'Boyhood' Named Film of the Year by London Film Critics Circle

Whether here or abroad, Richard Linklater's Boyhood appears to be building an incredible, possibly unstoppable, amount of momentum heading into the Academy Awards. Coming off Best Picture wins at the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice, Boyhood has now been named Film of the Year by the London Film Critics Circle. That goes along with a Director of the Year win for Linklater, and Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette. In general everything went according to the established playbook. Michael Keaton still took the top acting prize for his Birdman performance, while Julianne Moore won Best Actress for Still Alice. JK Simmons racked up another Best Supporting Actor victory for throwing drumsticks around in Whiplash, and Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel won for its screenplay.

Looking at the British side it was Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin which won for Best British Film, while Rosamund Pike saw some love for her performance in Gone Girl. Full list of winners is below:

35th LONDON CRITICS' CIRCLE FILM AWARDS WINNERS
FILM OF THE YEAR
Boyhood

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Leviathan

BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR
Under the Skin

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
Citizenfour

ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Michael Keaton - Birdman

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Julianne Moore - Still Alice

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
JK Simmons - Whiplash

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Patricia Arquette - Boyhood

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Timothy Spall - Mr Turner

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl (Fox) & What We Did on Our Holiday

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
Alex Lawther - The Imitation Game

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Richard Linklater - Boyhood

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel

BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILMMAKER
Yann Demange - '71

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Under the Skin - Mica Levi, score

DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILM
Miranda Richardson

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Review: 'Still Alice' starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, and Alec Baldwin

No other disease breaks a person down quite like Alzheimer’s. It doesn't destroy the body, but devastates the mind. It causes a person to no longer be themselves. Everything they did; gone. Everything they hope to achieve; gone. Movies about disease tend to focus on the deterioration of the physical form and the impact that has on a person's loved ones, and we've seen those movies done to death and generally following the same emotional beats. So a film like Still Alice, which stars Julianne Moore as a woman afflicted with Alzheimer's, should feel different because the toll the disease takes is different, and yet it's only notable because the lead performance is so good.

Not that it should come as a shock to learn Moore is the best thing about Still Alice; she tends to be the best thing about most of the films she stars in. Other than a competent turn by co-star Kristen Stewart, Moore is really the only thing of note. Certainly co-writers/directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland are more enamored with how she depicts her regressing condition than the impact it has on the people around her. Adapted from Lisa Genova's novel, the film centers on the titular woman, who happens to be a brilliant, highly-intellectual linguistics professor. This is a convenient switch from the novel (in which she's a psychologist), one that will allow her reduced faculties to be especially heartbreaking as she struggles to remember simple words. But that comes later; at first Alice seems to have everything a person could want. Her husband John (Alec Baldwin) is an equally brilliant scientist, while their children are just as set for future greatness. Their son Tom (Hunter Parrish) is a medical student; eldest daughter Anna (Kate Bosworth) is a married lawyer; and Lydia (Stewart) is building an acting career. At first, Alice notices only small things slipping her mind. She forgets her keys, has trouble playing Words with Friends, but when she starts getting lost in the city streets she knows something is wrong. Then there's the diagnosis: early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Designed as a cinematic version of a doctor's office info pamphlet, Still Alice is mostly concerned with informing on the disease rather than telling an effective story. Clunky scenes between Alice, John, and her doctor are information dumps and only move the narrative along in a functional manner, rather than an emotional one. While the screenplay is always honest and well-intentioned, it doesn't stretch too far beyond that. Alice's condition completely rearranges the deck chairs for her family in every way imaginable, but all of the problems it causes are swept away in a scene or two. The disease is hereditary and threatens her children, as well, but we barely see the situation dealt with or hear their concerns. John, who values his career and has just got a prominent new job at the Mayo Clinic, proposes to uproot Alice and move out to Minnesota, a situation rife with dramatic conflict that never materializes. This may be a reflection of Genova's novel that we only see things from Alice's perspective, but the more interesting story is larger than the one we get.  How the family copes with seeing such a vibrant personality snuffed out by degrees is sadly missing.

The filmmakers clearly have empathy for victims of Alzheimer's, but unfortunately Still Alice is so busy being compassionate that it forgets to be anything else.

 Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Watch 2014's Top Actors Smooch in '9 Kisses' Video Series

People I'm jealous of this morning: Every guy in these videos not named David Oyelowo or Timothy Spall. You want to know why sometimes you read stories about people fighting really hard for certain movie roles? It's because of stuff like this, New York Times' video series '9 Kisses', in which some of 2014's best actors and actresses kiss one another in different scenarios. My favorite? Chadwick Boseman and Kristen Stewart, partly because I've had that EXACT SAME DREAM where Stewart is my #1 fan. Jenny Slate and Rosario Dawson in some hot girl-on-girl action? Yes please. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Miles Teller's video is pretty sweet, too. Shailene Woodley and Jack O'Connell's kiss is cool because it maintains some of the tougher edge of the roles they've been playing all year.

These are all kind of awesome to me. Watch and enjoy.

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'Birdman' Tops the 2015 Golden Globes with Seven Nominations

Not to disparage our own WAFCA Awards or any other critic group awards, but now the big boys are coming out to play. This morning the Hollywood Foreign Press Association revealed their nominees for the 2015 Golden Globes, and while there were a few surprises to be found it was Birdman and Boyhood maintaining their strong momentum.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's meta Hollywood satire led all with seven nominations, including Best Director, Best Picture- Comedy or Musical, Best Actor-Comedy or Musical for star Michael Keaton, and Best Supporting Actress for Emma Stone. Boyhood was tied with The Imitation Game with five nominations, while David Fincher's Gone Girl came away with four. Also with four was Ava DuVernay's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic, Selma, which only yesterday was completely snubbed by the Screen Actors Guild. DuVernay becomes the first African-American woman ever nominated for a Golden Globe in the category.

Jennifer Aniston earned a Best Actress nod for her performance in Cake, although much of the attention seems focused on how unglamorous the role is. The British gay rights comedy Pride surprisingly was nominated for Best Picture (Comedy or Musical), while Julianne Moore earned Best Actress nominations for both comedy and drama for Maps to the Stars and Still Alice. Full list of nominees is below.

The Golden Globes will be hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on January 11th.

Best Motion Picture – Drama
“Boyhood”
“Foxcatcher”
“The Imitation Game”
“Selma”
“The Theory of Everything”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

Jennifer Aniston, “Cake”
Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
David Oyelowo, “Selma”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Best Picture — Comedy or Musical


“Birdman”
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”
“Into the Woods”
“Pride”
“St. Vincent”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical
Amy Adams, “Big Eyes”
Emily Blunt, “Into the Woods”
Helen Mirren, “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
Julianne Moore, “Maps to the Stars”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Annie”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical

Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
Bill Murray, “St. Vincent”
Joaquin Phoenix, “Inherent Vice”
Christoph Waltz, “Big Eyes”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
Keria Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone, “Birdman”
Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”

Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Best Director — Motion Picture

Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Best Animated Feature Film
“Big Hero 6″
“The Book of Life”
“The Boxtrolls”
“How to Train Your Dragon 2″
“The LEGO Movie”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Force Majeure”
“Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem”
“Ida”
“Leviathan”
“Tangerines”
Best Original Score from a Motion Picture
“The Imitation Game,” by Alexandre Desplat
“The Theory of Everything,” by Jóhann Jóhannsson
“Gone Girl,” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
“Birdman,” by Antonio Sanchez
“Interstellar,” by Hans Zimmer
Best Original Song — Motion Picture
“Big Eyes,” from “Big Eyes,” by Lana Del Ray
“Glory,” from “Selma,” by John Legend and Common
“Mercy Is,” from “Noah,” by Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye
“Opportunity,” from “Annie”
“Yellow Flicker Beat,” from “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1,” by Lorde
Best Television Series – Drama
“
The Affair,” Showtime
“Downton Abbey,” PBS
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“The Good Wife,” CBS
“House of Cards,” Netflix
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Clive Owen, “The Knick”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
James Spader, “The Blacklist”
Dominic West, “The Affair”
Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy
“Girls,” HBO
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Orange is the New Black,” Netflix
“Silicon Valley,” HBO”
“Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Julia Louis Dreyfus, “Veep”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”
Taylor Schilling, “Orange is the New Black”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
“Fargo,” FX
“The Missing,” Starz
“The Normal Heart,” HBO
“Olive Kitteridge,” HBO
“True Detective,” HBO
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honorable Woman”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Francis McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge”
Frances O’Connor, “The Missing”
Allison Tolman, “Fargo”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Martin Freeman, “Fargo”
Woody Harrelson, “True Detective”
Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Normal Heart”
Billy Bob Thornton, “Fargo”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Michelle Monaghan, “True Detective”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Matt Bomer, “The Normal Heart”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Colin Hanks, “Fargo”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge”
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”

