Deep inside every piece of rock, inside every slab of wood, lies a masterpiece waiting to be whittled out and uncovered.  Sometimes, more often than many realize, a film maker doesn’t quite know when they have either cut off too much or not chiseled away at that piece of rock until their work has been polished to perfection.  Such is the case for Peter Jackson and THE LOVELY BONES, an incredible and moving story of a family’s loss and the aftermath that is mired by tedious and lackluster moments of unnecessary computer imagery.

At the center of THE LOVELY BONES is the Salmon family, father Jack, played by Mark Wahlberg; mother Abigail, played by Rachel Weisz; two daughters, Lindsey, played by Rose McIver, and Susie, played by Saoirse Ronan; and a son, Buckley, played by Christian Thomas Ashdale.  Susan Sarandon steps in once in awhile as Grandmother Lynn, as well.

The gist of the story comes when Susie, fourteen years old and curious of the world, is viciously murdered.  Her spirit moves on to the afterlife, made up of vibrant fields and fantastical imagery.  But her afterlife is not peaceful, as her killer, played by Stanley Tucci, goes about his life, biding his time until his thirst for murder rears its ugly head again.  Susie seeks vengeance, and her family, who is having a difficult time of their own coping with the loss, seeks justice.

It is unfortunate that Alice Sebold’s original novel was so full of Susie’s viewpoint, that the heaven laid out in the novel was so detailed and meticulous.  Having that much weight on this aspect throughout the novel meant this couldn’t have been excised from the film, and that would have made this film head and shoulders above what it is.  Susie’s aferlife in THE LOVELY BONES is not weighty, it’s not powerful or engaging, and it sure isn’t imperative to what is going on in the rest of the story.  It looks beautiful, don’t get me wrong, and the creativeness of it all almost outweighs how poorly executed it is.  Almost.  This is Weta Digital we are talking about, and the people there have done far better work than this.

Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the fantastical moments of the film, the cutting back to the real world and the real, emotional struggle Susie’s family is going through makes those moments feel even more afterthought than afterlife.  In fact, much of the real world, much of the dichotomy between the family coping and the neighbor just down the street who may or may not be the killer is incredibly engaging.  There are moments of sheer power coming from the actors and the situations playing out.  Really the most powerful scenes are the one here and there where Susie’s presence has a physical effect on our world, as when Wahlberg’s Jack sets a candle in front of a window, and the reflection of the flame begins dancing about while the flame itself sits perfectly still.  It’s a minute scene, but the small bit of special effects used within it are far more moving than seeing giant ships in giant glass bottles being smashed on rocks.

The notable performances in THE LOVELY BONES don’t hurt the family drama half of the film, either, with Weisz, Sarandon, and the children doing their job satisfactorily.  Michael Imperioli shows up here and there as the lead investigator on Susie’s murder, and he also gives a slightly more than adequate performance.  Much has been touted about the work Tucci does here.  He is, to note, better than everyone else in the film.  He makes you smirk and puts you slightly at ease even in the scenes where you know he is about to do something horrendous.  His performance here is the best in this film, but it’s far from the best of the year.  Saoirse Ronan gives her performance her all.  Unfortunately, she just doesn’t have the talent just yet to convince us she is actually seeing all of these exquisite images.  Most of her scenes, I’m sure, were shot on a green screen  sound stage, and it’s regrettable that that is exactly what her performance feels like.

Someone else who just doesn’t seem to fit in here is Wahlberg, who is fine as an actor in certain roles.  However, he just doesn’t have what it takes to cut it in a drama such as this.  Much of his delivery is given with the same resonant pitch, as if this multi-dimensional character just wanted to keep it simple at one.  A lot was said in the early development stages of THE LOVELY BONES about Ryan Gosling and why he stepped away from this role.  Gosling has the capabilities to pull off this role of a father obsessed with his daughter’s murder, a man who pushes everyone else in his family aside to dwell on the one who was lost.  You’ll find it difficult knowing he came this close to filling this role not to dwell on the hole he left behind here.

