Sing Me Spanish Techno (Almodovar Trailer)

We now return to our regularly scheduled blog.(Seriously - I could not say the word "Oscar" for another year and live a very happy twelve months).

If there's one international director I gravitate towards more than any other, it's Pedro Almodovar. I can't quite put my finger on why, but perhaps it's because his characters all seem so very passionate and full of life. Almodovar's last film, VOLVER, was only three years ago, but for some reason it feels longer. Well the wait is over as this year brings Almodovar's latest film to screens LOS ABRAZOS ROTOS (which translates to BROKEN EMBRACE).

Come Down

As I sat in a coffee shop yesterday listening to people in my neighbourhood express their thoughts on SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, I realized that at this point in the film's life the bar has been set a tich too high.

Of all the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, this was by far the one that benefitted the most. Audiences flocked to it to see what the fuss was about, and now that it's taken the award it will be rewarded with at least another week or two of steady box office. Many will go expecting to be knocked on their ass...and they will go home disappointed.

Not that Slumdog is a bad movie - far from it. Just that it won't rank as everyone's "best picture". Expectations are a funny thing, and they will play games with your eventual reaction to a movie.

Allow me to stay with Slumdog as an example. I first saw it at the TIFF North American premiere back in September. I bought my ticket pretty much blind ("Set in Mumbai, directed by Danny Boyle...yeah, sure, give me a ticket"). My reaction going in knowing nothing will be vastly different from someone else who goes in having seen ad after ad, heard praise upon praise, and knowing that a bunch of Hollywood know-nothings just lauded it best film of the year.

I went through a similar reaction when I saw THE READER this week. I tried to check my expectations at the door, but I kept thinking about flaws I'd already read about it, and comparing it to my thoughts of Winslet's other film REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. Did all of this taint my reaction? Probably.

What I'm trying to encourage is for any film, to set aside what you've already heard - including the thoughts of this humble blogger. Shutting every bit of advance reaction is difficult at best these days, but when it comes to enjoying a movie, I suggest you take everything with a grain of salt.

Forget about the hype, just grab the snacks, take your seat, and let yourself be entertained.

Goodnight, Travel Well (Oscar Wrap-Up)

21 Thoughts on The 81st Oscars

• Hugh Jackman's opening was quite cute - it had a "summer camp skit" quality to it.
• Teaming Martin & Fey as writing presenters was inspired.
• OK, who can tell me what Cruz said in Spanish?
  
• Award for the most beautiful speech of the night goes to Dustin Lance Black, screenwriter of MILK.
• Loved the use of The Hives & Coldplay in the action/romance montages.
• "Domo Oregato Mister Roboto" Kunio Kato, you're my new hero.
• I quite liked the idea of grouping the categories by the process.
• Funny thing, I didn't miss a comedian doing "bits" before every introduction.
• However, I still hate people reading names off a list.
• Really Stiller?...A Joaquin Phoenix costume??
• Now that Franco & Rogen point it out - THE READER and DOUBT were pretty damned funny!
• My imagination, or were some of the commercial breaks very strangely placed?
• Anyone wanna tell me why Beyonce was the one singer out of six who decided to lip synch?
• Hey, who's this "Seymour Phillip Hoffman" guy?
• I want to live in Philippe Petit's world (the MAN ON WIRE guy who balanced the trophy on his chin).
• btw, being able to pause the Oscars for a bathroom break is technology at its finest.
• I guess I'm gonna have to go rent DEPARTURES now.
• I coulda swore *I* was the only person who used the phrase "Grand Poobah"
• Hey David Fincher - smile!
• "Dad...whistle or something..." Aww, kate, good to see you didn't waste your big moment.
• Who had money on someone getting up and calling the crowd a bunch of "Commie, Homo-Lovin', Sons-of-Guns"?

..Oh, and as a bonus twenty-second thought - Well done Heath. We miss you.

Who Do You Think?

For the record, here are my picks in each category for tonight's Academy Awards...

Best Picture: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Director: Danny Boyle
Best Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Actor: Sean Penn
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin
Best Adapted Screenplay: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Original Screenplay: MILK
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E
Best Animated Short: OKTAPODI
Best Editing: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Art Direction: THE DARK KNIGHT
Best Cinematography: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Costume Design: THE DUCHESS
Best Foreign Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR
Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE
Best Documentary Short: THE CONSCIENCE OF NHEM EN (Completely a blind guess)
Best Makeup: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Best Score: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Song: "Jai Ho" from SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Best Live Action Short: NEW BOY (Yet another blind guess)
Best Sound Editing: WALL-E
Best Sound: THE DARK KNIGHT
Best Visual Effects: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Best for Last

Once more into the breach dear friends. With just over twenty-four hours to go, my Oscar picks for best director and best picture can be found after the jump.

