BLU-TUESDAY .. June 2

June is a little spotty from week to week when it comes to quality titles finding their way to Blu-Ray. The second though is certainly a strong start though. Romantic charmer, HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, the fourth season of WEEDS and Spike Lee’s 2006 hit, INSIDE MAN all make their BD debuts. I am more intrigued by these though …

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
There is no question in my mind. This film was far too harshly criticized upon its release late last year. The reunion of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as crumbling couple, Frank and April Wheeler, under the direction of AMERICAN BEAUTY director and Winslet’s husband, Sam Mendes was highly anticipated for all of these reasons. The subject matter though was too bitter for audiences to appreciate, including myself. Too much yelling perhaps. I decided to give it a second chance in theatres though and quickly saw the beauty behind the Wheeler’s marriage. It isn’t perfect but what marriage is? It is one of the most memorable film experiences of 2008 and I cannot wait to welcome the Wheeler’s into my home. It comes with …

- Dolby digital 5.1 surround sound
- Commentary with Mendes and screenwriter, Justin Haythe
- “Lives of Quiet Desperation” (making of)
- Deleted scenes


THE GRADUATE
There is a reason why this Mike Nichols classic is still taught in classes forty years after its initial release. Sure, it was far ahead of its time and contains some of the most memorable moments in film history but for me, it just feels alive. Nichols won the Oscar for his direction (the film itself lost in every single other category it was nominated for). His eye can be felt in every focus decision; his hands felt in each movement of the camera. Nichols is constantly thinking about how to push this story visually but never unaware of the incredible performances he pulled from a strapping, young Dustin Hoffman the title character and a radiant Anne Bancroft as the infamous, Mrs. Robinson. My only concern is that the film has been rushed onto BD. Details on the features are scarce and I’ve actually read that there may actually be none. In the meantime, this is all I know …

- 2-Disc set, including DVD copy
- HD Master Audio


DEFIANCE
This was another title that saw only modest returns in cinemas. The story itself is not the problem. In fact, the story itself is quite compelling and surprisingly original considering it is a WWII story. The Bielski brothers flee their homes after their parents are killed by Nazi supporters and find shelter in the forest. They run into about a thousand other fleeing Jews and stake their ground by setting up camp in the forest and fighting back against all who try to get at them. The trouble is that director, Edward Zwick (BLOOD DIAMOND) sensationalizes their bravery. He seems almost too proud to be telling this story of Jews fighting back; it is as though he knows the whole while that people will be surprised by what they are seeing. Still, by the time the film concludes, the story is left to speak for itself and, like I said before, it is a beautiful, story. Maybe Zwick’s commentary track will humble the whole experience. Also …

- “Defiance: Return to the Forest”

(don’t ask me what that is supposed to be)

Black Sheep @ The Oscars: BEST ACTRESS

This was a tough one. The nomination competition was fierce enough on its own without Kate Winslet contending for a spot for two standout performances. Sally Hawkins won the Golden Globe and a number of critics’ accolades for her performance in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY but missed her shot here. Kristen Scott Thomas hoped for a spot for her performance in I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG but that little seen film left little impression. Michelle Williams had hoped that her stark performance in WENDY AND LUCY would earn her a second nod but it was too bare to register. Even Cate Blanchett, an Oscar regular, couldn’t get swept up in the Benjamin Button bonanza. And so with one slot inevitably going to Winslet, who else managed to squeak past the stiff competition?

Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

When you first meet Kym in Jonathan Demme’s "love it or hate it" family drama, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, she is a lot to take. She talks to fill the silence and she does so very defensively in order to close the doors before they are even opened. She doesn’t want anyone to see what lies behind those doors, not ever herself. Hathaway infuses Kym with a nervous likeability that makes her both compelling and repelling. It is certainly the kind of performance that gave everyone pause and had everyone wondering if there was more to this princess than anyone had ever imagined.


Hathaway was considered to be an early favorite in this category when the film debuted to rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto film fests. Still, the film has proven to be more of a critical darling than anything else and, quite sadly as this critic loved it, this is the film’s only nomination, indicating that overall support may be thin.

Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING

Christine Collins is always a lady. She is always properly made up and appropriately composed. This would prove to be her downfall as all assume that she will just sit quietly and take all that is thrown at her but they did not take into account what a mother would do for her missing son. Jolie delivers another understated performance here and is just as captivating for her fragility and endurance as for her beauty.

