Drive is an Action/Drama film released a couple weeks ago starring Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks. It was originally released at the Cannes Film Festival where Nicolas Winding Refn won a best director award. The film tells the story of a nameless and quiet protagonist (Ryan Gosling), known only as "Driver", who works as a Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic but moonlights as a getaway driver. Driver finds himself falling in love with his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), but she's put in danger when her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Issac) gets out of prison. Standard is reformed, but a group of men threaten to hurt his family if he doesn't pull off a heist for them. Driver decides to assist in the heist, but things go terribly wrong.
Emmy Award Winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) also stars as Driver's mechanic boss Shannon who also helps him set up heists. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman star as mobsters who go after Driver following the heist gone wrong. Christina Hendricks plays a woman assisting in the heist.
Drive is the best film of 2011 so far, but don't expect your typical action film. There's not much action for the first 30 minutes, but once it kicks in it's very exciting. It comes in short bursts and it's REALLY violent so if you have a weak stomach, be warned.
That said, Ryan Gosling, despite not having many lines, deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance. He gives an excellent prescence on screen making a very quiet character fascinating and complex. A cold and calculating man, yet clearly lonely and looking for something better. Albert Brooks should be nominated too as Mobster Bernie Rose. Brooks plays against his typical comedic roles and he's 100% convincing.
This film is directed beautifully from start to finish. It has an excellent noir look from start to finish and has the style of an arthouse action film. The score is great too. It gives a nostalgic 80s film feel.
It's hard to really explain what made Drive so great to me, but the experience felt unforgettable. The movie is hypnotic. My eyes were glued to the screen from start to finish even when people are getting stomped to death. The Cinematography, the music, the acting all top notch. It takes a seemingly basic story and makes it into a complex journey. I left the film thinking "That was pretty good." But the more I think about it, the more I like it.
If you're expecting The Fast and the Furious, do yourself a favor and watch The Fast and The Furious. If you're hoping for an intelligent and unique arthouse film, watch Drive.
15. The Descendants The Descendants has a pretty crappy trailer. However, considering the talent at hand and the early critic reviews, I've got a feeling that in a couple years people are gonna watch the trailer again and say "Wow. The trailer does not do this movie justice at all." The film stars George Clooney as a father trying to reconcile with his daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident. It's directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways) and currently has a 92% on rotten tomatoes based on 13 reviews with an average rating of 8.5/10.
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is a film directed by Steven Spielberg based on the comics and tv series of the same name. I've only seen one episode of the show, but it was AWESOME! It's an Indiana Jones type of treasure hunt movie. It's a motion capture animated movie and the animation looks INCREDIBLE! This is Academy Award Winner Steven Spielberg's return to cinema after the piece of garbage that was Indiana Jones 4. This film is 1 of 2 Spielberg movies coming out this year (The other being War Horse , but more on that later) and looks to be a return to form. It is expected for release on December 23, 2011 and has no reviews yet.
Machine Gun Preacher is a film starring Gerard Butler (300, some shitty Rom-coms) that it set to be released next Friday, September 23. It's based on the True Story of Sam Childers, a former criminal who became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children forced to become soldiers. It looks like a hit-or miss film. Either a powerful, heart wrenching biopic, or a maudlin, irritating melodrama. Hopefully it'll be the former. It currently has 5 reviews from Rotten tomatoes. 80% of the reviews are positive with an average rating of 6.1/10.
Contagion is scary looking thriller released on September 9, 2011. It has a very strong ensemble cast. Academy Award Winner Marion Cottilard (La Vie En Rose, Inception), Academy Award Winner Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, The Departed, The Jason Bourne Series), Academy Award Nominee Laurence Fishburne (What's Love got to do with it, The Matrix), Academy Award Nominee Jude Law (Talented Mr. Ripley, Closer, Cold Mountain), Academy Award Winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Iron Man, Shakespeare in Love, Seven) and Academy Award Winer Kate Winslet (Titanic, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Reader). It's also directed by Academy Award Winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Oceans 11, Che). It's about a deadly disease that breaks out, the attempt to contain the disease, and the breakdown of society that results. It has an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes right now with 163 reviews and an average rating of 7.2/10. It looks pretty intense
Moneyball stars Academy Award Nominee Brad Pitt (12 Monkeys, Seven, Benjamin Button, and my favorite movie of all time, Fight Club) as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland A's, and his attempt to create a competitive team despite Oakland's financial situattion. Like Machine Gun Preacher, this is also based on a true story. It's directed by Academy Award Nominee Bennett Miller (Capote) and also stars Academy Award Winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, Before the Devil Knows your dead) and Jonah Hill (most Judd Apatow movies). It currently holds an 83% on Rotten tomatoes based on 18 reviews and has an average rating of 7.8/10. It is set to be released on September 23.
