Review: 'Annie' starring Quvenzhane Wallis, Jamie Foxx, and Cameron Diaz

Only the hard-knock-hearted can walk out of Annie without a smile on their face and a song in their head. Let's be honest; the original Annie musical about the perky and feisty red-headed orphan has long since worn out its welcome; reduced to clichés popping up in more contemporary musicals. So why not a proper remake; one given a blast of hip-hop energy by Jay-Z and Will Smith, with adorable Beasts of the Southern Wild breakout Quvenzhane Wallis reinventing the title role?

Annie has never been especially subtle; the original musical is schmaltzy beyond normal human tolerance. So why in the world would anyone think this one would be different? Of course it isn't. The differences are in the atmosphere, the contemporary setting, and the clever dance choreography. Wallis isn't a natural singer, that much is true, but she's as plucky and likable as ever so that we can't help but love her. The story should be a familiar one, although it begins by brushing past expectations off its shoulders.

This Annie demands to be called a "foster kid" rather than an "orphan", she ducks and weaves through the busy Harlem streets in hopes of locating the parents who abandoned her as a baby. The group home she lives in with other girls is run by the nasty and perpetually angry Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz), a former singer whose head is stuck in the 1990s. Hope you like C&C Music Factory because you'll hear it a lot when she's around. After a rousing rendition of " A Hard Knock Life", a chance encounter with stiff mayoral candidate and cell phone mogul Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) finds Annie under his care. It begins as a campaign tool but naturally grows into something more. Meanwhile, Hannigan is looking for a way to use the situation to get some of Stacks' money and be rid of Annie permanently.

Director Will Gluck (who gave us Emma Stone in Easy A) along with writers Aline Brosh McKenna and Emma Thompson, build their urban reimagining with a plethora of subplots that don't all payoff. Rose Byrne probably isn't the first we'd look to for song and dance numbers but she's a lot of fun as Stacks' lonely assistant and potential love interest. It should come as no surprise the best songs are performed by Foxx (remember his R&B career? Does it still exist?), while Wallis gets by purely on emotion. Her rendition of "Opportunity", one of a few new songs penned for the film, is touching enough to bring the entire crowd to tears.  The script is sharper than it has any need to be; paying homage without falling too deep into the nostalgia well. Plus there are a handful of hilarious cameos including a mock Twilight-esque parody with a couple of huge stars. While the Depression-era angst of the original is gone it's replaced by attitude and heart.

Clocking in at around two hours the film eventually loses steam as the expected lessons are learned and feelings laid bare in broad strokes. But you'll leave Annie happier than when you arrived and filled with the promise tomorrow can bring. Tomorrow, it's only a day away.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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New Trailer for Jason Reitman's 'Men, Women and Children'

In case you haven't figured it out, social networking isn't always so social. For all the ways the Internet has connected us to the world at large it has also disconnected us personally. This is nothing new, and Hollywood has already told that story umpteen times. So what makes Jason Reitman's Men, Women and Children different from the rest? The phenomenal cast he's put together with Adam Sandler, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Emma Thompson, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons, and Dennis Haysbert,

The latest trailer introduces us to a number of characters whose lives have been affected, generally for the worse, by the Internet. This trailer seems to be dealing mostly with the search for love and companionship, which technology has made easier and complicated at the same time. While incredibly somber, this looks like a step up from Reitman's last film, Labor Day. Then again that one looked good in trailers, too, and Reitman has since written it off as a mistake. The reviews out of the festival circuit have been mixed, and their doesn't seem to be much buzz for a film opening in just a couple of weeks on October 1st.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Celebrity News

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Dakota Fanning and Emma Thompson in the First 'Effie Gray' Trailer

Movies get delayed all of the time, and for a number of different reasons. Yesterday saw the trailer for Serena finally hit the web, a film completed more than two years ago despite big stars attached. And now we also have the trailer for Effie Gray, a period drama starring Elle Fanning and Emma Thompson that has been gathering dust for the last eighteen months due to legal issues. Writers Greg Murphy and Eve Pomerance weren't happy that the film seems to borrow liberally from their own works on the subject, but that's all been settled now.

The Victorian romance centers on a love triangle between the title character (Fanning), her art critic husband John Ruskin (Greg Wise), and renowned painter John Everett Millais (Tom Sturridge). So what makes this particular story of a troubled marriage worth telling on the big screen? Gray is considered a feminist icon by many as she is one of the first women to seek a divorce.

