“A child’s been missed!,” exclaims Arthur (voiced by James McAvoy) – the cheery, clumsy black sheep of the Santa Claus family – horrified that a child could wake up on Christmas morning with no present from Santa in the animated movie Arthur Christmas.
Arthur’s older brother, Steve (voiced by Hugh Laurie), the Chief of Operations for Santa’s ultra-high-tech operation that has replaced the classic old flying sleigh with a giant sleek airship delivering toys to children all over the world on Christmas Eve, refuses to correct the ‘small margin of error.’ As far as Steve is concerned, it’s been a successful night. Arthur’s dad, Santa himself, although first upset about the mistake decides to agree with Steve’s decision.
Poor caring Arthur just can’t let it go. Encouraged and joined by Grandsanta (voiced by Bill Nighy), who breaks out the old wooden beat-up sleigh, Arthur, Grandsanta, and an enthusiastic elf team up and fly out to deliver the last-minute gift before Christmas morning.
Arthur Christmas is an original, smart, animated comedy adventure that soars with fun and good holiday cheer. The film has a strong cast of voice talent led by James McAvoy who helps bring to life the sweet, in way, way over his head hero who’s determined not to leave a single child behind on Christmas. Bill Nighy’s Grandsanta steals almost every scene he’s in with some of the best humor in the film and quickly becomes an audience favorite. Hugh Laurie is perfect as Steve, the eldest brother who runs Christmas Eve as though it’s a ‘Special Ops’ mission and can’t bring himself to admit when his own operation has failed.
The film looks stunning with bright, colorful CG animation and has a memorable stirring score that truly enhances the exciting action scenes. The movie is fast-paced but finds time to have plenty of heart and soul.
This holiday season with all the different film releases make sure to catch a ride on an old red sleigh with Arthur, Grandsanta, and all the flying reindeer. Arthur Christmas will fill you with Christmas spirit.
GRADE: B-
Arthur Christmas hits theaters on November 23, 2011.
Few people have captured the world’s attention like Marilyn Monroe. A glamorous icon of beauty and sex appeal, she became the standard by which other beautiful women were judged. Perhaps cementing her legacy was a life cut too short, but none of the latter years are the focus of director Simon Curtis’ My Week with Marilyn.
The film is set during the shooting of 1957’s The Prince and the Showgirl and told from the perspective of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), working on set for Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) as a fresh-faced 3rd assistant director (i.e., do whatever Olivier tells you to do). He eventually wrote a few books, including My Week with Marilyn and The Prince, The Showgirl and me which would be the basis for Adrian Hodges’ script.
As the title implies, and one can see from the trailer, Clark and Monroe do more than go over dialogue for the next day’s shoot. Complicating matters for him slightly is a newly begun courtship with Lucy (Emma Watson), who works as a costume designer on the production. Complicating things for him even more so is navigating the hierarchy that surrounds him. Olivier wants Monroe to revitalize his career, Monroe wants the film to establish her acting chops, her acting coach (Zoë Wanamaker as Paula Strasberg) needs to justify her salary, and her manager (Dominic Cooper) wants to make sure nothing ruins his golden goose. It’s a lot for a young man to wade through but as told in the film, he does so capably.
Williams’ performance as Monroe is stunning. The script is about getting a glimpse of the woman behind the facade, which keeps the production feeling vibrant rather than like a standard biopic. Williams captures the insecurities, doubts, and self-awareness of the actress, delivering a portrait of a woman who lived to be loved. She has the world wrapped around her finger, able to lure men in when she feels the need, in an almost calculated fashion; she’s got the art of seduction down to a science.
Just as important to making the film feel different than a stuffy documentary (and there is a documentary about these events, named after the book The Prince, the Showgirl and me), the costume and make-up departments went to great lengths to get things as right as they needed them to be but weren’t dead set on making carbon copies. Branagh is fitted with a chin prosthetic to more closely resemble Olivier and Williams used hip pads and a wig to better approximate Monroe, but the key was capturing their essence and telling the story, not attempting to fool the naked eye.
What ends up on screen is a rather fascinating character study of Monroe and Olivier, as told from an insider’s perspective. It’s a shame that Judi Dench’s portrayal of Dame Sybil Thorndike isn’t utilized more, as the character figures prominently in the beginning and becomes an afterthought, the subplot between Colin and Lucy feels a bit like window dressing and the film begins to lag a bit towards the end. However, those interested either in Monroe, Olivier, or the ego of celebrity will find plenty to enjoy in My Week with Marilyn. Also, for those trying to figure out which films to see for their Oscar pool, it may behoove you to see William’s depiction of the starlet. Just a friendly hint.
GRADE: B
My Week with Marilyn hits theaters on November 23, 2011 and is rated R for some language.
Look, while Martin Scorsese has earned himself better than this, my review of Hugo isn’t going to be very comprehensive.