Red State has director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma) leaving his raunchy comedy roots in favor of making a horror film....I think. The film is about 3 teenagers who get kidnapped by an extremist church led by a psycho fundamentalist preacher. The teaser trailer is one of the most frightening things that I have ever watched.
Then I saw the theatrical trailer which was kinda weird. It started out with the super creepy horror vibe but then it started to look more like an over the top Grindhouse style action movie. The film currently has gotten mixed reviews from critics with a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 23 reviews and an average rating of 5.5/10. Nonetheless, I'm still intrigued. The film can be currently watched online or On Demand and will be released into theaters on September 23, 2011.
Warrior is a film in theaters right now that I hope to watch ASAP.
I refuse to post the trailer for Warrior because I believe that it spoils way too much of the movie. That said, I think that the film looks like an excellent and emotional sports Drama. It's about a man (Tom Hardy) who trains for an MMA championship with his father (Nick Nolte) which his brother also enters into. Warrior was released on September 9, 2011, currently has an 83% on rotten tomatoes based on 124 reviews with an average rating of 7.4/10. Nick Nolte has been getting a lot of oscar buzz for his performance.
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas is the third movie in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedy series. Following 2004's Harold and Kumar go to White Castle and 2008's Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Two hilarious comedies about 2 stoners named Harold and Kumar and the over the top adventures that they encounter while trying to achieve some goal, all while having a tad bit of social commentary about issues like Racial stereotyping. This movie is in 3D, which I'm usually not a fan of, but the trailer makes it look like the 3D is going to be good. I'm a big fan of the first 2, so hopefully this movie will be as good as it's predecessors. It is expected to be released on November 4, 2011. It has no reviews yet. The film stars John Cho (Star Trek, American Pie), Kal Penn (House, The Namesake, Van Wilder) and Neil Patrick Harris (Doogie Howser, How I Met Your Mother) as a fictionalized version of himself.
War Horse is Academy Award Winner Steven Spielberg's 2nd film coming out this year, the other being The Adventures of Tintin, It follows a young man and his horse and how they are seperated when WWI starts and their journey to be reunited. This film looks like an emotional and epic journey. Hopefully it'll be as good as it looks. It is expected for release on December 28, 2011 (Just five days after Tintin's release) and has no reviews yet.
50/50 is an upcoming Comedy-Drama starring Joseph Gordon Levitt (Inception, 500 Days of Summer, Brick) and Seth Rogen (Knocked up, Superbad, The 40 year old Virgin). It's about a young man (Joseph Gordon Levitt) who gets cancer and has a 50/50 chance of beating the disease. Joseph Gordon Levitt has gotten some early Oscar buzz for his performance. It looks to be a good mix of comedy and drama. Let's just hope it's not uneven. It currently has 100% on rotten tomatoes from 11 reviews with an average rating of 8.1/10. It is to be released on September 30, 2011.
The Ides of March is an upcoming Political Drama/thriller directed by George Clooney with an all star cast including Academy Award Nominee Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson, Blue Valentine, The Notebook), Academy Award Winner George Clooney (Syriana, Michael Clayton, Up in the Air), Academy Award Winner Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, Charlie Wilson's War, Doubt), Academy Award Nominee Paul Giamatti (Cinderella Man, Sideways) Academy Award Winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, The Wrestler) and Jeffrey Wright (Syriana, Source Code, Casino Royale). It's about a young campaign staffer (Ryan Gosling) who's working with a Governor running for President (George Clooney) who gets involved in a political scandal after being approached by a rival campaign manager (Paul Giamatti). It looks intelligent, well acted, and exciting and with the talent at hand, it will hopefully live up to my expectations. It is set to be released on October 7 and currently has an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews with an average rating of 7/10.
