Review: 'The Gambler' starring Mark Wahlberg

There's no real mystery to being a smart gambler. If you're smart you bet with the money you have, not with the money you don't. To do anything else is to court disaster. The worst bettors recognize when they're in a sinking pit but continue to dig themselves further into a hole. By this simple measure, Jim Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) shouldn't be allowed near a bet. The Gambler is an interesting film in that it remakes one of James Caan's finest, but least appreciated performances in the 1974 film penned by James Toback. Toback; his name alone implies a certain cinematic grittiness that this redo never quite captures. It still remains an entertaining vehicle for Wahlberg even if the two films couldn't be more different from a character standpoint.

In Toback's film, Caan's character has this innate need for the high stakes bet; it's ingrained into his very DNA. We don't quite get that from Wahlberg. Jim is more like a rich brat on a bender; the kind who would scream "affluenza" if ever called out on his bullsh*t. It's still fun to watch the speeding train wreck that is his life, but there's no real depth beyond that despite all of the eloquent speeches penned by writer William Monahan. Jim is a literature professor with a single novel to his credit, but he has no desire to see it further than that. One is enough. When his wealthy father (George Kennedy) dies he leaves Jim absolutely nothing. We already know he's desperate; we saw him lose everything in the opening scene. With no prospects as an author, no desire for love, and a deep resentment for his students, Jim turns himself wholly to games of chance.

While director Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) captures the seediness of the backroom poker match and the adversarial slant of blackjack, there's a pretty big problem that he and Monahan can never quite overcome. Jim is a hopeless case right from the start, and there's very little arc to his story. Or at least there isn't a believable one. He continues to dig himself further into debt, borrowing money from dangerous bookies (Michael K. Williams, John Goodman, Alvin Ing) with quirks to spare. Goodman dominates the screen as an eloquent purveyor of wisdom and promised acts of violence. Jim even borrows from his rich mother (Jessica Lange) who has grown fed up with her son's inexplicable actions. His actions don't make much sense to us, either. It all boils down to some vague idea about masculinity, or at least it appears to be the case. When Jim hooks up with Amy (Brie Larson), the one student he thinks has potential, we see it as a potential life line. But that would require she have more than the barest personality. Women rarely get a solid break in movies like this, and Larson definitely doesn't. She and Wahlberg simply don't click.

Wahlberg's better on his own, anyway, and his deeply skeptical attitude about literally everything is one of the film's finer qualities. He's the kind of professor students love to hate; his scorn for them is obvious but he's also brilliant, calls people out on their crap, and is often right about what he espouses. It's what makes his downward spiral so much fun to watch. He just doesn't seem to give a rat's behind about any of it. Wyatt, kind of an odd choice to direct a film like this, manages to ratchet up the tension in every dealt card, every turn of the roulette wheel, aided by Theo Greene's thumping, soulful soundtrack. The Gambler doesn't dig far below the surface of Jim's addiction, but there's still entertainment value in watching a man go down in flames. The house always wins in the end.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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There are No Rules for Mark Wahlberg in 'The Gambler' Red Band Trailer

Is Mark Wahlberg finally on the verge of that elusive first Best Actor win? Obviously he's not going to get it for Transformers, but later this year he'll make a grab at the gold in The Gambler, a remake of the 1974 film that stands as one of James Caan's defining roles. Directed by Rupert Wyatt and co-starring Brie Larson, John Goodman, Michael K. Williams, and Jessica Lange, the film has Wahlberg as a teacher with the kind of gambling problem that leads to some serious problems with some bad people.

The first trailer has been released and it's pretty vulgar, hence the red band tag, but it also does a nice job of showing the desperation and compulsion in Wahlberg's character, and the quality of his performance. This is big gear shift for Wyatt who last directed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and he appears to be right on point. Will it stand up to the original, though? For that we'll have to wait until December 19th to find out. Check out the trailer below.

