Catch a first look at the new trailer for Melissa McCarthy’s new comedy THE BOSS.
The preview debuted on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The high turtleneck clinches it!
Academy Award-nominated star Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, The Heat, Tammy) headlines THE BOSS as a titan of industry who is sent to prison after she’s caught for insider trading. When she emerges ready to rebrand herself as America’s latest sweetheart, not everyone she screwed over is so quick to forgive and forget.
McCarthy is joined in THE BOSS by an all-star cast led by Kristen Bell, Peter Dinklage and Kathy Bates.
Directed by Ben Falcone (Tammy), the comedy is based on an original character created by McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Falcone alongside their Groundlings collaborator, Steve Mallory. The film is produced by McCarthy and Falcone through their On the Day productions and Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy through their Gary Sanchez Productions.
The blockbuster Hunger Games franchise has taken audiences by storm around the world, grossing more than $2.2 billion at the global box office. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 now brings the franchise to its powerful final chapter in which Katniss Everdeen [Jennifer Lawrence] realizes the stakes are no longer just for survival – they are for the future.
Recently, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchinson, Liam Hemsworth, Francis Lawrence, and Nina Jacobson sat down with a small room of press in Hollywood to talk about the film. Check out part of the press conference below!
With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow [Donald Sutherland] in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale [Liam Hemsworth], Finnick [Sam Claflin] and Peeta [Josh Hutcherson] – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to liberate the citizens of Panem, and stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 is directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong, from an adaptation by Suzanne Collins, and features an acclaimed cast including Academy Award®-winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Academy Award®-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, with Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland reprising their original roles from The Hunger Gamesand The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. The impressive lineup is joined by The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 co-stars Academy Award®-winner Julianne Moore, Mahershala Ali, Natalie Dormer, Wes Chatham, Elden Henson and Evan Ross.
Check out the first trailer for the highly anticipated MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.
In the sci-fi thriller MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, writer/director Jeff Nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father (Michael Shannon) goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers. What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Ultimately his father risks everything to protect Alton and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever in this genre – defying film as supernatural as it is intimately human.
MIDNIGHT SPECIAL stars Oscar nominee Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher and Oscar nominee Sam Shepard. Rounding out the main cast are Bill Camp, Scott Haze and Paul Sparks.
Jeff Nichols directs from his own screenplay. Sarah Green and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, who previously collaborated with Nichols on his critically acclaimed thriller “Take Shelter” are producing the film, with Glen Basner, Hans Graffunder, and Christos V. Konstantakopoulos serving as executive producers.
Also reuniting with Nichols behind the scenes is director of photography Adam Stone, production designer Chad Keith and editor Julie Monroe. David Wingo is composing the score.
From Warner Bros. Pictures, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL hits theaters March 18, 2016.
The newest big screen “golden age of Hollywood” biography represents something of a 2015 trilogy, a hat trick, if you will. It doesn’t focus on the illustrious career of a celebrated actor or actress, but there are some stars involved and in support. No, this is the story of a legendary screenwriter, yes an idea man. The man in question is one Dalton Trumbo, a fellow nearly as theatrical as the thespians reciting his words. Beyond his work, he was perhaps best known as the most famous of the “Hollywood Ten” during the Communist “witch hunts” of the 1950’s. So the “cold war” is the backdrop for this bio, much as it was for BRIDGE OF SPIES, the true life drama, and that frothy spy send-up, THE MAN FROM UNCLE, both released earlier this year. It’s odd that this is the last film to arrive in theatres, though its events precede the other two. And while the other films were mostly set on foreign soil, this film is pretty much set in “tinsel town”, where careers and lives were destroyed over “anti-red” hysteria. This was nearly the fate of the creative wordsmith named TRUMBO.
