Now You See Me (2013) - Cocky stars trapped in empty construction

[ZERO]

 

+ Worst Movie of the Year

+ Most Undeserved Hit of the Year

 

 

A cast of well-dressed stars walk all over the title on this poster for Louis Leterrier's Now You See Me

An odd quartet of magicians stage big magic shows, in which they inexplicably steal from the rich and let some of their loot fly out to their audiences.

 

Now You See Me is written by Ed Solomon (Super Mario Bros. (1993)), Boaz Yakin (Fresh (1994)) and Edward Ricourt (Jessica Jones (2015, TV-series)) and directed by Louis Leterrier (The Transporter (2002)).

A depressingly bad, completely empty film, it is hard to watch Now You See Me and not lose some measure of respect for its stars, whose glow inevitably dim from this sorry affair: Particularly Mark Ruffalo (The Avengers (2012)) is enormously bad here as one half of the film's insultingly poor romance, in which he commands and yells at Mélanie Laurent (La Rafle (2010)), - until she falls for him! (You try to make sense of it.)

The stars have ego-polishing parts mostly played with the cheekbones and a bit of cocky attitude that are so hollow and toothless that one will afterwards feel like a long break from Jesse Eisenberg (Cursed (2005)) and Woody Harrelson (Rampart (2011)) as the champion sleek fellow magicians of Now You See Me. As part of the plot, Morgan Freeman's (War of the Worlds (2005)) character sells his integrity (to Michael Caine (Peeper (1975))) for 5-10 mil. $, - a situation that isn't very fictitious in this instance, one might ponder, - and he explains at one point in Now You See Me that a new sucker is born every minute here in the world.

Leterrier's movie certainly treats its audience as suckers with a ceaseless barrage of ridiculous, ugly, stressful, frenzied nonsense here, which is never fun, romantic, nor thrilling. Making Now You See Me even worse is that a huge audience actually seemed to like it.

 

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2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Clash of the Titans (2010) - Leterrier's CGI-stuffed remake is surprisingly good 

 

 Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 75 mil. $

Box office: 351.7 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.68 times its cost)

[Now You See Me premiered 21 May (New York) and runs 115 minutes. Laurent was paid 571k € for her performance. Shooting took place around January 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana, New York, Chicago, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Los Angeles, California. The film opened #2, behind Fast & Furious 6, to a 29.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#3-#5), grossing 117.7 mil. $ (33.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 25.7 mil. $ (7.3 %) and China with 22.9 mil. $ (6.5 %). Most of the cast but not Leterrier returned for the obligatory Now You See Me 2 (2016). Leterrier returned with The Brothers Grimsby (2016). Eisenberg returned in Night Moves (2013); Ruffalo in Begin Again (2013); and Harrelson with a voice performance in Free Birds (2013) and physically in Out of the Furnace (2013). Now You See Me is rotten at 51 % with a 5.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Now You See Me?

My Life Without Me (2003) - Life ends prematurely in Coixet's drama

♥♥

Wild praise accompanies star Sarah Polley doused by rain on this poster for Isabel Coixet's My Life Without Me

A 23 year-old cleaning lady and mother of two daughters gets an unexpected notice that she has metastatic ovarian cancer that will cause her death soon. She neglects to tell anyone about her situation, while she secretly gathers some last experiences in her still young life.

My Life Without Me is written and directed by Isabel Coixet (Demasiado Viejo para Morir Joven (1989)), based on the short story collection Pretending the Bed Is a Raft (1997) by Nanci Kincaid (Eat, Drink, and Be from Mississippi (2009)).
The film may be a hit for depressed, younger women, who look for a story to weep over, but for me My Life Without Me's humdrum pace and very female-centric plot wsa too distant and still for me to become immersed. Activities observed include doing laundry, washing and combing hair, cleaning, doing laundry (again), tending children, worrying, - and a romance which seems designed to make the tragedy even sadder.
One can't rob My Life Without Me of a certain poetic force as well as a fine cast, (which among others reunites two of the peripheral stars of Pulp Fiction (1994), Amanda Plummer (Ken Park (2002)) and Maria de Medeiros (Mar (2018)), though without giving them a scene together here either), - but this pasty downer wasn't my cup of misery tea.

