Storyline: A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.
Review: 10 February 2011 | by kingownsyou (United States) Beforehand I found Cameron Diaz as the lead character in a raunchy comedy off putting. I was pleasantly surprised I neither wanted to stab her or myself after seeing this movie. She pulls off the recently dumped, vulgar, Junior High teacher off pretty well.
Diaz stars as the titular teacher Elizabeth Halsey. Her fiancé dumps her very early on in an unexpected tone setting scene. She is an educator without a care of education who needs a new man's bank account to rest on. Enter Justin Timberlake as the hot, new substitute teacher with plenty of family money. Timberlake plays the dorky, yet hot teacher very well culminating in his facial expressions in a "moment of pleasure".
Jason Segel guest stars as the slacker gym teach with intent to hook up with the vulnerable Diaz. Segel albeit funny is under utilized in this smart, well written comedy. Lucy Punch is hilarious as the perky, over the top model teacher also vying for Timberlake's attention.
The film is a comedy that should succeed much better than anyone whose ever heard of Cameron Diaz would expect. It comes across very 'Apatowian'. Its smart and just keeps going further down the road of crass, yet enjoyable raunchiness. It also sports the best scene of an exploding bowel movement since Austin Powers.
Main Cast And Crew Stars: Cameron Diaz, Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake,Lucy Punch, Phyllis Smith,John Michael Higgins,Dave Allen,Jillian Armenante,Matthew J. Evans And Others Director: Jake Kasdan Writers: Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg Production Co: Columbia Pictures, Mosaic Media Group Rated: R Runtime: 92 min Genre: Comedy Release Date: 24 June 2011 (USA) Country: USA Language: English Release Date: 24 June 2011 (USA) Also Known As: Bad Teacher: una prof da sballo Filming Locations: Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA
Hollywood Movie Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)
Storyline: During the most tumultuous time for media in generations, filmmaker Andrew Rossi gains unprecedented access to the newsroom at The New York Times. For a year, he follows journalists on the paper's Media Desk, a department created to cover the transformation of the media industry. Through this prism, a complex view emerges of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity, especially at the Times itself. Unprecedented access to the New York Times newsroom yields a complex view of the transformation of a media landscape fraught with both peril and opportunity.
Review: 28 May 2011 | by chaz-28 (Seattle, WA) Page One: Inside the New York Times is not a documentary about a day in the life of a newspaper. Instead, it is more social commentary from the New York Times' media desk about the current state of newspapers, their antagonizing relationship with news aggregators and social media, and a bit forlorn about how robust the New York Times used to be compared to their current staffing levels based on the combined loss of ad revenue and print subscriptions. The majority of this film focuses on the paper's media section, specifically on the cantankerous journalist David Carr, a former crack addict now social media watchdog. He frequently goes to conferences and events to defend his newspaper against social media sites who proclaim the death of news print and the inevitable rise of the internet news leviathan. Unfortunately for them, David Carr fights backs with some old common sense. In the most effective scene, he holds up a hardcopy of Newser's front page showing all of the news aggregated links on it. His next exhibit has all of the links cut out of it which were 'stolen' from the mainstream media making the Newser's front page look absolutely ridiculous and full of holes for all to see.
Too bad for the film's audience though, David Carr comes across as more of an a**hole for most of the film and you welcome to other locales and issues the documentary focuses on when it's not on Carr. There are scenes of employee layoffs, contrite apologies about Judith Miller and Jayson Blair, and the continuing defense that without the large, networked mainstream media, these new social media / news aggregator sites would have nothing to link to on their websites. These professional at-home bloggers do not have bureaus in Baghdad, stringers in war zones, and in an amusing side bit, they do not have people following their hometown zoning boards either.
Page One is effective at showing the audience that hardcopy newspapers are not dead yet and they still provide a considerable service to those who wish to remain informed. Regrettably, the film spends way too much time on David Carr and the media section which bogs down the film and makes the audience wait for the next segment not involving Carr.