CHANGELING is also not a widely regarded film. Jolie missed the nomination in this category last year for her role in A MIGHTY HEART and so some might want to reward her for both as a means of making up for the past but she does already have an Oscar at home for her earlier performance in GIRL, INTERRUPTED. Jolie is not considered a threat in this category and I doubt that will change.

Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER

To be fair, I still have not seen this film. It only comes out next week on DVD and I can’t even remember it playing in theatres here in Montreal, which is odd considering the story takes place party in Quebec. I can tell you Leo plays Ray Eddy, a single mother drawn into the world of border smuggling. Aside from that, I got nothing.


Leo is certainly the dark horse in this category. The nomination alone has made people take notice of the film and, along with its nod for original screenplay, it could build some last minute momentum. Leo has been nominated for a number of awards already, including the National Board of Review, the Independent Spirit Awards and the Screen Actors Guild. There is certainly good reason to consider her the underdog contender but keep in mind, the SAG nominated her but she did not ultimately win. No, that honour went to …

Meryl Streep in DOUBT

You may never know a scarier screen nun after Streep’s Sister Aloysius Beauvier. The way that she leers at the children in the playground, just waiting for them to step out of line so that she can assume her duties as disciplinarian and well, discipline them. She almost seems to get some perverse joy out of it. She scours the world for all its evils and when she sets her eyes on her parish priest, you know he’s in big trouble because even God will be too scared to not side with the sister.

How many times does someone need to be nominated in their lifetime? Streep holds the records for most Oscar nods with 15 in total. She does have two wins but her last was for SOPHIE’S CHOICE in 1982. She is definitely due and many are saying that this will be her year. DOUBT did not play well outside of the acting categories, which denotes a certain apathy toward the film but Streep did take home the SAG award for this intense performance. The trouble is, so did …

Kate Winslet in THE READER

Hanna Schmitz is one of Winslet’s most complex characters. We meet her under the same circumstances as the young boy she ends up taking to bed. She seems nice enough, if not perhaps just a bit cold and guarded. Still, you would never imagine that she was personally responsible for countless deaths as an SS officer in the Second World War. Furthermore, it is unfathomable that she is actually able to rationalize her actions as entirely reasonable.


Winslet was expected to earn a nomination here for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD. In fact, after her double win at the Golden Globes opened the possibility of an Oscar repeat. Her role in THE READER was touted as a supporting performance but as she has the most screen time of any character in the film, that was a hard sell that was eventually rejected by the academy. The SAG rewarded Winslet in the supporting category and now both SAG honoured actresses find themselves going head to head at the Oscars. It could get ugly.

I would say though that even though Winslet did not get the nod for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, no one will forget the force with which she delivered in both films. And so, Black Sheep predicts Kate Winslet for Best Actress in THE READER.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Mall Cop vs. The Oscars

Alright, yes, PAUL BLART: MALL COP held on to the number one spot this weekend with a very narrow decline. And yes, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS opened in second place with respectable numbers considering Kate Beckinsale did not return for this third outing. None of this matters though because this past Thursday, the 81st Annual Academy Award nominations were announced and it’s time to check in on the top nominee to see how they fared now that the highest honours have been bestowed upon them.


Two out of the five nominees for Best Picture find themselves in the Top 10. Re-entering in ninth place this weekend is the nominee leader with a whopping 13 nods, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. The film has been playing in wide release now for six weeks but still managed an 8% increase. With a total of $111 million, it is by far the most successful of the five nominees. It may have come in second place in the overall tally but SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is the top box office performer this weekend amongst the nominees. The film entered its first wide release frame this weekend and moved up five spots to reach the number five position, a new high in its lengthy 11 week run. The film has nabbed up over $55 million already and judging from the reception and accolades that keep lining up for it, the Danny Boyle success is almost certainly destined to top $100 million.


SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was not the only Oscar hopeful that planned its wide release expansion for this weekend to coincide with expected nominations. Best Picture nominee, FROST/NIXON added a hefty 946 screens to see its take increase over 350% from last weekend. While it may sound impressive, its average was under $3K, which is nothing compared to the averages it was pulling down in limited release. THE WRESTLER only managed to earn two Oscar nods (Springsteen was robbed!) but that didn’t stop it from increasing over 115% after adding 422 screens this last week. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD came up short at the Oscars, earning only three nominations but it had already planned to add 887 screens so what can you do. The film saw its returns increase by 195% and just missed the Top 10 so hopefully that will make up for the Academy not giving the love to Winslet’s disheartening performance. Lastly, THE DARK KNIGHT reentered IMAX theatres this weekend in hopes of capitalizing on its nominations and crossing the $1 billion mark internationally. Sadly, it missed the nominations in all the major categories, save for Heath Ledger’s supporting turn, and Warner Bros. has not released its projected earnings so I can’t even tell you if it lost out there too.


The remaining two nominees for Best Picture did nothing this weekend to take advantage of their recognition. Still, both MILK and THE READER saw their earnings increase by 10% each. MILK is essentially finishing its run while THE READER will expand next weekend.

NEXT WEEK: There will be no box office report as Black Sheep will be on a beach somewhere.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Written by Justin Haythe
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Michael Shannon and Kathy Bates


John Givings: Now you’ve said it. Plenty of people are onto the emptiness but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness.

The drive from the train station is not that far. Once you get past the first stretch, home to local folk like plumbers, seamstresses and the like, you turn on to a quaint, quiet road. The house that will hopefully soon be the home to you and your children, present and future, sits atop its tiny slope, understated but proud. As you drive past the other homes, you see the people that inhabit them. The children run under sprinklers; the parents sit on their porches and enjoy their afternoon cocktails. They all look so happy, so home. This is what you need. This is what will make you happy too. This is Revolutionary Road. Only, it isn’t really that. What it is really, is Sam Mendes’ REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, and just like the pretty picture it paints, it isn’t as revelatory as it inherently suggests nor does it bring the happiness you thought it might.


Mendes has been down this particular road before. In the Oscar winning, AMERICAN BEAUTY, Mendes explored the trappings of suburban life. It was hardly revelatory when he did it then but screenwriter, Alan Ball’s unique take on the subject made it feel fresh and relevant. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is based on Richard Yates’ 1961 novel of the same name. It tells the story of Frank and April Wheeler (Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet), the lovely, new couple who have bought the aforementioned house at the end of Revolutionary Road and who bring with them the promise of youth and vitality. You see, the Wheeler’s are special. Everyone has always said as much. Then they moved to Revolutionary Road. They made their house into a home and filled that home with two wonderful children. It was at this point that they realized that they may not truly be as special as everyone has always said, that perhaps they are not destined for anything greater than what they already have.


Leo and Kate are perfectly cast as the Wheeler’s. More than ten years after TITANIC, the pair are together again and now everyone gets to see exactly what might have happened if the couple had survived the boat going down. (I trust I gave nothing away there.) And while there is nothing romantic about their reunion, they are REVOTIONARY ROAD’s one true revelation. Winslet is remarkable. She is subtly but always at odds with herself inside. She wants to love her life, her husband, and on some level, she does. But she is also yearning and desperate to feel alive. DiCaprio is a bit shaky but while April’s hand is less than reassuring, Winslet’s hand lifts him and elevates his performance to nearly the same level as hers. To watch the two of them go back and forth between being hopeful for their futures and dismally resigned to a lifetime of unhappiness is a ride well worth taking and one that will certainly leave you dizzy by the time it comes to its harrowing close.


The problem with REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is that Mendes seems more concerned in presenting the Wheeler’s as a symbol for the greater point instead of allowing them to just be the relatable characters that they are. Frank and April are special. When we begin to buy into the idea that we are just like everyone else is when we become just like everyone else. When a film tries to make a point instead of just allowing the point to make itself is when a film takes on an importance it did not earn to start. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD could have been beautiful if it wasn’t trying so hard to be the biggest house on the block.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Paul Blart, Box Office King

Ah, January – the only time of year where a movie about an overweight mall cop can pull in over $30 million in its opening weekend and a film about a dog hotel can open, period.

PAUL BLART: MALL COP, the Kevin James vehicle, surpassed all expectations this weekend to debut atop the chart. Of course, that last statement implies that people had expectations to begin with. James even managed to take down Clint Eastwood, pulling in $10 million more than GRAN TORINO did in its second weekend of wide release. Neither actor has anything to complain about, mind you. James has proven in one single weekend that he can open a major film release and Eastwood has proven that the man is still one of the most impressive box office draws in Hollywood, at least when he is front of the camera and flaunting a shotgun.


