The following post contains spoilers for "Salt."
The 2010 film "Salt" stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy. The movie, directed by Phillip Noyce, reveals that she is one, but there is far more to it than simply that. She's been working as a double agent, set up to spy for Russia and waiting to be activated, but things have happened since she was put as a child into a secret Russian program. She's met a man (August Diehl), fallen in love, and gotten married. She's built herself a life. Oh, and then there was the reason she was made a Russian sleeper agent in the first place.
The ending reveals that she wasn't the only Russian child spy and that someone she never suspected is one as well. While the first thing you remember about "Salt" is likely the fuss...
The 2010 film "Salt" stars Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA agent who is accused of being a Russian spy. The movie, directed by Phillip Noyce, reveals that she is one, but there is far more to it than simply that. She's been working as a double agent, set up to spy for Russia and waiting to be activated, but things have happened since she was put as a child into a secret Russian program. She's met a man (August Diehl), fallen in love, and gotten married. She's built herself a life. Oh, and then there was the reason she was made a Russian sleeper agent in the first place.
The ending reveals that she wasn't the only Russian child spy and that someone she never suspected is one as well. While the first thing you remember about "Salt" is likely the fuss...
- 11/4/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
A brilliant, celebrated performer accepts a low-profile gig in unfamiliar environs, only to be trapped as the situation falls apart around her. But enough about Julianne Moore agreeing to star in “Bel Canto,” and let’s keep the focus on Paul Weitz’s po-faced hostage melodrama itself, which strands a world-renowned American soprano in the crossfire between an oppressive government and desperate insurgents in an unspecified South American nation. Ann Patchett’s much-lauded 2001 novel was optioned upon publication for its seemingly surefire cinematic fusion of high romantic and political stakes, yet until a sudden, bloody climax, this belated adaptation remains a blandly perfumed, low-peril affair.
With an enviable international ensemble — including Moore, Ken Watanabe and Sebastian Koch — all looking variously out of sorts, only an unseen Renee Fleming, who lends her gorgeously shaded vocals to the leading lady’s lips, emerges on song. Moore’s name will draw some interest...
With an enviable international ensemble — including Moore, Ken Watanabe and Sebastian Koch — all looking variously out of sorts, only an unseen Renee Fleming, who lends her gorgeously shaded vocals to the leading lady’s lips, emerges on song. Moore’s name will draw some interest...
- 9/13/2018
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
“Iron Fist” Season 2 is here, arriving in what is now a fully formed shared TV universe with Marvel’s other Netflix shows. So let’s take a look at all the ways “Iron Fist” calls back to “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage,” “Jessica Jones” and “The Defenders.” Some spoilers here, obviously.
Season 2 calls back to the literally earth-shattering events of “The Defenders” a few times. Most notably to the biggest development in the Marvel Netflix TVverse so far: the apparent death of Daredevil when the Midland Circle building collapsed on him and Elektra.
Misty Knight (Simone Missick), one of the main characters from “Luke Cage,” also joined the main cast of “Iron Fist in season 2 — paying back appearances by Danny Rand (Finn Jones) and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) in season 2 of “Luke Cage.”
Misty also refers back to the battle at Midland Circle in “Defenders,” which was where she lost her arm.
Season 2 calls back to the literally earth-shattering events of “The Defenders” a few times. Most notably to the biggest development in the Marvel Netflix TVverse so far: the apparent death of Daredevil when the Midland Circle building collapsed on him and Elektra.
Misty Knight (Simone Missick), one of the main characters from “Luke Cage,” also joined the main cast of “Iron Fist in season 2 — paying back appearances by Danny Rand (Finn Jones) and Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) in season 2 of “Luke Cage.”
Misty also refers back to the battle at Midland Circle in “Defenders,” which was where she lost her arm.
- 9/7/2018
- by Phil Owen
- The Wrap
Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of brilliant African-American women working at Nasa, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big. Photo Credit: Hopper Stone.
The Academy Science and Technology Council will present “Hidden Figures/Modern Figures: A Journey of Breakthroughs in Cinema and Space Travel,” in collaboration with Nasa, on Wednesday, November 29, at 7:30pm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The evening will feature a panel discussion with Nasa scientists and “Hidden Figures” filmmakers for an examination of the past, present and future in space math, diversity and the movies.
Hidden Figures opened in cinemas on January 6, 2017.
Moderated...
The Academy Science and Technology Council will present “Hidden Figures/Modern Figures: A Journey of Breakthroughs in Cinema and Space Travel,” in collaboration with Nasa, on Wednesday, November 29, at 7:30pm at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The evening will feature a panel discussion with Nasa scientists and “Hidden Figures” filmmakers for an examination of the past, present and future in space math, diversity and the movies.
