Review: 'The Imitation Game' starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley

Tis the season for the lives of geniuses captured on film. The similarities between Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game and the Stephen Hawking movie The Theory of Everything stretch beyond the gigantic intellect of their subjects. Both films endeavor to simplify extraordinary achievements to fit within understandable genre. For Hawking it was a love story; for Turing its wartime espionage that captures the attention of his feverish brain. While effective at cementing Turing's place as a WWII hero who was tragically punished for his sexuality, so much of The Imitation Game is boiled down for easy consumption that it doesn't compute quite as it should.

Chronicling a WWII story emphasizing brains over firepower, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the socially awkward and abrasive Turing. A mathematical heavyweight better with numbers and codes than people, Turing is recruited to head up a top secret program to decipher the Nazi "Enigma" code which had been confounding the Allies and extending an already terrible war. The longer it takes to crack Enigma, the more soldiers die. Crack the code, the war ends; everybody goes home heroes, right? Well, not so easy. Penned by first-timer Graham Moore, the story does a great job getting across just how important Turing's mission is, but also the price he would pay for accomplishing it.

Joined by other highly-skilled cryptanalysts and big brains such as eventual fiancé Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley) and Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode), Turing is essentially in a race against multiple ticking clocks, and the suspense of it is consistently thrilling in a spy movie kind of way. A machine is built that should be able to figure out Enigma; the higher-ups don't believe in it; Turing's team don't believe in him because he's such a jerk. Of course he'll need to soften his tone and make a few friends before everything can work out.

The film is titled The Imitation Game and it applies as much to Turing's personal life as the codes he's so adept at cracking. Jumping between Turing's childhood, 1941 during the war, and 1951 long after it was over, we're gently taken through Turing's personal life, as if director Morten Tyldum hopes to tip-toe us through the scandalous weeds. A homosexual during a time when it was a crime to be so, Turing's eccentric personality and introverted nature are forged out of intense secrecy. Later, he would be convicted for being gay and forced to undergo dehumanizing hormonal treatments. While its heartbreaking to watch the brilliant Turing reduced to a scared, quivering wreck interrogated by a weary cop, these scenes are treated with a tremendous amount of British subtlety. It's a lot like they're still embarrassed over the treatment Turing received. But when exploring the dark morality at the center of this great Enigma mystery the film briefly reaches incredibly tense heights. Cracking the code may save lives, but revealing their success could doom thousands more. How do you keep something like that secret? Should you? It becomes a game of choosing which attacks to foil and which to let happen, a terrible choice nobody should be forced to make. They've been granted the power of life and death for a great many people, and the exploration of that is one of the film's most gripping aspects. Certainly it's more interesting than watching them stare at the machine while we wonder what's going on.

Cumberbatch is good, as expected, but that seems to be the recurring theme with him. He's good. Playing Turing as close to on the Autism scale as possible, his performance is appropriately awkward and bristling, but Cumberbatch is beginning to play every character in the same fashion. The rest of the cast aren't given much to work with despite playing renowned figures in the field, as well. Basically they exist to reflect certain aspects of Turing's personality. Goode is all swagger as the brilliant Alexander, while Knightley is the lens through which we see Turing's dual lives. Their friendship-turned-"romance" is never given the attention needed to be resonant later on, but Knightley is reliably effective.

In the end, The Imitation Game ably details a little-known corner of the WWII story, one that has incredible relevance today. Turing, who was only recently given an official apology by the British government, is considered one of the forefathers of the modern computer and a leader in the field of artificial intelligence. Despite the terrible prejudice and persecution he would face, Turing's legacy is undeniable and can never be lost to the annals of history. The Imitation Game doesn't connect us with Turing in the way it should, but by showing us the tremendous good he was able to accomplish it makes us thankful he was who he was.

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Benedict Cumberbatch Cracks the Code in New Trailer for 'The Imitation Game'

This season you'll have two chances to check out Benedict Cumberbatch on the silver screen, but only in one will you actually see him. While we're hear his booming voice as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the performance that has earned him some early Best Actor buzz is in The Imitation Game, where he plays mathematician and WWII hero Alan Turing.

