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The Men Who Stare at Goats: Glaringly Unfocused

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

I went into The Men Who Stare at Goats with high expectations. How could a film possibly disappoint when you have the acting trifecta of George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges? But unfortunately, while the pros work hard to generate laughs - and they do deliver at times - the film on the whole is all over the place.

Goats is based on the non-fiction book by Jon Ronson. That's right - non-fiction. The film opens with the line, "More of this is true than you would believe," which is a nice reminder, because the plot is intentionally convoluted. At first, this far-fetched quality makes the story feel fun and quirky, but as time goes on, it gets mucked up in its own self-aware confusion and starts to feel stale. To see what I mean, read more.

McGregor stars as the movie's hero, Bob Wilton, a small-town journalist whose wife has just left him for his editor. So Bob decides to do what most men do when they're heartbroken - he goes to war. Or at least he tries to, but he only gets as far as a hotel pool bar in Kuwait. That's where he meets Lyn Cassady (George Clooney), a former "Jedi warrior" with the U.S. Army - or simply put: soldiers with superpowers. (Yes, note the coincidence: McGregor and Jedis.)

Lyn begins to tell Bob about the former founder of his unit, Bill Djanjo (Jeff Bridges), a vet who goes to find himself after Vietnam in the drug and orgy, peace and love '70s. Armed with a new, zen persona, Bill returns to the Army to share his more peaceful point of view and take charge of a new special force that uses mind control over traditional weapons. That's when Lyn comes in. As a new recruit, Lyn is exceptionally psychic, and he quickly gets a reputation for being able to find anyone, including terrorists, strictly using his mind.

So Bob and Lyn begin on a journey into Iraq. Where they're headed, Lyn's not exactly sure. He just assumes he'll find it, thanks to his extra sixth sense. As for the audience, we're sort of in the same boat - along for the ride without any real direction.

The movie tries to comment on the inhumanity (and stupidity) of war, but has a difficult time making its point alongside the slapstick elements. The actors are great with comedic timing and deliver one-liners to entertain the audience in many moments, but that was ultimately the only aspect that held my interest. (That and Jeff Bridges's sweet hippie braided hair.) What had the potential to be a funny, original story or a satire instead starts to feel boring. The characters wander aimlessly, the flashbacks float in and out, and without a clear focus, you stop caring. And that's not an easy feat where Clooney's usually concerned.

Amelia: Never Really Takes Flight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

I love the way a biopic makes me feel - like I'm treated to a back-in-time look at an amazing life. They're epic, and that's why I'm willing to sit through the slow moments (and often for more than two hours) for the payoff. This is the experience I hoped for from Amelia, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hilary Swank as the pioneering aviator who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

There's plenty of opportunity for grandness, even though Nair chose not to focus much on the circumstances of Earhart's disappearance during her flight around the world. Earhart had an extraordinary life, eschewing social conventions for her gender and never giving up her one true love: flying.

Unfortunately, Amelia misses the epic mark and lands instead somewhere in the mediocre, underusing its cast's talents and history's treasury. However, it's not an altogether unpleasant journey, so to see my thoughts on the film, just read more.

First, the film is beautiful - Mira Nair knows how to shoot a gorgeous scene (she was behind the richly-styled films Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake), and she really takes advantage of the oceans, the landscapes of jungles, beaches, and moors. Much of it is seen through Amelia's eyes as she's soaring over it, and occasionally you feel the same freedom in flying that she so desires.

Along with the scenery, the minor success the film does achieve is ascribed to Hilary Swank's acting. I was expecting the two-time Oscar winner to be fantastic, and she didn't let me down. From transforming her looks to match the androgynous icon's to altering her voice to a Katherine Hepburn-ish gravel, she captures the pre-feminist aviatrix in all her glory.

The problem is that intriguing parts of Earhart's life are introduced but merely glossed over. For instance, Earhart's marriage to publisher George Putnam (played by Richard Gere) is complicated by the fact that she carries on an affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). However, this affair is only briefly touched on (they meet, they kiss, it's suddenly over). For his part, Ewan McGregor is given little more than a cameo role, which is an unsatisfying tease for any fan of the actor.

While I'm on unsatisfying, if you've ever been fascinated by the mysterious circumstances of Earhart's death (she disappeared over the Pacific on a round-the-world-flight), you'll get no gratification here. Understandably, there's no speculation about what happened, but there's no closure either.

That seemed justified, because when this project was announced, it was reported that Nair wouldn't focus on the mystery, but Earhart's remarkable life instead. Unfortunately, there's not enough focus on that remarkable life to do the woman's memory justice.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Movie Preview: George Clooney in The Men Who Stare at Goats

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:30:50 -0700

After watching the trailer for The Men Who Stare at Goats, I think George Clooney's upcoming movie is going to live up to its quirky title. Based on columnist Jon Ronson's book and inspired by a true story, the film follows Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor), a journalist who heads to Iraq to gather research for a story about a secret psychic military movement. Enter Clooney as Lyn Cassady, a soldier who calls himself a Jedi and seems to have the power to back it up. Two minutes of banter between wacky Lyn and straight-laced Bob has already left me wanting more. Add Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey to the mix as Lyn's fellow soothsayers (not to mention Boston's "More Than a Feeling") and I'm pretty much sold.

