Review: "AVATAR: The Way of Water" is Indeed Too Long, But it is Never Boring

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 of 2023 (No. 1890) by Leroy Douresseaux

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)

Running time:  192 minutes (3 hours, 12 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence and intense action, partial nudity and some strong language

DIRECTOR:  James Cameron

WRITERS:  James Cameron and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver; from a story by James Cameron, Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno

PRODUCERS:  James Cameron and Jon Landau 

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Russell Carpenter (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen Rivkin, and David Brenner

COMPOSER:  Simon Franglen

SCI-FI/FANTASY, ADVENTURE, DRAMA/WAR

Starring:  Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Jamie Flatters, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans Jr., Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald

Avatar: The Way of Water is a 2022 science fiction-fantasy, action-adventure, drama and war film from director James Cameron.  It is a direct sequel to the 2009 film, Avatar.  In The Way of Water, the world of Pandora is under renewed threat from human invaders, forcing Na'vi Jake Sully to seek refuge for his family with a new tribe.

Avatar: The Way of Water opens on the habitable moon, Pandora (one of several moons orbiting a gas giant planet), a decade after the events of the original film.  The former human who led the Na'vi fight that expelled the humans, Na'vi Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington), is now chief of the Na'vi “Omaticaya” clan.  He raises a family with his mate, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), that includes sons, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters) and Lo'ak (Britain Dalton); daughter, Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss); and two adopted children.  They are a human boy named “Spider” (Jack Champion) and Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), a girl who was born from the inert avatar of Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver), the late scientist who sided with Jake Sulley in his first battle with the humans.

However, to the dismay of the Na'vi, the human corporation, Resources Development Administration (RDA), has returned to Pandora.  This time, RDA wants to prepare Pandora as a new home for humanity because the Earth is dying.  RDA has even created new combatants, called “recombinants,” which are Na'vi avatars implanted with the minds and memories of human soldiers killed in the first conflict with the Na'vi.  One of them is Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang), Jake and Neytiri's greatest human enemy and now leaders of the recombinants.

A year after the return, there is a confrontation between Jake's forces and Quaritch's forces.  Jake realizes that the RDA has made him, as a former human soldier and traitor, the focus of their mission.  To protect the Omaticaya clan, Jake and his family go into exile and retreat to the sea islands in hope of finding refuge with the “Metkayina” reef people.  The family struggles to adjust to the new home, especially the children who are coming of age.  And recombinant Quaritch and his squad are still hunting Jake, and they are willing to do anything to capture him.

When I reviewed the first Avatar film, I wrote that “Avatar is everything good that you have heard about it and more.”  I can say the same for Avatar: The Way of Water, although I will not say it with the same intensity as other film critics and film reviewers.  Some people seem to enter a kind of state of ecstasy when they talk about The Way of Water.  I am not that crazy about it.  Let us see how simply I can explain this.

When I first saw the original Avatar in theaters, I was blown away.  It was like nothing that I'd ever seen before then.  It was an epic science fiction film set on a strange new world, full of incredible creatures and environments.  Plus, Avatar has a great group of villains in the form of the invading humans.  However, as crazy as I was about it then, I have never watched the film in its entirety since.  I can't make myself interested in even watching sections of the film.

Avatar: The Way of Water is full of wonderful new characters, new environments, and a strange new tribe, living in a water world of amazing creatures.  I am impressed by how many intriguing new characters James Cameron and his co-writers have created for this film.  But, as good as the film is, I am not “blown away” by it.  I don't find it remotely as interesting as I found the first Avatar.  However, like the first film, James Cameron does quite a bit of skewering of colonialism and militarism and of toxic wealth and capitalism.

Avatar: The Way of Water is a great, big science fiction epic full of fantastic visual special effects and CGI (computer-generated images).  The motion-capture CGI that creates the Na'vi still makes the characters look and move awkwardly in some instances, but that does not ruin the characters.  Also, despite what some are saying, I did not find the first two hours of this three-hour plus film boring.  Yes, the last third of this movie is at least an hour of great, great action, but the first two hours also offer some thrilling and riveting action, engaging character drama, and eye-popping exploration of the reef world of the Metkayina.

Still, for me, the Avatar thrill left a long time ago, and Avatar: The Way of Water does not make it return.  I think it is a really good film, but not a great film.  But, hey, it might “blow you away,” dear readers.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, January 1, 2023

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 7th, 2017 - Update #29

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BLM - From RSN:  Are you a "Black Identity Extremist?"

MOVIES - From Nerdist:  On the 30th anniversary of Clive Barker's film "Hellraiser" (1987), Nerdiest ranks all the films in the series.  There are ten as of this year's "Hellraiser: Judgment."

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STAR TREK - From CinemaBlend:  Would Quentin Tarantino really direct a "Star Trek" movie.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham will get their own "Fast & Furious" movie spinoff, set for 2019.

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MOVIES - From THR:  James Cameron talks about how he convinced Linda Hamilton to return for a "Terminator" revival.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Universal takes "Bride of Frankenstein" off its schedule.  Part of its "Dark Universe" line, it was scheduled to debut Feb. 14, 2019.

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MOVIES - From TheNewYorkTimes:  Decades of sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein are revealed.

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MOVIES - From YahooNews:  Rooney Mara says that it was not entirely her decision not to return for the sequel to 2011's "The Girl with a Dragon Tatoo," which is entitled "The Girl in the Spider's Web," which is due in 2018.  British actress Claire Foy will take over the role of "Lisbeth Salander," from Mara.

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ANIMATION - From RollingStone:  Fox's beloved and Emmy-winning animated television series, "Bob's Burgers," will also be a animated feature film in 2020.

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HISTORY -  From TheVillageVoice:  In the wake of "Playboy" magazine founder, Hugh Hefner's death, "The Village Voice" is make available its 1980 Pulitzer Prize-winning article, "Death of a Playmate."  The article is about the murder of "Playboy playmate," Dorothy Stratten, by her husband who killed himself after murdering her.  Stratten's life was fictionalized in Bob Fosse's final film, "Star 80" (1983).

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AVATAR - From THR:  Oscar-winner Kate Winslet joins James Cameron's "Avatar" universe.  Winslet starred in Cameron's Oscar-winning box office record setting film, "Titanic."

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MOVIES - From THR:  Joachim Ronning, director of the recent fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, will direct the sequel to "Maleficent," the 2014 worldwide hit starring Angelina Jolie.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Luc Besson says that "Lucy 2," the sequel to his hit film starring Scarlett Johansson, is still happening.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Director Doug Liman provided an update on "Edge of Tomorrow 2."

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LAS VEGAS:

BREAKING NEWS - From WashingtonPost:  A gunman opened fire at a country music concert in Las Vegas on Sunday night - Breaking news and developing story.

