Would you watch a movie that is like the 1990s classic Speed, but instead of the protagonist being forced to drive a bus above a certain mile-per-hour throughout the busy city streets of Los Angeles, he is now being forced to play a piano in concert in order to save the lives of both his wife and himself. Doesn’t sound all that interesting when you replace a high-speed bus drama with a grand piano, huh? Well, what if you throw crippling stage freight on top of the concert pianist’s bill?

This sort of why-not attitude is what could make Grand Piano so great. The way that perhaps Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber, about a car tire who comes to life and kills people, harnessed. Or, we instead have another Snakes On a Plane-esque silly thriller when the only reason to see it, is to partake in how ridiculous the whole move is.

The choice is up to one man: Eugenio Mira, the film-in-question’s director. That’s right, the man behind only two previous feature films– The Birthday and Agnosia– will try his hand at killer music playing. Again, it’s all about choices here.

But considering that Rodrigo Cortes, director of Buried, is involved as Grand Piano’s producer, it seems that already one right choice has been made. And the good choices just keep on a-coming. Not only is Elijah Wood already set to star in this could-it-be-weirder picture, but now Variety is reporting that John Cusack is in talks to play opposite Wood.

Um, what? Yup, you read right. The movie about a man who must play a piano in order to save his life has acquired talent. Big talent. Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events. I mean, not only is this big talent, but this is talent that usually puts thought into the projects they choose (never mind, John Cusack’s The Raven). Could this movie actually be good? Well, I suppose only time will tell. But until it’s impending release date, it sure will be fun to speculate. Those darn pianos, they’re just so scary.

Check back here for updates.

Well. Yes, Sony has bought the rights to the best selling biography of Steve Jobs, and for a heft one million dollars. “Steve Jobs’ story is unique: he was one of the most revolutionary and influential men not just of our time but of all time,” Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal was quoted as saying in The Hollywood Reporter. “There is no writer working in Hollywood today who is more capable of capturing such an extraordinary life for the screen than Aaron Sorkin; in his hands, we’re confident that the film will be everything that Jobs himself was: captivating, entertaining and polarizing.”

I agree with Sony. But I’m a little worried for Joshua Michael Stern, director of Swing Vote. He’s currently directing a Jobs biopic of his own. He has Ashton Kutcher set to play a young Steve Jobs, which, if you check out some pictures is actually quite believable. But casting Ashton may take from the seriousness of the piece. Who can help but think “Dude! Where’s my car?” I’m excited to see who will end up in Sorkin’s line up, I really can not recall a time where the man has delivered anything short of excellence. Much like Zuckerberg, there are many dimensions to Jobs, and not all of them flattering. Sorkin will get to the truth of the character, even if it means making him look bad. Steve Jobs was a titan, and we’ll forgive him for his tempers – I doubt I’m the only one who wants the whole picture. If I were Joshua Michael Stern, I would be worried. The Sorkin… is coming.

Well, this confirms it (as if it hadn’t been confirmed before): Tim Burton has most definitely lost it. How can I be so sure? Well, because Dark Shadows was just that bad. What had been billed to be the campy, fun vampire hit with a stellar cast of the summer, turned out to be an unbearable take of what not to do when making a vampire movie, let alone a summer blockbuster.

Running at just under 2 hours, the movie somehow felt impossibly long. Perhaps this was due to the never-ending plot lines that just kept being brought up. While the plot synopsis is simple enough– a vampire, Barnabas Collins, who has been imprisoned for over 200 years is now back to reclaim his town-supporting family fishing business and to reek vengeance on the witch who made him this way– the movie was plagued with so many minor and departing story lines that it became extremely hard to follow, and even harder to care. There were so many story lines (and apparently not enough running time), that a central plot point was never discussed. Why was Barnabas’s two love interests throughout the film played by the same actress, despite the former one’s death 200 years prior? Did Burton think he might overlook that weird detail in order to spare us some obvious back story? If so, Mr. Burton, it was not so obvious.