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See Julianne Moore's Award-Winning Performance in New 'Still Alice' Trailer

Today has been a pretty good day for Julianne Moore. Not only did she wake up to learn Washington DC film critics had awarded her Best Actress for her performance in Still Alice, adding to her list of accolades for the role. But right on cue a new trailer for the film has arrived to show exactly why Moore is likely to hear her name called at the Academy Awards.

Also starring Kristen Stewart, Alec Baldwin, and Kate Bosworth, the film has Moore as an academic who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. The effects of the disease are devastating as the perfect life she had built begins to slip away and threatens her children, as well. It's a perfectly fine movie and Moore is fantastic as always, but she didn't get much help from co-directors Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, who also helmed the lackluster Errol Flynn biopic The Last of Robin Hood. As noted in my review, it is "so busy being compassionate that it forgets to be anything else."

Still Alice is in theaters and will expand on January 16th. 

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'Birdman' Soars to Five 2014 WAFCA Award Wins; 'Boyhood' Earns Best Film

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, of which most of us are members, has announced the winners of the 2014 WAFCA Awards, and it continues the string of success for Richard Linklater's coming-of-age drama, Boyhood. The indie film took home four awards, including wins in the Best Film and Best Director category. Best Supporting Actress went to Patricia Arquette while the Best Youth Performance (for actors under age 20) went to star Ellar Coltrane.

Taking the most victories with five was Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's meta-comedy, Birdman, with Michael Keaton winning Best Actor. Best Animated Feature went to The Lego Movie, while Julianne Moore won for portraying a woman with Alzheimer's Disease in Still Alice. Keeping up with the beat was JK Simmons who won Best Supporting Actor for his role as a sadistic drum instructor in Whiplash, while in a surprise victory Under the Skin won for Best Original Score.

The full list of winners is below:

THE 2014 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:

Best Film:
Boyhood

Best Director:
Richard Linklater (Boyhood)

Best Actor:
Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Actress:
Julianne Moore (Still Alice)

Best Supporting Actor:
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash)

Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)

Best Acting Ensemble:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Best Youth Performance:
Ellar Coltrane (Boyhood)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)

Best Original Screenplay:
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., Armando Bo (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Animated Feature:
The LEGO Movie

Best Documentary:
Life Itself

Best Foreign Language Film:
Force Majeure

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen, Set Decorator: Anna Pinnock (The Grand Budapest Hotel)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, AMC (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Editing:
Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione, ACE (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance))

Best Original Score:
Mica Levi (Under the Skin)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier

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'Birdman' Takes Top Honors at the 2014 Gotham Awards

The New York Film Critics Circle weren't the only group to unveil their awards winners yesterday, as the Gotham Awards got into the conversation with their own announcements. And while NYFCC gave the early nod to Richard Linklater's Boyhood, causing some to claim it as the frontrunner in the Oscar race, Gotham switched things up by awarding Best Feature to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Birdman.

Birdman also earned Michael Keaton a victory for Michael Keaton in the Best Actor category, while Julianne Moore took home Best Actress for the weepie drama, Still Alice. The Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour won Best Documentary, while Tessa Thompson won Breakthrough Actor for her tremendously funny performance in Dear White People. Full list of winners below.