From YahooNews:  Dark details emerge about the family history of Las Vegas mass shooter, Stephen Paddock.

From YahooNews:  Stephen Paddock was a multimillionaire!

From YahooNewsweek:  The identities of the victims of Las Vegas mass shooter, Stephen Paddock, are being revealed.

From TheDailyBeast:  Former Fox New host and serial sexual harasser, Bill O'Reilly, says that Las Vegas massacre is "the price of freedom."

From YahooFinance:  Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Iger announced that a Disney cast member, Carrie Barnette, was killed in the Las Vegas shooting.  Another, Jessica Milam, was injured.

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MUSIC - From TMZ:  Tom Petty found in full cardiac arrest at home in Malibu - Developing Story.

From YahooNews:  Tom Petty may have been taken off life support.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Jon Hamm has joined Neil Gaiman's "Good Omens," the six-part TV adaptation of Gaiman's novel of the same name that he wrote with the late Terry Prathett.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  It is a close race for #1 at the 9/29 to 10/1/2017 weekend box office with "IT" ($17.3 mil), "American Made" ($17.01 mil), and "Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle" ($17 mil) fighting for #1.

From TheWrap:  Period pieces, "Loving Vincent," and "Victoria and Abdul," expand at indie box office.

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CELEBRITY - From People:  O.J. Simpson has been released from prison.

From BET:  Rob Kardashian can't pay his baby mama Blac Chyna the $20,000 per month in child support for their child, Dream, that he agreed to pay. 

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  Don Mancini, the creator of the horror movie killer, Chucky ("Child's Play"), submits to a Q&A about the "Chucky" franchise and about the new film, "Cult of Chucky," the seventh installment.

TRAILER:

From SideshowToys:  Here is the first trailer for Alex Garland's upcoming film, "Annihilation" (February 2018),

OBITS:

From YahooNews:  Rock music legend, Tom Petty, has died at the age of 66, Monday night, October 2, 2017.  Petty was best known as the front man of the band "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers."  He also recorded two albums with the supergroup, "Traveling Wilburys," and he released three solo albums.  He won three Grammy Awards, one as a solo artist, one with the Heartbreakers, and one with the Wilburys.

From DeadlineTV:  Comedian Ralphie May has died at the age of 45, Friday, October 6, 2017.  He rose to fame competing on NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2003.

From RSN:  Peace activist and teacher, Scott Galindez, died at the age of 52, Tuesday, September 26, 2017.  He was a frequent contributor to news service, Reader Supported News.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 17th to 23rd, 2016 - Update #65

Support Leroy on Patreon.

POLITICS - From YahooNews:  Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has picked Senator Tim Kaine - Democratic Senator from Virginia as her running mate.  He is also the former governor of that state.

BLACK LIVES MATTER - From DailyMail:  Black cops warn that white cops are looking for a reason to kill a black man.

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2016 San Diego Comic-Con International - #SDCC2016:

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  "Black Panther: World of Wakanda" will be Marvel Comics' lead LGBTQ title.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  CBS's new "Star Trek" series, "Star Trek Discovery" (which will be part of the network's digital service "All Access") will unfold like a novel according to a Comic-Con panel.

Star Trek - From Variety:  A teaser trailer for "Star Trek Discovery."

COMICS - From YahooMovies:  The Wonder Woman Comic-Con trailer - the first full trailer for the film which arrives in 2017.

MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  At a Comic-Con panel, Adam Wingard's film, "The Woods" (which arrives in September), was revealed to be a sequel to "The Blair Witch Project" (1999).

COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Your 2016 Eisner Award winners.

COMICS - From YahooTV:  "Luke Cage" showrunner says that the world is ready for a bullet-proof black man" at Comic-Con panel.

COMICS - From BleedingCool: "Do I have to choke you," at the "Black Panel."

TELEVISION - From Variety:  At "The Walking Dead" Comic-Con panel, the Season 7 trailer debuted and a first look at new character King Ezekiel.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  In "Bates Motel," the television series based on Alfred Hitchcock's film, "Psycho," new cast member, Rihanna, will play "Marion Crane."  In the film, the late Janet Leigh played Crane who is stabbed to death in the film's iconic shower scene.

COMICS - From ComicBookMovie:  The first action-packed for the upcoming animated "Justice League Action" debuts. The show arrives on Cartoon Network in the Fall.

MOVIES - From CBR:  Luc Besson drops juicy details on his upcoming film, "Valerian."

MOVIES - From EntertainmentWeekly: "Valerian" footage gets standing ovation.

COMICS - From YahooNews:  At a SDCC panel, Marvel introduces a trailer for Netflix's "Luke Cage" and a teaser for Netflix's 2017, "Defenders."

COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Marvel and Netflix drop first "Iron Fist" trailer.  It intrigues...

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STAR TREK - From YahooMovies:  Sulu's "gay kiss" was cut from "Star Trek Beyond."

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MOVIES - From ThrillList:  This article is an opinion piece about the 21 best horror films since "The Blair Witch Project."  It is a good read, although I think that except for the riveting final 10 minutes; "The Blair Witch Project" is not scary, but is rather awful.

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STAR TREK - From YahooNews:  At a special White House screening of "Star Trek Beyond," First Lady Michelle Obama notices handsome guests, Karl Urban, Chris Pine, and Simon Pegg.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  After one white cop violently throws a female African-American teacher to the ground, his partner says that black people have "violent tendencies."

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SPORTS-OBITS: - From ESPN:  Former NFL head football coach, Dennis Green, has died at the age of 67, Friday, July 22, 2016.  He coached the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals over 13 seasons.  Green had the second highest win total for an African-American NFL head coach.

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POLITICS - From YahooNews:  Donald Trump gave his acceptance speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.  He is now the Republican nominee for President of the United States, and he says, "Everything is terrible, and I alone can fix it."

From YahooNews:  Trump's acceptance speech anchored by debunked claims and outright lies.

From HuffingtonPost:  "Former" Ku Klux Klansman David Duke running for a U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana.

From YouTube:  Here is David Duke's YouTube video announcement.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Margot Robbie continues to line up the projects, including a film based on Matt Ruff's novel, "Bad Monkeys."

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From YahooNews:  His hands were really up!  Unarmed man shot by cop in North Miami, Florida.

From YahooNews:  He meant to hit the autistic man with a toy truck.

From CNN:  The doofus cop has been identified.

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STAR TREK - From People:  J.J. Abrams says he will not recast the role of Pavel Chekov in Star Trek.  The actor Anton Yelchin has played the role in three Star Trek films, beginning in 2009, but he was recently killed in a freak accident.