 

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2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

Watch a scene from the beginning of the film here

Cost: 2.5 mil. $
Box office: 9.7 mil. $ - 12.2 mil. $ (different reports)
= Big hit (returned 4.40 times its cost)
[My Life Without Me premiered 10 February (Berlin International Film Festival) and runs 106 minutes. No less than 15 companies and governmental support bodies were involved in financing and making the film. Shooting took place in British Colombia, including Vancouver. The film opened #60 to a 40k $ first weekend in 7 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #53 and in 39 theaters (different weeks), grossing 0.4 mil. $ (4.1 % of the total gross, - betting on the 9.7 mil. $ gross listed at Box Office Mojo.) The film's 3 biggest markets were Japan with 5.3 mil. $ (54.6 %), Spain with 2.4 mil. $ (24.7 %) and North America. The film won a prize in Berlin, was nominated for 2 European Film awards, won 2/5 Goya award nominations, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Coixet returned with 3 other projects (a documentary, a segment and a video) before her theatrical return with The Secret Life of Words (2005). Sarah Polley (Trigger (2010)) returned in Dermott's Quest (2003, short) and theatrically in Luck (2003). My Life Without Me is fresh at 65 % with a 6.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of My Life Without Me?

Foxcatcher (2014) - Fine performances in Miller's strange true-crime sports drama

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Pennsylvania Movie of the Year + Best True-Crime Movie of the Year

Its three great, striking-looking stars in matching tracksuits against a dramatic painting of a hunting eagle sets a stark tone on this poster for Bennett Miller's Foxcatcher

Olympic gold-winning wrestler Mark Schultz is approached by a weird, eccentric multi-millionaire named John du Pont, who wants to create the national wrestling team around Schultz at his Pennsylvania mansion.

Foxcatcher is written by E. Max Frye (Amos & Andrew (1993)) and Dan Futterman (In Treatment (2010, TV-series)), based on a true story, and directed by great New-Yorker filmmaker Bennett Miller (Capote (2005)).
Miller succeeds in creating a really strange atmosphere, which also remains tense, and at times feels grotesque. We are kept intrigued by this highly curious story by his direction and fine performances from the three male leads and Sienna Miller (21 Bridges (2019)). Steve Carell (Evan Almighty (2007)) has a very odd first major dramatic role in du Pont.
In the end it is somewhat unsatisfying that Foxcatcher, - which is the mysterious name given to du Pont's wrestling team, - doesn't illuminate more of du Pont and Schultz: Where they both victims of abuse as children? Does du Pont violate Schultz? Perhaps out of a lack of certain real-life proof these questions remain unanswered, leaving Foxcatcher a fascinatingly strange film but also one with a frustrating degree of benightedness to it.

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2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Moneyball (2011) - Miller makes compelling baseball movie history 
Capote (2005) - The writing of one of the 20th century's finest non-fiction crime novels comes to life 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 24 mil. $
Box office: 19.2 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.8 times its cost)
[Foxcatcher premiered 19 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 134 minutes. Miller acquired the rights to the story in 2010 and began development with Gary Oldman as the first choice to play du Pont. Shooting took place in Virginia and Pennsylvania, including Pittsburgh, from October 2012 - January 2013. Subsequent to the events shown in the film, du Pont spent almost 15 years in prison before dying there at age 72 in 2010. The real Mark Schultz supported the making of the film, was then incensed by it, and then retracted his critique, calling it instead "a miracle." The film opened #24 to a 270k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #13 and in 759 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 12 mil. $ (62.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.5 mil. $ (13 % ) and France with 1 mil. $ (5.2 %). The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Actor (Carell) to Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything, Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo (Apartment 12 (2000))) to J.K. Simmons in Whiplash, Director to Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman, Original Screenplay also to Birdman and Makeup and Hairstyling to The Grand Budapest Hotel. It won the directing award at Cannes, was nominated for 3 Golden Globes and 2 BAFTAs, won an AFI award and an Independent Spirit award and many other honors. Miller is still just scheduled to return with A Christmas Carrol for troubled Annapurna Pictures. Carell returned in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2014); Channing Tatum (The Hateful Eight (2015)) in 22 Jump Street (2014); Ruffalo in The Normal Heart (2014, TV movie) and theatrically in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Foxcatcher is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.89/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Foxcatcher?

