stuff

[the_grynne]

Jeffrey Wells has done a fascinating interview with Children of Men director, Alfonso Cuaron, who talks not just about the making of his film, and the research he did and its themes, but who rhapsodises about his favourite filmmakers, like Terrence Malick and Stanley Kubrick. In talking about the dangers of utopias, he also even brings up economist

Comments

[tiffleigh]

Helen Mirren is excellent casting for Inkheart as Elinor. Unfortunately I'm suffering from malaise about this entire project altogether. I read the book, and wanted to like it more than I did. And based on the talent assembled for the movie version, I am getting the same reaction.

The book is very "children's bookish" in that there are long long stretches of Captain Exposition flying the "Too Many Words" flag. Akin to the first aggressively boring bit of the novel Fellowship of the Ring, when all that's happening is hobbits eating, walking, sleeping, and singing

[tiffleigh]

I agree. And I hope that Softley has the, um, soft touch it requires.

[the_grynne]

I actually liked The Skeleton Key, hammy script notwithstanding; mostly because of the cinematography, and because Peter Sarsgaard was so perfectly cast as the mannerly, slightly ominous Southern lawyer.

I'm not at all tempted to read the novel, because I'm fairly certain that I'd be disappointed by it. It's no "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe," which it to the good because people will mostly be juding the film on its own merits (such as they are) instead of comparing it to what they'd imagined it should be like. I don't want it to turn out like Lemony Snicket, and that's my main concern, because I love all the actors who have been cast in it so far. Directors of children's fantasy should all take a page out of Cuaron's book: the more fantastical the story, the more the look and emotions of the film need to be grounded in realism.

[decidedly]

Re: Constantine 2

OMFG. *hyperventilates*

[the_grynne]

OMG I KNOW! And the R-RATING!

They had better bring in some as good as Tilda to play the villain this time though, otherwise what would be the point?

[decidedly]

Well, the first one had an R-rating for demonic imagery. What I'm hoping a hard R means is hardcore violence, healthy doses of rough, meaningless sex, and F-bombs like there's no tomorrow. Y'know, like fucking John Constantine. And he sure as hell better be smoking again because I ain't having this chewing gum bullshit.

SO. EXCITED.

[trailer_spot]

I would be lying if I said I understood everything he said, but what an excellent interview with Alfonso Cuarón.
I found it a bit hard to believe that the interviewer thought the scene that's mentioned at the end between Owen and Moore wasn't a trick (I'm vague to avoid mentioning spoilers).

I was able to see the movie last week myself and it was the first time in a long time that a movie exceeded my expectations (and that certainly wasn't because my expectations were so low).

The sad thing is that the movie started here in the second smallest theatre. And after only one week they moved it to the smallest that has a screen size that is only slightly large than a TV screen. So I had to hurry to catch the last screening on the bigger screen last Wednesday. I don't know what went wrong since all the reviews I read now after I have seen the movie are overwhelmingly positive. Too bad.

[the_grynne]

I just want the DVD so I can hear all the stuff that he talked about in greater detail.

Don't know precisely how it's doing at the Box Office here, but it's still showing at the major cinemas, three sessions a day - after being released a month ago - so it can't be doing too badly.