Today's News: a tidal wave of old news

The situation remains unchanged. I have time to post news on MovieScene on a (more or less) daily basis, but the same cannot be said for my blog. Of course, you can question the validity of commenting on (old) news on a blog with only six followers to begin with, but my obsessive-compulsive mind won't let me do so. So I continue to struggle on this quest to catch up with myself, seemingly doomed from its inception. Whatever. I ain't the giving-up type.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157521/eerste_teaser_tomorrowland

Yup, that's a teaser alright. It offers only a glimpse into the story of this movie, focusing on the pin as a means of interdimensional(?) travel. We'll have to fill in the rest for ourselves, including the (intellectual) nature of the relationship between the young girl and the middle-aged inventor. It's Disney, so it will be pretty harmless on the surface no doubt. Then again, there already is a theme of juvenile delinquency present here, and I'm curious as to how far this will be taken. It's probably an 'unlikely heroine' case, where the world simply isn't ready for the misunderstood protagonist, while the oddbal inventor, also undoubtedly a social outcast, proves not all grown-ups are like that. And so they bond and have wonderful adventures in a weird and wacky wonderland beyond the reach of us ordinary mortals who pay to witness them. Not much of a 'wow' factor as of yet: as this is a teaser and most of the many expensive and complex VFX shots are still a work in progress, we have to make do with only a shot or two. Unless you consider a field of wheat a spectacular sight.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157539/lea_seydoux_misschien_de_nieuwe_bondgirl

Well, duh! Seydoux, to my mind, is the quintessential type of actress to assume the mantle of the Bondgirl: sultry, sexy, undeniably talented, a hint of sexual danger behind her eyes and a succinctly European attitude. I am not surprised she's up for a part in Bond 24. I considered it only a matter of time. Just remember how well she performed in a similar genre movie like Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. I do find it interesting that her part was originally intended to be filled by a Scandinavian actress. Of course she is enough of a chameleon to play a Northern-European broad, I even have faith in her ability to pull off the accent convincingly (which is not an attribute I normally credit persons of a French descent with). It just seems a shame for all the Scandinavian actresses who didn't make the cut because Seydoux beat them to it. Could it be another example of Americans generalizing all European nationalities as interchangeable (as us Europeans often tend to do with Americans from different states)? I doubt that, considering the diversity in nationalities from the people behind this picture. The director for example is British, as is most of the main cast. And the director of photography is a Dutchman. There's a little bit of pride in me for that, I'll admit. As I feel for Mademoiselle Seydoux, who happens to be the granddaughter of my highest ranking international boss. So yeah, her intense performance in La Vie d'Adele was quite an eye-opener for me, and if you have seen that film (which you should have) you bloody well know what I'm referring to. That's not gonna happen in Bond 24, I'm sure.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157541/lego_batman_film_aangekondigd

I'm not entirely convinced this is a good idea. The LEGO Batman character seemed to work fine bouncing off of other characters in witty repartees, but could the arrogant superhero toy actually carry his own movie? And would that be a smart move, considering a new version of the Dark Knight in the flesh is currently also developed, played by an actor many consider to be wrongly cast? It appears to be a case of bad timing and it may backfire on Warner/DC. Or maybe the exact opposite will happen, because both takes on the same character are so stupendously different (at least, we assume they will be at this point). However, I'm quite convinced the sequel to The LEGO Movie should take precedence over this spin-off and ought to star the brick version of the Caped Crusader as a side character yet again, to see whether the joke's still funny then. There's something gratuitous to famous characters, real or fictional, being LEGO-ized. It's simply an easy gag, has been for decades (remember this one, from the days LEGO movie tie-ins were still a spanking new phenomenon?). Even now that we learned to get used to LEGO making brick versions of many a major movie franchise, those minifigure versions of the real deals are not supposed to be the stuff of major motion pictures themselves. I guess it's up to LEGO Batman to prove whether that sentiment still holds true, or whether LEGO itself has finally been widely socially accepted as an 'artificial actor' playing different characters itself, even performing roles that have been and still are played many times before.

 
http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157547/eerste_trailer_serie_powers

Hardly a novel subject nor a novel approach. The 'reluctant buddy' team-up could definitely be called a staple this day and age, especially when one is gruff, rude and experienced (and male) and the other is young, rash and ideologically motivated (though not always necessarily female). The black/white motif is age-old as well. As for series based around the premise of superpowered individuals and their place in society, if any, we've also seen our fair share of those (The 4400, Heroes, Alphas). Gritty, grounded in reality, both room for cynicism aimed at and hope for the general human condition, check, check, check. Likely to be cancelled after a season or two, definite check. So what would make us watch this show? I like the casting choice of Sharlto Copley, he's not the most obvious actor for the part. Though he's best known for his comedic touch, he too often dabbles in distressing real-world scenarios mixed with a fantastic element (e.g. District 9). Plus, he has done grimy, dislikable characters before (e.g. Elysium, nevermind his overacting). So his involvement is a big pro. But is it enough to beat all the apparent cons? That remains to be seen.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157562/nieuwe_posters_hobbit_3

Did two reports on the deluge of Hobbit posters in my previous post, don't really feel the need to get repetitive here. Especially since these four new posters are equally dull as their predecessors, and don't do justice to the epicness that is in store for us (supposedly). I like the characters and the actors portraying them, but I don't need their sweat, blood and tears so in-my-face. Unlike the trailers, these posters don't get me pumped for this final Middle-Earth movie.

