In Werner Herzog’s new film ‘The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans,’ Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs — while playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous.

by The Great White Gypsy

The Box – Written and Directed by Richard Kelly
The premise of this film sounds like a bad teenage horror story. A strange man gives a box to a couple having money problems. They will get money every time they push the button, but every time, someone they don’t know will die. Though it’s riding on Cameron Diaz’s acting skills (um…), if anyone can make it cool, writer/director Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko, Southland Tales) will have no problem.
Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella, James Rebhorn
November 6

Endgame – Directed by Pete Travis, Written by Paula Milne
Another slow, patient South African political film? Meh. I mean, I really like Hurt and Ejiofor, but Pete Travis directed Vantage Point, which sucked asshole. I really, really want it to be good, I’m just scared it’s going to be really, really bad.
William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller, Mark Strong, Derek Jacobi
November 6

The Men Who Stare at Goats – Directed by Grant Heslov, Written by Peter Straughan
Actor Grant Heslov hasn’t done much directing. Same goes for Peter Straughan and writing. But if you look at this cast, you really can’t go wrong in a story about Telekenisis/Psychic programs in the army. Hell yes.
George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Robert Patrick, Stephen Root
November 6

Precious – Directed by Lee Daniels, Written by Geoffrey Fletcher
I hate the fact that the full title of this film is “Precious: Based on a novel by Sapphire”. I also hate the fact that Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey are “presenting” this one. However, cliché and cheesy as it most likely is, I seriously almost cried watching the preview. This has the potential for two hours of raw emotion that leaves you speechless. Or two hours of horrible acting and bullshit storyline. I’ll wait for cable.
Gabourey Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
November 6

The Fantastic Mr. Fox – Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
I hate, I hate, I hate Wes Anderson. However, there are always a couple elements of his films that impress me, and his attempts at stop motion animation intrigue me. Will I like it? Probably not. Will I see it? Of course.
George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon
November 13

Pirate Radio – Written and Directed by Richard Curtis
When I saw the preview for this, I thought, “Hey, that looks exactly like that movie advertised last year called “The Boat that Rocked”. Wait… I have no idea why this film took so long to release, or why they changed the title, but after waiting so long, I’ve built it up to possible “Almost Famous” level in my head. I really hope I’m not disappointed.  About a boatful of radio DJ’s who broadcast banned music over British airwaves in the ‘60’s. Curtis directed Love Actually.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Emma Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Nick Frost
November 13

The Messenger – Written and Directed by Oren Moverman
Foster and Harrelson play a very overlooked part of the military in this new drama about the officers who deliver the horrible news to KIA soldiers’ families. Foster starts to care too much…you see where this is going. Moverman’s first film, looks good.
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
November 13

2012 – Directed by Roland Emmerich, Written by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
When I want to see an action packed explosion film with weak story, I’ll catch the new Michael Bay flick. When I want to see a really entertaining film with great special effects that will leave me dumber for having watched it, I’ll go see a Roland Emmerich film (Independence Day, Stargate, Godzilla, 10,000 BC). If you don’t know what this film is about, you should probably look into it, cause we’re kinda running out of time, dude…
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Thandie Newton, Woody Harrelson, Danny Glover, Oliver Platt
November 13

That Evening Sun – Written and Directed by Scot Teems
I think Clint Eastwood had a scheduling conflict playing a grumpy old man in Gran Turino, so Holbrook stepped in. This is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter Midwest drama starring a senior citizen afraid of change that might not be very good, but will definitely get nominated for at least 2 Oscars. Don’t get me wrong, Hal is great, but the story has the potential to be full of holes.
Hal Holbrook, Ray McKinnon, Mia Wasikowska, Carrie Preston
November 13

Uncertainty – Written and Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
At the risk of sounding like a douchebag, I am very uncertain about this movie. Part romantic comedy, part drama, part action thriller? So confused. McGehee and Siegel have written and directed three other films together, and I’ve never heard of any of them. But Gordon-Levitt hasn’t let me down so far, and Thirlby and Collins are sexy. I’ll flip a coin.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lynn Collins, Olivia Thirlby
November 13

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans – Directed by Werner Herzog, Written by William M. Finkelstein
Controverial old-school director Werner Herzog (Encounters at the End of the World, Grizzly Man) is remaking the 1992 drama (starring Harvey Keitel) about a gambling/drug addict cop, and he’s setting it in post-Katrina New Orleans. They say it’s Cage’s best performance since Leaving Las Vegas (not really hard), and Kilmer’s presence is reassuring. Looking forward to it.
Nicholas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes, Michael Shannon, Fairuza Balk, Xzibit, Shawn Hatosy
November 20

Chi Bi (Red Cliff) – Directed by John Woo, Written by John Woo and Khan Chan
This is an epic film in the style of Hero and House of Flying Daggers. John Woo started out with some good films (A Better Tomorrow, Killer, Hard Boiled), he even had some good American movies (Hard Target, Face/Off), though there were bullshit ones too (Windtalkers, Paycheck). However, his dramas, like Last Hurrah for Chivalry, have gone largerly unnoticed by American audiences. And, of course, it’s been out in China for two years, and we’re just getting it now. Tarantino needs to step his game up.
Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Wei Zhao
November 20

