Hell or High Water, currently sitting at 99% fresh on RottenTomatoes, had a terrific start in very limited theaters this weekend. The dramatic film starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges scored the best per theater average for the weekend with $18,500 from 32 theaters. And while Suicide Squad did manage to hang on to the top spot in its second weekend despite scathing reviews, newcomer Sausage Party gave it a run for its money. The R-rated animated comedy from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg performed better than expected, snagging an impressive $33 million. Not quite so impressive was the weekend’s other major studio wide release, Pete’s Dragon. Disney’s new version of the classic film had an estimated $65 million budget and pulled in just $21 million.
Dominique Provost-Chalkley believes that twist at the end of season one of Syfy’s Wynonna Earp was the absolute best way for her character – and for her as an actor – to finish up the first season. “I couldn’t have been left with a better storyline,” said Provost-Chalkley during our roundtable interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con. “Everything that I expected, it was 10 times better. I keep saying to Emily (Andras, writer/executive producer), ‘Thank you for Waverly.’
Provost-Chalkley’s thrilled to be able to bring the character to life in the Syfy action/drama/sort of Western series. “There’s so many reasons. Not only her relationship with Wynonna (played by Melanie Scrofano), but then of course her relationship with Nicole (played by Katherine Barrell) and everything she’s gone through. She’s found some serious balls. She’s come out and she’s gone on a huge journey. And then to end it with this huge cliffhanger, who knows what’s going to happen?’ explained Provost-Chalkley. “I couldn’t be more grateful, really.”
Asked how it feels to play a character who has come out as bisexual, Provost-Chalkley replied, “I think it’s so important to be showing this on TV. It’s been really nice to see the fan reaction because it just shows that actually everyone is in agreement, which is really lovely. As I was doing it I had a sense that this was really special and a special thing to be showing on TV. But, I didn’t realize that everybody was going to react to it how they have. So, firstly I just feel so grateful that that has been the reaction. But, yeah, I think the whole story of her coming out was approached so well. Emily is so delicate with the way she deals with things. I just feel super proud. I just feel so proud that I get to represent Waverly’s journey of coming out because you know so many people that are watching it contacted me, saying, ‘Thank you so much for giving me the strength…’ – it makes me really emotional thinking about it – ‘Thank you for giving me the strength to address my feelings.'”
Provost-Chalkley recalled one fan encounter in particular that stuck with her. “One girl emailed me to say that she’d come out to her mom. I was like, ‘Oh my god! Are you kidding me?!’ The fact that I could have affected something like that, it’s really special,” said Provost-Chalkley, clearly emotional over the memory.
Watch the full Dominique Provost-Chalkley interview:
Jamie Dornan and Cillian Murphy in ‘Anthropoid’ (Photo Credit : James Lisle / Bleecker Street)
“We’re here to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich,” says Josef Gabcik (Cillian Murphy) to the leaders of the Czech Resistance in the World War II thriller, Anthropoid. It’s 1943 and in Prague two Czech soldiers, Jan Kubis (Jamie Dornan) and Josef Gabcik, parachute back into the country on a top secret mission. After almost getting caught and turned in to the Nazis, the two soldiers finally make contact with the Czech Resistance and seek assistance in carrying out their mission – ‘Operation Anthropoid’ – which is to assassinate the third in command of the Nazi Reich, SS General Reinhard Heydrich, the man who came up with the idea of “The Final Solution”.
Along with fake workman papers and IDs, Gabcik and Kubis’ cover involves socializing with local ladies Marie Kovárníková (Charlotte Le Bon) and Lenka Fafková (Anna Geislerová) who are part of the Resistance and who they eventually begin to have real feelings for. With their cover set, the two undercover soldiers and the Czech Resistance work to figure out the best way to accomplish their mission. After finding solutions to overcoming all the obstacles and security issues, the small band of assassins come up with a plan that just might work – even though it’s likely to cost them their lives.
Based on actual historical events, Anthropoid is a suspenseful and engaging war thriller with strong performances and sound direction by Sean Ellis. Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders, the Dark Knight trilogy) gives an impressive, intense, and at times emotional performance as Gabcik, the Czech patriot determined to accomplish their mission whatever the cost. Murphy has great chemistry with both Jamie Dornan and Anna Geislerova.
