Tickets are now available for AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM, plus a brand new trailer has also dropped for director James Wan’s film. Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa—along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman—return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior.
Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin. Directed by Wan, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is produced by Peter Safran, Wan and Rob Cowan. The executive producers are Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada.
The screenplay is by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Jason Momoa & Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.
Joining Wan behind-the-camera is his sterling team of “Aquaman” artisans: director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“Jumanji: The Next Level”), editor Kirk Morri (“Furious 7”), composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”) and music supervisor is Michelle Silverman (“Malignant”). Visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Clash of the Titans” films, “The Dark Knight”) and costume designer Richard Sale (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Ready Player One”) also join.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents An Atomic Monster / A Peter Safran Production of A James Wan Film, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” set to open in theaters internationally beginning 22 December 2023 and in North America on December 22, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Director James Wan and Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa—along with Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Nicole Kidman—return in the sequel to the highest-grossing DC film of all time: “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.
All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.
Directed by Wan, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is produced by Peter Safran, Wan and Rob Cowan. The executive producers are Galen Vaisman and Walter Hamada.
The screenplay is by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, from a story by James Wan & David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Jason Momoa & Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger.
Joining Wan behind-the-camera is his sterling team of “Aquaman” artisans: director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“Jumanji: The Next Level”), editor Kirk Morri (“Furious 7”), composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”) and music supervisor is Michelle Silverman (“Malignant”). Visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Clash of the Titans” films, “The Dark Knight”) and costume designer Richard Sale (“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” “Ready Player One”) also join.
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents An Atomic Monster / A Peter Safran Production of A James Wan Film, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” set to open in theaters internationally beginning 20 December 2023 and in North America on December 20, 2023; it will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
When you have a character that can communicate with fish, you either tread hesitantly in the shallow end or dive right in and embrace the rocky waters. Director James Wan shows no signs of a fear of water. The world of AQUAMAN is certainly goofy and Wan leans happily into the goofiness and cheese, but as customary with his flashy directing style, there’s a level of cool splashed in as well. The aquatic hero’s first solo film is a bright and bold visual adventure, but it’s also bogged down by an overly familiar superhero story preventing it from standing out from the other fish in the sea.
Jason Momoa plays half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry. After Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) washes up on the shore of a lighthouse attendant (Temuera Morrison), the queen of Atlantis falls in love with the human world and give birth to Arthur. Flash forward decades later, and the half-merman now spends his time downing beers and stopping hijackers in international waters. Mera (Amber Heard) leaves Atlantis to warn Arthur of his brother King Orm’s plan to rage war on the surface world by uniting the undersea kingdoms (Patrick Wilson in one of several miscast roles). Once Arthur decides to fight for his rightful claim to the throne and stop his brother’s plan, the film shifts into a travelogue, Indiana Jones adventure where Arthur and Mera travel by sea and by plane as they are hunted by the villain Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who is on his revenge-fueled mission.
If you can’t get past fish-people riding atop sharks, just stay away. If you can’t get past a neon-colored underwater kingdom that looks like a cross between TRON and AVATAR, just stay away. If you can’t get past lines like, “That thing will destroy us,” followed by, “We have no other choice!”… then please, just stay away. AQUAMAN is weird and strange and by all normal standards, even plain bad, at times. And yet, it’s strangely captivating. The weirdness mostly works, mainly because it seems like a departure from the other DC films that came before it.
Wan successfully retcons many of the missteps that Snyder and his team took with the character and the overly dark tone of the other DC films. For starters, we’re treated to the classic character suit and Trident. Arthur’s dark, brooding rock star persona from JUSTICE LEAGUE slowly becomes unraveled throughout the film. Unlike other superhero films where a “normal” guy has to find his inner confidence in order to be a leader, here we have a cocky asshole who learns humility as the film goes on, calling to mind the original IRON MAN. By the end of the film, the macho know-it-all has been broken down and we’re treated to more of a dumb meathead that now realizes after being exposed to the real world that he doesn’t have all the answers.
Who serves as his teacher is his female partner. Amber Heard’s character, Mera, may not go through as much change, but at least she’s given agency – a trait not often given to female leads in these types of films. She’s not treated as “arm candy” or the damsel in distress. In fact, she’s the one that’s properly putting him in his place while occasionally saving him from death. While Heard confidently plays the strong and stoic leader, the rest of the supporting cast doesn’t fare as well. Dolph Lundgren looks like he’s playing dress up and Willem Dafoe seems to be reading off a teleprompter every time he’s on screen.