In addition to the ridiculously murky plot, and not to mention the obscuring of popular vampire folklore, the acting was just sort of meh. While I realize that Webster’s has yet to define just what “meh” means, there is really no other way to describe the acting and participation in the film. In a movie where the cast should have been charismatic and lovable before all else, the cast was running on lukewarm. This was especially disappointing when considering how star-laden Dark Shadows was. I mean, with a cast of Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green, Johnny Lee Miller, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Alice Cooper, one expects this movie to be, at the very least, fun to watch because of all that star power. But, alas, there isn’t enough star power in the world to save this film.

To be fair, there were some lighter spots in a film that was mainly dark(shadows) in my eyes. First, typical to any Burton film, Dark Shadows was hyper-stylized. This quality could definitely be a bad one if you aren’t a fan of this type of stylization, but luckily, I am. And if Edward Scissorhands taught me anything, it’s that Burton is at his stylization best when he’s working in a modern period (50s onward); because Dark Shadows took place mainly in the 1970s, I lucked out! Second, and this goes hand in hand with the visual stylization of the film, the music was definitely on the good side, great even.

Sadly, a movie’s style and soundtrack isn’t ever enough to save it from bad movie (and box office) despair–e.g., Elizabethtown-- and this definitely proved true in Dark Shadows. If you’re looking for an entertaining summer vampire movie, then I suggest waiting for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

SKIP IT.

When a bunch of British retirees end up in India for their retirement, a series of endearing yet hilarious events take place.  Directed by John Madden (no, not that John Madden), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel stars Judi Dench (Casino Royale), Bill Nighy (Underworld and Love Actually), Maggie Smith (Harry Potter), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), and gets its show stolen by Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire).   The retirees embark on quite a journey while Patel’s Sonny Kapoor, the hotel’s owner and devoted manager, is eager to prove himself to his disapproving mother to whom he inherited the hotel.

When we are introduced to the retirees in England, we see a magnificently advertised hotel for wealthy people to spend their golden years.  Yet, as we enter India and learn more about the retirees, we discover the rundown hotel is not as depicted and the retirees are in no means super wealthy. Kapoor actually has branded his endearing facility as what he hopes it will become. Oops, sorry retirees, he forgot to mention that in the brochure.  One room doesn’t even come fitted with a proper door, but Kapoor finds himself bunking in there when one particular retiree puts her foot down.

What is interesting here is that the sob story you are expecting to witness throughout the film is anything but.  Instead, Madden gives us different story lines full of characters looking to continue living life to the fullest in their independent way, and hilarity ensues.  Some look for closure on past relationships, others for love, and others for a new purpose in life.  But just like when your put a group of strangers in a house, things get interesting and they all get intertwined in each others business.

Kapoor’s exuberant personality is a perfect complement to the unique and colorful backdrop of India itself.  What an amazing country, so rich in culture.  We become thrust into its tradition and beauty, making you feel as if you are there.  And boy do you want to return when the film ends – trip to India anyone?

The film is a true gem.  Emotionally complex at times but funny all the way through.  If you IMDB the careers of the four British actors mentioned above, you will see quite a resume.  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a perfect addition to these already impressive careers.

What we get from all this is that life is always full of possibility, no matter your age.

SEE IT

For some reason, I get a huge kick, even more so than I should, out of iconic actors playing up their age. To clarify, these kicks don’t come from said actors merely stating their age, but instead recognizing their age and yet doing something that resonates with most people, e.g. Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated or Diane Keaton in Something’s Gotta Give.

As that is the case, it certainly is lucky for me that I stumbled upon some news, as reported by Deadline, that enlightened me to the fact that Robert De Niro and Michael Douglas are in line to do just that. No, I don’t mean choose between a handsome young doctor played by Keanu Reeves or an old playboy in the form of Jack Nicholson. Instead De Niro and Douglas are giving all of us fans something new to look forward to. And by new, I really mean a new take on something that’s recently become widely popular.