Peter Jackson has become, thanks to LORD OF THE RINGS and KING KONG, so ingrained in people’s minds as this director who creates fantastical worlds, it may have seemed like a step backwards to make a family drama with minimal effects.  That step backward would have made all the difference in the world for THE LOVELY BONES, a film that could have been so much more if it has just used so much less.  That piece of rock that I mentioned in the opening still has quite a bit left on it to break away before the true work of fabulous art emerges, and, aside from a few lackluster performances, that is precisely what we would have had with THE LOVELY BONES without the nuisance of afterlife.  Sometimes it’s better just to put thoughts of the afterlife in the closet and deal with the real world.  Peter Jackson should have taken this advice to heart.

It’s Peter Jackson’s return to the film world after 2005’s KING KONG, and it is hitting St. Louis on January 15th.  However, lucky for you, we have passes to give away for a showing of THE LOVELY BONES three days earlier.

Here’s all you have to do to get one of these, sweet, admit 2 passes, shoot us a comment below telling us what aspect of this movie you are most looking forward to.  Is it Jackson’s directing?  Is it the brilliant visual effects courtesy of Weta?  Is it Stanley Tucci’s performance, which, evidently, is being deemed Oscar worthy?  Let us know you opinions in that little comment section below, and we’ll be picking our favorites for the tickets Sunday night.

Remember, the screening is in the St. Louis area, so don’t enter unless you’re planning on driving in from out of town or you’re one of the lucky ones who lives in this fine city.

And, if you’re not one of the winners, be sure to check out THE LOVELY BONES, which is in limited theaters now and hits wide on January 15th.

Mark Wahlberg has signed up to star in the remake to the Icelandic thriller, ‘Reykjavik-Rotterdam.’  As reported by  The Hollywood Reporter, the film is to be scripted by the upcoming ‘Prisoners’ scribe, Aaron Guzikowski, with Baltasar Kormakur, the actor and producer of the original film, set to direct.

The film centers on a security guard and former alcohol smuggler stationed on the Iceland-Netherlands route who is brought back into the smuggling game by a friend after he falls on hard times.  The original ‘Reykjavik-Rotterdam’ is Iceland’s entry into this year’s Oscar competition for Best Foreign Language Film.

According to the filmmakers, the remake will likely relocate, hence a name change to come, as well.

It’s a day earlier than expected, but the full trailer for Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lovely Bones’ is available for viewing.   Paramount has debuted the trailer for the film starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan over at Apple and on the film’s official site.

The visual style is incredible, and, judging how powerful the novel by Alice Sebold, this is going to be one emotional powerhouse come the end of the year.

‘The Lovely Bones’ is set for release on December 11th.

Working backwards from the end of the week to today, we know that the trailer for ‘The Lovely Bones,’ Peter Jackson’s latest film, will be attached to prints of ‘Julie & Julia’ this Friday.  Anyone heading out to scope out Meryl Streep’s latest Oscar-nominated performance will have that treat before the film starts.  This means that, likely, the trailer will be debuting online one day prior.

However, Entertainment Tonight will be featuring the trailer on their program Tuesday night.  I don’t consider this the debut, because they’ll probably be talking over the beginning and end, and won’t let the entire thing play out as it should.

To get prepared for this footage being shown, ET has this 30-second promo clip for their Tuesday night show, which features our first look at footage from the film.

Check it out:

‘The Lovely Bones’ is set for release on December 11th.

Source: YouTube

David O. Russell is going Rocky on us, as he will be directing Relativity Media’s new movie ‘The Fighter’ to be distributed by Paramount, which is expected to begin shooting this July.

The movie tells the story of “Irish” Mickey Ward, a fighter from Boston who was helped by his half-brother Dicky Eklund to the world lightweight championship. Eklund (Bale) is remembered for his career prior to drugs and crime, when he went toe to toe with Sugar Ray Leonard, and then afterwards when he trained Ward (Wahlberg) Rocky-style.

I have to admit, I would have rather seen Arronofsky direct this, but due to the long-running issues with getting the project off the ground, Arronofsky backed out and moved on. However, that’s not to say Russell isn’t a capable director. The project has also gone through it’s share of actors, including Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, before steeling on what looks to be Bale and Wahlberg, although they are apparently still negotiating.

One thing’s for sure, filming in a boxing frame of mind, Wahlberg shouldn’t do anything to “piss” Bale off or they may find themselves in real-life fisticuffs as a result of Bale’s temper.

