Review: Emily Blunt Powers Tasty "Young Victoria"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Young Victoria (2009)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK/USA
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild sensuality, a scene of violence, and brief incidental language and smoking
DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc Vallée
WRITER: Julian Fellowes
PRODUCER: Sarah Ferguson, Tim Headington, Graham King, and Martin Scorsese
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Hagen Bogdanski (director of photography)
EDITOR: Jill Bilcock and Matt Garner
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/HISTORICAL/ROMANCE

Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmann, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Jeanette Hain, Julian Glover, Michael Maloney, and Michiel Huisman

Some period dramas are classy affairs. They are pretty to look at because of the lush production values, from sumptuous costumes to lavish sets. They can also be quite boring. Then, there are period dramas like the Oscar-winning Dangerous Liaisons and Shakespeare in Love, which are beautiful and lavish productions. They are also highly entertaining. Seeing them is to understand why some critics and reviewers sometimes describe movies as “delicious.”

The Young Victoria is one of those tasty period dramas. This film boasts an impressive list of producers, including Martin Scorsese, Graham King, and Sarah, Duchess of York (among others). It is a romantic dramatization and partly fictional account of the events preceding and following the coronation of Queen Victoria.

The 18-year old British royal, Victoria (Emily Blunt), is destined to ascend to the throne because her three uncles, the sons of King George III, do not have any surviving legitimate children. As her uncle, King William IV (Jim Broadbent), nears death, people plot to control Victoria. Victoria’s mother, Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson), and her private secretary, Sir John Conroy (Mark Strong), bully Victoria to allow them to form a regency government, which would put them in control, but she resists.

Meanwhile, her uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium (Thomas Kretschmann), plots to influence the future queen by marrying her to one of his nephews, Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), who is also Victoria’s cousin. Albert is willing to court Victoria solely for political motives, but he soon finds himself falling for her. However, Victoria is determined to rule as her own woman, but a constitutional crisis forces her to reconsider her feelings for Albert.

When Emily Blunt delivered her acclaimed performance as “Emily Charlton,” the snide assistant to Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada, many thought she was a star in the making. Blunt, certainly a fine actress, delivers on that promise in The Young Victoria, and she depicts all sides of the young Queen with aplomb and skill. Blunt’s performance is rich, and she gives Victoria such depth, presenting the young royal as playful, petulantly, brave, grim, and even romantic as Victoria finds her heart ensnared by Prince Albert.

Director Jean-Marc Vallée relies on Blunt because it is her performance that sells the political intrigue. Although the romance between Victoria and Albert is nice, The Young Victoria is really about palace intrigue, political machinations, and the lust for power. Vallée deftly uses all the scheming offered by Julian Fellowes’ screenplay to transform what could have been a staid period drama into a rollicking costume drama. Laugh at the scandal; gasp at the political scheming, and cry at the romance and reconciliation.

Marked by good performances throughout – especially Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne and Miranda Richardson as Duchess of Kent, The Young Victoria relies less on subtlety and more on power – the power of the darker side of human nature – lust and wanting after power and control. The Young Victoria reveals that royalty is just like rabble. Both will stab you in the back; the royals are just better dressed. Yes, being bad looks so good on film.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2010 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Sandy Powell); 2 wins: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (Patrice Vermette-art director and Maggie Gray-set decorator) and “Best Achievement in Makeup” (John Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore)

2010 BAFTA Awards: 2 win: “Best Costume Design” (Sandy Powell) and “Best Make Up & Hair” (Jenny Shircore)

2010 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Emily Blunt)

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

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Khalil Kain in Typer Perry's "For Colored Girls"

AOL Black Voices' "BV on Movies" blog has the following exclusive:  Khalil Kain is to appear in Tyler Perry's upcoming "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf."

