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Rendition: Seeing Both Sides of the Coin

BuzzSugar — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:10:21 -0700

As it happens, Rendition was recently voted the audience favorite (best narrative feature) at the Mill Valley Film Festival. And yet, the movie hasn't exactly been embraced by critics. This is not unusual, and most times when there is a division between audience and critical opinion, I lean toward one side or the other. In this case, however, I can see both sides of the coin.

The film is either a suspenseful, mysterious drama, or it's a pithy, just barely skin-deep examination of a real-life issue that deserves a closer look than Rendition provides. The somber issue at the heart of the story (the U.S. condoning the seizure and torture of suspected terrorists without allowing them their normal legal rights) is either an important and thorny debate that people should know about no matter what, or it's something that is upsettingly trivialized when used like this, as shallow entertainment. The "twist" at the end is either a clever device that works well to make viewers gasp and feel smart, or it's a last-ditch attempt to make a not-great movie more interesting. To see more of what I mean, read more

The story follows the Egyptian-born Anwar El-Ibrahimi (Omar Metwally), who has lived in the U.S. for 20 years, was educated in the U.S. and has a green card. Returning to the U.S. from a business trip to South Africa, Anwar is seized, questioned and ultimately flown to an unidentified country in Northern Africa, where he is brutally tortured for information. Anwar's cell phone is apparently linked to a known terrorist who is suspected in a recent suicide bombing that killed a CIA officer. The torture is overseen by both a young, green analyst Douglas Freeman (Jake Gyllenhaal) as well as a seasoned interrogator Abasi (Igal Naor).

Meanwhile, Anwar's very pregnant wife Isabella (Reese Witherspoon) is growing frantic because of her husband's disappearance and solicits the help of an old flame (Peter Sarsgaard) who works for a senator. He informs her that Anwar was taken in on account of "extraordinary rendition," a U.S. policy by which suspected terrorists can be sent to other countries and tortured without legal consequences. Meryl Streep plays the official who oversees such processes with a callous self-righteousness. Adding to this American political drama is a star-crossed love story between Abasi's daughter and her dangerous lover. All storylines ultimately intersect.

Interestingly, that there are two drastically different ways to view this movie is in keeping with the issue itself. Many folks justify rendition as a way to weed out the bad guys, send a message to their friends and crack down on the few to save the many. The idea is that it "protects America" at the expense of a few bad apples (and some innocent apples that fall through the cracks). Or, rendition is an unfair process, and if you can imagine one of your loved ones being ripped away from you for no apparent reason, tortured and stripped of his rights, it wouldn't seem like such a noble thing. Both sides think they're right. I understand why the filmmakers may have wanted to make this movie. At the same time, I have zero desire to ever see it again, and I'm not quite sure that I would recommend it as a great film. If you're curious, see the movie and decide for yourself.

Photos courtesy of New Line

Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:00:31 -0700

Exciting news of the week: Sophie Kinsella's novel Confessions of a Shopaholic will be made into a movie.
Speaking of excitement, I got up close to John Krasinski so check out my interview with him. I also recently talked to Rose Byrne and she's cool, too.
Now that you know the differences between the two movies Reservation Road and Revolutionary Road, check out the trailer for Reservation Road.
I'm weighing in on the Emmy nominations all month. This week I mull over the nominations for Supporting Actor in a Comedy and Supporting Actress in a Comedy.
Backstreet's back... um, all right. Take a listen to their new single "Inconsolable" and tell me what you think.
Rumor has it Kristen Bell might guest star on "Lost" next season.
So many trailers, so little time. Check out Reese Witherspoon in the thrilling Rendition, scare yourself with the trailer for Halloween, and then have your heartstrings pulled by The Kite Runner.
There is an album of music from "Flight of the Concords" and you can hear that album online right now.
If you could recast Sixteen Candles, which actors would you choose?

Movie Preview: "Rendition"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 06:30:39 -0700

Three reasons to be excited about Rendition, Reese Witherspoon's latest film:

The story - a woman (Witherspoon) tries to find out what's happened to her missing husband, who is being tortured at a faraway prison on suspicion of being a terrorist - looks tense and captivating, and I'm always glad to see Reese tackle a dark, serious role.
Director Gavin Hood, who won an Oscar for his 2005 foreign language film Tsotsi, clearly knows his stuff.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Peter Saarsgard also star.

