Review: "INDIANA JONES and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is a Nice Coda

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 (of 2008) by Leroy Douresseaux

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for adventure violence and scary images

DIRECTOR:  Steven Spielberg

WRITERS:  David Koepp; from a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson

PRODUCER:  Frank Marshall

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Janusz Kaminski (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

COMPOSER:  John Williams

ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, and Shia LaBeouf

There is that old saying, “you can’t go home again,” but you can.  It is simply that the present does not have the cherished golden glow of cherished memories of an idealized past.  With that in mind, in 2008, we saw the return of Indiana Jones to the big screen for the first time in 19 years.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is an action-adventure film from director Steven Spielberg.  It is the fourth entry in the “Indiana Jones” film franchise that began with the 1981 film, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).  Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finds Indiana Jones fighting a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the “Crystal Skulls.”

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull begins in the desert Southwest in 1957 at the height of the Cold War.  There, Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr. (Harrison Ford) and his sidekick, George “Mac” McHale (Ray Winstone), encounter the icy cold Soviet beauty, Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett), and her elite military unit on a remote airfield.  The Soviets want something from Indy, but in the end, he barely escapes the nefarious Soviets.

Afterwards, Indy returns to Marshall College, where he is known as “Professor Jones,” and finds that things have gone from bad to worse.  The government is suspicious of Indy’s recent activities and forced Jones’ close friend and dean of the college, Dean Charles Stanforth (Jim Broadbent), to fire him.  On his way out of town, Indy meets the rebellious young biker, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), who asks Indy for his help in a deeply personal mission.  If he helps Mutt, Indy could very well make one of the most spectacular archaeological finds in history – the Crystal Skull of Akator, a legendary object of fascination and superstition.

As Indy and Mutt comb the most remote corners of Peru, Spalko and the Soviet agents are also hot on the trail of the Crystal Skull, which they believe can help the Soviets dominate the world, if they can unlock its secrets.  Peru, however, is not only the home of the Crystal Skull, it is also the place where Indiana Jones makes a surprise reunion and learns an even more shocking secret, as he and his friends desperately battle to protect the powerful Crystal Skull.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull lacks the old school, B-movie serial charm of the original Raiders of the Lost Ark.  It doesn’t have the gleefully and deliberately gruesome spirit of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), nor the comic charm of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

What Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull does have is entertainment value by the truckload.  This pleasing popcorn movie has a mix of action, adventure, and nostalgia that turns it into the perfect summer romp for an afternoon at the movie theater.

Why keep pretending!?  Karen Allen, as the original Indiana Jones heroine, Marion Ravenwood, is back, and that makes this somewhat inferior Indiana Jones sequel even more enjoyable.  Throw in another secret, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a must-see for Indy fans.  Obviously many fans had questions and concerns coming into this new film.  Chief among them would be the use of CGI.  Between the time that The Last Crusade appeared and now, CGI has, for the most part, replaced practical and physical special effects in mainstream Hollywood films.

No, the use of CGI (which the filmmakers claimed was only used on 30% of the film) to create lush jungles, impossible fight scenes (like the sword duel between Mutt and Irina, most of it on top of moving vehicles), and exotic locales doesn’t ruin Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, although this flick lacks the grit and tough guy spirit of the other films.  But let’s face it; Harrison Ford is no longer a spring chicken, so this film needs CGI slickness to give the action a manic video game feel to it.  Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a modern action movie, and all the quiet, dramatic moments are used to merely prepare us for the next death-defying chase, whereas they existed for themselves in the early films.  Still, the modern touches work.

Set in 1957, the film drops many 1950’s cultural and pop culture tropes: Elvin Presley, B-movie sci-fi, aliens, Communism, bikers, etc.  The fear of being turned into the other or being forced into a like or hive mind is prevalent, as is Steven Spielberg’s familiar motif that knowledge only robs reality of its sense of wonder (OK…).  However, the age of their star Harrison Ford required the driving force behind Indiana Jones, Spielberg and George Lucas, to accept that it’s sometimes okay to grow up.

That’s why Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is ultimately less a sequel than it is a coda or epilogue to Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, which is likely the reason that Karen Allen/Marion Ravenwood, the most beloved woman in Indy’s life, is back.  It’s time to grow up and movie on, and what a silly and fun send off this is.  Flaws and all, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a good old American summer movie blockbuster.  As the credits rolled on the film’s happy finale, I realized that Indy and I were going our separate ways, but with wonderful memories as parting gifts.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

NOTES:

2009 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Special Visual Effects” (Pablo Helman, Marshall Richard Krasserm and Steve Rawlins)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Edited:  Saturday, November 5, 2022

You can purchase the "INDIANA JONES 4-Movie Collection" Blu-ray or DVD here at AMAZON.