Hidden Figures opened in cinemas on January 6, 2017.
Moderated...
- 11/15/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
20th Century Fox has released the first poster for their upcoming film, Hidden Figures, based on the women you don’t know behind the mission you do. This incredible untold story stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer & Janelle Monáe and hits theaters this January.
Check out the the trailer for Hidden Figures below.
Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)-brilliant African-American women working at Nasa, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
The cast also stars Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge and Glen Powell.
Check out the the trailer for Hidden Figures below.
Hidden Figures is the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe)-brilliant African-American women working at Nasa, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence, turned around the Space Race, and galvanized the world. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
The cast also stars Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge and Glen Powell.
- 8/15/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Last winter, the world met Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, a "typical" white-bread married couple living in suburban Washington, D.C., circa 1981. Philip (Matthew Rhys) plays racquetball and runs a local travel agency, while fresh-faced Elizabeth (Keri Russell) sports a wardrobe straight out of Blair Warner's closet and spends her free time baking brownies for the new neighbors. Philip and Elizabeth are so good at masking their true identities that even their American-born children have no clue Mom and Dad are really highly trained Kgb agents spying on their adopted homeland.
- 2/24/2014
- Rollingstone.com
Debra Messing was in attendance Saturday night to celebrate the premiere of the film Butterflies of Bill Baker. Messing was joined by VH1 Gossip Table personality Delaina Dixon, and more, as well as the stars of the film, Will Chase, Sterling Jerins, Zuzanna Szadkowski, and Polly Lee. The film’s producer Reema Dutt and director Sania Jhankar attended as well as Angeli Kakade, the film’s music supervisor singer/songwriter.
Butterflies of Bill Baker revolves around a sweet and sensitive man, Bill Baker, who lets life pass by him. Living a seemingly normal life, Bill suffers from Pavornocturnus, which is a real condition that causes people to commit violent acts in their sleep. Suffering through the condition, Bill resorts to a new, yet dangerous technology that has serious mind-altering side affects.
Shot all over New York City, the film was a finalist at the Chris Columbus Vague Award, where director...
Butterflies of Bill Baker revolves around a sweet and sensitive man, Bill Baker, who lets life pass by him. Living a seemingly normal life, Bill suffers from Pavornocturnus, which is a real condition that causes people to commit violent acts in their sleep. Suffering through the condition, Bill resorts to a new, yet dangerous technology that has serious mind-altering side affects.
Shot all over New York City, the film was a finalist at the Chris Columbus Vague Award, where director...
- 7/4/2013
- by Catherina Gioino
- Nerdly
The first season of The Americans came to a thrilling end in “The Colonel,” a gratifying resolver that still left plenty to ponder for Season 2.
Our favorite Directorate S agents were given two separate orders, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) was to meet the Colonel (Victor Slezak), with intelligence on President Regan’s Star Wars missile defense system, while Phillip (Matthew Rhys) was ordered to retrieve a the latest recording from Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s study bug, which audiences learned from last week, was compromised by Agent Gaad’s (Richard Thomas) task force.
Orders came from Claudia (Margo Martindale) in another icy exchange with Elizabeth, sparking suspicion from her and Phillip, that the meeting with the Colonel was most likely, a setup due to its sudden urgency and level of intelligence exchanged. It was finally agreed upon that they carry out the orders as planned–until Phillip changes the plans at the last minute,...
Our favorite Directorate S agents were given two separate orders, Elizabeth (Keri Russell) was to meet the Colonel (Victor Slezak), with intelligence on President Regan’s Star Wars missile defense system, while Phillip (Matthew Rhys) was ordered to retrieve a the latest recording from Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger’s study bug, which audiences learned from last week, was compromised by Agent Gaad’s (Richard Thomas) task force.
Orders came from Claudia (Margo Martindale) in another icy exchange with Elizabeth, sparking suspicion from her and Phillip, that the meeting with the Colonel was most likely, a setup due to its sudden urgency and level of intelligence exchanged. It was finally agreed upon that they carry out the orders as planned–until Phillip changes the plans at the last minute,...
- 5/2/2013
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
Salt (2010) Film Review, a movie directed by Phillip Noyce and starring Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Daniel Olbrychski, August Diehl, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Daniel Pearce, Andre Braugher, Olek Krupa, Cassidy Hinkle, Corey Stoll, Olya Zueva, Kevin O’Donnell, and Gaius Charles. Salt is a film at odds with itself: on one hand it wants to be a [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Salt (2010): Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber...
