Posts Tagged ‘relationships’

  • 30 Jun

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    Review: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

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    Eclipse Movie Poster

    Director: David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night)
    Screenplay: Melissa Rosenberg, Stephenie Meyer (novel)
    Producers: Wyck Godfrey, Greg Mooradian, Karen Rosenfelt
    Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Billy Burke, Charlie Bewley, Xavier Samuel, Daniel Cudmore, Christopher Heyerdahl, Dakota Fanning, Cameron Bright, Noot Seer, Michael Sheen, Graham Greene, Tinsel Korey
    MPAA Rating: PG13
    Running time: 124 min.

    (3.5/5)

    Let’s speak frankly, shall we? The Twilight franchise is not now, nor will it ever be, the all encompassing beast that is Harry Potter. Regardless of how much money the studio throws into the marketing machine, it’s wasted time, effort and dollars because as proven by the previous two films and now with the third instalment The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, they’re never going to win everyone over. The reasons why are too many to argue (and mediocre films are only one of them) and quite frankly, they don’t matter. Author Stephenie Meyer’s stories were never going to appeal to everyone, the key demographic has always been the hopeless romantic (and even some of those take issue with the story) and the films based on those stories clearly haven’t won over a large chunk of the population so why bother trying? The fan base is large enough, and ever growing, that the nay sayers are drowned out, even if they yell as loud or louder than the supporters.

    Eclipse Movie StillAs clear from my thoughts on the previous two films, I am a fan and as one, I came to love these characters long before there ever was a Twilight (review) film and the movies have been a sort of icing on the cake. Some bits of the icing have been sweeter than others but Eclipse is, for this fan at least, the sweetest. By this point in the story, Bella is back with Edward and happier than she’s ever been but Victoria, the rogue vampire who has been responsible for much, though not all, of Bella’s heartache, has a new plan of attack. She’s building an army and brining them to Forks in an effort to wipe out Bella in retribution for the loss of her own mate but to do so, she first needs to dispatch the pesky Cullens who have adopted Bella as one of their own.

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  • 21 Jun

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    DVD Review: Youth in Revolt

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    Youth In Revolt Movie Poster

    Director: Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl)
    Writers: Gustin Nash, C.D. Payne (novel)
    Producer: David Permut
    Starring: Michael Cera, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart, Zach Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi, Fred Willard, Ray Liotta, Justin Long
    MPAA Rating: R
    Running time: 90 min.

    (2/5)

    Michael Cera isn’t an actor that shows range. The 22 year old has been playing the oddball geeky kid for a few years now and he doesn’t show any sign of moving on. For the most part his performances work but the films aren’t always good and frankly, the reason to see most of them (to date at least), has been to see if Cera is doing something new but when Youth in Revolt came around, I, and from its box office run, many others, had given up on the idea of seeing Cera in the same old role.

    Youth in Revolt Movie StillThat’s why I skipped it and even the addition of bad boy alternate personality Francois Dillinger wasn’t enough to catch my attention during its theatrical run but on DVD, I was going to give it a shot because who knows, maybe Francois is different but now that I’ve seen it, I wish I’d stuck by my initial reading and stayed well away.

    Miguel Arteta’s film (based on C.D. Payne’s novel) has it’s moments but its no where near as good as Arteta’s crowning achievement to date, The Good Girl. There’s no reinvention of Cera here and if anything, the film feels like a hipster version of American Pie and at its core, the story of a boy who just wants to get the girl and if possible, get laid in the process.
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  • 19 Nov

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    First Trailer for Pattinson Romance Remember Me

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    RememberMeMovieStillSome credit needs to be given to the folks at Summit fore releasing this at the peak of Robsession. As the New Moon crew runs through the promotional ringer and RPattz and KStew are everywhere, they release the first full length trailer for Robert Pattinson’s newest film Remember Me.

