Man of Steel Trailer

Now that Christopher Nolan's Batman universe has left us for good, fans of DC Comics hopes that Zack Snyder's Man of Steel fills those Shaq-sized shoes. Months ago we were given a teaser trailer, but today we receive the first official look into Snyder's vision of the Superman legacy. I think it looks like it could be fantastic, but why don't you check out the trailer below and decide for yourself.

Early Precursor Awards News

With the announcement of a few early precursor awards dished out by the Boston Society of Film Critics, the New York Film Critics Online and Los Angeles Film Critics, we're officially on the road to February 24th's Academy Awards. While these winners and losers have only the tiniest bit of influence on the actual Oscar races, the results are at least interesting to recognize. The biggest winner appears to be the virtually unseen Best Picture contender from Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty. Taking home the Best Picture title from both Boston and New York's online circuit, Zero Dark Thirty clearly moves into the front of a crowded three headed monster which also includes Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Tom Hooper's Christmas release of Les Miserables.

(above: Jessica Chastain, star of Zero Dark Thirty)

Another less surprising, but still notable, winner happens to be the always great Daniel Day-Lewis who topped the Best Actor category with both the Boston and New York Online groups. Day-Lewis gave a daring and utterly speechless performance starring as our nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln soars on the shoulders of its leading star and stands as a formidable Best Picture contender on its own. 

(above: Daniel Day-Lewis as the historic icon Abraham Lincoln)

On a more shocking note, I was thrilled to see a high level of praise and recognition for a rather ignored supporting performance given by the young and talented Ezra Miller in this year's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Miller shows his range as an eccentric homosexual high school student who helps befriend a shy and friendless loner. Miller first opened eyes with his gut-wrenching role in 2011's psychological drainer We Need to Talk About Kevin, where he portrayed a monster who (SPOILER ALERT) inexplicably murders many of his classmates. Ezra Miller claimed the Best Supporting Actor title from the Boston Society of Film Critics and continues to prove that he is an immensely talented actor who is shaping up to be a budding star.

(above: Ezra Miller in The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Finally, the Los Angeles Film Critics went in a much different direction with its awards than both Boston and New York. L.A. selected the foreign film Amour as its Best Picture winner and displayed an outpouring of love for Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. Anderson claimed the group's Best Director title as well as performance wins given to Joaquin Phoenix (Best Actor) and Amy Adams (Best Supporting Actress). For a full list of winners from all three precursors, click here (courtesy of EW.com)

Hitchcock

Film: Hitchcock

Starring: Anthony Hopkins (Thor), Helen Mirren (The Debt) and Scarlett Johansson (Marvel's The Avengers)

Director: Sacha Gervasi

U.S. Release: November 23rd, 2012 (Limited Release - Rated PG-13)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 98 minutes


Having directed some of the most notable films throughout the history of cinema, it's borderline criminal that Alfred Hitchcock never won any of his 5 Oscar Nominations or any of his astounding 8 Director's Guild of America Nominations. Despite all of his ego-shattering shortcomings by his peers and colleagues, no one would ever dare question the greatness of one of the finest directors to ever walk the planet. Therefore, when longtime writer and first time director Sacha Gervasi's biographical debut effort, Hitchcock, was first screened by its distributor Fox Searchlight Pictures, they did everything in their power to release it in time for an awards season run of its own.

After the massive success of his last film, North by Northwest, famed director Alfred Hitchcock (played by Anthony Hopkins) seeks out his next project. When he comes across a book called Psycho, which closely relates to the true crime murders by serial killer Ed Gein, Hitchcock quickly becomes hooked by the novel's fiendish flair. Grotesque, violent and well beyond anything people had ever seen, the director's sales pitch receives anything but a glowing endorsement from Paramount Pictures. Forced to finance the film on his own, Hitchcock and his loyal wife Alma (played by Helen Mirren) face immense economic and personal pressure all along their journey of bringing Psycho to the big screen.

