Thor: Ragnarok is already looking to be an interesting film, as it will follow Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and will be the lead into Avengers: Infinity War Part 1. Then you add Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, Birth.Death.Movie. is reporting that this will be the darkest film to date, and then Taika Waititi was brought in to direct.
Other interesting elements to the movie are the possibility of the introduction of Valkyrie, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first major female villain.
“If Valkyrie is really coming to the big screen, that will make two high-profile female roles being cast in Ragnarok, because I have heard that Marvel is also planning on bringing their first major female villain into their cinematic universe. I don’t know who the character is for sure, but there are a couple likely candidates from Asgard: Amora the Enchantress, a sorceress; or Hela, Queen of the Dead (and also Loki’s daughter but that won’t necessarily be the case if Hela does indeed get the cinematic treatment),” posted Lainey Gossip.
What villain do you want to see enter the MCU; Hela ‘Queen of the Dead,’ or Amora the Enchantress?
Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman would be a perfect Hela. Emma Watson would make and interesting Valkyrie, to where Olivia Wilde would be the badass choice.
Hela ‘Queen of the Dead’ The three Asgardian goddesses of fate, the Norns, are said to have warned the Asgardian gods that Hela would prove to be a great danger to them. Odin, ruler of the Asgardian gods, decreed that Hela would become goddess and ruler of the spirits of the dead on the day of her maturity. These spirits were in the other-dimensional realms of Hel and Niflheim, two more of the Nine Worlds, both of which Hela ruled. However, Odin himself directly ruled the souls of Asgardians and their human worshippers who died in battle as heroes, and had the palace of Valhalla built in a distant section of Asgard to house them.
Amora the Enchantress Amora was born somewhere in Asgard, her parentage unknown. While still in adolescence, she ran away to the land of the Norns and apprenticed herself to Karnilla, one of the most powerful sorceresses in all the Asgardian dimension. There she studied all the basic arts of Asgardian magic until Karnilla expelled her for being too undisciplined. She picked up further mystical skills from seducing other Asgardian magi and wizards. (source: Marvel Database)
Thor: Ragnarok is directed by Taika Waititi, Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle are working on the script, and the film stars Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Ray Stevenson, and Anthony Hopkins.
Thor: Ragnarok will destroy the universe on November 3, 2017.
Marvel Studios is currently filming Doctor Strange in Nepal, but according to The Wrap, Amy Landecker has just joined the cast the film in a key role. Marvel has yet to announce the character Landecker will play in the film.
The film stars Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Cumberbatch plays neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who after a horrific car accident discovers a hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.
Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson, with screenplay by Jon Sphaits, and is expected in theaters on November 4, 2016.
As the Star Wars: The Force Awakens press tour kicks off with the Entertainment Weekly interviews, details about the film are starting to emerge.
Turn back now if you don’t want anything spoiled.
The Jedi were the villains of the story.
According to EW, the First Order Stormtroopers are recruited as children and fed propaganda about the war between the Empire and the Rebellion. The Imperial Forces are portrayed as the good guys in those stories. Finn has been taught that Luke Skywalker was “a villain who destroyed the benevolent Empire.”
There is a new General in the galaxy.
According to EW, Princess Leia has a new title that reflects her role as the rebel leader. “She’s referred to as General,” said Abrams. “But … there’s a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her ‘Princess.’”
Han!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters December 18, 2015.
Tuesday afternoon, at noon on the nose to be exact, the ever eccentric, always bizarre, and consistently fascinating Hollywood anti-superstar Shia LaBeouf commandeered a small screen at an Angelika Theater in New York City. His plan: to screen all of his movies (27) in reverse chronological order, and live stream himself watching his movies. Not live stream the movies, just himself watching himself, in a theater open to the public. #AllMyMovies. It’s simply his most recent bizarre performance art, for a performer who has grown increasingly offbeat over the last twenty months, ever since he showed up at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of Nymphomaniac in February, 2014, wearing a paper bag over his head with “I Am Not Famous Anymore” scribbled across the front. A few weeks before that curious move, LaBeouf famously plagiarized a short film based on a Daniel Clowes comic and claimed to have done it all in the name of a publicity stunt, or performance art, or something… His past is littered with weird behavior, alcoholism, and what always seems to be the crushing weight of celebrity expectations.
