Category Archives: Drama

Actors, Coming Soon, Drama, Narrative, Oscars, Poster, War

New Poster Released for LINCOLN

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Is there any side profile more famous than Lincoln’s? The penny has nothing on this newly released poster for Steven Spielberg’s new release starring Daniel Day-Lewis. The actor seems ready to snatch his third Oscar for this one. The formula is there: fall release, true story, a historic and tragic figure, period piece, directed by Steven Spielberg.

The film also stars an amazing cast of veterans, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, David Strathairn, James Spader, Jackie Earle Haley, John Hawkes, Walton Goggins, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln.

Lincoln opens November 16.

Coming Soon, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, Poster, Preview

Preview: The Paperboy

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I’m not really sure what to make of Lee Daniels’s follow-up to the Oscar-winning Precious (2009), but this vintage-looking poster for The Paperboy is pretty sweet. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, and David Oyelowo. It screened at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and opens this December by Millennium Entertainment. (The trailer is below.)


[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiSyHd33AXw]

Actors, Drama, Narrative, On My DVR, Preview

On My DVR: Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)

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Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb):
A drama centered on the romance between Ernest Hemingway and WWII correspondent Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway’s inspiration for For Whom the Bell Tolls and the only woman who ever asked for a divorce from the writer.

Premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival out of competition, Hemingway & Gellhorn began its run on HBO this past May. Following Rabbit Hole (2010), this appears to be another film in the newest string of good Nicole Kidman movies. Since her series of great movies and performances in the early 2000s (culminating in an Oscar win for her performance in The Hours, 2002), I’ve long held that Kidman is one of the best actresses around today. Unfortunately, a slew of bad movies took her out of favor with some people, but she seems to be back and stronger than ever.

Director: Philip Kaufman
Screenwriters: Jerry Stahl, Barbara Turner
Cast: Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, Parker Posey, Tony Shalhoub, David Strathairn
Genres: Drama, Romance
Distributor: HBO
Runtime: 155 min.

Comedy, Coming Soon, Documentary, Drama, Independent Film, Narrative, New Release, Preview

2012 Top 10 Indie Summer Flicks

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(Re-posted from LimitéMagazine.com)

June 19, 2012

Back for its third year is Limité’s “Top 10 Indie Summer Flicks,” which rank orders the top 10 independent films to keep an eye on this season. As far as seasons go, the summer acts as a bit of a super hero for the film industry. It’s when Hollywood studios bring out their big guns and turn over huge box office receipts. We’ve already seen The Avengers and Men in Black 3, and are looking forward to The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises. But unlike the other summer movie guides you’ll see online and in print, our mission is to remind you that the industry’s smaller films are also primed to make a splash—if not financially, then at least critically. If you need a break from the Bourne Legacys and Total Recalls of the big screen, check out some of these gems.

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

by Daniel Quitério

Reminiscent of the storm that ravaged New Orleans seven years ago,Beasts of the Southern Wild takes an introspective glance at a fantastical world in which nature dramatically changes course for those it encounters—but most especially for Hushpuppy. She is a six-year-old girl who is raised by her father Wink in “the Bathtub,” an area of the southern Delta. Wink’s tough style of parenting is only to prepare Hushpuppy for a time when he will no longer be around to protect her. So when a mysterious illness falls upon Wink, Hushpuppy must contend with a world thrown off balance.

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Coming Soon, Drama, Narrative, Preview, Trailer, Western

New Trailer for Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUdM9vrCbow]
Coming Soon, Drama, Narrative, Preview, Trailer

LES MISÉRABLES Teaser Trailer Released

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This is a film I’m eagerly awaiting and will be one of the definite highlights of the Christmas season. Being a fan of the musical, my first reaction upon watching this (and I’m sure it’s no different from others’) is that Anne Hathaway does not have the vocal chops to pull off this role. Hathaway’s singing ability has been noted, and she does have a nice voice, but I had long questioned whether it’s strong enough to emote the angst and range required to do the emotionally charged character of Fantine justice. This teaser tells me it’s not. Still, I look forward to Tom Hooper’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning The King’s Speech.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7un422Hs8bM]
Actors, Awards, Drama, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Foreign Film, Independent Film, Narrative, News

Michael Haneke’s AMOUR Claims Coveted Palme d’Or Prize at Cannes Film Festival

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(Re-posted from AceShowbiz.com)