Fix – Directed by Tao Ruspoli, Written by Charles Castaldi and Paul Duran
Documentary filmmaker Ruspoli blends styles in this fictional documentary about a convicted drug dealer and his friends, who are attempting to raise enough money to put him in rehab before 8pm so he can avoid jail time. I can already tell that Andrews’ over-the-top personality is going to steal the show, and Wilde is kinda cute. When’s it coming to Netflix?
Olivia Wilde, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer, Shawn Andrews
November 20

The Missing Person – Written and Directed by Noah Buschel
Modern noir about a private detective (Shannon in a lead role…nice) searching for a missing person after 9/11. Elements of drama and comedy make it appear a little disjointed, but Shannon and Ryan are solid. Kinda surprised it didn’t go straight to DVD, but whatever.
Michael Shannon, Amy Ryan, Frank Wood
November 20

Me and Orson Welles – Directed by Richard Linklater, Written by Holly Gent Palmo
I can’t see Efron’s name on anything without thinking Highschool Musical, which makes me want to punch everyone under the age of 17 in the eye. However, this film is a little more dramatic, a lot less musical, and Christian McKay looks like the best Orson Welles since D’onofrio in Ed Wood. And if that still doesn’t convince you to see this period film about Welles directing stage plays, I have three words for you: Richard motherfucking Linklater (Scanner Darkly, Waking Life, Dazed and Confused). There you go.
Zac Efron, Claire Danes, Christian McKay, Ben Chaplin
November 25

Ninja Assassin – Directed by James McTeigue, Written by Matthew Sand and J. Michael Straczynski
The directors of The Matrix are producing this balls-to-the-wall violence-fest about…are you ready? A Ninja Assassin. Crazy right? Just think blades, bullets, blood, and nonstop special effects. I can’t freaking wait.
Sung Kang
November 25

The Road – Directed by John Hillcoat, Written by Joe Penhall
I must admit, I didn’t care for Cormac McCarthy’s award winning novel. The fact that writer and director are inexperienced worries me. Whether the acting, cinematography and effects can save it or not, the story makes me think no one will like this no matter what.
Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Garret Dillahunt
November 25

KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN

Metropia – Directed by Tarik Saleh, Written by Fredrik Edin
Anything with Vincent Gallo attatched generally gets my attention (Buffalo 66 was fucking weird). In this animated social commentary, Gallo’s character goes nuts when he starts hearing voices in the expansive underground tunnels Europe was forced to build after gas prices went too high. The animation looks pretty damn cool, so we’ll see.
Vincent Gallo, Udo Kier, Juliette Lewis, Stellan Skarsgard, Alexander Skarsgard
November 6 (Sweden)

Harry Brown – Directed by Daniel Barber, Written by Gary Young
Michael Caine hasn’t really been a badass since Get Carter, but this one may change that. Granted, it’s another cranky old man pissed off at street hooligans, but they did kill his friend…and he is ex-military. Comes out in the UK this month, possible limited releases in US.
Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Iain Glen
November 11 (UK)

Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces) – Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar
Almodovar is huge in Spain, and the last time he teamed with Cruz was Volver, which was damn good. This film is about a writer/director telling a young man the story of why he changed his name after an accident took the life of his true love 14 years prior. Limited release this month, but expect it to be everywhere in time for the Oscars.
Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar
November 20 (Limited)

Mammoth – Written and Directed by Lukas Moodysson
Husband and wife with a “perfect” life are put to the test when he takes a business trip to Thailand and decides to let loose a little. It looks very similar to parts of Babel, but more focused. Bernal and Williams have grown on me the last couple years, and Moodysson has done good work in Sweden.
Michelle Williams, Gael Garcia Bernal
November 20 (Limited)

DIRECTOR WERNER HERZOG’S STATEMENT:

ON THE FILM’S TITLE AND SHOOTING IN NEW ORLEANS:

It does not bespeak great wisdom to call the film The Bad Lieutenant, and I only agreed to make the film after William (Billy) Finkelstein, the screenwriter, who had seen a film of the same name from the early nineties, had given me a solemn oath that this was not a remake at all. But the film industry has its own rationale, which in this case was the speculation of starting some sort of a franchise. I have no problem with this. Nevertheless, the pedantic branch of academia, the so called “film-studies,” in its attempt to do damage to cinema, will be ecstatic to find a small reference to that earlier film here and there, though it will fail to do the same damage that academia — in the name of literary theory — has done to poetry, which it has pushed to the brink of extinction. Cinema, so far, is more robust. I call upon the theoreticians of cinema to go after this one. Go for it, losers.

What the producers accepted was my suggestion to make the title more specific—Port of Call: New Orleans, and now the film’s title combines both elements. Originally, the screenplay was written with New York as a backdrop, and again the rationale of the producers set in by moving it to New Orleans, since shooting there would mean a substantial tax benefit. It was a move I immediately welcomed. In New Orleans it was not only the levees that breeched, but it was civility itself: there was a highly visible breakdown of good citizenship and order. Looting was rampant, and quite a number of policemen did not report for duty; some of them took brand new Cadillacs from their abandoned dealerships and vanished onto dry ground in neighboring states. Less fancy cars disappeared only a few days later. This collapse of morality was matched by the neglect of the government in Washington, and it is hard to figure out whether this was just a form of stupidity or outright cynicism. I am deeply grateful that the police department in New Orleans had the magnanimity and calibre to support the shooting of the film without any reservation. They know — as we all do — that the overwhelming majority of their force performed in a way that deserves nothing but admiration.