Continue reading: Film Review: Salt (2010): Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber...
- 5/30/2012
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Unlike so many beginnings, this case starts out with a death. And while we might believe that Finch's (Michael Emerson) Orwellian nightmare of a Machine is infallible, we discover by the end that literally anyone and anything can be wrong. A man is shot in a bodega and there is a witness. Carter (Taraji Henson) and Fusco (Kevin Chapman) are called in and want the video surveillance of the witness. Problem is, they don't know who the guy is. The dead guy was a mob lieutenant D'Agostino and they figure this is a hit going down between the Italian Mob and the Russian Mob headed up by Ivan Yogorov (Olek Krupa). Fusco figures that if he can be pumped for information by our heroes, they can return the favor. As luck would have it, the Machine has already kicked out a name to go with the witness: Charlie Burton (Enrico Colantoni...
- 11/4/2011
- by mbijeaux@corp.popstar.com (Melissa Bijeaux)
- PopStar
Danny investigates the Russian mob after the son of a mobster is killed at a party and he has a lot to learn about the family politics of the mob. This new episode of Blue Bloods will air on January 26. Below are promo photos and a synopsis from CBS.
The Son Of A Russian Gangster Is Killed At His Engagement Party And Danny Delves Into The World Of The Russian Mob, On "Blue Bloods," Wednesday, Jan. 26
"Family Ties" - When the son of a Russian gangster is killed at his own engagement party, Danny delves into the world of the Russian mob and the family politics that exist. Meanwhile, Erin is thrown into a high-profile corruption case, on Blue Bloods, Wednesday, Jan. 26 (10:00-11:00 Pm, Et/Pt) on the CBS Television Network.
Guest Cast:
Anna........................................... Lola Glaudini
Grushenko.................................... Olek Krupa
Sophia....................................... Sofia Sokolov
Sergei ........................................ Pawel Szajda
Boris....................................... Luke Robertson
Mischa.
The Son Of A Russian Gangster Is Killed At His Engagement Party And Danny Delves Into The World Of The Russian Mob, On "Blue Bloods," Wednesday, Jan. 26
"Family Ties" - When the son of a Russian gangster is killed at his own engagement party, Danny delves into the world of the Russian mob and the family politics that exist. Meanwhile, Erin is thrown into a high-profile corruption case, on Blue Bloods, Wednesday, Jan. 26 (10:00-11:00 Pm, Et/Pt) on the CBS Television Network.
Guest Cast:
Anna........................................... Lola Glaudini
Grushenko.................................... Olek Krupa
Sophia....................................... Sofia Sokolov
Sergei ........................................ Pawel Szajda
Boris....................................... Luke Robertson
Mischa.
- 1/20/2011
- by Clarissa
- TVovermind.com
Despite her talent, we unfortunately don't get to see Angelina Jolie quite a lot in serious dramas. However, as someone we're used to see in blockbusters, Angelina Jolie is one of the few Hollywood stars that can rival with many of Asia's most kick-ass action stars. Needless to say that Salt should entertain you at most.
In this espionage thriller, Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt (does she?), a CIA agent. One day, someone who appears to be a Russian defector (Daniel Olbrychski) comes to the CIA in order to reveal some secrets. As this man - named Vassily Orlov - is being interrogated by Salt, he reveals that Russia's president (Olek Krupa) will be assassinated during the funeral of the American Vice-President's funeral in New York. Moreover, this defector adds that the assassin is none other than a Russian sleeper agent named... Evelyn Salt. Since the CIA, which is led...
In this espionage thriller, Jolie stars as Evelyn Salt (does she?), a CIA agent. One day, someone who appears to be a Russian defector (Daniel Olbrychski) comes to the CIA in order to reveal some secrets. As this man - named Vassily Orlov - is being interrogated by Salt, he reveals that Russia's president (Olek Krupa) will be assassinated during the funeral of the American Vice-President's funeral in New York. Moreover, this defector adds that the assassin is none other than a Russian sleeper agent named... Evelyn Salt. Since the CIA, which is led...
- 9/3/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Tales of espionage need to encompass two elements at all times. Intricate plot and action sequences that get the adrenaline pumping. Pretty standard these days. Almost too standard though. Ever since The Bourne Identity blew everyone away, more filmmakers started to mimic that style. Every flick in the genre since Bourne has been almost identical. Makes one kind of miss the delivery of a '90s James Bond flick.
Coming in at possibly the right time is Salt. Although the 100 minute feature does have its cliched moments, audiences will easily let them pass by (much like the secret service agents chasing our title character). As they continue to enjoy the consistent action and plot twists. It was also nice not being able to see all the twists coming for once.
