'Terminator Salvation' A Dull and Dramatically Inert Bore

There's a moment, about five minutes into "Terminator Salvation" (after a truly awful prologue), where a text screen goes up, explaining everything about the history of the Terminator robot, and the Terminator franchise. It doesn't really mean anything, really. It could have just said, "Humans made robots, robots fought back, and the world pretty much ended." But there's such a strained attempt at gravitas (this is, after all, a movie about killer robots) that it just comes across as groan inducing in its triteness. If there's one good thing about this text screen, though, it's that it is consistent with the rest of the movie.

The premise of this Terminator movie (the fourth, for those that are counting), is that we're in the middle of the robot/human conflict... or at least at the beginning of it. (More on that in a minute.) The vaguely prophesized John Connor (a characteristically dour Christian Bale) leads a ragtag group of personality-deprived freedom fighters, among them rapper Common and Moon Bloodgood (proving that cleavage is an important weapon in the fight against robotic oppression), against the evil computer entity known as Skynet. Skynet makes itself known through the terminators - hovering terminators, terminators that look like motorcycles for some reason, slippery snake terminators, skeletal terminators and terminators that just look like giant fucking robots (subtle, Skynet).

The movie's central "plot" concerns Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a death row inmate and recent escapee from one of the Skynet detention centers (why they're wrangling people up we never really know), who forges an alliance with Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin), who will later go back in time and impregnate John Connor's mother, thus giving birth to John Connor, leader of the human resistance against the machines… If you've gone cross-eyed reading that sentence, then you're not. The time travel quantum mechanics of the series have become such a knotty pretzel that the filmmakers choose to not even really acknowledge them. Connor knows he's got to find Reese because he's his father. And that's pretty much it.

Director McG, who has lobbied long and hard, in both the mainstream press and more insular geek circles, to convince the world that he's the right man to make a hardcore, gritty Terminator movie, utterly fails. Just because you liked "Children of Men" doesn't mean that you can make an awesome post apocalyptic movie. For a man that formerly made a living directing music videos, the movie has an absurd lack of rhythm or pace - action scenes begin and without much provocation; there's a truly tasteless and out-of-the-blue redneck rape attempt; and once about every twenty minutes something huge and metallic blows up, as if McG is trying to remind us that this is an action movie, and in action movies, shit explodes.

The production and costume design isn't all that different from every post 'Road Warrior' grunge-athon. People wear layer upon layer of heavy clothes even though they're in the middle of a nuclear scorched desert. At one point, we're with the human cattle as they're being moved into holding cells, and there are small fiery bursts that are happening all around the set, for no discernable reason. It's like they shot parts of the movie at a heavy metal concert in 1986.

Similarly, the action sequences and visual effects are uninspired and overcooked to the point of being an ineffectual screensaver. The "harvester" chase sequence that everyone is talking about, in which two of our heroes are pursued by those motorcycle terminators and a big, hulking terminator too, is edited to death, (did we really need to see the motorcycle terminator's point of view?) and conjures the chase sequence from last year's underrated junky sci-fi movie "Doomsday." Except with one small exception - "Doomsday" had a kicky zip to its action sequences. These are pre-terminated.

But chief amongst "Terminator Salvation's" problems is the lack of any character to give a shit about. Bale's Connor is a prophesized warrior, but all we ever do is see him get into situations where everyone on the team besides him is killed. We know he's a renegade because Michael Ironside, sporting an iffy facial scar, yells at him about following orders from a resistance base that is actually a WWII submarine. Connor's mission in the movie is to turn on a radio wave that shuts down the machines and to make many longwinded speeches about destiny redemption (and, yes, salvation). Yawn.

Worthington's Marcus is a more engaging character, and becomes positively compelling towards the end of the movie, after we find out he's a terminator who doesn't know he's leading the resistance into an elaborate trap. But his arc is wrapped up by movie's end, and as a terminator he's saddled with being the charming hero and the menacing villain, and comes off as neither.

By the end of the movie, nothing's really resolved and nothing really happens. There isn't any time travel, Connor doesn't even tell Reese about his mother, the robots are still killing people, McG is still shooting the whole thing in a boring, sun-bleached way. There's no headway made, no progress into those electrifying, chrome blue prologues that the other movies featured, of hordes of terminators marching over human skulls. At the beginning of the movie, the humans are fighting for their humanity against the machines, at the end of the movie, the humans are fighting for their humanity against the machines. As far as dramatic arcs (and Terminator movies) go, we've seen better.

For an enjoyable sci-fi movie that handles time travel (and our struggle for humanity) well, and kicks off an exciting new franchise in a vital way, well, "Star Trek" should be playing down the hall. [D] - Drew Taylor

First Look: Joseph Gordon-Levitt And Natalie Portman In 'Hesher,' Stephen Fry To Lead 'The Liar,' Zach Braff To Helm 'Swingles'

Here's your first look at Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Natalie Portman in their upcoming indie-comedy "Hesher." The film, which also co-stars Rainn Wilson, follows the story of a loser 20-something who invades the life of an awkward 13-year-old who is living with a pill-popping father and grandmother. We'd pay too see these three in just about anything. [Just Jared]

Stephen Fry is to lead the film adaptation of his novel "The Liar," with Tony Hagger to produce and direct. Sir Ian McKellen and young British talent Nicholas Hoult are also being lined up for roles in the comedy about a hapless young man who goes to stay with his uncle in Salzburg only to become embroiled in murder and mystery. [Screen Daily]

Lyndsy Fonseca has scored a part in the time-travel comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine," which co-stars the likes of John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson and Lizzy Caplan. The ridiculous yet possibly great story follows a group of friends who accidentally travel back in time after returning to a ski lodge where they partied as teens. [THR]

