Frida (2002) - Hayek, Molina shine in Taymor's excellent biopic

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+ Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Biopic of the Year + Best Poster of the Year + Breakthrough of the Year: Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek looks stunning on this invitingly colored and balanced poster for Julie Taymor's Frida, which mirrors the painting style of the title character

During the first half of the 20th century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is made an invalid in a bus accident at age 18, meets the love of her life, the unfaithful Diego, and becomes a great artist.

Frida is written by Clancy Sigal (In Love and War (1996)), Diane Lake, Gregory Nava (Selena (1997)) and Anna Thomas (The End of August (1981)), based on the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo (1983) by Hayden Herrera, and directed by great Massachuetts-born filmmaker Julie Taymor (Titus (1999)).
It is a sensually dense, bubbling, inspired film with fantastic photography by Rodrigo Prieto (A Study in Gravity (2013)). It is impressively staged and scored with wonderful, often painful music by Elliot Goldenthal (Heat (1995)).
Centrally stands two major dramatic performances: Salma Hayek (No One Writes to the Colonel/El Coronel no Tiene quien le Escriba (1999)) arguably in the best role of her career, and Alfred Molina (Return to Zero (2014)), perhaps also in his best. Kahlo's art is utilized most inventively in the storytelling of Frida. It is a splendid film.

 

Related post:

 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 12 mil. $
Box office: 56.2 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.68 times its cost)
[Frida premiered 29 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 123 minutes. Herrera's book was optioned in 1988, and the film was thus underway for more than a decade, before it reached fruition. Molina gained 35 pounds for his role in the film. Shooting took place in Mexico, including Mexico City, in and around March 2001. The film opened #31 to a 205k $ first weekend in 5 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 794 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 25.8 mil. $ (45.9 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Germany with 6 mil. $ (10.7 %) and Mexico with 3.5 mil. $ (6.2 %). The film was nominated for 6 Oscars, winning 2, for Best Score and Makeup. It lost Best Actress to Nicole Kidman in The Hours, Art/set Direction to Chicago, Costume Design to Chicago, and Song (Burn It Blue by Goldenthal and Taymor) to Lose Yourself from 8 Mile. The film also won 1/2 Golden Globe nominations, 1/4 BAFTAs, an AFI award, a National Board of Review award and many other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal to its rating here. During the #MeToo hullaballoo, Hayek came forth in 2017 and accused distributing executive producer Harvey Weinstein of trying to get sexual favors from her during production of Frida, as well as pressuring her into accepting performing in a 'gratuitous' sex scene. Taymor returned with Across the Universe (2007)). Hayek returned in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003), Molina in Undertaking Betty/Plots with a View (2002). Frida is certified fresh at 75 % with a 6.87/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Frida?

Lust, Caution/色，戒/Sè, Jiè/Sik1Gaai3 (2007) - Lee's erotic spy thriller is an exquisite, complex masterpiece

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+ 2nd Best Movie of the Year
+ Best Big Hit Movie of the Year + Best Taiwanese Movie of the Year + Best Erotic Movie of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year + Best Spy Thriller of the Year

The two leads in a sensual embrace on this desaturated poster for Ang Lee's Lust, Caution with highlighted bloody reds

A young woman is engaged in a patriotic Chinese theater group in Shanghai in the late 1930s. Their energetic leader advocates fighting the Japanese occupation by murdering the local collaborator Mr. Yee. This becomes the beginning of a dangerous duplicity for the girl.

Lust, Caution is written by Hui-Ling Wang (The Myth/San wa (2005)) and James Schamus (Hulk (2003)), adapting Eileen Chang's (Love in a Fallen City (1943)) same-titled 1979 novella, and directed by Taiwanese master filmmaker Ang Lee (Life of Pi (2012)). It is a cinematic treat so irresistible that one floats through its extensive running time as on an exquisite period journey. Lee's vision is uncompromising, and he gives the film an intensity and a depth that is wholly his work.
Lust, Caution stands out due to stunningly beautiful images, (cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Babel (2006))), a meticulous, sensual sound design as well as costumes, hair, sets and language that continue to impress. And actors that give career-defining performances: Tony Chieu-Wai Leung (The Silent War/Ting feng zhe (2012)) is so natural as Yee, a character that stirs ambivalent feelings in us, and Wei Tang (The Golden Era/Huang jin shi dai (2014)) is simply incredible in every way as our brave, sexy protagonist.
Lust, Caution is a terribly well-made spy tale of lust, intimate bonds, national pride, treason, anguish and self-sacrifice, and it is among Lee's finest accomplishments.