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POLITICS - From CNNPolitics:  It's tragically official.  Donald Trump is the official Republican presidential nominee.

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OBITS - From Variety:  Garry Marshall, the prolific filmmaker and television creator, has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, July 19, 2016.  He directed the smash hit, 1990 film, "Pretty Woman."  His TV work included iconic series like "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," and "The Odd Couple," among many.

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POLITICS - From YahooNews:   There was a charity concert during the Republican National Convention at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  1990s hit makers, Third Eye Blind, gave the largely Republican audience more than they expected.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From Jacobin:  How not to talk about race.  It is time to stop fooling ourselves with the racecraft of “because of the color of their skin” and acknowledge the emotional instability, poor judgment, inadequate training, and ill-considered policies that turn human beings, not the victims’ skin color, into killers.

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CULTURE - From RSN:  The trojan drone.

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POLITICS - From TheNewYorker:  The guy who actually wrote "The Art of the Deal," Trump's ghostwriter, Tony Schwartz, tells all.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN:  Remembering the 12-Gauge Police Eviction of a 67-Year-Old Grandmother in the South Bronx

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Prince quietly bought the house used as his home in the film, "Purple Rain."

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MOVIES - From Indiewire:  Nate Parker's follow-up to his upcoming "Birth of a Nation" has been acquired Legendary.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  There will be a "Ghostbusters" sequel... says Sony.

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TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  "Degrassi" reunion at Netflix.  Drake?

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MOVIES - From THR:  Amazon may fully finance Woody Allen's next film, starring Kate Winslet and Jim Belushi, for $25 million.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Ava DuVernay's documentary about mass incarceration and the prison industry "The 13th," will open at the New York Film Festival.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Actor/comic Leslie Jones ("Ghostbusters") shares the horrible, racists tweets she gets.

From YahooNews:  Twitter announces crackdown in wake of Jones' controversy.  Some Twitter accounts were permanently suspended.

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POLITICS - From YahooNews:  #BlackWordsMatter - Melania Trump, wife of presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech from 2008 while giving her opening remarks at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

From TheIntercept:  It was more than a portion, boo.

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POLITICS - From YahooTV:  Stephen Colbert of the "Late Show" crashes the Republican National Convention.

From Politico:  Stephen Colbert says that Donald Trump is beyond satire.

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  The latest in the saga of Kanye West and Taylor Swift.  Yes, there is a latest.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the7/15 to 7/17/2016 weekend box office is "The Secret Life of Pets" with an estimated take of $50.5 million.

From YahooMovies:   "Ghostbusters" finishes second for this box office weekend with a total of $46 million.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  How to draw Batman in 3 minutes.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Norman Reedus ("The Walking Dead") geeks out of guest start, Peter Fonda.

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TELEVISION - From Vulture:  Walter Goggins on 25 years of playing that guy.

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STAR WARS - From BleedingCool:   "Star Wars Rebel" Season 3 trailer teases returns and debuts.

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Alden Ehrenreich official as "young" Han Solo.

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The Killing of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastille and Police Officers:

From NPR:  Cops taught to pull the trigger too quickly - surprised when people pull the trigger to quickly on them.

From YahooNews:  Three officers were killed this morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

From ABC:   The killer of three officers in Baton Rouge, LA has been identified as Gavin Long of Kansas City, Missouri.

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TRAILERS - VIDEOS:

From Facebook:  "Star Trek Beyond" the final trailer.

From YouTube:  Star Trek Beyond "Jaylah Featurette" - including statements from J.J. Abrams, Simon Pegg, and Sofia Boutella ("Jaylah")

From YouTube:   Star Trek Beyond "Justin Lin" featurette, featuring lots of quotes.

From YouTube:  Star Trek Beyond clip: "Scotty Meets Jaylah" clip.

From YouTube:  "Star Trek Beyond" the final countdown.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 19th to 25th, 2016 - Update #46

Support Leroy on Patreon.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  "Gilmore Girls'" Rory Gilmore meets First Lady Michelle Obama in this video clip.

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OBIT - From Deadline:  The author and screenwriter, Michael Herr, has died at the age of 76, Thursday, June 23rd, 2016.  Herr was the author of the heralded Vietnam War memoir, "Dispatches."  Herr also contributed to two seminal Vietnam War movies, "Apocalypse Now," and "Full Metal Jacket," for which he shared an adapted screenplay Oscar nomination with Stanley Kubrick and Gustav Hasford.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Director David Ayers warns fans - Suicide Squad is like nothing they've seen.

From YahooNews:  Viola Davis says she almost pepper-sprayed fellow "Suicide Squad" actor, Jared Leto (Joker).

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LGBT - From YahooCelebrity:  Celebs remember their first experience at a gay bar.

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POLITICS - From YahooFinance:  Because the United Kingdom is leaving the the European Union, as a result of the "Brexit" vote, J.K. Rowling says "Goodbye, U.K."

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Starz releases a first-look image from "American Gods."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Hear "Ghostbusters (I'm not Afraid)," the theme for the new "Ghostbusters" film.  The track is by Fall Out Boy featuring Missy Elliot.  The song uses some of Ray Parker Jr.'s theme for the 1984 film.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Bokeem Woodbine joins "Spider-Man: Homecoming," apparently to play a villain.

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OBITS - From Variety:  Conductor and composer, Harry Rabinowitz, has died at the age of 100.  He is known for conducting the music for "Best Picture" Oscar-winner, "Chariots of Fire," among his many credits.

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MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Led Zeppelin wins the "Stairway to Heaven" copyright infringement lawsuit.

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SPORTS/MOVIE - From YahooNews:  Ben Affleck goes on anti-NFL deflate-gate rant.

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LAW - From YahooNews:  Affirmative Action had a major victory in college admissions in regards to a case brought against the University of Texas.  It must be a bitter loss for neo-segregationist Edward Blum and his skank surrogate, Abigail Fisher.

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STAR WARS - From TheWrap:  Who Forest Whitaker plays in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"  Plus, a photo gallery.

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MOVIES - From TheVox:  Jesse Eisenberg talks about being a successful Jewish American.

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COMICS - From YahooMusic:  Hannibal Buress joins "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  John Boyega to star in Kathryn Bigelow's movie about the 1967 Detroit riots.  The movie also re-teams Bigelow with screenwriter Mark Boal and financier Megan Ellison.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Kate Winslet in final negotiations to appear in Woody Allen's next film, which begins shooting in the fall.

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COMICS - From CBR:  Abraham Attah, who played the child soldier, "Abu" in "Beasts of No Nation," will appear in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Will Smith most regrets 1999's "Wild Wild West" (which I kinda like), but what hurt the most was the box office failure of 2013's "After Earth" (which I really like), because his son Jaden was involved.