A new trailer for the film has arrived, and while Cumberbatch looks great as always, his supporting cast of Keira Knightley, Mark Strong, and Matthew Goode shouldn't be overlooked. Nor should the contribution of director Morten Tyldum, switching gears after directing the madcap crime flick, Headhunters. Turing was the math genius and cryptanalyst who cracked the Nazis' Enigma Code, helping to save Allied lives and bring WWII to an end.

The Imitation Game opens November 28th.

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Review: 'Laggies' starring Keira Knightley, Chloe Moretz, and Sam Rockwell

NOTE: This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival. Laggies opens on October 24th.

Film festivals, in particular Sundance, have always been fertile ground for the "arrested development" comedy. Usually these movies involve men, are generally pretty comfortable and inoffensive, although they tend to be presented as more meaningful than they really are. Indie stalwart Lynn Shelton has always been given to headier comedies that explore uneasy relationships, such as in movies like Humpday, Your Sister's Sister, and Touchy Feely. With Laggies, Shelton puts a twist on the formula with a female protagonist, and while the film has its charms and is quite a bit of fun at times, it's also improbable and a step down compared to Shelton's more challenging work.

The fault doesn't lie solely at Shelton's feet; however, as Laggies marks her first time directing someone else's script. Novelist Andrea Seigel penned the story which centers on high school beauty Megan (Keira Knightley), who ten years after graduation is still best friends with her closest clique. She's been dating her high school sweetheart Mark (Mark Webber), drifting aimlessly through life while her friends are moving forward with babies and weddings. Her stagnation is enabled by her father (Jeff Garlin), who hires her to twirl a giant arrow sign luring in customers to his tax business. Basically she's going nowhere fast, and it's begun to piss off her friends.

After screwing up the wedding of her uptight best friend (Ellie Kemper), witnessing her father in a compromising position, and Mark's sudden marriage proposal, Megan freaks out and looks for anywhere to escape. Running into the 16-year-old Annika (Chloe Moretz) and buying the girl a bunch of liquor, Megan feels a kinship with her and, seeing a brief respite from responsibility, spends the evening drinking with Annika and her friends. Another encounter leads to Megan staying at Annika's house for the week, lying to Mark that she's off at a career-building seminar. Basically she decides to give up her old friends and start again with new, younger ones.

Sound plausible? Of course not, and at least the oddness of the situation is addressed, mostly by Annika's lawyer father (Sam Rockwell), a single dad who seems intrigued to have a sexy woman in the house again but disturbed by this adult hanging out with his child. And he darn well should be disturbed, because Megan is a tough character to root for. She lies, makes awful decisions that hurt a great many people, and is often irresponsible in the way that isn't cute. More sympathetic is Annika, played beautifully by Moretz, who desperately is seeking some sort of motherly connection to balance her father's overprotective nature. Similar to how he gave The Way Way Back a boost of comic energy last year, Rockwell steals every scene he's in and makes everyone around him better. The rest of the supporting cast is solid, although someone needs to tell Mark Webber it's time to move on from the boring nice guy roles. There are other personality traits beyond "nice". Short Term 12 break-out Kaitlyn Dever makes the best of limited time as Annika's rambunctious best friend.

Megan's dysfunction is relayed in broad strokes, and the consequences of her most dangerous actions can be forgiven with a hug, some sweet music, and a joke. When her irresponsibility actually causes an accident that endangers Annika, it isn't treated as a very big deal. Yes, the film skates on the edges of believability but it calls on us to take certain things seriously when there are never any repercussions for Megan. While it's true that adults don't always have the answers and sometimes make childish mistakes, Laggies says as long as you look like Keira Knightley everything will be fine.

 Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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New Trailer for 'The Imitation Game' Cracks the Code

There's fresh reason for those of us here in the Washington, DC area to be excited about The Imitation Game. The Alan Turing biopic has recently been confirmed to be part of the impressive Middleburg Film Festival slate later this month, so fans eager to see if the fuss surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch's performance is justified.

A new trailer for the Morten Tyldum-directed film has been released, offering us a new look at the TIFF People's Choice award winner. Cumberbatch stars as Turing, the famed cryptanalyst who helped break the German Enigma code during WWII. Despite his integral role in assuring an Allied victory, Turing was forced to hide his homosexuality from the people he was closest to.

Co-starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Mark Strong, The Imitation Game opens November 21st, but will be the centerpiece of the Middleburg Film Festival on November 1st.

