Get Tiny in the First Big Teaser for Marvel's 'Ant-Man'

Marvel's taken a lot of big gambles in crafting their cinematic universe. Obviously the first was Iron Man back in 2008, but we saw a major gamble pay off earlier this year when Guardians of the Galaxy became one of the top grossing movies of 2014. The next big risk arrives this summer with Ant-Man, a film that has been in the works for nearly a decade and only recently underwent a serious creative shake-up that saw fan favorite director Edgar Wright replaced by Peyton Reed. Will it all have been worth it? Is Ant-Man Marvel's next great hero?

The first teaser for Ant-Man debuted tonight at the end of the Agent Carter premiere episode, and it's tough to see what impact Wright's departure had. What we do get is a bit of Paul Rudd's trademark humor as Scott Lang, and Michael Douglas playing it serious as Henry Pym, the man who invented the Ant-Man armor and the "Pym particles" that allow him to shrink and grow in stature. We also get a glimpse of Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, the estranged daughter of Pym and Janet Van Dyne aka The Wasp. What we don't get are a lot of special effects, but considering how far out we are from the film's release that isn't a surprise. Here's the official synopsis:

“The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man. Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.”

This is still just a teaser and hopefully we'll get a better sense of the tone when the full trailer is released. Ant-Man hits theaters on July 17th.

Ant-Man Trailer by Stuff We Like

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Michael Pena goes on 'Vacation', Linda Cardellini Joins 'Daddy's Home'

A trio of Fox favorites have come aboard New Line's sequel/remake of the classic road trip comedy, Vacation. Michael Pena, who stars in the network's Gracepoint, along with Kaitlin Olson of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Nick Kroll of The League, are joining the film which centers on a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms).  Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo will reprise their roles from the earlier movies, with Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Tim Heidecker, Keegan-Michael Key, and Olson's 'Sunny' co-star Charlie Day also part of the cast. Production is underway now with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Horrible Bosses ) directing.

Linda Cardellini may not be a Ghostbuster yet (*fingers crossed*) but that will give her time to join Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell in Daddy's Home. She'll play the wife to Ferrell's character, "a mild-mannered radio executive looking to become the best stepdad to his wife’s two children just as their freewheeling and freeloading real father arrives on the scene." Sean Anders will direct when production begins later this year. [THR]

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Review: 'Fury' starring Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, and Shia LaBeouf

"Ideals are peaceful, history is violent", says Brad Pitt's grizzled war hero Sgt. Wardaddy. Well, yeah, so are David Ayer movies. The writer/director had made his bones showing the machismo-laden camaraderie of the boys in blue, hitting a creative peak with last year's urban street drama, End of Watch. So it's not really much of a surprise to take the same formula and present it on a much larger canvas with Fury, an endlessly thrilling and jagged edged look at brothers-in-arms fighting the good fight in WWII. It's not the most thoughtful film examination of war we've ever seen, but Ayer sticks to his strengths and gives us one of the most entertaining war movies in recent years.

Those who jump on Pitt's performance as merely him taking another crack at Inglourious Basterds' Aldo Raine aren't paying enough attention. Wardaddy's battle-weary stare and adrenaline-fueled philosophy bares greater resemblance to his Achilles role in Troy. Fury, which is also the name of the Sherman tank that would become home to a five-man crew, begins in 1945 in the waning days of the war. But as Wardaddy says, plenty more people will have to die before it's truly over, and after losing one of his men in a recent battle (his face literally splattered on the tank floor) he's more wary than ever. So he's less than pleased when fresh-faced army clerk Norman Ellison (Logan Lerman) arrives as the new assistant tank driver. Norman knows nothing about war, he's been trained to type 60 wpm and little else, and fitting into such a tight-knit crew won't be easy. There's no reason for the other members of the team: gunner Boyd Swan (Shia LaBeouf), loader Grady Travis (Jon Bernthal), and driver Trini Garcia (Michael Pena), to put their lives in Norman's hands. One weak link can break the whole chain.

