BuzzSugar

Pride and Glory: An Ordinary Story About Dirty Cops

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:30:29 -0700

We've all seen plenty of movies about police corruption and while it's not necessary to avoid this storyline altogether, it should be avoided if there's absolutely nothing new or interesting brought to the table. Today we even have another new movie that deals with a similar issue (dirty cops) - but in a compelling way. I really enjoy Edward Norton's work, and I wanted to give Pride and Glory a chance for his sake. But while he does a fine job in the film, he can't save it from being a rote, disappointing knockoff of many movies to have come before it.

Norton plays Ray Tierney, whose whole family - including his father Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), his brother Francis Jr. (Noah Emmerich), and his brother-in-law Jimmy Egan (Colin Farrell) - is involved in the NYPD. Ray begins the investigation of a case involving slain cops and as he digs deeper, signs begin pointing him toward his own fellow officers and worse - his own brother and brother-in-law. Soon the family is torn over whether to go public with the truth about the case which would destroy careers (including Francis Jr.'s, while his wife is battling cancer), and the overall reputation of the NYPD. For some of my thoughts on all this, read more.

Edward Norton puts in a good-faith effort here and he's always a relief to see on the screen instead of most of the others (though Colin Farrell does well as a fairly one-note thug type). Jon Voight is well-cast as the aging, alcoholic family man at the head of this cop family, but Noah Emmerich appears to be incapable of keeping up in the heavy, dramatic scenes he's given.

There's one horrifying scene that really does seem to be shockingly violent just for the sake of being shocking and violent, and most of the time I had to roll my eyes at what seems to be a movie about little boys trying to act tough. One of the most intense conflicts of the movie is settled by, literally, a fistfight. By that point, the movie is nearing its end and the audience is hoping for more than this. Soon after the fistfight, everything wraps up rather neatly for this family of cops caught up in a dangerous mess, so while they must be relieved, we're left wondering why we went through the whole rigmarole in the first place.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Johnny, Jude and Colin Take Over Ledger's Last Role

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:30:00 -0800

This weekend some bittersweet film news hit the wire regarding the last movie Heath Ledger was working on before he tragically died January 22. The film is Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and rather than ceasing production altogether on the film, three actors will step into Ledger's role as "Tony" in the film: Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell.

Variety writes that in the fantasy film, "Ledger's character steps into three different dimensions, each transporting him into a new world; worlds which will now be inhabitated by Depp, Law, and Farrell."

Good for these guys for stepping up to the plate and taking on such a challenging and delicate task. I'm curious about this whimsical film and I look forward to seeing what these three can do with the part. I hope they can do justice to Heath's last role.

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Movie Preview: Pride and Glory

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:30:00 -0800

It seems like police corruption has been a popular theme in movies from the past year or so (The Departed, We Own the Night, American Gangster), and Pride and Glory falls right in step with these other dramas. Opening March 14, 2008, Pride and Glory stars Edward Norton and Colin Farrell as brothers who grow up to do what their family expects of them: be NYC cops. Before long, however, corruption within the force threatens to tear them apart. From the preview it looks like the movie might be well-made (especially from the jarring beginning of the trailer), and it seems to feature the same high-caliber acting we've come to expect from Edward Norton, but is this theme becoming a bit tired?

You can take a look at the trailer and tell me what you think if you read more

First Look: Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell in Cassandra's Dream

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Something tells me Woody Allen will be feverishly making movies until the day he dies. He's currently working on his untitled Barcelona project starring his favorite leading lady Scarlett Johansson. And coming out this fall is Allen's crime thriller Cassandra's Dream.

Starring Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, Cassandra's Dream follows two south London brothers (Farrell, McGregor) experiencing money problems who are led into a life of crime by a sexy lady (Hayley Atwell). When things don't go so well, the two brothers are pitted against each other. So, Annie Hall it's not.

The international trailer (you know, with subtitles) has just hit the Web, and while it feels a little long and involved, I'm still interested to see this when it opens in the U.S. November 30. To watch the trailer, read more

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Movie Preview: Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:36:05 -0800

The trailer for Crazy Heart notes that both stars Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal have been nominated for Oscars, and the solemn, raw tone of the film looks an awful lot like awards show bait for these two big talents. Jeff Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a grizzled, hard-livin', lovin', and drinkin' country singer/songwriter who's known for his amazing music, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the journalist he eventually falls for.

We don't see a ton of plot in the trailer, but the story seems like a familiar one, complete with introspection and a soft country anthem that fits the title. Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall also star in the film, which features original songs by celebrated songwriter T-Bone Burnett.

To see the trailer and predict for yourself if this is one you're going to be seeing in the Oscar race, just read more.