Clive Owen Goes For Film’s Father of the Year in "Intruders" (PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY)

By Sean Burns

Clive Owen’s daddy issues are getting out of hand. The tall, rakish Brit seemed poised for superstardom after his breakout role in Mike Hodges’ hard-boiled 1998 Croupier. Handsome with a seedy air of menace, Owen smoked a lot of cigarettes and chose his words carefully, sardonically purring quips with a palpable disdain for everybody else onscreen, and by extension the entire world.

We all thought he was going to be the next James Bond, or at the very least an international phenomenon. But Clive Owen’s career seems to have fizzled out, to a point where he’s turning up in a knockoff, secondhand thriller like Intruders, which, after premiering at last September’s Toronto Film Festival, is finally making a brief pit stop in our area on its inevitable journey to a Redbox kiosk near you.

As is too often the case these days, Owen gives a negligible performance, tamping down his natural gift for sly insinuation and instead trying to be the world’s greatest dad. The first line of every biographical article about Owen always mentions that his father was a failed country-western singer who abandoned his family when young Clive was only 3 years old.

While I usually hesitate to indulge in cheapjack Freudian explanations for why movie careers sometimes take oddball turns, there’s really not very much else to say about Intruders . Look at all the times Owen has played a nurturing father figure, even begrudgingly shepherding the last bastion of humanity in his best role, Children of Men.

He also baby-sat in Shoot ‘Em Up, tried to pass himself off as an ineffectual family man in the altogether regrettable Derailed, and then fumbled with single fatherhood in The Boys Are Back. And even though everybody else has, let us not forget Owen’s turn as the outraged father of a teen girl targeted by an Internet sex-predator in director David Schwimmer’s never-quite-released Trust.


READ MORE:  http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/screen/capsules/144425605.html

Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds: Review for The Woman in Black

REVIEW: The Woman in Black

10:31 PM, Feb 4, 2012 | 3 comments

Written by

Amy Jacobson Kurokawa
The Woman in Black
A review by Jonathan Mumm

In a sense, our young lawyer is on probation. Having lost his wife in childbirth several years before, he has not been able to pull himself from a depression that is having a very deleterious effect on his work. The law firm is offering him one chance to redeem himself: go to the little village of Crythin Gifford it is and the now deserted home of an elderly woman who took her own life. Once there, he is to sort through what promises to be mounds of papers to put her affairs in order.

Kipps is reluctant to leave his young son, but is eager to make good and so he sets off on his journey. When he arrives, however, he finds the villagers not only unreceptive but downright rude and it is only with some difficulty that he is able to secure a room for a night at a village inn. On top of that, the local lawyer who is supposed to help him simply gives him a small packet that he claims is all the paperwork Kipps will need before sending him off by carriage to catch the next train.

But Kipps is determined to see the job through and bribes the carriage driver to take him instead to the old mansion. The place gives new meaning to the word isolated. The road that takes you there goes through a boggy marsh along the seashore. It is a road that disappears at certain times of the day and night with the coming of high tide. The mansion itself is a long disused, decaying place, its rooms cluttered with old furnishings, old toys and memories.

There is something unsettled here and before long, our young lawyer has caught glimpses of a severe looking woman, an apparent ghost the locals call "the woman in black." He soon learns the reason they did not want him to stay is that whenever someone sees her, dreadful things occur.

The movie is full of mystery, deep secrets and long moments of Radcliffe walking the hallways of the lonely, old house with a candle or lantern, knowing there is something waiting just around the next corner. Director James Watkins builds the suspense and then ratchets it up, notch by notch. If you're looking to be scared, you won't be disappointed.

Radcliffe is very good as Kipps, Ciaran Hinds a stand out as the one man in the village willing to lend a hand and Janet McTeer equally good as Hinds' mad wife, still despairing over the loss of their son. On a recent television appearance, Radcliffe said The Woman in Black is a perfect date movie because your date will be jumping into your arms. From personal experience I can tell you it works for married couples as well.

