BuzzSugar

Adam: An Unusual, Careful Romance

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:30:36 -0700

There's a sense throughout Adam that writer/director Max Mayer has crafted his film very carefully. There are few, if any, moments that seem like they could offend or turn heads or overstep bounds. And that's probably not surprising, considering that it's not every day a film features a character with Asperger's syndrome as a romantic lead. The downside of Mayer's restrained approach is that Adam doesn't build a ton of momentum. The upside is that the central romance is so well-written and well-performed that it's worth seeing through to the end.

The lead character, of course, is Adam (Hugh Dancy), an engineer with a love for outer space. He also has Aspberger's, a kind of high-functioning autism that causes him to have trouble navigating social situations. That's especially problematic when he meets Beth (Rose Byrne), who's new to his apartment building and attempts to befriend him. Beth isn't the most social of creatures herself - in one early scene, she laments to her father that being an only child has made her permanently socially inept - and she seems to understand Adam even before he tells her about his Aspberger's. The two of them become friends, and then more, leading to a fairly unusual big-screen romance. Want to know what makes this film work? Just read more.

By far, the performances by Byrne and Dancy are the best part of Adam. Dancy, in particular, completely owns the movie with his performance, which is evocative, sensitive, and occasionally surprising. At times, he and Mayer's script play Adam's misreading of social situations for laughs (or, at least, chuckles), including the moment when Adam attempts to clean Beth's windows while dangling outside the building wearing a space suit. Other times, it's hard to tell what Adam is going to do: when Adam becomes angry with Beth at one point, it feels like we're seeing a side of him that he tries hard to keep hidden. Byrne, meanwhile, effectively shows both the love Beth feels for Adam and her confusion about feeling it. Beth knows that a relationship with Adam will never be easy, but Byrne manages to make us understand why Beth wants it anyway.

But Adam isn't just about Adam and Beth's relationship. There's another theme at work, one about truth and honesty, which we see mostly through a side story about Beth's family. Beth essentially has two men in her life: Adam, who for better or worse says exactly what she's thinking, and her father, who's slowly revealed to be less virtuous than Beth might have thought. (A third man - an ex-boyfriend who cheated on Beth - lurks in the background, unseen but clearly influencing some of Beth's actions.) When Mayer's script ties the two stories together, it's almost too neatly done; there's nothing unexpected about that resolution.

What did surprise me, though, was the ending - which, without saying too much, is where I hoped Mayer would take these characters without ever believing until the movie's final moments that he actually would. It's not necessarily new, or different, or shocking, but it is sweet and satisfying. And overall, that's the story of Adam itself.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Where Are the Best Roles for Actresses: TV or Movies?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Considering that television holds second-rate status to film in a lot of people's minds, it's amazing to think of all of the stellar silver screen actresses who are currently working on TV. In a recent panel organized by The Hollywood Reporter, a whole bunch of them - including Sigourney Weaver, Regina King, January Jones, Anna Paquin, Rose Byrne, and Mary McDonnell - talked about the great roles available for women on the small screen right now.

That got me wondering if TV is providing actresses with better opportunities than film. But then there are actresses like Kate Winslet, who prove that meaty, interesting movie roles for women are still out there.

Take a look at this discussion and then tell me: Are the best roles for women on TV right now? Or are women getting more interesting opportunities in the movies?

Movie Preview: Adam

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:30:21 -0700

Ever since I heard about Adam, which premiered at Sundance this year, I've been dying to see a preview for it - and now it's finally here! This sweet-looking romance stars Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne (Damages) as two twentysomethings who live in the same apartment complex. They become interested in each other and might be on the path to love if not for one little thing: Adam (Dancy) suffers from Asperger's syndrome, which means he has trouble navigating dating and other social situations.

I was worried that this movie might be a little too sentimental, but the trailer is charming, with a few moments that made me laugh out loud nestled between the emotional scenes. The reviews out of Sundance were generally positive, with one critic describing it as "extremely touching and sweet."

