http://filmjournal.net/gproject "Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads" Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:26:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Director: Barry Levinson The inner machinations of Hollywood are a constantly beguiling mystery, even, or maybe especially, in the days of the internet, where rumours and speculation meet sound bytes and marketing head-on.  What little we know might point to the whole thing being somewhat of a circus; a jumble of ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/27/what-just-happened-2008/ Directed by: D.J. Caruso Cookie-cutter action fare is probably the most generically formulaic of all the film-going confectionary genres, held back by the ever-present necessity to crowbar in a car chase, or blow up some random scenery pieces.  And regardless of critical reaction, or snobbish accusations of "dumbing down", they certainly ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/22/eagle-eye-2008/ Directed by: Gregory Hoblit Last year I was extolling the virtues of Ryan Gosling, an actor who I had made no previous acquaintance with, for his performance in the independent hit Half Nelson [review].  The film was quite far off the beaten track, with a strong sense of itself and not ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/17/fracture-2007/ Directed by: Mark Forster Casino Royale [review] was, undoubtedly, a shot in the arm for the Bond franchise.  Having severely flagged under the weight of increasing technological lunacy, the rebooted Bond was rough, ready and suitably more visceral, both in physical and visual terms.  It was a film that brought us ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/12/quantum-of-solace-2008/ Directed by: Oliver Stone Taking dark and complicated presidential situations and spotlighting them over an epic running length has become somewhat of a calling card for the man who brought both the disgraced Richard Nixon, and a probing look at the JFK assassination, to our screens in the early nineties.  Oliver ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/07/w-2008/ Directed by: Jon Avnet Whenever any big names get together in the movie world, it's always going to cause a stir.  Clooney and Pitt are two, paired for the Ocean's films, and recently reunited, to less fanfare, for the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading [review].  Or how about Hoffman and Hackman ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/11/02/righteous-kill-2008/ Directed by: Ethan Coen & Joel Coen Take two Oscar winning directors, a cast that would make any financier weak at the knees, a heavy dose of intentional stupidity, and a pinch of ignorance towards convention.  Chances are you'd end up with a bit of a mess, albeit a well regarded, ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/10/24/burn-after-reading-2008/ Directed by: Peter Cattaneo If you think ‘rock comedy’ then chances are the first thing that springs to mind is Spinal Tap, the seminal Christopher Guest mock-umentary that didn’t dismantle rock pretentiousness so much as shatter the entire idea, leaving little behind for future attempts.  It’s from that same overblown, theatrical ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/10/12/the-rocker-2008/ Directed by: Simon West On the surface of it, Con Air has all the elements: it's a Bruckheimer production, there's the heady mix of John Cusack (an actor I've previously admitted my appreciation for) and a post-The Rock Nic Cage, plus there's some big budget action to enjoy.  So why don't ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/10/08/con-air-1997/ Directed by: Alejandro González Iñárritu Though cynics may tell you that today's Oscars aren't the fairest of awards, often swaying in the breeze of popularity and external pressures, it does provide a strong platform for highlighting foreign talent.  If you're looking for a current tip, then Mexican-born Alejandro González Iñárritu looks ... http://filmjournal.net/gproject/2008/10/04/babel-2006/