The Kids Are All Right (2010) - Chodolenko's excellent indie crowdpleaser

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best LGBT Movie of the Year
+ Best Shooting Star Actress of the Year: Mia Wasikowska

The pleasant poster for Lisa Chodolenko's The Kids Are All Right

The grown siblings of two lesbian parents learn the identity of their sperm donor father, which provokes a series of consequences.

The Kids Are All Right is co-written by Stuart Blumberg (Thanks for Sharing (2012)) and great Los Angeles-born co-writer-director Lisa Chodolenko (Olive Kitteridge (2014), TV-miniseries) as her 4th feature. It is a really good film. The lesbian parenting couple are no smarter or more controlling than most straight couples, which rings true and is a nice change from the standard of exotisizing sexual minorities. SPOILER It irritates a bit at first that one of them falls for the man donor, but it seems credible in the narrative.
Julianne Moore (Blindness (2008)) and Annette Bening (Open Range (2003)) both give performances that are razor-sharp, and none of the other stars are bad either.
The Kids Are All Right is a touching, fine and funny film not to be missed.

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2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Watch the official trailer for the film here

Cost: 4 mil. $
Box office: 34.7 mil. $
= Huge hit
[The Kids Are All Right premiered January 25 (Sundance) and runs 107 minutes. The script had been in development since 2004. Financing proved a challenge, and production was also halted due to Chodolenko giving birth, but it finally came together much thanks to the commitment of the three major stars. Filming took place in Los Angeles in 23 days in July 2009. The film was admitted to Sundance, although it broke the deadline, and it became a big hit there. Its distribution rights were acquired by Focus Features for 4.8 mil. $. It opened limited in 7 theaters #15 with 491k $, - a stellar 70k $ per theater average, - and wide in 847 theaters #12 to 3.5 mil. $ in North America, where it grossed 20.8 mil. $ (58.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.6 mil. $ (7.5 %) and Italy with 1.9 mil. $ (5.5 %). The Kids Are All Right was nominated for 4 Oscars: For Best Picture, lost to The King's Speech, Best Actress (Bening), lost to Natalie Portman for Black Swan, Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), lost to Christian Bale for The Fighter, and Original Screenplay, lost also to King's Speech. The film won 2 Golden Globes and made it onto many critics' top 10 lists of the year. The Kids Are All Right is certified fresh at 93 % with a 7.8 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Kids Are All Right?

Spotlight (2015) - McCarthy puts an admirably bright and sober light on one of the major crimes of modern history

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best True-Crime Movie of the Year
+ Best Boston Movie of the Year

The poster for Tom McCarthy's Spotlight indicates its focus on investigative journalism

Spotlight is the 5th feature from great New Jerseyite writer-director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent (2003)), who has written the Oscar-nominated script with Josh Singer (The West Wing (2003-04)).

In the offices of the Boston Globe newspaper works the country's oldest investigative journalism unit, Spotlight. As the paper gets a new editor, a local scandal that has been overlooked comes to take over the unit's long hours for months: The Catholic Church's decades-long problem with sexually abusive, pedophile priests and their covering up for them.