May 28, 2012

The 65th edition of the annual world-class movie festival also names Mads Mikkelsen as the Best Actor, and Cristina Flutur as well as Cosmina Stratan as the Best Actresses.
The 65th annual Cannes Film Festival has revealed which movie deserved to claim its top prize of Palme d’Or. On Sunday night, May 27, it was announced that Michael Haneke’s highly praised drama Amour has won the prestigious award.
Upon receiving the prize with lead actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, the 70-year-old director said, “I thank my wife, who has been putting up with me for years.” He added, “Thanks to my wonderful actors. They are the essence of it.”
This was the second time the Munich-born moviemaker won the coveted Palme d’Or gong at Cannes. Back in 2009, the Austrian filmmaker took home the same award through his acclaimed work in The White Ribbon.
Classic Film, Drama, Film Noir, Narrative, On My DVR, Thriller

On My DVR: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

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Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb):
A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

This film is on my 170 list, and I did watch it some years ago, but even then I told myself I’d have to re-watch it someday. I must not have been in the proper mindset the first time because I recall not following the story very well. Any film with the notoriety of The Maltese Falcon and with names like John Huston, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, and Peter Lorre attached deserves a second watch. This film came out the same year as Citizen Kane and is the iconic Huston’s directorial debut. It earned three Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay (Huston), and Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet).

Director: John Huston
Screenwriter: John Huston
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Sydney Greenstreet
Genres: Crime, Noir
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Runtime: 100 min.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRSCV2qc2IY]
Coming Soon, Drama, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Independent Film, Narrative, Preview

Coming Soon: Sound of My Voice

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The thing about the indie film world is that it does not shy away from material that pushes the boundaries. It likes to challenge viewers and get them to think about things of which they normally wouldn’t. It seems that the latest in these “trending topics” is cult life. Last year, Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene introduced us to a disturbing cult world, perhaps not unlike the one we’ll be exploring next in Fox Searchlight’s newest release, Sound of My Voice. The film, which is directed by Zal Batmanglij (yes, the first six letters of his last name spell “Batman”!), is co-written by the director, himself, and one of indie film’s newest darlings, Brit Marling. In fact, the tri-hyphenate Marling also stars in the film and produced it. (Her last effort as writer-producer-star was last year’s independent triumph Another Earth, which shared a stage at Sundance 2011 with Sound of My Voice.)

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Actors, Awards, Comedy, Drama, Filmmakers, Independent Film, Narrative, Oscars

2012 Memo to the Academy

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(Re-posted from LimitéMagazine.com)

Dear Academy,

Here we go again. The Super Bowl is over, and now it’s time for the real games to begin. You have a hefty task in front of you—choosing who’s most deserving of that little golden guy. With all the hype and buzz around, it’s easy to get confused. Here’s a little help.

Your friends,

Limité’s film staff

BEST PICTURE

Nominees: The Artist, The Descendants, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, The Tree of Life, War Horse

Dan Quitério—Hugo. For my money, Hugo is the best-composed film of the year—the imaginative performances, the vivid art direction, the crisp cinematography, the rich story—they all come together to provide the audience with a complex and colorful experience, all the while providing it with a lesson in film history without it feeling like sitting in a stodgy classroom. On top of that, the film provides some of the best use of 3D than any other film in recent memory—a format that surely isn’t going anywhere and was lovingly embraced by a true master of filmmaking in Martin Scorsese. No other film last year—except for maybe Midnight in Paris—has the capability of igniting the imagination quite like Hugo. This film reminds us why the film medium is so special.

Predicted Winner: The Artist

Stephanie Dawson—The Artist. I don’t think any of these films are as amazing or as groundbreaking as nominees in previous years. The Tree of Life is polarizing because of it’s “what?!” factor. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, and War Horse revel in their emotional manipulation of the audience. Moneyball and Midnight in Paris are better writing achievements than complete films. The story momentum in both Hugo and The Descendants keeps sputtering and the central stories change at least twice in each. The Artist is simple, enjoyable from the first frame, and just the right amount of “sweet,” and so it has my vote, unfortunately by default.

Predicted Winner: The Artist

Janice Perez—Midnight in Paris. I haven’t seen anything in a very long time that resonated with me on a very intimate and highly personal level the way Woody Allen’s darling of a film did. Maybe it stems from my being a dedicated Francophile, or probably because that film was a beautiful homage to art. Well, whatever the cause, I loved Midnight in Paris to the hilt for being a film that really brought my own fondest imagination to life.

Predicted Winner: The Artist

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