Ron Howard lands his third directing nomination for FROST/NIXON. I've never been Opie's biggest fan, but even I must admit that this film was well directed. The nomination will have have to keep him happy until he can roll around in the millions he'll make off ANGELS & DEMONS.

Two other men that will have to be happy just to be nominated are Gus Van Sant for MILK and Stephen Daldry for THE READER. While MILK was one of the year's best films, Van Sant's effort in it has been overlooked time and time again during this awards season. There's no reason to think tomorrow night will be any different. Stephen Daldry is on a roll of sorts, landing Oscar nominations for every one of his first three features (READER, BILLY ELLIOT, and THE HOURS). While THE READER is a nominee to keep an eye on, directing is one category where the film was badly overmatched.

David Fincher has long been one of my favorite directors, and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON was a great example that the man is capable of more than just dark, violent thrillers. It's possible he could win, especially if The Academy has its eye on giving BUTTON the big prize at the end of the night. However, it's my guess that Finch will still be seated when the envelope is opened at the orchestra begins to play.

That's because this award is truly Danny Boyle's to lose. SLUMDOG's winning streak is a testament to his achievement in directing, and even if it can't parlay the early support into a directing & picture win, I believe the strangest thing you'll see is the two categories be split. Like Fincher, Boyle really excelled when given another chance to get away from the edgy/violent projects he usually does. To let him go home empty-handed would be a real shame.

The Hatter's Pick... Boyle holds off Fincher capping an amazing year.

At this point, Best Picture seems like a done deal...but stranger things have happened. Here's what I can tell you, MILK and FROST/NIXON are completely out of this race.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON still has a chance of winning this category, especially since it's the sort of uneven, generation spanning, heart-stirring story Oscar voters like to tap as top dog (think DRIVING MISS DAISY, A BEAUTIFUL MIND, and yes FORREST GUMP).

Likewise, don't count out THE READER. As mentioned in my bit about the Best Actress race, The Weinsteins have campaigned hard for this film. Though the entire story is badly balanced, the second act entrenches itself firmly is the evils and horrors of The Holocaust. It might well tap a vein for Oscar voters, and could walk away as the dark horse winner.

Through it all, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is still the one to beat. Debuting strong as the Audience Choice Award winner at The Toronto International Film Festival, and weathering a late smear campaign that smacks of bad PR from another contender, it remains one of 2008's highest achievements as a film. While it isn't a complete lock to win this award, any other film taking this prize will go down as a massive upset.

The Hatter's Pick... SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, barring some unforeseen READER heroics.

L.E.S. Artistes

While thinking about all this Oscar hoopla, I must admit that part of me is actually waiting for it to be all over so I can get back to writing about other things. But it's the homestretch so I can endure a few more days.

My calls for Best Actor and Best Actress lay after the jump.

We being with actor, where I must immediately discount Brad Pitt. Much of what made his performance in BENJAMIN BUTTON so memorable was a lot of make-up and effects. Sorry Brad - you've played many an Oscar-worthy role in the past, but this just ain't your year.

After Pitt, there are a pair of nominees who might have been a tad too underexposed to take the award; Richard Jenkins in THE VISITOR and Frank Langhella in FROST/NIXON. Neither film raked it in at the box office, and both nominations have taken a backseat in this category which has clerly become a two-horse race.

Mickey Rourke and Sean Penn will end this category in a photo finish. Penn just won an Oscar five years back, so rewarding him again seems a tad unlikely. Still, the guy played so very against type in this film, and did so in such a moving way that an award is quite likely. Rourke is trying to make people forget about his tabloid-esque antics, though talk of participating in Wrestlemania and dating Courtney Love won't help his cause. There is genuine support for this to be the capper on his comeback, the only question is whether or not he has enough support.

The Hatter's Pick... Penn by a nose.

Like the Supporting Actor category, all five performers up for Best Actress are deserving of taking the prize.

