BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: The Assassination of a High School President

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:30:27 PDT

Not long ago I watched Rocket Science for a second time and was struck all over again by how superbly Reece Thompson (pictured, right) captures the whole Awkward Teen thing. In Assassination of a High School President, he's at it again - though this time his character is ever so slightly cooler and more self-assured than Rocket Science's Hal. In Assassination he plays a sophomore high school student who finds himself teaming up with an unlikely friend, popular girl Francesca Fachini (Mischa Barton), to solve a case of stolen SAT exams. Then, "once the duo target their suspects, a larger conspiracy is unearthed." Bruce Willis plays the school's tough-guy principal.

The movie was well-received at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was directed by relative newcomer Brett Simon. No release info is available just yet, but even if it goes straight to DVD I'm going to check out this weird little high school movie. To see a trailer,

Rocket Science: Charming, But Not Quite Enough

BuzzSugar — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:03:57 PDT

Rocket Science is the kind of movie that people, including me, will describe as charming or endearing. The problem with the film - the first narrative feature from Oscar-nominated director Jeffrey Blitz, who directed Spellbound - is that it's not quite as charming as it thinks it is.

Rocket Science centers on Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson), a meek high schooler with a serious stutter and a wrecked home life. After embarrassing himself by going mum during a school assembly, he's recruited for the school's debate team by Ginny Ryerson (Anna Kendrick), the state debate runner-up who's still nursing the wounds from being abandoned mid-finals by her former partner, Ben Wekselbaum (Nick D'Agosto). Ginny tells Hal she sees real potential in him, and he falls completely for her ploy, never thinking that Ginny might have more self-interested motivations in mind. In normal high school underdog tales, Hal would lose the stutter, get the girl and win the state debate trophy, but Rocket Science is more complicated than that, so

From the opening scenes, the central idea of Rocket Science is that on the night Ben Wekselbaum stopped speaking at the New Jersey state debate championships, his voice started slowly making its way toward Hal. And it's an appealing idea, because Hal is obviously smart and witty and easy to root for; you want him to be able to tell the lunch lady he wants pizza without suffering through two minutes of "um"s and "uh"s first. Basically, you want Hal to get what he wants, which is 1) the ability to speak clearly and 2) Ginny. Thompson and Kendrick deliver nuanced performances far beyond their years here; there's one scene that ends with a cello through a window that's simultaneously hilarious and deeply moving.

Rocket Science isn't content just to tell a story of a stuttering, lovelorn wannabe debater, though, and that's where the movie's weaknesses lie. I assume Blitz, who also wrote the film, was aiming for a universal "finding your voice in a messed-up world" theme, with broken marriages, deviant teenagers and unhelpful school counselors to spare. But the movie is bloated with supporting characters and plot threads that don't ever seem to tie into the whole. The counselor, a staple of every high school film, fades in and out of relevance; Hal's mother's lover is little more than a caricature. I would have been content to lose virtually all of those characters and plot lines in favor of spending more time with Hal and Ginny.

The movie starts coming back together toward the end, however, when Hal seeks out Ben for advice. D'Agosto, so so young and goofy-looking in photos, looks positively like a man next to tiny, insecure Hal; Ben's confidence couples with Hal's insecurity to create some of the funniest and truest scenes in the film. I just wish Rocket Science had stuck to dealing with love, revenge, and high school debate; it's a smaller story, true, but one that the film could tell very well indeed.

Source

3 Reasons to See Indie Comedy Ceremony

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:30:33 PDT

The indie film Ceremony, starring Michael Angarano as a lovelorn writer who tricks his best friend (Reece Thompson) into helping him crash the wedding of the woman he's in love with (Uma Thurman), expands its limited release today. While the film, the first feature from writer/director Max Winkler, has flown under the radar, I have a few reasons why it might deserve to be on your must-see list.

Because you love Wes Anderson. While it's not an Anderson film, Winkler's distinct voice has a clear influence from Anderson, particularly in the script and style. Along with Anderson, the movie is also reminiscent of Woody Allen's work. If you're a fan of Allen's lovably neurotic male characters who are also head over heels in love, then you'll be into Ceremony.
The ridiculously charming cast. Angarano and Thurman have believable chemistry as former lovers, but it's the friendship between Sam and his best friend Marshall (Thompson, best known for Rocket Science) that really stands out. The actors seem like old friends, nailing Winkler's funny dialogue in their scenes together. The supporting cast also includes two scene-stealers: Lee Pace is on point as Zoe's fiancé, a quirky British filmmaker who loves himself but loves Zoe more, and Jake Johnson as Zoe's drunkard brother.
If you're getting married. The movie has wedding inspiration for days, from its inclusion of the old-fashioned game paper chase as a group activity for guests, to the decor and fashion. The ceremony setting is a gorgeous outdoor venue with paper lanterns and round globe lights, while Thurman's hair and makeup are stunning. Likewise, the bridesmaids are outfitted in various shades of pink and red - even if you're not getting married, it's cinematic eye candy.