For the last half a century or so, Americans have been on a seemingly never-ending quest for physical perfection. This has manifested itself in the proliferation of cosmetic surgeons, health food stores, diet books and programs, and the wide spread, often popping up overnight, health clubs (AKA spa, the gym, the fitness center, etc…). So, naturally these places would become a movie location, in comedies (in the 63′ classic original THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, Jerry Lewis causes havoc at a “Vic Tanny Gym”) to documentaries (the PUMPING IRON flicks). Then there’s those hybrid comedy/drama/romances like the John Travolta 1984 vehicle PERFECT and the Robert Altman ensemble called, simply, HEALTH. Now, in this new low-budget “indie” flick, three unlikely (and often unloveable) characters come together when one of them heads into a health club (sounds like an old joke set-up, “A guy walks into a spa…”), hoping, needing ,to achieve eventually, but not too slowly, RESULTS.
But, like the magazine ads, here’s the before picture. On an NYC street, schlubby Danny (Kevin Corrigan) pushes the call box to an apartment building, to no avail. He tries yelling up at the window, only to see it slam shut. Jump cut several months later and we’re at a small Austin, TX fitness club, “Power 4 Life”. Danny strolls in and asks about signing up. He’s escorted to the office of P4L’s owner/manager Trevor (Guy Pearce). After a sales spiel, Travor asks Danny about his goals (overall health, stamina…) and is stunned by the reply (“I wanna’ be able to take a punch, y’know?”). Oh, and Danny wants to work out in his home with one of the staff personal trainers. After he leaves, Trevor is about to give the gig to one of the hulking male instructors, when Kat (Cobie Smoulders), a feisty trainer who had a past fling with Trevor, overhears and insists on taking the job, despite the description of Danny ‘s “creepy vibe”. Kat is surprised when she meets him at his plush leased mansion complete with lots of recently purchased exercise equipment. Seems that after Danny was dumped and divorced by his wife, he inherited a fortune from his estranged mother. Things go well, so well that she accepts his offer to enjoy a little “herb” acquired from his local lawyer buddy Paul (Giovanni Ribisi), which leads to things getting a bit more physical than the usual “reps”. But on her next session visit, she’s horrified that he’s hired a blues combo and a local chief to cater an intimate meal. When she informs Trevor, he returns to lay down the law, but the two men strangely bond and soon become business partners in Trevor’s expansion plans. And just how does this complicate this already very complicated threesome?
This intimate, slice of life study boasts an impressive cast, its main asset being the energetic performance of Smolders as the aggressive, confrontational Kat. She may be best known to film audiences from her role in the Marvel movie universe as Maria Hill, Nick Fury’s top-notch second in command at the agency formerly known as SHIELD, or as Vince Vaughn’s long-suffering girlfriend in DELIVERY MAN. But this character may be closer in spirit to her breakthrough role on the long-running TV sitcom “How I Met Your Mother”, with her snarky barbs and “no B.S.”, cut-to-the-chase attitude (speaking of chase, her terrific first scene has her running, during her daily jog, down a client scarfing a cupcake). This film may be Smolder’s key card into some great films that require her to be more than the male lead’s “eye candy” (much as in DELIVERY) as she’s this story’s vibrant pulse. Giving a more relaxed performance is Pearce as the ambitious spa owner, who seems to be confused over his feelings about Kat and Danny. This loose style may stem from the fact that Pearce is free from doing a Brit or American accent (as in THE KING’S SPEECH or THE HURT LOCKER) since Trevor is a transplanted “Aussie”. And the role is a great change of pace from several villains of late (like LAWLESS). Of course his work isn’t quite as casual as that of Corrigan, the film’s hard-partying protagonist. His Danny is a laid-back dude who’s not been that changed by the flood of “F.U.” money into his life. As Trevor mentioned, he does have that “vibe”, but seems a good guy to “hang with”. Still the Kat’s initial encouragement of his flirtation is a tad tough to accept. As for the supporting players, Ribisi breezes through his “burned-out” legal stoner and rehashes the gravely-voiced lowlife he’s done too many times before (CONTRABAND, THE RUM DIARY). There’s a welcome appearance from Anthony Michael Hall as Trevor’s inspiration, but he’s got little to do besides glower into the camera and spout inspirational platitudes (“Pain is a reward”) while affecting a Slavic accent as he twirls a kettle-ball. Brooklyn Decker, as his subservient trophy wife, is given little do to, beside offer new courses, in a stilted dinner party sequence.
Writer/director Andrew Bujalski, whose last feature was the micro-budgeted COMPUTER CHESS, leads this seasoned cast with a more assured hand (CHESS was comprised almost entirely of movie newcomers), and, as stated earlier, elicits bravada work from Smolders. Unfortunately, the script often lets this talented ensemble down. Many scenes have no real conclusion or payoff, they mainly just stop or evaporate into the hazy Southwestern horizon. Plus most of the character motivations remain a mystery (Trevor is upwardly mobile, but Kat and Danny?). After an hour or so, the story grinds down to a lethargic stumble toward a conclusion that leaves too many threads dangling in the warm Texas breeze.. Ms. Smolders usually makes the film work when cutting through the “mumblecore” clutter (she’ll be igniting the screen in superior projects very soon), but audiences may feel in need of a real cinematic workout (to get their heart rates pumping once again) after these lackluster RESULTS.