Read more:  http://www.news10.net/news/article/176962/37/REVIEW-The-Woman-in-Black
News10/KXTV

REVIEW: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Advance Screening)

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is like a James Bond spy movie without the James or the Bond. It’s a meticulous espionage film depicting the true world of gentlemen in shadows hoarding and sharing information on behalf of their country’s security. It’s a grainy time piece that takes us back to the 70s with the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) in London. It’s a torturous puzzle that may put you to sleep if you can’t follow along and requires an intellect to enjoy. It did wonderfully in Britain but I can’t see its success repeating in America. It’s painfully slow and dull at times but oh so rewarding in the end if you can keep up.


The performances are paramount and Gary Oldman shines in a way in which he deserves. There is a masterfully shot monologue of his that may have been the best film making of the year. Joining him is Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds. The entire film is character driven so their acting had the utmost importance and they all delivered. Since we’re dealing with spies and double agents, their expressions and body language had to tell the story while hiding their true intentions but still give the audience some clues to go off of.

Behind every big decision is a soundproof room full of old spies

The plot of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (TTSS) is actually pretty straight forward: find the mole. What ensues, however, is the complete opposite of straight forward. Control (the cheif of Circus – the headquarters of the SIS) and George Smiley are forced to retire after a mishandled operation in Hungary as Control believes there is a mole in their midst. After Control (John Hurt) dies, Smiley (Gary Oldman) is brought out of retirement to investigate allegations by a scalphunter, Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), which supports Control’s beliefs of a long-time mole in a senior position of SIS. They narrow their suspicions down to a few men: Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) “Tinker”, Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) “Tailor”, Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds) “Soldier”, and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) “Poorman.” Through interviews with former employees of the circus and spying on his own, Smiley must figure out who is the double agent.

Who could be the double agent!?

The story travels from London to Budapest and Istanbul with stories of Russia and America. It’s confusing, to say the least, to keep track of people, places and things but as a master spy, this is what must be done. As you slowly start figuring out the jargon of the men in suits, codewords and code names, and understanding their inner workings, you’re pulled into this immense would of paranoia and deal-making that’s so interesting but also so bland at the same time. The extent of most of these men’s actions is sitting in a soundproof room with each other discussing documents. Not much action going on in there. Instead, it’s a mind game that puts you to the test to figure out what’s going on before George Smiley himself.

I'm always fascinated on how they make these esquite period sets

I can’t recommend this movie to the average theatergoer. It’s not a popcorn movie. It’s a deep thinker with beautiful direction and acting. It’s not going to keep you on the edge of your seat but it will make the gears in our head turn faster than any other movie in theaters if you get engaged in the scenarios. There were about 20 walkouts in my screening and a few people snoring so if you’re not up to the task, don’t go. But if you are interested in the underworld and workings of true espionage, this is a delightful film that will leave you in awe at the end. Who is who, what is what, what’s going on!? Even though TTSS isn’t as flashy as other spy films, it’s still really cool… I want a codename now.

Tags: Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciarán Hinds, COlin Firth, David Dencik, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy

http://advancescreenings.com/tag/benedict-cumberbatch-and-ciaran-hinds/

 

‘Trust’ Review: Clive Owen Renews License to Make Poignant Screen Dramas (Big Hollywood)

By Christian Toto     

Clive Owen seemed a lock, on paper, to become the new James Bond when Pierce Brosnan turned in his license to kill.

Owen had all the prerequisites – rugged good looks, silky British accent with a hint of menace, thick dark hair. And, of course, he could act.

The Bond producers selected Daniel Craig instead, leaving Owen without a franchise and the clout that comes along with it. Owen rebounded by taking on less glamorous projects, like “The Boys Are Back,” that barely pricked the pop culture conscience but showcased his ability to lose himself in a role.

With “Trust,” the 2011 drama available now on home video, Owen delivers arguably his most poignant performance yet.

Owen plays Will, the father of a 14-year-old girl (Liana Liberato) who spends every waking hour chatting online with an out of town “friend” named Charlie.

