John Lennon Inspires Al Pacino in First Trailer for 'Danny Collins'

Unlike some actors who steadfastly refuse to act their age as they get older, Al Pacino has embraced it. Most recently he played an aging actor who falls in love with a younger woman in The Humbling, and now in the rock drama Danny Collins he stars as a former rocker inspired by the late John Lennon.

Formerly titled Imagine, the film has Pacino as an aging rock star big in the 1970s but still living the hard-partying lifestyle. When his manager turns up a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon, it spurs him to try and reconnect with the family he's long neglected. Bobby Cannavale stars as his son, in a role that Steve Carell and Jeremy Renner were both attached to at different times. Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Christopher Plummer and Melissa Benoist make up a pretty impressive cast for Dan Fogelman (Crazy Stupid Love screenwriter) in his directorial debut.

Overall, this trailer is mostly forgettable and cheesy, but maybe Danny Collins will continue Pacino's solid streak w hen it opens March 20th 2015.

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First Trailer for Michel Hazanacius' 'The Search' Starring Berenice Bejo

After Michel Hazanavicius won five Academy Awards for his silent film send-up, The Artist, one might have expected he'd continue on the lighter comedic path his career had mostly been on. Instead he went a totally different direction with The Search, a wartime drama and remake of the 1948 film set against the backdrop of post-WWII Europe. His version takes the action to 1999 and the aftermath of the second Chechen War. Reuniting with The Artist's Berenice Bejo and joined by Annette Bening, Hazanacicius now finds his film being talked up as a major Palm d'Or contender after its Cannes debut last night, and now we have the first trailer that shows exactly why.

Bejo plays an NGO employee who takes in an orphan boy in the aftermath of the war's inhuman violence, and we see that many of the young victims are forced to become child soldiers. It looks like a powerful piece of filmmaking with Bejo again in top form and what appears to be a solid supporting turn by Bening.  Assuming The Search gets an awards qualifying date later this year it will continue what has been an impressive run of contenders from Bejo, who was also excellent in the Oscar-nominated drama The Past just last year.


The Search by Film Trailer

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Warren Beatty's Howard Hughes Film Underway; Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins Join Cast

For years, Hollywood royalty Warren Beatty has been trying to put together a biopic on Howard Hughes and not having much in the way of good luck. At one point the film looked to be coming together with Beatty writing, directing, and starring as the reclusive billionaire, but as he struggled to secure financing the project vanished into limbo. A few days ago, word started to leak that it may be back on, and now we know it's actually begun shooting. That sneaky Beatty!

Deadline reports that the film is now underway, with Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures) and Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) coming aboard to star. Collins replaces Felicity Jones, who was attached some time ago. Beatty's wife Annette Bening and Matthew Broderick are expected to appear, and there's some hope that Jack Nicholson can be lured in for a role.

The story doesn't seem to have a lot to do with Hughes, though. Instead, it focuses on Hughes' assistant (Ehrenreich) and his love interest, played by Collins. In the past we've also heard the plot could unfold mostly in flashback as Hughes recounts the love affair he had with a younger woman, presumably Collins' character. So we could be looking at a love triangle here, which would instantly set it apart from 2004's The Aviator.

Brett Ratner (!!!) is producing, along with New Regency who picked up the film a couple of years back. Beatty has already shot some footage but there's no word on when this is expected to be completed or hit theaters. Chances are Beatty will be keeping it close to the vest.

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New Trailer for 'The Face of Love'

Well...this was an emotional way to start my Friday! The Face of Love, a new romantic drama starring Ed Harris and Annette Benning, is all at once tragic, sweet, off-putting, and hopeful. When Nikki's husband Garret (Ed Harris) dies unexpectedly she is inconsolable. Aimlessly wandering through life, sure that she'll never feel that love again, Nikki starts trying to do the things that used to bring her some level of happiness, things like going to a museum. It's then that she meets Tom (also played by Ed Harris), a man who bears a striking resemblance to her late husband. It's not long before the two begin to fall in love and begin to face all of the problems that you could imagine a person in this situation would come into.

