BuzzSugar

Amelia: Never Really Takes Flight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

I love the way a biopic makes me feel - like I'm treated to a back-in-time look at an amazing life. They're epic, and that's why I'm willing to sit through the slow moments (and often for more than two hours) for the payoff. This is the experience I hoped for from Amelia, directed by Mira Nair and starring Hilary Swank as the pioneering aviator who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

There's plenty of opportunity for grandness, even though Nair chose not to focus much on the circumstances of Earhart's disappearance during her flight around the world. Earhart had an extraordinary life, eschewing social conventions for her gender and never giving up her one true love: flying.

Unfortunately, Amelia misses the epic mark and lands instead somewhere in the mediocre, underusing its cast's talents and history's treasury. However, it's not an altogether unpleasant journey, so to see my thoughts on the film, just read more.

First, the film is beautiful - Mira Nair knows how to shoot a gorgeous scene (she was behind the richly-styled films Monsoon Wedding and The Namesake), and she really takes advantage of the oceans, the landscapes of jungles, beaches, and moors. Much of it is seen through Amelia's eyes as she's soaring over it, and occasionally you feel the same freedom in flying that she so desires.

Along with the scenery, the minor success the film does achieve is ascribed to Hilary Swank's acting. I was expecting the two-time Oscar winner to be fantastic, and she didn't let me down. From transforming her looks to match the androgynous icon's to altering her voice to a Katherine Hepburn-ish gravel, she captures the pre-feminist aviatrix in all her glory.

The problem is that intriguing parts of Earhart's life are introduced but merely glossed over. For instance, Earhart's marriage to publisher George Putnam (played by Richard Gere) is complicated by the fact that she carries on an affair with Gene Vidal (Ewan McGregor). However, this affair is only briefly touched on (they meet, they kiss, it's suddenly over). For his part, Ewan McGregor is given little more than a cameo role, which is an unsatisfying tease for any fan of the actor.

While I'm on unsatisfying, if you've ever been fascinated by the mysterious circumstances of Earhart's death (she disappeared over the Pacific on a round-the-world-flight), you'll get no gratification here. Understandably, there's no speculation about what happened, but there's no closure either.

That seemed justified, because when this project was announced, it was reported that Nair wouldn't focus on the mystery, but Earhart's remarkable life instead. Unfortunately, there's not enough focus on that remarkable life to do the woman's memory justice.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

2009 Sundance Spotlight: Brooklyn's Finest, The Informers, 500 Days of Summer

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:30:39 -0800

While I won't be heading down to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival this year, I will be sorting through the humongous pile of festival entries to share with you some of the films I think look most promising. From quirky documentaries to talented young filmmaker debuts to a potential runaway hit, Sundance is filled with entertainment possibilities. Here are today's selections:

Brooklyn's Finest
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), Brooklyn's Finest just became this year's first sale at Sundance. Apparently "Senator Distribution nabbed North American rights . . . on Saturday night, 24 hours after its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. . . Senator says it will release the film in the fourth quarter for awards consideration." According to Senator president Mark Urman, the company "went into aggressive pursuit right after Friday's screening." Wow! All of this spells good things for the cop drama which features a stellar cast (Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Ellen Barkin). The plot is described as: "Three unconnected Brooklyn cops wind up at the same deadly location after enduring vastly different career paths." The guy responsible for the screenplay has a unique and intriguing story himself (you can read about it here). No clips available just yet, but now that it's been purchased I'm sure we'll hear and see much more about this film in the future.

Two more great-looking movies, with talented folks like Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Mickey Rourke, if you read more.

The Informers
Well, the long-awaited movie adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's collection of short stories is upon us. The movie, starring a whole lot of people from the '80s and early '90s (most notably Mickey Rourke, continuing his amazing career comeback) is about LA in the '80s in all its beautiful, indulgent, moral-decaying glory. The Informers also includes Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Billy Bob Thornton, Chris Isaak, and the late Brad Renfro (his final role). I have mixed feelings about this movie, but then again, any trailer that includes a song by A Flock of Seagulls deserves a chance in my book.

FYI: The trailer for The Informers below is not suitable for work due to some topless ladies. Proceed with caution:

500 Days of Summer
Oh, man. Could these two be cuter together? I think not. I was so excited when this casting news first came out and I'm even more thrilled that the movie's premiering at Sundance (to not-bad reviews so far) and has a release date (July 24) and now has a super cute teaser trailer (see below!). At first glance, the movie's description sounds like a little tale of unrequited love (boy loves girl, girl doesn't believe in love) but here's the part that got me really curious: "energized by dance numbers, split screens, and two dynamic performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel." Dance numbers? Why not?! Check out the trailer below and for additional clips, click here.