Less so a movie about making a movie, Sacha Gervasi's major motion picture debut, Hitchcock, is a misdirected and contrived look at the inner workings of a strained relationship between husband and wife. Rather than deliver a My Week with Marilyn style of film showing the on-set genius of one of Hollywood's finest directors, Gervasi places his focus on the underlying backbone or Hitchcock's career, his wife Alma. Trying to sell the acclaimed career of Alfred Hitchcock as a complete team effort, Alma's character becomes the unrecognized master behind the curtain. And while the couple's relationship slowly begins to crumble, we watch as Hitchcock's Psycho metaphorically reaps the disastrous effects. Hence, reaffirming that Gervasi's feature is less about Psycho and more about the director's marriage. This approach clearly proves fatal as the issues of their struggling relationship become bogged down by the audience's deeper desire to see how one of cinema's greatest films came about. Furthermore, Gervasi strikes the wrong chord in two other areas of the movie. First, the outlandishness behind Hitchcock's recurring visions of Ed Gein are over the top and unnecessary. They ultimately create an imbalance to the feature that never gets corrected. Also, the opening and closing scenes of the film show Hitchcock breaking character from the movie and talking directly into the camera to the audience. Meant to pay homage to the television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents, these moments feel more forced than instrumental to the final product.

For as messy as Sacha Gervasi's Hitchcock appears to be, the work treads water because of an all-star cast featuring Academy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. Hopkins is undoubtedly stellar in his title role, but it's actually Mirren who walks away as the film's biggest winner. Mirren commands your full attention and dishes out a handful of Oscar-worthy scenes. In fact, Mirren and Hopkins are almost reason enough to venture to the theatre. On a smaller scale, the supporting work of Scarlett Johansson also adds a positive dimension to the feature. While Gervasi clearly battles to iron out an award's season contender, his cast attempts to pick up his slack and salvage his work. As a result, it wouldn't be a shock to see Mirren garner a nomination and, if it weren't for such a crowded Best Actor category, the same could be said for Hopkins.

2012's Hitchcock is a disappointing and misguided examination into the life and work of a cinematic genius. Disorganized and chaotic, the film ultimately descends from Oscar-hopeful to Oscar-doubtful. Although a highly regarded cast gives their best possible effort, Hitchcock ends up falling flat and feeling like an insufficient piece of filmmaking. Thus, there's no reason to rush and see Hitchcock in theatres, as you're best suited waiting for DVD to catch these strong onscreen performances.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C

This is 40

Film: This is 40

Starring: Paul Rudd (Our Idiot Brother), Leslie Mann (The Change-Up) and Albert Brooks (Drive)

Director: Judd Apatow (Funny People)

U.S. Release: December 21st, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 134 minutes


When it comes to director Judd Apatow's work, he has an interesting and particular vision. His irregular, yet carefully honed, style is both peculiar and fascinating all at the same time. He's a living conundrum. His major motion picture debut came in the form of the raunchy tale The 40 Year Old Virgin, which is admittedly one of my favorite comedies of the 2000s. He then followed up with the $200 million comedy Knocked Up, an occasionally vulgar but far more sensitive brand of humor. However, it was Apatow's third feature that got everyone caught in a tailspin. 2009's deceptively titled Funny People yielded less laughs and alienated moviegoers by running nearly two and a half hours long and addressing such weighty topics like death and cancer. Living with a dark cloud over his head ever since, audiences want to know if Apatow's newest spin-off film, This is 40, is more like its originator Knocked Up, or its predecessor Funny People. Truth be told, it's somewhere in between.

This is 40 revisits the erratic and dysfunctional married lives of Pete (played by Paul Rudd) and Debbie (played by Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann). As they both reach the pivotal age of 40, the couple agrees to take a happier and stress-free approach through the next phase of life. But when news of Pete's failing record label leads to financial instability for their family, lies begin to accumulate and the couple quickly learns that there's no escaping the hardships of life and marriage.

