International trailer for "Biutiful"

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's latest film finally has its first proper trailer available for viewing, and it's intense to say the least. Bardem stars as a cop whose life "is in free fall" and must deal with a variety of obligations amidst his decaying health. Inarritu's films usually involve fractured story-telling; sometimes it works (21 Grams) and sometimes it doesn't (Babel), but the results are usually quite powerful. Based on the (generally positive) word from Cannes, Biutiful follows a much more linear story, which I think should help Inarritu and crew maximize the film's potential. Inarritu's films usually feature some outstanding performances, but in the case of Babel, the story-telling is what undermines the film as a whole and turns it all into pretentious nonsense, so here's hoping that this time the (reportedly) good performances are surrounded by a strong film as well. Bardem has mostly great reviews so far, and this could be his big ticket to a third Oscar nomination. If the film goes over well enough once it hits the states, Bardem and Inarritu could become a major part of the upcoming awards race.

Telluride Review Round-Up: "Never Let Me Go"

How silly of me to forget. September brings not one, not two, but three film festivals which should eventually overlap (and it might be four if NYFF starts this month...sheesh). Telluride has hosted some interesting films over the years, but from this year's line-up, none caught my eye as much as Mark Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's amazing novel "Never Let Me Go."

The film's first review thus far certainly gets things off to a great start. Peter Sciretta from /Film writes, "The film is emotionally powerful, a haunting meditation about love, death, humanity, and acceptance," and says that the performances "are all top notch - fantastic performances across the board, but Carey Mulligan is center stage." His only complaint in his (9/10) review is a minor quibble with an aspect of the story (which I won't spoil or detail), which - having read the novel - is a somewhat valid question narratively, but I think there's thematic justification for it (how the film handles it, however, might be the reason for him taking issue with it).

Meanwhile, Movie City New's David Poland is equally, if not more, ecstatic, proclaiming Romanek's (he gives special praise to the director) second feature film to be a "masterpiece...a film we'll be discussing, frame by frame, in schools 20 years from now." Like Sciretta, Poland also gives across-the-board raves to the performances, and gives Mulligan the most credit, while also mentioning the strong work from smaller roles played by Charlotte Rampling and Sally Hawkins. He also mentions the recently released score (on Itunes) by Rachel Portman, which he says could be the one to be this year. Incontention's Kris Tapely has a different take, however, and says that the film "kept [him] at arm's length from frame one. There is a distance here, a cold sense of removal from what would otherwise be an extremely moving narrative." In the rest of the **/**** review, Tapely praises the performances, cinematography, and the score (which he claims is the film's best Oscar bet) but reiterates his point that the film left him cold. Awards Daily's Eric Bialas echoes this and writes that "the movie distances itself from the viewer too much to ever really shock viewers when its main emotional scenes arrives." Having read the book, this feels a bit like missing the point; the story is never meant to be built on shocks or 'gotcha' moments, though it's easy to see why one might believe that it's what the film is building towards.

Additional Reviews:

Variety: "...a fragile little four-leaf clover of a movie that's emotionally devastating, yet all too easily trampled by cynics." / "...Romanek has more on his mind than simply making people cry."

FirstShowing.Net: "There are many great elements to the film: Adam Kimmel's very beautiful cinematography, Carey Mulligan's phenomenal performance, Rachel Portman's mesmerizing score, Mark Romanek's careful direction, even the concept and story overall." (9/10)

Thompson On Hollywood: "...tells us a lot about who we are by showing us something that could be."

Telluride Verdict: It is strongly acted, shot, and scored, yet Romanek's direction and Alex Garland's adaptation will most likely prove to be extremely divisive.