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COMICS - From TheWrap:  Lots of information is leaking out about the "Justice League" movie.

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MUSIC/LEGAL - From YahooMusic:  Led Zeppelin wants a halt to the "Stairway to Heaven" copyright infringement trial.

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COMICS - From IGN:  In the Doctor Strange" film, Mads Mikkelsen will play...

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Noomi Rapace to appear in "Alien: Covenant," a follow-up to the film, "Prometheus."

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TELEVISION - From Indiewire:  J.J. Abrams and Tavis Smiley come together for an event TV series about Michael Jackson.  Bad Robot is developing the project on a Smiley book.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Sony Pictures Animation announces animated TV series based on "Ghostbusters" and "Hotel Transylvania."

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Eli Roth to make his big studio debut by directing a remake of "Death Wish" with Bruce Willis.

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PIXAR - From WashPost:  Sigourney Weaver and Ed O'Neill steal the show in "Finding Dory."

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COMICS - From Gamespot:  The new poster for the "Suicide Squad" is eye-popping.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Cleveland Cavaliers are the 2015-16 NBA Champions.  LeBron James wins the NBA Playoffs MVP.

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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 6/17 to 6/19/2016 weekend box office is Pixar's "Finding Dory" with an estimated take of $136.1 million.  This is the largest opening weekend ever for an animated feature film.

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STAR TREK - The Death of Anton Yelchin:

OBIT - From YahooMovies:  The actor Anton Yelchin died early Sunday, June 19, 2016.  He was 27-years-old and was best known for his role as Pavel Chekhov in the "Star Trek" reboot film series that began in 2009.  Yelchin's death was apparently an accident and involved his car.

From IMDb:  Remembering Anton Yelchin.

From Variety:  Yelchin's life and career in photos.

From Variety:  Anton Yelchin leaves behind several unreleased films (including "Star Trek Beyond") and a high-profile animated series.

From Variety:  J.J. Abrams, who directed the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot and its 2013 sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness" mourns Yelchin.

From YahooMovies:  Hollywood mourns Yelchin.

From YahooMovies:  Anton Yelchin's most memorable roles.

From YahooMovies:  The original Pavel Chekhov of "Star Trek," Walter Koenig, mourns the death of Anton Yelchin, who played Chekhov in the "Star Trek" reboot film franchise.

From IndieWire:  Anton Yelchin's death made be tied to recently vehicle recall.

From YahooCelebrity:  Anton Yelchin apparently died about a minute after his accident.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Dustin Johnson wins golf's U.S. Open, his first victory in one of professional golf's four "Major" tournaments.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Warner Bros. moves the release date of Ben Affleck's upcoming directorial effort, "Live By Night," presumably for Oscar consideration.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Everything that has led up to "Game of Throne's" "Battle of the Bastards."

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POLITICS - From TIME:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Trump and ISIS depend on irrationality.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  New trailer for "Jack Reacher: Never Go Back," starring Tom Cruise and releasing October 21, 2016.

From YouTube:  This is the second official trailer for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - from Tim Burton.

From YahooMovies:  Here is a new clip that gives the first straight-on look at the title character from Steven Spielberg's "The BFG."

Director David Frankel's "Collateral Beauty" Begins Filming

Filming Begins on the Ensemble Drama “Collateral Beauty” with an All-Star Cast

Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Keira Knightley, Michael Peña, Naomie Harris, Jacob Latimore, and Helen Mirren Star; David Frankel is Directing

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on New Line Cinema’s and Village Roadshow Pictures’ thought-provoking drama “Collateral Beauty,” being helmed by Oscar-winning director David Frankel (“Dear Diary,” “The Devil Wears Prada”). The film has been slated for release on December 16, 2016.

“Collateral Beauty” features an all-star cast, including Will Smith (upcoming “Suicide Squad,” “Concussion”), Edward Norton (“Birdman or [The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance]”), Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game”), Michael Peña (“The Martian”), Naomie Harris (“Spectre”), and Jacob Latimore (“The Maze Runner”), with Oscar winners Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Steve Jobs”) and Helen Mirren (“The Queen,” “Trumbo”).

When a successful New York advertising executive (Smith) experiences a deep personal tragedy and retreats from life entirely, his colleagues devise a drastic plan to force him to confront his grief in a surprising and profoundly human way.

Frankel is directing “Collateral Beauty” from an original screenplay by Allan Loeb (“Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” “21”). Loeb is also a producer on the film, together with Bard Dorros (“Triple 9”) and Michael Sugar (Oscar-nominated Best Picture “Spotlight”) under the Anonymous Content banner; Anthony Bregman (“Foxcatcher”) for Likely Story; and Kevin Frakes (“John Wick”) for PalmStar Media.

Frankel’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Maryse Alberti (“Creed”), production designer Beth Mickle (“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot”), editor Andrew Marcus (“American Ultra”) and costume designer Leah Katznelson (“How to Be Single”).

A presentation of New Line Cinema and Village Roadshow Pictures, “Collateral Beauty” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

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2016 BAFTA Awards Announced; "The Revenant" Wins "Best Film"

The British Academy Film Awards (also known as the BAFTAs) are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They are the British counterpart of the Oscars.

Previously known as the Orange British Academy Film Awards, they are now known as the EE British Academy Film Awards.  The British telecommunications company, EE, replaces Orange as the title sponsor of the awards.

The 69th EE British Academy Film Awards took place on Sunday, February 14, 2016 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. The ceremony was hosted by Stephen Fry and was broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD, preceded by a red carpet show on BBC Three.

2016 / 69th BAFTA Film Award winners (for the year in film 2015):

BEST FILM
THE REVENANT Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
BROOKLYN John Crowley, Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey, Nick Hornby

DIRECTOR
THE REVENANT Alejandro G. Iñárritu

LEADING ACTOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO The Revenant

LEADING ACTRESS
BRIE LARSON Room

SUPPORTING ACTOR
MARK RYLANCE Bridge of Spies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
KATE WINSLET Steve Jobs

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
NAJI ABU NOWAR (Writer/Director) RUPERT LLOYD (Producer) Theeb

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
WILD TALES Damián Szifron (Argentina, Spain)

DOCUMENTARY
AMY Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees

ANIMATED FILM
INSIDE OUT Pete Docter

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
SPOTLIGHT Tom McCarthy, Josh Singer

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE BIG SHORT Adam McKay, Charles Randolph

ORIGINAL MUSIC
THE HATEFUL EIGHT Ennio Morricone

CINEMATOGRAPHY
THE REVENANT Emmanuel Lubezki

EDITING
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Margaret Sixel

PRODUCTION DESIGN
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Colin Gibson, Lisa Thompson

