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Name That Movie

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:30:19 -0800

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Bad Lieutenant: Good Cop Gone Nuts

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:49 -0800

Nicolas Cage has said, "There's a very fine line between Method actor and schizophrenic." In Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, he teeters that line maniacally, with an ever-increasing slur and crooked swagger. Cage plays Terence McDonagh, a detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating a drug-related murder and his personal threshold for cocaine and heroin.

The first news of Bad Lieutenant was puzzling: famously extreme director Werner Herzog re-imagining a 1992 cult movie, also called Bad Lieutenant, but shifting the action to New Orleans and casting Nic Cage in the Harvey Keitel role opposite his Ghost Rider costar Eva Mendes. Weird.

But in fact, Bad Lieutenant is Herzog's second surprisingly accessible movie in as many years, following 2007's Rescue Dawn. And Cage is brilliant in a role seemingly made for him, so read more.

The noirish, pulpy, desperate, and often hilarious film opens with a good deed: McDonagh dives into a Katrina-flooded jail cell to save a prisoner's life, in the process injuring his back and subsequently getting hooked on Vicodin and then far harder drugs.

As a degenerate cop in a washed-out city, Cage makes Denzel Washington's Training Day villain look like a Boy Scout. He slithers through the streets, confiscating drugs to snort with his prostitute girlfriend (Mendes), hooking up with a drug kingpin played by Alvin "Xzibit" Joiner, and fending off a rising tide of self-created trouble. "Being courteous is really getting in the way of my progress," he croaks before one of his more disturbing moral lapses.

In post-Katrina New Orleans, Herzog has found the perfect setting. He never lets the city look pretty or even charmingly decayed, and he populates it with iguanas and alligators and snakes and fish. At every turn, McDonagh is confronted by cold-blooded animals, as he careens between the call of duty and the cold-blooded instinct of his addiction. It's impossible to ignore the reptilian symbolism, and the effect is perfectly bizarre. Despite its darkest moments, Bad Lieutenant is a remarkably good trip.

Photos Courtesy First Look Studios

The Blind Side: An Unexpected Delight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:42 -0800

It's not that the trailer for The Blind Side isn't compelling; the problem is that it combines Sandra Bullock's twangiest, most-over-the top lines with a heartrending song, which makes it seem schlocky. That's exactly what I expected from the movie, but I have to admit that I was wrong - to my surprise, I found it to be a sentimental gem that's actually quite restrained.

The Blind Side is the true story (based on Michael Lewis's book) of NFL player Michael Oher, who grew up in Memphis's projects with his drug-addicted mother and landed in and out of foster homes. He ended up in a fancy private school and in the home of a wealthy family, the Touhys, led by tough-talking Leigh Anne (Bullock). The weaving of Michael's newfound life in the movie is effective, with sweet bits of humor and just enough emotion.

To see what I liked about the film, just read more.

The movie is full of many surprises: first, it looks like it's going to be mainly about football, but it's not all sports. There is proper attention given to Michael's life before he's taken in and the development of the relationships between the Touhy family members and Michael.

Another nice thing is how smoothly Bullock slides into her role. It's not just her wardrobe and hair that transforms her into the high-maintenance Southern matriarch; her manner as the tough mom who's not completely comfortable showing emotion is very natural - not what I'd expect from the laid-back actress.

Quinton Aaron is also impressive as a sad-eyed orphan turned well-adjusted student and son over the course of the movie. It's not an incredibly complex performance, but his teddy bear presence is irresistible. The supporting players are equally as enjoyable: Tim McGraw, whom I didn't expect much from, is charming, while the Touhy children win you over with their affection for their new brother. The late addition of Kathy Bates (whose role is basically an extended cameo) is hardly needed to bolster the movie, but she adds a nice touch as well.

