Promotional photo of Brie Larson for Room

Brie Larson Destined for Breakout in Room Trailer

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Brie Larson has been close to breaking out in practically every one of her films over the past few years. She stunned audiences with her beauty and comedic wit/timing in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, played a small but pivotal role in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, Don Jon, was a highlight in Miles Teller's The Spectacular Now, was a scene stealer in Judd Apatow's Trainwreck, and cemented herself as one of Hollywood's most talented actresses in the sorely overlooked Short Term 12.

With Room, however, Larson may just be on the path towards the breakout she was destined to experience back in 2013. Directed by Frank's Lenny Abrahamson, Room is a gripping emotional/psychological drama/thriller about a young woman, Ma (Larson), and her five-year-old son, Jack (Jacob Tremblay), escaping from a 10x10 shack they were held captive in. Room is very reminiscent of the Saoirse Ronan-led Stockholm, Pennsylvania, but with notable and important differences. Room is adapted from the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue.

This could be the performance to put Larson over the top, and I can't wait to see it happen when Room is released into LA and NY theaters on October 16th with a wide release on November 6th.


Title card for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Red Band Trailer for Michael Bay's Political Action/Drama, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

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Michael Bay is diverting his attention from robot cars and over-sized turtles to a very serious topic: the attack on an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of 9/11. Immediately, the first question that comes to mind is whether or not Bay can find the proper tone to balance the film's action and dramatic elements. Yes, we all know Bay can handle action (albeit to an over-the-top, extreme level), but can he truly show emotional/psychological subtlety?

Thankfully, there's an actual sense of suspense in this first Red Band trailer for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, alongside the multitude of explosions we've come to express from a Bay film. However, there's too much reliance on the trailer's score and silent shots of John Krasinski (The Office) looking sullen and morose to accentuate the trailer's emotional tone; it just feels too superficial. However, given this is our first look at the film, I'll wait until its release to pass true judgment. The cast also stars James Badge Dale (24), Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black), Toby Stephens (Black Sails), Max Martini (Sabotage), and a reunion between Krasinski and David Denham (The Office's Roy).

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi will be in theaters on January 15, 2016.


Still of Channing Tatum in Jupiter Ascending

Channing Tatum Might Leave Gambit Solo Film

All seemed well for Fox and their X-Men film properties out of San Diego Comic Con '15. After all, they cemented their status at the comic book convention with a great panel showcasing all of their upcoming films (DeadpoolX-Men: Apocalypse, et al) and an epic on-stage selfie. All seemed well and good coming out of the successful panel, but rumor has it that everything might not be as it seems.

Despite lobbying to play Gambit, it appears that Channing Tatum (Magic Mike XXL) might be dropping out of the Gambit solo film due to discrepancies related to his deal. Tatum is also co-producing the film, but there's no word if he'll continue to produce the film if he drops out (though, I'd think it's safe to say he would have no involvement whatsoever if he does, indeed, leave). The news comes just a short month after director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) was announced as director of the film and rumors that Lea Seydoux (SPECTREBlue is the Warmest Color) might be cast in the lead actress role.

It'll be a huge blow to Fox and the X-Men film franchise if Tatum exits. While X-Men: Apocalypse and Deadpool are sure to be bonafide box office successes, a Tatum-led Gambit just could have been the gambit Fox needed to overtake the proper Marvel Studios films. We'll have more information as it becomes available.

[via The Wrap]


Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes

[Review] Mr. Holmes

Detective characters are often stand-ins for writers, and sometimes vice versa. The work of solving a mystery, like writing a tricky story, involves putting disparate pieces together into some form that logically holds together and seems true, no matter how improbable. Adapted from the novel A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin, Mr. Holmes puts the world's greatest detective in the role of a writer. Elderly and with a flagging memory, Sherlock Holmes tries to unravel the mystery of his final case and why it forced him into retirement on a Sussex farm where he tends to bees.