That’s right, De Niro and Douglas are set to play leads in Last Vegas, a movie about a group of 60 year-olds that head to Las Vegas to celebrate the bachelor party of the last of their friends to get married (who, coincidently, will be marrying someone half his age). The movie is being directed by Jon Turtletaub– the man behind the eternally lovable, and not to mention childhood favorites, While You Were Sleeping and Cool Runnings as well as a hodgepodge of other films– and, in my head, is being billed as The Hangover your parents will love. Well, to be fair, my parents loved (LOVED) The Hangover. But I’m very positive they will love this just as much, if not much, much more.

And is if this film couldn’t get any better in terms of classic star power, according to The Playlist Christopher Walken is rumored to be circling a role. And this is where I start to beg: please, please if there is a movie god out there, please give me the chance to see Walken, De Niro, and Douglas interact and navigate Las Vegas during a boys weekend out. And if you want to throw in a tiger in there for good measure, then so be it.

Well, another day, another big movie being filmed, and just two more actors dropping out of said big film. What this movie I speak of? Oh you know, just Quentin Tarantino’s latest foray into big-budge movie making world, this time using the Spaghetti Western as inspiration–Django Unchained. And who are these two actors that have recently given the proverbial (cowboy) boot to the sure-to-be huge film? Just one Mr. Sacha Baron Cohen and one Mr. Kurt Russell.

That’s right, joining the ranks of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Jonah Hill, and Kevin Costner before them, Cohen and Russell have decided to not partake in Tarantino’s passion project.

How is it possible that so many actors keep dropping out? Well, Cohen, as Entertainment Weekly is reporting, couldn’t make the filming schedule due to his promotion and red carpet responsibilities for his own passion project, The Dictator. Seems reasonable enough, right? Russell, on the other hand, has yet to give a reason for his hard-hitting decision. I’m sure when we do hear about his reason, it will be a good one, but still I can’t help but wonder why Tarantino is having so much trouble locking down a cast. Especially because the film is currently in the filming process.

I mean, with a director as renowned as Tarantino, and an equally noteworthy confirmed (that is, those who have already been filmed) cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Don Johnson, and RZA, wouldn’t the super-movie this is destined to be have big name actors flooding in as opposed to walking away one by one?

Perhaps, everyone did just have scheduling conflicts? But again, it seems unlikely to me that these conflicts wouldn’t have either a) been figured out prior to filming or b) have gone away given that Tarantino has set his sights on you. Or maybe it’s just that the world can’t handle THAT big of a movie. I mean. Right now, with the cast as it is, it’s going to be huge. How many more stars could it have held?! Or, maybe it’s because Tarantino does live up to his notorious “quirky” larger-than-life persona and it’s just too much to deal with for some actors.

Whatever the case may be, the cast of Django Unchained is dwindling. Even so, we seem to have a very big movie (and hopefully equally as good) movie on our hands. Check back here for updates!

For indie directors worldwide, Sundance Directors Lab is the Mecca. The 4-week intensive workshop held in Sundance, Utah (not to be confused with Park City, duh), has helped the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Cary Fukunaga, Tamara Jenkins, Kimberly Peirce, Gina Prince Bythewood, Chris Eyre, Miranda July, Tony Bui, and Rodrigo Garcia become household names.

This year, some of the participants selected for the 2012 June Directors have some notoriety attached already, like Jody Lee Lipes (director of a few episodes of Girls, DP of Martha Marcy May Marlene and Tiny Furniture). Others, if they play their cards right, could become household names like the alumnae before them…

There is no open application for the Directors Lab; rather, applicants to the January Screenwriters Lab program are considered for the June Directors Lab after their projects have been selected for the January Screenwriters Lab. Sound a little incestuous? I think you might be right… but Sundance likes to nurture and they definitely like to keep it in the family.

For a full list of participants and synopsis of their submitted works, link HERE.

James L. Brook’s Oscar-winning Terms of Endearment is the type of movie that has you crying from the very beginning. Billed as a comedy, drama, and a romance, the 1983 film based on the Larry McMurtry novel of the same name (which definitely explains the crying) starts off as a comedy-esque story about the tense relationship between a mother (Shirley McClain) and daughter (Debra Winger). Perfectly set up in the film’s trailer, as Terms of Endearment progresses it becomes clear that while this central relationship is strained (mimicking the actresses’ real-life relationship) mostly due to the fact that the mother disapproves of her daughter’s life choices, it is one based on love and devotion.

