Closing the Tribeca Film Festival this year was the anime cartoon inspired action film, Speed Racer from the Wachowski brothers, who created The Matrix trilogy. The film hits theaters on May 9th and stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. The premiere’s red carpet was one of the busiest I’ve been to and this time I was definitely way at the end of the press line, however John Goodman was kind enough to speak with me though, as was the young actor Paulie Litt from Hope & Faith and actor Kick Gurry. I also saw and snapped photos/video of Christina Ricci (she’s so tiny), Susan Sarandon, Vincent D’Onofrio and Limp Bizket’s Fred Durtz. Stephen Colbert also attended the premier with his family, but he passed by while I was on the phone. However, I stayed late again on purpose hoping that Robert DeNiro would once again make an appearance and this time I was ready and grabbed a video of him as he entered the screening. Yay! Below is the final cut, as you can see I got a little fancy by adding in a remixed version of the Speed Racer theme song, which also helped reduce the background noise throughout the clips:

Also, check out our Tribeca Photos on Flickr to see more from the Speed Racer red carpet.

One of the more star studded films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival is War, Inc., a political satire co-scripted by John Cusack who also stars in the film along with Ben Kingley, Marisa Tomei, Hilary Duff, Joan Cusack and Dan Aykroyd. Unfortunately though, the film doesn’t live up to the expectations of its impressive cast.

War Inc. is set some time in the future—but when is never made clear— in the fictional desert country of Turaqistan, which has recently been liberated by a private corporation, owned by the former US vice-president (Dan Aykroyd), which has taken over the whole state. Brand Hauser (John Cusack) is a James Bond like hit man who is depressed and moral, and is hired by the corporation’s mysterious Viceroy to kill a Middle Eastern oil minister. Everything changes though when the ruthless killer finds himself head-over-heels in love with a liberal reporter portrayed by the lovely Marisa Tomei, and put in charge of the oversexed Central Asian pop star Yonica (Hilary Duff) as she prepares for her high-profile wedding. Still with me? Along the way there are jokes and comparisons to the current Iraq war and Bush of course. Basically though none of that really matters, the only thing good about this film are the three stars I just mentioned, who keep the movie watchable.

Making a big switch from her Disney image is Hilary Duff who plays a vixen obsessed with Western culture and looking to be understood. She outrageously flirts and comes on to Cusack, who has some dark secrets of his own (murdered wife, kidnapped daughter, stomach issues and a crazy CIA boss played by Ben Kingsley). In one very talked about scene at the festival and in the news is when Hilary’s character puts a scorpion down her pants and moans in ecstasy. In fact, this was one of the highlights of the film really.

The beginning is painful and I felt like I was out of the loop on an inside joke, but I started to keep pace eventually. It’s not because I’m slow on the uptake or anything, I just think the film tries to be cleverer than it really is and forgets to clue audiences in on the joke.

Overall, the film is hectic with scenes badly sewn and jumbled together with random flashbacks and characters and plots that aren’t fully introduced. The narrative resembles the war torn battlefield where the film is set and the transitions are abrupt and come at you like rapid fire. However, I’m not sure if this is done on purpose or due to bad directing, editing or cut scenes.

Now, I didn’t hate this movie nor did I love it by any means, but it would still make for a decent rental if you’re a Cusack fan or have a crush on Tomei or Duff.

The Upside: Hilary being a bad girl.

The Downside: Rocky start, minimally funny and bloody at parts.

On the Side: War, Inc was filmed in Bulgaria.

Tonight I attended the Cadillac Lounge after party at Tenjune for the satire War, Inc. starring John Cusack (who also wrote the screenplay), Hillary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Sir Ben Kingsley and Joan Cusack. However, the only cast member to appear at the 11 p.m. party was Hilary Duff with her sister Hailey, plus the director Joshua Seftel. Everyone was asking “Where’s John?” even guest Chazz Palmanteri asked a PR person if he was there. Apparently he had a filming conflict or something.

Luckily, I was the only one Hilary gave an interview with on the broadcast side after posing for photos. My in was that I was wearing her perfume With Love. I said to her, “I have a confession to make,” and to that she gave a nervous/scared look and I exclaimed, “I’m wearing your perfume,” which made her happy. She said “I thought I smelt it!” and went on to talk about how she’s been wearing her newest perfume Wrapped With Love. She was very cute and pretty in her black strapless dress, black pumps and was about my height (5’2). I then snuck in another question by commenting on the fact that War, Inc seemed very different than the other films that she’s been in, I.E. she went from Disney and Cheaper by the Dozen to this political satire where she plays a sexy pop star, Yonica Babyyeah.

I went on to speak with the director Joshua Seftel who said the film was shot in Bulgaria and made to look like Turaqistan, which is the fictional war town where the film is set.

The producer was there too, but yeah whatever. It was rainy and late so I can’t really blame the rest of the cast for not being there especially since they just did the red carpet screening hours before.

Each celeb guest meanwhile arrived in a black Cadillac SUV and a Hybrid Cadillac was behind red velvet ropes in front of the club. Below you will find a picture of Hilary Duff on the red carpet.

