Review: Matthew Vaughn, Daniel Craig Deliver in Tasty "Layer Cake"

TRASH OF MY EYE No. 74 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Layer Cake (2004)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, nudity, pervasive language and drug use
DIRECTOR: Matthew Vaughn
WRITER: J.J. Connolly (based upon his novel)
PRODUCERS: Adam Bohling, David Reid, and Matthew Vaughn
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Davis (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jon Harris
2005 BAFTA Award nominee

CRIME/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Kenneth Cranham, Jamie Forman, Francis Magee, Sienna Miller, Tom Hardy, Sally Hawkins, and Michael Gambon

An unnamed British drug dealer (Daniel Craig) is looking to get out of the drug business, and he’s looking for one last big score to take him into retirement. Well dressed and polite, he is the consummate professional who has made a fortune trading in cocaine and ecstasy, while keeping his own hands clean, but the neat distance is about to come to an end.

Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham), the drug kingpin to whom he answers, has two last jobs for him – tie up the loose ends involving a stash of stolen ecstasy pills and also find the missing daughter of Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon), an old associate of Jimmy’s. However, Jimmy isn’t being entirely straight with our unnamed protagonist. The original owners of the gargantuan ecstasy cargo, ex-Serb paramilitary, are coming after Jimmy because he’s an associate of, Duke (Jamie Forman), the thief that stole the pills. Now, our suave drug dealer must rely on two associates, Morty (George Harris) and Gene (Colm Meaney), to help him out, but even they might not be able to help him when the Serbian hit man, Dragan (Dragan Micanovic), comes looking for him.

Matthew Vaughn’s Layer Cake is one of the more stylish British gangster films of the past decade. What sets it apart is Daniel Craig’s neat professional as drug dealer, which basically makes someone many consider a parasite, quite attractive. Vaughn (who received a 2005 BAFTA Award nomination for the "Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer") weaves a brilliant tapestry from J.J. Connolly’s screenplay, balancing intricate plotlines and a multitude of conflicting characters and motivations, at least until the end. Some viewers will need a scorecard to keep up with all the players and multiple loose ends that Vaughn ties up before delivering an ending that’s just got to go.

Other than that, Layer Cake is a brilliant crime film that blends style with gangster violence. On top of what seems like a simple story about a hood trying to exit the life of being a hood is a story about the cutthroat world of making money, where everybody is out to get his own. Those who demand the most – whether it is loyalty, respect, or money – are actually the least loyal, disdainful of others, and the greediest. It’s also nice that Vaughn smartly reminds the viewer that even the well to do can be scumbags.

8 of 10
A

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

NOTES:
2005 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer” (Matthew Vaughn-director)

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The Hangover Part II: It Can't Be Stopped!!

The Wolfpack Tears up the Box Office Again with a Record-Breaking Opening for “The Hangover Part II”

Comedy Sequel Has Now Crossed the $200 Million Mark Worldwide

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Hangover Part II” made it a memorable Memorial Day weekend at the box office. The blockbuster comedy has now crossed $200 million worldwide, the fastest of any comedy to surpass that benchmark. The joint announcement was made today by Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman, and President of International Distribution Veronika Kwan-Rubinek. To date, “The Hangover Part II” has grossed more than $205 million globally.

Domestically, the Todd Phillips-directed comedy raked in more than $135 million dollars in its first five days in release, smashing multiple records along the way, beginning with its $10.4 million dollar midnight opening and first-day Thursday gross of over $31.6 million. “The Hangover Part II” broke the three-day, four-day and five-day opening records for a comedy film opening of any rating. Additionally, the film shattered both the Memorial Day weekend record and the Friday-to-Monday holiday record for an R-rated film, with a total of $103.5 million, more than doubling the previous records.

Fellman remarked, “We could not imagine a better way to kick off our summer and, based on audience reactions and strong word-of-mouth, we expect this ‘Hangover’ to last throughout the summer. Cheers to Todd Phillips and the ‘Wolfpack,’ who are back in a big way and who made ‘The Hangover Part II’ an experience no one will forget.”