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA officer who has done it all for her country.
Tales of espionage need to encompass two elements at all times. Intricate plot and action sequences that get the adrenaline pumping. Pretty standard these days. Almost too standard though. Ever since The Bourne Identity blew everyone away, more filmmakers started to mimic that style. Every flick in the genre since Bourne has been almost identical. Makes one kind of miss the delivery of a '90s James Bond flick.
Coming in at possibly the right time is Salt. Although the 100 minute feature does have its cliched moments, audiences will easily let them pass by (much like the secret service agents chasing our title character). As they continue to enjoy the consistent action and plot twists. It was also nice not being able to see all the twists coming for once.
Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is a CIA officer who has done it all for her country.
- 7/22/2010
- Tampa Film Examiner
See new images from Sony Pictures Classics' "Whatever Works," starring Ed Begley Jr, Patricia Clarkson, Larry David, Conleth Hill, Michael McKean, Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Cavill and Kristen Johnston. Woody Allen directs and writes the film produced by Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum. The comedy is an official selection at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and will see limited venues on June 19th. See all the images in the gallery. What's it about? Woody Allen returns to New York with an offbeat comedy about a crotchety misanthrope (Larry David) and a naïve, impressionable young runaway from the south (Evan Rachel Wood). When her uptight parents, (Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr.) arrive to rescue her, they are quickly drawn into wildly unexpected romantic entanglements. Everyone discovers that finding love is just a combination of lucky chance and appreciating the value of Whatever Works. After the failure of his career, his marriage,...
- 4/27/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Opens
Friday, May 30
"The Italian Job", a 1969 comic caper about a cunning plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin, gets translated into a muscular present-day actioner under the assured direction of F. Gary Gray. If the first film was big on quirky charm and heart -- it starred Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill -- the new version opts for high-gloss style and forward momentum.
Scripters Donna Powers and Wayne Powers borrow two story elements from the original and run with them: the idea of creating a traffic jam in order to pull off a heist and the crucial use of a fleet of three Mini Coopers as stunt characters par excellence. This time around, the microcars are not only characters but a full-fledged marketing tie-in. Times have changed.
Less giddy and more cohesive than the original, the film doesn't waste time, plunging almost directly into a spectacular heist of $35 million in gold bullion that six men, working with digital precision, pull off in a Venice palazzo. The subsequent speedboat chase through the canals, the first of several sequences featuring vehicles performing only-in-the-movies feats, sets the bar for the film's power-propulsion sensibility. On the heels of the "X-Men" and "Matrix" sequels, this more earthbound adventure, with its appealing cast, will be a strong pull for summer audiences seeking high-velocity action.
The plot twists begin when, after a mountaintop toast to their success, five of the men fall victim to a double-cross on an icy road through the Alps, with their sour accomplice Steve (Edward Norton) stepping forward as the bad guy and killing the group's elder statesman, John Donald Sutherland). In a visual homage to the first film's cliffhanger ending, the men's van teeters on the edge of the road before plunging into a lake, where the remaining men share diving equipment to stay alive while Steve shoots away as though at fish in a barrel. Believing they're all dead, he takes off with his conspirators and the loot.
A year later, the gold bricks, marked with telltale Balinese dancers, surface in Los Angeles, and the group's leader, Charlie (Mark Wahlberg), enlists the help of John's daughter (Charlize Theron) in getting them back. Stella, who has inherited her father's knack for cracking safes but works with the law rather than against it, gives in to the desire to avenge John's death. Besides being a skilled safe technician, she's a menace with a Mini, pushing her little red car to extremes through everyday traffic, a talent that will come in handy during the final heist.
The group assembles in L.A. and organizes a scheme to steal the remaining gold from Steve's hilltop mansion. Gray and the writers keep psychologizing to a minimum, with the team's back stories neatly encapsulated in insta-sketches, providing rooting interests and comic relief: Lyle (Seth Green) is the slightly goofy computer genius; explosives expert Left-Ear (Mos Def) is a gentle, charming aesthete with a taste for first editions; Handsome Rob (Jason Statham) is the wheel man and smooth womanizer; and Wahlberg's Charlie, a born thief and strategizer, is the mastermind who holds the group together. There are glimmers of his attraction to Stella, but he's generally so stolid and blank that their nascent romance has little resonance, and he barely registers as an individual.
Even if there's little question that the good thieves will triumph, the film generates a good share of tension, especially in scenes that place Stella and her father's killer face to face. Plan A falls through in a terrific twist, and, as Steve Says to Charlie with a nasty smirk, the game starts up again. It culminates in engineered gridlock and a cat-and-mice chase between Steve, in a malignant black helicopter, and the three heroic Minis -- red, white and blue, as in the original -- tearing through Hollywood and plunging into dark Metro tunnels.
