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Of the movies released over the weekend, I plan on going to see
Sherlock Holmes and
Up in the Air. I think that both will be amazing - so look for
my reviews soon! The sheer brilliance of Jude Law and Robert Downey, Jr will
bring Sherlock Holmes 'home' for
director Guy Ritchie.
Newcomer Anna Kendrick stars alongside Hollywood great George Clooney in
Up in the Air. I think this has a
great shot at an Oscar this year - Clooney looks fantastic in the trailers!
As far as Alvin goes, I'm going to stay away from that one. I've never been
a fan of the shrieking chipmunk voices. Although it's a musical, Nine will
bring some changes to the screen - it's been a few years since we've seen a
true musical feature film. I definitely plan on seeing
Nine because I've always been a fan
of the genre, especially now, with the star-studded cast.
12.22.2009
"They've sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. Well we
will send them a message. That this... this is our land!" - Jake Sully (Sam
Worthington) - Avatar
James Cameron's Avatar - release
date: December 18, 2009
After seeing this movie last night I honestly do not know where to start.
Well, let's just say that is by far the most expensive movie ever made -
with numbers above $300 million being reported by numerous sources. I
provided the trailer on my last post (for those of you who never watch TV).
Avatar uses a combination of live
action and CGI (computer generated imagery) in order to provide us with
vivid realizations of the characters. Cameron sets the standard for
CGI-based films with this epic - from his ginormous budget, to his
incredible talent not only behind the camera but on the end of the pen. Mr
Cameron, according to interviews, has been throwing this idea around for
over a decade. However it wasn't until recently that he realized the
technology had finally reached the point that was needed to make
Avatar. According to multiple
sources, Cameron had a USC professor by the name of Paul Frommer develop the
Na'vi language used by the natives on Pandora. Just another reason why James
Cameron deserves even more credit! From paper (probably napkins at dinner)
to the big screen, James Cameron has once again created an epic feature that
will once again impress even the most cynical of moviegoers.
Avatar transports us to the future -
one in which space travel is a part of life, and corporations aren't just
settling for controlling Earth anymore: they want the universe. The film
follows a paraplegic Marine to a mystical planet named Pandora, where the
corporation has taken over much of the land inhabited by the Na'vi people.
The corporate head, Parker Selfridge, played by Giovanni Ribisi, is
hell-bent on mining a precious metal from the soil of Pandora. At one point
he states that "this is why we're here, because this little gray rock sells
for twenty million a kilo".
Corporal Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) replaces his fallen twin brother in
the "avatar" program in which he is transferred into a Na'vi body - in order
to learn the ways of the People. Because of his Marine days on Earth,
Corporal Sully is talked into providing intelligence to the security forces
on Pandora by Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). However, the young
Corporal finds himself a part of the Na'vi clan and seemingly considers
Pandora his "home" - much to the disappointment of the Colonel.
Sully is forced to decide between defending Pandora from his own race, or to
be an accomplice to the destruction of a beautiful planet....and a
spectacular People.
Sam
Worthington has come a long way from his days on Australian television and
films, to his role as Corporal Jake Sully in
Avatar. After auditioning for the
film, Worthington received a call from Cameron himself offering him the lead
- I can't even imagine the astonishment felt by Sam after that phone call!
This will change his career forever. As Jake Sully, and his Na'vi "avatar",
Worthington delivers a stunning performance. He threw everything he has into
this role, and give the audience something to think about - who is Jake
Sully: Na'vi? Human? It is tough to decide because the two worlds seem to
blend together, "everything is backwards now, like out there is the true
world and in here is the dream". Sam Worthington goes from relative unknown
to superstar, thanks to James Cameron. See him in the upcoming film
Clash of the Titans, where he will
be playing Perseus.
Starring alongside Worthington is James Cameron regular Sigourney Weaver,
who plays Dr Grace Augustine. As a self-proclaimed 'tree hugger' this
scientist in charge of "avatar" shines through in a dark world, filled with
greed and anguish. Grace, who also transports into the body of a Na'vi,
traveled to Pandora to study the People, and eventually learn their ways.
Weaver is brilliant as the brash, intelligent scientist - she stuns us, as
she did in Aliens (also
directed/written by James Cameron).
