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Movie Preview: The Hurt Locker

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:30:02 -0700

"If The Hurt Locker is not the best action movie of the summer, I'll blow up my car." - A.O. Scott, New York Times.

All of a sudden, I really want to see The Hurt Locker. For one thing, this movie is getting incredibly positive reviews, with most critics noting that this may be the first movie about the Iraq war that audiences will actually enjoy. For another, it sounds suspenseful and action-packed - like, blow-your-mind-and-your-eardrums style. And for a third, it's already gotten some recognition before it even hits theaters in the form of two Independent Spirit Awards nominations. Here's a description:

[The Hurt Locker is] an intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat.

The movie stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie and also features Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (Point Break), The Hurt Locker opens in New York and LA today and will hit another group of cities July 10. This trailer's definitely worth a watch, and you can check it out when you read more.

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Movie Preview: Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes in The Reader

BuzzSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:30:23 -0800

This historical drama starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes was recently given an earlier release date of Dec. 10, 2008 (in limited release), possibly in the hopes that the movie will prove to be Oscar bait. From the looks of this trailer, that logic may be good.

The Reader takes place in postwar Germany where "a young man's decades-long obsession with an older woman runs headlong into a war crimes trial, where he learns an awful truth."

Winslet appears to be perfect for this role, and I was really impressed with The Hours, which is another of director Stephen Daldry's films, so I'm curious to see this movie. To watch the trailer, read more.

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The Duchess: Oh, the (Beautifully Costumed) Drama!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:30:41 -0700

Of course The Duchess is dramatic. Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, led a dramatic life and she herself was a dramatic - and smart, and charismatic - woman. I really liked this movie, but I might have liked it more if it were a slightly broader examination of the Duchess. I don't mean that they should have included more years in her life (I think that would have been a mistake) but the vast majority of the film is about her romantic and reproductive woes. She was a daring, intelligent, and remarkably influential woman during a time when women were expected to be anything but those things. While I liked this sweeping period drama, I might have enjoyed less soap opera and a tad more substance.

The costumes, however, cannot be disputed, for they are devastatingly gorgeous. I would watch this movie over and over with the sound off just to feast my eyes on the clothes. Dressed to perfection in every scene, Keira Knightley plays Georgiana, who marries William Cavendish, the Duke of Devonshire when she is just a teenager. The marriage is soon strained as it appears that Georgiana will only bear daughters. While the relationship grows bitter in private, Georgiana starts to become quite popular in public and immerses herself in the world of politics and high society. She's a natural charmer and trend-setter, though her husband puts more and more distance between them, choosing other women over his wife. Before long, Georgiana finds herself falling in love with a young politician, Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper), but the threat of scandal proves too great for the Duke and Duchess and a relationship with Charles is forbidden. There's much more to the story, but I won't spoil things for you. I can still share some thoughts, though, so read more.

Knightley strongly carries the film with her focused, honest portrayal of the brightly alluring yet unfortunate Duchess of Devonshire, and if she veers into melodrama it’s because the material clearly calls for it. She’s still a relatively young actress, which I think people sometimes forget, and while she still appears young onscreen (with that permanently youthful bounce in her step, a fresh energy to even her most morose scenes), there is so much potential there for her to mature into a truly phenomenal performer. She acts with her entire body, conveying emotion in the tiniest details: her whole frame rigid with rage, a coquettish tip of her head and a sidelong glance, the utterly distraught balling up of one fist . . . these things inform our understanding of Georgiana's emotional landscape.

Most of the time I cringed and tsk-tsked at the wretchedness of this poor young woman’s life, as the story is basically a long string of relationship issues and anxiety over pregnancies. There are countless historical movies that, if they center on a woman at all, focus on the pressure to conceive a male heir, the havoc this wreaks on a marriage, and the power plays that arise between the women who can conceive and those who cannot. This is understandable, given the nature of society back then, and yet here’s a story with some built-in political drama as well, with a fearless, deeply inspiring female protagonist. I would have appreciated more of that story. That said, I was riveted to this movie, intoxicated by the costumes and just as smitten with the Duchess as the rest of England seems to be. It’s a beautiful and sad film that is well worth seeing.

Photos courtesy of Paramount Vantage

First Look: The Duchess Starring Keira Knightley

BuzzSugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 14:15:22 -0800

I fully believe that Keira Knightley is well-suited for period pieces, and I certainly have faith in her ability to play a controversial historical figure, as is the focus of period drama The Duchess. Yet I wonder if Keira herself will be enough to make this movie better than just your average ho-hum period piece, as today's teaser trailer doesn't seem to stretch much beyond ordinary stuff.

This new teaser trailer for the fall 2008 release is itself rather average. There's a big reveal of the Duchess of Devonshire (Knightley), some alluding to bearing an heir and then an impassioned line from the Duchess about not wanting to battle her heart, before the brief glimpse of a love scene. So far, it's no Atonement, but I'll be curious to watch a full-length trailer when that comes out.