Last year, Shia staged #IAmSorry, where he sat in a room and invited the general public in with him where they could say whatever they wanted to say directly to his face. He would remain silent, as he is in the theater this week. It broke down the barrier that exists – that ever-so-safe troll barrier – for internet critics with Twitter muscles who found themselves in a room with another human being. Not some out-of-touch superstar. It broke down that barriers so intensely that LaBeouf was allegedly sexually assaulted – or ALMOST sexually assaulted depending on the account – by one of his visitors.
Which leads us to #AllMyMovies. Dave Ehlrich of Rolling Stone already wrote on this most recent stunt at fascinating and insightful length, so there’s no need to re-hash what he’s already said better than I ever could. I’ll just build off what he says in my own way. Ehlrich’s piece points out Shia LaBeouf’s attempt to crush convention, deconstruct celebrity, and invert the fishbowl back on itself. I have found myself drawn into the live stream from time to time. I have the schedule of the films, so I know what he’s watching when. There’s no need to watch for more than a moment at a time. But there’s something hypnotizing about seeing LaBeouf seeing himself. It’s an existential, Lynchian examination that deserves attention. Sure, it’s easy to dismiss LaBeouf as an out-of-touch Hollywood nut job looking for attention; that just means you aren’t paying attention yourself.
LeBeouf is anything except an out-of-touch Hollywood type. He appears to have been crushed by the weight of an extremely un-ordinary life of adulation and the inability to function as a normal human being. For all of his strange quirks and interplanetary ramblings, I contend, much like Ehlrich, that Shia LaBeouf has figured out a way to deconstruct the celebrity detachment better than Clooney could ever do when he was busy damning paparazzi. Watching #AllMyMovies form time to time, a strange thing happens: you start to identify with this person, just another human being in a theater, watching movies. The fact he is in these movies becomes secondary, and his reactions to certain films we know are ridiculous breaks down an invisible wall we know exists, but are never able to pinpoint. Think about how bizarre and detached the life of a celebrity is, then reconsider what LaBeouf is doing.
Laugh all you want, dismiss Shia LaBeouf as another aloof moron Hollywood type. I see merit in what he’s doing. I’ve always been fascinated (mostly amused) by his antics, and as the buzz has built surrounding #AllMyMovies, my chuckles transformed into a strange fascination I can’t quite comprehend. Though I’m trying. And that’s what LaBeouf wants; he wants us to think, to dissect, to not simply gaze at navels and blindly accept the way things are between this gaggle of powerful celebrities and you and I wandering around the rest of the world. Consider what’s been happening as this stunt has grown in popularity: between films Wednesday night he spendt his time taking selfies with fans. They are obsessed with being there, with him, in that room, and having proof. They are proving his point. It’s a vanity project, sure, but isn’t everything we all do, all the time, an exercise in some sort of vanity?
Disney and Lucasfilms released the second TV spot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.
The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and
“In the not too distant future,” is the opening many know started a show by the name of Mystery Science Theater 3000, where a janitor who was shot into space by his bosses watched cheesy movies and made fun of them along with his two robot sidekicks. The show is a favorite among both scifi and comedy fans around the world and inspired many a person to make turn a bad movie into a golden opportunity for comedy. And just when they thought it was gone and would never grace the land of television ever again, the legendary show which made everyone look forward to watching bad films just might be coming back.
