Tag Archives: felicity jones

Review: ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

The expansion of the Star Wars universe is off to an outstanding start at Disney and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story just changed the entire game. The first stand-alone film in the planned anthology series, director Gareth Edwards’ war story centering around the legend of the rebel team that stole the plans to the Death Star is a tale many Star Wars fans have clamored to see and the director has delivered a unique, entertaining and satisfying film that will win over hardcore fans and novice alike.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) has been on the run since she was a young child. Her father, research scientist Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), was forced to return to the Empire to complete the design of the Death Star by Imperial Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) which, in turn, sent Jyn into hiding with the help of her father’s friend Saw Gerrera (Forest Whitaker). Fifteen years has passed and the memory of her father still haunts young Jyn.  An imperial pilot named Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) has defected and smuggle a message to the Rebel Alliance with information crucial to their cause. The rebel forces have located Jyn with the hopes of recruiting her to help find her father and discover the secrets of the monstrous weapon. Rebel Officer Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) and his droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) accompany Jyn on a mission to retrieve the message from Bodhi Rook on the planet Jedha.

After an encounter with imperial troops, the trio are aided by warrior Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) and mercenary Baze Malbus (Wen Jiang) who join the cause to help Jyn retrieve her father. Quickly the mission becomes more about the preservation of the galaxy and the team set their sights on stealing the plans to the Death Star at the high-security base on the planet Scarif. The time is now for the rebels to take their stand, to secure the safety of the galaxy and destroy the most valuable weapon in the Empire’s arsenal, the Death Star.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a near perfect cinematic experience. Director Gareth Edwards and cinematographer Greig Fraser elected for a raw, gritty feel to the film and the tone plays to the subject matter perfectly. The script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is smart and engaging and doesn’t over complicate the objective of telling this war story. Each frame of the film was envisioned with excitement and respect for the Star Wars franchise and the filmmakers have created an outstanding compliment film to the original trilogy.  Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Donnie Yen, Riz Ahmed and Wen Jiang, the members of the Rogue One team, were perfectly cast in their respective roles. The voice of Alan Tudyk for K-2SO added just enough comedic relief necessary in the right places. Mads Mikkelsen, in his limited screen time, helped enrich the emotional journey for Jones’ Jyn and provide the redemption factor we all come to know in the Star Wars universe. The stand out star in the film to me was Ben Mendelsohn. His menacing performance as the main protagonist never fell into cliche’s and provided a satisfying character arc.

Overall, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is an exceptional movie to be enjoyed on the biggest screen you can find. The journey never wearies and it will enrich your love for the franchise a little bit more. Next up…Episode VIII!!

4 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

No

Trailer:

Review: ‘Inferno’- An unfaithful adaptation but the best film of the trilogy

Posted on by — Leave a reply

inferno-movie-poster-1

A decade has past since Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) hit the screen for his first adventure in the Da Vinci Code and he now returns for another go in the adaptation Inferno. From director Ron Howard based on the Dan Brown novel, “Inferno”, the fourth book in the series (yes, they skipped “The Lost Symbol”), is an exciting and intricate race against time that kept you intrigued throughout the pages, question is, can the movie adaptation match the cleverness?

inferno01

Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital room in Florence, Italy, with no memory of what has transpired over the last few days and unexplained visions of human suffering. Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones), the attending physician, tells him that he is suffering from amnesia as a result of a bullet wound to his head and asks if he can remember anything that might help them understand what happened. Langdon has little time to process his thoughts as an assassin arrives to complete her mission. Sienna helps Langdon escape and the chase begins. The two arrive in Sienna’s apartment where they find Faraday pointer among Langdon’s personal belongings with projection of Botticelli’s Map of Hell.

inferno04

They discover that the map is part of a mystery left by billionaire geneticist Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster), who believes that the world is destined for over population and the extinction of the human race. Discovering that Zobrist had recently killed himself, Langdon concludes that there is a reason for this map to be in his possession and the two find a hidden message within. Langdon’s knowledge of Dante’s work allows the two to follow clues thru Florence and Venice, while evading the assassin and the authorities, including the WHO, whom have a keen interest in Langdon. Sienna and Langdon have less than 24 hours to decipher friend from foe and collect all the information they need to help them stop a global event that will change the human race forever.