Kain played "Raheem Porter," the murder victim shot by Tupac's "Rolland Bishop", in the 1992 film, Juice.  Kain was also a series regular on the late sitcom, Girlfriends.  According to the blog, Kain's character will be paired with a character played by Anika Noni Rose of Dreamgirls and Walt Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette" Pretty, Empty

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Marie Antoinette (2006)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity, and innuendo
DIRECTOR: Sofia Coppola
WRITER: Sofia Coppola (based upon the book Maria Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser)
PRODUCERS: Ross Katz and Sophia Coppola
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Lance Acord, A.S.C. (director of photography)
EDITOR: Sarah Flack
2007 Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento, Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Jamie Dornan, Marianne Faithful, and Steve Coogan

In her film, Marie Antoinette, Sofia Coppola directs a stylized portrait of a naïve princess, who became Queen of France when she was 19 years old.

Austria, 1768: Austrian princess Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) becomes betrothed to the dauphin (heir) of the French crown, Louis XVI (Jason Schwartzman). At the age of 14, Marie is stripped of all her possessions and thrown into the opulent French court at Versailles (near Paris) where vicious gossip defines everyone. Marie is alone and mostly without guidance, and Louis remains distant even after marriage – even refusing to consummate their union. By 19, Marie is Queen.

Adrift in Versailles’ dangerous world of conspiracy and scandal, Marie dives into the decadent life of French aristocracy, living the lavish life of a young royal. She buys extravagant clothing and jewelry for herself and has hugely expensive tastes when it comes to decorating the estate. She even has an affair with an alluring Swede, Count Fersen (Jamie Dornan). Many, however, view Marie as out of touch with her subjects, and the youthful indiscretions and frivolity that are her only releases from the confining life as Queen also become her undoing.

Coppola, who won a screenplay Oscar for her film, Lost in Translation, focuses Marie Antoinette on the life of the super wealthy and aimless. Coppola’s stated goal was to capture life in 18th century Versailles from the point of view of a lonely foreigner, so the narrative follows Marie through a whirlwind of extravagant costumes, opulent surroundings, and luxurious foodstuffs. In fact, one might consider this movie to be a lavish soufflé of kaleidoscopic operas, revelries, and even a costume ball that looks like a 21st century bash. Watching the film, you might get hungry for this pastel-colored world where cookies, candies, and cakes, and other sweets are so abundant, even a chamber pot might hold a multi-tiered cake.

Don’t think of Marie Antoinette even as historical fiction. It has little or no historical or political weight; this is all about the look. Visual anachronisms (as well as the modern rock, new wave, alternative soundtrack) mark this as more Coppola’s personal cinematic vision (a colorful art project) than it does cinema as history or even docu-drama. To that end, Marie Antoinette sure is a beautiful film. The costumes (Oscar-nominated), art direction/set decoration, cinematography, and makeup are some of the most stunningly beautiful that I’ve ever seen on film. So while the acting (Kirsten Dunst is wooden, except for a moment here and there) and the story are dry, stiff, and sometimes missing in action, the setting is splendid eye candy. Two hours of pretty style and no substance, however, is just too much to bear.

5 of 10
B-

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Milena Canonero)

2007 BAFTA Awards: 3 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (Milena Canonero), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Jean-Luc Russier and Desiree Corridoni), and “Best Production Design” (K.K. Barrett and Véronique Melery)

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Janeane Garofalo Has One-Hour Special on EPIX

Janeane Garofalo: If You Will Takes EPIX Stage

Premieres Saturday, June 26 at 10:00 pm EDT

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Janeane Garofalo brings her comedic observations to a one-hour special premiering Saturday, June 26 at 10:00 pm EDT on the multiplatform premium entertainment service, EPIX. Featuring Garofalo’s unique insights and hilarious riffs on life, culture and politics, the performance was filmed live in front of a sold-out audience at Seattle’s legendary Moore Theatre.

The television and film actress, known as much for her roles on 24 and The Truth About Cats and Dogs, as for her liberal politics on Air America Radio, is at home in her return to the comedic stage. The audience follows her every leap from the sheer perfection of Natalie Portman to her fantasy of a dog park just for firemen. And as always, some of the biggest laughs come when the comedic lens is focused inward, in her trademark self-deprecating style, in which she admits, “I cringe myself to sleep every night.”