3 Out of 5
RESULTS opens everywhere and screens exclusively in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre
In need of a little rom-com this summer during the upcoming blockbuster season?
Starring Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Brooklyn Decker and Giovanni Ribisi, check out thetrailer for RESULTS – in theaters and on demand May 29.
Recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable, Danny (Kevin Corrigan) would seem to be the perfect test subject for a definitive look at the relationship between money and happiness. Danny’s well-funded ennui is interrupted by a momentous trip to the local gym, where he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Guy Pearce) and irresistibly acerbic trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders). Soon, their three lives are inextricably knotted, both professionally and personally.
Writer/director Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess, 2013) returns with a fun, intimate fable that’s utterly grounded in real life. As wrinkles turn into complications, then blow up into full-fledged issues, the talented ensemble keeps the pensive tone light and the complex plot breezy. The end result is a charming shaggy-dog tale that’s been hitting the gym: taut, limber, and powerful.
Burn Later Productions has released the first photo from their upcoming film, RESULTS.
Written and directed by Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess), RESULTS stars Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3, Memento) Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother, Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Kevin Corrigan (Pineapple Express, Big Fan), Giovanni Ribisi (Ted), Anthony Michael Hall (Foxcatcher), Brooklyn Decker (Friends With Better Lives) and Constance Zimmer (House Of Cards).
Set in the fitness industry, the film follows two mismatched personal trainers, Trevor (Pearce) and Kat (Smulders), who surrender to love propelled by the actions of a newly wealthy client, Danny (Corrigan). The film recently completed production in Austin and Marfa, Texas and New York City.
The film will be in theaters sometime in 2015.
Smulders has recently reprised her role as Maria Hill in Marvel’s upcoming AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and Pearce just finished shooting EQUALS by Drake Doremus with Nicholas Haut and Kristen Stewart.
THEROVER, David Michôd‘s highly anticipated follow-up to ANIMAL KINGDOM, is set in a world 10 years following the collapse of society. Recently, WAMG sat down with David Michôd, Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson in a small press conference to talk about the film. Check it out below!
In David Michôd’s new film THE ROVER the rule of the law has disintegrated and life is cheap. The film follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson) in their wake. Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him. Michod also wrote the film based on a story he conceived with Joel Edgerton.
This looked very hot. Tell me about being on location and how did you deal with the heat.
Guy Pearce : It was great being out on location. It was great. The heat, obviously, is one of the big things we were experiencing in the story anyways. So it was grueling and it was hot, but it was mixed with those incredible locations. So it was all part of the experience. It’s kind of amazing being out there.
And for Robert?
Robert Pattinson : I genuinely couldn’t have answered it better. [Laughs]
Guy Pearce : I will be answering all questions on behalf of Robert.
For the director, I was just curious, you had some of the songs in Thai or was it Mandarin. Why choose Asian music?
David Michôd : It was Cambodian. I wanted the world of the movie, set as it is a few decades in the future after a particularly catastrophic economic collapse, to feel like Australia had a major geo-political type shift. Where Australia had been reduced to a kind of resource-less, third-world country. I wanted the world of The Rover to feel like Australia was experiencing a new gold rush. People were coming from all corners of the world to work in and around mines. Given where Australia is on the map, we are kind of right there on the middle of Southeast Asia, almost, that there would have been a lot of people from that part of the world who would’ve come out.
So much of this film is in this precise balance of mood and atmosphere. How do you keep track of this while you’re shooting? Is it something you, as actors, pay attention to or is this something that comes about in the editing room?
David Michôd : I feel like I have a reasonable grip on what I want to achieve while I’m shooting. I have a feeling there are certain places where I will want things to linger – where I will want to milk transitions or just generally leave space for what I know my beautiful collaborators in the world of post production will bring to the process. I don’t know what the experience is like for you guys.
Guy Pearce : A couple of things. One, I’ve worked with David before. But that aside, I’d seen David’s work as well, as I know Rob had. Obviously, I’ve seen Animal Kingdom, but I’ve seen David’s shorts as well. Not to suggest he has a tone that he sets and it’s gonna be the same on every movie, but in looking at the script and seeing those films, talking with David before we start. It really feels we get a sense of it. One of the things I really respond to is the tone of a movie –whether it’s a comedy or whatever it happens to be. Not that I do many comedies. I think it’s one of those things you really feel through your skin. In a sense that enables you to understand the rhythm that you’re kinda gonna work in and the rhythm of the character, etc. It’s the kind of stuff you are aware of to a certain degree even if you don’t necessarily talk about it everyday.
Rob, how do you see this relationship you have with Guy’s character in the movie? How does it relate to your own life experience?
Robert Pattinson : I think loyalty is probably the most important trait in a friendship. I was really lucky to have pretty great friends growing up. I think I’ve had all my friends for at least ten years. It’s definitely very important. I’m not really sure how to answer the question. It’s a definitely relates in The Rover. Rey’s loyalty is so easily swayed. By the time he gets back to his real brother at the end of the movie, I kept thinking how to play it when he first sees him again. It’s almost like he’s forgotten who he is – what that relationship was. That’s why he’s so conflicted at the end.