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

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Review: "PUSS IN BOOTS: The Last Wish" is a Delightful Surprise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 17 of 2023 (No. 1906) by Leroy Douresseaux

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Running time:  102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)

MPA – PG for action/violence, rude humor/language, and some scary moments

DIRECTOR:  Joel Crawford with Januel Mercado

WRITERS:  Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow; from a story by Tom Wheeler and Tommy Swerdlow

PRODUCER:  Mark Swift

EDITOR:  James Ryan

COMPOSER:  Heitor Pereira

Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices) Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Coleman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kevin McCann, Anthony Mendez, and Bernardo De Paula

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a 2022 computer-animated fantasy-adventure film directed by Joel Crawford and produced by DreamWorks Animation.  The film is a sequel to Puss in Boots (2011) and is also the sixth installment in the Shrek film franchise.  The Last Wish focuses on Puss in Boots' epic journey to gain the wish that will restore the eight of his nine lives that he has lost.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish opens in the town of Del Mar.  There, the renowned hero and outlaw, Puss in Boots (Antionio Banderas), hosts a party and later, saves the town from a giant.  After being injured during his battle with a giant, Puss sees a local doctor (Anthony Mendez) who informs him that he has used eight of his nine lives.  [I'm assuming that you, dear readers, are familiar with the superstitious belief that cats have nine lives].  The doctor urges Puss to retire from adventuring before he loses his ninth and final life.

Puss refuses to retire, but then, he has an unfortunate encounter with a menacing, bounty-hunting.  Known as Wolf (Wagner Moura), he is garbed in a black robe and hood and wields twin sickles, and he is so fearsome that Puss has to flee.  While on the run, Puss learns of the magical “Wishing Star,” which can grant a single wish to someone bearing the map to its location.  Puss begins his journey to the Star's location, the “Dark Forest.”  Joining him on his journey is Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), the savvy Tuxedo cat he apparently betrayed, and also a small dog that Puss and Kitty call “Perrito” (Harvey Guillén).  But they aren't the only ones looking for the Wishing Star.

I was happy to hear about Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.  When I first saw the original, Puss in Boots, I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is like its fellow DreamWorks Animation 2022 stablemate, The Bad Guys.  Both films take inspiration for their production design from Sony Pictures Animation's 2018, Oscar-winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which mixes both a 3D and a 2D aesthetic in its design.  I think The Last Wish looks closer to Into the Spider-Verse than The Bad Guys does, but neither film electrifies the screen the way the Spider-Man film did.  

Like its predecessor, The Last Wish has a lead character who is part Zorro and part Valentino.  Puss in Boots is a charming rogue, the kind of character that can drive a swashbuckling adventure film to success.  However, The Last Wish requires a character to not only undergo a character arc, but also to evolve.  To that end, Antonio Banderas gives a performance with more humor and pathos than most actors give in live-action roles.  By the time The Last Wish ends, Banderas has me wishing real hard for a third film in this series.

As Kitty Softpaws, Salma Hayek makes the most of her moments.  The character doesn't get the space to roam dramatically that Puss does, but Hayek makes Kitty seem like a character that could carry her own movie.  Actor Harvey Guillén keeps Perrito the dog perfectly cute for this film, because he is just the kind of character that can quickly go from lovable to annoying.

The rest of the characters in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish come across as extraneous.  The “Three Bears Crime Family,” which includes Goldilocks (Florence Pugh), Mama Bear (Olivia Colman), Papa Bear (Ray Winstone), and Baby Bear (Samson Kayo), and also the crime lord, “Big” Jack Horner (John Mulaney), don't feel so important to the story that they could not be replaced with other famous fairy tale characters.  They aren't bad characters, but they seem to exist in The Last Wish for no other reason than to be part of this film's big action set pieces.  But Wagner Moura is awesome as the magnificent “Wolf.”  The film could have used more of him and less of the other “criminals.”