In 1947 Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was the unofficial king of movie writers. He had just signed a lucrative exclusive contract with MGM. And he enjoyed his plush ranch house by a lake just outside LA, a home he shared with his devoted wife Cleo (Diane Lane) and their three young children Mitzi, Chris, and Niki. But storm clouds were on the horizon. HUAC (the House Un-American Activities Committee) was picking up steam and decided to go after “red sympathizers” in the film industry. Acting on tips from powerful newspaper gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) and the president of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, actor John Wayne (David James Elliott), Congress subpoenaed registered Communist Trumbo. He was the most vocal of the media-named “Hollywood Ten” a group of screenwriters who refused to answer the committee’s questions and wouldn’t name names. Although he had the support of good friend, actor Edward G Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), and others (we see newsreel footage of Danny Kaye, Humphrey Bogart, and Lauren Bacall speaking out for the “ten” and we hear radio spots featuring Lucille Ball and Gregory Peck), a defiant Trumbo is cited for contempt of Congress and sent to a federal penitentiary in Ashland, Kentucky for eleven months. When he gets out, Trumbo is on the “blacklist” and no studio will touch him. Selling the ranch, they move into a modest suburban home. The desperate writer hatches a plan to continue working. For plan A he asks another non-blacklisted writer to submit Trumbo’s screenplay under the other man’s name (known as “fronting”). It works so well that the other man grabs an Oscar. Then, for plan B, Trumbo marches down to the offices of the low-budget independent producers Frank (John Goodman) and Hymie (Stephen Root) King. Trumbo and his out of work pals will write and fix as many projects as they are given, all working under pseudonyms and paid in cash (at a low, low rate). The family (wife Cleo and the kids) will drop off scripts and payments. Then, in 1956, THE BRAVE ONE gets an Oscar: Best Original Screenplay for “Robert Rich”. Trumbo ends wild speculation when he announces on a live TV interview that he indeed is Rich. This attracts the attention of two big powerful names. Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman) who needs help on his big movie version of SPARTACUS, as does prickly director Otto Preminger(Christian Berkel) with his film adaptation of EXODUS. Will these men defy the old guard and give full screen credit to Trumbo, thereby destroying the blacklist once and for all?
Well, if you’re a classic film buff you know the answer to that. The fun is in the telling of this bit of history and Cranston, in his first big movie leading role, makes it fun (and he seems to be having fun, too). In the opening minutes he appears to be doing an amusing take on the intellectual “dandy” with his big curled mustache and cigarette holder, but when the pressure’s on, Trumbo becomes a dogged defender of personal liberties. Cranston conveys that determination while trying to conceal his inner terror at the thought of being separated from the family he adores. And with his banishment, he becomes both mastermind and hustler, finding a way to still use his talents. However Cranston lets us in on the flaws of this unlikely hero as he pushes those around him to the brink, even as he abuses his own health as an almost one-man script factory. Mr. Cranston conquered TV and with this role he establishes himself as a most compelling film star.
Of course it helps that Cranston’s Trumbo has an equally interesting adversary, mind you a most worthy villain. Now there are altercations with studio execs and actors (notably the “Duke”), but none spew venom better than Mirren as a very different screen queen. Hopper thought she was Hollywood royalty, better than the weak actors that filled her columns, and Mirren makes her a memorable movie bully who shoots daggers out of her eyes at the hounded writer. She doesn’t limit her acid tongue on the title hero. In a memorable scene, Hopper gleefully reminds a top mogul of his Eastern European roots, rattling off semitic names like poison darts. Mirren proves to be very good at being very bad. The other women in the cast aren’t nearly as interesting, unfortunately. Lane is the faithful wife who keeps the family together and dutifully waits for her hubby’s return from jail. It’s not until the second act, when Lane’s Cleo gets to shine as she tells her hubby that he’s a hermit in their own home. Much of that is evident in Elle Fanning’s work as the teenaged, oldest daughter Niki, who seems to truly be her father’s girl as she throws herself into the civil rights movement. Comedian Louis C.K. gives a subtle, understated performance as one of Trumbo’s friends, and “ten” cohort, who shares his left beliefs, but questions his pal’s fervent pursuit of the “green”. He manages to be both tragic and very funny. As for those playing TV “late show movie” icons, Stuhlbarg mostly suggests Eddie G with make-up and fashions going from on-screen tough-guy to off-screen sophisticate. He never attempts to mimic the actor’s distinctive delivery (thereby avoiding younger audience remarking that he’s doing “Chief Wiggum” from TV’s “The Simpsons”), rather he focuses in on the man’s inner turmoil and self-disgust. After PAWN SACRIFICE and STEVE JOBS, this film completes a great hat trick for the talented actor. Elliott gives us a hint of Wayne’s familiar drawl, while O’Gorman, though a tad too young, reminds us of Kirk’s intense macho swagger without dipping into a Frank Gorshin-like parody. Berkel expertly exudes Preminger’s haughty aristocratic arrogance. Oh, and Goodman’s energetic take on the sleazy “B” picture czar, Frank King, is quite a treat making him a side-splitting, foul-mouthed human wrecking ball (the opposite of his kindly studio boss in THE ARTIST).