Main Cast And Crew Stars: David Carr Director: Andrew Rossi Writers: Kate Novack, Andrew Rossi Genres: Documentary Country: USA Language: English Release Date: 24 June 2011 (USA) Runtime:88 min Rated: R for language including some sexual references.
Storyline: Rachel is a lawyer. When she was in law school she fell for another student Dex who comes from an affluent family. But she's too shy to say anything. When Dex meets her best friend Darcy who treats her like dirt sometimes, who was visiting her, she makes a move on him and gets him. Eventually they get engaged and Darcy asks Rachel to be her Maid of Honor. But Rachel stills has feelings for Dex and still can't say anything. But when Darcy throws her a birthday party and Dex is there. When she and gets Dex are alone, she blurts out that she had a thing for him in college which surprised him. And after drinking a little they spend the night together. They try to forget the whole thing but can't but agree that it means nothing. But Ethan, Rachel close friend tells her that she'll spend her entire life regretting that if she does nothing.
Movie Review: 9 May 2011 | by msbroberts (CA) After reading some negative reviews in some magazine I went to the movie with trepidation. Is it a finely crafted film, with a riveting script? No, but it was a good way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon with a friend.
Kate Hudson, Gennifer Goodwin do a good job making the friendship believable and warm, which could have been difficult considering their different temperaments. Colin Egglesfield is so handsome and those eyes can make you forgive a someway stiff performance. John Krasinski steals the show though, with his spot on delivery of the best lines in the movie. Be sure to stay until after the credits for a little bonus blip.
Hoping they do the next story, John Krasinski would be fabulous.
Main Cast And Crew Cast:Ginnifer Goodwin,Kate Hudson,Colin Egglesfield,John Krasinski,Steve Howey,Ashley Williams,Geoff Pierson,Jill Eikenberry,Jonathan Epstein,Leia Thompson Director: Luke Greenfield Writers: Jennie Snyder (screenplay), Emily Giffin (novel) Rated:PG 13 Genres: Comedy | Drama | Romance Country: USA Language: English Release Date: 6 May 2011 (USA) Also Known As: Жених напрокат Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Storyline:
Writer Jennifer Hills (Butler) takes a retreat from the city to a charming cabin in the woods to start on her next book. But Jennifer's presence in the small town attracts the attention of a few morally depraved locals who set out one night to teach this city girl a lesson. They break into her cabin to scare her. However, what starts out as terrifying acts of humiliation and intimidation, quickly and uncontrollably escalates into a night of physical abuse and torturous assault. But before they can kill her, Jennifer sacrifices her broken and beaten body to a raging river that washes her away. As time passes, the men slowly stop searching for her body and try to go back to life as usual. But that isn't about to happen. Against all odds, Jennifer Hills survived her ordeal. Now, with hell bent vengeance, Jennifer's sole purpose is to turn the tables on these animals and to inflict upon them every horrifying and torturous moment they carried out on her... only much, much worse.
Review: 29 January 2011 | by KBambrick (Ireland)
Remakes are a dime a dozen these days but when you go through your old DVD or video collection and you come across the 1978 original I Spit On Your Grave you cant help but think "not a chance they will remake this". But remake it they have and the storyline is a mirror image of the original but for some reason this new version doesn't seem to be as nasty as the original. The reasons for this might have to do with the fact that the actors can actually act, its shot in a cleaner, more professional manner and maybe most importantly of all : we are just not that shocked by anything anymore. With more and more films pushing the boundaries of violence and gore, this just doesn't offend as much as the original did in its day. Having said that its still a tough watch and anybody not familiar with the original and not a fan of this genre will find its extended torture and intimidation scenes very difficult to stomach, but with a title like I Spit On Your Grave this movie will only attract a certain type of viewer.
