. When he cynically informs Slam (Thompson), an orphan he has befriended, not to drink the Kool-Aid, it’s because he’s terrified of finding out the Kool-Aid actually tastes good.

There are a lot of good actors involved in this and production designer Allan Cameron has given them a gorgeous playground to work in. The North Pole sets are definite eye candy, particularly the magnificent Workshop that comes off as a cross between the Crystal Palace of London and a Rube Goldberg-designed factory.

There are some scenes that are genuinely heartwarming, and I really liked the Elf Ninjas who act as a kind of deranged Santa Secret Service. If you like either Giamatti or Vaughn, they are at the top of their games here and since I like both of them, it’s like getting an extra scoop of ice cream in your hot fudge sundae.

There comes a time in all our lives where we must assert our own identities and this movie is all about that. It took Fred centuries to learn that he was his own person and special in his own way; hopefully it won’t take most of us that long to get the same message.

WHY RENT THIS: The interplay between Vaughn and Giamatti is brotherly and fun. Some touching familial reconciliation tugs at the heartstrings. North Pole set design is off the hook.

WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Sometimes Vaughn gets a little bit out of control. If you’re expecting a comedy, this really isn’t one.

FAMILY VALUES: As with most Christmas movies, everything is fine for the kids.

TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Jeffrey Dean Morgan has an uncredited cameo as a parking ticket recipient who hits on Wanda.

NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: The Blu-Ray edition comes with a Ludacris music video as well as, oddly, a DVD games disc. There is also a featurette on sibling rivalry featuring several of the participants in the Siblings Anonymous scene.

FINAL RATING: 7/10

TOMORROW: The Holly and The Quill continues.

There seems to be a lot of similarities to “Lost in Translation” in “Sideways”. Or maybe it’s just the wine.

American Splendor’s Paul Giamatti stars as Miles Raymond, a struggling writer who takes Jack (Thomas Haden Church) his soon-to-be-married best friend on a tour of the California wine country a week before his wedding.

The duo drink elegant wines, eat delicious food and visit with the locals including Maya (Virginia Madsen), a woman Miles really connects with.

A seemingly perfect week for Miles falls apart when Jack falls in love with Stephanie, a local winery clerk (Sandra Oh) and wants to call off his wedding. Now Miles has to stop his friend from making a huge mistake as he watches the world around him come crashing down.

There are a lot of similarities between Giamatti’s Miles and Bill Murray in “Lost in Translation” except Giamatti seems to be more approachable when playing this kind of character. The reason being is that the film first shows us how much Miles likes where he is and that he is in his own element. Miles is a wine geek and California wine country is a wine geek’s Mecca. Then Miles seems to self destruct when he finds out all Jack wants to do is have lots of sex and party before his impending nuptials.

Giamatti’s portrayal of Miles is brilliant and it once more shows why the actor is so underrated in films today. I liked how the script allowed for a slow destruction of Miles as we learned more about him and the wines he loves.

The best scene involving Giamatti’s Miles is when the character ends up at a busy posh winery flooded with tourists and his self-destruction becomes complete as he gargles the wine-tasting spittoon in rebellion that the winery won’t pour him a full glass of wine. It is a riotous scene and it is the perfect example of Giamatti’s brilliance in the character.

There were a lot of moments in the film that made me ponder if the filmmakers were making a wine brochure or a deconstruction of Miles.

There are some scenes where the film soft scans a lot of wine labels as the characters drink, cheer and gasp in awe. If you aren’t a wine geek these scenes seem tedious and have little impact. I still don’t know what is so great about a pinot but I would like to find out. Does that help?

I was also quite impressed with the performance of television veteran, Thomas Haden Church, best known as Lowell on Wings, as the obnoxious groom. Church brings a lot of the comedic timing and acting zeal he honed in both “Wings” and the much beloved but short-lived sitcom “Ned & Stacey”. His performance is utterly obnoxious, but it is a perfect compliment to the very moody Miles.

“Sideways” is a film that is sure to electrify all the wine geeks out there but it may be lost on the casual viewer. It is headlined by two great performances but the film’s pace and length seem to suck out a lot of the film’s life.

3.5 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Ok, I haven’t kept up with this. There’s been a lot going on at work. In many ways exciting stuff; will tell all in the new year. For now, on with my decade’s movie countdown…

(This list already appeared on  Film4.com, so if you just want to know what films I’ve put in the top ten, you can find out over there).

"If we can reach just one child, it was worth it."

8. Thank You For Smoking

Finally, a film that worked out what to do with Aaron Eckhart. Eckhart is an actor who ought to be attractive, but isn’t, somehow, because there’s something strange in his eyes. They are not the cold dead eyes of a killer, they are the lively eyes of someone entirely engaged and switched on, and yet somehow not plugged in to the rest of humanity. He exudes a kind of intense but superficial intelligence, the type of intelligence that tends to do extremely well in a multi-tasking, photo-media world. In the then-29 year old Jason Reitman’s debut, Thank You For Smoking, Eckhart plays Nick Naylor, PR man extraordinaire on behalf of Big Tobacco. Something clicked with me when I saw this film and realised: this is how it works. The people who make the types of decision and push for the types of policy that are liable to result in mass fatalities are not cackling megalomaniacs, nor yet are they zealots with agendas. They are glib, competitive and amoral in the true sense of the word. That Thank You For Smoking makes us laugh along with him is a better caution than a thousand documentaries: the distance achieved by fiction shows us how dangerously easy it would be to be seduced by such a world.

"Quaffable, but uh... far from transcendent."

7. Sideways

The most rampant critical misconception about Alexander Payne’s Sideways is that it is a film for men. Sideways is a gloriously funny ode to feckless self-deception, thwarted ego, and the mishaps incurred in the eternal pursuit of love and lust – and anyone who believes that these vices are purely the preserve of the hairier half of the species can’t have met many women. And yet it almost doesn’t work. Paul Giamatti’s Miles explaining to Virginia Madsen that he’s just like the fragile Pinot Noir grape and needs proper loving care to reach his full potential is oh-so-nearly a needy chat-up line from which you’d expect her to run screaming over the horizon, but it does work, because Paul Giamatti is the last person you can imagine delivering this as a pick-up line: his looks are more depressed medieval monk than Lothario. Miles, a problem drinker who steals from his elderly mother, is a weak and lonely person, chiming horribly but sympathetically with our own petty self-deceptions. Dark stuff. Thank God, then, for Jack (Thomas Haden Church), the libido on legs who says the things we may all think but very rarely say. Yin to Miles’ yang, he peppers the film with crude, crass hilarity, strangely innocent in his cavalier pursuit of good times and the hell with the consequences.