Young Annie grows close to her digital pal, who claims to be her age but soon confesses he’s actually 20 … and later ups that number to 25. When the two meet in person, Annie’s cyber-mate is pushing 40 and eager to get physical.

“Trust,” the second film directed by erstwhile “Friend” David Schwimmer, delves not only into the frightening world of Internet crime but also the bonds that hold families together. Will becomes obsessed with finding the man who abused his daughter, while his wife (an under-used Catherine Keener) just wants to throw her arms around Annie and make the pain go away.

It’s not that simple. Annie is more angry at her parents than Charlie, who she believes is her soul mate.

Schwimmer juggles the disparate elements with a grace that belies his status as a newbie director. He trots out a few neat visual tricks to capture Will’s rage but never loses sense of character along the way. And the film moves swiftly, but not with the kind of breakneck speed that rushes past smaller, more vital sequences that illustrate a young girl’s shattered innocence.

Kudos to “The Help’s” Viola Davis, who needs only a few minutes on screen to resonate as Annie’s counselor.

Even more impressive is how Liberato handles the film’s most demanding role. She’s credible every step of the way, from essaying the rosy-cheeked girl in the throes of her first love to a young woman raging at her parents for invading her personal space.

“Trust” stumbles when it falls into the kind of predictable ruts you’d see in a made-for-TV story. We grimace at one sequence set in a gun shop, and once more when Will picks a fight with a stranger he assumes is ogling a squad of pre-teen volleyball players.

And Schwimmer can’t corral a clumsy subplot involving Will’s job managing a media account involving a provocative line of clothing aimed at teens.

Yet the story doesn’t devolve into the standard man hunt even though the FBI quickly gets involved in the case. It’s about how a young girl’s life can be fractured by deceit, and even a normal, healthy family might not offer enough support to help her heal.

Watching Owen apologize to his daughter for not protecting her from the outside world is as emotionally crushing as any movie sequence this year.

The British actor keeps reminding us he’s far more than a runner-up in the Bond sweepstakes.

Posted Dec 26th 2011 at 3:08 pm in Entertainment, Film, Reviews |

http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/cftoto/2011/12/26/trust-review-clive-owen-renews-license-to-make-poignant-screen-dramas/

Review: Streep can't save superficial `Iron Lady' (SF Gate)

By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Movie Critic

Associated PressDecember 26, 2011 10:32 AMCopyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Monday, December 26, 2011

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Alex Bailey / AP

In this film image provided by The Weinstein Company, Meryl Streep portrays Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." The same problems that plagued "La Vie en Rose," starring Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, exist in “The Iron Lady,” a biopic about Margaret Thatcher starring Streep as the former British prime minister. While both films feature strong performances from strong actresses playing strong, real-life women, the scripts are weakened by going strictly by the numbers.

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• Pot clubs turning to delivery 12.26.11

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(12-26) 10:32 PST , (AP) --
The same problems that plagued "La Vie en Rose," starring Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf, exist in "The Iron Lady," a biopic about Margaret Thatcher starring Meryl Streep as the former British prime minister. While both films feature strong performances from strong actresses playing strong, real-life women, the scripts are weakened by going strictly by the numbers.

Sure, Streep reliably nails her impression of Thatcher — that swoop of big `80s hair, the measured voice, the steely demeanor. Her impeccable ear for accents and detailed mimicry of mannerisms is well-documented at this point — who better to play this role? And there's fire beneath the reserved exterior: The way she dresses down her deputy during a crowded cabinet meeting, for example, is just withering.

But the film from Phyllida Lloyd (who previously directed Streep in the giddy ABBA musical "Mamma Mia!"), based on a script by Abi Morgan ("Shame"), reduces this high-profile life to a greatest-hits collection of historic moments. It's a trap into which so many biopics tend to fall in trying to encompass everything. Here's Thatcher's first election to public office; there's her ascension to the prime minister's post, the first (and, so far, only) time a woman achieved that rank. Here's the Falkland Islands conflict, there's the Berlin Wall coming down.