Venice Review Round-Up: "Somewhere"

Day 3 in Venice brings the latest from another heavy hitting writer/director: Sofia Coppola. Since Somewhere was announced, people have been waiting to see if it falls more in line with Lost in Translation or Marie Antoinette, not just in themes, but in actual quality. The film has also been buzzed about because of its casting; not only does Elle Fanning (younger sister of Dakota) have a lead role, but her co-star is Stephen Dorff, who could be in for a Mickey-Rourke-esque comeback if Somewhere takes off. Based on the (still early) word coming out of the festival, it's more in the vein of the Lost in Translation, and even for someone like me, who wasn't crazy about that film, that's definitely a good thing:

The film gets off to a good start from The London Evening Standard's Derek Malcolm, who writes, "The film has no big dramatic moments, just a series of sequences gradually making the watcher aware of just why there's a text on Johnny's phone stating: Why are you such a ****?" He goes on to say that "Dorff and Fanning play naturally well," and that, "[the film] may last a little more in the memory than Marie Antoinette, if not quite as long as Lost in Translation." Over at Incontention, Guy Lodge gives the film ***1/2 out of **** and claims "both actors are a delight...this [is] Dorff's finest hour" and Elle Fanning "is a quietly rewarding screen presence, perceptive rather than precocious."

David Jenkins of Time Out London, however, isn't quite so enthusiastic. Despite awarding the film ***/*****, his review gets off to a rather nasty start: "A cloying sense of deja vu radiates from Somewhere, Sofia Coppola's long-gestating follow-up to her divisive postmodern historical biopic Marie Antoinette." However, Jenkins also writes that "The relationship between Johnny and Cleo is beautifully modulated, satisfyingly free of the torrent of sentimental heart-to-hearts that a lesser film would have bludgeoned us with." He praises both performances, but is more enthusiastic about Fanning, who he calls "a revelation." However, Jenkins concludes his review by saying that Coppola perhaps too frequently borrows from Lost in Translation.

Additional Review(s):

Variety: "...A quiet heartbreaker"/"[Coppola] further hones her gifts for ruefully funny observation and understated melancholy..."

Empire: "...some audiences may struggle with finding sympathy with for Johnny and his zombified state of spoiled-brat ennui. But if you roll with it, Somewhere is a rich and sophisticated film that draws its world so deftly it's easy to forget it isn't ours."

Thompson on Hollywood/Indie Wire: "Witty, spare, and gorgeously framed, Somewhere should play well for the young smart-house set."

Venice Verdict: Though it will strike some as a retread of Coppola's earlier work, Somewhere is a quiet, un-eventful, yet compelling look at relationships.

Aaaaaaaand they're off!

Summer's over, and to kick off the last four months of the year, we've got a festival in Venice, a festival in Toronto, and now the beginning of the anticipated/dreaded Oscar campaigns. Surprisingly, the first film out of the gate with an FYC campaign isn't something like Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right, The Fighter, or the much buzzed-about The Social Network. Rather, it's Dreamworks' surprise critical hit How to Train Your Dragon, and it's gunning for everything from Art Direction to Best Picture. With Toy Story 3 likely to take home the Animated Feature Oscar and score a nomination for Best Picture, Dreamworks is smart to start reminding everyone of their own highly praised film if they want to stand a chance of becoming the second animated film to make it into the Academy's top 10.

Venice Review Round-Up: "Miral"

Day 2 of Venice brings the first reviews of Julian Schnabel's (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Israel/Palestine orphanage/liberation movement drama Miral. Schnabel's previous film was a big hit with critics and landed a number of major Oscar nominations (including Best Director). Unfortunately, if the first batch of reviews are any indication, his next Oscar hopeful (which the Weinsteins have reportedly made their #1 Oscar priority) isn't getting off to the best start:

Incontention's Guy Lodge specifically takes Schnabel's direction to task, and writes that he "awkwardly welds his pet visual and sonic tics onto a narrative that struggles to support them," and that "his approach feels both shoe-horned and fairly disingenuous in this context." Lodge also refrains from giving praise or criticism to the performances, though he suggests that Hiam Abbass is wasted in an old lady wig. ThompsonOnHollywood's Anne Thompson is slightly more positive, and writes, "while Miral packs an emotional punch, [Schnabel] tells the wrong story," and goes on to say that the film's bookend sections which focus on "the great Hiam Abbass" had her in tears.