Zach Braff is set to direct, rewrite and co-star in the comedy "Swingles," a film that will follow bachelor who is dumped by his wingman and teams with a sharp-tongued woman he can't stand in order to meet singles. Braff will have a supporting role with Cameron Diaz already signed on play the female lead. [Variety]

Rosario Dawson will star opposite Kevin James in "The Zookeeper," a film by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company that centers on zoo animals trying to teach the keeper their methods of dating and mating to help him win back the woman of his dreams. Leslie Bibb will also star. We were waiting to read that this was a meta-film for "Funny People" but alas this joke is a reality. [Variety]

'Happy Tears' Gets Picked Up By Roadside, 'Trainspotting' Author Irvine Welsh To Make His Feature Film Directorial Debut

Roadside Attractions has picked up to family comedy "Happy Tears" for release early next year. The film, which stars Parker Posey, Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin and Rip Torn, follows the love-hate relationship of two sisters. [THR]

"City Of God" co-director Katia Lund is attached to direct an adaptation of "Dancing Arabs," the story of an Arab-Israeli whose gains admission into a Hebrew boarding school whilst assuming the identity of a Jewish-Israeli friend. This will be Lund's follow up to 'God.' [Variety]

The author of "Trainspotting," Irvine Welsh will direct and co-write with father-son writing team Pete and John Adams on "The Magnificent Eleven," a modernization of the "The Magnificent Seven" about a local amateur soccer team, a Tandoori restaurant and a group of menacing thugs. [THR]

An action-thriller take on the story of Harry Houdini has gained "Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull" and "Catch Me If You Can" scribe, Jeff Nathanson, for the project. The film will apparently depict Houdini as a "part Indiana Jones and part Sherlock Holmes" kind of protagonist as will focus on stories regarding Houdini alleged life as spy for Britain and a debunker of con artists from the spiritual movement. [FirstShowing]

Cher is reportedly in talks to join Christina Aguilera in Steve Antin's "Burlesque." She would play the burlesque club owner that Aguilera's lead performs in. To get a taste of what this will be like, director Antin is the brother of Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls. Yikes. [EW]

Michael Moore's New, Still Untitled Economic Crisis Documentary Due October 2nd

Michael Moore's untitled (but possibly titled "Bailout") Wall Street/economic crisis documentary is now set for an October 2nd release. The film is described as "a comical look at the corporate and political shenanigans" that culminated in what Moore has described as "the biggest robbery in the history of this country."

Overture Films and Paramount Vantage, the co-financiers and distributors are releasing the picture on a date that goes head to head with Scorsese's "Shutter Island," and the Coen Brothers' "A Serious Man."

"The wealthy, at some point, decided they didn't have enough wealth," Moore said in a statement Thursday. "They wanted more -- a lot more. So they systematically set about to fleece the American people out of their hard-earned money. Now, why would they do this? That is what I seek to discover in this movie."

The untitled doc will be Moore's first film in theaters since the vastly underrated "Sicko" in 2007 (fuck with their health-care and most short-term thinking Americans won't give a shit, fuck with their real-time dollars, well, that's another story). One would assume, American people will give a shit here, but then again, Michael Bay's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" might still be in theaters by then and hey, you might need to see it for a third time, possibly in not-real IMAX, right? [Variety]

Maggie Cheung OK With Being Cut From 'Inglourious Basterds'

Maggie Cheung is a class act. We noted before Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" world premiere in Cannes that it looked like the actress had been cut out of the picture, and sure enough we saw it and yup, she wasn't in the film.

Cheung then told Chinese press that she was ok with the decision noting how Tarantino "called [her] from Cannes to explain that [her] scenes had to be cut to ensure the film’s length." Cheung accepted the decision with grace noting that she "really thought it was no big deal.”

Cheung played Madame Mimieux, the original owner of a French cinematheque that becomes a central narrative element in the picture.

In the original screenplay, Melanie Laurent's character, Shosanna Dreyfus, who has just lost her parents at the hands of "Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa (Christophe Waltz), is reluctantly taken in by the hard-as-nails Madame Mimieux when she is discovered trying to secretly take shelter in her theater. Shosanna/Laurent then inherits the cinematheque after Mimieux passes away from undisclosed reasons and in the screenplay is supposed to pose as Mimieux's niece (and in the film, while there's no Cheung, Shosanna still masquerades as her relation, even though we never see the character).

And perhaps, aside from length, maybe another reason why Cheung was cut from the film was because even Tarantino thought explaining to audiences how the niece of an Asian woman that doesn't look at all Asian might be a stretch, even for his wacky world. [ChinaDaily]

New 'Brüno' Trailer Is SO Last 'Brüno' Trailer

MTV.com has debuted the latest look at Sacha Baron Cohen's "Brüno" and, no surprise, it's a general audience green band clip that consists mostly of material from the earlier redband footage. Though we do get that fairly humorous "Ipod" gag that closes out the trailer. The general conceit of this doesn't seem to have the comedic longevity of "Borat" (this still looks like material worthy of a very funny half-hour), but the best bits of "Borat" weren't stuff you could squeeze in a mass audience clip anyway, so we're hopeful. "Brüno" debuts July 10th.

Alejandro Jodorowsky's 'King Shot' To Shoot This October

We think we were in our late teens when our shady little local video store took us to the back row to showcase the collection of foreign and counterculture oddities found in every haunted, cobwebbed VHS case. Out of all of these VHS's, none were rented more than the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky, who had his films famously kept out of US circulation after midnight movie releases in the seventies only to secretly leak bootlegs all across the nation. Our copy of "El Topo" was dubbed into English and with Korean subtitles, and with the beaten quality of the tape, it was like receiving a transmission from outer space.