Through it all, her beloved husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent), stood by her side, until — and after — his death. One of the more facile and repetitive narrative devices in "The Iron Lady" features the aged, fragile Thatcher seemingly talking to herself when in reality she's speaking to her deceased husband, a symptom of the dementia that's gnawing at her once-formidable brain. (Thatcher herself is now 86 years old.) This inevitably sets up a flashback to one of the aforementioned historical events.

 You just know that if Thatcher is by herself in her lonely, empty home, Denis will pop up to amuse and cajole her, if only in her imagination. It happens so often you can predict it, which erodes its emotional impact and the deep sense of loss it's meant to convey.

"The Iron Lady" focuses more on Maggie the woman and only superficially explores her global political influence; the inclusion of archival footage makes the film feel especially cursory. As it traces her rise from grocer's daughter and young wife (when she's played by Alexandra Roach) to titanic, divisive figure, it pays a great deal of lip service to the importance of public service but leaves you feeling dissatisfied. You never truly get a chance to learn what motivated and drove her, especially given the gender gap she had to cross. And the idea that her family relationships suffered as a result of her political aspirations is something that's hinted at in passing and glossed over, rather than explored.

And yet, there is Streep, in an array of prim blue suits and those ever-present pearls. But even the greatest actress of our time can only do so much when the figure she's playing just isn't on the page.
"The Iron Lady," a Weinstein Co. release, is rated PG-13 for some violent images and brief nudity. Running time: 105 minutes. Two stars out of four.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/12/26/national/a081755S87.DTL#ixzz1hgPQ1i9I

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - This chilly, compelling 'Dragon' spits fire (Charlotte Observer)

Lawrence Toppman
ltoppman@charlotteobserver.com

Lawrence Toppman The Charlotte Observer

Posted: Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011

Modified: Monday, Dec. 19, 2011

• 
• Rooney Mara plays a computer genius who works with a journalist (Daniel Craig) to investigate a girl's disappearance. Baldur Bragason
• 
• Daniel Craig, left, and Rooney Mara star in the English version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo." Merrick Morton
• 
  NEW SIG MUG FOR REDESIGN. MUG OF LARRY TOPPMAN. PHOTO BY WENDY YANG.

More Information

• REVIEW
  1/2

  Did we need another film of Stieg Larsson's novel after the successful Swedish one? The answer turns out to be yes.

  STARS: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright.
  DIRECTOR: David Fincher.
  WRITER: Steven Zaillian.
  RUNNING TIME: 165 minutes.
  RATING: R (brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language).

The English-language remake of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," lean as a runway model and taut as an Olympic bowstring, repeats a piece of information just once.

Industrialist Henrik Vangar (Christopher Plummer) hires disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to look into the disappearance of a girl 40 years ago from a Swedish island. Vangar gives Blomkvist names and details about family members, ending with great-nephew Martin (Stellan Skarsgård). "He runs our business," says Vangar, adding wryly, "as I think I told you."

The implication is clear: A good investigator shouldn't need to hear things twice. Nor should an alert audience, and director David Fincher and writer Steven Zaillian require - and earn - our strict attention.

Except for one nifty twist, they have followed the outline of Stieg Larsson's novel. (And that twist makes sense, given the story's parameters.) Yet they find small ways to freshen the story: For instance, the clue linking the predations of a serial killer gets uncovered accidentally by Blomkvist's daughter, not the eerie title character.

That young computer wizard, played here by Rooney Mara, differs slightly from her Swedish predecessor. Noomi Rapace (who's currently on view in the "Sherlock Holmes" sequel) seemed more feral and psychologically troubled. Mara's Lisbeth Salander has a shade more humor and humanity, which makes her relationship with Blomkvist more credible and the ending of the 2011 movie more poignant.

This film has two of Fincher's happiest trademarks: It's full of information and stretches over a remarkably long time (165 minutes), yet it's neither confusing nor overextended. He and Zaillian introduce more details than the Swedish film had, including a significant role for Blomkvist's editor/paramour (Robin Wright).

