Tag: jude law

Watch The New SIDE EFFECTS Trailer

Get a taste of director Steven Soderbergh’s new psychological thriller, SIDE EFFECTS, in this brand new trailer starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum.

SIDE EFFECTS is a provocative thriller about Emily and Martin (Rooney Mara and Channing Tatum), a successful New York couple whose world unravels when a new drug prescribed by Emily’s psychiatrist (Jude Law) – intended to treat anxiety – has unexpected side effects.

SIDE EFFECTS’ writer Scott Z. Burns has collaborated with Soderbergh before on CONTAGION and THE INFORMANT! At present he’s co-writing the screenplay for the Matt Reeves’ helmed DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – set for a May 2014 release.

Starring JUDE LAW (Sherlock Holmes, Contagion, upcoming The Last Voyage of Demeter), ROONEY MARA (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network, upcoming Lawless), CATHERINE ZETA-JONES (Chicago, Ocean’s Twelve, upcoming Playing the Field) and CHANNING TATUM (Magic Mike, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation), catch SIDE EFFECTS in theaters everywhere February 8.

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Watch Fernando Meirelles’ 360 Trailer Starring Anthony Hopkins, Rachel Weisz, Jude Law And Ben Foster

Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Ben Foster and Anthony Hopkins star in the first trailer for Magnolia Pictures’ 360. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, BLINDNESS) and with an original screenplay from the acclaimed writer Peter Morgan (THE QUEEN, FROST/ NIXON), 360 will have it’s European premiere at the 55th BFI London Film Festival on October 12.

360 is a modern and stylish kaleidoscope of interconnected love and relationships linking characters from different cities and countries in a vivid, suspenseful and deeply moving tale of romantic life in the 21st century. Starting in Vienna, the film beautifully weaves through Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix into a single, mesmerising narrative.

From a simple decision made by one man – to remain faithful to his wife – springs a series of consequences. From uplifting, beautiful and romantic moments through to desperate, confused and conflicted interludes, each protagonist in 360 has their own vivid, entertaining, funny, tragic narrative as their stories entwine across the globe.

360 is a Revolution/ Dor Film/ Fidelite production, in co-production with O2 Filme and in association with BBC Films, The UK Film Council, ORF, Unison Films, Gravity Pictures, Hero Entertainment, Prescience, EOS Pictures, Wild Bunch, Film Location Austria, Austrian Film Institute and Vienna Film Fund. It is produced by Andrew Eaton and David Linde with Emanuel Michael, Danny Krausz, and Chris Hanley.

The film will be available on iTunes June 29 and in theaters August 3rd.

Visit the film’s official site: http://www.magpictures.com/360/

“Like” it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/360movie

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS – The Review

Mystery fans rejoice, the world’s greatest detective returns in SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, to be referred to as AGOS from here out. Guy Ritchie returns to direct the sequel to his 2009 reimagining of the eccentric, yet brilliant master sleuth. Robert Downey, Jr. (RDJ) returns as Holmes, along with Jude Law as Doctor James Watson. This film also offers the arrival of Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (from the original THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) in a major Hollywood film, as the gypsy Madame Simza Heron.

Holmes is up to his normal shenanigans, but this time he’s obsessed with what he calls the greatest case of his career, or even of all time, in his words. The problem, however, is that Holmes is working alone. Watson is about to get married, but Holmes isn’t about to let that stand in his way, managing to unintentionally involve Doc Watson in his deadly pursuit of a genius evil mastermind by way of biting off more than he may be able to chew. Also assisting Holmes this time around, but in a smaller role and with comedic flair, is Stephen Fry (V FOR VENDETTA) as Holmes’ brother Mycroft.

AGOS sees the emergence of Professor Moriarty, played rivetingly by Jared Harris, an incredibly smart and dangerous foe to rival the wits of Holmes himself. The two engage in a battle of the minds, a sort of game to determine who is superior, but a game that has the lives of many, even world peace at stake. Moriarty’s plans are merely a business venture to him, but to Holmes this is a test of his own ability, proving to be his most challenging and deadly investigation.

