Authors: Marcus
Location: Cleveland, OH
"One Door Away from Heaven"
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Adapted by M. Night Shyamalan
Based on the book by Dean Koontz
Score by James Newton Howard
Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski
Principal Cast:
Famke Janssen-Michelina Bellsong
Dakota Fanning-Leilani Klonk
Jimmy Bennett-Curtis Hammond
Nicolas Cage-Noah Farrell
Brendan Fraser-Preston Maddoc
Rosemary Harris-Geneva Davis
Jennifer Tilly-Polluxia & Castoria
Kathy Bates-Sinsemilla
Tagline: "Fate determines life"
Synopsis: Intertwining stories brings together a bevy of diverse characters.
Michelina Bellsong (Famke Janssen) is a recovering alcoholic who is staying with her Aunt Geneva (Rosemary Harris) at a trailer park. Aunt Geneva has a brain condition that makes her confuse her past with old movies. While staying with Aunt Geneva, Micky meets a deformed young girl with spunk named Leilani Klonk. Leilani has a unique viewpoint on life and many other things that make Micky think about herself. During their time spent together, Leilani reveals that her mother, Sinsemilla, (Kathy Bates) is an insane drug addict and her step-father, Preston Maddoc, (Brendan Fraser) is a serial killer who murdered her brother. Micky begins to fear for their lives. When Preston kidnaps Leilani & Sinsemilla, Micky is determined to find Leilani and bring her to safety.
A young boy (Jimmy Bennett) running from the same forces that murdered his mother, breaks into a house and steals the identity of another young boy names Curtis Hammond. A dog that he names Old Yeller follows him around after the family is murdered. After that, we follow “Curtis” as he goes to a café that is destroyed during an FBI invasion. He meets several different diverse characters including the twins, Castoria & Polluxia (Jennifer Tilly), who protect him and discover a dark secret he is carrying.
A private investigator, Noah Farrell (Nicolas Cage), is alive only because of his catatonic sister. After her death, he is depressed and suicidal, but his life receives new meaning when a young woman named Michelina walks into his office.
What the press would say:
M. Night Shyamalan does it again with this masterpiece of a film. He follows a string of mixed reviewed films with one that is sure to be a major contender at the Oscars®. One Door Away From Heaven tells a story of several characters who are brought together by nothing but fate. This film has M. Night Shyamalan’s blood all over it. His camera angles and aura of mystery has the viewer glued to his seat. Like Frank Miller’s Sin City, the film is taken directly from Dean Koontz novel. His intriguing characters and Tarantino-like dialogue will make the audience laugh, cry, and sweat with fear. Famke Janssen gives a career performance. She’s a likeable, but flawed character that is trying to redeem herself of the mistakes she made in the past. Janssen has great chemistry with Dakota Fanning. Fanning has proves in the past that she could hold her own with vets like Denzel Washington, Sean Penn, & Tom Cruise. She continues this streak with her beautiful performance as Leilani, a deformed & spunky girl with parents who endanger her life. Jimmy Bennett gives another great performance as a boy on the run from unknown forces. He doesn’t talk much, but his body tells the story. Brendan Fraser delivers his best performance as a philosophical maniac. This might be the 1st time that the Academy recognizes his work. Vets Nicolas Cage, Rosemary Harris, Jennifer Tilly & Kathy Bates make up the supporting who all have roles that allow them to show their talents. Cage is a depressed PI, Harris as a nice old lady, Tilly as quirky twins, & Bates as an insane drug-addict. James Newton Howard’s score adds sympathy, comedy, & fear to the scene at the right moments. One Door Away From Heaven is a beautiful film that will be on every critics Top 10 list & it’ll take the Golden Man in March.
Best Picture
Best Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Best Adapted Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan
Best Actress: Famke Janssen
Best Actress: Dakota Fanning
Best Supporting Actor: Jimmy Bennett
Best Supporting Actor: Brendan Fraser
Best Supporting Actress: Rosemary Harris
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Tilly
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Score: James Newton Howard
Best Song: “One Door Away From Heaven” by Evanescence
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Photograph
Authors: Pat
Location: New York
"Photograph"
Directed By Paul Haggis
Written By Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco
Principal Cast:
Michael Copon (Eddie Martin)
Matt Dillon (Sam Davies)
Laurence Fishburne (Kendall Fisher)
Matthew Fox (Vince Portlow)
Jeff Goldblum (Mickey Wachzman)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Fielding)
Jason Lee (Ricky Tainia)
Lindsay Lohan (Erin Davies)
Chad Michael Murray (Don Carter)
Edward Norton (Jarrod Nicholson)
Annette O'Toole (Andrea Blair)
Mary-Louise Parker (Regina Jones)
Robin Williams (Keith Englevall)
Tagline: "A picture's worth a thousand dollars"
Synopsis: From the Oscar-winning team behind "Crash" comes a new ensemble drama centered on the Los Angeles paparazzi industry. The story begins when Lester (Philip Seymour Hoffman) stumbles upon up-and-coming teen star Erin Davies (Lindsay Lohan) have sex with a male stripper (Michael Copon) while her movie star fiancée Don (Chad Michael Murray) is shooting a movie in Guam. Lester's pictures cause a stir at his newspaper when his editor (Jeff Goldblum) makes the picture a front-page story, much to the dismay of the ethics director (Annette O'Toole). At the same time Jarrod Nicholson (Edward Norton) is investigating the recent murder of a paparazzi photographer outside the home of a scandalous television star (Robin Williams). Ricky Tainia (Jason Lee), an investigative reporter, starts looking into that murder and believes that the killer was a Brooklyn enforcer (Laurence Fishburne), who was recently hired by the father of Erin Davies (Matt Dillon) to kill the reporter who revealed his daughter's secret. Vince Portlow (Matthew Fox) is Lester's rival photographer who is currently dating Regina Jones (Mary-Louise Parker), the owner of the club where the male stripper works. All of these individuals will collide on one summer weekend when lives will be brought together and torn apart just because of a little picture.
