Friday, April 30, 2010

First look at "London Boulevard" and "Thor"

One post; two very different movies. First is London Boulevard, which as of now doesn't have have a release date. I've heard this title thrown around for a few months, and I kept confusing with Last Night, also starring Ms. Knightley. However, that film has the increasingly dull Sam Worthington, whereas Knightley's co-star here is the increasingly awesome Colin Farrell, who made a stellar come-back with 2008's In Bruges. The story, about a released convict who falls in love with a movie star, is definitely an interesting one, with the potential for plenty of strong drama. And wouldn't it be nice to see Keira Knightley give a good performance in a film that isn't a period piece? I think it's about time. The film is still in post-production and has yet to find a distributor, but if it's any good, expect someone to snatch it up and market the hell out of it come awards season. After all, it's directed by William Monahan, who wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for The Departed.

Next is Kenneth Branagh's (yes, that Kenneth Branagh) Thor. I've never been much of a comic book enthusiast, so I can't really give any insight as to whether this brief glimpse of Chris Hemsworth is promising or worrisome. As is the question with these films nowadays, we have to wonder if Branagh will go for the more serious, Dark Knight route, or take a slightly lighter tone a la Iron Man (maybe somewhere in between?). I'm also interested to see what Shakespeare-loving Branagh can bring to the table in what could otherwise be just another comic-book adaptation (albeit one with a Norse mythology angle). The film, which also stars Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman, opens May 6, 2011, though I'm sure it won't be too much longer before we starting getting some teasers.

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