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Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman Deliver Predictable Drama With ‘Invictus’
14 December 2009 2:18 PM, PST
| HollywoodChicago.com
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Chicago – Director Clint Eastwood has given up on subtlety, choosing instead to tell old-fashioned, direct stories with as much technical skill and dramatic competency as possible. There’s nothing particularly wrong with the legendary director’s “Invictus,” but it’s also not nearly as memorable or thrilling as it could have or, given the true story that it tells, should have been.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Personally, I find Eastwood the most interesting when he deals in gray moral situations like the ones at the core of “Mystic River,” “Unforgiven” or “Million Dollar Baby”. Lately, with films like “Flags of Our Fathers,” “Changeling,” “Gran Torino,” and, now, “Invictus,” there is no gray. He seems to have lost any interest at all in striking a subtle chord. Every single character development and plot turn is telegraphed in the previews and merely underlined by the film itself. It’s old-fashioned cinema and, in this case,
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- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
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Weekend Box Office: 'Princess and the Frog' Wins in the Pre-'Avatar' Calm
14 December 2009 6:02 AM, PST
| Cinematical
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Next weekend will be all sorts of chaos as Avatar -- which many early reviews, including ours, have regarded as legitimately spectacular -- makes its mega-wide-release bow, with only Did You Hear About the Morgans? as counter-programming. (If anyone wants to take a stab at predicting an opening weekend number, please do; the issue of 3D theaters makes this a little tricky, but I'm going with $130 million.) This weekend was correspondingly quiet, with only the expansion of Disney's The Princess and the Frog and the debut of Clint Eastwood's Invictus to cover.
After a teaser release on just a couple screens, The Princess and the Frog went wide this weekend and came up with $25 million, which is just a bit stronger than Disney's last major "traditional" animation release, Brother Bear, six years ago. (Of course opening weekend standards are a bit different now, too.) I expected a heftier debut,
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- Eugene Novikov
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Invictus Review
14 December 2009 4:31 AM, PST
| Filmofilia
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“Invictus” is Latin for “undefeated” and comes from a poem by William Ernest Henley. Henley was twenty-six and confined to a hospital bed when he wrote the poem; his leg had been amputated just below the knee due to tuberculosis of the bone. Henley wrote the poem to state that despite a crippling and potentially life-ending situation, he would be unbowed and would bounce back stronger than ever before. The country of South Africa was in a similar period of recovery in the mid-1990’s. With apartheid having just been put to an end and Nelson Mandela elected to the office of the President. Mandela had served twenty-seven years in prison for being a leader of the anti-apartheid movement and upon his release was looked upon as a hero from anti-apartheid groups both in and out of the country…read more [411mania.com]
Clint Eastwood’s Invictus is just about what you
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- Allan Ford
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Invictus Review: A Rudimentary Sports Drama
12 December 2009 10:38 AM, PST
| TheHDRoom
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Ever since his 1992 Oscar-winning triumph Unforgiven pushed him into the realm of great American filmmakers, Eastwood has been on a pretty remarkable creative streak. Sure, there have been a few bumps in the road, such as last year's Changeling, 1999's True Crime and 2002's Blood Work. More often than not though, the Man from Malpaso has been consistently turning out solid, sometimes great, directorial efforts over the past two decades.
Invictus falls somewhere in between. While it's a film from the 79-year old that keeps you entertained from start to finish, it's also one that could have been so much more.
Based on the novel by John Carlin, Invictus is set in South Africa during the first half of the 1990s. The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, chronicles the efforts of newly-elected president Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) to unify his country through sports, in particular Rugby. The only problem is that the national team,
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Review: ‘Invictus’ is true, strong and inspirational
10 December 2009 7:51 PM, PST
| ReelLoop.com
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As a director, Clint Eastwood has the cool self-assurance that he possessed as an actor. It’s the kind of confidence that allows critics and fans to overlook the rockier portion of his directorial career, and pretend he’s always cut an elegant picture during awards season. A weighty film like Invictus is now part of the Eastwood brand as much as pulpy Westerns ever were, and he handles the material fearlessly. But his composed approach is both a strength and a weakness when it comes to the story of Nelson Mandela, and the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
The story of Invictus is a true one, strong and inspirational. Eastwood plunges immediately into 1990’s turbulent South Africa. The country overcame internal prejudice, freed Nelson Mandela and elected him, but viewed “The Rainbow Nation” with hatred and skepticism. The hostility between both races is thick and palpable, racist comments are the stuff of casual conversation,
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- Elisabeth Rappe
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Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski to reboot Superman
9 December 2009 7:25 PM, PST
| The Geek Files
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Writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski is highly regarded for his work in film, TV, comics and novels - and now he's turning his attention to Superman, the iconic hero who has been in a state of inactivity at Warner Bros studios.