What the press would say:
Oscar-winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco score another critical hit with the new film "Photograph", an ensemble drama about the demanding paparazzi business in Los Angeles. The main conflict arises when a celebrity photographer (Philip Seymour Hoffman) catches a famous teen star (Lindsay Lohan) in bed with a male stripper. What spirals from this situation drives the rest of the story filled with deception, betrayal, and violence that involves numerous actors and journalists in Hollywood. Hoffman's performance is spectacular as the crafty and creepy photographer that incites the problem and it could be even better than his Oscar-winning role in "Capote". Edward Norton and Jason Lee also deserve kudos as a detective and an investigative reporter, respectively, who are involved in a celebrity murder that may or may not have connections to Hoffman's character. Mary-Louise Parker gets best-in-show reviews as the boss of the male stripper who is having an affair with Lohan's character and has to deal with a torrent of reporters and photographers attacking her business. "Photograph" is a magnificent follow up to Best Picture winner "Crash" and deserves just as much attention and accolades as the previous Haggis-Moresco venture.
Awards
Best Picture
Best Director-Paul Haggis
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor-Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Actress-Lindsay Lohan
Best Supporting Actor-Jeff Goldblum
Best Supporting Actor-Jason Lee
Best Supporting Actor-Edward Norton
Best Supporting Actress-Mary-Louise Parker
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editng
Best Sound
Location: New York
"Photograph"
Directed By Paul Haggis
Written By Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco
Principal Cast:
Michael Copon (Eddie Martin)
Matt Dillon (Sam Davies)
Laurence Fishburne (Kendall Fisher)
Matthew Fox (Vince Portlow)
Jeff Goldblum (Mickey Wachzman)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Fielding)
Jason Lee (Ricky Tainia)
Lindsay Lohan (Erin Davies)
Chad Michael Murray (Don Carter)
Edward Norton (Jarrod Nicholson)
Annette O'Toole (Andrea Blair)
Mary-Louise Parker (Regina Jones)
Robin Williams (Keith Englevall)
Tagline: "A picture's worth a thousand dollars"
Synopsis: From the Oscar-winning team behind "Crash" comes a new ensemble drama centered on the Los Angeles paparazzi industry. The story begins when Lester (Philip Seymour Hoffman) stumbles upon up-and-coming teen star Erin Davies (Lindsay Lohan) have sex with a male stripper (Michael Copon) while her movie star fiancée Don (Chad Michael Murray) is shooting a movie in Guam. Lester's pictures cause a stir at his newspaper when his editor (Jeff Goldblum) makes the picture a front-page story, much to the dismay of the ethics director (Annette O'Toole). At the same time Jarrod Nicholson (Edward Norton) is investigating the recent murder of a paparazzi photographer outside the home of a scandalous television star (Robin Williams). Ricky Tainia (Jason Lee), an investigative reporter, starts looking into that murder and believes that the killer was a Brooklyn enforcer (Laurence Fishburne), who was recently hired by the father of Erin Davies (Matt Dillon) to kill the reporter who revealed his daughter's secret. Vince Portlow (Matthew Fox) is Lester's rival photographer who is currently dating Regina Jones (Mary-Louise Parker), the owner of the club where the male stripper works. All of these individuals will collide on one summer weekend when lives will be brought together and torn apart just because of a little picture.
What the press would say:
Oscar-winners Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco score another critical hit with the new film "Photograph", an ensemble drama about the demanding paparazzi business in Los Angeles. The main conflict arises when a celebrity photographer (Philip Seymour Hoffman) catches a famous teen star (Lindsay Lohan) in bed with a male stripper. What spirals from this situation drives the rest of the story filled with deception, betrayal, and violence that involves numerous actors and journalists in Hollywood. Hoffman's performance is spectacular as the crafty and creepy photographer that incites the problem and it could be even better than his Oscar-winning role in "Capote". Edward Norton and Jason Lee also deserve kudos as a detective and an investigative reporter, respectively, who are involved in a celebrity murder that may or may not have connections to Hoffman's character. Mary-Louise Parker gets best-in-show reviews as the boss of the male stripper who is having an affair with Lohan's character and has to deal with a torrent of reporters and photographers attacking her business. "Photograph" is a magnificent follow up to Best Picture winner "Crash" and deserves just as much attention and accolades as the previous Haggis-Moresco venture.
