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Starring: Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Max Von Sydow, Zoe Caldwell, Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright, John Goodman, Eva Kaminsky, Chris Hardwick. Director: Stephen Daldry Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, and Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by: Eric Roth, adapted from the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer.
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| “Hi. You’ve reached the Schell residence. Today is Tuesday, September 11th.” – Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn).
While it may seem crass and cynical to comment that Hollywood seems desperate in its efforts to deliver THE movie about 9/11, it certainly feels that way. Since the horrible tragedies of September 11, 2001 occurred, there have been numerous films that have attempted to either use those events as a backdrop to messages of bigger and grander meaning, have simply attempted to walk us back through those events as they transpired, or have shamelessly exploited the tragedy for a cheap and tawdry romantic drama. Our next entry in the 9/11 genre is Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer’s best-selling and critically acclaimed novel. Directed by Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Hours, The Reader), Extremely Loud lines up as a film that might finally strike an acceptable balance of telling a touching and moving story amidst the backdrop of the historic events of that tragic September morning. |
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Starring: Sam Worthington, Anthony Mackie, Jamie Bell, Genesis Rodriguez, Edward Burns, Ed Harris, Elizabeth Banks, Kyra Sedgwick, Titus Welliver, William Sadler. Director: Asgen Leth Di Bonaventura Pictures and Summit Entertainment. Written by: Pablo F. Fenjves
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| “Jump! Jump! Jump!” – throng of Manhattainites cheering Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington).
One should never begin a written piece with an utterance and so, I am placing these words in front of the first word I really wish to begin with when writing about Man On A Ledge. That word is SIGH. Oh yes, the sigh. Defined by the folks at Dictionary.com as “(the) emit(ting of) a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, relief, or tiredness.” Never has a word been more apt or on point than “sigh” when thinking about the goofy spectacle of a film that is Man On A Ledge. I mean, I get it. Man On A Ledge is not, and never was going to be, an Oscar-winning classic and I completely agree with the notion that many critics, film reviewers, and writers often succumb to their own hubris and self-imposed elitism when it comes to evaluating films such as Man On A Ledge. I mean, look at the title. There’s a man. And he is on a ledge. No different than say snakes. On a plane. Or that hobo. With a shotgun. So, yeah, Man On A Ledge is really nothing more than a man on a ledge. Until it tries to be more than that. And then…it becomes quite easy to tear this film apart for being devoid of logic, exuberantly simple-minded, and saddled with one of the most cliche-laden and flat out headscratching screenplays of recent memory. They should have simply placed a man on a ledge and left it there. |
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Starring: Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Kris Kristofferson, Morgan Freeman, Austin Stowell, Frances Sternhagen, Austin Highsmith, Betsy Landin, Juliana Harkavy, Megan Lozicki, Winter. Director: Charles Martin Smith Alcon Entertainment, Arc Productions, and Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by: Karen Kanszen and Noam Dormi. |
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| “She really seems to respond to you…” – Phoebe (Austin Highsmith). Dolphin Tale is one of those films that is really hard to not like and even harder to say something negative about. Sure, it is flawed and manipulative, but director Charles Martin Smith does a great job in keeping the story moving efficiently, the drama compelling enough for children of all ages, and the inspiring true story on screen impossible to not become engaged with. |
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Documentary Featuring Norman Foster, Paul Goldberger, Bono, Anish Kapoor, Richard Rogers. Narrated by: Deyan Sudjic. Director: Carlos Carcas, Norberto Lopez Amado Aiete-Ariane Films, Art Commissioners, Arthouse Films, and First Run Features.
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| “The essence of Norman’s design is that design can make things work better…” – Deyan Sudjic.
With all the sincerity I can muster, I have nary a reaction to the architectural documentary How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? Rare is the film that registers next to no emotion – good, bad, or indifferent – within me, but alas…here is the one. While that might sound rather disparaging, How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster?is curiously watchable and despite not moving my needle at all, I still found myself paying attention while it played in front of me. Then, I lost all knowledge of the film the moment it concluded. What a vexing little film this is.
Continue reading How Much Does Your Building Weigh, Mr. Foster? (2012) → |
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Documentary Featuring: Cory Booker, Margaret Cho, Katie Couric, Geena Davis, Rosario Dawson, Dianne Feinstein, Jane Fonda, Paul Haggis, Catherine Hardwicke, Lisa Ling, Rachel Maddow, Gavin Newsom, Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, Gloria Steinem, Daphne Zuniga. Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom Girls’ Club Entertainment, The Oprah Winfrey Network, and Virgil Films and Entertainment. Written by: Jennifer Congdon, Claire Dietrich, Jenny Raskin, and Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
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| “There is no appreciation for women as intellectuals. It is all about the body and never about the brain…” – Ariella, a high school student.