Add in Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin, and Rendition starts to seem like a film to keep an eye on this fall. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters on Oct. 12, but you can watch the trailer now if you read more

Source

Glee-ful Highlights and Video From Episode "Ballad"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:45:00 -0800

Maybe it's because Glee set the bar so high last week, or maybe it's the lack of Sue, but this week's episode just didn't do it for me. There are plenty of catchy tunes, but Rachel's all-of-a-sudden crush on Mr. Schue seems a bit forced, and it seems ridiculous that Will and Emma are best buddies again with no mention of their dramatic encounters from a few weeks ago.

It does have some touching moments (along with some sad ones) for Finn and Quinn, so to get into it just read more.

Mr Schue has the glee kids draw names out of a hat and assigns each pair a ballad to help them profess their feelings. He shoots himself in the foot when he throws his own name into the ring and Rachel draws it. One spot-on duet of "Endless Love" later, Rachel's found herself a brand new crush to distract her from her feelings for Finn. I liked this plot line, but something about it felt a bit too forced, like the writers just squeezed it in to have Mr. Schue sing his mash-up. I did kind of love when Terri has Rachel clean the bathroom, though, and when Emma and Rachel are equally goo-goo eyed over Mr. Schue's mini-performance. Speaking of Emma, aren't she and Will supposed to be trying to stay away from each other?

Watch Rachel and Mr. Schue gaze into each other's eyes here:

Quinn and Finn's situation comes to a head this week, and both end up breaking the news to their parents. Well, actually, Finn breaks the news to Quinn's parents via a dinner table performance of Paul Anka's "(You're) Having My Baby." While Quinn's parents are heartbreakingly unsupportive, Finn's mom takes the kids in when Quinn has nowhere else to go. The rest of the gleeks profess their own love for the couple with a rendition of "Lean on Me" which is super cheesy, but necessary after the harsh scene with Quinn's parents.
Puck finally breaks down and admits to Mercedes that he's the father of Quinn's baby. Mercedes doesn't even ask questions - just tells Puck that he's already done enough and to back off. Though Puck is staying away for now, it seems like the cat's out of the bag. Plus, did you catch the smirk he makes at Quinn at the end of the episode?

How'd you feel about this week's episode? Do you like the newfound bond between Finn and Kurt? Is Finn's dedication to a sonogram a little over the top? Sound off in the comments below, or create your own posts, recaps, polls and more in the Glee Club community group!

Photos courtesy of Fox

Glee-ful Highlights and Video From Episode "Wheels"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

After a few arduous weeks without Glee, the show is back - and thankfully, it doesn't disappoint. Not only are there some fabulous performances (showcasing new voices), but we learn a few secrets about Tina's stutter and Sue's family life.

Meanwhile, Finn and Quinn's relationship is unraveling fast, and Puck is ready to stand up and win his baby mama back. Ready to discuss all the fun? First check out the Glee Club in Community, then read more.

After sitting on the sidelines (no pun intended) for most of the first season, Artie finally gets his time in the spotlight this week. His rendition of "Dancing with Myself" is so good. Dare I say he's got a better voice than Finn? It's heartbreaking when the rest of the team doesn't rally behind him at first to try to raise money for the bus, but I love that Artie sasses Rachel back, saying, "You're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally." Mr. Schue gives his all to try to teach the Gleeks a lesson, making everyone sit in a wheelchair for 3 hours a day - which leads to a pretty stellar performance of "Proud Mary."

I could watch Artie's solo over and over again:

Artie's not the only supporting character we learn more about this week; Tina finally comes out of her shell a little. She plants a big kiss on Artie (!) before revealing that she's been faking her stutter for years. Unfortunately Artie turns the sweet moment into a dour one, giving Tina the cold shoulder for pretending to be "different" when she's really "just like everyone else." Though Artie is wounded, I felt like he's a bit harsh to Tina - especially since his disability clearly has no bearing on the way she feels towards him. Hopefully he'll give her another chance.
Quinn's also feeling like an outcast now that she's off the Cheerios. Seeing her out of that uniform is so refreshing, though her snotty attitude towards Finn was wearing on me. She does share a sweet moment with Puck though (fun times in the home ec room!), and I have a feeling that it's only a matter of time before she switches boyfriends, leaving Finn available for Rachel.
Mr. Schue gives his singing and dancing skills a rest this week, but his rivalry with Sue continues. Schue is shocked when Sue agrees to take Becky for the Cheerios and thinks she's up to no good. I have to admit I also thought that Sue has an evil plan in mind, but she does have a point when she tells Schue that she's treating handicapped Becky "no different from anyone else." Then, we realize that Sue isn't entirely made of stone after all when she visits her handicapped sister in a home.
It's business as usual for Rachel when Mr. Schue offers her the lead vocals on "Defying Gravity," but Kurt finally takes a stand against her. Though the part is written for a woman, Schue arranges a "diva-off" when Kurt's dad stands up for his son. The relationship between Kurt and his dad makes a lot of progress - especially when Kurt throws the sing-off to protect his dad from attacks about having a gay son.