Ayer's script doesn't reveal much in the way of character details, allowing room for them to be defined by actions rather than words. Wardaddy is a tough man who understands the realities of war. It means killing, pure and simple, and he immediately puts Norman through a "trial by fire" forcing him to kill a German prisoner. The other guys only occasionally stray from familiar archetypes but Ayer colors them in with just enough bravado and vulnerability. Swan is the team's man of faith and Norman's reluctant confidante; Travis is a southern redneck and team troublemaker; Garcia is the alcoholic with an unpredictable mood. We see each of these combustible traits play out during an extended scene, basically an interlude from the grim violence, in which Wardaddy and Norman shack up with a couple of German women after occupying their town. Played almost like a horror, or like something Quentin Tarantino would have written, what begins to look like a tense hostage situation calms into a potential romance, only to have the rest of the tank crew arrive and stir the pot. The threat of sexual violence hangs in the air heavy as death; old tensions arise amongst the group, especially between Travis and Wardaddy. It's a great scene that feels like it came from a totally different film, but Ayer is using it to explore the pointlessness and inevitability of death during wartime, and the effect it has on more than just soldiers.

But a rumination like that is few and far between. Ayer puts the bulk of his attention on the action, the chaos of battle and the sheer power of these hulking weapons of destruction. He almost glorifies it in a way, bullets whizzing by like blaster fire from a Star Wars stormtrooper. It's a little weird at first and almost takes you out of the moment but it works, and Ayer isn't afraid to show the terrible impact these high-powered shells can do to a human body. This is what Ayer specializes in; rugged, brawny violence that is fascinating even at its most disturbing. Considering how authentic his police dramas tended to be it's no surprise Fury looks great, from the uniforms down to the rusty tank treads.

What Ayer doesn't do quite enough of is show the deteriorating effects of being stuck in such a claustrophobic weapon of death. We see glimmers of it in the aforementioned interlude but other than Pitt's Wardaddy the other characters are sketchily drawn. It's good to see LaBeouf, all mustachioed and worn, playing a tougher character than we're used to seeing. Bernthal and Pena are solid but underutilized, while Lerman really shines as the inexperienced soldier clearly out of his depth. He's not a wimp, which is how the character could have come off if played differently. Of course this is Pitt's movie, and while his Wardaddy uses an economy of words we understand who he is right away. The war has forged him into a harsher man, forcing him to do things he knows are necessary but wishes they weren't. In quiet moments we see glimpses of the man he could have been without the years of fighting. Pitt has played a lot of tough guys lately (don't forget his excellent performance in Killing Them Softly) and always brings a little something different each time.

Fury is a thrill ride first and foremost, ending with the kind of big Hollywood brouhaha with big guns, Nazis getting cut down, and grand gestures of American heroism. So yes, history is pretty violent, but also makes for one heck of a movie. 

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Michael Pena Eyes Ridley Scott's 'The Martian'

Once a scene-stealing supporting player, Michael Pena is now one of Hollywood's most sought after actors. The Cesar Chavez and End of Watch star is now the target of Ridley Scott, who wants him for a role opposite Matt Damon in The Martian.

Based on the Andy Weir novel and adapted by Drew Goddard, The Martian has Damon as Mark Watney, the first man to walk on Mars who must find a way to survive when an accident leaves him stranded. Whether Pena comes aboard will depend on his busy schedule. He'll be seen in the WWII tank thriller, Fury, and has moved to television for the Fox miniseries, Gracepoint.

He's just the latest name mentioned for a role in The Martian over the last few days. Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Mackenzie Davis, and Kate Mara are said to be in the discussion but have not been confirmed. [Variety]

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Brad Pitt goes back to War in New Trailer for 'Fury'

Outside of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies there aren't much that would qualify as blockbusters from now to the end of the year. But one that could also be huge is Fury, the WWII tank thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Ayer. With the film picking up a good amount of buzz before steamrolling into theaters, a brand new trailer has been released.

Pitt stars alongside Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Pena in the film set in the waning days of the war as a five-man tank crew must fight their way out of enemy lines. Beyond the strong cast there's reason for optimism considering Ayer's last two films, Sabotage and End of Watch, have been some of the strongest of his career. It's a complete change of pace for him getting away from stories about corrupt cops (he also wrote Training Day), but if it hits Fury could gain him some awards attention.