Related posts:

Ang Lee:  2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]  
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date   

2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
Life of Pi (2012) - Lee's triumphant, stunning faith-builder 

The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
Brokeback Mountain (2005) or, That Place That Weren't Possible 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 15 mil. $
Box office: 67 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.46 times the cost)
[Lust, Caution premiered 30 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 158 minutes. Shooting took place in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, in China, including Shanghai, and in Hong Kong, ending in September 2006. Lee has stated that the approximately 10 minutes of sex scenes in the film took roughly 100 hours to shoot, and that they were more difficult to produce than the elaborate fighting sequences in his Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Wo hu cang long (2000). The film opened #49 in 1 theater to a huge 63k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #20 and in 143 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 4.6 mil. $ (6.9 % of the total gross), impressive for a foreign language epic with an NC-17 rating. The film's 3 biggest markets were China with 17.1 mil. $ (25.5 %), South Korea with 10.7 mil. $ (16 %) and Taiwan with 7.9 mil. $ (11.8 %). It was the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of the year in Hong Kong, and the 3rd highest-grossing Chinese-language film in China of the year. It was only released cut in China, India and other countries, and lead actress Tang was blacklisted from the Chinese film business for 3 years, because the dictatorial Chinese state disapproved of her performance's sexual nature in the film. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to two notches harder than this one. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, 2 BAFTAs, won 1/6 Asian Film award nominations, was nominated for 3 Independent Spirit awards, won a National Board of Review award and two awards at the Venice Film Festival. At a 2007 press conference in Los Angeles, an elderly lady proclaimed that she was suing for defamation, as the lady spy of the film is reportedly based on older her sister's actions some 70 years earlier, but nothing more came of this. Taiwan entered the film for the Oscars, but it was rejected, because it did not have enough Taiwanese nationals in key positions. The film made in excess of 24 mil. $ on the North-American home video market, which would change its status to a huge hit if figured into the equation. Lee returned with Taking Woodstock (2009). Leung returned in Red Cliff/Chi bi (2008); Tang eventually in Late Autumn/Man-choo (2010). Lust, Caution is fresh at 73 % with a 6.7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Lust, Caution?

Passengers (2016) - Pratt and Lawrence shimmer in high-quality sci-fi entertainer

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+ Best Space Movie of the Year

The two superstars are the one and only attraction on this poster for Morten Tyldum's Passengers

Some time in the future, space ship Avalon is transporting 5,000 passengers to a colony on another planet when a mass of comets interfere with its technology, resulting in the awakening of two passengers 90 years ahead of time.

The actuality of what happens is more complicated but shouldn't be revealed here.
Passengers, written by Jon Spaihts (Doctor Strange (2016)) and directed by Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game (2014)), is a huge star vehicle that works; it is extremely entertaining and beautifully done, both in terms of its prop and set designs, - the Avalon is a very cool spaceship! - CG effects, photography, by Rodrigo Prieto (Argo (2012)), and fine score by Thomas Newman (Mad City (1997)).
Chris Pratt (Jurassic World (2015)) and Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook (2012)) are both very easy on the eyes and adept at playing both the fun, romance and drama that fill out their parts here, which tackles basic human needs, resources and weaknesses. Passengers may look somewhat like another Gravity (2013), - two major Hollywood stars are all alone in trouble in space, - but this is another beast, a more intimate, dramatic (and romantic) and less suspense-driven story. Michael Sheen (Kill the Messenger (2014)) is good as the droid bartender, and Laurence Fishburne (Apocalypse Now (1979)) is equally well cast as a crewman.
Sure there are things in the movie that might seem a bit stretched in hindsight, but, pivotally, it all seems to go down without issue during the journey. And Passengers takes us on an entertaining journey with its fair share of wow moments and a pair of lovely lead stars, SPOILER and affords us an uplifting and lovely happy ending that I cherished.