The idea of an aged Sherlock Holmes trying to unravel the mystery of his own memory is a fascinating set-up, especially given how elusive and illusory our memories can become as we get older. Mr. Holmes re-teams director Bill Condon and star Ian McKellan, whose careers both received a major boost in 1998 thanks to the film Gods and Monsters. The always-good Laura Linney is also in the film as Mrs. Munro, Sherlock's maid and caretaker.

However, even with all that promise, there's something about Mr. Holmes that seems so elementary.

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Mr. Holmes
Director: Bill Condon
Rating: PG
Release Date: July 17, 2015

In Mr. Holmes, both Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were real people. They solved actual cases reported in the news, and Watson wrote them down as popular novels to be sold to the public. The sleuths were celebrities, and at the start of the film, a woman who sees the retired detective in passing seems starstruck. She asks no one in particular if that man going by is the real Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock is annoyed by the notoriety since not everything in the books was true. The deerstalker cap, the calabash pipe--pure invention. But by writing about the last case, Sherlock wants to set the record straight, at least for himself.

That case that triggered Sherlock's lapse in memory was a case he did without Watson present. It involved a woman who seemed demonically possessed to play a glass harmonica. We get snippets of the case throughout Mr. Holmes, which intercuts the past being written/remembered, the present in post-WWII Sussex, and a flashback to a recent trip to Japan. In the present day, the curmudgeonly Sherlock tends to his beehives while widowed Mrs. Munro looks on downtrodden. Her son Roger (Milo Parker) is a Sherlock Holmes fanboy and idolizes the detective and his shtick. While in Japan, Sherlock's mind is so addled by age and regret that he needs to write his host's name on his shirt cuff just to address the man during dinner.

Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellan) out in the yard

There's a line by the writer Clive Barker (an executive producer on Gods and Monsters) that seems apt here: "I write to remember, and I also write to forget." We jot things down so we'll remember them for later or to coax recollection, but we also write things down so we can finally forget about them, sort of like deleting files. In Mr. Holmes, the process of writing is about forcing out memories and being able to let the memories go. Here the Barker line is lent a sense of absolution. By solving his own human mystery through the process of writing, the detective may be able to die in peace.

The big issue isn't the elements of Mr. Holmes but rather how sloppily the elements come together. The three different threads of the story don't braid nicely. Rather than complementing and enhancing one another, they intersect and interrupt and then just run semi-parallel. I felt like they were each their own discrete Elderly Sherlock Holmes adventures, though ones that happen to be faintly contingent upon one another--the difference between "stuff that happened" and "story."

Sir Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes

The sections of the film that deal with Mrs. Munro and Roger are warm and well-acted, but almost too sweetly so, and its class drama seems only half-explored. The Japanese segment seems dashed off at times, its significance, even when revealed, a trifle in the conscience of the detective. The primary interest is the remembrance of Holmes' final case, but even that winds up dissatisfying. The solution is too convenient, as if the final piece of the puzzle falls into Holmes' mind without the effort of the conscious mind. It's a lazy cop out that lacks the surprise or sense of invention that's found in the better stories of Arthur Conan Doyle.

McKellan at least shines, and he keeps Mr. Holmes watchable even when the script treads water. He portrays Sherlock a cold and quick in his final glory days, dashing too. In Japan, McKellan plays the detective as haunted but still trying to pass as his old self. As much as he hates the pop culture idea of himself, he's trying to play the part for his host. It's in the present, in the thick of his case of memory, where Holmes is the most human and vulnerable. He dodders like an old man at moments, and he weeps for his lack of wits. He's no longer himself, and he can't figure out why. What a dreadful mystery for any detective, and what a horrible block for someone writing a memoir.


Photo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein

John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein to Write Spider-Man Reboot

The Spider-Man reboot finally has screenwriters, and they're a formidable duo. Following the announcement of Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Jon Watts as the director comes news that the writing duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein will be handling script duties. The two have written Horrible BossesHorrible Bosses 2, and are making their directorial debut with this summer's Vacation.