At two hours and six minutes, the movie is a little too long; director John Lee Hancock seemed intent on fitting in nearly every detail of Michael's journey. Then again, at the end you're rewarded with the payoff: footage and photos of the real-life Touhys and Michael. It's an emotionally satisfying ending to a movie that makes no apologies for being so uplifting.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Robert Pattinson's Next Leading Lady Is Uma Thurman

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:25:01 -0800

New Moon hits the theaters today, and with it comes even more news about the future of Robert Pattinson's career: Uma Thurman has signed on to star opposite the heartthrob in the upcoming Bel Ami. Pattinson is George Duroy, a poor journalist who sleeps his way to the top in Paris, and Thurman will play the woman who eventually becomes his wife. Kristin Scott Thomas has also just signed on for the film.

Nicole Kidman's name was originally attached to the project, and I have to admit that I would have preferred to see her playing opposite Pattinson. Still, it should be interesting (to say the least) to see him in the arms of an older woman. Many of you aren't digging Pattinson's Remember Me costar Emilie de Ravin (check out the trailer here), but are you more intrigued to see him alongside one of Hollywood's seasoned veterans?

New Moon: Better Than Twilight

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:45:00 -0800

Let's be honest: for most of you, it doesn't matter what I - or any critics for that matter - have to say about New Moon, the incredibly anticipated sequel to last year's Twilight. The film started breaking box office records before it was even released, and audiences will flock to the theaters for weeks to come. On the plus side, a ticket to New Moon is a win even if you're not a Twihard - provided that you know what you're getting into.

New Moon is not incredibly acted, and it doesn't boast impressive dialogue or larger-than-life special effects. But it's not trying to be the Best Picture of the Year, so I can only critique it for what it is: a fantasy movie about a love triangle between a werewolf, a vampire, and a teenage girl. To see what I mean, just read more.

The movie picks up a few months after where Twilight left off. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is blissfully in love but she can't fight her insecurities about growing older than her perpetually seventeen vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). All Bella wants for her eighteenth birthday is for Edward to change her into a bloodsucker, but a close call with his brother drives Edward to break up with Bella and leave town instead.

The drama following Bella's abandonment is everything we remember from high school heartbreak, from Bella's night terrors to the glazed over look in her eye. The anguish and pain are easily seen on Stewart's face, and her innermost thoughts are revealed to the audience through letters to Edward's sister Alice that will never be sent. After months of moping, Bella finally starts to open up to Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), a family friend. As Bella struggles to find hope in a life without Edward, her friendship is complicated by Jacob's romantic feelings for Bella and made worse when Jacob discovers that he's a werewolf (and an enemy to all vampires).

The surprise of the movie is Lautner's performance. We've seen and heard about those muscles countless times before, but he also packs enough charm and charisma into his Jacob that you truly see him as more than just Bella's unrelenting admirer / best friend. He presents himself as a viable suitor for Bella's heart, and it's hard not to root for him against Robert Pattinson's wooden (albeit handsome) Edward. Stewart and Pattinson have chemistry to spare in Twilight, but in New Moon, Bella's relationship with Jacob seems hopeful and comfortable while her scenes with Edward are mostly awkward and frankly not as much fun to watch.

The movie belongs to Stewart and Lautner, but their melodrama is balanced out by the characters who pad out the cast. Yes, we meet the wolf pack and the Volturi, but for the most part the Forks residents and beyond make for some much-needed comic relief. The downside is that while it's funnier than what you'd expect, not all of the laughs are intentional (a scene where Jacob's temper rivals that of The Incredible Hulk comes to mind).

It doesn't take more than a grain of salt to appreciate New Moon for what it is - a film that stays true to its origin and delivers the necessary elements to ensure that you'll be back when the next installment of the franchise comes our way.

Photos courtesy of Summit Entertainment

Gear Up For New Moon With All of Our Cool Content!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:30:36 -0800

New Moon's big release is tomorrow, and if you're not one of the many checking out a midnight screening, then you still have some time to kill before heading to the theater. While you're waiting, why not check out all of my posts about the film - it's the perfect way to get excited for the big day!