And a dream of mine has finally come true. While at the Tribeca Film Festival today covering the red carpet premiere of Tennessee I got to see stars like Mariah Carey and Ben Kingsley but nothing compared to seeing the great Bobby D, my favorite actor ever. I already finished my interviews and most of the press left the minute Mariah Carey went by. For some reason I was taking my time gathering my stuff and good thing because a last minute suprise arrival was in store for the remaining 15 or so press. Robert DeNiro came walking down, gray hair and in a nice suit. I swear I was stunned and I ran back to my spot to get a photo, however in my haste I stupidly hit the stop button instead of record. I’m kicking myself now because when I daringly yelled out “Bobby” to him, he looked right at me, smiled, nodded his head and continued on into the theater.

I was freaking out. My cameraman said I looked like a little girl and that my voice went all high pitch. I started crying after he walked by. I know this sounds pathetic, but I swear this is literally a dream come true for me and I cursed like a truck driver when I realized I messed up on the video. I would have had a video of him staring right at me, dammit!!! Anyway, it was still awesome. I’m so surprised he was even there since he’s known to be reclusive despite the fact that he was the founder of the festival and for rebuilding so much of the Tribeca area in Manhattan. I was hoping I would see him back in 2006 when I covered the festival, so I had given up hope this year and then bam!

For more coverage, check out our Tribeca Homepage and our Tribeca Photos on Flickr.

Yesterday an indie film called Tennessee gave its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. Directed by Aaron Woodley and written by Russell Schaumburg, Tennessee is an intimate road movie with two brothers traveling to the hometown that they fled as teenagers to find their estranged father. When they are joined by a spirited woman (Mariah Carey) running from her abusive husband, they begin to grow closer and the truth of their journey comes to light. This is Mariah’s first feature film since the disaster that was Glitter. I’m seeing a screening of the film this week, so a longer review will be up here soon.

In the meantime, I got some inside information on the film from Ethan Peck, the grandson of the famous Gregory Peck, who plays Ellis, one of the brothers in Tennessee. I also got up close and personal with the diva herself, Mariah Carey. Other celebs in attendance at the red carpet premiere included: Sir Ben Kingsley, Robert DeNiro (he smiled and nodded at me when I shouted “Bobby” as he walked on by— a dream come true for me, seriously) and The Sopranos’ Edie Falco. Here’s the resulting video:

As well, here are some select photos from the event:

Ethan Peck

Mariah Carey and Producer Lee Daniels

FSR’s Tara Settembre on the Red Carpet

For more photos, check out our Tribeca Photo Set on Flickr.

Back in 1982, gamer Billy Mitchell scored a high score of over 874,300 in Donkey Kong and for twenty years no one had even come close to beating him, elevating Mitchell to a cult star. That same year he appeared on the cover of Lifemagazine as one of the top players for Centipede too. Being the World Record holder for two arcade games he was later named the “Gamer of the Century,” but as the film shows, he’s not the most humble of divas.

Luckily, there’s a new gamer in the O.K. Arcade, Steve Weibe, a genuinely likeable school teacher with Donkey Kong in his garage and a dream in his heart to be the best at something. But as the film’s tagline reads, “In the cutthroat world of Donkey Kong, only one man can rule” and soon a cross-country, old school arcade duel for the right to be included in the 2007 Guinness World Records book ensues. Several tears, treacheries and tirades later it’s on like Donkey Kong.

This isn’t a spoof or a mockumentary, but at times it can seem like one due to the sometimes pathetic passion these gamers have when it comes to their “sport” and “skills.” The encouraging 80s anthems from Rocky and Karate Kid, which play in the background, only help to make fun of their seriousness further. Despite the laughs had at the expense of the characters and the “score referees” though, this gaming culture is fascinating and at times admirable. Heck, I can only wish to beat all the levels of Pac Man and I’ve owned the arcade game since I was 10.

Usually when it comes to documentaries, I always seem to loose interest half way in, however, I didn’t think of the time as I waited to see who would be the King of Kong. The DVD extras though provide 90 minutes of extra footage, which is a bit extreme, unless you just can’t get enough.

Another DVD feature provides an animated short “A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong,” which is interesting and something that I felt the film lacked. I would have liked to have heard when Donkey Kong was created and how popular it was in its day, some sort of archive footage or expert commentary on that at the beginning of the doc I think would have laid the groundwork better. In fact, I just learned more about the arcade game from Wikipedia than I did the film (see the below On the Side).

DVD Special Features and Specs:
(90 minutes worth of extra footage)
• Feature commentary from director Seth Gordon, producer Ed Cunningham, associate producer Clay Tweel and associate producer Luis Lopez
• Feature commentary from IGN.com editor and i am 8-bit founder
• Featurettes including extended interviews, player profiles and bonus footage
• “A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong” animated short
• 16×9 widescreen (1.85) version of the film
• English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English 2.0 Stereo Surround
• English & Spanish subtitles
• Closed captions
• Animated menus (that look like an arcade score board)
• Alternative DVD cover, just flip the artwork over to have artwork by Scott Campbell displayed.

The Upside: A captivating yet simplistic battle of good vs. evil that will have you routing for the under dog.

The Downside: Not enough background on Weibe (for instance, he played Donkey Kong in college, who knew?)

On the Side: The documentary is going to be made into a feature film with a script and actors. I think Greg Kinnear would be good as Weibe.

More On the Side: The original name of the game was called “Monkey Kong”, but due to a faxing error from the U.S. to Japan before the game was to be completed, Donkey Kong was born. It’s also the first game to feature Mario.

I’m not a huge fan of political movies or books, but the political events in The Kite Runner are only a part of the story. Instead the captivating main characters and tale itself make for an interesting and non didactic watch, despite the political issues that it also arises.