Rob, your character is referred to as a ‘halfwit’ in the film, but he does get around, surviving pretty well. How did you prepare for your role?
Robert Pattinson : I’m not entirely sure he can really get around by himself particularly well. As soon as he’s on his own for one second – that one moment he’s sitting under that tree – he has absolutely no idea what to do. It’s just a fluke that he sees the car there. I think if his brother’s car didn’t end up being there, he’d just sit under that tree and die [laughs].
You did save him though…
Robert Pattinson : Yeah.
David Michôd : I think he can only respond out of instinct.
Robert Pattinson : In a lot of ways, he’s basically been kidnapped by this guy. It’s not like he’s done anything for him. He could easily get another car. How did I prepare for it? I dunno. I just kind of – the script. A lot of what I wanted to do in this movie was, when I first read the script, it was quite instinctive.
Rob, I think that I’ve seen most of your films, but I don’t recall one where you’ve actually used a gun. I’m wondering how familiar were you with firearms, and did you have to learn it? Was it awkward for you? The same question for you, Guy.
Robert Pattinson : Um, I’ve done a couple of gun things. I’m quite anti-gun, especially to idiots like me. I didn’t really do any… I was actually supposed to do another film, playing a soldier where I did some stuff with guns before, but yeah… I’m not particularly familiar. I don’t think I did any particular training either. I think Ray’s supposed to be pretty rubbish, but he ends up being incredibly accurate [laughs] the one time he uses it!
Did they give you a gun coach?
Robert Pattinson : Yeah, there was an amorer, Scott…
How did it feel? Did you get a sense of ‘Oh, I get it now!’?
Robert Pattinson : I didn’t like it at all. I don’t like the feeling of it. I mean, obviously you get a little thrill… a little power trip of it. I especially felt silly holding a gun. Especially while shooting targets. You just have this, sort of, bang-making machine. [Laughs] After a while it just looses it’s luster.
Guy Pearce : For me, I’ve done tons of movies with guns. I’ve shot a lot of people [laughs] and I think I’ve been shot a few times. I, too, have a real issue with guns. I find they should just be banished off the face of the Earth. They’re awful things. I feel really comfortable with them now, as a prop, because I’ve done so many things with guns. And they’re fascinating! As Rob said, there’s incredible thrill, and power that you feel as soon as you have one in your hands because of the understanding of what you are capable of doing with this thing is, sort of, off the charts. It’s ridiculous, and it’s enticing, and it’s awful all at the same time. It just astounds me that so many people own guns in the world.
Does that information help to move your character forward?
Guy Pearce : Um, it’s different because my character is going through a different journey then what I’m going through with my gun experiences on film sets. Obviously, the underlying thing for me about guns on film sets is that I’m not actually going to kill anyone. I’m never actually going to. It’s not for real. That piece of information about the power that you feel as soon as you, sort of, have it in your hand… that might be something that informs, sort of, every character to a degree. Strangely, with this character, in this movie – he’s cut off emotionally from a lot of things. I mean, I kill eight people in the film. There is a certain level of difficulty and regret that he feels when he does it, but at the same time there’s an ability to just, kind of, kill another one. If he has to. It’s kind of a horrendous line that he treads, I think.
So, are you a big Keri Hilson fan? Where did that moment come from?
Robert Pattinson : David is. [Laughs]
David Michôd : I’m a big Keri Hilson fan.
Robert Pattinson : I didn’t realize how massive a song it was. I though David just found it. Yeah. I kind of like that song.
Guy Pearce : Not as much as you love her. [Laughs]
David Michôd : I wanted there to be a moment in the movie that – at that particular juncture in the film – for there to be a moment that reminds the audience that Rob’s character was just a kid who in different circumstances would probably just be listening to music, and thinking about girls, and playing with his hair in the mirror.
Robert Pattinson : That’s what I thought, for a performance… having that moment in another movie, be like ‘Ah. Really thinking deeply about my next move!’ [Laughs] It sort of looks like that from a distance. Just…
Guy Pearce : … singing along! [Laughs] About to kill someone… just singing a song. [Laughs]
The scene felt sad, too. It has a sense… a sad feeling to it because of where you are in the film, and knowing where you’re going next.
David Michôd : That’s exactly right. That’s what I meant at that point, at that particular juncture of the movie – for that to be a reminder that Rob was just a kid, for that moment, to sit, and stew, and then for him to get out of that car and step over to Guy at the campfire and say something really, kind of, sad and tragic.
Robert Pattinson : I also think that he was kind of excited about telling him his decision…
Guy Pearce : It’s interesting that his decision -whether that decision was made during that song – the stating of that decision comes out of having just sung that song [laughs] or having just been a kid, as you say.
David Michôd : So, it’s a little bit funny.
For Rob, this film certainly fits within the group of artistically adventurous films you’ve made outside of the TWILIGHT franchise. I’m curious, is thistle realm that you hope to work in going forward? Do you want to keep switching it up? What do you hope the fans who follow you from TWILIGHT into films like this are getting out of this?
