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Scientists say “Contagion” is for real. [Associated Press]
• James Rocchi talks “The Ides of March” with Best Supporting Actress hopeful Evan Rachel Wood. [MSN Movies]
• Nicolas Winding Refn breaks down a scene from “Drive.” [Arts Beat]
Tag: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
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9/16 OSCARWEB ROUND-UP: Scientists vouch for ‘Contagion,’ Refn breaks down ‘Drive,’ Toronto takeaways
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OSCAR TALK: Ep. 58 — Wrapping up the summer, fall festival preview, ‘Warrior’ and ‘50/50’
Welcome to Oscar Talk.In case you’re new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar’s stage and we’re here to address it all as it unfolds.
After months of sporadic special edition updates, we’re back to the weekly grind today. So check back here every Friday from here on out for our musings on the Oscar season, which is right around the corner with the start of the fall festival circuit. We go on for quite a while today. Let’s jump in and see what’s on the docket…
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Gordon-Levitt, Rogen and Reiser on tragicomedy and ‘50/50’
Yesterday I sang the praises of Jonathan Levine’s “50/50,” particularly the writing from real-life cancer survivor Will Reiser and actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen. Today, Summit has pointed us to a sit-down chat between the three regarding the film as part of Gordon-Levitt’s hitRECord call for submissions of personal stories of tragedy blended with comedy. He writes:Contribute your tragic/comic story here. Tell us about something terribly unfortunate in your life, but do it with a sense of humor. You could write your story in text, you could RECord yourself telling the story into your camera or microphone, draw a picture, write a song, whatever’s comfortable.
And can I say this? I really didn’t know Rogen was essentially playing himself in the film and that the story is both his and Reiser’s. Had no idea at all. The things that fly under one’s radar. Anyway, check out the chat after the jump. And feel free to offer up your tragicomedy selections at hitRECord.
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‘50/50’ draws laughs and tears, but Gordon-Levitt owns it
It’s probably a bit ridiculous that I haven’t seen Jonathan Levine’s “The Wackness” yet. I have the screener somewhere around here and it’s just one of those films I keep forgetting to watch, despite constant encouragement to do so. Therefore, “50/50,” a dramedy from writer Will Reiser based on his own experience being diagnosed with cancer, is the extent of my knowledge of the director’s work. And it’s fantastic.Coming off “The Help,” I’m getting a little tired of crying like a baby in movies, but “50/50” earns those tears in more complex and special ways. It also finds the right pulse of comedy to balance the experience out and boasts a tight little ensemble with a natural vibe.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is front and center as Adam, a 27-year-old Seattleite smacked in the face with a cancer diagnosis. He has a girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), who isn’t totally up to the task of dealing with all this. He has a life-long friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen), who keeps pushing the illness as a chick-magnet (and follows an arc that is ultimately touching and surprising, yet believable and organic). And he has a mother (Anjelica Huston) who worries herself sick, naturally, and longs for connection that she can’t get from her own Alzheimer’s-afflicted husband.
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‘50/50’ trailer
One film that could slip up on the awards season with an endearing, personal journey is “50/50,” from an original screenplay by Will Reiser (it’s fully his story) and directed by “The Wackness” helmer Jonathan Levine. I’m sure Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be someone to watch, but I’ve heard Anjelica Huston steals the show. The trailer has hit via Apple, so check it out by clicking the image below or watch an embed after the jump.
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Young stars speak out on ‘The Social Network’
Newly minted Oscar nominee James Franco caused a bit of a ripple in the blogosphere the other day by casually slighting “The Social Network” — claiming the film fails to deal with the communication revolution that (to his mind) it’s supposed to be about, and further suggesting that its approach is too “classical” (read: conservative) for the subject.Naturally, given that he’s the star of one of the film’s Best Picture rivals, he couldn’t resist drawing comparisons to his own baby, declaring “127 Hours” both “perfect” and “the most innovative movie this year.”
I’d take issue with both halves of Franco’s argument — as much as I (and I suspect Franco too) would like David Fincher’s film to focus on the politics of social networking itself, that isn’t its intent. Neither am I convinced that “127 Hours,” which uses familiar, even dated, formal flash to enliven its minimalist narrative, is as innovative as the actor claims it is.
