Tag: callum turner

ETERNITY (2025) – Review

So what new genre are the fine folks at A24 going to tackle now? This current “indie darling” studio has made its mark with searing dramas and harrowing horror (I can’t even think about BRING HER BACK). What’s next? How about the “rom com”? Sure, this year’s MATERIALISTS would qualify, though it’s a pretty sharp comedic commentary on the current dating scene. Maybe they’ll look into one of those “sub-genres” such as the “fantasy/rom com”. Yes, indeed, their foray drops in theaters this holiday weekend. The fantasy part is the setting for most of the story: the afterlife. But there are no halos, or wings, or harps (maybe on the soundtrack). The plot concerns souls that are in a kind of limbo as they ponder some big decisions. See, it’s not just a question of “where” you want to spend the afterlife (more about that in a bit), bur rather “who” you want to be by your side for all of ETERNITY.


The story really starts on good ole’ planet Earth, today. The long-time elderly married couple, the Cutlers, are on their way to a “gender reveal” party, spurring much debate about current quirky traditions. But the celebration takes a tragic turn and suddenly the hubby/grandpa’ is on a very bizarre train. And he’s not in his 80s, instead he looks to be a spry thirty-something. Larry (Miles Teller) arrives at an equally strange station and is met by Anna (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who explains to him that he has passed away and is in a heavenly ‘holding zone”. She’s his personal “Afterlife Coordinator”, further explaining that he is at his “happiest age” and has a week to decide which “afterlife area” he will exist forever. Lots of reps for the many different “worlds” bombard him with sales pitches (maybe “Sports world” or “Business world”, among hundreds of choices). But hey, Larry wants to be with his wife, so he has the option of staying in this zone and taking a job (the place resembles a massive resort) until his love arrives (dies, really). It doesn’t seem like a bad choice after conversing with a friendly affable bartender named Luke (Callum Turner) who’s pouring drinks until his lady love shows up. It’s not too long until Larry’s beloved checks in at the train station. A disoriented Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) is greeted by her own “AC”, Ryan (John Early). Anna swoops in with Larry, but Ryan has another option. Seems he’s also the AC for Joan’s first husband, who had been killed in a war not long after they wed. And you can guess who that is. Now, Joan has to make the biggest decision of her life (actually afterlife). Should she join Luke in “Mountain world” or be with Larry in “Beach world”? Let the chaotic comedy contest begin…

Although this flick is marketed as an otherworldly love triangle, the “side” with the most screen time is probably Teller as the often befuddled and a bit coarse Larry. Though, he made his mark in action flicks like the TOP GUN sequel and the “under-the-radar” sci-fi/romance THE GORGE. Teller displays a deft comedic touch here as Larry schemes to “wreck the system” in order to win his lady’s heart. Plus, he scores some big laughs as he still thinks like an 80-year-old despite his youthful vigor. With the right script, Teller could carry an all-out farce. At the center of this “tug-of-war” is Olsen as the ever-flustered Joan. She’s more known for her dramatic fare, along with being part of the MCU, so it’s great to see Olsen taking a chance in this genre. Like Larry, she’s in the “old soul/young body” dilemma, though she’s not given enough “shtick” before Joan is being torn by the big choice. The other fella’ turning up the heat is the more stoic Luke, played by Turner as more of a “fish out of water”, being a man from the 1950s dealing with a duo from the next century. Plus, he’s more grounded since he’s been in this “zone” a very long time. Rather than joining in the gags, Turner conveys a smouldering intensity in order to make Larry “step up his game”. Oscar-winner Randolph as Anna has a nice snarky delivery while doing a great slow burn as Larry really gets on her “last nerve” despite her eternal tenure. She’s a nice contrast to Early as the rival AC, who displays a prim but perky aggressiveness which irritates Anna. Also of note is the funny deadpan performance by Ryan Beil as Fenwick, the bored ticket taker at the “museum of memories”.