Directed by Richard Laxton and co-starring Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, and Robbie Coltrane, Effie Gray opens in the UK next month but has yet to gain a US date.

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First Trailer and Images from Jason Reitman's 'Men, Women, & Children'

What amounts to a slump for someone like Jason Reitman are the solid reviews and underwhelming performance by his dark comedy Young Adult, and the overall disastrous response to Labor Day. That last film in particular didn't truly feel like Reitman at the height of his powers, which is finding humor and truth in uncomfortable relationships. His first three films; Thank You for Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air hit on that difficult tone perfectly. And now with his latest film Men, Women, & Children on the way it seems Reitman is doing something new by exploring the dark side of technology.

Gathering a large and varied ensemble that includes Adam Sandler in a rare dramatic role, Jennifer Garner, The Fault In Our Stars' Ansel Elgort, Short Term 12's Kaitlyn Dever, Emma Thompson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, J.K. Simmons, and Dennis Haysbert, the new trailer suggests an interconnected story about relationships ripped apart in the Internet Age. Is it possible to find a human connection in a world dominated by social networking? It's a pretty gloomy piece of footage and is totally free of Reitman's usual brand of humor, but with Eric Cressida Wilson (Secretary) co-writing the screenplay there's bound to be some offbeat laughs in there somewhere.

Men, Women, & Children will hit the Toronto International Film Festival before opening this October.

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Bradley Cooper's 'Chef' Retitled 'Adam Jones', Adds Emma Thompson, Daniel Bruhl, and Alicia Vikander

 It's surprising things have gone on this long with Bradley Cooper's upcoming culinary world film maintaining the Chef title, what with Jon Favreau's film still in theaters. But finally somebody has gotten around to a name change, retitling it Adam Jones, which hopefully won't confuse audiences into thinking it's about the troubled football player known for "making it rain".

Along with the name change comes a big boost in talent. Joining Cooper and Sienna Miller are Emma Thompson, Alicia Vikander, Daniel Bruhl,  Riccardo Scamarcio, Lily James, and Fifty Shades of Grey's Jamie Dornan. No mention of Omar Sy in Daily Mail's report, but it could be just an oversight. The film, directed by John Wells from a Steven Knight script, centers on a celebrity chef who loses everything due to his hard partying ways. Cleaning himself up, he returns to London and opens up a new restaurant in hopes of winning a third Michelin star.

Seriously though, that title is terrible.

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Emma Thompson and Daniel Bruhl are 'Alone in Berlin'; Nicolas Cage and Jack Huston Board 'The Trust'

Cannes is underway right now, and that means not only are some of the year's most anticipated films having premieres, but deals are being struck left and right. And now we have two more that feature a pair of veterans paired with young up 'n comers.

First up, Emma Thompson will star with Daniel Bruhl and Mark Rylance (The Other Boelyn Girl) in Alone in Berlin. Vincent Perez is directing the adaptation of Hans Fallada's book which follows an ordinary couple in the titular city as they mount an extraordinary act of resistance against Nazi rule after their son is killed fighting in WWII.

And next up are Nicolas Cage and Jack Huston (American Hustle), who will play dirty cops trying to discover the contents of a safe in The Trust. Their desire to find out what's inside thrusts them in the middle of a fight for their lives. Hopefully there's a little more meat to the story than that, but the combo of Cage and Huston could be fun. Ben and Alex Brewer will be directing. 

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Emma Thompson and Nick Offerman Take 'A Walk In the Woods'

Production begins today on the long-developing adaptation of Bill Bryson's humorous memoir, A Walk In the Woods, which Robert Redford has been attached to for nearly a decade. At one time Redford was to star as Bryson alongside Paul Newman with Barry Levinson, Richard Linklater, and Chris Columbus all briefly attached to direct at different points. But ultimately it's Nick Nolte co-starring with Ken Kwapis (Big Miracle) at the helm, and now a few more  big names have come aboard.

Emma Thompson, Nick Offerman, and Kristen Schaal have joined the film which features by Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt. The story follows Bryson, an aging travel writer who decides to make the 2,000-mile high along the Appalachian Trail accompanied by his estranged, overweight high school buddy. Along the way they face off with one another, battle nature, and encounter a number of eccentric characters.

Might we see this one at Sundance next year, or on the festival circuit later in 2014?