Series creator, Joel Hodgson has started a kickstarter and is looking to raise two million dollars and create a new batch of episodes produced to get a whole new generations of fans addicted to this legendary series. He insists it will feature a new made scientist who will force a new man to watch movies with the bot sidekicks of infamy, Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot. As of this article, they are already more than half of the way through the initial goal of the creation of three episodes. With any luck they will hit their full goal of five million dollars and an entire 12 episode season will be created. Come on MSTies (Mystery Science Theater Fans), this is your time! You want the crew of the SOL (satellite of love) back, then click the link and give til it hurts! Now, push button Frank.
Though it certainly has its moments of uplifting, inspiring verve, The 33 most often looks and sounds like an expensive made-for-TV dramatization. The film’s heart is certainly in the right place, as it brings to life in a very personal, intimate way both the struggle for survival of the 33 Chilean miners trapped 700 meters below ground for 69 days in late 2010, as well as the ordeal of the miners’ families as they clung to hope day after agonizing day. But in terms of execution, the film’s script is often heavy-handed, and the performances of its leads prove wildly uneven. It’s not a terrible film, but it’s one that should have been better.
August 5th, 2010 begins much like any other day for the men who made their daily living bringing gold and copper up from the depths of the San Jose copper mine in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Led by their shift foreman, “Don Lucho” Luis Urzua (Lou Diamond Phillips), the crew that makes its way into the mine includes devoted family man Mario Sepúlveda (Antonio Banderas), avid Elvis Presley enthusiast Edison “Elvis” Peña (Jacob Vargas), town philanderer Yonni Barrios (Oscar Nuñez), troubled alcoholic Dario Segovia (Juan Pablo Raba), Bolivian national Carlos Mamani (Tenoch Huerta), former professional footballer Franklin Lobos (Alejandro Goic), Mario Gomez (Gustavo Angarita), the eldest of the miners, two weeks from his retirement, and the group’s youngest, Alex Vega (Mario Casas), whose along with his wife Jessica (Cote de Pablo) are expectant parents.
Not long after the team sets to work, the ancient mine, which for months Don Lucho had reported to its owners was unsafe due to the mountain being unstable and proper safety precautions such as ladders up the mine’s ventilation shafts not being complete, suffers a massive rock fall. A solid mass of rock twice the size and weight of the Empire State Building shifts within the mountain and comes crashing down between the miners and the tunnels that are their only way out. Don Lucho gathers the group inside “The Refuge”, an emergency space in the deepest part of the mine where food and medical supplies are kept, and prepares them for the worst, as he knows the stores they have there will sustain them for three days at best. But Sepúlveda refuses to accept their fate, and works hard to rally the men and keep their spirits high.
Meanwhile, on the surface, Chilean Mining Minister Laurence Golborne (Rodrigo Santoro) convinces the nation’s president, Sebastián Piñera (Bob Gunton), that the government should respond and lead the rescue efforts, however slim the chances are for success. Once on site, he finds himself face to face with an angry mob comprised of the miners’ families, who have been kept in the dark about the fate of their loved ones by the mine owners. Among them is Maria Segovia (Juliette Binoche), Dario’s elder sister, whose voice is the loudest in denouncing the mine owners’ silence and challenging the government’s sincerity when Laurence pledges to do everything possible to rescue the survivors.
Laurence, however, does prove true to his word, staying on site and acting as a liaison between the families and the rescue efforts as teams of engineers and massive drills are brought in to bore into the mountain in an effort to reach the 33. He also provides the means for the families to build a tent city on the outskirts of the mine site, so that they can stay close to the rescue efforts while keeping their children in school and maintaining a semblance of normal life.
But everyone above and below the surface knows just how close to impossible the task in front of them is. As days and weeks pass, maintaining hope in the face of growing obstacles and time running out proves just as daunting a challenge to overcome as the tons of rock separating the 33 from their freedom, and the question becomes just how far will everyone go in their efforts before they surrender to what seems to be inevitable.