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Add Keira Knightley to the List of 'True Detective' Candidates

Now that the casting on True Detective's second season is starting to come together with Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn confirmed, there are two major roles still left to be filled. One is the third male lead, which has Taylor Kitsch as the apparent frontrunner. The female lead is a bit messier, with everybody from Elisabeth Moss, Brit Marling, Rosario Dawson, Rachel McAdams, and many more in the mix. And now Deadline says you can throw Keira Knightley in there, too.

Knightley is the latest to join the field, circling the role of Ani Bezzerides, "a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol". McAdams, who seemed like the top choice for creator Nic Pizzolatto, may have a scheduling conflict keeping her out of the running.

It would be a change of pace and a grittier role than she's done since Domino years ago. True Detective is set to begin filming this fall.

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First Trailers for 'The Imitation Game' Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing

Hello awards season, we see you lurking just a few weeks away. While the summer is beginning to wind down with the coming tentpole release of Guardians of the Galaxy, the fall is right around the corner and that means highbrow movies will be back in style for the reminder of the year. One film that is expected to be a major contender in the Oscar horse race is The Imitation Game, the Alan Turing biopic starring fan favorite Benedict Cumberbatch, and now the first two trailers for it have been released.

Long in the works and once eyed as a starring vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio, it is instead Cumberbatch who takes on the role of Turing, the genius mathematician and code breaker who helped crack the German Enigma code in WWII, helping to assure an Allied victory. For all his heroic exploits, Turing was eventually ostracized then prosecuted for being a homosexual, with neither trailer overtly referencing that part of his life. We do get suggestions of it, though, when Mark Strong's character says "You have more secrets than the best of them," chances are he's not talking about numbers. Keira Knightley co-stars as Turing's friend and one-time fiancée , Joan Clarke, with Matthew Goode and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) also in supporting roles.

Let's not forget that many had similarly high hopes for Cumberbatch's performance in The Fifth Estate, and that turned out to be a dud in just about every way imaginable. So perhaps it's a good idea not putting too many expectations on The Imitation Game. Morten Tyldum is directing the film for release on November 21st. 


The Imitation Game - Official UK Teaser Trailer (Benedict Cumberbatch) by cinemur


The Imitation Game Official Trailer #1 (2014) - Benedict Cumberbatch Movie HD by BBCHD3

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First Trailer and Poster for 'Laggies' Starring Keira Knightley, Chloe Moretz, and Sam Rockwell

From Humpday to Your Sister's Sister to Touchy Feely, Lynn Shelton has earned her place as an indie darling for crafting small-scale stories that emphasize relationships over spectacle. More often than not they have to do with characters who find themselves in a state of arrested development, manifested in ways that are unpredictable and confounding to the people in their lives. Her latest film, Laggies, is just such a story and now the first trailer for it has been released months after the film debuted at Sundance.

Starring Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, and Chloe Grace Moretz, Laggies centers on Megan, a 28-year-old who used to be hot stuff in high school but now as all of her friends' lives are improving she's been stuck in a rut. She's still with her loyal but dull high school sweetheart (Mark Webber, typecast again) and she can't hold on to the crappy jobs she keeps getting. When her boyfriend suddenly proposes marriage, Megan has a total breakdown, runs away, and starts hanging out with a teenaged crowd led by 16-year-old Annika.

It's pretty silly but Shelton's strength has always been finding a means of taking crazy concepts and making them personal and meaningful. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work with Laggies, noting in my review "the film skates on the edges of believability but it calls on us to take certain things seriously when there are never any repercussions".

Also starring Ellie Kemper, Kaitlyn Dever (Short Term 12), Gretchen Mol, and Jeff Garlin, Laggies opens October 24th.

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Review: 'Begin Again' Starring Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley

John Carney didn't make things easier for himself with the charming New York musical romance, Begin Again. It was eight years ago the Irish writer/director who melted our hearts with the lovely, soulful indie Once, a film that showed the restorative powers of love and music better than any in recent memory, possibly ever. But it was also something that came practically out of nowhere, shot on a shoestring and with no familiar faces (although Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova became quite famous afterward); the emotion pouring from their music was unforgettable. Begin Again is a more polished studio effort with much bigger stars, and yet it recaptures much of the magic that made Once so special.