Awards
Best Picture
Best Director-Paul Haggis
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor-Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Actress-Lindsay Lohan
Best Supporting Actor-Jeff Goldblum
Best Supporting Actor-Jason Lee
Best Supporting Actor-Edward Norton
Best Supporting Actress-Mary-Louise Parker
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editng
Best Sound
Public Relations and The Elites
Authors: Lee
Location: New Jersey
"Public Relations and The Elites"
Directed by Michael Moore
Produced by Harvey Weinstein
Principal Cast:
George Clooney
Jack Nicholson
Julia Roberts
Jennifer Aniston
Michael Douglas
Tagline: "Discomfort exists, even in the comfort of your own home"
Synopsis: Controversial director, Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9'11), pioneers the first ever movie/documentary HYBRID with his latest "PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE ELITES," in which he bitch-slaps Hollywood hypocrites like George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, and Julia Roberts with hard-hitting interviews free of prior clearance by their public relations representatives. In today's Hollywood, where reporters' questions are limited by pr agents looking out for their client's best interest, often the most important questions aren't asked. Ever-the-extremist, Moore shows up on the national evening news in America, and gives celebrities like Tom Cruise the opportunity to answer the question: Are you really Gay? before announcing to the world that Tom really is. If the celebrities don't answer in one week, Moore assumes he is correct in his theories. And he asks Jack Nicholson, "are you a racist?" Moore's argument with this film is that public relations practitioners ought not dominate the field of journalism, and, or, influence journalistic behavior.
What the press would say:
"One of the most daring pictures ever!" Moore is single-handedly returning credibility to the field of journalism."
OSCAR CONSIDERATIONS
BEST PICTURE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Location: New Jersey
"Public Relations and The Elites"
Directed by Michael Moore
Produced by Harvey Weinstein
Principal Cast:
George Clooney
Jack Nicholson
Julia Roberts
Jennifer Aniston
Michael Douglas
Tagline: "Discomfort exists, even in the comfort of your own home"
Synopsis: Controversial director, Michael Moore (Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9'11), pioneers the first ever movie/documentary HYBRID with his latest "PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE ELITES," in which he bitch-slaps Hollywood hypocrites like George Clooney, Jack Nicholson, and Julia Roberts with hard-hitting interviews free of prior clearance by their public relations representatives. In today's Hollywood, where reporters' questions are limited by pr agents looking out for their client's best interest, often the most important questions aren't asked. Ever-the-extremist, Moore shows up on the national evening news in America, and gives celebrities like Tom Cruise the opportunity to answer the question: Are you really Gay? before announcing to the world that Tom really is. If the celebrities don't answer in one week, Moore assumes he is correct in his theories. And he asks Jack Nicholson, "are you a racist?" Moore's argument with this film is that public relations practitioners ought not dominate the field of journalism, and, or, influence journalistic behavior.
What the press would say:
"One of the most daring pictures ever!" Moore is single-handedly returning credibility to the field of journalism."
OSCAR CONSIDERATIONS
BEST PICTURE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Prince of Darkness
Authors: James Somerton
Location: Canada
"The Prince of Darkness"
Directed By Martin Scorsese
Written by James Somerton
Editing By Thelma Schoonmaker
Cinematography By Emmanuel Lubezki
Art Direction By John Myhre and Gretchen Rau
Make Up By Howard Berger and Tami Lane
Score By John Williams
Visual FX By Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor
Principal Cast:
William Hurt as Satan
Adam Brody as The Angel Lucifer
Jeremy Sumpter as The Angel Gabriel
Shia LaBeouf as Jesus Christ (Aged 17)
Rachel Weisz as Eve
Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam
Tagline: "The Greatest Angel. The Greatest Evil"
RELEASE DATE: December 21
Synopsis: Created perfect in every way, the angel Lucifer would rise through all the many choirs of Angels until he sat near the hand of God. When Lucifer learned of God’s plan to create the Earth, he grew enraged. He would surely be second to this new creation; this man. Lucifer gathered an army of angels and fought against God but lost and was thrown deep into the core of all things…Hell. It was here that the feathers on his wings lit aflame and the skeletal wings that remained turns to that of a bat’s. It is also now that Lucifer changed shape. He is no longer an angelic creature but a dark and brooding monster that he, himself, calls Satan. With the birth of man, Satan condemns us all the death but fooling Adam and Eve out of paradise. He tries to go even further with the birth of God’s only son, Jesus Christ, but fails. This is the story of the Bible from the point of view of the greatest villain of all time. The Devil Himself
What the press would say:
“The Prince of Darkness”, the new film from Martin Scorsese, must be the most controversial film released in years. The church has called for a ban on the film but it doesn’t seem to be working. After three months in theaters, the film has already grossed almost $500,000,000. Making it Martin Scorsese’s most successful film to date. Critics have been raving about the film. “A visual feast with one of the most powerful stories ever put on film!” says the New York Times. William Hurt is amazing as the dark prince himself, and Adam Brody may be looking at his first Oscar nomination for playing Lucifer, the devil in a purer form. Shia LaBeouf is also receiving raves for playing a teenaged Jesus, a time period in Christ’s life that is skipped over in the bible. Rachel Weisz and Jake Gyllenhaal have small roles in the film as Adam and Eve. Weisz’s role may be small but it is a scene stealing one. Everything look perfect; from the brightly lit halls of Heaven to the fiery dungeons of hell. Both of which are almost completely CG creations. “The Prince of Darkness” is full of action (such as the war between the angels and demons in the beginning of the film), and drama (such as the confrontation between Jesus and Satan). The film is punctuated by long monologues that disturbingly bring the audience into the mind of the devil. The screenplay, written by James Somerton (who wrote the award winning screenplay for “The Thousand Year Reich”), has penned a compelling and disturbing story. This film is either a masterpiece or a soon-to-be-forgotten blockbuster. It’s hard to tell but if the critics are right then “This is the best movie of the year!” - Roger Ebert.