ON FILM NOIR AND NICOLAS CAGE:

New Orleans. This was fertile ground to stage a film noir, or rather a new form of film noir where evil was not just the most natural occurrence. It was the bliss of evil which pervades everything in this film. Nicolas Cage followed me in this regard with blind faith. We had met only once at Francis Ford Coppola’s, his uncle’s, winery in Napa Valley almost three decades ago when Nicolas was an adolescent, and I was about to set out for the Peruvian jungle in order to move a ship over a mountain. Now, we wondered why and how we had eluded each other ever since, why we had never worked together, and it became instantly clear that we would do this film together, or neither one of us would do it. There was an urge in both of us to join forces.

Film noir always is a consequence of the Climate of Time; it needs a growing sense of insecurity, of depression. The literature of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett is a child of the Great Depression, with film noir as its sibling. I sensed something coming in the months leading up to the making of the film: a breakdown which was so obvious in New Orleans, and half a year before finances and the economy collapsed, the signs were written on the wall. Even films like Batman turned out to be much darker than anyone expected. What finally woke me up was a banality: when attempting to lease a car I was confronted by the dealership with the unpleasant news that my credit score was abysmal, and hence I had to pay a much higher monthly rate. Why is that, I asked — I had always paid my bills, I had never owed money to anyone. That was exactly my problem: I had never borrowed money, had hardly ever used a credit card, and my bank account was not in the red. But the system punished you for not owing money, and rewarded those who did. I realized that the entire system was sick, that this could not go well, and I instantly withdrew money I had invested in stock of Lehman Brothers while a bank manager, ecstatic, with shuddering urgency, was trying to persuade me to buy even more of it.

ON THE SCREENPLAY:

As to the screenplay: it is William Finkelstein’s text, but as usual during my work as a director it kept shifting, demanding its own life, and I invented new scenes such as a new beginning and a new end, the iguanas, the “dancing” soul (actually this is Finkelstein’s, who plays a very convincing gangster in the film), the childhood story of pirate’s treasure, and a spoon of sterling silver. I also deleted quite a number of scenes where the protagonist takes drugs, simply because I personally dislike the culture of drugs. Sometimes changes entered to everyone’s surprise. To give one example: Nicolas knew that sometimes after a scene was shot I would not shut down the camera if I sensed there was more to it, a gesture, an odd laughter, or an “afterthought” from a man left alone with all the weight of a rolling camera, the lights, the sound recording, the expectant eyes of a crew upon him. I simply would not call “cut” and leave him exposed and suspended under the pressure of the moment. He, the Bad Lieutenant, after restless deeds of evil, takes refuge in a cheap hotel room, and has an unexpected encounter with the former prisoner whom he had rescued from drowning in a flooded prison tract at the beginning of the film. The young man, now a waiter delivering room service, notices there is something wrong with the Lieutenant, and offers to get him out of there. I kept the camera rolling, but nothing more came from Nicolas. “What, for Heaven’s sake, could I have added,” he asked. And without thinking for a second I said, “Do fish have dreams?” We shot the scene once more with this line, and it looked good and strange and dark. But it required being anchored in yet an additional scene at the very end of the film, with both men, distant in dreams leaning against the glass of a huge aquarium where sharks and rays and large fish move slowly as if they indeed were caught in the dreams of a distant and incomprehensible world.

I love cinema for moments like this.

The films stars Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Vondie Curtis Hall, Shawn Hatosy, Denzel Whitaker, Xzibit, Shea Wigham, Katie Chonacas and Brad Dourif.

Due out at the end of November.

Source: Film School Rejects

I’ve finally figured out what NBC is doing. With ratings down and Jay Leno eating up a large chunk of their primetime block, they’ve finally embraced their spot in last place and are implementing the One-Night-Is-Enough Policy. That is, NBC will keep its one good night of programming — Thursdays — with comedies The Office, Parks and Recreation, Community, and 30 Rock, and the rest of their schedule can go to hell. To prove they mean business, NBC has canceled its cop drama Southland — here’s the kicker — two weeks before its season premiere.

Forget the fact that Southland is the best-written and most realistic cop drama since NYPD Blue, because NBC’s reason for canceling the show will really grind your gears. Instead of Southland, NBC will be filling its Friday timeslot with episodes of Dateline, which it feels will bring in stronger and more consistent ratings. There’s a small glimmer of hope, though, in that it’s possible Southland will be picked up by a cable network. I’m hoping that will work out. It would be nice to see a network actually let people watch the show before yanking it off the air.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Movie

In Werner Herzog’s new film ‘The Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans,’ Nicolas Cage plays a rogue detective who is as devoted to his job as he is at scoring drugs — while playing fast and loose with the law. He wields his badge as often as he wields his gun in order to get his way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina he becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive, fearless detective reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Complicating his tumultuous life is the prostitute he loves (played by Eva Mendes). Together they descend into their own world marked by desire, compulsion, and conscience. The result is a singular masterpiece of filmmaking: equally sad and manically humorous.