Franky G, Olek Krupa, Boris Krutonog and Gawtti make impressions in supporting roles, while the likable central ensemble gets the job done with straight-ahead work. But the most compelling reason to see the film, besides its high-wire action, is Norton, whose Steve is a villain to remember not because he's outsize in any way but because he's quite the opposite -- an unsettling calculation of quiet self-loathing and predatory instincts.
The accomplished technical package serves the action well, from the widescreen lensing, pulse-quickening editing and propulsive music to the production and costume design, which never call attention to themselves, and the slick Cartesian computer models used throughout. Gray pays tribute to Caine, the original Charlie, in a fleeting glimpse of "Alfie" on the villain's big-screen TV.
THE ITALIAN JOB
Paramount Pictures
De Line Pictures
Credits:
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenwriters: Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Based on the film written by: Troy Kennedy Martin
Producer: Donald De Line
Executive producers: James R. Dyer, Wendy Japhet, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Director of photography: Wally Pfister
Production designer: Charles Wood
Music: John Powell
Costume designer: Mark Bridges
Editors: Richard Francis-Bruce, Christopher Rouse
Cast:
Charlie Croker: Mark Wahlberg
Stella Bridger: Charlize Theron
Steve Frezelli: Edward Norton
Lyle: Seth Green
Handsome Rob: Jason Statham
Wrench: Franky G.
John Bridger: Donald Sutherland
Yevhen: Boris Krutonog
Mashkov: Olek Krupa
Skinny Pete: Gawtti
Running time -- 111 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Friday, May 30
"The Italian Job", a 1969 comic caper about a cunning plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin, gets translated into a muscular present-day actioner under the assured direction of F. Gary Gray. If the first film was big on quirky charm and heart -- it starred Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill -- the new version opts for high-gloss style and forward momentum.
Scripters Donna Powers and Wayne Powers borrow two story elements from the original and run with them: the idea of creating a traffic jam in order to pull off a heist and the crucial use of a fleet of three Mini Coopers as stunt characters par excellence. This time around, the microcars are not only characters but a full-fledged marketing tie-in. Times have changed.
Less giddy and more cohesive than the original, the film doesn't waste time, plunging almost directly into a spectacular heist of $35 million in gold bullion that six men, working with digital precision, pull off in a Venice palazzo. The subsequent speedboat chase through the canals, the first of several sequences featuring vehicles performing only-in-the-movies feats, sets the bar for the film's power-propulsion sensibility. On the heels of the "X-Men" and "Matrix" sequels, this more earthbound adventure, with its appealing cast, will be a strong pull for summer audiences seeking high-velocity action.
The plot twists begin when, after a mountaintop toast to their success, five of the men fall victim to a double-cross on an icy road through the Alps, with their sour accomplice Steve (Edward Norton) stepping forward as the bad guy and killing the group's elder statesman, John Donald Sutherland). In a visual homage to the first film's cliffhanger ending, the men's van teeters on the edge of the road before plunging into a lake, where the remaining men share diving equipment to stay alive while Steve shoots away as though at fish in a barrel. Believing they're all dead, he takes off with his conspirators and the loot.
A year later, the gold bricks, marked with telltale Balinese dancers, surface in Los Angeles, and the group's leader, Charlie (Mark Wahlberg), enlists the help of John's daughter (Charlize Theron) in getting them back. Stella, who has inherited her father's knack for cracking safes but works with the law rather than against it, gives in to the desire to avenge John's death. Besides being a skilled safe technician, she's a menace with a Mini, pushing her little red car to extremes through everyday traffic, a talent that will come in handy during the final heist.
The group assembles in L.A. and organizes a scheme to steal the remaining gold from Steve's hilltop mansion. Gray and the writers keep psychologizing to a minimum, with the team's back stories neatly encapsulated in insta-sketches, providing rooting interests and comic relief: Lyle (Seth Green) is the slightly goofy computer genius; explosives expert Left-Ear (Mos Def) is a gentle, charming aesthete with a taste for first editions; Handsome Rob (Jason Statham) is the wheel man and smooth womanizer; and Wahlberg's Charlie, a born thief and strategizer, is the mastermind who holds the group together. There are glimmers of his attraction to Stella, but he's generally so stolid and blank that their nascent romance has little resonance, and he barely registers as an individual.