On one hand it seems extremely creepy...you KNOW that she is, at least at first, simply imagining that Tom is her late husband. On the other hand you could imagine it being a bit of a dream for one to lose someone who was a part of them and then meet someone new that they could love who would constantly make them feel close to the one they lost.

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Annette Bening and Bérénice Bejo Go On 'The Search' with Michel Hazanavicius

 It's been a couple of years since director Michel Hazanavicius won over the hearts of Oscar voters and audiences with The Artist, earning himself the Best Director award in the process. In that time he hasn't really followed up on it, but has been developing a remake of 1948 WWII drama The Search. While word on it has been pretty quiet, filming has apparently begun in Georgia (er, not the Peach State) with two new additions to the cast.

Annette Bening and The Artist's Bérénice Bejo have signed on to star in the film, which Hazanavicius also adapted the screenplay for. The original Oscar-winning film was set in post-war Berlin and centered on an NGO worker who forms a special relationship with a young boy in war-torn Chechnya.

Hazanavicius is bringing back most of his production team on The Artist for this one, so don't be surprised if The Search attracts similar awards attention in the future.

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Sure Shots: Sarah Gadon; Annette Bening; David Slade

* Having appeared in three movies by David Cronenberg (A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis) and his son Brandon (Antiviral), Sarah Gadon has not only proven herself a favorite of theirs, but she's also becoming a staple of really creepy films. Which makes her the perfect choice to join Dracula with Luke Evans. Directed by Gary Shore, the origin story will combine mythology and history to tell how Prince Vlad made the ultimate sacrifice to become the world's first vampire, and the inspiration for Bram Stoker's novel. [Variety]

* There are some changes afoot for Imagine, the directorial debut by Crazy Stupid Love scribe, Dan Fogelman. Last October it was reported that Julianne Moore and Jeremy Renner would be joining Al Pacino in the story of an aging rocker who discovers he has an adult son after reading an unopened letter from John Lennon. But those two are now out, and it looks as if they'll be replaced by Annette Bening and Bobby Cannavale. Cannavale will play Pacino's son, taking on a role that had also been circled by Steve Carell, who is still on board as a producer. It's a big move for Cannavale, who made his breakthrough in The Station Agent opposite Peter Dinklage and Michelle Williams.  Even so, this is a severe drop in star-wattage that hopefully won't derail the film from getting made.

* David Slade (30 Days of Night) had been slated to helm a Daredevil reboot, but he gave it up to direct NBC's Hannibal. Wise move, sir. But he's heading back to the big screen now to direct The Widow, which centers on "a young woman who befriends a lonely widow only to discover that their encounter was not a coincidence." [THR]

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Trailer Time: 'Ruby Sparks', starring Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan

Anybody who has at one point or another imagined themselves as a novelist, including yours truly, has created a female character who embodies every physical and personality trait they hold most dear. But what would they do if that girl suddenly showed up on their doorstep? And would she be everything they'd hoped her to be, or the greatest disappointment ever?

That's sorta what Paul Dano's character is going through in Ruby Sparks, a quirky new meta-comedy directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, their first film since Little Miss Sunshine. Formerly title He Loves Me and co-written by star Zoe Kazan, the story follows a successful writer(Dano) who can't seem to come back with a strong follow-up. Unlucky in love and struggling with writer's block, he creates a character named Ruby Sparks who is the perfect girl of his dreams, only to wake up one day and find her in his kitchen.

The tone has a touch of Charlie Kauffman, which is definitely a good thing, but what's going to matter most is how they play with the meta nature of the story. They seem to be aiming for the light romantic comedy crowd, and with Dano and the always great Kazan they should be able to pull that off effortlessly. Part of me expects more, though, so I'm assuming there's more to the story than this trailer reveals. Featuring an astounding cast with Steve Coogan, Chris Messina, Deborah Ann Woll, Antonio Banderas, Elliott Gould, Annette Bening, Alia Shawkat, and Aasif Mandvi, Ruby Sparks opens on July 25th. Check out the trailer below....