The unlikely pair of Mark Ruffalo and Keira Knightley make beautiful music together as a pair who whose hearts have been ripped out by the industry they love. While the hard-scrabble Dublin streets of Once allowed Carney to indulge in this perfect world of musical purity where talent and heart are all that matters, the reality is something else entirely. This is the day of manufactured pop stars practically rolled off the studio conveyor belt, and those few who do breakout on their own largely do it outside of the system from the comfort of their own homes. So what good is an A&R man like Dan Mulligan (Ruffalo) in that kind of atmosphere? Not much good at all, it turns out. Having just been fired from the company he helped build, Dan is having the worst day ever when he shows up at a local bar to get wasted, a regular occurrence.  It's open mic night and amidst the chatter and clanging of dinner plates is Greta (Knightly), a British girl with a soulful voice performing an original piece of music. There's a fantastic moment when Dan tunes everything out and envisions the potential of Greta's song backed by full orchestral accompaniment.  And while Dan sees a light at the end of the tunnel, he's not the only one who's been chewed up by the big city.

Relying heavily on flashback we see the same scene from three different perspectives: one neutral, and others from Dan and Greta. This accounts for a large chunk of the first act and for a while it seems there won't be any moving forward. Greta's story has a bit more meat to it than Dan's as she deals with the heartaches brought on by sudden fame. Not her fame, mind you, but that of her ex-boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) who came over with her from the U.K. after one of his songs became a hit on a movie soundtrack. The two were once an inseparable creative pair, making music just for them to enjoy, but now he’s become a self-absorbed superstar.  We can tell he's growing more self-involved by the amount of facial hair on his face. Seriously. Dumped and alone in New York City, Greta moves in with her enthusiastic musician friend Steve (James Corden, from the similarly-themed One Chance) and hits the club that fateful night.

Dan immediately tries to sign her and understandably she's a bit squeamish about the whole idea. Not only is Dan a drunk who doesn't have the financial means to sign her if he wanted to, but she didn't come to New York with plans of being a singer. She's a songwriter, and the person she wrote songs for just trampled all over heart. Of course he finally convinces her, otherwise this wouldn't be the crowd-pleasing film Carney has a certain knack for, and he lays out a plan to make her stand out from the masses. That plan consists of calling in some old favors and gathering a band, with Greta performing her music live at city landmarks, capturing the raw honest sound of New York. And boy is that music infectious, just as much of the film turns out to be. Unlike the songs in Once that creeped into your soul, remember the first time you heard "Falling Slowly", none of the music in Begin Again has quite that same impact. The tracks here, performed with surprising gusto by Knightley, are a catchy, enjoyable brand of radio-ready blues funk.

From there the film explores what was pointedly laid out in its original title, "Can A Song Save Your Life?", with Knightley and Ruffalo basically going through the same motions as Hansard and Irglova did before. Greta and Dan become close in the process of recording her album, including one great sequence where they take in the town while listening to music through a shared set of headphones. And soon we come to think that love is definitely in the air for these two, but this is John Carney and he loves to tease. Their situation is muddled by Dan's angry ex-wife (Catherine Keener, because that's what she does) and his rebellious daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) who desperately needs a change of wardrobe.

There's comfort to be taken in the cliched nature of each character's arc, aided by the rhythmic chemistry between Ruffalo and Knightley. Few can play frazzled burn-out with the sort of zen quality that Ruffalo has mastered, and Knightley's awkward beauty comes in handy as a character that has shied away from the spotlight.  Does Begin Again seem a little bit like a pre-packaged romance? Sometimes yes, it does, and there's irony to be found in that considering the subject matter. But audiences will leave Begin Againwith a smile on their faces and a few new songs to add to their playlist.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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New Images of Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Imitation Game'

Is The Imitation Game the film that will finally have Benedict Cumberbatch taking the stage to claim his Oscar? For a time it looked like The Fifth Estate might be his best shot, but when nobody saw it (really, it only made $8M worldwide!!!) those hopes were dashed spectacularly. But this one has hot director in Morten Tyldum (Headhunters), a terrific cast, and tells the story of a true unsung hero who changed the tide of WWII.

New photos from The Imitation Game have been released, which show Cumberbatch as mathematician and cryptanalyst Alan Turing, famous for breaking the Nazi Enigma Code which helped the Allies secure victory. But due to his being a homosexual, Turing's accomplishments were largely swept under the rug and his personal and professional life destroyed. Just how far the story will go into the persecution he faced is unclear, and hopefully we'll get a trailer soon that will shed some light.