Main Cast And Crew Stars: Sarah Butler, Jeff Branson, Andrew Howard, Daniel Franzese,
Rodney Eastman,Chad Lindberg,Tracey Walter, Mollie Milligan,Saxon Sharbino Director: Steven R. Monroe Writers: Meir Zarchi (1978 screenplays), Stuart Morse (screenplay) Production Co: Family of the Year Productions Motion Picture Rating (MPAA) Rated: R for pervasive strong sadistic brutal violence, rape and torture, nudity and language. Runtime:108 min Genres: Crime | Horror | Thriller Release Dates: Japan 4 June 2011 (Tokyo) Sweden: 15 June 2011 (DVD premiere) Budget: $1,500,000 (estimated)
Storyline: Three hooded Eastern-European criminals burst into a home in a Madrid gated community, holding the family hostage in its own home, and forcing the father to empty his credit cards. But the family fights back - brutally.
Movie Review: 3 December 2010 | by thisissubtitledmovies excerpt - How many times can a familiar plot be rehashed and remade before audiences tire of it? Formulaic retreads of stories we've seen a thousand times before clutter the cinema listings, and lack of originality is something we lament. With that in mind, Manuel Angel Vivas has charged himself with the task of breathing new life into the age-old idea of a family being held hostage in their own home. But does his conceptual staging and technical expertise make for a compelling picture or a triumph of style over substance?
Kidnapped is an easy film to admire, but a difficult one to like. All the gimmicks and trickery in the world can't disguise the fact that once the technical wizardry has been stripped away it is a pretty standard thriller. As an experience, it is unforgettable. Sadly, that experience as akin to being relentlessly bludgeoned. Hopefully, Vivas will return next time with a story which matches his undoubted skill.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Fernando Cayo, Manuela Vellés, Ana Wagener, Guillermo Barrientos,César Díaz,Martijn Kuiper,Xoel Yáñez And Others Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas Writers: Miguel Ángel Vivas, Javier García Production Co: Vaca Films, La Fabrique 2, Blur Producciones Release Date: 06/15/2011 Rating: Not Rated Runtime: Not Yet Available Genre: Horror, Thriller Country: Spain | France Language: Spanish Filming Locations: Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain
Storyline: Rajadhani movie is based on five youths losing track regain a good position in life and all five youth with different mental makeup represent the youths today.
Rajadhani Review: ‘Rajadhani’ is about the five wayward youths who succumbs to quick money and obviously go in the wrong path in life. It is the life of Raja, Jaggu, Dhamu, Nithyanand and Chetan. All the five youths have wrong notion in life and they are not ready to hear what their parents saying. Instead of picking the right way of life the wrong activities attracts them easily.
The five realize that it is only money that commands respect. One fine day the five are given the deal for Rs.50 lakhs by Manohar a close side of ex MLA. In the five Chetan son of a teacher says he will not be a part of murder. The four take the extreme step in life for murder. They are not aware that they have killed the most notorious rowdy Benki Mahadevu.
This murder of an underworld don obviously earns good status. They are feared most. Unfortunately they do not get the deal amount. One of the four is noticed in the busy area of murder of Benki Mahadevi and that is enough for police. Now we see the judiciary corrupt. An advocate asks for Rs.10 lakhs to make the case turn to the side of four youths. To fetch this amount the gang of four commits another crime. They establish an empire of their own. Money is at their disposal but close family members dethrone the four. Chetan who left in the middle of the five joins the team again but he has some other motives. All the five lose their life at the cost of wrong doing in the society.
Analysis: What the director KV Raju is trying to tell is as old as the hills and mountains. This aspect of ‘if you do wrong you have to pay the penalty’ is told in uncountable times on Indian screen.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Leander PaesShabana Azmi,Anupam Kher,Vijay Raaz,Kulbhushan Kharbanda,Nandana Sen,Sandhya Mridul,Mukesh Rishi Director: Raghu Jaya Producer: N R Sowmya Satyan Music Director: Arjun Release Date: 03 Jun 2011 Genre: Action Language: Kannada Certification: A
The Story : Aanmai Thavarael movie is an action based love story that travels from Chennai to Goa. This movie also deals with the second biggest crime in the world, about the business and their networks all over the world.