Director Jay Roach, best known as the man behind the Austin Powers series and MEET THE PARENTS, keeps the film running along at a brisk pace while capturing the uneasy feel of the country right after the last world war. The screenplay by TV scribe John McNamara from the book “Dalton Trumbo” by Bruce Cook includes several clever jibes and quips, even as liberties are taken (did Trumbo really confront Wayne?) for dramatic and humorous effect. But much as with the recent BLACK MASS, the film becomes a checklist, this time of films and trials (“this happened, then this, and then…”), with the movie marching steady through as each ‘life moment” is crossed off, lessening its impact. It doesn’t help that the story ends with a ten-year jump ahead with a cliché ridden awards ceremony that has Trumbo delivering an uplifting speech as the camera captures every major character beaming at him from their seats in the audience. In this way, the film seems more like Roach’s work for HBO on real-life recent politics in “Recount” and “Game Change” with comics and actors playing “old-timey movie star dress-up” with vintage threads, hair, and make-up. However the final studio days are captured well and the actors are very entertaining. Though flawed, TRUMBO is an effective reminder that those “good ole’ days” were really pretty not-so-good on those who didn’t conform or submit.
4 Out of 5
TRUMBO opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas
From the comedy minds that brought you Borat and Ali G (director Dan Mazer) and Bad Santa 2 (writer John Phillips), comes the red-band, NSFW trailer for DIRTY GRANDPA.
Jason Kelly (Zac Efron) is one week away from marrying his boss’s uber-controlling daughter, putting him on the fast track for a partnership at the law firm. However, when the straight-laced Jason is tricked into driving his foul-mouthed grandfather, Dick (Robert De Niro), to Daytona for spring break, his pending nuptials are suddenly in jeopardy.
Between riotous frat parties, bar fights, and an epic night of karaoke, Dick is on a quest to live his life to the fullest and bring Jason along for the ride. Ultimately, on the wildest journey of their lives, “dirty” Grandpa and his uptight grandson discover they can learn from one another and form the bond they never had.
This outlandish comedy also stars Julianne Hough, Aubrey Plaza, Dermot Mulroney and Adam Pally.
DreamWorks Animation has found their man in acclaimed filmmaker Edgar Wright, who is set to direct and co-write the screenplay for an original animated feature centered on the concept of shadows. Wright will co-write the film with acclaimed comedian and author, David Walliams.
The project, a new approach to a previously developed concept, marks the feature animation directorial debut for Wright.
For DreamWorks Animation’s Co-Presidents of Feature Animation Bonnie Arnold and Mireille Soria, the hiring of Wright is the latest example of the studio’s focus on working with a diverse group of the industry’s most gifted filmmakers. Wright’s distinctive comedic voice has spawned a legion of loyal fans, with beloved films including “Shaun of the Dead,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” and “Hot Fuzz.” The multi-talented filmmaker also co-wrote the Golden Globe winning, “The Adventures of Tintin.”
Co-writer David Walliams is a celebrated comedian, actor, author, television personality and activist, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the BBC One sketch show, “Little Britain.” A best-selling children’s author, Walliams’ books have sold more than 10 million copies to date.
“Edgar will spearhead a new approach to this fascinating concept and we’re ecstatic to have him onboard as director along with David as co-writer,” said Arnold and Soria in a joint statement. “We’ve always been intrigued by a film concept involving shadows, and now with Edgar’s signature comedic style and abilities as a natural storyteller, audiences will be treated to a truly captivating and energetic tale.”
“My first endeavors in film-making as a teenager were in animation, so it was hugely intriguing to get a call from DreamWorks Animation about potentially directing,” said Wright. “When the Shadows concept was suggested to me, I could see the poster, the title sequence and pretty much the whole movie. It’s a blast writing this and to have one of my oldest friends in comedy, David Walliams, along for the adventure is a thrill.”