Having seen the movie only last year, I assumed that this was what Terms of Endearment was about. And while it definitely was, I had somehow managed to miss the very-widely known twist (although twist seems less fair given how known this turn of events is) of the daughter developing breast cancer. There I was, two-thirds of the way done, shocked at what was happening. Then as I thought back to all the award speeches I had had watched on YouTube (mostly due to my fascination of the real life McClain/Winger feud) and all the emotional responses this film evokes when referred  to in front of anyone who had seen this movie, it all made sense.

It is this turn of events which, I’d venture to say, not only made Terms of Endearment such a heavy Oscar contender and winner–taking home Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Best Actress (for McClain, not Winger), and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson)– but also allowed it to fall nicely under this category. While, as I said earlier, the film is filled to the brim with emotional, tear-inducing scenes, for anyone who has seen the movie, the most chill-inducing scene is, no doubt, the one where Shirley McClain demands more pain medication for her suffering daughter. So powerful is this scene that it is referenced and alluded to in countless other films, television shows, and books–an example that comes to mind is in a Gilmore Girls episode.

This scene is so powerful and emotion-driven that it could only be less than a minute. Even so, it is one that causes any viewer (one that has seen the film or not) to shudder with chills and well-up with raw emotion. This scene is truly inspirational, not in the Independence Day speech sense, but, instead, in the way it shows the devotion of a mother to her daughter.

Watch the scene below, and after you start balling, feel free to rent the film (I won’t tell anyone):

Click here to view the embedded video.

Now that the Tribeca Film Festival has officially wrapped and all of the competing films hopefully wait to be purchased and distributed to a theater near you, I thought I’d take a moment to officially wrap-up my coverage of the festival. Take a look below at the films you should see in theaters, wait for rental, or skip completely…

SEE IT IN THEATERS:

ANY DAY NOW

Without a doubt my favorite film at the festival (it also won Heineken’s Audience Award so I guess I wasn’t the only one). The story of a gay couple fighting against the courts for custody of a young boy is not only heartbreaking, but perfectly compelling. And Alan Cumming shines as the eccentric Rudy Donatello. Check out my review here: http://www.themoviebanter.com/2012/04/tribeca-review-%E2%80%93-any-day-now/

STRUCK BY LIGHTNING

An enjoyable quirky comedy written by (and also starring) Glee’s Chris Colfer. While the film is filled with high school stereotypes, there’s a certain realism to it thanks to its dark and unforgiving tone. See it if not just for the impressive ensemble cast this film has rounded up. Check out my review here: http://www.themoviebanter.com/2012/04/tribeca-review-%E2%80%93-struck-by-lightning-starring-chris-colfer/

EDDIE THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL

The strangest movie I saw at the festival, and also the most fun I’ve had at a theater in a long time. Take the title literally, that’s actually the plot of this film. If you can embrace it for its cheesy greatness you will have a blast with it. Check out my review here: http://www.themoviebanter.com/2012/04/tribeca-review-%E2%80%93-eddie-the-sleepwalking-cannibal/

RENT IT:

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

A very realistic (and often gruesome) look at a relationship from start to finish. Think ‘Blue Valentine’ but with a New York City gay couple. I enjoyed this film a lot, but the quarrels of this couple start to get a bit repetitive and rather frustrating for the audience to watch (like most couples films out there). Check it out but be warned, just like the relationship depicted, this film drags a bit towards the end.