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First Look at Mark Wahlberg in 'The Gambler'; Plus Honest Trailer for 'Transformers: Age of Extinction'

It doesn't seem to matter which Mark Wahlberg we get, audiences still love him and will pay to see it. And to his credit, Wahlberg has been amazingly versatile over the years, even though he'll probably never be recognized for it. The fact remains he's not only one of the top action stars working today, but as films like Pain & Gain, The Fighter, and The Other Guys prove, he's got  some serious dramatic and comedic skills. So you never know which Wahlberg you're going to get, and today we're getting the first look at his latest dramatic film, a remake of The Gambler. And at the same time Wahlberg's going to get torn apart by an Honest Trailer for Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction.

First up, USA Today has released the first images from The Gambler, directed by Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) as a redo of the 1974 film led by James Caan. Wahlberg plays a literature professor (don't laugh!!) who lets his gambling problem get away from him, sending his professional and personal life into a tailspin. If he looks gaunt compared to what we're accustomed to it's because the role required him to drop 40lbs. Also starring in the film are Brie Larson, Jessica Lange, and John Goodman with a release date set for December 19th for a potential Oscar run.

And the Screen Junkies are back to pick the low hanging fruit with another Honest Trailer, this time picking the lowest fruit of them all, Transformers: Age of Extinction. This is probably the least-inspired takedown they've done yet because we know all the jokes already. The plot is stupid, Bay likes to blow stuff up, etc. etc. etc. And yep, Wahlberg takes his share of heat, too, with his character called a "Boston native Texan" who is "fighting against all odds to sound intelligent." Yikes. So grab your American flag, bone up on your Chinese, and check out the trailer below.


Honest Trailers - Transformers - Age of Extinction (變形金剛4 灭绝重生). by TrailerNow

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Cara Delevingne Joins 'Paper Towns'; Ben Kingsley and Brie Larson Cross 'Brooklyn Bridge'

Now that John Green's book The Fault in Our Stars has mopped up $299M worth of audience tears (only a $12M budget, by the way), the author is a hot commodity in Hollywood. Already a couple of adaptations are on the way, but the next one is Paper Towns which has long had Nat Wolff (he played Isaac in The Fault in Our Stars) set for the lead role. Now British model and actress Cara Delevingne (Anna Karenina) will join him, taking on the role of Margo Spiegelman, the mysterious girl next door who goes missing, prompting her neighbor and crush Quentin (Wolff) to find her using clues he thinks she left behind. Directed by Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank), Paper Towns opens July 31st 2015. [TheWrap]

Earlier this year Daniel Radcliffe joined the period drama Brooklyn Bridge, playing engineer Washington Roebling, the man who oversaw the bridge's construction after his father suddenly died. Now he'll be accompanied by Brie Larson and Ben Kingsley, coming aboard the film written and directed by Doug McGrath. Koebling became obsessed with finishing his father's designs for the bridge, even at the cost of his own health and family. Kingsley's role remains unclear but Larson will play one of Robel's unexpected allies.

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Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, & Brie Larson are 'Just One of the Guys' in Jenny Lewis' Music Video

She may be a big rock star now but Jenny Lewis got her start as an actress, playing Super Mario Bros. opposite Fred Savage in The Wizard and starring with Angelina Jolie in Foxfire. She's since contributed to a number of movie soundtracks, including the upcoming musical rom-com Song One which stars Anne Hathaway. Um, I'll let my review of that film speak for itself, but it's clear Lewis has made quite a few Hollywood friends and she's dialed them up to be in her latest video.

Lewis convinced Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, and Brie Larson to play back-up and dress in drag for the video for "Just One of the Guys". Too much sexy in one place! I can't stand it!! If the name recalls a certain '80s comedy about a girl who dresses up as a dude then you get the gist of what Lewis is trying to pull off with the song and video, which is about the undue burdens placed on women. While it's funny to watch the ladies don their mustaches and track suits to look like guys the message is actually a serious one, and it makes me wish the song weren't so forgettable. 

Lewis' first solo album in six years, 'Voyager', releases on July 29th.

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Joe Swanberg Adds Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom, and Jenny Slate to 'Digging for Fire'

Is Joe Swanberg the American version of Takashi Miike? It certainly seems like it. Swanberg is no less prolific than the famed Japanese filmmaker, completing about a dozen movies over the last three years. What started out as the template for the indie "mumblecore" movement has since broadened out to include high-profile stars, such as with two of his most recent films, Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas. And now Swanberg has brought back the casts of those movies for his next film, the already-wrapped Digging for Fire.

