Malick, Coens, Wright, McDonagh: new films, new photos and synopsis

Four great filmmakers of our time, from the looming, invisible Terrence to the American film regeneration auteurs, Joel and Ethan, to the romantic Joe, to the most promising rising screen storyteller, Martin. What brings them so close right now is the expectation build up their fueling 2012 with, having recently released the first images of their next films. And its all thrilling synopsis with outstanding casts. This is via Collider.

Lawless, written and directed by Terrence Malick. Two intersecting love triangles, in a story of sexual obsession and betrayal, set against the music scene in Austin, Texas. With Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett.

Inside Llewyn Lewis, written and directed by Coen Brothers. A singer and songwriter
wanders in the New York folk music scene in the 1960's. As a note, it is not certain if the film is due to premiere in 2012 or 2013. It will be another genre exercise by the team, a musical this time. With Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake and John Goodman.

Anna Karenina, written by Tom Stoppard (based upon the book by Leo Tolstoy) and directed by Joe Wright. "The story unfolds in its original late-19th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.". With Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Kelly McDonald, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, and Ruth Wilson.

Seven Psychopaths, written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Marty, a screenwriter who struggles to finish his script "Seven Psychopaths". Bill, his best friend, a dog thief who wants to help him no matter what. Hans is Bill's boss, a religious violent guy and an expert in stealing dogs and returning them in exchange for the whoever-finds-it reward. Charlie, a psychopathic gangster who seeks revenge after his beloved shih tzu dog is kidnapped by Bill and Hans. A tale of impulsive violence that will provide the finest inspiration for Marty. With Colin Farrel, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell.

Hanna (2011)

I didn't watch Peter Weir's The Way Back last year and so I was waiting for Saoirse since the failed Lovely Bones. Plus the trailer got me the impression of a Wright's typical finesse in building a scenario, this time in a very different genre, and the fact that the script had been written in a school writing program (Seth Lockhead, Vancouver Film School) aroused my curiosity. I had heard some positive reviews (Variety; Roger Ebert) and some very bad ones from my closest circle of colleagues. Well, I tried it and I can't say I am disappointed. I guess I tuned my expectations just fine.


Hanna respects and doesn't ever try to skirt the conventions of a typical American action thriller which obviously gets us talking about its clichés, its well known plot devices and the plain and predictable impersonation and arc of the characters. The girl's incredible skills are deceitfully backed up by the visual rhythm in order to get her performing impossible last second escapes, as for when the trucks blanket past the hole in the desert or when she strikes Blanchett with an arrow out of nowhere. You almost predict the killings when they're about to happen and the whole CIA-whipping-self-past thing takes us to obvious plot points, such as the kidnapping of Sophie's family, the revelation of the truth in a poor dialogged moment or Erik's death. You know, the inciting incident and even the background story are never convincing enough. The characters, whether it's Hanna, Erick or Marissa, they're all archetypes and don't fleet from that. Even if Saoirse Ronan says in an interview that Hanna may not have physical weaknesses but compensates with psychological depth, it is still not as humanly profound as I believe it could be. It doesn't ever surprise you, despite one or two very good moments, like when Grimm is dancing, or the action scenes.

But then Joe Wright grabs this piece with such a sensitiveness and departs from such beautiful but at the same time assassin icy-white scenario, traveling along a very well craftet pace with a fast strong spiky editing, with the amazing The Chemical Brothers soundtrack, constantly building a crazy, childishly dangerous and hallucinating atmosphere, bringing a compensating freshness to the film. Joe actually states he was major influenced by David Lynch.

This is certainly not a great film. But it still made me want to go through it, still made me take a position with the characters and still surprised me with the psychedelic-cold action scenes. And I enjoyed the final foreshadowing punch line.

Notícias e afins

Confirmados para o cast de Anna Karenina, de Joe Wright, estão já Keira Knightley (trabalharam em conjunto em "Pride and Prejudice" e "Atonement"), Jude Law ("Cold Mountain"; "Sherlock Holmes"), Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass), Kelly Macdonald (série "Boardwalk Empire"), Matthew Macfadyen ("Pride and Prejudice"), Andrea Riseborough ("Never Let Me Go"), Domhnall Gleeson ("True Grit") e Olivia Williams ("The Ghost Writer"). Ainda em rumor continua o nome de Saroirse Ronan, que também já trabalhou com o realizador em "Atonement" (nomeada para Melhor Actriz Secundária) e, agora, em "Hanna".

Também já está confirmado o cast para The Master, de Paul Thomas Anderson. Philip Seymor Hoffman (trabalhou com o realizador em "Sydney", "Boogie Nights", "Magnolia" e "Punch-Drunk Love"), Joaquin Phoenix ("Gladiator", "I'm Still Here"), Amy Adams ("The Fighter"), Laura Dern ("Blue Velvet", "Wild at Heart"), Lena Endre (versão sueca da triologia "Millenium"), David Warshofski ("There Will Be Blood"), Jesse Plemons (série "Friday Night Lights"), Raimi Malek (série "The Pacific" e "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Down") e Madisen Beaty ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button").


A Paramount adquiriu os direitos para adaptar para o grande ecrã a conturbada e lendária história de amor entre os actores Richard Burton e a recentemente falecida Elizabeth Taylor. Uma relação que terá começado durante a rodagem do épico "Cleopatra" (ele era Marco António) e que resultou em várias décadas, com dois casamentos, dois divórcios, traições e paixão. Martin Scorsese estará prestes a ser abordado para realizar o filme (neste momento, encontra-se comprometido com "Hugo Cabret", "Silence" e "Sinatra", já depois de ter abandonado "The Wolf of Wall Street"). David Seidler, vencedor do Óscar de Melhor Argumento Adaptado com "The King's Speech" é o argumentista de quem se fala para pôr as palavras no papel.

Anna Karenina volta ao grande ecrã

Joe Wright, realizador de dramas históricos de sucesso como "Pride and Prejudice" e "Atonement" (mais recente), que terá o seu novo filme nos cinemas muito brevemente ("Hannah"), está já ao leme da próxima adaptação do magnífico clássico de literatura mundial, Anna Karenina, de Tolstoi (até hoje, o melhor livro que já li). Ao comando do argumento estará Tom Stoppard, co-vencedor de um Óscar para Melhor Argumento Original ("Shakespeare in Love"), que aglutina a experiência e o talento a um imenso conhecimento sobre a cultura russa, algo que só poderá ser uma mais valia para esta "will be obra magnânima". Keira Knightley, com quem Wright colaborou nos dois referidos filmes, poderá ser escolhida para interpretar o papel principal. Ainda assim, dentro desta bela notícia surge outra ainda melhor: o argumento pode conhecer um grande equilíbrio entre a história de Anna e Levin, sendo este último, para mim, o maior ponto forte da obra, bem como todas as suas relações e histórias.