Best Feature
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) — WINNER
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, director; Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan, James W. Skotchdopole, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Boyhood
Richard Linklater, director; Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland, Jonathan Sehring, John Sloss, producers (IFC Films)

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson, director; Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson, producers (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Love Is Strange
Ira Sachs, director; Lucas Joaquin, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Ira Sachs, Jayne Baron Sherman, producers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Under the Skin
Jonathan Glazer, director; Nick Wechsler, James Wilson, producers (A24 Films)

Best Actress
Julianne Moore in Still Alice (Sony Pictures Classics) — WINNER
Patricia Arquette in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin (A24 Films)
Mia Wasikowska in Tracks (The Weinstein Company)

Best Actor*
Michael Keaton in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (Fox Searchlight Pictures) — WINNER
Bill Hader in The Skeleton Twins (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)
Ethan Hawke in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Oscar Isaac in A Most Violent Year (A24 Films)
Miles Teller in Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics)
*The 2014 Best Actor nominating panel also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award jointly to Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo and Channing Tatum for their ensemble performance in Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics).

Best Documentary
CITIZENFOUR — WINNER
Laura Poitras, director; Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk Wilutzky, producers (RADiUS, Participant Media, and HBO Documentary Films)
Actress
Robert Greene, director; Douglas Tirola, Susan Bedusa, Robert Greene, producers (The Cinema Guild
Life Itself
Steve James, director; Zak Piper, Steve James, Garrett Basch, producers (Magnolia Pictures and CNN Films)
Manakamana
Stephanie Spray & Pacho Velez, directors; Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Véréna Paravel, producers (The Cinema Guild)
Point and Shoot
Marshall Curry, director; Marshall Curry, Elizabeth Martin, Matthew Van Dyke, producers (The Orchard and American Documentary / POV)

Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" Grant
For the fourth consecutive year, IFP is proud present the euphoria Calvin Klein Spotlight on Women Filmmakers "Live the Dream" grant, a $25,000 cash award for an alumna of IFP’s Independent Filmmaker Labs. This grant aims to further the careers of emerging women directors by supporting the completion, distribution and audience engagement strategies of their first feature film.
Chloé Zhao, director, Songs My Brothers Taught Me — WINNER
Garrett Bradley, director, Below Dreams 
Claire Carré, director, Embers

Independent Film Audience Award
Boyhood — WINNER

Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award
Ana Lily Amirpour for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Kino Lorber) — WINNER
James Ward Byrkit for Coherence (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Dan Gilroy for Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Eliza Hittman for It Felt Like Love (Variance Films)
Justin Simien for Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions)

Breakthrough Actor
Tessa Thompson in Dear White People (Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions) — WINNER
Riz Ahmed in Nightcrawler (Open Road Films)
Macon Blair in Blue Ruin (RADiUS)
Ellar Coltrane in Boyhood (IFC Films)
Joey King in Wish I Was Here (Focus Features)
Jenny Slate in Obvious Child (A24 Films)

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Review: 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1' starring Jennifer Lawrence

Politics has always been at the heart of The Hunger Games, keyed to greater effect in Suzanne Collins' novels than in the pair of film adaptation we've seen up to this point. That's to be expected; the focus has largely been on the tournament of violence the volatile heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her maybe-love Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) find themselves thrust into by the despotic President Snow (Donald Sutherland).  But among all of the battles and love triangles, make no mistake that politics, specifically how governments collude with the media to keep the populace naive, was a big part of why this franchise resonates as much as it does. Have you watched the cable news lately? Don't bother.

That Mockingjay maintains such a high level while evolving from a futuristic war film into a straight-up political thriller is an incredible achievement, even if it comes at the expense of the action some have come to expect. The "games" are different this time for Katniss, who has just been rescued by the rebellion after she literally blew up the Quarter Quell. Now she must face a twisted game of cat and mouse with President Snow, one in which he is more than happy to use a sickly, brainwashed Peeta as propaganda against her. But the rebels holed up in District 13's underground bunker are just as savvy, and with the encouragement of President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in his final role), Katniss reluctantly agrees to become the "mockingjay" and lead the people of Panem in a battle against the Capitol.

Ironically, this is a movie about the power of the visual image to influence great societal change. Katniss isn't the most natural leader, so the early attempts to mold her into one are dismal failures. It's her now-sober mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) who suggests taking her out into the field where a film crew led by Cressida (Natalie Dormer) can document her every move, turning her escapades into political ads to rally the other Districts. Her return home to District 12, destroyed by a bombing raid that killed practically everyone, is especially gruesome and heart-wrenching, the crunch of broken bones beneath Katniss' feet with every step. The 'hunger games' themselves are terrible, but it's nothing compared to the true evil inflicted by Snow while he grins behind that white beard and curling sneer. There couldn't have been a more perfect choice than Lawrence to play the strong, defiant Katniss, but let's not overlook the amazing Donald Sutherland. He deserves to be mentioned right alongside Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort, Heath Ledger's Joker, and whoever that guy was who played Darth Vader.

