Review: "No"
"No"
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"No"
Everyone is familiar with the legend of JFK and Marilyn, but what about Franklin and Margaret? In his latest film, director Roger Michell invites you to attend a weekend at FDR’s upstate New York manor, along with the king and queen of England and a handful of women he’s slept with. What is so misleading about this particularly bland film is the charisma of its actors––FDR’s dry wit plays nicely to Bill Murray’s own, and Laura Linney, always a film festival darling, plays Margaret Suckley with a wide-eyed innocence that tows the line between sympathetic and Bambi–esque. While the King and Queen provided the majority of the comic relief for an otherwise mediocre film, it is impossible not to compare them to the dyamite duo of Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter in the same role just last year. Ultimately, it didn’t matter how interesting any part of the film might have been––what stood out was that scene about five minutes in when FDR got an “Animal House”–style HJ from his cousin. Frisky!
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One can only watch Daniel Craig save the world and shoot a gun so many times. That’s why the concept of Act of Valor is so intriguing — instead of another big–name star, the core cast is comprised of eight active duty Navy SEALs.
It’s easy to come up with reasons to make fun of We Bought a Zoo. The title, for one, is perhaps the most ridiculous in recent memory. The premise, although true, is laughable. To round it all out, Scarlet Johansson plays a frazzled zookeeper - and not the Halloween costume sexy kind. Leave it to Cameron Crowe though, genius of Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire fame, to take these elements and create the most heart-warming film for every demographic.
We value our work as much as anyone. But sometimes, things come up… and there’s absolutely no time to read all of Mansfield Park before the annual Homecoming party at Chancellor. This week, Film is here to help. We’ve compiled a list of movies to watch when you’re really in a pinch, organized by the class to which they apply. Just don’t make the Scarlet Letter mistake — that scene with Demi in the bathtub wasn’t in the Hawthorne original.
A few weeks ago, two girls were standing in line at Einstein’s and chatting. “I’d totally join Street,” one said, “but I feel like it’s just, like, a million people being obsessed with movies. I’m sorry, films.”
Thursday, October 20 Like Crazy — Opening Night Film 8 p.m., Annenberg Center Directed by: Drake Doremus Starring: Felicity Jones, Anton Yelchin A college–aged couple is torn apart by an expired visa in this Sundance darling.
Machine Gun Preacher will stay with you. It’s not particularly well acted, nor is the screenplay Sorkin–level, but this film has a story. Sometimes, in order to succeed, the story is what matters most.
Street had the unique opportunity to sit down with the real Machine Gun Preacher to talk about his work in Africa, the testimonies we all carry and how if he was still doing wrong, God wouldn’t have let him get so far.
Sometimes, all a movie needs is a few action stars and a lot of shooting to entertain its audience. A strong plot is nice, but a secondary concern. Such is the case with Killer Elite.
Within the genre of sports movies, there exists a division between those that require a love of the sport (any sport) and those that can engender such a love, even for just a couple of hours. Moneyball is the best example of the latter provided to viewers in years.
It’s commonly accepted in the world of female executives that you can only have two out of the big three: job, kids or marriage. Is it a double standard? Yes. But when two of the things are going well, by the laws of physics, one must spiral out of control.
After the release of two critically acclaimed EPs in 2009, Washed Out is back with a more stylized and eerie tone in his first full length album, With and Without. While his early EPs had an almost pop– y electronic pulse, With and Without is more effective when listened to in its entirety. The result is a listening experience that is intoxicatingly calm.
We get that the San Francisco fog doesn’t exactly scream “beach day.” But while your friends are suffering through the East Coast heat wave are frying and de-frizzing, here are a few stops and sights to keep you busy after a long week of work (or sightseeing - who says climbing those hills can’t be tough?). Plus, looks like we’ve got a sunny weekend ahead.
There’s something to be said for choosing to highlight the breakdown-inspiring monotony of prairie life. There’s also something to be said for Michelle Williams’ ability to embody a slightly damaged but still empowered heroine. The combination of the two, however, rarely creates an exciting viewing experience — and Meek’s Cutoff is no exception.
Twi–hards, stop here — Robert Pattinson is no longer just Edward Cullen. Yes, he continues to brood and pine for an ethereal beauty, but there’s a depth to his performance in Water for Elephants that’s beyond vampiric. Upon learning about the death of his parents, Cornell veterinary student Jacob (Pattinson) joins a Depression–era traveling circus where he meets — and subsequently falls in love with — the beautiful star Marlena (Witherspoon). As Jacob and Marlena develop a new show–saving act centered around graceful elephant Rosie, they are brought closer together, much to the chagrin of animal trainer August (Waltz), who happens to be Marlena’s husband. Director Lawrence makes a strong effort to preserve the magical sensibility that caused Sara Gruen’s original novel to be so popular. Swooping shots of life under the big top — courtesy of famed cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto — and an enhanced focus on the relationship between Jacob and Marlena augment the wonder and charm that pervade the narrative. But while Water for Elephants does manage to highlight the near–angelic beauty of its main actors, the film suffers from a slow pace that not even Marlena’s balletic movements can save. There are no scenes that truly stand out as powerful or striking, and even the most dramatic of moments — which all involve elephant cruelty — blur together like a tapestry of recollections on circus life. There’s also a stiltedness surrounding the film's main actors that makes Water for Elephants almost jerky to watch, a jarring contrast to the intended fluidity of the film’s action and cinematography. Witherspoon switches between a Southern and affected stage accent throughout, and Hal Holbrook (as an older Jacob) delivers his lines like there’s a teleprompter right off screen. Waltz delivers the film’s most compelling performance, although it seems like he merely transplanted his Oscar–winning Nazi persona (from Inglourious Basterds) into a circus setting. Fans of Gruen’s best–selling novel will note a few major changes have been made to the film’s characters. But they help to add clarity for viewers unfamiliar with the story, and in the end, the movie appeals to the same demographic as the book. Water for Elephants is neither Pulitzer nor pulp and will please those looking for a literary film that has the feel–good rewards of an Oscar pick with considerably less pretension. Besides, Pattinson really does look good in a tux.
Street: What was it that attracted you to this role? Saoirse Ronan: I always like to do something different and more challenging. Also, I got to do a lot of physical activity. I had never gotten to do anything like that before in a movie, and I’ve always been quite an athletic person. So I thought it would be fun and it would be tough work, but really good preparation to train and learn fight choreography and things like that. And it does make you really focused when you have those kinds of pieces to learn.
At first, Hanna seems perplexing. It’s surprising when a director known for visually stunning costume dramas like Atonement (2007) and Pride and Prejudice (2005) successfully transitions into the world of blood–pumping thrillers. But after an opening sequence in which the film’s titular teenage girl stands above a buck she has just speared with her bow in the middle of the tundra, it becomes clear that director Joe Wright has gone beyond the average action flick.
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