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Morten Tyldum: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Imitation Game (2014) - Great Cumberbatch, good movie  
Headhunters/Hodejegerne (2011) - Norwegian craftsman Tyldum's thriller springboard

Watch an official trailer for the film here

Cost: 110 mil. $
Box office: 237.1 mil. $ and counting
= Too early to say
[Passengers premiered in the Fox Theatre, Westwood, LA December 14 and runs 116 minutes. The script was written in 2007, and Emily Blunt and Keanu Reeves were previously in talks to star. In an interesting gender divide - which doesn't cause enraged headlines or nervous chatter - Lawrence was reportedly paid 20 mil. $ and 30 % of the profit if the film breaks even, whereas Pratt reportedly 'only' netted 12 mil. $. Filming took place from September 2015 - February 2016 with additional shooting in September 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. The film opened very soft to #3, behind holdover hit Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and fellow newcomer Sing, and 14.8 mil. $ in North America, where it remained in #3 for 4 consecutive weeks before leaving the top 5 and has to date grossed 90 mil. $. Passengers has just opened #1 in China, which will prove a crucial market for it. Passengers is rotten at 31 % with a 5 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Passengers?

Babel (2006) or, Every One Is Connected

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Striking images lined with the title and ultra-simple tagline ('Listen') makes up this poster for Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu's Babel

When a couple of Moroccan boys accidentally shoot an American tourist, it starts an avalanche of events on different continents.

 

Babel is written by Guillermo Arriaga (En Defensa Propia (2015, short)) and directed by Mexican master filmmaker Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu (Amores Perros (2000)), whose 3rd feature it is. It is the 3rd and last film in Arriaga and Iñárritu's Death trilogy, also comprising Amores Perros and 21 Grams (2003).
Babel is a unique drawing of the times we live in; the tragedies, the hope and the people around the world, mostly seen as trying to do the right thing. Each working in their own fragment of the wildly divergent world, which is still being held together by some universal instincts and values that we seemingly all share as human beings. Babel lets us into the complexity of our world in the form of an emotionally wild sensual bombardment that took most audiences aback in cinemas the world over in 2006.
It is inventively carried out visually, (cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto (Barbie (2023))), story-wise and musically, (Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain (2005)) score is grand.) The film is extremely powerful, due, of course, in equal measure to the tremendous acting performances: Brad Pitt (Fight Club (1999)) gives one of his career's best performances, a gripping portrayal of desperation and grief. Adriana Barraza (Drag Me to Hell (2009)) plays the Mexican sitter with every ounce of her being.

 

Related posts:

 

Alejandro Gonzáles Iñárritu: The day after the day after ... the Oscars 2016 

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]  

The Revenant (2015) - Nature outdoes itself in Iñárritu's showy, solemn macho-spectacle 

The day after the day after... The Oscars 2015
Birdman (2014) - Iñárritu's clever, but cold showbusiness dramedy 

Biutiful (2010) - Sad globalization stories from Iñárritu 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best 'box office success' movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

21 Grams (2003) or, Hardcore Life 

Love Is a Bitch/Amores Perros (2000) or, People = Bad, Dogs = Good

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 25 mil. $
Box office: 135.3 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 5.41 times its cost)

[Babel premiered 23 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 143 minutes. Shooting took place from May - December 2005 in Japan, including in Tokyo, Morocco, including in Casablanca, Mexico and in San Diego, California. Arriaga and Iñárritu fell out prior to the film's premiere; the former was saying that they were co-authors of the trilogy, while the latter stressed that he was the sole auteur behind the films, and consequently banned Arriaga from attending the film's Cannes premiere. The film opened #24 to a 389k $ first weekend in 7 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #6 and in 1,251 theaters, grossing 34.3 mil. $ (25.4 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 14.9 mil. $ (11 %) and Spain with 13.9 mil. $ (10.3 %). The film was nominated for 6 Oscars (7 nominations), winning for Best Score. It lost Best Picture to The Departed, Supporting Actress (Rinko Kikuchi (Westworld (2018, TV-series)), Barraza) to Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, Director to Martin Scorsese for The Departed, Original Screenplay to Michael Arndt for Little Miss Sunshine and Editing to The Departed. It won 1/7 BAFTA nominations, 3 prizes in Cannes, was nominated for a César award, won a David di Donatello award, won 1/7 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for a Grammy and won 2 National Board of Review awards and an AFI award, among many other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. It additionally made in excess of 31.4 mil. $ on the North-American home video market alone. Iñárritu returned with To Each His Own Cinema (2007, segment) and theatrically himself alone with Biutiful (2010). Pitt returned in Ocean's Thirteen (2007); Cate Blanchett (Hanna (2011)) in The Good German (2006); and Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle (2014-18)) in Déficit (2007). Babel is fresh at 69 % with a 6.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Babel?