Aanmai Thavarel Rreview: Aanmai Thavarel is an upcoming tamil thriller movie written and directed by debutant D. Kuzhanthai Velappan. Kamal Nayan is producing this movie under the banner Redhead Entertainment. Dhruva and Shruthi are in the lead roles. Sampath Raj, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Sonam, Dheepika, Dharan, John Vijay, Ganja Karuppu and Subbu Panchu Arunachalam are playing supporting roles. Aanmai Thavarael deals with the two biggest crimes in the world: Kidnapping for ransom and Human trafficking. The Censor Board officials have praised the director for this venture, welcoming the movie for its plot and presentation. Aanmai Thavarael's story starts in Chennai and travels to Goa. Director Kuzhanthai Velappan is said to have presented this plot with a combination of thrill, comedy and romance. Cinematography is by Arbindsara while V. J. Sabu has done the Editing. Music for the movie is scored by Maria Manohar. Aramai Thavarael is expected to release on the 3rd of June, 2011.
Main Cast And Crew Starring : Sruthi,Sonam,Dhruva,Sampath Raj Director: D. Kuzlanthai Velappan Producer: Kamal Nayan Music Director: Mariya Manohar Release Date: 03 Jun 2011 Genre: Action - Thriller Language: Tamil Certification: U/A Singers: Krish Ramya Karthikeyan Naveen Padmalatha Mariya Manohar Vinaitha
Movie Plot Summaty: Babloo(बबलू) is a romantic action masala movie in which, Manotej and Aditi Sharma playing the main lead roles, G.Ravicharan Reddy directing this movie and Smt Gudur Jhansirani producing this movie under SPJ creations Banner.
Tamil Movie Eththan 2011 The Story : Eththan movie will be a feel-good story with humour. Eththan is about a carefree youngster who lives life in his own way. What changes him and what happens next is the crux of the movie. ReviewComing Soon!
Main Cast And Crew Cast : Vimal, Sanusha,Jayaprakash V,Mayilsami,MS Bhaskar,Singam Puli,Manobala, Director : L Suresh Producer : Nazir Music Director : Taj Noor Lyricst: Na.Muthukumar, Sa. Nanakaravel, Sa. Kalaimani, Pon Aravindhan, Kabilan Singers: Velmuruga, Mukesh, Vijay Yesudas, Saindhavi, Mathangi, Roopa, Taj Noor, Ananthu Banner : Sherali Films Year : 2011 Release Date: 27 May 2011 Genre: Comedy - Romance Language: Tamil
Movie Plot Summary: Engeyum Kadhal is a 2011 tamil movie directed by Prabu Deva (Pokkiri, Villu fame) starring Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani and Prakash Raj in lead roles. Music composed by Harris Jayaraj and Editing done by Anthony. South actor Jayam ravi final doing something out of his own brothers production house where all his movies are taken from other languages and remade to tamil by his brother/director M.Raja. Thillalangadi, Son of Mahalakshmi etc are some notable blockbusters in his career.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Jayam Ravi as Kamal,Hansika Motwani as Kayalvizhi,Raju Sundaram,Suman,Prakash Raj as Cameo Director: Prabhu Deva Producer: Kalpathi S Aghoram Music Director: Harris Jayaraj Release Date: 06 May 2011 Genre: Romance Language: Tamil Certification: U Lyricst: Thamarai, Na.Muthukumar, Madhan Karky, Vaali
Movie Plot summary: Ayyan film written and directed by Kendiran Muniyaswamy and produced by S. Shekar Rajan under the banner of S. S. Pictures. It stars Vasan Karthik and the debutant Divya Padmini in the lead roles. Ilayaraja composed the film’s music.‘Ayyan’ is a film that is leaning more on the music of maestro Ilaitraja than anything else. This village based romance film has Vasan Karthik, son of comedian Singamuthu. ‘Ayyan’ is already a known film by the songs. This should help the film to get noticed.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Vassan Karthik,Divya padmini,Shnamugarajn,Pithamagan Mahadevan,Kanja Karuppu And Others Direction: Kendranmuniyasamy Production: S. Shekar Rajan Banner: S L Pictures Music: Ilayaraja Lyricis: SN.a Muthukumar, Snehan, Sirpi Balasubramaniyam, Kabilan, Mu. Mentha & Vaali
Kannada Movie Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam 2011
Story : Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam movie is about Johny, a man residing in a middle class housing colony. He is everyone's favourite. He has enough love to shower on everyone, and even has a Johnny Social Service Center to address their woes.