Drinking Buddies stars Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick are part of a phenomenal cast that includes Jenny Slate (Obvious Child), Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Brie Larson, Orlando Bloom, and comedian Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me) for the film Swanberg co-wrote with Johnson. Plot details are being kept hidden but DeWitt and Johnson are said to be the leads with the rest having supporting roles of varying size. Ben Richardson, who gave Beasts of the Southern Wild its unique visual look, shot the film on 35mm.

No word on when this will open, but I'd be shocked if it doesn't hit a few upcoming film festivals. Swanberg's latest, Happy Christmas, arrives in July and you can check out my review of it here. [TheWrap]

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Jeremy Irvine Climbs 'Stonewall'; Brie Larson Enters 'Room'; Salma Hayek Joins 'Sausage Party'

* Roland Emmerich has decided on his first post-Independence Day 2 film, and the only explosions in it will be the booming sounds of activism in the streets. Emmerich has been developing a gay rights drama titled Stonewall, based on the famous 1969 police raid at gay bar the Stonewall Inn. As the patrons fought back against the cops, it became one of the key moments in the gay rights movement. And starring in the film will be Jeremy Irvine (War Horse), starring as a young man who experiences his political awakening during the riots. Production on the Jon Robin Baitz-scripted film will begin soon. [Deadline]

* After a sterling 2013, Brie Larson has signed on to a number of projects to keep busy this year. She's already lined up Judd Apatow's next film, Trainwreck, and an adaptation of Matthew Quick's The Good Luck of Right Now. And now she's agreed to star in Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) and based on Emma Donoghue's best-selling novel which was partially taken from a true story. Larson plays Ma, "a woman kidnapped as a teenager who has been held captive for years in a tiny room where she lives with her 5-year-old son Jack. To the boy, Room is the only home he’s ever known." Guh, sounds creepy. Larson, who won't return for 22 Jump Street, will be seen next in The Gambler opposite Mark Wahlberg. [Deadline]

* So it won't be a total Sausage Party for the animated R-rated comedy, which features the voices of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, James Franco, David Krumholtz, Nick Kroll, and Edward Norton. Kristen Wiig is already on board, and now there's another shot of estrogen with the addition of Salma Hayek. Penned by Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the film takes place in a supermarket and follows a sausage that falls out of his shopping cart and embarks on a quest to learn the truth about his existence. Hayek will, sadly, voice a taco named Teresa.

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Brie Larson Joins Judd Apatow's 'Trainwreck'

Although she's long been a favorite as a supporting player, proving herself in films like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and 21 Jump Street, 2013 was the year Brie Larson really came out of her shell. With an Oscar-worthy performance in Short Term 12 under her belt (could we replace Meryl Streep, please?) plus notable appearances in The Spectacular Now and Don Jon, Larson is no longer on the rise, she's already arrived. And now her next move will have her joining Judd Apatow for his latest comedy.

Variety reports that Larson is in talks for Trainwreck, which we will know will star comedian Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Not much is known about the plot except that it was written by Schumer and may center on a basket case trying to get her life together.  We know that a boyfriend character needed to be cast, and that was likely taken by Hader, but there was also a best friend role that may be the part for Larson. After a couple of dramas it'l be good to see her back showing her obvious comedic skills.

Larson is currently filming The Gambler opposite Mark Wahlberg, and will star in The Good Luck of Right Now based on the Matthew Quick book. Trainwreck opens on July 24th 2015.

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Brie Larson Finds 'The Good Luck of Right Now'

Now that she's proven what a knock out she can be in last year's breakout hit, Short Term 12 (she should have been an Oscar nominee, frankly), Brie Larson is suddenly on every studio's radar. Forget that she lost out on the Sarah Conner role in Terminator: Genesis, because she just landed a leading role in a project that sounds far more interesting.