Even if there's little question that the good thieves will triumph, the film generates a good share of tension, especially in scenes that place Stella and her father's killer face to face. Plan A falls through in a terrific twist, and, as Steve Says to Charlie with a nasty smirk, the game starts up again. It culminates in engineered gridlock and a cat-and-mice chase between Steve, in a malignant black helicopter, and the three heroic Minis -- red, white and blue, as in the original -- tearing through Hollywood and plunging into dark Metro tunnels.
Franky G, Olek Krupa, Boris Krutonog and Gawtti make impressions in supporting roles, while the likable central ensemble gets the job done with straight-ahead work. But the most compelling reason to see the film, besides its high-wire action, is Norton, whose Steve is a villain to remember not because he's outsize in any way but because he's quite the opposite -- an unsettling calculation of quiet self-loathing and predatory instincts.
The accomplished technical package serves the action well, from the widescreen lensing, pulse-quickening editing and propulsive music to the production and costume design, which never call attention to themselves, and the slick Cartesian computer models used throughout. Gray pays tribute to Caine, the original Charlie, in a fleeting glimpse of "Alfie" on the villain's big-screen TV.
THE ITALIAN JOB
Paramount Pictures
De Line Pictures
Credits:
Director: F. Gary Gray
Screenwriters: Donna Powers, Wayne Powers
Based on the film written by: Troy Kennedy Martin
Producer: Donald De Line
Executive producers: James R. Dyer, Wendy Japhet, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Director of photography: Wally Pfister
Production designer: Charles Wood
Music: John Powell
Costume designer: Mark Bridges
Editors: Richard Francis-Bruce, Christopher Rouse
Cast:
Charlie Croker: Mark Wahlberg
Stella Bridger: Charlize Theron
Steve Frezelli: Edward Norton
Lyle: Seth Green
Handsome Rob: Jason Statham
Wrench: Franky G.
John Bridger: Donald Sutherland
Yevhen: Boris Krutonog
Mashkov: Olek Krupa
Skinny Pete: Gawtti
Running time -- 111 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
NEW YORK -- The umpteenth indie variation on that most dependable of genres, the caper movie, Myles Connell's debut feature is notable not for tough-guy dialogue or stylishly delivered violence but rather for its vivid acting and evocative sense of atmosphere. Featuring Christopher Walken in one of his most effectively understated performances in years and a surprisingly affecting turn by Cyndi Lauper, "The Opportunists" is ultimately too low-key for its own good, but it offers some mild pleasures along the way.
Walken plays Victor Kelly, an ex-con and reformed safecracker living with his grown daughter (Vera Farmiga). He is attempting to eke out a living as an auto mechanic in Queens, N.Y. Unfortunately, his repair skills aren't on par with his nefarious ones, and his lack of income becomes all too relevant when his elderly aunt (Anne Pitoniak) is forced to move out of her comfortable nursing home to another one in, horrors, Staten Island.
One day, a personable young man named Michael (Peter McDonald) shows up at Victor's doorstep, claiming to be a long-lost relative from Ireland. Michael is not quite what he seems, though, and Victor is soon recruited by him and a couple of guys from the neighborhood (Jose Zuniga and Donal Logue, the latter the star of "The Tao of Steve") to take part in one last score. Despite the objections of Sally (Lauper), his loyal girlfriend and the owner of the local tavern, Victor trains for the job with the help of a more up-to-date safecracker (Tom Noonan). Needless to say, the caper proves more complicated than expected.
"The Opportunists" is less interested in "Rififi"-style suspense than it is in character study, and it succeeds nicely. Walken, playing a character who actually resembles a human being for a change, delivers a subtle and touching turn that clues you in to every one of Victor's myriad frustrations. Lauper, also underplaying, is equally moving as his put-upon girlfriend. And every one of the supporting performers, including such vivid character actors as Olek Krupa and Noonan in smaller roles, register with an utter authenticity.
Filmed on location in Queens and Brooklyn, the film also benefits from a visual verisimilitude that makes it easy to believe that these characters have never left their respective neighborhoods.
THE OPPORTUNISTS
First Look Pictures
Producer: John Lyons
Director-screenwriter: Myles Connell
Executive producers: Jonathan Demme, Peter Saraf, Edward Saxon, David Forrest, Beau Rogers
Co-producers: Martin Fink, Richard E. Johnson
Editor: Andy Kier
Director of photography: Teo Maniaci
Production designer: Debbie De Villa
Music: Kurt Hoffman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Victor Kelly: Christopher Walken
Michael Lawler: Peter McDonald
Sally Mahon: Cyndi Lauper
Miriam Kelly: Vera Farmiga
Pat Duffy: Donal Logue
Jesus Del Toro: Jose Zuniga
Mort Stein: Tom Noonan
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Walken plays Victor Kelly, an ex-con and reformed safecracker living with his grown daughter (Vera Farmiga). He is attempting to eke out a living as an auto mechanic in Queens, N.Y. Unfortunately, his repair skills aren't on par with his nefarious ones, and his lack of income becomes all too relevant when his elderly aunt (Anne Pitoniak) is forced to move out of her comfortable nursing home to another one in, horrors, Staten Island.