Back when the purported shortlist of directors for Spider-Man was released, Daley and Goldstein were present. In fact, the duo was my personal favorite to direct the film. To have them involved in the project is a great sign for the film. As anyone who has seen Horrible Bosses and/or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 can attest, Daley and Goldstein have a great handle on modern comedy and pop culture.

With everybody in place, we can expect to hear a plethora of rumors pertaining to the plot in the months to come. And you know what? I can't wait.

[via Deadline]


Ant-Man starring Paul Rudd

[Review] Ant-Man

There was a concern that Ant-Man would lack personality. Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) had spent ages developing the Ant-Man screenplay, but he left the project due to creative differences with Marvel Studios. Peyton Reed replaced Wright as director and the screenplay was retooled by Adam McKay (Anchorman) and star Paul Rudd. Ant-Man wrapped principle photography in December 2014 to meet its July 2015 release date.

Shockingly, Ant-Man is good in spite of the changing hands and the accelerated turnaround from production to release. In fact, the film is chock full of giddy creativity that's lacking in other blockbusters. There's solid action throughout, but there's a healthy dose of self-effacement and self-deprecation, as if everyone involved acknowledges that you're watching a movie about Ant-Man, of all people.

While there's something to be said about my initial low expectations, Ant-Man succeeds primarily because it's allowed to be its own little, lighthearted animal in the big, bloated Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Ant-Man
Director: Peyton Reed
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: July 17, 2015

Scott Lang (Rudd) is an ex-con who gets back into cat-burgling when he can't make ends meet in civilian jobs. Thanks to his MacGyver-like cunning in a nicely crafted heist sequence, he steals a super suit that belongs to scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). The suit allowed Dr. Pym to shrink down to insect size and carry out covert military operations for the U.S. Government. Scott teams up with Pym and Pym's daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) in order to stop Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), a protege of Pym's who wants to use similar shrinking technology to create an army of miniature soldiers for the highest bidder.

Even though Ant-Man is a origin story, it never feels bogged down in set-up like many other origin stories. Pym passes his heroic legacy on to Scott, which makes it feel like we've hopped into the middle of a larger story rather than the cold start of a new one. The brisk, comic pace conveys Scott's transition from sarcastic doofus to unwitting-hero to reluctant-hero to superhero. A key training sequence mid-film is full of recurring gags and variations on recurring gags, each one offering a sense of character development and progression. Like a competent kung-fu film from the 1970s, we watch someone with talent but no discipline refine themselves under the tutelage of a master. There's clunkiness in the way Ant-Man deals with father-daughter and surrogate-father-son relationships, however, which is the foundation for many of the character interactions. It's serviceable and occasionally saccharine, though the father-child theme at least yields a few genuine moments of unexpected emotion.

Paul Rudd in action in Ant-Man

When Scott learns what Cross could do with shrinking technology, he says that they should call The Avengers. Pym sneers that all the Avengers do is drop cities from the sky, which seems to define the contrast in Ant-Man's approach to action. The movie can't possibly outdo The Avengers in terms of the scope, so Ant-Man instead relies on the humor of its small stature. They can't drop cities from the sky, but they can blow up a scale model to simulate citywide destruction; ditto the derailment of a Thomas the Tank Engine train set. Seeing Scott grab the grooves of an EDM record on a turntable or run alongside a colony of ants recalls both The Incredible Shrinking Man and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, each of which found a kind of imaginative awe in the miniature world. It's mostly unfamiliar territory for modern blockbusters, almost all of which every weekend depict the total destruction of major cities and the deaths of thousands. You see one metropolitan city get completely decimated, you've seen 'em all. Ant-Man is refreshing by comparison.