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Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson Plan a Heist in 'The Love Punch' Trailer

If you need an actor to play an art or jewel thief, Pierce Brosnan is probably your guy. While he hasn't played James Bond in quite awhile, the days of the excellent Thomas Crown Affair are also long behind him, the guy just has the suave style to play an international man of mystery, even when that's not exactly what he's being called upon to do. Such is the case with his upcoming rom-com/heist movie, The Love Punch, where he plays an ordinary guy looking to make a big score.

Brosnan stars alongside Emma Thompson as an older, divorced couple who plan to steal a $10M diamond after their retirement savings are wiped out in a financial scam. They're joined in this bumbling scheme by their equally-clueless neighbors (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie) in the plot that takes them to London, Paris, and the French Riviera.

Brosnan, Thompson, and the romantic charms of Paris are a tough combo to beat, even for a film that looks pretty awful. Directed by Joel Hopkins (Jump Tomorrow, Last Chance Harvey), The Love Punch opens on May 23rd.

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Review: 'Saving Mr. Banks' Starring Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks

This time of year Hollywood should just take out a giant full page ad that reads: "Make a movie about us and we will love you forever!” Hollywood loves movies about making movies, and from the moment Disney revealed the plot of Saving Mr. Banks, which follows the contentious battle to complete 1964's beloved classic Mary Poppins, it's been pegged as a future Oscar contender. Maybe that will still be the case, maybe not, but for all the talent and Disney cozying up for some Oscar gold, the film simply isn't very good and won't make you care a whit about Mary Poppins or its author, P.L. Travers

Unfortunately the entire point of the film is to make us care about Travers (Emma Thompson), the Australian author who famously fought Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) for years before she'd allow him to adapt the first of her Mary Poppins novels. When the movie begins she's in dire financial straits and has started to listen to Disney's offers, albeit reluctantly. She has no desire of selling the rights to Mary Poppins, and at first we're expected to believe it's just another case of a creator protecting the integrity of their work. When she arrives in Los Angeles to negotiate, it might as well be a hostage negotiation for all the enthusiasm she displays. Not only is she snotty and rude to Disney, who is merely hoping to fulfill a promise he made to his daughter, but she's a complete snot to the screen and song writers (Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak). She's even dismissive of her well-meaning driver (Paul Giamatti), an everyman always "keeping on the sunny side of life" so to speak.

Disney does what nobody else can understand, allowing her to take part in the movie's production even though she hasn't signed a deal. She takes every opportunity to point out how repulsive she finds the entire ordeal, and arguments over every bit of minutiae she can find play out ad nauseum. She doesn't want any songs...or any animation...and she has a problem with the color red so there can't be any of that. The entire purpose of the film up to this point seems to be showing just how ugly Travers was, and well, they succeeded because she's absolutely awful.

The trouble is that the ultimate goal is to make us sympathize with her, and to uncover the reasons she's holding on to Mary Poppins so tightly. Thus a parallel narrative unfolds through flashback, chronicling her childhood in Australia where she worships her fun-loving, frolicking drunk of a father (Colin Farrell, never been better really). Directed lovingly by John Lee Hancock, these scenes are at first a welcome, very Disney-esque look at the influence Travers' imaginative father had on the surreal world she created around Mary Poppins, and explains in some way why she considers the work so sacred. However, they quickly become a distraction as her father's personal demons begin to take over, dampening the film's jovial spirit without shedding much light on Travers' unforgivable attitude as an adult. The script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith heaps on one mawkish beat after another before but never quite makes the connection between the hopeful young Travers and the older one who is busy scolding everybody.

Since this is a Disney movie and Hanks is playing Walt Disney, one can be forgiven for assuming his portrayal would be a little thin. But Hanks is too good for that, and with a script that treats Disney far better than it does Travers, we're allowed to see him as both kind-hearted and a shrewd businessman. His outgoing, wizened Jiminy Cricket personality makes for a soothing, calming presence and, although he's very much a supporting character, the film loses much of its warmth when he's away. That's because the film gets mighty chilly every time Thompson is on screen. They're much better together when they can bicker and quarrel like an old married couple from two vastly different worlds. Thompson, whose Nanny McPhee movies were clearly inspired by Travers, gives the role everything she's got but is consistently let down by the script. She's been a hater the entire movie and her transformation into a kinder, gentler Travers never feels earned.

The film bends over backwards for a happy-ish ending; giving the impression Travers was mostly pleased with Disney's completed work. She really wasn't, but to say otherwise would be to throw a wet blanket over everything. Better a happy ending than the truth, right? While Saving Mr. Banks may be must-see viewing for Mary Poppins fans, others won't find anything magical about it.

