09/22/10
Gnomeo & Juliet (February 11, 2011) - It's almost as if someone came up with a clever title and forced themselves to make a movie based on it. The visuals looks more like a video game than any animated flick I've seen in a long time and, according to what this trailer tells us, there's not much here for adults with brains. Kids will probably like it because it's cute and simple and fun, but Ze Cat has no interest in this on. Odd, we think, that Shrek 2 director Kelly Asbury is involved. Same goes for James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Maggie Smith and so on. Weird. C
I'm Still Here (Now Playing in Select States) - Finally, it's here, the big hoax from brothers-in-law Casey Affleck (who directs) and Joaquin Phoenix (who stars). Is it a documentary or a mockumentary? Know one knew until after the film opened. While the trailer doesn't tell us much we don't already know (Phoenix supposedly decides he's done with acting and wants to be a emcee; from there he hooks up with hookers, does hard drugs, acts strange, etc.), but it does fuel our personal excitement. We like Phoenix and Affleck very much, so we have high expectations for this flick. Will it be a Borat for the brainy? Probably not, but it does promise to be a solid experiment in both film and pop culture/celebrity worship. And damn if that poster isn't a big winner! A-
127 Hours (November 5, 2010) - This high energy trailer for director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) makes his film adaptation of mountain Climber Aron Ralson's arm-cutting-off story look like a blast. Hmm. Who'd have thunk it? A feature length film about a guy who hangs stuck for 127 hours before cutting of his own arm, a blast? Looks like it. Boyle doesn't tell us much here, but shows us actor James Franco bringing his strange and infection energy while hanging out with two pretty ladies in the desert. To us, the movie kind of reminds of Boyle's The Beach ... but let's hope not. As this is his follow-up to big Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, we have to think that the movie should be quite good. The trailer displays some ace cinematography, but can the simple story really keep us engaged for two hours? B-
Hereafter (October 22, 2010) - Invictus, the last time Matt Damon and director Clint Eastwood worked together, was a mess. In fact, Invictus was one of Ze Cat's least favorite movies of 2009. Considering how much we loved the two movies Eastwood did before that flick (Gran Torino, Changeling), not to mention how much we generally enjoy Damon, we're onboard for Hereafter, a thriller that deals with psychics and faith and mortality and all those risky topics. The trailer makes the movie look like a mix between The Happening and a number of movies from across the pond. We're not sure if the movie will be as great as we hope, but the trailer is full of amazing visuals and what appears to be some very solid acting from a plumper-than-usual Damon. We won't run to the theater for this one, but we are looking foward to it. B
Trigger (Now Playing in Select Theaters) - Directed by Bruce McDonald, Trigger is a rock n' roll flick about two childhood friends who start a girl group together and, well, become quite famous. The music in the trailer is downright bad, but the style of the film - as implied by the trailer - looks solid. Also, we've read that Sarah Polley, one of our favorite female actors, makes an appearance. Could be okay, but probably full of cliches and bad music. C+
Tamara Drewe (October 8, 2010) - Yes!! A new Stephen Frears movie! And it stars Gemma Arterton! Based on Posy Simmonds' graphic novel, this modern English romantic comedy looks incredibly well made and fun. A list of character types includes rich weekenders, bourgeois bohemians, pompous intellectuals, common towns people and, well, a girl who turned out far more beautiful than anyone expected. As big fans of Frears, Arterton and, well, movies set in small towns full of characters, we're very excited about this movie. As always for Frears, the visual style and production looks to be top shelf. A-
Black Swan (December 1, 2010) - We think it's safe to say that this new thriller/drama from writer/director Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, etc.) - and starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis and Winona Ryder - will be one of the best films of 2010. The post (Portman dressed in full Swan Lake garb, looking creepy) doesn't really seem to fit the trailer. The visual style, editing, acting and mood, as always for Aronofsky, seems as good as anything. Portman vs. Kunis seems like a strange idea, but damn if this creepy and intense trailer about competitive ballet dancers doesn't seem brilliant. In the closing minutes of the film we see Portman with red eyes, pulling a big thorn out of her back; it's at this moment we're reminded that Aronofsky doesn't always go where you think he will. And that - along with his ace visual style and ability to get the most out of his cast - is why bis Black Swan is one of our most anticipated movies of the fall/winter season. Should be a big Oscar flick, too. A
Never Let Me Go (Now Playing in Select Theaters) - Time Magazine called the book this Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) the "best book of the decade." We've not read it, but we're told that it reads like a British extension of Gattaca. Starring an amazing young cast featuring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield and Sally Hawkins, from what we gather, Let Me In is the story of young students who leave their idyllic boarding school in England to find that their truth about their fate is not near what they expected. Truthfully, the trailer doesn't quite tell us what the film is about; and since we've not read the book, we can't tell you much more. The style looks amazing and we love the cast. Let our trailer grade tell you how stoked we are for this very English looking drama. A+
The Dilemma (January 14, 2011) - There's not much to say about this bromantic comedy from director Ron Howard. It stars the best bro actor ever, Vince Vaughn, a businessman who sees his best friend's (Kevin James) wife (Winona Ryder) cheating on him with a younger, better looking stud (Channing Tatum). We'll watch this somewhat straightforward comedy for the following reasons: 1) it stars Vince Vaughan in the kind of role he was made to play (i.e. Swingers, The Break-Up, Made, Wedding Crashers); 2) we're intrigued by the idea of Howard going back to straight comedy; 3) very few good movies come out in January; 4) it stars two of Ze Cat's all-time favorite women to stare at, Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder. The trailer, however good this may be, plays like a pretty standard comedy. The opening shot is visually beautiful; ironic, when you consider the dialogue ("ladies and gentleman, electric cars are gay"). B-
The Fighter (December 15) - Everything about this movie feels right. For starters, it directed by David O. Russell and stars four actors who seem perfect for their roles. A drama thriller about fighter Mickey Ward and his junkie ex-boxer brother, The Fighter has been on Hollywood's radar for about a decade, it's star (Mark Wahlberg) working to make it as good as possible since he first secured the rights to the picture. Christian Bale, here super skinny again as Ward's junkie brother/trainer/inspiration/cause of problems, should nab an Oscar nomination (and probably award) for this film. Co-stars Amy Adams and Melissa Leo (both recent Oscar nominees) also look great. We get the feeling that his great-looking new sports drama will see all kinds of Oscar attention, maybe even winning Russell (Three Kings) his first statue - as well as a second chance at the career he's been pissing away for the last six or seven years. We could go on and on about this one, but we'll just save all that chatter for when the credits roll. Looks damn good. A+
Written by G. William Locke