The movie also stars Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Mark Linn-Baker and will hit theaters July 29. To watch the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sundance

TV Tonight: The Damages Season Two Finale

BuzzSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:30:17 -0700

I'm both relieved and dismayed that Damages ends its second season tonight. The relief comes from finally putting the pieces together - whom does Ellen shoot? what is UNR really up to? - after another breathless season of twists and flashes through time. The dismay comes from knowing it will be a year until I get to see this show again.

No show keeps me guessing quite like Damages, and after the first season, I learned to trust the writers: they delivered a finale that wrapped up a satisfying amount of loose ends and left me with something to look forward to in the next batch of episodes. I'm hoping for the same result tonight, since we already know the show will be back for a third season.

Have you been watching this season? Which characters do you think were the best additions to the cast? (I've been loving The Wire alumni Clarke Peters as Dave and John Doman as Walter Kendrick.) Which twist knocked you on the floor the most? By the way, if you're recording tonight's finale, double-check your DVR: The episode's set to run 92 minutes. For now, you can check out a preview for the episode, titled "Trust Me," if you read more.

Watch more Damages videos on AOL Video

Photo courtesy of FX

Movie Preview: Nicolas Cage, Rose Byrne in Knowing

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:30:41 -0700

Opening March 20, Knowing features Nicolas Cage as a teacher whose son finds an old document with a bunch of numbers on it in a time capsule at his school. Turns out the numbers represent a series of creepy predictions, some of which have already come true. But one of the predictions for the future has the teacher worried that he and his family are about to face something terrible.

The trailer looks a little on the generic side, with Cage doing his best as the worried, stressed-out father who's just trying to figure it all out while making impossible promises to his son. I like the mysterious puzzle aspect of it, though, and maybe it'll turn out to be kinda neat.

Does this action-thriller appeal to you? Or not so much? To watch the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment

2009 Sundance Spotlight: Adam, Humpday, I Love You Phillip Morris

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:30:28 -0800

While I won't be heading 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 (like Chris Rock's) to talented young filmmaker debuts to a potential runaway hit, Sundance is filled with entertainment possibilities. Here are today's selections:

Adam
Boy, do I love me some Hugh Dancy and I've been waiting for this actor to land a juicy, leading role. Well, my prayers have been answered with Adam, in which he stars as a fellow who's a little bit different. The movie explores the idea that "truly reaching another person means bravely stretching into discomfiting territory - and the shake-up can be liberating." Dancy's co-stars include Damages's Rose Byrne, as well as Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Mark Linn-Baker. I can't wait to see this one!

For two others, including that jail movie with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor, just read more.

Humpday
The director of this movie, Lynn Shelton, describes her feature-length film premiering at Sundance this year as "two dudes attempting to out-dude each other by attempting to do each other." This movie, which aims to "unearth the biggest ironies in the male ego," is rather timely as Brody Jenner and his crew currently show up once a week to unwittingly demonstrate those ironies in Bromance. Anyway. At its essence, this is the kind of project that independent film festivals are made for: It doesn't star anyone you've heard of and the director is someone who's dabbled in film and art for a while. It looks really quirky and funny - click here to check out a clip.

I Love You Phillip Morris
This movie stars Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor as lovers and comes from two directors: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It's a "tale of a spectacularly charismatic and resourceful con-man's journey from small-town cop to flamboyant white-collar criminal." I have high hopes for this offbeat flick from the same minds behind Bad Santa, and I think it's cool that Jim Carrey is stretching a bit as an actor. The movie's not in competition but will premiere at Sundance this year. Here's a clip:

Photos courtesy of Sundance

Check Out This Spooky New Promo For Damages

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:30:57 -0800

I first saw this promo for the second season of Damages before Saturday Night Live last week, and it caught me completely off guard. It looked so slick that I assumed it had to be part of the show, and I kept waiting for it to get funny.