[source: Variety]

20th Century Fox’s newest comedy in the works is ‘Date Night’ which will star Steve Carrell and Tine Fey. Shawn Levy will direct the comedy written by Josh Klausner (Shrek the Third) about a married couple get into trouble after their routine date night goes horribly wrong.

After acquiring a top-shelf ensemble of actors for his sequel to ‘Night at the Museum’, Levy felt the drive to pursue a similar approach for ‘Date Night’. Already signed on to supporting roles are Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl), Common, Taraji P. Henson (Benjamin Button) and Kristen Wiig (SNL).

Now Mark Wahlberg and James Franco have also joined the supporting cast, making this an interesting mix of comedic and dramatic talent. Wahlberg will play a successful but ridiculously buff securities expert who is trying to score with Fey’s character. Franco will play a less-than-genius conman and criminal.

‘Date Night’ sounds like it will be funny, but once again I think a lot of it will be determined by the rating the movie shoots for. With this cast, I think it would be silly to shoot for PG-13 and restraining this cast in the process. The tone of the story reminds me a little bit of Scorsese’s ‘After Hours’ but is not likely to be nearly as dark.

[source: Variety]

It looks like Batman could be directed by the guy who last directed Superman, and the new film will co-star Max Payne.Ă‚   What a crossover!Ă‚   In fact, Christian Bale, according to insiders, has attached himself to star alongside Mark Wahlberg in ‘Prisoners.’Ă‚   Though it isn’t official yet, Bryan Singer has expressed interested in stepping in as the film’s director.

The film is about a small-town carpenter whose daughter is kidnapped.Ă‚   Believing the local police, including a brash, young detective in charge of the investigation, aren’t doing everything that must be done, the father kidnaps the man believed to be responsible and begins torturing him.

No word yet on which actor will be playing which part.Ă‚   Bale seems more the small-town, bible-thumping, kidnapper-torturing father type while Wahlberg seems more suited to play the small-town detective with aspirations on the big city.

Source: Risky Biz Blog

‘B Team’, a new action comedy directed by Adam McKay and starring the dynamic duo of Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg is getting several bids from various studios according to Variety.

The screenplay, by Chris Henchy, would have the two actors pairing up as cops.Ă‚   The films will be of the buddy cop variety.

No studio has officially signed on yet, but the film is expected sometime in 2010.

Source: Variety

Jeremy:

‘Aliens’, ‘Predator’, ‘Die Hard’, ‘Die Hard 2′, ‘Point Break’, ‘Speed’, ‘Die Hard With a Vengeance’.Ă‚   What do all of these films have in common?Ă‚   They are all action films released by 20th Century Fox between the mid-80s and the mid-90s.

‘Daredevil’, ‘I, Robot’, ‘Alien Vs. Predator’, ‘Transporter 2′, ‘Live Free or Die Hard’, ‘Hitman’, ‘Babylon A.D.’.Ă‚   What do all of these films have in common?Ă‚   They are all action films released by 20th Century Fox in the past five years.

See a dropoff there somewhere?

The first set of films holds some classics.Ă‚   Some of them are routinely in top ten lists of the best action films of all time.Ă‚   Something else they all have in common.Ă‚   They are all rated R.Ă‚   All the films in the second set, save one, are rated PG-13, and ‘Hitman’, the lone R-rated film there, was still edited all to hell to cut back on the action.

Now, I know this is supposed to be a review of ‘Max Payne’ and not an editorial on the state of action films, but everything that is wrong with the films in that second set ‘Max Payne’ is guilty of, as well.Ă‚   Yes, it, too, is a film released by 20th Century Fox.

Directed by John Moore, ‘Max Payne’ is a shining example of style over substance.Ă‚   I don’t understand what is so difficult with transferring a storyline from a video game to a movie.Ă‚   No one seems to know how to build a decent story out of a video game, and it shouldn’t be that difficult.Ă‚   Storylines in games have become so complex in recent years that they shouldn’t have to be that much thought put into it.Ă‚   Nonetheless, most movies based on video games seem to be missing something that makes them appealing.