Jamie Dornan (the Fifty Shades franchise, The Fall) is solid as Jan Kubis, the Czech soldier who at times doesn’t seem to have what it takes to accomplish the mission. It’s clear he’s terrified of being caught and killed. The bond and friendship he has with Murphy’s Gabcik is what helps him find his inner strength to keep going. It’s really Murphy and Dornan’s performances that elevate the film.
The pacing and direction of the film is tight and tense, with a slow build toward the assassination attempt on Heydrich and the subsequent manhunt for those involved by the Nazis. The production design, costumes, and look of the film bring to life World War II Prague wonderfully.
The only drawback to Anthropoid is the heavy-handed cloak and dagger feel in the first 30 to 40 minutes which is a bit over-the-top. Fortunately, the rough parts smooth out, the tone falls into a groove, and overall Anthropoid is a very compelling thriller.
Gripping and intense, Anthropoid is a powerful and effective thriller that tells an important and significant story from World War II that should not be missed.
GRADE: B
MPAA Rating: R for violence and some disturbing images
The Strain writer/executive producer Chuck Hogan says season three of the FX horror series isn’t necessarily darker in tone than the first two seasons, but it is much more expansive than seasons one and two. “It’s great to come here and say we’re getting better every season,” said Hogan during our interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con. “Season three is really good. I don’t know if it’s darker…there are dark things in it as there have been from the first minute of the show, so it’s hard to get darker. But I feel like actually in my mind there’s a little bit of looseness in this season. We’ve opened up the world a little more. You’re really going to hopefully get a sense of what it’s like to be living in this plague time.”
Hogan and showrunner Carlton Cuse provided a little insight into the upcoming season three, which is set to debut on FX on August 28, 2016, during our roundtable interview. Without giving away any real spoilers, Cuse did say he believes this third season is the show’s best season yet.
Carlton Cuse Interview:
What can you tease about the upcoming season and how it differs from the first two?
Carlton Cuse: “I think one of the big differences is we’re only doing 10 episodes this season by design, and so the narrative velocity is much faster. It just felt like in season two that it was hard to sustain 13 episodes as well as we wanted. I think moving to a 10 episode model is much better for this show. I think the show needs to be kinetic and this season is definitely kinetic. Season three there’s really no doubt that there’s Strigoi out there. There’s no doubt. There’s no denial anymore that it’s a threat. Sort of like smoking…everybody realizes now that smoking is bad. And the season’s really about full-tilt war. Can the humans fight the Strigoi out of New York? And as New York goes, so goes the world.
You know, I’m really excited about it. I directed the season finale. It was the first time I’ve ever directed. I was super engaged. It’s really cool. I’m really proud of the season. I think it’s the best season of the show and pretty engaging.”
Will this season differ from the books?
Carlton Cuse: “My style as a showrunner is a very organic one. I love the collaborative nature of television, so in concert with writers in the writers room you start working on stories and other ideas come up. You don’t want to be eliminating good ideas just because they’re not in the book. And also I’ve been writing the show with Chuck Hogan who is the co-author of the books and both Chuck and Guillermo (del Toro) have been very open about moving away from the books. The books exist; I think the story exists in one form and no one will ever be able to take that away or change that.
I think that just doing a straight up adaptation as a television show that doesn’t change things would not be very interesting and I actually don’t think it would be very fun to watch. I think it’s just you’d be doing the very expected. I feel like the virtue of all of us kind of re-thinking the material as a TV series has been to add this whole other layer of creative energy to the process. It’s been really fun. So, you can watch the TV show. It exists independent of the books and also if you’ve read the books, you won’t feel like, ‘Oh, I’ve seen this before.’ There’s a lot of really good, new stuff – new characters, new situations, and stuff in there. And also Guillermo and Chuck have been big contributors to the evolution of the show.”