The assured, steady direction is by David Freyne, who also worked on the script with Patrick Cunnane. He keeps the pace flowing for most of the first half, and giving this fantasy backdrop a grounded look, combining elements of a sales convention (lots of reps recruiting) and a massive vacation hotel (I was reminded of the interior wall of room inside the Luxor in Vegas). Somehow he keeps us focused on the trio, forgoing any flashy effects and camera techniques. And then the big “lull’ occurs at the midway point, just as we should be more invested in the big conflict. It just seems to run out of “juice”. Maybe more bits of satire were needed in the script since most of the “other worlds” are mentioned and tossed aside (I will say that the best joke concerns a world that’s unavailable due to its appeal to women, and I’m not talking about a “Chippendale’s World”). By the final act, we’re just reminded of the much better realized afterlife rom/coms like the 70s HEAVEN CAN WAIT and especially Albert Brooks’ DEFENDING YOUR LIFE. It’s a shame because the three lead actors are really trying to make the premise work, but when the jokes wear thin and the producers try to pluck at our heartstrings, this time spent at the multiplex really does feel like an ETERNITY.


2 Out of 4

ETERNITY opens in theatres on Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of ETERNITY

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

Starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner, ETERNITY opens on November 26th.

The St. Louis screening is at 7PM on Wednesday, November 12 at Marcus Ronnies 20.

ENTER HERE FOR PASSES: https://forms.gle/bLcqc3uTqYDR2TRJ7

Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.

Rated PG-13.

Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan And Austin Butler Premiere Photos From Apple TV+’s “Masters of the Air”

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: Cast attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ Masters of the Air at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Masters of the Air will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

Last night at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles, Apple TV+ hosted the red carpet premiere of “Masters of the Air,” the highly anticipated World War II drama that will premiere globally with two episodes of the nine-episode series on Friday, January 26.

Attendees at the “Masters of the Air” premiere included executive producers Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, alongside stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Nate Mann, Anthony Boyle, Barry Keoghan, Raff Law, Sawyer Spielberg, Jonas Moore, Elliot Warren, Matt Gavan, Edward Ashley, David Shields, Ben Radcliffe, Jordan Coulson, Branden Cook, Josiah Cross, Francis Lovehall, Phillip Lewitski, Jerry MacKinnon, Ella Rubin, Josh Bolt and Kai Alexander.

Co-executive producer and writer John Orloff; co-executive producers Graham Yost, Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank and David Coatsworth; directors Ryan Fleck and Dee Rees; author of the book, Donald L. Miller; and, World War II veterans, John “Lucky” Luckadoo, James Rasmussen, Henry Cervantes and Robert Wolff also attended the red carpet premiere event.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: (L-R) Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan and Austin Butler attend the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: (L-R) Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg and Gary Goetzman attend the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

Based on Miller’s book of the same name, and scripted by John Orloff, “Masters of the Air” follows the men of the 100th Bomb Group (the “Bloody Hundredth”) as they conduct perilous bombing raids over Nazi Germany and grapple with the frigid conditions, lack of oxygen and sheer terror of combat conducted at 25,000 feet in the air. Portraying the psychological and emotional price paid by these young men as they helped destroy the horror of Hitler’s Third Reich, is at the heart of “Masters of the Air.” Some were shot down and captured; some were wounded or killed. And some were lucky enough to make it home. Regardless of individual fate, a toll was exacted on them all.

Ranging in location from the bucolic fields and villages of southeast England, to the harsh deprivations of a German prisoner-of-war camp, and depicting a unique and crucial time in world history, “Masters of the Air” is enormous in both scale and scope, and a genuine cinematic achievement.