Fury hits theaters on October 17th.

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Dax Shepard to Write, Direct, and Star in a 'CHiPs' Movie with Michael Pena as Ponch

A movie based on CHiPs, the "classic" cop show from the '70s and '80s, has been in the works for years without anyone ever getting it off the ground. Movies based on TV shows have mostly had a rough go of it but after the success of 21 Jump Street all bets are off. And now Warner Bros. is moving on a CHiPs movie again, handing the reins over to Dax Shepard to bring it to theaters.

Shepard, who last co-directed the chase action-comedy Hit and Run, will write, direct, and star in CHiPs. More promising is word that Michael Pena (End of Watch, Cesar Chavez) is on board to play Ponch, the role made famous by Erik Estrada and has since become the butt of jokes. Shepard will take on the part of Ponch's partner, Officer Jon Baker (played by Larry Wilcox on the show), the cop duo always patrolling the California highways on their motorcycles looking for troublemakers.

This version of CHiPs isn't expected to be a comedy remake, though. The tone is drawing comparisons to buddy cop movies like Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon, naturally.  [Deadline]

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New Trailer for David Ayer's 'Fury' Starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf

This fall you'll be spending a couple of hours crammed into a tight spot with Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, Michael Pena, and Logan Lerman. While that may sound like a party worth attending unfortunately it will be inside of tank...during WWII....behind enemy lines. That's the idea behind Fury, the war drama from David Ayer (End of Watch) that some are pegging as a sure-fire Oscar contender and possibly Pitt's first shot at winning some gold.

A new trailer for Fury thrusts us into the armored Sherman tank called "Fury", led by battle-hardened Sgt. Wardaddy. With his five-man team Wardaddy must embark on their most dangerous mission yet deep into Nazi territory and wipe out the enemy for good if they want to return home. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of action but clearly this is designed as a wartime drama about the hardships endured and caused by troops on the battlefield.

Fury hits theaters on October 17th.


Fury Trailer #2 (2014) Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf Movie HD. by Newest Trailer

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The Killing's Not Done in First Trailer for 'Fury' Starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf

A few years ago Brad Pitt got his first taste of WWII in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, a film that took a slightly askew look at the fight against Hitler. And it must have been an experience that Pitt took a liking to and drove his decision to star in Fury, from writer/director David Fury coming off his hit cop drama End of Watch. And while this film appears to have a lot more action than 'Basterds' ever came close to, the newly-released trailer also shows it to be more of a character study and deserving of late fall release date.

"The dying's not done, the killing's not done." Pitt stars as Wardaddy, the commander of a five-man tank crew who have been fighting Nazis all around the world. But now as the war begins to wind down they are sent on one last mission behind enemy lines where they are outgunned and outmanned, and must rely on one another to get back home. Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, and Logan Lerman make up the rest of Pitt's team on this one, and this looks to be more of a story about camaraderie on the battlefield than just steamrolling Germans in an armored vehicle. Also released was the film's new poster which comes with the apt tagline "War Never Ends Quietly".

Sony has big expectations for Fury which is why they've given it a very Oscar-friendly release date of November 14th.


Fury - bande annonce [VO] by Filmosphere

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First Footage from David Ayer and Brad Pitt's Tank Thriller, 'Fury'

The bulk of David Ayer's movies up to this point have centered on the brotherhood or lack thereof amongst cops. Some were good, but most weren't and tended to be corrupted by the power their badge provides. Ayer is heading into different territory with Fury, a war flick following a tank crew in the thick of WWII fighting. And while the scenario has certainly changed, that band of brotherhood is again at the center of everything.

The first footage from Fury has been released and it looks like potentially powerful stuff, which is why Sony gave it a release date in the midst of awards season. Brad Pitt, who took home an Oscar as producer of 12 Years A Slave, stars as battle-ready Sgt. Wardaddy, with Jon Bernthal, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, and Logan Lerman as the other members of the team fighting to get out of Nazi territory.

Fury opens on November 14th.

