Press release:
“Dolphin Tale” is Underway
Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr. and Ashley Judd Lead the Cast in the Inspiring True-Life Story
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Alcon Entertainment’s “Dolphin Tale,” inspired by the remarkable true story of a courageous dolphin named Winter and the compassionate people who banded together to save her life.
The film stars Academy Award® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), recording artist and actor Harry Connick Jr., award-winning actress Ashley Judd, and music and movie legend Kris Kristofferson. The main cast also features young actor Nathan Gamble (“Marley & Me”) and newcomer Cozi Zuehlsdorff, as well as the actual Winter, who plays herself in the movie.
“Dolphin Tale” is being directed by Charles Martin Smith (“Air Bud”) and produced by Alcon Entertainment’s Broderick Johnson and Andrew A. Kosove (Oscar® nominees for “The Blind Side”) and Richard Ingber. Robert Engelman and Steven P. Wegner are serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by Karen Janszen, Noam Dromi, Charles Martin Smith and Jordan Roberts.
In announcing the start of production, producers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove stated, “The real Winter has served as an example of courage, perseverance and hope to people around the world, and we’re hoping that the movie about her extraordinary rescue and recovery will also inspire, as well as entertain, audiences everywhere.”
Producer Richard Ingber added, “We are very excited to be filming ‘Dolphin Tale’ at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the very place where her story unfolded. And we are also thrilled to be working with Charlie and our amazing cast. But, without a doubt, Winter is the one who has captured all our hearts. She is a star in every sense of the word.”
Collaborating with Charles Martin Smith behind the scenes are director of photography Karl Walter Lindenlaub (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”), editor Harvey Rosenstock (“Lottery Ticket”) and costume designer Hope Hanafin (“[500] Days of Summer”).
“Dolphin Tale” is being filmed on location in Florida, including Clearwater Marine Aquarium, whose motto is “Rescue, Rehabilitate and Return.”
Slated for release on September 16, 2011, “Dolphin Tale” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
"Splice" Merges the Monster Movie with the Family Drama
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 91 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux
Splice (2010)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language
DIRECTOR: Vincenzo Natali
WRITERS: Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor; from a story by Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant
PRODUCER: Steven Hoban
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tetsuo Nagata (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michele Conroy
SCI-FI/HORROR/DRAMA
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Cheneac, Brandon McGibbon, Simona Maicanescu, David Hewlett, and Abigail Chu
Splice is a science fiction and horror film with an international flavor – being a French, Canadian, and American co-production. It is also a kind of monster movie/family drama about two scientists and their taboo-obliterating creation.
Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Klast (Sarah Polley) are brilliant scientists who are as devoted to their careers as they are to one another. Their cutting-edge experiments in genetic engineering, which involve splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals, have made them superstars in their field. Now, they want to splice human DNA to animal DNA in order to create a hybrid that could potentially revolutionize science and medicine.
Although, N.E.R.D., the pharmaceutical giant that funds their research, forbids it, Clive and Elsa continue their unorthodox experiment to create a human-animal hybrid. The result is a female creature that Elsa names Dren (Delphine Cheneac). Clive starts to have misgivings about their creation and tells Elsa that they must destroy the creature. As their fantastical creation grows stronger and smarter, she also grows more dangerous.
Monster movies can be scary and thrilling or they can be creepy and disturbing. Splice is creepy and exceedingly disturbing, while managing to be more unsettling than scary. It really isn’t a cautionary tale about the misuse of science and man playing God. It is more a quirky take on the Frankenstein motif, with Clive and Elsa as two hubristic Victor Frankenstein-types, arrogantly going places that would give most scientists pause.
In a way, Splice is also a drama about a dysfunctional family. Once Clive and Elsa’s creature baby arrives, they are not as thrilled about being custodians as they were about being the first to create a human-animal hybrid. That pretty much sums up this movie’s eccentric narrative. It is smart and has a lot of ideas, but co-writer and director Vincenzo Natali and his co-writers, Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor, are constantly shifting this movie from one genre to another. Splice starts out as a science fiction movie, before becoming a monster movie when Dren arrives. Finally, it becomes a family drama, which is why the film seems longer than it is.
The story largely focuses on Clive, Elsa, and Dren, a dynamic that grows dull and cold pretty quickly. When other characters enter the narrative, the movie comes to life. That is where the real dramatic tension and conflict are. It is not about Clive and Elsa’s little secret family, but about what happens when other people get caught up in their web of deceit and have to deal with Dren. That is most obvious in the film’s final 20 minutes.