From Apple Studios, “Masters of the Air” is executive produced by Spielberg through Amblin Television, and Hanks and Goetzman for Playtone. Amblin Television’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey co-executive produce alongside Playtone’s Steven Shareshian. In addition to writing, Orloff co-executive produces. Graham Yost is also a co-executive producer. Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Dee Rees and Tim Van Patten serve as directors.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: Callum Turner (L) and Austin Butler attend the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: Austin Butler attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: Callum Turner attends the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 10: (L-R) Henry Cervantes, John Iuckadoo, Robert Wolff and James Rasmussen attend the premiere of the Apple TV+ “Masters of the Air” at the Regency Village Theatre on January 10, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. “Masters of the Air” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 26, 2024. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Apple TV+)

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT – Review

BITB_15372_R (l-r.) Thomas Elms stars as Chuck Day, Tom Varey as Johnny White, Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Shorty Hunt, Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, Luke Slattery as Bobby Moch and Wil Coban as Jim McMillin in director George Clooney’s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

As promised the onslaught of 2023 sports films marches, or in this case paddles, on. Hot on the heels of last week’s historical sports drama, comes this one based on a popular book from a few years ago. It’s not about wrestling, like Friday’s flick, but it is set in the past, though nearly fifty years before the Von Erichs. But there is an Olympic connection. This one concerns a larger team of young men defying the odds and overcoming hardship to go for the gold, rather than fame and fortune. Yes, the idea of “team” as in teamwork is essential to them as this particular sport depends on all those involved acting and reacting “in sync”. Otherwise, it’s a splash into the murky depths (or a nasty collision) for THE BOYS IN THE BOAT.


Actually, this film begins in the 1980s with a brief prologue of a grandpa’ advising his grandson on the nuances of canoeing. Cue the “fade out/dissolve” to the 1930s at the heart of the depression. In a junkyard next to a makeshift camp (perhaps they were still “Hoovervilles”), eighteen-year-old Joe Rantz (Callum Turner). studies for his college courses by lantern light in the back of a beat-up old jalopy which is now his home since he lost his mother after his father ran off. He’s doing well at the University of Washington, getting good grades, making friends, and even attracting the attention of a cute co-ed named Joyce (Hadley Robinson). Joe is somehow adept at hiding his homelessness until the college bills catch up to him. Due to the Great Depression, jobs are truly scarce. Then a buddy informs him that he can defray some costs by being part of the rowing team. At the tryouts, Joe and the other freshman are put through “the paces” by tough veteran head coach Al Ulbrickson (Joel Edgerton). Joe barely makes the team as Coach Al pairs the “junior squad” with a somewhat rebellious coxswain. Though Al is an inspiration, Joe forms a close bond with elderly boatbuilder George Pocock (Peter Guinness), more of a father/son relationship rather than a student/mentor. Slowly Joe and the team ‘click, and Al shocks the school by sending them to the big meets instead of the senior team. Despite their inexperience, they have a shot at competing in the Summer Olympics in Germany. But after barely scraping together enough money for the trek, will they take home the gold and glory when one of the team is stricken by an unexpected illness?


As the affable, stoic everyman at the center of the story, Turner gives real dignity and strength to the hardworking Rantz, making his intimacy with his mentor and girlfriend into powerful scenes in which he exhibits his vulnerability and inner heartbreak (the little boy inside still yearns for his folks). Edgerton is every inch the tough taskmaster as Coach Al, who is careful not to overpraise “his boys” but expresses his doubts and hopes in private with his assistant Tom Bolles (the engaging James Wolk) and his gorgeous wife Hazel (played with sexy humor by Courtney Henggeler). As Joe’s gal Joyce, Robinson is an energetic flirt as she tries to “wake him up” to notice her charms, then slowly becomes the rock of support he needs when the past catches up to him. But the film’s warm beating heart might be Guinness as the wise nurturing woodworker who gently passes on his knowledge and his way of living to the somewhat aimless young Rantz, acting much like a carpentry Yoda or Mr. Miyagi.


