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Danny Boyle's Next Project Will Climb to 127 Hours

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:30:18 -0800

After the slums of Mumbai, where will Danny Boyle go next? To the mountains: the Oscar recipient for Best Director for Slumdog Millionaire has signed on for his next project, 127 Hours. The film centers on the real-life plight of climber Aron Ralston, who got pinned under a boulder during an excursion in 2003 and saved himself by cutting off his own arm with a dull knife.

The title undoubtedly refers to the length of Ralston's ordeal, which could be boring or just stressful in the hands of someone else, but Boyle is known for his ability to tackle harrowing material (see: Trainspotting and 28 Days Later). I already can't wait to see this because of Boyle and the story itself; it reminds me of Into the Wild - that is, if things had ended differently for Christopher McCandless.

Buzz News Roundup, 6/12

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:00:58 -0700

The next James Bond movie has gotten Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan to co-write the script, and Daniel Craig is confirmed to reprise his role as Bond. Variety
SPIN magazine is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Prince's Purple Rain with a free downloadable tribute that features nine bands doing covers of the record's classic tracks. - Billboard
Michael Cunningham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours, has written a scary genre thriller titled Beautiful Girl. - Variety
It looks like the Lance Armstrong biopic finally has a writer: Seabiscuit writer/director Gary Ross. - ComingSoon
TV stations across the US started cutting their analog signals this morning, and the FCC has put 4,000 operators on standby for calls from confused viewers. - The Hollywood Reporter
Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle has signed a three-year producing pact with Fox Searchlight. - Variety
J.J. Abrams says he will be producing the fourth Mission: Impossible film and that he and Tom Cruise "have come up with a really cool idea." - ComingSoon
The View co-host Joy Behar will host The Joy Behar Show, a one-hour primetime talk show, on HLN (formerly Headline News). - The Hollywood Reporter

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

From the Press Room: A Thrilled Danny Boyle

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:10:14 -0800

One of the most delightful things about Slumdog Millionaire taking away so many Oscars this year is that there's been such a spotlight on the connectedness of the world and the appreciation for and the fusion (a word Danny Boyle just used a few times) of world cultures. In the press room, a very excited, very happy Best Director winner, Danny Boyle, had a lot to say. Here are some highlights:

On telling love stories: "It is a love story, but it's like, heavily disguised . . . I think I have to heavily disguise [the love stories], really . . . It's a chance to get ourselves lost in romance."

On Slumdog being a triumph for smaller films: "It's a triumph for this kind of film, really . . . It's working against the odds, in a way." He talks about Heath Ledger's work being acknowledged, which he thinks is deserved, but that we should keep in mind that many actors begin in the small, independent movies. "That's where you learn your craft."

On the rumor that the two leads are romantically involved: "I have no idea! I don't really know . . . I have no idea, and I wouldn't want to take away from it." (Producer Christian Colson swiftly squashed the rumor, saying Dev Patel and Freida Pinto are not dating.)

On his belief that every film should be imperfect: Boyle says he "absolutely" still feels that way and talks about having left off the choreographer from the credits - "that is imperfection walking and talking and you have to hold your head up and acknowledge how shameful that is . . . he taught Dev Patel how to dance!" He apologizes again for the omission.

On being recognized by the Academy: "Being - we're Brits, you know - trapped in the middle [of Hollywood and Bollywood] . . . In culture, fusion is a wonderful thing. And I felt it most in the music . . . You progress through fusion, things melding together."

On the topic of miracles: "I've always believed in miracles, actually."

Source

Slumdog Millionaire: A Frenetic Tale of Heartbreak and Joy

BuzzSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:30:03 -0800

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire isn't the kind of movie that sits back and waits for you to fall in love with it. It doesn't give you the chance to refuse. From the opening minutes, it washes over you, sucks you in, and spins you through a whirlwind of colors and sounds and emotions. It's a movie that is completely, gloriously alive.

The movie centers on Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), an Indian teenager who's poised to win 20,000,000 rupees in his country's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? The movie opens with him kidnapped and tortured by police who want to know who's feeding Jamal the answers. Doctors and lawyers don't even win the way he has; how could a kid from the streets possibly know all of this? The rest of the movie unfolds around that question, as Jamal explains through flashbacks and memories how every moment of his life has brought him here.

It's a joy to watch, but that doesn't mean it's an entirely joyful movie; parts of Jamal's story are downright painful, in the same way that watching The Wire makes me ache inside. But Slumdog never falls too deeply into heartbreak. Mirroring the path of its protagonist's life, every moment is another brick building to a perfect conclusion. For the rest of my thoughts, just read more.

