BuzzSugar

Little Ashes: A Tale of Three (Famous) Friends

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:30:17 -0700

After I got over the fact that he-of-the-sparkling-vampire-fame would next hit the big screen as Salvador Dalí, I started to warm to the actual premise of Little Ashes. The story of how a young Dalí befriended two other seminal 20th-century Spanish artists is actually very intriguing.

Three brilliant minds coming together to push their ideas about art and politics beyond conventional boundaries in the midst of an increasingly conservative (and fascist) society is potent stuff. I'm not surprised someone wanted to make a movie based on it. Unfortunately, Little Ashes manages to suck (no Twilight-pun intended) all the fiery passion right out of this slice of history. Save for some stunning shots of Spain's countryside and coast, the film is mostly a melodramatic slog through the past. To see what I mean, read more.

The year is 1922 and Salvador Dalí (Robert Pattinson) arrives in Madrid at the prestigious Residencia de Estudiantes, where he meets other young minds bursting with potential, including the poet Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran) and aspiring filmmaker Luis Buñuel (Matthew McNulty). Already the eccentric, Dalí appears on the scene in oddball ruffles, and Pattinson plays him as a sort of bulging-eyed introvert who eventually morphs into an outspoken avant-garde artist with a huge ego. Over time the three boys form a little posse from which some of the most innovative ideas in Spain will originate.

Finally, something of a tortured love triangle forms between the men, which does lead to some provocative sexual scenes. But the torrid details of their relationship aren't the main concern of the filmmakers; rather, they earnestly try to bring to life the events that inspired these men and their art.

Working from a script by Philippa Goslett, director Paul Morrison is sadly unable to capture the essence of the times, and the script often undermines any attempt at creating a palpable experience. By resorting to yawn-inducing narrative tactics like poems being read in voiceover and Pattinson uttering one supposedly controversial line after another with a melodramatic wave of the hand, the movie conveys certain facts about the men, but none of the heart. The effort is sincere but the end result is a flat and boring movie.

Photos courtesy of Regent Releasing

Movie Preview: Robert Pattinson in Little Ashes

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:31:28 -0800

The tag line for Little Ashes declares that this is a story that has gone untold - until now. The film follows three of Spain's great creative minds in the tumultuous setting of 1920s Madrid. Robert Pattinson plays Salvador Dali, Javier Beltran is Federico García Lorca, and Matthew McNulty takes the role of Luis Buñuel in this tale of art, lust and history. From the trailer it appears that there's an emphasis on the lust part, not so much on the actual art or history parts. Visually the film looks pretty cool, though, and it's an interesting topic for sure. To watch the trailer and let me know what you think, read more.

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Link TIme! 10/30

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 13:34:35 -0700

Would you listen to a country album from Joe the Plumber? - Popwatch
Here's a list of "seven horror movies for girls." - Cinematical
And here's one of TV's 20 best witches. - TV Squad
Check out some exclusive photos of Robert Pattinson as Salvador Dali in the movie Little Ashes. - MTV Movies Blog
Would you do, dump, or marry these primetime stars? - DearSugar
American Idol's producers might be suing Josiah Leming. - Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily
Transform into David Bowie for Halloween with these awesome tips. - BellaSugar
Speculation about the upcoming Lost season, based on episode titles alone. - Clique Clack TV
Could you pass a Stylista-inspired fashion glossary test? - FabSugar

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Buzz News Roundup, 9/12

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:33:48 -0700

Rolling Stone reports that the White Stripes have canceled their fall tour on account of Meg's "acute anxiety."
According to the BBC, Ang Lee has cut out 30 minutes of his sexy espionage thriller Lust, Caution for audiences in China.
Variety reports that if you have On Demand service, you can watch all of NBC's pilots for free right now.
Former "Saturday Night Live" star Chris Parnell has joined the cast of the ABC comedy "Miss/Guided," Zap2it reports.
Variety reports that Run, Fat Boy, Run is the No. 1 movie in the U.K.
Led Zepplin is reforming for one night only, at a tribute show for the late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, Billboard reports.
"The Closer" broke its own cable ratings record for its season finale on Monday, writes the Hollywood Reporter, drawing 9.2 million viewers.
Things weren't as rosy for "Tell Me You Love Me" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," both of which had disappointingly low ratings for their premieres, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Paul Morrison will direct Little Ashes, a movie about the young life and loves of Salvador Dali, Luis Bunuel and poet Federico Garcia Lorca, says Variety.
Hollywood Reporter has news that Naomi Campbell will star in a film adaptation of the novel Bad Love.
Don Cheadle will star in a live-action film version of the 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs, Variety reports.
Meanwhile, ComingSoon reports that Adam Brody and Josh Lucas have been cast in the drama Death in Love.

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Fantastic Mr. Fox: Lives Up to Its Title

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:30:00 -0800

For the past five years, Wes Anderson's wide fan base has been waiting for his first fully animated film. Would his adaption of Roald Dahl's children's book, Fantastic Mr. Fox appease the same crowd that holds Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums near and dear to their hearts? The answer is an emphatic yes, and the best news is that you don't even have to enjoy Anderson's other work to fall in love with this film.

The story follows the wily Mr. Fox, a professional robber turned family man (er, fox) who just isn't satisfied with his quiet life working as a newspaper columnist. Even a move to prime real estate isn't enough to satiate his appetite for a little trouble making, and Mr. Fox (or "Foxy" as his friends call him) decides to take on the biggest adventure of his life. That's just the tip of the iceberg though, so read more.

Mr. Fox isn't your average wild animal; in fact he's just the opposite. He lives a civilized life with his wife Felicity (Meryl Streep) and 12-year-old son, Ash, making an honest living as a newspaper columnist. Like a kid who can't sit still, Mr. Fox has trouble curbing his desires to rebel and go back to his life stealing squab and running into trouble. Against his wife's wishes, Mr. Fox convinces his dim-witted but trusty sidekick Kylie (Wally Wolodarski) to take on one last hurrah. The crime? Ripping off the three biggest (and meanest) farmers around - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. When Mr. Fox starts an all-out war, he is forced to join forces with his family, friends, and neighbors - and that's where the fun begins.

The film's brilliance lies in the fact that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie for grown-ups disguised as a kiddie flick. Even with Anderson's name stamped all over it, there's no denying the furry animals dressed as humans. The animation makes the plot play out like a story book come to life; we're taken deep into the fox hole and beyond in a world that looks like a dollhouse made for fuzzy creatures. Kids will love the adventure and the colors, but the witty dialogue and quirky characters are made for the grown-ups.

The movie features a crew of lovable characters who deliver hilarious one-liners when they aren't breaking into impromptu dances. There's nothing new about a movie featuring animals acting like humans, but the actors make the movie the gem that it is. Jason Schwartzman playing a crabby 12-year-old but using his regular deep voice is genius. Clooney and Bill Murray (as badger, Mr. Fox's lawyer) bantering back and forth but replacing swears with the word "cuss" never gets old (as in "This place is a cluster cuss" and "What the cuss is wrong with you?").

Rare is the animated film with this much wit, cleverness, and chemistry between characters, but Fantastic Mr. Fox hits it right on the head. Score one more for Mr. Anderson.

(Don't forget that if you see a movie that you'd like to review, you can post your write-up in the Movie Review Group in Community - I may even post it here on the site!)