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New Photos of Brad Pitt as Wardaddy in 'Fury'

Brad Pitt isn't an especially prolific actor; he's usually good for maybe two movies a year, if that. But last year he was especially busy, starring in three movies and scoring big in two of them. World War Z, which many pegged as a disaster, grossed north of $500M worldwide; and of course 12 Years A Slave won Best Picture. Next up, Pitt will star in David Ayer's WWII tank thriller, Fury, venturing onto the battlefield for the first time since Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

A pair of new photos give us a look at Pitt as Sgt. Wardaddy, the leader of a five-man Sherman tank crew consisting of Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, and Scott Eastwood. When they get stuck behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany, it's up to Wardaddy and his men to complete the mission despite being outgunned and outnumbered.

Ayer calls it his "ultimate tank movie" and says Pitt is playing a different role than anything he's done before....

Ayer: "He's playing this badass, hard, tough, intense guy. It's a different kind of role for him."

Fury steamrolls into theaters on November 14th, when it may be a sneaky Oscar contender.  [People]

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Review: 'Cesar Chavez' Starring Michael Pena, Rosario Dawson, and John Malkovich

Michael Pena has spent years as one of Hollywood's most reliable character actors, always playing second fiddle to bigger-named stars who don't always have his ability. In the rare times he's been thrust in leading roles, such as in military drama The Lucky One and the cop thriller End of Watch, Pena has proven himself an actor capable of incredible sensitivity and reserves of strength. Both of those qualities come into play in the biggest role of his career, playing activist Cesar Chavez in Diego Luna's sophomore directorial effort.

Pena's performance as the charismatic union leader towers over the film itself, which sadly is too small in scope and formulaic to properly portray Chavez's influence. It's an oddly constructed biopic, one that begins well into Chavez's activism, but without giving us the proper context for it. What drove him to be the man he is when we first meet him? Picking up just as he and his wife Helen (America Ferrera) have gathered up their army of kids and moved to Delano, California, it jumps right into Chavez's fight to secure better working conditions for grape-picking migrant workers.

And so the film takes a fairly linear, undramatic approach to Chavez's battle against the powerful employers, local racists, and corrupt cops looking to squash his little rebellion. Things start off small, with Chavez and his loyal lieutenant Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson) merging their small Mexican outfit with the Filipino workers who are in a similarly tough situation. They want better wages and safer working conditions, going on a 5-year strike using a path of non-violent resistance. It's an approach not all within Chavez's group would support, and he battled aggressive internal forces as much as external. To further champion his peaceful cause, Chavez would go on a 25-day hunger strike, putting his life at risk. It's a powerful act of self-sacrifice, and Pena perfectly embodies Chavez's commitment, but we never get a proper sense of how big the stakes are. We see the small victories against local and national wineries, most notably against the scheming Bogdanovich (John Malkovich), but where is the point where Chavez faces a genuine set back? Where is the point where the movement seems devastated beyond repair? Chavez's story is filled with moments such as these but they are barely addressed here, and it seems as if success is preordained. Also in need of a more thorough examination are his strained familial relationships. His wife worries about his safety while also throwing herself in harm's way, and Chavez struggles to connect with a son who has grown resentful.

Pena's understated performance is perfectly in sync with Luna's subtle direction, echoing the minimalist political dramas of Pablo Larrain. It's a competent step in this phase of Luna's career, but the film's low aspirations and unwillingness to show any flawed aspects of Chavez's character doom it to the realm of so-so biopics. Even so, Pena deserves any and all accolades that come his way. Hopefully this will lead to him getting more opportunities to shine.

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Kate Winslet, Michael B. Jordan, Gal Gadot, Aaron Paul and More Join John Hillcoat's 'Triple Nine'

As has been noted here many times in the past; Lawless director John Hillcoat has had it easy attracting A-list talent to his films. And that has continued to be the case as he's put together cop thriller Triple Nine, with names like Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Christoph Waltz, and Charlie Hunnam among those who didn't end up signing on. Fortunately, Hillcoat managed to snag Casey Affleck and Best Actor nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor, but that's nothing compared to who just came aboard.

