New American Hustle posters bring the seventies - and the sex appeal

New American Hustle posters bring the seventies - and the sex appeal

We're gearing up for David O Russell's next film, American Hustle and it looks like the publicity is starting to kick in for this piece now.

Today's seen the release of five character posters for American Hustle.

American Hustle, which reunites Lawrence and Cooper with their Silver Linings Playbook director David O Russell,  focuses on the FBI’s infamous Abscam operation of the late 70s and early 80s, which ultimately led to the conviction of a US senator and five members of the US Government’s House of Representatives.

Star Trek Into Darkness - Interview with Chris Pine

Star Trek Into Darkness - Interview with Chris Pine

Q: Chris, how different is “Star Trek Into Darkness” from the first one?

PINE: This one is so much faster. It’s like a bullet train. It never stops.

Q: There is a new villain on deck in the second one, right?

PINE: Yes. His name is John Harrison, played by the brilliant Benedict Cumberbatch. His ability to manipulate people brings Kirk to face his own vulnerability and his own feelings of self-doubt about whether he can lead the crew into battle.

Q: This is the second of three planned Star Trek movies. Do you think you could be Captain Kirk for even longer than that?

PINE: You know, I do love the franchise. But everything depends on the script, on the story. If it’s good, sure, I am in. If you want to do it just to have a third film, then I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Q: Do you still feel a lot of pressure when you have to slip into the skin of the iconic Captain Kirk?

PINE: I have to thank JJ Abrams for being the commander in chief. He is all about the interaction of the characters, and on set you focus on that and not so much on the pressure that might be brought upon from the outside. So, no I didn’t feel that pressure while filming.

Q: What is it about Star Trek that fascinates you the most?

PINE: Oh, man, there is so much. But I like the utopian vision of different people working together for a common goal of what we can achieve, of what we can be as human beings. It deals with the struggles of being human, but it’s not nihilistic. It’s bright, it’s shiny, like the deck of the Enterprise. It’s forward looking.

Q: Is it true that JJ Abrams improvises on the set a lot?

PINE: Yes, it is. I remember one day we were about to shoot this huge action sequence. And JJ was walking around the set looking at everything. Then he asked for a 15 minute break and put together a shotlist right there on the spot. I had never seen anything like it. He’s just that amazing.

Q: How does it make you feel as an actor to be working with a director who seems to be changing things on the fly?

PINE: You need to have a lot of trust in your director. But with a guy like JJ who has such an incredible track record, it was easy. He feels comfortable changing things in the moment. It’s frightening for an actor if you want control.

Q: Are you intrigued by space travel?

PINE: I am interested in it. I have always been fascinated by it. We will see how technology evolves. Maybe we will all do a press junket up in space one day. That would be pretty radical.

Q: How daunting is it for you to be coming back to this franchise?

PINE: The good news is there were four years in between this one and the first one we made. There is a lot of comfort in that the character is bigger than you. And you still have a life outside of this franchise.

Q: Is it true that you think that you are more dashing than William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk?

PINE: Those are your words; I wouldn’t dare say that (Laughter).

Q: Do you have any influence on the look of your character?

PINE: No, not really. Everybody wears very tight clothes. And we had to get in shape to fit into the costumes.

Q: Have you met the original Kirk?

PINE: Yes, I met Shatner. He is a very nice man. He did a documentary of all the captains of Star Trek. I found that he’s really, really funny. He’s got great comedic timing. And most people mistake his humor for shtick. And it’s not. We did the documentary, he came in, and he had five napkins in his hand. He had scribbled notes on each one about what he wanted to do. For his age he’s still got so much passion.

Q: How would you describe Kirk’s relationship with Spock in this film?

PINE: They have overcome their obstacles. There is a true friendship here. And it’s quite amazing to watch.

Q: How physical was this movie for you?

PINE: I am always in pretty good shape. I gained a lot of weight for this. I think it was about 20 pounds of fat. In the first one Kirk was confident and I wanted to give the sense that he was enjoying himself a little too much, and it showed in his physical appearance. Very early on in the film he gets beaten to the ground, and it shows fairly quickly that he is not on top of his game early on.