We
get a look at Pandora through the eyes of a Na'vi woman, Neytiri (Zoe
Saldana). She is the tough, beautiful, impatient daughter of the tribe's
chief - and Sully must gain her trust in order to be accepted into the
tribe. Saldana, although we never see her personally, her actions and voice
are perpetuated by Neytiri. Zoe's ability to develop the character of the
Na'vi woman enhances the movie tenfold. In this relationship, Sully's love
for Pandora - and Neytiri - create the underlying plot: a beautiful, but
forbidden love. Zoe will be reprising her role as Uhura in the sequel to
this summer's blockbuster Star Trek.
I think everyone can appreciate the genius of James Cameron - from the
Terminator films to
Titanic and now the spectacular
Avatar, he has ceased to amaze the
world. Even if you are the kind of person that despises science fiction, I
guarantee this movie will amaze you! It's unbelievable that one man
developed the world of Pandora, the creatures within AND the story to
complete this film. The incredible attention to which Cameron pays to detail
is what hit me the hardest - I think my jaw was on the floor for the entire
162 minutes. For example - when the Na'vi people trek across the forest, the
ground lights up when they place their feet. Even though this is a minor
detail in a much larger film, it really illuminates James Cameron's ability
to impress. I could on for hours about Cameron and his genius that shines
through in this film - but I don't see the point.
You have the see this movie to understand what I'm talking about - one
cannot explain the film enough for you to get the true feel of sitting in
that theater watching this imaginary planet come to life.
Look for a review of James Cameron's epic
Avatar in the next couple days. I am more excited to see this than I
have been for a film in a long time. My goal is to have the review up by
tomorrow afternoon!
If you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, here's the
trailer:
By the way, James Cameron is a genius so I'm pretty sure this film is gonna
be amazing! It's already killing at the box office, with a total near $220
million worldwide - looking to break his
Titanic record.
Review by Samuel Bennett for US Film Review.com:
From director Clint Eastwood (Gran
Torino) comes this extraordinary tale of courage, honor and
dignity. One that brings the daunting life of blacks in South Africa to
light, without boring its audience with the typical History Channel
attitude. Invictus breathes new
life into the apartheid struggles that plagued the nation of South
Africa for nearly 50 years.
Based on a true story, this film follows the controversial election of
Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) and his campaign to host the 1995 Rugby
World Cup. As a way to gain respect among the nation's white citizens,
Mandela developed a slogan: "one team, one country". With this in mind,
it would surely demand support for the nation's abysmal rugby team.
Francois Pienaar, played by Matt Damon, was the captain of the
Springbokke team during these tough seasons. Standing behind his
promise, Mandela takes interest in the rugby team's performance and
meets with Pienaar at his presidential palace - much to his surprise I
might add. Before this era, rugby was predominantly a game played by
whites, for the enjoyment whites - but this was all destined to change.
Director Clint Eastwood captures the story in one of the most original
ways possible - focusing on rugby as a sort of political tool. The
majority of the film is seen through the perspective of Nelson Mandela,
which points out the importance of his role in the country's
restructuring. Using rugby as a tool not only reunited a country, but
gave us this amazing opportunity to relive to story - with thanks for
Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.
As Francois Pienaar, Matt Damon gives his best performance to date - he
nails the accent, the rugby skills and most of all, he shows us a
different side. He gives remarkably stunning monologues throughout and
is, in my opinion, a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination. Without a doubt,
Damon gives Morgan Freeman a run for his money in
Invictus. I knew he had it in
him - now let's hope he does more films that he can really sink his
teeth into. With 9 films still yet to spool, Matt Damon is definitely
keeping himself busy these days.
Look for him in the upcoming film Green
Zone -
We all love the voice of Morgan Freeman - but how does his on screen
appearance come off as he plays world renowned figure Nelson Mandela?
One word: brilliant. But we really didn't expect anything less from the
actor, who wowed us in Shawshank
Redemption and keeps us enthralled with his smooth, gentle voice
as a narrator in more than 10 films and documentaries. Back to
Invictus - Freeman gives an
outstanding performance that really dug deep into the life of Mandela.
