Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight Rises” is the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose”), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake. Returning to the main cast, Oscar® winner Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules”) plays Alfred; Gary Oldman is Commissioner Gordon; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) reprises the role of Lucius Fox. The screenplay is written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The film is produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan and Charles Roven, who previously teamed on “Batman Begins” and the record-breaking blockbuster “The Dark Knight.” The executive producers are Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy and Thomas Tull, with Jordan Goldberg serving as co-producer. The film is based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane.
Category Archives: Thriller
Trinity Is STILL My Name! – 1971
Trinity Is STILL My Name!
Trinity is Still My Name
This comedy/Western sequel concerns about Terence Hill and Bud Spencer, two bandits who attempt to rob a family but finish to protect them . They’ll fight against shady baddies and corrupt landowners and will find shelter in a monastery where disguise themselves as friars.
The formula of ¨They call me Trinity¨ deals enhance the comics remarks of the western parody genre originated on the 1960 decade with the directors as Burt Kennedy and Andrew McLagen and adding the references to Spaghetti Western model that was in real decadence . The humor is continuous though is sometimes grossed-out , laughters are based on physical differences and diverse personalities of both protagonists ; once upon terminated the formula is transfered to other genres as oriental adventures or action . The comedy is developed by means of successive struggles without blood , neither guts, nor cruel killings. The choreographic fights are slights and clean , no crude violence, nor gore, predominating the parody and the irony . Terence Hill plays as a rascal and likable gunslinger with fast-gun and Bud Spencer as a corpulent, grumpy and two-fisted man, besides in support cast is the veteran Harry Carey Jr interpreting the daddy , he’s regular of the maestro John Ford . This delightful spoof of the Spaghetti Western with our unlikely heroes achieved enough smash hit, as the original . And twenty and some years later was realized a third part :¨The fight before Christmas¨ or ¨Troublemakers¨ but didn’t obtain success and was a true flop . The Trinity and Bambino times had passed. Rating : Average but amusing and entertaining.
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My Name Is Trinity – 1970
My Name Is Trinity
What a great movie, one of the best spag westerns I’ve seen so far. I didn’t find this movie to be as funny as I thought it was going to be based on the other reviews I’ve read, but I did find it to be a thoroughly entertaining gem with a slightly twisted world-view.
For me the strong appeal of this film was a result of the many strong characters and just as importantly, a tight, well written script which gets more and more compelling with each passing scene. By the time the film reached its conclusion I was totally drawn in.
I’m not surprised that there were so many sequels to this … at the end, when Trinity and Bambino (Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer) inevitably ride off into the sunset their characters are so interesting you really want to follow them and find out what’s going to happen to them next. Not to mention the other characters like the Major and the drunk Mexican (I heard this was really Sonny Bono in one of his early roles? Just kidding.)
I liked the ending of this film. Although there’s never any doubt that Trinity and Bambino will prevail, the way they win the day was unexpected, and, in keeping with the traditional western archetype, the violent men who win with their fists and revolvers suddenly find themselves out of place in the stable society they help to build.
I would not say this is the greatest western of all of all time, but definitely an entertaining way to spend a Saturday afternoon and the type of characters and plot I wish we would see more of from today’s filmmakers.
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The Five Man Army – 1969
The Five Man Army
The Five Man Army
Fantastic film that might shock a few spaghetti western fans. The shock? Peter Graves in a 1970 spaghetti western! Graves is his usual self,great voice,intense and even a bit light hearted at times. Terrence Hill co- hort ,Bud Spencer,a legend in the genre,plays his normal role as a tough but lovable brute of a man. This film is sort of a “Magnificent Seven” but minus two. While the story may be run of the mill,the score by master Ennio Morricone is haunting and will stick with you for as long as you grace this earth. Morricone is one of the few composers that can actually make an average film into a very good one. His music adds so much to the film. The rest of the cast is above average compared to the standard fare of the genre during that time period(early 70’s). Overall a very enjoyable film that I would suggest to anyone who wants to sit back and just let their mind and body relax for an hour or two. No one can do westerns like the Italians. I wish that the genre would make a comeback but no matter what..things will never be good as the period from 1964-1974,at least as far as westerns are concerned. Give me a good ole Italian western over the American oater…ANYDAY!
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Marc Richards (screenplay), Dario Argento(screenplay)
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My Summer of Love – 2004
My Summer of Love
Two adolescent girls from very different background meet up in the North English countryside. They both come from dysfunctional families – one, Mona, is cared for by her born-again brother who is busy turning their inherited tavern into a place of ‘worship’. She has a motorbike without an engine that she bought for a tenner from some gypsies. The other girl, Tamsin, has come home from (or been temporarily expelled from) her public school and has come home for the summer to the family mansion and frequently-absentee parents. Somehow they each seem to provide the emotional jigsaw piece that the other lacks, and a tender love affair develops between them.