Check out Kurt laying down the voting rules:

Are you as happy as I am to have Glee back? Are you excited about the new coupling between Artie and Tina? Use the comments to chime in!

Photo courtesy of Fox

Jake Gyllenhaal May Be Thrilling Audiences With Source Code

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

It seems so long since we've seen Jake Gyllenhaal on screen (2007 in Rendition, to be exact), so I'm glad that we're about to get a lot more of him. Next month we'll catch him in Brothers, then in the Spring all buffed up in Prince of Persia - and he won't be slowing down. Gyllenhaal is in talks to star in the sci-fi thriller Source Code.

The geeky-titled flick is about a soldier (ostensibly played by Gyllenhaal) who "wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a harrowing train bombing until he can determine who is responsible for it." These days it seems like Gyllenhaal is balancing his more emotional roles (like in Brothers) with some aggressive action flicks. I don't mind - whatever the genre, I'm just happy to welcome him back to the theater.

What's the Best Pop Culture Costume You Saw This Year?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:30:00 -0800

Another Halloween has come and gone, and as usual I saw plenty of costumes from the pop culture world. As expected, there were some Jon and Kates (like Heidi and Spencer's rendition), a few Edwards and Bellas, and some Michael Jacksons in the mix.

Then there were a few more obscure references that pleasantly surprised me - one of my co-workers rocked it as Joanna from Office Space, and two of my friends were adorable in homemade outfits inspired by the movie Eagle vs. Shark. What fun costumes did you see?

Glee-ful Highlights and Video From Episode "Mash-Up"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:30:00 -0700

The Glee train is chugging right along, and I don't just mean the new episodes. This week we learned that Madonna has given the green light for the show to use her music and the first 13 episodes will be available on DVD in December. Now, on to the good stuff.

This week the tables turned on the glee club's king and queen, as Finn and Quinn learn that they're no longer safe from getting the slushie treatment. Ken tries to make the football guys choose between the team and the club as a retaliation for Will's relationship with Emma, and Sue finds love! For a minute. Oh, and Puck and Rachel team up and Mr. Schue has his own dance dance revolution, so read more.

I was happy that this week's episode is Terri-free but has tons of Emma. Emma singing! Emma dancing! Emma in a wedding dress! I still can't forgive her for agreeing to marry Ken, but she's pret-ty adorable all dolled up staring into Will's eyes. Speaking of which, the tension between them is more palpable than ever. They're almost like the new Jim and Pam.
So, Rachel and Puck? I guess it was only a matter of time, but their little love affair still feels totally random. On the other hand, I guess that's what high school is all about. When Rachel shows a bit of maturity and asks Puck to be friends, Puck pulls a typical jerk move and gives her the cold shoulder. So the real question is - how long before Puck gets Quinn and Rachel gets Finn? Between Emma/Schue and the gleeks, there's just unrequited crushing up the wazoo.
Let's talk about the performances. I know that Mr. Schue is a talented singer and dancer, but I have to admit that I was cringing during "Bust a Move" and almost couldn't watch the "Thong Song." Can't they use those pipes and moves on something a little less embarrassing? Puck's rendition of "Sweet Caroline" is, for lack of a better word, sweet, and I loved Emma's surprise performance of "I Could've Danced All Night."

Need to watch Schue's "Thong Song" serenade again? Check it out!

Emma isn't the only one getting dance lessons, though. Sue swing dancing with Schue is genius. It's by far my favorite moment of the episode, particularly that Sue plays the guy, literally sweeping Will off his feet in the end. Sue finally shows that she's got a mushy side when she falls for the news anchor, but obviously it doesn't last long. However, her lovestruck episode does deliver some memorable moments, like that zoot suit.

Check out a cute behind-the-scenes video of Matthew Morrison and Jane Lynch practicing their dance number:

The episode isn't without a few cheesy after-school special moments, too. Poor Kurt shows Finn the true meaning of friendship, taking a slushie to the face "for the team." Then Finn answers back when he returns to glee with high hopes to pave the way for all the singing, dancing, football players of the future. The week's winning mushy moment goes to the kids happily giving Mr. Schue a slushie facial of his very own.