Still, Antonio Banderas once again makes Puss in Boots an animated character worthy of headlining his own films.  Hopefully, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is not the last Puss in Boots film.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, April 16, 2023

NOTES:

2023 Academy Awards, USA:  1nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Joel Crawford and Mark Swift)

2023 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Joel Crawford and Mark Swift)

2023 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture – Animated”

2023 Image Awards (NAACP):  1 nomination: “Outstanding Animated Motion Picture”

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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Review: "BLACK WIDOW" is Dark Drama and Spectacular Action

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 of 2021 (No. 1783) by Leroy Douresseaux

Black Widow (2021)
Running time: 133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence/action, some language and thematic material
DIRECTOR: Cate Shortland
WRITERS:  Eric Pearson; from a story by Jac Schaeffer and Ned Benson (based upon the Marvel Comics character)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gabriel Beristain
EDITOR: Leigh Folsom Boyd
COMPOSER: Lorne Balfe

SUPERHERO/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring:  Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, Ever Anderson, Violet McGraw, O-T Fagbenie,  and William Hurt

Black Widow is a 2021 3D superhero film directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.  It is the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Natalia Alianovna “Natasha” Romanova/Black Widow, that was created by Stan Lee, Don Rico, and artist Don Heck and first appeared in the comic book, Tales of Suspense #52 (cover dated: April 1964).  Black Widow the film finds the title character on the run and forced to confront the conspiracies and people of her past.

Black Widow is largely set between the events depicted in the films, Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity Wars (2018).  The film, however, opens in 1995.  Young Natasha Romanoff (Ever Anderson) lives a quiet life in suburban Ohio with her younger sister, Yelena Belova (Violet McGraw), and their parents.  But Natasha and Yelena are not siblings, and their surrogate mother, Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), is really a Russian scientist/spy, and their father, Alexei Shostkov (David Harbour), is a spy and also the costumed superhero, “Red Guardian,” Russia's super-soldier version of Captain America.  When this “family's” mission suddenly ends, Natasha and Yelena are returned to Russia and sent to the “Red Room” for further training.

Twenty-one years later, in the year 2016, Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is on fugitive, on the run from U.S. Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt).  Fate reunites her with an older Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who until recently was still a “Widow,” an assassin working for the Red Room.  Now, both women, traumatized by their pasts, set out to find and kill Dreykov (Ray Winstone), the head of the Red Room and the mastermind behind the “Widow” program.  To do so, however, they must mend the broken relationships of their pasts, and Natasha must face the reality that her actions could not only alert her pursuers to her whereabouts, but could also lead to her destruction.

I wondered how Marvel Studios could hope to deliver a superhero movie that would satisfy their audiences in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, which was a special effects extravaganza, which changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which was a record-setting box office hit, and which saw some beloved characters die, including the Black Widow.  Black Widow does offer big action sequences: a harrowing opening air plane escape, a battle royale in Budapest, a crazy prison escape, and that final showdown on a giant aerial base.  After waiting two years for a Marvel Studios film (because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown of movie theaters), the big action of Black Widow is big enough to sate my Marvel needs.

However, I must be honest, it is the action that really makes Black Widow for me.  The drama is good, and the interpersonal relationship conflict and drama are fitting for the story of a character like the Black Widow who past is so very dark and is filled with violence and pain.  The main cast of Black Widow:  Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz gives excellent performances in this tale of betrayal and of secrets of lies.  In a way, these performances only serve to make the drama all the more dark, edgy, and, at times, depressing.  So, that is why I must be honest.  I respected the character drama of Black Widow, which director Cate Shortland delivers in gritty detail.  But while watching the film, I was always anxious for the arrival of the next big, special effects-driven action sequence, and man, Black Widow did not disappoint!

Black Widow has a great adversary in “The Taskmaster,” but the reveal of that villain's identity is a bit of a letdown.  Ray Winstone, an actor I like, was just okay as Dreykov, a promising bad guy the script makes into a shallow character.  Still, the action scenes – I'm crazy about them.  They are both the reason that I am giving Black Widow a high grade and the reason I will watch Black Widow many more times when it starts airing on cable television in a little less than two years from now.

8 of 10
A

Friday, July 9, 2021


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Review: "Snow White and the Huntsman" is a Fractured Fairy Tale

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 78 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Running time: 127 minutes (2 hour, 7 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and brief sensuality
DIRECTOR: Rupert Sanders
WRITERS: Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini; from a screen story by Evan Daugherty
PRODUCERS: Sam Mercer, Palak Patel, and Joe Roth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Greig Fraser
EDITORS: Conrad Buff IV and Neil Smith
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard

FANTASY/DRAMA/ACTION

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin, Sam Spruell, Ian McShane, Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Toby Jones, Johnny Harris, Brian Gleeson, Vincent Regan, and Noah Huntley

Snow White and the Huntsman is a 2012 action fantasy film starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, and Charlize Theron. The film re-imagines (a word I’m starting to hate) the German fairy tale “Snow White” as an epic fantasy.