The film’s real coxswain. and head coach is director/co-producer George Clooney who captures the bleak look of a downtrodden 1930s America intercut with old-style mahognay-tinged academia. He’s most adept at telling the story with few cinematic flourishes, giving it the feel of a film from that era. But that’s part of the film’s problem as this true tale feels as though it’s been presented so many times and teeters on “inspirational sports film” cliches. There are the underdogs from RUDY, along with its “last chance at glory” coach from HOOSIERS, mixed with training montages right from CHARIOTS OF FIRE. It doesn’t help that the “big show’ at the 1936 Olympics seems tacked on scenes from 2016’s RACE with a fleeting cameo from Jesse Owens and flimsy Fuhrer imitator. Yes, since it’s based on a true story (and a best seller) we know the outcome, but even if it was fiction there are few surprises and little suspense (no virus is going to topple this team). Oh, the team members aren’t defined characters other than Joe and a shy guy who is a musical wiz. This all resembles a fairly glorified basic cable movie ( or a “special event” broadcast network “sweeps” flick). The look of the Northwest of 85 years ago feels authentic but it is not enough to send THE BOYS IN THE BOAT over the cinematic finish line.

2 Out of 4

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Day 2023

George Clooney, Grant Heslov And Cast Talk THE BOYS IN THE BOAT In New Feature

Director George Clooney on the set of his film THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

This summer, the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will be held July 26 – August 11.

For the first time in history, the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games will not take place in a stadium. Thousands of athletes will parade in boats along the Seine, the river that flows through Paris, in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators.

A total of 40 sports are in the Olympics, including rowing.

On Christmas Day, George Clooney’s new film, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT, is set for release – and it’s a terrific film!

Based on the best-selling book by Daniel James Brown, The Boys In The Boat tells the story of the bootstrapping University of Washington junior varsity rowing team that — against all odds — went on to represent the USA at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

A true underdog tale about working as a team, The Boys In The Boat depicts a beautiful landscape for the social and economic conditions of the time. Deftly navigating the staggering disparity between the haves and the have-nots leading up to World War II, Clooney and team deliver a heartwarming and bold tale of perseverance and unity.

In August 2017, PBS’s AMERICAN EXPERIENCE profiled their story in “The Boys of 36”. Catch it on Apple TV+, and Prime Video.

The new film stars Joel Edgerton, Callum Turner, Peter Guinness, James Wolk, Sam Strike, Thomas Elms, Jack Mulhern, Luke Slattery, Bruce Herbelin-Earle, Wil Cuban, Thomas Stephen Carey, Joel Phillimore, Hadley Robinson.

Around the turn of the century, particularly into the 1920s, rowing was hugely popular. Lately, its domain are colleges and certain country club circles, and the sport often flies under the mainstream radar. Though it still has its fans — ask someone from the Northeast about the Head of the Charles and you’ll get an earful — everyone worked hard to create excitement for a sport that has become more niche.

But rowing crew is not for the faint of heart. It’s a commitment. It’s not just a movie gimmick. Training for the film was rigorous, and rightly so. Actors attended mandatory training sessions twice a day involving weight training, cardio, and everything they’d be doing if they were rowers on a college team. Rowing coaches Terry O’Neill (aka Bad Cop) and Nick Harding (aka Good Cop), put them through the paces from day one.

And in the beginning, they were… not great, says Heslov.

(l-r.) Sam Strike stars as Roger Morris, Thomas Elms as Chuck Day, Joel Phillimore as Gordy Adam, Tom Varey as Johnny White, Wil Coban as Jim McMillin, Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Shorty Hunt, Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, Jack Mulhern as Don Hume and Luke Slattery as Bobby Moch in director George Clooney’s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Says Turner, “When we started rowing, we were useless. Terry O’Neill brought his friends down that he rowed with, and they’re all in their seventies. Terry gave this amazing speech about how rowing is his life, and he said, look at these guys behind me, these are my friends from rowing and you guys are going to make friends for life. There were tears in his eyes, really, he’s an emotional guy. I gave him a hug and we got in the boat, and we rowed so badly. They looked at us and they looked at Terry and the look on their faces was like, “what are you doing?”