Still, it’s hard not to get swept up in the action, especially a death-defying chase through the streets and across the tile rooftops of Sicily. Jason Momoa’s commitment to the character is felt throughout but especially during these scenes. Having DC hire Momoa turned out to be a blessing that many of us didn’t expect. He may not look and act like the blonde-haired, blue-eyed version from the comics, but that’s not a bad thing. More importantly, the energy Momoa instills in the character has certainly made more of an impact on screen than Affleck’s Caped Crusader. The actor’s Polynesian roots are even incorporated into the film at times through some of his fighting stances, proving he’s more than just a “Wet Thor.”
Yet, for all its smart choices, AQUAMAN still suffers from an unwatchable final battle. Hundreds of lasers and creatures fly across the screen at every given moment, creating yet another CGI nightmare that may rival even the worse offenders of the superhero genre. New worlds may be explored with great enthusiasm in AQUAMAN, but the same old mistakes are made when it comes to story and connecting audiences with these heroes. Sure, strange and fantastical imagery will astonish audiences, but shouldn’t we ask for more from our superhero films in 2018? After several classics have come out of the genre over the past decade, a director with a confident voice and a film with a unique visual pallet aren’t going to be enough to create a splash when the bar has been raised so high.
Overall score: 2.5 out of 5
AQUAMAN opens in theaters Friday, December 21st, 2018
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.
The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as the vengeful Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna; as well as Ludi Lin (“Power Rangers”) as Captain Murk, Atlantean Commando; and Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.
Wan directs from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“The Conjuring 2”) and Will Beall (“Gangster Squad,” TV’s “Training Day”), story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters from DC, Aquaman created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger. The film is produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.
Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films), and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy, “The Amazing Spider-Man”) and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Safran Company Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film is set to hit theaters on December 21, 2018, in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Enter for your chance to win two free passes to the St. Louis advance screening of AQUAMAN. The theatrical sneak preview will be on December 17 at 7pm.
Answer the following:
How many undersea kingdoms are there in the DC Comics Universe?
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NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.
“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.
Warner Bros. Pictures has released an extended look at the upcoming film AQUAMAN.
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.
The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera, a fierce warrior and Aquaman’s ally throughout his journey; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko, council to the Atlantean throne; Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master, the present King of Atlantis; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus, King of the Atlantean tribe Xebel; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as the vengeful Black Manta; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Arthur’s mom, Atlanna; as well as Ludi Lin (“Power Rangers”) as Captain Murk, Atlantean Commando; and Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Arthur’s dad, Tom Curry.
Wan directs from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (“The Conjuring 2”) and Will Beall (“Gangster Squad,” TV’s “Training Day”), story by Geoff Johns & James Wan and Will Beall, based on characters created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger for DC. The film is produced by Peter Safran and Rob Cowan, with Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Jon Berg, Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada serving as executive producers.
Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films), and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy, “The Amazing Spider-Man”) and composer Rupert Gregson-Williams (“Wonder Woman”).
Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Peter Safran Production, a James Wan Film, “Aquaman.” The film is set to hit theaters on December 21, 2018, in 3D and 2D and IMAX, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Aquaman” is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language.
June (the big wedding month) is soooo three months ago, and February (home of THAT holiday) is nearly half a year away, but the new indie comedy for the first of September looks at romance and marriage. Now, this isn’t a sweet “rom-com” all about the bloom of “new love” and the rocky, but ultimately smooth road to the altar. No, this basically concerns three couples who have made that committment (one hasn’t got the certificate, but they’ve got a child), but they’ve hit a bump (actually one is moments from careening off the highway). You could say that the last tier of the wedding cake is in the fridge, the foil is frayed, and freezer burn is imminent. Though somehow there are still lots of laugh at this look at relationships whose title harkens back to the big event, I DO…UNTIL I DON”T.