The film opens in the Kingdom of Tabor, where King Magnus and Queen Eleanor welcome a baby daughter they name Snow White. Sometime after Eleanor dies, Magnus marries the mysterious Ravenna (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be a powerful sorceress. After usurping the throne, Ravenna imprisons Snow White (Raffey Cassidy) in the north tower of the castle. With her brother, Finn (Sam Spruell), at her side, Ravenna rules over the kingdom, while draining the youth from young maidens in order to maintain her own youthful appearance.

After coming of age, Snow White (Kristen Stewart) escapes into the Dark Forest. Ravenna orders Eric (Chris Hemsworth), a huntsman, to find Snow White, but Snow White’s destiny may prove to be bigger than any one person’s plans for her.

I discovered that Snow White and the Huntsman is the first feature film directed by Rupert Sanders, which may explain why the movie’s narrative develops in fits and starts. Sometimes, Snow White and the Huntsman is overly serious, and sometimes, it is painfully dull. It’s as if Sanders wants to treat some of the movie as if it were Lord of the Rings (which it is not). When he’s not trying to do his own version of director Peter Jackson, Sanders is trying to create some character drama and that’s mostly awkward.

First, let me say that I am a fan of Kristen Stewart. I think Stewart is perfect for Sanders, because, as an actress, she is overly serious. In practically any movie in which she appears, Stewart will spend part of that film kind of hunched over, like a dog waiting to be smacked across the head with a newspaper even when she does something good (like rescue Timmy from a well). I could be nice and say that her acting is decent, although she delivers dialogue with all the stiffness of a graduate of the Keanu Reeves School of Acting. Her big speech scenes in the last act of Snow White and the Huntsman are not inspiring and are, in fact, dry as dust.

Chris Hemsworth and Charlize Theron try, and Theron really tries, but the script seems unsure about what it should be – action movie or fantasy drama… or Evil Queen movie? The script isn’t even sure who the lead character is, and I’m not sure Sanders knew which characters should be the focus and when they should be. This movie should have been titled “Sometimes Snow White and sometimes the Huntsman and sometimes the Queen.”

I’m being critical because this movie and its story/concept have so much potential, and there are times when Snow White and the Huntsman seems like it is going to be an exceptional fantasy film. A clunky opening act and its occasional meandering are what keep Snow White and the Huntsman average rather than special.

5 of 10
B-

Sunday, October 14, 2012

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Review: "Hugo" Captures the Magic of Movies

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

Hugo (2011)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese
WRITER: John Logan (based on Brian Selznick’s book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret)
PRODUCERS: Johnny Depp, Tim Headington, Graham King, and Martin Scorsese
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Richardson
EDITOR: Thelma Schoonmaker
COMPOSER: Howard Shore
Academy Award winner

HISTORICAL/DRAMA/FAMILY with elements of fantasy

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ray Winstone, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Michael Stuhlbarg, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths, and Jude Law

Hugo is a 2011 Oscar-winning historical drama and 3D adventure film directed by Martin Scorsese. The film is based upon The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a 2007 historical fiction novel by Brian Selznick. The film is about a boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station and how he meets Georges Méliès, the real-life French film pioneer.

It is 1931, and 12-year-old Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) takes care of the clocks at the Gare Montparnasse railway station in Paris. He lives in the walls of the station with his uncle, Claude Cabret (Ray Winstone), an alcoholic watchmaker who is responsible for maintaining the clocks at the station and who teaches the craft to Hugo. After his uncle disappears, Hugo fends for himself, stealing food and maintaining the clocks. Hugo has also taken on a project of his late father (Jude Law), repairing a broken automaton, a mechanical man that is supposed to write after he is wound.

To repair the automaton, Hugo steals mechanical parts from an elderly toy store owner. One day, the owner, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley), catches Hugo and takes the boy’s notebook, which has notes and drawings for fixing the automaton. To get his notebook back, Hugo begins working for Méliès and also befriends the old man’s goddaughter, Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz). The children’s friendship and curiosity lead to a shocking revelation that might restore the spirit of a forgotten artist.