J. Edgar is the new film from Academy Award Winning Director Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino) starring Academy Award Nominee Leonardo Dicaprio (Titanic, Departed, Inception). Some critics are predicting that this year Dicaprio might get his long awaited Oscar. I hope they're right. The film is a biopic focusing on the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. There is no trailer yet, but Dicaprio and Eastwood rarely disappoint. It will probably get a lot of attention from The Academy this year. It is going to have wide release on November 11, 2011. (My Birthday)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is David Fincher's English language adaptation of the Swedish book of the same name. Academy Award Nominee David Fincher is one of my all time favorite directors having previously directed The Social Network (where he was snubbed for the Best Director Oscar), Seven, Zodiac, and my all time favorite movie Fight Club. The film is about a journalist (Daniel Craig, James Bond) who is searching for a missing woman and is aided by a young female hacker (Rooney Mara). The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was previously adapted into a Swedish language film that was released 2 years ago. This film has already been called "a cheap hollywood cash grabber" by many people, mostly fans of the original film. I myself am a fan of the original, but I'm not so narrow minded as to call a movie trash just because it's a remake (hell, it's not even a remake, it's an adaptation of the book). The film will have Fincher going back to his dark, stylish roots that were seen in his earlier films and will hopefully put all the haters back in their place. It will be released on December 21 and has no reviews as of now.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is an upcoming spy thriller directed by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson who had directed the Swedish vampire movie Let The Right One In, the best vampire film of the last couple decades. The film is based on the book of the same name and stars Gary Oldman (Batman films, Harry Potter, Sid and Nancy, Dracula) who is famous for never being nominated for an Oscar. Lots of people think that his year has finally come. Maybe even an Oscar win. It also stars Academy Award Winner Colin Firth (The Kings Speech, A single Man, Bridget Jones) and Tom Hardy (Inception, Warrior, Bronson). It's about a former British agent who comes out of retirement to track a Russian mole inside British Intelligence. Despite not coming out in the US until December 9, it already has 35 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes with a 97% positive rating and an average score of 8/10. This film will be amazing.
Drive is an independent action film that just came out today, September 16th, 2011. It seems like 2011 will be a great year for Ryan Gosling. It also seems like Drive will be remembered as the only indie action film in the world. Action films are usually blockbusters by definition. The film stars Academy Award Nominee Ryan Gosling (Lars and The Real Girl, Blue Valentine) as a nameless hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a wheelman. He falls in love with a beautiful woman played by Academy Award Nominee Carey Mulligan. When her ex-convict husband returns in debt from some mobsters, Driver attempts a heist to pay off his protection money. The heist goes terribly wrong and the film begins. It also stars 3 time Emmy Award Winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Malcolm in the Middle). Director Nicolas Winding Refn won Best director at the Cannes film festival. The film has been compared to classics like Pulp Fiction and Clint Eastwood's The Man with no name series. It currently has a 93% on rotten tomatoes based on 133 reviews and an average rating of 8.4/10.
It's consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is: A hyper-stylized blend of striking imagery and violence, Drive represents a fully realized vision of arthouse action.
Plus it stole it's tagline from one of my favorite movies of all time. That pretty much makes it a guaranteed win.
I've been busy as hell so this is a late post, but I'm gonna talk about some movies involving 9/11 that I've seen.
United 93 was a movie released on April 28, 2006 about the heroic actions of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 who attempted to take back their plane after it was hijacked by terrorists. I squeezed in time to watch it again for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It received controversy prior to it's release. Many people thought that it was too soon to make a movie about 9/11. Others believed that it was simply making money off of a tragedy. I mean it was directed by Paul Greengrass, the guy who directed The Bourne Supremacy. Was he going to turn this tragedy into an action movie? Nope. None of these statements are true in my opinion. This movie is phenomenal. Very few movies have gotten me as emotional as this movie has. This movie works because it's straightforward and simple, yet powerful. There are no pointless subplots, no cringe inducing melodrama, no political agenda. This film wasn't made to criticize Islam or the government or anything else like that. It was made as a tribute to the brave passengers who died that day.
The film starred mostly unknown actors. The most recognizable faces were Emmy Award Winner Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) as Tom Burnett, one of the passengers who fights back against the hijackers. It also stars Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner and Green Zone, another film directed by Paul Greengrass) as Ziad Jarrah, the leader of the hijackers. Greengrass was smart by picking mostly unknowns as it gives a sense of realism. It almost feels like a really well made documentary. The film also includes several real life non-actors playing themselves including Ben Sliney, one of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's National Operation Managers. The film switches viewpoints several times from the plane itself, to the Air Traffic control, the Federal Aviation Administration ect. This is all edited beautifully. The film also features one of the most emotional ending sequences of all time. The film is very tastefully done. Instead of using special effects for the WTC crash, it uses a news report for instance. Highly recommend watching it ASAP
United 93 was nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Director and Best Editing (It definitely should have won Best Editing). It was also nominated for 6 Bafta awards, winning 2: Best Director and Best Editing.