Note: the first person to send me a copy of this mad-looking Japanese remake of Sideways will be rewarded with a bottle of Pinot Noir.

What if Santa Claus had an older brother who was pretty jealous of his every move and had to move to the North Pole right before Christmas?

Fred Claus (Vince Vaughn) moves to the North Pole in order to work for some money that he wants from his brother Nick (Paul Giamatti). But Fred is not the only guest in the North Pole in the build up to Christmas, Clyde (Kevin Spacey) who is analysing and watching Nick and seeing how the Elf’s are working and making sure they are not over worked by a 3 strike role or the North Pole workshop will be closed forever.

This is not really much different to a lot of other Christmas movies that you would have watched, although I feel it is geared more towards an adult audience as young children will probably get bored at times, especially when it is away from the North Pole. But that does not mean it does not contain funny moments, as it really is filled with quite a lot of funny moments. My favorite has to involve Kevin Spacey and a Superman cape . . .  The other really amusing moment has to be the help group which is for people with famous brothers who are sick of living in their spotlight.

Films involving the North Pole and Santa always seem to end up with someone having to save Christmas and deliver all of the presents to the children of the world and this is no different. But with Nick throwing his back out, it was then Fred’s turn to save Christmas and fly the sleigh around the world delivering presents . . . but does he make it in time?

While this is not the worst Christmas film ever, it is no where near the best. It is alright to watch and entertaining in parts, but it is missing a little something . . . maybe it does not feel totally like Christmas because of the times away from the North Pole and Santa? Maybe? 

Performance wise, for me Kevin Spacey really does totally steal every scene in which he is in (yes, that is in nearly everyone of his other movies too) but I really do think hes just fantastic. I thought Paul Giamatti’s Santa looked very good and acting well considering not a massive amount of screen time, as this film wasnt really about Santa it was about Fred.  I found Rachel Weisz rather annoying in this, mainly because her accent seems to change every time she speaks?!?! I mean what was going on with that, plus the way the character goes on with Fred annoyed me too. Vince Vaughn as Fred was pretty much the same helpless character he plays in most movies, but you cannot help to find him entertaining.

I would not really call this required Christmas viewing as definitely not going to become a classic or even a big favorite of mine.

Our Best of the 2000s coverage returns with a list of some truly incredible film performances. The 2000s was ripe with great acting, and we present to you the cream of the crop. As always, we’d love to get your opinion on the matter in the comments.

25. Jeff Daniels – The Squid and the Whale
Jeff Daniels is a likable guy that usually plays likable characters. But his role as a angry, elitist father turns all of that on its head while showcasing Daniels’ superb acting chops. Daniels manages to make the character completely unlikable while somehow managing to keep the door open on possibility that he’s a good man inside, which makes the performance even more devastating. Daniels makes it very understandable how Jesse Eisenberg’s Walt could put so much faith in his father while constantly being let down. (M)

24. Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James
Playing one of the two title characters, Casey Affleck gives a haunting, multi-dimensional performance, capturing the many facets of a puzzling character. Robert Ford is an enigma – a potent cocktail of jealousy, disillusion, and regret – but Affleck never loses the humanity inside of a man whose actions would turn him into one of the most hated people in the country. (J)

23. Audrey Toutou Amelie
The simplest evaluation of Audrey Tautou’s performance is that she is Amelie. She so perfectly inhabits the character and anchors her naivete that you believe the character fully. Sure, the role is meant to be sweet, but it has to be sold to the audience, which Tautou does quite ably. Tautou has had a smattering of other roles since, yet it’s a testament to her performance that she’s still thought of as Amelie.(M)

22. Robert Downey Jr – Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr. gave this same basic performance three times this decade, bookended by 2000’s hilarious turn in Wonder Boys and his work as Tony Stark in 2008’s Iron Man. But it is here, as the fast-talking, self-aware con artist at the center of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that Downey gives the definitive version of that role. Hilariously sardonic, Downey plays an updated, more offbeat version of pulpy detective heroes, and is the perfect center for Shane Black’s warped view of Hollywood. (J)

21. Adam Sandler – Punch Drunk Love
Who knew Billy Madison could act? If Sandler hadn’t been so likable before Punch Drunk Love, the film probably wouldn’t have worked. Revealing both the desire and ability to play dramatic roles, Sandler takes on such a depressing character without making him a mockery or overplaying it. Instead, he’s sympathetic and the audience can ignore his quirks and inadequacies to genuinely root for him in P.T. Anderson’s film. (M)

20. Helen Mirren – The Queen
The struggle between British monarchy and the government in charge was at the center of the plot of The Queen, but at the center of it all is Helen Mirren’s Academy Award winning portrayal of the title character. Playing someone currently in power is not an enviable task, yet Mirren does it with a respect and understanding that shine through in her performance. She so fully inhabits Queen Elizabeth, that at times your forget you’re who you’re actually watching.

19. Joeph Gordon-Levitt – Brick
If Joseph Gordon-Levitt hadn’t made Brick, there’s a good chance he’d only be remembered as the kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun. But investigating the murder of his girlfriend in the high school film noir, Gordon-Levitt unveiled a new side to his ability and set up a career that is beginning to take off. It’s a dark, emotional performance that manages to stay away from teenage angst while managing to play off it. Gordon-Levitt anchors the film, keeping it believable as it rumbles towards its fantastic conclusion. (M)

18. Clive Owen – Children of Men
How do you go on living when you know the world is ending, slowly, around you? If you’re Clive Owen in Children of Men, the answer is that you kind of don’t. Owen’s minimalistic, subtle work grounds the film in a humanity and becomes eerily relatable when you realize that, in 2009, he’d be 23 years old. (J)

17. Julianne Moore – Far From Heaven
Despite numerous nominations, Julianne Moore is one of the best actresses not to win an Academy Award (yet). Her role as suburban housewife faced with her husband’s homosexuality is one of her best, as she doesn’t oversell the plight of her character while managing to perfectly portray her anger and confusion. Moore brings a power to the screen few actresses possess, and without her, it’s hard to imagine the film without her in the lead. (M)