With Peeta firmly in the Capitol's clutches, the love triangle takes a bit of a hiatus. It's still there when we see Katniss' lovelorn pal Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) comforting her as she pines for the deteriorating Peeta.  The lack of romantic sparks actually works to Gale's benefit as he finally starts to take shape as a real character, one with opinions that don't necessarily conform to what Katniss expects. Others get their moments to shine, including Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) who is also anguishing over a lost lover; the eccentric inventor BeeTee (Jeffrey Wright) who has settled into his role as the rebels' tech guy; and Effie Trinkett (Elizabeth Banks) who has found a way to turn the ugly rebel grey/black uniforms into something close to chic. Incoming screenwriter Danny Strong, who knows a thing or two about political movies having penned Recount and Game Change for HBO, subtly tweaks each character to reflect the war-torn world they find themselves in now.

Those expecting Mockingjay part 1 to be just like Catching Fire may be disappointed, though. The thrills are of a different sort, and there isn't the "who's going to die next?" mystery hanging over every scene. Katniss remains at the center but this is about how she copes with having leadership thrust upon her, not how many Tributes she can fire an arrow into. It's another outstanding, complex performance by Lawrence who shows Katniss' vulnerability early on before igniting the rebel cause as the "girl on fire" later on. It doesn't seem to matter what role she's in, we can't help but feel a connection to her.

Francis Lawrence returns as director after helming 'Catching Fire', and it can't be overstated how the franchise has improved since the departure of Gary Ross. Not that Ross was terrible; he set the groundwork and Lawrence has taken it to a whole new level. By necessity there is less visual dazzle than before, but he still manages to flesh out the technologically advanced world of Panem in a way that is relatable.

There's more Mockingjay to come, of course, and the sequel promises to be all-out war. The first chapter ends on one heck of a nasty cliffhanger that does exactly what it's supposed to which is leave us anxious to see what's next.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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New Clip from 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' featuring CGI-Less Philip Seymour Hoffman

After the sudden, tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman earlier this year there was some question surrounding his last major role, which was in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay two-part finale. We knew he hadn't quite wrapped up his part as Plutarch Heavensbee, and there had been some inklings that CGI could be used to fill in the gaps, a process which has a sketchy track record. Well, Francis Lawrence has now come out and said he decided that wasn't such a good idea. He tells HuffPo...

"He had two scenes with dialogue that were left and we decided we didn't want to try any digital trickery with him, so we rewrote his scenes and gave the dialogue to other actors. So there was one scene from Part 1 and one scene from Part 2."

Probably the wisest course of action. Meanwhile, a new clip has emerged that just happens to include Hoffman along with co-stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Jennifer Lawrence. In this scene, we see Haymitch and the rebel brain trust discussing how to make Katniss more likeable to the public. Surprisingly, the strongest voice in her defense is Effie Trinkett, who has been genuinely moved by Katniss' self-sacrificing ways.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens Nov. 21st. 

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New Trailer for 'Seventh Son' starring Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Kit Harington, and More

In a few days Julianne Moore will make her first foray into the YA field with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Oh wait, that's not exactly true. Nearly three years ago she filmed a role in Seventh Son alongside an impressive cast of Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington, and Alicia Vikander. So where has the film been all this time? Stuck in release date Hell, that's where, but the oft-delayed project is finally headed to theaters next winter, and a new trailer for it has been released.

Based on the first book in Joseph Delaney's The Wardstone Chronicles series, Seventh Son follows a young farmhand (Barnes) who is taken in by Master Gregory (Bridges) and trained in the dark arts in order to stop the evil witch Mother Malkin (Moore).  The most recent trailers have been superior to some of the earlier ones but this still looks like a film that will have  hard time finding a niche in a crowded genre.

Directed by Sergei Bodrov, Seventh Son opens February 6th 2015.