I guess that I should not be surprised that Martin Scorsese could pull off a film like Hugo – what is basically a family movie. I know that not all Scorsese’s films involve mobsters and violence, for instance, The Last Temptation of Christ and The Aviator, but his films are generally edgy adult dramas. With Hugo, however, Scorsese drives this film not only with a child’s sense of wonder and curiosity, but also with a child’s grit and determination to do what they believe is the right thing.

Scorsese’s films are successful because he gets great performances from his actors, and these performances are sometimes what make his films special (Robert De Niro in Raging Bull), or memorable (Joe Pesci in Goodfellas), or legendary (De Niro in Taxi Driver). In Hugo, the actors are so upfront emotionally that their intentions are clear to the audience. This makes the characters honest and vulnerable, in a childlike way that makes them endearing. That is why Chloë Grace Moretz’s Isabelle comes across as refreshing and intriguing rather than just being the girl character intruding in a boy’s tale.

While Ben Kingsley’s name is listed first in the credits, Asa Butterfield is the film’s star and Hugo Cabret is the lead character. Unlike some child actors who pretend more than they act, Butterfield plays Hugo with a veteran movie actor’s chops. He makes Hugo whole and believable, so much so that I lied to myself that Hugo was real boy.

Speaking of Ben Kingsley: after decades of great performances, I should not be surprised at how good he is as Georges Méliès, but I am. Kingsley is shockingly intense, even in the scenes that are relatively quiet and low key. In the scene in which Méliès tells the story of his past, Kingsley’s voice takes on a life of its own and magically transports us to Georges Méliès’ golden age.

And Hugo is magical. It is a trip into our dreams, in which the past comes to life. Most of all, Hugo reminds us of why movies are so special.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 5 wins: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Francesca Lo Schiavo-set decorator and Dante Ferretti-production designer), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Achievement in Sound Editing” (Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty), “Best Achievement in Sound Mixing” (Tom Fleischman and John Midgley), and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning); 6 nominations: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Howard Shore), “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Graham King and Martin Scorsese), “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (John Logan)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Production Design” (Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo) and “Best Sound” (Tom Fleischman, Philip Stockton, John Midgley, and Eugene Gearty); 7 nominations: “Best Cinematography” (Robert Richardson), “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell), “Best Director” (Martin Scorsese), “Best Editing” (Thelma Schoonmaker), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Morag Ross and Jan Archibald), “Best Original Music” (Howard Shore), “Best Special Visual Effects” (Alex Henning, Robert Legato, Ben Grossmann, and Joss Williams)

2012 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Martin Scorsese); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Howard Shore)

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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Oscar-Nominated "Rango" Returns in Limited Engagement

PARAMOUNT TO RE-RELEASE ACADEMY AWARD®-NOMINATED “RANGO” BEGINNING THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 27th

The now Academy Award®-nominated Rango, from director Gore Verbinski and starring the voice of Johnny Depp, saddles up for a one week limited engagement at the ArcLight Hollywood beginning this Friday, January 27th. The original animated comedy-adventure from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies a Blind Wing/GK Films Production that takes moviegoers for a hilarious and heartfelt walk in the Wild West, was this morning nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature Film.

Rango is the winner of the National Board of Review and Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, while top critics’ groups around the country have declared Rango the Best Animated Film of 2011, including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

The incomparable Johnny Depp voices Rango, a chameleon living as an ordinary family pet who dreams of being a fearless hero and is challenged to become just that when he inadvertently becomes the sheriff of a lawless desert town called Dirt. Story by John Logan, Gore Verbinski, and James Ward Byrkit, Written by John Logan, Directed by Gore Verbinski, the visionary behind the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Rango delighted audiences of all ages, earning more than $230 million worldwide. The film also features the voices of Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Winstone and Timothy Olyphant.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount 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.

2011 British Independent Film Awards Nominations Announced

At least for me, the 2012 movie award season (for movies released in 2011) has begun with the announcement yesterday (Monday, October 31, 2011) of the nominations for the 2011 British Independent Film Awards.

Created in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards, by its own description, celebrates merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, honor new film talent, and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.  Here, is the press release:

NOMINATIONS AND JURY REVEALED FOR THE MOËT BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS

The nominations and jury members for the 14th annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced today, Monday 31October at St Martins Lane, London by Helen McCrory.

Joint Directors, The Moët British Independent Film Awards’ Johanna von Fischer & Tessa Collinson said: “This year’s nominees really highlight the immense wealth of British talent in this country today. We are incredibly proud that the Awards have grown to a level that garners attention worldwide, helping to bring British talent and independent filmmaking to the international stage.”

