The Year That Was: 2014 in Film

Check out ALL of the PDC end of year lists!

Review: Ava DuVernay's 'Selma'

Starring David Oyelowo

Review: Rob Marshall's 'Into The Woods'

Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick

Tim Burton's 'Big Eyes'

Starring Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams

Showing posts with label matthew broderick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label matthew broderick. Show all posts

Monday, February 24, 2014

Warren Beatty's Howard Hughes Film Underway; Alden Ehrenreich, Lily Collins Join Cast



For years, Hollywood royalty Warren Beatty has been trying to put together a biopic on Howard Hughes and not having much in the way of good luck. At one point the film looked to be coming together with Beatty writing, directing, and starring as the reclusive billionaire, but as he struggled to secure financing the project vanished into limbo. A few days ago, word started to leak that it may be back on, and now we know it's actually begun shooting. That sneaky Beatty!

Deadline reports that the film is now underway, with Alden Ehrenreich (Beautiful Creatures) and Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) coming aboard to star. Collins replaces Felicity Jones, who was attached some time ago. Beatty's wife Annette Bening and Matthew Broderick are expected to appear, and there's some hope that Jack Nicholson can be lured in for a role.

The story doesn't seem to have a lot to do with Hughes, though. Instead, it focuses on Hughes' assistant (Ehrenreich) and his love interest, played by Collins. In the past we've also heard the plot could unfold mostly in flashback as Hughes recounts the love affair he had with a younger woman, presumably Collins' character. So we could be looking at a love triangle here, which would instantly set it apart from 2004's The Aviator.

Brett Ratner (!!!) is producing, along with New Regency who picked up the film a couple of years back. Beatty has already shot some footage but there's no word on when this is expected to be completed or hit theaters. Chances are Beatty will be keeping it close to the vest.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Trailer Time: Margaret, starring Anna Paquin and Matt Damon


The road to seeing Margaret finally hit theaters has been a long, bumpy one fraught with legal entanglements. The follow-up directorial effort by Kenneth Lonergan(You Can Count On Me), the film stars Anna Paquin as a flirtatious teen whose reckless behavior inadvertently causes a fatal bus accident. Matt Damon stars as one of her teachers she seems to form some sort of relationship with. Mark Ruffalo, Allison Janney, Jean Reno, and Matthew Broderick also star.

Part of the issue surrounding the film had to do with Lonergan's rare status as a director with "final cut", which meant that neither studio or the producers could release anything other than his own vision. Margaret was completed way back in 2005(!!!), and Lonergan has been editing the film ever since. Screenings were set up then cancelled back in 2006 because Lonergan couldn't decide on a cut he liked. Lawsuits were filed, blah blah blah, and now finally we have a completed film, although the 150 minute run time indicates Lonergan didn't cut a hell of a lot out. Frankly I'm amazed he had final cut rights to begin with based solely on You Can Count On Me, although it did get nominated for two Academy Awards.

A trailer has been released for Margaret ahead of it's September 30th release, and it looks like an incoherent, heavy handed mess. Kinda reminds me of another film Mark Ruffalo starred in which was equally misguided, Reservation Road.  Here's hoping the performances by the extraordinary talent involved will make this film better than it appears here...