Robert Pattinson : I mean, I don’t really have any particular preconceived plan. Even each of the TWILIGHT movies – I kind of approached them all as individual movies. I never really saw it as ‘Oh, going back to work on…’ I don’t know. You can’t really predict what an audience is going to like, or want, or even if they’re going to follow you to anything. I think if you try to make challenging stuff, and you put your heart into it – hopefully at least one other person is going to like it. [Laughs]
David Michôd : I will.
We’re from THE ROVER fan blog, and from ROBsessed. We loved the movie David. I just wanted to say that. We thought it was fantastic.
David Michôd : Thanks!
Our first question is for Guy, and for Rob. The movie has a lot of silent moments, but they are pretty impactful with the tone, and the emotion of the movie. I wanted to know what you were thinking when you were playing those silent moments. There wasn’t a lot of dialogue when you [Rob] were being sutured up, or staring at Eric sleeping, and Guy, all of the scenes where your eyes do the expressing. I didn’t know if you had any backstory as actors to help you with those silent moments since they had such a heavy impact.
Guy Pearce : Well, I think if there’s any backstory – that’s not necessarily what you’re thinking about. That’s just stuff that you know, that works for your character, that gets you in a place of confidence to get you to go and play the character. It’s interesting as an actor, because you’re half thinking about what your character should be thinking about, and you’re half thinking about the technical stuff, I suppose – I do, anyway – about camera position, and which way is gong to evoke more of the emotion. If you’re head’s more down, or across… technical stuff. I like not to think about that stuff too much, but sometimes you can’t help it. Whether or not you’re thinking about that, or whether you’re just conscious of that on some level. It changes all the time, but I think, particularly with a movie like this – it’s so subtle, but heavily laden with deeply rooted emotional stuff – you’re just trying to be in that stuff. You’re just trying to sit in that emotional place, because that’s what’s going to translate the most honestly, I suppose.
Robert Pattinson : I remember the first moment looking at you when you’re asleep in the chair. I suddenly remembered – I kept trying to play being stuck between two channels all the time. I remembered, because I was supposed to be waking up and, sort of, looking at him, and I remember talking to you about it and going ‘No. He has to start in the middle of the room…’
Guy Pearce : … already awake…
Robert Pattinson : Yeah, and just kind of – you’re starting in the middle, and you never really – it doesn’t get past the middle. I think that is something in a lot of those moments – trying to not think about not thinking about anything at all. [Laughs]
David Michôd : … being stuck between two channels…
Was there any particle scene that was challenging for you?
David Michôd : Um, I mean… I find all scenes challenging on that level. Every one of the scenes were important to me. Maybe if there is a big stunt, or something that is complicated and expensive to execute, then yeah. I feel the pressure of…
Guy Pearce : … getting it right…
David Michôd : Yeah! I feel the pressure of getting it right, and fear the consequences of not. Beyond that, every scene is really important to me. I don’t go into any scene feeling like ‘This is the big one, and I have to nail it!’. I go into every scene with adrenaline coursing though me, fearful of getting it wrong, and also excited about what will happen when we start rolling the camera. When you set up a scene, it’s really interesting. I don’t know if this is the experience you guys have, but for me it’s the same every time… when you walk on a new set, you block through the scene, and the first block through is always terrible. Everything just feels so wooden and slow, and clumsy. Then, I know that I have about half-an-hour with my actors to get it into the shape it needs to be, and that it will be in for the rest of the slot. That process is exile rating, because it always happens. You always get it to the good place. There is always a moment after that first block through where I find myself going ‘Ah. Ok. What am I going to do now? How am I going to fix this?’, but it always happens. There’s something about it, something about that adrenaline – that electricity on set that make it come alive really quickly.
Rob, this is the second post-apocalyptic, futuristic movie you’ve made along with ‘Cosmopolis’ – why are you drawn to such projects? And what is your view of the future? Are you pessimistic or optimistic?
Robert Pattinson : I don’t really see either of them as post-apocalyptic. I mean, I see both of them as quite hopeful as well. I think ‘Cosmopolis’ was about a guy who didn’t know how to live and has one second of feeling what it’s like to be alive, which is kind of a good thing – it’s more than most people, I think. And ‘The Rover’ I think was always really hopeful. I think it’s really funny – I think the end is sad…and I always just talk about it in terms of my character’s story…[Laughs]
Guy Pearce : No, as you should…
Robert Pattinson : I can’t seem to see it in any kind of wider scope than that at all, but–
David Michôd : It’s sad, but there is hope in sadness, often…
Robert Pattinson : Yes, you’ve made an impact on Eric as well…
David Michôd : It’s a recognition of things that are important, and when that recognition happens too late, that in itself is innately sad, but it’s not hopeless.
Robert Pattinson : And I have a very optimistic view of the world, mainly because I like my life. [Laughs]
Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson prove that it takes more than just heavy dialogue to make a powerful movie in David Michôd’s latest film, THE ROVER.
Ten years after the fall of Australia, Eric (Guy Pearce) sets out to hunt down three gun-toting men after they steal his car. Shortly into his mission he finds Rey (Robert Pattinson), the half-witted brother of one of the car thieves. Pearce forces Ray to come with him, and the two soon realize that they have the same end goal… revenge.