Photos courtesy of Sundance

Nights in Rodanthe: Something to Watch With Grandma

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:30:40 -0700

As you might've predicted, Nights in Rodanthe is a sentimental, non-threatening weepie that could have just as easily been made for TV and run on the Hallmark channel. The story is bland and yet sugar-saturated at the same time. It's tame, not too racy and it features unlayered characters. There’s redemption in the male character’s storyline and an awakening in the woman’s. It’s boring as all get-out sometimes, and tries its damndest to make you cry. So, in other words, it's your average Nicholas Sparks stuff.

Adrienne Willis (Diane Lane) separated from her husband after he cheated on her with her best friend. Paul Flanner (Richard Gere) is a doctor whose workaholic tendencies drove away his wife and son (played by James Franco). After a patient dies on his operating table, Paul travels to Rodanthe to meet with the patient's husband. He stays at the inn that Adrienne is running while her friend is away. There's a big storm that brings the two of them together, bada bing bada boom, they both learn how to love again. What follows is a string of scenes meant to be either heartwarming or heartbreaking, depending on Diane Lane's incredibly expressive face. For more of my thoughts on all this, read more.

All in all, it's sappy, cheesy stuff that doesn’t demand much of the viewer. There's an unnerving amount of time for your mind to wander, due to not being truly invested in these people or their stories. The editing is almost comically jerky. And James Franco is in it for maybe four minutes, total.

At the same time, I understand that movies like this serve a purpose. The only reason I watched A Walk to Remember was because I was with some older relatives and it was something we could all watch. This movie is in a very similar vein as A Walk to Remember, so I’m guessing that if you liked that one, you’ll like Rodanthe.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Movie Preview: Richard Gere and Diane Lane in Nights in Rodanthe

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:30:02 -0700

So, Nicholas Sparks has given us many things, one of them being The Notebook. I have to say, I'm convinced the film version of the book did as well as it did because of the talent involved (Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams) because when I think of the books of his I've read they all fall into the same category as the movie version of A Walk to Remember: cheesy, trite and overwrought. This next book-to-film adaptation of a Sparks work, Nights in Rodanthe stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane, both of whom I like a lot as actors. So maybe the movie will be great?

I'm hoping so, because the trailer - despite a strong supporting cast including Mae Whitman (her?) and James Franco - leaves so, so much to be desired. Not the least of its worries (but a pretty big one), the movie utilizes the tired old tactic of randomly giving the white protagonist a wise black best girlfriend whose sole purpose in life is to nurture and soothe the crazy/lovelorn/depressed white lady (this Black Best Friend syndrome has been written about quite a bit, including an L.A. Times slideshow of a few notable "BBFs"). Ugh.

The romantic drama comes out October 3. To see the trailer for yourself, read more.

I'm Not There: You Shouldn't Be, Either

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:59:00 -0800

It must be something with the name Todd that motivates talented directors to make films that have the potential to be great, but then ruin them with complicated casting and an overly ambitious plot. First it was Todd Solondz (director of the wonderful Welcome to the Dollhouse) who cluttered Palindromes by employing eight different actors to play the same 13-year-old girl; now it's Todd Haynes who uses a very similar technique in the truly awful I'm Not There. Instead of a 13-year-old girl, the actors portray Bob Dylan, and this time around there are six actors instead of eight. One would think that two less actors would make the movie a little less jumbled. It didn't.

The reason I'm Not There is even more perplexing than Palindromes (which I didn't believe was possible) is that in addition to six actors emulating Bob Dylan, they each have different names and live in different eras. At least Palindromes was linear and each of the eight actors used the same name. In I'm Not There "Bob" is referred to as John, Jack, Jude, Woody, Arthur, and Billy. Confused? I certainly was! If you want to read the only two compelling reasons to watch this film read more

Undeniably the strongest part of this film is the music. Just like Across the Universe, the other film this year that featured a catalog of songs from a specific artist (in that case, The Beatles), the true standout is the vocal artistry of Bob Dylan. Although most of the songs included are a little more obscure (surprise), there are tried-and-true favorites like "All Along the Watchtower," and "Highway 61 Revisited." If you're a Dylan fan, take my recommendation and just buy the soundtrack. But, if you still want to see this film, there is one thing worth watching.

The one, and only, reason to actually go see this film is for the incredible work done by Heath Ledger, Cate Blanchett, and Christian Bale - all of which is almost undone by the ridiculously ill-conceived Richard Gere as Billy the Kid/Bob Dylan. I honestly don't blame Gere for his lacking performance, he did the best he could with the cards he was dealt. The other actors, most notably Blanchett and Bale, have more realistic Dylans to portray, and each do so beautifully.

There are other things I could mention about the film: the political subtext (the film deals with the JFK's death, the civil rights movement, Vietnam), Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore's cameos, or Heath Ledger's nude scene, but I'm afraid this might entice you to see the film. And I'd rather you buy the soundtrack, if you must.