According to Deadline, Kate Winslet, Teresa Palmer, Michael Pena, Gal Gadot, Aaron Paul and the previously rumored Michael B. Jordan have all joined Triple Nine, making for a powerhouse cast that should have it on every radar. The gritty crime tale features Affleck as an honorable rookie cop who is targeted for death by a crew of dirty cops looking to distract from an impossible heist they are planning. On the inside of their crew is an undercover looking to foil their plot, which is already turned upside down when Affleck's character survives the attack.

No word on any roles but when Blanchett was attached she was set to play a mobster's scheming wife and the mastermind behind the entire ordeal, so maybe that's who Winslet will play.  Open Road plans to release Triple Nine in 2015, so look out.

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Michael Peña Gets Serious in New Trailer for 'Cesar Chavez'

The long-awaited trailed for Cesar Chavez is finally here and looks to be a role that star Michael Peña will leave a powerful impression on. Peña plays the title character, based on the true story of the Mexican-American activist who led the Delano grape strike in the 1960s that lasted five years and he helped fight for the rights of farms workers. Chavez earned the support of Robert Kennedy when he went on a 25-day hunger strike in 1968. 

You can check out the first trailer for the movie below! The film also stars America Ferrera, Rosario Dawson, John Malkovich, Gabriel Mann, and Jacob Vargas and is directed by Diego Luna. It's set to hit theaters March 28. 

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Michael Pena Eyes Marvel's 'Ant-Man'; Bryce Dallas Howard, Rashida Jones in the Mix

There's no turning back now; Marvel's Ant-Man is moving ahead rapidly with Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas donning the Avenger's costume. With production set to begin soon the rest of the cast is beginning to take shape, and it looks like Michael Pena may be a part of it.

The Wrap says Pena, who can currently be seen as a phony sheik in American Hustle, has been offered a role in the film. Nothing on who he might play, and there isn't any character in the Marvel comics that immediately springs to mind, but Pena is a diverse actor who can do pretty much anything he's called on for. The number of excellent character actors Disney/Marvel have added in the last few months alone has been incredible.

There's still the matter of finding the female lead, and Variety says Bryce Dallas Howard and Rashida Jones are the top contenders for it. Jones has been rumored for the role of Wasp before, but this is the first we've heard of Howard. She may be a bit tough to schedule around since she's also got Jurassic World, and fans already love Rudd and Jones from I Love You, Man.

But there's nothing that says the female lead actually is for the Wasp, and our friends at Bleeding Cool say it's really for the daughter of the second male lead. Presumably that would be the daughter of Hank Pym, played by Michael Douglas, but he doesn't have any children in the comics. Rudd's character, Scott Lang, has a superhero daughter named Cassie Lang, but neither Jones or Howard would be the right age for that. So there's something going on here that we aren't privy to yet. Pym may be the central figure in this story and not Lang.

Perhaps when Marvel hits us with a confirmation we'll find out the whole story. Edgar Wright's Ant-Man opens July 31st 2015.

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First Trailer for Diego Luna's 'Cesar Chavez: An American Hero' Starring Michael Pena

Despite his obvious talent and scene-stealing ability, the chances to see Michael Pena in a leading role are extremely rare. He was tremendous a few years ago as an injured soldier in The Lucky Ones, but it was in last year's End of Watch that Pena showed what he could really do. Now he's getting another chance to prove himself in Diego Luna's directorial debut, Cesar Chavez: An American Hero, a film that could earn him a great deal of attention.

The first trailer has been released, and it hits on a number of hot button topics, especially immigration and worker rights. Written by Keir Pearson (Hotel Rwanda), the film focuses mostly on Chavez's organization of the largest non-violent protest in history as he fought to gain better rights for farm workers in California. Looks solid, and Pena seems to capture the activist's fiery personality.

Co-starring Rosario Dawson, America Ferrera, John Malkovich, Wes Bentley, and Gabriel Mann, Cesar Chavez: An American Hero opens on April 4th 2014.

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First Look at Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, and Shia LaBeouf in WWII Tank Thriller 'Fury'

After scoring his greatest critical success with last year's terrific cop thriller End of Watch, David Ayer is heading to WWII for his follow-up, the tank thriller Fury. Starring Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Pena, Logan Lerman, and Jon Bernthal, the film is set in 1945 and follows an five-man American tank crew caught behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany. 