Regardless of its faults, Splice is too intriguing to ignore. Although it uses familiar ideas, Splice also manages to be fresh and smart when many science fiction and monster movies just want to be about the action and thrills.
6 of 10
B
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Splice (2010)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing elements including strong sexuality, nudity, sci-fi violence and language
DIRECTOR: Vincenzo Natali
WRITERS: Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor; from a story by Vincenzo Natali and Antoinette Terry Bryant
PRODUCER: Steven Hoban
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tetsuo Nagata (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Michele Conroy
SCI-FI/HORROR/DRAMA
Starring: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Cheneac, Brandon McGibbon, Simona Maicanescu, David Hewlett, and Abigail Chu
Splice is a science fiction and horror film with an international flavor – being a French, Canadian, and American co-production. It is also a kind of monster movie/family drama about two scientists and their taboo-obliterating creation.
Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Klast (Sarah Polley) are brilliant scientists who are as devoted to their careers as they are to one another. Their cutting-edge experiments in genetic engineering, which involve splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals, have made them superstars in their field. Now, they want to splice human DNA to animal DNA in order to create a hybrid that could potentially revolutionize science and medicine.
Although, N.E.R.D., the pharmaceutical giant that funds their research, forbids it, Clive and Elsa continue their unorthodox experiment to create a human-animal hybrid. The result is a female creature that Elsa names Dren (Delphine Cheneac). Clive starts to have misgivings about their creation and tells Elsa that they must destroy the creature. As their fantastical creation grows stronger and smarter, she also grows more dangerous.
Monster movies can be scary and thrilling or they can be creepy and disturbing. Splice is creepy and exceedingly disturbing, while managing to be more unsettling than scary. It really isn’t a cautionary tale about the misuse of science and man playing God. It is more a quirky take on the Frankenstein motif, with Clive and Elsa as two hubristic Victor Frankenstein-types, arrogantly going places that would give most scientists pause.
In a way, Splice is also a drama about a dysfunctional family. Once Clive and Elsa’s creature baby arrives, they are not as thrilled about being custodians as they were about being the first to create a human-animal hybrid. That pretty much sums up this movie’s eccentric narrative. It is smart and has a lot of ideas, but co-writer and director Vincenzo Natali and his co-writers, Antoinette Terry Bryant and Doug Taylor, are constantly shifting this movie from one genre to another. Splice starts out as a science fiction movie, before becoming a monster movie when Dren arrives. Finally, it becomes a family drama, which is why the film seems longer than it is.
The story largely focuses on Clive, Elsa, and Dren, a dynamic that grows dull and cold pretty quickly. When other characters enter the narrative, the movie comes to life. That is where the real dramatic tension and conflict are. It is not about Clive and Elsa’s little secret family, but about what happens when other people get caught up in their web of deceit and have to deal with Dren. That is most obvious in the film’s final 20 minutes.
Regardless of its faults, Splice is too intriguing to ignore. Although it uses familiar ideas, Splice also manages to be fresh and smart when many science fiction and monster movies just want to be about the action and thrills.
6 of 10
B
Saturday, November 13, 2010
The Bieb, Bruno Mars to Rock The Grammy Nominations Concert
Press release:
"The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night®" to Feature Performances by Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry LL Cool J Set to Host One-Hour Live Event on Dec. 1
CBS Entertainment Special Will Announce Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards Live from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pop star Justin Bieber, rapper B.o.B, country artist Miranda Lambert, singer/songwriter/producer Bruno Mars, and pop star Katy Perry are the first performers announced for "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night®." Two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J once again is set to host the one-hour special, which takes place live on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Club NOKIA in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly. The special marks the third time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. Last year's airing of the nominations special reached more than 7 million viewers and led to double-digit percentage increases in all key demos for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast earlier this year, delivering the show's best ratings in all key measures since 2004 and the biggest year-over-year increase in more than 20 years.
The road to Music's Biggest Night begins with "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!" and culminates with the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.