“But to the trainers’ credit, about four weeks later we went back out there and they were rowing as a team,” Heslov says. “And then as we started shooting they kept practicing.”

The score (Alexandre Desplat), cinematography (Martin Ruhe) and Production Design (Kalina Ivanov) are fantastic.

Although Desplat is a master of composition, when it came to this film, he was as green as Joe the first day he showed up at rowing practice. “I had never worked on a sports movie,” Desplat reveals. “This one was a good way of starting!” He used this fresh take to his advantage, navigating the uncharted waters from a unique perspective.

Even with perfect attention to detail, there’s still one thing that even the best filmmakers can’t control: Shooting on the water. “I mean, I did The Perfect Storm, I knew what I was getting into.” says Clooney, chuckling.

That didn’t make it any easier.

“There is not one thing about shooting on the water that’s fun,” he continues. “Everything is slowed down. Try running through your swimming pool. You can’t just say, “let’s line up eight boats across with nine guys in each of ‘em, and start the race.” There is a current so the boats all start moving around and they’re not in straight lines, and our boats are moving. If the wind blows, everything’s moving around you. Everything is constantly moving.”

Everyone loves an underdog story and THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is the one movie to see during the holidays.

At the end of the day, the message of pulling together is important.

“We forget that we are all in this stew together and our differences really aren’t that much and there aren’t that many. ,” Clooney says. “Ninety-nine percent of us get along every day and really wish the best for one another and try to work it out. I think that this film reminds us that we are all in this together, and we’re actually on each other’s sides.”

(l-r.) Thomas Elms stars as Chuck Day, Tom Varey as Johnny White, Bruce Herbelin-Earle as Shorty Hunt, Callum Turner as Joe Rantz, Luke Slattery as Bobby Moch and Wil Coban as Jim McMillin in director George Clooney’s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT Trailer Rows In From Director George Clooney, Starring Joel Edgerton And Callum Turner

(l-r.) Chris Diamantopoulos stars as Royal Brougham, James Wolk as Coach Bolles, and Joel Edgerton as Al Ulbrickson in director George Clooney’s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Inspired by the incredible true story, watch the trailer for George Clooney’s THE BOYS IN THE BOAT.

The Boys in the Boat is a sports drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling non-fiction novel written by Daniel James Brown. The film, directed by George Clooney, is about the 1936 University of Washington rowing team that competed for gold at the Summer Olympics in Berlin. This inspirational true story follows a group of underdogs at the height of the Great Depression as they are thrust into the spotlight and take on elite rivals from around the world.

The film stars Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner. The score is from Alexandre Desplat.

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT will be in theaters Christmas Day.

Director George Clooney on the set of his film THE BOYS IN THE BOAT An Amazon MGM Studios film Photo credit: Laurie Sparham © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Check out the featurette.

https://www.mgm.com/movies/the-boys-in-the-boat

THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK- Review

This weekend presents us with another film set in Manhattan, but the locale is the only thing it has in common with MENASHE. Well, it does deal with a father-son conflict, though the duo here is worlds apart from the shop clerk and his pre-teen progeny. For this release we’re taken from the orthodox Jewish community of Brooklyn to the posh, intellectual upper west side, and the son is a good ten years older, a twenty-something. The conflict here concerns something, really someone, the two men have in common,  unknown to the patriarch. Though the son shares the frustrations about gentrification (“The city’s losing its soul”) with his parents’ friends, in many ways he may really still be on the cusp of adulthood, hence his status as THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK. And no, it’s not another post-apocalyptic, dystopian teens fighting for humanity opus, thank heavens.