DreamWorks Animation’s Head of Development Gregg Taylor and development executive Damon Ross are overseeing the project for the studio.
After 11 days of celebrating magnificent and electric movies, the 24th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) concluded on Sunday evening. At the closing ceremony the International Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) presented awards to two women filmmakers. Cate Marquis (St. Louis Jewish Light) and myself were on hand to announce our winners – chosen by a panel of AWFJ members.
Lucie Borleteau’s FIDELIO: ALICE’S ODYSSEY received the EDA for Best Female-Directed Narrative Feature, while Sophia Turkiewicz’s ONCE MY MOTHER took the EDA for Best Female-Directed Documentary.
Actress Lucie Borleteau makes her feature directing debut with this insightful study of a woman situated in an almost exclusively male milieu. Sailor Alice (Ariane Labed) joins the freighter Fidelio as a replacement engineer, soon discovering that the captain, Gaël (Melvil Poupaud), is a man with whom she was once romantically involved. Though she leaves behind a fiancé on land (Anders Danielsen Lie, Oslo, August 31st), she finds her feelings for Gaël have not abated. Buttressed by a remarkable international cast, Fidelio, Alice’s Odyssey presents a rounded portrait of a passionate woman faced with difficult choices. Greek actress Labed won Best Actress at Locarno for her memorable performance. Nominated for two César Awards including Best Debut Feature.
When Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz was 7 years old, her Polish mother, Helen, abandoned her in an Adelaide orphanage. Sophia never forgot this maternal act of betrayal. Now in middle age, as Sophia examines her troubled relationship with Helen, she discovers the full story behind her mother’s miraculous survival in the years before, during, and after World War II. The details of Helen’s pre-Australia life are the stuff of epics: orphaned at 6; abandoned at age 9 by an indifferent uncle; forced to live for years on the streets of her small Polish town (now part of the Ukraine); shipped at 16 to a Russian gulag to work as a slave laborer after Stalin and Hitler divvy up Poland; twice compelled to trek endless miles through Russian territory, ending up first in Uzbekistan and then in Persia; displaced to a refugee camp in Rhodesia, where she becomes pregnant — by an Italian soldier — with Sophia; finally arriving in Australia, where she’s forced to temporarily place her daugher in an orphanage. With Helen now sliding into dementia, Sophia must confront some difficult questions: Did she ever truly know her mother? Does she have it in her heart to forgive her? And is it too late?
SLIFF Executive Director Cliff Froehlich said, “Dating back to the silent era, women have been vital contributors to film art, but they have long been underrepresented and underappreciated in the industry. Thankfully, that situation is changing, and the number of women filmmakers has grown exponentially in recent years. SLIFF believes it’s important to shine a spotlight on their increasing role, and the EDA Awards are an excellent means of acknowledging the diverse works that contemporary women filmmakers are directing.”
According to AWFJ President Jennifer Merin, “SLIFF is one of the country’s top regional showcases for independent and international film, and it has been a delight to collaborate with them and to honor them for presenting such an exciting slate of films by and about women.”
AWFJ EDA Award Jurors
Marina Antunes (Quietearth.us, Vancouver, Narrative), Laurie Coker (True View Reviews, Austin, Documentaries), Cate Marquis (St. Louis Jewish Light, St. Louis, Narrative), Jennifer Merin (chair, Women’s eNews, New York, Narrative), Michelle McCue (chair, We Are Movie Geeks, St. Louis, Documentaries), Rebecca Pahle (Film Journal International, Brooklyn, Narrative), Betsy Pickle (AWFJ, Knoxville, TN, Documentaries), and Diana Saenger (Review Express, Alpine, CA, Documentaries).
