12 Years a Slave Trailer reaction

  

A movie sure to make waves this Awards Season is the film 12 Years A Slave starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Steve McQueen.

The piece tells the true-life, period story of Solomon Northup. A free man from New York who was kidnapped and forced into slavery for plantation owners in the South.

Pretty much the most disturbing nightmare ever to come to life.

Without watching a single frame of the film, I can tell the reader this is going to be a tough sell to mainstream audiences.

No matter how anyone tries to spin this, watching a story of a man forced into slavery is not traditional mainstream entertainment. Of course that’s not its intention. The piece is supposed to be a thought provoking piece of art. Nevertheless, it will still be incredibly disturbing for mainstream audiences to watch.

Director Steve McQueen is no stranger to sharing challenging stories of thought provoking subject matter. McQueen previously directed the films HUNGER, about a hunger strike by IRA prisoners, and the critically acclaimed SHAME, about a man’s sexual addiction.

But this is a whole other ball game.

Tarrantino’s Django Unchained explored this material last awards season. But 12 Years a Slave is a brutal, unflinching, true story, while Django Unchained was a violent, cathartic, hip, revenge thriller.

To combat an audiences hesitancy to watch a film with this subject matter, McQueen has filled out his cast with an ensemble of acting all-stars. The cast includes performers Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard and Brad Pitt. In the title role is the extremely affable Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has an uncanny ability to convey grace, dignity, and touching emotional availability. It’s no wonder that he’s already considered a lock for an Oscar nomination.

Director Steve McQueen is widely credited for introducing actor Michael Fassbender to general audiences. But he also has a reputation for a vision of uncompromising, harsh, realism. Not exactly a recipe for mainstream box office success.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. Box Office success is not the be all and end all.

But many would argue that art is most effective when it’s witnessed. And viewed by the masses.

Although McQueen’s work is widely, critically acclaimed. He hasn’t been able to find mainstream box office success. Maybe this will be the film to do it for him. Although rare, movies with disturbing, historical, subject matter have had success. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List springs to mind.

The trailer for 12 Years A Slave accurately conveys the heartless brutality Solomon Northup was forced to endure. The trap for the filmmakers would be to hold back in showing any of the challenges Northup experienced. In order for the film to succeed it has to be almost unbearable to watch. If there’s even a hint of hesitancy in the performances or in the director’s vision the film will be criticized for being untruthful, and even worse Hollywood fluff. 

So basically, it’s almost a no-win scenario. Hold back and critics will rip it for being soft. Make it too brutal and mainstream audiences may stay away.

Like I said. A tough sell.

12 Years a Slave stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard and Brad Pitt. The film is directed by Steve McQueen and is written by John Ridley. 12 Years a Slave is scheduled for release October 18, 2013.

Official Synopsis:

12 YEARS A SLAVE is based on an incredible true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Michael Fassbender) as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Brad Pitt) forever alters his life.

 

Gravity – Movie Review by Ari Dassa

 

It seems like every year a new movie is hyped as being a “game changer” because of new technological advancements with digital cinema, CGI and 3D, but the reality is that very few of these movies live up to their promise. This year Alfonso Cuaron’s survival-in-space thriller “Gravity” is the center of attention, but unlike so many pretenders, this film delivers something unique and extraordinary and feels like the first movie where 3D is not just a gimmick, but something that feels essential to the full experience.

It’s difficult to discuss what happens in “Gravity” without spoiling the film because the story is very thin on plot and very focused on situations and set-pieces, one after another, escalating in tension and suspense and drama. The situation that sets-up the bulk of the film’s 90 minute runtime is a stunning one-shot opening where astronauts, mainly Ryan (Sandra Bullock) and Kowalsky (George Clooney) are working in space until some debris unexpectedly hits them and destroys their shuttle. The rest of the movie is about how they try to survive the perils of space as they attempt to reach a station and return to Earth.

Cuaron’s digital (a better word might be “virtual”) cinematography is the visual genius of the film that will surely change how people approach CGI VFX in future movies. You can almost say “Gravity” is an animated movie, because 95% of it is damn near photo-realistic CG. Since it’s set in space, the camera is not bound by gravity or the technical rules traditionally found in movies. Cuaron’s virtual camera freely floats around in lengthy continuous shots as it follows the characters in their struggle to safety. Zero-G cinema. Some shots take on a 1st person POV, which Cuaron uses at very specific moments to enhance the visual experience of a sequence without making it feel like a videogame.