16. Christian Bale – American Psycho
Christian Bale’s manic, Tom Cruise inspired Patrick Bateman is so creepily empty, so vacant of anything resembling a human personality, that it would take someone with no knowledge of the movie or the book it was based on about 5 seconds to piece together that there’s something very wrong there. Mary Haddon’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ best book wouldn’t have had nearly the impact without such a fixating embodiment of its main character. (J)

15. Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
There are countless movies that show what “war does to a man,” but Jeremy Renner’s performance in The Hurt Locker stands out. With Renner’s portrayal as a bomb squad technician, you get the sense that it’s not the war that has made him crazy, but instead made him sane and feel actual emotions. In the end, it’s hard to what impression is to be made of him, as he borders between sympathetic, misguided, and obsessed.(M)

14. Paul Giamatti – American Splendo
Like many of the actors on this list, Paul Giamatti has become famous for basically playing this character over and over again. But that doesn’t take anything away from just how good his work is here. Playing a real person (what’s more in a movie where said real person appears) isn’t easy, but Giamatti brings Harvey Pekar to life with an empathetic sadness and anger that totally embodies what was on the page. (J)

13. Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Capote
It would have been easy for Phillip Seymour Hoffman to slip into the familiar caricature of Truman Capote, but instead, he captures a man that becomes obsessed with a brutal murderer, which ultimately changes him. Capote himself never recovered from his involvement in the murder case that lead to his work In Cold Blood, and Hoffman’s performance reveals much more than an impression, instead showing the cracks slowly forming in the facade of a man in the face of his work. (M)

12. Laura Linney – You Can Count on Me
Kenneth Lonergan is an actor’s playwright, so its no surprise that his first (and to-date only) film as a director gave us two of the best performances of this decade. But, while Mark Ruffalo is great, we’ve got to give the edge to Laura Linney for carrying the film with compassion and depth. (J)

11. Forrest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland
Forrest Whitaker always seemed to be striving for so much more as an actor, and with his portrayal of Idi Amin, he accomplished that. Any sense of the affable Whitaker is completely unrecognizable under the shell of the ruthless dictator he plays. But Whitaker does a more than capable job of showing that Amin wasn’t a Hitler, but more a misguided, self-obsessed ruler who’s early attempts at reform get buried under the trappings of absolute power. A stirring performance that hopefully will lead to bigger things for Whitaker. (M)

10. Adrian Brody – The Pianist
The Pianist very easily could have just been yet another film about the Holocaust. What sets it apart is Adrian Brody’s hypnotic portrayal of Szpilman. His search for dignity in the face of such inhumanity is filled with desperation and sorrow, and his transformation from a young, confident pianist to a hollowed-out shell shows the terrible impact of World War II on a personal scale. (J)

9. Johnny Depp – Pirates of the Caribbean
Among the more iconic portrayals on this list is Johnny Depp’s memorable turn in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Though the second two films declined in quality, Depp’s turn as Captain Jack Sparrow is a delight throughout the entire series, adding much need whimsy and comedy to films that prefer action set pieces to meaningful plot. Depp has made a career of bouncing between playing bizarre characters and tough guys, but he’ll almost assuredly always be remembered most as Jack Sparrow. (M)

8. Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
While Anne Hathaway seemed interested in moving beyond her Princess Diaries public image, it wasn’t until this movie than any of us realized she actually had the chops to do it. Fitting in perfectly with Jonathan Demme’s naturalistic, Hathaway doesn’t overplay her character or descend into junkie cliché. Instead, she finds Kym’s guilt and anxiety filled core and plays it spot-on. (J)

7. Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Already known for her gritty roles on The Wire, Amy Ryan ably took the role of the mother of a missing child in Ben Affleck’s Gone Baby Gone. Ryan’s break-out role is a stirring supporting performance that outshines those of her higher profile co-stars. Ryan expertly plays a hardened mother accustomed to her life of scrapping by, but also crushed by the loss of her daughter. But she doesn’t play it that way. Instead, she wants her daughter back while excepting that she’s gone. It’s a heartbraking role that showcases the talents of an actress who’s bound for even better work.(M)

6. Naomi Watts – Mulholland Dr.
Mulholland Drive doesn’t make sense in any sort of conventional, narrative way. So it’s a good thing that the film has Naomi Watts around, to ensure that it makes emotional sense. Naomi Watts has to be a number of things in Mulholland Drive and she is convincing as all of them, embodying all the seedy, failed promises of Hollywood. (J)

5. Billy Murray – Lost in Translation
Many were quick to jump on Bill Murray’s performance as being a version of his own career, but that seems to be oversimplifying things. Sure, Murray is playing a washed up actor in Japan to film whiskey commercials, but he’s also playing a middle aged man who hasn’t reached a midlife crisis, but has forgotten how to find joy in life. Murry doesn’t oversell the character, and his chemistry with co-star Scarlet Johansson drive the movie, making it a pleasure to watch time and time again. (M)

4. Sean Penn – Mystic River
Obviously the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sean Penn in Mystic River is his primal screaming when he comes upon the scene where his daughter had just been murdered. But throughout the course of the film, Penn rediscovers his character’s capability for doing things as hideous. And by the end, when he shrugs off Kevin Bacon’s final, ambiguous hand gesture, its clear that Penn has become comfortable with it. (J)

3. Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Perhaps the best villain of the decade, Javier Bardem stole the show in the Coen Brother’s grisly adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel. His performance as a sociopath killer sends chills down your spine every time he comes on screen. Credit goes to McCarthy and Joel and Ethan Coen for the way the character is written, but Bardem executes the role with startling perfection. There are few better performances of such villains. (M)

2. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger’s Joker isn’t so much a character as an idea. He shows up in the first scene, fully formed: anti-gravity to Batman’s notions of order and justice. But, like any comedian, the Joker makes us take a second look at our value system. Heath Ledger’s commitment to the role builds a psychopath who is all too believable and invest the film with a verisimilitude that is essential to Nolan’s vision of Gotham City. (J)

1. Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
Aside from producing one of the most iconic lines of the decade, Daniel Day-Lewis’ stunning performance as oilman Daniel Plainview is the stuff legend is made of. Completely missing are any sense of the actor, left in his place a character, who, like Wells in Citizen Kane, completely inhabits a man who keeps no friends on his rise to wealth before becoming a wealthy, angry man in his old age, Day-Lewis delivers a performance that every aspiring actor should watch, admire, and study. (M)

In writing this, I’ve had a hard time separating Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance from the film itself. From his first appearance in the silent opening sequence to his now famous punctuation mark at the end of the film, Daniel Day-Lewis dominates all 158 minutes of There Will Be Blood. It is the perfect marriage of actor and material – a part so perfectly suited to what Daniel Day-Lewis can do that P.T. Anderson has said he wouldn’t have even made the movie without the star. Day-Lewis’ Daniel Plainview is driven so mad with greed that he willingly sells off his humanity, fueled with the desire to destroy anyone and anything in his way. (J)

Chicago-based Henhouse Prowlers will be on the Nonchalant Café Hour this week.