Jodorowsky hasn't made a movie since disowning "The Rainbow Thief" twenty years ago, but ScreenDaily reports that the man who is credited with creating PSYCHOMAGIC is set to shoot "King Shot" this October. The metaphysical spaghetti western, first announced in Cannes last year, is shooting under David Lynch's Absurda banner, and the cast includes Nick Nolte, Asia Argento, Udo Kier and serious Jodorowsky devotee Marilyn Manson (who was married with Jodo standing in as the minister in his "The Holy Mountain" garb). The project is budgeted at $7.4 million, and it has now been announced that Jodo's cinematographer will be Vilmos Zsigmond.

"King Shot" has been Jodo's rumored next project for awhile after "Abelcain," his planned "El Topo" sequel, fell through. A Youtube video surfaced last year where Jodo discussed his plans for "King Shot," sharing concept art and a cast list that included Mickey Rourke, but that was quickly yanked. In lieu of that treasure trove, here's a bit about Jodo's movies from the man himself- hearing him speak is stronger than several street drugs.

'Youth In Revolt' Has No Release Date - Has The Weinstein Company Run Out Of Money?

Sharon Waxman over at The Wrap has written another doomsday piece about the Weinstein Company, the type that were pretty prevalent last year when "The Reader" was threatening to be a nonstarter. Essentially, there are whispers that the Weinsteins have run through their entire $1.2 billion loan given to them at the start of their company, without a single real hit movie to show for it. Rumors suggest it's gotten so bad that the company, currently debuting their pricey co-production at Cannes "Inglorious Basterds," might not have enough capital to promote and release the shelved Michael Cera comedy "Youth In Revolt."

Are these predictions premature? On one level, the Weinsteins did end up profiting nicely from "The Reader"'s Oscar run, and they're poised to score a big hit this fall with the musical "Nine," the trailer debut of which earlier this week struck some as strategic in order to curb these end-of-days predictions. And while many point to the company losing a whole lot of dough over "Grindhouse," the decision to split the movies in two for DVD release has to in some way brought back a serious return on what was probably a questionable commercial endeavor.

But then there are the non-academic theories- how much did it cost to get "The Reader" into the awards circle for its dubious run? Why did "Nine" cost $85 million when the trailer made the Broadway adaptation look like it was filmed entirely on the same two sets? Why does stuff like "Youth In Revolt," an interesting adaptation of the popular YA novel from Miguel Arteta ("The Good Girl"), and Mickael Hafstrom's "Shanghai" languish on their schedule with no release date? And is there any truth to the rumor that "Sin City 2" was being shopped by the cash-strapped brothers?

Whatever it is, the Weinsteins still look to be in better shape than they were at this time last year. Their much-troubled adaptation of "The Road" recently debuted a cynical cash-grab of a trailer geared towards the cheap seats, but it remains a popular book with more than its share of fans, while potential genre hits like "Basterds" and "Halloween 2" loom on the horizon, with "Nine" most likely a big awards candidate. And the Weinstein Company had enough cheddar to acquire the rights to the soon-to-shoot drama "The Fighter," a boxing drama with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale from director David O. Russell. Then again, none of these are sure things, and the failure of August's release of "Basterds," some feel, might doom the company and cripple the fall release slate. In the past year, this happened to the prestigious, promising Yari Group, which stranded a couple of middle-profile releases in direct-to-DVD limbo, but the Weinsteins, sly dogs they are, surely have a Hail Mary up their sleeve, right? We'd assume it's not Russell, who, last we checked, had some difficult finishing movies of his own.

'Doctor Parnassus' Still Not Sold At Cannes, How Much Is It Worth?

As of an hour ago France time, Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" has started its debut world premiere at Cannes. The press still left at the Croistte (some have bailed, including Jeffrey Wells for example) are all presumably in attendance and that means we should have reactions in about two hours (the film ends about an hour after this will be published, 10:30-ish a.m. France time, 4:30-ish a.m. EST).

But is anyone still worried about the quality of the film? We are. Why? Does anyone find it strange that divisive films like "Antichrist," the dour-sounding Michael Haneke film, "The White Ribbon" and a winning, but small niche picture like "Looking For Eric" have sold already, many before the films actually screened in competition, but 'Parnassus' has not?

Then again, it's all about price and with a picture that boasts the last appearance of Heath Ledger and appearances by A-list talent like Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell, might be asking for a pretty penny, possibly far beyond its actual worth considering how opaque some are suggesting it is (i.e., not commercial enough despite the caliber of talent involved).

Patrick Goldstein published an article about the film's potential value right before the festival started that suggests that all the aforementioned elements of the film, Depp & Co., Ledger, were not good enough to entice buyers. At least not at the price Gilliam's producers were asking for.

About the screenings that happened last week in L.A., he writes, "so far [reactions] have been quite cool on the movie. Interviews with half a dozen American distributors here revealed a consistent reaction: Whatever publicity Ledger's death may generate for 'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,' the film itself is too oblique to stand on its own. The buyers said they were both dazzled and puzzled by some of Gilliam's choices, and though they found much to admire, it wasn't enough to tip the scales." Anne Thompson also says buyers "are lukewarm so far" and it sounds like Sony Pictures Classics have passed for now or are at least waiting for the price to go down.

Buyers have waited it out this long so that truly means no one is dying for the film quite yet. Reactions this afternoon should seal the deal. If the press is glowing, buyers will probably step up a little bit, but if critics feel equally half-hearted about the picture, it's probably back to negotiating and lowering the asking price for Gilliam's funders. And so far, films that have played in the Out Of Competition section have been dreadful, so that doesn't augur well either. We'll hopefully have reactions from the film in a few hours.

Terrence Malick's Long-Awaited 'Tree Of Life' Coming Out In 2009 After All?

A new film by reclusive American auteur Terrence Malick is always an anticipated event and news of his latest film, the what-is-the-meaning-of-life-sounding, "Tree Of Life," starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn rocketed up our list of most anticipated films for 2009.

However, when concrete info starting leaking about about the still-vague plot (essentially some kind of a father and son drama which is supposed to span an entire lifetime is about all anyone knows), the picture took on a much grander scope and many assumed it wouldn't be released until 2010.