inferno-tom-hanks-felicity-jones

Inferno is a fun movie with beautiful cinematography, but the film version falls short of the excitement that made the book so enjoyable, opting for unimaginative plot changes which will leave fans shaking their heads. Tom Hanks isn’t as crisp and confident in his portrayal of Langdon this go around, but the added vulnerability to the character allows Hanks to explore a more emotional side to his character which keeps this version of Langdon from feeling like a retread of the previous films. Felicity Jones’ Sienna Brooks is a far cry from the book version which had so many wonderful layers to her. Jones isn’t to blame for this, but what she is provided isn’t very interesting nor is her chemistry with Hanks. Most of the blame for the character development falls strictly on screenwriter David Koepp and director Ron Howard who ultimately opted for this watered down version of a film.

Overall, Inferno is a struggle for fans of the novel, but a fun movie that will entertain. If nothing else, the film will allow fans of the franchise to see their favorite professor in action one more time, which is worth the price of admission.

Stars:

3 out of 5

Trailer:

Don’t Look Now, But the Trailer for ‘A Monster Calls’ is Lurking

Posted on by — Leave a reply

A Monster Calls

Focus Features has released the trailer for A Monster Calls and we have it for you!

A visually spectacular drama from director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible). 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness, a less-than-sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a most unlikely ally when a Monster appears at his bedroom window. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth. Toby Kebbell plays Conor’s father, and Liam Neeson stars in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting Monster of the title.

The film was written by Patrick Ness, based on upon the novel written by Patrick Ness from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd.

A Monster Calls arrives in theaters on October 21st, 2016

‘TRUE STORY’ stars James Franco and Jonah Hill in roles you never saw coming.

Posted on by — Leave a reply

True StoryPosterThe mind is a dangerous place. Power is a dangerous thing. Manipulation is a dangerous game. Fame is a monster. Infamy is forever. TRUE STORY, based on real life events, is the story of former New York Times writer, Mike Finkel. Once highly regarded for gutsy journalism, his choice to fabricate pieces of one story come crashing down on him. Let go from the NYT, he moves back to middle America with his lonely and tremendously supportive wife. Soon after his return, Mike receives a phone call about a man who, when arrested for the murder of his family, claimed to be the NYT reporter, Michael Finkel. Naturally intrigued, he sets up a meeting with now inmate, Christian Longo. Armed with only his wits and a notepad, Finkel agrees to tell Longo’s story, that is, if he can get it.

TrueStoryJonahHillJamesFranco

The question in this film is who’s playing whom? The manipulation of both men walk a razor thin line throughout. Jonah Hill is excellent as Finkel. Thoughtful, gentle, needing to understand why Longo acts as he does. James Franco is downright frightening in this role. The roller coaster ride of this character’s journey is plain to see, with engrossing effort on Franco’s part. These two duel it out in each scene, many times with nothing but eye contact that speaks 1000 words where there are none. This is some serious acting going on here. We all know Hill is perfectly capable of this level of intensity with Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street under his belt. Franco, while  I am a huge fan already, really knocks it out of the park as Longo. As an audience member, he is likable and seemingly sincere, all while having an undercurrent of potential sociopath. The way these two play off one another is movie magic. I really think it would be a shame to ignore these performances come awards season.

TrueStoryFelicityJones

Felicity Jones plays Finkel’s wife, Jill, with huge range, as usual on her part. She is vulnerable yet strong, as a woman stuck between a healthy marriage and the ambition of a husband hungry to rebuild his name. Once again, it’s the quiet moments that are some of the most frightening for her. Left alone in the house with remnants of Longo’s drawings and writings, she is visually confronted by his enigmatic musings that are wholly unsettling to stare at. This film is perfectly timed in its release with the popularity of The Jinx and the wildly successful podcast Serial. If you are a fan of either (which, frankly, you should be) True Story will be right up your alley.