Angelina Jolie is the immediate strike. CHANGELING was better than any dramatic role she's done in a good long while, and for that her prize is the nomination. It's not that she's the weakling of the category, it's just that her odds are the longest. Only slightly ahead of her is Melissa Leo for FROZEN RIVER. Like Jolie, the nomination is her award, which is no small accomplishment for such an under-the-radar film like this.

Anne Hathaway is unlikely to take the award, though she totally deserves it. Her fragile, frustrated performance in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED was such a unique performance this year. She too will have to be "honoured just to be nominated", and I'm hoping that she continues to find the balance of fun movies like GET SMART with weightier roles like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

The spoiler in the category is Meryl Streep, who does seem to get nominated just for showing up these days. This will be here fifteenth nomination, but for those previous fourteen, she's only won twice...and her last Best Actress trophy actually has twenty-five years worth of dust on it. She puts on a big bear of a performance in DOUBT, and might well provide an upset.

Of course all eyes in this category are on Kate Winslet. This is her sixth nomination, with no gold to show for it yet - so in many people's opinion, she's due. Her nomination in this category has a lot to do with an FYC campaign by The Weinstein Co, which may actually turn some voters off from giving her their support. Complicating the matter is the fact that for many, her better performance this year came in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (for which she wasn't nominated).

This category will be an interesting moment in the night. For some, awarding Winslet may be a chance to acknowledge her stellar work for both films. For others, awarding Winslet will be a chance to acknowledge the body of work she's compiled so far (lest we forget, Oscar voters are notorious for doing this later on in actors' carreers). Then again, it's entirely possible that voters may not appreciate the studio muscle The Weinsteins put into getting this nomination, and may leave Winslet waiting by the wayside (try saying that five times fast).

The Hatter's Pick... If Kate doesn't take it, Meryl gets Oscar number three.

Waiting On a Friend

Good Thursday morning folks! Time for me to jot down some thoughts on another two categories, which today will be Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

This is a rare year where all ten performers are truly deserving, and in at least one of these two categories, the outcome isn't the slam-dunk everybody thinks.

Lets begin Supporting Actress by mentioning Taraji P Henson. I wonder if she'll enjoy this Oscar night more than the last time she went, where she performed "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" with Three Six Mafia. Her chances of winning are slim, so I hope not having to get up and sing this time is reward enough.

Marissa Tomei should also have a relaxing night, as she too is a bit of a long shot - though it's nice to have her nominated again seventeen years after winning for MY COUSIN VINNY.

DOUBT scored a pair of nominees with Amy Adams and Viola Davis both getting nominated in this category. Logic would dictate that the two women end up splitting the vote, and neither one of them takes the award...but if one of them will pull ahead, my guess is that it'll be Davis. Her performance in the film is brief, but she makes every single word of it matter and holds her own against Meryl Streep the entire way (no small feat).

That leaves Penelope Cruz who may well walk away with the prize. The plot of VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA takes a wicked turn after she shows up, and that's the sort of part that will stay with you. Two other factors in her favour is the fact that the part is primarily in Spanish (which seems to suit her acting chops better historically), and that it's a Woody Allen film (supporting actresses from his film usually do well).

The Hatter's Pick... Cruz should be golden, though Davis could upset.

Then there's Supporting Actor, where every performance is award-worthy. However, this category has long been seen as the Heath Ledger moment. Here's the thing though - it's not a lock.

For starters, The Academy didn't love THE DARK KNIGHT the way most other film making groups did. No nods for picture, director, or screenplay show that this body of voters wasn't as ga-ga about the film as the rest of the world...so Ledger's chances in it could suffer accordingly.

Second is the fact that a posthumous Oscar is an amazingly rare bird. Only six performers have even scored a nomination, and of those only one has ever turned the nomination into a win (Peter Finch in 1976). The Academy is a sentimental bunch, but when it comes to rewarding a players final part, they turn stone cold in a hurry.

So if not Heath, then who? For my money - Josh Brolin. His understated performance in MILK won wide acclaim, and awarding him could be yet another way to reward MILK as an "Anti-Proposition 8" statement.

The Hatter's Pick... You heard it here first, Josh Brolin to win. Though let it be clear, I want Ledger to take it.

More Than Words

We're down to the home stretch for Oscar, and now that I've seen almost all the major nominees I thought it time to go on record for making my forecasts for the main awards to be handed out on Sunday night. Last year I went 7-for-8 in these categories, which of course means that this year I could easily get trounced.

We'll have to wait an see. in the meantime, my thoughts on the awards for screenplay are down after the jump.