The authentic content of Spotlight, of which the vast Boston scandal is only one out of several dozens if not hundreds, is outrageous and deeply affecting. The deceit of trust and neglect involved on the behalf of the Catholic Church worldwide amounts to what I consider as one of the largest crimes against humanity in modern history. And the fact of the matter is that the Church of today, despite its drawn out acknowledgment of its responsibility and possible change of policy internally, still clings to the practice that is at the heart of this problem: Its insistence that its priests remain celibate.
Spotlight's great accomplishment is that it lays bare this very dark chapter of US, Catholic and essentially world history. But also that it shows the unique importance of investigative journalism to lift such major societal issues out into the light, when society-bearing institutions are not up to the task, which won them the Pulitzer prize in this instance. In a time when social media, communications people, gadget, finance, sports and celebrity news have increasingly eaten up newsrooms the world over, Spotlight takes a stand against that development and for the importance of the labors of the serious, investigative reporter.

One of the heavy-aired meetings in Tom McCarthy's Spotlight

No doubt Spotlight is a must-see film. It is not only gut-wrenching but will leave many audiences panting, nauseous and literally sick to their stomachs. It is a feel-bad movie, but an essential, important one.
It is hard to single out actors for praise, since the film is really a case of a great ensemble giving fine performances across the board. Liev Schreiber (Pawn Sacrifice (2014)) as the surprisingly conscientious and smart new editor at the Boston Globe; Brian d'Arcy James (Game Change (2012)) as the Spotlight member who has to take up writing a horror novel in order to get his mind off the fact that the Church has a secret treatment center for its pedophile priests in his neighborhood; Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada (2006)) as the tireless lawyer working with the survivors, and Jamey Sheridan (Homeland (2011-12)) as an incriminated lawyer were in my view truly great in Spotlight, but Oscar-nominated Rachel McAdams (The Vow (2012)), Michael Keaton (Batman Returns (1992)) and Oscar-nominated Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again (2013)) are also all fine.
Spotlight is a sober depiction of a scandal from the view of the journalists that uncover it in the vein of the great All the President's Men (1976). The filmmakers have chosen to let the content speak on its own, presenting it in a docu-like realism that can hardly be termed very filmic. Masanobu Takayanagi's (Warrior (2011)) cinematography and Howard Shore's (The Departed (2006)) overly simple score are the least impressive parts of the film in my opinion, and the reason for my not awarding it a 6th ♥.

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2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

 

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: 20 mil. $

Box office: 92.2 mil. $

= Big hit

[Spotlight premiered out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival September 3 to sustained applause and runs 129 minutes. McCarthy and Singer's script figured on the 2013 Blacklist. McCarthy is Catholic and Singer stated that the aim was not to expose the Catholic Church but to show the power of the newsroom and that journalism is important. Shooting began in September 2014 in Massachusetts and Ontario, including in many of the real locations such as the Boston Globe offices and the Boston Public Library. The Oscar-nominated editing lasted 8 months. On the limited release first weekend in 5 cinemas in North America, it racked in a 59,002 $ per screen average, among the best averages of the year. Spotlight made 4.4 mil. $ in its wide-release opening weekend, finishing #8, (which is far from impressive, given its stars and great relevance.) It has grossed 38.3 mil. $ (65.9 % of the total gross) in North America, and the 2nd and 3rd biggest markets have been the UK with 6.3 mil. $ (10.8 %) and France with 3.1 mil. $ (5.3 %). The film has been praised by the Vatican, and the Vatican City's commission on clerical abuse have attended a private screening of it. Spotlight is nominated for 6 Oscars; Best Picture, Supporting Actress (McAdams), Supporting Actor (Ruffalo), Directing, Editing and Original Script. It has won a slew of awards, figure on tons of critics' top 10 lists of 2015 and is #172 on IMDb's Top 250 as rated by its users. Spotlight is certified fresh at 96 % with a 8.9 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Spotlight?