The excellent sound design and score play a huge role in how the tension builds throughout the film. “Gravity” uses the silence of space as a way to create horror – there are no big explosion sounds when destruction happens. It’s all subtle musical cues and the nervous, terrified voice of Sandra Bullock that gets to you (this IS NOT a sci-fi film, just to be clear. It’s a survival thriller set in space. There is nothing sci-fi about it). Speaking of Bullock, it’s amazing how much emotion she brings to this role as she desperately tries to find her way back home. The moment she accidentally catches a radio signal from Earth and listens to it has an emotional impact that sneaks up on you.

The 3D in “Gravity” is remarkable. The extra dimension adds a terrifying sense of depth and disorientation to outer space (if you get motion sickness easily, this might not be the best film to watch), but it also creates an uneasy sense of claustrophobia when the camera is locked on a close-up of one of the actors. The film is a marvel of digital cinema and will leave you walking out of the theater wondering, “how the hell did they film that?”. Or, as one lady said in the lobby, “I need a drink after that movie!”.

GRAVITY stars Sandra Bullock, and George Clooney. The film is written by Alfonso Cuaron and Jonas Cuaron and is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. GRAVITY is scheduled for release October 4, 2013. It will also be presented in 3D.

Ari Dassa is an independent filmmaker who has written and directed several short films and a documentary. He was the founder of a film review website called ‘The Aspect Ratio‘, active between 2006 – 2011.

 

All is Lost Trailer Reaction

Perhaps the surest thing this Awards season will be an Academy Award nomination for movie star Robert Redford.

 

Surprisingly it will be only the second time in his career that Redford has been nominated for an acting performance. The first time being for his work in the classic film The Sting.

Despite the lack of recognition by the Academy for his performances, Redford continues to be a perennial critical darling. Besides that, this award season he has the opportunity to perform in an actor’s dream showcase with what is essentially a thrilling and suspenseful one man show.

The film titled All Is Lost tells the story of a man in the latter stages of his life, alone, lost at sea after an accident and storm. The script by writer/director J.C. Chandor reportedly is only 30 pages long and features very little dialogue.

Think Cast Away without a volleyball to talk to.

It’s a bold move by both director and star. And arguably, only an actor of Redford’s stature could pull something like this off.

And reportedly the results have been impressive. With Oscar buzz already being generated after a screening at this year’s Cannes Film festival.

The only question remaining is will audiences embrace All Is Lost. The film has an obvious independent film sensibility. There is no leading lady. No co-stars. And only incidental dialogue. The film is also directed by a relative newcomer. Director J.C. Chandor is best none for his Academy Award nominated film Margin Call. That movie was noted for its minimalism as well. But All Is Lost will challenge mainstream audiences with hardly any dialogue and only one performer.

Of course it helps that the one performer is the mesmerizing Robert Redford.

All is Lost stars Robert Redford. The film is written and directed by J.C. Chandor. All is Lost is scheduled for release October 18th 2013.

Official Synopsis:

 

Academy Award winner Robert Redford stars in All Is Lost, an open-water thriller about one man’s battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea. Written and directed by Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) with a musical score by Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), the film is a gripping, visceral and powerfully moving tribute to ingenuity and resilience. Deep into a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean, an unnamed man (Redford) wakes to find his 39-foot yacht taking on water after a collision with a shipping container left floating on the high seas. With his navigation equipment and radio disabled, the man sails unknowingly into the path of a violent storm. Despite his success in patching the breached hull, his mariner’s intuition, and a strength that belies his age, the man barely survives the tempest.

Dallas Buyers Club Trailer reaction 2013

 

Will this be the year of Matthew McConaughey?

 

Already receiving award season buzz for his work in the independent film Mud McConaughey also is receiving praise for his supporting role in the film The Wolf of Wall Street and his latest film Dallas Buyers Club. It’s the latter film that will probably net him the most serious consideration since his performance features a stunning physical transformation as well as an affable, inspiring subject matter.

 

Based on a true story, McConaughy stars as Ron Woodroof, a man diagnosed with HIV and given 30 days to live. Woodroof uses the time he has left to track down alternative treatments which result in groundbreaking personal and legal success.

The first thing audiences will notice from the trailer is McConaughey’s physical transformation. He reportedly lost 38 pounds to convincingly play a man dying of AIDS. He wasn’t the only performer in the film who underwent a physical transformation. Co-star Jared Leto lost 30 pounds to play a transgender character in the film.