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Sure Shots: Justin Long; Chris O'Dowd; Annette Bening

*Hard to believe that guy who irritated me so much in Waiting and Accepted has now become an actor I like forward to seeing quite a bit. Justin Long, who was great in the underrated rom-com Going the Distance just a couple years ago, is stepping behind the camera as writer/producer of the indie flick, A Case of You. Directed by Kat Coiro, Long will star as a guy who exaggerates his online dating profile, only to have to live up to the hype when he falls for the woman he meets. Evan Rachel Wood and Peter Dinklage, Busy Phillips, and Keir O'Donnell were already attached, and now Sam Rockwell and Vince Vaughn have joined the cast. That's a pretty stacked line-up, proving it pays to have friends in high places. [Variety]

* Seems like the McDonagh brothers are everywhere lately. After just revealing a few images from Martin McDonagh's upcoming comedy, Seven Psychopaths, now comes an update on the next project from his brother, John Michael McDonagh, who showed the siblings have very similar comedic tastes. Titled Calvary, the film sees him reuniting with Brendan Gleeson in a dark comedy about a priest falsely accused of child abuse by his community. Deadline reports that Chris O'Dowd(Bridesmaids), Kelly Reilly(Sherlock Holmes), and Aidan Gillen(The Wire) are the latest to join the cast. Filming should begin as soon as this summer.

* Annette Bening will star in The Great, a comedy biopic based on the life of Catherine the Great, the longest ruling female leader in Russian history. Directed by Australian filmmaker, Gillian Armstrong(Charlotte Gray), the story will follow Catherine's idealistic beginnings in Austria to her marriage to the Russian emperor. Filming is set to begin this September. [ScreenDaily]

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Warren Beatty's secret project is a Howard Hughes movie; Alec Baldwin, Jack Nicholson, Andrew Garfield to star?

Just a couple of days ago we learned that Warren Beatty was putting together some sort of comedy film for Paramount, which would see him returning to the writing/directing bit for the first time since 1998. It would also mark his return to acting since  2001's Town and Country, but nobody knew what the film would actually be. Showbiz411 was the first to get the scoop, and it looks like Beatty is putting together a potentially huge project centered around reclusive millionaire Howard Hughes.

It's been about seven years since the last great Hughes film, Martin Scorsese's The Aviator(2007's The Hoax was ok), which I personally am still crazy about. Beatty's movie doesn't appear to be a straight up biopic, focusing on an affair he had later in life with a much younger woman. Beatty will play the older Hughes, and according to Deadline he's gathering a remarkable cast. Jack Nicholson, Andrew Garfield, Beatty's wife Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin, Evan Rachel Wood, Shia Labeouf, and Rooney Mara are all said to be meeting for roles right now. Supposedly the story will also take place partially in flashback, calling for someone to play a younger version of Hughes. That sounds like Garfield's bit already, doesn't it? It better not be Labeouf, that's all I'm going to say. Doesn't really sound like a comedy, does it?

Beatty's been planning this film for more than two decades, with a script having been hammered out by his Ishtar colleague, Elaine May. I'm assuming some rewrites will be in order it having sat on the shelf for so long, but this is definitely sounding like a film to watch.

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The New Wave: 7/16/10

The movie of the year? The movie of the decade? Whatever you want to call it, just make sure you see it. It's an experience you won't ever forget, that much I can promise you. Christopher Nolan(The Dark Knight) directs an all-star cast: Leonardo Dicaprio, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and more in a wild genre busting epic that must be seen to be believed. You can check out my review of Inception here.

Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids are All Right was a Sundance fave this year, and for good reason. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore star as lesbian couple with two rapidly growing up kids who desire to meet the anonymous sperm donor(Mark Ruffalo) who fathered them. A genuine, honest comedy featuring stellar performances by three of Hollywood's best actresses. You can check out my review here.

I think people have taken to bashing the latest Bruckheimer/Turtletaub/Cage actioner before they've bothered to even see it. Granted, the trailers didn't do it many favors, as it was extremely light on detail and seemed to be leaning heavy on you remembering how much fun you had with National Treasure(if you had fun with it, that is). Those who decide maybe they want something not nearly as challenging as Inception, can do far worse than this lightweight but fun adventure. You can check out my review of The Sorcerer's Apprentice right here.

In the early morning of June 28th, 1969 a revolution was about to take place. Fed up with the constant persecution, the constant police raids and arrests, a group of about 200 homosexuals stood up and fought back against the New York City police, leading to a massive riot on the street of Greenwich Village. Stonewall Uprising is a documentary of that night, featuring interviews with some of the participants.

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The Kids are All Right

It can't be easy making a family comedy nowadays. The idea of the "nuclear family" is long gone, replaced by assortments that wouldn't have been recognized or tolerated just not that long ago. The trick becomes to make a family comedy that's universal, encompassing themes that all can relate to regardless of configuration. The Kids are All Right features one that's more common nowadays. Two strong, beautiful lesbian women: the somewhat domineering and insecure Nic(Annette Bening), and the flighty Jules(Julianne Moore). They've been together for years, with two kids: the oddly named Laser(Josh Hutcherson), and Joni(Mia Wasikowska). Both were born from the sperm of the same anonymous donor.

Joni's on the verge of leaving for college, and the pain of one of their kids leaving the nest is eating Nic and Jules up. It doesn't help that she's starting to get a little headstrong and curious about her father. At her brother's urging, Joni makes a call to the clinic and sets up a meeting with her ghost dad. Enter Paul(Mark Ruffalo), the father they never knew they had. Paul's a nice enough guy, with his own restaurant and a penchant for the ladies. He and the kids immediately take a liking to eachother, which doesn't sit well with either of the two moms.

The Kids Are All Right was written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, who splashed onto the scene back in 1998 with the sexually charged High Art, which also dealt with a lesbian relationship on a totally different path than this one. The trick here is that Cholodenko never makes the film about homosexuality, or the attempt to convince us that "unconventional" families can be just like any other. Instead, they are treated like any other right from the beginning. They have the same problems, the same insecurities, and the same highs and lows. It all comes off very naturally without a hint of heavy handed messaging.

You expect Bening and Moore to be at the top of their game. They always are. Bening in particular is doing the best work she's done since 2004's Being Julia, even as we see her in a totally unfamiliar way, short hair and butched up. Moore has always been a personal favorite(hey, she's a redhead), and she's at her best when playing characters racked with self doubt. A single look from her eyes instantly makes me feel for her, no matter what she's done. The big surprise for me was Wasikowska. She kinda got lost in Tim Burton's madcap world of Alice in Wonderland, but she redeems herself here, holding her own opposite two heavyweights. As much as I like Josh Hutcherson, he has a tendency to fade into the background a little bit. It happens here too in the second half of the film. Not really his fault, but it seems to be a recurring issue.

The biggest surprise for me was how funny this was. Not that I was expecting a somber story, but the comedy is effortless. A lot of that has to do with Ruffalo's comedic timing, a proven veteran at this point. There's something rough and unpredictable about him, and his awkward scenes with Moore in particular are hilarious.  Some sitcom humor does slip in at certain points, and there's a pretty big plot twist that shakes things up in a major way. You can either choose to roll with it or not. Without giving anything away, one of the two mothers makes a pretty big leap in judgement. I for one thought it made sense, or at least that it was sold to us in a believable manner.

The Kids Are All Right is more than just all right. It's an emotionally honest, well-written gem featuring two phenomenal performances by two of Hollywood's best actresses and one who is well on her way.

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