SKIP IT:

DEATH OF A SUPERHERO

My least favorite film at the festival for the sheer fact that it was extremely depressing. I’ve seen morbid movies before but this one takes the cake. Maybe it was the filmmaker’s intention? Either way, with a combination of unlikable characters and a devastating portrayal of a young cancer-stricken teen, you should stay clear of this one. Check out my review here: http://www.themoviebanter.com/2012/04/tribeca-review-%E2%80%93-death-of-a-superhero/

DEADFALL

I walked out of this theater in absolute confusion. Boasting an extremely impressive cast (Olivia Wilde, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, and Eric Bana) this film will have no trouble getting purchased and distributed to mainstream cinemas. It’s packed with action, a slick icy setting, and sultry romance scenes. But what it lacks is a story that makes any sense at all. Every plot development is contrived; there are strange storylines that are touched upon but never fully explained (that bizarre incestual relationship?), and wooden performances from Kate Mara (sister of Rooney Mara) and Channing Tatum wannabe Charlie Hunnam. I imagine this is a perfect film to be distributed in January of next year, known as dump-month to people in the industry, but some teen audiences will be interested in checking it out just for Olivia Wilde’s nude scenes. But if you have a brain, skip this one.

Well there you have it folks. Another spring has passed, another Tribeca Film Festival has wrapped. Hopefully, some of you were able to check out a few films at the festival, and if not keep your fingers crossed they get picked up for distribution, there were definitely some great ones!

We’ll see you next year at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival banters!

This past weekend, the beginning of summer blockbuster season opened up with a bang with the highly anticipated release of Joss Whedon’s comic book film, The Avengers. I, like the rest of America judging by its status as having the highest grossing opening weekend in North America (even beating out Harry Potter and the like), went to see arguably Whedon’s biggest film to-date. And boy, was I glad I did!

To be honest, I didn’t have super high expectations. I knew I had to see the movie as it was sure to set the standard not only for other comic-book movies to come, but also hopefully for all summer blockbusters who aim as high, but for me it wasn’t a Thursday night 12:01 a.m. showing that other summer blockbusters this year (ahem, Prometheus) will necessitate. In fact, I had planned to see it a couple weeks after it came out, if only to avoid the massive lines and sure-to-be sold-out shows.

But, alas, there I was on a Saturday night among the masses. And as I sat there in the second row, surrounded by eager fans, I realized two things: first, I had never seen a Marvel comic book movie (nope, not one: not Thor, not The Hulk, not Iron Man, not Captain America); and second, this was a really good summer blockbuster.

Typically Whedon-esque, The Avengers took its time in developing its story line and characters. While this may appear tedious in a summer blockbuster whose main aim is to usually inundate the audience with a slew of explosions and bloody deaths, this was the first thing that worked heavily in the film’s favor. Not only did this long development make it very easy for anyone in my position (a Marvel novice) to follow along with the film, but also it gave The Avengers a reputable anchor that the movie could rely on. That is, from just the opening 30 minutes, The Avengers proved itself as more than just a mere celebrity-as-superhero smorgasbord that it could have very easily become.

The second very noticeable quality that worked in the film’s very positive favor was its reliance on smart, entertaining dialogue. Too many a blockbuster uses simple and rather stupid dialogue, treating its audience as a dumbfounded mass. What Joss Whedon, and his writing partner Zak Penn, brought to the film was a level of craft not usually required of a comic book film, not to mention blockbuster. This detailed craft showed itself not only in the dialogue, but the plot itself, nicely tying up any loose ends that could have been easily overlooked.

Finally, The Avengers has one other thing going for it that no other summer blockbuster this year can hope to beat: its star power. Nay say all you’d like, but a summer blockbuster is quintessentially filled to the brim with movie stars, and The Avengers is no different, except in the quality and quantity of its star getting power. With a cast made up of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Hiddleston, and Stelan Skarsgard, you really couldn’t get more star power if you had personally asked the Hollywood gods themselves. This doesn’t mean that a movie over-filled with A-listers is going to be good, but that it definitely didn’t hurt, especially when considering its summer blockbuster status.

The Avengers was thoroughly enjoyable. “Two very enthusiastic thumbs up,” as Breckin Meyer so eloquently stated in Clueless. The only question I’m left with is, “Is this a tell-tale sign about the quality of upcoming summer blockbusters this year?” Taking last year’s lackluster bunch into consideration, dear God I hope so.

SEE IT.