Let's begin Best Adapted Screenplay with BENJAMIN BUTTON, which after leading the way in nominations, might find itself going home with precious little hardware. This is one of the categories I'd expect it to lose, as Eric Roth's adaptation of Fitzgerald's short story really never worked for me. DOUBT and FROST/NIXON are both adapted from plays, and while each of them serve their movie well giving their actors a chance to shine, neither of them really pushed the envelope as an adaptation. In both cases, the films are still primarily talking heads (the heads talk very well, but they're still talking heads.

That brings us down to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and THE READER. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has been winning everything in sight, and there aren't any signs of that trend stopping between now and Sunday. However, if there's an upset to be had, this may well be the category, and THE READER might well be the screenplay to do it. It's based on an acclaimed novel, and is constructed in a way that may strongly appeal to the very large British contingent in The Academy.

The Hatter's Pick... THE READER might give it a run, but this category is SLUMDOG's to lose.

Original Screenplay is a bit more interesting, given that for me it has honoured a more diverse class of films. WALL-E can pat itself on the back for scoring this nomination, because it sure as heck ain't winning. Oscar has never honoured an animated film for anything other than their cheery, happy songs - and there's no reason to think they're gonna stop now.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY is an example of The Academy's love affair with certain artists (call it the Kate Winslet factor). These are actors, directors, and writers who seem to get nominated just for showing up - and Mike Leigh is just such a person. Glad he got nominated, but this script ain't winning. FROZEN RIVER on the other hand is a fantastic script, a really unexpected story that stays with the audience well after the film is over. It's a very deserving choice, yet might be too underexposed to take home the gold.

That leaves two very close, and very desrving contenders. The story of MILK became deeply relevent again this fall with California passing Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in the state. The Academy could use this category as a way to support the film and send a message that they still believe in the legacy of Harvey Milk. If they don't, I'm guessing they'll reward the crackling dialogue of IN BRUGES, which is word-for-word the best screenplay of the year. But it's only every once in a while that The Academy honours a script that isn't a best pic nominee.

The Hatter's Pick... MILK. Though if IN BRUGES is chosen, you'll hear a "woo-hoo" of happiness coming from Casa del Hatter

Doubleback ; IN BRUGES

In a perfect world, IN BRUGES would win the Oscar this Sunday for best original screenplay. It's a slight longshot, so I'm not holding my breath. Still, it's been days since I watched the film, and thinking back on many bits of dialogue still give me a grin.

IN BRUGES is about two Irish hitmen who, after carrying out a job, are ordered to lay low...in Bruges. Bruges, if you didn't know, is a quaint town in Belgium. It's the sort of place with cobblestone roads, swans swimming in the canal, and buildings that look like cuckoo clocks. For the easy going, and culturally thirtsy, it's charming. Ken, played by Brendan Gleeson, is such a person. But to the restless, and uneasily impressed, it's a shithole. That'd be Ray, played by Colin Farrell.

Watching Ken and Ray try to make the best of the situation, and try not to kill people - including each other - makes for one amazingly good, and amazingly fresh movie. Many of us have gone on a trip with someone like Ken or Ray, so their abundant enthusiasm/lack thereof is a familiar situation. Now throw in a sexy drug dealer, a movie-star dwarf, one or two handfuls of drugs, and a vicious mob boss. Sounds pretty good huh?

This is writer/director Martin McDonagh's first feature length film, and given how sharp the dialogue is, I hope we don't have to wait too very long for the next. (Think Guy Ritchie on his best day in his day). Another thing I hope doesn't take too very long is for Colin Farrell to do another comedy. Admittedly, I'm a fan of his when he's playing a cop (which he almost always is). But he has a gift for delivering comedic lines in such a way that makes them charmingly funny.

Case in point, he says the words "In Bruges?" about half a dozen times through the course of 105 minutes. It never stops being funny. That, my friends, is talent.

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Permit me a sports reference for a moment. When I played little league baseball, every once in a while my team would be losing a game so badly, that the coach would call the left fielder in to pitch. The idea is that you're already out of it, what's the worst that could happen?

This year's Oscar Ceremony is just such a little league team, and indeed, they've called the left fielder in to pitch. More thoughts on this oddity after the jump

This year's class, while worthy, is highly peppered with films and roles that many of the general movie-going public haven't heard of. So much so, that THE READER, FROST/NIXON, and MILK are headed towards being three of the lowest-grossing besst pic nominees in ages. As if underexposure of the best in class isn't bad enough, this year Oscar has tapped some very deserving talent that are the complete opposite of household names. I dare anyone to stand in front of a multiplex and ask moviegoers if they are fans of Melissa Leo, Frank Langhella, Viola Davis, or Michael Shannon.