There was actually two films being made, the drama "Tree Of Life," and a special-effects heavy, history of time film cum pseudo-nature-documentary supposedly called, "Voyage of Time." Sources in Austin, where Malick owns a home and often works, told us during SXSW that the filmmaker was doing reshoots on the film in March. That, the intense VFX and Malick's notoriously slow, working-at-his-own-pace clip, led many to believe 2010 would be the earliest we'd see his fifth feature in thirty six years (dude, really takes his time).

However, according to ScreenDaily, in an article about a Spanish company that has bought the distribution rights for Spain, Summit Entertainment plans to release the film in the U.S., "later this year." The plot is somewhat more illuminated by Screen Daily's description of the picture as, "a man who struggles to come to terms with a childhood torn apart by sickness, suffering and death."

Either way, great news. "Tree Of Life" due in 2009? No one would have guessed or put money on that one. The Oscar race is presumably going to be an incredibly strange one this year, as there's a distinct lack of "Frost/Nixon" "Benjamin Button" and other classical Academy fare type fare available, so perhaps Malick has a shot? Time will tell, but the news certainly bodes well.

Three Video Clips From Lars Von Trier's Controversial 'Antichrist'

French film site Premiere has lived up to its name and unveiled three new video clips from Lars Von Trier's not entirely successful, but intensely creepy "Antichrist."

The divisive horror film, which stars William Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg, follows a couple's experiences in an isolated cabin where they have retreated to after the death of their child. The film has been making headlines recently after a flurry of controversy sparked from its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival which was booed by some festival goers and lauded by others (critics are similarly divided).

The first video clip features Gainsbourg's unnamed female protagonist as she recounts an incident of hearing a baby's cry believing it to be that her lost child.
The second clip finds both Gainsbourg's and Dafoe's unnamed protagonists cryptically discussing acorns, fear and Satan's church.


The last video again the two protagonist this time amidst a seemingly calm conversation that ends
"Antichrist" has just been picked by IFC Film for release later this year. We didn't love it, but the film does have admirable qualities to it, including an excellent first half.

Will Smith Continues To Feed Bullshit 'Hero' Complex, Produces Hurricane Katrina Movie

Oh, Will Smith, how goddamned predictable can you get? The Teflon box office draw, who realized with "Hancock" that his movies didn't need to be middling when they could be out-and-out bad and people would still see them, is set to feed his desperate, needy onscreen hero complex once again. His Overbrook Entertainment shingle is teaming with Sony to produce "The American Can," a movie about Hurricane Katrina.

Oh, is it about the dreadful crisis that faces families in the wake of the disasters? Is it about the institutionalized racism that led to tragedy, which America seemed to want to sweep under the rug? Is it about the beautiful artistry of New Orleans and how we will never recover from such a tremendous cultural loss? No, you idiot- it will be a Will Smith movie, so it will be about ONE MAN defeating the odds and saving others, overcoming his own personal demons and undergoing his own character arc. Way to turn a national crisis of suffering into an ego trip, jackass! The story is based on an ex-Marine named John Keller, who helped rescue the inhabitants of a five story building, saving 244 lives after the levees broke. Also, he was totally super jacked!

You'd think there'd be a chance Smith would only be producing it to feed his public-relations-powered need to be a contributor to black culture, which would still be acceptable. Maybe he could use his financial muscle, cast Idris Elba and bring onboard an interesting, little known helmer to make a cheap, grungy, tense story of survival. But no- Smith is attracted to hack filmmakers who'll take orders from him, and so John Lee Hancock will be writing and directing.

You may remember Hancock as the journeyman who made the molasses-slow "The Rookie" and who went on to grab Ron Howard's cheap sloppy seconds with gusto in the secondhand "The Alamo." He hasn't directed since that turkey, but somehow has some goodwill because "The Rookie" made some money and wasn't aggressively retarded, just mildly derivative and TV-bound. Also, the dude's white- not that a white guy can't direct a movie about Hurricane Katrina but "The Rookie" was just about the whitest movie you've ever seen. Or perhaps you're thinking of the urban cred of his "Alamo" leads, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson and Billy Bob Thornton. We've gone snowblind just thinking of the Caucasian explosion. He's re-writing a script by Adetoro Makinde, a lovely black writer-producer-director who probably turned in a script that was "too black." Hancock is currently directing "The Blind Side," a movie where Sandra Bullock and Kathy Bates take in a homeless, black inner-city kid and groom him to become a college football star. We would say you can't make this stuff up, but you probably could. And then someone would call you racist.

Keller seems like a guy who deserved a lot more mainstream media coverage- notice how a Google Image Search of his name brings up only elderly white people. His accomplishments, borne merely out of altruism, saved lives and, credited as "The Can Man," he deserves all the press he can get. Certainly we should be honoring his accomplishments. This glad-handling lip service/disguised vanity project bullshit doesn't quite get that job done.

Joann Sfar's Serge Gainsbourg Biopic 'Vie Heroique (Heroic Life)' Marred By Death Of Young Star

Up and coming British actress Lucy Gordon (who many are calling the "'Spiderman 3' actress") passed away earlier this week, the BBC reports of an apparent suicide. Her death is a tragic, untimely blow to a career that looked set to blossom in Joann Sfar's upcoming Serge Gainsbourg biopic, "Vie Heroique (A Heroic Life)."

In yet what will be another posthumous celebratory film, 'Moi Non Plus' (the film's new title) will see Gordon portray Jane Birkin, a British actress/singer who is a former lover and frequent collaborator of Gainsbourg's. The biopic's title, in fact, was a 1969 duet by Birkin and Gainsbourg and a 1976 film directed by Gainsbourg and starring Birkin. Charlotte Gainsbourg, star of the controversial Lars Von Trier film "Anti-Christ," is a child of the two.

