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The Taking of Pelham 123: The Taking of Our Time, 104 Minutes

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:30:58 -0700

I wanted The Taking of Pelham 123 to be great, or at least kinda fun - full of thrills and interesting characters with a few little one-liners tossed in. Expecting too much? Maybe. But I was disappointed nonetheless because it turns out this movie is predictable and forgettable. It managed to keep my attention for a while, but mostly it's just blah.

For the most part, what you see in the trailers is what you get, in terms of plot: A crazy guy who wants to be called Ryder (John Travolta) hijacks a subway car in New York and he demands millions of dollars in exchange for the hostages' lives. He tells the dispatcher, Walter Garber (Denzel Washington), that the mayor (played a sleazy New Yorker to a "T") has one hour to get Ryder the money and for every minute they're late after the hour, he's going to kill a hostage. Ryder becomes attached to Garber and he forces Garber's secrets to come to light during their interactions, which everyone in the Garber's room can hear - including his boss and the mayor of New York. Ultimately Ryder wants Garber to deliver the money personally, and then we wait to see whether or not Garber can stop Ryder from continuing on with his plans once he gets the money. For more of my thoughts, read more.

In attempts to make up for the lack of drama, or to fill in the gaps between the few genuinely tense moments, director Tony Scott favors fast-paced montages of crowded subway platforms and general New York "hustle and bustle." Zooming camera shots, blurry quick-moving figures alternate with "dramatic" slow-motion and close-ups on grim faces, all set to loud tunes like "99 Problems." Because, you know, Ryder is a tough guy. This is a tough guy's game because Jay-Z says so. At first, this distracts us from the fact that we don't really care much about this story, but that wears off as the movie wears on.

Denzel Washington often brings an elegance and gracefulness to his characters, and he always exhibits a calm control over his performances. We're supposed to like Walter Garber, and we do, but this entire thriller can't rest on this particular average Joe's shoulders, no matter how nicely Washington presents him. Garber's not all that compelling. Supposedly providing the jolts of craziness (and therefore, in this case, entertainment), is John Travolta who gets a few really good lines in but who mostly seems like he's impersonating a crazy person rather than inhabiting an actual character.

Theoretically this should be an excellent Summer movie - digestible, intriguing, exciting. But I can't recommend this for a theater-going experience. It'll probably be a pretty solid rental, if you're quite bored. I wanted to be swept up in the mystery of it all (why is Ryder doing this? How will he pull it off? How will they stop him?) and the tension of the situation, but really, it's a silly movie. In order to get swept up, I'd have to be able to take the movie seriously and it just wouldn't let me do that.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Movie Preview: In the Loop

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:30:00 -0700

The Tribeca Film Festival isn't the only celebration of cinema taking place this week. Right here in San Francisco, the San Francisco International Film Festival is underway, and it's got a long list of great movies lined up.

One of those is In the Loop, a British satire about the run-up to war. The film pokes fun at inept decision making on both sides of the pond, with a midlevel bumbling UK government minister, a self-important US official, a couple of rookie political aides, and a puffed-up Pentagon general combining for a comedy of errors (upon errors, upon errors, upon errors).

Fans of British comedy may already be familiar with one character, Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi), the raging, curse-word-happy director of communications, who's a main player on the series The Thick of It (which was actually turned into a US TV pilot with Mich Hurwitz and Christopher Guest a couple of years back). Other cast members include James Gandolfini, Mimi Kennedy, and My Girl's Anna Chlumsky. The film will open in the US in July, and to check out the trailer, just read more.

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Movie Preview: The Taking of Pelham 123

BuzzSugar — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:30:04 -0800

In The Taking of Pelham 123, Denzel Washington plays city employee Zachary Garber who gets tangled up in a dangerous hostage situation when armed men take over a subway train and try to negotiate money in exchange for releasing the trapped New Yorkers. John Travolta plays the mean mastermind behind the whole thing who gets to know Zachary Garber fairly well during their little back-and-forth.

Have you seen the original 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, starring Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw? The trailer for this remake is pretty heart-poundingly intense, actually. I'm curious to see this come June 12. What about you?

To check out the trailer, read more.

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Buzz News Roundup, 6/27

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:34:58 -0700

Chris Noth is leaving Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Jeff Goldblum is joining the show in his place, writes Variety.
Bob Saget is the newest target of a Comedy Central roast, reports Broadcasting & Cable.
Musicians and fans gathered in London to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, the AP writes.
Showtime is producing a Dexter-ish drama called Hilary Jones about a female Los Angeles cop who works as a prostitute on the weekends, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
According to ComingSoon, Marcia Cross's first feature film role since joining Desperate Housewives will be in an indie comedy titled Peck.
Bravo's Real Housewives series is heading to Atlanta; details are at The Futon Critic.
James Gandolfini's wardrobe from The Sopranos raised almost $188,000 at a charity auction benefiting soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Associated Press reports.
Variety has the news that the excellent Korean horror-thriller The Host will be getting a sequel.

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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.