The highest number of nominations this year goes to three films, Shame, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Tyrannosaur, all with seven nods. All three titles are battling for the coveted Best British Film Award, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor or Actress awards. We Need to Talk About Kevin and Kill List each receive six nominations with Submarine following closely with five.

Nominations for Best Actress go to Rebecca Hall (The Awakening), Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre), MyAnna Buring (Kill List), Olivia Colman (Tyrannosaur) and Tilda Swinton (We Need To Talk About Kevin). Leading men hoping to take home the Best Actor award include Brendan Gleeson (The Guard), Neil Maskell (Kill List), Michael Fassbender (Shame), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and Peter Mullan (Tyrannosaur).

Directors who have delivered dynamic debuts this year and are fighting for the Douglas Hickox Award are Joe Cornish (Attack The Block), Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus), John Michael McDonagh (The Guard), Richard Ayoade (Submarine) and Paddy Considine (Tyrannosaur).

Elsa Corbineau, Marketing Director Moët & Chandon commented: “Moët & Chandon is thrilled to continue to support the Awards this year. There are some truly remarkable films in today's nominations which reflect the talent of the British filmmakers. We look forward to celebrating all of the nominees and winners on 4 December."

The Raindance Award nominees for 2011 include: Acts of Godfrey, Black Pond, Hollow, Leaving Baghdad and A Thousand Kisses Deep. This Award honours exceptional achievement for filmmakers working against the odds, often with little or no industry support. Elliot Grove, Founder Raindance Film Festival and Moët British Independent Film Awards added: "Delighted to see that this year's nominations prove that once again British independent filmmakers have risen to the creative challenge of making astounding movies in the midst of economic chaos."

The Pre-Selection Committee of 70 members viewed nearly 200 films, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot.

The winners of The Moët British Independent Film Awards are decided by an independent jury comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry.

The Jury for 2011 includes:
Josh Appignanesi (Director / Writer), Lucy Bevan (Casting Director), Edith Bowman (Broadcaster), Mike Goodridge (Editor), Ed Hogg (Actor), Neil Lamont (Art Director), Mary McCartney (Photographer), Molly Nyman (Composer), Debs Paterson (Director / Writer), Tracey Seaward (Producer), Charles Steel (Producer), David Thewlis (Actor), Ruth Wilson (Actress) and Justine Wright (Editor).

The winners will be announced at the much anticipated 14th awards ceremony, which will take place on Sunday 4 December at the impressive Old Billingsgate in London.

Proud supporters and patrons of The Moët British Independent Film Awards include Mike Figgis, Tom Hollander, Adrian Lester, Ken Loach, Ewan McGregor, Helen Mirren, Samantha Morton, Michael Sheen, Trudie Styler, Tilda Swinton, Meera Syal, David Thewlis, Ray Winstone and Michael Winterbottom.

The Moët British Independent Film Awards would like to thank all its supporters, especially: Moët & Chandon, The British Film Institute, 3 Mills Studios, BBC Films, Deluxe142, The Creative Partnership, Exile Media, M.A.C, Raindance, Soho House, Studiocanal, Swarovski, Variety, Working Title and Zander Creative.


About BIFA
Created in 1998, The British Independent Film Awards set out to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking, to honour new talent, and to promote British filmmaking and British talent to a wider public.

In recognition of Moët & Chandon’s generous contribution as headline sponsor, the 2011 event is referred to as The MOËT British Independent Film Awards.

For further information on BIFA, visit http://www.bifa.org.uk/

Review: "Nil by Mouth" (Happy B'day, Gary Oldman)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 29 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Nil by Mouth (1997)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: U.K. and France
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – R for graphic drug use, non-stop strong language, brutal domestic violence and some nudity
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Gary Oldman
PRODUCERS: Luc Besson, Gary Oldman, and Douglas Urbanski
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ron Fortunato
EDITOR: Brad Fuller
COMPOSER: Eric Clapton
BAFTA Award winner

DRAMA

Starring: Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Laila Morse, Edna Doré, Chrisse Cotterill, Jon Morrison, Jamie Foreman, Steve Sweeney, and Leah Fitzgerald

Nil by Mouth is acclaimed actor Gary Oldman’s directorial debut. It’s what I call “cinema de unflinching,” in particular that “cinema’s” sub-genre “film de raw.” Oldman, an extremely talented actor who can simultaneously bury himself in a role and also exude movie star wattage, composed a film that stands as one of the most powerful family dramas of the 1990’s because of its dogged pursuit of portraying the effects of drugs and alcohol on a poor family in notorious South London.