Unfortunately, she's less kind to the sections that focus on Freida Pinto's titular Miral. Thompson writes, "[Miral's] story remains expositional and flat," and says that Pinto is "not an expressive actress." Derek Malcom of The London Evening Standard awards the film 3 out of 5 stars, and amidst a review that is mostly description/plot summary (boooo) says that the cast play their roles "with an emotional skill that points up the story convincingly."

Additional Reviews:

Variety: "Schnabel's style feels misapplied..."

The Hollywood Reporter: "Although too schematic and unfocused to garner much critical support, it has the kind of direct simplicity that could reach out to historically challenged audiences and politically minded festival juries."

The Independent (UK): "Miral is plodding at times, choppily edited and unevenly performed"/"At its most leaden, this is more like a school lecture on in Middle East history than it is a piece of drama." (***/*****)

Empire: "...simply dreadful...It's a film so obsessed with being about Big Important Stuff that it forgets all the important little stuff - er, like characters and good writing - and, as a result, it's a chore to sit through."

Venice Verdict: Schnabel misfires with a film that mishandles its subject matter, characters, and story, with performances that are hit and miss.

The Month in Review: August 2010

Sadly, with the end of August and the end of summer, comes the last "Month in Review" until May 2011. I might still do shorter round-ups starting at the end of September, but now that I'm heading back off to school, the only films I'll be able to consider will be whatever I find time to see in theaters and whatever I'm shown in classes (if anything). So, to close out this segment (and consequently, the "What I Watched this Week" segment), here's a look at the best of what I saw in August:

Best Film (Theaters): Animal Kingdom

David Michod's stellar debut has been marketed as a crime drama, though it's filled more with character inter-play and story-telling than all-out firefights. The violence is limited to no more than two gun shots, and there's nothing remotely stylized or "cool" about it, causing each 'bang' shake you up a little more than the last one. And despite the steady pacing, Animal Kingdom works because of strong work from its cast (especially MVP Jacki Weaver), a story that avoids typical genre story plot lines, and hypnotic, ambient music that makes the simple moments as compelling as the main story.

Best Film (DVD/Rental): The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Before Philip Kaufman took a look at the madness of the Marquis de Sade in Quills, he made a surprisingly successful adaptation of the novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Mixing sensuality, eroticism, political upheaval, and a surprising amount of humor, Kaufman's nearly-three hour film earns every minute. Daniel Day-Lewis and Juliette Binoche as Tomas and Tereza are at the film's center, but the movie earns a great deal of heft from Lena Olin's performance as Tomas's on-off lover Sabina. In the film's best scene, Tereza and Sabina photograph each other nude, and the scene seamless moves from (classy) erotic, to magnetic, and finally, hilarious territory.

Best Director: Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Despite an extremely talented group of young actors filling out the many roles of "Scott Pilgrim," the real star is director Edgar Wright. Wright has a talent for both sending up genre tropes while also indulging in them, to create movie experience that are both tongue-in-cheek and legitimately compelling. Every image is so dense, so packed with details and references, that it's hard not to be blown away by the obvious amount of time and effort Wright took to make sure that this adaptation (his first) transferred successfully to the screen without losing the spirit of the source material.

Best Actor: Robert Duvall - Get Low

For all that is ordinary in Get Low (most of it), Robert Duvall is anything but. While the screenplay leaves a lot to be desired in its exploration of the central character, Duvall's willingness to completely sink into the role, is what holds the film together, and helps keep it interesting, which it might not have been with a different lead.