Judd Apatow's upcoming release, This is 40, proves to be a successful turn and step forward on his path back to previously reached heights. Illustrating a fearless disregard for the two-hour threshold, the director once again attempts to bridge the divide between comedy and drama. But make no mistake about, This is 40 is clearly a comedy first. At its brittle heart and center are leading stars Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd who prove to be adequate but imperfect. In fact, This is 40 looks past its main couple and succeeds on behalf of its strong collection of eclectic supporting characters. Excellent performances from the likes of Albert Brooks, Jason Segel, Megan Fox and Chris O'Dowd help the audience to ease their way through a sometimes bumpy ride. Brooks shines brighter than the rest and delivers a large portion of the film's most memorable moments. The jokes are fresh and consistent and you can rest assured that there's no shortage of laughs here. And while This is 40 doesn't quite measure up to the glaring success of past works such as The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, the film in a refreshing return to a comedy-first outlook that's made Apatow a household name.

Although This is 40 is definitely a step in the right direction, the feature has many distinct faults. For starters, it becomes quite irksome to spend two hours and fifteen minutes watching a couple complain about money issues while they drive around in BMWs and throw extravagantly catered parties. The whole first-world "woe is me" routine ultimately makes it difficult to sympathize with Pete and Debbie's onscreen dilemmas. Furthermore, Apatow's undulating script makes for a roller-coaster ride of up and down moments between the leading couple. This is 40 becomes a repetitive sequence of problem/solution ... problem/solution ... problem/solution ... almost to the point of ad nauseam. Still, despite all of its visible flaws, This is 40 contains the appropriate amount of laughs and strong cameo's (a job well done to Philadelphia Flyers Scott Hartnell and Ian LaPerriere - see below) to keep you engaged from start to finish.

This Christmas writer and director Judd Apatow brings us, This is 40, a hysterical comedy that translates well to the big screen. As imperfect as it is, the film marks a solid return for Apatow who really soured a large portion of audiences with his 2009 overly-dramatic dud Funny People. Still young and energetic, Apatow expects a long and prosperous career in the business. While he demonstrates a unique ability to generate a heartfelt comedy, Apatow's future success hinges on the type of stories he decides to tell. Sticking to a humor-first approach has benefited him in the past and benefits him now with This is 40. But despite its likability, there's no reason to rush to theatres to see this overly-long laugh fest. While This is 40 is a slightly above average movie experience, perhaps it's best suited for a Friday night movie rental.


Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: B-

Killing Them Softly

Film: Killing Them Softly

Starring: Brad Pitt (Moneyball), James Gandolfini (HBO's The Sopranos) and Ray Liotta (Goodfellas)

Director: Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)

U.S. Release: November 30th, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 97 minutes


In 2007, writer and director Andrew Dominik teamed up with leading star Brad Pitt to offer the Oscar nominated western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The feature's critical praise helped solidify Dominik's status all throughout Hollywood. A handful of years later, the director and Pitt return with Killing Them Softly, a satirical look at capitalism's greedy impression on the current mob underworld. After receiving massive amounts of acclaim since its Cannes Film Festival premier in May, perhaps Killing Them Softly could be another Oscar-worthy effort from Dominik and Pitt? Not so fast.

When three unintelligent lowlifes decide to rob a protected Mob card game, the local criminal economy feels the repercussions. Through sheer stupidity on the part of one of the robbers, hitman Jackie Coogan (played by Brad Pitt) is brought in to take care of the culprits and restore proper order to the Mob.