In addition, “The Hangover Part II,” which was released in 40 territories, woke up to a staggering international gross, topping the box office with $70.05 million on 5193 screens through Monday.

Kwan-Rubinek stated, “With the unprecedented success and continuing popularity of the first film, expectations were incredibly high for ‘The Hangover Part II.’ This fantastic opening shows that the movie not only met but exceeded those expectations on a global level. We applaud Todd, his fantastic cast, and everyone involved in the film, all of whom share in this extraordinary success.”

In “The Hangover Part II” Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to exotic Thailand for Stu’s wedding. With the memory of Doug’s nearly disastrous bachelor party in Las Vegas still fresh—or at least well-documented—Stu is taking no chances. He has opted for a safe, subdued, pre-wedding trip brunch, with pancakes, coffee…and no alcohol. However, things don’t always go as planned. Two nights before the big day, at a fabulous resort in Thailand, Stu relents. One beer each. In sealed bottles. What could go wrong?

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens in Bangkok can’t even be imagined.

“The Hangover Part II” is director Todd Phillips’ follow-up to his 2009 smash hit “The Hangover,” which became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all time and also won the Golden Globe for Best Film – Comedy or Musical.

Reprising their roles, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha star in the film. Ken Jeong and Jeffrey Tambor also return from the first film, and Mason Lee, Jamie Chung and Paul Giamatti join the ensemble.

The screenplay is by Craig Mazin & Scot Armstrong & Todd Phillips. Phillips also produced the film under his Green Hat Films banner, together with Dan Goldberg. Thomas Tull, Scott Budnick, Chris Bender and J.C. Spink are the executive producers, with David A. Siegel and Jeffrey Wetzel serving as co-producers.

“The Hangover Part II” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated R for pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images.

Do Jundroids Dream of Electric Negromancers?

It's June, and it's a big movie month.  First, I still need to see that May hit, The Hangover Part II.

So Welcome to Negromancer, the rebirth of my former movie review website as a movie review and movie news blog. I’m Leroy Douresseaux, and I also blog at http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/ and write for the Comic Book Bin (which has smart phones apps).

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.

Columbia Pictures to Distribute Bigelow-Boal "Bin Laden" Movie

COLUMBIA PICTURES ACQUIRES UNITED STATES DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS TO THE FORTHCOMING FILM FROM OSCAR®-WINNING “HURT LOCKER” TEAM OF DIRECTOR KATHRYN BIGELOW AND SCREENWRITER MARK BOAL

Columbia Pictures has acquired United States distribution rights to the forthcoming motion picture from Oscar®-winners Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, director and screenwriter, respectively, of the Best Picture-winning film The Hurt Locker, it was announced by Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The untitled film focuses on the black ops mission to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, which culminated in his death earlier this month during a high-stakes raid on his compound in Pakistan. Bigelow and Boal have been developing the project since 2008 and plan to incorporate recent events into the film.

Boal and Bigelow will produce the project, along with Annapurna Picture’s Megan Ellison, and executive producer, Greg Shapiro, with production slated to commence in the late summer of 2011. The film will be released in the United States in the 4th quarter of 2012.

Commenting on the announcement, Pascal said, “With the death of Osama bin Laden, this film could not be more relevant. Kathryn and Mark have an outstanding perspective on the team that was hunting the most wanted man in the world. . Mark is second to none as an investigative journalist, and Kathryn will bring the same kind of compelling authenticity and urgency that distinguished The Hurt Locker and made that film so memorable and special.”

Kathryn Bigelow won Academy Awards® for directing and producing her most recent feature film, The Hurt Locker, a look at an elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal squad in Iraq. The film starred Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, and won a total of six Oscars®, including Best Picture. Bigelow’s other films include Near Dark, Point Break, Strange Days, The Weight of Water, and K-19: The Widowmaker.

Mark Boal won the Academy Award® for his original screenplay for The Hurt Locker. He also won an Oscar® for producing the Best Picture winner. As an investigative reporter, he has written for such national publications as Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Brill’s Content, Mother Jones, and Playboy. In 2003, he wrote Death and Dishonor, the true story of a military veteran who goes searching for his missing son, which later became the basis for Paul Haggis’s follow up to Crash, In the Valley of Elah, released by Warner Bros. in 2007. Boal collaborated with Paul Haggis on the script and shares a co-story credit on the film.