There’s a couple of characters, Justine and Dutch, who don’t exist in the books and have huge roles this season. Justine is a character who’s trying to hold New York together while the Strigoi are gaining more and more power. Her position as a demagogue leader in a collapsing society doesn’t exist in the books and I think is a really great storyline. There’s some new romance in the show in season three that is really cool and we’re excited about. I think if things are dark in the show there’s lots of heart and humanity. That humor, we try to make sure that the show is not… I think if the show is just straight and bleak it would be not good.”
It seems like romance never ends well on this show.
Carlton Cuse: “Well, you know maybe not so far. You’ve got to hold out hope. I don’t want to say too much but you won’t feel like your legs have been cut out from under you if you invest in the romance this season.”
What were the challenges and what were some of the things you loved about directing?
Carlton Cuse: “It was awesome. I love my job as a writer and showrunner and feel like I have all the creative responsibility I want in that job, but I felt like it was time to do it. It was physically arduous. I mean, we’re in Toronto, there were three snow storms, I shot all night for four nights, but it was also energizing. It was really fun to really collaborate with the actors on a moment-by-moment basis as opposed to the bigger picture which is what I do as a showrunner.”
Chuck Hogan Interview:
This season is supposedly very different from the book. Why did you decide to change things up?
Chuck Hogan: “The story needs to go where the story’s going to go. We were never beholden to the book, ever. For me, it’s more fun to go far afield but that’s not the goal either. It’s to sort of use the books, take what we can, take whatever input we’re getting from the actors, for example the talent and stuff, and see what’s working and just build on that.”
Did you always know that it was going to expand beyond the books? It’s been mentioned that the aim was five seasons.
Chuck Hogan: “There’s never been a set number of seasons nor will it ever be like one book equals one season. We always thought there would be some overlap and some expansion. So, no, I wouldn’t look for the books to line up with the seasons at all. I guess what I’m saying is there is a story plan but there is no scheduling season plan.”
Are there any characters who, as the show progresses, you actually have come to like more than you did when you were writing the books?
Chuck Hogan: “It’s hard to say. I always liked Quinlan (played by Rupert Penry-Jones), but in season three Quinlan is…it’s not like he’s my favorite character but he is such a unique character in the show, obviously. There’s something that I feel like is even popping more than it even did in the books. Rupert is fantastic and he brings a lot to it. It’s a great sort of treat having been there way back before the beginning, to see it now really flourishing, to see an actor take on a part I thought was great and make it greater.”
Have you found you’re writing more for the actors than the characters now, as opposed to season one?
Chuck Hogan: “A little bit of both. We definitely get a lot of input from the actors, which is great. They’re all really involved and really committed to their characters. (Laughing) Now, if they come in with really horrible ideas that can be a bad situation! Luckily, everyone’s really contributing. We want to play to people’s strengths; we also want to challenge them and take them out of their comfort zones too. They rise to those challenges too.”
What can you say about where we’ll pick up with Palmer in season 3?
Chuck Hogan: “As season three starts he’s been dealt a serious blow for sure, and he’s really knocked on his heels. I think you’re going to see him strike up a very surprising, unexpected alliance with other characters. And then there’s a back and forth too about how far it’s going to go, but it has been really great. Jonathan (Hyde’s) really fantastic and he really rises to the occasion in season three.”
Watch the full Carlton Cuse and Chuck Hogan interviews:
Season three of the CBS drama Scorpion will premiere on October 3, 2016 and, hopefully, will quickly let viewers in on the mystery left dangling at the end of season two: who is Happy married to? Neither Eddie Kaye Thomas (‘Toby’) or Jadyn Wong (‘Happy’) would provide any clues as to Happy’s husband’s identity, but they did tell us during our interview at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con that they both know the answer. Eddie Kaye Thomas also explained why he believes Scorpion has such a passionate fan base. “As heightened as our reality is, I think the show works because there’s a baseline of truth to the whole thing. And, the truth comes from the characters,” said Thomas.
Eddie Kaye Thomas and Jadyn Wong Interview:
What can we expect from season three?
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “Well, season two ended with Toby proposing marriage, singing a beautiful song – which was a first, and I feel great about my singing – and then we find out that this one right here is already married. So, we might or might not find out who she’s married to and we will find out how strong this love really is.”