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James Gandolfini Goes From Mob Boss to NYC Mayor for Pelham Remake

BuzzSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:33:21 -0700

Everybody's favorite TV mob boss appears to have turned over a new leaf. James Gandolfini has been cast to play the NYC mayor in director Tony Scott's remake of the 1974 thriller The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three. He joins Denzel Washington and John Travolta. Variety has more:

Gandolfini will plays a pol under incredible pressure to end a crisis when a packed subway car is ransomed by a criminal (Travolta) and his gang.

So, from the Bada-Bing strip club to city hall, I'd say Gandolfini's doing pretty well for himself, wouldn't you? I look forward to seeing how Scott plans to update this movie, though I have a long time to wait: Pelham most likely won't be released until Fall 2009.

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Buzz News Roundup, 2/1

BuzzSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:30:10 -0800

ComingSoon has news that Jesse L. Martin will play Marvin Gaye in a biopic titled Sexual Healing. James Gandolfini will co-star in and produce the project.
Variety reports on Josh Hartnett's next role in the martial arts action movie Bunraku.
Fox has ordered 13 more episodes of The Moment of Truth, Zap2it reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Emily Blunt will star in the immigration drama The Girl.
ComingSoon has the scoop on the Space Chimps video game, which will be based on the upcoming movie.
Jordin Sparks will sing the national anthem at Sunday's Super Bowl and Alicia Keys will provide pregame entertainment, the Associated Press reports.
Speaking of the Super Bowl, expect kinder, gentler ads this year, writes The New York Times.
Following her rejection on The Bachelor, DeAnna Pappas is the new Bachelorette; details are at The Futon Critic.

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TV Tonight: "Alive Day Memories"

BuzzSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:00:00 -0700

HBO is transitioning into fall tonight with a lineup of heavy-hitters that includes the buzzed-about "Tell Me You Love Me" and a new, presumably hilarious season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." But there's one special, and quite somber, project among the bunch: "Alive Day Memories," a documentary about soldiers wounded in the Iraq war.

James Gandolfini produced the film, his first project since "The Sopranos." In it, he interviews 10 injured soldiers about their memories of war, their hopes for the future, and their "alive day," the day they narrowly escaped death.

The film looks both harrowing and compelling, and though it's not going to be easy to watch, it's certainly important. The film airs at 10:30 p.m. and will be available on HBO's Web site starting at 11:30 p.m.; it's also available on DVD. Here's an interview with Gandolfini talking about why he wanted to take the project on, and to watch a few promo clips, read more

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Who Should Win the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 08:30:00 -0700

I've given you my predictions for who's most likely to take home the Emmy for best lead actor in a drama. Now, it's your turn. Which actor do you think should win?

Emmy Breakdown: Lead Actor in a Drama Series

BuzzSugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:00:00 -0700

In the weeks leading up to the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards, I'll be looking at the nominees in some major categories and trying to predict who's most likely to win in these Emmy Breakdowns. Up today: Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos") - If "The Sopranos" is going to get the kind of spectacular Emmy send-off that I'm expecting, this category almost has to go to Gandolfini. Yes, he's won three times before; yes, voters could be wary of handing him the award yet again. But Tony Soprano is an icon because of Gandolfini, and I can't imagine voters passing up their last chance to recognize him. Chance of winning: High.

Hugh Laurie ("House") - I'm shocked every time I remember that Hugh Laurie hasn't won an Emmy yet for his role as the acerbic, cranky, brilliant Gregory House - and more amazed that last year, he wasn't even nominated. I don't know why Emmy voters have such an aversion to Laurie, whom I think delivers one of the most consistently strong performances on TV. If not for Gandolfini, I'd think voters might finally come to their senses and give him the award. Chance of winning: Moderate to high.

For the other three actors' pros and cons, just read more

Denis Leary ("Rescue Me") - Leary is a love-him-or-hate-him actor on a love-it-or-hate-it show. He's gotten a lot of praise for "Rescue Me," and yet I've never been as drawn in by his performance as many others. His peculiar and unique blend of comedy and drama is intriguing, and it certainly appeals to many - but is it strong enough to beat Tony Soprano? I think it's going to be a while before Leary's Tommy Gavin is that iconic. Chance of winning: Moderate to low.

James Spader ("Boston Legal") - "Boston Legal" is an Emmy favorite, and - like fellow nominee William Shatner - so is Spader himself. Just a few years ago, he won back-to-back Emmys, first for "The Practice," then for "Boston Legal," beating Gandolfini one year and Laurie another. But this year, I'd rank his chances below either of theirs, though (again, like Shatner) he could always pull an upset. Chance of winning: Moderate.

Kiefer Sutherland ("24") - Frankly, I'm a little surprised to see Sutherland here. Perhaps the reasoning behind his nomination is that despite this last season of "24" including some of the show's worst writing ever, Sutherland did the best he could with what he had. Sometimes my affection for him was the only thing keeping me from turning away from "24" altogether. Yet as much as I enjoy watching him, and as much as I love the character of Jack Bauer, this season did not showcase Sutherland in any extraordinary way. He was pretty much same old, same old, and while his "same old" might be good, it's not impressive enough to warrant this win. Chance of winning: Low.

Sutherland and Laurie photos courtesy of Fox
Leary photo courtesy of FX
Spader photo copyright 2007 ABC, Inc.
Gandolfini photo Source