They and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth aim for verisimilitude, from the blistering snows on the island to the depressing tenements of Stockholm to the signs and newspapers in Swedish. (Those are actually distracting, as everyone speaks English.) Just as importantly, they've hired celebrated British actors who bring credibility to small parts: Geraldine James, Joely Richardson, Martin Jarvis and Steven Berkoff round out the list of suspects.

The exceptional craft of the storytelling may grip you even if you're familiar with both the book and the 2009 Swedish movie, which was itself quite good. Editors Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall cut quickly during the hunt sequences and slowly during conversations, letting us catch up. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have written a percussive, pulsing score that makes us feel as uncomfortable as the images Blomkvist has to see and the brutality Salander experiences. (The rape is grimmer than the one from 2009.)

As we watch these two investigators snap back and forth between disturbing computer images or zip back and forth between Stockholm and the icy island, we can forget the destination most of us probably know and simply enjoy the journey. On rare occasions, as it does here, this approach can yield a first-rate thriller

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/20/2861944/this-chilly-compelling-dragon.html

FILM REVIEW: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (CBC News)

December 16, 2011 1:00 AM | 

• By Eli Glasner

There's a moment in the new version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy when George Smiley, the retired intelligence agent, is on a stakeout. He's perched in a room, waiting for his prey when the target approaches. He carefully slips off his shoes, putting black socks to hardwood.

Here's where fans of the original book by John le Carré might find their pulse quickening.
It's a bit of the ol' tradecraft: the special skill set Carré hinted at in his espionage novels. And yet, the shoe shedding is just a tease for the next time we see Smiley he's sitting at the table having a civilized chat with his intended target. That is the gist of this cinematic version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: short on tradecraft, but no shortage of staring matches

The passivity of John Le Carré's grey warrior will come as no surprise to fans of the original. The author created George Smiley as an ultimate anti-Bond. When the world was buzzing over the hairy-chested charm of Sean Conney as 007, Carré brought us into the twisty warren of the Circus -- the nickname for the British Secret Intelligence Service, aka MI6. While the Cold War played on in the background, Smiley fought legions of administrators, managers and, occasionally, actual spies.

He may not have had a Rolex that could shoot lasers, but Smiley's wits were always razor sharp. He could stand in the door of house that had been burgled and pick up the scent of the intruder lingering in the air. As the new Smiley, Gary Oldman retains the character's watchfulness. It's a quiet performance, where a single raised eyebrow is an emotional climax.

The story is one of the oldest in the spy game: Whack-a-Mole. With the death of his handler, Control (John Hurt), the retired Smiley is tasked with revealing the double agent Control suspected had burrowed his way to the top of MI6. Other than a sting gone wrong that begins Tinker Tailor, much of what follows is men sitting in rooms and talking.

But considering the plot, some compression was inevitable. Many may remember the Tinker Tailor miniseries starring Alec Guinness that played out in seven parts. Director Tomas Alfredson squeezes all of that into a tidy two hours -- and it shows.

Colin Firth is a bright spot in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. (eOne Films)
If there was an Oscar for the most horrible 1970s furnishings and colour scheme, Tinker Tailor would have the category nailed. Alfredson paints the screen with a thousand shades of brown and a rich tapestry of questionable combovers. The MI6 brain trust meet in a soundproof orange room where their tweed suits pop perfectly against the marmalade walls.

The best of Smiley's suspects (codenamed Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) is Bill, played with a smirk by Oscar-winner Colin Firth. In this land of drab, he's practically Lady Gaga, as he winks at secretaries while clad in a velvet trench that looks stitched together from scalped teddy bears.

The fab fashions are just part of the hazy nostalgia and paranoia hanging over Tinker Tailor. In one particular scene, a friend wistfully recalls the good times before Smiley reminders her they took place during the war. But that's life in the Circus, where -- with no clear opponents to fight -- the agents target each other.

There are a few moments that break up the monotony, including a particularly a powerful interrogation on an airfield as the propellers roar closer. It stands apart because it's one of the few scenes where there's some genuine malice in the air.