What'd you think? Should Finn and Quinn just break up already? Will Sue get another shot at love? Did you miss crazy Terri? Don't forget to join the Glee Club in the Buzz Community to keep the conversation going!

Photos courtesy of Fox

Buzz In: Which Song Covers Do You Like Better Than the Original?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:30:40 -0700

Cover songs typically get a bad rap, but every once and a while a remake of a catchy track comes along that's worthy of its predecessor. (Just take Sinead O'Connor's version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," for instance).

Kelly Clarkson did her own renditions of The White Stripes's "Seven Nation Army" and Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" in concert earlier this week, and her samplings weren't half bad. (Check 'em out here). It got me thinking about the other great remakes out there - I'm a big fan of Cat Powers's cover albums, Sia's "Gimme More," and even some of the takes on Rihanna's "Umbrella" that ran rampant two years ago, like Mandy Moore's.

How about you? Do you have a cover song that you like even better than the original?

Leave it in the comments, or just pop over to BuzzSugar Community's Music Review Group to discuss anything music-related!

FlashForward Breakdown, "White to Play"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:29 -0700

FlashForward's sophomore episode packs as much punch as its pilot: more action, questions raised, and lives on the line. As the FBI continues to investigate what caused the blackout, the world's residents find themselves united in their shared experience. They may never be able to look at life the same way again, but as Aaron says, "We're all prophets now."

Last week I broke down the episode by character, but this time around I'm focusing on the biggest questions of the night and even sharing a few of my own predictions. To get down to the nitty-gritty (spoilers ahead, of course), just read more.

Who is D. Gibbons?
Knowing that one of Mark's vision cards says "D. Gibbons," Mark and Demetri start to discuss the person in question when a woman with a box of cupcakes shows up, and - you guessed it! - her name is Deedee Gibbons! Seems simple enough, but as it turns out, there's another D. Gibbons. Mark and Demetri track him to his creeptastic doll factory in Utah, where he tries to administer death by explosion. Later we learn that D. Gibbons is in contact with "Agent Zero" (aka the Detriot stadium walker) during the two-minute blackout.

Can Demetri avoid his fate?
Demetri continues to wrestle with his vision (or lack thereof), and is seemingly comforted to find a policewoman with the same experience. That is, until she's dead five minutes later. Mark tries to convince him that he may be asleep in the future, but Demetri gets an anonymous call at the end of the episode bearing the worst news: On March 15, 2010, he will be murdered.

Will Mark's actions throw his vision off course?
I have to admit that throughout the episode, I was kind of mad at Mark for a lot of reasons. First of all, he acts cold towards Olivia because of her adulterous flash-forward when he's not being truthful about his own. She took a big risk by revealing her vision to her husband; the least he can do is lay off of her a little. My other major gripe is that Mark seems to be actively fulfilling his vision. He arranges the cards in his office exactly how they were in the flash-forward, and heads to the dollhouse factory because it appears in his vision. If Mark is trying to avoid his prophecy, couldn't he be more active about moving in a new direction? (Demetri agrees with me, mostly because he doesn't want to believe his own fate). By the end of the episode, Mark finally tries to break the pattern by tossing his friendship bracelet into the fireplace. But will a butterfly effect take place?

What did Charlie see in her vision?
The episode opens to a very creepy rendition of children singing "Ring Around the Rosie" as we see Charlie's playmates re-enacting the blackout on the playground (later we get a reprise of the haunting tune). Charlie is the only kid in school who doesn't want to talk about her vision, prompting her teacher to worry about Charlie's psychological well-being. Later we find out that she had a "bad vision" and that Lloyd Simcoe's son Dylan is a part of it. The episode ends on a chilling note as she tells Mark, "D. Gibbons is a bad man."
My prediction: D. Gibbons kidnaps Dylan and Charlie at some point, which causes Mark's and Olivia's relationship to unravel. Charlie gets a glimpse of her imprisonment in her vision.

Other major points

"He who foresees calamities, suffers them twice over" - D. Gibbons mutters this line shortly before blowing up the factory.
Olivia recognizes Lloyd from her vision, but not vice-versa.
Is Bryce sketching Olivia in the hospital?
Am I the only one who noticed a little bit of sexual tension between Demetri and Janis? Could Demetri be the father of her child?

I've given you my two cents, now I want to hear yours! Sound off the comments below!