As previously reported, rather than a typical biopic, 'Moi Non Plus's' director Sfar is aiming for a more fantastical tinged world for the film with characters crafted by Spanish SFX experts "DDT Efectos Especiales" (the people behind Guillermo Del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth") set to feature.

Not only that but, as pointed by World Of Kane, staple Del Toro actor Doug Jones will be appearing in the biopic in an effects-heavy role. While that exact role is not yet known, it is rumored that Jones will be portraying an alter ego of Gainsbourg named Gainsbarre who was often the subject in his songwriting. Gainsbarre is a character noted for an "excessive indulgence in booze, tobacco and women [that] seemed to nurture his commercial success as the French public became more fascinated by him with every outrageous piece of music or behavior."

The film stars Eric Elmosino as the Serge himself and Laetitia Casta and Anna Mouglalis as two of Gainsbourg other notable former flames; Brigitte Bardot and Juliette Greco.

While all this is nice, readers may have difficulty trying to envision what will become of Joann Sfar's fantastical world. As a comic book artist, Sfar is not short on imagination which is exhibited by the following concept art shots, courtesy of World Of Kane again. It wouldn't surprise us to see Jones portray that odd looking character to the furthest right of the second image either.






Also, here's a clip from the aforementioned track by Gainsbourg and Birkin whose title was used for the biopic.

Cannes '09: Ken Loach's Shoots And Scores With Celebratory Life Lessons Football Dramedy, 'Looking For Eric'

What an unexpected treat Ken Loach's soccer inspiring football-centric "Looking For Eric," was and makes the case for going into a film mostly blind.

Loach's 2006 film "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" won the Palm d'Or that year, but we didn't know much about this one going in other than it was apparently a "comedy" -- not the most obvious genre, for the naturalistic, kitchen-sink dramatist -- and that it revolved around football (soccer for the yanks).

Joyous, philosophically-minded and brimming with a zealous, but mannered lust for life, 'Eric' stars Steve Evets as Eric Bishop, a 50-year-old postman facing a midlife crisis, which manifests itself in an opening-scene breakdown and car crash (naturally, we counted like 4 car crashes in Cannes films at least). Eric's life is miserable and appropriately London-gray and initially, the picture feels worrisomely pallid and remarkably drab, which suggests a slog. His insolent step-sons are a parent's worst nightmare with their wanton disrespect and impudence is hellish. And it's also incredibly English and sometimes characters' butchering of the language (them thick accents) is hard to discern making the introduction a little rough going for non-Brits, but minor patience soon rewards with a hilarious, loving and celebratory framework.

Somewhat chameleon-like, the film starts out (albeit after the aforementioned opening) as a comedy with surreal elements that slowly escalates into an intense family drama; Loach really does throw in all the emotional textures from the kitchen-sink.

Eric is free-falling in own self-made emotional tailspin and what he can't face is the return of Lily (Stephanie Bishop), his ex-wife/ love of his life that he hasn't seen in three decades. Their 30-something daughter Sam (Lucy-Jo Hudson) is having school issues and needs her parents to babysit her child which means meeting to pass off the child and confronting some of his greatest, swept-under-the-carpet fears.

The sense that Eric is slipping is apparent to his mates and postal co-workers and their misguided attempts to cheer him come from a good place, but are unhelpful. However, the well-read, though perhaps still dimwitted, Meatballs (John Henshaw) does have an interesting self-actualization idea; reading aloud and forcing the group of pals to imagine someone who loves them and other self-help book psychobabble (it's hilarious seeing a group of portly middle-age working class Brits attempt this obviously). It doesn't work and a distraught Eric is brought to the brink and begins to speak of suicide. Desperate, he goes into his son Ryan (Gerard Kearns)'s room and finds a spliff to calm down or simply melt away reality.

Out of nowhere -- of perhaps from that puff of smoke -- appears his hero: real-life '80s football (soccer) star and Frenchman Eric Cantona, famously known for his pugilism turned soft and philosophical (and often nonsensical) musings in interviews and press conferences. He was also the beloved star of Manchester United for some time which earned him the eternal admiration and respect of many Brits (Eric's room boasts an almost lifesize poster of the footballer, Cantano infamously once dropkicked a fan in the stands during a match he was so incensed).

Eric is flabbergasted at the presence of Cantona, but soon the two are bro'ing down, talking about life and the and the philosophy of the sport (which of course is usually a metaphor for our existence; strive, achieve, succeed). Conversations soon turns to Lily, but Eric can't cope and reels at the very thought of her. Sharing spliffs, the postman and his imaginary friend/new life-coach chat at length with Cantona talking about his achievement in sport as allegories for life--there is no winning without risk, he knowingly suggests ("He who is afraid to throw dice will never throw a six," he says, "He that sows thistles shall reap prickles," is another, perhaps umm, more obtuse maxims).

These latenight talks taking stock of the day are hilarious and heartfelt as the two new "friends" bond over shared experiences. They're also obviously absurdist and unreal, but the simple unstylized manner in which they're shot work terrifically. From there Lily and Eric get closer to meeting, and the step-kids chaotic behavior exacerbates and chafes, the narrative shifting between these two stories, while always taking a time-out for Cantona and his amusingly profound life lessons.

The mid-plot storyline of Ryan's (Eric's uber-insouciant step-son) involvement with a local Chav-y thugs is the film's biggest problem. Its jarring, abrupt tone take the film from its whimsical serio-comic flights into an intense drama realm and the disparate sections don't always gel congruently. The family cannot go to the police, an attempt to reason with the thugs finds pitbulls sicked on poor Eric and a police raid in the house looking for an illegal pistol interrupts a family dinner and freaks the fuck out of Lily. The scene is just brutal and heartbreaking. An almost devastating setback for Eric who is repairing the relationship with his family and ex-wife. Not at all heavy-handed or milked, but as an audience you nearly weep for Eric for such a misfortune to befall him.