“We’re thrilled that Janeane has chosen to do her first comedy special in over a decade with EPIX,” said EPIX President and CEO Mark Greenberg. “Janeane is a rebel with her own set of rules and that’s wildly appealing to our audience. She is the perfect fit for our growing brand of edgy, smart comedy. ”

Garofalo joins fellow comedians Lewis Black, Eddie Izzard and David Cross on a list of major artists creating original programming on EPIX.


About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available online to subscribers via its enhanced service, EPIX Megaplex, on www.EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through carriage agreements with Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, Cox Communications, Mediacom Communications, Charter Communications and NCTC.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com.

Review: Michael Caine Made a Star Turn in "Alfie"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 99 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

Alfie (1966)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: Lewis Gilbert
WRITER: Bill Naughton (based upon his play)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Otto Heller
EDITOR: Thelma Connell
Academy Award nominee

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Michael Caine, Shelley Winters, Millicent Martin, Julia Foster, Jane Asher, Shirley Anne Field, Vivien Merchant, Eleanor Bron, Denholm Elliot, Alfie Bass, Graham Stark, and Murray Melvin

Michael Caine earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the Oscar® “Best Picture” nominee, Alfie. It’s the tale of Alfie (Michael Caine), a cad and “lady killer” who specializes in loving women and leaving them. However, Alfie’s fortunes take a turn when he impregnates Gilda (Julia Foster). At first, Alfie shows interest in the baby boy, but when Gilda pushes for marriage, Alfie pushes off. Gilda accepts a proposal of marriage from Humphrey (Graham Stark), an old suitor who has been pining after her for ages. Alfie callously brushes aside the entire situation and marches on to new lovers until he gets his comeuppance.

Alfie is one of those pictures where the directing, screenwriting, and lead actor come together so seamlessly that the film comes off as a harmonious enterprise. The script is tightly written, but allows the actors room to breath. The director expertly follows the lead of the writing and the star, and crafts a perfect rhythm to which the performances can move. Of course, the star Michael Caine. He deftly moves back and forth, breaking the fourth wall to explain the film narrative and his situation directly to the movie audience. He smoothly breaks it every time he wants to explain his philosophy of life, his method of operation in matters of lust, and the evolution of the his story. Alfie is a charming rogue, a callous jerk, and a selfish and self-centered boy, but Caine makes him such an engaging and likeable character. He makes him so human and so sympathetic that one can’t see Alfie as evil man, just a man certain that he is the captain of his ship and that he can live with both his conquests and his errors. Alfie is certainly one of those times we find ourselves rooting for the cad/lover boy.

8 of 10
A

June 21, 2005

NOTES:
1967 Academy Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Michael Caine), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Vivien Merchant), “Best Music, Original Song” (Burt Bacharach-music and Hal David-lyrics for the song "Alfie"), “Best Picture” (Lewis Gilbert), and “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Bill Naughton)

1967 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles” (Vivien Merchant); 5 nominations: “Best British Actor” (Michael Caine), “Best British Cinematography (Colour)” (Otto Heller), “Best British Film” (Lewis Gilbert), “Best British Film Editing” (Thelma Connell), and “Best British Screenplay” (Bill Naughton)

1967 Golden Globes: 1win: “Best English-Language Foreign Film”; 6 nominations: “Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama” (Michael Caine), “Best Motion Picture Director” (Lewis Gilbert), “Best Original Song in a Motion Picture” (Burt Bacharach-music and Hal David-lyrics for the song "Alfie"), “Best Screenplay” (Bill Naughton), and 2 “Best Supporting Actress” (Vivien Merchant and Shelley Winters)

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Film from Thailand Wins Top Honor at Cannes 2010

The Cannes Film Festival is held annually in the resort town of Cannes, France, and is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals.  The top festival award is the "Palme d'Or" (Golden Palm).

Feature Film Awards:


Palme d’Or
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat) by Apichatpong Weerasethaku.