The Imitation Game co-stars Mark Strong, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and hits theaters November 21st. [EW]

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New Trailer for 'Begin Again' Starring Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo

Irish director John Carney was able to create something truly heartwarming and special with Once, a quiet little gem of a film about two lonely people connecting over their mutual love of music. Carney isn't venturing too far away from his comfort zone with his latest film, Begin Again (formerly Can A Song Save Your Life?), only now he's got a much flashier cast.

A new trailer for Begin Again has been released in the U.K, and it still looks like fairly inoffensive stuff, if maybe a tad syrupy. Keira Knightley plays a British ex-pat who comes to New York with her rock star boyfriend (Adam Levine), until he leaves her high and dry. She's left alone and floundering as a singer until a washed-up record label exec played by Mark Ruffalo discovers her, giving them both a chance to "begin again".

Co-starring Hailee Steinfeld, James Corden (One Chance), Mos Def, Catherine Keener, and Cee-Lo Green, Begin Again opens on July 4th. Counter-programming much?

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Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo Make Beautiful Music in Trailer for 'Begin Again'

One look at the trailer for Begin Again (formerly Can A Song Save Your Life?) and it's obviously from John Carney, the director of the lovely musical romance, Once. Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, Catherine Keener, Mos Def, and James Corden (who also starred in the musical comedy One Chance), the film centers on a burned out record exec (Ruffalo) who regains his passion after discovering a fresh-voiced British talent (Knightley) at an open mic night.

While this looks like a definite charmer, none of the music in this trailer is all that notable. Perhaps Carney should have enlisted The Swell Season for a little back-up?

Begin Again (that title is horrible, by the way) grabs the mic on July 2nd.

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Review: 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit', Starring Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, and Keira Knightley

Kevin Costner was courted to play Jack Ryan way back in The Hunt for Red October, the first film starring Tom Clancy's analyst. We all know how that story goes though, since they cast Alec Baldwin for the role instead because Costner was busy with Dances With Wolves. Ironically enough, Costner finally gets to be in a Jack Ryan movie, albeit not playing the title character himself. 

Kenneth Branagh brings us the reboot of the franchise with a little bit into Jack's background, a little bit of action, a little bit of suspense, and nothing that is ultimately memorable or new to fans of Ryan's stories except for the more modern global economy and readjustments to geopolitics.


Jack (Chris Pine) is an economics student working on his PhD. in London when 9/11 happens. Eighteen months later, he's a marine and flying with two others over Afghanistan when his helicopter is shot down. Ryan sustains a back injury that leaves him recovering and in physical therapy for eight months. It's there that he meets Cathy Muller (Keira Knightley), a med student studying to be an eye doctor, but is helping Jack get through physical therapy in order to complete her credits. It's there where he also meets William Harper (Kevin Costner), a man who works for the CIA and has read Jack's dissertation and other writings about economics, geopolitics, and whatnot. He convinces Jack to go to work for the CIA as a spy compliance officer on Wall Street, but only after he finishes his PhD. 

Ten years later, Jack is where you expect him to be after his conversation with Harper. There, he uncovers some shady information about stocks and Russia and other financial and economic things that I can't begin to explain to you in any competency. Basically, a man named Victor Cherevin (Kenneth Branagh) intends to crush the U.S. dollar after staging a terrorist attack to bring down the U.S. economy. To try and get more information, Harper sends Jack to Russia to meet with Cherevin, but things get complicated when they try to have Jack killed because they suspect he knows about their plot and when Cathy, now his fiancé, shows up in Moscow because she suspects Jack is having an affair. 

The movie's faults don't lie with the cast so much as it does with the script, which has a decent build up, but kind of crashes its way to its finale with a bad guy who's too wooden in motive and personality to really ramp up the stakes. That's not to say that there aren't good suspenseful moments in the film. Because, if anything, Kenneth Branagh can play creepy and threatening pretty well, but there are too many layers missing for it to be credible. 