To be perfectly honest, Killing Them Softly was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Back in the Spring, early buzz out of Cannes managed to peak my interest and, knowing the Weinstein Company, I braced myself for a Fall release. After finally viewing the film, it's clear that Killing Them Softly is a tunnel-visioned examination of economic greed and its divisive consequences. But rather than quietly using executioner Jackie Coogan's story as an effective metaphor, Andrew Dominik wastes almost no time shoving his film's purpose directly into your face. As a result, Killing Them Softly feels more like a force fed political satire than a subtle piece of artistic beauty. By selling its soul and taking a satirical approach, Dominik attempts to deliver an off-beat and stylish dark comedy. Instead, the movie comes off as a cheap Coen brothers imitation with much weaker writing and far worse cinematography. As for any stylistic comparisons between Killing Them Softly and last year's surprise hit Drive, they are completely off base and offensively inaccurate. For as promising as the movie appears at a chopped up and edited glance via its trailer, Killing Them Softly is a mightily flawed viewing experience.

Despite my harsh criticisms and to be perfectly fair to Andrew Dominik, Killing Them Softly is a well intended and immensely thought out piece of work. Dominik's characters have depth and purpose to the story, which is always easier said than done. Brad Pitt is the true highlight of the film and he delivers another knockout performance. As someone who wasn't always an outspoken fan of Pitt, he has clearly won me over and his work here is just another fine example of why he's one of the best in the business. In addition to Pitt, James Gandolfini gives a valiant effort in his small supporting role. The former Soprano's star continues to struggle breaking out of his "Tony Soprano" label, but his work here is both heartfelt and genuine. Gandolfini's character oozes with emotion and instability and hopefully we get to see plenty more of the same from him in the future. As imperfect as it is, Killing Them Softly conjures up enough redeeming qualities to see you through the finish line.

In the end, disappointment reigns supreme in Andrew Dominik's long awaited return to the director's chair. With Killing Them Softly, top notch acting fails to salvage a mediocre script and a blatant in-your-face message. Unlike Dominik's The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Killing Them Softly is far from the preconceived Oscar contender may of us believed it could be. Lacking in substance and memorable scenes, the film is a rather dull 97 minute experience. Unless you "have to" see it, I recommend taking a pass with Killing Them Softly. It's not what you'd expect ... in a bad way.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C

November 2012 Poll Recap

After the close of yet another month, November has brought us one step closer to our journey through the new year and on to the Academy Awards. Being that the BIG TIME Oscar contenders always seem to hold of their releases until the end of the calendar year, November harbored many promising films. In an effort to understand where the public's anticipation was targeted, I posed last month's poll question asking, "Which November release are you most excited to see". In unbalanced fashion, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln destroyed its competition by walking away with 54% of the votes. While many feel as though only Tom Hooper's Les Miserables can stand in the way of Lincoln's Best Picture chances, I still tend to throw caution to the wind. But either way, Lincoln proves to be a bona fide Oscar contender from top to bottom. In the poll, there was a tie for the runner up spot between David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook and Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly (both of which finished with 18% of the votes). The newest James Bond installment, Skyfall, was the only other film receiving votes and it walked away with 9% of the total.

Be sure to check out December's poll question (which is located in the top right hand corner of the page) asking, "Which 2012 film would have your vote for Best Picture". And stay tuned all month for what's sure to be a bumpy ride through the start of the award's season.

Now You See Me and Freeloaders Trailers

Director Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans) brings us his latest work, Now You See Me, which sports an all star cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman. The film centers around a group of illusionists who rob a bank during a performance and give the money to the audience. As a result, they become part of a major investigation by the FBI to understand how the feat was pulled off. Sporting a suspenseful and action-packed vibe, Now You See Me could make for a riveting Summer blockbuster. Check out its trailer below.





Next up is the trailer for Freeloaders, the newest release from the Broken Lizard's team that brought comedies such as Super Troopers, Beerfest and Club Dread. The film follows a bunch of middle-aged adults who spend their lives shacking up in a paid-for mansion living a life of endless partying and no responsibilities. But when a real estate agent shows up to let them know that the property is being put on the market to be sold, the group of slacker friends need to find a way to keep their dream house from being sold. Far from an original storyline, Freeloaders could either be a welcome addition from the talented comedic minds that created Super Troopers, or a disaster waiting to happen. Check out the trailer below and form your own opinion.