Ray (Ray Winstone) is a coke snorting, alcoholic bully who brow beats his wife Valerie (Kathy Burke) and his brother-in-law, Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles), who lives with the couple. After Raymond savagely attacks Billy and kicks him out of the apartment, both men spiral downward, as Ray drinks more and becomes more paranoid and Billy does little other than feed his dope habit. Meanwhile, Val and the rest of the women in the family valiantly hold the family together and look for a few good times in a drug-addled world of poverty and crushing of claustrophobia.

The film starts off quite slowly, and I am certain that it will be difficult for many non-Brits to understand the London dialects (as it was for me). Still, the acting is good, quite good, actually. Oldman gives this film a good pace and a high level of intensity, considering that this film is heavy with the kind of dialogue that reveals character. However, when Nil by Mouth bogs down on a plot point, it is almost anal, and I occasionally found myself drifting away from it. Nil by Mouth is raw and unflinching, but it did not always hold my attention. Still, the script is well-written and well thought out; when you consider the movie as a whole, the screenplay seems rather brilliant.

All in all, Nil by Mouth is a satisfying and rewarding film viewing experience. Oldman makes the right choice in terms of satisfying the audience by letting his film family work through their difficulties. Rather than call it a Hollywood ending, I’ll describe it as artfully handled.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
1998 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Luc Besson, Douglas Urbanski, and Gary Oldman) and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Gary Oldman); 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Ray Winstone) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Kathy Burke)

1997 Cannes Film Festival: 1 win: “Best Actress” (Kathy Burke) and 1 nomination: “Golden Palm” (Gary Oldman)

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Review: "Cold Mountain" Wants to Be Epic and Literary (Happy B'day, Anthony Minghella)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Cold Mountain (2003)
Running time: 154 minutes (2 hours, 34 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence and sexuality
DIRECTOR: Anthony Minghella
WRITER: Anthony Minghella (based upon the novel by Charles Frazier)
PRODUCERS: Albert Berger, William Horberg, Sydney Pollack, and Ron Yerxa
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Seale (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Walter Murch
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/HISTORICAL/ROMANCE/WAR

Starring: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, and Giovanni Ribisi

Inman (Jude Law) fell in love with Reverend Monroe’s (Donald Sutherland) daughter, Ada (Nicole Kidman), without really knowing her, but there was something about her and there were no words to describe the strength of this new love. Then, Inman has to go off to fight for the Confederacy in the War Between States.

In the waning years of the war, Inman, after surviving a grave wound, deserts the Southern army and embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina, realizing that he’s tired of killing and as a broken man, he could find comfort in Ada’s arms. Meanwhile, Ada is struggling on the home front until she’s meets a feisty young mountain girl, Ruby Thewes (Renée Zellweger), who helps Ada get her father’s farm back in order. Together the survive depredations, the home guard, and cruel local lawman looking for Ada’s love.

Director Anthony Minghella won an Academy Award for directing the powerful, tragic romance, The English Patient, and after following that with The Talented Mr. Ripley and now Cold Mountain, Minghella seems intent on making love stories that move inextricable to a tragic end. Minghella is a really good filmmaker; his movies play out as if directed by a thoughtful storyteller who combines the disciplined acting of stage drama with the visual punch of epic filmmaking.

Cold Mountain is beautifully photographed, and the war scenes, despite their brevity, are as emotionally charged as anything since Braveheart, and the scenes have that kind of old school charm that recalls the golden age Hollywood classic, Gone with the Wind. Cold Mountain is a film where all the skilled and technical crafts were put on film with bravado and intelligence and with an eye on beauty, as if the filmmakers knew that Cold Mountain was indeed a war film, but a war film with an eye on the love lives of the soldiers behind the lines.

The acting is earnest and good, but seems a bit strained at times. It’s too sweet, as if the actors know that they were in an important film, a film leaning more toward art than entertainment – we’re actors, and this time we’re acting in an important film, not starring in a blockbuster. In fact, the acting is reminiscent of the exaggerated, faux stage acting style of 1930 and 40’s Hollywood romance films. Combine this forced formalism with the fact that Cold Mountain is slightly miscast, and the film is suddenly kind of twitchy.