Still, it does give Eric conflicts and the chance to rise to the occasion as Cantona has been urging him all along, taking him out of a fitness regime and trying to bolster his self-esteem and outlook on life. When all seems lost, Eric, with Cantona's help, hatches a plan to hurt the thugs where it pains them the most: their pride and their reputation. Their wildly concocted scheme embarrasses the jackass, wannabe (while still truly dangerous) gangsters and makes them lose face, culminating with a hysterical crescendo of an army of friends -- teammates in life, natch -- who descend on the bastards with cameras (for blackmailing YouTube posterity), red paint filled water pistols and Cantona masks.

Cantona is obviously a figment of Eric's imagination, but nevertheless, their friendship is deeply heartfelt and poignant, so when the football star gives him his final nod of approval, it's an emotionally moving moment. Loach refuses to use the denouement with Eric's family to wrap things up in a nice Hollywood bow, but you're still left with an optimistic and hopeful mood. "Looking For Eric," is essentially a lighthearted, feel-good picture in many ways, but with an emotional heaviness, as done so by England's preeminent realist, and the winsome film sports a tremendously genuine and life-affirming sweetness that's t0o honest to ever taste syrupy. [A-]

We've already suggested that "Looking For Eric" will find some sort of prize at Cannes, just based on its own merits, and then when you consider the beloved French football star Eric Catona, it might just prove to be the over-the-top element the movie needs, though the Palme seems reserved for more serious films ala the way the Oscar is usually held for dramas. Cantano's most famous quote is what he said in a press conference in response to his brutal, fan-dropkicking incident and how every moved he made after that would be watched closely. "When the seagulls follow a trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea. Thank you very much," he said, and the hilariously aphorism is preserved in the film's credits. The film has just been picked up by IFC which is a nice enthusiastic endorsement of the film.

James Cameron's 'Avatar' To Dominate IMAX Screens, Melissa Leo Joins 'The Fighter,' First Look: Arnold Scwarzenegger In 'Terminator Salvation'?

James Cameron's "Avatar" is set for a lengthy three month run in IMAX theatres when the film sees a release. Theatres are clearing schedules for the film between it's December 18th release to March 15th, the release date of Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland." [NY Times]

Melissa Leo, who earned an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress for her role in "Frozen River," is set to play the mother of Micky Ward and Dickie Eklund, the two protagonists of David O. Russell's "The Fighter." Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale will portray the two brothers. [Variety]

Josh Brolin is eyeing a biopic about John Brown based on a script by Mark Gordon. Who's John Brown, you ask? Brown was an American abolitionist who killed five Southern slave-owners before the start of the Civil War. Brolin does have that western hero look that serves him well "No Country For Old Men" and potentially for "Jonah Hex." [ComingSoon]

Brad Furman is set to direct an untitled project based on an original screenplay by Bret Easton Ellis. The film will center on an awkward social outcast who exacts revenge on a group of peers by taking them hostage after being humiliated. [Variety]

Is this the first look at Arnold Schwarzengger as the T-100 in "Terminator Salvation"? It does look bad but not THAT bad, right? [Arrow In The Head]

A six part real time computer animation generated series called "Terminator Salvation: The Machinima" is set to be released. The series will follow the character of Blair Williams, voiced by Moon Bloodgood, on a journey that will arch her involvement with John Connor's resistance movement two and a half years before the upcoming feature film begins. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. [WB]

Oliver Stone is in talks the the leading prosecuting attorney in the Charles Manson case to make a silver screen version of his novel "Helter Skelter," the story of the Manson Family murder and the attorney's prosecution. [Shock Till You Drop]

Bruce Willis will be leading Russell Mulcahy's "Grimm," a film that follow a cop's attempts to solve mysterious supernatural happenings in a small town. Cue seeing dead people jokes. [STYD]

No Cannes Do 2009
That's it for us. We're basically out the door and except for several belated reviews we still have yet to write, they'll be no more from us.

Nothing wowed us outside for "Bright Star," "Mother" and "Looking For Eric" (review forthcoming) and even those were not all entirely perfect. It was a weak Cannes this year and many others have already agreed and said so. We're done, but Playlist correspondent Sam Mac is still here. Hopefully he'll catch and review, "The White Ribbon," "Enter The Void," and "The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus," and maybe one or all three of those can redeem the festival. Au revoir and thanks for playing.

Cannes '09 Review: 'Inglourious Basterds' Fails To Thrill, Inspire Or Leap Off The Page

Is Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" the most anticipated film of the year?

For some, most definitely, and even though our enthusiasm for the picture waned after initial frisson over the dazzlingly ambitious screenplay due to wonky, campy trailers and posters that suggested more Dimension Films crudity than Weinstein Company class (though yes, that's becoming relative at this point), we were still incredibly excited to see the film in Cannes, despite what many think.

However, sharpen your daggers at us now, better yet, carve hate into our foreheads, because "Inglourious Basterds"was unfortunately an underwhelming disappointment. Expectations are a bitch and ours were high at one point (after reading the script), but obviously our expectations were managed and the further lowered after yesterday's varied and mixed reviews (some liked it, a few loved it, some were cool on the film). Still we couldn't help, but hold out hope for marginal entertainment, but even that was slow-going and far few and between -- Tarantino's latest film was a mostly unimpressive and unsatisfying experience. Ironically, the story is rushed and unhurried (and we admit that's probably because we read the script).