Back from a holiday break, tune in to the NCH Friday for a chat with the Windy City bluegrass group’s banjo player Ben Wright ahead of their show at Bell’s Brewery on Saturday.

ALSO on the program, President of the Kalamzoo Film Society Mike Marchak stops in to discuss their latest presentation Cold Souls by director Sophie Barthes staring Paul Giamatti.

See a trailer of Cold Souls below.

Finally, we couldn’t truly call ourselves a proper radio program in Kalamazoo with out tapping into the madess known as Eccentric Day at Bell’s Brewery. Tune in for a live on-location chat with KalamaBrew bloggers John Liberty and Josh Smith.

Listen to the NCH streaming online:

1. “Date Night” is a comedy featuring Tina Fey (“30 Rock”) and Steve Carell (“The Office”). They try to revive their marriage by going out on a date. Hilarity ensues after they are mistaken for another married couple who owe people money. If, like me, the comedic veterans aren’t enough to convince you to watch the movie, “Date Night” also stars rapper Common, Mila Kunis (“That ‘7os Show”), Mark Wahlberg (“Four Brothers”) and James Franco (“Pineapple Express”).

2. “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” also centers on a marriage on the rocks and a married couple on the run. This time around, though, Hugh Grant (“Notting Hill”) and Sarah Jessica Parker (“Sex and City”)  are placed in the witness protection program after seeing a murder. I’ve seen this trailer in theaters several times and every time, someone reacts to the last part of the trailer. Indeed, the laughs start once they relocate to Wyoming …

3. “Kick Ass” follows newcomer Aaron Johnson as he decides to become a superhero even though he has no powers. The tone of the film is similar to the humor in several Owen Wilson movies, such as “The Darjeeling Limited.” Christopher Mintz-Plasse, of “Superbad” fame, also stars. Johnson can also be seen in the John Lennon-film, “Nowhere Boy.” Its trailer is over here.

4. Acclaimed actor James McAvoy can next be seen in “The Last Station,” which focuses on the life of famed author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). The trailer doesn’t reveal much else, but the film does have a 7.3 star rating on IMDb.com. The film’s early release is supposedly a ploy to secure Plummer an Oscar nomination in next year’s weak Best Actor race. McAvoy’s real-life wife, Anne Marie Duff, as well as Oscar favorites Helen Mirren and Paul Giamatti co-star.

5. Focus Features is set to release “Babies,” a documentary which chronicles one year in the lives of different newborns around the world, namely Tokyo, San Francisco, Mongolia and Namibia.

Edward Norton, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Robert Pattinson, Vanessa Hudgens, “Toy Story 3,” romantic comedies (Amy Adams! Nicholas Sparks!), potential Oscar nominees (George Clooney! Emily Blunt!) and more after the jump.

6. Hollywood takes another stab at “Beauty and the Beast” with the adaptation of Alex Flinn’s novel, “Beastly.” The teaser trailer is so abrupt that I’m not excited to see it in theaters. Relative unknown Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens (“High School Musical”) star.

7. “Season of the Witch” reteams Nicolas Cage with “Gone in 60 Seconds” director, Dominic Sena. This heart-pounding action movie takes us with a band of knights who are tasked with moving a powerful witch to a monastery. Ron Perlman from “Hellboy” co-stars.

8. Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia”) sure knows how to pick movies — at least, chick flicks that I want to see. First, there was Nicholas Sparks’s “Dear John.” Now, there’s “Letters to Juliet.” Seyfried stars as a girl who’s engaged to Gael Garcia Bernal (“Science of Sleep”) but goes on an adventure with Christopher Egan (“Eragon”) and Vanessa Redgrave after she finds Redgrave’s letter to a long lost love.

IMDb.com states that Hugh Dancy was originally cast in Bernal’s role but dropped out, which is a shame. Anyone who’s seen him in “The Jane Austen Book Club” knows that Dancy would have been perfect in this movie albeit in Egan’s role. Oh, well. Cue Taylor Swift’s “Love Story.”

9. Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale”) once again gifts us with his zing-damn-oh snap (!) dialogue in “Greenberg.” Ben Stiller tries his hand at drama as a man in a mid-life crisis. Jennifer Jason Leigh (“Single White Female”) and Rhys Ifans (to be seen in “Harry Potter 7″) round out the cast.

10. “Crazy Heart” is another film with an earlier-than-scheduled release date. Again, the movie studio is trying to nab its star, Jeff Bridges, a Best Actor nod. Bridges (“Iron Man”) stars as a country music star who’s down on his luck until his path crosses with a journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

11. According to IMDb.com, “Remember Me” is up by 658 percent in popularity this week. The most probable reason? Robert Pattinson (“Twilight”) is the star. He is joined by Pierce Brosnan (“James Bond”), Chris Cooper (“The Kingdom”) and Emilie de Ravin (“Lost”).

12. In “Leaves of Grass,” Edward Norton plays twin brothers who plot to kill their small town’s drug lord. The supporting cast includes Susan Sarandon (“Stepmom”) and Keri Russell (“August Rush”).

13. “Extraordinary Measures” is based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley who race to find a cure for their dying child. Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy”), Russell (“Felicity”) and Harrison Ford (“Indiana Jones”) star.

14. “In Ireland, women can propose to men on the 29th of February.” This is the premise of “Leap Year,” in which Amy Adams (“Enchanted”) takes it upon herself to propose to her longtime boyfriend. Fate intervenes when she lands in Wales instead and runs into Matthew Goode (“Chasing Liberty”).