Straczynski's credits include being the creator, showrunner and writer of TV show Babylon 5. He also wrote the award-winning TV adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; a screenplay for Fox's planned Silver Surfer spin-off; the Angelina Jolie thriller Changeling; and is working on a big-screen remake of Forbidden Planet.
In the comics realm, he has worked on numerous titles including Spider-Man, Silver Surfer and Thor. And now he's creating a new, standalone Superman graphic novel, set "on a new earth with an all-new continuity".
The book, drawn by Shane Davis, will be called Superman: Earth One and is a major publishing event by DC Comics, reports The Source.
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- David Bentley
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Malkovich and Hathaway are Apparently 'Spider-Man 4' Villain Frontrunners
8 December 2009 11:53 AM, PST
| Rope of Silicon
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I have stayed out of the Spider-Man 4 rumor game primarily because it seemed like people were rushing names to the forefront after a mere whiff hit their Inbox. However, Movieline's latest report just feels right to me as if there is actually something behind it, but that isn't to say I like what they're selling.
The latest buzz says John Malkovich will be playing Spider-Man's nemesis the Vulture with Anne Hathaway currently said to be the top choice for Felicia Hardy, a role that also saw rumored names such as Julia Stiles, Rachel McAdams and Romola Garai.
Now, I apologize for my lack of knowledge when it comes to "Spider-Man" lore, but I will decipher the details as best I can.
Movieline says that while Felicia Hardy's alter-ego in the comics was the Black Cat, that isn't the goal of director Sam Raimi's new film. Instead Raimi's
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- Brad Brevet
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Full Contact
7 December 2009 9:08 AM, PST
| ifc.com
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This week sees an impressive list of heavy-hitters make a late December showing as Clint Eastwood and Peter Jackson deliver their latest, Werner Herzog assembles the unlikely pairing of Udo Kier and Verne Troyer, and Tom Ford unveils his directorial debut.
"According to Greta"
Hilary Duff adds the title of executive producer to her résumé by backing the feature debut of veteran music video director Nancy Bardawil. After demonstrating a dark side on "Gossip Girl" this season, Duff continues to shed her good girl image as a rebellious 17-year-old who proves to be too much of a handful for her mother (Melissa Leo) and is sent off to spend the summer on Jersey Shore with her grandparents (Ellen Burstyn and Michael Murphy), to whom she promises she will kill herself by her 18th birthday. In the midst of plotting her suicide, she begins a romance with a troubled short-order cook
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- Neil Pedley
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Maddox Jolie-Pitt Hits the Red Carpet
4 December 2009 7:45 AM, PST
| Extra
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What a life at eight years old!
Maddox Jolie-Pitt made his red carpet debut with parents Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Thursday night in Beverly Hills.
The family hit the premiere of Warner Bros.' "Invictus," which stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman and was directed by Clint Eastwood (who helmed Jolie's recent drama, "Changeling").
Maddox is a bit young for the drama though -- it's rated PG-13 for "strong language."
The Jolie-Pitts left the
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World War Z Movie Still Lumbering Along, Says Writer
30 November 2009 5:26 AM, PST
| FilmSchoolRejects.com
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One project worth following is the adaptation of Max Brooks' fantastic novel World War Z, which has been underway at Paramount for quite some time. The book has long been heralded (by yours truly) as the zombie book to end all zombie books, and in my mind it would make quite possibly the coolest 12-part miniseries in the history of cable television. That said, Paramount is still trying to make the dang thing into a feature film. A mistake on many levels, yes. But still potentially chock full of awesome.
