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Movie Preview: Robert Pattinson in Remember Me

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:41:10 -0800

A little Robert Pattinson overload never hurt anyone, but here's a break from all of his vampire stuff - the official trailer for Remember Me! Yesterday we took a peek at the first stills from the film, but here we get a much better taste for Pattinson's chemistry with Emilie de Ravin in the upcoming drama/romance. Pattinson plays Tyler, a broody but romantic college student who falls for the daughter of a cop (de Ravin). Pierce Brosnan also stars as Tyler's dad, while Chris Cooper plays the police officer who has an issue with Tyler's bad boy antics.

I was a bit skeptical about Pattinson's next film, but I have to admit that the movie looks intriguing despite a few cliches and a bit of cheesiness. It's nice to see Pattinson playing it straight in a more grownup role than the perpetual teenage vampire, and he and de Ravin have a fair amount of sweetness. It's enough to keep his fan base happy, that's for sure.

To see the trailer for yourself and tell me what you think, just read more.

Married Life: Original, Well-Acted But Low-Impact

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:30:07 -0700

There are a lot of things I like about Married Life, a character-driven dramedy starring some seriously heavy-hitting actors. It's incredibly dark, but ends on a sweet and uplifting note. The actors are phenomenal. The costumes and 1940s atmosphere easily sweep us away to a different time period when a night on the town was dancing, nightcaps and movie tickets purchased with a coin or two. Yet despite all the good points, there's a flimsiness to the movie that makes for a mostly forgettable experience.

The storytelling format of the film is a satisfying one: Richard Langley (Pierce Brosnan) narrates as though giving his confessional tell-all, with all the ruefulness of present-day wisdom as he casts his thoughtful glance backwards. He begins by telling us about his good friend Harry Allen (Chris Cooper), a stable, predictable man in a comfortable marriage with Pat (Patricia Clarkson). Soon, however, Harry quietly reveals to Richard that he wants to divorce Pat and marry his mistress, Kay (Rachel McAdams). Harry finds it important that Richard like Kay and he encourages Richard to spend time with Kay when he cannot, as a slightly paternal way of ensuring that Kay is cared for in his absence. This is problematic, however, when Richard falls in love with Kay as well. This triangle soon turns into more of a web, though, so read more.

Being a sensitive guy who genuinely cares for his wife, Harry decides he would rather his wife die than have to live a miserable existence as a divorcee. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Harry plots his wife's murder, believing it will provide him with the peacefulness he needs to marry Kay. At the same time, Richard determinedly works on wooing Kay, and whittling down her loyalty to Harry. This sets up a frightening race against time: What if Kay decides she'd rather be with Richard - after Harry kills his wife? It sounds extraordinarily dark - and it is - but there's something very funny about this film the keeps it from becoming mired in real-life horror.

The movie's strengths lie in the high-quality performances by a talented cast. Yet, in many ways it feels like a stage play that's been videotaped, and I'm hard-pressed to figure out why, in fact, it was made into a movie instead of a play (besides the idea that more people will be able to see it if it's a film, but then again it has such a limited release, this may not prove true). The actors are superb, particularly Chris Cooper as the everyman having a moral meltdown, and Rachel McAdams, whose soft-spoken gentleness and natural beauty make it impossible to take your eyes off her. In many ways the film has all the trappings of a modern-day classic, and yet it falls flat. I was interested in the story as I watched it and then soon forgot all about it.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Movie Preview: Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson in Married Life

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:28:59 -0800

Kay: "We can't build our happiness on the unhappiness of someone else."
Harry: "What other way is there?"

This exchange pretty much sums up the dark tone of the trailer for Married Life, a romantic drama starring Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan and the ever-creepy Chris Cooper. Cooper plays Harry, a man who decides he needs to kill his wife (Clarkson) in order to spare her the pain of him leaving her for the young, beautiful Kay (McAdams). As he sets about planning the "merciful" murder, Harry's friend Richard (Brosnan) falls for Kay.

Set in the 1940s, the film has a rich, sultry look to it, especially McAdams' shockingly white-blond hair. Married Life is set to open in limited release March 7, so to check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

The Kingdom: Comes Too Late

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:43:35 -0700

We’ve been talking a lot about the onset of the fall movie season. Gone are the hot days of summer and with them the never-ending sequels, gross-out Judd Apatow comedies and big-budget action films. And as the weather gets cooler, suddenly some of the movies get smarter.