In terms of what works in The 33, the production proves very effective in its efforts to depict the terrifying mine collapse and the claustrophobic conditions in which the miners managed to survive. The rock fall sequence comes fairly early on in the film, and the way it’s brought to life truly drives home how fortunate the men were to survive that initial catastrophe at all. Production design above ground is equally impressive, with the recreation of “Camp Esperanza” and the varied efforts of the government’s rescue operation and the challenges they faced depicted clearly, albeit with much exposition in the script. In short, where The 33 does excel as a film is in recreating the experience of being in midst of that tense and emotional scene for weeks on end, and all the many difficulties faced by everyone involved.
Where the film falls short is in terms of the script and director Patricia Riggan’s very approach to the material, which is as conventional and safe as it comes and as such results in a fairly predictable and occasionally saccharine film. Of course, it makes sense that the production is a relatively “safe” one in terms of its storytelling, as all involved have to be mindful of the 33 families to whom the film is beholden for its story, and just how close in recent memory and well documented these events truly were. But still, aside from some jarring tonal shifts — there’s a very odd and jarring dream-like sequence that plays out like a shared mirage experienced by the miners during their most desperate hours, to name one example — any savvy movie goer familiar with the progression of how survival dramas work on film can and will spot the tropes at work here, which invariably takes away from immersion in the story and its drama.
In terms of actor performances in The 33, the work turned in here by Antonio Banderas runs in parallel to the film itself in terms of its highs and lows. Portraying the man who came to be known throughout Chile and around the world as “Super Mario” Sepulveda for the energy and humor he displayed in the video journals sent to the media on the surface once rescuers established contact with the miners, Banderas’ depiction, particularly in moments meant to convey high tension, freely crosses the line into hammy territory. The script doesn’t do him any favors — when you’re asked to deliver such groaners as “That was the heart of the mountain. She finally broke,” and “I believe we’ll make it out of here because I CHOOSE to believe it! All 33 of us!” without laughing, well, it’s clearly not an easy task. In quieter, lighter, and less pensive moments, on the other hand, Banderas’ easy, playful charm and charisma works well in terms of selling just how this man came to be the beating heart of the group’s survival effort.
In comparison, Juliette Binoche is a steady and rock solid presence throughout the film as the formidable but flawed Maria, but she’s simply not in the film enough for her work to balance out the other actors’ uneven contributions. Plus, the presence of such non-Hispanic performers as Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne in such prominent roles here proves to be nothing but distracting, and don’t be fooled by veteran actor James Brolin’s high placement in the cast billing. Brolin’s is little more than a cameo appearance with a handful of lines of dialogue that are mostly engineering techno-babble. As for Santoro, ostensibly the film’s third lead and protagonist, he’s as underwritten and bland as bland gets. He may not miss all the body paint and piercings that made him so memorable in the 300 films, but audiences sure will, seeing him have so little fun here.
All that said, by the end of The 33 it’s tough not to walk out smiling at least a little, considering that this really is one of those amazing true-life stories that did have a happy ending and whose legacy is one of positive values such as loyalty, brotherhood, and perseverance. Again, it’s not a bad film, by any means, and most likely if you give it a chance and you don’t nitpick individual performances and line reads, you can enjoy it for what it is.
But make no mistake, considering just how compelling this story was when it played out on CNN and world news sources for those two months in 2010, and how the world as a whole celebrated when the story came to a triumphant end, the film version could have been, and should have been, much better.
The 33
Starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, Juliette Binoche, James Brolin, Lou Diamond Phillips, with Bob Gunton and Gabriel Byrne. Directed by Patricia Riggen.
Running Time: 127 minutes
Rated PG-13 for a disaster sequence and some language
When it comes to Barry Allen and The Flash, he may have finally found his match.
In a flashy way to introduce this episode, enter Zoom.