"The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC and John Cossette Productions. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are the executive producers. LL Cool J is producer.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
"The GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown to Music's Biggest Night®" to Feature Performances by Justin Bieber, B.o.B, Miranda Lambert, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry LL Cool J Set to Host One-Hour Live Event on Dec. 1
CBS Entertainment Special Will Announce Nominations for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards Live from Club NOKIA in Los Angeles
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pop star Justin Bieber, rapper B.o.B, country artist Miranda Lambert, singer/songwriter/producer Bruno Mars, and pop star Katy Perry are the first performers announced for "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night®." Two-time GRAMMY winner LL Cool J once again is set to host the one-hour special, which takes place live on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Club NOKIA in Los Angeles. The show will be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network from 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly. The special marks the third time nominations for the annual GRAMMY Awards will be announced live on primetime television. Last year's airing of the nominations special reached more than 7 million viewers and led to double-digit percentage increases in all key demos for the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast earlier this year, delivering the show's best ratings in all key measures since 2004 and the biggest year-over-year increase in more than 20 years.
The road to Music's Biggest Night begins with "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!!" and culminates with the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 and broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT. For updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys, www.facebook.com/thegrammys.
"The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC and John Cossette Productions. John Cossette and Ken Ehrlich are the executive producers. LL Cool J is producer.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com/. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Review: "The Devil Wears Prada" is Still Devilish Fun (Happy B'day, Anne Hathaway)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 156 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sensuality
DIRECTOR: David Frankel
WRITER: Aline Brosh McKenna (based upon the novel by Lauren Weisberger)
PRODUCER: Wendy Finerman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Florian Ballhaus
EDITOR: Mark Livosi, A.C.E.
Academy Award nominee
COMEDY
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, and Daniel Sanjata
Fresh out of college with her journalism degree, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has decided to go to New York City to pursue her dream of serious writing, although her parents would have preferred Stanford Law School. Her impressive college resume lands her job at Runway Magazine, the fashion bible of NYC. Andy’s job is to be the assistant to Emily (Emily Blunt), who is in turn the assistant to the fearsome Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), Runway’s editor-in-chief and the most powerful woman in fashion. This is a job, as Nigel (Stanley Tucci), one of Miranda’s employees, tells Andy, a job that a thousand other girls would kill for. However, Andy isn’t much on fashion, and her wardrobe is more off-the-rack drab than haute couture. She’s really wrong for the job, and Miranda is a prickly, domineering, ice queen who quickly dismissed the two assistants prior to Andy. Still, Andy begins to like her new job, and that’s when it conflicts with her circle of friends, especially her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier). Now, Andy has to balance a burgeoning profession career with her personal life, even while’s she finds herself drawn closer to the dragon fire that is Miranda Priestly.
The Devil Wears Prada relies on two basic and familiar storylines – the fish out of water story and the career girl’s adventures, and the movie does both well because of its star. Meryl Streep’s name may be first on the marquee, and she gives a tour-de-force performance (as is her want), but this is Anne Hathaway’s movie. The girlish looks and charms she showed in Disney’s The Princess Diaries franchise and the dramatic chops she showed in Brokeback Mountain both come to play in The Devil Wears Prada, the former more than the latter. Her Andy Sachs is both spunky and serious, and Anne shows so much of that in her highly emotive facial expressions – done with exquisite subtly.
Of course, much of this film’s attention is on Streep’s flashy and brassy turn as Miranda Priestly, but ever the consummate professional and actor-as-artist, Streep’s theatrics are completely in the context of the film. She doesn’t stop the film cold when she turns on Miranda’s cold. Streep’s performance allows for this movie to have something that successful films need – great scenes. Great movies have several great scenes, and while The Devil Wears Prada isn’t great, it is easily the top comedy of 2006. Streep anchors the great scenes (or even builds them) that make this movie a must-see for movie lovers.
The Devil Wears Prada is one of those flicks that deserves and has earned such film critics’ clichés as “devilishly clever,” deliciously wicked,” “fiendishly clever,” etc., and even “scrumptious.” That’s because the script allows us to tag along on a crafty romp through the fashion world the movie has fashioned. As snarky as the comedy about the fashion industry in this movie may be, the ultimate treat is two outstanding performances by Streep and Hathaway. Their chess match, or test of wills, as it may be, is the pillar of this ingeniously constructed comedy.
7 of 10
A-
Thursday, July 20, 2006
NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Pat Field)
2007 BAFTA Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Emily Blunt), “Best Costume Design” (Pat Field), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Nicki Ledermann and Angel De Angelis), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Aline Brosh McKenna)
2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Meryl Streep); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Emily Blunt)
---------------------------------
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Running time: 106 minutes (1 hour, 46 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sensuality
DIRECTOR: David Frankel
WRITER: Aline Brosh McKenna (based upon the novel by Lauren Weisberger)
PRODUCER: Wendy Finerman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Florian Ballhaus
EDITOR: Mark Livosi, A.C.E.