How did you feel about that marriage twist?
Jadyn Wong: “I think for me as an actor and just reading the script it’s like, ‘Oh…okay,’ because it was so unexpected. And I think it creates that obstacle between Toby and Happy, and again that’s something that’s cool to play and explore.”
But wouldn’t it also be nice just to have a happy ending?
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “We want the show to last a little while, you know what I mean?”
A relationship ending.
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “Yeah, but I think even the best relationships in the world take a lot of work and a lot of challenge. This show does such a great job of showing the very human realistic side of relationships. These characters are heightened versions of genius and having trouble fitting in the world. Something I love about the whole Toby/Happy thing is these are people navigating completely unknown waters. I think, I assume that’s what people are relating to with the show and why we’ve been able to stay on the air is it’s not just the action and excitement and the mysteries of the week. These are very real people we can relate to.”
Toby went through a lot of emotional turmoil at the end of last season. How did you handle that?
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “I mean I’ve never before gotten on my knees and proposed marriage and had someone say no. So, you know, when you’re playing a scene like that, you just kind of go with it. I mean, god, doing Scorpion is like going to the gym for an actor because we get to do everything. We don’t have much time to think about it. ‘You’re doing a scene where he gets rejected by marriage, go!’ ‘You’re doing a scene where you’re about to die, go!’ Comedy, drama, action, suspense…and I think as an actor it’s nice to not have to think too much about it and just kind of go, go, go, go, go.”
Jadyn Wong: “I think that’s really where the spontaneity comes up and just the nuances and stuff. I feel like that’s what the editors actually kind of use is the surprises.”
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “Most of the stuff that you wind up seeing is stuff that just happened on the spot. Not in lines or stuff, but just acting-wise.”
Is there any aspect of the show you particularly enjoy, be it the comedy, action, or romance?
Jadyn Wong: “It depends. I think that’s, again, what’s so great is that because of the action, the relationship stuff, it changes all the time and so it doesn’t feel like a routine.”
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “I’m lucky to be on a TV show, but to be on a TV show where we’re not doing the same thing every week… Look, there’s some things that are procedural-like but we’ll do some action. In the middle of the action there’s romance moments. In the middle of the suspense, I’m going to make some wise-ass joke. It gets very emotional, the stuff between Happy and her dad, the stuff amongst the group itself. We’re not just doing a sitcom and doing comedy all the time. We’re not doing a really dark show where it’s really serious all the time. We really cover all of our bases. I’m not just saying it; it’s really lucky as an actor to get to do all these things.”
The characters feel like a family. Is there a lot of bonding off-set?
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “We don’t have time. We’re shooting every day all day and we just making the show bonds us. We go through so much and we work incredibly long, difficult hours and sometimes we get annoyed with each other, sometimes we’ll lean on each other. You can’t help but just get very intimate and close on the show.”
Can you tease anything about season three?
Jadyn Wong: “It’s hard because we left off on season two where there’s these cliffhangers. I know that Happy’s married to someone else. That’s all I can say.”
Eddie Kaye Thomas: “We can tell you that we know. When we found out what it was, our jaws hit the floor. It’s really exciting. What I do know that I can tell you about the season is you’re going to see a lot of characters interacting in ways that you haven’t before. There’s different combinations. And, some really exciting storylines. You know what’s really not fair? The writers come up with all of this stuff and then tell us about it, and then they go back and hide in their room and send us out and have to tell you guys that we can’t talk about it!”
Watch the full Eddie Kaye Thomas and Jadyn Wong interview:
Paramount Pictures has just released the teaser trailer for one of their Oscar hopefuls, Allied. The dramatic film is directed by Robert Zemeckis (The Walk, Flight) and stars Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Lizzy Caplan, and Matthew Goode. Allied will open in theaters on November 23, 2016.
The Plot:Allied is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.
Once Upon a Time‘s Rebecca Mader (‘Zelena’) and Emilie de Ravin (‘Belle’) were paired up for interviews at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con where they discussed the fantasy series’ upcoming sixth season. Once Upon a Time will kick off season six on September 25, 2016 with the newly freed Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) making lives difficult for our favorite Storybrooke characters. Mader and de Ravin both feel this new season returns the show to its roots, and they’re really looking forward to what the writers have in store for season six.
Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader Interview:
Where are picking up with Belle since she’s under the sleeping curse?
Emilie de Ravin: (Laughing) “The box.”
Did that mean you got some time off?
Emilie de Ravin: “No, I didn’t, actually, so obviously she’s out of the box in season six. But, she does stuff in the box. She’s good. She’s getting cramped, but she’s in good spirits.”
Will we be seeing any of her dream stuff with Morpheus?
Emilie de Ravin: “There’s some dream stuff. The way she is extracted and how it happens and the characters involved in that is really cool. It reveals a lot about her relationship and a lot about her past/future. I don’t know how to put that.”
What can we expect from Regina and Zelena’s relationship moving forward?
Rebecca Mader: “We can expect a lot. There’s a lot going on. All I ever wanted my whole life was a family because my adopted parents were horrible. I finally got a sister and now I’ve got two, so it’s a lot. I’ve got Regina and I’ve got an Evil Queen and a baby – and I just killed my boyfriend. I made an appointment with Jiminy Cricket for next week; it’s a three hour session. I’ve got a lot going on! It’s a lot. There’s a lot of things that Zelena has to deal with and I think it’s going to be really fun as we move into season six how we explore the sister relationship and the dynamic, and the struggle between having Regina and the Evil Queen.”
Will it be the most difficult season for Zelena emotionally because she’s going to be dealing with those relationships?
Rebecca Mader: “I haven’t asked them because I don’t like to know too much what’s going on, but I think killing my first love was super intense. I don’t know what they’re going to do with Regina that could be more painful than that because that was a really intense scene to shoot with Robin on the floor and we both lose our true loves at the same time. Well, he wasn’t my true love because, let’s be honest, he was full of it. I had to save my sister from him. But, to her it was her first love and her heart was shattered so I don’t know if she’s ever going to be able to love again and trust again. I think that will get explored at some point. Is she ever going to be able to take her walls down again?”
Will having to deal with the two sisters make Zelena torn a little bit because of her own dark side?
Rebecca Mader: “I think there’s going to be a real struggle there because I don’t know that Zelena’s fully redeemed. It’s a real push-pull. Lana (Parilla) and I were talking about that recently. Just the two of us together or the two sisters when you’re playing a villain that’s got a bit of a journey, it’s somewhat similar to someone who’s got the disease of alcoholism. You’re doing really well and then you might relapse and slip a bit. That’s similar to a journey as a villain. You’re doing really well and then you want to rip out your heart or start a fire. ‘Simmer down, love. Count to 10.’ So, I think there’s going to be a lot of that kind of struggle going on in season six for me.”
Would you be interested to see Zelena and the Wicked Witch separated like the Evil Queen and Regina?
Rebecca Mader: “That would be wicked good, a really good idea. Yeah, I’ll talk to the boys about it. That would be great.”
Emilie de Ravin: “You guys could do scenes with each other.”
Rebecca Mader: “All four of us in a scene! How wicked would that be?! Oh my god that would be a hot mess. I would eat popcorn and kick back and pay money to see that. That is brilliant, a really good idea. I’ll have to talk to the boys about it.”
In season five we got to the point in where it appears now Rumple is going to stay bad. Once Belle is awake, would you like to see her explore more of her independence in season six?
Emilie de Ravin: “Yeah, and we do. We do. It’s been a long time coming. I used to…I guess I still do…I can totally understand where she’s coming from. I understand that it’s not that she’s just accepting it just now, it’s just that she’s sort of able to vocalize it more and be able to maybe take action with a little more confidence, take care of herself emotionally now that she is pregnant and now that she knows that it’s not really just about her anymore. She has to now take responsibility for this other little person. That’s sort of making her head spin a little bit with regard to, ‘Okay, I can spend my life trying to fix this person. Whether it’s for me or for him it doesn’t matter because I’m expecting someone else now.’ It’s kind of a game-changer.”