For fans of the first SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009), expect more of the same from RDJ, cunning and clever, witty and ill-mannered, obnoxious and reckless. With Ritchie once again behind the helm, AGOS also maintains the use of the slow-motion, or “bullet time” effects photography that allows incredible detail during epic action sequences. As before, this technique works wonderfully for the hand to hand fights, illustrating how Holmes preconceives his every move before the fight even begins. However, as spectacular as one massive scene involving Holmes, Watson and Heron fleeing an arsenal of massive guns may be, the technique is used to a point of being stretched too thin. The result is a dampening of the initially induced awe.

Aside from the slight overuse of the slow-motion tactics, AGOS involves some truly exhilarating action sequences. Hans Zimmer’s score is nothing short of a damn good time, energetic and highly appropriate, but the pacing of the film as a whole is not quite as finely tuned as in Ritchie’s 2009 film. There’s plenty of fun to be had with this second adventure, but the 129-minute sequel feels significantly longer than the 128-minute SHERLOCK HOLMES that rebooted the franchise.

Guy Ritchie continues to prove his knack from combining comedy and action, a talent Brett Ratner could only dream to accomplish on this level. Holmes and Moriarty are something like a superhero and his arch-nemesis super villain, whose quarrel with determine the fate of the world. AGOS is as much a battle of intellects as it is a physical battle, as the two characters try and gain the tactical edge throughout the film, much like the symbolic chess match they undertake in the final act of the film.

I found myself thoroughly entertained by SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, despite the slower pacing. Unfortunately, the only real complaint I have about the film is the ending, which feels a bit too much like a Hail Mary, last resort effort to wrap up the final battle while setting up a twist to follow. The ending is absurd as it plays out, requiring more than it’s fair share of demand on the viewer’s suspension of disbelief, even for a popcorn movie such as this. Regardless of the faltering finale, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS is well worth seeing for the fun factor on a Friday night.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

HUGO – The Review

Wow. It seems only yesterday that I was bemoaning having to don the big glasses and watch another film in 3D. It seemed that it was turning into a tired gimmick. It was an extra cost for films that needed an extra push. And then there’s the films converted to 3D after being shot with standard cameras. I couldn’t recall all the 3D movies I’d seen this past year. And then a master shows us how it’s done. Martin Scorsese’s HUGO (based on the children’s book ” The Invention of Hugo Chabret” by Brian Selznick ) truly utilizes the format to its full potential. With most films, I’ve told friends that the 3D wasn’t necessary. With this film I hope people will make the extra effort ( and spend a bit more ) in order to experience it’s eye-popping wonders. A friend was complaining that Scorsese was slumming by stooping to shoot in 3D. I remembered that Alfred Hitchcock shot DIAL M FOR MURDER at the height of the 3D movie craze of the 1950’s ( after the big box office of HOUSE OF WAX and B’WANA DEVIL ). If Hitch could work with the format, why shouldn’t Scorsese get a crack at it? I think movie goers will be glad he did. 

At the film’s start we’re high above Paris. The camera swoops into the train station. The year is 1930. We meet a pre-teen boy named Hugo ( Asa Butterfield ). It’s revealed that Hugo worked alongside his inventor father ( Jude Law ) who was the custodian of a large museum. They both attempt to activate a small robot called an automaton. It appears that it writes with pen and ink. Their work comes to a halt when the father is killed and Hugo must live with his lush of an uncle,Claude ( Ray Winstone ) who is the clock maintenance man at the station. When Claude goes missing after a bender, Hugo assumes his duties at the station. As he scrambles to survive while servicing the clocks, Hugo must keep two steps ahead of the determined station inspector ( Sasha Baron Cohen ) and his Doberman. The inspector believes that Hugo is a thieving child of the streets. In his adventures Hugo works with a sullen toy shop owner ( Ben Kingsley ) and befriends the man’s god-daughter Isabelle ( Chloe Grace Moretz ). As the two kids explore the city they soon discover the mystery surrounding her Papa Georges.