The story’s setting is romantic, the sleepy little Florida town of Vero Beach. But a visitor to this burg is about to shake them all awake. At a library conference room, Vivian (Dolly Wells), an acclaimed British documentarian, announces to a gathered group of locals, that the town will be the setting of her new work about modern marriage. Her intent is to show that the institution is outmoded, and marriage vows should be “up for renewal” at seven-year intervals. Vivian and her crew will interview residents with a financial compensation involved. This interests one of her fans, the shy, reserved Alice (Lake Bell). Her marriage to hubby Noah (Ed Helms) has been reduced to procreation interludes prompted by a fertility “app”. Plus their window treatment shop is circling the drain, so they could use of participant cash. Alice envies the wild spirit of her sister Fanny (Amber Heard), who lives a nomadic life with long-time partner Zander (Wyatt Cenac) and their little boy Zenith. The trio is in town for a “craft festival’ and stop by. Alice is stunned when Fanny mentions that they have already been approached by Vivian to be in the doc (she wants to show their modern “open relationship”). While at a local diner, the film maker encounters a bickering middle-aged couple, Cybil (Mary Steenburgen) and Harvey (Paul Reiser). She’s estranged from her adult daughter by her first marriage and is frustrated by what she thinks is Harvey’s midlife crisis (always on his new motorcycle and dressed accordingly in leather jacket, helmet, etc.). When Harv heads to the mens room, Vivian makes her an offer to be filmed, and Cybil negotiates a deal. But when Vivian doesn’t get the results she wants (Alice and Noah are too dull, Fanny and Zander aren’t actually that “open”), what will she do to get her theory on film? And what happens when the three couples get wind of her methods?
A talented group of comic actors has been gathered by Ms. Bell, though I would argue that her role is not the one most integral to the story. That would be Ms. Wells as the aggressive, abrasive Vivian, who is the closest to being the real villain in this tale. She’s so egocentric, so preening, that’s its hard to see how anyone this irritating would be given funding for her “preconceived” projects. Vivian recalls the feature directing debut of Albert Brooks in 1979’s REAL LIFE in which his Brooks character forces himself into his subjects’ lives, trying to “jump-start” some drama that’ll make the film more compelling and commercial. Despite her energetic work, Wells can’t quite make Vivian as endearingly silly as Brooks and only succeeds in making her a pretentious pill. Then there’s Bell as the twittery, repressed Alice, a role that’s frustratingly inconsistent. She works best as the supportive, frazzled spouse, but her “throwing Noah under the bus” during the doc scenes and a later foray into the “adult services industry” (didn’t Streisand do that over 40 years ago in FOR PETE’S SAKE) arrive right out of left field. As talented as she is (and she’s been the only bright spot in some many flicks) Bell can’t make her more than a cliché. Helms, as her spouse Noah, does a spirited twist on his “aggressive nerd” form THE HANGOVER trilogy and TV’s “The Office” while showing us the fragile side of the guy’s psyche. Heard is a glorious, glamorous “flower child” as Fanny as she makes the Bohemian fashions and attitude feel fresh and new. Cenac brings a laid-back snark to Zander, a “chill dude’ who’s more “of this world” than he lets on around his “lady”. The most fascinating pair may be Reiser and Steenburgen. She’s been doing great work recently on TV’s “The Last Man on Earth”, and her Cybil is another cynical, dour woman who will not tolerate any nonsense. She looks at her hubby with dead eyes, thinking he’s a clown, but really more dismayed by he own choices. The story’s hero may be Reiser’s Harvey, who stand up to Vivian and will not let Cybil give up on them. While many of his roles have been as a twitchy neurotic, Reiser this time out conveys an inner strength that propels Harvey to fight for their love.
This is the second feature film from the multi-talented Lake Bell, after her auspicious debut four years ago with IN A WORLD. That film was fresh and fascinating, an insider’s view of the unseen world of the voice artist, a family dynamic laced with loads of “tinsel town” feuds and fights. I wish I could say the same for the follow-up, with several plots that barely connect (the Harvey/Alice thread is the most frayed). Everyone seems to bounce off of Vivian until the nearly incoherent finale where the couple almost band together for a “Marriage is Marvy!” music number, complete with, believe it or not, somebody going into labor (really, again?). It just feels too close to some of the cloying big cast holiday comedies from the late Gary Marshall. Let’s hope that Bell gets much better material for her much-anticipated third feature (maybe a return to the sound booth, please), rather than this uneven farce that’s a poor mix of elements from other films (the earlier mentioned REAL LIFE, PARENTHOOD, and many others). I DO…UNTIL I DON’T just doesn’t cut …the ole’ movie wedding cake.