Last week, Collider caught up with J. Michael Straczynski, the writer assigned to the project, as he was promoting his latest work, Ninja Assassin -- the final product of which does not give us any hope for the future of man, let along the future of Straczynski's work. During the interview, they talked briefly about where World War Z is -- about 5 drafts in -- and
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- Neil Miller
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New Ninja Assassin Red Band Trailer
26 November 2009 7:47 AM, PST
| HeyUGuys.co.uk
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With Ninja Assassin going on general release in the USA, a new red band trailer has been released online and it is very different from the previous trailer. Although this new trailer has been released to help promote the film for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I suspect the complete change in tone from the last trailer is partially to help combat the overwhelming negative criticism the film has generally received so far.
Ninja Assassin has been criticized by many for its overly complex and unnecessary plot, although it has received much praise for its stylish action sequences. Whereas the previous trailer was more dramatic and attempted to display some of the film’s back-story, this new trailer is basically an entire minute of nonstop ninja action.
The film stars Korean pop idol Rain, is produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Bros. (The Matrix Trilogy), is written by prolific science
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- Andrew Peters
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Jon Voight not impressed with Fox
26 November 2009 6:00 AM, PST
| Virgin Media - Movies
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Angelina Jolie's father doesn't think Megan Fox is as talented as his daughter. Actor Jon Voight - who is believed to have recently repaired his strained relationship with the 'Changeling' star - has blasted comparisons between the two brunette beauties, insisting 'Transformers' star Megan doesn't have the same talent as Angelina. Asked if he thinks Angelina is similar to Megan, he said: ''I don't think she is, no. She's one of our finest actresses. She's gotten to that point in her career. Megan is just starting out, but she has a lot of potential.'' Jon has previously urged Megan - who is often compared ..
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Comparisons Between Angelina Jolie And Megan Fox By Angelina’s Dad
26 November 2009 5:35 AM, PST
| Gossipvita
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Actor Jon Voight – who is believed to have recently repaired his strained relationship with the ‘Changeling’ star – has blasted comparisons between the two brunette beauties, insisting ‘Transformers’ star Megan doesn’t have the same talent as Angelina.
Asked if he thinks Angelina is similar to Megan, he said: “I don’t think she is, no. She’s one of our finest actresses. She’s gotten to that point in her career. Megan is just starting out, but she has a lot of potential.”
Jon has previously urged Megan – who is often compared to Angelina because of their similar looks and love of tattoos - to follow in Angelina’s footsteps by undertaking charity work.
He said: "Maybe Megan will start doing the things that Angelina is so well known for. Angie is known for helping with kids and for her concern for others. I think that would be wonderful for
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- cyan
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Jon Voight slams low-rent Jolie lookalike: Megan Fox
26 November 2009 5:01 AM, PST
| Monsters and Critics
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Angelina Jolie's father doesn't think Megan Fox is as talented as his daughter. Actor Jon Voight - who is believed to have recently repaired his strained relationship with the 'Changeling' star - has blasted comparisons between the two brunette beauties, insisting 'Transformers' star Megan doesn't have the same talent as Angelina. Asked if he thinks Angelina is similar to Megan, he said: "I don't think she is, no. She's one of our finest actresses. She's gotten to that point in her career. Megan is just starting out, but she has a lot of potential." Jon has previously urged Megan - who is often compared to Angelina because of their similar looks and love of tattoos - to follow in
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Jon Voight not impressed with Fox
26 November 2009 5:01 AM, PST
| Monsters and Critics
| See recent Monsters and Critics news
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Angelina Jolie's father doesn't think Megan Fox is as talented as his daughter. Actor Jon Voight - who is believed to have recently repaired his strained relationship with the 'Changeling' star - has blasted comparisons between the two brunette beauties, insisting 'Transformers' star Megan doesn't have the same talent as Angelina. Asked if he thinks Angelina is similar to Megan, he said: "I don't think she is, no. She's one of our finest actresses. She's gotten to that point in her career. Megan is just starting out, but she has a lot of potential." Jon has previously urged Megan - who is often compared to Angelina because of their similar looks and love of tattoos - to follow in Angelina's
…
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Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter Takes on Death, Adds High Tension Star
10 November 2009 2:36 PM, PST
| FilmSchoolRejects.com
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Clint Eastwood is less than a month from releasing his next film, Invictus, which stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman in a story about Nelson Mandela and the South African rugby team. But as we found out last year when Eastwood unleashed Changeling and Gran Torino, he's not satisfied with just one movie per year. He has also begun working on his next film, Hereafter.
