In the Heart of the Sea (2015) - Howard and stars mostly lost at sea

♥♥

The dimensions of a man swimming behind a massive whale are astonishing on this poster for Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea

Herman Melville comes to Nantucket, New England in 1850 and pressures a local to relate to him the story of how the whaling ship the Essex suffered a cruel fate on a mission thirty years prior.

In the Heart of the Sea is written by Charles Leavitt (The Mighty (1998)), with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), both) contributing story elements, adapting the same-titled 1999 non-fiction book by Nathaniel Philbrick (Abram's Eyes (1998)), and co-produced and directed by great Oklahoman filmmaker Ron Howard (Grand Theft Auto (1977)).

Not an adaptation of Herman Melville's classic Moby Dick (1851), rather this is about the true-story genesis of his novel. In the Heart of the Sea attracts with its colorful seafaring adventure. Whaling, to most people, is about as exotic as it can get. The film succeeds rather well in portraying this fascinating activity, no doubt with enormous practical difficulties, not least because the activity is so hard to imagine doing.

But good maritime scenes cannot cover the many egregious choices made by the filmmakers: The film is about Melville, - but then not really. It is about first mate Owen Chase's (Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok (2017))) marriage, - but then not really. And there's a fair argument to be made that Hemsworth is not enough of a dramatic actor to carry the part. It is about Chase's rivalry with the ship's stubborn captain, - but then not really. Finally the film is about the young Thomas, who sees everything through a big kid's eyes: SPOILER Tom Holland (Avengers: Endgame (2019)) is too cute for this part, and when as a grown man he has become Brendan Gleeson (The Village (2004)) it is impossible to see how and when the two could have possible morphed.

Maybe Howard was too unfocused during the making of the film, (he was tweeting and instagraming during shooting), or perhaps not personally invested enough. In any case, In the Heart of the Sea rumbles along hither and dither without much luck.

 

Related posts:

 

Ron Howard: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) - Disney, Howard and Co. drive expensive stick through beloved franchise 

Inferno (2016) - Howard's third Langdon adventure is among the year's worst films 

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject)

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
Frost/Nixon (2008) - Howard's political drama is gripping, superiorly acted 
The Da Vinci Code (2006) - Howard's first Brown adaptation is a popcorn thriller hoot  

2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - John Nash given the Epic Treatment  
EDtv (1999) - Phenomenal cast shine in Howard's witty mega-flop

Far and Away (1992) - Howard, Hollywood's sweethearts visit the old West with dull result (co-writer/director) 
Backdraft (1991) - Howard's giant, stupid Chicago-set firefighter movie 

Grand Theft Auto (1977) or, Crash Bam Boom! 
American Graffiti (1973) or, Cruisin' Modesto '62 (actor)   

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 94.3 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.94 times its cost)

[In the Heart of the Sea premiered 2 December (London) and runs 122 minutes. 10 companies cooperated in the financing and production of the film. Shooting took place from September 2013 in Spain and England, including in London. The film opened #2, behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, to an 11 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd weekend and grossed 25 mil. $ (26.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Mexico with 6.3 mil. $ (6.7 %) and South Korea with 5.7 mil. $ (6 %). The film made an estimated 8.6 mil. $ additionally on the domestic home video market. Howard returned with The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016, documentary) and theatrically with Inferno (2016). Hemsworth returned in The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016). In the Heart of the Sea is rotten at 42 % with a 5.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of In the Heart of the Sea?

Hearts in Atlantis (2001) - Beautiful photography and performances drive Hicks' King adaptation

♥♥♥♥

 

A mysterious story teaser and a very popular star in Anthony Hopkins reach for our interest on this poster for Scott Hicks' Hearts in Atlantis

Bobby is a quick-witted 12 year-old boy in 1960. He lives with his inattentive mother, when a strange man named Ted moves into their house, and a series of experiences follow for Bobby.

 

Hearts in Atlantis is written by William Goldman (Chaplin (1992)), adapting the novella Low Men in Yellow Coats from the story collection Hearts in Atlantis (1999) by Stephen King (Roadwork (1981)), and directed by Scott Hicks (The Wanderer (1974)).

Behind the quizzical poster is a surprisingly good film, really beautifully photographed (by Piotr Sobocinski (Ransom (1996))), with customary neat period music. It is a rare King adaptation largely without supernatural/horror elements, (SPOILER except for the fact that Ted has psychic abilities.)