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS
Best Picture
Best Director – Martin Scorsese
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actor - William Hurt
Best Supporting Actor - Shia LaBeouf
Best Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz
Best Film Editing – Thelma Schoonmaker
Best Original Score – John Williams
Best Visual FX - Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor
Best Art Direction - John Myhre and Gretchen Rau
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Make Up - Howard Berger and Tami Lane
Location: Canada
"The Prince of Darkness"
Directed By Martin Scorsese
Written by James Somerton
Editing By Thelma Schoonmaker
Cinematography By Emmanuel Lubezki
Art Direction By John Myhre and Gretchen Rau
Make Up By Howard Berger and Tami Lane
Score By John Williams
Visual FX By Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor
Principal Cast:
William Hurt as Satan
Adam Brody as The Angel Lucifer
Jeremy Sumpter as The Angel Gabriel
Shia LaBeouf as Jesus Christ (Aged 17)
Rachel Weisz as Eve
Jake Gyllenhaal as Adam
Tagline: "The Greatest Angel. The Greatest Evil"
RELEASE DATE: December 21
Synopsis: Created perfect in every way, the angel Lucifer would rise through all the many choirs of Angels until he sat near the hand of God. When Lucifer learned of God’s plan to create the Earth, he grew enraged. He would surely be second to this new creation; this man. Lucifer gathered an army of angels and fought against God but lost and was thrown deep into the core of all things…Hell. It was here that the feathers on his wings lit aflame and the skeletal wings that remained turns to that of a bat’s. It is also now that Lucifer changed shape. He is no longer an angelic creature but a dark and brooding monster that he, himself, calls Satan. With the birth of man, Satan condemns us all the death but fooling Adam and Eve out of paradise. He tries to go even further with the birth of God’s only son, Jesus Christ, but fails. This is the story of the Bible from the point of view of the greatest villain of all time. The Devil Himself
What the press would say:
“The Prince of Darkness”, the new film from Martin Scorsese, must be the most controversial film released in years. The church has called for a ban on the film but it doesn’t seem to be working. After three months in theaters, the film has already grossed almost $500,000,000. Making it Martin Scorsese’s most successful film to date. Critics have been raving about the film. “A visual feast with one of the most powerful stories ever put on film!” says the New York Times. William Hurt is amazing as the dark prince himself, and Adam Brody may be looking at his first Oscar nomination for playing Lucifer, the devil in a purer form. Shia LaBeouf is also receiving raves for playing a teenaged Jesus, a time period in Christ’s life that is skipped over in the bible. Rachel Weisz and Jake Gyllenhaal have small roles in the film as Adam and Eve. Weisz’s role may be small but it is a scene stealing one. Everything look perfect; from the brightly lit halls of Heaven to the fiery dungeons of hell. Both of which are almost completely CG creations. “The Prince of Darkness” is full of action (such as the war between the angels and demons in the beginning of the film), and drama (such as the confrontation between Jesus and Satan). The film is punctuated by long monologues that disturbingly bring the audience into the mind of the devil. The screenplay, written by James Somerton (who wrote the award winning screenplay for “The Thousand Year Reich”), has penned a compelling and disturbing story. This film is either a masterpiece or a soon-to-be-forgotten blockbuster. It’s hard to tell but if the critics are right then “This is the best movie of the year!” - Roger Ebert.
POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS
Best Picture
Best Director – Martin Scorsese
Best Original Screenplay – James Somerton
Best Actor - William Hurt
Best Supporting Actor - Shia LaBeouf
Best Supporting Actress - Rachel Weisz
Best Film Editing – Thelma Schoonmaker
Best Original Score – John Williams
Best Visual FX - Christian Rivers and Richard Taylor
Best Art Direction - John Myhre and Gretchen Rau
Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Make Up - Howard Berger and Tami Lane
Reconciliation on Separation Street
Authors: Jamie Madden
Location: Australia
"Reconciliation on Separation Street"
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Written by: Tony Kushner and James L. Brooks
Produced by: Mike Nichols and James L. Brooks
Original Score by: Hans Zimmer
Principal Cast:
Kate Winslet as Allegra, the mother
Edward Norton as Michael, the father
Glenn Close as Kathy, the grandmother
Jamie Bell as Nick, the eldest son
Owen Kline as Kevin, the middle son
David Dorfman as Simon, the youngest son
Tagline: "If all could be fixed, would you want it repaired?"
Synopsis: The Harris family was living the suburban dream. Allegra, and Michael were the happily married couple with three handsome sons, aged 8, 11 and 14. They were the perfect family. Or so everybody thought, until the unraveling of the mother at the annual neighborhood Christmas party. It turns out that Allegra has been having an affair with an Italian cigar entrepreneur for 6 months, and is now going to move to Hollywood to become an actress.
Three years later, Allegra, a now failed actress shows up on the doorstep of her old home that she ran away from only to discover that her alcoholic, anti religious, unorthodox and Alzheimer’s suffering mother in law has moved in, her former cheerful ex-husband has attempted to commit suicide, her mischievous younger son has turned into a quiet computer nerd, her lively middle son is homosexual and her very popular eldest son is now a kid with a drug dependency.
Allegra and Michael decide to reconcile, but decide not to discuss any details with the kids. Everything seems fine to the parents, but not to the boys and the now reunited family struggles to communicate. The Harris family is then rocked by a set of tragic events that could have never been foreseen, and will change the lives of all the remaining family members.
What the press would say:
Academy Award winning director Mike Nichols and Academy Award nominated screenwriter Tony Kushner bring their latest collaborative piece “Reconciliation on Separation Street” to the screen, along with the help of producer James L. Brooks. Armed with an award winning cast including Academy Award nominees Kate Winslet, Edward Norton and Glenn Close, and newcomers Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), Owen Kline (The Squid and the Whale) and David Dorfman (The Ring), this movie proves to be a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Tony Kushner redefines dramatic comedy and dysfunction families never look worse. Tragedy is met with pain and pleasure, and despair and hope are mixed together with joy and disaster. An Oscar worthy film.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor (Norton)
Best Actress (Winslet)
Best Supporting Actor (Bell, Kline, Dorfman)
Best Supporting Actress (Close)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Location: Australia
"Reconciliation on Separation Street"
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Written by: Tony Kushner and James L. Brooks
Produced by: Mike Nichols and James L. Brooks
Original Score by: Hans Zimmer
Principal Cast:
Kate Winslet as Allegra, the mother
Edward Norton as Michael, the father
Glenn Close as Kathy, the grandmother
Jamie Bell as Nick, the eldest son
Owen Kline as Kevin, the middle son
David Dorfman as Simon, the youngest son
Tagline: "If all could be fixed, would you want it repaired?"
Synopsis: The Harris family was living the suburban dream. Allegra, and Michael were the happily married couple with three handsome sons, aged 8, 11 and 14. They were the perfect family. Or so everybody thought, until the unraveling of the mother at the annual neighborhood Christmas party. It turns out that Allegra has been having an affair with an Italian cigar entrepreneur for 6 months, and is now going to move to Hollywood to become an actress.
Three years later, Allegra, a now failed actress shows up on the doorstep of her old home that she ran away from only to discover that her alcoholic, anti religious, unorthodox and Alzheimer’s suffering mother in law has moved in, her former cheerful ex-husband has attempted to commit suicide, her mischievous younger son has turned into a quiet computer nerd, her lively middle son is homosexual and her very popular eldest son is now a kid with a drug dependency.
Allegra and Michael decide to reconcile, but decide not to discuss any details with the kids. Everything seems fine to the parents, but not to the boys and the now reunited family struggles to communicate. The Harris family is then rocked by a set of tragic events that could have never been foreseen, and will change the lives of all the remaining family members.
What the press would say:
Academy Award winning director Mike Nichols and Academy Award nominated screenwriter Tony Kushner bring their latest collaborative piece “Reconciliation on Separation Street” to the screen, along with the help of producer James L. Brooks. Armed with an award winning cast including Academy Award nominees Kate Winslet, Edward Norton and Glenn Close, and newcomers Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), Owen Kline (The Squid and the Whale) and David Dorfman (The Ring), this movie proves to be a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Tony Kushner redefines dramatic comedy and dysfunction families never look worse. Tragedy is met with pain and pleasure, and despair and hope are mixed together with joy and disaster. An Oscar worthy film.