Before They Were New Moon stars	Are Spoilers Ruining New Moon?	New Moon's Werewolf Bar Mitzvah
Buzz interview with Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz	Who will have the biggest post-Twilight career?	Check out photos of the new cast members!
Test your New Moon trivia	Highlights from the New Moon soundtrack	What's next for the New Moon stars

Movie Preview: Robert Pattinson in Remember Me

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:41:10 -0800

A little Robert Pattinson overload never hurt anyone, but here's a break from all of his vampire stuff - the official trailer for Remember Me! Yesterday we took a peek at the first stills from the film, but here we get a much better taste for Pattinson's chemistry with Emilie de Ravin in the upcoming drama/romance. Pattinson plays Tyler, a broody but romantic college student who falls for the daughter of a cop (de Ravin). Pierce Brosnan also stars as Tyler's dad, while Chris Cooper plays the police officer who has an issue with Tyler's bad boy antics.

I was a bit skeptical about Pattinson's next film, but I have to admit that the movie looks intriguing despite a few cliches and a bit of cheesiness. It's nice to see Pattinson playing it straight in a more grownup role than the perpetual teenage vampire, and he and de Ravin have a fair amount of sweetness. It's enough to keep his fan base happy, that's for sure.

To see the trailer for yourself and tell me what you think, just read more.

Rob Pattinson Cuddles Up to Emilie de Ravin in Remember Me

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:15:14 -0800

It's all about New Moon for Robert Pattinson these days, but once the mania goes on hiatus, it'll be time for him to start promoting a project outside the franchise. Remember Me opens in March of next year, and here are the first still photos of Pattinson with costar Emilie de Ravin. Seems a bit weird to see ~~Edward~~ Pattinson cuddling up to someone other than Kristen Stewart, but he still looks pretty hot with his signature hair (skipping the paleface makeup is an added bonus). What do you think of these photos? To see what projects the other New Moon stars have in the pipeline, check out my slideshow!

View 2 Photos ›

Movie Preview: Miley Cyrus in The Last Song

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:56 -0800

Are you ready for your second Nicholas Sparks movie preview in as many months? (Last month's was the romance Dear John.) Here it is: The Last Song stars Miley Cyrus (cue The Soup's "It's Miley!" sound bite) as a girl who's dropped off at the home of her estranged father to spend the Summer. Obviously she doesn't want to be there, obviously she falls for a local boy, and obviously she and her father end up bonding.

You couldn't call me a Miley fan, but I do love Greg Kinnear, who plays her well-meaning father. From the trailer, the movie looks very sweet and very schlocky - which is exactly how Sparks usually does it. Interestingly, Sparks was commissioned to write both the screenplay and novel simultaneously, with Cyrus in mind. While I don't know that I'll be rushing to the theater for this one, it's probably something you'd find me secretly Netflixing later on; I'm kind of a sucker for the addictive cheesiness of a Sparks movie.

Check out the trailer for The Last Song when you read more.

The Last Song comes out on April 2, 2010.

Jennifer Hudson Makes a Big Move Back to the Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:38 -0800

I was a bit worried about what would become of Jennifer Hudson's film career when she followed up her tour de force performance in Dreamgirls with a role in Sex and the City, but it looks like the singer/actress is ready to sink her teeth into another juicy role. Hudson is set to play Winnie Mandela, Nelson's former wife, in the upcoming drama Winnie. The film is based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography Winnie Mandela: A Life and will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt.

We'll get a peek into Nelson Mandela's life in next month's release of Invictus, but I might be even more curious to learn about Winnie. After taking a hiatus to work on her music, I'm interested to see if Jennifer can carry such a big role - sounds to me like she may already have another Oscar on the brain.

Are you psyched to see Jennifer return to the big screen, or do you prefer her as a singer?