David Michôd takes viewers into a dark, post-apocalyptic world where everyone seems to be out for themselves, struggling to live. We aren’t sure what caused the fall of their civilization, only that most people were there to work in the mines. Michôd doesn’t give a ton of backstory, and the film is paced for a slow reveal, so patience is key. Rather than relying on heavy dialogue, he lets the scenery, and raw emotion of the characters tell a story of two lost individuals trying to survive.
Guy Pearce is always a treat to watch onscreen. This is the second film he has done with Michôd, but this time he takes the lead and shows audiences just how talented he is by bringing his anti-hero character to life without a tremendous amount of dialogue. Pearce is probably one of the most underrated actors of this generation, and if this film doesn’t convince you of his talent, then I don’t know what will!
This film is a big departure from most of Pattinson’s previous films. It seems that he is choosing more artistic, independent films over blockbusters. I’m not sure if this is to break away from his TWILIGHT reputation, but it’s working. Twi-Hards expecting the sparkly, handsome man that they fell in love with as Edward will be sadly disappointed. Instead, they will be greeted by a slow talking, dirty kid who is severely lacking in the IQ department. Having said that, he is phenomenal! Pattinson’s performance surprised me, and left me impressed. He’s making smart film choices, and it shows!
Pearce and Pattinson have an amazing chemistry together, and carry this film in a way that most actors wouldn’t be able to. While neither character is very likable, they somehow manage to make the audience invest in their journey through the incredible Australian landscape. Michôd paints a tonally somber, yet eerily beautiful background for Eric and Rey to exist in.
THE ROVER is both depressing and rewarding. This film is one of the more impressive indie films that i’ve seen this year, and worth the trip to the theater just to watch the chemistry and talent of its leading men.
WAMG is giving away Run-Of-Engagement passes to THE ROVER. The movie stars Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson and Scoot McNairy.
THE ROVER, David Michod’s highly anticipated follow-up to ANIMAL KINGDOM, is set in a world 10 years following the collapse of society. The rule of the law has disintegrated and life is cheap. The film follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback.
When a gang of thieves steals his car they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson) in their wake. Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him.
Michod also wrote the film based on a story he conceived with Joel Edgerton.
From A24 Films, THE ROVER opens nationwide June 20.
THE ROVER passes will be good at the Tivoli Theatre.
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN, ENTER YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW.
A24 Films has released a new featurette for director David Michod’s THE ROVER. The movie stars Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson and Scoot McNairy.
An official selection at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Variety’s Scott Foundas wrote in his review that the film establishes, “Michod as one of the most gifted young directors around” and to look for “a career-redefining performance by Robert Pattinson that reveals untold depths of sensitivity and feeling.”
THE ROVER, David Michod’s highly anticipated follow-up to ANIMAL KINGDOM, is set in a world 10 years following the collapse of society. The rule of the law has disintegrated and life is cheap. The film follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce) as he travels the desolate towns and roads of the outback.
When a gang of thieves steals his car they leave behind a wounded Rey (Pattinson) in their wake. Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that still matters to him.
Michod also wrote the film based on a story he conceived with Joel Edgerton.
THE ROVER opens in NY/LA June 13, Nationwide June 20.
Drake Doremus takes us on a journey into the lives of a suburbanized city family man and the exchange student who opened his eyes in the all new American drama BREATHE IN.
BREATHE IN is the newest release by director Drake Doremus, and stars Felicity Jones, who is making her second appearance in a Doremus film. Jones plays Sophie Williams, a British exchange student who has come to New York to find inspiration on her musical journey. She ended up with a seemingly happy host family, but soon that facade begins to crumble. Her attention is turned on Keith, played by Guy Pearce, an angry musician who has watched his passion fizzle into an unrewarding, lifeless career as a piano teacher. Sophie’s passion for music begins to awaken a part of Keith that has layer dormant for years, and the two form a bond over the feeling that they don’t belong in the house that they come home to.
Written by Doremus and Ben York Jones, the story itself is not as powerful as I hoped that it would be. Doremus captures these incredible, emotional moments, but I feel that the warning signs of what was to come were so apparent that the character might as well have walked right into them face first… and in a sense, they did. The film is incredibly predictable. Having said that, the performances are what make this an interesting film. Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones play their characters with an intensity and power that draws the audience in. Their chemistry is undeniable on-screen.
Doremus uses a low, natural light to capture a breathless, more natural feel to the film, allowing a fitting mood to compliment the actors during their scenes. He does a great job of showcasing the lighter and darker sides of love. I feel like all of the pieces of the puzzle were there to make an incredible film, but due to the predictability of the script… I found it to only be a good film.
OVERALL RATING : 3 out of 5 stars
BREATHE IN Opens March 28th in NYC at AMC Empire 25, Chelsea 9, and AMC Village VIII and April 4th in LA
Here’s the first trailer for THE ROVER, the follow up to director David Michôd’s ANIMAL KINGDOM.
The slow-burn thriller stars Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson and is set in the Australian desert in a dangerous and damaged near future. The film was written by Michôd and based on a story conceived by Michôd and Joel Edgerton.
A24 will release the film in the US in the Spring of 2014.