The rest of the Top 5 continues to impress as four out of the five earned north of $20 million. The Martin Luther King holiday weekend saw a 31% increase over last year and that is only for the three-day regular weekend period. MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D led the pack, charging right off the screen and into third place. The film’s average was slightly less than last week’s horror entry, THE UNBORN but still played solidly. Mind you, THE UNBORN dropped off 50% this weekend so I’m not sure MY BLOODY VALENTINE will still be around come Valentine’s Day. The Top 10 saw one other entry this week, the wide expansion of the Daniel Craig starring, DEFIANCE. The film earned a stable but unimpressive average of just over $5K for an eighth place finish. The awards contender has seen little support and is not expected to be an Oscar surprise.


Pulling in the highest per screen average of any film in release this weekend was NOTORIOUS, the life and death story of the Notorious B.I.G. This was only one of many reasons for the Fox people to celebrate this weekend. Last week’s Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (drama), SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, narrowly surpassed fellow competitor, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, to sneak back into the Top 10 with a resurged five figure average. The film is a lock for a bunch of Oscar nominations so Slumdog’s millions will continue to roll in for weeks to come. Also, Fox Searchlight’s THE WRESTLER, fresh from winning two Golden Globes including Best Actor (drama) for Mickey Rourke, continued its slow expansion with an addition of 84 screens and saw another surge of over 100%.


In other Golden Globe news, Kate Winslet’s double win helped REVOLUTIONARY ROAD continue to expand solidly, increasing 22% over last week. Her Supporting Actress win for THE READER did not fare as well though. The film continues to perform decently but lost 90 screens this week and saw its returns fall off 9%. Awards season still has another month to go so some of the contenders need to pick it up. The Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film , WALTZ WITH BASHIR, fought the film’s controversy to increase 18% over last week. And the Golden Globe winner for Best Motion Picture (comedy), Woody Allen’s VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, tacked on another 50 screens and surged 112% despite its home video release being just a couple of weeks away.


NEXT WEEK: We shall see how this Thursday’s Oscar nominees shape the contender grosses, if at all. This is especially true for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE WRESTLER, FROST/NIXON and SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, as all four jump into aggressive expansions in hopes that their film will be receiving many a nod this week. Even THE DARK KNIGHT returns for awards season, reappearing on over 200 screens and ensuring that it will cross the $1 billion mark internationally. As for brand new wide releases, look for Brandon Fraser in INKHEART, which seems awful close in premise to JOURNEY AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH to me, and the latest installment in the now Kate Beckinsale-less franchise, UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS. Or don’t look for them; they don’t sound worth looking for to me.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Get Off Clint's Lawn

Well I’m off to a smashing start for 2009. I figured it would be no problem whatsoever for Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson to march themselves down the aisle and all the way to the top of the box office. Not only did they have to settle for second place but they almost got beat by a horror movie about an unborn twin that needs his live twin to die in order to be born. Right.

The fate of BRIDE WARS was sealed on Friday when the Cline Eastwood star vehicle/directorial effort, GRAN TORINO, took out its big shotgun and blew away all the competition. After a stellar limited run over the last month, GRAN TORINO went wide and proved that Eastwood is still a bankable star. Meanwhile, the young ladies only proved that they both still have a lot to prove. Hathaway’s awards attention in the next few weeks will inevitably throw her into the limelight, giving the film some much needed legs, but at the end of the day, BRIDE WARS will be a medium sized performer when Fox was clearly hoping for a wedding to end all weddings.


Final figures are announced tomorrow and BRIDE WARS might find itself slipping into third place if its figures do not hold up. Right now there is half a million dollars separating it from THE UNBORN. The horror flick played on nearly 1000 less screens but managed a much sturdier per screen average, allowing it to come within reach of second place, much to everyone’s surprise. The true test for THE UNBORN will come next week when it tries to hold its audience. Given that there is a new horror movie coming out every week this month, I think THE UNBORN better enjoy this weekend because it will be descending back to hell come next weekend. The Top 10’s other debut belonged to limited player, NOT EASILY BROKEN. Playing on just over 700 screens, the film has the third highest average in the Top 10.