AWFJ, an organization of top women film journalists and critics from across the U.S, Canada and UK, will distribute in December a full slate of EDA Awards recognizing the year’s best (and worst) films by and about women.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 live action short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards. One hundred forty-four pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Ave Maria,” Basil Khalil, director, and Eric Dupont, producer (Incognito Films)
“Bad Hunter,” Sahim Omar Kalifa, director, and Dries Phlypo, producer (A Private View)
“Bis Gleich (Till Then),” Philippe Brenninkmeyer, producer, and Tara Lynn Orr, writer (avenueROAD Films)
“Contrapelo (Against the Grain),” Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, director, and Pin-Chun Liu, producer (Ochenta y Cinco Films)
“Day One,” Henry Hughes, director (American Film Institute)
“Everything Will Be Okay (Alles Wird Gut),” Patrick Vollrath, director (Filmakademie Wien)
“The Free Man (Zi You Ren),” Quah Boon-Lip, director (Taipei National University of the Arts)
“Shok,” Jamie Donoughue, director (Eagle Eye Films)
“Stutterer,” Benjamin Cleary, director (Bare Golly Films)
“Winter Light,” Julian Higgins, director, and Josh Pence, producer (Innerlight Films and Prelude Pictures)
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
The Academy also announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 88th Academy Awards. Sixty pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“Bear Story (Historia De Un Oso),” Gabriel Osorio, director, and Pato Escala, producer (Punkrobot Animation Studio)
“Carface (Autos Portraits),” Claude Cloutier, director (National Film Board of Canada)
“If I Was God…,” Cordell Barker, director (National Film Board of Canada)
“Love in the Time of March Madness,” Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano, directors (High Hip Productions and KAPWA Studioworks)
“My Home,” Phuong Mai Nguyen, director (Papy3D Productions)
“An Object at Rest,” Seth Boyden, director (California Institute of the Arts)
“Prologue,” Richard Williams, director, and Imogen Sutton, producer (Animation Masterclass)
“Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay Patel, director, and Nicole Grindle, producer (Pixar Animation Studios)
“We Can’t Live without Cosmos,” Konstantin Bronzit, director (Melnitsa Animation Studio)
Members of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist.
Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, London, New York and San Francisco in December.
“Sanjay’s Super Team”
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.
Angelina Jolie-Pitt’s directorial follow-up to UNBREAKABLE couldn’t be more different. While the WWII adventure was square and old-fashioned, BY THE SEA is an arty riff on those European films of the 60’s and 70’s where not much transpires plot-wise, but plenty happens to characters emotionally. Some viewers may find BY THE SEA tedious and they’d have a good case, but I admired the decisions Jolie-Pitt has made with her new film and recommend it. While this take on a marriage at crossroads is a weirdly self-indulgent, excessive vanity project for sure, it’s a smart one with undeniable star power and rich, sensuous style. BY THE SEA may be pretentious and it may be boring – but it’s the good kind of pretentious and boring and I dug it.
Jolie-Pitt’s technical and visual command of her material is evident from the first frames, with a Citroen convertible snaking through the Southern French seaside accompanied by a swinging Jane Birkin tune. Married couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie-Pitt star as struggling married couple Roland and Vanessa, who it is immediately clear are growing apart. BY THE SEA takes place in the early-70s where he’s a hard-drinking novelist with writer’s block while she’s his unhappy wife, a former dancer. They’re on their way to a luxury hotel (filmed in Malta) where Roland can focus on his writing. Once there, after about 30 seconds of frustrated key-pounding, Roland heads straight to the bar where he spends most of his stay talking life with wise bartender/innkeep Michel (Niels Arestrup). Vanessa spends her time smoking cigarettes, reading magazines, popping pills, sunbathing, taking baths, walking the rocky shore, and frowning a lot (one thing she never does is remove her makeup). The plot, such as it is, kicks in when Vanessa discovers a hole left by a pipe in the wall of their suite that provides a perfect view of the bed next door. That room is occupied by Francois and Lea (Melvil Poupaud and Melanie Laurent), newlyweds so busy trying to get pregnant that they fail to notice the big hole in their wall through which Vanessa’s long-lashed eye is constantly peeking. Vanessa convinces Roland to share in the voyeurism, hoping it will revive a needed spark in their own marriage. Roland is hesitant, but once he tunes into Vanessa’s pleasure, he plays along and the pair is soon picnicking on the floor, taking turns gazing at the lovemaking between the younger couple. But when the four get together, things get out of hand resulting in anger, revelations, and loathing.
Director Jolie creates a vaguely unsettling mood by means of stylish composition, smooth tracking shots, and appropriately detached performances. Both Pitts are very good in BY THE SEA, especially Angelina who seems at ease with a sort of depressed emotional state. You get the feeling that she is always on the verge of dashing herself onto the rocks below.