Slumdog traces Jamal and his older brother, Salim, through three phases of their life, starting when they're boys orphaned in a religious riot. Props to the casting directors for finding two of the cutest, pluckiest kids on earth to play the young Salim and Jamal; child Jamal's wide-eyed sweetness goes a long way toward creating a fondness for the teenage version. The two escape one near-tragedy only to stumble into another, surviving only by their street smarts and a little bit of luck. In one sequence, the boys sneak onto a passenger train, make some money selling trinkets on board, get caught stealing food from the dining car, and are ultimately (and literally) thrown off; MIA's "Paper Planes" is the background music there, and it's the saddest that song has ever sounded. Things only get tougher as the boys age and start to move in different directions: Jamal charming but shy, Salim a rough-and-tough gangster who's always tempting danger.

Throughout it all there's Latika, the girl Jamal and Salim find during the riots and bring into their tight-knit world - their third Musketeer. Even as a child, Jamal feels it's his destiny to be with her, and that belief drives all of his actions over the next decade, no matter how reckless or improbable. In the midst of a very modern movie that bursts with color and drumbeats and quick, handheld camera shots, Danny Boyle and his cast create an old-fashioned romance.

Considering the breadth of what the movie covers - Bombay's shift from sprawling slums to gleaming megalopolis, the growth of three characters played by three different actors apiece, the seamless meeting of flashbacks and the present - Boyle's confident direction does a remarkable job of tying everything together, while Bollywood legend A.R. Rahman's soundtrack propels it forward with a driving beat. And while Slumdog is hardly subtle with its ending, it's earned; it's the only ending that fits. It left me clapping with joy through streaming tears, an absolute ode to love.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Movie Preview: Slumdog Millionaire

BuzzSugar — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:30:43 -0800

Slumdog Millionaire, directed by the same guy responsible for Trainspotting and 28 Days Later, Danny Boyle, is receiving rave reviews (to put it mildly) that include:

This nice statement from the Wall Street Journal: "There's never been anything like this densely detailed phantasmagoria - groundbreaking in substance, damned near earth-shaking in style."
And this one from Time: "A buoyant hymn to life, and a movie to celebrate."
And this one from Variety: "As drama and as a look at a country increasingly entering the world spotlight, Slumdog Millionaire is a vital piece of work by an outsider who's clearly connected with the place."

Impressive, right? The film has been making the festival rounds for some time now and slowly generating a lot of buzz - even that of the Oscar variety. I'm totally intrigued by this story of an "18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much?"

The movie has a limited opening Nov. 12. To check out the trailer, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:29:57 -0800

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to these titles, you can also check out the indie comedy Smiley Face, starring John Krasinski and Anna Faris.

3:10 to Yuma
This remake of the classic 1957 Glen Ford Western is a fine example of how to make a Western film that will be palatable to modern audiences. There's action and intrigue, danger and betrayal, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe providing solid performances.

The film takes place in late-1800s Arizona where struggling rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) finds himself in the presence of famed outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), and with the promise of a sizable reward, Dan agrees to help deliver Ben to the 3:10 PM train that will take him to the Yuma prison. Yet Ben's men are hot on Dan's trail, and the stakes get even higher when Dan's son William joins the group, trying to help his father get Ben on that train.

Special features on the DVD include a making-of documentary, audio commentary with director James Mangold, a featurette on the history of Western film and a featurette on the role of real-life outlaws in the history of the Old West.

Two more new titles, so read more.

Eagle vs. Shark
One of the year's sweetest and most offbeat love stories, Eagle vs. Shark also gets credit for introducing me to Jemaine Clement, the drolly hilarious New Zealander who took TV by storm in Flight of the Conchords this summer. In Eagle vs. Shark, Clement plays Jarrod, a lovable loser who doesn't know he's a loser - and who's bent on exacting revenge on a high school rival. Things get complicated when he meets Lily (Loren Horsley), a gawky oddball who doesn't quite know how to deal with Jarrod's self-important quest. To check out my full review of the movie, along with a trailer, click here.

Sunshine
A favorite among sci-fi enthusiasts, Sunshine follows a spaceship crew (which includes Cillian Murphy and Damages' Rose Byrne) in the year 2057 who have been tasked with reigniting the dying sun.

The DVD features plenty of extras, like an audio commentary by director Danny Boyle as well as an audio commentary by physicist Dr. Brian Cox. There are also deleted scenes, an alternate ending and cast interviews.