Academy Award nominee
COMEDY
Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier, Tracie Thoms, Rich Sommer, and Daniel Sanjata
Fresh out of college with her journalism degree, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) has decided to go to New York City to pursue her dream of serious writing, although her parents would have preferred Stanford Law School. Her impressive college resume lands her job at Runway Magazine, the fashion bible of NYC. Andy’s job is to be the assistant to Emily (Emily Blunt), who is in turn the assistant to the fearsome Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), Runway’s editor-in-chief and the most powerful woman in fashion. This is a job, as Nigel (Stanley Tucci), one of Miranda’s employees, tells Andy, a job that a thousand other girls would kill for. However, Andy isn’t much on fashion, and her wardrobe is more off-the-rack drab than haute couture. She’s really wrong for the job, and Miranda is a prickly, domineering, ice queen who quickly dismissed the two assistants prior to Andy. Still, Andy begins to like her new job, and that’s when it conflicts with her circle of friends, especially her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier). Now, Andy has to balance a burgeoning profession career with her personal life, even while’s she finds herself drawn closer to the dragon fire that is Miranda Priestly.
The Devil Wears Prada relies on two basic and familiar storylines – the fish out of water story and the career girl’s adventures, and the movie does both well because of its star. Meryl Streep’s name may be first on the marquee, and she gives a tour-de-force performance (as is her want), but this is Anne Hathaway’s movie. The girlish looks and charms she showed in Disney’s The Princess Diaries franchise and the dramatic chops she showed in Brokeback Mountain both come to play in The Devil Wears Prada, the former more than the latter. Her Andy Sachs is both spunky and serious, and Anne shows so much of that in her highly emotive facial expressions – done with exquisite subtly.
Of course, much of this film’s attention is on Streep’s flashy and brassy turn as Miranda Priestly, but ever the consummate professional and actor-as-artist, Streep’s theatrics are completely in the context of the film. She doesn’t stop the film cold when she turns on Miranda’s cold. Streep’s performance allows for this movie to have something that successful films need – great scenes. Great movies have several great scenes, and while The Devil Wears Prada isn’t great, it is easily the top comedy of 2006. Streep anchors the great scenes (or even builds them) that make this movie a must-see for movie lovers.
The Devil Wears Prada is one of those flicks that deserves and has earned such film critics’ clichés as “devilishly clever,” deliciously wicked,” “fiendishly clever,” etc., and even “scrumptious.” That’s because the script allows us to tag along on a crafty romp through the fashion world the movie has fashioned. As snarky as the comedy about the fashion industry in this movie may be, the ultimate treat is two outstanding performances by Streep and Hathaway. Their chess match, or test of wills, as it may be, is the pillar of this ingeniously constructed comedy.
7 of 10
A-
Thursday, July 20, 2006
NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Pat Field)
2007 BAFTA Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Meryl Streep), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Emily Blunt), “Best Costume Design” (Pat Field), “Best Make Up & Hair” (Nicki Ledermann and Angel De Angelis), and “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Aline Brosh McKenna)
2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” (Meryl Streep); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy” and “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Emily Blunt)
---------------------------------
Kung Fu Panda 2 Set For May 27 2011
Press release:
DreamWorks Animation Presents
KUNG FU PANDA 2
Cast: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Victor Garber
Filmmakers: Produced by Melissa Cobb, Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Synopsis: In KUNG FU PANDA 2, Po is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. He must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins; only then will Po be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.
Release: May 27, 2011
This film has not yet been rated -CREDITS NOT FINAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
VISIT THE OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.kungfupanda.com/
Review: Third Time is Not a Charm for Washington/Scott in "Deja Vu"
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 251 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux Déjà vu (2006)
Running time: 128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images and sensuality
DIRECTOR: Tony Scott
WRITERS: Bill Marsilii and Terry Rossio
PRODUCER: Jerry Bruckheimer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Paul Cameron
EDITOR: Chris Lebenzon
Black Reel Award nominee
SCI-FI/THRILLER/MYSTERY with elements of action
Starring: Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton, Adam Goldberg, and Jim Caviezel, Bruce Greenwood, Erika Alexander, Matt Craven, and Elden Henson
Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington), ATF agent, is investigating a cataclysmic explosion of a New Orleans ferry that is possibly a terrorist attack. Carlin also happens upon the homicide of a young woman named Claire Kuchever (Paula Patton) that may be tied to the ferry bombing, and that’s when Carlin begins to believe that he has some kind of emotional connection to Claire. It’s déjà vu – that unsettling feeling that he knows someone he’s never met and recognizes a place he’s sure he’s never been.