From what we’ve seen of this first teaser, it’s no wonder the film is one of most anticipated films of 2014.
THE ROVER is set in a world ten years following the collapse of the western economic system, where Australia’s mineral resources have drawn the desperados and dangerous to its shores. With society in decline, the rule of law has disintegrated and life is cheap.
The film follows hardened loner Eric (Pearce), who travels the desolate towns and roads of the Australian outback. When a gang of thieves steals his car they leave behind the wounded Rey (Pattinson) in their wake. Forcing Rey to help track the gang, Eric will go to any lengths to take back the one thing that matters to him.
THE ROVER was produced by Liz Watts for Porchlight Films and David Linde under his Lava Bear Films banner, along with Michôd. The film also co-stars Scoot McNairy, David Field, Anthony Hayes, Gillian Jones and Susan Prior. Celebrated Argentinean filmmaker Natasha Braier acted as Director of Photography and Michôd also teamed up again with Animal Kingdom Production Designer, Jo Ford.
IRON MAN 3 is back, and packed with more excitement than ever! Recently, WAMG was invited to attend the IRON MAN 3 press day where Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Shane Black and Drew Pearce sat down with members of the media for a press conference. Check out some of the highlights below.
Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?
Shane, with Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was a great film… did Robert Downey call you to come onto this and do this with him? And can you talk about what your ambition was for Number Three, specifically?
SHANE BLACK: Yeah. I can only imagine that having worked previously with Robert contributed to him calling me, and asking me aboard this somewhat more ambitious production. But yeah, I had worked briefly with him and sat with him and Favreau during the inception of the first Iron Men, during those early phases. And I was impressed with the project. I was impressed with both of them. And the chance to have a green lit picture where I got to work again with Robert Downey and reunite, and also spend time with Jon Favreau, who gave me endless tips and advice on this thing, was just so – too attractive to pass. Our ambitions were to make sure that we had, in fact, a movie that felt like a worthy successor to the two previous Favreau films. And it’s – and to Marvel’s credit, they allowed us – they said, “We’ve done the Avengers, we made a lot of money. But let’s not do that again right now. Let’s do something different.” And they allowed for a different, sort of stand-alone film, where we got to be more character centric and look basically back to basics at what Tony Stark would do next – what was left to tell of his story. And that was very appealing to me. So to make it more of a thriller and to make it more about Tony and less other-worldly, and sort of just ground it more – that was our intention. I hope we succeeded.
I’m curious about the version what we’ll see in China, and how much new footage there will be in the film, and is it different, because I couldn’t really tell from this movie where something like that would kind of fit into the picture.
SHANE BLACK: Well, we left out the giant dragon. I – you know, I just – I know there’s additional footage.
DREW PEARCE: I think there’s – I think they want, Marvel would like to keep an element of surprise about that. So when the inevitable versions of it feed back to us, you’ll see exactly what it involved. But for the moment, I don’t think we’re allowed to talk about it.
SHANE BLACK: Yeah, the Chinese version will be an interesting surprise. We do know that there’s additional footage that will be available in that version, which I’m sure will filter back here.
Yeah. My question is for Mr. Black. Previously, you’re very well known for your R rated action comedies. With this film, you’re obviously working within the PG 13 rating. Is there anything you thought of that was maybe a little too extreme for this? And how was it giving up your F word?
SHANE BLACK: You know, the F word, tempting as it always is, especially in film environments, was pretty easy because we – I had done a film for kids previously, called The Monster Squad, where we [cheers]- Jesus.
REBECCA HALL: Oh.
SHANE BLACK: Okay.
DREW PEARCE: That’s like a carbon dating test. You’re –
SHANE BLACK: Yeah, it truly is. That’s 1987, folks, and be careful. But then again, how – you were children then. You were all children. I was – I’m – that was ages ago. So coming into this, I had to go back and say, “I remember what it was like when I went to the matinee to stand in line for Empire Strikes Back, or Star Wars, or those types of films, and get excited all over again about that type of adventure – that you could appeal to a family but it was still edgy. You know, I don’t want to – we didn’t want to pander. We didn’t want to make a kiddie film. But we knew very well that we couldn’t, you know, go beyond the boundaries of PG 13.
DREW PEARCE: That’s not to say we didn’t push it a little in the first couple of drafts.
SHANE BLACK: No, there – yeah – Tony only said fuck five times in the first draft.
DREW PEARCE: That is technically true, and we actually had to have a sit down conversation about the fact that you couldn’t say fuck in a PG 13.
SHANE BLACK: But you know, but there was a point when you would write for television, when I was coming up in this business, you would just say fuck anyway, and you would just know that they would take it out later.
DREW PEARCE: That was – that was weirdly the additude.
SHANE BLACK: Yeah.
DREW PEARCE: It’s like –
SHANE BLACK: Yeah.
DREW PEARCE: But everyone’s going to see this, see.
SHANE BLACK: Yeah, so but basically, there was no problem with that. I have no problem with tailoring material to the audience that it’s intended for, as long as you keep the edge – as long as you don’t condescend to that audience, I think that it’s absolutely spot on.
DREW PEARCE: Well, we’ve got a brilliant actors, as well, which helps so much because they can give it the swing and feel of grown-up conversation without necessarily having to hit the F button.