2 Out of 4
I DO…UNTIL I DON’T opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure AQUAMAN, helmed by James Wan (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7”). Jason Momoa stars in the title role, returning to the character he plays in this fall’s JUSTICE LEAGUE.
The film also stars Amber Heard (“Justice League,” “Magic Mike XXL”) as Mera; Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (“Platoon,” “Spider-Man 2”) as Vulko; Temuera Morrison (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Green Lantern”) as Tom Curry; Dolph Lundgren (“The Expendables” films) as Nereus; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (upcoming “Baywatch,” Netflix’s “The Get Down”) as Black Manta; with Patrick Wilson (“The Conjuring” films, “Watchmen”) as Orm/Ocean Master; and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (“The Hours,” “Lion”) as Atlanna.
The film is being produced by Peter Safran, with Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Rob Cowan, Jon Berg and Geoff Johns serving as executive producers.
Wan’s team behind the scenes includes such frequent collaborators as Oscar-nominated director of photography Don Burgess (“The Conjuring 2,” “Forrest Gump”), his five-time editor Kirk M. Morri (“The Conjuring” films, “Furious 7,” the “Insidious” films) and production designer Bill Brzeski (“Furious 7”). They are joined by costume designer Kym Barrett (“The Matrix” trilogy; “The Amazing Spider-Man”), along with Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Charles Gibson (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2”) and VFX supervisor Kelvin McIlwain (“The Fast and the Furious” franchise).
As is fitting for the king of the sea, the shoot will take place mainly in locations spanning the stunning Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, with extensive filming to be accomplished at Village Roadshow Studios. The production will utilize the facility’s sprawling backlot and all nine VRS soundstages, including its newest, Stage 9, the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Filming will also take place in Newfoundland, Sicily and Tunisia.
An icon for over 75 years, Aquaman is known by fans of DC Comics as the ruler of Atlantis but committed to protecting the entire globe, both land and sea.
Currently set for a 2018 release, the film is based on characters from DC.
“Franco and Harris are blistering as a father and son confronting their past.”— says Dan Callahan of The Wrap on the new thriller THE ADDERALL DIARIES.
THE ADDERALL DIARIES is A Twisted Journey Through Sex, Drugs, and Lies that Unfolds on Blu-ray™ and DVD on July 5 from Lionsgate
Follow a troubled author’s journey to uncover the truth of his past in the sexy, gritty film The Adderall Diaries, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD July 5 from Lionsgate. Theatrically released by A24, the film stars Academy Award® nominee James Franco (Best Actor, 127 Hours, 2010), four-time Academy Award® nominee Ed Harris (Best Supporting Actor, Apollo 13, 1995), Amber Heard (The Danish Girl), with Cynthia Nixon (HBO’s “Sex and the City”), and Golden Globe® winner Christian Slater (TV’s “Mr. Robot”). Nominated for Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival, The Adderall Diaries is written and directed by Pamela Romanowsky (The Color of Time) and executive produced by Robert Redford (A Walk in the Woods). Oscar® nominee James Franco is riveting as a famous but troubled author whose fascination with a high-profile murder case brings his own dark past into focus. Based on the best-selling book by Stephen Elliott,The Adderall Diaries follows one man’s desperate journey through sex, drugs, and lies as he tries to separate fact from fiction and ignite a life-changing romance. Ed Harris and Amber Heard costar in this gritty story about the shocking discoveries that lie beneath the truth.
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The home entertainment release of The Adderall Diaries includes audio commentary with the director, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and deleted scenes. The Adderall Diaries will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES*
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary with Director Pamela Romanowsky
“The Adderall Diaries: A Director’s Perspective” Featurette
Focus Features has released photos of Eddie Redmayne and Laverne Cox at a special screening of THE DANISH GIRL in New York this past Saturday night.
One of 2015’s must-see movies, THE DANISH GIRL is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener, portrayed in the film respectively by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables).
The film opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, November 27th, and in additional cities in December.
Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Eddie Redmayne, Hannah Bagshawe
Eddie Redmayne, Cuba Gooding Jr.
In 1926 in Copenhagen, artist Einar Wegener is married to Gerda Wegener and is revered for landscape paintings. Gerda is also an artist, less renowned but steadily working as a portraitist of prominent citizens. Theirs is a strong and loving marriage, yet personal and professional epiphanies have eluded themboth.
