The Kingdom
The push for this action war thriller has been all over the city. Free screenings, press junkets, and even a plug at the VMAs. Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development"), and Chris Cooper (Breach) star in this political drama set on the battle fields of the Middle East. After 100+ Americans are killed in a suicide bombing, Foxx is authorized by Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") to form a team to take a secret trip into Saudi Arabia, where he'll have five days to find the terrorists behind the bombing. Not only does the Saudi officials want to handle the situation violently on their own and Bateman gets kidnapped, but once they do find the criminals, all hell breaks loose. Every terrorist within a 20 mile radius rains down on them and they have to fight for their lives to get out. It's an interesting look into the bond that people from two different nations form against one common enemy. What's most exciting about it is that it's written by newcomer Matthew Carnahan, who is scoring major jobs with big names. This is his first credited film, but by 2009 he will have worked with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton on State of Play, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise on Lions for Lambs, and George Clooney on White Jazz. Let's hope he's better than his brother, Joe Carnahan, who's only notable writing credits are the successful indie Narc and the poorly reviewed Smokin Aces. But if it does badly, it won't be all his fault since it's like amateur city on set. Actor Peter Berg (Collateral) is directing. He cut his teeth with Friday Nigh Lights and with three more films--one featuring Will Smith and Charlize Theron in Hancock--on the way, it looks like he's getting comfortable in the director's seat.
The Game Plan
Dwayne 'The Rock "Johnson has rarely played an asshole. So it's funny that he'd choose to do so in a kid's movie. Taking the Vin Diesel-Pacifier route, he's mixing it up with a precocious little tyke (Madison Pettis from "Cory in the House") who pushes every one of his buttons. To Johnson's surprise, he unknowingly fathered a child. I gather, by the trailer, that this girl was eager to meet her biological father, because she brought her birth certificate as proof. So she disrupts his bachelorhood and the benefits he receives as a professional NFL quarterback. Hilarity ensues when she tries to make herself at home and girly up his pad, and when he tries to turn her into the son he would prefer. This is one of those ego-draining, evolution-type stories where an obnoxious Neanderthal gets schooled by a wiser and emotionally-mature kid. Also starring are Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer") and Roselyn Sanchez (Boat Trip).
Lust, Caution
Ang Lee dips back into the romance genre, with this Asian NC-17 rated love story about a young woman (newcomer Wei Tang) who must seduce a politician (Tony Leung Chiu Wai from Infernal Affairs) and kill him. The trailer has no words, just a score, but it still manages to enslave your emotions as you watch her fall in love with the man she must murder.
Feast of Love
Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) takes us through this sexed-up, gloves-off, indie version of Love Actually, where different people find what love means for them and learn what it has in store for their future. Morgan Freeman stars as the voice of reason for Kinnear's seemingly hopeless character. So you know there'll be a lot of speeches chocked full of wisdom. Kinnear goes through what seems like 3 relationships: one with a wallflower, Selma Blair (The Sweetest Thing), who realizes she's a lesbian kind of late in life, another with a self-assured ice queen, Rhada Mitchell (Melinda Melinda), who leaves him for another guy, and he starts one with Erika Marozsan ("The Company"), who he might have a chance with. There's also a story about young love and how volatile, fast-paced and passionate it can be that is told through Toby Hemingway (The Covenant) and Alexa Davalos (The Chronicles of Riddick).
The Darjeeling Limited
Three estranged brothers (Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman) take a road trip via train through India to reacquaint themselves with one another. Somehow they get stranded and are handed a brand new adventure. One that will possibly answer the question as to whether they'd love each other if they weren't brothers. Directed by Wes Anderson (Royal Tenenbaums) and co-written with amateur writer and Hollywood royalty Roman Coppola.
The push for this action war thriller has been all over the city. Free screenings, press junkets, and even a plug at the VMAs. Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development"), and Chris Cooper (Breach) star in this political drama set on the battle fields of the Middle East. After 100+ Americans are killed in a suicide bombing, Foxx is authorized by Jeremy Piven ("Entourage") to form a team to take a secret trip into Saudi Arabia, where he'll have five days to find the terrorists behind the bombing. Not only does the Saudi officials want to handle the situation violently on their own and Bateman gets kidnapped, but once they do find the criminals, all hell breaks loose. Every terrorist within a 20 mile radius rains down on them and they have to fight for their lives to get out. It's an interesting look into the bond that people from two different nations form against one common enemy. What's most exciting about it is that it's written by newcomer Matthew Carnahan, who is scoring major jobs with big names. This is his first credited film, but by 2009 he will have worked with Brad Pitt and Edward Norton on State of Play, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise on Lions for Lambs, and George Clooney on White Jazz. Let's hope he's better than his brother, Joe Carnahan, who's only notable writing credits are the successful indie Narc and the poorly reviewed Smokin Aces. But if it does badly, it won't be all his fault since it's like amateur city on set. Actor Peter Berg (Collateral) is directing. He cut his teeth with Friday Nigh Lights and with three more films--one featuring Will Smith and Charlize Theron in Hancock--on the way, it looks like he's getting comfortable in the director's seat.
The Game Plan
Dwayne 'The Rock "Johnson has rarely played an asshole. So it's funny that he'd choose to do so in a kid's movie. Taking the Vin Diesel-Pacifier route, he's mixing it up with a precocious little tyke (Madison Pettis from "Cory in the House") who pushes every one of his buttons. To Johnson's surprise, he unknowingly fathered a child. I gather, by the trailer, that this girl was eager to meet her biological father, because she brought her birth certificate as proof. So she disrupts his bachelorhood and the benefits he receives as a professional NFL quarterback. Hilarity ensues when she tries to make herself at home and girly up his pad, and when he tries to turn her into the son he would prefer. This is one of those ego-draining, evolution-type stories where an obnoxious Neanderthal gets schooled by a wiser and emotionally-mature kid. Also starring are Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer") and Roselyn Sanchez (Boat Trip).
Lust, Caution
Ang Lee dips back into the romance genre, with this Asian NC-17 rated love story about a young woman (newcomer Wei Tang) who must seduce a politician (Tony Leung Chiu Wai from Infernal Affairs) and kill him. The trailer has no words, just a score, but it still manages to enslave your emotions as you watch her fall in love with the man she must murder.
Feast of Love
Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) takes us through this sexed-up, gloves-off, indie version of Love Actually, where different people find what love means for them and learn what it has in store for their future. Morgan Freeman stars as the voice of reason for Kinnear's seemingly hopeless character. So you know there'll be a lot of speeches chocked full of wisdom. Kinnear goes through what seems like 3 relationships: one with a wallflower, Selma Blair (The Sweetest Thing), who realizes she's a lesbian kind of late in life, another with a self-assured ice queen, Rhada Mitchell (Melinda Melinda), who leaves him for another guy, and he starts one with Erika Marozsan ("The Company"), who he might have a chance with. There's also a story about young love and how volatile, fast-paced and passionate it can be that is told through Toby Hemingway (The Covenant) and Alexa Davalos (The Chronicles of Riddick).
The Darjeeling Limited
Three estranged brothers (Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman) take a road trip via train through India to reacquaint themselves with one another. Somehow they get stranded and are handed a brand new adventure. One that will possibly answer the question as to whether they'd love each other if they weren't brothers. Directed by Wes Anderson (Royal Tenenbaums) and co-written with amateur writer and Hollywood royalty Roman Coppola.
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