Just a mere six episodes into season 6, Barry finally comes face to face with his hidden foe. Fresh off of the recent capture of Dr. Light/Linda Park’s doppelgänger, team Flash is attempting to lure Zoom out of the breach. Aided with the mysterious agenda of Earth Two’s Harrison “Harry” Wells, the goal is simple; dampen the speed of Zoom and hopefully come out with a new captive.
As with all superhero drama’s, the episode wouldn’t be started without an unexpected turn of events. When Cisco went into the lower levels of S.T.A.R. Labs to deliver food to the captured Dr. Light, he was met with an empty cell. In a panic, the team was faced with their bait disappeared and hopes of luring and catching Zoom quickly dissipating.
So when your bait disappears and a timeline begins to tick down, what’s the next move? The answer, trust the next person who looks identical to that person.
Bothered by her recent run-in with her Earth Two twin, Linda Park was entrusted by the team to don Light’s jacket and mask, with an addition of light-emitting gloves, to thwart the effort of Zoom. But that’s not all she was entrusted with. In a solo meeting between the Flash and Park, Barry reveals himself to Linda, opening the door to another person knowing his secret and further expanding his team to include her.
Along with trying to defeat Zoom, Cisco, Caitlin and Joe took it upon themselves to figure out the motive behind the appearance of Wells. Obviously from last episode, we know that it has to do with Zoom holding his daughter captive. Now given the name Jesse, Cisco attempts to use his vibe abilities to read Wells, but it’s obvious that Wells notices what he is trying to do and quickly gets in Cisco’s face about it. Only later on, after a mishap with a project that Harry is working on, Cisco contacts with him and sees Earth Two. Looking into things, he sees Jesse and Zoom in the same basement-like prison.
Following the botched first attempt to draw out Zoom, Barry and Linda come up empty. But things get interesting when Zoom appears in Central City and takes her captive outside of Central City Picture News. After Zoom takes her to the top of S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry rushes to confront him. After a throw off the roof and tornado-like catch, Zoom and Flash race off into a very interesting fight. What looks to be a strong outing from Flash in his first meeting, Zoom showed his power after catching a lightning throw from Barry and redirecting it right into his chest.
Attempting to dampen his speed, Wells’ shot was easily caught by Zoom, who jammed it right into Barry’s chest.
Not rooting for a villain, but I was really moved by Zoom’s postering of a fallen Flash all over Central City. Here, he held a nearly lifeless superhero in his hands, most notably in the Central City Police Department, where he could have unmasked him. Yet, he did no such thing, which I felt holds more power than tearing off the mask to who is going to end up his biggest enemy quite soon. That defines power.
His advertising of Flash’s defeat ended in S.T.A.R. Labs, when he finally pulled the mask off. However, before he had a chance to deliver a final blow, Cisco shot a dampening dart into Zoom. Anticipating that they finally would be able to capture him, Zoom was able to speed off. Wells was immediately defeated, yelling as he watched Zoom leave, almost thinking that he lost his daughter completely.
The final stretch of this episode showed a battered Barry Allen in the hospital bed, surrounded by Cisco and Caitlin. Obviously not completely healed, the episode was ended when Barry came to the realization that he can’t feel his legs. Cut to black.
What started as a goofy episode quickly took hold as another standout episode in this high octane second season. The whole “let’s train Linda in the warehouse” showed signs of 196o’s Batman campiness, but displayed the true trial-and-error that this team goes through. Throw in the horrible acting in the first attempt to bring Zoom out, I was almost waiting to hear Linda or Barry yell “grab the Bat-shark repellant.”
Patty and Barry showed hints of the relationship we are just beginning to see, and if Park was entrusted enough to learn Barry’s secret, I think it’s only a matter of time before we see the reveal with Patty. It’s obvious that they are crazy about each other, but this alter-ego is already showing signs of getting in the way.
It seems the question of “who is the Arrow on Earth Two?” has officially been answered. It seems we will never see and Earth One Oliver Queen meets Earth Two Oliver. In a flashback to Harrison Wells on E-2, a news program in the background played a reveal of Robert Queen as the hood. The anchor stated that Queen returned from being stranded on an island after his boat sank and son Oliver died and returned to Starling, yes Starling, City.