That all begins to change one day when, on deadline for a portrait, Gerda asks her husband to fill in for a model by putting on a dress so that she canfinish the painting. The experience is transformative, as Einar soon realizes that being Lili is an expression of her truest self, and she begins living her life as a woman. Gerda unexpectedly finds that she has a new muse, and renewed creative ferment. But the couple soon brush up against society’s disapproval.
They leave their homeland for the more open-minded world of Paris. There, it is Gerda’s career that continues to flourish. The couple’s marriage evolves -and not without strain. But again and again Gerda supports Lili during her journey as a transgender woman. Through the other, each of them finds thecourage to be who they are at heart.
Director Tom Hooper says, “I can’t overemphasize how courageous she was to have the surgery at that time. This was before antibiotics, before penicillin, where the risks of infectionwere acute and the treatments were in their infancy and very dangerous. Lili was extraordinarily brave in facing these risks.”
Eddie Redmayne adds, “Her bravery is unlike anything I can imagine. One friend of mine described it as that Lili would give anything and everything to live a life authentic.”
Screenwriter Lucinda Coxon says, “It’s an honor to bring this story to a wider audience, back to the world’s consciousness.”
Principal photography on THE DANISH GIRL was completed in April 2015. Post-production was finished in September 2015, marking the culmination of the story’s 15-year odyssey to the screen.
Alicia Vikander says,”I don’t think anyone will walk out of the theater after seeing this movie not being touched by Lili’s journey. It’s a love story between two people but above all a love story of learning how to love yourself.”
Eddie Redmayne concludes, “Whilst this is a very specific story about a very specific woman undergoing her own journey to be herself, I feel like all of us have barriers put up infront of us. Do we confront them? Get rid of them? Or – worst-case scenario – live with them? The bravery and courage that it takes to be yourself shouldn’t be underestimated.”
If it’s Summertime at the cinema, then it’s sequel time once again! Hey, it was just a couple of days ago when that foul-mouthed toy returned in TED 2. A few weeks ago another entry in the scare series arrived with INSIDIOUS 3. And this all really began on the first of May when those mighty Marvel movie heroes reunited to take down Ultron, while another team, the singin’ Bellas, headed back to the multiplex a couple of weeks later in PITCH PERFECT 2. And now movie fans are treated to another epic return gathering of several big screen icons. But this titanic team appeals to a slightly more mature demographic, hence the truly earned “R” rating. Unlike Tony Stark’s crew, these bigger-than-life beef cakes aren’t using their talents against lethal robots. The power of pleasure provides the energy, and propels the plot, in MAGIC MIKE XXL.
So, it’s been three years since we last saw Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) excite the ladies on stage. But, he’s given up his g-string for a tool belt as he devotes his time and energy into a fledgling interior design business in Tampa, Florida. But a phone call from one of his old dancing pals tricks him into a reunion with the other club vets: Ken (Matt Bomer), Tito (Adam Rodriguez), “Tarzan” (Kevin Nash), Tobias (Gabriel Inglesias), and “big” Dick Richie (Joe Manganiello). After the owner of that venue skipped the country, the fellas split with several leaving the adult entertainment biz (Tito’s got a food truck that sells his “all natural” frozen yogurt). But, now the guys have a plan to compete as a group at the big stripper convention happening in Myrtle Beach in only a few weeks. Mike takes a pass, but later that night, as he toils in his workshop, the booming hip-hop beats from his radio act as a siren’s song. That next morning he joins the guys at Tito’s yogurt truck for one last glorious gig. During the long trek, they stop off in Jacksonville where Mike meets the flirtatious photog Zoey (Amber Heard). Hey, with old club owner Dallas AWOL, the gang needs a new master of ceremonies, so they stop again at a very exclusive ladies’ club in Savannah where Mike attempts to recruit former flame Rome (Jada Pinkett Smith) along with two of her prized performers, Malik (Stephan Boss) and Andre (Donald Glover). As the group nears the big event, Mike convinces the crew to ditch their old act. But can they come up with a sensational new routine in the scant hours before they take the stage, one that will literally knock the attendees socks (and stockings) off?