This barely scratches the surface of all the wonders of the film. The Paris of 1930 is almost another character in the film. HUGO makes a nice companion piece to Woody Allan’s film from earlier this year MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. Both films are meticulous in their recreation of the era and both feature real artists of the time, although there’s more historical cameos in the Allen film. HUGO has yet another cinema brother in the soon to be released THE ARTIST. In one scene Hugo sneaks Isabelle into a cinema where she is dazzled by an American silent film ( kudos to Scorsese for the excellent choice ), while THE ARTIST  is a silent film set around the same period in Hollywood. In this film Scorsese is really able to display and share his passion for the history of cinema. While dazzling us with the sumptuous visuals, Scorsese has not neglected the actors. The film rests on the very capable shoulders of young Butterfield, His Hugo is a smart, resourceful, daring young man. Moretz continues to build a great body of film work as Hugo’s sympathetic sidekick ( and perhaps love interest ). Cohen aptly displays his considerable comic skills ( almost a slapstick silent film clown ) as the comic villain . But the inspector’s not all bad. He pines for the train station flower seller ( Emily Mortimer ), but is embarrassed by the brace on his left leg ( a war injury ). Kingsley gives a very moving performance as the toy peddler who is more than he seems, although his interplay with Hugo makes for some great comedy. Bravo  to the producers for populating the station with some great veteran actors like Richard Griffiths and the great Christopher Lee as a kindly book seller. The film may be a tad too long for the very young ( some were getting a bit fidgety at the screening ), but older kids will be thrilled by Hugo’s daring escapes and adventures. With HUGO Scorsese has wrapped up a delightful cinema gift to us this holiday season and proves that any movie format can work when an artist with passion is behind the lens.

Overall Rating: Four and a Half Out of Five Stars

Watch SHERLOCK HOLMES – A GAME OF SHADOWS Trailer 2


Photo by Daniel Smith

Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law star in the second trailer for Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures’ action adventure mystery SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS.

Synopsis:

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room – until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder – a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction – all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

Director: Guy Ritchie
Writers: Michele Mulroney & Kieren Mulroney
Producers: Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey, Dan Lin
Executive Producer: Bruce Berman

With a cast of Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris, Eddie Marsan, and Stephen Fry, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS will be in theaters on December 16th.

Visit the film’s official site: www.sherlockholmes2.com

“Like” it on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SherlockHolmesMovie

Follow it on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/wbpictures

 

 

 

HUGO – Behind The Scenes With Martin Scorsese Video

Go behind the scenes with director Martin Scorsese as he describes the magic of his new 3D film HUGO. Scorsese screened an unfinished version last night at the New York Film Festival.

“This is a work in progress,” he told the packed audience. “I hope that those of you who really do like it come and see the final film.”

Here’s another look at the delightful trailer that debuted earlier this summer.

John Logan’s HUGO screenplay is based on Brian Selznick’s New York Times bestseller “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” and is produced by Scorsese, Graham King, Tim Headington and Johnny Depp. The film stars Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McCrory, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Emily Mortimer, and Michael Stuhlbarg.

HUGO will be in theaters November 23rd.
Visit the film’s official site: www.HugoMovie.com
“Like” it on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HugoMovie

CONTAGION (2011) – The Review

All right! Who’s up for a good ole’ fashioned disaster movie with a bunch of big time movie stars? I mean one where you can’t swing a cat ( or tainted pig ) without hitting an Oscar winner? Well Steven Soderbergh’s CONTAGION is just the flick for you! True there’s plenty of trophy holders, but this is not your Irwin Allen-style jeopardy movie. No need for fancy special effects with detailed miniatures ( or CGI like 2012 ). This isn’t about a flood, fire,or quake. It’s a disease that’s cutting a swath through the cast. And being a Soderbergh film, the tone is more quiet that the ” cast of thousands ” epics of years past ( kind of like TRAFFIC ) . This may be more of a thinking man’s disaster movie. Instead of climbing and leaping to safety, the people here are having to make moral choices and protect their loved ones while an air of doom surrounds them. The “feel good movie of the year” it ain’t!