My Summer of Love is a light-hearted mix of drama and comedy, and would probably stop at being pleasantly superficial were it not for the remarkable performances of the lead characters. Two relatively unknown actors have been coaxed by Director Paul Pavlikovsky to bring us performances that are so vibrant and unique that we remain glued to the screen throughout. At the film’s world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, I asked Pavlikovsky and his leading ladies Natalie Press and Emily Blunt whether the screenplay was scripted or a combination of script and improvisation. They enthused about his ‘mad’ techniques and ‘riffing’ performances until ‘little gems of dialogue’ appeared and were worth keeping. Some dialogue is from their original script, but when I asked if that meant some was improvised he said that improvisation often results in clichés, which is the opposite of what they were trying to achieve. In the search for ‘gems of dialogue’ some of the scenes would be workshopped beforehand, but with a certain amount of leeway to see what worked when they were actually shot.
Starrer: Natalie Press, Emily Blunt and Paddy Considine
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Writers: Helen Cross (novel), Pawel Pawlikowski
The Tenant – 1976
The Tenant
Polanski is considered as one of the most important directors of our time, as the mind behind classics such as “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Chinatown”. Probably what makes Polanski’s cinema a very interesting one is the fact that while he is capable of creating commercially attractive films such as the afore mentioned masterpieces, he is also fond of making low-key movies that are of a more personal nature. “Le Locataire”, or “The Tenant”, is one of those movies; a horror/suspense story about paranoia and obsession that is among his best works and probably among the best horror movies ever done.
Polanski himself plays Telkovsky, a young man looking for an apartment in France. When he finally finds one, he discovers that it is empty because the previous tenant, Simone Choule, attempted to kill herself by jumping out of the window. After Simone dies of the injuries, Trelkovsky begins to become obsessed with her, to the point of believing that her death was caused by the rest of the tenants in the building.
While sharing the same claustrophobic feeling of his other “apartment-themed” films (“Repulsion & “Rosemary’s Baby”); this film focuses on the bizarre conspiracy that may or may not be entirely in Trelkovsky’s head, the catastrophic effects the paranoia has on his mind, and the bizarre obsession he has with the previous tenant.
Trelkovsky’s descend into darkness is portrayed perfectly by Polanski. While at first his performance seems odd and wooden, slowly one finds out that Polanski acts that way because Trelkovsky is meant to be acted that way; as a simpleton with almost no life, who traps himself in this maddening sub-world that happens to be inhabited by a collection of bizarre people. The supporting actors really gave life to the people in the building creating memorable characters that are very important for the success of the film.
Also, the beautiful cinematography Polanski employs in the film helps to increase the feeling of isolation, and gives life to the beautiful building that serves as cage for Trelkovsky. The haunting images Polanski uses to convey the feeling of confusion and madness are of a supernatural beauty that makes them both frightening and attractive.
If a flaw is to be found in the film, is that it is definitely a bit slow at first. this may sound like a turn-off but in fact the slow pace of the beginning works perfectly as it mimics Trelkovsky’s own boring life and how gradually he enters a different realm. Also, the convoluted storyline is definitely not an easy one to understand due to the many complex layers it has. However, more than a flaw, it is a joy to face a thought-provoking plot like this one.
While “The Tenant” may not be for everyone, those interested in psychological horror and surreal story lines will be pleased by the experience. “Le Locataire” is really one of Roman Polanksi’s masterpieces.
Starrer – Roman Polanski, Isabelle Adjani and Melvyn Douglas
Writer & Director – Roman Polanski
Bitter Moon – 1992
Bitter Moon
Polanski again explores the depths of the human psyche in Bitter Moon, a magnificent epic tale of obsessive lust and the oh-so-familiar winding course of a passionate romance gone sour.
Bitter Moon centers around a familiar Polanski theme, that we are capable of being both torturer and victim, and usually both simultaneously. For anyone who doubts the validity of much of the past century of French intellectual thought, from the likes of Andre Gide, Foucault, and others, see this movie. For anyone who has been in a painful twisted relationship, see this movie. You will understand it. Some of it might be hard to stomach but that is the nature of truly great filmmaking.