BY THE SEA is slow-paced, and there are long stretches where little happens. But there is so much to like, especially in the details: the confident way Brad Pitt speaks French, his cool Clark Gable moustache, and his even cooler red pop-art Valentine typewriter. There are Melanie Laurent’s small breasts and Angelina’s bigger ones, some stunning scenery, a snappy score by Gabriel Yared, and direction by Ms Jolie-Pitt that shimmers with self-confidence. BY THE SEA is not a film where big, dramatic events occur, and there is no tidy conclusion to the story. It’s better at mood than substance but it’s a fascinating film that will be argued about and a real treat for adventurous moviegoers.
4 of 5 Stars
BY THE SEA opens in St. Louis November 20th at, among other places, Landmark’s The Tivoli Theater
(L-R) JULIA ROBERTS, NICOLE KIDMAN, and CHIWETEL EJIOFOR star in SECRET IN THEIR EYES.
SECRET IN THEIR EYES is a tightly-plotted murder-revenge thriller that unfolds in leisurely, satisfying detail, cramming a whole miniseries’ worth of events into its two-hour running time. A remake of the 2009 Oscar-winning Argentinian film of the same name (from a novel by Eduardo Sacheri), SECRET IN THEIR EYES is an old-fashioned movie-movie with an A-list cast that’s hardly groundbreaking, but engrossing and substantial enough to recommend
Jumping back and forth between 2002 and current day, SECRET IN THEIR EYES makes its way through several genres; equal parts murder mystery, adult romance, buddy cop movie, and a discourse on national security and the death penalty. The plot hinges on the murder of the teenage daughter of a federal investigator and a co-worker’s 13 year quest to find justice. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Ray, a LA-based G-man in 2002 on post-9/11 counter-terrorism duty, assigned to investigate chatter at local mosques. When Carolyn (Zoe Graham), the 17-year old daughter of fellow agent Jess (Julia Roberts) is brutally raped and murdered, Ray focuses all of his energy on that case, even though it’s out of his jurisdiction. A killer is fingered quickly enough, but it turns out he’s the pet informant of another fed (Michael Kelly), too valuable on the outside to be arrested. A confession is discounted, evidence destroyed, and justice denied (or is it?).
SECRET IN THEIR EYES isn’t particularly stylish and with its reliance on close-ups and dialog, often plays like a cold-case procedural TV show, albeit a very good one. Imagine an episode of Law and Order spun out into a thriller spanning 13 years and you’ll get the general idea of what this movie feels like. Most interesting is the story’s political subtext which provides a unique angle to the hero’s investigation. The film addresses some big questions about why some crimes may need to be overlooked for the greater good in the aftermath of the 9-11 attack and the ushering in of the era of terrorism.
The cast is anchored by the intelligent performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor who effortlessly essays a character of believable sadness and commitment. He’s in most every scene, but it’s a de-glammed Julia Roberts who makes the biggest impression. Someone in Jess’ situation would be this damaged and the actress is terrific, unafraid to go full-on haggard for a tricky and tragic role. Nicole Kidman makes no attempt to physically age between decades and is wasted in an underdeveloped part as a prosecutor. The romance-that’s-not-meant-to-be between her and Ray seems half-baked – it was at the center of the Argentinian version and they would have been wise to simply leave it out of this one.
Any film that tells a story this intricate and sweeping is bound to have a few plot holes. The killer is identified too easily by a look at convenient photos where he’s staring creepily at his future victim. A scene in which Ray and his partner Bumpy (Dean Norris) track down the perp in a packed Dodger Stadium provides an excuse for a thrilling chase sequence, but it makes no logical sense (the corresponding scene in the Argentinian version was filmed in one long spectacular shot at El Monumental soccer stadium – I thought at first this remake was going to recreate that, but it doesn’t). One or two moments concerning the killer (played with unsettling intensity by Joe Cole), especially a confession scene involving Nicole Kidman’s cleavage, threaten to cross the line from suspense into out-and-out melodrama, but SECRET IN THEIR EYES is large enough in scope to transcend these minor flaws. It’s a solid mystery that’s less about a murder case than about the living left behind and by the time the final lurid twist kicks in, it’s become a compelling meditation on memory and justice.