The bad times begin with Beth Emhoff’s ( Gwyneth Paltrow ) unfortunate Hong Kong business trip. She returns to the states a sweaty coughing mess. Back at the Minnesota home she shares with her hubby Mitch ( Matt Damon ) and young son, her condition worsens. After she collapses and convulses on the kitchen floor Mitch rushes her to the hospital. Meanwhile reports filter in from Hong Kong. There’s an Internet video of someone convulsing, then dying on a public bus. Soon the Center for Disease Control ( the CDC) in Atlanta springs into action. Dr. Ellis Cheever ( Laurence Fishbourne ) sends Dr. Erin Mears ( Kate Winslet ) to Minnesota. Meanwhile the World Health Organization dispatches Dr. Leonora Orantes ( Marion Cotillard ) to Hong Kong to find patient zero. Scientists at the CDC ( Jennifer Ehle and Demetri Martin ) try to create a vaccine to battle this highly contagious new virus. A popular  blogger Alan Krumwiede ( Jude Law ) takes to his Internet soapbox to warn of government cover-ups and publicize a miracle herbal drug. As the bodies pile up, the citizenry becomes desperate and marshal law is enacted. Will this deadly disease hasten the end of days?

Soderbergh references the paranoia surrounding H1N1 of a few years back in telling this new tale ( he also mentions the great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 ). With the fear of contact we’re also reminded of the early days of AIDS. While some scenes of desperation are harrowing, Soderbergh keeps things moving at a fairly low-key pace. Seems the sun’s never shining in the USA during this crisis. Some of the familiar actors who pop in can be a bit distracting ( There’s Elliot Gould! Look it’s Veronica Mars’s dad! ), though it doesn’t take you out of the fairly grim proceedings ( a few laughs are squeezed in ). The old horror movie trope of the camera lingering on objects works to great effect here. Instead of an axe or cleaver we see objects covered in virus germs ( That bowl of peanuts! The doorknob! ). All the subplots are kept moving and a few characters are revealed to have ulterior motives. Big kudos for the final flashback to the first day of the plague. It’s an interesting and , yes, entertaining exploration of the doomsday scenario. Oops, I’m out of hand sanitiser!

Overall Rating : Four Out of Five Stars

New Images of Steven Soderbergh’s CONTAGION Are Here

Warner Bros. Pictures has released a slew of new images from the upcoming thriller CONTAGION. The photo gallery includes a few behind-the-scenes stills as well as a look at Steven Soderbergh’s film.

An international traveler reaches into the snack bowl at an airport bar before passing her credit card to a waiter. A  business meeting begins with a round of handshakes. A man coughs on a crowded bus…

One contact. One instant. And a lethal virus is transmitted.

When Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to Minneapolis from business in Hong Kong, what she thought was jet lag takes a virulent turn. Two days later, she’s dead in the ER and the doctors tell her shocked and grieving husband (Matt Damon) they have no idea why.

Soon, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage…and ultimately, death. In Minneapolis, Chicago, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong, the numbers quickly multiply: one case becomes four, then sixteen, then hundreds, thousands, as the contagion sweeps across all borders, fueled by the countless human interactions that make up the course of an average day.

A global pandemic explodes.

At the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers mobilize to break the code of a unique biological pathogen as it continues to mutate. Deputy Director Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) tries to allay the growing panic despite his own personal concerns, and must send a brave young doctor (Kate Winslet) into harm’s way. At the same time, amid a rising tide of suspicion over a potential vaccine – and who gets it first – Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard) of the World Health Organization works through the network of connections that could lead back to the source of what they’re dealing with.

As the death toll escalates and people struggle to protect themselves and their loved ones in a society breaking down, one activist blogger (Jude Law) claims the public isn’t getting the truth about what’s really going on, and sets off an epidemic of paranoia and fear as infectious as the virus itself.

Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) directs the global thriller “Contagion,” bringing together a stellar international ensemble cast led by Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard (“La Vie en Rose,” “Inception”); Academy Award® winner Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting,” the “Bourne” films); Academy Award® nominee Laurence Fishburne (“What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “The Matrix”); Academy Award® nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “Sherlock Holmes”); Academy Award® winner Gwyneth Paltrow (“Shakespeare in Love,” “Iron Man”); and Academy Award® winner Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Titanic”).