SHANE BLACK: Oh, Rebecca was pretty bad.
DREW PEARCE: Yeah, she was profane. She was truly profane.
This is for Rebecca. Many years ago at junket, I asked you if you could imagine being in a superhero movie. At that point, you seemed kind of amused by the idea. But now here you are with Sir Ben Kingsley. At this point, does everyone end up in a superhero movie, at this point?
REBECCA HALL: Uh, I’m not sure that it’s obligatory, but I think – it’s – it might be getting that way, yeah.
And what inspired you to do this one?
REBECCA HALL: I – well, it was a – you know, it sounds a slightly flippant response, but it was a combination of ‘don’t knock it ‘til you try it’ and this one seems like one that would be very fun to try, and one that I admired – do it – you know, admired – I remember going to see the first Iron Man film and thinking, you know, what an unusual thing that they’re not casting action heroes, they’re casting Robert Downey, Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. This must be interesting. And I remember watching it and thinking, you know, there’s – it’s not just about the action sequences and the thrill ride or whatever. It’s also about the repertoire, and the wit, and the dialogue, and there was something of a sort of screwball battle of the sexes comedy going on that I loved. And I thought, you know, that this would be a great thing to be a part of.
Rebecca and Guy, can you talk a little bit more about your – coming to set for the first time, getting used to this sort of Marvel style of movie making. And I think we all get the sense that Robert sort of leads the charge among the acting troupe, and kind of helps set the tone of this – what you’re doing each time out. Can you kind of, well, give us a sense of what it was like to start up in this?
GUY PEARCE: Well, it – I mean, it – I don’t know that – I don’t know that you – you really got a sense of what sort of Marvel moviemaking is like, necessarily. I mean, you know, Shane and Robert, obviously, were sort of leading the charge, as you indicated. And I mean, I guess in the end, lots of films kind of feel the same, once you’re standing there in front of the camera, and you’re just trying to be convincing and do what you need to do, you know. But I think the interesting thing about doing this was that there were two previous films that were, you know, successful and you know, Rebecca and I had seen both of those films and were big fans of them, really admired them. And so it was interesting to sort of step into something that – it already existed. Obviously, working with Robert is something quite specific because he’s, you know, he’s the genius that he is. He’s a lot of fun; he likes to improvise. You’ve really gotta be on your toes. And so you know, but I think every film you do feels very different from the last film that you’ve done. So it didn’t – I didn’t – I didn’t sort of think, “Oh, wow, this whole Marvel universe feels extremely different to anything else that I’ve done.” I mean, obviously, we were really aware of the visual effects, I think, that were going on behind the scenes, you know – they were literally sort of rows of people sitting behind us at the monitors with laptop computers, kind of mocking up versions of what things were gonna look like – which, you know, doesn’t often happen on a two million dollar Australian movie. So that – that was kind of different, you know – you’re aware of the visual effects world that I think will be incorporated later. Yeah.
For Shane – there’s a common theme that runs through a lot of your films, and it’s Christmastime. Lethal Weapon, and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, and now Iron Man 3 all set during the holiday season. What is it that you like about putting a movie at Christmastime, and why did you feel that was right for Iron Man 3?
SHANE BLACK: Well, it just sort of evolved, oddly enough, with Iron Man 3, ‘cause I had resisted it. It was Drew who talked me into it, eventually.
DREW PEARCE: If I was gonna go see a Shane Black Iron Man 3 movie, then it had to be at Christmas, although I – but there’s always a reason for it, as well.
SHANE BLACK: Yeah, there has to be – I think it’s a sense of if you’re doing something on an interesting scale that involves an entire universe of characters, and many – one way to unite them is to have them all undergo a common experience. And there is something at Christmas that unites everybody, and you – it just sort of already sets a stage within the stage, that whatever you are, you’re experiencing this world together. And I think that also, it just – there’s something just pleasing about it to me, ever since – I mean, I did Lethal Weapon back in ’87, and we did Christmas, and Joel liked it so much he put Diehard at Christmas. And that had some – there was some fun to that. So look – Yeah, it’s not – you don’t have to do every film that way.
DREW PEARCE: There’s an interesting thing at Christmas, as well, like when you’re telling a story that’s about taking characters apart, it almost has more resonance if you put it at Christmas, and if you’re also telling a story about kind of lonelier characters, as well, then that loneliness is kind of heightened at Christmas, too.
SHANE BLACK: It’s a time of reckoning for a lot of people, where you take stock as to where you’ve been, how you got to where you are now, and the lonely – lonely people are lonelier at Christmas, and you tend to notice things more keenly, more acutely, I think.
DREW PEARCE: Plus, there was a kind of Christmas carol thing that we wanted to bring in for Tony, as well, a certain sense of –
SHANE BLACK: Meeting the Ghost of Christmas Past.
DREW PEARCE: Yeah.
SHANE BLACK: In the sense that Harley is kind of him, as a young boy, just encountering all these different things that come to him, almost like a fever dream, when he’s at his lowest point. I think that was the idea, as well.
DREW PEARCE: So we’ve post-justified putting it at Christmas pretty roundly there.