There is eminent acting between Anthony Hopkins (Red Dragon (2002)) as the melancholy-wise Ted and Anton Yelchin (Green Room (2015) as the irrefutably intelligent and charming Bobby. There are also good supporting performances from Hope Davis (Wayward Pines (2015-16)) as the flawed mother, Mika Boorem (House (2007, TV-series)) as the girl, and from Celia Weston (The Intern (2015)) and Alan Tudyk (Playing God (2021)) in single scenes.

A perfect ending is missed, as Hicks insists on an unnecessary, laughable framing story, where good David Morse (Wall Street (2014, TV movie)) as adult Bobby spells it out for us without a shade of subtlety that the events we have just witnessed would become decisive for his later life. That ending is a shame.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 31 mil. $

Box office: 30.9 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.99 times its cost)

[Hearts in Atlantis premiered 7 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 101 minutes. Shooting took place from October 2000 - February 2001 in Virginia. The film opened #3, behind fellow new released Don't Say a Word and Zoolander, to a 9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its second weekend and grossed 24.1 mil. $ (78 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 1.3 mil. $ (4.2 %) and Australia with 1.1 mil. $ (3.6 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Hicks returned with No Reservations (2007). Hopkins returned in Bad Company (2002). Hearts in Atlantis is rotten at 49 % with a 5.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hearts in Atlantis?

Ocean's Eight (2018) - Commercially mandated spin-off sinks

♥♥

 

Eight increasingly diminutive female stars line up on this cinema-red poster for Gary Ross' Ocean's Eight

Danny Ocean's sister is released from prison with a plan: Along with a crew of seven other gifted women she wants to steal a lot of diamonds from the big Met gala in New York.

 

Ocean's Eight is written by Olivia Milch (Dude (2018, story)) and co-writer/director Gary Ross (Pleasantville (1998)). It is a reboot spin-off of the Ocean's franchise begun with Ocean's 11 (1960) and directly related to Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy (2001-07).

Good musical choices, smashing dresses and a fitting lack of regular action, (there is no pasted on car chase or shoot-out, which suits the film well) are worth commending this mildly entertaining film for, - but regrettably its success is still hindered by several problems:

Sandra Bullock (Love Potion No. 9 (1992)) is the protagonist thief, whom we are naturally supposed to root for, but at this point her heavily surgically 'enhanced' face seriously hamper this engagement, just as her friendship, - or possibly more than friendship (?), - with Cate Blanchett's (Knight of Cups (2015)) character, (Blanchett on the other hand is hidden behind enormous bangs (and often also shades) here, - never becomes really exciting. You can enjoy Rihanna (Guava Island (2019)) solely for who she is in real life here, and Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars (2009)) and Helena Bonham Carter (Shadow Play (1996)) are fairly good, but Ocean's Eight is never very funny or really exciting. It also clings to elements of the preceding films with a clumsy scene with Elliott Gould (Puckoon (2002)) SPOILER as well as a tame, lame ending, in which Bullock makes herself a cocktail in front of (George Clooney's) Danny Ocean's gravestone and saying, "You would have loved it!" In this way Ocean's Eight sticks to the shadow of Soderbergh's films, while a revenge motive behind the big heist never really gets us pumped.

Ocean's Eight is failed; it is unnecessary, disappointing and poor.

 

Related post:

 

Gary Ross: The Hunger Games (2012) - A global, teen-centered sci-fi smash

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 70 mil. $

Box office: 297.7 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.25 times its cost)

[Ocean's Eight premiered 5 June (New York) and runs 110 minutes. The film was announced in October 2015. Shooting took place from October 2016 - March 2017 in New York and Los Angele, California. The film opened #1 to a 41.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#3-#5), grossing 140.2 mil. $ (47.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 14 mil. $ (4.7 %) and Australia with 13.6 mil. $ (4.6 %). Ross has not returned as a director since, but is returning as co-writer of Desert Warrior (2022). Bullock returned in Bird Box (2018). Ocean's Eight is fresh at 68 % with a 6.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ocean's Eight?

Ocean's Thirteen (2007) - Soderbergh lays the deck with pizazz

♥♥♥♥♥

 

The 12 male stars (the one female is missing...) stand around a crap game table on this poster for Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Thirteen

Reuben Tishkoff gets pushed out of service by the town's new unsympathetic major casino owner, and so Danny Ocean calls his team of experts together to serve revenge.

 

Ocean's Thirteen is written by Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Rounders (1998), both) and directed and photographed by Georgian master filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)), whose 17th feature it is. It is also the final film in Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy.