Neither, the Eli-Roth actioner hinted at in posters and trailers, nor the comedy have some suggested, not even the post-modern pop-art piece of outrageous history-changing fiction, 'Basterds' felt uninspired, as if the audacious words that jumped off the page, could not leap themselves onto the screen in any kind of dynamic shape or form aside from a few brief moments. Surprisingly understated and muted, both stylistically and cinematically (at least for Tarantino), in theory, that's what we were looking for -- not a campy, goofy "Kill Bill," set in a Tarantino-built WWII film - and while there were some stylistic flourishes - chapters, title sequences, some brief slo-mo, arrows pointing out to characters, David Bowie anchronisms, and a brief blaxploitation-like character-intro set to Billy Preston - the picture is mostly what you've heard: a heavy talk fest that is not as delicious and wickedly sharp as Tarantino writing usually is. In fact, much of the talk, what should be the saving grace of the film falls flat and the story propeller rarely juts foreward with much verve or spark.

Closest to "Jackie Brown" in that respect (or the chattiness of "Kill Bill 2"), even a trimmed 'Basterds' (2.30 by our clock, though that's with credits, so 2.27 seems to be on the mark) is overlong and yet doesn't have enough time to spend with characters to flesh them out adequately. Some are onscreen for so little time, their appearance feels like a edit, hatch-job afterthought. The film can be marginally engaging, but infrequently a glued-to-your seat level of compelling storytelling.

And the stilted performances rarely rise above average interpretations of the material and some of them feel largely horizontal. In fact, at times 'Basterds,' feels downright dull. Diane Kruger is terrific, one of few who acted with zeal that doesn't feel like she was phoning it in (or was so rushed in their shooting days, they didn't have time to make any impact). Likewise, Daniel Bruhl's smitten Nazi war hero Frederick Zoller is as incredibly annoying, as his character was intended to be. But others are simply miscast and eyesore mistakes that everyone knew would be such from the beginning including Eli Roth, the presence-less Omar Doom as a Basterd who gets far more screentime than he deserves and Mike Meyers, who appearance plays out more like an Austin Powers cameo.

Melanie Laurent also puts in an admirable effort, but no one is genuinely exceptional aside from Waltz (who again is not as perfect as some suggested). There's also a lot of changes and cuts to the script, so some of the characters feel even more paper thin as they hardly have anything to say or do (is Samm Levine happy he flew to Germany to be onscreen for all of four minutes with one or two lines of dialogue for example?). You can't even call some of the caricatures, because they're almost non-existent. But something had to go, and therefore the film feels truncated and terse despite its slow pace and exorbitant length. Tarantino's first instinct to make the film a mini-series would have served the characters and story better, as he cannot seem to reconcile his need for clever wordplay and action as he did so winningly in "Pulp Fiction."

At his best, the beloved American director provides exhilarating, thrilling cinema, but there's nary a truly stunning sequence in the film. Action sequences are over in flash and one suspects there's a tremendously longer cut of the film out there somewhere, that frankly we'd love to see. Neither as funny, dramatic, or compelling as it hopes to be, the rhythm of the film coasts at an idle one, with a few outbursts of violence that fail to ignite with the explosiveness of the past. Even "Kill Bill," not at all our favorite Tarantino film is much more enjoyable, adroit and quick on its feet.

Many have worried about Brad Pitt's campiness in the trailers, but it's his vacillating accent and squinting mannerism tick (evident in practically every scene) that's the most distracting. He's neither as fun or charming on the screen and again, there feels like depth missing or cut, but then again, his rapid-pace delivery of the material didn't help. Another problem with the film is it lacks a solid anchor. While it's certainly an ensemble piece, Melanie Laurent's Shossana character is ostensibly supposed to be the emotional center of the film which is essentially motivated around revenge, but with Hans Landa (a lighthearted and preening Christophe Waltz, who might be the most interesting actor of the film, his queeny primping aside, but rarely feels fierce as a formative foe, aside from his preternaturally strong detective skills), and Pitt as the slow-drawlin' Raine all receiving almost equal screentime effectively canceling one another out -- it's difficult to find an axis to affix the narrative on other the plot-driven goal at the end.

The film illustrates, once again, that the director's best talents lie in writing as the direction of the film rarely tends to enliven and perhaps that's because the film is so filled with jabber, tête-à-têtes and verbal showdowns, there's only so much one can do.

Note: we're about 90% sure that Harvey Keitel does an uncredited voice cameo near the film's explosive conclusion (Samuel L. Jackson's jarring, out-of-nowhere narration which pops up twice is also uncredited, which does finally build up tension, but not to the nerve-wracking levels the film needs to really bang the finale into the wonderfully fireworks display one expected.

Musically, the film fails to shine as well with the best song in the film being the rousing, Ennio Morricone track in the closing credits, "Bastero Gondors Rabhia e Tarantella" from the 1973 Italian drama, "Allonsanfàn," which brims with a passionate and military-like clip that the picture is sorely missing.

'Basterds' smells like it could be a grower, which is probably its best longtime hope, but it's visibly apparent that it's not the "masterpiece" Tarantino hoped it would be, in fact far from it. One conversation we had with a friend before Cannes, mutually suggested the film was the do or die moment for Quentin's career. Either reclaim your mark now or forever be pigeonholed as a contemporary B-movie director, but 'Basterds', despite its constant Spaghetti Western and cinema movieness quotes and references (G.W Pabst, Leni Riefenstahl, '20s German cinema) is too much the genuine article to be dismissed as simply a genre film. Instead, "Inglourious Basterds," is Tarantino's idiosyncratic take on, but not wild and ludicrous, on WWII films and merely a minor misfire in his oeuvre. Surely, he will reload to live another day and is not dead in the water. A misstep for sure, but not a disaster. [C+]

As many have already said, with 70% of the film in German and French and little action or thrills, the picture is going to be a tough sell to American audiences, but should do OK internationally and you have to at least really admire Tarantino for his genuine, foreign film casting and ability to stick to the language (otherwise it really could have been ridiculous). We wish there just would have been some true vigor and life in what felt like a hurried and forced production and editing job.

IFC Films Picks Up 'AntiChrist'- Possible NC-17 Rating On The Way?