One day, a personable young man named Michael (Peter McDonald) shows up at Victor's doorstep, claiming to be a long-lost relative from Ireland. Michael is not quite what he seems, though, and Victor is soon recruited by him and a couple of guys from the neighborhood (Jose Zuniga and Donal Logue, the latter the star of "The Tao of Steve") to take part in one last score. Despite the objections of Sally (Lauper), his loyal girlfriend and the owner of the local tavern, Victor trains for the job with the help of a more up-to-date safecracker (Tom Noonan). Needless to say, the caper proves more complicated than expected.
"The Opportunists" is less interested in "Rififi"-style suspense than it is in character study, and it succeeds nicely. Walken, playing a character who actually resembles a human being for a change, delivers a subtle and touching turn that clues you in to every one of Victor's myriad frustrations. Lauper, also underplaying, is equally moving as his put-upon girlfriend. And every one of the supporting performers, including such vivid character actors as Olek Krupa and Noonan in smaller roles, register with an utter authenticity.
Filmed on location in Queens and Brooklyn, the film also benefits from a visual verisimilitude that makes it easy to believe that these characters have never left their respective neighborhoods.
THE OPPORTUNISTS
First Look Pictures
Producer: John Lyons
Director-screenwriter: Myles Connell
Executive producers: Jonathan Demme, Peter Saraf, Edward Saxon, David Forrest, Beau Rogers
Co-producers: Martin Fink, Richard E. Johnson
Editor: Andy Kier
Director of photography: Teo Maniaci
Production designer: Debbie De Villa
Music: Kurt Hoffman
Color/stereo
Cast:
Victor Kelly: Christopher Walken
Michael Lawler: Peter McDonald
Sally Mahon: Cyndi Lauper
Miriam Kelly: Vera Farmiga
Pat Duffy: Donal Logue
Jesus Del Toro: Jose Zuniga
Mort Stein: Tom Noonan
Running time -- 89 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/11/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After the massive success of 1990's "Home Alone" and 1992's "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York", the nagging question remains, "Can there be life after Macaulay Culkin?"
The answer is yes. And no.
While "Home Alone 3" is a virtual Xerox of the oft-imitated "Home Alone" blueprint, young Alex D. Linz ("One Fine Day") makes for a highly charming lead and, as a whole, the John Hughes-penned script isn't as mean-spirited as the previous installment.
And, despite the relative sameness of it all, Hughes still manages to throw in a funny wrinkle here and there, keeping the high jinks humming.
But while the studio probably doesn't want to hear this, the secret of the franchise's success wasn't so much the endless pratfalls or good-vs.-evil through-line as it was the presence of Culkin, particularly the 8-year-old version, whose wide-eyed projection of innocence and mischief instantly made him America's favorite everykid.
Although the irresistible Linz certainly gets the job done (he's actually the better actor of the two), it just isn't "Home Alone" without Culkin's Kevin McCallister. As a result, while the Fox release should do solid holiday business, particularly with boys, it won't be reaching the lofty boxoffice heights of its predecessors.
The picture's rather drawn-out set up involves a group of black marketeers who pinch a top secret Defense Department computer chip and hide it in a toy car only to find out it has been misrouted to a sleepy Chicago suburb.
Of course, all audiences really are concerned about is how 8-year-old Alex Pruitt (Linz) will defend his home against the quartet of criminal masterminds (Olek Krupa, Rya Kihlstedt, David Thornton and Lenny Von Dohlen) who are determined to reclaim their booty by any means necessary.
Wisely, veteran editor and first-time director Raja Gosnell (he cut the two previous "Home Alone" editions) wastes little extra time in getting to the good stuff as we watch little Alex, who's been sidelined by the measels, turn everyday household objects into state-of-the-art booby traps.
While Hughes can pretty well write this stuff in his sleep by now (even his treatments of "101 Dalmatians" and "Flubber" boasted "Home Alone"-style battles), there are still moments of inventiveness to be found, manifested by the helpful presence of a pet white rat and an Amazon parrot. Then there's an extended and admittedly clever sequence involving a camcorder taped to said Remote Control toy car that will have thousands of kiddies hastily adding pricey Tyco Mutators to their Christmas lists.