The specialty market was pretty quiet this week. January is just a time to expand really. All the big art pics came out before the end of the year to qualify for the Academy Awards but certain pictures saved their big reveals for the new year to avoid the holiday overcrowding. GRAN TORINO did it aggressively and succeeded but most art flicks practice the art of taking their sweet time. The biggest expansions were both Kate Winslet pictures and one succeeded while the other disappointed. Both THE READER and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD are nominated for Best Motion Picture (drama) at this evening’s Golden Globes and both tacked on about 100 screens to their run this weekend. While REVOLUTIONARY ROAD pulled in a slightly larger per screen average than GRAN TORINO for an increase of 46%, THE READER saw its returns slip 15%. Winslet herself is nominated for both films this evening so a win either way will certainly help.


NEXT WEEK: It’s a busy one indeed. Both LAST CHANCE HARVEY and DEFIANCE expand their runs wide to join HOTEL FOR DOGS, MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3D, NOTORIOUS and PAUL BLART: MALL COP in the race for the top spot. Better watch out for Clint though; he’s packing some serious heat.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Who Says Dogs Don't Make For Great Gifts?

Traditionally, I usually follow my Christmas morning with family with a movie. My Christmas movie this year was THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON but, while this was certainly also the choice of many others, it was not the choice of the majority. I looked up at the listings to see what was playing while I waited in line and this is when I saw it. All eight showings of MARLEY & ME were flashing to signify that the shows were nearly sold out. Clearly, Christmas is a time to be spent with loved ones and their dogs.


Both MARLEY & ME and THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON set records this Christmas. The latter’s one-day tally of $12 million would become the second biggest Christmas day opening of all time. That said, the one with the dog made $14.7 million that same day and you know what that means. It means that people like Jennifer Aniston better than they like Brad Pitt. No, that’s dumb. It doesn’t mean that at all. What it likely means is that people like fun, simple fare with dogs on Christmas day more so that long, epic romances. MARLEY & ME went on to win the weekend, surpassing all expectations with a $51 million total gross over the four days. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON also performed very strongly and could have placed even higher if it weren’t for its 2 ½ hour running time.


One film came in between Brad & Jen and that would be the Adam Sandler family comedy, BEDTIME STORIES. Originally, this film was expected to take the weekend as it had the strongest family appeal. MARLEY & ME came running from behind like a dog after a moving car to reach past its built-in couple audience to snag a good chunk of the families as well. As a result, BEDTIME STORIES had to settle for second place and only the third biggest Christmas day opening ever. Opening in fourth, was a solid placement for the To Cruise vehicle, VALKYRIE. The Bryan Singer WWII thriller performed consistently throughout the four days of its release and ever averaged higher than BEDTIME STORIES.


The Top 10 saw two other debuts and both would be considered disappointing. The fifth wide release of the weekend was not even a consideration apparently. Frank Miller’s first formal directorial effort, THE SPIRIT, opened in ninth place, with a pathetic average of just over $2500 bucks. It could pick up next weekend when teenagers will returning to the multiplexes on their own after their parents held them hostage this past weekend. And DOUBT went wide this holiday frame and though its weekend take shot up over 700%, its average plummeted to a decent but not amazing $4500. Still, awards season is only just beginning so I don’t doubt it will continue to perform as long as the accolades continue to come in.


Platform releases love the month of December. In the weeks ahead, adults will finally find some time on their hands and will flock to see a great number of the Oscar contenders as they continue to widen their screen count. This weekend, the last major Best Picture contender, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, starring the reunited Kate Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio, opened on just three screens in all of North America but pulled in one of the biggest averages of the year with $64K per screen. The picture goes wide January 9. Averaging lower but still solidly were the Oscar contenders, LAST CHANCE HARVEY and WALTZ WITH BASHIR. The former is hoping for recognition for Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson as lead actors but the competition is tight this year and the former is Israel’s official submission for the Foreign Language Oscar. Each earned per screen averages of $16K and $10K, respectively.

NEXT WEEK: Nothing. There are no new wide releases next week. Apparently, New Year’s is a time for leftovers in Hollywood.