What ‘Max Payne’ is clearly missing is a coherence that would have done wonders for the story.Ă‚   We are thrown into the middle of the story from frame one.Ă‚   There really isn’t much time to figure out who is who before we really have to start paying attention to what what is happening to them.Ă‚   Apparently, the screenwriters were writing this for people who had already played the game.Ă‚   And, at a brisk 100 minutes, we really don’t get much time to sit back and calculate what is going on at any given moment.Ă‚   The few times it does slow down just proves all over again how incoherent and silly the storyline is.

The basic structure is that Payne, played by Mark Wahlberg, is trying to figure out who killed his wife and child.Ă‚   There’s a cult involved, or it might be a Mafia family, but it’s never really explained.Ă‚   There’s a pharmaceuticals corporation that had something to do with it, but that is just kind of thrown in halfway through.Ă‚   There are winged demons flying around, or they may just be hallucinations.Ă‚   Basically, the investigation is just getting Max Payne from location A to B to C so that he can get into high production shootouts.

That is where ‘Max Payne’ really shines.Ă‚   John Moore, who previously directed ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ and ‘Flight of the Phoenix’, knows how to blow stuff up real good.Ă‚   The video game had a John Woo-inspired feel to it, and that carries over here nicely.Ă‚   Wahlberg jumps and shoots, shoots with two guns, pumps and shoots a shotgun in a matter of nanoseconds.Ă‚   Basically all the really cool things Danny Butterman wanted to do in ‘Hot Fuzz’.

All this cool action is helped by the great visual style the film takes on.Ă‚   It’s all just on the reality side of ‘Sin City’, and it works.Ă‚   This is particularly well done in the scenes involving the winged demons.Ă‚   They are obviously CG, but it’s not bad CG.Ă‚   I would probably liken it to the effect in ‘Constantine’.Ă‚   Not the best, but never so bad it’s distracting.

You would think the storyline would give Wahlberg something heavy to do.Ă‚   On the contrary, he’s left to just brood through scene after scene.Ă‚   It’s only the film’s final act that he really takes off.Ă‚   I won’t give away what happens to Max in the storyline, but that element really triggers something in Wahlberg’s performance that makes it 10 times as good as it had been previously.

There is a lot of wasted opportunity in the cast.Ă‚   Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges is pretty much wasted as an Internal Affairs investigator.Ă‚   Mila Kunis is buried under about a ton of makeup and leather.Ă‚   Beau Bridges is painting by numbers in a part that’s pretty much paint-by-numbers, itself.Ă‚   Chris O’Donnell…let’s just say that guy’s stock has dropped about as fast as anything on the actual market.

When all is said and done, ‘Max Payne’ is not a bad film.Ă‚   It delivers some really good action at a very high production level.Ă‚   It is amazing to see that the film only cose $35 million.Ă‚   This is as big and as stylish as anything that costs three times that amount.Ă‚   Unfortunately the story doesn’t provide anything that will make it one to remember.Ă‚   It is a shame that ‘Max Payne’ couldn’t deliver a story that would justify how good it looks.

[rating: 2.5/5]

From Movieweb.com here is the full length trailer for Mark Wahlberg’s new film ‘Max Payne’. The film based on the popular video game is due to hit the big screen on October 17th! Check it out.

Mark Wahlberg and his shotguns… two tough posters from IMPawards. We’ll see if ‘Max Payne’ is just as tough come October 17th.

Pretty badass new picture from ‘Max Payne’ featuring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.

For those of you that don’t know, this is a video game movie, and thankfully is not being helmed by Uwe Boll. I am not quite sure this one will be any better, but I have to assume that since it landed both Wahlberg and Kunis, it will be a little entertaining.

WICKED!

Dawn Campbell: “You can’t deal with my infinite nature, can you?”
Brad Stand: “That is so not true. Wait … what does that even mean?”

This is just a tasty little morsel of the philosophically quirky humor that’s so brilliantly written with great abundance into I [Heart] Huckabees. The film is written and directed by David O. Russell and is easily one of my all-time favorite comedies. A comedy that’s way beyond what is normally considered, well … normal. The film has an incredible ensemble cast, including Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, Jason Schwartzman and Isabelle Huppert.

Albert (Schwartzman) hires Bernard and Vivian (Hoffman & Tomlin), a pair of existentialist detectives, to investigate strange occurrences in his life. During their case they insist on spying on Albert’s every last moment and repeatedly offer enigmatic insights into their beliefs on nature, the universe and everything in general. During the investigation, Albert finds himself being intellectually seduced by rival philosopher Caterine (Huppert) who is like the dark side of the force to Bernard’s and Vivian’s Jedi code. Along the way, Caterine enlists the following of firefighter Tommy (Wahlberg). Brad (Law) is an aspiring executive with Huckabees, a retail giant with the slogan “The Everything Store.” He begins to lose his composure when his supermodel girlfriend Dawn (Watts) finds herself transformed into a raving philosophical free radical. Each of these character’s peculiar lives become intertwined.

This hypnotic comic farce pulls you in and doesn’t let go. I’ve seen this movie no less than 10 times and I’m probably greatly under-guessing. [I'm surprised I haven't worn out my DVD yet.] Having dabbled meagerly in philosophy while in college, I found this film delightfully smart and funny. I, like most people, am in no way well-versed in the philosophical ramblings of our great thinkers … but, I understand and appreciate enough of it to enjoy Huckabees on a level that makes it just as enlightening as it is laughable. At one point, Brad asks the detectives “How am I not myself,” which perplexes Barnard and Vivian. In another scene, Albert and Tommy exchange welcome blows to each others’ faces with a large rubber ball, believing it brings them to a transcendental state of mental clarity. Its crazy scenes like this combined with references with actual philosophical, metaphysical and scientific concepts and theories and made Huckabees so enjoyable. If ever given the opportunity to teach, I would find some way to integrate this movie into my curriculum … albeit under the radar, I’m sure.

Mark Wahlberg talked to MTV about the upcoming film adaptation of the hit game ‘Max Payne’.

“Two weeks out I was just dying,†ť Wahlberg said of his titular role in the upcoming video game adaptation “Max Payne.†ť “I wanted my life back.†ť

“I read the script and said either somebody got really creative or it’s actually more like a movie than most games,†ť Wahlberg enthused.

“Max Payne is not a one-trick pony. It’s probably one of the edgier roles I’ve played but also the most layered. Here’s a very happy guy who worked a dismal job, had a beautiful family. But the beauty in his life was taken away. He just goes on a rampage. It’s all driven by emotion.†ť

I don’t know about all that..he is just a video game character, even in 3D he cant be that complex. The movie is slated for release October 17th.

Mark Wahlberg has spoken about his plans to turn HBO series Entourage into a film franchise.

In an interview with website Moviefone, he admitted that the success of the Sex and The City movie may open the door for Entourage, a show he executive produces, to move to the big screen.

“We’re doing season five right now. We’re hoping for maybe three [or] four more seasons, and then maybe a film or two,” he said.

“Obviously the Sex And The City success has opened up a window of opportunity there.”

Entourage, based on Wahlberg’s early career, focuses on fictional actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) as he rises to the Hollywood A-list.

The show is really addicting to watch and to also think that most of the show is based on Wahlberg’s life as he was growing up is unbelievable!

Ram Man:

M.Night Shayamalan is back with his first “R” rated feature film …”The Happening” . This film has been cloaked in secrecy since production wrapped. Rumors leaked from a disgruntled projectionist that it was horrible. Everyone says Night’s career is riding on this…He will be fine! If you want to be surprised by what happens in the Happening read this after you see it and see if you agree with me (spoilers coming).

The Happening jumps right into it! The first scene in the movie has a pair of women in Central Park talking on a bench, when all of the sudden one takes a hair pin out a drives it into her own neck! People then begin to fall of buildings and drive cars of the road and die by the thousands. The Happening stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Dechanel as a married couple Elliot and Alma Moore. Their relationship “on the rocks” they must try to fix it while staying alive from the invisible force of death. Elliot and Alma together with their friend Julian (John Leguizamo) attempt to leave the city to a safer are outside the hot zone. Soon the force takes over the eastern coast of the country and out group finds themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania. (I figured any kind of deadly force would be too bored to go to rural Pennsylvania).

After the large cities are decimated people begin to be affected in the smaller communities including the one Elloit and Alma are hold up in. Julian , once he loses contact with his wife leaves to go back to the city to find her (Noooooooo). Can you say Goner? By this time authorities have rule out terrorism and have no Idea what is causing this. Elliot , a science teacher, begins to believe a theory of this old farmer that the plants and trees are turning on us. I now expect to hear a chorus of “Trees” by Rush. Still on the run Elliot and Alma take up residence with a crazy old woman (Betty Buckley from eight is enough) and intended to wait it out and stay alive til this is over.

That is where the movie stops..and the ending takes over. The movie is thrilling and bloodier than anything M.Night has done before. The death scenes are great. My personal fave is a scene in Princeton NJ., Julian riding in a car on a suburban street, where people are hanging from trees like human Christmas ornaments. The movie was good but then he had to end it….that’s where you lose me. Like in his past films (Village & Lady in the Water) the end of his film ruins the ride you have taken up to that point. I’m not going to give it all away but I just have to quote an old TV slogan …Don’t mess with Mother Nature! The film is ok for DVD rental or catch it at a matinee.

I hold M.Night Shaymalan up to a higher mark with his past films (Six Sense, Unbreakable,Signs) and this one is still in that same rut with the Village. I do give him credit for night repeating or falling into the sequel trap. M.Night fans will go see this film and say I’m nuts. But the average movie goer will leave the theater and just say “Huh????”

Travis:

I know I’ve been shunned for having positive opinions for movies that the mass movie-going audience has found repulsively, unforgivably bad … so they say. But that’s the beauty of it … I don’t care. I think M. Night Shyamalan is a talented filmmaker and a promising storyteller. I’m not suggesting everything he does is perfect, but I believe the reason he gets crucified so often is because he’s doing something outside the box.

The Happening is a great sci-fi thriller that deals with a contemporary issue in a creative and entertaining way. What I admire about Shyamalan as a filmmaker is that he chooses to break out of the Hollywood mold [even if he does occasionally get stuck in his own mold] and he makes an effort to tell stories in a way that is fresh. I also respect him for doing his homework in writing an interesting story. The scientific “theory” presented in The Happening is based in relevant scientific concepts and addresses an issue that many, including myself, feel is important.

Like all of Shyamalan’s films, The Happening is rooted in suspense and the fear of the unknown. We can’t fault him for that, as its what he does. It would be like faulting Ingmar Bergman for making beautiful but depressing films … its what he did. I’m not going to start throwing Oscar comments out there, simply because there’s nothing in the movie that warrants any Oscar discussion. So, don’t worry about that. However, I feel this is a solid film that will find its audience amongst the fans who keep an open mind. The performances were perfect in that they served their purpose. This movie wasn’t about the characters, but rather about an idea. Wahlberg was convincing … serious and straight most of the time, emotional when necessary and even dabbled in light humor when called for. Zooey Deschanel … well, don’t get me started with her. I mean, those eyes … [*snap out of it*]

Sorry. Where was I … Oh, the cinematography and the score also carried this same relative characteristic of being subtle and appropriate, masterful on their own but maintaining a humble symbiosis with the film. There’s an organic quality to the flow of the story which is fitting, given the idea behind the incredible events taking place. I suppose the only thing I can really nit-pick about [if I must] is the somewhat convenient circumstance by which Elliot (Wahlberg), Alma (Deschanel) and Jess (Sanchez) manage to survive The Happening. Its a brief distraction, which is followed by the true ending to the film … which actually further illustrates my point that the story isn’t about Elliot and Alma. This is a very good film … I dare you to see it and really think about it. If you’ve already seen it and hated it … I triple-dog-dare you to watch it again without the blinders.

4 1/2 out of 5

Scott:

This movie is being promoted as the greatest B movie ever by Mr M Night, and I have to say..This movie isnt even the greatest D movie ever. This is your typical M Night crap..strange occurrences that have no explanation and the ending is just a big let down. If I wanted to walk away unfulfilled I would have went and watched a Uwe Boll movie, I might have scored it better.

1 out of 5.

[rating: 2.5/5]

To see more (believe me, there’s plenty) check out the following links …

cinemaemcena.com
movieweb.com