COSTUME DESIGN
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Jenny Beavan

MAKE UP & HAIR
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Lesley Vanderwalt, Damian Martin

SOUND
THE REVENANT Lon Bender, Chris Duesterdiek, Martin Hernandez, Frank A. Montaño, Jon Taylor, Randy Thom

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh, Neal Scanlan

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
EDMOND Nina Gantz, Emilie Jouffroy

BRITISH SHORT FILM
OPERATOR Caroline Bartleet, Rebecca Morgan

THE EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
JOHN BOYEGA

OUTSTANDING BRITISH CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA
Angels Costumes

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36th London Critics Circle Film Awards Announced; "Mad Max: Fury Road" Named Best Film

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section is part of a larger organization, The Critics’ Circle, which makes an annual award for Services to the Arts.  This circle is comprised of the five sections:  dance, drama, film, music, and visual arts.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Section announced nominations for its 36th annual film awards on December 15, 2015.  The winners were announced Sunday, January 17, 2016 at The May Fair Hotel.  Kenneth Branagh received the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film.

2016 / 36th London Critics' Circle Film Awards – winners (for the year in film 2015):

FILM OF THE YEAR: Mad Max: Fury Road

BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR: 45 Years

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR: The Look of Silence (Denmark)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR: Amy

ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Courtenay — 45 Years

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Charlotte Rampling — 45 Years

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Mark Rylance — Bridge of Spies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Kate Winslet — Steve Jobs

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR: George Miller — Mad Max: Fury Road

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy — Spotlight

BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR: Tom Hardy — Legend, London Road, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Revenant

BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR: Saoirse Ronan — Brooklyn, Lost River

YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: Maisie Williams — The Falling

PHILIP FRENCH AWARD FOR BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER: John Maclean — Slow West

BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR: Stutterer — Benjamin Cleary

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Ed Lachman, cinematography — Caro

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM: Kenneth Branagh

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2016 Golden Globe Award Winners - Complete List

The Golden Globe Award is a movie accolade bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).  The award recognizes excellence in both film and television.  The annual awards ceremony is a major part of the film industry’s award season.

The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards winners were announced on Sunday, January 10, 2016.  The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards were hosted by Ricky Gervais.  The ceremony aired on NBC, from 8:00 (EST) and 5:00 (PST).  Denzel Washington was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

2016 / 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards winners:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• THE REVENANT -Regency Enterprises; Twentieth Century Fox

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• BRIE LARSON, ROOM

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

• LEONARDO DICAPRIO, THE REVENANT

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• THE MARTIAN - Twentieth Century Fox; Twentieth Century Fox

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• JENNIFER LAWRENCE, JOY

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• MATT DAMON, THE MARTIAN

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED

• INSIDE OUT - Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE

• SON OF SAUL (HUNGARY) - Laokoon Filmgroup; Sony Pictures Classics

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

• KATE WINSLET, STEVE JOBS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

• SYLVESTER STALLONE, CREED

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE

• ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ IÑÁRRITU, THE REVENANT

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE

• AARON SORKIN, STEVE JOBS

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE

• ENNIO MORRICONE, THE HATEFUL EIGHT

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE

• “WRITING’S ON THE WALL” — SPECTRE: Music by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes; Lyrics by: Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

• MR. ROBOT (USA NETWORK) - Universal Cable Productions

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

• TARAJI P. HENSON, EMPIRE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

• JON HAMM, MAD MEN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (AMAZON VIDEO)- Amazon Studios

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• RACHEL BLOOM, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

• GAEL GARCÍA BERNAL, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• WOLF HALL PBS - A Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures production for BBC and MASTERPIECE in association with BBC Worldwide, Atlus Media and Prescience

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• LADY GAGA, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• OSCAR ISAAC, SHOW ME A HERO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• MAURA TIERNEY, THE AFFAIR

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• CHRISTIAN SLATER, MR. ROBOT

Cecil B. DeMille Award:  Denzel Washington

-------------------------------

"Ex Machina" Dominates 2015 British Independent Film Awards

In 1998, Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking.  The awards also honor new talent and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.

The 2015/18th Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced in London.  The winners were announced in a ceremony on Sunday, December 6, 2015 at Old Billingsgate. The event was live streamed on www.bifa.film.

The 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:

Best British Independent Film sponsored by Moët & Chandon
EX MACHINA - Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Alex Garland

Best Director
EX MACHINA - Alex Garland

Best Screenplay sponsored by BBC Films
EX MACHINA - Alex Garland

Best Actress sponsored by MAC
SAOIRSE RONAN - Brooklyn

Best Actor sponsored by Movado
TOM HARDY - Legend

Best Supporting Actress
OLIVIA COLMAN - The Lobster

Best Supporting Actor
BRENDAN GLEESON - Suffragette

Most Promising Newcomer sponsored by The London Edition
MIA GOTH - The Survivalist

The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
THE SURVIVALIST - Stephen Fingleton

The Discovery Award sponsored by Raindance
ORION: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING - Jeanie Finlay

Best Documentary
DARK HORSE: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF DREAM ALLIANCE - Judith Dawson, Louise Osmond

Producer of the Year
PAUL KATIS, ANDREW DE LOTBINIERE - Kajaki: The True Story

Outstanding Achievement in Craft
ANDREW WHITEHURST - Visual Effects, Ex Machina

Best British Short Film:
EDMOND - Emilie Jouffroy, Nina Gantz

Best International Independent Film:
ROOM (Canada, Ireland) - Ed Guiney, David Gross, Emma Donoghue, Lenny Abrahamson

The Variety Award:
Kate Winslet
(The Variety Award recognises a director, actor, writer or producer who has made a global impact and helped to focus the international spotlight on the UK.)

The Richard Harris Award:
Chiwetel Ejiofor
(The Richard Harris Award was introduced in 2002 in honour of Richard Harris and recognizes outstanding contribution to British film by an actor.)

Special Jury Prize:
Chris Collins
(A BFI executive who died late last year.)

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Review: Woodley Carries "Divergent" to Victory (Shailene Film Fest)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 53 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Divergent (2014)
Running time:  139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality
DIRECTOR:  Neil Burger
WRITERS:  Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor (based on the novel by Veronica Roth)
PRODUCERS:  Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian, and Douglas Wick
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Alwin H. Küchler (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Richard Francis-Bruce and Nancy Richardson
COMPOSER:  Junkie XL

SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring:  Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Kate Winslet, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, Amy Newbold, and Ben Lamb

Divergent is a 2014 science fiction drama from director Neil Burger.  The film is based on the 2011 novel, Divergent, by author Veronica Roth.  Divergent the film is set in a world divided by factions and focuses on a teen girl who does not really fit in with any one faction.