15. In “Grown Ups,” five childhood friends reunite after 30 years. The movie’s cast is a who’s who of comedy, namely David Spade (“The Benchwarmers”), Chris Rock (“Down to Earth”), Adam Sandler (“Spanglish”), Kevin James (“Hitch”), Rob Schneider (“Hot Chick”), Maya Rudolph (“Away We Go”), Salma Hayek (“Frida”) and Maria Bello (“Coyote Ugly”).

16. After failing to impress the girl of his dreams, Michael Cera (“Superbad”) decides to rebel in the comedy, “Youth in Revolt.” Justin Long (“Accepted”) and Zach Galifianakis (“The Hangover”) also star in the movie. Trailer no.1 and trailer no. 2 follow:

17. Soon there won’t be another Sparks’s novel to film, and the world as we know it will come to an end. “The Last Song” is Hollywood’s latest try at the author’s romantic novels. Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”) stars as a rebellious teenager who, along with her younger brother, is sent to spend the summer with her estranged dad. Cyrus, also a musical prodigy, falls in love and makes amends with her father.

I guess that means two things. 1) We can look forward to Cyrus-filled soundtrack. 2) Supposedly, the studio thought Mandy Moore in two Sparks’s adaptations would have been too much. Nonetheless, Greg Kinnear (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Kelly Preston (“Jerry Maguire”) lend the movie some credibility.

18. Maybe you’ve heard of James Cameron’s (“Titanic”) latest venture, “Avatar.” An adventure in another world and another time pits  human soldiers against an entirely new species. Sam Worthington (“Terminator: Salvation”), Sigourney Weaver (“Alien”), Zoe Saldana (“Star Trek”) and Michelle Rodriguez (“Girl Fight”) star.

19. It’s just a teaser trailer, but “Clash of the Titans” looks pretty amazing. Whoever created the score is some kind of genius. Liam Neeson (Batman Begins”), Ralph Fiennes (“Harry Potter”) and Worthington  are all part of the remake.

20. Catch the “Toy Story 3″ teaser and full trailers below:

21. Emily Blunt is “The Young Victoria.” From the looks of the trailer, Blunt (“The Devil Wears Prada”) will give another powerhouse performance as Queen Victoria. She is paired with Rupert Friend (“Pride and Prejudice”) as her Prince Albert. The ensemble cast includes Paul Bettany (“The Da Vinci Code”) and Jim Broadbent (“The Chronicles of Narnia”).

22. Clooney may have cinched another Oscar nomination with his performance in “Up in the Air.” In fact, director Jason Reitman (“Juno”), actresses Anna Kendrick (“Twilight”) and Vera Farmiga (“The Departed”) all have Oscar buzz surrounding them. Clooney is the guy that companies hire to travel all over the globe and fire people for them.

The film was originally meant to be a satire like Reitman’s “Thank You for Not Smoking,” but the recession called for a revamping of the movie. The first trailer below tells you more about the story, but the second trailer is by far the better one. Fasten your seatbelts …

Personally, I’m looking forward to “Up in the Air,” “The Young Victoria,” “Leap Year” and “Letters to Juliet” although I’d probably watch some, such as “Avatar” and “Did You Hear About the Morgans?” if my friends want to see them. What about you? Sound off in the comments!

//

Ironclad (2010)

It is the year 1215 and the rebel barons of England have forced their despised King John to put his royal seal to the Magna Carta, a noble, seminal document that upheld the rights of free-men. Yet within months of pledging himself to the great charter, the King reneged on his word and assembled a mercenary army on the south coast of England with the intention of bringing the barons and the country back under his tyrannical rule. Barring his way stood the mighty Rochester castle, a place that would become the symbol of the rebel’s momentous struggle for justice and freedom.

Medieval Rochester in Wales

Rochester Castle from the 13th Century has been remade nearly 200 miles from its Kent home at a film set in south Wales for a new movie called Ironclad.
Dragon Studios at Llanilid near Llanharan in Rhondda Cynon Taf has been transformed for the feature length movie, filmed entirely in Wales.
It has been billed as a medieval Magnificent Seven and stars Derek Jacobi, Brian Cox and Mackenzie Crook.

Film recreates Rochester castle siege – in Wales

The gut-wrenching violence used in the open scene of Saving Private Ryan is being transferred to another movie – about the siege of Rochester castle.

And instead of Nazi machine guns cutting down hapless US infantrymen, this is steel on steel up close and personal.

Ironclad is being shot not in Rochester where the castle actually stands, but in the wilds of Wales.

The imposing walls and battlements have been recreated on a Welsh coal tip for the filming of the medieval action movie.

Rochester is a tad too modern for the filmmakers now with a thriving city grown up around it, making the area a little different than the time when it came under siege in 1215.

And the set designers and builders have done a pretty good job with the wood, metal and plastic looking completely authentic – from a distance.

The producer said he wanted to make the film as historically accurate as possible, designed to recreate the siege and make the viewer experience a medieval battle in action.

With a budget of £12 million, it is set to become the most expensive independent movie shot in the UK.

The amazing cast includes Kate Mara as Lady Isabel, Brian Cox, Paul Giamatti as King John, James Purefoy as Marshall, Derek Jacobi as Cornhill, Jason Flemyng as Beckett, plus Mackenzie Crook as Marks along with Rhys Parry Jones and Jamie Foreman.

Bob Hoskins, Robert Carlyle and Richard Attenborough are also tipped to make appearances, but are not confirmed yet.

Producer Rick Benattar made the frenzied bullet-laden Shoot ‘Em Up with Giamatti, who stole the show, and was able to get him on board Ironclad.

Benattar said: “There is a gritty script based on one of the bloodiest battles in world history. We hope to bring a sense of kinetic energy, which will make the viewer feel as if they are right in the thick of it, to the screen and with our amazing cast feel that the film will truly be spectacular.”

Ironclad will hit the screens next year.

This may be a good film.  There’s a good cast line-up, but that’s no guarantee – the budget can go on their fees. I did see a bit of joke-shop weaponry in the footage of the filming. We’ll see.