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Pierce Brosnan, Milla Jojovich, Angela Bassett, and Emma Thompson Join James McTeigue's 'Survivor'

Having worked with George Lucas and The Wachowski's on the Star Wars and Matrix franchises, James McTeigue has been in the spotlight since he first stepped behind the camera with V for Vendetta. While many consider that film a cult classic for some unknown reason, it's been diminishing returns ever since, hitting a rather embarrassing low with ponderous Edgar Allan Poe flick, The Raven. One thing he's never had a problem with is attracting big stars, and for his next project he's assembled quite a cast.

Millennium Films has tapped McTeigue to direct Survivor, with Milla Jojovich, Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson, and Angela Bassett starring. The script by Phil Shelby will call for Jojovich to play "a State Department employee newly posted to the American embassy in London, where she is charged with stopping terrorists from getting into the U.S. That puts her right in the line of fire and she is targeted for death and framed for crimes. Discredited, she is forced to go on the run while she tries to clear her name and stop a large-scale terrorist attack set for New Year’s Eve in Times Square"

Sounds potentially interesting, but with McTeigue on board expect it to be too dark and muddy to be properly enjoyed. He's one of the few who can make a simple film like Ninja Assassin unwatchable, so my expectations for this are pretty low.  He recently came aboard the long-developing Bloodsport remake, but it looks like Survivor will be first as filming is set to begin in January. [Deadline]

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Tom Hanks Is Walt Disney In First Trailer for 'Saving Mr. Banks'

Disney pretty much has all of its Oscar bases covered with Saving Mr. Banks. Not only is the story interesting and relevant to the Mouse House, following Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers and her rocky relationship with Walt Disney, but it also has quite an assemblage of talent in front of and behind the camera. Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell, Jason Schwartzman, and Ruth Wilson are all on board, with The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock at the helm. It all amounts to a film that seems ready-made for a Best Picture nomination, but is it perhaps a little too safe and comfortable?

After the first image dropped a couple of day ago, we know have the trailer for Saving Mr. Banks, and while it's definitely a charmer, it's also more than a little sappy and manufactured. Hanks plays the legendary Mouse House founder, who fought with Travers to let his studio adapt Mary Poppins to the big screen, but she's reluctant because the character of Mr. Banks is based on her own father, and she considers the story extremely special. Speaking of special, the trailer goes a little overboard in trying to get across just how important Walt Disney was, but there's no denying Hanks looks great in the role, and he has strong chemistry with Thompson.

The last film similar to this was 2004's J.M. Barrie biopic, Finding Neverland, which was nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actor for Johnny Depp. Could Saving Mr. Banks replicate that success? We'll find out when it opens on December 13th.

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First Look at Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson in 'Saving Mr. Banks'

It used to be that any time Tom Hanks had a movie coming up in the fall, you could probably count on it being part of the Oscar race. That's been less of a guarantee of late, but this year he's got two legitimate shots at scoring some gold. He'll star in Paul Greengrass' Somali pirates film Captain Phillips this October, but his best shot may come after that when he plays Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks.

We've seen a couple of set photos but now we have the first official still showing Hanks as the Mouse House visionary, along with Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins creator, P.L. Travers. The story, written by Kelly Marcel and directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side), tells of Disney's attempts to get Travers on board for his adaptation of her book. After finally convincing her, she hated the result, in particular the animated sequences, and vowed never to let Disney near her work again. It'll also deal with Travers' relationship with her father (Colin Farrell), who served as the inspiration for the story's patriarch, Mr. Banks.

Also starring Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, and Jason Schwartzman, Saving Mr. Banks hits the Oscar race on December 13th.

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1st look at Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in 'Saving Mr. Banks'

It's always fun to see how actors' looks will evolve when they're gearing up for a major role. If you've been following Tom Hanks(not literally I hope) over the last few weeks you may have noticed some curious facial hair. In pro wrestling this usually means someone is about to turn heel, and it's sorta the same thing for Hanks as he was growing his mustache to play Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks.

The first set photos have emerged of Hanks in the role, and also of Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. The story follows Disney's pursuit of the film rights to Travers' Mary Poppins novel, and after she finally gave in their relationship soured over the changes he made. Travers was particular peeved over the animated sequences, and swore never to work with Disney again.