Taken as a whole, Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is a bit of cipher itself: a movie made up of hints and omissions. You'll have to conduct your own investigation on what didn't make the cut.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Gary Oldman stars in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. (eOne Films)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/things-that-go-pop-blog/2011/12/film-review-tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.html

New Yorker's Embargo-Breaking 'Girl With a Dragon Tattoo' Review Sparks an Ethical Crisis — And Everybody Wins

© 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc.

Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

 

 

by Graham Fuller

Published: December 5, 2011

When British soccer players of opposing teams flare up and shove each other around on the field, the press call it “handbags” — as in, grown men shouldn’t behave like genteel middle-class ladies swatting each other with their receptacles in a famous "Monty Python" sketch. “Handbags” is now what’s going on between the mutually dependent worlds of American movie criticism and production/publicity. The specific antagonists are David Denby, one of the New Yorker’s two distinguished critics, and Scott Rudin, the eminent producer of David Fincher’s remake of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."

Denby’s mostly positive review of the thriller appears in today’s New Yorker. You’d think that would be music to Rudin’s ears. However, the producer and Sony Pictures, which is releasing the film on December 21, are furious because Denby broke the embargo he and other members of the New York Film Critics Circle agreed to in writing when the film was screened for them.

Against Denby’s wishes, the NYFFC brought their awards ballot forward this year so that it would benefit publicly from being the first critics’ group to announce its winners, as it did on November 29. Rudin and Sony, hoping that “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” would take home a trophy, showed the film to the NYFCC critics and members of the National Board of Review on November 28, but embargoed reviews until December 13. Denby’s jumping the gun by eight days is likely to trigger the premature publishing of other reviews.

Indiewire.com has published the email correspondence between Denby and Rudin that took place on Saturday.

In response to Rudin’s aghast response to Denby telling him of his decision to publish the review, the critic wrote: “Grown-ups are ignored for much of the year, cast out like downsized workers, and then given eight good movies all at once in the last five weeks of the year. A magazine like the New Yorker has to cope as best as it can with a nutty release schedule. It was not my intention to break the embargo, and I never would have done it with a negative review. But since I liked the movie, we came reluctantly to the decision to go with early publication.”

Denby added that “the early vote [by the NYFCC] forced the early screening of ‘Dragon Tattoo.’ So we had a dilemma: What to put in the magazine on December 5? Certainly not [Cameron Crowe’s] ‘We Bought the Zoo,’ or whatever it's called. If we held everything serious, we would be coming out on Christmas-season movies until mid-January. We had to get something serious in the magazine. So reluctantly, we went early with ‘Dragon,’ which I called ‘mesmerizing.’ I apologize for the breach of the embargo. It won't happen again. But this was a special case brought on by year-end madness.”
Rudin wasn’t appeased. “Your seeing the movie was conditional on your honoring the embargo, which you agreed to do,” he wrote to Denby. “The needs of the magazine cannot trump your word. The fact that the review is good is immaterial, as I suspect you know. You've very badly damaged the movie by doing this, and I could not in good conscience invite you to see another movie of mine again.... you must at least own that, purely and simply, you broke your word to us and that is a deeply lousy and immoral thing to have done.”

“Immoral” may be putting it a bit strongly in the scheme of things, though the ethical issues were skewed from the start. Denby shouldn’t have agreed to the embargo in the first place — critics should never kowtow to the industry (even if they do so with the intention of ultimately reclaiming their independence in print). Despite Sony's claim that “embargo dates level the playing field and enable reviews to run within the films’ primary release window,” the studio shouldn’t have gone after the critics’ awards while denying them the right to write about their film. (Warner Bros., for example, refused to show the Rudin-produced “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” to the New York critics.) The NYFFC shouldn’t have voted on the best films of the year without seeing “Extremely Loud” — a Stephen Daldry picture starring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock that presumably has awards potential.