Around the point that Ellen steps on Patty Hewes's throat, though, I started to understand what I was actually dealing with.

This is the first promo FX has released for the new season, which premieres Jan. 7. There's no new footage, unfortunately, but we do see both Ellen (Rose Byrne) and Patty (Glenn Close), and via a voiceover we learn a bit about what's been going on with Ellen since last we saw her. Specifically, she's now fabulously wealthy and working at the right hand of Patty - but she's clearly not forgiven her boss for that attempt on her life.

It seems consistent with what I heard back at the TCA press tour about Ellen really coming into her own this season. But can anyone scare Patty Hewes? To take a look at the promo for yourself, just read more.

Photo courtesy of FX

Get "Damaged" With FX's Saturday Marathon

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:30:00 -0700

FX's thriller-mystery series Damages, starring Glenn Close, was one of the best entertainment-related things to come out of 2007, period. It's dark, edgy, and so well written, it succeeded in becoming another one of FX's shows (along with Nip/Tuck and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) that brings the cable channel into a whole different league. These shows have way more in common with stuff you'd see on HBO or Showtime than say, USA. In fact, as Broadcasting & Cable points out, "Damages, along with AMC’s Mad Men, became the first basic-cable drama series ever nominated in the Golden Globes Outstanding Series category."

The show won't pick up again with new episodes until 2009, but if you missed the first season last Summer, FX is reairing the entire season tomorrow, Saturday Aug. 9, starting at 7:00 a.m. To find out what I love so much about this show, read more.

Glenn Close plays ruthless litigator Patty Hewes and Rose Byrne is Ellen Parsons, Patty's young, doe-eyed employee. Together with senior associate Tom Shayes (Tate Donovan), the team is embroiled in a class-action suit against billionaire CEO Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson). Yet when murders start occurring - including the murder of someone close to Ellen - Ellen realizes the stakes are way higher than she'd originally perceived. Intricately-woven mysteries, red herrings, and crazy plot twists (like even more shocking murders) abound.

It's most fascinating to watch the dynamics of Rose Byrnes and Glenn Close's hero-villain dichotomy, partly because it's refreshing to see two female leads in a legal/crime drama. In particular, Close engages the audience in a constant push-pull; just when we think of Patty as the most evil, amoral snake imaginable, she somehow gains our sympathy - for just a moment. But that moment is enough to keep us riveted.

Photo courtesy of FX

Glenn Close and Damages Hold Court at TCA

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:30:56 -0700

The first season of FX's Damages was enthralling and chilling, and from just the couple of minutes we got to glimpse Tuesday morning at the TCA press tour, the show still has its captivating qualities. The show's main cast - including two of the three new cast members, William Hurt and Timothy Olyphant - was on hand to discuss a bit of what we'll see in the coming months, and I already feel sucked back in to the Damages universe. Some of this is spoilery, so if you don't want to know anything about season two, stop here - but if you want to hear about the new characters, the evolution of Ellen, and the fate of Arthur Frobisher (well, maybe), just read more.

First things first: Ted Danson attended the Damages panel. But does that mean Frobisher is alive? Apparently, we shouldn't go that far. The show has so many flashbacks and flash-forwards that it's hard to say exactly when and in what context we'll be seeing Danson's character. (Although, it's worth noting that FX President John Landgraf said earlier in the day that Frobisher "did survive.")

Moving on, one of the biggest changes we'll see in the new season comes is the evolution of Ellen. In the clips we watched, she's bracing and in control, telling the agents she's working with that she wants to wear a wire while Patty talks to her about the Frobisher case and telling someone (who wasn't visible in the clip) that they should be terrified. "We all wanted to approach Ellen in a very different way to make her more of a warrior in season two," Rose Byrne said. "This season she's kind of made of steel a little bit more, which is really interesting to play. The first season, the audience was so much ahead of her . . . This season, it's sort of the reverse."