The Blind Side's John Lee Hancock is directing, with Paul Giamatti, Ruth Wilson, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell, Rachel Griffiths, and Jason Schwartzman co-starring. Saving Mr. Banks opens on December 20th 2013, check out all of the images below....[Inside the Magic via Slashfilm]

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Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson to star in the making of 'Mary Poppins' film, 'Saving Mr. Banks'

After a fierce bidding war, Walt Disney, who already own much of the rights to P. L. Travers' Mary Poppins character, picked up the rights to Saving Mr. Banks, a film based on the Black List script by Kelly Marcel. Not a remake or sequel to the classic 1964 movie, Marcel's story is a biopic detailing Travers' reluctance to part with the film rights to the late Walt Disney. As we all know, Travers eventually caved, but she hated the movie and regretted the decision ever since, which effected her relationship with Disney ever since.

Variety reports that Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson are in talks for the two leads, making this instantly a potential Oscar contender with these veteran actors attached. Unbelievably, this would be the first time Hanks and Thompson have worked together, which should be worth the price of admission alone. John Lee Hancock(The Blind Side) will direct.

The production of the Mary Poppins film is an interesting one mainly because of how Travers was treated during the whole process. She despised the animated sequences used, and never allowed another Poppins film to be made by Disney, even though they often tried to change her mind. She wasn't even invited to the movie's premier, although she did attend after personally requesting a ticket. Travers ultimately wrote eight books about the magical nanny, the last one published in 1988.

I'm curious to see how Disney treats Travers in the film, since she had such a contentious past with the studio. When filming could begin is unclear, as Hanks still has to shoot Captain Phillips for Paul Greengrass first.

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Alice Eve joins Men In Black 3 as younger version of Emma Thompson

I'm convinced that Men in Black 3 is one big undercover fart just waiting for the sheets to be lifted on May 25th. The film just pushed back it's planned restart date a month in order to polish up the script, but there were problems plaguing the production long before that.  However the film ultimately ends up, at least there's going to be a little more eye candy to keep me from running screaming from the theater, as Deadline confirms Alice Eve(She's Out of My League) will be joining once the shoot ramps back up.

She'll be playing Olivia, the future leader of the Agency portrayed by Emma Thompson. The story will detail her hire in 1969, giving the impression it was due to her looks. The heavy time-travel storyline involves Agent J(Will Smith) going back in time to work with a young Agent K(Josh Brolin) to help save the world.

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Tops at the Box Office

1. The Expendables- $16.5M/$64.9M
The competition got slayed again by Sylvester Stallone's muscle bound rat pack, dropping 53% but easily besting the slew of new releases this week. In fact, The Expendables is already $20M ahead of 2008's Rambo.
2. Vampires Suck- $12.2M/$18.6M
Can someone tell me how this poor man's "Movie" spoof beat out both Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston? By comparison, it's about $3M ahead of 2008's Superhero Movie, and almost double that of Disaster Movie which had the benefit of a four-day weekend.
3. Eat Pray Love- $12M/$47.1M
On last weeks' show I compared Eat Pray Love to last year's Julia and Julia, in that they'll both start of slow then maintain a steady audience on the way to a large box office total. I still think that will be the case, but the Julia Roberts starrer will need to bounce back from a 48% dip.
4. Lottery Ticket- $11.1M
Debuting at only about 2,000 theaters, the Bow Wow/Ice Cube urban comedy got off to an average start. Consider the film it's clearly emulating, 1995's Friday, which opened at only 865 theaters and a $6.5M debut.
5. The Other Guys- $10.1M/$88.2M
6. Piranha 3D- $10M
Again, the buzz doesn't match the end result. Just like Snakes on a Plane failed to match industry predictions, so has its aquatic counterpart, mustering up a measley $10M. That's roughly $6M less than Snakes did back in 2006, and this one has the added benefit of 3-D pricing.
7. Nanny McPhee Returns- $8.31M
Maybe they should've stuck with the original title, Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang? Not that I think it would've mattered, as the sequel to the 2005 Emma Thompson hit failed to latch on with viewers this time. The original McPhee went on to gross over $122M.
8. The Switch- $8.1M
Blame the piss poor marketing, which made the Jennifer Aniston/Jason Batman comedy look like a cheap knock off of The Back-Up Plan. Nobody wants to relive that experience, as evidence by the terrible opening weekend. A shame, because it's quite a good flick.
9. Inception- $7.66M/$262M
10. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- $5.03M/$20.7M
Forget the Sex Bob-Ombs, Scott Pilgrim is the biggest bomb of the summer. Period.

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