Oscar bait.  That sums up this movie.  I’m sure it’s a good movie, but you don’t hire Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and Paul Giamatti without the Oscars on your mind.  Also the fact that it’s about the drama in Leo Tolstoy’s personal life doesn’t hurt.  I won’t pretend that I know anything about Tolstoy, but War & Peace is somewhere on my list of books to read (sure it is).

And look it’s Octavia of the Julii.

Click poster to watch trailer.

From Apple.

- izi

Eric Powell recently spoke to CBR about his excellent comic book, The Goon. He went on to give an update on the film adaption – The last I heard Clancy Brown and Paul Giamatti were possibly voicing The Goon and Frankie.

Hpromised that his deal with director David Fincher and CG animation specialists Blur Studios was moving forward strongly. “I just finished writing the script a few months back, and Blur is working on a lot of test stuff. Fincher is working on a film right now, so we’re waiting for him to get some space so we can start showing some of this stuff off. I’m pretty happy with everything so far. We’ve just got to work to get to the next point. This is a slow, long process.”

While he couldn’t confirm whether or not Fincher would direct the final product or be credited as a producer, Powell said, “David’s going to be heavily involved. I’ve worked with him and Blur quite a bit to get the screenplay together, and it’s been a great experience so far.” He added that this specific deal is keeping him much more involved with the screen life of his property than many other comic creators have gotten.

“I think it’s a choice where, if you’re getting a giant paycheck from a major studio to adapt your book and get Brad Pitt as the lead or whatever, then they kind of take it away from you because they’ve invested so much. But when you’re doing something that’s more about the material and less about a big event, they give you the opportunity to be more involved. And that’s your choice,” Powell said. “Some guys are like, ‘Just give me the check and you do what you want with it.’ But I’ve worked so long on ‘The Goon’ and I’m not creating a new book every month. I’m kind of using the Mike Mignola/Jeff Smith approach where you get your book out there and maintain it. I’ve got a lot invested in this on character, so I wanted to be involved. And they were eager to have me involved, so it worked out very well.”

The Movie Overdose attempts to contain the apocalypse with a review of Roland Emmerich’s 2012. We chat about how we would change Eddie Murphy for the better, what kind of sequel we want for Star Trek and whether we are glad to see Sean Connery coming back, if only in voice form. Tom slightly dampens the praise given to An Education and Sam revels in the madness of Running Scared and the flawed ambition of Dogma. The conclusion involves a discussion of actors that, no matter what, we always look forward to seeing on screen.

Download The Movie Overdose Episode 42

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I’m going to see the new film Cold Soul tonight with Paul Giamatti. I love him, particularly in Sideways which is possibly my favourite film of all time. The comically muted despair of his character really strikes a chord and also it’s damn hilarious. The scene where he goes insane at a civilised wine tasting and pour a pot of spit-out wine over himself is one of the funniest and poignant I’ve ever seen.

We need more actors like him – forget the buffed, sheening George Clooneys. Acting should be about scooping out what is inside people and displaying it for people to really see, however subtle or bizarre this may be.

The theatrical manner in which magicians perform their tricks has a twofold benefit. Firstly, it entertains the audience and entices them into a world where cynicism can be suspended for a time. Secondly, it keeps them distracted long enough for the magician to engage in the necessary sleight-of-hand for the trick to work. In Cold Souls, writer-director Sophie Barthes looks to employ a similar technique. Here, she draws the audience into a world where a company that claims to be able to extract a customer’s soul, store it, and replace it any time provokes only mild incredulity in its potential clients. On the other hand, when the cape is finally pulled away from around the bird cage, the latter frustratingly remains empty.

Put another way, there is no time given over here to providing insights into what the soul may be or even if we have one at all. The company’s managing director, Dr. Flintstein (played with deadpan lunacy by David Strathairn), would have us believe that this is because we still know so very little about it. All that he can offer is the ability to remove its heaviness from us. Hence, when an actor (Paul Giamatti playing a neurotic version of himself) turns up in search of a lightening of his spiritual burden, Dr. Flintstein gives his bottle of snake oil a good shake, easily fobs off any attempts by Giamatti to ask probing questions, and soon has his client agreeing to the procedure.

Acting like any good placebo should, Giamatti immediately proclaims that he does feel better. Conveniently kept animated then by “the residue of his soul that could not be extracted”, he ventures forth to embarrass his wife (Emily Watson) socially and to turn his titular role in Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya (a play about failed lives and heavy hearts, don’t you know) into upbeat lechery. To this point, the glacially-paced film is just about holding it together, thanks, in part, to an intriguingly moody subplot involving a mysterious blonde (Dina Korzun). However, with Giamatti’s character now rapidly dissolving into a mass of inconsistencies, the narrative soon finds itself on a slippery slope down to a disappointingly Walt Disney-type denouement.

Undeniably, the  morose, enigmatic, and subdued feel to this sterile and beautifully shot work is impressive. However, in trying simultaneously to be an eccentric comedy, a philosophical treatise, and a frozen mood piece, Cold Souls sadly ends up amounting to less than the sum of its parts. Yes, we may fill our lives with clutter, we may have forgotten how to look inside of ourselves, and we may always be attracted to dubious “quick fix” solutions to life’s complex problems. However, despite its inventiveness, creation of mood, and thought-provoking subject matter, a better film does seem to have been missed out on here. A pity really.

O que você precisa saber sobre esse filme:

1. foi co-produzido e dirigido pelo Bruce Paltrow, o que explica a presença da Gwyneth, que ganhara o Oscar um ano antes.

2. Quem também participa do longa é o Scott Speedman, o Ben de Felicity.

3. A cena abaixo é praticamente a única que vale no filme inteiro.

PS1: Da série fofocas que nós amamos: Speedman assumiu o papel após Brad Pitt terminar o noivado com Gwyneth.

PS2: E alguém se lembra por que o romance chegou ao fim? Segundo a EW, we’ll never know for sure if the reason was lust — or greed, envy, sloth, or any of the other deadly sins.

PS3: O melhor de Duets ainda é a trilha sonora, o que inclui a Mrs Chris Martin cantando Bette Davis Eyes.

Boa história, boa jogada da empresa que seria a vítima, bom final.