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Katniss Prepares for War in Final Trailer for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'

"If we burn, you burn with us", Katniss roars at President Snow in the new, jam-packed 60 second trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. Following on the events of Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen is now the face of a revolution, leading the people of District 13 against the Capitol. Meanwhile she must also rescue Peeta, who has been captured and brainwashed, while also protecting her family from Snow's inevitable retaliation.

Supposedly the "final" trailer before the film's arrival on November 21st, it promises massive scope and a ton of action, with Jennifer Lawrence looking as strong as ever as Katniss. With a cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright and more, let's hope they remember to keep a focus on the characters and not just on big special effects. They've done a pretty good job of it so far, and with the finale split into two chapters there should be even more time to get it right.

Mockingjay Part 1 will be followed by Part 2 on November 20th 2015.


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Final Trailer – “Burn” by Trailersstv

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Return to District 12 in the New 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Teaser

By all accounts this has been a bounce back year for the YA genre after a disappointing 2013. Divergent and The Maze Runner got new franchises off on the right footing, and next month brings the first chapter in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, which has just revealed a new teaser.

Titled "Return to District 12", the footage shows Katniss...well, returning to her home in District 12 which is now smoking rubble due to the Capitol's attack. But Katniss is the "girl on fire", the face of the rebel army and she'll go back in to battle to defeat President Snow, rescue her brainwashed lover Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), and save Panem once and for all. She just won't do it in the first film, which is why the series' finale has been split into two parts.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st.


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 - Teaser Trailer #4 [FULL HD] - Subtitulado por Cinescondite by cinesconditeoficial

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The Mockingjay Lives in New Trailer for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'

"It's the things we love most that destroy us." Those ominous, prophetic words by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) couldn't apply more to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the stalwart heroine of The Hunger Games franchise. She entered the brutal games in an effort to save her beloved sister, and was forced to enter them a second time to save her entire family and those of her friends. Now in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, Katniss will risk everything to save her homeland of Panem from the Capitol's oppressive rule.

The new trailer for first chapter in the two-part Mockingjay finale has been released and it shows what a vastly different movie this is compared to the others. For one, Katniss is no longer just a competitor in the Games; she is now the Mockingjay, leader of a rebellion whether she wants to be or not. But like any war, it can't be won merely with firepower, and we see President Snow using the brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as his main propaganda weapon against the rebels.

Julianne Moore joins the cast as President Alma Coin, and according to EW her role has been beefed up compared to the Suzanne Collins novels. Philip Seymour Hoffman returns for what is the late actor's final performance, along with the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, and Stanley Tucci.  Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st.


Jogos Vorazes: A Esperança - Parte 1 - Trailer by Filmow

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New Trailer for David Cronenberg's 'Maps to the Stars' Goes a Little Crazy

Julianne Moore won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance in David Cronenberg's Hollywood drama Maps to the Stars, and the film has received strong reviews elsewhere, as well. So does that mean we'll be seeing it in time for the Oscars? Uh, no. The distributor eOne gave the U.S. rights over to Focus World who are considering a digital-only release some time in 2015, putting it effectively out of the awards race. Oh well. The film still looks like a terrific slicing up of celebrity culture, with Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon, and Olivia Williams joining Moore in giving top notch performances. And considering what Cusack has been doing lately that's a pretty big deal.  Here's the synopsis followed by a brand new trailer ahead of its release in Canada on October 31st.

With this tale of a secret-filled Hollywood family on the verge of implosion, award-winning director David Cronenberg forges both a wicked social satire and a very human ghost story from our celebrity-obsessed culture. From a screenplay by acclaimed author, screenwriter and West Coast chronicler Bruce Wagner, and featuring an ensemble cast that includes Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams and Sarah Gadon, MAPS TO THE STARS tours the seductive allure and the tender, darkly comic underbelly of contemporary success.

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Trailer for YA Adaptation 'Seventh Son' that You Probably Forgot About

Figure this: Jeff Bridges will be starring in just as many YA adaptations as Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley over the next year. "The Dude" finally got his forever-developing adaptation of The Giver off the ground earlier this month, not that anybody saw it, and next year he'll star in Seven Son, which has been plagued with behind the scenes troubles. More than a year after the first trailer hit a new one has arrived and it looks like a new approach is being taken.