Cold Mountain is a very good film, and it is indeed a poignant romance with epic war as the backdrop. You weep for the character’s hardships, but you yearn as they long for love. If the ending had been at all agreeable, this would have been a perfect film, but what pleasures it offers are indeed gratifying, so I recommend it.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2004 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Renée Zellweger); 6 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Jude Law), “Best Cinematography” (John Seale), “Best Editing” (Walter Murch), “Best Music, Original Score” (Gabriel Yared), “Best Music, Original Song” (T-Bone Burnett and Elvis Costello for the song "Scarlet Tide") and “Best Music, Original Song” (Sting for the song "You Will Be My Ain True Love")

2004 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Gabriel Yared and T-Bone Burnett) and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Renée Zellweger); 11 nominations: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Sydney Pollack, William Horberg, Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, and Anthony Minghella), “Best Cinematography” (John Seale) “Best Costume Design” (Ann Roth and Carlo Poggioli), “Best Editing” (Walter Murch), “Best Film” (Sydney Pollack, William Horberg, Albert Berger, and Ron Yerxa), “Best Make Up/Hair” (Paul Engelen and Ivana Primorac), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Jude Law), “Best Production Design” (Dante Ferretti), “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Anthony Minghella), “Best Sound” (Eddy Joseph, Ivan Sharrock, Walter Murch, Mike Prestwood Smith, and Matthew Gough) and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Anthony Minghella)

2004 Golden Globes: 1 win “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Renée Zellweger); 7 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Anthony Minghella), “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Gabriel Yared), “Best Original Song - Motion Picture” (Sting for the song "You Will Be My Ain True Love"), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Jude Law), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Nicole Kidman) and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Anthony Minghella)

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Review: Ben Kingsley a Beast in "Sexy Beast" (Happy B'day, Ben Kingsley)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 22 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sexy Beast (2000)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
U.S. Opening date: June 15, 2001
Running time: 89 minute (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive language, strong violence, and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Glazer
WRITERS: Louis Mellis and David Scinto; from a story by Andrew Michael Jolley
PRODUCER: Jeremy Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Ivan Bird with Dan Landin
EDITORS: John Scott and Sam Sneade
Academy Award nominee

CRIME/DRAMA with elements of comedy

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall, and Julianne White

Gal (Ray Winstone) is a retired safecracker living in Spain with his wife, Deedee (Amanda Redman). Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), an old London acquaintance, comes calling to recruit Gal into a gang of hoods to pull off a major heist for a big time gangster, Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). Gal wants to say “no,” but Don isn’t likely to take “no” for an answer. When Don and his quirky personality arrive at Gal’s Spanish villa, all bloody hell ensues.

Helmed by first time director Jonathan Glazer, Sexy Beast is a brutal British crime comedy/drama similar in vein to Guy Ritchie’s Snatch. Unlike the ensemble Snatch, Beast’s focus is primarily on Gal, his dilemma and Don Logan’s startling personality. Until the actual heist begins, the tension focuses on the possibility of Logan turning violent and weird on Gal when Gal refuses to join the crew Logan is recruiting for Bass.

Ray Winstone is very convincing as Gal, grown lazy, soft, and complacent in his retirement; so comfortable is he that Gal nearly goes to pieces when informed that Don is reentering his world. You can taste Gal’s turmoil and fear; he really doesn’t want any part of his old life. The film’s focus is really the tightrope upon which he walks from beginning to end, and he sells the audience his troubles, his fear, and his anxiety.

Tension and dilemmas aside, the best reason to watch this film is Ben Kingsley. Don Logan is one of those roles in which a talented actor can chew up the screen, but Kingsley doesn’t just chew scenery; he owns this movie. Don is actually royalty, the king of man-to-man talks, the invading conqueror of any situation. He talks so fast in some kind of cockney that you can barely understand what he says, but you get the gist of what he saying - trouble. Don means to get his way. Kingsley is a subtle show off in this part; he’s natural and smooth. His performance is unobtrusive, and his Don is indeed kind of sexy.

Sexy Beast is a slightly dressed meat and potatoes movie – nothing special at all except if anything British appeals to you because a British hood flick is better than an American gangster movie, of course. Sexy Beast can’t touch Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction. It’s a quiet, but frantic look at a man’s dilemma with some gangster hoo-hah thrown in. The unequivocal delight here is Ben Kingsley. This one of those great performances you read about in film texts that you should really see.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Ben Kingsley)

2001 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Jeremy Thomas and Jonathan Glazer)

2002 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Ben Kingsley)

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