A beautifully crafted movie, almost lyrical at times, Bitter moon is set in contemporary Paris but is told in a series of long complex flashbacks superbly narrated by Oscar (a terrific Peter Coyote) to Nigel (Hugh Grant as the usual British prat), both passengers on a cruise ship to India. Nigel and his wife Fiona, played by Kirsten Scott-Thomas, are on a holiday to enliven a stable but stale marriage. The couples become embroiled through the lurid tale of Oscar and Mimi’s (Emmanuelle Seigner) love affair. Emmanuelle, Polanski’s real-life wife, is superb and her incredible performance takes her from sumptuous beauty to complete wreck, a performance that deserves far more praise than was received. The lack of attention to her performance in this movie is no doubt due to the notoriety in the puritanical American press of her husband.
As a whole, Bitter Moon may not be Polanski’s best film but some periods of the movie represent his very best work. Throughout, limits are pushed to the brink of tastelessness but Polanski masterfully pulls back just in time. The direction is complex and highly sophisticated and the movie arouses a range of emotions from dread to empathy to disgust to hilarity. The story line is far too complicated to synopsize appropriately in this review. Bitter moon is a great film, one of this reviewer’s top 10 for the 1990s.
Starrer – Hugh Grant, Kristin Scott Thomas and Emmanuelle Seigner, Peter Coyote
Director – Roman Polanski
Writer – Roman Polanski
Clockers – 1995
Clockers
It is not an easy film. It is bleak and at times very off-putting. Actually, if you are a thinking, caring person, this is movie is overall heart-breaking.
But it is brilliant and, for the person who truly tries to understand it, a compelling, insightful look at the problems killing black America today. The only reason for the film’s lack of recognition I can imagine is that its subject matter had been examined a number of times before. But the inescapable fact is that this one of the best examinations of the subject matter there has been on screen – on par with “Boyz N The Hood”.
And it is FAR from uncreative. In fact, on one level, it is not a “hood” movie, but a whodunit. The mystery aspect of the plot is very interesting. But there are other, more important layers. It is the story of the confusion and crisis of a young man’s life. Most importantly, it is a brutal look at drugs, guns, and life in the projects. It is a movie asking why so many young black men are dying in the streets.
The lead character Strike has a stomach problem. It might be an ulcer or something like that. I believe it is a metaphor. Just as heat represented racial tension in Lee’s masterpiece “Do The Right Thing”, Strike’s sickness represents the illnesses plaguing the ghetto: drugs, guns, liquor.
Like DTRT, this film looks at community. The mothers, the cops, the young people, the kids, the men trying to make a living – there is eloquent commentary in “Clockers” on the situations of all. In Spike’s movies, paying a little attention is rewarding. A good essay could be written on what I call the Spike Summarization technique. This is when Spike compresses a serious debate or concern in the black community into a few expressive moments of action or dialogue. There are better examples in other movies, but it manifests in “Clockers” a few times. A bunch of kids are sitting in front of Rodney’s (Delroy Lindo) shop; one of the kids is rapping while the others pay attention. The two sides to the coin: we feel the artistry and skill of the moment, the continuation of a rich tradition of oral art; we’re also struck by the cruelty and coldness in the kid’s violent lyrics, and we think about where that comes from.
Stylistically, this movie is a huge success. The cinematography is amazing, and I wonder what must be wrong with my tastes when I’m floored by a film like this and find visually bland a more oft-praised classic. The projects become blinding panoramas, landscapes which add tons of meaning to the poignant ending (I won’t reveal it here). The sound is great; many films of this nature use hip hop in the soundtrack to produce certain effects, but “Clockers” does it in a more methodical way which jars some people, but contributes to the film’s meaning.
I could say more about the film, but I encourage you to just see it, along with the rest of Spike’s oeuvre. He’s not a perfect filmmaker, and some of his best films are marred by elements that don’t work, but I feel his consistency in terms of delivering brilliance is not below most of the cinema’s most celebrated auteurs.
The Dark Knight Rises – 2012
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The Silence of the Lambs – 1991
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With Silence of the Lambs comes some much needed recognition for the horror genre. It is a first-rate production all around. It boasts a witty and suspenseful script based on the Thomas Harris novel, full of great lines. It has marvelous direction from Demme. Demme creates suspense very well throughout and uses some great directorial shots such as the twin frames of Clarice ringing a doorbell and the FBI men breaking into a home. The two lead actors won oscars for their performances…each deserved. Foster is very good in her role, but it is Anthony Hopkins that literally lights up the screen with his complex portrayal of a complex serial killer. Hopkins does the seemingly impossible. He frightens you with his outrageousness and yet illicts some pity/compassion(albeit not a lot) for his situation. He says his lines with reservedness when needed and brashness when needed. The rest of the cast is also quite good with Anthony Heald a standout as a unethical, petty doctor in charge of Hopkins. Of course the story of the other killer is very very chilling as well. A quality film in all aspects!
Starrer – Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster
Director – Jonathan Demme
Writer – Thomas Harris
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