Ayer has tweeted the first image from the film, and it's clearly a behind-the-scenes shot of the cast aboard the titular tank. Pitt plays the awesomely-named Sgt. Wardaddy; Lerman is the military typist Norman Ellison; with Pena as their drunk tank driver.

Fury steamrolls into theaters on November 14th 2014.

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Djimon Hounsou and Michael Pena To Star In 'The Vatican Tapes'

It's tough to get excited over exorcism films nowadays because they all generally tell the same story. Girl gets possessed, exorcism goes terribly wrong, rinse and repeat. And certainly The Vatican Tapes doesn't deviate too much from that formula, but there's reason for optimism now that Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (In America, Blood Diamond) and End of Watch star Michael Pena have joined the cast as production gears up.

Directed by Mark Neveldine (Crank), The Vatican Tapes involves a leaked video of an exorcism gone wrong. Pena plays Father Lozano, a local priest who discovers that a 27-year old girl is possessed by a satanic force. Hounsou is Vicar Imani, dispatched by the Vatican to exorcise the demon and finding it may be more powerful than he imagined. The cast is rounded out by Dougray Scott, Kathleen Robertson, Peter Andersson, and Olivia Dudley.

Honestly, this sounds beneath the talents of both actors, but their must be something to the script that caught their eye.  Filming begins next month.

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Trailer Time: 'The Good Doctor', starring Orlando Bloom and Riley Keough

What happened to Orland Bloom? The guy seemed to have it all working in his favor after The Lord of the Rings, but since then he's wasted away in one bad movie or another. Are his angelic good looks holding him back? That's possible, but the real reason is probably that he's not that great of an actor. Playing an elf with a bow and arrow is cool, because we expect him to be a little inhuman, but that doesn't explain why Bloom seems so stiff in practically every other role. His movies now have no buzz, even when Bloom is surrounded by a solid supporting cast.

Such is the case with The Good Doctor, the new thriller from director Lance Daly and co-starring Taraji P. Henson, Riley Keough, Michael Pena, J.K. Simmons, Troy Garity, and Rob Morrow. Bloom, and his unfortunate haircut plays Martin Blake, an enthusiastic and anxious young doctor. While he's handsome and charming, he's really arrogant and has something of a God complex, so it shatters him when things don't seem to go his way. When he successfully treats the kidney infection of 18-year old Diane(Keough), it gives him the boost of confidence he needs. However when she starts to improve, Martin can't let that feeling go and starts to take her treatment a step too far.

The trailer doesn't look all that bad, but there's just one major problem: THEY GIVE THE WHOLE FRIGGIN' MOVIE AWAY! So if you're interested in checking out The Good Doctor when it hits Itunes on July 27th, or in theaters on August 31st, you might want to turn back now....

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Diego Luna taps Michael Pena to play Cesar E. Chavez in his directorial debut

Although Michael Pena has had a very busy year, appearing in Battle: Los Angeles, 30 Minutes or Less, Tower Heist, The Lincoln Lawyer, and the upcoming Gangster Squad, none of those roles I think adequately convey how great he truly is.  For a better example of what he can do, one would have to look back at 2008's The Lucky Ones, in which he plays a returning soldier facing an uncertain reunion with his love. It's an amazing performance which unfortunately has gone mostly unseen. but hopefully Pena is about to get the recognition he has so long deserved.

Variety reports he'll play civil rights and labor activist Cesar E. Chavez in the directorial debut from Diego Luna(Y tu Mama Tambien). Titled simply Chavez, the film will chronicle his work in the 60s and 70s, which included organizing the largest farm worker strike in U.S. history. His birthday on March 31st is celebrated in California as a state holiday.  America Ferrera(Ugly Betty) will play Chavez's wife, with Rosario Dawson as his top aide, Dolores Huerta.  If you're wondering where to find Luna's frequent on-screen partner, Gael Garcia Bernal, he's listed as one of the film's producers.

The script comes from Hotel Rwanda scribe, Keir Pearson, even more reason to believe this may be Pena's first real shot at some awards love. Filming begins in Mexico next month, so it may even be ready by the end of the year.