Ellen is also in therapy, which is where she encounters one of the show's new characters: Wes, played by Timothy Olyphant. According to executive producer Daniel Zelman, he's "a mysterious figure who comes to be a confidant of Ellen's because they've both been through similar traumas recently. What the future of their relationship will be is something for the audience to guess at and wonder."

As for the other newcomers:

William Hurt plays Daniel Purcell, a figure who enters Patty's life in trouble - though we don't know what kind of trouble - and seeking legal aid. It seemed from the clip that his story would form the basis for this season's new case.
Marcia Gay Harden, who was not present because she'd only just been cast, will play a high-powered attorney for an unspecified company who appears to be behind some equally unspecified wrongdoing.

If you're getting the sense that there are a lot of secrets, it's true - but there's also a lot that's left to be figured out. The producers emphasized several times that they liked to keep things fluid, and all of the actors mentioned that their stories could (and did) change up until the very last minute.

As for Patty Hewes, Glenn Close says Patty seems to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as well. "She still has a lot of very unresolved issues going on that take more energy to cover up than before," she said.

A couple of other interesting tidbits:

Here's how Close described the typical reaction she got to the show's twists and turns from her family and random strangers on the street: "Tell me what's in the box - don't tell me!" They all seemed to have a huge respect for how engaging the show can be, especially Hurt, who said he stayed up till 5 a.m. watching episodes when the idea of taking the role first came up.
About those flashbacks: The show is still going to play with time; Zelman called the flash-forwards and flashbacks "a signature of the show." But he said the producers' goal this year is to make them slightly easier to grasp this year.
Throughout the session, Damages was occasionally referred to as being like a novel, with each season telling a full story. It's interesting to think about that and try to imagine what season three will look like (since FX has already committed to it). Presumably Patty and Ellen will still be around - but will anyone else?
Danson wouldn't tell us how often Frobisher will be on the show - and he insisted that's because he doesn't know.

Photos courtesy of FX and Source

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:29:57 -0800

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to these titles, you can also check out the indie comedy Smiley Face, starring John Krasinski and Anna Faris.

3:10 to Yuma
This remake of the classic 1957 Glen Ford Western is a fine example of how to make a Western film that will be palatable to modern audiences. There's action and intrigue, danger and betrayal, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe providing solid performances.

The film takes place in late-1800s Arizona where struggling rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) finds himself in the presence of famed outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe), and with the promise of a sizable reward, Dan agrees to help deliver Ben to the 3:10 PM train that will take him to the Yuma prison. Yet Ben's men are hot on Dan's trail, and the stakes get even higher when Dan's son William joins the group, trying to help his father get Ben on that train.

Special features on the DVD include a making-of documentary, audio commentary with director James Mangold, a featurette on the history of Western film and a featurette on the role of real-life outlaws in the history of the Old West.

Two more new titles, so read more.

Eagle vs. Shark
One of the year's sweetest and most offbeat love stories, Eagle vs. Shark also gets credit for introducing me to Jemaine Clement, the drolly hilarious New Zealander who took TV by storm in Flight of the Conchords this summer. In Eagle vs. Shark, Clement plays Jarrod, a lovable loser who doesn't know he's a loser - and who's bent on exacting revenge on a high school rival. Things get complicated when he meets Lily (Loren Horsley), a gawky oddball who doesn't quite know how to deal with Jarrod's self-important quest. To check out my full review of the movie, along with a trailer, click here.

Sunshine
A favorite among sci-fi enthusiasts, Sunshine follows a spaceship crew (which includes Cillian Murphy and Damages' Rose Byrne) in the year 2057 who have been tasked with reigniting the dying sun.

The DVD features plenty of extras, like an audio commentary by director Danny Boyle as well as an audio commentary by physicist Dr. Brian Cox. There are also deleted scenes, an alternate ending and cast interviews.