    Directed by TV regular and first time feature film director Allen Coulter, the film stars Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin (of Brink and “Lost” fame) as a young couple trying to keep their budding relationship strong amidst various family problems. The film also stars Chris Cooper (as Ravin’s over protective cop father) and Pierce Brosnan (as Pattinson’s uncaring father).

    I haven’t been tracking the production that closely but am impressed that the studio managed to pump out a trailer so soon (the film isn’t scheduled to open until March 12, 2010) but what’s most impressive is that it actually looks promising. I’m not sure how well I guy Pattinson’s accent (I had a slight problem with it in the past) but the trailer suggests a promising drama. And no, not just because of the fangirls.

    Trailer tucked under the seat.

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  • 12 Nov

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    P-Star; She’s Going to be a Superstar!

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    pstar_poster_web_tempRags to riches stories are a dime a dozen but few have ever caught my attention as much as this one.

    Mett P-Star (better known to her friends and family as Priscilla). She’s a nine year old girl trying to break into the music world via rap. That, in and of itself is enough of an attention grabber but what really impressed me is the other part of P-Star’s story, the part that features her single father as the man fighting for her success. P-Star Rising incorporates both the struggles of an up-and-coming artist with the story of a single father and his bond with his children. Admittedly, it’s this father/daughter connection that has me interested in the film since most of the stories we hear are of mothers and their daughters surviving through tough ordeals; it’s nice to see the other side of the coin.

    P-Star Rising has been making the festival rounds for a while now and I expect we may have a chance to see it on DVD some time soon. Looks promising.

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  • 02 Oct

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    VIFF 09 Review: Gigante

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    GiganteMovieStill

    This isn’t your average love story. It may involve a boy and a girl and a boy falling for a girl but it’s done in a way I’ve never seen before, at least never seen work. Meet Jara. During the week he’s a security guard at a big grocery store, by day he sleeps, takes care of his nephew and listens to heavy metal, during the weekend he’s a bouncer at a night club. He’s a big guy and at first glance, you’d likely turn the other way and run but on closer inspection, we see a kind face and eyes that reveal the soul of a big teddy bear. But what makes Adrián Biniez directorial debut Gigante, a Berlin Prize Winner, special is the way in which the romance evolves.

    You see, Jara doesn’t meet a girl, date a girl and then fall in love instead, he spots a young woman who works on the store floor and becomes infatuated to the point where he begins to follow her. At first, you can’t help but chalk up the interest to curiosity but as the film slowly unfolds and Jara’s stalking activities escalate, a bell goes off. Amazingly, due in part to the direction and the performance from Horacio Camandule as Jara, the film never feels creepy and instead, I found myself rooting for Jara to succeed in his quest to finally speak to the girl.

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  • 02 Oct

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    VIFF 09 Review: Black Field

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    BlackFieldMovieStill

    Two women, sisters, living on a farm in Manitoba, their closest neighbour is 18 miles away. The two are etching out a meagre living from their farm when a stranger arrives. Though Maggie, the eldest, turns him away, David refuses to leave and instead makes himself at home in the barn. She insists he only stay for a day or two but he slowly warms up to them and begins a secretive relationship with Rose, the younger of the McGregor sisters. In the cover of night, the two run off and Maggie follows after them but when she discovers that David is a wanted man, the situation becomes even more dire than before and Maggie finds herself fighting against time and her romantic feelings for David in a race to save her sister.

    Danishka Esterhazy’s Black Field is a story of tragic romance, sisterly love and survival. Shot in Manitoba, Esterhazy uses the prairie setting to her full advantage, filling time and space with breathtaking visuals that immerse the viewer while mirroring the inner workings of the characters. At times we see glimpses of the barren land, a clear visualization of the emptiness in the sister’s lives and when Maggie is in transit, searching desperately for her sister, the camera follows her through creepy, tangled pathways that are constantly pushing her back.