The Normal Heart (2014) - The early HIV/AIDS tragedy portrayed with appropriate fury and great performances

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Adaptation of the Year + Best TV Movie of the Year

The curiosity-inspiring poster for Ryan Murphy's The Normal Heart

The gay parties rage in 1981, when HIV/AIDS begins ravaging and awakes self-criticism, reflection, sorrow and an upwards fight against the obdurate society at large.

The Normal Heart is Ryan Murphy's (Eat Pray Love (2010)) TV movie adaptation of Larry Kramer's (Faggots (1978)) same-titled 1985 play, adapted by Kramer himself. It is an eminent adaptation. The film dazzles with several fiery scenes and an Oscar-worthy lead Mark Ruffalo (Begin Again (2013)) and phenomenal, supporting Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman (1990)). Normal Heart also boasts a slew of other great supporting performances, from Matt Bomer (Magic Mike XXL (2015)), - who lost 40 pounds to portray his character's change, - Taylor Kitsch (Lone Survivor (2013)), Jim Parsons (Home (2015)) and Alfred Molina (The Truth About Emanuel (2013)).
The title of the film is never really explained, but not a heart remains untouched after watching The Normal Heart. - A must-see!

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2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
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2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2014 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
 

Watch the trailer for the film here

Cost: Reportedly 17-18 mil. $ 
Box office: None (TV movie)
= Uncertainty
[The Normal Heart has had an exceptionally long voyage to becoming a film, with several great talents involved before this finally happened with Murphy at the helm, for HBO. It was filmed in the summer of 2013 in New York. Normal Heart drew 1.4 mil. viewers on its Memorial Day first showings, which makes it HBO's 5th highest-rated TV movie since 2010 (out of 17). It also got fine reviews, 3 Globe nominations, - including a win for Bomer for Best Supporting Actor, - and 9 Emmy nominations including one win, for Outstanding TV Movie. The Normal Heart is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.7 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Normal Heart? 
Other TV movies you consider must-sees?

Collateral (2004) - Great, urban, digital age thriller from Mann in his right element

♥♥♥♥♥

+ Best Los Angeles Movie of the Year + Best Thriller of the Year

Gritty Spanish poster for Michael Mann's Collateral

QUICK REVIEW:

A Los Angeles cab driver named Max with unrealized dreams of starting a limo company gets an unusual customer: Vincent is a contract killer, who's got 5 stops to make this night, and he has chosen Max to drive him.

Collateral is a downplayed and very urban suspense picture, which contains cinematography so nice, - of the nightly cityscape among other things, - that the adrenaline often must yield to admiration. Cinematographers: Dion Beebe (Chicago (2002)) and Paul Cameron (Deja Vu (2006)), championed early HD digital shooting on Collateral, and deserved Oscar nods for their effort, (but were snubbed.)
Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder (2008)) is good as the sociopath Vincent, and Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained (2012)), who was Oscar-nominated for his performance, is also good as the working man in denial, Max. Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Reloaded (2003)), Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart (2014), TV movie), Javier Bardem (Biutiful (2010)) and Jason Statham (The Transporter (2002)) in a short cameo complete the exciting ensemble.
Collateral has an eerie reverberation of the cold and indifference of the big city towards its own fates, which sticks. - In short, it's a really good, dramatic thriller.
Directed by Michael Mann (Heat (1995)), whose coming action drama Blackhat (2015) is looking very promising, and you can check out its trailer here.

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Michael Mann: 2004 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Manhunter (1986) - Perhaps the best criminal profiling picture ever

Watch the cool trailer here

Cost: 65 mil. $
Box office: 217.7 mil. $
= Big hit
[Collateral entered the US theaters first and stayed in theaters for 14 weeks, making 101 mil. $ in the US, where it was also Oscar-nominated for Best Editing. It was well-received by critics and nominated for a slew of other awards as well, including 6 BAFTA's, of which it won one for Best Cinematography.]

What do you think of Collateral?
What are your favorite 3 Michael Mann films?