A lot of people hold Jack Ryan to high esteem. The guy is extremely intelligent and accomplished, so it's easy to understand why. He's a former marine, a PhD., a CIA analyst, and later a professor. But, Jack Ryan the character (at least in the films) isn't an overly exciting person. Some will argue that this is Chris Pine's fault, but the same can be said for when Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, and Ben Affleck all played Ryan in the past. It's not the actors, but the character himself that falls a little on the stale side of things. 

What is good about this film, however, is that it doesn't throw aside Jack's intelligence. Director Kenneth Branagh (he's pulling double duty) describes Jack as the "every man," which means he doesn't have James Bond's license to kill, nor Jason Bourne's very honed fighting skills. He's just a guy who tries to do good things and finds himself in not-so-good situations. 

The film does have a good cast. Chris Pine fills in the Jack Ryan shoes pretty well. Although as an actor, he's much more entertaining to watch when he has more to do. And this role doesn't give him much in the way of great dialogue, but he can play the action hero really well. He does have great chemistry with Keira Knightley and they're endearing together. 

Their relationship is one of the stronger aspects of the film and there should have been more of it because they are some of the best parts to watch. Their relationship is very equal and much more layered than in the previous films, which is why the personal attack later in the movie is more... well, personal. Knightley has a pretty good American accent, too. And while she falls briefly into the damsel-in-distress category, she's brave enough to want to help Jack out, and that says a lot about her character. 

Kevin Costner gives the tough love in this film and keeps Jack from falling off the proverbial thin line he's walking. He's the type of guy who sees a mission through to its end and doesn't just sit around at his desk giving advice. And Kenneth Branagh has seemingly mastered his Russian accent and plays the baddie like its second nature even when there isn't anything deeper to his character besides being semi-threatening. There's a hint of something else, but we never get any of what's behind it. 

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is much less boring than the previous Jack Ryan movies and much less Jason Bourne-esque than a lot of people assumed it would be, it's ultimately very mediocre. There isn't anything amazing about it or its characters. And while the story tries hard to make us all care that some Russian guy is attempting to bring down our economy, it lacks a more fluid execution and suspense build up. 

It has more action and hyped suspense, and while they do well to portray Jack's nervousness and fear at being in a situation out of his depth, the entire film just feels a little underwhelming. If you enjoyed the previous movies though, then you'll probably like this one as well. It has its semi-entertaining moments, but it's nothing we haven't seen before and is really more of the same when it comes to the typical action/suspense films.

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'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' Features Keira Knightley in One of Two New Clips

In a little over a week, Paramount will regale us with the tale of Jack Ryan. Except this will be a newer, more modern version of Jack Ryan and more of an origin story for the well-known Tom Clancy character. It'll be the first movie that isn't based on any of Clancy's previous books about the CIA analyst and Chris Pine will be the fourth actor to step into the character's shoes. 

Two new clips from the film have been released, each dealing with two different but probably important aspects of the plot. The first one is titled "Couples Therapy" and, as you guess, is relationship-based. Ryan's fiance Cathy (played by an American-accented Keira Knightley) is angry with him after finding out that he's been lying to her about who he works for the last three years and Kevin Costner reminds them that this isn't couples therapy. Knightley pulls off a pretty good American accent, too. 

The second clip sees Costner's character, who plays an almost-mentor/handler to Pine's Ryan, let's Jack know that he's no longer just an analyst anymore, but operational. The second clip is pretty straightforward, but everyone may not be as they seem. Especially if the character posters are anything to go by, which you can view here and here. 

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is directed and also stars Kenneth Branagh and hits theaters January 17. 

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*UPDATE* First Clip and Character Posters for 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit'

If it wasn't for Martin Scorsese's troubles with The Wolf of Wall Street, we'd already be talking about how Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit fared over the holidays. But instead it was bumped down to later this month when it will be one of the year's first potential blockbusters. The first action-packed clip, clocking in at over four minutes has been released, joined by a pair of character posters featuring Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner.  Hers is particularly interesting as the "Accomplice. Asset. Weapon" descriptors suggest she'll be a lot more than just Jack Ryan's wife, but we can probably assume everybody is more than who they seem to be. The clip, very much in the vein of Jason Bourne, shows Ryan putting his fighting skills to the test and making his very first kill. Sure there will be plenty more where that came from.

Directed by and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit opens January 17th.



PLOT: Based on the character created by bestselling author Tom Clancy, “Jack Ryan” is a global action thriller set in the present day.  This original story follow a young Jack (Chris Pine) as he uncovers a financial terrorist plot.