Who’s in this film? No one recognizable from typical Hollywood films. The film stuck to a purism telling by only hiring actors with Middle Eastern or Muslim ancestry, in fact, the little boys in the film weren’t even actors. Yet, the performances are powerfully executed and I did not even miss seeing a familiar face.

Besides the acting, to keep the authenticity element, this film is partially told in native tongues with English subtitles. However, I almost forgot that the film wasn’t in English since it was easy to keep pace with the story through the actions. Plus, as the story progresses more English is incorporated into the dialogue of the film and the subtitles fade away.

The story starts with two Afghanistan boys in the 1970s (before the Russians and before The Taliban), one is a Shi’a the other a Sunni Muslim, one lives a life of privilege the other is a servant, one is jealous, the other loves unconditionally. Their boyhood friendship is soon torn asunder due to class prejudices and envy as well as unfolding historical events. The film then jumps to America and to a present day Afghanistan that is much different than the boyhood innocence shown earlier in the film. Under the new regime we see women who were once free now in burkas, beautiful houses and pomegranate trees destroyed, men hung in the streets and women being stoned to death. The latter was of course the hardest to watch. In fact, I closed my eyes through that particular scene.

The kite competition from which the story gets its name from, are among the prettiest shots in the film. The camera swoops along from the kite’s vantage point, high above Kabul and quickly darts and weaves with the wind. It’s really done well and without looking too CGI. Most of the film was shot in China and not Kabul though.

Some themes throughout this film include guilt, standing up for others and father/son relationships. I left the theater moved and silent with my thoughts. I wonder if I’m bias because I read the book and was already captivated by the tale, but at the same time I was afraid it would ruin the literature for me. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed with the film adaptation; in fact it only helped bring the great story to life more so.

Last but not least, the music throughout is amazing, original and exotic. I wouldn’t be surprised if the score is up for an award come February.

The Upside: For those who loved the book, you won’t be disappointed. For those, who didn’t read the book, you’re in for a powerful cinematic tale. “For you a thousand times over.”

The Downside: It’s heavy and there are brutal scenes.

On the Side: The family of one of the actors tried to get the pivotal rape scene removed from the film, but because it’s so important to the plot it was kept in but is not shown as graphically it could have been. This controversial scene also caused the release of this film to be postponed, so they have time to get the film’s young stars out of their native Afghanistan – and avoid local ethnic tensions. The three young actors in the adaptation are now being relocated with their families to the United Arab Emirates until the growing fuss over the film ends. The film will now be released on Dec. 14. The three boys are expected to attend the movie’s U.S. premiere.

Grade: A

Release Date: December 14, 2007 Rated: PG-13 for strong thematic material including the rape of a child, violence and brief strong language. Running Time: 122 min. Cast: Khalid Abdalla, Homayon Ershadi, Zekeria Ebrahimi Director: Marc Forster Screenplay: David Benioff, Khaled Hosseini Studio: Paramount Vantage Official Website: Click Here

OK so let me back up. Mr. Brooks is a successful businessman, recently named business man of the year in his hometown of Oregon. He has a beautiful wife (Marg Helgenberger) and teenage daughter (Danielle Penebaker), plus a hidden insatiable appetite for killing. He also has a split personality in the form of actor William Hurt, who represents inner blood thirstiness.

The film also co-stars comedian Dane Cook, who does a good job playing a slimy guy interested in learning how to kill from the famous Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Brooks. He finally has the chance to be his prot©g© via a little blackmail that he stumbles upon, which incriminates Mr. Brooks. So, reluctantly Mr. Brooks takes on a sidekick of sorts and shows him the ways of his tortured mind. Yet, who’s playing who?

I saw a couple of short TV trailers for the film, yet was surprised to see Demi Moore was among the cast. I’m not sure why they haven’t played that up since she hasn’t been in anything for quite awhile now. Anyway, she plays a sexy but hard detective who has been tracking the Thumbprint Killer for years now and is dying to close the case, especially since her personal life is going down the tubes. Her character reminded me of one of those super strong female detectives from a Nora Roberts book, a bit hardboiled and predictable but still good all the same.

What I was surprised most with this film is that because Mr. Brooks is the bad character you can’t help but follow him and are even forced to identify with a killer. At times I found myself saying, be careful you’ll get caught, yet I had no reason to like the guy but he’s the only viewpoint we are given completely.

The film also tackles the idea of nature vs. nurture and the role genetics plays in the evil seed theory.

Without giving much away, the film tries to take on a lot of sub plots, for instance theirs two other killers featured along the way and they later converge, which is a big unbelievable. However, I liked the fact that these sub plots kept me guessing and made things more unpredictable when guessing what would come next. Yes, the acting is mediocre, but the cast is popular and the action moves the story along nicely, just get past the first 15 minutes and the clich© characters and you’ll be fine. In fact, this little thriller had me reflecting on it for awhile after leaving the theater, which I appreciated.

Grade: B-

Release Date: October 23, 2007 Rated: R Running Time: 120 minutes Cast: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt, Marg Helgenberger Director: Bruce A. Evans Studio: MGM Buy: Amazon.com Also Available: Blu-Ray

In a nut-shell, this flick takes a look at America’s practices of detaining suspected terrorists in foreign jails. This drama/thriller also stars heavyweights Meryl Streep and Alan Arkin.

Take a peek at the trailer below.

Rendition is scheduled for release on Oct. 19, 2007.