Directed by Steven Soderbergh from an original screenplay by Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Informant!”), the film also stars Bryan Cranston (AMC’s “Breaking Bad”), Jennifer Ehle (“The King’s Speech”) and Sanaa Lathan (“Alien Vs. Predator”). It is produced by Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher and Gregory Jacobs, with Jeff Skoll, Michael Polaire, Jonathan King and Ricky Strauss serving as executive producers. The creative filmmaking team includes production designer Howard Cummings, Oscar®-winning editor Stephen Mirrione, costume designer Louise Frogley and composer Cliff Martinez.

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi, a Double Feature Films/Gregory Jacobs Production, “Contagion” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

Concurrently with its nationwide theatrical distribution, the film will be released in select IMAX® theatres worldwide on September 9th!

“Contagion” is rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some language.

www.contagionmovie.com

Photos by Claudette Barius/Warner Bros. Pictures

360 Starring Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Sir Anthony Hopkins To Open THE 55TH BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

London –24 August: The 55th BFI London Film Festival, in partnership with American Express, is proud to announce that this year‟s Festival will open on Wednesday 12 October with the European premiere of 360, directed by Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, BLINDNESS) and with an original screenplay from the acclaimed writer Peter Morgan (THE QUEEN, FROST/ NIXON).

Meirelles is no stranger to the Festival after THE CONSTANT GARDENER (for which Rachel Weisz later won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar) opened it in 2005.

360 is a modern and stylish kaleidoscope of interconnected love and relationships linking characters from different cities and countries in a vivid, suspenseful and deeply moving tale of romantic life in the 21st century. Starting in Vienna, the film beautifully weaves through Paris, London, Bratislava, Rio, Denver and Phoenix into a single, mesmerising narrative.

From a simple decision made by one man – to remain faithful to his wife – springs a series of consequences. From uplifting, beautiful and romantic moments through to desperate, confused and conflicted interludes, each protagonist in 360 has their own vivid, entertaining, funny, tragic narrative as their stories entwine across the globe.

Sandra Hebron, the Festival‟s Artistic Director comments:

“’I’m delighted that 360 will be our opening night film, and very pleased to welcome back Fernando Meirelles and Peter Morgan to the Festival. With its impeccable film making credentials and intriguing premise, 360 combines masterful visual story telling with a modern and moving narrative, helped by strong performances from a terrific ensemble cast. It will be a pleasure to open this year’s Festival with such an accomplished film from one of international cinema’s finest film makers.”

On having the film’s European premiere at the Festival, producers Andrew Eaton and David Linde comment:

“It is a great honour to be invited to be the opening film of the BFI London Film Festival. It feels especially significant and poignant at Sandra Hebron’s last Festival as Director.”

Director Fernando Meirelles adds:

“In the past decade I’ve been to the BFI London Film Festival six times, some of them as a guest, and some as part of the audience. The BFI London Film Festival is one of the best festivals in the world due to its selection of films and the number of theatres the films are shown in. I am very honoured 360, an intimate film that talks about our options in life, has been chosen to open the Festival this year, and I want to thank Sandra Hebron for extending this prestigious invitation to me for a second time, following The Constant Gardener, which opened the Festival in 2005.”

360 is a Revolution/ Dor Film/ Fidelite production, in co-production with O2 Filme and in association with BBC Films, The UK Film Council, ORF, Unison Films, Gravity Pictures, Hero Entertainment, Prescience, EOS Pictures, Wild Bunch, Film Location Austria, Austrian Film Institute and Vienna Film Fund.

It is produced by Andrew Eaton and David Linde with Emanuel Michael, Danny Krausz, Chris Hanley.

The full programme for The 55th BFI London Film Festival will be announced at the Press Launch on Wednesday 7 September. The Festival runs from 12-27 October 2011.

Last year‟s Festival hosted 201 feature films and 112 short films from 68 countries including 34 world premieres. There were 629 filmmakers in attendance, drawing the highest ever audience attendance of over 132,000 filmgoers. The Festival opened with the European Premiere of NEVER LET ME GO and closed with the European Premiere of 127 HOURS.

www.bfi.org.uk
www.bfi.org.uk/lff

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Twitter: @BFI

Blu Monday: Apocalyptic Vampires, Gunslingers, a Barbarian, and a Talking Hamburger

Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray Continue reading Blu Monday: Apocalyptic Vampires, Gunslingers, a Barbarian, and a Talking Hamburger