What characters would you love to see come in from the Land of Untold Stories?
Rebecca Mader: “I just had an idea. I was asked that earlier and I thought how The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is my favorite book growing up so maybe like C.S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia Land to dip into. I like all those characters.”
Emilie de Ravin: “I still want Mary Poppins. I love that movie so much. Maybe Pippi Longstockings, Pollyanna…some good female roles. I mean, we have great female roles on this show. We’re lucky.”
How do you feel the tone of the upcoming season compares to previous seasons?
Rebecca Mader: “I feel like every season has its own tone. But I think with this season they’re not going to do like two different arcs. I think it’s going to be more of a throughline for the whole season. I think it’s really great with the Land of Untold Stories because it opens up a whole world. People can come in and we can go out, so it’s really opened up Pandora’s Box which is really exciting.”
Emilie de Ravin: “It brings it back to its roots more this season.”
How so?
Rebecca Mader: “Everyone is having to deal with their own (business), not being introspective, not thinking about everything that’s happened before up until this point and who are you now and where do we all go from here.”
Emilie de Ravin: “And also the fact that they’re just focusing on that physically as well. We’re not going to two drastically different visual spaces.”
Rebecca Mader: “We’re in town. We can have Netflix and chill at night and not have to deal with it again tomorrow.”
Emilie de Ravin: “Go to therapy.”
Rebecca Mader: “Watch Stranger Things. Have a cup of tea and go to bed.”
Emilie de Ravin: “Oh! I’m sooo obsessed.”
Rebecca Mader: “I watched five episodes in two days. I can’t wait to go home and watch three tomorrow!”
Emilie de Ravin: “We watched the entire thing in two days.”
Rebecca Mader: Watch Stranger Things, have a cup of tea, go to bed. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out. It’s a great weekend is what it is. It’s your weekend gone.”
We did see Zelena redeem herself last season. Are you looking forward to seeing her explore that softer side going forward?
Rebecca Mader: “Yeah. I like the fact that I’m going on a journey. I don’t ever want to lose my wickedness completely. I think she should always be very, very snotty and sarcastic and dry, but then so am I. I’m definitely going to keep that aspect of her personality. But I don’t know where the writers are going to take me. It was really fun to become a parent and all of a sudden have something that loves me unconditionally which Zelena has never had. And then this guy making me finally bring down my walls and love him back, and then for him only to betray me. I don’t really know where Zelena is going to go from here and if she’s going to be able to love and trust again, what kind of mother she’s going to be. I think she’s going to try to be a good one but my god, I don’t know how that’s going to go. I think she’s going to be all right.
But it is fun to play the softer side and show the different parts of your emotion rather than just trying to strangle children and stealing babies. Which is a lot of work, too. They just write such interesting characters. Just when you think you know what’s going on, you read another episode. ‘Oh well, apparently I didn’t.’ So, I’ll be interested to see where they’re going to take me.”
Watch the full Emilie de Ravin and Rebecca Mader interview:
Ben Foster and Chris Pine in ‘Hell or High Water’ (Photo Credit: CBS Films)
“Toby, it’s a good thing you’re doing,” says Tanner (Ben Foster) to his younger brother. “We’re doing it,” replies Toby (Chris Pine). “Every step of the way,” answers back Tanner who’s teamed up with his brother to rob banks in the riveting crime drama, Hell or High Water.
Set in modern day West Texas, Toby, a divorced father, and his ex-con older brother Tanner come together after years of being apart to rob branches of the bank that kept their recently deceased mother in debt and is now threatening to foreclose on her house and her land. Desperate to try to save his family’s inheritance for his children, Toby only intends to steal enough to pay the bank what the family owes. Tanner, a much more experienced criminal, agrees to help because his brother asked and because deep down he really enjoys the thrill.
What the two brothers don’t know is that Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a grizzled old Texas Ranger who’s days-away from his forced retirement, is onto them and eager for one last hunt. He wants to end his career on a high note, convincing his half-Comanche partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), to join him in bringing some Texas justice down on the brothers. The race is on between the opposing teams, with the brothers trying to steal enough to pay off the loan by the end of the week and the two Rangers trying to identify and catch the two robbers before Marcus has to turn in his badge.