servizio di LUCA SVIZZERETTO

Chi non conosce ‘Il Cattivo Tenente’, film cult di Abel Ferrara? Qualcuno può pensare in un remake, altri in un sequel, niente di tutto questo. Questa pellicola firmata dal visionario cineasta Werner Herzog è una propria versione del ‘cattivo tenente’ per antonomasia. Ovvero un agente di polizia tormentato dai propri sbagli, vizi e problemi mentali. Un uomo con un carattere tipicamente ‘borderline’ che però tende a voler comunque portare a compimento il suo dovere.
Visioni oniriche creata dal fumo del crack e scene di violenza e sesso estremo fanno di quest’opera un ottimo esempio di come sia sempre meglio usare la propria testa piuttosto che sfruttare le idee di altri.
Ferrara ha rifiutato di riconoscere il lavoro di Herzog. Ma non c’è nulla da dover riconoscere. Questa è una pellicola completamente diversa, ben elaborata, interessante, spinta al limite. Tanto il film di Ferrara quanto questo meritano di essere ricordati.
Nicholas Cager trova la sua miglior interpretazione di sempre. Si rende protagonista di una storia difficile e lo fa con tanta espressività e con tutto il carisma possibile ad un attore di molta esperienza.
Brava come sempre, ma ormai non è più una sorpresa, l’esplosiva Eva Mendes.
Ambientato nella New Orleans ‘post-Katrina’ trova la giusta ambientazione cupa e malinconica.
Da vedere e perchè no anche rivedere per apprezzarlo in quelle sfumature che non si riescono a cogliere alla prima visione.
Terence McDonagh, detective della Squadra Omicidi del Dipartimento di Polizia di New Orleans, salva un prigioniero che rischia di annegare nella furia dell’uragano Katrina. Durante l’operazione subisce un grave infortunio alla schiena. Viene promosso Tenente, gli prescrivono degli antidolorifici e lo riammettono in servizio. Un anno dopo, Terence ha una dipendenza dal Vicodin e dalla cocaina, sostenuta dalla presunzione di saper svolgere il proprio dovere, di essere un poliziotto migliore di quanto non sia mai stato. Quando viene trovata una famiglia di immigrati africani massacrata, riesce a convincere i superiori che è lui la persona giusta per condurre le indagini. Trova un testimone oculare – un fattorino di nome Daryl, che per far rilasciare sua madre sulla parola, accetta di testimoniare contro uno spacciatore, Big Fate, mai processato per via della sua propensione a uccidere i testimoni. Tocca a Terence proteggere Daryl.

There’s a quote I call upon from time to time, usually when affairs of the heart get too murky and strange: “There is always some madness in love. But there is always some reason in madness.” That Nietzsche, he had a philosophical (imagine that!) but dead-on way of seeing things, and it feels a little like director Frank Pierson channeled that viewpoint into the made-for-TV “Soldier’s Girl,” a wrenching drama about how three people react to the madness of a relationship as life-affirming as it is incendiary.

But is the relationship in question – between Army private Barry Winchell (Troy Garity) and Calpernia Addams (Lee Pace), an ex-Navyman now living as a woman — really so crazy? The answer’s more delicate and more complicated than a knee-jerk “yes” or “no.” Certainly the unexpected coupling is unfathomable to Barry’s hard-nosed superiors, who parrot the “don’t ask, don’t tell” dictum but don’t believe it. Stunned, too, are Barry’s bunkmate Justin (Shawn Hatosy), a Ritalin-popping hothead whose own sexual confusion makes him far more sinister than he seems, and Calvin (Philip Eddolls), an impressionable, unhinged redneck too young to enlist on his own. Even Calpernia, used to fending off advances from drunk soldiers who consider her a novelty, one of those tall “I was so wasted” tales, can’t quite trust Barry’s affection is real.

With all this confusion swirling about, it would seem that the Barry/Calpernia story is sensationalized, maybe even unbelievable. Think again. (SPOILER ALERT) Pierson’s film is based on the true story of Private Barry Winchell, beaten to death at Fort Campbell after rumors of his relationship with Calpernia spread. Does that bombshell ruin “Soldier’s Girl”? Please. The story’s hardly a secret, and it’s integral to the slow-growing unease that builds as Barry’s love for Calpernia grows and Justin’s confusion makes him fray dangerously at both ends. The facts are sensational, perhaps, but plainly true, and on their own they make for twisted, heart-wrenching drama. 

What hits harder than the facts, though, is what Pierson does with them. A remarkably patient director, he steps back and lets his story unfold naturally and with little fanfare, allowing us to notice the tensions that underwrite Barry and Justin’s tenuous friendship long before we meet Calpernia. Theirs is a codependent relationship, with Barry feeding Justin’s need for companionship and Justin pushing his bunkmate to aim higher than minimally adequate. Pierson gives us ample time — and, admittedly, maybe one too many staid training sequence scenes — to sense how Justin will react once Barry, who’s basically a nice guy with a level head, pulls away. When Justin tells him, “You’re the only one who gets me,” it’s clear this train’s already sliding off the rails. Stopping’s no longer an option.

So Pierson’s style might seem a little risky, since his pacing is deliberate (re: “boring” to anyone who prefers smash-n-grab movies), but it works beautifully for this kind of tender drama. The approach also allows the actors the freedom to develop their characters. Don’t expect caricatures here, because Hatosy, Garity and Pace (both nominated for Independent Spirit awards and Golden Globes) have no interest in taking the lazy way out. Hatosy, so frighteningly good in “Alpha Dog,” once again proves he has a knack for playing characters a hair trigger from explosion — with subtlety. Justin may be a loose cannon, but Hatosy reaches way down to find the sexual confusion that’s sparking the fuse. Someone give him more roles like this, and fast. Pace has the showiest part — makeup, drastic weight loss and costuming render him nearly unrecognizable — but he doesn’t go for flash. He plays Calpernia not as a drama queen or a freak but as a warm, self-aware person trapped in the wrong body and fighting like hell to get out. What’s more, he has palpable chemistry with Garity, who does brilliant things with a character who almost never verbalizes his feelings. In a rare moment when Barry breaks down, overwhelmed and weeping, Garity makes the constant ache of living of double life feel disturbingly real.

