Transsiberian (2008)
With TRANSSIBERIAN, Brad Anderson proves once again that he has an exceptional ability to craft a suspenseful thriller. Leaving behind the overtly Hitchockian style that made THE MACHINIST such an interesting formal exercise, Anderson this time shoots his film in color and roots it firmly in the present. Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) have just finished working with children overseas as part of a church project. Before flying back to the States, they decide to travel from Beijing to Moscow on the Trans-Siberian Express train, where they meet two fellow travelers, the handsome Carlos (Eduardo Noriega) and young Abby (Kate Mara). The couples bond, but gradually Jessie becomes worried that her new friends are involved in drug trafficking. At that point, the web has been spun, and when the intimidating Russian detective, Grinko (Ben Kingsley), arrives, Roy and Jessie become innocent targets in a dangerous chase. Anderson's script, co-written with Will Conroy, helps to elevate TRANSSIBERIAN beyond mere thriller status. Without the suspense, it remains a well-executed portrait of a complicated relationship between two real people. Mortimer is her usual fantastic self, and it's fun to watch Harrelson play an average, upbeat American guy. Throw the always riveting Kingsley into the mix and you have a motion picture that is above average in every way. By the time the film reaches its payoff, viewers will have felt as if they, too, took a ride on the Trans-Siberian Express. Director: Brad Anderson Screenwriter: Will Conroy, Brad Anderson Producer: Julio Fernandez Composer: Alfonso De Vilallonga Cast: Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Kate Mara, Ben Kingsley, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann, Mac McDonald, Colin Stinton
The ΟΤΗΕRS (2001)
The Others is a spooky thriller that reminds us that a movie doesn't need expensive special effects to be creepy. THE OTHERS begins with a close-up of a woman screaming. By the time this intense film ends, everyone watching it will be screaming and gasping. Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a woman raising two children by herself in a creepy mansion. World War II is over, but Grace's husband never returned. Meanwhile, the two children, Anne and Nicholas, must constantly stay in the dark because they are deathly allergic to light. Then one day three people show up to take over for Grace's disappeared staff, and trouble starts to brew. The odd trio--an aging nanny, an elderly gardener, and a young mute girl--seems to have a slightly different agenda than Grace and the children do. But when Anne starts talking to strange, unseen people, the scares start building to an incredible climax. Alejandro Amenábar's highly stylized English-language debut is one of the better haunted-house films of the past few years. Not only did Amenábar write and direct the film but he composed the eerie music as well. Nicole Kidman is outstanding as the overprotective mother trying to save her children, while Fionnula Flanagan excels as the nanny with a deep, dark secret. Because the children must remain in darkness, Grace must lock every door behind her, to make sure that the children don't accidentally enter a brightly lit room; it is a marvelous horror-film device that Amenábar uses to perfection. Director/Screenwriter/Composer: Alejandro Amenábar Producers: Fernando Bovaira, José Luis Cuerda, Sunmin Park Cinematography: Javier Aguirresarobe Cast: Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Elaine Cassidy, Eric Sykes, Kames Bentley, Renée Asherson, Alakina Mann, Andrew Wagner
The GirlfriEND Experipnce (2009)
Steven Soderbergh is a cerebral filmmaker and, not surprisingly, his characters often live with their emotions compartmentalized. The lead character in THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE is no different. Chelsea (adult-film actress Sasha Gray) is a high-priced escort whose strict set of rules for dealing with clients allows her to maintain a seemingly healthy, honest relationship with her boyfriend Chris (Chris Santos), a personal trainer. But when a new customer invites her on a weekend excursion, she accepts, even though she knows this violates her bond with Chris. All of this transpires during a few weeks in October 2008, when the country is embroiled in both the presidential election, and, more importantly, the sudden economic downturn--Soderbergh consistently underscores that money is the chief concern for Chelsea and Chris, and everyone around them. She negotiates with a web designer to create a site that will build her notoriety, and contends with the extortions of a sleazeball blogger (movie critic Glenn Kenny). Meanwhile Chris tries to convince his boss to make him a partner at the gym, and accepts free trips to Vegas from one of his clients. THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE is among the best of Soderbergh's "little" films (BUBBLE, SCHIZOPOLIS), ventures where he recharges his artistic batteries and tries out new techniques before jumping back into the world of superstars and big budgets. The casting of porn star Grey gives the director exactly what he wants: a flat, uncharismatic performance that gives the character mystery. Other than money, we're not sure what motivates her, and that's the point: Chelsea doesn't know either. For those inclined to follow Soderbergh down every nook and cranny of his career, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE is a welcome reminder of how probing he can be about matters of the heart.
The RοyaΙ Teחeחbaυms (2001)
In their youth, the Tenenbaums--an eccentric New York family--were extraordinary. They were all geniuses. Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) was a successful litigator. His wife Etheline (Angelica Huston) raised their children to be ambitious, entrepreneurial, and creative--then published an acclaimed book about her child-rearing techniques. Adopted daughter Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) was a gifted playwright. Son Chas (Ben Stiller) was a masterful businessman with a taste for real estate. And the other son, Richie (Luke Wilson), was a natural tennis champ. However, when Royal packed up his life and left his wife and his family in a cloud of betrayal, everything fell apart. Twenty years later, the Tenenbaums are a dejected and alienated bunch, each having found that their early successes did not carry over into adulthood. When washed-up Royal learns that his distant wife Etheline, who has become an archaeologist, may remarry, he feigns illness as an excuse to reunite with his estranged family. From Wes Anderson, director of RUSHMORE, this film is full of quirky comedy that will have audiences reeling and reflecting simultaneously. The brilliant script is impeccable with choppy, intentionally awkward language delivered with dry wit by the well-appointed (almost too good to be true) cast. Dramatic sets are emphasized by the film's masterful orchestration of scene changes and chapter separations. The photography beautifully captures a faded, vintage 1980s New York. And the eclectic soundtrack features much-loved tunes by Nico, The Velvet Underground, The Clash, and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. Director: Wes Anderson Screenwriter: Owen Wilson, Wes Anderson Producer: Barry Mendel, Scott Rudin, Wes Anderson Composer: Mark Mothersbaugh Cast: Gene Hackman, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Luke Wilson, Danny Glover, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray
There WiΙΙ Βe ΒΙοοd (2007)
Writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson steps outside his contemporary world of dysfunctional Angelenos to explore a very different dysfunctional man -- an oil pioneer whose trailblazing spirit is equaled only by his murderous ambition. There Will Be Blood is Anderson's loose adaptation of the novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair, and it focuses its attentions on Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a miner who happens upon black gold during a disastrous excavation that ends in a broken leg. Pulling himself up from the bowels of the earth, both literally and metaphorically, Plainview embarks on a systematic and steadfast approach to mastering the oil business.
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