The Kingdom tries to parade itself as a fall movie. It wants to be clever and politically relevant, but in the end it’s just a summer movie in sheep’s clothing. And though that’s not necessarily a bad thing, in this case, it’s not especially good either. The movie begins with a brief, written, tutorial of the Saudi Arabia oil empire and the resulting partnerships and conflicts with the United States of America. It’s an informative and authentic intro, but that’s where the authenticity ends. From there, the movie falls into a “blame the terrorist” cliché that has affected other big Hollywood movies like Flightplan. For more about The Kingdom, read more

The story centers on an investigation into the bombing of a Western housing complex in Saudi Arabia. Hoping to avoid an international incident, a team of FBI agents is sent abroad to get the bad guy, who is emulated after Osama Bin Laden. Jamie Foxx leads the team of agents comprised of Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. Foxx delivers an adequate performance, but the supporting cast far outpaces him. Besides the fact that Jennifer Garner looks obnoxiously flawless in the desert (but really when doesn’t she?), it's great to see her back in action. Jason Bateman is also a pleasant surprise, offering much needed comic relief. It’ll be great to see these two together again this winter in Juno.

But the true knockout performance belongs to Chris Cooper. He is such a chameleon, always able to convincingly adapt to every role. Conversely, Jeremy Piven’s cameo as an American Diplomat in Saudi Arabia seems rather forced. It’s as if his “Entourage” character, Ari Gold, is roaming around in the desert. And while that may win him an Emmy, I’m placing my bet that it won’t win him an Oscar.

In the end, the movie’s not all bad. It’s no Syriana, but it’s an enjoyable popcorn flick nevertheless. The movie’s final 20 minutes is especially riveting and pulls you in even if you’re sitting begrudgingly at the back of your seat. If you’re looking for a movie that will allow you to hold on to the dog days of summer, this is it.

Do You Want to See The Kingdom?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:29:04 -0700

This Friday finds Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and Chris Cooper starring in The Kingdom, a war movie set in modern-day Saudi Arabia. After a terrorist bombing of a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an elite team of FBI agents is formed to locate the mastermind behind the bombing. I'm going to see The Kingdom this week, though I wonder if a movie about terrorism in the Middle East will be able to draw in the crowds. Then again, lots of people love the action movies. Check out the trailer and tell me: Are you interested in seeing The Kingdom?

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Breach: Better Than Dateline

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:49:09 -0800

Perhaps I've watched too much "Alias" and "24," because it turns out I expect espionage/government agency stories to be fast-paced, entertaining, and suspenseful to the point of biting off my fingertips. If one goes into Breach expecting these qualities, one will not find them. The real-life story on which the film is based is intriguing, but the film itself is not. If the intention was to make a great dramatic thriller, then something went wrong. But as a way to tell the story of a real-life FBI take-down, it's more titillating than your average Dateline special.

Ryan Phillippe plays baby-faced Eric O'Neill, the FBI agent hopeful assigned to the case of veteran operative and alleged mole Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper). Hanssen is suspected of providing information to the Soviets, costing the government financial drain and leading to the deaths of at least a few American agents, yet the FBI has never been able to gain enough evidence to take him down. The actual things Hanssen did or how he got away with his crimes for years are not the focus of the film, and I was left thinking that maybe they should have been, so

The story is really about O'Neill gaining Hanssen's trust and learning how to play this man who has played the Bureau's best agents for years. Yet while O'Neill struggles to gain Hanssen's trust, Hanssen needles his way into O'Neill's personal life, endangering O'Neill's mission and causing tension in his marriage. Thus the two men dance a back-and-forth power struggle. I actually feel sorry for the real Eric O'Neill, because in Phillippe's portrayal, he's glum-faced and one-dimensional with a bulbous bottom lip that prevents him from speaking properly. When Phillippe as O'Neill whines to his superior, "What if he's smarter than me?," I had to snort. I mean, "what if?" - it isn't exactly a stretch.