The Wrap reports Larson is in talks for The Good Luck of Right Now, which has a ton of talent behind it already. The film is based on the upcoming book by Silver Linings Playbook author, Matthew Quick, and will be directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, the duo behind Little Miss Sunshine and Ruby Sparks. Mike White (School of Rock) will pen the screenplay which follows 38-year-old Bartholomew Neil, who has no idea how to function after his mother, an obsessive Richard Gere fan, gets sick and dies. With the help of his red-headed counselor, a struggling priest, a a shy female librarian aka the "Girlbrarian", her foul-mouthed brother, and the spirit of Gere himself, Neil goes on a wild road trip to Canada and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

Larson will play the librarian who thinks she was once abducted by aliens, but falls in love with the quirky Neil. Considering how the last Quick adaptation fared it's no surprise Dreamworks sees this as a priority project.

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15 Actresses Deserving of Oscars Attention (But Probably Won't Get It)

I'm bored of the old guard of actresses ruling the Best Actress field every year, and this Oscar season doesn't look to be any different. In fact, most of the main Best Actress contenders skew a little bit older, and of course Meryl Streep is there for August: Osage County, apparently because she wore a lot of make-up and didn't wear out her throat screaming for two hours. Good for her. Her place in the race is assured no matter what, but this year in particular there were a wealth of great performances by women who will probably be ignored by the Academy, even though they have as much right to be there as anybody.

So what I recognized, and this will be the case for male performances too, is that most of the performances that had the greatest impact on me probably have no shot at receiving a golden statue. What they all share in common for the most part are two things: youth and opportunity. The oldest actress on my list is veteran scene-stealer Kristin Scott Thomas who gives bad mothers an even worse name in Only God Forgives. Right next to her is TV vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who displays in Enough Said a wit and dramatic range could have made her a big screen star. Others, like Brie Larson for Short Term 12, are under 25 and taking advantage of their first chance to play truly complex, lived-in characters. And then there are those in-between like Gaby Hoffmann, who has been acting steadily for 25 years and is only now just starting to come into her own as a blissful hippie traveler in Crystal Fairy. And yeah, a few were just extremely hot, like the crimson-haired Christa Theret in Renoir as the woman who reignited the legendary artist's passion.

What I've tried to do in each case is provide a clip to show off why these extremely talented ladies were so unforgettable. As always, feel free to weigh in with your own picks!

Waad Mohammed- Wadjda



Melonie Diaz- Fruitvale Station



 Christa Theret- Renoir



Rosario Dawson- Trance



Kristin Scott Thomas- Only God Forgives



 Veerle Baetens- The Broken Circle Breakdown




Amy Acker- Much Ado About Nothing



Berenice Bejo- The Past



Gaby Hoffmann- Crystal Fairy



 Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha



Julie Delpy- Before Midnight




Lake Bell- In a World....



Shailene Woodley- The Spectacular Now



Julia Louis Dreyfus- Enough Said



Brie Larson- Short Term 12

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'12 Years A Slave' Named Best Picture by Black Film Critics Circle

The Black Film Critics Circle, of which I am a voting member, has named Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave the Best Picture of the Year, honoring the slavery drama with six total victories including one for Best Director. Chiwetel Ejiofor took home Best Actor for his performance while co-star Lupita Nyong'o won for Best Supporting Actress, continuing a streak that has the film surging as Academy Award nominations loom. In a somewhat surprising (but welcome in my opinion) move, Brie Larson won Best Actress for the indie drama Short Term 12, while Jared Leto continues to build steam for Dallas Buyers Club, winning Best Supporting Actor.

The full list of winners is below:

Best Picture – “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director – Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor – Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress – Brie Larson for “Short Term 12”
Best Supporting Actor – Jared Leto for “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress – Lupita Nyong’o for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Original Screenplay – David O. Russell and Eric Singer for “American Hustle”
Best Adapted Screenplay – John Ridley for “12 Years a Slave”
Best Documentary – “20 Feet from Stardom”
Best Animated Film – “Frozen”
Best Cinematography – “Gravity”
Best Foreign Film – “Blue is the Warmest Color”
Best Ensemble – “12 Years a Slave”

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'American Hustle', '12 Years a Slave' Lead Critics' Choice Awards Nominees

Yes, there are more critics groups out there than probably need to exist, but one of the biggest has just revealed its nominees for the best of 2013. The Broadcast Film Critics Association, which I am happy to be a voting member for the first time, has revealed its nominees for the 19th annual Critics Choice Awards.