Un film del 2009, regia di Michael Hoffman, con James McAvoy / Christopher Plummer / Helen Mirren / Paul Giamatti. Prodotto da (112min)

Drammatico

Dopo quasi cinquant’anni di matrimonio, la Contessa Sofya, devota moglie di Leo Tolstoj, scopre improvvisamente che tutto il suo mondo va gambe all’aria. In nome della sua nuova religione utopica e delle sue idee anarco-cristiane, il grande romanziere russo ha rinunciato al titolo nobiliare e alle sue proprietà per diventare povero, vegetariano e celibe; potrebbe inoltre essere stato convinto da Chertkov, il suo discepolo, a lasciare i diritti dei suoi ironici racconti al popolo russo anziché alla famiglia. Con ogni stratagemma, la donna lotta ferocemente contro la comunità libertaria che si è installata in casa sua per quel che ritiene le appartenga. Allontanata da Tolstoj riuscirà a rivederlo solo in punto di morte, nell’ultima stazione.

Pre-Production is when the filmmakers and Producers have been green lit to make a film and are finishing the script, gathering funds, casting and hiring. There is a good chance the film will be made at this point, though until it’s in post-production, there is never any guarantee. And sometimes there’s no guarantee it will be released even when it’s completely finished.

But, on IMDB Pro, here are some of the films listed as in Pre-Production:

Saw 7 - In 3D! (I’m not kidding.)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2

Wanted 2

Lethal Weapon 5

Kung Fu Panda 2

Rambo 5: The Savage Hunt

Scream 4 (Do you see a theme with sequels? There are plenty more coming.)

The Three Stooges - with Benicio Del Toro as Moe and Paul Giamatti as Larry. Sean Penn was originally Larry, but dropped out. I loved the Three Stooges growing up, but I’m shocked at the quality of actors they are getting. This may actually be pretty good.

Total Recall – This is still in the script phase. The original film with Arnold Schwarzenegger is super cool. They better not cast someone like Vin Diesel in the lead role.

Red Sonja - Rose McGowen starts, but her boyfriend Robert Rodriguez is not directing, only producing this film. I’m a Rodriguez fan, but with him not at the helm, I’m uncertain about this film. I’m not a big McGowen fan.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Sam Worthington from Terminator is Captain Nemo. There’s potential here.

My Fair Lady - A remake to star Kiera Knightley as Eliza Dolittle. She looks the part (Audrey Hepburn played the part in the original film, though she didn’t sing.) Can Kiera sing? Guess we’ll see. Wonder who will play Professor Higgins? An interesting note: Emma Thompson is writing the screenplay.

Spring Awakening - A very successful new musical. I’m very curious to see who will be cast. The girl from Glee was in the original Broadway production. Maybe she has a shot.

Mary the Mother of Christ - with Al Pacino as Herod. Oh, the jokes, the jokes…

The Warriors – A remake Benny is super excited about. No news on casting yet. Probably will be mostly unknowns.

Hamlet - Another one? This one with Emile Hirsch. The Speed Racer guy? He better have the acting chops for this or it could be a disaster. I am always interested in who will be Ophelia. Kate Winslet rocked it in Kenneth Branagh’s version and the best part of the Mel Gibson one was Helena Bonham Carter’s Ophelia.

Jack and Jill - with Adam Sandler playing both parts. Was Jim Carrey busy?

Excalibur - Bryan Singer is doing this film. Love him. The Usual Suspects is an all time favorite of mine and I love the King Arthur mythology. However, the original Excalibur film is awesome, so I’m not sure what Singer can bring to the story. No casting news yet. I wonder if they will remake Camelot the musical too?

Battlestar Galactica- I’m a huge fan of this series and I’d love to see a film version. Right now Bryan Singer is also slated to direct this, though it looks like it’s a long way from being a done deal.

Warcraft - Directed by Sam Raimi, this could be fun.

DVD Top 10.
Bestsellerliste der Woche
von Illuminati bis State of Play

Illuminati:
Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) entdeckt Beweise, dass die mächtigste Untergrundbewegung der Geschichte, ein uralter konspirativer Geheimbund, den man als ‘Die Illuminati’ kennt, wiederauferstanden ist. Kurz darauf wird er damit konfrontiert, dass die katholische Kirche, der zutiefst verhasste Erzfeind der Illuminaten, einer tödlichen, existenzvernichtenden Bedrohung ausgesetzt ist…

Nachts im Museum 2:
Seine Tage als Museumswärter sind passé: Larry Daley ist als Erfinder nutzloser Dinge erfolgreich, kehrt jedoch ins Museum zurück, als er erfährt, dass die seinerzeit zu Leben erwachten Ausstellungsstücke in den Keller des Smithsonian in New York verfrachtet werden sollen. Ruhe ist allerdings auch dort nicht angesagt, weil auch die mystische Tafel von Akhmenrah, die den Exponaten Leben einhaucht, versehentlich zum neuen Ausstellungsort transportiert wurde. Nun bricht dort das Chaos aus, und Larry muss für Ordnung sorgen…

Slumdog Millionär:
Glauben Sie an das Schicksal? Für Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) ist es der größte Tag seines bisherigen Lebens. Nur noch eine Frage trennt ihn vom 20 Millionen Rupien-Hauptgewinn in Indiens TV- Show ‘Wer wird Millionär?’

Der Womanizer:
Der Junggeselle Connor Mead (Matthew McConaughey) gehört zu den Typen, die drei Freundinnen den Laufpass geben. Gleichzeitig. Per Telefonkonferenz. Auf der Hochzeitsfeier seines Bruders hat er also nur ein Ziel: Er will die einzige Brautjungfer herumkriegen, die er bisher irgendwie übersehen hat. Doch der Geist seines verstorbenen Onkels Wayne (Michael Douglas) – der Connor beigebracht hat, die Frauen zu wechseln wie die Hemden – verfolgt ein ganz anderes Ziel…

Star Trek – Die Zukunft hat begonnen:
James T. Kirk ist ein rebellischer Hitzkopf im amerikanischen Niemandsland, der nie den Tod seines Vaters bei einem Angriff eines romulanischen Raumschiffs verkraftet hat. Nach einer seiner Prügeleien fordert ihn Captain Pike, einst ein Freund seines verstorbenen Vaters, auf, der Sternenflotte beizutreten. Dort macht sich Kirk zunächst keine Freunde, bis ihn eine Mission zwingt, endlich Verantwortung zu übernehmen: der Romulaner Nero bedroht Vulkan, den Heimatplaneten von Kirks späterem Weggefährten Spock…