The Brave One starring Jodie Foster is in the same vain as her recent thrillers, Flightplan and Panic Room, only this one is grittier and more harrowing. This intense story is like a female Batman tale, but without the cape and mask. Yes, we’ve all seen revenge movies like this before, Payback etc, but the vigilantes are usually men and sometimes hard-boiled. However, in The Brave One, Jodie Foster is the revenge thirsty heroine that can’t take it anymore.

After a brutal attack in Central Park kills Erica Bane’s fianc©, played by Naveen Andrews a.k.a Sayid from TV’s Lost, Erica retreats into a lonely world of fear and hate. The opening attacks aren’t for the squeamish though, I had to keep looking away and reminding myself that it was just a movie. The rest of the violence in the film is a little less personal but still pretty gritty. The fear I mentioned that Erica has is well shown on the screen in Vertigo-like shots and blurred out backgrounds that close in on Erica as she tries to leave her apartment. Maybe because I’m recently engaged myself that I connected more with Erica’s character, but everyone in the theater kept jumping and cringing as well, so I wasn’t alone in my over empathy.

Erica’s fear later turns into a misguided purpose as she decides to take matters into her own hands by punishing “bad guys” on the street with her illegal nine millimeter. Although each bad guy seems to deserve her justice she quickly becomes just as unlawful as her original attackers. The tagline of the film even asks, “How many wrongs make it right?”

Unlike other thrillers this one is extremely well acted; obviously by the two-time Academy Award winning Foster, but also by Terrence Howard from Crash and Hustle & Flow who plays the NYPD detective who is following the vigilante killings and is also a listener to Erica’s talk radio show. His character is really interesting too and I enjoyed watching his thoughtful stares as he processed the different crime scenes and connects with Erica’s pain. Other supporting characters include Mary Steenburgen — where has she been?

The Upside: Foster’s raw emotion is captivating.

The Downside: It portrays New York as a horrible, unlivable city. You’ll also think about this intense thriller long after you walk out the theater.

On the Side: Foster starred as a prostitute in Taxi Driver, where DeNiro’s Travis Bickle plays vigilante and kills her pimp and “saves” her character. In The Brave One, it’s Foster doing the saving of a young female prostitute almost mirroring DeNiro’s lone justice role. Not too suprising considering that Foster has been quoted saying the following about Taxi Driver, “I think it’s one of the finest films that’s ever been made in America. It’s a statement about America. About violence. About loneliness. Anonymity. Some of the best works are those that have tried to imitate that kind of film, that kind of style. It’s just a classic.”

5. Ruthless People (1986)

This is a harmless 80s comedy has some big cast members including, Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, Judge Reinhold and Bill Pullman, however the plot is a bit disturbing. Danny DeVito’s wife (Bette Middler) has just been kidnapped… and he doesn’t want her back! She later aligns with her kidnappers to get back at her husband for not wanting to pay her ransom and hoping that she was dead. It’s more than a little disturbing and the hatred is hardcore, but it sure is funny to watch, just glad it’s not me.

4. A Perfect Murder (1998)

This is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial “M” for Murder and stars Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow and Viggo Mortensen as a powerful husband, an unfaithful wife and a jealous lover. All of them have a motive to create the perfect murder and each of them has a plan. Dunt dunt dun! Definitely not a romance, but a sick love triangle that is minus the love.

3. Fargo (1996) / Double Indemnity (1944)

These two films feature one spouse plotting the other’s death in order to cash in, yet in the end something always goes wrong and that’s why we watch despite the chill that runs down our spine due to the coldness of the marriage shown.

2. The War of the Roses (1989)

The tagline for this film reads, “Once in a lifetime comes a motion picture that makes you feel like falling in love all over again. This is not that movie.” True that. I’ve never been more depressed and scared about marriage than after seeing this film. Once again paring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, the film starts off romantic enough with the couple falling in love and becoming successful but then quickly turns to them hating each other trying everything to get each other to leave the house in a vicious divorce battle. They hate each other so much that they fight to the end to keep their mansion and punish the other to the point where they kill each other’s’ pets and literally beat each other up. The final insult I think comes in the end but I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet. Overall It’s sick, it’s twisted, and it’s good cinema.

Trivia: Danny DeVito directs this film and co-stars with the duo in this film as well as in Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile. Also, notice that Danny DeVito and Michael Douglas are in two of the films on this list.

1. American Beauty (1999)

This Academy Award winner proves that marriage in the burbs isn’t always so rosy, especially when those roses fall out of a young teenager’s breasts in an elicit and illegal affair fantasy. The married couple, played by Annette Benning and Kevin Spacey, are estranged both physically and emotionally and it’s painful to watch how indifferent they are to one another and how unhappy they are with their own lives.

Lester Burnham: I am sick and tired of being treated like I don’t exist. You two do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it, and I don’t complain.
Carolyn Burnham: Oh, you don’t complain? Then I must be psychotic, then! What is this? Yeah, let’s bring in the laugh-meter and see how loud it gets.
Lester Burnham: [Lester throws the asparagus plate at the wall] Don’t interrupt me, honey!

I left the theater wowed by the acting and rawness of the film, but also depressed, jaded and feeling like I was going through a mid-life crisis as well.

From the mind of the creator of Sin City, 300 is also based on a graphic novel and filmed in the same animated style. And like a novel, 300 has a narrator throughout the film and lives up to the graphic part, both sexually and violently. However, that’s what 300 is about—blood, honor and going against-all-odds.

The film’s title refers to the Spartan’s seemingly bad odds, given that their army is comprised of 300 warriors compared to the ruler Xerxes and his massive Persian army with soldiers and slaves from around the globe. However, it’s the will and skill of these 300 that inspire all of Greece to untie against the attacking Persian enemy and is the stuff that myths and legends are made of.

“The Spartans remain a mystery to everybody,” said Frank Miler, who wrote the comic book mini-series which 300 was based upon. “They are arguably unique in that they are completely a battle culture, absolutely dedicated to warfare. They have a code of honor on what it means to be a Spartan, and out of that arises a heroic class like the world has never seen before.”

The tale overall is a spectacle, both mythical and exotic and action packed. I was sucked in from the beginning scene as the narrative’s momentum built a steady climatic anticipation.

The characters, however, are comprised of a relatively unknown cast. King Leonidas, Spartan’s leader, is played by Gerard Butler and his queen is portrayed by Lena Headey. I did recognize cast members, Dominic West from The Forgotten and David Wenham from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but neither are household names by any means. However, this film didn’t need big names like Brad Pitt in Troy, the story and filming accommodated the lesser known talent as did their own performances. And speaking of LOTR, I couldn’t help but compare 300 to the trilogy in its glorification of battle and folklore.

As for the filming, the sometimes cartoon style, it was easier to separate the blood and gore from the scenes, since the splattering of blood looked more like bright red paint being cast out on the screen in slow motion. Often the speed of the camera would slow on certain motions, creating a surreal and fantastical environment. The scenery at times looked like an artists painting but married with motion.

I was also impressed that a female character, the queen, had a surprisingly strong role in such a male dominated, bare-chested film. However, the female oracle and her simply voyeuristic role negated any true female empowerment.

300 is being shown in IMAX theaters across the country, if you have the chance I definitely recommend seeing it on their huge screen in order to see the true spectacle of it all.

Although, the film’s producer Len Amato notes that the film isn’t necessarily about space travel either, but is “a story about overcoming obstacles, it can apply to any accomplishment where there’s always a certain amount of doubt and a chorus of naysayers and you have to push through with you own vision to make something where there was nothing before.”

The plot focuses on Charles Farmer and his obsession with making it into space. He had been an engineer and Air Force Pilot but was forced to retire from the NASA Astronaut training program so he could save his family farm after the passing of his father. Decades later now that he is a dad too, he still can’t give up his dream of space travel and employs his engineering skills and builds his own rocket ship. His wife (Virginia Madsen), and three charming children–two young girls and a 15-year-old boy eager to be his father’s “ground control” are all invested in Farmer’s dream too and believe he’ll launch his rocket and himself into space despite the financial costs and the criticism of outsiders.

Besides the cost and skepticism, another problem arises when he tries to buy 10,000 gallons of high-grade fuel. The FBI and FAA now consider him a threat to national security and have him put under surveillance and scrutiny, causing the media to also camp out on the family farm to see the rocket man and his renegade project. In this respect, he is defending his freedoms and taking on big government, becoming a citizen vs. government story as well.

However, despite the obstacles Farmer is determined to chase his dream and show his kids that you never give up and that dreams are possible.

The film is charming and I easily became invested in the story and quirky characters. However, I found Virginia Madsen’s constant bubblyness to be annoying. That aside, the acting overall is strong. I was also surprised and excited to see a cameo from Billy Bob’s Armageddon and Bandits co-star Bruce Willis, since he isn’t credited for this film or shown in the trailers, but he plays a NASA astronaut with his own agenda. Actor Bruce Dern also stars in the film as Farmer’s father in-law.

The film is set in Texas on a beautiful ranch and the directors never forget this fact and show lots of beautiful scenery shots, not usually expected in such films. As for the special effects, without giving away too much, the sound in the theater made my seat feel like it was rumbling inside a rocket as well when ever they turned on the rocket’s engines.

1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

This romantic comedy is one of the few that my guy friends don’t seem to mind, thanks to Billy Crystal’s guy humor throughout and the adorable Meg Ryan before she starred in a string of chick flicks. It also features two Christmas seasons in the film and two New Years Eve parties. The party/ball is quite fancy and has a rooftop view in Manhattan, it’s the kind of sophisticated New Year’s party that I’ve always dreamt of going to instead of the drunken chaotic ones that I attend each year. Who can forget that the film ends in a climatic scene on New Year’s Eve, when Harry Burns races through the empty New York streets to find Sally at the party and tell her he loves her.

Harry: “And it’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Then Auld Lang Syne starts to play and they kiss as balloons fall and people are celebrating around them, *sigh* but then of course they start bickering a little:

Harry: “What does this song mean? For my whole life I don’t know what this song means. I mean, ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot”. Does that mean we should forget old acquaintances or does it mean if we happen to forget them we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot them!?

Sally: (making an exasperated face and smiling at Harry) “Well maybe it just means that we should remember that we forgot them or something. Anyway it’s about old friends.”

2. Holiday (1938)

This classic film stars a young Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. An up and coming, free-thinking businessman, Grant, is set to marry Hepburn’s sister but finds himself connecting more with Hepburn. The family is wealthy and the tycoon father is interested in having Grant settle down and be under their control, stifling his life long dreams of traveling the world once he makes his first million. Yet, Hepburn refuses to see that happen to Grant like it’s happening to her. You can actually see their inner struggle to be free of the families grip and manipulation as they squelch their dreams. It’s also a funny, passionate and charming film. What does it have to do with New Year’s? Well, they also host a big Astor style New Year’s party to announce the engagement of Grant to Hepburn’s sister, while behind the scenes as the ball drops things come to a boil between Grant and Hepburn, rich vs. poor, freedom vs. responsibility, etc. You can actually see the fireworks.

3. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

This New Years themed film is an entertaining Coen brother’s film, starring Tim Robbins and Paul Newman. It’s about a naive business graduate who is installed as president of a manufacturing company as part of a stock scam. The big climatic scene also takes place on New Years. Reminiscent of a classic movie from the 40s or 50s The Hudsucker Proxy has an classic atmosphere to it and a style that only the Coen Bros. can deliver.

4. Entrapment (2001)

The big caper that Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones are planning takes place on New Years Eve at a bank, while people are partying downstairs and the computers are switching over in the New Year. The fact that the clock is literally ticking down for them helps build the excitement and tension during their theft.

5. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)

At the beginning of the film Bridget Jones makes a New year’s resolution to keep a diary and her life starts to change. Starring Renee Zellweger, Hugh Grant, and Colin Firth.

6. Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1985)

Charlie Brown and all the Peanuts gang try to get it all together for a New Year’s Eve party, not as famous as Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, but it’s still cute.

7. Bundle Of Joy (1956)

Real life couple, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, have a lot of miscommunication problems in this film, especially when he mistakes Debbie as mother of an illegitimate child, but of course they fall in love anyway. The film was made to capitalize on the real-life pregnancy of Debbie Reynolds, which makes this film Carrie Fisher’s debut. And yes, New Years is involved.

8. Trading Places (1983)

The classic Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd comedy has a funny New Year’s Party on a train, where Jamie Lee Curtis and team try to switch a suitcase.

What am I missing??

Anyway, have a Happy New Year!!

The original trailer for Dreamgirls, which started appearing at cinemas as early as last year, was so vague it only featured a single catchy tune from the musical and the cast’s names but no clips–as a result I haven’t felt such buildup and anticipation for a film in sometime. Plus I also grew up knowing several of the show tunes from the original Broadway show, which debuted in 1981 at the Imperial Theatre, New York City. Add in the fact that there hasn’t been a film musical since Chicago in 2002–which one best picture—I very was excited to see this Broadway film adaptation. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed and the buildup was worth it and well deserved.

In many ways the main story line of the film is really happening inside the film as well, what I mean by that is, Beyonc© Knowles, who in real life is the popular singer and box office star yet gets eclipsed by first-time film actress and American Idol participant Jennifer Hudson, who steals the show with her performance and rendition of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” Yet, Hudson plays Effie White, the Dreamettes member who gets shoved to the background by Beyonce’s character, Deena Jones. Personally, I couldn’t help but love the irony of the plot reversal when it came to the film’s performances. However, Beyonc© holds her own and gradually blossoms on screen while taking on many faces in the film. As a result, it was easy to see her actually being a Diana Ross or Donna Summer.

Effie, besides originally being the lead singer in the Detroit trio, is the lover of Curtis Taylor Jr., played by Jamie Foxx, a slick car salesman turned musical entrepreneur who serves as the group’s manager. She then gets replaced, however, both onstage and in Curtis’s affections, by Deena, a skinnier, lighter and prettier sidekick, which leads to Effie’s plummet to poverty while Deena and Curis go on to becoming stars.

Although the story focuses on a female group, it’s the male actors that are the real famous ones—Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover (does he ever age?) and Jamie Foxx. Eddie Murphy actually manages to shed his Nutty Professor and Doctor Doolittle caricatures and returns to his earlier acting roots with his performance as singer, James ‘Thunder’ Early. Besides the female band, Foxx, who previously showed his singing prowess in Ray, and Murphy both sing in the film as well. Murphy, particularly gives a lively show during his songs.

The film especially does a good job of staying true to the Broadway show and with its quick transitions and dark stage lighting it feels like you are watching a live show at times. I found myself wanting to clap after the different songs ended, but I was able to check the impulse, while the people around me apparently couldn’t and clapped and cheered anyway as if expecting a bow from the stars. I was so taken during Hudson’s show stopping song that I shed a few tears from the power and emotion of it.

I walked into the theaters to see Babel not knowing anything about the indie film. I only knew that it starred Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael Garcia Bernal, but knew nothing of the plot. So that you have a better idea about this amazing and emotional film, I’ll do my best to give you some insight before entering the theater.

In some ways Babel reminded me of last year’s Best Picture winner, Crash, mainly because it has one of those interlocking plots where seemingly unrelated people become intertwined as the narrative unfolds. Babel focuses on three stories, set in Morocco, Japan and Mexico. The story begins with a tragedy striking a grieving married couple (Pitt and Blanchett) on vacation in Morocco; two young boys being given a rifle; a Mexican Nanny forced to take care of two white children on her Son’s wedding day and a deaf Japanese girl trying to fit in with society.

I felt tense throughout the film because of the sometimes uncomfortable and emotional stories, which kept escalating on screen. Escalation is a good descriptor for the overall storyline of the film and the power of cause and effect, since the three separate stories demonstrate how one little action can set a chain of events in motion and effect people outside of your own life.

My tension was only heightened due to the fact that the dialogue was minimal and instead replaced by the steady drumbeat of exotic percussion music, which played throughout the intense scenes keeping my heart racing in time with the quick beat.

After seeing the film I pondered the title and discovered that ‘babel’ refers to the Hebrew Bible story about the Tower of Babel, where people attempted to build a city and a tower whose top might reach unto Heaven. God punished the people for their audacity by dividing the world with thousands of languages, prohibiting people from communicating as easily. Thus, the builders of the tower were unable to understand one another and their project failed and scattered to different parts of the earth. Lack of communication and miscommunication is a big theme in Babel since many languages are spoken and in turn unheard. For example, the main female character in the Japanese story, played by Rinko Kikuchi, is deaf and as a result in many sequences sound is eliminated from the scenes all together, effectively showing her challenge to understand events and to be understood in return.

Babel is boldly directed by Alejandro Gonz¡lez I±¡rritu who directed Amores perros and 21 Grams. In this film, he showcases his refreshing technique once again with smooth story transitions and interesting camera pans. At first though it took me and my friends a few minutes to get caught up to speed with the story, while some aspects are not illuminated till three quarters into the film. I wish the film started with captions letting audiences know the locations they were seeing, instead of having to piece it together as it went along. The back and forth in time might be a bit confusing for some, but I appreciated the puzzle.

I was surprised though to see that Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett played some what minor roles in comparison to the other actors in the film. Their performances were good and their characters are important, but they were not the only ones. I was mainly impressed with all the child actors in the film and Kikiuchi’s soul-searching role as a brazen yet vulnerable coming-of-age deaf girl dealing with personal tragedy. In the final scene her emotional performance had me crying with empathy for her character.

Even though the film is 2 hour and 22 minutes long, the time went unnoticed by me since I eagerly awaited restitution and some closure for each storyline.

The Upside: A powerful and intelligent emotional roller coaster of a film.

The Downside: Some scenes are gorey and a bit gritty and raw.

On the Side: Rinko Kikuchi spent a year auditioning and learning sign language for her role.

Overall Grade: A-

From the producers of The Rookie, comes another inspiring sports movie starring Mark Wahlberg as a Philadelphia Eagles fan, Vince Papale, who just lost his wife and his teaching job and undergoes a big career change. When his favorite team holds an open tryout to help rejuvenate talent and fans, Vince decides due to the encouragement from his friends to tryout for his favorite NFL team to find out that he makes the cut and is invited to training camp.

Based on a true story, the film is set in the late 1970s, which the film does a good job of recreating with classic music, cars and vintage clothing. In many ways it reminded me of the other Disney film Miracle, which also turns a true sports story into a legend with similar action suspense and nostalgia for the game. It’s also very Rudy, so what’s not to like really?

I’m not a huge Whalberg fan but he managed to not annoy me in this flick and actually surprised me with his thoughtful performance. Greg Kinnear plays the new Eagles coach, Dick Vermeil, from California determined to shake things up in the organization and to lead a winning team. He’s also a fan of Papale’s determination, heart and love of the game. Actress Elizabeth Banks from The Baxter and Wet Hot American Summer stars as a New York Giants fan and co-bartender at Papale’s Phily hangout, who eventually becomes his love interest adding a romance sub-plot to the film. Her character was very charming and I enjoyed her performance. I especially was fond of the side characters, which consisted of mainly Papale’s hard working factory friends looking to Papale for a miracle.

The football scenes were up close, providing viewers with an on the field account of the different plays and action. The people in the theater I was at, seemed to forget they weren’t watching a real football game because they were clapping and grimacing during the game footage. During the triumph scene I even caught myself putting my hands together along with everyone else.

There was one street game of football that took place amongst his buddies which caused some eye rolling from me. I appreciated the sentiment but it was a bit much and could have been cut by at least three minutes, it just became too commercial Hallmark moment for me. With the obvious melodrama part addressed, I have nothing bad to say about Invincible since its enjoyable and supposed to be very over the top in its inspirational feel.

Final Grade: B

The Upside: A feel good inspirational film for sports fans and underdog rooters.

The Downside: Overly sentimental and glorifying.

On the Side: The film captured audiences by making $17.0 million in its opening weekend and went to #1.

Technorati Tags: Football, NFL, Vince Papale, Philadelphia Eagles, Sports, Underdog

Little Miss Sunshine, which stars 40 Year Old Virgin‘s Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette is an indie film recently that did well at Sundance recently. It is about a professor (Carell) who recently committed suicide and is now in the care of his sister (Collette) and living with her wacky family. As a group they begrudgingly and frantically travel in an old VW van from New Mexico to California to enter their little daughter Olive in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Along the way there are several mishaps that force the family to become closer and reveal their neurosis and love for one another. It’s cute and had me laughing several times. Although it started a little slow and odd the film gradually built as their trip went along. I literally felt like I was in the back seat with them.

It’s also well acted, especially by the teenage son Dwayne (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence and only writes on a steno pad to communicate. Alan Arkin plays the heroin smoking, sex maniac, but loving grandfather. Carrell as one of the main leads plays a serious role in this film, but because he is able to play the character so straight and dryly it comes off funny in a lot of scenes without being in your face. I use the term “straight” not in the sexual sense since his character is actually gay. Being a comic he easily could have turned the role into a flamboyant mess, but instead the fact that he’s gay is only an underlying character trait. Overall I enjoyed it more than the many enjoyable independent films that I saw at Tribeca recently.

Final Grade: A-
A fun American comedy with easy laughs and poignant moments.

On the Side: The movie actually took five years to make, mostly due to financial reasons.