After the dubious plotting and convoluted elements of Ocean's Twelve (2004), it is a great pleasure to see and feel the slick machine of the first film return to form here in a film that's as strong as Ocean's Eleven (2001).

Al Pacino (Insomnia (2002)) is delightful as the dirty villain, who simply lacks George Clooney's (One Fine Day (1996)) gentlemanly skills as Danny Ocean. The story is simple yet again, and it is the serving rather than the plot that makes this firebrand entertainment: It is intelligent, funny and delicious to look at and listen to. The great drums of show business roll loud here; Hollywood is in its ace.

Ocean's Thirteen is packing fun supporting roles and cameos, gadgets and a tight story. - And Oprah!

 

Related posts:

Steven Soderbergh:  Logan Lucky (2017) - Soderbergh returns with amusing, slow hillbilly heist comedy
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Magic Mike XXL (2015) - Lots of fun and skin but still no gay as Mike goes to the convention (cinematographer, editor) 
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
Side Effects (2013) - Modern people screw up in excellent thriller 
Behind the Candelabra (2013) - Restraint and extravagance 
Magic Mike (2012) - Soderbergh and Tatum score big with cheeky male strip romp 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2011 in films - according to Film Excess 
Contagion (2011) - Soderbergh's global pandemic creep-out  
Haywire (2011) - Soderbergh's taut, stylish ensemble actioner is a masterpiece

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
The Informant! (2009) - Soderbergh and Damon's terrific true-crime dramedy  
Che Part One - The Argentine (2008) - Soderbergh's sober depiction of the Cuban revolution 

Ocean's Twelve (2004) - Soderbergh returns with jumbled, glossy heist comedy sequel 
Solaris (2002) - A suffering space question mark  

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Soderbergh brings down the house 

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Erin Brockovich (2000) - Roberts, Soderbergh and Grant's triumphant biopic    

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Out of Sight (1998) - Clooney and Lopez burn up the screen in Soderbergh's crime comedy

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 85 mil. $

Box office: 311.3 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.66 times its cost)

[Ocean's Thirteen premiered 24 May (Cannes Film Festival, out of competition) and runs 122 minutes. Clooney was paid 15 mil. $ for his performance in the film; the over-all budget was lowered from the preceding film's 110 mil. $ to 85 mil. $, the same budget as for the first film in the trilogy in 2001. Shooting took place from July - December 2006 in London, England, Las Vegas, Nevada and in California. The film opened #1 to a 36.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 117.1 mil. $ (37.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 27.3 mil. $ (8.8 %) and the UK with 26.4 mil. $ (8.5 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. Soderbergh returned with Che: Part One (2008). Clooney returned in Michael Clayton (2007); Pitt in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007); Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and Pacino in Righteous Kill (2008). Ocean's Thirteen is fresh at 70 % with a 6.40/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ocean's Thirteen?

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Soderbergh brings down the house

♥♥♥♥♥

 

When you've got a cast like this, you should flaunt it. So does this poster for Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven

Released from prison, grand larcenist Danny Ocean pulls together a 10-man team for an ambitious new heist, aiming at three major Las Vegas casinos in the same operation.

 

Ocean's Eleven is written by Ted Griffin (Ravenous (1999)) and directed and photographed by Georgian master filmmaker Steven Soderbergh (Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)), whose 11th feature it is. It is a remake of Ocean's Eleven (1960) by Lewis Milestone, which featured the Rat Pack, Angie Dickinson and more.

Soderbergh has spun a piece of top entertainment here and resurrected a genre (the heist movie) in a way that couldn't possibly be any more stylish. The attractive cast all deliver, and especially Elliott Gould (E/R (1984-85)) and Carl Reiner (The Art of Love (1965)) are hilarious. 

Ocean's Eleven reeks of Vegas and show business in the best possible way. There's small twists and neat features in the long built-up to the big score. Ocean's Eleven is a highly successful operation.