TrueStoryJonahHill

Bottom line, TRUE STORY will chill you to your bone. It will give you pause. The film is so profoundly menacing because it is based on actual events. That creepy crawly feeling under your skin lasts long after you’ve exited the theater. The question still remains; “Who do you believe?”

TRUE STORY is now available on VOD and comes to theaters Friday, April 10th.

SYNOPSIS: When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel meets accused killer Christian Longo—who has taken on Finkel’s identity—his reporting job morphs into an unforgettable game of cat and mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel’s relentless pursuit of Longo’s true story encompasses murder, love, deceit, and redemption.

Cast:
Jonah Hill
James Franco
Felicity Jones
Robert John Burke
Ethan Suplee
Gretchen Mol

The Title of The First Stand Alone Star Wars Film Has Been Revealed!

Posted on by — Leave a reply

headshots-1536x864-619519567349

This morning at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, across the street from Lucasfilm, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger hosted a shareholder meeting where he announced news regarding the first Star Wars stand-alone movie as well as Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Rogue One is the title for the first film in a unique series of big-screen adventures that explores the characters and events beyond the core Star Wars saga. Rogue One will be directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla) and written by Oscar nominee Chris Weitz (Cinderella, About a Boy, Antz). The first actress cast is Felicity Jones, who garnered an Academy Award nomination and critical acclaim for her performance in The Theory of Everything. The idea for the story of Rogue One came from John Knoll, an Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor and chief creative officer at Industrial Light & Magic. He will executive produce along with Simon Emanuel (The Dark Knight Rises,Fast & Furious 6) and Jason McGatlin (Tintin, War of the Worlds). Kathleen Kennedy and Tony To (Band of Brothers, The Pacific) are on board to produce and John Swartz (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) will co-produce. The film starts shooting this summer in London and is due for release on December 16, 2016.

In addition, Iger confirmed that Rian Johnson will write and direct Star Wars: Episode VIII. The film, which continues the saga after the events of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is set for release on May 26, 2017 — forty years and a day after the release of Star Wars: A New Hope in 1977. Johnson is widely considered one of cinema’s most gifted young filmmakers, having directed the modern sci-fi classic, Looper, as well as Brick and The Brothers Bloom. He was also behind the camera for three episodes of the critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad, including “Ozymandias,” which series creator Vince Gilligan named as the best installment of the show. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman, producer of Looper, Don Jon, Brick, and The Brothers Bloom, are on board to produce.

Ben Foster Cast in Da Vinci Code Sequel ‘Inferno’

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Ben-Foster-CelebMarriages_com

Columbia Pictures has announced that Ben Foster (Lone Survivor) has been added to the all star cast of Ron Howard’s upcoming sequel Inferno, the third film in the Da Vinci Code franchise.

Tom Hanks will return to reprise his role as Robert Langdon opposite Felicity Jones as Dr. Sienna Brooks, Irrfan Khan (Life of Pi) as Harry Sims (aka The Provost), Omar Sy (The Intouchables) as Christoph Bruder and Sidse Babett Knudsen (Borgen) as Dr. Elizabeth Sinskey, the head of the World Health Organization. Foster’s role has not yet been revealed.

Ron Howard returns for another go in the continuing Robert Langdon adventures with principal photography beginning at the end of April. David Koepp wrote the screenplay based on the book by Dan Brown.

Inferno is actually the forth book in the Dan Brown book series and features a storyline which centers around a madman who intends on releasing a global plague connected to Dante’s immortal tome The third book, “The Lost Symbol”, has yet to be made into a feature.

The film will be released on October 14, 2016

Oscar Watch: ‘Theory of Everything’ – Watch Eddie Redmayne & Felicity Jones at the New York Film Festival

Posted on by — Leave a reply
Theory of Everything-00003The Theory of Everything

5 NOMINATIONS

  • Actor in a Leading Role – Eddie Redmayne
  • Actress in a Leading Role – Felicity Jones
  • Music (Original Score) – Jóhann Jóhannsson
  • Writing (Adapted Screenplay) – Screenplay by Anthony McCarten
  • Best Picture – Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce and Anthony McCarten, Producers

Read More →