Phillippe pales in comparison to Cooper, and perhaps that is the point. O'Neill is supposed to seem less capable in every way, and he succeeds. He is, essentially, the window through which we observe Hanssen, and Cooper's surly, bitter performance dominates every time he's on the screen. It was rumored that Hanssen viewed the FBI as an organization of imbeciles without enough sense to listen to his ideas, and his disdain for the bureau seems to have been a driving force behind his actions. The film, however, never spells out his motivations, wisely leaving the viewer to speculate.

The final glimpse of Hanssen, too, is well-played. Throughout the movie, Hanssen is a deeply religious man, judging himself as though through God's eyes while being both professionally and personally corrupt. In the end, O'Neill's triumph is silenced by the Hanssen's inward downfall.

And of course, we know the ending from the beginning; in fact, the film kicks off with actual footage of Ashcroft announcing Hanssen's resignation. Since knowing this takes away any sort of surprise ending, the getting-there should be the gripping part. Maybe I expected too much from this serious, slow-moving film, but aside from a few great moments, the grip is loose.

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Movie Preview: Breach

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:21:32 -0800

Breach opens this Friday, Feb. 16, and it looks like Ryan Phillippe is mumbling his way through yet another movie he doesn't deserve to be in. In this true-life tale that - like the Enron saga - just begs to be made into a movie, Phillippe plays young Eric O'Neill, an FBI agent hopeful assigned to work with renowned operative Robert Hanssen, played by the excellent Chris Cooper.

It turns out, however, that Hanssen is an FBI mole who has been eluding his own bureau for years and is suspected of having committed the worst breach in the history of U.S. intelligence. O'Neill is selected to acquire enough hard evidence to bring Hanssen down. I'll let you know when I post my review on Friday if Phillippe ruins what looks like an interesting story. To check out the trailer, read more

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Where the Wild Things Are: A Passionate Ode to Childhood

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

There's been a bit of a controversy over how to market Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Is it for kids? Adults? Adult hipsters?

The answer is anyone who wants to feel what it's like to be a child, and not in the fun-loving, no-responsibilities way. As adults, we tend to forget the insecurity and fears we had as kids, which the film's young character Max is in the throes of. There's just enough exposition before the fantasy begins: Max has a single mom (Catherine Keener) and an older sister who has recently outgrown him. His first few acts at home show his innocence and the savage emotions under the surface. He knows it as being "wild."

Where the Wild Things Are isn't a heavy-handed allegory, or an edgy children's movie; it's a loyal tribute to the way kids think and feel. To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Max reaches the world of the wild things after throwing a particularly heinous fit, prompting his mother to yell, "You're out of control!" After running away, Max finds himself on a boat that finally brings him to a strange land. This is where the wild things are. The creatures Jonze has created are aesthetic wonders: creepy, hostile, and huggable at once. These aren't Jim Henson's Muppets, but real characters, led by Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini). The rest of the group is comprised of Lauren Ambrose as aloof KW, Catherine O'Hara as prickly Judith, Paul Dano as timid Alexander, Chris Cooper as Douglas, and Forest Whitaker as Ira.

Each creature has a fully realized personality, with flaws and varying temperaments; their faces are so emotive and their dialogue so human that their scenes with Max are as real as those with his mother. This group is not easily classified as friend or foe - they're dysfunctional in their relationships and don't always treat each other well. One of the most successful elements of the movie is the dialogue of the wild things, which is rooted in Max's head.

In many ways, screenwriter Dave Eggers's job was tougher than Spike Jonze's, because it's imperative to remember the way children think. Max's interactions with Carol and his new clan are made up of the kind of things a kid would hear from his parents and peers and then internalize. In fact, in the wild world, Max declares himself king to bring order, and he summons up speeches from the authority figures that he's pulling away from in his real life. Naturally, he's too young to recognize how his subverted position is significant.

Max's relationship with Carol is most telling. As the de facto leader of the group who can't handle sadness, loneliness, or jealousy, he acts out as a mirror of Max while still being his own character. The richness of Carol and the creature cast stays with you; when Max has to say goodbye to his friends, your heart breaks.

Jonze impressed me with his non-conformity; in another movie, Max would have demonstrated the grand lessons he learned from his time on the island, but in this one, he doesn't have to learn anything. He just gets to feel and experience and appreciate his emotionally fragmented new friends. It's devastating as a viewer, especially if you can put yourself back in that childlike place when your feelings were so raw and simple.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.