To check out the teaser trailer for The Duchess and tell me what you think, read more

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Buzz News Roundup, 9/28

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:37:54 -0700

Things are looking up for Sara on "CSI" after last night's premiere - but actress Jorja Fox will likely leave the show in November, TV Guide reports.
Queen Latifah has some strong feelings about rap lyrics that she deems misogynist, violent and vulgar, and says action should have been taken with this issue long ago, writes Reuters.
The script for Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming film, "Tetro," was stolen by armed robbers in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
The Futon Critic has the details on Comedy Central's pickup of picked up the Canadian comedy "Kenny vs. Spenny," which will be produced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of "South Park."
According to Billboard, Duran Duran will celebrate their new album by performing nine shows at the Barrymore Theater on Broadway in New York.
Bonnie Hunt is getting her own syndicated talk show, Entertainment Weekly reports.
Variety has news that the Transformers sequel will open June 26, 2009.
Joseph Fiennes, Blythe Danner and Robert Wagner will star in an FX project about a man who realizes he's a transsexual, ComingSoon reports.

Photo courtesy of CBS

Buzz News Roundup, 9/7

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:30:15 -0700

Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time and other books, died Thursday at age 88, the New York Times reports.
Death Cab for Cutie is heading back to the recording studio mid-September, says Billboard.
Hollywood Reporter has news that Ralph Fiennes will join Keira Knightley in The Duchess.
Zap2It states that there will be an animated film version of Robotech, with Tobey Maguire producing and lending his voice.
Time Magazine has named its 100 best TV shows ever.
Billboard reports that Ozzie Osbourne and Rob Zombie will team up for a tour.
Will Smith will star in Seven Pounds, a drama about a man who accidentally falls in love while attempting suicide, Variety reports.
MTV is planning a bisexual dating competition show starring MySpace's Tila Tequila.
Variety has the news that Joaquin Phoenix and director James Gray will team up for the third time on the drama Two Lovers.

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Buzz News Roundup, 8/20

BuzzSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:34:26 -0700

Eleven extras were injured while on production in Germany filming Tom Cruise's WWII thriller Valkyrie, CNN reports. A police spokesperson kindly informed us that they "have no findings to suggest anyone famous was involved in the accident."
Nelly Furtado, Gym Class Heroes and Common have joined the lineup for MTV's Video Music Awards, USA Today reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Jason Biggs and Lizzy Caplan have joined the cast (Kate Hudson, Dane Cook) of Bachelor No. 2.
ComingSoon reports that Ken Leung will star in "Lost" next season, appearing in the premiere episode as "a brilliant mathematician who is capable of great insights and has a tremendous knowledge across various scientific fields."
Meanwhile, Tom Everett Scott will play Lucy Liu's fiance on the premiere of "Cashmere Mafia," says the Futon Critic.
Ralph Fiennes and Nicole Kidman will star together in the romantic drama The Reader, Variety reports.
NBC has bought a reality show called "Amne$ia," which will quiz people about the events of their lives, TV Week reports.
NBC will premiere its fall pilots early via On Demand services, TV Guide says.
Zac Efron will star in Seventeen, a Big-like comedy-drama in which a 36-year-old man "wakes up in the body of a studly high school senior," reports ComingSoon.

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Link Time! 4/19

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:30:55 -0700

Like to cook? Enter YumSugar's "American Idol" food challenge.
Idolator has a smooth new track from hard-bodied D'Angelo.
The TV Addict soothes the no-new-"Office" pain with two clips from next week's episode.
Meanwhile, Give Me My Remote whips up a fun "Office" game.
The Coreys Haim and Feldman are back with an MSN column, says Pop Candy.
Ralph Fiennes is hunting for a native Inuk girl to star in his latest film, Cinematical tells us.
Popwatch speculates on how, exactly, the Lisa Rinna/Joan Rivers "smackdown" occurred.
Best Week Ever has the new trailer for Hairspray with suspiciously little snarky commentary to go along with it.
TV Squad has the scoop on comedian Bob Odenkirk's new Web series.
Rolling Stone has a clip of John McCain's very unfortunate Beach Boys reference.
The Movie Blog tells us how the Joker (Heath Ledger) will look in The Dark Knight: gray-skinned, scarred, and not clownish.
Spinner.com posts the first video from Jason Schwartzman's new band, Coconut Records.

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Gerard Butler - Love Him or Leave Him?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

Gerard Butler has had a rough couple of weeks - critics panned his film Law Abiding Citizen and his appearance on Saturday Night Live didn't win rave reviews either. On top of everything else, there are rumors about him and Jessica Simpson getting cozy floating around. There is some light at the end of the tunnel though: he just announced in an interview that he'd be joining Shakespeare's Coriolanus with Ralph Fiennes for his next film.

It's nice to see Butler take on a project with some serious acting teeth. While he's always easy on the eyes in romantic comedies like P.S. I Love You or The Ugly Truth, I've never really liked the films themselves. (The possible exception being The Phantom of the Opera, since you know I love movie musicals!)

Maybe you disagree with me though? Law Abiding Citizen did take No. 2 at the box office, and I know that several of you liked the movie despite my review. So what do you think of Gerard Butler - love him or leave him?