George Clooney hits the big screen in all his mustachioed glory on Nov. 6. To see the full trailer, just read more.

Angels and Demons: Information Overload

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 10:30:29 -0700

Angels and Demons reunites Tom Hanks and Ron Howard for another Dan Brown adaptation. While Brown's book was a prequel to the author's best-selling The Da Vinci Code, this installment in the movie franchise is set up as a sequel.

The Da Vinci Code received awful reviews when it debuted, mostly due to its excruciatingly slow pace. It then went on to earn a gazillion dollars, proving there's an appetite for escapist movies involving Vatican conspiracy theories. But while the pacing is much improved in Angels and Demons, the mindless entertainment part is basically ruined thanks to an enormous amount of expository dialogue. Every time the action starts to click along, every time the mystery deepens, Hanks's professor character shows up with another long-winded history lesson that's completely pointless in terms of understanding the plot. In other words, it's a buzzkill.

To see why this would be a much better experience if the professor were muzzled, read more.

The story begins promisingly enough with some high-stakes circumstances. The beloved pope is dead! The preferiti - the four cardinals up for pope - have been kidnapped! The kidnapper is leaving clues full of strange symbols! This must be a job for a symbologist!

Enter Harvard scholar Robert Langdon (Hanks), whom we first see buff and tanned (and without that terrible bouffant he sported the last time) swimming laps. A man with a briefcase approaches. In the first of many "Thank you, Captain Obvious" moments, Langdon pops up for air and explains in great detail that a symbol on the briefcase must mean the man is from the Vatican. And then the man says, "Yes. I am from the Vatican." That's the sort of thing that happens all throughout this movie.

Regardless, the chase is on to save the cardinals from a mad man who Langdon believes is part of an ancient group of scientists/terrorists called the Illuminati. Adding to the suspense is a dangerous "God particle," stolen from an Italian biophysicist named Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), ticking away like a time bomb and threatening to blow the Holy City to smithereens.

Further complicating the story is a cast of Vatican power players filled out by three excellent actors: Armin Mueller-Stahl, Stellan Skarsgard, and Ewan McGregor. I wish these characters had their own movie in which they could maneuver around each other in the aftermath of the pope's mysterious death. But no, they have to call in that yappy professor, who takes forever to explain things the audience has already figured out.

While the first half of the movie is predictable and mind-numbing, the final act is so preposterous it's actually fun. The climactic scene is so silly and nonsensical you'll likely have fun talking about it for days (I know I have). The set design and costumes are actually quite beautiful, as is the cinematography, which gives many of the scenes a lovely, heavenly glow.

In the end the ingredients are all there for a stylish and fun (and most holy) suspense thriller. Too bad Howard and his team ruined it by talking too much.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: Angels and Demons

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:30:04 -0800

We got a taste of Ron Howard's followup to his 2006 film The DaVinci Code a few months ago, and a longer peek aired during the Super Bowl. Now, a full-length trailer for Angels and Demons, in all its dramatic mysteriousness, has hit the web. Tom Hanks reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time working to "solve a murder and prevent a terrorist act against the Vatican." Joining him in the film is Ayelet Zurer as Langdon's new female cohort and Ewan McGregor as the Camerlengo. Oh, Ewan. He looks so handsome, even in priestly garb.

Though Dan Brown's book is a prequel to The DaVinci Code, this film adaptation is a sequel. Angels and Demons opens May 15. To check out the full-length trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

2009 Sundance Spotlight: Adam, Humpday, I Love You Phillip Morris

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:30:28 -0800

While I won't be heading to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival this year, I will be sorting through the humongous pile of festival entries to share with you some of the films I think look most promising. From quirky documentaries (like Chris Rock's) to talented young filmmaker debuts to a potential runaway hit, Sundance is filled with entertainment possibilities. Here are today's selections:

Adam
Boy, do I love me some Hugh Dancy and I've been waiting for this actor to land a juicy, leading role. Well, my prayers have been answered with Adam, in which he stars as a fellow who's a little bit different. The movie explores the idea that "truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into discomfiting territory - and the shake-up can be liberating." Dancy's co-stars include Damages's Rose Byrne, as well as Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Mark Linn-Baker. I can't wait to see this one!

For two others, including that jail movie with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, just read more.

Humpday
The director of this movie, Lynn Shelton, describes her feature-length film premiering at Sundance this year as "two dudes attempting to out-dude each other by attempting to do each other." This movie, which aims to "unearth the biggest ironies in the male ego," is rather timely as Brody Jenner and his crew currently show up once a week to unwittingly demonstrate those ironies in Bromance. Anyway. At its essence, this is the kind of project that independent film festivals are made for: It doesn't star anyone you've heard of and the director is someone who's dabbled in film and art for a while. It looks really quirky and funny - click here to check out a clip.