The time is right, the need is there, and unfortunately, the film is merely adequate. Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s documentary Miss Representation is a film that speaks to a topic of great importance and significance – the exploration of how conventional media outlets, working in print and television, present, market, and image women. The thesis of Newsom’s film is astute, the individuals who take part in the film are noteworthy and impressive, and yet, everything feels one-note. Even if Miss Representation spins its wheels, the effort is laudable and there are points made and backed up that speak to a substantial and troubling issue in today’s everything-right-now society; to wit, women are perhaps less respected and devalued in the media than ever before. |
SID AND NANCY
Rating: R
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Director: Alex Cox
Stars: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, Andrew Schofield.
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Starring the Voices Of: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers. Angela Lansbury, Bradley Michael Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Jo Anne Worley. Director: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise Silver Screen Partners IV and Walt Disney Studios. Written by: Linda Woolverton; Story by Brenda Chapman, Burny Mattinson, Brian Pimental, Joe Ranft, Kelly Asbury, Christopher Sanders, Kevin Harkey, Bruce Woodside, Tom Ellery, and Robert Lence; Story Supervisor – Roger Allers.
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| “He’s no monster, Gaston…you are!” – Belle (Paige O’Hara).
After the staggering and surprising success of The Lion King 3D last fall, Disney has now released the film which was initially supposed to begin the Disney 3D re-release project, Beauty And The Beast, a film which is arguably the finest animated Disney film of the legendary film studio’s modern era of animation. Initially pegged as the first film Disney would reissue in 3D to audiences new and old, Beauty And The Beast returned in January 2012 to what is historically a month reserved for studio castoffs and failed projects. Financially, I have no idea if Beauty And The Beast will elicit the same exuberant response The Lion King 3D did, but revisiting this once again on the big screen, in this format, it is hard to argue against Beauty And The Beast‘s legacy and its distinction as being the most nominated animated film in Oscar history (with 6 nominations, WALL-E tied the record in 2008) and the first animated film to ever receive a nomination for Best Picture of the Year. |
“Now Playing” provides you with a quick and easy breakdown of all the new movies opening each and every weekend!
(Note – films featured represent new openings in the Seattle area…regional, limited, and platformed national releases are featured below…).
FIVE New Films This Week!
We’re back with our weekly guide of what’s new in Seattle-area theaters, as well as links to what is opening on a smaller scale in and around North America.
A tale as old as time returns to the big screen in 3D, Mark Wahlberg’s takes one last job, Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah square off, four of the most celebrated actors of our time battle it out in the confines of a Brooklyn apartment, and Meryl Streep brings her Oscar hopeful to a wide audience on the weekend Oscar ballots are due. Detailed information, trailers, and all you need to know after the cut!
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Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Caleb Landry Jones, J.K. Simmons, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, William Lucking, Jacqueline Fleming. Director: Baltasar Kormákar Relativity Media, Working Title Films, Blueeyes Productions, Leverage, Closest To The Hole Productions, Farraday Films, Studio Canal, and Universal Pictures. Written by: Aaron Guzikowski, based on the 2008 film “Reyjkavik-Rotterdam”, written by Arnaldur Indriðason and Óskar Jónasson.
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| “If you ever mention my wife or my kids again…” – Chris (Mark Wahlberg).
Schizophrenia can be a helluva thing and the latest cinematic version of a film that cannot control its mood swings, temperament, or demeanor is Contraband. Essentially, Contraband looks like a gritty action suspense/thriller. And a heist film. And a family drama. And a wife-and-kids-in-peril horror film. And a rooting for the anti-hero film. In short, Contraband wants to be everything to everyone and mostly fails in being anything to anyone. Mark Wahlberg is a fine actor and as a friend pointed out to me, and this comment is completely true in analyzing his career, he is most often great when he is in an ensemble. When asked to be the sole name-above-the-title, situations typically found in his lackluster attempts to be a big-time action movie star, Wahlberg and, in turn, the films suffer. For every The Fighter, The Other Guys, The Basketball Diaries, Boogie Nights and The Departed, there is The Happening, Shooter, Max Payne, and Rock Star. And now there’s Contraband. |
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Starring: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz, Elvis Polanski, Eliot Berger. Director: Roman Polanski SBS Productions, Constantin Film Produktion, SPI Film Studio, Versátil Cinema, Zanagar Films, France 2 Cinema, Canal+, CineCinema, and Sony Pictures Classics. Written by: Roman Polanski and Yasmina Reza, adapted from the play “Le Dieu de Carnage (God Of Carnage)” by Yasmina Reza.
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| “You know…we forgot to ask you guys…do you want some coffee or tea?” – Michael Longstreet (John C. Reilly).
A violent act on a playground between two middle school boys is all that’s needed to launch into Carnage, the cinematic adaptation of a Tony Award winning play about two sets of parents who are brought together to work through a situation their children have forced them into. Directed by Oscar-winner Roman Polanski, Carnage is essentially a filmed play with four characters engaging in a rollercoaster ride of discussions about their children, their lives, their respective marriages, and a whole treasure trove of other related and unrelated topics. The film retains a feverish, almost manic, pitch and your ability to like this rests with how much vitriol, dialogue, and smarminess you can stomach from these four interesting, but slightly troubled, individuals. |