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/157561/resident_evil_en_mortal_instruments_series_aa

Sure, considering all the fabulous quality series currently on television, let's explore franchises that failed to find an audience on the big screen for regurgitating on the small screen. Then again, there has proven to be a definite audience for the Resident Evil films, as the sixth is currently in pre-production. None of them are serious blockbuster movies though, they all carry a B-movie stigma. They're totally the stuff of guilty pleasure and everybody knows it; they don't have good FX, good stories or good acting, but the fanbase keeps watching nonetheless. Probably because of all the hot women involved, like star Milla Jovovich. I doubt the series' budget could afford her though, which means there's one less succesful ingredient present in the series. They can find another 'hawt' action babe of course, but the audience needs time to get to appreciate her kicking ass. And poor Mortal Instruments doesn't even have the hot chick element in its favour, but since it's aimed at teenage girls, a few hot guys will suffice. Apparently demon slaying Jamie Campbell Bower didn't fit that bill, since the movie flopped so bad (though there were many other reasons for that, too). I think this franchise has a better chance at finding a new life on telly though, considering there's plenty of source material from the books to mine, plus most people obviously never bothered watching the film, so it might feel more 'new' than it actually is. And the young adult genre is still going strong at the movies, so maybe there's still a chance the failed flicks among them find an audience on television after all. So we can "look forward" to series based on the likes of Beautiful Creatures and The Host as well, possibly. Yay...

Today's Mini-Review: La Vie d'Adèle

 

La Vie d'Adèle: ****/*****, or 8/10

Abdellatif Kechiche's exploration of love, released in some territories under the title Blue is the Warmest Color, packs quite a powerful punch in terms of both emotional and controversial contents. This microcosmic three-hour epic follows the young Adèle (relative newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos) during the evolution of her first love and sexual awakening, divided into two distinct chapters. In the first, the teenage girl is struggling with societal expectations and personal preferences. Though she physically experiments with boys, she quickly grows confused and disappointed as it doesn't seem to be able to stimulate her as she has been brought up to believe it should. A circumstantial kiss with a girl leads her to suspect she is looking for love in all the wrong places, a hypothesis soon tested out in a gay bar. When she meets the free-spirited Emma (Léa Seydoux), who has a habit of dyeing her hair blue, the two connect almost instantly, which leads them to start the road down a genuine romantic relationship, which includes many a scene of passionate same-sex intercourse. In the second chapter, we find the pair some years down the road, after Adèle has graduated and is aspiring to become a elementary school teacher, while Emma is starting to come into her own as an artist. Despite their love continuing to flourish, the element of novelty has worn of and Adèle considers she might have jumped to conclusions about her sexual nature as she finds herself interested in male partners after all, which causes her to be unfaithful to Emma and attempting to lie about it afterwards to no avail. Emma uncovers her infedelity and in a fit of rage kicks her out of the house. Adèle must come to terms with the sad fact she has lost her first love due to her own faux pas, but it will take her quite some time to recover from this emotional trauma.

La Vie d'Adèle must surely have been an extraordinary ordeal for the two young actresses carrying the piece in terms of filming. Kechiche tells Adèle's story relying on close-ups for most of the film, their every facial nuance laid bare, which makes us feel like we're right on top of them continuously. Correspondingly, the two women also spend a lot of time on top of each other, in a number of quite explicit lesbian sex scenes that leave next to nothing to the imagination, covering the entire range of physical positions you can think of where two women are involved. Though this apparent excess of groping, fingering and tribbing appears titillating at first, these scenes carry on for far longer than feels comfortable for the audience. However, they are yet another natural part of the everyday love life of these girls in the director's mind and as such ought not be censored for the sake of the audience's own inhibitions, nor are they meant to arouse. Accusations of blatant pornography cannot be wholly dismissed, but clearly are not Kechiche's sole intentions, whatever the levels of controversy and thus publicity these scenes might spark. In that regard, he also holds little interest in the homosexual nature of the mutual love he examines. Though at first the concept of a girl falling in love with a girl and the views thereof in society, i.e., Adèle's high school and home environment, relate the usual notions of otherness and awkwardness, the story quickly evolves to the point where that fact simply matters not. Though the two women don't openly flaunt their love for each other at every turn, the gay side of their relation is quite apparent yet never the subject of open criticism: these are just two people in love, it's as simple as that for Kechiche. Whether it is intended as such or not, it's quite a statement to make in contemporary France, where homosexuality is still a matter of heated debate and even violent confrontations. Kechiche doesn't seem to care about current day politics. Realism, and realism only, is key, as he illustrates by making effective use of improvisation throughout the film, the script only used sparingly to help the actresses establish their own natural rhythm of conversing and interacting, instead of merely adhering to the lines written down. It's a monumental task for any actor/actress, no matter how experienced, but both of them succeed to completely convincingly results: Exarchopoulos in particular is to be applauded for the achievement of portraying the inexperienced Adèle to such compelling success, considering her own lack of experience in terms of acting. La Vie d'Adèle deconstructs the theme of love entirely, from its inception to its brutal ending, its joys and its horrors exposed, fully justifying its running time of 187 minutes despite the risk it carries of discouraging the audience. Kechiche is not afraid to end the movie on a note of ambiguity in regard to Adèle's own understanding and weathering of the concept, as she is confronted by the mark it has left on her. Sometimes love is a blessing, but an equal amount of time it's a curse, the director remarks.