Megan Ellison is the owner and CEO of Annapurna Pictures and the producer of the forthcoming Wettest County, directed by John Hillcoat. She was the Executive Producer of True Grit. Annapurna is financing and producing upcoming films by Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin McDonagh, and Andrew Dominik.

Greg Shapiro won an Academy Award® for producing The Hurt Locker. His recent credits include The Conspirator, directed by Robert Redford, and A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas.


About Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary ofSony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 140 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com/.

Production Begins on Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Killer"

Director Bryan Singer in Production on 3D Epic Action Adventure “Jack the Giant Killer”

Stars Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, Bill Nighy and Ewan McGregor

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway in London on acclaimed filmmaker Bryan Singer’s 3D epic action adventure “Jack the Giant Killer,” with Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Jack, for New Line Cinema and Legendary Pictures.

“Jack the Giant Killer” tells the story of an ancient war that is reignited when a young farmhand unwittingly opens a gateway between our world and a fearsome race of giants. Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing the young man, Jack, into the battle of his life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom, its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend — and gets the chance to become a legend himself.

Hoult and Singer recently collaborated on the Singer-produced “X-Men: First Class,” for release later this year. “Jack the Giant Killer” also stars Eleanor Tomlinson as Princess Isabelle; Stanley Tucci (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Julie & Julia”) as the deceitful Lord Roderick; Ian McShane (“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” HBO’s “Deadwood”) as the besieged King Brahmwell; Bill Nighy (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”) as the giants’ leader General Fallon; and Ewan McGregor (“Star Wars,” “The Ghost Writer”) as palace guard Elmont.

Singer will direct from a screenplay by Darren Lemke and Christopher McQuarrie and Dan Studney, story by Darren Lemke & David Dobkin. The film will be produced by Neal Moritz, David Dobkin, Bryan Singer and Patrick McCormick.

The creative filmmaking team includes Singer’s longtime collaborators, director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel (“X-Men,” “Superman Returns”) and editor John Ottman (“X2,” “Superman Returns”). The production designer is Gavin Bocquet (“Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith”).

“Jack the Giant Killer” is filming on location in and around London, and is scheduled for a summer 2012 release.

A New Line Cinema presentation, in association with Legendary Pictures, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Review: "Kung Fu Panda 2" Brings Awesome Back

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – PG for sequences of martial arts action and mild violence
DIRECTORS: Jennifer Yuh
WRITERS: Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger
PRODUCER: Melissa Cobb
COMPOSERS: Hans Zimmer and John Powell

ANIMATION/MARTIAL ARTS/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: (voices) Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Haysbert, and Danny McBride

Kung Fu Panda 2 is a computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation. A martial arts, action-comedy, it is the sequel to the Oscar-nominated 2008 animated film, Kung Fu Panda. The sequel is every bit as good as the original, but the action and fight scenes in the new movie not only surpass the first film, they are also better than anything yet seen in computer-animated films.

Following the events of the first film, Kung Fu Panda 2 finds Po (Jack Black), the giant panda, living his dream as the legendary Dragon Warrior. He protects the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the legendary Furious Five: Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Crane (David Cross), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Monkey (Jackie Chan). Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) wishes to continue Po’s lessons by helping him pursue inner peace.

However, Po and the Furious Five must race stop a powerful new enemy, Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), the exiled son of the late Peacock Emperor. From Gongmen City, Shen plots to unleash a powerful new weapon that threatens to destroy kung fu and help him conquer China. For Po, however, there is something familiar about Shen and his murderous army that paralyzes him whenever he faces them. Suffering from bad dreams, Po must delve into his past, the place he doesn’t want to go. If he doesn’t, Shen will win.

