Total Recall (Trailer 1)
Due to my harsh treatment of the teaser, I felt I needed to feature this one front and center. Plus, now that I have lots of footage with plot point examples, I can actually talk specifics. At first glance, director Len Wiseman’s Total Recall is a mix between The Fifth Element and an MC Escher painting. I’m a little disappointed by the similarity of these flying cars to the ones in the aforementioned film – couldn’t they dream up something new? – but what ya gonna do? The overall tone of the film is pretty cool. It bares some resemblance to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (both movies were inspired by Philip K. Dick short stories). The dimly lit interiors and Japanese-style urban landscapes are a welcome touch. Then again, there are a few cartoonish-yet “cool” shots of Colin Farrel killing a group of cops and smashing a car with his own hover vehicle that are little too flashy. They are spectacle for the sake of spectacle but overall I’d say that the $200 million spent on these effects were better spent than those on John Carter ($250 mil).
As for the story, I’m told that this film revolves around (Farrel) Quaid’s memory loss, focusing more on his break with reality than anything else. In the original film he visits “Rekall,” a company that can implant virtual memories, but Quaid’s memory implant is canceled (or is it?) when they discover his memories have already been altered. In both films, this is when he seems to break with reality. You can bet this one will try to force the question of “what is real?”
To Rome With Love
Woody Allen’s newest film is about a number of people in Italy, with different backgrounds, and the romances, adventures, and predicaments they get into. This is a director that clearly loves what he does. He’s one of the few directors that is constantly putting out new films. However, it pains me to see a trailer such as this. Every director sometimes makes bad films and while this might not be terrible, it’s doesn’t appear to be a must-see. It’s the same territory he covered in Vicky Christina Barcelona and Midnight In Paris only this time… we’re in Italy! Wow, really mixing it up.
Also, Woody Allen’s best work has always involved an intense investigation into one or two main characters. His ensemble films tend to lack the gravitas of a realistic character to latch onto. Still, this is the legendary Woody Allen we’re talking about. His trailers usually leave a lot to be desired. I suppose that could be interpreted as a good thing.
Bel Ami
No, I’m not going to talk about this film. Instead, I’ll discuss how Robert Pattinson is determined to keep acting. I must admit, I didn’t mind him in the Harry Potter films. In fact, I rather liked his character – what little of him there was. My distaste for Mr. Pattinson began when he became a sparkling vampire. Now, he’s starring as a sex fiend in Bel Ami and a cracked out badass in Cosmopolis. He is working overtime to change his image. Only time will tell if it’s working.
The Intouchables
This film was released in 2011 and it’s just making it’s way to a wider US audience. The plot is supposedly inspired by a true story discovered by the directors in a 2004 documentary film. So far I have been unable to find out the name of this documentary, so I don’t know how truthful of an adaptation. Notably, The Intouchables holds the record as the 2nd highest grossing film in France box office history. I find that a film such as this should be watched whenever there are resounding stats of an enthusiastic audience. There has to be something in here for everyone.