First off, the story of an orphaned boy (Asa Butterfield) living in a Parisian train station keeping the clocks running and repairing a robotic boy to see what message it may have left him is sweet and all, but something one reads in a book about 25 pages long with lots of pictures. Sure, there are cliché interesting characters around him, and the connection between Ben Kingsley’s character and the forefathers of cinema is interesting (for film buffs) but the bottom line to making a family film interesting for roughly two hours is that the lead kid had better be spectacular.
Spoiler Alert, he’s not.
Now before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, I’m not placing the blame all at Butterfield’s feet. It’s keenly apparent that Scorsese spent far more time figuring out which old film clips to use and making sure the 3D would be spectacular (we’ll get to that) than making sure his central character emoted in all the right ways. And for a film so concerned with showing the audience the wonder of early movies, it’s too bad all the creativity they showed didn’t infect the rest of Hugo.
The pacing of the film overall is rather slow. Consistent … but slow. It almost felt like Scorsese and screenwriter John Logan were trying to pad time because it wasn’t long enough … maybe their own clock was in need of fixing.
Now as for the much-hyped 3D, which even James “I make big movies so no one worries about the small details” Cameron has stated is the best he’s ever seen – it’s actually pretty good. Some may find themselves a bit queasy from certain sequences, and there are a number of scenes that flitter between 2D and 3D but if you’re the type of person who just loves Hollywood’s latest cash grab and you’re eager to see the film, then by all means plunk down the extra cash to wear those fashionable and recyclable shades.
Back to the film, it isn’t that there’s too much wrong with it. From a technical standpoint, Scorsese and his team have always known how to shoot a movie; it’s just too bad the story felt like an afterthought at times to the emphasis on old movies. Upon exiting the theater, I was almost surprised no one had given me a certificate congratulating everyone in the audience for taking a 1-day film class.
So for those who love, love, love old movies, Hugo will tickle that fancy. However, it will also make you wonder why you didn’t just re-watch some of those classics than sit through a movie that borrows its soul from them. The 3D is probably the most interesting aspect, but I’m not sure it’s enough to entice anyone on the fence into an otherwise staid production.
GRADE: C
Hugo hits theaters on November 23, 2011 and is rated PG for mild thematic material, some action/peril and smoking.
“It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights, it’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight.”
With those lyrics, millions of children and adults alike were all set to enjoy the antics of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and the gang each week on television and again in a number of feature films. It’s been 12 years since the last theatrically released Muppet film (Muppets from Space) although they haven’t gone away completely – thanks to various TV specials, guest appearances, and direct-to-DVD films. The release of The Muppets does feel a little bit like Hollywood continuing its trend of taking a nostalgic property and cashing in but it’s forgivable because it’s one of the few franchises still capable of plausible resurrection.
Before getting to the feature film, however, there’s one key reason it’s significant that Disney bought the rights to the Muppets brand in 2004: It allows them to show a Pixar short film from the Toy Story universe beforehand. Entitled “Small Fry”, this one centers on Buzz Lightyear as he gets left behind in a fast food restaurant and meets the discarded toys from kids meals. It takes place after Toy Story 3 so some of the newer toys are included as well, and there is even a tiny kids meal version of Buzz that gets in on the action.
It’s a funny, well-conceived short film and the best thing Pixar has done since the last Toy Story short (seeing as the feature that followed that, Cars 2, was their first true miss).
So, if you’re headed to the theater to see The Muppets, make sure you arrive in plenty of time to get settled in before the movie starts. But wait, you say, is the feature film worth seeing? Well … yes and no.
As a fan of the Muppets, growing up with their varied exploits, it was great fun to see them back on-screen. Coming off his vampire puppet show in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, it seemed like a smart choice to let Jason Segal star and co-write this film. He and co-writer Nicholas Stoller were smart to include a number of the iconic songs and bits from the TV show, the concept of Segal having an actual Muppet for a brother was interesting, Amy Adams is capital ‘A’ Adorable, there are plenty of celebrity cameos, and they even got a seasoned actor like Chris Cooper to play the villain.
Sounds great, right? Well, unfortunately, it seems Segal loves one thing just as much as the Muppets: himself. There’s way too much of him and Adams in the picture, each having a full musical number that could have been excised without anyone caring. Also, in bothering to deal with a small romantic tiff between the two, it didn’t allow for a better exploration of the falling out between Kermit and Miss Piggy … who, you know, ARE THE MUPPETS! (There’s also the issue of most of the original voice cast not being included, so a few of the Muppets sound just a touch off, but for the most part, it’s decent.)
More importantly, the film also suffers from yo-yo syndrome, going up and down in energy constantly, leading to a lot of restlessness from a good portion of the little kids in the screening audience. Even with a relatively decent runtime of 98 minutes, a good 15 of those could have been easily cut out without altering the main plot (like the extra bits with Segal and Adams). And then there’s the one scene in the movie that quite possibly could be the worst 2 minutes on film in 2011 (I haven’t seen Jack and Jill yet so this could change): Chris Cooper raps.
Ugh.
Double Ugh.
Oh my stars and garters this is embarrassing you’re so much better than this Chris Cooper UGH.