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THE LISTS: Top 10 performances in Christopher Nolan films
The word of the day Friday will most certainly be “Inception,” as casually interested movie-goers and anxious fanboys alike line up to take in Christopher Nolan’s latest effort.Now, I have suggested in this space that the film’s ensemble is an organic one, alive and driven. And that the performances are separately less than their sum impact. It nevertheless seemed a good time to look back over Nolan’s septet of offerings thus far and cherry pick the best portrayals for a return to this semi-regular feature at In Contention.
Nolan always puts together a great cast. His carefully selected leads tend to ably balance themes of identity, control and psychosis, while highlighted supporting parts always prove to be charming outside-the-box considerations.
With the latter in mind, I’d have loved to make room for the Steven Tobolowskys, Rutger Hauers, David Bowies, Ritchie Costers and Tom Berengers, but I naturally kept settling on the larger roles when push came to shove.
So, without further ado…
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On the performances of ‘Inception’
As a number of people have pointed by asking, my review of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” doesn’t offer much perspective on the performances in the film. The reason is probably a combination of a few things.For starters, I wanted to be as careful as possible to write a spoiler-free review that could be enjoyed by those who haven’t seen the film, and whenever I would find myself considering this or that performance, I felt detailed commentary on plot seeping in. So I pulled back. But more importantly, and this is no swipe at the talent on screen, the real star of the film is Nolan and his imagination.
That sounds like a cop out, but it’s not. I really and truly didn’t get a whole lot out of the performances. My favorite is perhaps the least emotional turn of the piece, a steely, confident, at times physically demanding piece of work from an actor I admit rarely does it for me: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He lays claim to the character you’d probably trust sooner than the rest if you found yourself in these mind-bending circumstances and does it without histrionic swagger. I dug that.
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REVIEW: “Inception” (***1/2)
In reviewing 2008’s “The Dark Knight,” I wrote that director Christopher Nolan “has made a brief career of exploring characters built upon their somber, in some instances twisted pasts, however distant or immediate.” The theme continues with “Inception,” a film like nothing you have ever seen before that plays out like a two-hour therapy session, wrapped in the accoutrement of a heist film and bathed in the panache of an entirely immersive cinematic experience.The hero is Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a man trying to find his way home, to paraphrase the filmmaker. But is home just a dream, some fantasy trapped in the “what if” corridors of his mind? Or is it possible that maybe through one final job of contrived gobbledygook he might find his way to the life he was forced to flee years before?
Cobb’s black market profession is “extraction,” a type of mind theft dependent on dream manifestation technology developed by military intelligence for training purposes. If you want someone’s secrets, Cobb’s your man. For a price, he and his crew will go into the individual’s subconscious and bring it to you on a silver platter. But it’s a dangerous job, given the complexities of the process, not to mention the complexities of dealing with the kind of people who’d pay for such a thing.
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11/30 Oscarweb Round-up
• David Poland painstakingly seeks out assumed evidence to support his theory that “The Hurt Locker” will be this year’s Best Picture victor. [Movie City News]• John Horn sits down with “Precious” screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher. [Los Angeles Times]
• Dave Karger chats up Viggo Mortensen and his “Road” co-star Kodi Smit-McPhee. [Oscar Watch]
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THE LISTS: Top 10 actors under 30
I wrote recently about how this year’s Best Actress race seems to ushering in a striking new wave of young talent, from the elfin throwback charm of Carey Mulligan to the rawer screen presence of Gabourey Sidibe, while a range of youthful names, from the long-hyped Abbie Cornish to the out-of-nowhere Katie Jarvis, have been racking up critical plaudits all year.Whether Academy voters comply or not, it’s hard to disagree that it’s a good year to be a fresh face.
Meanwhile, the industry’s male twentysomethings may have enjoyed less frenzied acclaim than their fairer counterparts, but the likes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Whishaw and – yes – Shia LaBeouf have kept things ticking over for the generation quite respectably.
So, with the teen-driven narratives of “An Education” and “Precious” heading for theaters soon, and with the youth romance of “Bright Star” currently pleasing older arthouse audiences, it seemed an apt moment to celebrate the new guard by ranking the finest talent that the born-after-1980 generation has to offer.