Rudd's a charming scoundrel with a heart of gold, and he carries the lead role with some fine wisecracks and slacker charisma. Douglas gets to do the old-dude-deadpan routine, and also plays concerned father to Hope and disappointed father-figure to Cross. On the note of Hope, she's saddled with the trope of the icy careerist, but there's enough in the writing (apparently added during the rewrite phase) and in Lilly's performance that makes her a bit more human. Scott's supporting thieves add personality when on the screen, particularly Luis played by Michael Peña, whose comic timing and delivery propel some of my favorite non-action sequences in the film.

Paul Rudd finds the Ant-Man suit

There's something I've noticed as Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe draws to a close. The standouts for me have been the films that got away from straight-up superheroics. Even though Avengers: Age of Ultron did great at the box office, the movie was a generic rehash of the first Avengers. By contrast, Captain America: The Winter Soldier added the paranoia of political thrillers from the 1970s, and Guardians of the Galaxy was an '80s misfit movie (i.e., The Goonies in space). Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe is driven by producers/Marvel Studios rather than by directors/screenwriters, mixing a different tone or genre into the superheroics seems like a form of creative triangulation. To put it another way, hybridty and genre cross-pollination is the best way for a Marvel film to develop its own identity given the way that they're made.

In that regard, Ant-Man belongs in that standout class from Phase Two. The film sticks to its lighthearted tone and blends the madcap imagination of '50s and '60s sci-fi films with the meticulous, ticking-clock operations of a cinematic caper. Ant-Man's a movie with its own sense of character even though it isn't driven by a directorial voice or vision. The filmmakers of Marvel's Phase Three can learn something useful from the little guy.


Promotional Fantastic Four photo of Michael B. Jordan, Miles Teller, Kate Mara, and Jamie Bell

Fantastic Four Flex Their Powers in Final Trailer

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While San Diego Comic Con 2015 was a huge hit for superhero films, Fantastic Four unfortunately got buried beneath the hype surrounding DeadpoolBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Suicide Squad. After all, it's hard to build more excitement for a film with no new information and scheduled for a release less than a month away.

Nevertheless, Fox is prepared for Fantastic Four to be a big hit, as showcased in this final trailer for the film. The trailer holds no punches back (pun intended) by showing off each of the Fantastic Four's powers. The new cut is decidedly more action-oriented and should help sway any potential moviegoers on the fence. Don't forget, this is the year for Michael B. Jordan.

Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Toby Kebbell all star with Josh Trank directing. Fantastic Four will be in theaters on August 7th.


Group photo of DC's Suicide Squad

Official First Look at DC's Suicide Squad

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Over the weekend, fans attending San Diego Comic Con were treated with a special first-look at DC's upcoming film, Suicide Squad. Featuring a ridiculously talented cast that includes Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Cara Delevingne, amongst others, and End of Watch's David Ayer helming, Suicide Squad is just one of DC's re-vitalized attempts at not only re-shaping their united DC film universe, but to also change the superhero film script up by featuring villains as the protagonists.

In the clip, which was leaked over the weekend following its closed doors reveal at San Diego Comic Con, each character is highlighted as the nexus of their formation is revealed. The big twist, however, is the surprise appearance by Jared Leto's oft-criticized Joker. As far as first looks go, this footage hits the right balance of showing off just enough to get fans more hyped while not spoiling the film outright.

As I mentioned previously, DC released the footage following a bootleg video of the Suicide Squad SDCC-exclusive clip. The studio had this to say, posted on the Suicide Squad Facebook:

"Warner Bros. Pictures and our anti-piracy team have worked tirelessly over the last 48 hours to contain the Suicide Squad footage that was pirated from Hall H on Saturday. We have been unable to achieve that goal. Today we will release the same footage that has been illegally circulating on the web, in the form it was created and high quality with which it was intended to be enjoyed. We regret this decision as it was our intention to keep the footage as a unique experience for the Comic Con crowd, but we cannot continue to allow the film to be represented by the poor quality of the pirated footage stolen from our presentation."
- Sue Kroll, President Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures

Suicide Squad will be in theaters in August 2016.