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Posts tagged “Ben Mendelsohn

‘Adore’ leaves a lot to be desired on DVD

Adore-headerRoz (Robin Wright) and Lil (Naomi Watts) are the best of friends, and have been since childhood growing up as neighbors in an idyllic beach town.  As adults, their teenage sons have developed a friendship as strong as that which binds their mothers.  One perfect summer the boys, along with their mothers, are confronted by the simmering emotions that have been mounting between them.  What follows is a film that aims to be provocative and taboo breaking, but falls far short of the mark.

The premise of two mothers who are best friends becoming lovers with each other’s sons sounds like it should be ripe for psychological exploration and some difficult questions. Adore though seems content to present sappy melodrama with little consequence and explanation put into the actions of the foursome. The script is poorly conceived, subjecting the film’s leads with some awful dialogue to portray. The film is filled with so many shots of longing stares into the distance that the audience can’t help but wonder if the actors were simply looking for something better to do.

Naomi-Watts-and-Robin-Wright-Riveting-in-Adore-813-3 (more…)


‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ falls short of the mark

 

place_beyond_the_pinesBlue Valentine” director Derek Cianfrance returns, with his lead actor from Valentine Ryan Gosling in tow, to brings us his vision of an epic crime saga that spans a generation with the much hyped film that debuted at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, The Place Beyond the Pines. Also bringing along Bradley Cooper and rising star Dane DeHaan this time around, director Cianfrance is attempting a much larger in scope and scale story with Place Beyond the Pines, but will the film have more intention and purpose behind the script, or be more about observation and character like Blue Valentine?

The Place Beyond the Pines

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta, Bruce Greenwood and Harris Yulin

Written by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder

Directed by Derek Cianfrance

PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (more…)


Brad Pitt tries ‘Killing Them Softly’ but without much fanfare (Review)

KILLING-THEM-SOFTLY-POSTER-

 

New this week in theaters from Alliance Films and the Director of the polarizing ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordAndrew Dominik is his newest collaboration with Assassination star Brad Pitt,Killing Them Softly. The crime drama features Dominik’s now trademark long pauses and drawn out sequences, but is the story as fascinating as the real life drama that inspired and spurred on The Assassination of Jesse James?

Killing Them Softly

View slideshow: Killing Them Softly

Starring: Brad Pitt, Scoot McNairy, Ben MendelsohnRichard JenkinsJames Gandolfini and Ray Liotta

Written by Andrew Dominik based on the novel by George V. Higgins

Killing Them Softly Poster
Photo credit:
Alliance Films

Directed by Andrew Dominik

Frankie (McNairy) and Russel (Mendelsohn) are 2-bit hustlers that are convinced to pull a job that is very ill advised, holding up a (more…)