Excited for the Fall

I know it's been a while! Sorry about that.
So it's finally fall, which means Oscar season. I hate the way the fall is labeled for all the deep dramatic and award-worthy films, but somehow that's when all the studios release them, so what can you do.

Toronto is one of my favourite cities in the world. It's where my family is, where I hope to live someday and where my favourite film festival is. The Toronto International Film Festival is (I can't wait until I'm living there during September soon). What I love about the TIFF is that they do premiere some fantastic films which do get recognized for awards, but they also release good films which are perhaps more controversial or a little too light to be filled with Oscar buzz. So a good mix of movies are shown there which is great.

Here are some of the movies that are showing there that I really want to see.

Appaloosa
I'm really interested to see this one. I happened to have skimmed through a draft of the script during Summer '07 when my aunt showed it to me (She's a manager in L.A), and it didn't seem that special. But now that I've seen the trailer it seems to have proven me wrong. Of course I'm biased because two of my with my love for Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons.

Rachel Getting Married
I really like to see films that show a completely different side to an actor than I've seen before, and I think Rachel Getting Married will be just that. Anne Hathaway playing a drug addict who checks out of rehab for her sister's wedding? Sounds good to me. And Hathaway has been getting crazy buzz about her performance as is the actress who plays Rachel, her sister.

Burn After Reading
This is the first film by the Coen brothers post No Country glory. Its of the goofy ones they make, and it just looks like a great laugh.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
This movie is based on one of my favourite books of all time (of the same name). The problem with movies based on books that you love are that you have SUCH high expectations for them. So, I'm praying that the movie is at least almost as good as the book, or it takes on a new direction. But based on the trailer, it seems that it wanted to stick really closely to the book. I love Michael Cera, and although he is definitely not how I imagined wannabe rock star Nick, I think he'll give the film a bit of a spin from the book.

You can youtube any of these to see the trailers, I'm feeling lazy. But you can thank me for hyperlinking youtube.

Enjoy!

coming soon: the edge of love

So, i can't WAIT to see this movie.

The Edge of Love: "Two feisty, free-spirited women are connected by the brilliant, charismatic poet who loves them both."

Starring Keira Knightly, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy and Matthew Rhys (Kevin from Brothers and Sisters!!!).

This was the film that was originally going to star Lindsay Lohan. Thankfully she dropped out. I don't even want to image what the film would be like with her in it...

So yes, this does look a bit like Atonement: The Sequel, but I'm hoping once I see it it will need no comparison. I love the cast, so let's hope its good!

the other boleyn girl

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
Starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess, Kristen Scott Thomas
Directed by Justin Chadwick

Okay. So I should probably begin by saying that I am a HUGE Philippa Gregory fan, and I LOVE The Other Boleyn Girl (her book). So it was pretty clear that the film adaptation would have to be perfect in my book loving eyes. However I guess I have to review the film as a film itself. Eurgghh.....

First, Plot: Tudors. Henry VIII. Manslut. Inventor of Divorce, creator of the Church of England. His life and his court was basically a 16th century version of The Bold and the Beautiful. A sexy soap opera of history. Although if you're looking for softcore porn, check out The Tudors, the (completely historically inaccurate, but who cares, its hot, right?) TV show starring twenty-something Johnathan Rhys-Myers as the King. But back to TOBG. Two sisters: one blonde, voluptuous and pouty, the other older, smaller, wittier and less blonde. Each fighting for the love of the king, until one goes further, fighting for power. Tsk tsk, Anne Boleyn should have learnt from Macbeth: Ambition can be deadly.

When I found out which actors were attached to the film, I actually assumed Natalie Portman was going to play the naive Mary Boleyn, instead of the sly seductive Anne. That seemed more of a Scarlett Johansson role to me. However I was very glad to see Portman play Anne, because she formed a character limited by a generally weak script (I'll get back to this later), into a layered one, whose actions we are not meant to agree with, we understand and almost sympathize with. However I was pretty much disappointed with Johansson's portrayal of Mary Boleyn. Yes, we felt her pain when she was pushed aside for her sister moments after perhaps the happiest moment in her life (I don't like spoiling), but unlike Portman, she couldn't break through a mediocre script and allow us to really understand her character.

Eric Bana. HOT. Who cares what he said, really. (Okay I'll comment... he did a good job with what he was given.)

Now the script. Peter Morgan, come on... From The Queen, The Last King of Scotland (what's with all this royal stuff anyway?), I really expected more from you. I get how difficult it is adapting a well loved, lengthy novel to the big screen while pleasing fans and film critics at the same time, but STILL. The character of Mary was totally underdeveloped. We don't understand why she even liked Strafford (who is fantastically developed in the book), and what on earth happened to her husband??!? Sent away from court? That was pretty weak, Morgan. There were many soundbites, I'll admit. Beautiful remarks from Anne to Henry ("Ah, found one") , and fantastic lines from Catherine of Aragon (Henry's first wife).

Another problem I had was the sense of time. Even though we witnessed pregnancies from conception to birth, I and other movie goers whom I have asked felt that what was supposed to have been a couple years felt like a couple days, which made whatever character development thrown at us seem unrealistic.

Based on the final shot of the film I assume the message of the film is the power and significance of women in power. I think the message was pretty open... What do you think?

P.S. I was very glad to see Jim Sturgess playing another interesting and different role. More huge things are ahead for this guy, I know it!

banksy in hong kong

There was a short notice in the SCMP today that the some of the British graffiti artist's work will be showcased in Hong Kong alongside other artists.

If you have the chance to see Banksy's work I highly recommend it, his art is purely genius.

click to enlarge.




DETAILS:
Hong Kong Arts Centre
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Opening Night: April 23 (Wednesday) 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Exhibition dates: April 23 - 28 10am - 8pm

into the wild

Into the Wild (2007)
Starring Emile Hirsch, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Jena Malone, Hal Holbrook, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener
Directed by Sean Penn

Into the Wild, Sean Penn's adaptation of the best-selling true story of the same name by Jon Krakauer, is film about a privileged college graduate Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) in the early 90s who abandons his life which he feels is a society controlled by money and power to set out on an adventure in the wilderness. He takes himself out of the world he despises by donating all of his savings to charity, burning his money and changes his name to the nifty Alexander Supertramp.

Through the film we watch McCandless struggle with his scars from his family (William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden), while he encounters a number of characters whom perpell him forward on his journey to his final destination, Alaska.

The entire all-star cast deliver great performances that constantly remind us why McCandless is on his adventure. Hal Holbrook's small role is magical. Hirsch (whom I had only known from smart comedies like The Girl Next Door) makes it so clear that his character is not trying to rebel, but craves the lifestyle of the wilderness, and as he gets closer and closer to his goal, his addiction become stronger.

The movie is simply, beautiful. Penn smartly and expensively shot the entire film on location, sometimes even the same spots the real McCandless visited. The views never get boring, and subtly add to the themes of the film. A great score of soft strings adds nicely.

The writing is minimalist, funny, sad, and beautiful. A few cliches here and there, but their deliveries usually let them pass.

I really liked the movie. The movie is long, and drags on, so make sure you have the patience for it.

My Rating: **** 1/2

opening frame

Most of us do not consciously look at movies. -- Roger Ebert