Divergent is set in an indeterminate future and a dystopian Chicago that is a walled city.  There, society is divided into five factions:  Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent).  There is also a sixth group, the “Factionless,” in which the members are homeless and shunned by everyone except Abnegation.

Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) belongs to Abnegation with her mother, Natalie (Ashley Judd); father, Andrew (Tony Goldwyn); and brother, Caleb ( Ansel Elgort).  On her sixteenth birthday, Beatrice will take an aptitude test that is supposed to decide in which faction she would best fit.  She will also learn of a plot to destroy Divergents, people who think independently and do not really fit into any particular faction.  To which faction does Beatrice belong?  Or is she Divergent?

If honesty is the best policy (and often it is), then, I must be honest about my feelings concerning Divergent.  I love it – totally love it.  I enjoyed the hell out of this movie.  There, are two things about Divergent that stand out to me:  (1) the story's themes and messages and (2) Shailene Woodley's performance.

I think that Divergent the film is not literal dystopian science fiction so much as it is metaphorical and thematic.  It is not important that Chicago is a post-apocalyptic city full of survivors trying to both eek out a living and to maintain a social order that is supposed to... well, maintain social order.  In the film, Chicago is important as a setting where creeping individualism meets growing spots of selflessness.  Beatrice wants not only to be “herself,” but to also fit in where she wants.  Being an individual means being able to help people outside of one's caste, even if one's caste-mates frown upon that.  Divergent's story, as I see it, says that the individual and the society are not mutually exclusive.  In fact, the reign of one over the other means disaster for everyone.

As for Ms. Woodley's performance, she does what the best actors do with a character – bring them fully to life.  She makes Beatrice's wants and desires, conflicts and confusion, and her goals and struggles tangible, as if they belong to an actual living person.  When an actor can do this, she makes the audience buy into the character, as if the character were a real person.  I can see why people compare Woodley to fellow millennial actress, Jennifer Lawrence, but they are different from each other.  Lawrence's characters tend to be brash and bold, even when they are vulnerable.  Shailene Woodley is vulnerable and brash and brave in equal measures and at the same time.

Theo James, as the love-interest, Four, is good.  Perhaps, director Neil Burger makes him scowl more than he needs to do for this young male character who must be upfront and hidden.  James, however, has a screen quality that at least serves this film well.

In some ways, Divergent is predictable and follows the hero vs. the system journey so common in films adapted from Young Adult (YA) dystopian science fiction and fantasy books.  However, Divergent is not generic because of Woodley, by both her performance and her engaging screen presence.  She grabbed me and forced me to live in Beatrice's world.  I am glad that this film's box office success has yielded a sequel.

8 of 10
A

Friday, November 14, 2014


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Official Poster for Jason Reitman's "Labor Day" is Released

LABOR DAY

Labor Day” centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence.  On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict.  The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

DECEMBER 25, 2013 (Limited release)

Official site: LaborDayMovie.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/LaborDayMovie

Twitter: Twitter.com/paramountpics

Review: "Holy Smoke" is Kind of Wispy (Happy B'day, Jane Campion)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 173 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Holy Smoke! (1999)
Running time: 115 minutes (1 hour, 55 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexuality and language
DIRECTOR: Jane Campion
WRITERS: Anna Campion and Jane Campion
PRODUCER: Jan Chapman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dion Beebe (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Veronika Jenet
COMPOSER: Angelo Badalamenti

DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring: Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Julie Hamilton, Sophie Lee, Dan Wyllie, Paul Goddard, Tim Robertson, and Pam Grier

The subject of this movie review is Holy Smoke!, a 1999 Australian comedy-drama from director Jane Campion. The film stars Kate Winslet as an Australian tourist who falls in with an Indian guru and Harvey Keitel as a macho American deprogrammer hired to free her from that new spirituality.

Jane Campion won an Academy Award in 1994 in the category original screenplay for her 1993 film, The Piano. Whereas both the characters and the story were well written in that internationally acclaimed film, the same cannot be said of Ms. Campion’s Holy Smoke, which is not nearly as rich a film as The Piano.

When a young woman (Kate Winslet) falls under the influence of a charismatic guru and joins his ashram, her parents hire PJ Waters (Harvey Kietel, who also starred in Ms. Campion’s The Piano), an “exiter,” a counselor who specializes in deprogramming people taken in by cults. PJ, however, finds the young woman, Ruth Barron, to be not only iron-willed and intelligent, but also very sexy. Ruth engages PJ is an intense battle of wills and sexual politics that begs the question – who will win?

Ms. Winslet is nothing short of stunning in Holy Smoke, and the continual growth of her acting talent is a revelation. It’s hard to take your eyes off her, and she is so beautiful. Ms. Winslet is not one of those tiresome and too thin anorexia stars, but a big boned, baby-got-back-and-front, full figured, blond goddess. The combination of her acting prowess and raw sexuality will distract from a dull movie, and Holy Smoke, while not quite awful, needed this Meryl Streep with a body.

The film is just too up and down. It is at times funny and engaging, but at other times too dry and pointless. The other characters are quite interesting, but the screenwriters ignore them in favor of a drawn out battle between Ruth and PJ. That’s a shame because many of the other characters, including Ruth’s parents and PJ’s partner played by Pam Grier, seem to have interesting backstories. The film limps to the finish line with a tired battle of the sexes. Thankfully, a sentimental dénouement saves the film from being completely below average.

5 of 10
C+

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Review: "The Holiday" is So Lovable (Happy B'day, Nancy Meyers)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Holiday (2006)
Running time: 138 minutes (2 hours, 18 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content and some strong language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Nancy Meyers
PRODUCERS: Bruce A. Block and Nancy Meyers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dean Cundey (director of photography)
EDITOR: Joe Hutshing
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

ROMANCE/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Rufus Sewell, Edward Burns, and Shannyn Sossamon

The subject of this review is The Holiday, a 2006 romantic comedy film from writer-director, Nancy Meyers. This Christmas/Holiday-themed film focuses on two women who trade homes after each suffers some romantic heartbreak.

Two women who live 6000 miles apart and have never met find their lives in the same place. In Los Angeles, Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who directs movie trailers, realizes that her live-in lover, Ethan (Edward Burns), has been unfaithful. In London, newspaper writer Iris (Kate Winslet) has been in love with Jaspar (Rufus Sewell) for three years, and now he’s about to marry someone else. Amanda and Iris meet online at a home exchange website and impulsively switch homes for the (Christmas) holiday.