And believe me when I tell you it was one of the trickiest lists I’ve ever compiled on this site. The more I contemplated recent successes and breakthroughs, the longer the shortlist of candidates grew, spanning Academy-endorsed names already on the A-list (Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal) to quirkier talents from the indie and foreign sectors (Sam Riley, Emilie Dequenne). I like to think that the fact that I struggled as much as I did to narrow the list down to 10 names bodes very well for the future.
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8/28 Web Round-up
• “Avatar”-izing James Cameron’s past characters. [MTV Movies Blog]• Following “The Hurt Locker,” Kathryn Bigelow aiming for a similar visceral style for “Triple Frontier.” [The Playlist]
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt: the new Heath Ledger? [The Guardian]
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Tell us what you thought of ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’
Okay, so I shelled out the cash last night to see “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” while I’m away in San Francisco. It’s awful in many ways (most of them beginning with Joseph and ending with Gordon-Levitt, surprisingly enough). But it was also, I thought, unbelievably enjoyable. I’m on the tongue-in-cheek bandwagon, I guess. It’s kitsch, certainly not high kitsch, but kitsch nevertheless. Channing Tatum should never be in another movie, of course, but, well, I had a good time. Sue me. But I’d love to hear what the readership thinks, so rifle off your thoughts in the comments section below.
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Heist/movie musical short film starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
It seems the folks behind the summer romance “(500) Days of Summer” have been up to some extra-curricular activities as of late. Director Marc Webb and actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel recently put together a short film inspired by heist cinema and movie musicals that is…frankly kind of pointless. But it served as a nice exclusive for USA Today and will surely be a delightful diversion for the film’s many fans.Here’s a taste of Anthony Breznican’s story:
Gordon-Levitt plays a stoic man in a neat blue suit, turning to crime in a moment of absolute desperation. Deschanel is the gorgeous, wide-eyed teller, disarming the dangerous man (metaphorically speaking) in a playful, twirling, fox-trotting dance through the stuffy, starkly lit marble lobby. The other dour denizens go about their business unaware.
Providing the soundtrack: the song Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She & Him, Deschanel’s retro-rock duo with musician M. Ward.
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7/17 Web Round-up
• Judd Apatow’s risky departure from formula with “Funny People.” [Wall Street Journal]• Denise Martin talks to “(500) Days of Summer” star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. [Los Angeles Times]
• PODCAST: Yours truly talks the Oscar’s move to 10, the “Let the Right One In” remake and more with John Campea et al. [The Movie Blog]
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7/13 Web Round-up
• Gael Garcia Bernal: activist. [Daily Telegraph]• Phil de Semlyen chats it up with Bruno. [Empire]
• Michael Powell goes deep on “Golden Age” survivor Andrew Sarris. [New York Times]
• Mike Jones profiles the child actors of Harry Potter, wonders if their fame can last beyond Hogwarts. [The independent]
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Caine confirmed in small role in ‘Inception,’ Gordon-Levitt also joins the cast
I just got off the phone with Michael Caine for a piece I’ll have up momentarily concerning his rather striking performance in John Crowley’s “Is Anybody There?,” but while I had him cornered I thought I should ask him point blank about his potentially staring in Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” a rumor that’s been bouncing around unconfirmed as of late. As it turns out, Caine will be in the film, albeit in a very small role. Here’s what he had to say specifically:I have a little part in it, yes. Just a tiny part. Chris and I are very good friends so I’ll do that little part. I think I’ll work about three days. It’ll be extraordinary, wait until you see this one. I think if I say another word he’s going to kill me!
Also officially joining the cast today is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, stepping in for James Franco (who had scheduling conflicts). Here’s The Hollywood Reporter on that news:
A veil of secrecy exists over loglines, though the project, which Nolan also wrote, is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within “the architecture of the mind.”
It is known that Gordon-Levitt is taking the role to have been played by James Franco, who bowed out over scheduling issues. He would play an associate of DiCaprio’s character, a CEO-type.
The cast sure is filling out nicely. But I’m just…dying to know what the heck this movie is about. “Set within the architecture of the mind” isn’t cutting it for me anymore, and now I have Michael friggin’ Caine telling me “it’ll bee extraordinary.” The last time he went on the record regarding a Nolan film, an Oscar resulted. Aggggh! Maybe I should take a lead from J.J. Abrams and patiently wait for what’s coming to me.
Keep an eye out later today or over the weekend for that interview.