Holiday Movie Preview

There is no time like the holidays to kick back, throw on a fuzzy reindeer sweater and catch a flick at the multiplex. You’ve got movies about pedophile priests and overbearing nuns, aliens landing to end the earth, washed up wrestlers clinging to fame, married couple crumbling underneath the pressure and fantastical tales of men who grow young instead of old. Yes, all this strife is what the holidays are all about and Hollywood is there for you. Join Black Sheep as we look ahead the 2008 Holiday Movie Preview.

DOUBT
Written and Directed by John Patrick Shanley
Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffmann and Amy Adams
(December 12)

Shanley brings his Pulitzer-prize winning play to the big screen with a remarkable cast. He may not have a movie since 1990’s JOE VS THE VOLCANO but the source material is so solid here that its hard to imagine him missing the mark entirely. It has Oscar buzz written all over it and Streep’s biting ferocity in the trailer has got me practically peeing in my pants.

RANDOM TIDBIT: Natalie Portman was originally considered for the Amy Adams role but she could not connect with the celibate plight of a nun.


THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Written by David Scarpa
Directed by Scott Derrickson
Starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly and Kathy Bates
(December 12)

Derrickson remakes the 1951 classic which most consider to be pretty darn near already perfect. Well, nothing guarantees the integrity of a film like casting Keanu Reeves. No, but seriously, the trailers are intriguing and 20th Century Fox is certainly to catch the same audience that made I AM LEGEND into a $256 million domestic smash.

RANDOM TIDBIT: The original film was directed by Robert Wise, director of the first STAR TREK film as well as WEST SIDE STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.


THE WRESTLER
Written by Robert D. Siegal
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood
(December 17)

After his last film, THE FOUNTAIN, tanked loudly, Aronofsky needed some seclusion and rest. He’s coming back fighting though with this unlikely crowd pleaser. The film was bought by Fox Searchlight at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and Rourke is considered a front-runner in the Best Actor category at this year’s Oscars.

RANDOM TIDBIT: Nicolas Cage was originally considered for the Rourke character. He had even started his research phase but was eventually replaced by Rourke for undisclosed reasons.


REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Written by Justin Haythe
Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates
(December 26)

Who hasn’t wanted to see DiCaprio and Winslet get back together on screen since they last paired in TITANIC? Ok, it may not be as desperate a scenario as I make it out to be but people are definitely excited to see them together again. Only this time, they’re not falling in love, they’re falling into monotony. Honestly, I’m more excited to see Mendes deal with some of the same issues he did in AMERICAN BEAUTY.

RANDOM TIDBIT: I got two for you here. This is actually the first time that Winslet and Mendes, who have been married for years now, have worked together. Also, Todd Field was originally attached to direct this but he chose to do LITTLE CHILDREN instead, also starring Winslet.


THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Written by Eric Roth
Directed by David Fincher
Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton
(December 25)

Here’s an interesting one. Pitt plays Benjamin Button, a man who is aging backwards while the rest of the worlds ages as per the norm. You can imagine how difficult this makes dealing with humanity. Fincher, the mman behind such contemporary classics as SE7EN, FIGHT CLUB and last year’s ZODIAC, is a front runner in the Best Director category and the picture is being tipped as the film to beat this year. I know where I will be on Christmas day.

RANDOM TIDBIT: Pitt’s daughter, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, makes a cameo appearance in the film. She was 10 months old when the footage was shot.

Also in December: Beyonce channels Etta James in CADILLAC RECORDS. Ron Howard brings the wildly successful play, FROST/NIXON to the screen and hopefully the Oscars. Stephen Daldry follows us THE HOURS with another literary adaptation, THE READER, starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes. Client Eastwood tries for another Oscar with GRAN TURINO, in which he plays what seems like a grumpy old man … with a gun! Michelle Williams turns in an incredibly understated performance as a vagrant looking for her dog in WENDY & LUCY. Box office golden boy, Will Smith reteams with THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS director, Gabrele Muccino in SEVEN POUNDS. Say yes to Jim Carrey in THE YES MAN. Graphic novel king, Frank Miller, tries his hand at directing by himself with THE SPIRIT. Tom Cruise tries for prestige with VALKYRIE but I don’t hear anyone caring. And Owen Wilson returns to film after his suicide attempt last year with MARLEY & ME, a movie about a man and the world’s worst dog. Apparently now, he wants to kill his career instead of himself. Hmmm, too soon? Oh well, Happy Holidays!!