IFC Films has picked up Lars Von Trier's controversial, polarizing eroto-horror film Antichrist for distribution. Are they trying to prove the size of their cojones or what? Reviews and reactions from screenings of the film at Cannes label the latest offering from the possibly-insane Danish director as either an "art-film fart" (thank you, Todd McCarthy, for attempting to keep the discourse at a middle school level), or an at-times brilliant, freaky cinematic mindfuck. Either way, no one who has seen it feels dispassionately about this latest project from our favorite enfante terrible, perhaps, "intoxicated by its sheer, batshit audacity".

Of course, the question on everyone's mind now is: how in the hell is IFC going to release this without an NC-17 rating? Perhaps they will choose to release it regardless of rating, knowing the art-house crowd will be curious enough about all those torture porn-esque sex scenes and stunning cinematograpy to flock to their nearest specialty cinema. Honestly, the controversy sells itself. Who knows if they will even attempt to cut it into something R-rated, but word is IFC will be bringing it into theaters later this year, so we'll see if this is something the movie-going public will be willing to shell out their cash for.

IFC have also picked up the North American rights to Ken Loach's "Looking For Eric," his Cannes entry, according to Variety's Cannes blog.

Cannes 09: Pedro Almodovar's 'Broken Embraces,' Is Admirable, But Ultimately A Weak Genre Excercise

Spanish éminence grise filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar's "Broken Embraces" is his 17th feature in a stellar, 30-plus year career, the third film to play in-competition and fourth to screen at the Cannes Film Festival.

Despite his oeuvre par excellence, he's never won the Palme d'Or, but he and his films have won many Cannes awards over the year, including, Best Director for "All About My Mother" in 1999. 'Embraces' ("Los Abrazos Rotos") reunites him with his recent muse, Penelope Cruz in a four-way tale of dangerous love, which was shot in the style of a hard-boiled 1950s American film noir. Reviews in Spain and the trades so far have not been stellar.

One could make a very persuasive case for his status as the world's greatest working filmmaker. At the very least, no director has so profoundly tapped into the gay experience, imbuing every colorful, carefully composed film with sexual tension, Hitchcockian levels of dense plotting and suspense, fervent Sirkian melodrama, and a dash of '30s screwball comedy.

However, 'Embraces,' which contains all the aforementioned qualities, is definitely not one of Almodóvar's best works. Largely competent, but ultimately soulless (the film lacks the heart of his previous pictures) yet still rife with the expected convoluted secrets and plot twists. The subject matter is slightly more fluffy by comparison to "Talk To Her" or "Volver" (our recent personal faves), centered around a film production and a love triangle between a director (Lluis Homar from “Bad Education”), a wannabe actress (Penelope Cruz), and a wealthy financier/producer (Jose Luis Gomez). One could argue his campy, gay son (Ruben Ochandiano) is the fourth piece in a fractious quadrangle, though whether he's in love with the director is left up to subjectivity. Blanca Portillo plays the director's trusted production manager and Tamar Novas, her son, Diego.

Jumping in time between 2008 and 1994, 'Embraces' revolves around a reclusive writer (Homar) who once suffered a car accident that cost him both his vision and the love of his life. The man is Mateo Blanco (the former director), who signs his various stories and scripts with his pseudonym, Harry Caine. But, after the accident, Mateo abandons his real name and clings to only his nom de plume, insisting that any other life he once had died the night he lost his beloved Lena (Cruz). The film then tries to reconcile the events of 1994 and how they apply to present day, weaving back and forth, often into a emotionally lukewarm knot.

Cruz's character as a secretary and part time call girl (who really just wants to be an actress) does a capable job, but the role doesn't give her sufficient opportunity to shine. The secrets-and-lies mystery twists and turns with Hitchcockian knowingness, but the web of plots starts to become entangled in itself, leaving little room for the emotional reveals in the conclusion to feel more than passing feelings of guilt, forgiveness and redemption rather than the true profundities of previous Almodóvar work. Perhaps the Hitchcock obsession is too pronounced, as the film feels more interested in plot than characters, (after all, what Hitchcock film ever made you cry?) and there's a skimming the surface feeling of depth. Essentially it's a genre film without the versatile textures that make his films usually something much more rich and often divine. The film within a film, metaness recalls, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," especially, the camp of this movie's picture within, “Girls and Suitcases,” and there are many cinematic references (Rosellini, and noir films of the '40s), but they don't have much more affect than, "Where's Waldo?" cinephile spotting.

Though Homar and Novas are adept, the only real standout performance of the film is Portillo (the woman with cancer in "Volver"), and the Spanish filmmaker might want to consider giving her a lead performance one of these days.

Though the director and his editor always do an admirable job of jumping forward and back through the story's timeline hoops, the ambition trips up and the overlong length doesn't help (a real sticking point for almost all the films of Cannes '09, far too long for their stories). "Broken Embraces" has many terrific individual elements, popping color cinematography and lovely framing, amusing melodrama, and an evocatively moody score (Alberto Iglesias as usual), but the whole just doesn't add up to anything particularly marvelous.

The story was evidently inspired by some serious migraine headaches Almodóvar recently suffered that forced him to wear dark sunglasses (the reason why the main character is blind), and a line of poetic dialogue at the end of the picture says, "one must finish the film even if he has to do it blindly," perhaps giving a nod to his pains on and offscreen. Either way, this vision isn't fully entirely cogent.

Ultimately, "Broken Embraces" is a slight work from the Spanish director that never quite clicks or finds a solid rhythm and harmony - the constant time shifting robbing itself of momentum. The picture can't anchor itself to an single emotion, and falls into the realm of straight-forward genre film, rather than the multi-layered Almodóvar works we come to know and cherish.[B]

Music: The film features an awesome Can song (the German Kraut-rockers from Ege Bamyasi) in a fitting nightclub scene, but the Cat Power song, "Werewolf" just seems lyrically awkward and sonically out of place.