Main Cast And Crew Starring : Duniya Vijay, Ramya, Director: Preetham Gubbi Producer: Jayanna Music Director: V Harikrishna Release Date: 03 Jun 2011 Genre: Action - Romance Language: Kannada Certification: U
Storyline: A Strange Love Story movie is based on the character named Kabeer who is a photographer and his dream was to show the world something it had never seen before. He and his girlfriend Jennifer start seeing things, people around them start getting horribly murdered, and all the evidence points in Kabeer and Jennifer's direction, with the police in hot pursuit they must somehow defeat an enemy that seems to have no weakness, and prove their innocence.
Main Cast And Crew Starring : Duniya Vijay, Ramya Director: Tarique Khan Producer: Suresh Bhagat Music Director: Santok Singh Release Date: 03 Jun 2011 Genre: Drama Language: Hindi
Storyline: The amazing true story of Frédéric Bourdin, who after having plundered all the centers for runaway minors and deliquents in Europe, even thought he has come of age, now passes himself off as Nicholas Barclay, a 13-year-old American who had vanished three years ago. To his astonishment, Nicholas's family welcomes him like their son, leaving Interpol and the FBI aghast. It is the beginning of a race against time for the investigators, family and Bourdin. But who is manipulating whom? And who is Frederic Bourdin in reality?
Movie Review: 1 September 2010 | by joelcuerrier-1 (Mtl, QC) I have seen this movie yesterday and the director went on to ask that we post reviews of his movie on this very site during the Q&A, so I shall oblige. The heart of the problem seem to be that his vision was rejected by the producers and that the final cut done by the producers is such a disgrace that he is going around in festivals to show his own cut.
When I asked him if or when the movie would be released in North-America, he answered that it would most likely go directly to DVD, which is a shame cause it really was a tense, effective thriller, faithful to the real events it depict in a stylistically gorgeous mastery. It is a psychological thriller with great actors and a subtly photographed scenery of the deep south, in the down and dirty poor neighborhood of the drugged and drunk underclass. Of course, it isn't really uplifting, but the characters are real people playing out their desperation. The narrative is well constructed and keep you interested through out, especially in the case you had no idea about the event it portrays, you'll get drawn to it only through the sheer magnetism of the central character, who also happen to be despicable in many ways, like everyone else around him.
So, let's hope you'll get a chance to see this, the way it was intended to be seen. The director's cut wasn't longish or uselessly shocking, one part that was deleted involved the main character shaving his whole body in the first scene. Perhaps, for the prude and easily upset, it could be disturbing, but isn't that key to building tension in a thriller, to disturb the audience. This first scene should be in the movie, cause it is key to the psychology of the main character. Seeing a grown man shave the hair off his chest shouldn't be cause for concern, especially these days when many men are doing it to follow a trend that made hairy men undesirable. It's a surprising scene, as it is something I never seen depicted on screen, but I don't believe it would offend neither men nor women. There is no actual nudity and very little violence in this movie.
