Jean Dujardin Faces the Mafia in 'The Connection' Trailer

William Friedkin's The French Connection is a straight-up classic when it comes to depicting the war between the cops and the drug syndicates, and George Hackman's "Popeye" Doyle? Dude was pretty awesome, hence the Academy Award for Best Actor that year. Crime dramas rarely get that kind of recognition anymore, but Cedric Jimenez is hoping to change that with his new film, La French aka The Connection, starring another Best Actor winner, Jean Dujardin of The Artist.

Ahead of its world premiere at TIFF a French-language trailer for The Connection has been released, and you don't really need English subtitles to tell what's going on or to see that Dujardin is on-point. Fortunately, there are subtitles, anyway. Here's the synopsis:  

Newly transferred to the bustling port city of Marseille to assist with a crackdown on organized crime, energetic young magistrate Pierre Michel (Dujardin) is given a rapid-fire tutorial on the ins and outs of an out-of-control drug trade. Pierre's wildly ambitious mission is to take on the French Connection, a highly organized operation that controls the city's underground heroin economy and is overseen by the notorious —and reputedly untouchable— Gaetan Zampa (Gilles Lellouche of Mesrine: Killer Instinct). Fearless, determined and willing to go the distance, Pierre plunges into an underworld world of insane danger and ruthless criminals.

Drafthouse Films have the U.S. rights but have yet to reveal a release date. The Connection opens in France this December so maybe we'll see it around that time. 

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Jean Dujardin is a Ladies Man in Trailer for 'The Players'

French actor Jean Dujardin has had it pretty good here in America ever since winning Best Actor for The Artist. He's had a chance to star alongside George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio in Monuments Men and The Wolf of Wall Street, while still finding time to head back to France for the occasional film. One of those native efforts was The Players, which released a couple of years ago and is only just making its way to our shores. And now that the trailer has arrived it's obvious why it took so long.

The Weinstein Company is dumping The Players on our heads next week with little to no fanfare, and it's probably because it looks terrible. Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche (Mesrine) star in and direct a couple of chapters in this comedic anthology centered on the theme of infidelity. They play friends and married men who cheat on their wives with reckless abandon. I like a movie about bad people doing bad things as much as anybody, but what I don't want is an entire film about these guys painfully rationalizing their behavior by comparing themselves to animals. No thanks.

The Players hits theaters on April 4th, when it will likely get beaten down by Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

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Review: George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men' Starring Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, and Bill Murray

George Clooney's The Monuments Men is about as fun as sitting through a two-hour art history lecture. If that sounds enjoyable to you, then this is a film worth dropping some coin on, but everyone else will probably walk away feeling it's somewhat unexceptional. Clooney, who has always had a fondness for history, whether it's in the entertainment, sports, or political realm, shows his deep passion for priceless works of art and utmost respect for the real life WWII unit tasked with protecting them. But despite an incredible story and an Ocean's Eleven-inspired cast, The Monuments Men is cold and lifeless as a statue.

The problems don't lie with the story, which is adventurous and somewhat unbelievable in the way the best true stories are. It follows the Monuments Men, a unit of art curators and historians tasked by President Franklin Roosevelt to retrieve and protect some of the finest works of art stolen by that art-lovin' fiend, Adolf Hitler. Clooney gets the flattest role of all as Frank Stokes, the leader of the group who, after convincing the President to greenlight his little squad, is pretty much left to his own devices. So he assembles his unit full art geeks, sculptors, and curators, but certainly no combatants which could be a problem out on the battlefield. Bill Murray, John Goodman, Matt Damon, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Jean Dujardin make up this squad of misfits, which is put together so hastily that we learn practically nothing of who they are out of uniform.

It's a problem that stretches on as the story takes its odd shape. Almost as soon as the old guys clear basic training, they are immediately separated and sent to different corners of Europe, killing any momentum and the chance to build a believable camaraderie. These missions prove to be extremely random and uninvolved for the most part, and isn't helped by an unsure tone stuck between harsh reality and Clooney's natural flip sense of humor.  A look back at the film's somewhat troubled production shows that Clooney has always been concerned about hitting the right tonal balance, and apparently it's something he never quite mastered. The brutality of war too often bangs up against moments clearly meant to be played for laughs, so that when characters pay the ultimate price (it happens on a couple of occasions), it's tough to take seriously despite Alexandre Desplat's tear-jerking score telling us to.

Some of this could be overlooked if there seemed to be any rhyme or reason to the Monument Men's investigations, but there doesn't seem to be. They luck into most of their biggest finds and do very little in the way of research, which is an issue if these are supposed to be the best art minds we can muster for the task. Most of the men don't have any clear goal or sense of direction, and Stokes basically plays centerfield vaguely watching over them all without any direct action. The only one who gets something to work with is Damon as James Granger. Sent to the newly-freed Paris, he meets up with suspicious French rebel Claire Simone, who has been undercover with the Nazis and knows where all the art has been taken. There's a hint of sexual tension as Granger tries to convince her to reveal what she knows, and it's about as close as we get to genuine emotional bonding.  She's pretty much the only female in the movie and one can't help but wish she and Damon had a bit more time together to take things further.