So what's the deal? Seventh Son is based on the first book in The Wardstone Chronicles series, and it began life at Warner Bros. but now falls under the Legendary/Universal banner. That was partially the reason for a nearly two-year delay, although the main reason is the film just didn't have any notable buzz. And clearly producers paid attention to that because this latest trailer is cut in a completely different way, emphasizing the big action and monsters while hyping the studio's success with Godzilla. It's a smart strategy, and with a cast that includes Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore,  Alicia Vikander, Djimon Hounsou, Antje Traue and Olivia Williams it's not hurting for star power.  Here's the official synopsis:

In a time of enchantments when legends and magic collide, the sole remaining warrior of a mystical order (Oscar® winner Jeff Bridges) travels to find a prophesized hero born with incredible powers, the last Seventh Son (Ben Barnes). Torn from his quiet life as a farmhand, the unlikely young hero embarks on a daring adventure with his battle-hardened mentor to vanquish a dark queen (Julianne Moore) and the army of supernatural assassins she has dispatched against their kingdom. 

Directed by Sergei Bodrov, Seventh Son opens in 3D February 6th 2015. 

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New Trailer for David Cronenberg's 'Maps to the Stars' with Robert Pattinson

Considering how far away the Twilight cast have tried to get from the spotlight one could be led to believe they didn't enjoy the experience. In the case of Robert Pattinson he has been taking on roles in movies that seem specifically designed to keep his fanbase away, and he's done a pretty good job because few turned out to see stuff like Bel Ami, The Rover, and Cosmopolis. But that hasn't stopped auteurs from reaching out to him, and his latest film Maps to the Stars is a reunion with his Cosmopolis director, David Cronenberg.

A new trailer for Maps to the Stars has been released and it's easy to see why this was such a favorite at Cannes earlier this year. Pattinson stars alongside Julianne Moore (honored at Cannes with Best Actress), Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, and Sarah Gadon, in a send-up of Hollywood and celebrity culture in general. Here's the official synopsis:

The Weiss family is the archetypical Hollywood dynasty: father Sanford is an analyst and coach, who has made a fortune with his self-help manuals; mother Christina mostly looks after the career of their son Benjie, 13, a child star.
  
One of Sanford’s clients, Havana, is an actress who dreams of shooting a remake of the movie that made her mother, Clarice, a star in the ’60s. Clarice is dead now and visions of her come to haunt Havana at night. Adding to the toxic mix, Benjie has just come off a rehab program he joined when he was 9 and his sister, Agatha, has recently been released from a sanatorium where she was treated for criminal pyromania… 

Maps to the Stars has yet to gain a domestic date but opens in the UK on September 26th. 


Maps To The Stars UK TRAILER 1 (2014) - Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson Movie HD. by Buzz Films

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See the District 13 Rebellion in New 'Mockingjay' Character Posters

District 13 is not a fun place to be, in fact it looks extremely bleak. But then again, in the world of The Hunger Games, it's not even supposed to really exist. As Katniss begins to lead a rebellion against President Snow and the might of the Capitol, District 13 becomes their new headquarters and judging by these new posters for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, it can get mighty lonely there.

Lionsgate has continued their massive online marketing campaign for the film by launching a new website and revealing new character-specific posters. They give us a look at Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), Effie Trinkett (Elizabeth Banks), an injured Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick (Sam Claflin), rebel leader Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, all of them closed off behind District 13's massive walls.

Presumably there will be more of these posters to come and we'll update this post as they are released. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st.

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Katniss Is the Face of a Rebellion in First 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Trailer

Over the weekend Lionsgate took an unusual route in promoting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 during Comic-Con. While it didn't have a panel or anything like that, a Comic-Con poster was released that got everyone's attention for the stark, militaristic image it presents. Plus, rather than debuting the first trailer in a traditional sense it was instead shown at select Best Buy stores in a collaboration with Samsung. It was a gutsy approach for the top YA franchise around, and it seems to have worked because anticipation for the new footage has been at an all-time high.

Now the trailer has been made available to the masses and it does a good job of showing the many different threats Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) faces without showing much of her at all. Instead the focus seems to be on how she's perceived by the people around her. Some are counting on her to be the face of the rebellion against the Capitol, while others don't quite have faith in her abilities yet. Meanwhile, President Snow is doing whatever he can to taint her image with the people, but as we see in the trailer's payoff moment she's not going down so easily; she came to fight.