To conclude, if you have a chance and it is playing in a festival near you, try to see it and review it too. I believe it should get to be seen and get a proper distribution. It's a solid thriller that wasn't just meant to do the festival circuit.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Emilie de Ravin, Marc-André Grondin, Emilie de Ravin, Famke Janssen And Others Director: Jean-Paul Salome Writers: Jean-Paul Salomé, Natalie Carter Production Co: Lleju Productions, Loma Nasha, Gordonstreet Pictures Release Date: 06/10/2011 Rating: R Runtime: 1 hr 46 mins Genre: Drama, Biography, Thriller Country: Canada | France | USA Language: English | French | Spanish Release Date: 10 June 2011 (USA) Also Known As: Le caméléon Filming Locations: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Storyline: A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
Movie Reviews: 30 May 2011 | by alexart-1 (United States) "Do you think it's possible to love two women at the same time?," asks our protagonist Gil Prender to a tour guide discussed Auguste Rodin's love for his mistress and his wife. Like that's the first time we've heard that question in a Woody Allen movie. Infidelity, gorgeous women, and neuroticism are some of Allen's favorite motifs, so it's really not too much of a surprise that they all appear in Midnight in Paris.
That said, Allen's rendition of those ideas feels fresh this time. Midnight in Paris is a sweet, fun romp through the art world of France. This light comedy may not have some of the heavier messages about adultery and art that previous Allen films have had, but Midnight in Paris is, nonetheless, an enjoyable exercise in allusion to the Lost Generation and artists of the 1920s.
Midnight in Paris begins with the same idea of a man, in this case a screenwriter named Gil played by Owen Wilson, searching for connection with the real world. The protagonist is clearly a projection of Allen's self, but no matter. Gil is engaged to the Inez, played by a blond Rachel McAdams who coincidentally (or is it?) looks like Scarlet Johansson from Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Inez bores Gil with her pretentious friends and spiteful parents, which ultimately causes Gil to seek inspiration on his own time by drunkenly wandering that streets of Paris. One night, he is invited into a car that takes him back to the 1920s where he meets his favorite writers and artists, something that eventually leads to a breakthrough in his work. A large supporting cast includes Kathy Bates, Allison Pill, Adrien Brody, Michael Sheen, and Marion Cotillard.
Allen's conception of Paris is just as romantic as the story itself. The film's physical look matches some of the complexities of the women in that it appears to be almost splashed in gold. It is, after all, the City of Lights. It's a beautiful movie that matches the pretty faces of its starring women.
Allen's screenplay leaps right off the page thanks to his cast, but this too is something that isn't unusual for a Woody Allen film. At his best, Allen picks actors that play their parts with a sense of realism that, when combined with some elements of the fantastic, charm the audience. Just about everyone here manages to do just this, with the exception of Rachel McAdams, who tries her hardest with an underdeveloped character. Marion Cotillard is the best of the cast (as per usual) in her role as Picasso's mistress. She's bursting with sexuality yet she's grounded in her ability to deliver her dialogue with her natural French accent.
Midnight in Paris is fantastique. In comparison to Woody Allen's previous tales of lust and spite, his newest film feels like a dessert rather than a filling entree, yet this is exactly how a good, highbrow summer movie should be. The cast shines just as bright as the lights at the top of the Eiffel Tower and Allen proves himself worthy of his place in society as a master director once again. By no means a classic, Midnight in Paris is a pretty little diversion, one that is grounded in a theatrical gimmick that totally works every time. This, along with The Tree of Life, will be one of a few summer movies that will dazzle visually (without explosions) and somehow manage not to insult the viewer's intelligence.
Main Cast And Crew Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams,Kathy Bates,Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy,Michael Sheen,Nina Arianda, Carla Bruni,Alison Pill And Others Director: Woody Allen Writer: Woody Allen Production Co: Gravier Productions, Mediapro, Versátil Cinema Rated: PG_13 Runtime: 100 min Genres: Comedy,Fantasy,Romance Country: Spain | USA Language: English | French Release Date: 11 May 2011 (France) Norway 10 June 2011 Brazil 17 June 2011 Also Known As: Полночь в Париже Filming Locations: Chateau de Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, France
Movie Plot Summary: Riva is an operator, a man with charm and ambition in equal measure. Kinshasa is an inviting place. With petrol in short supply in DRC's capital, he and his sidekick pursue a plot to get hold of a secret cache - barrels of fuel they can sell for a huge profit. Of course they're not the only ones who want the stuff. Cesar is a ruthless, sharply dressed foreigner thriving in Kinshasa's lawless streets. A female military officer joins the fray. Even the church will betray its tenets for a piece of the action. But Riva's main nemesis is Azor, a crime boss in the classic style: big, decadent and brutal. He's not a man to mess with, but his girlfriend, Nora, may just be the most seductive woman in all of DRC. Riva catches sight of her dancing at a nightclub and it's not long before Nora matches the fuel cache as a coveted object of his lust.
