Once again, I have a nice assortment of trailers to peek at and we’re going to start off in style. Vogue style.
It may be hard to grasp just how important Anna Wintour has been and continues to be to the fashion industry. As the editor-in-chief of American ”Vogue,” Wintour has been choosing what we wear for a couple of decades and even if you don’t wear the latest and greatest fashions now, her picks will eventually trickle into the marketplace.
Wintour was the not-so-secret villain in 2006’s The Devil Wears Prarda but that was only one side of the story, a side which portrayed her as both a first class bitch and an icon to be revered.
This new documentary revolves around the September issue of “Vogue” (which pretty much outlines what we’ll all be wearing for the next six months of the year) while giving some insights into the woman who pulls it all together. I’m curious to see how deep director R.J. Cutler manages to get into Wintour’s world but to be frank, any film that features Wintour telling Oscar de la Renta that she wouldn’t put one of his latest creations in a show is enough of a seller for me.
At this point The September Issue opens in New York on August 28th and then expands to a limited release on September 11.
Creation
Less about his book “On The Origin of the Species” and more interested in the man himself, Jon Amiel’s Creation stars the brilliant Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin and the equally amazing Jennifer Connelly as his wife. The film appears to tell the story of the personal struggle Darwin went though while writing his groundbreaking book and his struggle with the knowledge that he was on the verge of “killing” God.
I’m not familiar with Darwin the man and with a cast like this one, I doubt it would matter either way. The film looks gorgeous and aside from Connelly and Bettany also stars Toby Jones and one of my favourite “The Tudors” regular Jeremy Northam.
At the moment Creation is scheduled to open in the UK on September 25th. The film has been picked up for international release by HanWay Films but no North American dates have been announced.
Writer/director Guillermo Arriaga comes from great pedigree. The screenwriter has been involved with some of best films of the last few years including Amores perros 21 Grams and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.
For his feature film debut he continues with a difficult drama, this one about two women trying to take hold of their lives after a devastating incident. Kim Basinger, who I haven’t seen in anything of note since the underrated Cellular, Charlize Theron and Venice award winner Jennifer Lawrence star as three women whose lives are all intertwined and turned sideways by a death. The trailer isn’t very clear on who is related to who and why but the description has this as a “two-tiered storyline” which could mean that perhaps none of the women are related. In either case, I do love the look of the trailer and I’ve enjoyed most of Arriagan’s past films so I’m more than willing to give this one a look.
The Burning Plain opens in limited release on September 18th.
Five Minutes of Heaven
Oliver Hirschbiegel hasn’t had the best of luck with his English language films. After causing a stir with both The Experiment and Downfall, The Invasion was a disappointment for more than a few but he hasn’t given up and frankly, looking at this trailer I’m not convinced this will be the film to bring him attention in the English language market.
Five Minutes of Heaven stars Liam Neeson as Alistair Little a man who was a member of the IRA and at the age of 16 was the leader of a UVF cell. Years after his ties with the IRA, the media arranges for a meeting between Little and Joe Griffen (James Nesbitt), a man whose little brother was killed by Little twenty five years before.
This trailer does nothing for me. I’m mildly curious about the outcome (the trailer does pose an interesting dilemma) but nothing about this trailer screams “See me.” And then there’s the casting of Anamaria Marinca which on its own is nearly enough to get my butt in the seat but the trailer also suggests she doesn’t play a very large role. As it stands, I’m undecided on this one.
Five Minutes of Heaven opens on August 21st.
OMG The September Issue looks AWESOME.