This new project will also star Matt Damon and will take on the subject of death, and how it affects different people in different ways. According to a report last night from Variety, it will also now star High Tension heroine Cecile de France. As for the exact story, I will leave that to a report from The Guardian:
The film tells three parallel stories that eventually intersect – about a French TV journalist, played by Cecile de France, who suffers a near-death experience during the Asian tsunami of 2004; a drug-addicted English single
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- Neil Miller
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High Tension’s Cecile de France Joins Eastwood’s Hereafter
10 November 2009 11:32 AM, PST
| Slash Film
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Clint Eastwood works fast. He had two films out last year, Changeling and Gran Torino. He's got Invictus opening next month, but is already shooting his next picture, called Hereafter. That one, written by Peter Morgan, is one we haven't reported on too much yet, but features Matt Damon in a story of "of three people who are touched by death in different ways." We'd heard but hadn't reported that Cecile de France, the violent lead from High Tension, would be part of the film as well. Now that's confirmed by the trades, so I'm using the report as an excuse to bring us all up to date on the film.
Variety has the casting report. The Playlist had actually pegged that last month, along with the casting of Thierry Neuvic (Tell No One) and Mylène Jampanoï for the French part of the production. The story has three components, two
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- Russ Fischer
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MovieSet First Look: ‘Salt’ stars Angelina Jolie as a CIA agent
6 November 2009 3:40 PM, PST
| MovieSet.com
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Do you prefer your Angelina blonde or brunette?
Angelina Jolie stars in Columbia Pictures’ ‘Salt‘ a contemporary espionage thriller. Before becoming a CIA officer, Evelyn Salt (Jolie) swore an oath to duty, honor, and country. She will prove loyal to these when a defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy. Salt goes on ...
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- Dave
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Johnny Depp to Be Seduced by Angelina Jolie in 'The Tourist'
5 November 2009 12:38 AM, PST
| Aceshowbiz
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"The Tourist" is likely to see the collaboration of two Hollywood stars, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. After reports of the "Changeling" star being set to replace Charlize Theron for the female lead role broke out earlier, Variety came up with another casting report which said that the three-time Academy Award-nominated actor is in talks to join her.
Should the deal work out, the 46-year-old will take on the role of an American tourist who is being used by Jolie's Interpol agent character to locate a criminal who was her ex-lover. Depp's potential role once belonged to Sam Worthington before the "Avatar" star exited the project due to creative differences.
"The Tourist" has Christopher McQuarrie, Julian Fellowes and Bill Wheeler as the writers of its script. Producers of "The Tourist" are looking to find a new director after director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck dropped out. von Donnersmarck's exit was also
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- AceShowbiz.com
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Russian Trailer for Angelina Jolie's Spy Flick 'Salt'
3 November 2009 12:06 PM, PST
| GetTheBigPicture.net
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Since Angelina Jolie is playing a spy thought to be a double agent in Salt, it's appropriate that the first trailer for the film is in Russian. Actually, as overdubs go, this isn't that bad, plus you get to see some of the action scenes Jolie does so well. Also, as an added bonus, who knew the word "Salt" looked so much like "Coat" in Cyrillic?
So, Ok, down to business: Angelina's on the run, dyeing her hair, jumping off moving trains, bending bullets, and all the rest. I would like to suggest to Hollywood that as good as Jolie is at all this stuff, you really do need to find a new action heroine at her level. I'd like to see her do more of the challenging roles like A Mighty Heart and Changeling, which she has also proven she can knock out of the park.
As we said yesterday about Prince of Persia,
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- Colin Boyd
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