In the event, the NYFCC did not give “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” any awards. But whatever objections Rudin and Sony have, their spat with Denby and the New Yorker will amount to considerable pre-release publicity. Denby’s review is likely to be one of the most widely read of the year and, since he applauds the film, that should have a helpful effect on ticket sales. The New Yorker benefits because it cast the first critical vote on the movie in print and emerges as the voice of authority. Everyone wins, except Crowe and 20^th Century-Fox, whose zoo comedy-drama Denby offhandedly dismisses, albeit in a private email made public. Were he to choose to do so, which is unlikely, Crowe would have a right to let fly with a handbag.

Art Info

Film Review: Immortals bloody, beautiful

Immortals – A Relativity Media release. Directed by Tarsem Singh. Starring Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans and John Hurt. Rated R.

Most of the “sword and sandal” films through the years are basically the same story: An ordinary man, usually a peasant, unbeknownst to himself is the chosen one, the one that will lead his people out of their misery or the one that finds himself on a quest in order to find some powerful object that a villain wants to control in order to rule the kingdom or the world.

Over the years Hollywood has used the latest technology to make these films the big spectacular, be it The Robe in 1953 (Cinemascope), Jason and the Argonauts in 1963 (Dynamation) or 300 in 2006 (CGI). Now with the very formula story, director Tarsem Singh uses all manner of visual effects including 3D to unleash the bloody Immortals.

Before a quick outline of the screenplay, there has to be mention of the gallons of blood and gore that’s splashed on screen in the service of a story that is as old as – you guessed it – the gods. Singh gives audiences a celebration of gore. There are severed heads, spines and torsos. Many are impaled, heads are crushed, and limbs are hacked off, all in 3D and at times in slow motion!

OK, the story. A bastard child now grown named Theseus (Henry Cavill) ,who doesn’t believe in the gods, finds himself on a quest to find the Epirus bow, which can release powerful arrows that can hit a target from a distance. He is on the quest for vengeance against King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke), who wants the bow to rule over everything, including the gods. The gods can do nothing to help on the orders of Zeus (Luke Evans), who believes Theseus and his small band, which includes the Oracle Phaedra (Freida Pinto) and a thief Stavros (Stephen Dorff), will find a way to secure the bow and defeat Hyperion.

Nothing here is new as far as the story goes, but what is surprising is the film is much better than the trailer, which made it look like a rip-off of 300. It isn’t simply because it is all done in a less theatrical manner. No broad speeches (well, there is one by Theseus toward the end) and much less yelling, and the overall scope of the battle scenes are larger. But the biggest difference here is the staging. Everything here is done so it looks like it came right off a painting. Singh uses his visual effects to create a stunning world of a village on a high cliff, vast space inside the mountains, a gargantuan wall to keep Hyperion and his thousands of troops at bay. And there are also stunning costumes by Eiko Ishioka.

The acting is OK. In the lead Cavill holds his own, but clearly this is a physical role for his ripped body. If anything, Cavill is on his way to his next role as Superman. Pinto is stunning. It must be stated that her nude scene was done by a double. Dorff is better than good. He gets the film’s funnier lines. Rourke embraces the role. He comes pretty close and some would say he goes over the line, but he does make a good villain. Like the gore, the swordplay is plentiful and more than worthy of the film’s hard R rating.

Immortals isn’t for everyone, but for those who like their action bloody and backgrounds beautiful, this film is for them.


Read more: FILM REVIEW: Immortals bloody, beautiful - Kingston, MA - Wicked Local Kingston http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/lifestyle/entertainment/x1431165874/FILM-REVIEW-Immortals-bloody-beautiful#ixzz1ejBcaycD

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY - COLIN FIRTH

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Posted on September 22, 2011 by pgtipsonfilms| Leave a comment

Star Rating: 4/5
The Bourne series, 24 and Munich, in their different ways, show audiences that the world of the secret services is a murky one, where mistrust and paranoia are rife. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (TTSS) may not be a standard catch-and-shoot the bad guy thriller. Nevertheless, with a star-studded cast, TTSS is an excellent, if puzzling, portrayal of the nature of the top echelons of the secret services.

George Smiley (Gary Oldman), adopting his standard pose, explains a few things to his assistant, Peter Guillam, in one of the secret places where they do their work.