Then again, that’s the thing about “Soldier’s Girl” in general — the tragedy is so real it lingers indefinitely. You can’t shake it no matter how hard you try.

Grade: A

Public Enemies gallops along at a lightning-quick pace, full of action, tension, and beautiful cinematography. The key mistake I made before watching this newest film by Michael Mann was watching Heat, another Mann film, the night before. The parallels are obvious—a smart, foolproof robber has just found love and is looking to make a couple of final scores with his crew before getting out of the business. The problems with Public Enemies in comparison are equally obvious—inferior character development, inferior love story, and an inferior foe for our anti-hero burglar. That’s the main issue with this film… it has all of the elements and knows what it can be with its A-list movie stars, timely subject matter, and flawless period reproduction. It just never manages to take that step past good into great.

The film covers famous bank robber John Dillinger’s life towards the end of his reign as Public Enemy #1. J. Edgar Hoover, his task force leader Melvin Purvis, and a whole bureau of G-Men have made their personal mission to arrest or kill John Dillinger, while the public views him as an underground hero—he only steals from the rich banks, not the people themselves. “Why do you care what the public thinks of you?” one cohort asks Dillinger early in the film, to which he replies, “I care because I hide among them.” Indeed, he lives a very public life, going out to dinners, movies, dances, and even at one point walking right into a police station in plain sight.

The film is as good as it is largely because of Johnny Depp as John Dillinger. Dillinger would have been a very easy character to overplay—he could have emphasized the Robin Hood aspects, the romantic side, or the carpe diem attitude with enough fervor that he could have hammed his way into an Oscar nomination in a different type of film. Here, with Michael Mann’s smooth, almost documentary-esque visual style, Depp instead gives an understated charismatic performance—the type given by Movie Stars, and the type usually not rewarded by the Academy. Watch the scene where he attends the final movie he’ll ever see, as he understands how his own life mirrors the life of the gangster in the film. It’s subtle but powerful work.

Christian Bale, on the other hand, does not have the same sort of natural attractive charisma as an actor. His power is in his intensity and his steely glare, not in his ability to win over an audience. Because of the complete lack of character development for Melvin Purvis, Bale is mostly a void on the screen, and we rarely feel he is truly a match for Dillinger and his gang. Bale’s attempts are visible—he’s trying to find the fear and insecurities buried deep within Purvis, and he gives us small glimpses, but it’s never enough. He can’t match up with Depp, or even some of his other more charismatic G-Men. One G-Man called Fatboy exudes a deep menace that comes from a deep set fear of Dillinger, and another older special agent towards the end creates an impact from the second he steps onto the screen—it’s a shame Bale doesn’t have that effect.

Indeed, most of the actors in this film (and you’ll recognize several of them in smaller roles) are left to their own resources, since Mann seems more concerned with the period details and keeping the action chugging along. You won’t be sorry that he does, since the gunfights are really spectacular. There’s a shootout at a lodge in the woods where the sound effects are so piercing and vivid that I wouldn’t be surprised to find this film remembered come Oscar season in the sound categories. Also, the digital camerawork helps place you right into the fights, since it feels like a documentary crew is running between the bullets, capturing perfect footage as they run. Yet again, these fights pale in comparison to Heat, a film in which the audience cares about the characters involved in the fights. Just because we see that Johnny Depp cares about the actor who was killed doesn’t necessarily mean that it tugs our heartstrings equally. It’s award-worthy filmmaking and design work with a high-caliber cast, but it falls just short of its full potential, leaving us well satisfied but slightly… robbed.

Cast: William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin, Paul Sorovino, Shawn Hatosy, Estella Warren, Ron Livingston, Joey Fatone, M.C. Gainey, Ellen Greene

Directed By: Wayne Kramer
Written By: Wayne Kramer & Frank Hannah
Cinematography By: James Whitaker
Editor: Arthur Coburn

This is a bruised heart love story. The main characters have to go through so much to be together plus it may not even be real. We aren’t talking about teenagers these people are middle aged and lead sad sack lives filled with pain and nothing to look forward to they have lived life and been crushed by it then they find each other. 

This film is a welcome new voice in the world of cinema I felt I was seeing something new and original that was disguised as a run of the mill vegas Drama/thriller. The film is more of a Dark comedy then anything. The way you think certain scenes will end never do the filmmakers go for the surprise and it’s even more startling then you can imagine.

The Cast are all excellent William H. Macy uses his hangdog Midwestern looks to it’s full effect and reveals a sweet soul who has gotten a raw deal in life and has earned some good luck for once. Maria Bello is both good as a femme fatale and a innocent woman who has lived a hard life. Alec Baldwin is phenomenal this really was his comeback role showing he still has the goods. So good he got nominated for Best Supporting Actor      

This film is rated NC-17 for the sex scenes where as the violence to me is more explicit and disturbing then the love scenes.