Iris moves into Amanda’s large house in sunny California. She befriends Amanda’s neighbor, Arthur Abbot (Eli Wallach), a legendary screenwriter, now retired, who peps up her spirit and encourages Iris to befriend Miles (Jack Black), a film composer and acquaintance of Amanda’s. Meanwhile, Amanda moves into Iris’ small cottage in the snow-covered English countryside where she finds herself charmed by Iris’ handsome brother, Graham (Jude Law). However, both women soon find old issues creeping into their holiday cheer.

Nancy Meyers, writer/director of the delightful chick flick Something’s Gotta Give, delivers The Holiday, another fluffy film confection best served on a holiday winter evening. After an awful start in which Kate Winslet babbles a dry opening narration, The Holiday rights itself with lovable characters. To that end, the four leads don’t so much deliver great performances as they deliver great big dollops of charm every time they appear on screen.

The Holiday plays to the female audience, but this is also the kind of pure gooey entertainment that, during the holidays, can ensnare the unsuspecting heart of any guy who is a romantic at heart.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

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Review: "Little Children" is Social Satire at Play (Happy B'day, Jackie Earle Haley)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 87 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Little Children (2006)
Running time: 137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sexuality and nudity, language, and some disturbing content
DIRECTOR: Todd Field
WRITERS: Todd Field and Tom Perrotta (based upon the novel by Tom Perrotta)
PRODUCERS: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, and Todd Field
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Antonio Calvache
EDITOR: Leo Trombetta
COMPOSER: Thomas Newman
2007 Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Gregg Edelman, Sadie Goldstein, Ty Simpkins, Noah Emmerich, Jackie Earle Haley, Phyllis Somerville, Helen Carey, and Mary B. McCann

The lives of several suburbanites who are struggling with satisfaction intersect on the streets of their small town in director Todd Field’s Little Children.

Little Children is a 2006 drama with darkly comic undertones from director Todd Field and starring Kate Winslet. The film is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, who also co-wrote the film’s screenplay.

Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) is a young mother who doesn’t really know how to be a mother to her daughter, Lucy (Sadie Goldstein). She is dissatisfied with her husband, Richard (Gregg Edelman), so she starts an affair with stay-home dad, Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson). Brad has failed the bar exam twice, much to the chagrin of his wife, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), who while preoccupied with her career, still has time to suspect that Brad and Sarah are having an affair while using Lucy and their son Aaron (Ty Simpkins) as cover. Meanwhile, Ronnie J. McGorvey (Jackie Earle Haley), a child predator recently released from prison, has moved back in with his mother, May McGorvey (Phyllis Somerville), much to the consternation of his neighbors. The angriest resident is Larry Hedges (Noah Emmerich), a retired cop with a tragic past. Will Lyman, the voice of PBS’s “Frontline,” provides narration.

Fields seems to be of two minds in Little Children. For most of the first hour, Little Children is a satirical comedy about suburban dissatisfaction. It’s almost an anthropological study of suburbanites who are physically adults and who have taken on adult responsibilities, but who are really adolescents. The second half of Little Children is mostly a domestic drama that deals with the repercussions of immaturity, irresponsibility, and disloyalty to the nuclear family to which one belongs.

Chilling, smart, acerbic, poignant, and occasionally sly, Little Children takes a sharp look at suburban life without criticizing the lifestyle so much as it mocks how some live it. (Thanks in no small part to Will Lyman’s narration.) In that, Little Children is potent, but it has a glaring weakness. It drifts in the middle. Somewhere between transforming from a social satire to an edgy domestic drama, the narrative gets really soft. It’s enough to kill the film, before the edgy events of the second half take hold.

The performances are good, but Kate Winslet, who earned many award nominations for playing Sarah Pierce, is merely good, not great, which is good enough. (She doesn’t have to be great all the time.) On the other hand, Jackie Earle Haley makes the most of his relatively small role. He doesn’t make Ronnie a sex offender with a heart of gold. In fact, he isn’t shy about showing how dangerous Ronnie can be. Ultimately, what opens this film and what earned him so much praise, is how Haley reveals the struggle and frustrated anger that resides in a man who cannot grow a good future because he may be trapping himself in the poison ground of his dreadful, sinful past.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Kate Winslet), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jackie Earle Haley), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Todd Field and Tom Perrotta)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Kate Winslet)

2007 Golden Globes, USA: 3 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Kate Winslet), “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Todd Field and Tom Perrotta)

Thursday, June 07, 2007

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Shooting Begins on Next Jason Reitman Film "Labor Day"

PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND INDIAN PAINTBRUSH ANNOUNCE THE START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON REITMAN’S “LABOR DAY”

Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., and Indian Paintbrush announced today that principal photography has begun on “LABOR DAY,” from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, with Academy Award®-winner Kate Winslet and Academy Award®-nominated Josh Brolin starring. The film is shooting in Massachusetts.

Based on Joyce Maynard’s novel of the same name, the film is written and directed by Reitman (“Young Adult,” “Up in the Air”) who will produce with his partner Helen Estabrook through their Right of Way Films banner, along with the Academy Award®-nominated team of Lianne Halfon and Russell Smith (“Young Adult,” “Juno”) of Mr. Mudd. Steven Rales (“Young Adult,” “Like Crazy”) and Mark Roybal (“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” “No Country for Old Men”) of Indian Paintbrush will serve as executive producers.

“LABOR DAY” centers on 13-year-old Henry Wheeler, who struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele while confronting all the pangs of adolescence. On a back-to-school shopping trip, Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, a man both intimidating and clearly in need of help, who convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

Winslet (“REVOLUTIONARY ROAD,” “THE READER”) stars as Adele Wheeler, the reclusive mother and Josh Brolin (“TRUE GRIT,” “NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN”) is Frank Chambers. Gattlin Griffith (“GREEN LANTERN,” “CHANGELING”) plays Adele’s son Henry. Rounding out the cast is Tom Lipinski (“SUITS”) as the young Frank; Clark Gregg (“MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS”) as Henry’s father Gerald; Alexie Gilmore (“DEFINITELY, MAYBE”) plays Marjorie, Gerald’s new wife and Henry’s stepmom; Lucas Hedges (“MOONRISE KINGDOM”) plays her son Richard; Brighid Fleming (“GAMER”) as Henry’s friend Eleanor; James Van Der Beek (“DON’T TRUST THE B---- IN APARTMENT 23”) as Officer Treadwell; Maika Monroe as young Frank’s sweetheart Mandy; Brooke Smith (“GREY’S ANATOMY,”) as Adele’s friend Evelyn and Micah Fowler as Evelyn’s son Barry.


