New Trailers: Tomorrowland, Foxcatcher and Focus!

Shortly after the first images were released from Disney's Tomorrowland (2015), the first teaser was unveiled too. Starring Britt Robertson as Casey as young girl who stumbles across a secret world (aka Tomorrowland) by possessing a very special pin. This first teaser shows us how Casey comes about that pin. Also making an appearance in the trailer is George Clooney as former boy-genius Frank Walker who promises "a secret place, where nothing is impossible. A miraculous place where you could actually change the world." I'm ready to go, Frank! Tomorrowland releases worldwide on May 22, 2015.

  

Director Bennett Miller's (Capote, Moneyball) next is based on the true story of millionaire Jon du Pont (played by an unrecognisable Steve Carell) and his involvement with the Schulz brothers, Mark (Channing Tatum) and Dave (Mark Ruffalo).  This longer trailer shows how du Pont's sponsorship of Mark for national and international competitions complicates relationships between them all.  And spoiler alert, things do not end well!! Miller has already won the Best Director award at Cannes this year and big things are expected from Foxcatcher this awards season.  Foxcatcher releases November 14, 2014.

There was a time when Will Smith dominated the box-office with his films. But since taking a four-year hiatus from films and coming back with less than stellar cinema (Men in Black 3, After Earth), Smith needs to bring back some of his old mojo. Focus, a romantic thriller, pairs him with Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) as two con artists who were once romantically involved. Three years later, they meet again in Buenos Aires and throw a wrench in each other's con games. Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Recqua (Crazy, Stupid, Love.), Focus releases next year on February 27, 2015. I've missed a good Will Smith movie and this one hopefully shows Smith back in form. Unfortunately, the release date (right after the Oscars) is maybe not the best opening for the film. Fingers crossed!

Movie Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

What is the reason why we watch rom-coms? Over the years, there is a certain pattern of predictability to them that we've come to expect. Same reason why I may chose to watch a movie like Notting Hill a weekend when you've got nothing to do is because they are like comfort food.

But once in awhile there comes a movie that throws all the rules out and presents you with something quite original.  Crazy, Stupid, Love is that movie.  I can't remember when I had such a good time in the theater (read: laughed out loud at actual jokes). This a movie that you have to watch with an audience because the audience reactions to what goes onscreen are just as entertaining.


Crazy, Stupid, Love is about the dissolution of a marriage, not something you'd expect in a rom-com but it works here.  Julianne Moore's character Emily opens the film by asking for a divorce and the film moves ahead to show us how they both handle the separation.  Steve Carrell's character Cal is a bit of sad sack at the beginning, who's completely thrown for a loop by this announcement and suddenly takes to hanging out a trendy bar where he clearly is out of place.  Jacob (Ryan Gosling) notices him and decides to take him under his wing to make be a man again. Here comes the fun part of the movie, the sequences of Carell's makeover are very well-done comically.  He then emerges a new man and tries to win back his ex-wife.  It doesn't go very well, bad for him and funny fodder for us. And, oh yeah, Jacob also meets his match in Hannah (Emma Stone).

There are other sub-plots running through the film that tie itself very neatly to the ending. I don't want to reveal anything here, it will ruin your viewing pleasure.  Though I must say, it was quite impressive, I never saw it coming.  I was so engrossed in the film. The movie has effortless performances by its starcast in particular Carell and Gosling. You'd never think them to be a team together, but it totally works here. Gosling is usually such a serious actor otherwise, one would never think to find him in a movie like this. But he really commits to his role. I really enjoyed this film and I'd say if you're only going watch one rom-com this year, watch this one!

PS-My funniest scene of the film, the girls in the audience actually gasped out loud at this. Ryan Reynolds, you have officially been dethroned for best movie abs by Ryan Gosling! Sorry, but look at them.  



Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Recqua; Written by Dan Fogelman; Cinematography by Andrew Dunn; Edited by Lee Haxall; Music by Christophe Beck and Nick Urata

Rating:

Weekly News Roundup: New Year's Eve and a Heroine for Batman!

• Whoa! New Year's Eve got a whole lot of interesting.  Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher, and Hilary Swank are all considering roles in the holiday flick.  Empire Online has more deets about it.
• Robert De Niro's New Year will also be very special for him because it's been announced that he will be receiving the Cecil B. DeMile Award Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Globe Awards on January 15th, 2011.  He's ready for his closeup!
• Steve  Carrell (The Office) will produce and star in Imagine where he discovers he's the long lost son of a famous rocker who wants to reconnect.  This will be Dan Fogelman's, writer of such animated hits as Cars, Bolt and the upcoming Tangled, directorial debut.  
• Dame Judi Dench's cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides confirmed by producer Jerry Bruckheimer.  This movie just got cooler!
• Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo added two new cast members.   Patrick Fugit, from Crowe's hit Almost Famous and Elle Fanning, younger sister of Dakota, will be acting alongside Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.  
• Disney is in talks with Jon Favreau to make Magic House where the attractions at the theme park come to life.  I so don't want to go there.  
• Twentieth Century Fox has acquired the rights for BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs 3D which will release in 2012.  Let the dinosaurs roam the earth, I say.
• And finally, the best for last, let's add one more rumor to the Batman rumor mill.  Chris Nolan is said to be looking at a short list for an actress opposite Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale).   Will it be Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts, Blake Lively, Natalie Portman, Anne Hathaway or Keira Knightley? Or will it be someone else all together?