The story follows a gambler who is in debt to a casino who they send to sit next to big winners as his bad luck seems to pass onto them when they are gambling allowing the house to always win. When he falls in love and is happy his good luck spreads and the casino can not have that happen. You even notice it in his clothes his suits fit better ad seem more tailored and as his luck improves so does the brightness around him.

The film shows the other side of Las Vegas the seedy underground more then the glitz and glamour plus it shows the old brutal Las Vegas where a man kept his word and people talked to each other versus the new computerized impersonal Las Vegas. Where there are no second chances  

 Definitely a good addition to your film library

GRADE:  B

Source: YouTube

This trailer debuted last week, but I’m really too lazy to say anything about it. It just looks bad. Not Ghost Rider bad. Like, Wicker Man bad. Werner Herzog’s sequel to Abel Ferrera’s 1992 crime drama isn’t a remake or a reboot of the original. “It only has a corrupt cop as the central character and that’s about it.” At the 2009 Academy Awards, he claimed to have never seen the original. So then why call it Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans? Why not just call it Port Of Call New Orleans and have it be about a corrupt cop? Work with me, Hollywood.

Well, that’s because Herzog and the film’s star think the film has franchise potential. “You could have more than one Bad Lieutenant,” Cage says. “You could have Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call London next. It could happen and that’s what makes it interesting. I’m not the same cop that Harvey Keitel was. I’m  a different cop. I’m a New Orleans cop.”

Here’s the trailer.

Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans stars Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, Xzibit, Fairuza Balk, Jennifer Coolidge, Vondie Curtis Hall, Shawn Hatosy, and Brad Dourif.

]]> http://mralphafreak.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/southland-season-1/ Tue, 26 May 2009 20:50:58 +0000 mralphafreak http://mralphafreak.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/southland-season-1/

Southland takes a “raw and authentic look” at Los Angeles and the lives of the LAPD officers who police it. The show centers around the experiences and interactions of LAPD patrol officers and detectives. Among the characters are rookie Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) and his training officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz); Detective Lydia Adams (Regina King), who must balance work with responsibility for her mother; Officer Chickie Brown (Arija Bareikis), who aspires to be the first woman on the elite SWAT Team; and Detective Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy), whose home life interferes with his working life.

Episode 1: Unknown Trouble
Well, I definitely liked the pilot. Just a few points were disappointing. First: the episode was too short to introduce all of the characters and put on some stories. We have two pairs of officers, one pair of detectives, one single detective and probably some more police men, private problems (at the end of the episode), three different stories, two uniting each other in the last third and an authentic and great look. Like I said, it was too short to put all this on, but the look is really great. The series looks like a documentation and the camera is superb (how it goes from a moving car to another scenery without a cut, this looks great).
The series plot is a mixture of The Shield and Third Watch. Mix the difficult work of police officers and detectives (along with beeped words – I asked myself why did the producers leave it in, but then I thought it probably could be the first network show with censored material to look more authentic [and probably be uncensored on DVD]) with on location shots – and it could be a great series. The pilot episode just wasn’t really interesting enough, because of its length. I really would have seen more about Ben’s first day and the investigations of the gang murder and the missing girl. 7/10

Episode 2: Mozambique
Much more better than the first episode. Instead of a story for every character we had some combined ones; Lydia and the kid story was just awesome written. I was asking myself if the mother told the truth all along or we see her and her child in one or two episodes dead in a backstreet – very interesting all this. The story about the protection of the girl from the gang bangers was also good; I was surprised that the authors kept the story from the first episode and keeping it running – highly likely that this will be one of the on-going stories for the future episodes. Here and there some info about the character’s past (e.g. why Ben can shoot so damn good), another beeped words (why do they beep “asshole” out? I already heard it a couple of times in network shows – I think :/ ) and a very dumb father: Why is Det. Salinger (Michael McGrady) kissing his girlfriend with his daughter in the same bar? Seriously, that is just dumb.
The series needs to clear it up, which of the characters are major or just supporting the story (I know, the names in the intro tell us, who’s major, but you never know…). This episode was the chance for some new characters to step it up with their own little story. Maybe it could be too much after a while, because I don’t know all their names yet. 8/10

Episode 3: See the Woman
I think the series gets better with every episode. The stories weren’t really interesting, but I liked the fact that the episode concentrates more on a few characters and forgets the rest, so that the episode isn’t that overloaded like the first two. So, we had a lot of Ben and John, and we are getting to know them more and more. And I definitely like the authentic look, even with the beeped words (I hope the producers don’t cut them).
If the series pulls it up like that in the rest of the season, it could beat Friday Night Lights from my favorite network TV show list… 7,5/10

Episode 4: Two Gangs
The episode was alright, but nothing special. Like I said before, one episode gets the attraction of a few of the characters and lets the other ones out. This time the detectives get a big story and we don’t see the street cops. But their story wasn’t really interesting. And Lydia’s date story was boring: Why would she lie about being a cop? Only the story about Mercedes (Alyssa Diaz) finding about Det. Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) being her father was good, though I don’t know anything about the characters and it feels I saw them for the first time in this episode.
And this is the one big problem of the series: So many characters and I know just a couple of names. I can’t connect with the characters very good, when I even don’t know their names. Maybe the characters should call each other more often by their names. Though I like that everybody gets his story, it is not good for the beginning of a series and the connection with characters and stories. 6,5/10