About Paramount Pictures CorporationParamount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Review: "Flushed Away" was the Best Animated Film of 2006

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 234 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Flushed Away (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK (with USA)
Running time: 90 minutes; MPAA – PG for crude humor and some language
DIRECTORS: David Bowers and Sam Fell
WRITERS: Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, Chris Lloyd and Joe Keenan, and Will Davies; from a story by Sam Fell, Peter Lord and Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais
PRODUCERS: Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Cecil Kramer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Brad Blackbourn and Frank Passingham
EDITOR: John Venzon and Eric Dapkewicz
BAFTA nominee

ANIMATION/COMEDY/ACTION

Starring: (voices) Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, Shane Richie, and Jean Reno

The computer-animated feature film, Flushed Away, is the star child of two of the most successful animation studios of the last decade: DreamWorks Animation (Shrek) and Aardman Features (Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit). DreamWorks creates state-of-the-art computer animation. Aardman films are usually done with stop-motion animation, and their characters and sets are made of Plasticene (modeling clay) – called “claymation.” Now, the two studios have created a film with a story and characters that are as inventive as the technical and artistic process that created it.

The story begins in London – specifically the Kensington Gardens house where Roddy St. James (Hugh Jackman) lives the pampered life of a pet mouse. Roddy gets an unwanted guest in the form of a rowdy sewer rat named Sid (Shane Richie), after he comes spewing out of the sink. Roddy tries to get rid of Sid by tricking him into taking a whirlpool bath in the toilet, but Sid pushes Roddy in and Roddy gets flushed away.

After a rough trip, Roddy discovers a metropolis in the sewers beneath London, made by industrious rodents out of discarded items. Roddy meets the spunky and resourceful Rita (Kate Winslet), captain of her own boat, the Jammy Dodger. Rita, however, is in the middle of a long-running feud with a local crime lord, the villainous Toad (Ian McKellen, superb as a villain prone to fits of melodrama and theatrics). Toad despises all rodents and has hatched a diabolical plot to destroy all of them during halftime of the World Cup. Roddy and Rita are determined to stop him, but to do that, they have to battle Toad’s henchrats Spike (Andy Serkis) and Whitey (Bill Nighy), as well as Toad’s cousin, Le Frog (Jean Reno), every step of the way.

There are animated films in which the composition in terms of what the viewer sees on screen is prettier – Pixar productions come to mind, but when it comes to pure comedy, I would be hard pressed to find a more successful 3D animated film than Flushed Away. Visually, Flushed Away is true to the signature style of Aardman, as seen in the Wallace and Gromit films and in Chicken Run, but I would be remiss in this review if I emphasized the technical side. Flushed Away is a funny film, a superb achievement in comedy as good as live action.

The strong screenwriting emphasizes wacky, scatological humor and funny characters. The humor isn’t too crude for children; actually, it’s the kind of humor that frequently shows up in children’s entertainment: jokes and sight gags about bodily functions, taking a blow to the loins, and other light innuendo. This is a broad kind of humor, seemingly lowbrow but familiar to all regardless of age. Simply brilliant, the comedy writing is wry yet boisterous and both subtle and blunt. A blend of parody and slapstick, Flushed Away satirizes melodramatic, Hollywood action thrillers, and it still has time to be part romantic comedy.

It’s not as if any one group of people should get credit for Flushed Away being such a fine flick. However, if the voice performers weren’t so good, the excellent work of the directors, writers, animators, and computer guys would have been… flushed away. The vocal performances take this film to the next two levels by bringing the characters to life in such a way that they become more than just kiddie cartoons. Truthfully, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, and Ian McKellan, and Jean Reno are international movie stars and superb actors, and their supporting cast – Andy Serkis, Bill Nighy, and Shane Richie – are fine character actors. Indeed, Serkis’ comically inept little brute, Spike, and Nighy’s Zen heavy, Whitey, are so funny and well done that the duo deserves its own flick. In the end, the actors give us the same great work they would in a live action movie, and that is the main reason why Flushed Away may be the year’s best animated feature film.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, November 12, 2006

NOTES:
2007 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (David Bowers and Sam Fell)

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Review: "Contagion" is Uncomfortably Real

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Contagion (2011)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for disturbing content and some language
CINEMATOGRAPHER/DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh
WRITER: Scott Z. Burns
PRODUCERS: Gregory Jacobs, Michael Shamberg, and Stacey Sher
EDITOR: Stephen Mirrione
COMPOSER: Cliff Martinez

DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Ehle, Sanaa Lathan, Elliot Gould, Chin Han, John Hawkes, Anna Jacoby-Heron, and Enrico Colantoni

Contagion is a 2011 film from director Steven Soderbergh. Essentially an ensemble drama and thriller, Contagion documents the spread of a virus that turns into a global pandemic, causing worldwide social chaos. Meanwhile, government officials try to contain it and medical officials try to identify the virus in order to create a vaccine for it. Contagion is a smart, scary disaster movie that will simultaneously give you the creeps while making you wonder if you are prepared for a pandemic.

The film begins by focusing on Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow), a businesswoman in Hong Kong. Unbeknownst to her, Beth returns to the United States bringing with her a pestilence that will leave half her immediate family dead. From there, the story focuses on countless players dealing with the aftermath of the virus that is eventually named, MEV-1. Beth’s husband, Mitch Emhoff (Matt Damon), balances his need to protect his daughter, Jory (Anna Jacoby-Heron), who is frustrated with the quarantine, with her need to be a teenager. Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), an Internet blogger who is obsessed with conspiracy theories, schemes to make money off the chaos created by the spread of the virus.

At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) leads a team trying to identify the virus, contain it, and create a vaccine for it. A World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist, Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard), travels to Hong Kong to trace the origin of the virus. CDC scientist, Dr. Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle), feels the pressure to find a cure, so she makes a decision that is either selfish or selfless. Meanwhile, fear and mass hysteria spread faster than the contagion.

Contagion has no single protagonist and no outright human antagonist. However, because it is an ensemble drama, Contagion can explore multiple themes, such as mass panic, loss of social order, the limitations of government during a disaster, cronyism, and greed, etc., from the view point of multiple characters.

Director Steven Soderbergh has this film jumping from one character and plot to the next. Because the characters are so well-defined and the plots so riveting, he always leaves the viewer wanting more, which can directly engage the viewer with the story, almost as if it were a real event. Contagion’s ultra-realism makes the movie feel more human and less post-human like so many modern, computer effects enhanced film thrillers. Of course, Soderbergh has an excellent multi-layered script by Scott Z. Burns from which to work. This reach and scope of this screenplay practically demands that Burns or someone else turn it into a novel.

Contagion is by no means perfect. It burns so hot, which is why it is so intense as a thriller, but Soderbergh needed to dial that back a few notches in certain parts of the story. Sometimes, the film is too aloof when it needs to stop and focus longer on certain characters in certain scenes.

7 of 10
A-

NOTES:
2012 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Supporting Actor” (Laurence Fishburne)

2012 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Laurence Fishburne)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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