Legion...

I've always been a fan of the idea of looking at a famous story from a new and exciting angle. To that end, I was intrigued when I first read about the new movie Legion starring Paul Bettany (and incidentally a supporting cast made up of a collection of TV actors you will likely recognize). However, I've embedded the trailer below and I'm really not sure. It looks a little like Supernatural and the Matrix gave birth to a pseudo-mythological action film and decided cut it down to a minute and a half. Seriously, the art of the trailer is dead...and my jury is still out on the film.

FYI - it's a restricted trailer.

Cheers,

They finally made my life into a movie...

...and it features someone who has to be introduced as starring in the Travelling Pants movies.

So sad.

At any rate, it got me thinking: if your life was a movie, which would it be? If I'm being honest my life is actually this film:


Followed closely chronologically by Office Space:


And I'm really hoping that the triumvirate is completed with the Princess Bride:

...but that's just because I'm optimistic and would like an excuse to sit in bed all day while a grandfather figure reads me bedtime stories and I pretend I'm six and don't have bills to pay.

So what movie (or movies) would your life be?

It's...complex?

I've been talking about how the roles for women are changing in the current entertainment climate but the trailer for the upcoming It's Complicated got me thinking. I've been making a case for the idea that the roles for women in television are stronger than in film, and overlooking the fact that we have come a LONG way in terms of what the public wants to see of the modern woman.

Allow me to get a little film school on you for a second:

When I was in first year we watched a film called All that Heaven Allows with Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman. It was about a widow (Wyman) who falls in love with a gallant gardener (Hudson) who is younger than her by at least a few years. Now throughout the movie they talk again and again of how old she is and how it's not proper for a lady of her age to be carrying on in such a way. Let's be clear: and say that by "carrying on" they are referring to her going out on dates with this man and that at the time of the film's release Wyman was 38 years old (meaning she was likely 36 or 37 at the time of filming).

The majority of the household names in romantic films these days are well into their thirties: Sandra Bullock is 45, Cameron Diaz is 37, Jennifer Aniston is 40, Angelina Jolie (who many still consider one of the hottest women on the planet) is 34. So while the film is likely formulaic in the way that Romcoms tend to be...it is a pleasure to see that Ms. Streep (who turned 60 this year) is front and centre, and shooting sex scenes no less!

Check out the trailers and let me know what you think...

What I did this summer: moviewatcher edition

Seeing as the summer is winding down I thought I would do a quick re-cap of my summer movie watching. This summer has been full of disappointments but I have had a few pleasant surprises that I'd like to share...here we go.

HOW I DID WITH MY SUMMER LIST OF FILMS:

(500) DAYS OF SUMMER - I was really excited to see this movie and was sure it would be a quirky art-house film and while it does have aspects of the genre it surprised me in a wonderful way. Definitely worth re-visiting and I would recommend it if you aren't sure what you'd like to see.

THE BROTHERS BLOOM - Haven't had a chance yet but it's still on the list.

BRÜNO - Saw it. HATED it. There's really nothing more to say.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE - I was sure I was going to do this to myself (i.e. anticipate so much that the film couldn't live up to my expectations) but I did really enjoy the film. My only concern is-- and for those who've both read and watched this intsallment you'll know what I mean-- that they haven't emphasized the right things in order to properly set up the next two movies. Basically there's too much love and not enough danger.

THE HURT LOCKER - Still haven't seen it. Still really itching to watch.

THE PROPOSAL - Saw it, liked it. It's exactly what you want from a Romcom.

PUBLIC ENEMIES - I really liked this and enjoyed Johnny Depp's performance.

SURROGATES - Still don't want to see this film but I'm reading the graphic novel. At times it's a little formulaic (i.e. it's trying too hard to be the Watchmen) but it brings up some interesting points. When a book can make me angry it gets my seal of approval.

EVERYONE'S BEEN TELLING ME TO WATCH THESE, SO I DID:

SECRETS AND LIES (Not the greatest trailer but the best I could find)
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (This was a quiet one at the Oscars this year and I think, well deserved)
MANHATTAN (Saw this at the Bloor Street Cinemas earlier in the summer. Fantastic)

AWARD WINNER FOR "UPCOMING MOVIE WITH MOST CELEBRITIES IN ONE FILM":

NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU I'm not even going to bother listing all the names...because the trailer (in that way that trailers do) manages to read like a CV for the film. In the battle between this and Valentine's day, which I posted about earlier this summer...I think New York wins. Not really surprising if you think about it, but interestingly both films feature Bradley Cooper. Looks like he's having his "it" moment. Get ready to be sick of him by the end of the year ;)

The Lovely Bones...

...was the most heartbreakingly beautiful book I have read in the past few years and being that it centres around the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl it's no wonder it broke my heart. But the reason the book was so beautiful is that it really made an effort to explore what happened to her after she was killed and expand upon the love in her family. It manages to (by the end) show you the beauty of life through the absolute horror of the event at the beginning of the novel.

To that end they've made a movie and I'm a little concerned it's not going to meet my expectations; there's a lot of subtlety and contradiction that the film needs to explore in order to live up to its source material. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think. Will you check out the lovely bones?

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thelovelybones/

HD is to newscasters as 3D is to teenagers...

In recent years the government has come up with new fangled "holographic" driver's licenses that are supposed to be harder to replicate (there's a reflective/holographic replication of your license photo in the bottom corner among other things). I have managed to hold onto my old one dimensional photo ID from University but recently my license expired and I've had to renew. What--might you ask-- is the point?

Well, after accidentally sleeping in this morning and rushing into work with my glasses on, wet hair pulled back, and no makeup I had to renew my license this afternoon. I am quite excited to see how my ID photo turned out; especially in view of the fact that I'm going to have to display it proudly in liquor stores and concert halls for the next five years.

I bet I look like Megan Fox.

What the whole holographic angle did make me begin to wonder (after the second "glasses-on" picture in which the top half of my face was obscured by the glare of my crazy-thick lenses, and I was standing back to the wall waiting for the flash from an object I could not see) is how the new craze for 3D movies will effect actors in the years to come. I've heard stories about news casters who've had to adjust their beauty habits solely due to the HD experience making it easier to spot imperfections. How will 3D effect that?

Can you imagine: Zac Efron's acne in 3d?!?!

I shudder to think...

For shame: the TV vs. Film Dilemma

I am actively boycotting the Ugly Truth as there are many far superior movies in theatres at the moment. Unfortunately-- my friends and I aside-- the film seems to be doing quite well at the box office and it leads me to wonder about movie watchers' habits. Obviously the Romcoms tend to do quite well but for an actress who complained about not having enough meat to warrant an Emmy for her role (not that, you know, she was thinking she had a chance of winning or anything) it's an interesting choice of roles for Katherine Heigl.

Lo and behold someone thought the same thing! Check out this article and let me know what you think...are the TV roles for women more plum at the moment?

"Shew vs. shrewd" (chicagotribune.com)

The ladies of Emmy's drama nominations certainly think so! Check out their round table discussion when you're done reading about my currently least favourite blond (my most favourite being Edie Falco).