Episode 5: Sally in the Alley
Two episodes ago I said that Southland could beat FNL from my network TV show list. Now I think that is not going to happen. This episode was just average – uninteresting story about a lost gun and the search for it in gang banging districts. The detectives stories (again with much screentime) were lame and not really interesting. I don’t care about Sammy’s crazy problems with his wife Tammi (Emily Bergl, she seems more crazier than the problems he has with her itself) and I don’t really care about the relationship of Det. Salinger with Mia (Liza Vidal), which we already saw in the second episode (and gets now its sequel).
But I like the fact that Southland is an ensemble series. There is no main character, everybody is a major, just one or two with more screentime than the others and some with a nothing of screentime. Though it could be more better with an interesting story, which runs over the whole episode – not just a lame search for a missing gun. 5,5/10

Episode 6: Mace in the Face
A better episode than the last one. The major case of this one connected detectives and officers and had to offer more characters than in the last two episodes – and that is how I like the Southland episodes. Somehow it was the “perfect” episode by now. Enough characters with work and private problems not to overdo the episode; a non-boring story, an interesting b storyline (I didn’t know that the gang witness thing was still going on) and great surroundings. I kind of missed that in the last couple of episodes.
The car chase was great, because it was so not Hollywood and totally realistic, but I wished to see more about that – it was too short. Maybe it would have been a good source for a great action scene… but the producers are on realism and not on plot holes (which is a good thing), but the series needs something for the eyes. 7,5/10

Episode 7: Derailed
Great season finale, but with a boring cliffhanger, which came too suddenly. The gang witness story was great and brought us an old woman, who is obviously a leader of a gang (this alone is kind of funny and scary at once) and a “Lydia shoots bad guys in her house” scene, which shows her being kick ass and the scene having lots of thrill. I just wished that the authors pulled their cliffhangers in this scene (e.g. Lydia being shot), instead of Det. Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) being shot so suddenly and outside of the episode story.
But there were some problems I had: After three episodes, officer Dewey (C. Thomas Howell) totally went crazy and is now gone – all of a sudden? John’s problems with pills and pain isn’t mentioned in here after we saw it last episode (it would be a good character cliffhanger moment for him, except the asked question if he is gay or not). And the little love story of Ben was a waste of time, it didn’t deliver anything for his character. 8/10

Season average is 7,14. I liked the first season and I definitely will watch the second one. Hopefully the stories gets a bit better and the ratings improve, or we have the series finale after 20 episodes. And Southland is too good to be canceled after not even a full season. Sometimes I don’t understand the US viewers, though I can understand them with this series. The middle of the season was kind of lame and uninteresting.

An ensemble-based cop show is nothing new. Neither is a cop show filled with characters struggling with professional and personal hardships that begin to intertwine. Nevertheless, this show is very well executed and has more potential than any other new ‘big four’ network show I’ve seen in a while.

Mostly we follow Officer Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie), a ‘rich kid’ who leaves Harvard to become a cop. Why? He’s got a tortured past, of course. Initially he’s mocked incessantly by his partner, the more experienced Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz). Cooper initially shows his disdain for Sherman by calling him ‘Spago’ (in reference to the Wolfgang Puck hipster restaurant), a hilarious put down from a person who just cannot understand why a person of privilege would ever choose the life of a cop. They’re often working closely with two beat cops in another car, Officer ‘Chickie’ Brown (Arija Barekis) and the very-troubled, boozed-up Officer Dewey (an unbelievably good C. Thomas Howell).

Sherman earns respect by warning Dewey that the perp Dewey’s corralling hasn’t been searched and then gunning the perp down after the perp pulls out a concealed handgun and fires some shot into Dewey. Sherman clearly knows how to handle a firearm, learned with practice at the Beverly Hills Gun Club in his younger years. Cooper never calls him ‘Spago’ after that.

Detective Lydia Adams (the always excellent Regina King) and Detective Russell Clarke (Tom Everett Scott) make up one investigative team. Scott will never look like a cop to me and his troubled marriage has made up one of the less engaging storylines of this first mini-season. Detective Sammy Bryant (an underrated Shawn Hatosy) and Detective Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro) make up the other. Bryant is married to an erratic, neurotic type who seemingly becomes more and more annoying with every episode.

Detective Russell Clarke lives right across from Detective Dan Salinger (Michael McGrady). Salinger’s obsession with overprotecting his teenage daughter makes for one of the least fulfilling storylines of the series. He also has an on-again, off-again thing going with a local TV reporter, despite his marriage. This only makes him seem cooler in the eyes of his daughter.

We gather on the steps like this every morning. It's perfectly natural.

This show makes it clear it wants to be a gritty, not-so-sunny take on the life of LA law enforcement. Just watch the opening sequence and it’s clear you’re in for a nice, big serving of bittersweet. There isn’t much about this show that breaks into unexplored territory. Yet everything about this show works. From the moment you hear the notes of the opening song to the way they flow from storyline to storyline, this show has hit the ground running right from the start. The dialogue is crisp. The action is compelling. The cases they’re trying to solve often stoke just enough moral indignation from the viewer that you want to see it solved.