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  • 01 Oct

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    TIFF 09 Review: An Education

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    an_education_nick_hornby

    A beautifully told, classic coming of age tale through the eyes of a mature, cultured 16 year old growing up in suburban London in the 1960’s, Jenny (Carey Mulligan). Attending an all-girls school, she is by far the most inspired of her peers, the biggest dreamer. Though the dreams of her stern parents have their little girl studying at Oxford next year (and Jenny has the credentials and talent to see it through) her greatest joys come from listening to her Juliette Greco albums, as oppose to playing her cello, and speaking French instead of her dry school-book Latin. With Jenny’s cross into womanhood playing out for the duration of the film, this familiar struggle is an on going battle between her institutional obligations, and the new world she is carefully escorted into as she seeks her path in life.

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  • 28 Sep

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    DVD Review: Degrassi Goes Hollywood

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    DegrassiGoesHollywoodPromo

    Director: Stefan Brogren
    Screenplay: Sarah Glinski, Matt Huether
    Producers: David Lowe, Maureen Norton, Wendy Moore
    Starring: Raymond Ablack, Dalmar Abuzeid, Lauren Collins, Nina Dobrev, Stacey Farber, Miriam McDonald, Cassie Steele, Mary Ashton, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith
    MPAA Rating: PG (Canada)
    Running time: 77 min.

    (3/5)

    The Degrassi I remember dates back to the late 80s and was outdated when I caught up with it in high school. Like good films, good TV never really goes out of style and though the look and sound of Degrassi may have been a few years off, the material on hand wasn’t. Though teens were turning in for the drama, the teen pregnancy, drug problems, peer pressure and sex issues that they were dealing with on a regular basis, it was the way in which the material was handled that ingratiated the show to educators who saw it as a tool. Though we giggled through various episodes that were shown to us in sex ed classes, truth is that it was an ingenious idea: take a smart, popular show and use it to encourage positive behaviour. Not sure if it worked but it certainly opened a few eyes.

    DegrassiGoesHollywoodMovieStillIt’s difficult to say, mostly because I don’t watch it, whether “Degrassi: The Next Generation” is as smart or poignant as the original but you can’t blame producers for rebooting Canada’s most popular high school drama. I can’t even blame them for poorly imagined and produced TV movies like Degrassi Goes Hollywood because the film’s faults are not serious enough to scare anyone away.

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  • 14 Sep

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    First Look at Egoyan’s Chloe

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    ChloeMovieStillFollowing it’s premiere at TIFF, Atom Egoyan’s newest film started to generate buzz; Not too surprising considering he is a Canadian sweetheart premiering his film in Toronto. Sadly, the first round of reviews have not been particularly positive. A review is forthcoming from one of our Toronto correspondents but until then, take in this reaction from The A.V. Club’s Scott Tobias:

    Chloe (09 Egoyan C): Lipstick on a pig. Egoyan tries to polish material unworthy of him.Seductive surface (two words: Mamma Mia), but dopey.

    Doesn’t sound particularly optimistic which is a shame for Egoyan whose last few films have been lacklustre.

    Chloe stars Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson as Catherine and David, an apparently happy and successful couple making their way through life among Toronto’s well to do. When David misses his flight home and his surprise birthday part, Catherine suspects that he is cheating and so she hires an escort named Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and see if he falls for the bait.

    It sounds like an interesting enough story full of drama and potential emotional eruptions and though I expect Egoyan keeps a tight reign on the performances, I’m a little worried about the lukewarm reception.

    A trailer has yet to make the rounds but earlier today a clip, the film’s first, found its way online. It features Catherine and Chloe in what appears to be their first meeting and as expected, we have Moore quietly falling apart on camera. The short clip shows promise.

    Clip tucked under the seat!

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  • 02 Sep

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    Trucker Trailer Tries Hard to Be Dramatic; Maybe Too Hard

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    Trucker Movie StillAdmission: As much as I like Michelle Monaghan, the only reason I bothered to check out this trailer is because of Nathan Fillion and really, when a guy I like this much manages to disappear from the limelight for long periods of time, who could blame me?