I must admit to being in love with great martial arts fighting scenes. I could watch the fight sequences in films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and even Ninja Assassin on a continuous loop. The fight scenes are what really won me over with Kung Fu Panda 2. It’s still hard for me to believe that computers can create this kind of character animation and movement with such precision and dynamism. I don’t know if I should call it high tech virtuosity or art as the illusion of life. Kung Fu Panda 2 has some of the most beautiful animation I’ve ever seen and rich hues and colors that sparkle.

This movie is not all about the visual spark, however. Kung Fu Panda 2’s story has heart and also the kind of compelling character writing we’ve come to expect from Pixar’s films. Po’s struggles with identity and his origin and the fear that engenders are genuine to the point that you might start worrying about him as if he were a real person. I can say that same thing about Lord Shen, a thoroughly fashioned character and the kind of complicated, complex adversary usually reserved for films seeking Oscar nominations. Gary Oldman does a splendid job in his voice performance as Shen, emphasizing that while Shen is the contrast to Po, they also have similar issues.

Anyone who tells you that Kung Fu Panda 2 is more of the same may not quite be full of crap, but they’re more than half full. This is a sequel that is a continuation of the original’s excellence, and Kung Fu Panda 2 is one of the year’s best.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, May 29, 2011

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Review: Cute "Gnomeo & Juliet" Charms All Ages

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 44 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Running time: 84 min (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTOR: Kelly Asbury
WRITERS: Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Mark Burton, Emily Cook, Kathy Greenberg, Steve Hamilton Shaw, and Kelly Asbury; from a story by Rob Sprackling, John R. Smith, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, and Steve Hamilton Shaw and from an original screenplay by Rob Sprackling and John R. Smith (based upon the play by William Shakespeare)
PRODUCERS: Baker Bloodworth, David Furnish, and Steve Hamilton Shaw
EDITOR: Catherine Apple
COMPOSERS: Chris Bacon and James Newton Howard
SONGS: Elton John and Bernie Taupin

ANIMATION/COMEDY/ACTION/ROMANCE

Starring: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen, Michael Caine, Matt Lucas, Jim Cummings, Maggie Smith, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne, Stephen Merchant, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Richard Wilson, and Hulk Hogan

Gnomeo & Juliet is a computer-animated film released earlier this year. A family film, it retells William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet using garden gnomes that walk and talk. Recordings of Elton John songs like “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” and “Your Song,” are the soundtrack to this classic love story with a twist.

Mrs. Montague (Julie Walters), with her blue house, and Mr. Capulet (Richard Wilson), with his red house, are next door neighbors and enemies. When they leave their homes, the objects in their backyard come to life. The Montague backyard is filled with blue garden gnomes, while the Capulet backyard has red garden gnomes, and like their masters, the blue and red garden gnomes are mortal enemies. They are constantly fighting or engaging in dangerous games like lawnmower races. The blues are led by Lady Blueberry (Maggie Smith) and the reds by Lord Redbrick (Michael Caine).

The garden gnome feud takes a complicated turn when Gnomeo (James McAvoy), son of Lady Blueberry, and Juliet (Emily Blunt), daughter of Redbrick, meet and begin a romance. When a lawnmower race goes horribly awry, Gnomeo is on the run and Juliet is confined to a fountain. Will their love prevail or will Gnomeo and Juliet come to the same tragic end as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?

There is not much to say about Gnomeo & Juliet. It’s cute, often heartwarming, and surprisingly (at least to me) fun to watch. A movie doesn’t really have to be good to be entertaining, and while Gnomeo & Juliet isn’t by any means great, it has a few moments that you might find just delightful to watch. Exceptional animated films have great supporting characters, but this one doesn’t, although there are good ones that the film underutilizes (like Nanette the garden frog and Shroom the silent mushroom).

The Elton John songs, some of which are turned into instrumental melodies or interludes, are a mixed bag. The duets, with Lady Gaga on “Hello, Hello” and with Nelly Furtado on “Crocodile Rock,” are disappointing, especially the Gaga joint, which sounds like a symphony of warring cats. The film, however, makes good use of the classic songs.

That aside, Gnomeo & Juliet will delight its intended audience – children, but many adults are in for a surprise. They will find this wacky take on Romeo and Juliet sometimes witty and often charming.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, May 28, 2011

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