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Movie Preview: Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Uncertainty

BuzzSugar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:30:32 -0700

You all agreed that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so hot right now, so here's a treat for fans. In the upcoming Uncertainty, Gordon-Levitt stars as Bobby, who leaves a major decision up to a coin flip along with his girlfriend Kate (played by Wolverine's Lynn Collins). We then watch as the two very different scenarios play out for the couple: one is action-packed while the other is more emotionally grappling. It looks kind of like Sliding Doors, but even more intense.

I'd definitely check this one out for JLG alone, but I am a little worried that the film is already too much like other movies. Besides Sliding Doors, I'm also immediately reminded of Eagle Eye and Phone Booth. Hopefully the film's structure will be able to break the mold and stand tall as a solid indie drama rather than a cliche. To check it out for yourself, just read more.

New York, I Love You: A Jigsaw Puzzle That Doesn't Quite Fit

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

As a city with so much personality and penchant for possibility, it's no surprise that the follow-up to Paris, Je t'aime heads to New York. New York, I Love You is a tale of the connections and personal missteps that occur every single day in the city that never sleeps. It plays out like a movie version of a song mash-up: some story lines are linear and independent of the rest while other characters wander in and out of each other's lives. Throw an all-star cast in there, and you could possibly have a recipe for perfection.

Unfortunately, the ingredients don't blend together as well as I had hoped, and instead we're left with an engaging but bland look at a handful of trials and tribulations in relationships. To see what I mean, just read more.

Made up of a series of short films, New York, I Love You is an homage to the city as well as the residents who hold it near and dear to their hearts. The "anything can happen" theme is alive and well, as strangers become acquaintances and friends, putting so much emphasis on each and every interaction that we take part in on a regular basis.

You meet a few characters that represent New York well enough; Bradley Cooper is the guy who's constantly jumping into a cab the same time as someone else, Orlando Bloom is the struggling musician who turns to Central Park for inspiration, Hayden Christensen is the pick-pocket who's as sexy as he is dangerous. But sometimes it feels just a little too forced; like the film is primarily concerned with proving that New York is a melting pot. Rather than seeing a few love stories shine through stereotypes, I was more distracted by the fake accents.

As with Paris Je t'aime, some of the stories shine brighter than others. Natalie Portman directs a sweet piece about a relationship between a father and daughter; Olivia Thirlby and Anton Yelchin are refreshing as a younger pair who makes the prom a night to remember. The lighter films are breaths of fresh air amongst others that are trying too hard to be hip and stylized.

The ensemble cast certainly gives the movie a boost; even when it's not provoking the deepest of emotions, the film always had my attention. There are solid performances all-around, particularly from Chloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as an aging couple who are still bickering when they aren't helping each other cross the street. It is the most hopeful of the scenarios, and by far the sweetest and most touching.

The film provides plenty of the standard money shots of Manhattan: a typical day in Grand Central Station in fast forward, subway rides, hours of people watching in a coffee shop. The encounters feel authentic and realistic, but the failure lies in the inability to make us feel something on a deeper level. Sometimes you can relate to the characters, and sometimes you feel sorry for them, but it doesn't squeeze your heart nearly enough - and with a title like New York, I Love You, this a disappointment.

Movie Preview: What Goes Up

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:30:54 -0700

The cast for What Goes Up is pretty great: Steve Coogan, Molly Shannon, Olivia Thirlby, Josh Peck, Hilary Duff and more (oooh, I love seeing Thirlby and Peck on screen together again after starring in The Wackness). It's hard to decipher what exactly is going on in the trailer (there are nerdy students, there seems to be a death) so I'll leave it to the movie's website to sum up the plot:

It is 1986. An emotionally damaged New York reporter is sent to cover the hometown hoopla for a local hero. But rather than pursue his assignment, which leaves him cold, he follows a group of disaffected students, whose own hero - their beloved, unconventional teacher - has just died under a cloud of scandal. Their passionate and, at times, ludicrous expressions of grief attract the reporter.

Interestingly, this is the kind of independent movie you'd expect to see at the larger film festivals, given the names in its ensemble cast, but it didn't, which is a thing that makes me go "hmm." The movie hits theaters in limited release May 29. To watch the trailer for yourself, read more.

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Tribeca Review: The Wackness

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:30:52 -0700

Previously, I'd mostly known The Wackness as that weird-looking Sundance movie in which an Olsen twin makes out with Ben Kingsley and which features a ton of pot smoking. While those things are true, I also gotta say I really liked this weirdo pot-smoking movie. I can easily see why The Wackness won the audience award at Sundance this year: it's funny, it's got that tender boy-grows-up storyline, and there's plenty of sex, drugs and a ridiculously awesome, rap-heavy soundtrack.

Also, it's got Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby and Ben Kingsley at the heart of it, which is what ended up endearing this movie to me most of all. Peck plays Luke Shapiro, a kid on the Upper East Side who deals pot and feels alone amongst his classmates. He lives with parents who fight about money nonstop and he sees a therapist, Dr. Squires (Kingsley) in exchange for weed. Luke soon graduates high school and starts another summer of peddling his goods from out of an ices cart. He befriends his therapist's stepdaughter Stephanie (Thirlby) and then quickly falls in love with her. That's not all, though, so read more.

Discovering that his family might be getting evicted, Luke solicits Dr. Squires' help with his business, gaining a higher-end clientele so he can more quickly earn cash. Luke and Dr. Squires become close friends just as Squires feels more and more estranged from his wife. Meanwhile, Stephanie's commitment issues start to worry Luke, as she's the first girl he's ever truly loved. Mary-Kate Olsen's part is minimal at best. She plays a trippy flower child who buys from Luke and, well, makes out with Dr. Squires.

Screening this movie at Tribeca was the perfect move, and not just because the script includes countless quips about Mayor Giuliani. It's shot with a great affection for New York, framing many of the scenes in parks or on rooftops, relying on the soft sunlight to imbue a kind of hominess and comfort to this city that never sleeps. It isn't the glamorous, impossibly clean New York of mindless romcoms, it's the hometown to these kids who have grown up on the Upper East Side but still try to talk like gangsters. They've got money to burn and they burn it on pot, rather than fashion. Sometimes the pot theme lends a sleepy quality to it all, though there are also little dreamlike fantasy interludes in which we catch a glimpse inside Luke's imagination and rather than being ridiculous, it's actually adorably endearing. I guess that's the bottom line here: I thought this movie would be ridiculous and instead it wormed its way into my heart.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Movie Preview: The Wackness

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:30:27 -0700

The Wackness was one of the films that received a lot of buzz during the Sundance film festival - even taking home the 2008 Audience Award. When I first heard about the film it was hard to piece together what this thing would be about, especially with the bizarre combo of Mary-Kate Olsen and Ben Kingsley.

Finally, The Wackness has a trailer and I can see that the story centers around some teenagers mostly concerned with "chillin'" in New York. Based on the preview, Juno's Olivia Thirlby and Drillbit Taylor's Josh Peck are the two talents at the forefront of this oddball dramedy. Despite reactions I got from folks at Sundance that ranged from "meh" to "amazing!" I'm still really looking forward to seeing it.

The trailer looks like a quirky tale about urban teens - and drugs - and I get the feeling that even if the movie strikes some false notes, the performances will make it worthwhile. I guess we'll see when The Wackness hits theaters in limited release July 3. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer if you read more.

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