This year it was 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle that pretty much owned every category, earning 13 nominations each. They'll get to go head-to-head this time, unlike with the Golden Globes last week, meaning this perhaps be a better indicator where the Oscars may be headed. There aren't a ton of surprises otherwise, except for Brie Larson continuing her late season Best Actress push for Short Term 12. Along with Best Supporting Actress for her performance in American Hustle, Jennifer Lawrence also was nominated for Best Actress in an Action Movie for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

You can find the full list of nominees below. The Critics' Choice Awards will be held on January 16th.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 19th ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTOR
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Bruce Dern – Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks – Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford – All Is Lost

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Judi Dench – Philomena
Brie Larson – Short Term 12
Meryl Streep – August: Osage County
Emma Thompson – Saving Mr. Banks

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi – Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl – Rush
Bradley Cooper – American Hustle
Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson – Her
Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle
Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts – August: Osage County
June Squibb – Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey – Lee Daniels’ The Butler

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Asa Butterfield – Ender’s Game
Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue Is the Warmest Color
Liam James – The Way Way Back
Sophie Nelisse – The Book Thief
Tye Sheridan – Mud

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Nebraska
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity
Paul Greengrass – Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze – Her
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell – American Hustle
Martin Scorsese – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Eric Singer and David O. Russell – American Hustle
Woody Allen – Blue Jasmine
Spike Jonze – Her
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
Bob Nelson – Nebraska

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Tracy Letts – August: Osage County
Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke – Before Midnight
Billy Ray – Captain Phillips
Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope – Philomena
John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis
Phedon Papamichael – Nebraska
Roger Deakins – Prisoners
Sean Bobbitt – 12 Years a Slave

BEST ART DIRECTION
Andy Nicholson (Production Designer), Rosie Goodwin (Set Decorator) – Gravity
Catherine Martin (Production Designer), Beverley Dunn (Set Decorator) – The Great Gatsby
K.K. Barrett (Production Designer), Gene Serdena (Set Decorator) – Her
Dan Hennah (Production Designer), Ra Vincent (Set Decorator) – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Adam Stockhausen (Production Designer), Alice Baker (Set Decorator) – 12 Years a Slave

BEST EDITING
Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers – American Hustle
Christopher Rouse – Captain Phillips
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger – Gravity
Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill – Rush
Joe Walker – 12 Years a Slave
Thelma Schoonmaker – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Michael Wilkinson – American Hustle
Catherine Martin – The Great Gatsby
Bob Buck, Lesley Burkes-Harding, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Daniel Orlandi – Saving Mr. Banks
Patricia Norris – 12 Years a Slave

BEST MAKEUP
American Hustle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rush
12 Years a Slave

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
Pacific Rim
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Monsters University
The Wind Rises

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Iron Man 3
Lone Survivor
Rush
Star Trek into Darkness

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Henry Cavill – Man of Steel
Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man 3
Brad Pitt – World War Z
Mark Wahlberg – Lone Survivor

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Sandra Bullock – Gravity
Jennifer Lawrence – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Evangeline Lilly – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Gwyneth Paltrow – Iron Man 3

BEST COMEDY
American Hustle
Enough Said
The Heat
This Is the End
The Way Way Back
The World’s End

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Christian Bale – American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street
James Gandolfini – Enough Said
Simon Pegg – The World’s End
Sam Rockwell – The Way Way Back

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Amy Adams – American Hustle
Sandra Bullock – The Heat
Greta Gerwig – Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Enough Said
Melissa McCarthy – The Heat

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Conjuring
Gravity
Star Trek into Darkness
World War Z

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Blue Is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
The Hunt
The Past
Wadjda

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Act of Killing
Blackfish
Stories We Tell
Tim’s Vermeer
20 Feet from Stardom

BEST SONG
Atlas – Coldplay – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Happy – Pharrell Williams – Despicable Me 2
Let It Go – Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – Frozen
Ordinary Love – U2 – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Please Mr. Kennedy – Justin Timberlake/Oscar Isaac/Adam Driver – Inside Llewyn Davis
Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey – The Great Gatsby

BEST SCORE
Steven Price – Gravity
Arcade Fire – Her
Thomas Newman – Saving Mr. Banks
Hans Zimmer – 12 Years a Slave

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Brie Larson or Emilia Clarke will be Sarah Connor in 'Terminator' Reboot

While plot details on the Terminator reboot remain non-existent, the search for an actress to play Sarah Connor has come down to two. Last month it was Emilia Clarke, Brie Larson, and Margot Robbie vying for the role of the woman who will give birth to future freedom fighter John Connor, and now Deadline reports Robbie is out of the running.