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor (Norton)
Best Actress (Winslet)
Best Supporting Actor (Bell, Kline, Dorfman)
Best Supporting Actress (Close)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Relationships of Love
Authors: Masnoraffis Masdil
Location: Singapore
"Relationships of Love"
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Written by Gary Ross
Original Score by Mark Isham
Principal Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Michael)
Ashton Kutcher (Jared)
Tobey Maguire (Peter)
Mandy Moore (Sharon)
Michelle Williams (Melissa)
Susan Sarandon (Carol)
James Marsden (Ted)
Anna Faris (Katherine)
Scott Lowell (Keith)
Andrea Bowen (young Marcia)
Jeffrey Tambor (Michelle's father)
Tagline: "Three best friends will explore the meaning of true love... in the most unexpected ways"
Synopsis: Michael (Leonardo DiCaprio), Jared (Ashton Kutcher) & Peter (Tobey Maguire) have been best friends since their teenage days. Michael is a playboy, who doesn't believe in love and relationships. Jared is in and out of relationships regularly. He's always believing that his latest girlfriend is his true love only to be dumped soon after. Peter is a quiet and romantic guy, taking his time to find out his true love. Michael and Peter is always there for Jared, who always goes into sorrow after each breakup. Michael is always cursing while Peter's consoling.
Jared has always been sharing his relationship problems with Melissa (Michelle Williams), his classmate. He finally realizes that he's falling in love with her. Unfortunately, she's already seeing someone. Broken hearted, he's conceded defeat only to be egged on by Peter to go after her. He imposes on her date with Kieth (Scott Lowell) and tries to get her to love him. Meanwhile, Carol (Susan Sarandon) has moved into Peter's neighborhood. Peter helped her to settle down in her new home. They became friends and Peter realizes he's falling for this older woman. Michael scoffs at his revelation and asks is it because she's great to have sex with. This caused Peter to be angry and a fight broke out between them. Michael, angry with Peter, decided to go to Australia to handle his father's business there. He met up with Sharon (Mandy Moore) on the plane. He had first met up with Sharon at a party a few months back where he had attempted to get to know her. That attempt only got him punched by Sharon's boyfriend (James Marsden). Even though he went out with a lot of girls in Australia, Sharon became a very good friend to him whom he can just chill out. But soon Michael is feeling something, which he has been in contempt all this while, towards Sharon. Sharon is feeling the same thing, but is caught up with her relationship with her boyfriend. Will the guys managed to get the girl of their dreams? And will the 3 friends be able to set up their differences and be reconciled again?
What the press would say:
It's been some time since there's a great movie about friendships, and this movie really handles this theme well. Leonardo Dicaprio, Ashton Kutcher & Tobey Maguire really complement each other well, which is really a good thing since they spent a lot of their scenes together. Leonardo Dicaprio plays Michael, a playboy. He doesn't really believes in love and treat girls just like playmates. He just believes in sex and nothing more. His chauvinistic character will surely cause a lot of hate in the first half of the movie. But as he grows to finally discover love, we find ourselves rooting for him to get the gal that has aroused this feeling in him. Mandy Moore handles her emotive scenes well too. A gal, who's torn between her new found love and her current boyfriend, has to decide which one to choose. Feeling indebted to the people who has brought her up, she reluctantly chooses Ted, their son, even if he's a bad-tempered guy. The scene where Michael shows up at their engagement will bring tears to all the romantics out there.
Ashton Kutcher's character, Jared, provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. As a guy who firmly believes that every gal who looks his way as his soul mate, he gets himself into the most embarassing situations sometimes. He gets criticized by Michael every time after getting dumped and sure looks pathetic at times. His scenes when he's trying to influence Keith that Melissa isn't the one for him is surely a riot. Michelle Williams performs well, given that her role is not a very large one. She provides a shoulder for Jared at the beginning of the film and her most powerful scene is when she finally confronts Jared when she finds out that he's trying to ruin her relationship with Keith.