Q: What surprised you the most?

PINE: A scene that takes two pages to read can take two weeks to shoot. I always forget how long it can take to shoot a scene. There were a lot of good action scenes in this film. And they just take so much longer to shoot.

White House Down: Movie Review

White House Down: Movie Review

Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Woods, Richard Jenkin
Director: Roland Emmerich

He's back in the White House...

Roland Emmerich returns to the destruction of the White House in this second of two films this year, which showcase terrorists taking out the presidential seat (the first being Gerard Butler in Olympus Has Fallen).

Channing Tatum stars as John Cale, a police officer assigned to looking after the speaker of the house (Richard Jenkin). He's a good guy, hoping for a break into the secret service and hoping to impress his estranged daughter in the process too.

But when the president James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) announces a Middle East peace plan which could see them leaving the area, it sets in motion a terrorist attack on the White House. Soon, Cale and his daughter are the only ones who can save the day as they find themselves in with the President when the attack happens...

Will John Cale be able to beat the bad guys with hardly any weapons and stop the President from being killed, as well as discover who's behind the attack - and re-connect with his daughter?

White House Down is actually a hell of a lot better than you'd be expecting for a film like this.

With a pinch of self-awareness (a tour guide mentions early on that one building is the one destroyed in Independence Day) and a few of the old action movie cliches, it's exactly what you'd expect from the film.

But it somehow manages to work with its self referential humour, silly moments and great chemistry between Tatum and Foxx. When the president tells a terrorist to "Get your hands off my Air Jordans" you know the script's not even taking itself seriously. Equally Tatum, complete with white tank top and glib comments (John McClane anyone?), is on solidly supportive form as the affable guy just trying to catch a break. James Woods gets the role of his life too, as the man whose son was killed in combat and whose life has been destroyed by it.

And yet, with some solid action pieces, replete with OTT explosions and gun fire, Emmerich manages to pull something entertaining together if you're prepared to leave your brain at the door.

White House Down is an entertaining diversion - nothing more, nothing less. And yes, once again, Emmerich manages the total destruction of the White House. Seriously, has he not satiated his vendetta yet?

Rating:

First Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit trailer drops

First Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit trailer drops

Following on from the death of Tom Clancy this week, it's a chance to see the latest vision of Jack Ryan, this time played by Chris Pine

Jack Ryan, a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.  

Kenneth Branagh directs, with Chris Pine (Star Trek), Kevin Costner and Keira Knightly starring in the film.  The film is based on characters by Tom Clancy who sadly passed away recently. Brad Grey, CEO of Paramount Pictures said this of his passing:  

"Tom Clancy was one of the great storytellers of our time and his passing has been deeply felt by all of us at Paramount. We are forever indebted to Tom for making this studio his home, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, and his many fans, at this great loss."

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit  releases on 1^st January 2014 in NZ cinemas

Don Jon: Movie Review

Don Jon: Movie Review

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza
Director: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes and directs this piece about New Jersey guy Jon, a modern day Don Juan, who has an addiction to internet porn.

He's a serial objectifier, always talking about women in clubs with ratings - from a 1 to the perfect dime (a 10); he loves his car, his boys and his home. But the addiction to porn has left him unable to form a relationship with anyone other than one night stands, because the sex is not as good as he believes the porn to be.

However, this cocksure attitude takes a bit of a knock when he meets the "dime" Barbara Sugarman (a voluptuous Scarlett Johansson) in a club. When she fails to fall for his schtick and one night stand hopes, he ends up pursuing her, believing her to be the one. Their relationship blossoms - but not without pitfalls.

Sugarman's addicted to romantic comedies (as portrayed with good humour by Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, Cuba Gooding Jr and Meagan Good) and the ideal of the perfect man, which means she tries to start to change him.

And things get worse when Sugarman finds Jon using internet porn after their first night together...