Let me be clear that all of those actors are deserving. They just don't carry the sort of glitz that Hollywood once projected from its big night. Actually it's kind of odd that such underexposure is happening in a year that both halves of Hollywood's highest-profile couple landed nominations.

Beyond the low-keyness of the nominees themselves, there's the intriguing decision of Hugh Jackman as host (though he could very well kill), and the choice to keep secret who will be presenting (presenters won't even be walking the read carpet).

Not strange enough for you? How about this - in a year where only three tunes made the cut to get nominated for Best original Song, producers didn't even want to let the performers do their entire song. They are capping the performances at 65 seconds each. In a neat twist, this decision has prompted Peter Gabriel to decline performing. Congrats gang, now we're down to 2 songs...more time for montages right?

These strange choices remind me of 2005 where awards were presented in the crowd, and full groups of nominees were brought up on stage with the winner stepping forward. As host Chris Rock put it "Next year we're holding the awards at the McDonald's drive-thru. 'Here's your Oscar, here's your McFlurry, keep the line moving."

I know Hollywood - it's your biggest night. But I think the relaity might be that it's too big, and that people just don't have the attention for it that they once did. You're competeing for an audience in ways you never were before, and the sooner you learn that, the better. Stop overproducing, stop paying attention to the ratings, and just hand out some trophies.

If that doesn't work, I think the second baseman looks like he'd like to pitch...

Doubleback: FROZEN RIVER

Tracking down Oscar nominees on DVD has turned into a rather rewarding venture. Last week, I watched THE VISITOR which I'd heard good things about, but missed in theatres. This week though, I picked up FROZEN RIVER, which I'll be honest - I hadn't even heard of until three months ago, and might not have seen had it not been for Melissa Leo's Best Actress nomination.

I've done a bit of bitching this Oscar season about where the AMPAS went wrong in their nominations, but let me give credit where credit is due - honouring this performance in this film was a stroke of genius.

FROZEN RIVER is about a woman named Ray who is dirt poor, and trying to provide for her kids while her life stays held together with duct tape and bungee chords. While trying to find her estranged husband, she meets a Mohawk girl who reluctantly brings her into a smuggling racket, where illegal immigrants are smuggled across the Canada-USA border by way of a native reservation.

The movie is quiet, yet moving - I think I set a record for uttering "Oh no" the most times in 90 minutes. Leo's performance is very genuine, heartbreaking, and will stay with me for a long, long time.

This movie is one of the lower key titles that you might not even notice on the shelf at your local movie rental joint. The next time you're there, do yourself a favour. Ignore copy after copy of LAKEVIEW TERRACE, and ask the friendly clerk if any copies of FROZEN RIVER are in.

You can thank me later.

Soldier On (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS Trailer)

This summer, Quentin Tarantino returns with his fifth/sixth film (depending on if you count the KILL BILL movies as one or two).

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS features a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mike Myers, Samuel L. Jackson, Cloris Leachman, and Maggie Cheung. What interests me, is the fact that Quentin has been kicking this script around for almost ten years...will the time spent to hone it help it, or hurt it?

Perhaps this teaser will offer a clue...

Doubleback: THE VISITOR

I try to see as many good movies in theatres as I can in a year, but inevitably a few get past me. THE VISITOR is one such flick.

It's a subtle movie, about a university professor named Walter Vale (played by Richard Jenkins, from TV's "Six Feet Under"). Walter knows deep down that he wants more from his life, but can't seem to find the right way to express it. His whole situation takes a turn one day when he walks into the apartment he maintains to find a young couple living there. As the misunderstanding gets sorted out, Walter slowly finds himself taking a shining to the couple. With their help, and through a new found passion for playing the djembe, Walter starts to give his life some passion.

The best thing about Walters character, is the way he embraces the situation like a real person would. There's no montage of him dressing and acting more and more like his new friends...it's a slow and genuine progression. Walter doesn't jump into the water, he tiptoes through the shallow end - which is how so many of us would approach new passions.

The plot takes a turn that I don't want to get into, but I will say that this unexpected direction gives the story and the characters real weight and turns a simple story into something truly lasting.