Tatum effortlessly slips back into the role of leader to this motley crew, shaking off the sawdust as those old moves return to him (like riding a bike!). We get a good dose of the comedic skills he’s sharpened in the JUMP STREET franchise (especially in his banter with Zoe over pastry preferences-he’s a “cookie man”) and even a taste of his dramatic range from flicks like FOXCATCHER. But best of all is his impeccable physicality as he seems to defy gravity in his early workshop dance, which plays as a thumping tribute to the barn-raising number SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS and Donald O’Connor’s wild “Make ’em Laugh” from SINGING IN THE RAIN. Here’s a movie star with really great moves. The most entertaining of the troupe may be Manganiello who has terrific comic timing whether he’s bemoaning the lack of a lover (they just can’t accommodate his…er…gift) or treating the convention as the Super Bowl (he’s got that endearing goofball “jock” quality). And he’s gives us some smooth moves, too, in that big show doing a riff on 50 SHADES OF GREY that out steams the original. And especially during the film’s best sequence, as he performs (fueled by the club drug Molly) only for a bored convenance store clerk. Plus he really knows his “boy bands”. Bomer also grabs some laughs as his Ken spouts endless “new age-y” babble and “self-help” speak (he’s a “third level healer”). In addition to his dance skills, he’s got quite a set of pipes as he croons sweetly to his clients (who, in turn, swoon). Rodriguez is all boundless youthful enthusiasm as he rattles off his love of fresh, organic ingredients in his home made frozen treats. And he’s a great comedic partner with Inglesais, who does a killer McConaughey impression. Oh, and he’s a roly-poly Carman Miranda, too. Nash is still stoic and somber as the world-weary, somewhat battered “Tarzan” (he poses more than he dances on stage), but we get an insight into his dark past and see him utilize his artistic talents in the big finale.
Hope that I’m not giving the impression that this film is a complete, what’s the phrase the youngsters are using, “sausage fest”. There are several ladies in prominent roles. The alpha female is definitely Pinkett-Smith as the formidable Rome (hey, her club is named “Domina”), who seems to be a mix of Eartha Kitt, TV’s “Claire Huxtable”, and Tina Turner in MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME (and seems a bit too much like her role as crime boss “Fish” Mooney on the current Batman prequel TV series “Gotham”). While Dallas revved up the club audience with his smooth Southern drawl, Rome preaches at the pulpit of empowerment (“We are all…queens!!”). Heard gives off a sexy “tough girl” vibe as the somewhat cynical photog and possible paramour for Mike (his gal from the first flick turned down his proposal…yes, really!). Also making an impression is the still radiant Andie MacDowell as a true “cougar” queen who never stops undressing the guys with her half-mast eyes. Hey, and there’s this Summer’s busiest lady, Elizabeth Banks, co-star of LOVE AND MERCY and PITCH PERFECT 2 which she also directed, grabbing some chuckles as the big convention’s prissy and slightly frazzled organizer. Now, I don’t want to leave out an impressive trio of men from Rome’s staple. Glover (AKA “Childish Gambino” and Troy on TV’s “Community”) charms as the rap improviser Andre, Boss lives up to his name as the impeccable Malik (he even goes toe to toe with Mike), and “Mr. morning TV” himself, ex pro-footballer Michael Strahan serves up a superb high-spirited dance (using a massage table) as club fave Augustus.
The director of the original, Steven Soderbergh, has relinquished those duties this time out to his longtime assistant Gregory Jacobs, but is literally still behind the camera as the film’s cinematographer (and producer/editor). Jacobs is able to capture that film’s original rhythms, and, unfortunately, its weaknesses. While much of the first outing was an introduction to the “club life” told through the eyes of a new addition (“the Kid”), this is mainly a “road picture” with their adventures on the way to “Oz” (the big SC event). Reid Carolin once again provides the screenplay, but many of the scenes (as in the first flick) have a meandering “improv” feel. This works a few times with the crew busting b*#ls on the bus, but often it feels as though the actors are flailing about without a map (most apparent in Mike and Zoey’s awkward first meeting). And another old problem occurs here, too. The film never really comes alive until the guys perform (and boy, they whip the ladies around like rag dolls and position them like “Barbies”), be it on stage or in the “mini-mart” aisle. And McConaughey’s not around as the shot of adrenaline needed to energize the slow stretches. Yes, those folks looking to gaze at taut eight and ten-packs will be most rewarded (the mostly female attendees are in a constant state of frenzy during the big finale, so maybe Jackie Gleason was mistaken about Miami audiences), but movie lovers looking for a compelling story will feel as though they never got past the “bouncers” at the door with MAGIC MIKE XXL.