The story follows him from 9/11, through his tour of duty in Afghanistan, which scarred him forever, and into his early days in the Financial Intelligence Unit of the modern CIA where he becomes an analyst, under the guardianship of his handler, Harper (Kevin Costner).  When Ryan believes he’s uncovered a Russian plot to collapse the United States economy, he goes from being an analyst to becoming a spy and must fight to save his own life and those of countless others, while also trying to protect the thing that’s more important to him than anything, his relationship with his fiancée Cathy (Keira Knightley).

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New International Trailer for 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit'

Paramount took their time unveiling Kenneth Branagh's Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, but with the film set to open in just a couple of months they're pulling out all of the stops. After the first trailer debuted just last week, a second one has hit and reconfirms that Tom Clancy's most popular CIA analyst has now become a Jason Bourne clone.

At least that's the takeaway from all of the footage that has been revealed, with star Chris Pine beating up bad guys and taking the field to foil explosive terrorist plots. It's a very different sort of film than we got in The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games , Clear and Present Danger, and The Sum of All Fears, but it's one that may play better to audiences looking for more action than political intrigue. The flip side is that there's very little about the film that stands out as special.

Branagh directs and co-stars alongside Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley, and we can expect to see Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit in theaters Christmas Day.

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First Trailer for 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' Starring Chris Pine

Inevitably, there were some who speculated that Paramount's release of the first Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit poster was a way of using Tom Clancy's death as a launching pad for the marketing campaign. If that were the case it'd be beyond tacky, and there's no proof it was ever in their thoughts even if it couldn't have hurt to draw some added attention. Traditionally, the poster always hits a day or two before the trailer emerges, and that's exactly what we have now.

The first trailer for the unfortunately-titled Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit has arrived, starring Chris Pine as Clancy's most popular character (sorry, Sam Fisher fans!). He picks up the mantle left by Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, and Ben Affleck, playing a younger version of Ryan investigating his boss who plans to commit an act of economic terrorism. Kenneth Branagh directs and sports a Drago accent as the villain, while Keira Knightley is Ryan's wife who discovers his double-life as an agent. We get glimpses of action and a lot of Kevin Costner as Ryan's CIA handler, and he instantly seems like more of a central figure than Pine, which could be a problem. While he's done quite well as part of the Star Trek ensemble, Pine has yet to prove he can be a major box office draw. Personally, I think he's boring as dry toast and if this film fails it will be because of him.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit opens on Christmas Day.


Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit - Trailer (Chris Pine, Keira Knightley & Kevin Costner) by cinemur

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Keira Knightley Is 'The Other Typist'; Elizabeth Banks Joins 'Love & Mercy' and 'Little Accidents'

It's tough out there for any actress to build a long and fruitful career, especially if they sit back and let Hollywood pick their roles for them. Elizabeth Banks hasn't been content to let that happen, producing last year's hit Pitch Perfect, which featured a plum supporting role for herself. It's a trend that's been growing of late, with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and others determining their own path. Keira Knightley has picked up on that idea, as well, developing a new film as a starring vehicle, while Banks has come aboard two other high-profile projects.

Let's start with Knightley, who will produce and star in The Other Typist, and before you stop and think it's some sort of steamy romance between secretarial rivals, it's actually a 1920s-set crime film based on a book Suzanne Rindell. The story centers on Rose Baker, a lonely typist for the NYPD who becomes friends with a beautiful new co-worker named Odalie, and soon is drawn into the dangerous and glamorous New York underworld. The novel has drawn comparisons to Patricia Highsmith and Alfred Hitchcock, which is high praise indeed. This one's still very early on as a writer and director still need to be found, and they might want to do something about that dull title.

Banks has signed on for a pair of indie films, although one promises to get a lot of attention. She's joined the Beach Boys biopic, Love & Mercy, which stars Paul Dano and John Cusack as Brian Wilson in various stages of his life. Written by Oren Moverman (Rampart) and directed by Bill Pohlad, it will detail Wilson's rise to fame and the mental health problems that nearly destroyed him. Banks will play Wilson's eventual wife, Melinda.

She's also joined the cast of Little Accidents, starring alongside Boyd Holbrook in the story of a small coal mining town dealing with the fallout after a mine accident kills twelve men. The film is based on the award-winning short film by writer/director Sara Colangelo.