That leaves Larson and Clarke as the final choices for director Alan Taylor, who is hoping to lock down the Sarah Connor role before deciding on actors to play John Connor and Kyle Reese. Larson probably has the most heat behind her at the moment, recently winning Best Actress for her performance in Short Term 12. Clarke may have the edge considering her work with Taylor on HBO's Game of Thrones, or at least that's what Deadline seems to think.

Tom Hardy is the model Universal has in mind for John Connor, with Boyd Holbrook and Garrett Hedlund among those rumored for it. As for Kyle Reese, we've heard Nicholas Hoult and Taylor Kitsch, although I doubt anybody would have a problem if Anton Yelchin reprises the part from Terminator Salvation? It won't happen but a guy can wish.

Whatever the future holds, Terminator is set to open July 2nd 2015.

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'Inside Llewyn Davis', 'Fruitvale Station' Win Big at Gotham Awards; Brie Larson Takes Top Acting Prize

Our own WAFCA Awards will be handed out next week, but the awards race really kicked off in earnest tonight as the Gotham Awards announced their big winners. Taking the top prize of Best Feature was the Coen Brothers' folk music film Inside Llewyn Davis, beating out expected Oscar-winner 12 Years A Slave. Early year favorite Fruitvale Station won both categories it was nominated in with director Ryan Coogler winning for Breakthrough Director and star Michael B. Jordan taking home Breakthrough Actor. In a bit of a happy surprise, Brie Larson won Best Actress for the acclaimed indie drama Short Term 12, while Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club.

So how does all of this change the Oscar race? Some will say this gives the Coens' film some heavy momentum but in truth this won't mean much unless Inside Llewyn Davis continues to rack up wins. However this could be a significant boost for Larson, who was recently nominated for an Indie Spirit Award, while McConaughey has long been considered a top contender.

Check out the full list of winners below....

Best Feature: "Inside Llewyn Davis"

Best Documentary: "The Act of Killing"

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award: Ryan Coogler, "Fruitvale Station"
 
Best Actor: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"

Best Actress: Brie Larson, "Short Term 12"

Breakthrough Actor: Michael B. Jordan, "Fruitvale Station"

Film Audience Award: "Jake Shimabukuro: Life on Four Strings," Tadashi Nakamura

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers ‘Live the Dream’ Grant: Gita Pullapilly, director, "Beneath the Harvest Sky"

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'Terminator' Casting Rumors Include Emilia Clarke, Brie Larson, and Garrett Hedlund

There are more questions than answers when it comes to the next Terminator film. Is it a reboot? A sequel? A little of both? What will Arnold Schwarzenegger be doing exactly? Will he battle The Rock? Will it be set in the 1950s? Is Alan Taylor (Thor: The Dark World) directing? And now we can add a few more rumors to the pile as some names are emerging for the lead roles.

According to Schmoes Know, Brie Larson, Emilia Clarke, and Margot Robbie are vying to play Sarah Connor, while Garrett Hedlund and Boyd Holbrook could be her all-important son, John Connor. The fact that all of these contenders are the same age could be telling as it suggests multiple timelines may be at play. Or we could see a situation where John runs across his younger-aged mother, or some variation on that idea.

Robbie will be seen next in The Wolf of Wall Street so she's due for a break out soon. Larson is coming off of the excellent Short Term 12, while Clarke is familiar with the director having worked with him on Game of Thrones. Hedlund's a pretty boring choice to do anything, frankly, but this would be a significant part for Holbrook, who last appeared in The Host.

So what do you think? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Let us know your thoughts.

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Brie Larson Draws 'The Gambler' Opposite Mark Wahlberg

The time is now for Brie Larson, and although she won't be returning for next year's 22 Jump Street, she made a pretty compelling case to be bumped into A-list status for her unforgettable performance in Short Term 12. Even when she's only got one line of dialogue, like in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon, she still manages to make an impact, and now she'll hope to do the same in possibly her biggest film yet.