Best Actress: Julianne Moore - The Kids are All Right

It's hard to pick which half of the lesbian couple in Lisa Cholodenko's indie smash is superior. Neither of them is "weak," so it really comes down to a matter of preference, and by just a smidge, I think I preferred Moore's Jules. Despite her character's actions, Moore keeps her real and likeable; she's the flightier of the pair, but she's never turned into an easy "villain" or a broadly written caricature. While a lot of this is due to the screenplay, Moore's charming and emotional portrayal takes it to another level.

Best Screenplay: Talk to Her

Pedro Almodovar's Talk to Her and I got off on the wrong foot. While never bored, there was something missing in the characters and story telling that kept me from being as instantly swept up as I was in, say, Volver. And then, just when you think Almodovar is going to continue in this solid-yet-unspectacular vein, he ups the dramatic stakes considerably, and the movie soars to new heights all the way to its ending. A deserving winner for Best Original Screenplay, Almodovar's film gracefully explores a unique situation with tinges of soap opera, and the result is heart-stopping.

Best Ensemble Cast: All About My Mother

Women played an important role in Almodovar's life, thus the very feminine slant in his films. Along with Volver, no film exemplifies this better than his 1999 Best Foreign Language Film winner, about a group of women and their various maladies. Led by strong work from Cecelia Roth as a woman coping with loss, she's backed up by strong turns from Penelope Cruz as a well-intentioned nun, Marisa Paredes as a conflicted theater star, and Antonia San Juan as a raunchy friend from Manuela's (Roth) former life, in one of Almodovar's finest, most engaging ensembles to date.

Venice Review Round-Up: "Black Swan"

Now that it's festival season again, it's time to bring back the review round-ups, where we take a look at what the critics have to say about the latest anticipated films. The 67th Venice Film Festival kicked off with Darren Aronofsky's highly anticipated ballet thriller Black Swan, and now it's time to see what everyone thought. Check back though, as this post will be updated throughout the day in the event that a flood of reviews pour out that contradict my initial "critics consensus":

The film gets off to a good start from Variety's Peter Debruge, who calls the film, "A wicked, sexy, and ultimately devastating study of a young dancer's all-consuming ambition," and goes on to say that star Natalie Portman gives a "courageous turn [that] lays bare the myriad insecurities genuinely dedicated performers face when testing their limits." He finishes the review by comparing the psychological disintegration elements of the story to Rosemary's Baby and Repulsion, which is pretty high praise. The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt has a different take. He says that the film is "an instant guilty pleasure, a gorgeously shot, visually complex film whose badness is what's so good about it." He goes on to say that "Aronofsky...never succeeds in wedding genre elements to the world of ballet" and that "the horror-movie nonsense drags everything down the rabbit hole of preposterousness."

Natalie is unhappy with Mr. Honeycutt's review; watch out...

Yet the film receives another rave from Screen Daily's Mike Goodridge, who proclaims "Darren Aronofsky soars to new heights with Black Swan, an enthralling drama set in the competitive world of ballet." On a review of a much smaller scale - a tweet - Incontention's Guy Lodge gives the film an "A-" and manages to say the following in 140 characters: "How to tweet this? Aronofsky extends The Wrestler's fascination with physically broken performers to the phsychological. Results are florid and fine cut; dances thrillingly on the border of trash before a sharp left turn into modern fairy tale. Having said that, I can imagine a lot of people disagreeing." Finally, Chris Henson of The Examiner says that "Natalie Portman is devastating."

Additional Reviews:

The Telegraph: "Powerful, gripping, and always intriguing, it also features a lead performance from Natalie Portman that elevates her from substantial leading actress to major star likely to be lifting awards in the near future." ****/****

Indie Wire: "With Natalie Portman, in the demanding leading role, equaling her director in unquestioned commitment the central issue for the viewer is how far one is willing to follow the film down the road to oblivion for art's sake"/"Particularly grating is Hershey's insufferable mother character."

Venice Verdict: A striking, well-acted, mesmerizing work about dedication and obsession whose madness and genre-elements may be too much for some.