My Rating: 5/5
World Trade Center is a movie that oddly enough came out the same year. It was released on August 9, 2006, less than 4 months after the United 93 came out. It was directed by Academy Award Winner Oliver Stone (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Wall Street), a director who I usually enjoy. Unlike United 93, which mainly casted unknown actors, this movie stars Academy Award Winner Nicolas Cage (Raising Arizona, Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas, or more recently Drive Angry and Kick-ass), Michael Pena (Crash, Shooter, 30 minutes or Less), Jay Hernandez (Lakeview Terrace, American Son, Hostel) and Academy Award Nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary, The Dark Knight, Crazy Heart). Unlike United 93, which was focused mainly on what was going on in the air, this movie is focused on what's going on on the ground. It's based on the true story of 2 cops (played by Cage and Pena) who get trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks. The most notable difference about this film in comparison to United 93 is that while United 93 is depressing and tragic, this film is more uplifting. Granted, the story of these 2 men is much more uplifting than the story of the passengers on Flight 93. It still lacks the emotional punch of United 93. The acting is good, not great. Still considering the fact that Nicolas Cage came out with The Wicker man the same year makes the acting seem a bit better. Despite starting off strong, the film soon devolves into bad melodrama and overly drawn out scenes. It simply lacks the emotional punch of actual history. It's not a horrible movie, but not one that I plan on watching again. It's too cheesy and schmaltzy and unemotional to recommend.
And the film includes Jason Thomas, a black man who helped rescue people during the attacks that day. In the movie, they casted Ethan from LOST (aka, a white guy). BURN!!!!
but seriously, that sucks. FAIL on the movie's part!
On a better note, I'm glad that Oliver Stone (who's known for having politics in his film) keep this movie politically muted and just focus on the facts.
My Rating: 2.5/5
If that wasn't weird enough, there was a THIRD movie about 9/11 released that year. A TV movie called Flight 93 which premiered on A&E on January 30, 2006. About 3 months before United 93 was released. I haven't seen this film, though.
Last film. Remember Me. 9/11 actually only plays a brief role in this movie. Which I will discuss now. (SPOILERS!!!)
Remember Me stars Robert Pattison (Twilight) as Tyler. An angry 21 year old who loves his sister (Ruby Jerins) and hates his father (Pierce Brosan of James Bond fame). Academy Award Winner Chris Cooper (American Beauty, Adaptation, Capote) plays Neil Craig, a cop who Tyler plots revenge against after Craig arrests him after Tyler hits him for arresting a couple of guys who got beat up. His revenge plot is to date Ally (Emilie De Ravin, LOST) who goes to the same college as him. But surprise surprise it ends up as more than just an incredibly idiotic revenge plot. The 2 fall in love or something like that. Tyler is essentially a dick who spends most of the movie switching from monotone to over the top melodrama. (Many seem to disagree with this statement. *cough* *cough* Kseniya *cough* *cough*)
Despite Pattison's performance which is mediocre at best, Emilie De Ravin was very charming and likable as Ally. Chris Cooper was not as good as usual and Pierce Brosan was just ok. The ending is very controversial. SPOILERS! SPOILERS! Yeah. the opening scene in the film shows the year 1991. Then it flashes to 10 years later. So the film takes place in 2001. ok got it. It's in New York. Oh. They're probably gonna do one of those 25th hour things where a certain, tragic event plays a small role in the plot.
Then we see the words written on a school board: September 11, 2001. It's done in the most melodramatic way possible. Meanwhile Tyler, after discovering that his dad wasn't quite as big of an asshole that he thought he was, gets killed after it's revealed that his father worked in the WTC building.
Nice....
Talk about one of the stupidest, most offensive, and irrelevant endings that I've ever seen. This film certainly lacks subtly, in the sense that it acts like it's goddamn brilliant when it's really not. It's a shame because I liked Director Allen Coulter's previous film Hollywoodland. This film was just bad. All the characters are either unlikable or cliches, the story is overly melodramatic, contrived, and predictable (besides the ending). The tacked on ending doesn't make it any better. If anything, the film would have been more emotional if we were told that it was a 9/11 story from the beginning. Any competent screenwriter knows that you can't just add it new concepts in the third act, even if you forshadowed it a bit before hand.
I'll just watch United 93 again, thank you very much.
My Rating: 1.5/5
"This movie has the biggest "FUCK YOU VIEWER!!!!" ending EVER!"
Drive is an Action/Drama film released a couple weeks ago starring Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks. It was originally released at the Cannes Film Festival where Nicolas Winding Refn won a best director award. The film tells the story of a nameless and quiet protagonist (Ryan Gosling), known only as "Driver", who works as a Hollywood stunt driver and mechanic but moonlights as a getaway driver. Driver finds himself falling in love with his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), but she's put in danger when her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Issac) gets out of prison. Standard is reformed, but a group of men threaten to hurt his family if he doesn't pull off a heist for them. Driver decides to assist in the heist, but things go terribly wrong.