Movie Review: By Santa Monica, CA: 21 May 2011 Extremely poorly acted and slow to get going, Viva Riva manages some interest in seeing what the worthless, depraved types will do next in the way of merciless violence. There's no one to root for as everyone's corrupt and thuggish – and evincing no interest in living any other way. There are some cultural revelations that would be politically incorrect in a movie not directed by an African: the self-hating nature of many Congolese toward their kleptocratic culture and a wistful feeling that maybe things under colonialism were better. What's most unfortunate about the film however in the opinion of one who lived in Kinshasa many years ago is the lack of depiction of Congolese strengths in the wake of so much cupidity. A strong, stoic people, struggling to get by, and usually without violence and serious graft; and the continent's best music and musicians bar none. You'd never know anything positive about these people or this place based on this silly over-the-top yet still boring crime melodrama.
Cast And Crew Cast: Patsha Bay, Manie Malone, Hoji Fortuna, Marlene Longange,Diplome Amekindra,Alex Herabo,Angelique Mbumb,Nzita Tumba,Romain Ndomba,Tomas Bie And Others Director: Djo Tunda Wa Munga Writer: Djo Munga (screenplay) Cinematography by: Antoine Roch Film Editing by: Yves Langlois, Pascal Latil Release Date: 06/10/2011 & 24 June 2011 (UK) Rating: R Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins Genre: Drama Runtime: 98 min Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo | France | Belgium Language: French | Lingala Company: uFilmSee more »
Synopsis: Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reprise their roles from Michael Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story for this tale of a restaurant critic who reluctantly invites his obnoxious best friend on a business trip through the English countryside. Tapped by ~The Observer to review fine restaurants throughout the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, Steve (Coogan) finds himself without a traveling companion after his girlfriend decides not to go at the last minute. After being turned down by everyone he knows, Steve extends an invitation to Rob (Brydon), and together the pair attempts to navigate the winding back roads of rural England, impersonating popular celebrities and bickering endlessly along the way.
News About Movie The Trip: By Sam Morgan , Hollywood.com Staff | Thursday, April 21, 2011 The Trip suffers and revels in this. Cobbled together from a television show of the same name, the film, directed by Michael Winterbottom (The Killer Inside Me), follows real-life British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalized versions of themselves on a road trip through Northern England. I imagine they took the highlights of the show and stitched them together to make this feature and you can see the similarities when they start riffing. Mostly improvised, the comedic bits are fantastic and a fine example of British humor. But then they go out into the countryside and there are long shots of the landscapes and rolling hills. Beautiful country, don’t get me wrong, but I kept waiting for the funny stuff to come around again. Then things start getting real when Coogan becomes self-conscious about his career not being where he wanted it to be and his little flings with the wait staff he meets along the way. With the improvised dialogue and the fact that they’re playing themselves, it feels like you’re invading their actual road trip. The fights seem just as real as the laughs they bring each other to.
But hey, that’s exactly like a real road trip. You learn a lot more than you ever thought you would about your traveling partner, and when it's all said and done all you can remember are the highlights. The other boring stuff slips out of mind, or at least becomes easy to overlook. A good trip, if I do say so myself.