Technorati Tags: Little Miss Sunshine, Tribeca, Buzz, Steve Carell, Sundance

Shadowboxer stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Helen Mirren (Calendar Girls) and Stephen Dorff. It took me awhile to write this review because reflecting on the film it’s so F’d up, but in a good way. I still keep thinking of the many disturbing scenes and relationships that the story portrays and I am still not sure how to go about describing it. In essence it’s part Pulp Fiction, film noir and an independent art film. The story centers on Rose, a female assassin (Mirren), diagnosed with terminal cancer who decides to carry out one final killing assisted by lover, fellow assassin and also stepson, Mickey (Cuba). I had stated that the relationships were disturbing. Anyway, their job becomes complicated when their hit turns out to be for a pregnant woman (Vanessa Ferlito) about to give birth, who also happens to be the wife of a dangerous Philadelphia murderer and criminal.

Despite the very graphic sexual and violent scenes in the film, there are many artistic shots and religious symbolism throughout. Also, the gritty scenes are oddly juxtaposed to French classical compositions making the film even more complicated. I was continually being shocked and feeling uncomfortable, yet I walked away liking the film for these same reasons. The plot also progressed well and made up for its harsh beginnings. The film also marks the directorial debut of Lee Daniels, the producer of the Academy Award-nominated Monster’s Ball and The Woodsmen, which helps explain the film’s frank and harsh scenes.

I found it especially nice seeing Cuba really acting again instead of playing dumb and crazy in Snow Dogs and Rat Race and Helen Mirren is as classy as ever despite the harsh role. Macy Gray also stars as one of the supporting characters and plays the part of a drunken street girl all to well and may I add, her voice is so annoying. I mean, I like her music but have you heard her talk? Geez. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (the boy from 3rd Rock from the Sun) stars as well and plays a corrupt doctor dating his nurse played by actress Mo’Nique, whose messed up relationship and characters I enjoyed.

Final Grade: B-
An interesting film that’s well acted and directed, but still disturbing, weird and at times a bit outlandish.

Technorati Tags: Movie Review, Shadowboxer, Independent

The film centers on Kenya Denise McQueen (Sanaa Lathan) who almost has every aspect of her life in order including the purchase of a new house, supportive friends, family and a prestigious job at a top accounting firm, all except when it comes to finding order in areas of the heart.

At the start of the film she hasn’t found that special someone yet due to family pressure of finding someone who is socially acceptable in her upper class life, combined with her own long list of requirements for the type of man she wants to marry and she’s not having much luck finding someone who fits the bill. She’s especially dispirited after hearing that over 42% of African American women never marry and impulsively agrees to a blind date with Brian Kelly (Simon Baker), a sexy, free-spirited landscape architect, who isn’t exactly what she pictured for herself especially the fact that he’s white. While not the man she had in mind for romance, she hires him to fix up the yard of her new house and finds herself irresistibly drawn to his earthy, laid-back charm and pursuit. The two enter into a romance that she tries to keep a secret due to the fact that they are an interracial couple and because it seems everyone including her girlfriend has an opinion about the relationship. Her socially prominent parents Joyce and Edmond (Alfre Woodard of Desperate Housewives and Earl Billings) make things especially uncomfortable for the pair as does her outraged womanizing younger brother Nelson played by Scrubs and Clueless star Donald Faison.

And when Kenya finally meets her theoretical perfect match, corporate attorney Mark (Blair Underwood), she is further thrown into confusion and re-questioning her list and whether it’s based on love or conformity. Ultimately, Kenya must decide between the relationship everyone expects her to have and the romance she didn’t expect.

Kenya is so uptight at first and Brian so laid back that you wonder if it’s race that’s in the way of them having a successful relationship or their varying personalities, but eventually it’s the contrast that compliments each other and brings them together. The character of Brian is also extremely understanding, patient and romantic that you can’t help but get annoyed at Kenya for not realizing it sooner.

I originally remember seeing the ads for the film at theaters and found the humor and subject intriguing from the clips, but its limited release and star power kept me from shelling out a theater ticket price. Overall the film does a good job of bringing up social stereotypes around interracial dating, which at times its frankness can make things uncomfortable but is handled very honestly. I was skeptical at first because given the plot it could have been clich©, and maybe it is in some scenes, but I don’t think the film was trying to make a huge statement or anything. It is a charming romantic comedy and a story of self discovery and it is what it is.

In regards to cinematography I was very impressed with the soft hues, coloring and stylish shots. The camera pans in circular gliding motions instead of just being a stationary window, thus providing the film with its own suave style.

The DVD also starts off with an introduction from an enthusiastic Blair Underwood who addresses the viewer about how they are excited to bring you Something New, which I found refreshing and his excitement for the film a bit contagious. I also found the DVD menu to be aesthetically pleasing. And for a film that didn’t do too exceptionally at theaters due to being overshadowed by other more popular films, this DVD includes its share of extras that are not usually found on hits even. Featurette’s include “The Making of Something New” and “The Do’s and Don’ts of Dating,” which includes the cast’s thoughts on dating and their advice and past horrors.

The Upside: It’s like a modern Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner mixed with a romantic comedy that’s well acted and not run-of-the-mill.

The Downside: A little bit longer than need be and at times frustrating.

On the Side: If you let your DVD run until the end of the Making of Section featurette, after the credits, the cast introduces each other and at the end Wendy Raquel Robinson thanks you for buying the DVD and not bootlegging. It’s funny.

Breaking Down the DVD:
The Film: B
The Delivery: B+
The Extras: B

Final Grade: B

TRAILER
Something New IMDb Info Page