In addition to Linz, the cast is fine, although it would have been nice if the quartet of interchangeable bad guys were given some individual traits. Catherine O'Hara lookalike Haviland Morris is fine as Alex's distracted mom, while stage great Marian Seldes as sour-faced neighbor Mrs. Hess has a firm grasp on that obligatory Hughes character -- the crotchety old person who ends up forming a special bond with the pint-sized protagonist.
HOME ALONE 3
20th Century Fox
A John Hughes production
Director: Raja Gosnell
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Producers: John Hughes, Hilton Green
Executive producer: Ricardo Mestres
Director of photographer: Julio Macat
Production designer: Henry Bumstead
Music: Nick Glennie-Smith
Costume designer: Jodie Tillen
Editors: Bruce Green, Malcolm Campbell, David Rennie Casting: Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Barden, Jennifer McNamara
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Alex D. Linz
Karen Pruitt: Haviland Morris
Beaupre: Olek Krupa
Alice: Rya Kihlstedt
Unger: David Thornton
Jernigan: Lenny Von Dohlen
Jack Pruitt: Kevin Kilner
Mrs. Hess: Marian Seldes
Running time --103 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG...
The answer is yes. And no.
While "Home Alone 3" is a virtual Xerox of the oft-imitated "Home Alone" blueprint, young Alex D. Linz ("One Fine Day") makes for a highly charming lead and, as a whole, the John Hughes-penned script isn't as mean-spirited as the previous installment.
And, despite the relative sameness of it all, Hughes still manages to throw in a funny wrinkle here and there, keeping the high jinks humming.
But while the studio probably doesn't want to hear this, the secret of the franchise's success wasn't so much the endless pratfalls or good-vs.-evil through-line as it was the presence of Culkin, particularly the 8-year-old version, whose wide-eyed projection of innocence and mischief instantly made him America's favorite everykid.
Although the irresistible Linz certainly gets the job done (he's actually the better actor of the two), it just isn't "Home Alone" without Culkin's Kevin McCallister. As a result, while the Fox release should do solid holiday business, particularly with boys, it won't be reaching the lofty boxoffice heights of its predecessors.
The picture's rather drawn-out set up involves a group of black marketeers who pinch a top secret Defense Department computer chip and hide it in a toy car only to find out it has been misrouted to a sleepy Chicago suburb.
Of course, all audiences really are concerned about is how 8-year-old Alex Pruitt (Linz) will defend his home against the quartet of criminal masterminds (Olek Krupa, Rya Kihlstedt, David Thornton and Lenny Von Dohlen) who are determined to reclaim their booty by any means necessary.
Wisely, veteran editor and first-time director Raja Gosnell (he cut the two previous "Home Alone" editions) wastes little extra time in getting to the good stuff as we watch little Alex, who's been sidelined by the measels, turn everyday household objects into state-of-the-art booby traps.
While Hughes can pretty well write this stuff in his sleep by now (even his treatments of "101 Dalmatians" and "Flubber" boasted "Home Alone"-style battles), there are still moments of inventiveness to be found, manifested by the helpful presence of a pet white rat and an Amazon parrot. Then there's an extended and admittedly clever sequence involving a camcorder taped to said Remote Control toy car that will have thousands of kiddies hastily adding pricey Tyco Mutators to their Christmas lists.
In addition to Linz, the cast is fine, although it would have been nice if the quartet of interchangeable bad guys were given some individual traits. Catherine O'Hara lookalike Haviland Morris is fine as Alex's distracted mom, while stage great Marian Seldes as sour-faced neighbor Mrs. Hess has a firm grasp on that obligatory Hughes character -- the crotchety old person who ends up forming a special bond with the pint-sized protagonist.
HOME ALONE 3
20th Century Fox
A John Hughes production
Director: Raja Gosnell
Screenwriter: John Hughes
Producers: John Hughes, Hilton Green
Executive producer: Ricardo Mestres
Director of photographer: Julio Macat
Production designer: Henry Bumstead
Music: Nick Glennie-Smith
Costume designer: Jodie Tillen
Editors: Bruce Green, Malcolm Campbell, David Rennie Casting: Billy Hopkins, Suzanne Smith, Kerry Barden, Jennifer McNamara
Color/stereo
Cast:
Alex: Alex D. Linz
Karen Pruitt: Haviland Morris
Beaupre: Olek Krupa
Alice: Rya Kihlstedt
Unger: David Thornton
Jernigan: Lenny Von Dohlen
Jack Pruitt: Kevin Kilner
Mrs. Hess: Marian Seldes
Running time --103 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG...
- 12/8/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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