All You Need is Love (Top Five Romances)

It's Valentine's Day this week (hands up all the guys who forgot). On the surface, it's a made-up holiday that provides a payday for florists and chocolatiers. On the other hand, if you truly love someone, it's an excuse to take a moment and remind them about how you feel. I know - that sounds corny and optimistic, but hey - that's me.

Of course another thing that's "me" is eating, sleeping, and breathing movies...and indeed in amongst all my dark dramas and comic-based geekery, there is a romantic tale or two that strikes a chord for yours truly. So allow me to get all lovey-dovey for one post, as I rhyme off...

Hatter's Top Five Favorite Movie Romances
#5. DON JUAN DE MARCO...(1995) Because I've always wanted to talk to women the way Johnny Depp does in this movie.
#4. FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (1994)... Because more often than not I talk to women the way that Hugh Grant does in this movie (read: disjointed, babbling, and full of "er"s, "um"s, and "y'know"s.
#3. SAY ANYTHING (1989)... Because as Lloyd teaches us, sometimes you have to love full tilt - even it it means getting your ass kicked by love.
#2. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... Because (and I mean this in a good way) loving someone high maintenance can often provide endless entertainment from the never ending nuances.
#1. THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004)... Because I've never heard of a more romantic notion, than trying to re-remember someone you deliberately forgot, because you finally realize you can't live without them.


Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming your favorite romances, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Train Kept A-Rollin'

In the last few days, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE has picked up the prize for best adapted screenplay at the Writers' Guild Awards, along with best picture, director, and screenplay at the BAFTA's.

In a rare display of muscle, this movie seems to be winning everything in sight. At this point, if it doesn't win Best Picture in two weeks, it can safely be called an upset of major proportions.

"The Show" (AMC Oscar Nominee Promo)

Chalk one up for the marketing wizards at AMC Theatres

On Saturday February 21st, selected theatres will be running a promo where for $30, you can see all five Oscar Nominees for Best Picture. You can stay for all five or come and go through the day if you wish.

Not a bad idea at all if you ask me! For full details, check out AMC's site.

Doubleback: MAN ON WIRE

Some people just exist on a whole different plain of reality. One such person is Philippe Petit. This is a man who spent much of his time growing up riding on unicycles, and juggling in his native Paris. He also gained notoriety for becoming a guerrilla tightrope walker (he executed high wire acts above Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

So while most of us would treat news of twin towers being built in Manhattan with a straightforward "Neat", Petit's first reaction was "I must walk a tightrope between them!!". His dream of doing so is the subject of the wonderful documentary MAN ON WIRE.

Making the doc a little more sublime, is the fact that as Petit was planning and training for this daring deed, someone had the foresight to film the work. The result, nicely peppered with some stunning still photos, feels like an lost project from the French New Wave.

Another touch that I quite appreciated, was the doc's ability to stay on message. Given the detail of where this act of daring-do happened, one would think it would be easy to pull the conversation towards 9/11. Somewhet surprisingly, not even one allusion is made, rightly keeping the emphasis on Petit's enchanting character, and the effort that went into pulling off such a unique happening

Girls On Film

Cypress Moon Productions, the group behind THE MIRROR and WHEN I FIND THE OCEAN (No, I haven't heard of them either) have begun pre-production on THE STORY OF BONNIE AND CLYDE for a projected 2010 release. Clyde Barrow is gonna be played by the straight-outta-Tiger Beat Kevin Zeggers. Bonnie Parker will be played by Hilary Duff.

Yes, really.

The producers are trying all they can to point out that this isn't a remake of 1967 classic, and that it will be a whole new telling of the infamous couple's story. The inevitable first question that must be asked is "why bother?".

This sort of industry weirdness is entertaining enough, but believe it or not, the whole situation has flared into a bitchslapfest between Duff, and Faye Dunaway who earned an Oscar nomination for her role as Parker in the 1967 film.

When informed of the project, Dunaway went on record as asking "Couldn't they at least have cast a real actress in the part?" (zing!)

Not one to be knocked down, Duff made her retort by saying "I think that my fans who will see this movie don't even know who Dunaway is..." (oh snap!) "...I think it was a little unneccessary, but I might be mad if I looked like that too." (double snap!!).

I'm sure it's news to no one that I have to back Dunaway in this round of foxy boxing. Why this movie was ever greenlit is far beyond me, and casting Duff in the part is just salt in the wound. Maybe we'll get lucky and the whole project will wither and die in development hell.