The Hunger Games has always had a great cast but Mockingjay has taken that to another level. We get glimpses of Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson back as Haymitch and Peeta respectively. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman is seen as Plutarch Heavensbee, the final role we'll ever see him play. And then we also see new additions Julianne Moore as Alma Coin, and Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer as Cressida.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, part 1 of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay opens November 21st.


The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1-Official Trailer ()HD) Comic-Con 2014 by Trailersstv

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'Winter Sleep' Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes; Bennett Miller Wins Best Director for 'Foxcatcher'

The curtain has drawn on the glamorous 64th Cannes Film Festival, and the event came to a close with polarizing Turkish film Winter Sleep taking home the prestigious Palme d'Or. Clocking in at over 3 hours, the second year in a row a film of that length has won, Winter's Sleep was directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan who accepted the award from Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman. Some had surmised that Jane Campion's majority-female jury would be more open to selecting Naomi Kawase's acclaimed film, Still the Water, but we saw that gender ultimately played no part.

Taking home the Grand Prix was Alice Rohrwacher's The Wonders, while Bennett Miller won the top directing award for Foxcatcher, which is expected to be an Oscar contender later this year. Timothy Spall won best actor for Mike Leigh's highly-praised Mr. Turner, and Julianne Moore took home best actress for David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars.

The full list of winners is below.

Palme d’Or: “Winter Sleep” (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey-Germany-France)
Grand Prix: “The Wonders” (Alice Rohrwacher, Italy-Switzerland-Germany)
Director: Bennett Miller, “Foxcatcher” (U.S.)
Actor: Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner” (Mike Leigh, U.K.-France-Germany)
Actress: Julianne Moore, “Maps to the Stars” (David Cronenberg, Canada-Germany)
Jury Prize (tie): “Mommy” (Xavier Dolan, Canada) and “Goodbye to Language” (Jean-Luc Godard, France)
Screenplay: Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin, “Leviathan” (Russia)
Camera d’Or: “Party Girl” (Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis)
Short Films Palme d’Or: “Leidi” (Simon Mesa Soto)
Short Films Special Mention: “Aissa” (Clement Trehin-Lalanne)
Ecumenical Jury Prize: “Timbuktu” (Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritania-France)

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Un Certain Regard Prize: “White God” (Kornel Mundruczo, Hungary-Germany-Sweden)
Jury prize: “Force Majeure” (Ruben Ostlund, Sweden-France-Denmark-Norway)
Special Prize: “The Salt of the Earth” (Wim Wenders and Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, France-Italy)
Ensemble: “Party Girl” (Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger, Samuel Theis, France)
Actor: David Gulpilil, “Charlie’s Country” (Rolf de Heer, Australia)

DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT

Art Cinema Award: “Les Combattants” (Thomas Cailley, France)
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “Les Combattants”
Europa Cinemas Label: “Les Combattants”

CRITICS’ WEEK

Grand Prize: “The Tribe” (Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy, Ukraine)
Visionary Prize: “The Tribe”
Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers Prize: “Hope” (Boris Lojkine, France)

FIPRESCI

Competition: “Winter Sleep”
Un Certain Regard: “Jauja” (Lisandro Alonso, Denmark-U.S.-Argentina)
Directors’ Fortnight: “Les Combattants”

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First Look at Julianne Moore in 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'

The real victory Lionsgate can claim from The Hunger Games movies so far is that they are more than just blockbuster successes; they are critically acclaimed, as well. That's something Twilight was never able to crack, and Divergent was met with mixed reviews, but The Hunger Games has found a way to make the best of use of its phenomenal cast. Julianne Moore is the biggest name coming aboard for the two-part finale, Mockingjay, and now we've got the first look at her as President Alma Coin.

Lionsgate has released new images from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, including an image of Moore alongside the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman completed many of his scenes for the film and CG will be used to recreate the rest. We also get a new poster, some images featuring Jeffrey Wright and Woody Harrelson, and a featurette introducing Alma Coin. Coin is the leader of District 13 and part of the rebellion against the Capitol, although she also has an intense disliking of Katniss.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens November 21st, directed by Francis Lawrence.

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