TTSS is based on the novel by John Le Carré, who worked for the best part of 20 years in MI5 and MI6; the movie is also a shortened remake of the 1979 TV series. TTSS is set in early-1970s Britain, during the Cold War. There is a mole in the ‘Circus’, the MI6 internal nickname for the highest levels of the British intelligence services. Someone is giving classified information to a Soviet agent called Polyakov (Konstantin Khabenskiy – Wanted). But who is it?
Control (John Hurt – V For Vendetta, Harry Potter VII(ii), Immortals) brings back his former colleague, George Smiley (Gary Oldman – Air Force One, Harry Potter III-V & VII(ii), The Dark Knight Rises), from retirement in order to discover who is behind the leak. But Smiley and his personal assistant, Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch – Atonemment, Four Lions, The Hobbit I & II), must do their work in secret. This is to make sure that the other members of the ‘Circus’ – Percy Alleline (Toby Jones – Frost/Nixon, Captain America: The First Avenger, Snow White and the Huntsman), Bill Hayden (Colin Firth – The Importance of Being Earnest, The King’s Speech, The Railway Man), Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds – Munich, Harry Potter VII(ii), The Woman in Black) and Toby Esterhase (David Denick – War Horse, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) – don’t find out what they’re up to. Any one of them could be the traitor.
The plot for TTSS may sound straight forward, but it is not. Rather, it is slow and very confusing. The movie is also hard to follow because it does not follow a linear timeframe. Viewers are rarely certain if they’re watching the past or the present. Moreover, the director, Tomas Alfredson (Let The Right One In), does not give the complete context of the story; for example, there is no hint of the five Cambridge pro-Soviet traitors that riddles the book.

Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) looking through files to find information on the mole.

This is not to say that Alfredson has made a bad film. On the contrary, the slowness of TTSS is, arguably, a reflection of the world of espionage, which Le Carré, who assisted in the movie’s production, understands so well. Seen in this light, even the many seemingly pointless short, silent scenes of Smiley going into a room or a house on his own have a purpose, since they give TTSS a greater feel for the workings of MI6.
In addition, the brilliant acting throughout the movie aids our understanding of the type of people that tend to be at the top echelons of the secret services. A lecturer of mine at university told me that Hilter’s military intelligence chief (and double-agent), Wilhelm Canaris, upheld a persona to make it seem to others that he was not on the ball. In a similar vein, all the men in the ‘Circus’ in TTSS have their manufactured character guises. No-one in the film has this more than Smiley. In the lead role, the ever-sound Gary Oldman plays Smiley exceptionally well. Whilst no James Bond, Oldman never loses his concentration as Smiley; he always remains head-down, calm and monotonous, yet perspicacious, even when there is emotion stirring within him. It is a shame for Oldman that many subtleties of Smiley’s character, from the book and the TV series, have been taken out by Alfredson.
All of the supporting cast suffer from the same problems. Everyone plays very well, but since the film is only 127 minutes (and may seem longer to those not enjoying it), there is not enough time for all of the nine main characters, including Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong – Kick-Ass, The Eagle, Black Gold) and Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy – Layer Cake, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), to have real depth. To the cast’s credit, none of them appear shallow on screen, and some of them are given the time to express themselves to a degree.

Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) as the active secret agent on the streets to help find people who may be connected to the mole.

The impressive acting is matched by the settings throughout TTSS. From the clothes; to the hairstyles; to the cars; to the fax machines (and lack of mobile phones); to the smoking, everything has the appearance of the late-1960s/early-1970s. Remarkably, nothing is out of place.
The music used throughout the film is, perhaps, the exception to this. While the music is not of its era, its strangeness, more often than not, enhances the confounding plot and the tension in some of the scenes.
TTSS is not a conventional spy/secret-agent thriller. The film moves at a measured pace and is very confusing to the extent that one may go home without having completely understood the movie. One may even need to be a fan of this niche genre to truly appreciate it. Yet, with fantastic acting – particularly from Gary Oldman – TTSS depicts its era and the underhandedness of the inner workings of the top levels of the secret services down to a tee.
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