 

Related posts:

Steven Soderbergh:  Logan Lucky (2017) - Soderbergh returns with amusing, slow hillbilly heist comedy
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Magic Mike XXL (2015) - Lots of fun and skin but still no gay as Mike goes to the convention (cinematographer, editor) 
2013 in films - according to Film Excess
Side Effects (2013) - Modern people screw up in excellent thriller 
Behind the Candelabra (2013) - Restraint and extravagance 
Magic Mike (2012) - Soderbergh and Tatum score big with cheeky male strip romp 
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2011 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2011 in films - according to Film Excess 
Contagion (2011) - Soderbergh's global pandemic creep-out  
Haywire (2011) - Soderbergh's taut, stylish ensemble actioner is a masterpiece

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
The Informant! (2009) - Soderbergh and Damon's terrific true-crime dramedy  
Che Part One - The Argentine (2008) - Soderbergh's sober depiction of the Cuban revolution 

Ocean's Twelve (2004) - Soderbergh returns with jumbled, glossy heist comedy sequel 
Solaris (2002) - A suffering space question mark  

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Erin Brockovich (2000) - Roberts, Soderbergh and Grant's triumphant biopic    

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  

Out of Sight (1998) - Clooney and Lopez burn up the screen in Soderbergh's crime comedy 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 85 mil. $

Box office: 450.7 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 5.30 times its cost)

[Ocean's Eleven premiered 5 December (California) and runs 116 minutes. A remake by David Permut was close to happening in 1987. George Clooney (Three Kings (1999)) was paid 20 mil. $ for his performance; Brad Pitt (Sleepers (1996)) 10 mil. $ - against a back-end deal that ended up netting him 30 mil. $ total; Julia Roberts (Mary Reilly (1996)) got 10 mil. $ and Matt Damon (Rounders (1998)) 5 mil. $ - that's 45 mil. $ total up front for the film's 4 main stars, more than half the film's budget. Shooting took place from February - June 2001 in Chicago, Illinois, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Nevada, Florida and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #1 to a 38.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for another 5 weekends (#2-#2-#2-#3-#4), grossing 183.4 mil. $ (40.7 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 51.9 mil. $ (11.5 %) and the UK with 35.7 mil. $ (7.9 %). The film was nominated for a César award and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. The success was followed by two sequels with returning stars and director Soderbergh; Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), - as well as a female-lead reboot by Gary Ross; Ocean's 8 (2018). Soderbergh returned first with Full Frontal (2002). Clooney first returned in Welcome to Collinwood (2002); Pitt in Jackass (2002, TV-series) and theatrically in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002); Roberts in Grand Champion (2002); and Damon with a voice performance in The Majestic (2001) and physically in Gerry (2002). Ocean's Eleven is certified fresh at 83 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Ocean's Eleven?

Happy Feet (2006) - Mind-numbing one-trick pony animation

♥♥

 

A happy-faced penguin is dancing on a - presumably thawing - block of ice on this poster for George Miller, Warren Coleman and Judy Morris' Happy Feet

In the world of emperor penguins singing is pivotal. But young Mumble doesn't have the knack for it. What he can do, however, is dance!

 

Happy Feet is written by John Collee (Wolf Totem (2015)) and co-writer/directors Judy Morris (Luigi's Ladies (1989)), Warren Coleman (Effie: Just Quietly (2001, TV-series)) and great Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max (1979)).

The animation of Antarctic animals is impressive. - Regrettably they are dropped into an insultingly hollow and unoriginal film, which seems to promise us a gay penguin story - but instead settles for tap-dancing penguin idiocy, and an environmental afterthought ending that's just twaddle. Happy Feet is intolerable.

 

Related posts:

George Miller: Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

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] 

2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) or, Furiosa: Desert Warrior 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Twilight Zone The Movie (1983) - Fear takes many forms in tragedy-struck anthology (segment director)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 100 mil. $

Box office: 384.3 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 3.84 times its cost)

[Happy Feet was released 16 November (Malaysia, Thailand) and runs 108 minutes. Production took place in Sydney, Australia and lasted 4 years. Motion capture was used to make the penguins dance convincingly like humans. The film opened #1 to a 41.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends at #1 and then another 2 in the top 5 (#2-#4), grossing 198 mil. $ (51.5 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 37.7 mil. $ (9.8 %) and Australia with 26.2 mil. $ (6.9 %). The film won the Best Animated Feature Oscar. It also won 1/2 BAFTA nominations, an AFI award, 1/2 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for 2 Grammys and many other honors. It also made in excess of 213.8 mil. $ on DVD and Blu-ray sales in North America. Miller (and several voice stars) returned with Happy Feet Two (2011), a major flop. Morris and Coleman have not directed since. Elijah Wood (Cooties (2014)) returned in 3 TV and video game credits prior to his theatrical return in Year Zero (2007); Brittany Murphy (Drive (1997)) in The Ramen Girl (2008). Happy Feet is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Happy Feet?