Grand Prix
Les Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men) by Xavier Beauvois

Award for Best Director
Mathieu Amalric for Tournee (On Tour)

Award for Best Screenplay
Lee Chang-dong for Poetry

Award for Best Actress
Juliet Binoche in Copie Conforme (Certified Copy) directed by Abbas Kiarostami

Award for Best Actor (tie)
Javier Bardem in Biutiful directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Elio Germano in La nostra vita (Our Life) directed by Daniele Luchetti

Jury Prize
Un homme qui crie (A screaming man) directed by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun


Short Film Awards:

Palme d’Or – Short Film
Chienne d’histoire (Barking Island) directed by Serge Avedikian

Jury Prize – Short Film
Micky Bader (Bathing Mickey) directed by Frida Kempff

This AP article (via Yahoo) talks about the big awards and this IMDb blog goes into more detail about the various festival honors.

Review: "Shrek Forever After" is an Upgrade from Third Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shrek Forever After (2010)
Running time: 93 minutes (1 hour, 33 minutes)
MPAA – PG for mild action, some rude humor and brief language
DIRECTOR: Mike Mitchell
WRITER: Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke
PRODUCERS: Teresa Cheng and Gina Shay
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Yong Duk Jhun

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE and COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: (voices) Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, Jon Hamm, John Cleese, Craig Robinson, Jane Lynch, and Walt Dohrn

The magic is not gone! Shrek Forever After arrives in theatres and reminds us that the disappointing Shrek the Third was a fluke in the Shrek franchise. When Shrek debuted in 2001, it was certainly different from the typical animated film. Instead of being an update of some fairy tale meant to appease children, Shrek turned the fairy tale on its ear, spoofed pop culture, and introduced odd ball characters that were so endearing a few of them gradually became pop culture stars. The 2004 sequel, Shrek 2, was as good as the first film, but not as fresh and original. Shrek the Third was a misfire. While it may not be an original, Shrek Forever After returns to what the first two films did well.

The new film finds the title character, that lovable ogre, Shrek (Mike Myers), not loving being a lovable ogre. He fought an evil dragon to rescue Prince Fiona (Cameron Diaz), married her, and saved his in-laws’ kingdom, Far Far Away. Before that, however, Shrek was ogre who scared villagers and took mud baths. Now, he is a domesticated family man, changing diapers, and autographing pitchforks for admiring villagers, and his once-fearsome ogre’s roar has become a children’s favorite. Shrek longs for the days when he was “real ogre,” but there is someone with the magic to help him be bad again.

A smooth-talking dealmaker named Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn) meets Shrek and offers him a magical contract. Shrek can get a day to feel like a real ogre again, in exchange for ANY day from Shrek’s past. Shrek signs the contract, but the deal creates a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away. This is a world in which he and Princess Fiona never met, and his friends, even Donkey (Eddie Murphy), don’t know him. He has 24 hours to restore his world or disappear forever.

Shrek Forever After is essentially a spin on director Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, in which a man on the verge of suicide gets to see how unfortunate life would be for his family, friends, and community without him. Because it uses themes similar to the Capra film, this fourth Shrek movie is probably the most heartfelt and sentimental about the importance of close relationships. The narrative is insistent that each individual character is essential to the well-being and happiness of his or her fellow characters. [That said, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) is getting a spin-off film.]

The entire story plays off the idea that the audience, by now, is familiar with these characters, knows their personalities, and has expectations about how the characters will entertain them. And Shrek Forever After delivers. All the voice performances are good, and, unlike in Shrek the Third, Eddie Murphy and Donkey have lots of screen time, which they use to spectacular results. This film also introduces another good Shrek villain, the winning Rumpelstiltskin, superbly performed by animator and voice actor, Walt Dohrn.

Shrek Forever After like the original is big and jolly. Cleverly chosen songs still populate the soundtrack and set the tone for key scenes in the story. Pop culture is slyly referenced and spoofed (like the funny break dancing witches routine), and the main characters still have some of the best jokes and one-liners the audience will hear during the summer movie season. But Shrek Forever After has heart. If this is indeed the last Shrek film (at least for awhile), we are left with a movie that reminds us how much fun Shrek and company are and how much we really like them or even love them.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, May 23, 2010