Clooney means well, and through soaring speeches he makes the case for the importance of culture, and how it should never be allowed to vanish in the face of war. As a central theme it's one of real value, now more than ever, but it's easy to overlook because the film is such a thudding bore. In his biggest film to date, Clooney presents an authentic version of the period, and really seems to hit on the loneliness of a soldier out on the frontline. His respect for the material and the real people involved sometimes comes off as overly earnest, but let's be honest in that all of Clooney's work has that tendency. It's to Clooney's credit that his passion runs so deep for this little-known piece of our history, but The Monuments Men is no work of art and perhaps would be better off as a documentary or TV series where it can be done proper justice.

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"Big Game" TV Spot and Clip for George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men'

Are you ready for some football....and more attempts to sell you worthless stuff than should be legally allowed? Whether the Super Bowl is any good or not, we can all be honest here and admit that a lot of people watch it for the commercials, and for movie geeks like us it's about the tons of TV spots for some of the year's biggest films. While most will be keeping an eye out for what should be a massive spot for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, George Clooney wants you to remember that The Monuments Men is right around the corner on February 7th.

The Super Bowl spot for the historical heist drama has been released early, and basically it's about showing off the great cast Clooney has put together. He's surrounded himself with Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville in the story of a special WWII unit of art curators put together to recover priceless art from the Nazi thieves. Crazy, but it's true, and you can check out the ad plus a new clip below.


The Monuments Men (2014) - XLVIII Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City.fr


Monuments Men - Extrait "John Wayne" [VO|HD] by Team Lyricis

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New Trailer and Posters for George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men'

As many of the legit Oscar contenders are beginning to be shown off in a bid for some gold, one notable film won't be part of the action. George Clooney's The Monuments Men was bumped a couple of months into 2014, and it may not have mattered because the WWII heist film seemed like a crowd pleaser rather than a prestige effort. And further backing up that idea is a new trailer that plays up the Ocean's Eleven aspects more than anything else.

Clooney pulls double-duty in front of and behind the camera, joined by co-stars Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Cate Blanchett, and Hugh Bonneville. Based on a true story chronicled in Robert M. Edsel's book, the Clooney plays the head of a special military unit charged with recovering stolen art pieces from the Nazis. Cool concept and based in history fact? Should be another winner for Clooney, and with a February 7th release date it'll definitely be the biggest movie of the month. Check out the trailer and a handful of new characters posters below....

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Leonardo DiCaprio Goes Nuts In the First Trailer for 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

For a film that boasts the talents of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Martin Scorsese, along with a script by The Sopranos' Terence Winter, The Wolf of Wall Street has remained mostly under the radar. Perhaps it's due to audiences growing tired of movies about the economic collapse and the white collar criminals who led us there, and regardless of the cast this film sounded like something we've seen before. But now that the first trailer has arrived, it's obvious from the very first frame that this is nothing like anyone could have predicted.

With an energetic, comedic rhythm we haven't seen from Scorsese in years, the film is about as far away from his past collaborations with DiCaprio as possible. For that matter, DiCaprio seems to be having more fun than ever, and we see him grooving to the sound of Kanye West's "Black Skinhead", tossing dwarfs, eating goldfish, and acting like an out-of-control Jay Gatsby. The story is based on the life of Jordan Belfort, a high-powered stock broker whose hard partying, drug use, and fraud led to his going to jail in 1998. His story partially inspired the underrated film Boiler Room, and this trailer looks like that by way of Michael Bay's Pain & Gain. McConaughey looks like a definite scene stealer here, Hill may be channeling his Moneyball persona a little bit, and Margot Robbie is a bigger presence than expected as DiCaprio's sexy gal pal.

Through all the insanity we do get flashes of violence and the arrival of the Feds, giving us a brief look at Belfort's ultimate demise. There's so much going on here that it's easy to miss the presence of Jon Bernthal, Kyle Chandler, and Ethan Suplee, while the rest of the extraordinary cast consists of Jean Dujardin, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Spike Jonze, and Cristin Milioti. The Wolf of Wall Street opens on November 15th.


Wolf of Wall Street by Teaser-Trailer.com

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Daniel Craig and John Goodman join George Clooney's 'The Monuments Men'

George Clooney's been steadily putting together the pieces for his next directorial effort, the WWII-era heist thriller, The Monuments Men. As you'd expect for a guy of his statute, the cast that he's been eying has been stellar, with Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin, and Paul Giamatti rumored, with Bill Murray recently signing on. But if you thought Clooney had called in all the chips he had with that crew, then think again because more high-profile names have just come aboard.

Deadline reports that James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, has signed on for the film, joined by John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville(Downtown Abbey), and Bob Balaban(Moonrise Kingdom). Craig is coming off the incredible reviews and box office for Skyfall, while Goodman is revelling in the success of Ben Affleck's Argo and has Flight with Denzel Washington opening this week. The site also confirms Blanchett, Murray, and Dujardin, while Giamatti is nowhere to be found. The assumption has been that Murray may be slipping into whatever role Giamatti was set for.

Sort of like a period piece Ocean's Eleven, the story is set at the tail end of WWII and has a team of art enthusiasts hired by the government to retrieve priceless works from the Nazis. Clooney is set to play U.S. Army Office George Stout, while Blanchett has been pegged as a member of the French resistance. The rest of the roles are unclear at this point, but does it really matter? With filming set to kick off in March, there's every possibility we'll be talking about The Monuments Men as a player in the Oscar race next year.  And if not, it'll be one hell of a fun ride.

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George Clooney wants Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett, and Paul Giamatti for 'The Monuments Men'

George Clooney can pretty much get whoever he wants to star in his movies, especially when he's behind the camera. Coming off the success of last year's The Ides of March, Clooney is setting up his next directorial effort, an adaptation of Robert M. Edsel's WWII heist novel The Monuments Men, and as expected he's targeting a high-profile group of stars.

Cate Blanchett, Paul Giamatti, and Jean Dujardin are the names reportedly on Clooney's list to star in the film, which he'll also write and star in. Clooney will play U.S. Army officer George Stout, who helped lead a group of art enthusiasts hired by the government to retrieve pieces stolen by the Nazis. Giamatti would play Lincoln Kirstein, who helped found the New York City Ballet. Blanchett would play a French art historian and resistance fighter, while Dujardin's role is unclear but considered to be a supporting one.

We first learned about the film early this year, and now it seems to be moving forward albeit slowly. Expect more casting news to drop soon for what is turning out to be a project definitely worth keeping a close watch on. [TheWrap]

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Jean Dujardin joins Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

If there was a Hollywood feel good story coming out of 2011, it was definitely the overwhelming success of silent-era tribute, The Artist. The unexpected hit was the darling of the Academy Awards, and everybody involved with it became instant stars. That included French actor, Jean Dujardin, who shined as the down 'n out silent movie star, showing a wide comic range and emotive physical style. Surprisingly, offers to lead American films have been few and far between, and the possibility existed that Dujardin would be a "blink and they're gone" blip on the radar on our shores.

Well, scratch that, because he's just come aboard Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street, the long gestating thriller based on a script by Terrence Winter(Boardwalk Empire). Dujardin will get to hang out with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Kyle Chandler in the wall street flick based on Jordan Belfort's memoir about his drug fueled days at the most corrupt brokerage firm in the country, Stratton Oakmont. How corrupt was it? It was the basis for the Vin Diesel/Giovanni Ribisi flick, Boiler Room. That's how corrupt it was. Dujardin will play a suave, Swiss banker who is laundering money for Stratton Oakmont.

This one's been developing for awhile, but the pieces are finally coming into place. Filming on The Wolf of Wall street begins this summer. Hopefully before that we'll start hearing more about Dujardin's upcoming remake of One Wild Moment, opposite Vincent Cassel. [Variety]

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Vincent Cassel and Jean Dujardin to pair for 'One Wild Moment' remake

The Artist continued to steamroll it's way to the Academy Awards last night, leading the pack with three wins at last night's Golden Globes, including a win for Best Picture Comedy/Musical, and Best Actor Comedy/Musical for star Jean Dujardin. At this point, it has to be considered the frontrunner to take the Best Picture Oscar, while Dujardin might have a fight on his hands with George Clooney.

The film's producer, Thomas Langmann, spoke about what he had coming up next, and not only is he keeping Dujardin around, but he's  bringing France's biggest star in Vincent Cassel(Black Swan) as well. He's planning a remake of France's 1977 hit rom-com, One Wild Moment(Un moment d'égarement). Cassell and Dujardin will play best friends, both in troubled marriages, who take their teenage daughters on a vacation. All seems well until one of the men engages in a sexual relationship with his best friend's daughter. The film was remade here in America as Blame it on Rio, which starred Michael Caine, Joseph Bologna, and a young Demi Moore.


No word on when this one might get underway, but with Langmann's muscle behind it, plus the two biggest male stars France has to offer, expect this one to have a lot of heat behind it. I'm curious to see who they get to play the teenage daughters now.  Check out the below clip from Blame It On Rio as a refresher...[THR]

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