Another hidden gem in last nights episode was when Wells called his daughter, Jesse Quick, when he said he loved her. Quick, as you could imagine, takes on the role of a speedster herself, with her name being the name of her superhero. She also takes on the name of Liberty Belle in the comics. It’s exciting to see the introduction of so many names so subtly, that it’s a mystery of who else we have seen or heard about and who may be what in this multiverse.
To spin a few gears, this photo gave away what I think may be a major clue as to the identity of Zoom himself. Based on the body and a distinction of the eyes, I am going to guess that the identity of Zoom is actually a Mr. Henry Allen, played by former Flash John Wesley Shipp. I may be completely wrong, but watching last nights episode, I saw those eyes and immediately shot up thinking that it’s not too far-fetched to think that.
E-1 Henry has been long gone since his release, and we haven’t seen any E-2 Barry or Henry, so it could be assumed that E-2 Henry is here all along. Causing some stir of who is actually Zoom and setting up a huge plot line and conflict for Barry. I mean, he is entrusting the clone of the man who killed his mother, so why not take a chance to conflict him by making his fathers clone his enemy? Makes sense, right?
I mean, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone seemingly hid in plain sight and has actually been a villain before. The Flash has never put a main character in the villain seat before, nope, never happened. While, yes, I am just spinning my wheels and I could be completely wrong, but for the sake of creating conversation, what do you think?
Also, where is Jay? He had a brief mention last night, but no one seems to wonder where exactly he is. Could he be attempting to regain his speed? Or could he just be returning to E-2, frustrated that everyone refused to listen to him regarding going against Zoom this early on? With Barry without his legs at the present moment, does he return to face Gorilla Grodd who is returning to Central City? I guess we will wait a week to figure out what happens next.
The screening for the Room was rather small and intimate. As the film was about to begin in walked another critic, on any normal night, this would not be surprising. But tonight was a little different. I knew that he’d seen this movie a week prior and here he was ready to sit down and experience Room once again. “You’re back again?” I asked. He smiled back at me. “Yep, that should tell you something.” About two hours later it became crystal clear why he would want to see this again. Room is one of the most haunting tales of loss and reawakening. The film is one the best of 2015.
On the surface it’s easy to assume this film is just about captivity, but there is so much more to Room than meets the eye. Inside the cramped 11-by-11 interior of a sealed, soundproof garden shed is the story of a mother, her 5 year-old son, and how time/regret can make unknowing captives of us all. Director Lenny Abrahamson did a marvelous job bringing the 2010 Emma Donaghue novel to the screen and it still packs the same emotional punch. One of the best calls the director made was enlisting the help of Donoghue to help adapt the story for the screen. Who else would have a better understanding of just what a massive undertaking it would be to retell her story with the essential tools? For example, a mastery of language and an inner monologue that keeps us locked inside the head of the story’s 5-year-old protagonist. If you are someone who is diving into Room without any prior knowledge of the story, it may take a few beats of the film to fully grasp the precise nature of what is transpiring; but when it clicks, the results are powerful.
It’s fascinating how the cinematography was an essential element to a movie that for the first half of the is based in one single room. Danny Cohen does an amazing job of bringing such a small concealed space to life. Using dingy and muted colors as well as tight and wide lens close-ups, the film deliberately places us in close with Jack (Jacob Trembaly) and Joy (Brie Larson), the only other person he’s ever spoken to. Even though they spend every waking moment together, Jack has no awareness of what’s going on in the outside world. He develops a special bond to inanimate objects in the room such as the Table, Toilet, and Sink, in the same way you would develop relationships with your friends. The idea of this is heartbreaking. Of course, his Ma is his best friend, tending to his every need from playing games, to exercise, to fixing his meals, and even baking him a birthday cake for his fifth birthday.