Then, Carlin meets FBI Agent Andrew Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) and a small team of physicists who have apparently opened a window through which they can view the past. That’s when Carlin falls down the rabbit hole (or through a wormhole, so to speak) that will point him to the identity of the bomber and bring he and Claire closer. But by tampering with the past, will Doug Carlin save Claire’s life or will he cost them both their lives?
Déjà Vu is the third collaboration between Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington and director Tony Scott (after Crimson Tide and Man on Fire), and because they have such a good rapport, this preposterous sci-fi, mystery thriller manages to be a tasty popcorn flick in spite of the holes in the plot. The film is by-the-book Scott and Washington. Déjà Vu looks like Scott’s usual work, complete with burnished photography and lots of fancy editing and camera cutting. Washington does his usual determined, confident, cocky-but-sensitive law enforcement/military type. This movie isn’t Oscar bait; it’s a Denzel Washington action/thriller vehicle helmed by a director and producer (Jerry Bruckheimer) who both know how to do action/thriller vehicles for A-list movie stars.
As for the science fiction (time travel) behind Déjà Vu: it’s the kind material we get from movies on the Sci-Fi Channel. The difference is Déjà Vu has a bigger budget and big Hollywood names behind it instead of the usual Sci-Fi Channel suspects: some minor character actors and a team of filmmakers that generally works on the periphery of the movie industry. Déjà Vu gives lots of thrills and edge-of-your-seat suspense, but it all seems so predictable and ill conceived that it might well be a made-for-TV sci-fi movie that got lucky and received a theatrical run. In the end, this movie may be remembered for its absurd and outlandish sci-fi concept and not much else. Otherwise, Déjà Vu is a Denzel Washington movie that even Washington fans can wait for on DVD.
5 of 10
C+
Saturday, December 16, 2006
NOTES:
2007 Black Reel Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Breakthrough Performance” (Paula Patton)
--------------------
Thursday, November 11, 2010
All-Stars Join Steven Soderbergh for "Contagion"
Press release:
An All-Star Ensemble Cast Begins Filming on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Contagion” under the Direction of Steven Soderbergh
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ global thriller “Contagion,” being directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”).
The film brings together a stellar international ensemble cast, including Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose,” “Inception”); Academy Award® winner Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting,” the “Bourne” films); Oscar® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “The Matrix”); Oscar® nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “Sherlock Holmes”); Academy Award® winner Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Iron Man”); and Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Titanic”).
“Contagion” follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.
The original screenplay is written by Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Informant!”). “Contagion” is being produced by Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher (“World Trade Center”), and Gregory Jacobs (“The Informant!”).
Collaborating with Soderbergh behind the scenes are production designer Howard Cummings (“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”), Oscar®-winning editor Stephen Mirrione (“Traffic”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Ocean’s Thirteen”).
Filming will take place on location around the world, including sites in Hong Kong, Macao, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, London and Geneva.
“Contagion” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film is slated for release in October 2011.
An All-Star Ensemble Cast Begins Filming on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Contagion” under the Direction of Steven Soderbergh
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ global thriller “Contagion,” being directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”).
The film brings together a stellar international ensemble cast, including Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose,” “Inception”); Academy Award® winner Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting,” the “Bourne” films); Oscar® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “The Matrix”); Oscar® nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “Sherlock Holmes”); Academy Award® winner Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Iron Man”); and Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Titanic”).
“Contagion” follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.
The original screenplay is written by Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Informant!”). “Contagion” is being produced by Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher (“World Trade Center”), and Gregory Jacobs (“The Informant!”).
Collaborating with Soderbergh behind the scenes are production designer Howard Cummings (“Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”), Oscar®-winning editor Stephen Mirrione (“Traffic”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Ocean’s Thirteen”).
Filming will take place on location around the world, including sites in Hong Kong, Macao, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, London and Geneva.
“Contagion” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film is slated for release in October 2011.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)