It is set in the modern-day, as the opening title line-drawn animation informs us of the current state of the city, with the fleeing suburbanites returning to make NYC less dangerous…and interesting. We then meet the “title boy”, 23 year-old Thomas Webb (Callum Turner), a college graduate paying his bills as a Spanish tutor and living in a walk-up apartment on the lower east side. This is seen as an act of defiance by his father Ethan (Pierce Brosnan), owner of a small book publishing company. Perhaps he’s right, since Dad squelched his son’s own early literary aspirations by dismissing his work has “serviceable”. But Thomas still has much affection and concern for his mother Judith (Cynthia Nixon), a former artist who now channels her creativity by planning lavish dinner parties featuring a who’s who’s of NYC’s best and brightest. Judith’s also emotionally fragile, so Thomas tries to spend lots of time with her. He also spends time with a beautiful bookseller named Mimi (Kiersey Clemons). Thomas is smitten, but after a drug and booze-fueled one night stand, Mimi has firmly put him back in the “friend zone”. It was a mistake, a “one time thing”, since she’s got a boyfriend in a band who always seems to be on the road. But she still enjoys hanging out with him, which proves to be torture for Thomas. One evening, the frustrated young man meets his new neighbor, a much older man, sixty-something W.F. Gerald (Jeff Bridges), who inquires about his dour attitude. Soon Thomas opens up to the man who becomes a fatherly mentor, dispensing sage wisdom about life and love as they enjoy cigars and scotch. Then Thomas’s world cracks up when he and Mimi go to a high-class burlesque nightclub. He spies his father in the company of an alluring dark-haired younger woman. What if Judith finds out? He tracks her down and begins to “tail” the lady, first joined by Mimi, then solo. Eventually Thomas confronts the mystery woman, a free-lance editor named Johanna (Kate Beckinsale). He warns her to stay away from Ethan, while she believes he has other motives. A flirtation begins which sparks a wild romance, a very hush-hush affair. Has Thomas given up on Mimi? Can they keep this family destroying secret between them? Could things get even messier? Yeah, probably.

An impressive cast has been assembled for this very weird love triangle, but they’re tripped up by a script with an abrasive character at its center. Turner does his best to bring some humanity and depth to the mawkish self-absorbed Thomas, to no avail. He seems at times like a petulant adolescent just moments before throwing a tantrum when a shiny new toy is denied. Of course, the object of his main desire is the too flighty Mimi, Clemons projects smart sensuality, but it’s never clear why she continues to “lead on” then push away Thomas (perhaps she’s keeping him for a “back up” if the bad boy musician goes off with some groupies. Still, her character is more thought out than the siren cipher Johanna. Beckinsale is very believable as the high society knockout, but her dialogue is mainly riddles and admonitions. It’s never clear why she decides to juggle father and son, especially since there’s so little chemistry with Turner. Nixon, on the other hand, is the ethereal nurturer. Her Judith seems the fragile flower, but Nixon shows that there’s a lot more going on behind those clouded eyes. Bridges appears to be concocting a stew of some familiar recent roles for the oddball writer. He’s a bit of THE GIVER, a dollop of “The Dude”, with a layer of David Lynch (in his hair style and fashion sense). And yet again, his growling gritted jaw-line delivery becomes distracting. Oddly the actor who does some of his best work here may be Brosnan as a character we think is a heart-less, gold-grabbing philandering villain. However, Ethan has the most compelling “arc”, especially in the film’s last act when the triangle finally meets (connects, I suppose).

Amazingly this is the second feature this year from the prolific director Marc Webb, but with last April’s GIFTED he had a much more compelling story for that talented cast to explore. The New York locations are stunning (especially the wedding reception at a museum), but many of themes come of as “riffs” on much better Woody Allen flicks (a bit of HANNAH here, some MANHATTAN there). Plus many of the sophisticated dialogue comes off as coy and precious (like the opening scene cartoon). And the big emotional reveal in the final moments would be more at home in a daytime TV drama. The iconic city streets and Ms. Beckinsale are lovely, but THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK has little life or originality.

2.5 Out of 5