Photos courtesy of The Weinstein Company

Recast Pretty Woman and Win a Prize!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:15:57 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

I've memorized nearly every line from this 1990 hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold story, so it's hard to imagine other people bringing these roles to life. But I'd love to hear some suggestions!

If you could recast Pretty Woman with new actors today, who would you pick to play the sassy Vivian? What about Vivian's dashing john, Edward? Let's also find new actors to play Edward's sleazy lawyer Philip and Vivian's loyal girlfriend Kit. Finally, who could play Bernard, the hotel manager who helps Vivian become more "ladylike"?

Leave your entry in the comment section below, and I'll pick one winner to feature Tuesday, October 30, complete with a "new" cast photo.

To see a list of characters to recast and a photo of the BuzzSugar t-shirt, read more

Characters to recast:
Vivian (Julia Roberts)
Edward (Richard Gere)
Kit (Laura San Giacomo)
Philip (Jason Alexander)
Bernard (Hector Elizondo)

The BuzzSugar t-shirt

The Many Faces of Bob Dylan and the New Trailer for I'm Not There

BuzzSugar — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 04:30:00 -0700

Wow, Christian Bale is almost unrecognizable in these photos from the set of I'm Not There, the Bob Dylan biopic in which seven different actors will be playing the beloved musician. Between these photos, the images from the set of The Dark Knight, and the trailer for his upcoming Western 3:10 to Yuma, we're getting quite the Christian Bale fix these days, which I'm sure you all don't mind too much.

In addition to Bale, we've caught glimpses of various other Dylan incarnations as played by Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Cate Blanchett and Ben Wishaw. Now, there's a newly cut - albeit brief - teaser trailer for I'm Not There in which we see flashes of all these Dylans. For photos of all the Dylans along with the new I'm Not There trailer, read more

Another of Christian Bale:

Heath Ledger:

Richard Gere:

Cate Blanchett:

Ben Wishaw:

And apparently, this kid is also going to play a version of Bob Dylan:

I'm Not There photos source
Marcus Carl Franklin photo source

Link Time! 5/22

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 15:57:48 -0700

Best Week Ever ponders what you can and cannot buy with the Silver Surfer quarter.
Alas, "Heroes" is over for this season, but YouAintNoPicasso has a "Heroes"-themed playlist to keep you heroically entertained over the summer.
The Rock says that if he does, in fact, have the role of Captain Marvel in the Shazam! movie, he's very excited about it, according to MTV's movie blog.
Give Me My Remote takes a peek at the script for tonight's "Veronica Mars" finale.
Cinematical hopes Richard Gere's next movie project in which he bonds with a dog does not have an "Old Yeller fate."
Televisionista has photos from the "Ugly Betty" cast's musical performance at last week's Upfronts.
Popwatch shows some love for Ludacris' cameo on "The Simpsons" where he "played" a tube of toothpaste, Ludacrest.
The Film Experience breaks out of the movie world to gush over "Brothers & Sisters," particularly Sally Field's performance in the show, and I couldn't agree more.
TV Squad has the info on how fans can help Jay Leno celebrate 15 years in late night.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Buzz News Roundup, 4/26

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:30:42 -0700

"Idol Gives Back" has now raised more than $60 million, reports Zap2it.
SciFi.com reports that Kirsten Dunst will make her directorial debut with a short film about ghosts. She's also going to star in it, alongside Michelle Williams.
Advocates from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood think Shrek shouldn't be in an anti-obesity commercial if he's also in ads for junk food, says the AP.
Billboard tell us that Kanye West and Rod Stewart will be performing in the concert to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana's death.
Citing the nation's obscenity laws, an Indian judge has issued warrants for the arrest of Richard Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty for kissing on television, Reuters reports.
The singer of "Monster Mash," Bobby "Boris" Pickett, has died, the AP reports.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Buzz News Roundup, 4/16

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Hawaiian singer Don Ho has died at age 72, Variety reports.
The Wall Street Journal and Cormac McCarthy are among the Pulitzer Prize winners this year, the AP reports.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Ted Danson and Roger Cross have joined the cast of Mad Money with Katie Holmes.
"Drive" stalled in the ratings on Sunday, writes Zap2it.
Variety has the winners of the GLAAD Awards, including - ironically - "Grey's Anatomy."
According to AFP, Richard Gere is stirring up controversy after kissing an Indian actress at an event.
Regis will be back on TV April 26 following triple-bypass surgery, reports USA Today.
The Hollywood Reporter says "Lost"'s Evangeline Lilly will star opposite John Malkovich in Afterwards, a supernatural thriller.
By pleading guilty, Phish's Trey Anastasio avoids drug charges, Billboard reports.
The Los Angeles Times explains how Sahara became one of the biggest financial flops in film history.
Jewel, Tony Hawk and William Shatner are among the celebrities lined up for ABC's "Fast Cars and Superstars" car-racing series, says The Futon Critic.

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