SHANE BLACK: Yeah.
SHANE BLACK: We could go on.
This question is for Mr. Black. And originally you had said that you didn’t want to use the Mandarin – you identified him as kind of a racist caricature. Is that what kind of led to the Mandarin evolving into what it is now?
SHANE BLACK: It’s part of it. More pertinently, I just thought it was an interesting idea, to try to mix it up so that if you’re gonna do something that involves a terrorist in the modern world, who’s just sort of a villain, who’s just sort of a guy that we’re all afraid of – why not say something about the entire experience of what it would take, for instance, to create a myth that was all things to all people, the true – from elements of traditional historic warfare, like swords and dragons, surrounded itself with icons that were recognizable, like the beard from Fidel Castro and the field cap from, you know, Gadhafi. Why not make an Uber-terrorist and then play with the idea of that – of a corporate world full of think tanks whose assignment, let’s say, was to cobble together the ultimate warfare specialist, and then have that man’s sole unifying characteristic be his undying hatred for America, such that he attracts to him these acolytes and disciples who respond to the myth. We thought that was an interesting idea, regardless of his ethnicity, you know.
Hi. Mr. Black, I was just wondering, did you cut the Chinese version yourself, or how much time you had to put into that. And also, like did you know that it will be only in this special, special edition that when you – you know, the team went to China to show that part; or it was actually an idea that made, you know, later on, that you had to cut it from this U.S. version?
SHANE BLACK: We – there was a sort of idea for the Chinese version, what it would entail in additional footage that I was asked to look at and approve, and I was busy doing the American version while we were simultaneously obtaining footage for the Chinese version. So I got a sense of what was going on, and I was asked to look at and had a chance later to approve the footage. So now we’ve got these two versions. I’m just thrilled that we had the opportunity to work with what is one of the single fastest emerging, you know, box office environments in the world, which is China, where they build theaters so quickly now.
This is for Rebecca and for Guy. You’re stepping into this very well-oiled machine of not only Marvel, but Disney, and the Iron Man world specifically. Did you have any trepidation about coming into this franchise? And what kind of particular special challenges did you meet emotionally and physically in tackling the roles?
REBECCA HALL: Well, there’s trepidation, I think, when you get involved with any job. But I think it would be tremendously egotistical of me to suggest that I was in some way carrying the weight of the franchise. So there wasn’t that kind of fear. It was more – it was more the feeling you get going to an amusement park and going on the scary rides, I think, you know – you know it, it’s exciting. You know what you’re getting – it might be a bit scary, but you know it’s gonna be fun, and you can get off and leave at the end. But it was – yeah, of course, any job is scary, but you tackle the challenges head on, and hope for the best.
GUY PEARCE: Yeah, I think the same, really. I mean, I – you know, you do feel kind of nervous about any film you take on. I didn’t – I think if I feel inspired by a job enough to sort of want to take it on, then any kind of concerns that you have, you’re prepared to sort of face, you know. And I don’t – I don’t – I don’t think I really had any concerns that would have stopped me from doing it. I’m certainly aware that, you know, there are a lot of fans, you know, behind, you know, comic strip films, and obviously these Iron Man films. But you know, I mean, you know you’re in good hands with these guys. And I think ultimately, you just want to make sure you can bring a truth to the character you’re playing. And as far as sort of challenges, I guess, I mean, there was – you know, there’s quite a lot of the green screen stuff – I know for you, that was probably the first time you’d really sort of –
REBECCA HALL: Yeah, first time.
GUY PEARCE: – worked with it. I mean, I’d done a bit of green screen stuff before. And it’s – on some level, it’s actually kind of fun, you know, because you’re relying on your imagination. And I think in this, it actually wasn’t – it wasn’t so extreme that you would – you were trying to imagine a person in front of you that actually wasn’t there or anything like that. But you know, and as I say, you know, you’ve got a visual effects team sort of working away constantly, and they’re sort of showing you previews, you know, of the scene you’re meant to be doing and then how it’s actually meant to look. So I think, again, you’re sort of in really good hands on a visual sense, as well.
This is for Guy Pearce, and Rebecca, you feel free to chime in if you’d like. You sort of see Guy, your character in his first act and his third act, and there’s 13 years of unspoken story in development in there that doesn’t appear on screen. How much of that do you work out? How much of that do you understand, with Shane or with anybody else, as a part of creating the whole character?
GUY PEARCE: Well, I don’t know how to ans–
REBECCA HALL: [INDISCERNIBLE] a sequel.
GUY PEARCE: Yeah, that’s right. It’s in the – or the prequel. I’m not really sure, you know, I mean, we just sort of talked about the development of the company that he’d begun, I suppose, and the effects that extremists had sort of had over that period of time, you know. And you know, we see a couple of clips, obviously, when Tony’s in the television van and he’s seeing sort of moments of Killian, you know, in front of his people, sort of talking to his team, and you sort of see slightly different looks. And you know, you see the kind of progression of his – his look, I guess. So it was just a matter of sort of talking through that, and making sure we kind of understood, you know – for example, also when Gwyneth would have worked for Killian and how long for, etc. But it was, you know, fairly sort of straightforward stuff to understand.
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley,Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce & Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968.