Yes, while a happy bouncing ball follows along on subtitles, Chris Cooper is forced to deliver what might be the worst rap song in the history of rap songs (move over Vanilla Ice). It’s the single most cringe-worthy scene on celluloid this year and how this didn’t get a rewrite or literally engulfed in flames is unconscionable.
Yet somehow, and in keeping with the up and down nature of the film itself, there are still decent reasons to make this worth a look … if you’re a huge Muppet fan … and in the comfort of your own home. There just isn’t enough here to justify a trip to the theaters, and it will take nearly every ounce of your nostalgia to tip the scales of this badly plotted movie in your favor (although it’s not in 3D, so that’s a plus). There is a sigh of relief in seeing that the Muppets, in The Muppets, were treated overall with affection and respect. It’s just too bad the humans who treated them with that affection and respect had to get in the way so much.
GRADE: C-
The Muppets hit theaters on November 23, 2011 and is rated PG for some mild rude humor.
Ewan McGregor (last seen on the big screen in Beginners) will be squeezing some TV work into his busy schedule with HBO’s The Corrections. McGregor is joining Chris Cooper and Dianne Wiest in the series based on Jonathan Franzen’s novel. Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) adapted Franzen’s book for HBO.
“After almost fifty years as a wife and mother, Enid Lambert is ready to have some fun. Unfortunately, her husband, Alfred, is losing his sanity to Parkinson’s disease, and their children have long since flown the family nest to the catastrophes of their own lives. The oldest, Gary, a once-stable portfolio manager and family man, is trying to convince his wife and himself, despite clear signs to the contrary, that he is not clinically depressed.
The middle child, Chip, has lost his seemingly secure academic job and is failing spectacularly at his new line of work. And Denise, the youngest, has escaped a disastrous marriage only to pour her youth and beauty down the drain of an affair with a married man—or so her mother fears. Desperate for some pleasure to look forward to, Enid has set her heart on an elusive goal: bringing her family together for one last Christmas at home.”
Dominic Cooper (terrific in the gritty The Devil’s Double) plays executive producer Milton Greene in the dramatic film My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe. And in this interview courtesy of The Weinstein Company, Cooper talks about his character’s relationship to Marilyn, Williams playing Monroe, and the challenges of playing characters based on real people.
The Plot: In the early summer of 1956, 23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl. The film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott).
Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work.
“Every generation, the cinema has a few performers who mesmerize audiences with an exceptional blend of talent, versatility and grace,” stated Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “Michelle Williams epitomizes these qualities as she continues to accept challenging role after challenging role. In her latest work, My Week with Marilyn, she perfectly captures the glamour and vulnerability of the iconic Marilyn Monroe who finds respite and solice during a week-long hiatus from Hollywood pressures. To this actress, a cinematic star in her own right, the Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present the 2012 Desert Palm Achievement Actress Award.”
Source: Palm Springs International Film Festival – November 22, 2011
Per Bruce Springsteen’s official website, the E Street Band will be on the road in 2012 and will be releasing a new album:
“Well, things are starting to heat up down on E Street.
A lot of you have been hearing that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be on tour in 2012. That is absolutely correct. The European dates run from the middle of May until end of July and are being announced this week. Info on the US dates and the World tour dates will coming up shortly.
In addition, we want you to know that the music is almost done (but still untitled), we have almost settled on the release date (but not quite yet), and that we are all incredibly excited about everything that we’re planning for 2012. That’s all the info we have for right now, but we’ll get back to you–real soon.”
(Update: The album’s title is Wrecking Ball.)
Bruce Springsteen 2012 Tour Dates:
Date City Venue On Sale
21 June – Sunderland, England at Stadium of Light (3 Dec)
22 June – Manchester, England at Etihad Stadium (TBA)
24 June – Isle of Wight, England at Isle of Wight Festival (25 Nov)
14 July – London, England at Hard Rock Calling (3 Dec)
Are you in the middle of your holiday shopping and stumped for gift ideas? Michael Bublé and 50 other popular musicians suggest giving the gift of music this holiday season. Bublé supports the music industry’s “Give The Gift Of Music” (GTGOM) initiative, joining Kelly Clarkson, Riley Etheridge, Jr., Good Charlotte, Darius Rucker, and Greyson Chance as a supporter of the program, which reminds consumers just how important music is in our lives.
And Bublé fans may want to get in on this contest GTGOM is running through December 31, 2011. GTGOM asks fans to “share a poignant, humorous or otherwise memorable story about a meaningful music gift (song, album, instrument, music lessons, tickets, etc.) that they have received for the Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza holidays.” The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 with additional winners getting music gift baskets or music gift cards.
In addition, two autographed items from Michael Bublé will be included in the prizes.
Visit givethegiftofmusic.info/post-your-music-memory/2011-holiday-contest/ for all the details and the submission form.
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe takes the lead in the creepy thriller The Woman in Black, heading to theaters February 3, 2012. Radcliffe stars as a young lawyer who visits a remote village and finds that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the villagers.