From his struggles with his family, to his triumph over apartheid and
political oppression, Freeman delivers. I cannot say anything more about
this man, for he is a legend in the business. Look for him soon in the
untitled Batman project - he is also rumored to be starring alongside
Bruce Willis in a political thriller. I'll keep everyone updated on the
progress!
All in all, this films hits all the right notes.
Invictus tells the story of
Francois Pienaar, Nelson Mandela and the South African Springbokke with
ease - providing short history lessons that keep the plot alive. Even if
you're not a rugby fan this film will astonish you! Morgan Freeman and
Matt Damon make Invictus, along
with the direction of veteran Clint Eastwood.
Invictus trailer (courtesy of
Youtube)
"It matters not how strait
the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul." - portion of poem given to
Francois Pienaar by Nelson Mandela
According to Variety's
website, actor/director/producer Andy Garcia is in the process of
organizing his dream project:
Hemingway & Fuentes. This has been in the works for years -
Garcia, along with Hemingway's granddaughter, wrote the script that
focuses on Hemingway's time in Cuba. Garcia is a native of Cuba, and
has spent a lot of time fishing off the coast of Havana.
Not only is Garcia shopping for buyers at this years
American Film Market, but he has Anthony Hopkins and Annette
Bening in the works to play the leading roles. This, in my opinion,
will serve as a great marketing point for the film at the AFM this
week.
Andy Garcia has recently starred in the
Ocean franchise as casino
owner Terry Benedict and is well-known for his role as one of the
Untouchables alongside Kevin
Costner and Sean Connery in 1987.
Oscar-winning actor, Anthony Hopkins is one of the greatest talents
of our generation. Starring in over 100 motion pictures, he has
wowed us with his ability to scare us to death in
Silence of the Lambs and
will amaze us as Odin in the upcoming blockbuster
Thor.
Annette Bening, who most notably starred in
American Beauty alongside
Kevin Spacey, has most recently appeared in
The Women with Meg Ryan and
Eva Mendes. According to "the internet movie database" she has more
than four projects in the works - so look for her soon!
"On a similar note I must confess to you, I'm giving very serious
thought... to eating your wife." - Hannibal Lecter
I am currently involved with another independent film project - a
script entitled Mr Perkins' Lovely
Matrimony written by
Brentt Slabchuck.
My role in the film is that of a producer: basically, once the
script has been fully optioned to me I am in total control of the
film's production. First and foremost my duty is to acquire funding
and thankfully, this project will cost very little. I am also
responsible, along with my assistant Ryan Stemm, for formulating a
budget, auditioning cast as well as finding locations to shoot the
film. In my opinion my most important job is to find a director; one
that will bring this screenplay to life and give justice to the
writing of Slabchuck. Equipment will be the easiest item to acquire,
seeing as though my university loans out HD film cameras at their
technology department.
I am looking to do this film for a very low budget! It's going to be
a great time...
If you are interested, or may know someone who is interest in acting
let me know! For this film, I need 4 actors:
Female in her 40's
Male in his mid 30's
Younger female in her mind 20's
Male of nearly any age to play the police officer
I will keep you updated with the progress of this project and look
forward to sharing the finished film.
As I said in my first post, I want to keep readers up-to-date with
the film industry as well as provide reviews.
First of all I'd like to discuss the upcoming film
Descendants - according to
www.variety.com, George Clooney is in talks to star as the lead. You
can see Clooney in The Men Who
Stare at Goats which debuts this weekend, and his newest
animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox
in theaters November 25th.
Everyone loves Matt Damon - from his days as Jason Bourne in the
Bourne trilogy to his more
recent roles in The Informant!.
In just these two examples we see his ability to play multiple,
completely different roles. According to
Variety and Yahoo! News,
Damon is to appear in an "action-packed" film entitled
Green Zone. He is playing a
CIA operative that is on tour in Iraq - check out the trailer....
This hits the screen in March of next year - it is definitely a must
see for the spring!
Thanks for reading...."Do you even know why you're supposed to kill
me? Look at us. Look at what they make you give." - Jason Bourne
This
is one my favorite movies of all time, and I'm excited to write
about it. The Italian Job,
as I said in the previous post, revolves around a group of thieves
that work together to pull of a death-defying, outrageous heist in
the city of Venice, Italy. The camera pan of the boardwalk throws
the viewer right into the setting, and begs us to enjoy the
beautiful city of Venice. F. Gary Gray makes this shot with his wide
angle views, as well as with the close-ups of both Sutherland and
Wahlberg.