As the most reserved of the three male characters, Tobey Maguire surely reserves commendable praise. Peter's character is really well defined and he plays the part well. The scenes when they show his little romantic sides at the beginning will surely leave the ladies watching the movie wanting him. When you see him finally blowing up at Michael for treating his real love for Carol like a joke, you almost sympathise with him. The scene where Peter is quarrelling with his mother because of Carol is also another highlight. Susan Sarandon breezes through her role, playing that of a divorced lady. When she finally finds out that Peter likes her, she takes out her frustation at him because she didn't realise that was the reason Peter was friends with her. Her final scene is pure Oscar bait, dying on the hospital bed with Peter holding her hand. When she asked Peter to promise to find someone to be his partner and telling him "I Love You...", there's not a single dry eye in the theatre. The hospital scene when the three friends finally reunited back also is a highlight of the film. Generally, very great performances from all around and a movie that will be remembered this year. I'm sure it would be up for awards this awards season.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director: Stephen Daldry
Best Screenplay: Gary Ross
Best Original Score: Mark Isham
Best Actor: Leonardo Dicaprio
Best Supporting Actor: Tobey Maguire
Best Supporting Actor: Ashton Kutcher
Best Supporting Actress: Susan Sarandon
Best Supporting Actress: Mandy Moore
Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams
Best Editing: Hughes Winborne
Best Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
Location: Singapore
"Relationships of Love"
Directed by Stephen Daldry
Written by Gary Ross
Original Score by Mark Isham
Principal Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio (Michael)
Ashton Kutcher (Jared)
Tobey Maguire (Peter)
Mandy Moore (Sharon)
Michelle Williams (Melissa)
Susan Sarandon (Carol)
James Marsden (Ted)
Anna Faris (Katherine)
Scott Lowell (Keith)
Andrea Bowen (young Marcia)
Jeffrey Tambor (Michelle's father)
Tagline: "Three best friends will explore the meaning of true love... in the most unexpected ways"
Synopsis: Michael (Leonardo DiCaprio), Jared (Ashton Kutcher) & Peter (Tobey Maguire) have been best friends since their teenage days. Michael is a playboy, who doesn't believe in love and relationships. Jared is in and out of relationships regularly. He's always believing that his latest girlfriend is his true love only to be dumped soon after. Peter is a quiet and romantic guy, taking his time to find out his true love. Michael and Peter is always there for Jared, who always goes into sorrow after each breakup. Michael is always cursing while Peter's consoling.
Jared has always been sharing his relationship problems with Melissa (Michelle Williams), his classmate. He finally realizes that he's falling in love with her. Unfortunately, she's already seeing someone. Broken hearted, he's conceded defeat only to be egged on by Peter to go after her. He imposes on her date with Kieth (Scott Lowell) and tries to get her to love him. Meanwhile, Carol (Susan Sarandon) has moved into Peter's neighborhood. Peter helped her to settle down in her new home. They became friends and Peter realizes he's falling for this older woman. Michael scoffs at his revelation and asks is it because she's great to have sex with. This caused Peter to be angry and a fight broke out between them. Michael, angry with Peter, decided to go to Australia to handle his father's business there. He met up with Sharon (Mandy Moore) on the plane. He had first met up with Sharon at a party a few months back where he had attempted to get to know her. That attempt only got him punched by Sharon's boyfriend (James Marsden). Even though he went out with a lot of girls in Australia, Sharon became a very good friend to him whom he can just chill out. But soon Michael is feeling something, which he has been in contempt all this while, towards Sharon. Sharon is feeling the same thing, but is caught up with her relationship with her boyfriend. Will the guys managed to get the girl of their dreams? And will the 3 friends be able to set up their differences and be reconciled again?
What the press would say:
It's been some time since there's a great movie about friendships, and this movie really handles this theme well. Leonardo Dicaprio, Ashton Kutcher & Tobey Maguire really complement each other well, which is really a good thing since they spent a lot of their scenes together. Leonardo Dicaprio plays Michael, a playboy. He doesn't really believes in love and treat girls just like playmates. He just believes in sex and nothing more. His chauvinistic character will surely cause a lot of hate in the first half of the movie. But as he grows to finally discover love, we find ourselves rooting for him to get the gal that has aroused this feeling in him. Mandy Moore handles her emotive scenes well too. A gal, who's torn between her new found love and her current boyfriend, has to decide which one to choose. Feeling indebted to the people who has brought her up, she reluctantly chooses Ted, their son, even if he's a bad-tempered guy. The scene where Michael shows up at their engagement will bring tears to all the romantics out there.
Ashton Kutcher's character, Jared, provides a lot of comic relief in the movie. As a guy who firmly believes that every gal who looks his way as his soul mate, he gets himself into the most embarassing situations sometimes. He gets criticized by Michael every time after getting dumped and sure looks pathetic at times. His scenes when he's trying to influence Keith that Melissa isn't the one for him is surely a riot. Michelle Williams performs well, given that her role is not a very large one. She provides a shoulder for Jared at the beginning of the film and her most powerful scene is when she finally confronts Jared when she finds out that he's trying to ruin her relationship with Keith.
As the most reserved of the three male characters, Tobey Maguire surely reserves commendable praise. Peter's character is really well defined and he plays the part well. The scenes when they show his little romantic sides at the beginning will surely leave the ladies watching the movie wanting him. When you see him finally blowing up at Michael for treating his real love for Carol like a joke, you almost sympathise with him. The scene where Peter is quarrelling with his mother because of Carol is also another highlight. Susan Sarandon breezes through her role, playing that of a divorced lady. When she finally finds out that Peter likes her, she takes out her frustation at him because she didn't realise that was the reason Peter was friends with her. Her final scene is pure Oscar bait, dying on the hospital bed with Peter holding her hand. When she asked Peter to promise to find someone to be his partner and telling him "I Love You...", there's not a single dry eye in the theatre. The hospital scene when the three friends finally reunited back also is a highlight of the film. Generally, very great performances from all around and a movie that will be remembered this year. I'm sure it would be up for awards this awards season.