Don Jon is a gratifyingly assured directorial debut from  Joseph Gordon-Levitt; its frenetic opening and statements on the objectification of women in life and the media today (from Phoebe Cates' iconic red bikini to the jiggling women of the Benny Benassi video, through to the antics of porn stars on screen) sets out the stall right away. With his dead eyes, slicked back hair and stoic dedication to serial masturbation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt fully commits to the role of the man addicted to the sound of the computer being turned on (in more ways than one).

The start of the film is extremely confident, as Jon and Barbara begin their relationship in amid the frustrated lust and humour of taking a girl to meet the parents (Who's The Boss' Tony Danza is the perfect dolt of a New Jersey father) and Gordon-Levitt's got a wry take on the Catholic church randomly dishing out Hail Marys at confessions, but mid way through the piece, it starts to falter a little, leaving it with the feeling of being two movies spliced quickly together as one.

The second half concentrates on Jon's relationship with Esther (played by Julianne Moore) that he meets at night classes and it's full of moments which feel forced and unnatural because there's been no time to build up and invest in the characters. Esther finds Jon watching porn on his mobile after Sugarman's ban - and the next time she sees him, she gives him a porn DVD; it just feels rushed and unreal in the world that  Joseph Gordon-Levitt has already created. It's a shame because the tonal shift is quite jarring and doesn't quite gel.

Sure, Don Jon is a stylish and impressive piece, but it falters in its overall mission. But as a mission statement for writer/ director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it's a great start - and shows this guy is clearly on the up.

Rating:

Mr Pip: Movie Review

Mr Pip: Movie Review

Cast: Hugh Laurie, Xzannjah, Eka Darville
Director: Andrew Adamson

Based on Lloyd Jones' seminal novel, the film adaptation of Mr Pip arrives on the screen with Great Expectations heaped upon it.

Set against the backdrop of civil war in Bougainville as power struggle for the copper mines manifests itself, it's the story of young Mathilda (Xzannjah) who lives on the island. When all the whites abandon the island to ensure their safety, one stays behind.

That is the enigmatic Mr Watts (Hugh Laurie) who decides to take on the tutelage of the children by reading to them Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. For Mathilda, it's a revelation, a chance to find sanctuary in the world of Pip and her own imagination. But Watts' plan to fire up the children's imaginations brings him into conflict with some of the parents.

However, they find they all have to put their differences aside when the civil war comes abruptly and violently into their village.

Mr Pip is a surprisingly powerful piece given its rather small scale intimate feel.

Laurie, replete in crumpled white suit, brings a low-key nuanced presence and haunting subtle sadness to the last remaining white man on the island, trying to inspire the children and distract them from the horrors knocking at their very doorstep. There's a distracted melancholy to his performance which is only lifted when he brings some comic overtones to the acting out of Dickens' world.

First time actress Xzannjah also has a wide-eyed innocence to Mathilda, whose solace in her imaginary world with Pip is a stark contrast to the world around her. Thanks to bright, visually bold colourful costuming of Pip's world, the difference couldn't be more pointed or striking as the maudlin tone plays out. The first half of the film feels almost light, choppy and jaunty as the kids and the village adjust to Watts' ways and the community starts to fracture (and ultimately heal itself) amid the world around it.

And mark my words, Mr Pip packs a power that is hard to deny - and even harder not to be moved or horrified with as the realities and atrocities of civil war come painfully to Mathilda and Mr Watts' world. It's mournful to say the least and the wailing and gnashing which follows one incident is haunting, evocative and heart-in-mouth horrifying - despite somehow managing to be moving.

But it's the ending of Mr Pip which impresses - there's a dignified power, emotional punch and rich resonance offered by the dénouement which will move you more than you'd expect. Amid the harrowing and horrific, director Andrew Adamson has crafted something which has a quiet dignity and a way of creeping up on you, gnawing at your soul long after you've left the cinema.

Rating:

Brand new The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug movie trailer

Brand new The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug movie trailer

It's here - the brand new The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug movie trailer
Meanwhile, a brand new The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug banner has been unveiled...