Larson is in talks to join Mark Wahlberg in Rupert Wyatt's remake of The Gambler. The original film starred James Caan as a college professor whose gambling addiction causes his world to unravel, and as he sinks further into debt he takes increasingly desperate measures to stay afloat. William Monahan (The Departed) will pen the updated version but we have no details what his approach will be.  Larson will take on the female lead, and what's more she may be joined by Jessica Lange (American Horror Story), possibly playing Wahlberg's mother.

No word on when production could begin, but with Wahlberg busy on Transformers: Age of Extinction it could be a little while. [Deadline]

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New Clip from SXSW Hit 'Short Term 12' Starring Brie Larson

Unless you're a member of Brie Larson's fan club (*raises hand*) there's a pretty good chance that Short Term 12 has slipped under your radar. The indie drama has been knocking 'em dead on the festival circuit for months, taking home Grand Jury and Audience awards at SXSW, with many proclaiming this to be Larson's breakout performance. Word on the film may be quiet for now, but as it begins to roll into theaters in just a few days, expect the buzz on it to swell as audiences take in a truly mesmerizing story.

After debuting the trailer recently, a new clip has now been released courtesy of Indiewire, and it's a scene that plays best in full context, but still goes a long way in showing how professional and personal lines can be crossed so easily. Larson plays a Grace, a worker at a short term foster care facility who takes a vested interest in all of her charges, while also dealing with some serious challenges in her own life. John Gallagher Jr. (The Newsroom) is her colleague and boyfriend, while Rami Malek (The Master) is a new employee trying to learn the ropes and finding it isn't easy.

What makes this film work are the smaller human moments that bind these characters together; the laughter, the pain, the fear of what the future holds. But it's also a very tough film that doesn't pull any punches or look for easy solutions. A couple of words of advice? Bring plenty of Kleenex. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Short Term 12 opens on August 23rd.

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Review: 'The Spectacular Now' Starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller

 NOTE: This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival.

There's a very real danger in simply living in the moment. While it may sound exciting and adventurous, it also invites complacency and stagnation, a dangerous cocktail made more lethal when alcohol is thrown into the mix. While this may sound like a proper lead-in for director James Ponsoldt's previous Sundance hit, Smashed, it serves equally well for his wonderful coming of age story, The Spectacular Now.

Teen romances are a dime a dozen, but it's rare to find one that has so much meaning and isn't just an excuse to pair up two beautiful people. The film deals believably and honestly with teen anxieties about the future, while also exploring the familial impact of addiction. If that sounds like potentially weighty stuff, that's because it is. Emotions run high from the very beginning and never let up even for a moment, from the joys of first love to painful examinations of one's self worth. Aided by tremendous performances by Miles Teller and Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley, we may be looking at one of the year's first truly great films.

Before it gets to all that, the story may look and feel quite familiar. Sutter Keely(Teller) has everything that a high school senior could want. He's popular, forming the elite power couple with his girlfriend Cassidy(Brie Larson), and is always the life of the party. He's also a functioning alcoholic, taking quick sips from his flask at all hours of the day. As the school year begins to draw to a close, thoughts turn to the future. Cassidy, wanting more for herself than just a fun time, dumps him suddenly. Dealing with it the only way he knows how, Sutter drinks himself into a stupor, waking up on the lawn of Aimee Finicky(Woodley), an average and mostly invisible girl from school.

Aimee is a beauty, but doesn't have the confidence in herself for others to see it. On the other hand, Sutter is the complete opposite. A completely charismatic figure with no fear of anything, the two begin a relationship that quickly blossoms into something more. Ponsoldt captures their budding love sweetly and without pretension. The two are a perfect mix on the surface. He emboldens her to stand up for herself and live a little, while she keeps him grounded enough to prevent a total meltdown. Through one another, they learn to deal with their various family issues with strength. Both come from broken homes, albeit via different means, and the added responsibility from such an arrangement has impacted them both. Most telling is the disappearance of Sutter's father (Kyle Chandler), who left the family under bad circumstances years earlier, leaving his mother(Jennifer Jason Leigh) to fend for herself. Sutter carries hopes that his father will someday enter back into his life, despite his family, including his sister(Mary Elizabeth Winstead) hoping for the complete opposite.