For Your Consideration
Best Picture
Best Director: Stephen Daldry
Best Screenplay: Gary Ross
Best Original Score: Mark Isham
Best Actor: Leonardo Dicaprio
Best Supporting Actor: Tobey Maguire
Best Supporting Actor: Ashton Kutcher
Best Supporting Actress: Susan Sarandon
Best Supporting Actress: Mandy Moore
Best Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams
Best Editing: Hughes Winborne
Best Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
The Secret Man
Authors: Alex
Location: Washington State
"The Secret Man"
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by William Goldman
Music by Marc Shaiman
Principal Cast:
Hal Holbrook (W. Mark Felt a.k.a. Deep Throat)
Robert Redford (Bob Woodward)
Jane Fonda (Mark’s daughter Joan Felt)
Dustin Hoffman (Carl Bernstein)
Tagline: "After decades of guesses, the real Deep Throat decides to reveal himself"
Synopsis:If you have promised an informant that his identity will remain a secret, how could you look yourself in the mirror if you then break that promise? The story of how Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and the others who kept W. Mark Felt’s (Hal Holbrook) secret identity of Deep Throat for so long are. As The Secret Man shows, history has been the loser from such fealty, for it has been deprived of a full, personal explanation by Felt. But that was his choice. And both morality and journalism can be counted as winners. With Holbrook, Redford, and Hoffman reviving their roles from All the President’s Men.
What the press would say:
Author and veteran reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) ends his book of the same name by saying, “There never is a final draft of history.” Perhaps, but his film turns the page on an era and on Deep Throat - the alias of FBI official W. Mark Felt (Hal Holbrook) - the pivotal secret source for the Watergate articles that helped bring down Richard Nixon's presidency. Remarkably, Woodward and his Washington Post partner Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) along with a select few protected their source's identity for more than 30 years. Robert Zemeckis paints a compelling portrait of an almost tortured relationship between Woodward and Felt, a father figure and mentor.
Several times Felt came a hair's breadth from being exposed. Pained, Woodward admits that he missed his chance to uncover Felt's motivations for abetting the Post's investigative crusade. By the time Woodward tried to reconcile their troubled relationship, Felt was 87 and dementia had twisted his memory. Yet, Felt triumphed in his historic clash with Nixon.
Woodward concludes, 'By surviving and enduring his hidden life...in his own way, W. Mark Felt won.' We most highly recommend this film, especially for those seeking a better understanding of the Watergate participants, whose actions will continue to ripple the waters of American politics for many years to come.
Best Picture
Best Director: Zemeckis
Best Actor: Holbrook
Best Actor: Redford
Best Supporting Actress: Fonda
Best Supporting Actor: Hoffman
Best Adapted Screenplay: Goldman
Best Score: Shaiman
Location: Washington State
"The Secret Man"
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by William Goldman
Music by Marc Shaiman
Principal Cast:
Hal Holbrook (W. Mark Felt a.k.a. Deep Throat)
Robert Redford (Bob Woodward)
Jane Fonda (Mark’s daughter Joan Felt)
Dustin Hoffman (Carl Bernstein)
Tagline: "After decades of guesses, the real Deep Throat decides to reveal himself"
Synopsis:If you have promised an informant that his identity will remain a secret, how could you look yourself in the mirror if you then break that promise? The story of how Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and the others who kept W. Mark Felt’s (Hal Holbrook) secret identity of Deep Throat for so long are. As The Secret Man shows, history has been the loser from such fealty, for it has been deprived of a full, personal explanation by Felt. But that was his choice. And both morality and journalism can be counted as winners. With Holbrook, Redford, and Hoffman reviving their roles from All the President’s Men.
What the press would say:
Author and veteran reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) ends his book of the same name by saying, “There never is a final draft of history.” Perhaps, but his film turns the page on an era and on Deep Throat - the alias of FBI official W. Mark Felt (Hal Holbrook) - the pivotal secret source for the Watergate articles that helped bring down Richard Nixon's presidency. Remarkably, Woodward and his Washington Post partner Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) along with a select few protected their source's identity for more than 30 years. Robert Zemeckis paints a compelling portrait of an almost tortured relationship between Woodward and Felt, a father figure and mentor.
Several times Felt came a hair's breadth from being exposed. Pained, Woodward admits that he missed his chance to uncover Felt's motivations for abetting the Post's investigative crusade. By the time Woodward tried to reconcile their troubled relationship, Felt was 87 and dementia had twisted his memory. Yet, Felt triumphed in his historic clash with Nixon.
Woodward concludes, 'By surviving and enduring his hidden life...in his own way, W. Mark Felt won.' We most highly recommend this film, especially for those seeking a better understanding of the Watergate participants, whose actions will continue to ripple the waters of American politics for many years to come.
Best Picture
Best Director: Zemeckis
Best Actor: Holbrook
Best Actor: Redford
Best Supporting Actress: Fonda
Best Supporting Actor: Hoffman
Best Adapted Screenplay: Goldman
Best Score: Shaiman
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