Knightley next goes the blockbuster route opposite Chris Pine in Jack Ryan. Banks will get all spruced up as Effie Trinkett in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

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Keira Knightley Joins Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Imitation Game'

Once a project being circled by Leonardo DiCaprio and Ron Howard, Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game has had a rough path to the big screen. Warner Bros. and DiCaprio's Appian Way backed out, and the film was left in development Hell, but with a promising Black List script by Graham Moore and solid source material to work with, it was only a matter of time before it was revived. That happened in rather impressive fashion when Morten Tyldum (Headhunters) signed on to direct, quickly followed by word that Benedict Cumberbatch was considering the lead. Not only has he now been confirmed, but a talented leading lady will be joining him.

Variety reports that Keira Knightley is in talks to join the film in an unspecified role, giving the film a starpower boost that was sorely needed as Cumberbatch is still an unproven draw. Based on Andrew Hodges' novel Alan Turing: The Enigma, the story will follow the famed mathematician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist whose study of algorithms and code-breaking skills were pivotal to the Allies in WWII. His work led to the creation of the Turing Machine, a pre-cursor to the modern day computer. All of his successes didn't stop him from being criminally prosecuted as a homosexual, and with his personal and professional life ruined, he would commit suicide in 1954.

Knightly will be seen later this year opposite Chris Pine in Jack Ryan, and has John Carney's music-industry drama Can A Song Save Your Life?

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Sure Shots: Keira Knightley; Scott Cooper; Reese Witherspoon

* A major change is in order for Laggies, the long-developing dark comedy from Your Sister's Sister director, Lynn Shelton. Anne Hathaway had been set for the film, but due to scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, she's had to drop out. EW now reports that Keira Knightley is in talks to replace her as the 28-year old woman who freaks out after her boyfriend's marriage proposal and runs off to hang out with a group of adolescents. Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber, and Chloe Moretz co-star.

* Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) has had no trouble attaching himself to a slew of projects, most of which don't seem to be progressing all that much. But that won't stop him from adding one more, as he'll next take on 36th Precinct, a remake of the 2004 cop film directed by Olivier Marchal. The story will be set in the NYPD anti-terrorism unit, and follows a pair of ruthless cops seeking a promotion by taking down a criminal gang. [Deadline]

* Reese Witherspoon is hoping you're done staring at her mugshot and ready to embrace her as America's sweetheart again. Witherspoon, who has booked two big projects in the last week, is set to rejoin her Walk the Line director James Mangold for Three Little Words. An adaptation of Ashley Rhodes-Courter's memoir, the story follows a Florida girl who entered the child welfare system at the age of four. Witherspoon will play the social worker trying to convince the child's mother to give up her rights. Amanda Seyfried is currently being eyed to play the mother. The last time Witherspoon and Mangold teamed up, she walked away with an Oscar win. Can it happen again?

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Keira Knightley lands the female lead in 'Jack Ryan'

Here's the latest run of films for Keira Knightley: Last Night, A Dangerous Method, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Anna Karenina, and Can a Song Save Your Life? It's been a long time since she was a part of any blockbuster franchise films, not since Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. But after taking a lengthy break, she's about to dive back in for a major pay day, beating out Evangeline Lilly and Felicity Jones for the female lead in Paramount's Jack Ryan reboot.

After being named as the frontrunner a week ago, THR reports a deal has nearly been struck to have Knightley play Caroline, the future Mrs. Jack Ryan opposite Chris Pine. Jack Ryan has already been seen in four other adaptations of Tom Clancy's novels, with the most recent being 2002's The Sum of All Fears.

This version, which seems to be going under the title of Jack Ryan, will present the ex-Marine during his time working as an analyst in Moscow, and discovering a terrorist plot to destroy the U.S. economy. Kenneth Branagh is directing, with Kevin Costner circling a role as Ryan's mentor, and James Earl Jones looking to reprise his part as Admiral Greer. So far so good, and considering all the time and effort Paramount has been putting into making Jack Ryan a priority, we could be looking at a franchise to stand up against Universal's "Bourne" movies. Knightley makes for a smart choice as she's clearly the most recognizable name by far, has a pretty good action movie background, and is young enough to stick around for the long haul.

Filming gets underway next month, so expect more casting to be announced soon.

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