Without sounding too cynical. These are the kind of performances catered for award season recognition. It would be hard to see McConaghey and Leto not receive nominations from their performances. With Jennifer Garner also getting a nod for her supporting role.

As for the actual film, that might be a little harder to pull off, considering the dark subject matter and independent film sensibility. But it is based on a true story, and has an crowd pleasing, important message. Which is a recipe for award season success.

 

The Dallas Buyers club stars Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto and Jennifer Garener. The movie is directed by Jean-Mar Vallee with a screenplay by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack. The film is scheduled for release November 1, 2013.

 

Official Synopsis:

 

Matthew McConaughey stars in DALLAS BUYERS CLUB as real-life Texas cowboy Ron Woodroof, whose free-wheeling life was overturned in 1985 when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and given 30 days to live. These were the early days of the AIDS epidemic, and the U.S. was divided over how to combat the virus. Ron, now shunned and ostracized by many of his old friends, and bereft of government-approved effective medicines, decided to take matters in his own hands, tracking down alternative treatments from all over the world by means both legal and illegal. Bypassing the establishment, the entrepreneurial Woodroof joined forces with an unlikely band of renegades and outcasts – who he once would have shunned – and established a hugely successful “buyers’ club.” Their shared struggle for dignity and acceptance is a uniquely American story of the transformative power of resilience.

Captain Phillips Trailer reaction

  

It wouldn’t be a real award season without a Tom Hanks film.

The latest film starring Tom Hanks is based on the 2009 true story of Captain Richard Phillips, who was Captain of a ship that was hijacked by Somali Pirates. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Greengrass. Who is best known for his work on the action films The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum and the action Drama Green Zone. Based on the trailer, this latest film titled Captain Phillips looks like more of a drama than an all out action film, but it still features Greengrass’s trademark thrils.

The trailer definitely looks to be a well rounded examination of the real-life events. It even appears to have a hint of sympathy at the financially strapped pirates, who are looking to simply make a better lives for themselves with these actions.

It will be interesting to see if audiences will respond to the film. A Tom Hanks fronted film in the past usually meant big box office as well as critical kudos. But his latest films Cloud Atlas and Larry Crowne under performed at the box office and underwhelmed the usually gushing critics. 

Captain Phillips stars Tom Hanks, and Catherine Keener. The screenplay is written by Billy Ray and the film is directed by Paul Greengrass. Captain Phillips is scheduled for release October 11th, 2013.

Official Synopsis:

Columbia Pictures’ action-thriller Captain Phillips stars two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film is directed by Oscar® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea, by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.

 

The Monuments Men Trailer Reaction (2013)

 It must be great to be George Clooney.

Not only does he get to live a glamorous personal life, he has put himself in a position artistically to produce and tell the most interesting stories. And he gets to do it with an independent film sensibility, while working with a blockbuster film cast and production value.

So pretty much a life of awesome.

Hot on the heels of his Academy Award win for Best Picture for the film ARGO. George Clooney’s Award Season submission for this year is the film The MONUMENTS MEN. The impressive cast features Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett and Academy Award winning actor Jean Dujardin.

The story chronicles the efforts of a small group of military personal tasked to protect art pieces from Nazis who are bent on destroying the art in an effort to take away the historical culture of what the art represents.

A noble task if ever there was one.

Obviously, this film is earmarked for some big awards season consideration. With its crowd pleasing subject matter, and affable cast it would be hard for the film to miss. The only drawback, if you can really call it a drawback, is probably George Clooney’s directorial style. He tends to direct his films in a breezy, witty, bare bones, non-sentimental way. The trailer has an obvious Steven Soderbergh/Ocean’s 11 influence and vibe. Which usually doesn’t translate well to the crusty, older, awards season crowd. But maybe it’s time to change all that. I can’t think of many more actors more liked by the Hollywood community than George Clooney. Maybe it’s time for Clooney to earn award season kudos as director now. To add to his trophy case as an Academy Award winning actor and producer.

Like I said, must be great to be George Clooney.

The Monuments Men stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett, Bob Balaban and John Goodman. The film is written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov. The Monuments Men is directed by George Clooney. It is scheduled for release December 18, 2013.

Official Synopsis:

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action-thriller focusing on an unlikely World War II platoon, tasked by FDR with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell, how could these guys—seven museum directors, curators, and art historians, all more familiar with Michelangelo than the M-1—possibly hope to succeed? But as the Monuments Men, as they were called, found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.