I Love You Phillip Morris
This movie stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as lovers and comes from two directors: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It's a "tale of a spectacularly charismatic and resourceful con-man's journey from small-town cop to flamboyant white-collar criminal." I have high hopes for this offbeat flick from the same minds behind Bad Santa, and I think it's cool that Jim Carrey is stretching a bit as an actor. The movie's not in competition but will premiere at Sundance this year. Here's a clip:

Photos courtesy of Sundance

Movie Preview: Michelle Williams, Ewan McGregor in Incendiary

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:30:08 -0700

Got your tissues handy? Because this trailer's probably going to make you sad and if you're like me (highly prone to crying at trailers) you might shed a tear (or five). Starring Michelle Williams and Ewan McGregor, Incendiary (based on a novel of the same name) is the story of a woman who loses her son and her husband in a suicide bombing, an event made more traumatic by the fact that she witnesses the attack on TV with the man with whom she's having an affair. I know, insanely sad.

The movie garnered a lot of attention at Sundance this year partly due to Williams's performance (which is supposed to be amazing) and also because of the eerie correspondence of its premiere with the death of Heath Ledger. The whole scenario becomes quite dark but definitely looks riveting as well.

A U.S. release date for Incendiary is so far unknown. To watch the trailer, read more.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:30:44 -0700

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 my selections below, you can also add Speed Racer, Made of Honor and a little independent film starring Kate Beckinsale called Snow Angels to your lists.

TV-to-DVD Debuts
Today's a big day for several television series that are now available for the first time on DVD. Whether you love these shows and want to cherish them forever or just need a refresher before the next seasons start up again, here's a guide to what's out this week.

Pushing Daisies: Season One
Special features include the cast and creative team members chatting about the show secrets.
Dirty Sexy Money: Season One
Special features include bloopers, deleted scenes, and creator commentary on the inspiration for the Darling family.

Private Practice: Season One
Special features include a featurette titled, "Practice makes perfect - Journey with Kate through her acting career to see how she landed one of TV's most sought-after roles," behind-the-scenes footage, extended episodes, deleted scenes, and outtakes.
Chuck: Season One
The DVD includes special featurettes like, "Chuck's World: Character development and original casting sessions," "Chuck vs. the Chuckles: Gag reel," and "Chuck on Chuck: Series stars join creators for some point/counterpoint."

Two more movies out on DVD, so read more!

Deception
This thriller boasts an exciting cast, and in my opinion the performances make this a great choice for some at-home entertainment. Of course, this is at-home adult entertainment as the plot of Deception centers on a secret high-class sex club for New York's elite. Ewan McGregor plays Jonathan McQuarry, the quiet and reclusive accountant lured into this world, Michelle Williams is the beautiful member of the club he falls in love with, and Hugh Jackson slithers into the skin of a mysterious evildoer.

Special features include commentary with director Marcel Langenegger, a featurette on the making of the film and something titled "Club Sexy." Your guess is as good as mine on that one.

Young @ Heart
Oh man, elderly folks singing rock songs - is there anything more soul touching? It made me cry, but they were tears of joy, the result of something wonderfully life-affirming pulling at the old heart strings. Young @ Heart is a documentary that follows a group of older folks who learn "young people's" tunes, like those by the Ramones, David Bowie, and Gloria Gaynor. The result? An adorable, funny, inspiring, hopeful little movie about growing old in America.

Special features include 10 deleted scenes and a featurette titled "Young @ Heart Goes to Hollywood."

Clooney Assembles the Men Who Stare at Goats

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:30:37 -0700

George Clooney is producing and starring in Men Who Stare at Goats, based on the book by Guardian columnist Jon Ronson. The cast is shaping up nicely, with a few more solid actors joining Clooney: Kevin Spacey, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges. The Hollywood Reporter has more about the project:

Goats is set in Iraq and centers on Bob Wilton (McGregor), a desperate reporter who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), who claims to be a former secret U.S. military psychic soldier who was re-activated post-9/11.

Goats chronicles the two men's travels through Iraq and offers glimpses into the supposedly real secret Army unit tasked with creating soldiers with paranormal powers.

Bridges will play Bill Django, the founder of the psychic soldier program and Lyn's mentor. Spacey will play Larry Hooper, a former psychic soldier who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

Normally I'm not quite so intrigued to see military movies but the paranormal/psychic element of this story - and the fact that it's based on a work of non-fiction - has seriously piqued my interest. What do you think? Curious? Or would you go see it anyway since Clooney and McGregor are in it?

Source and source

Buzz News Roundup, 5/28

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:45:59 -0700

James Gandolfini is selling his Sopranos costumes to benefit a nonprofit organization that helps severely wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the AP reports.
Speaking of charity, ABC, CBS and NBC will set aside an hour on September 5 to simulcast a fundraiser for cancer research, according to the AP.
ComingSoon has the news that Ewan McGregor will be joining Hilary Swank and Richard Gere in the Amelia Earhart biopic.
According to Billboard, the original members of Simple Minds will hit the recording studio next month for the first time in 27 years.
Zap2It reports that ABC's comedy pilot Roman's Empire (produced by Ashton Kutcher) found a lead: Kelsey Grammer.
Brandon Routh, Sophia Bush, Jesse Bradford and several others have been cast in the comedic movie Table for Three, writes Variety.
Paul McCartney was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale over the weekend, Billboard reports.

Source