I do think the show is falling into the cliche trap and would do well to try to break out into its own territory a bit. Everyone’s troubled. Everyone’s complicated. Yeah, we get it. The personal lives of the cops needs the most refreshing in my opinion. All the marriages are screwy. Ok. Yet all the spouses are there for the cops when it counts. Double Ok. Wait, actually it seems like all the cops are caught in the same difficult marriage. Hmm…

But every actor playing a cop does a great job with the material they’re given. I think Scott does the weakest job with Detective Clarke and his marriage. Maybe it’s the material but his character seems to have the least depth and dimension, despite his marital woes. C. Thomas Howell is a revelation as his out-of-control Officer Dewey is a character we’ve seen in other forms on other shows, but he does it so well. Just the bug-eyed look he gets on his face alone makes you think this guy is capable if anything. I think Shawn Hatosy does a great job as Detective Bryant, his frustrations and humanity seem to come right through the screen.

I don’t know what it is about Regina King but she always seems to disappear into a role despite the fact that she is so recognizable, and her efforts here are no exception. She’s got a challenging relationship with her mother and has a hard time opening up to potential suitors. That’s a real challenge for female cop characters on TV. It seems they’re either shut off from the possibility of romance or they’re sleeping with everyone. It would be nice if they could find some middle ground for her character.

This show started off with a seven-episode mini season and got picked up for the fall. The ’season finale’ for the seven-episode run ended with a cliffhanger involving Detective Clarke. You can catch the episodes on hulu.com if you want to acquainted before new episodes begin again. If you’re looking for a new show, it’s one worth a look.

http://www.hulu.com/southland

I told you I would introduce to one of the summer blockbusters that is rumored to be a heavy contender for the Oscars.  There is a very talented all-star cast so enjoy as I present the ‘PUBLIC ENEMIES’!

Hot screen favorites Freddie Prinze Jr. (SHE’S ALL THAT, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER) and Julia Stiles (10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU) sizzle in a fun and sexy comedy where the magic of first love collides with the challenges of real life! From the moment they meet amid the chaos of college in New York City, Al (Prinze) and Imogen (Stiles) begin a romantic journey where true love often competes with the temptation to stray from commitment! As time passes and an outrageous array of friends enter the scene, they’ll celebrate all the highs and confront all the lows that greet their passionate affair. Also featuring Henry Winkler (THE WATERBOY), Selma Blair (CRUEL INTENTIONS), and Shawn Hatosy (OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE, THE FACULTY) in a stellar cast — you’ll want to join this irresistible couple as they face the future … with some wildly unexpected results!

Al (Freddie Prinze Jr., from She’s All That and I Know What You Did Last Summer) and Imogen (Julia Stiles from 10 Things I Hate About You) take turns narrating the story of their college romance. Al has a celebrity chef for a father (an amusing turn from Henry Winkler) and a rising porn star for a best friend (Zak Orth). The dialogue is stale, the story flounders, and the movie can’t seem to decide whether it wants to be a sweet romance or a social satire. Down to You keeps dropping into odd fantasy bits that have nothing to do with, well, much of anything. But all the stars–including Selma Blair (Cruel Intentions) and Shawn Hatosy (Outside Providence) are pleasant and well groomed (well, except for Hatosy, who bears the brunt of being the poster boy for every fad of the ’90s), and the soundtrack (featuring Cibo Matto, early David Bowie, Yo La Tengo, and others) is excellent. –Bret Fetzer

Down to You is available at Amazon for $11.49. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• She’s All That
• 10 Things I Hate About You
• Head over Heels
• Whatever It Takes
• Boys and Girls

Por trama, reparto y director, Public Enemies es una de las apuestas más seguras de 2.009. De hecho, la auténtica noticia sería un fracaso a cualquier nivel de este proyecto que lidera Michael Mann, una garantía casi perpetua de calidad tras las cámaras. Si a él le sumamos a dos pesos pesados como Johnny Depp y Christian Bale, enfrentados en una historia de gángster y policías, el resultado parece obvio. Por si eso fuera poco, el elenco se completa con David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Adam Mucci, Billy Crudup, Stephen Lang, Shawn Hatosy, Emilie de Ravin, James Russo y Leelee Sobieski.

Ten years ago, Tarantino-wannabeism was rampant and at least understandable. Today it induces cringes so strong they feel like dry heaves. Yet here are writer-director Randall Miller and his wife and co-writer Jody Savin, most recently of Bottle Shock, with an obnoxiously loud hodgepodge of plot lines and hollow stylistic tics, brimming over with borrowed attitude but coming up way short on actual humanity. The gist: Just as his philandering prick of a father (Alan Rickman) wins the Nobel Prize, a grad student (Bryan Greenberg) finds himself kidnapped and held for ransom by his own, heretofore unknown, half-brother (Shawn Hatosy). Also involved are Mary Steenburgen as a jaded wife/concerned mom, Eliza Dushku as a temptress/unstable open-mic poet, Bill Pullman as a doughy detective and Danny DeVito as a dumb one-note joke. 

También desde Empire, por supuesto, nos llegan las primeras imágenes oficiales de Public Enemies, esperadísima película de Michael Mann de la que no teníamos noticias desde hacía tiempo y a la que acompañamoscon tres extraídas de su set de rodaje. En ella se narran los esfuerzos del FBI por acabar con la sanguinaria banda del gángster John Dillinger, prometiendo uno de esos grandes enfrentamientos interpretativos entre sus dos protagonistas. En el reparto, que encabezan Johnny Depp y Christian Bale, también participan David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Marion Cotillard, Channing Tatum, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff, Adam Mucci, Billy Crudup, Stephen Lang, Shawn Hatosy, Emilie de Ravin, James Russo y Leelee Sobieski. El estreno para el 1 de Julio de 2.009.