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The Lincoln Lawyer, starring Matthew McConaughey

Slick Los Angeles lawyer Mickey Haller(Matthew McConaughey) has the city in the palm of his hand. A high powered defense attorney happy to count the dregs of society as his primary client pool, Haller is the type of lawyer people point to when they say they hate lawyers. He's loose with the rules, quick on the uptake, and even quicker to negotiate a plea deal for a client. If he wasn't so successful you'd all him an ambulance chaser. The District Attorneys curse his name while falling to his charms and courtroom prowess. Oh, and did I fail to mention that his office is a chauffeured Lincoln Town Car, escorting him to his meetings throughout the city? Homeboy has it made.

Haller's not a complete jerk, he's just a guy with a plan. Part of that plan is taking care of his daughter and ex-wife(Marisa  Tomei), who works for the DA. If he's going to do that he needs a really big case. He finds it when socialite prettyboy Louis Roulet(Ryan Phillippe) requests him specifically as his counsel. Roulet has been thrown behind bars, charged with rape and attempted murder. Roulet forcefully demands right from the start that there'll be no deals this time. It's straight innocent, no jail time. Period.  It becomes clear very quickly that this case is one giant legal snake pit.  The victim is a prostitute, which should score Roulet some points with the jury. But then there's Rolet's caginess. He just can't quite get his story straight, and the DA is far too confident. Something isn't adding up, and the secrets being withheld could have consequences far beyond a simple courtroom verdict. 


Matthew McConaughey is an actor who irritates the crap outta me. Not because he's particularly bad in anything specific, but because so much of his potential has gone to waste mugging for the camera opposite Kate Hudson in bad rom-coms. As we saw when he played another cunning lawyer in A Time To Kill, he can be a fantastic dramatic actor when given material worth his time. McConaughey nails a role that could have become very cliche very quickly. We've all seen the story of the defense attorney at odds with his profession, which is basically letting creeps back out on the street. It's a role that seems tailor made for the actor, both calling for his good looks and charismatic personality, which again works just as well in reverse when the full weight of his burden starts to take it's toll.  Quite simply this is the best McConaughey has been in years, possibly ever.

I think in a lot of ways McConaughey is an actor who performs to the level of his supporting cast. I would look again to his two best performance in my opinion: A Time To Kill, and Contact opposite Jodie Foster. Here he gets to work with the great William H. Macy, a guy who has never had a dishonest emotion on screen ever. He gets to play Haller's private investigator sidekick, a wild haired neurotic helping dig into Roulet's questionable social life. Tomei is as sexy and solid as ever, even though her character isn't given a whole lot to do. It took Phillippe some time to work his way into the arrogant elitist role, but eventually he fits into it perfectly. The surprise was Josh Lucas as Haller's prosecutorial opponent. It's crazy to think that at one point both Lucas and McConaughey were very similar actors with career paths headed in the same direction(remember Stealth? Blah.). Now the two couldnt be more different, and it's personified by the extreme differences in their characters. I could've used a bit more of Katherine Moenig(The L Word), and Michael Pena(The Lucky Ones) is absolutely wasted. Both are extremely good in throw away roles.

Relatively unknown director Brad Furman has shown a marked improvement since his first(and only other) theatrical film, the low budget heist flick, The Take. He has a knack for the gritty, concrete side of Los Angeles, like he's stealing a page from David Ayer or Antoine Fuqua. The musical score is a bumpin' ode to 90s hip hop gems from Erick Sermon to Gangstarr(a fitting tribute to the fallen Guru). The beats bounce the story along in perfect sync with Furman's upbeat visual style. The real surprise is how well he also keeps the courtroom drama intriguing. Those have a tendency to become very stagnant.

As the twists continue to mount, my worry was that the story would start to unravel. It isn't long before the body counts start to rise and characters begin to reveal their true selves. Fortunately the script by John Romano never piles on more surprises than is necessary, keeping the majority of the focus on Haller's moral dilemma. Can Haller maintain his already shaky faith in the justice system when the system is crashing down around him?

Adapted from the work of crime novelist Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer is the type of movie we just don't get much of anymore. A legal thriller that's smart, mysterious, and will keep you on your toes from beginning to the very end. Here's hoping this is the start of a trend.

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