Memorial Day weekend is always a huge one for movies, and this weekend's new releases are all over the map. In addition to kiddie flick Kung Fu Panda 2, we've got Terrence Malik's much anticipated The Tree of Life, along with everyone's favorite Wolfpack in The Hangover Part II. Want a taste of what's in store? Check out all these sneak peek photos from this weekend's new movies.
Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is, in a word, ambitious. The film is a mixed bag of rich imagery, fragmented storytelling, and commentary on the circle of life and how we're all connected. Malick tackles themes that resonate with all of us: life, death, religion, and family, but what you take away from the abstract film is entirely up to you. I left the theater impressed by Malick's effort and execution, but wishing for a more emotional response. In a nutshell, The Tree of Life is like looking at a painting: to some it may be a masterpiece, others will just see another piece of art they don't get.
In the midst of enough gorgeous footage to fill a National Geographic documentary (Malick certainly puts the "tree" in The Tree of Life), is the story of the O'Brien family in the 1950s. More specifically, the film follows Jack, the eldest of three brothers who reflects on his childhood and the milestones that shaped him as he came of age. Sean Penn plays present-day Jack, who struggles with the meaning of his younger brother's death in battle and his relationship with his family and God. As a child, Jack is adored by his doting mother (Jessica Chastain) and berated by his father (Brad Pitt). The struggle between his innate desire to be just like his father and his will to defy him present one of the bigger conflicts of the film. As his voice-over whispers in prayer: "Why should I be good if you aren't?" To find out what else I thought of the film, just read more
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were one sexy duo at the LA premiere of The Tree of Life tonight. Brad showed off his clean shaven face and accentuated his tan with an unbuttoned shirt while Angelina looked gorgeous in a one-shoulder Jenny Packham gown. It was the couple's second red carpet this week after stepping out together for Angelina's Kung Fu Panda 2 event on Sunday. Their four oldest kids joined them for the screening of Angelina's animated feature, but it looks like this evening's outing was adults only. Brad and Angelina have been making the rounds for both of their films since kicking off press in Cannes earlier this month. Angelina's costar, Jack Black, took care of promotions solo with an appearance in NYC today, so that Angelina could stay on the West Coast to support her man's project, which picked up the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jessica Chastain is a fresh face in Hollywood, but she's already worked with the likes of Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, and, in The Tree of Life, Brad Pitt. Her and Brad's film, which opens Friday, just won the Palm d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival. We chatted with Jessica just before The Tree of Life's LA premiere yesterday. Jessica clearly likes to take risks in her life and work — in fact, she arrived for our interview with a leg cast, which she said was the result of a motocross accident! During our interview, she reflected on her first time at Cannes, emotional and unexpected scenes with Brad, and her take on the movie's message. Here are highlights:
PopSugar: So, obviously, the first question is what happened [to your leg]?
Jessica Chastain: This sounds so idiotic. I got in a motocross accident yesterday. I thought it would be fun, and I really liked it, and I went way too fast. I shouldn’t have done it, especially having a premiere today. I spent the afternoon in the emergency room yesterday, because the bike fell on me and twisted my leg. Those things are heavy! It’s funny, because I was lying there, and my knee snapped. I heard this popping noise. . . so the wheels kept going and I’m pinned underneath it, and I thought, oh someone will come get me. It just felt like forever, so finally I just went, "Help! Help!" It was really, really silly.
PS: So now you'll have crutches down the red carpet tonight?
JC: Yes, but not for photos. . . I balance really well, so I’m going to stand still in very high heels and pass off my crutches, and I’ll take my pictures. There won’t be any of that walking, talking, fancy red carpet stuff, or they will have pictures of me on the carpet, lying on it. I hope I don’t fall! Oh god. I was worried about falling down the stairs at Cannes.
PS: Can you talk about what the Cannes experience was like?
JC: Yeah, it was great. I realize it’s never going to be matched. Realistically, I mean . . . it’s not really a good example of a typical time at Cannes, because I’ve got two films that both won the top prize in their category. Tree of Life won the Palm d’Or and Take Shelter won the grand prize in critics’ week. And then I also had a film there, The Wettest County, which there was a bidding war [over] and Harvey Weinstein bought it. So it was like all of this great stuff was happening, and I don’t think that’s a typical Cannes. But it’s OK, because I’m enjoying every second, knowing it will never repeated again.
To read more from Jessica on getting emotional with Brad Pitt and her hopes for the movie, just read more
Major Cannes star sighting: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hit the red carpet for the premiere of The Tree of Life today! The gorgeous couple walked arm in arm, following a romantic dinner over the weekend. Get the scoop on their sweet date night PDA, plus what critics are saying about the film.
With Memorial Day weekend creeping up on us, we're rolling out the final segment in our Summer movie previews. We've already gone over action flicks and comedies, but there's more to look forward to than just jokes and explosions. As the grand finale, check out our picks for love stories and dramas.
