Even Combined Star Power Can’t Redeem ‘Place Beyond the Pines’

If you ride like lightning, you’re gonna crash like thunder.

-Robin Van Der Zee

Make no mistake, the trailers for ‘Pines’ are wholly misleading. That said I was still able to adjust on the fly, as the film takes a few thematically jarring turns in the second half.  Ryan Gosling plays nomadic carnie/motorcycle stuntman Luke Glanton who attempts to rekindle a romance with Romina (Eva Mendes) after discovering that their one night stand produced an infant son, despite her involvement with Kofi (Mahershala Ali), who we learn is a much more stable partner and father. With little opportunity and the guidance of former bank robber Robin Van Der Zee (Ben Mendelsohn), Glanton turns to bank robbery, a small subplot which takes far too much of the film’s running time.

MOVIE NEWS: Dallas Buyers Club

 

 

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY, JARED LETO, JENNIFER GARNER STAR IN JEAN-MARC VALLÉE’S DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, TO BE RELEASED BY FOCUS FEATURES DOMESTICALLY

Dallas Buyers Club, currently in post-production, has been acquired by Focus Features for domestic theatrical release in the second half of 2013. The company has also acquired Latin American rights to the feature. Focus CEO James Schamus and Focus president Andrew Karpen made the announcement today.

MOVIE NEWS: The World’s End Commences Production

 

Working Title Films and Big Talk Productions have commenced filming on The World’s End, the third installment of Edgar Wright’s trilogy of comedies, following the successes Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Hot Fuzz (2007). The new movie is filming in the U.K. As with the first two movies in the trilogy, Universal Pictures International (UPI) will distribute The World’s End internationally and Focus Features will distribute it in North America.

MOVIE REVUE: Seeking (and Finding) a Film for the End of the Week

 

We’ve seen dramatic and extreme post-apocalyptic thrillers almost as many times as we’ve survived the Rapture, and it is hard to imagine that anyone can interpret the theme in a way that would make a movie more enjoyable. However, none of the previous films starred Steve Carrell or stayed completely in the pre-apocalyptic world. As it turns out, these two facts make a huge difference.

Intervue: Gary Oldman and director Tomas Alfredson discuss Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

From left to right (front): John Hurt, director Tomas Alfredson and Gary Oldman on the set of 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'

When we sat down with Gary Oldman and director Tomas Alfredson to discuss their  adaptation of John le Carré’s 1974 Cold War espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, I was prepared to interview two men with the same reserved demeanor as the characters in the film. Instead, a lighter mood seemed to engulf the Chimney Stack room at the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton where they invited us to talk about their re-creation of the classic spy novel, as well as their experience with the legendary British author.

MOVIE REVUE: A Good Return on The Debt

Oftentimes when thrillers attempt to weave the realism of a historically relevant era into their plot, they get wrapped up in the mechanics of what the characters are doing instead of the characters themselves. The Debt, John Madden’s re-imagining of the 2007 Israeli thriller Ha-Hov, does precisely the opposite. Communicating its intentions through  emotional complexities, raw tension and the organic feel of its environment, The Debt accomplishes something a little different – it allows us to sympathize with the spies.

INTERVUE: Director John Madden Talks About His New Film, The Debt

For an Oscar nominated director, John Madden is a modest man. From theatre and radio to television and eventually feature films, he is also a Jury Member at Filmaka, a studio that harnesses up-and-coming talent in the filmmaking industry. Perhaps best known for directing Shakespeare in Love which won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1998, John has developed his craft through every medium imaginable. His newest film, The Debt, is an adaptation of an Israeli film that follows three Mossad agents attempting to smuggle a Nazi war criminal out of East Germany to face trial in 1965. I was able to sit down with Mr. Madden to talk about his newest project which stars Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington and Jessica Chastain. The Debt opens in theaters August 31st.

MOVIE REVUE: Beginners Should’ve Stuck with Just the Beginning

 

Beginners is overall, a well written movie. I personally LOVE movies where a main character narrates. This does not disappoint. The narration is extremely witty and makes you laugh at situations you may not have laughed at normally! I also love movies that are written and directed by the same person. But this time, it did not prove to be overly helpful.

MOVIE REVUE: Performances shine in Mike Mills’ Beginners

Every now and again, a film comes out that has not a hint of ugliness or violence, choosing instead to deal with its subject of death and life on its own terms.  Harold and Maude is one of those that readily comes to mind; now, we have Beginners, a film brimming with bittersweet wistfulness and extraordinary performances from actors Christopher Plummer, Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent.

MOVIE REVUE: Something Special in the Eyre

 

Michael Fassbender (left) as Mr. Rochester and Mia Wasikowska (right) as Jane Eyre in the romantic drama

Classic 18th Century Brontë novel gets its first 21st Century movie adaptation