    I’m going to pull a Brigance on you. On the surface, Trucker doesn’t sound all that appealing: a truck driver tries to turn his life around after he takes in his estranged 11-year-old son. Except the truck driver isn’t a man but a woman. All of a sudden, this is slightly more interesting especially considering the woman in question is brought to life by Monaghan. Is the gender role reversal enough to take this story from mediocre interesting?

    Though on paper the film may sound like shoe-in Oscar contender and I don’t doubt Monaghan has it in her to provide a great performance, looking around the web and the awards buzz, I can’t help but agree with S.T. VanAirsdale at Movie Line who notes that the trailer is melodramatic cheese. It could be good melodramatic cheese but I’ll freely admit that the only reason I’ll shell out money to see this is Fillion. If the same applies to Monaghan fans, then James Mottern’s directorial debut may make a few bucks in theatres but the jury’s still out on how good the film is (though a few reviews I’ve browsed are quite positive).

    Trucker opens on October 9th.

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  • 21 Aug

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    Cera in Youth in Revolt Trailer

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    Youth in Revolt One SheetThe first and last picaresque novel I read was J.P. Donleavy’s “The Ginger Man”. It was an interesting exercise but overall it was not really my cup of tea (though it did have some hysterical scenes). Now it looks like I may, somewhat unwillingly, be making another jump into the style to see just what all the hubbub surrounding “Youth in Revolt” is about.

    C. D. Payne’s novel features a 14 year-old boy name Nick. He’s going through puberty, is obsessed with girls and sex and then he meets Sheeni. To gain her attention, he creates a bad ass alter ego named Francois Dillinger who says and does everything Nick doesn’t.

    The film, also titled Youth in Revolt, is adapted from the book by screen writer Gustin Nash who made a minor splash last year with Charlie Bartlett (our review), directed by Miguel Arteta and stars Michael Cera in the title role of Nick. The real surprise here is that for the first time, that I’ve noticed at least, Cera seems to be extending a little further than awkward/quirky teen. Though Nick fits Cera’s usual schtick, Francois seems a whole lot more direct and a bit of a douche which should prove interesting. Along with Cera, the film features a great cast of actors including Zach Galifianakis, Steve Buscemi, Justin Long, Fred Willard and Ray Liotta.

    The trailer seems interesting enough and as Eirk Davis at Cinematical notes, it’s a bit Fight Club-esque. I’m simply a sucker for teen movies so this one is definitely on my radar.

    Youth in Revolt opens on October 30th.

    Trailer is tucked under the seat!

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  • 07 Aug

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    New York, I Love You Trailer

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    New York, I Love YouI knew that at some point we’d posted a trailer for the anthology film New York, I Love You what I didn’t realize was that that trailer was posted a year ago.

    The film premiered at TIFF last year and Kurt foresaw the film would open early in 2009 but for some reason, reviews perhaps?, it was shelved and forgotten until today when a sexy discombobulated new trailer appeared. With acting and directing contributions from a long list of talented folk (Park Chan-Wook, The Hughes Brothers, Faith Akin, Mira Nair, Yvan Attal, Shunji Iwai, Wen Jiang, Joshua Marston, Andrei Zvyanginstev, Brett Ratner, Shia LeBeouf, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Anton Yelchin, Orlando Bloom, Christina Ricci, Chris Cooper, Kevin Bacon, Robin Wright Penn, Maggie Q, Ethan Hawke, John Hurt, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman and Olivia Thirlby) this is bound to have a little something for everyone.

    The trailer is not exactly eye popping but it certainly looks nice and I have love for much of the talent involved so I’m game. I still haven’t seen Paris, je t’aime but I may have to check it out before being sucked into this one.

    New York, I Love You is scheduled for limited release on October 16th.

    Now, who’s working on a Vancouver, I Love You?

    Trailer is tucked under the seat!

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