The film smashes all genre clichés with its authentic portrayal of the two lead characters. It's always a trap of teen romances to turn it into yet another version of She's All That, with a quick make-over and a cool new boyfriend changing the female's life forever. It's not that simple here, and Woodley captures Aimee's shyness and vulnerability without pushing it on us. While she was excellent in The Descendants and deserving of the acclaim she received, this is a role that requires more maturity and nuance, and the results may again see her in awards company. Teller, who gave as good as he got opposite Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole, is no less extraordinary as a guy trying to mask his insecurities under a shield of jokes and liquid courage.

Movies like this tend to do great business at festivals, but don't always measure up after general audiences get done with them. Although writers Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter know a thing or two about turning teen romance into a critical and box office powerhouse, having written the whimsical (500) Days of Summer a few years ago. Much like that film, The Spectacular Nowisn't satisfied with giving us the same old fluff, it aims for something deeper and lands a direct hit.

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Brie Larson Not Returning for '22 Jump Street'

So far, 2013 has been fairly quiet for Brie Larson, but things are about to blow up for her in a really big way. She's already received raves on the festival circuit for her breakthrough performance in the SXSW award-winning drama Short Term 12, along with appearing in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut Don Jon, and in just a few days she has a critical role in James Ponsoldt's The Spectacular Now. She's definitely on the rise and a lot of directors are eager to work with her, but unfortunately the directors behind one of her most popular films, 21 Jump Street, won't be needing her services in the sequel.

While talking to ScreenCrush, Larson revealed that she won't be returning for more R-rated cop fun in 22 Jump Street, which has Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum's characters headed off to college. Larson has previously expressed some enthusiasm about reprising her role, but it was during a recent meeting with directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller where she learned the news...

Larson: "After speaking with them, it’s not something I’m going to be a part of anymore than just in spirit. I will be a virtual cheerleader for those boys doing it again. And I’ll be so happy to see the movie and laugh as hard as I did during the first one."

Based on that it may sound as if she made a calculated decision not to return, perhaps due to a busy schedule, but actually the choice was taken out of her hands...

Larson:  "It’s not necessarily my choice. It’s not like they said, ‘Would you do it?’ and I said, ‘No.’ That’s just the way the story goes."

With the guys taking their gig to university it probably would have been a stretch to include Larson's character, anyway, but this is still disappointing news. But she's got a lot to keep her busy as she'll be filming Relanxious with Olivia Wilde soon, and has just wrapped on the Bollywood musical Basmati Blues. 

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Imogen Poots Joins 'Squirrel to the Nuts'; Sacha Baron Cohen Exits Freddie Mercury Biopic

* Although he hasn't had a feature film since 2001's The Cat's Meow, Peter Bogdanovich is still facing a lot of trouble in putting together his latest film, the screwball comedy Squirrel to the Nuts (or She's Funny That Way). With Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach producing, everything seemed to be on the right track with Owen Wilson and Brie Larson starring, but now the latter has dropped out for unknown reasons, only to be replaced by Fright Night and Need for Speed star, Imogen Poots. Wilson plays an married Broadway director, with Poots as the prostitute-turned-actress who gets a career boost when he becomes smitten with her. Jennifer Aniston, Richard Lewis, and Cybil Shepard co-star, with production currently underway in New York. [TheWrap]

* The long-developing Freddie Mercury biopic Sacha Baron Cohen has been attached to has hit a major stumbling block, as the actor has dropped out of the film after a dispute with Queen. The legendary rock band Mercury was the frontman for has the final say on the approach taken with the film, and they wanted a PG-rated version that centered on the band, whereas Cohen was looking for a gritty, adult take centered on the rocker. Without Cohen on board it's tough to imagine who else would be open to taking the role, and share the obvious physical similarities. The project was still a long ways off, anyhow, as a director had yet to be found. David Fincher, Stephen Frears, and Tom Hooper's names had surfaced to helm, with Peter Morgan (The Queen) presumably still on board to pen the script. [Deadline]

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