Intense and compelling, Hell or High Water is a 21st century Western with a strong cast who all deliver stellar performances in the first truly great film of the year. Chris Pine gives the best performance of his career thus far as Toby, a dutiful, loyal, and loving son, brother, and father who becomes a criminal to save his family from losing everything they own. He’s a man in over his head and desperate enough to team up with his career criminal brother to pull off armed bank robberies. Pine flawlessly conveys all of the desperation, fear, determination, and exhilaration Toby feels throughout the film.
Ben Foster delivers an unforgettable performance as Tanner, the older brother and ex-con who knows how to be successful at robbing banks and is doing it because his little brother asked him to. Foster and Pine have fantastic chemistry on screen and every scene with them crackles with energy and emotion.
Jeff Bridges is perfect as the crusty, laid-back, and almost too old for this manhunt Ranger Marcus Hamilton. He portrays the soon-to-retire Ranger as a slow-moving, methodical, and tough lawman who deep down is enjoying the challenge of finding and bringing to justice the two banks robbers. Marcus says to his partner, “I may have one hunt left in me,” and it’s his tenaciousness and humor that lightens the mood when needed. Gil Birmingham has great chemistry with Bridges as his partner Alberto who’s looking forward to seeing his old friend retire but will also miss him. Their scenes together are occasionally uncomfortable as Marcus, decidedly un-PC, teases Alberto about his Indian and Mexican heritage. However, the deep friendship and admiration evident in the way Bridges and Birmingham portray these characters lessens the sting as it’s obvious how much Marcus loves and admires his partner.
David Mackenzie’s direction is outstanding and the pacing of the film is tight and smooth, with suspenseful bank heists intermingling with quiet scenes between the two brothers. It’s a perfect blend of action, family drama, and well-place humor.
With exceptional performances, a terrific script by Sicario‘s Taylor Sheridan, and exceptional direction, Hell or High Water is a top notch modern Western destined to become a classic. It’s the best film of the year so far by far. Don’t miss it!
GRADE: A-
MPAA Rating: R for some strong violence, language throughout and brief sexuality
Felicity Jones in ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ (Photo Credit: Walt Disney Pictures)
Star Wars fans finally had their patience pay off after waiting for the arrival of the new Rogue One: A Star Wars Story for two hours during the primetime Olympics East Coast broadcast on August 11, 2016. Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla), the action in the Star Wars prequel involves a plot to steal the plans for the Death Star.
The cast is led by Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso and includes Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmed, and Jiang Wen. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released in theaters on December 16, 2016.
Recently released from their Saturday Night Live commitments, comedians Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah didn’t take long to land new shows. Showtime has cast Taran Killam in the lead role in the comedy anthology pilot Mating (the working title) and Jay Pharoah in the lead of the half-hour comedy White Famous. Mating‘s pilot is written by Stu Zicherman (The Affair, The Americans) and executive produced by Zicherman, Jason Katims (Friday Nights Light), and Michelle Lee. White Famous comes from executive producers Jamie Foxx and Californication‘s Tom Kapinos, with Tim Story (Barbershop, Ride Along) directing, executive producing, and on board to direct the pilot. Showtime confirmed Oscar-winner Foxx will guest star in a recurring role.
The White Famous Plot: The project will focus on a talented, young African-American comedian, Floyd Mooney (Pharoah), whose star is rising, forcing him to navigate the treacherous waters of maintaining his credibility as he begins to cross-over towards becoming “white famous.”
The Mating Plot: The comedy anthology pilot will center on a recently divorced guy who married young and now finds himself completely unprepared for the brave new, frank and fluid world of dating and hooking up. The project, produced by SHOWTIME, Universal TV and True Jack Productions, is an “annual anthology” as each season will focus on a different protagonist’s journey through modern dating and relationships.
In addition to SNL, Killam’s television credits include New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Community, Drunk History, Comedy Bang Bang, MADtv and Scrubs. Pharoah’s film resume includes Ride Along, Get a Job, Intramural, Lola Versus, and Top Five.