Transformers 2:
Nachdem Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) die Welt mit Hilfe der gutmütigen Autobots vor den bösartigen Decepticons gerettet hat, freut er sich auf ein normales Leben. Als er aufs College geht, lässt er nicht nur Freundin Mikaela (Megan Fox) zurück…

X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
Hugh Jackman schlüpft wieder in die Rolle, die ihn zum Superstar machte: Wolverine – der Mann mit den unverkennbaren Stahlklingen, bemerkenswerten Selbstheilungskräften, ruppigem Charme und einer gehörigen Portion trockenem Humor. ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ erzählt die Vorgeschichte Logans mit Augenmerk auf seine mysteriöse Vergangenheit, seine komplexe Beziehung zu Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) und das ominöse Weapon X-Programm. Der Zuschauer erfährt, wer Wolverine wirklich ist…

Duplicity:
CIA-Offizier Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) und MI6-Agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) standen früher im Geheimdienst ihrer Regierungen. Derzeit haben sie in die Privatwirtschaft gewechselt, um mit lukrativen Verträgen das meiste aus dem Kalten Krieg herauszuholen. Beide jagen jeweils für ihre Bosse Tully (Tom Wilkinson) und Garsik (Paul Giamatti) einem milliardenschweren Patent nach. Keiner ahnt, dass sie eine heimliche Affäre und eigene Pläne haben…

Männersache:
Tagsüber arbeitet Paul (Mario Barth) in einer Berliner Zoohandlung und abends an seiner Karriere als Komiker. Zugegeben, seine Auftritte laufen mies… bis Paul anfängt, Witze über seinen besten Freund Hotte (Dieter Tappert) und dessen Freundin Susi (Anja Kling) zu reißen. Auf einmal läuft es auf der Bühne: Pauls Gags über Hottes Beziehungsgeschichten, nicht enden wollende Shopping-Orgien von Susi und den Pärchen Kaffeeklatsch bei den Schwiegereltern sind ein Renner…

State of Play – Stand der Dinge:
Ein junger aufstrebender Politiker und ein Washingtoner Enthüllungsreporter finden sich mitten im Epizentrum einer Reihe von Morden wieder, die nur scheinbar nichts miteinander zu tun haben. Der Kongressabgeordnete Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) ist Hoffnung und Zukunft seiner Partei – ein aussichtsreicher und ehrenhafter Newcomer, unter anderem im Vorsitz des Komitees für Verteidigungsausgaben…

Weitere Informationen, auch Top 100 Liste, erhalten Sie hier

Cold Souls Review

This review first appeared on Film4.com

Feeling weighed down by the burden of your soul? Never fear, the future is here; a future in which Paul Giamatti does a John Malkovich, playing actor Paul Giamatti a few years from now, when it is possible to have your soul removed and placed in storage.

Cold Souls

There is also an excellent, and elegantly written, review of Cold Souls in The New Yorker’s site, so you don’t have to take my word for it.

VERDICT:
9/10 FUBARs

I still have no freakin’ clue how this lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love. What was up with that? Horseshit.

Saving Private Ryan is about a unit in WWII that are given orders to ensure the safety and return home of one James Francis Ryan after the deaths of his three brothers on the field of battle. The members of said unit also get a plane ticket stateside if they get Ryan back, so it’s a win-win for everybody.

Being that there’s a good chance this movie’s gonna be playing on TV tonight (which has become an awesome annual tradition of sorts) thought this would be as good a way as any to celebrate Veteran’s Day in style.

The funny thing about this movie is that even a eleven years after its release, whenever I talk to people about it, the conversation inevitably leads back to the same thing we were all talking about back in 1998 – the opening scene on the beaches of Normandy. Part of me is tempted to say that I’m surprised everyone is still hung up on that scene, but then again, it’s not often that a movie changes the game entirely over the course of fifteen minutes.

The reason everyone couldn’t stop talking about this opening scene is because war had never been depicted like this in movies before. No sugarcoating. No punches held. Everyone was taken for a loop at how Spielberg managed to pull off such a frighteningly convincing feat of presenting the horrors of war to his audience by placing them as close to the front lines as he possibly could without having them rush the beaches themselves. No other war movie told it like this beforehand and there really hasn’t been a war movie that’s done it better since. I’ve seen this movie a good four or five times and even though I know what’s coming, it is always a rough sit-through.

You want to see why war is hell from the comforts of your La-Z-Boy? Saving Private Ryan oughta do the trick just fine.

Granted, this is a pretty hard act to follow for the remaining two-and-a-half hours, and maybe I’m just getting ahead of myself here, but I don’t feel like the rest of this movie gets the credit it deserves.

The things I actually like most about this movie are two things that Spielberg arguably does better than anyone else out there – character development and honest storytelling. There are a lot of characters to account for but everyone has their own distinct quirks and personalities that make them stand out as individuals. They all have their own stories and getting to hear those stories, getting to see how each of them react to the situations around them – not only in the heat of battle but otherwise – is one of my favorite aspects of this script.

The cast is also made up of everyone from every movie you’ve ever seen. The unit alone is made up of Ed Burns (awesome), Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies (aka: Eugene from Eugene in Rescue Dawn), Vin Diesel (pre-car thief), Giovanni Ribisi, and, of course, Tom Hanks. What is there left to say about Tom Hanks? He’s one of the greatest actors of all-time and just an all-around standup guy. Naturally, he’s great here as the unit’s leader and once again steals the show. Guy’s come a long way since Bosom Buddies.

Paul Giamatti, Ted Danson, and Nathan Fillion all get bit roles, too. So that’s a nice little bonus. 

And not to beat a dead horse, but even after the opening scene at Normandy, the action scenes are freakin’ phenomenal. An absolutely wild and harrowing experience.

The only problem is that I feel like Spielberg has a hard time finding the right way to wrap up his movies, like the very end of Schindler’s List for example, and the same thing could be argued here. The final scene at the cemetery in Normandy along with the “Earn this!” theme might come off as sappy to some, but nonetheless, not a big complaint in light of everything else it does right.

Saving Private Ryan is just an incredibly well-made movie and redefined the face of war on the silver screen. One of those movies that I’ll to stop whatever I’m doing and just watch whenever it comes on TV.

Freakin’ Shakespeare in Love. That Joseph Fiennes is a ninny.