It was at this point, when Jack is put to bed in “Wardrobe,” that we catch a glimpse of a man known only as Old Nick (Sean Bridgers). Old Nick opens a coded door and has quite a “noisy” interaction with Jack’s mother, leaving food and supplies before disappearing once again. This brings the true nature of the story into focus, and crushes your soul. Ma decides to tell Jack the truth: Seven years ago, she was kidnapped by Old Nick (“He stole me,” she explains) and imprisoned in “Room.” Two years later, Jack was born, and you immediately understand that this sweet boy, despite the personal hell she has indured, and despite the circumstances in which he was conceived, gave his mother a reason to live.
In most of your “typical” Hollywood scripts, the dramatic moment would be when finally Ma and Jack escape from Room; however, Room is not your “typical” Hollywood movie. Room is all about the shell shock of two individuals who have been severed from the outside world for seven agonizing years, and how they adjust as they integrate back into the world. Jack has never been outside of Room and understandably is having a rough adjustment to being free. Jack’s first exposure to the outside world is the white walls of a hospital room, which is painfully overlit, like it’s some sort of scene from a science fiction film. This was a brilliant decision on the part of Abrahamson and the cinematographer because it truly gave you sense of what shock Jack must be feeling at that very moment. Think about it: How would your eyes adjust if you were use to the same level of light for five years and then you were exposed to something completely different?
Joan Allen does what Joan Allen does in every role and that give an excellent performance as Jack’s very relieved but emotionally shattered Grandma. Although William H. Macy doesn’t have a ton of on camera time he makes the most of his time as the Grandpa who can’t quite accept that his daughter is back after seven years. Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson are what everyone will be talking about after they leave theater. Jacob’s portrayal of Jack is so authentic, so soulful and spirited, you immediately are drawn to him, agonizing over the fact he has not yet experienced such things as breathing the outside air or getting to play in a field with his friends.
Brie Larson delivers a radiant, strong, unforgettable performance. Larson is no stranger to the heavy drama. She received a ton of praise for her role as a counselor to trouble teens in Short Term 12. Larson brings the intensity of a momma bear while the tenderness as one would expect towards your son. Viewers will see the rage build in her eyes as she grows weary of the fact her offspring has been forced to breathe the same rancid air for five years. It’s as authentic of performance as I’ve seen this year, and it deserves recognition.
It’s not difficult to understand why most will not be immediately drawn to go see Room. The subject matter is as intense as you will see at the movies this year. The thought of the film even gave one of the editors of this web page a ton of angst (as well as this critic). However, I implore all of you to look beyond the simple plot points of this film and allow this movie to wash over you like a wave. Go experience one the best films of 2015, go see Room.
Harrison Ford spoke to Entertainment Weekly about reprising his role as Han Solo, the evolution of the character, Solo’s failures, and the future of Indiana Jones.
“He was always the cynical member of the original characters. While we were invited to engage on the questions of some pretty arcane mysteries — the Force and the mythology that surrounds it — he was the guy who said, ‘What? Huh? Come on.’ There was a callow youth, a beautiful princess, a wise old warrior, and there was a smart-ass,” said Ford.
“No, there’s not an abandoning of the character. He does not aspire to the position of Obi-‘Ben’ Kenobi, nor do I aspire to be some New Age Alec Guinness. His development is consistent with the character, and there are emotional elements which have occasioned his growth,” said Ford.
“We spend a lot more time on his failure to master basic skills, like accounting. And accounting for his own behavior. There’s a lot of the rogue still left in Solo. Some things don’t change,” said Ford.
“Oh, yeah, I’d love to do another Indiana Jones. A character that has a history and a potential, kind of a rollicking good movie ride for the audience, Steven Spielberg as a director — what’s not to like,” said Ford.
Star Wars: the Force Awakens opens in theaters on December 18.
Hela ‘Queen of the Dead’
Amora the Enchantress