The film begins with a shot of the Venice boardwalk from which we
are introduced to John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and Charlie
Croker (Mark Wahlberg). Bridger makes a phone call to his daughter,
Stella, played by the stunning Charlize Theron. He is first shown
exiting a jewelry - where he just bought a beautiful necklace for
Stella.
The next few scenes Charlie's crew examines the heist, bit by bit,
in order to ensure it's correct and can be executed with perfection.
Each member has his own duty within the crew. Handsome Rob (Jason
Statham) is the wheelman, Lyle (Seth Green) is the computer genius,
Left Ear (Mos Def) demolitions and Steve (Edward Norton) is the all
around player. The director, F. Gary Gray, adds a lot of cuts into
this scene - cutting from character to character, allowing the
viewer to really get a sense of urgency from the film.
Later in the film, Charlie Croker introduces the crew by giving the
viewer a background story of how they got their start in the
"business".
Our imaginations are blown when the crew actually pulls off the
heist - which is the stealing of a large safe full of gold bars from
armed men. Handsome Rob (Statham), with the help of Lyle's (Green)
programming skills, pulls their boat into the target garage.
Meanwhile Steve (Norton) "paints" explosive paint underneath the
safe on the 3rd floor. The explosives cause the safe to fall through
the floors above and into the water below the boat. With the decoy
safe in place, Handsome Rob takes off in the boat - this is one of
the greatest boat chase scenes - right up there with James Bonds'
escapade in
Moonraker. Check it out
on Youtube!
Meanwhile below the surface, Charlie and John crack and empty the
safe. This ends what is known at "the Italian job" and the scene
quickly turns to the crew, all celebrating with champagne, debating
over what they're going to buy with their share of the gold. Each of
them want a specific item, but Steve (Norton) is unsure - he just
wants "one of everything you guys said". Then the crew mounts up and
takes to the mountain roads in Northern Italy to make their escape
complete. However, they are stopped shortly thereafter by men in
trucks who work for Steve. Not only does he take all the gold for
himself, he back stabs his so-called best friends by killing one of
the crew. *I won't give away who, so watch the film to find out!*
The scene in which the crew is debating over what to buy, you are
given an insight into each character's personality. Handsome Rob
(Statham) imagines himself driving brand-new Aston Martin Vanquish
which allows us to see where his priorities stand - in his image.
Handsome Rob, Charlie, John, Lyle and Left Ear are dumped in the ice
cold water below, shot at by Steve and left for dead. Obviously the
majority of the crew survives, vowing revenge for the death of their
friend - they hunt down Steve at his Los Angeles mansion.
Their goal: retrieving the gold. With your best interest in mind, I
refuse to go any further with the summary. Although I will say this
- 3 astonishing MINI Cooper S cars are used, by the crew, in the
next job.
In my opinion this film has been a star vehicle for each and every
actor/actress that starred. Mark Wahlberg plays a go-getter who
isn't afraid on anything....and the viewers are let into a character
that is quite different from his more recent roles in
The Departed and
Max Payne. As for Charlize
Theron, she is magnificent - with her driving abilities (I think) to
her witty personality throughout the film, she adds that extra spark
to the screen. Edward Norton is one of my favorite actors, partly
because of this film - he plays a snide, ignorant human being who is
only out for himself. However, he does it with class! No other actor
can pull off this kind of role with the abilities of Ed Norton - a
sheer genius.
Overall I think you can tell that I enjoyed this movie - it's one
that you can just throw in the DVD player and watch as many times as
you want. You can't say that about many films!
Thanks for reading! Hope you go out and rent this movie (or buy it
at WalMart for $5 like I did).
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writers: Donna Powers - derived from the 1969 screenplay by Troy
Kennedy-Martin
For those of you haven't seen the original - check it out! Here's
the poster.....starring Michael Caine
I drive a MINI Cooper S and absolutely love my car - this movie is
amazing and shows MINI's in action. One of my favorite movies of all
time is The Italian Job, a
2003 "British caper film" remake of the 1969 classic that centers
around a group of jewelry thieves played by some big time actors.
Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Jason Statham,
Seth Green, Mos Def and Edward Norton highlight in this adventurous,
thrilling film.
Look for The Italian Job
review in my "Must See" section in the coming days!
"I trust everyone. It's the devil inside them I don't trust." -
Stella (Charlize Theron)
Sorry for such a delay in the review for
The Invention of Lying, but
with exams and whatnot I have been really busy. I'm glad I finally
found the time to get this done!
The film begins with an introduction narrated by Mark Bellison
(Ricky Gervais) that explains the world in which we, as viewers,
will be thrown into - one of sheer 'straightforwardness'. In this
bazaar universe, the human race cannot help but tell the truth. This
is not more evident than in the first character scene when we are
introduced to Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner), who nonchalantly
explains her annoyance with Mark being "too early" for their date,
and that she had not finished "masturbating" yet. In excellent
fashion, Ricky Gervais portrays an unsuccessful, sarcastic script
writer who is down on his luck but everything changes when he's at
the bank one afternoon. As the title foreshadows, this is when Mark
Bellison discovers that he can tell a non-truth and for some reason,
isn't questioned in the slightest.
Then, as most people would do, Mark Bellison takes his idea to the
streets and tests his new discovery on the unsuspecting public,
exercising his revelation to its fullest potential. "The world is
going to end if we don't have sex right now!" - Bellison, to an
attractive woman in her 40's who, to his surprise believes him and
is willing to act upon his proposal. This is just another way the
writers of the film (Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson) emphasize
the 'bass ackwards' way of thinking in this alternative world.
Although much of the film focuses on Mark Bellison and the art of
lying you are also introduced to some sub stories that are placed
ever so carefully to tweek the viewer's interest. Brad Kessler (Rob
Lowe) is one of Bellisons' colleagues, but really comes to life in
his witty, degrading comments he flings at Ricky Gervais' character.
Rob Lowe is truly amazing in his role - you've never seen him like
this before! Anna McDoogle's (Garner) life is one of the strangest
parts of the film. Her mother, who you only hear on the phone,
demands perfection from her daughter every time they talk.
If you haven't gotten it by now I am huge fan of this film and
recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great laugh. The script is
written with pure genius, and allows everyone to dive head first
into their roles - this really makes for a great movie! Ricky
Gervais, as usual, plays his sarcastic, absolutely hilarious
character and is even more impressive taking on writing, producing
and even directing The Invention of
Lying. Jennifer Garner reprises her dorky, oblivious
character role from her role in 13
Going on 30 (2004), and ceases to amaze me with her
multi-faceted abilities. Her stints on
Alias and her role in
The Kingdom showed us her
'hard- ass' side and further her career.
Overall, I love this movie! Definitely going to be buying it the day
it comes out on DVD....
“It's the one thing I actively don't like: just
being recognized.” - Ricky Gervais
10.11.2009
I finally got a chance to see The
Invention of Lying Friday night! I will have the review up
pretty soon, just need to get through the next couple days/exams in
school.
I am definitely going to see The
Invention of Lying this weekend, and include the review in my
blog. Always been a fan of Ricky Gervais' humor, from his days on
the original Office to his
newer film Ghost Town. I see
this as being quite fitting for my first review, and look forward to
posting this weekend!
I'll also have the weekend box office numbers for the top three
highest grossing films of the weekend.
Also in theaters: Zombieland,
Capitalism: A Love Story and
Whip It
I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely
associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians."
- Francis Ford Coppola
I was recently given the opportunity to aide in the distribution and
funding of an Indie film entitled "Sometimes In Life". I will keep
you updated on the film's progress through the process of
distribution. I will be receiving a copy of the film asap after I
meet with the director next week; and will have a full review of the
film right here.
"Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a
service for me" - Don Corleone
US Film Review.com reviewer, Samuel Bennett, is a pre-law student,
entering into law school next fall, focusing on the entertainment
business while in law school. He is extremely involved in the
film industry and film production.
A + to A - MUST SEE!
B+ to B - Check it Out
C+ to C- Not Awful
D+ to D- Not Great
E+ to E- Not Good at All
F Save your money!
Coming Soon -
More
Film reviews for major motion pictures