Cast And Crew Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon,Claire Keelan,Margo Stilley,Rebecca Johnson,Dolya Gavanski,Kerry Shale,Paul Popplewell And Others Director: Michael Winterbottom Release Date: 06/10/2011 Rating: Not Rated Runtime: 107 min Genre: Comedy Official Sites: Official site | Add/edit official sites » Country: UK Language: English Release Date: 10 June 2011 (USA) Also Known As: To taxidi
Synopsis: Two-Lane Blacktop director Monte Hellman teams with frequent screenwriting partner Steven Gaydos for this thriller about a young film director (Tygh Runyan) whose mesmerizing leading lady (Shannyn Sossamon) may be responsible for the recent disappearance of a wealthy couple. Convinced that the recent scandal involving an aging North Carolina senator and his attractive young aide has all the makings of a hit thriller, director Mitchell Haven (Runyan) begins adapting the story for the screen. But when the time comes for Mitchell to cast his female lead, no Hollywood actress he auditions can make the cut. Desperate, the director recruits an unknown (Sossamon) who not only refuses to acknowledge herself as an actor, but whose reluctance to reveal any personal information leads some of the cast and crew to suspect that she may actually be the elusive femme fatale whose story inspired the film.
Storyline: There's a murky tenuous balance between reality and fiction; particularly when it involves a beautiful young woman, murder, a powerful politico, a missing fortune and suicide. A passionate filmmaker creating a film based upon a true crime casts an unknown mysterious young woman bearing a disturbing resemblance to the femme fatale in the story. Unsuspectingly, he finds himself drawn into a complex web of haunting intrigue, obsessed with the woman, the crime, her possibly notorious past and the disturbing complexity between art and truth. From the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina to Verona, Rome and London, new truths are revealed and clues to other crimes and passions, darker and even more complex are uncovered.
Reviewed By: 15 May 2011 | by jt1999 (Santa Monica) While it would be nice to report that after a 20 year absence cult director Monte Hellman has returned with some sort of existential masterpiece on the nature of movie-making, complete with tragic death and lost innocence as some of its themes, this torpid, nearly incomprehensible muddle of a story about a young director making a low-budget film merely leaves one confused and numb.
What might have been a worthy companion piece to Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," Dennis Hopper's "The Last Movie" or even the great Billy Wilder's "Sunset Blvd." crawls so far up its own convoluted pseudo-intellectual ass that making it through to the final credits becomes an endurance test.
Hellman commented recently that directing is 90 or 95% casting. He might want to focus a little more on the directing next time, and find a script that has a compelling story and characters one can actually care about. But this has never been his forte, of course.
A good deal of the blame goes to the editor, who allows scenes to meander a half a minute or more after they've effectively ended. The version I saw resembled a rough cut, not a finished film, complete with such snore-inducing moments as the main actress staring at a blow dryer for what seemed an eternity.
If Hellman's goal was to make a "personal" film that he alone can connect to and appreciate, then perhaps he has succeeded. But wouldn't it have been wonderful if this revered auteur could have -- for once -- created something that others could appreciate, too, perhaps even understand and enjoy... a picture with interesting characters and a story worth telling... something that might have been considered releasable by a small but respected distributor.... possibly returning Hellman to the filmmaking world of the 21st century as a viable director.
Alas, this mood experiment with digital photography, bland 1-dimensional characters, a 1970s Leonard Cohen inspired soundtrack and a cryptic, fragmented storyline may appeal to his very close inner circle of fans, but will likely leave the rest of us out in the cold, bewildered, confused, and wondering what all the accolades could have been about back in the 60s and 70s.
Main Cast And Crew Cast: Tygh Runyan, Shannyn Sossamon, Dominique Swain, Cliff De Young,Dominique Swain,Rob Kolar And Others Director: Monte Hellman Writer: Steven Gaydos Release Date: 06/10/2011 Rating: R Runtime: 2 hr 1 mins Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance | Thriller Country: USA Language: English Also Known As: Road to Nowhere - Sem Destino Filming Locations: Garda, Verona, Veneto, Italy
Storyline:
