Melanie Laurent – We Are Movie Geeks

Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley And Melanie Laurent Star In Final Trailer For MGM’s OPERATION FINALE

MGM has released the final trailer for director Chris Weitz’s OPERATION FINALE. Starring Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, Melanie Laurent, Nick Kroll, Joe Alwyn, Haley Lu Richardson, Greta Scacchi and Lior Raz, the film opens in theaters on August 29.

Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures’ razor-sharp thriller, Operation Finale, brings to life one of the most daring covert operations in modern history.

Starring Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) and Golden Globe winner Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Ex Machina), the film vividly captures the ingenious and brilliantly executed mission to capture Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust.

Fifteen years after the end of World War II, acting on irrefutable evidence, a top-secret team of Israeli agents travel to Argentina where Eichmann (Kingsley) has been in hiding together with his family under an alias Ricardo Klement and execute an extremely dangerous abduction. In attempting to sneak him out of Argentina to stand trial in Israel while being pursued by the country’s right-wing forces, agent Peter Malkin (Isaac) is forced to engage Eichmann in an intense and gripping game of cat-and-mouse with life-and-death stakes.

Visit the official site: https://operationfinalefilm.com/

TOMORROW Screens at Webster University July 21st – 25th

TOMORROW screens Friday, July 21st through Tuesday July 25th at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). The movie starts each evening at 8:00pm.

In 2012, “Nature” published a study led by more than 20 researchers from the top scientific institutions in the world predicting that humankind could disappear between 2040 and 2100. It also said that it could be avoided by drastically changing our way of life and take appropriate measures. Shortly after giving birth to her first child, French actress and director Mélanie Laurent (Inglorious Bastards) became increasingly aware of the dangers and the state of urgency that her son will face in the future. Along with friend and activist Cyril Dion and their crew, she decided to travel the world in search of solutions that can help save the next generations. The result is Tomorrow, an inspiring documentary that presents concrete solutions implemented throughout the world by hundred of communities. From the US to the UK and through Finland and India, together they traveled to 10 countries to visit permaculture farms, urban agriculture projects and community-owned renewable initiatives to highlight people making a difference in the fields of food, energy, finance, democracy, and education. Their common ideas and examples make Tomorrow one of the most essential and unexpectedly inspirational viewing experiences of our time.

Michael Rechtshaffen of The Los Angeles Times writes:

“A forward-thinking take on addressing the demise of the human race, the French documentary “Tomorrow” swaps the usual handwringing doomsday prophesizing in favor of a decidedly more proactive approach.”

Edmund Lee at South China Morning Post says:

“Audiences from any culture should be able to learn from some of the potentially world-changing ideas paraded in this informative feature.”

Walter V. Addiego at The San Francisco Chronicle says TOMORROW is:

“An advocacy film that’s more vibrant than many movies with similar themes and focuses on some less common angles.”

Admission is:

$6 for the general public
$5 for seniors, Webster alumni and students from other schools
$4 for Webster University staff and faculty

Free for Webster students with proper I.D.

Advance tickets are available from the cashier before each screening or contact the Film Series office (314-246-7525) for more options. The Film Series can only accept cash or check.

BY THE SEA – The Review

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

First Trailer For Angelina Jolie Pitt’s BY THE SEA Stars Brad Pitt

Here’s a first look at the new trailer for BY THE SEA from actress/director Angelina Jolie Pitt.

Read the in-depth article over on PEOPLE where Jolie said about working again with husband Brad Pitt, “It was hardest [when] I was directing our fight scenes. I understand and appreciate his creative process and his work ethic even more than before.”

BY THE SEA opens in theaters November 13.

Written, directed and produced by Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie Pitt, BY THE SEA serves as her directorial follow-up to Universal Pictures’ epic UNBROKEN. The dramatic film stars Brad Pitt and Jolie Pitt, who are supported by an international ensemble led by Mélanie Laurent, Melvil Poupaud, Niels Arestrup and Richard Bohringer.

By the Sea follows an American writer named Roland (Pitt) and his wife, Vanessa (Jolie Pitt), who arrive in a tranquil and picturesque seaside resort in 1970s France, their marriage in apparent crisis. As they spend time with fellow travelers, including young newlyweds Lea (Laurent) and François (Poupaud), and village locals Michel (Arestrup) and Patrice (Bohringer), the couple begins to come to terms with unresolved issues in their own lives.

In its style, and its treatment of themes of the human experience, BY THE SEA is inspired by European cinema and theater of the ’60s and ’70s.

Jolie Pitt is joined behind the scenes by a key crew that includes cinematographer Christian Berger (The White Ribbon), who used his Cine Reflect Lighting System to shoot the film; production designer Jon Hutman (Unbroken); editor Patricia Rommel (The Lives of Others); and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick (Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Pitt joins her in production duties, while Chris Brigham (Inception), Holly Goline-Sadowski (Unbroken) and Michael Vieira (Unbroken) serve as executive producers.

http://www.bytheseamovie.net

https://www.facebook.com/ByTheSeaMovie

ALOFT – The Review

During the dog days of Summer, film fans may feel that they’re on an endless Hollywood highway with exits to “sequel city” and “superhero central”. But for those with a quick eye, they can break away from the express lanes and venture down an offshoot rarely used this time of year. Lets call it “art house road”, which also has its share of off ramps. We’ve got the foreign films, the feature documentaries, and the low, low-budget indies. Many of these examples of cinema made their debuts in the film festival circuit. Some are quirky whimsical comedies that often grab a fervent “cult” audience. This is new film is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s moody, somber, dark and attempts to comment on humanity, or the lack of such in the world. And occasionally “name” actors will be involved, telling the press that it was a chance to “hone their craft” and “escape the studio fluff”. That’s certainly true here, since one of the thespians in this new film is an honest-to-goodness Oscar winner. But can she, along with her cast members, make the story soar and keep this film ALOFT?

ALOFT begins 25 or 30 years ago in the past. We’re following Nana Kunning (Jennifer Connelly) as she trudges through the frozen fields of Canada, pleading to hitch a bus ride. She’s leading her two sons: ten year-old Ivan (Zen McGrath), who brought his pet falcon (yup, really) and his sickly seven year-old brother Ike (Peter McRobbie). They join a desperate group heading out to see a mysterious healer called “The Architect” (the whole thing is a “hush hush” secret event). But only one person that day will receive his “gift”, decided by a random lottery (you’ve got to grab the only white pebble from a canvas bag). Nana’s son Ike is not chosen, so Ivan asks if he can fly his falcon while they wait for the ride back. As the chosen young girl is led into the healer’s abode (a ramshackle structure made of loose branches and twigs), the bird swoops inside. Nana runs inside to protect the girl as the abode crumbles. The healing session is canceled and the organizers order the crowd to disperse. The crowd directs their wrath at Nana and her boys. Cut to today as a reporter, Jannia (Melanie Laurent) visits the home of the now grown Ivan (Cillian Murphy) to interview about his falconry/bird training business. Ivan is infuriated when she instead asks him about his mother, now a somewhat famous recluse. He orders her out as she leaves a disc and her contact info. Later that night he pops the disc into his laptop and sees some footage of his estranged mother wandering through a frozen forest. He reconsiders and meets with Jannia. She tells him of her impending journey to the Arctic to locate Nana and Ivan asks to join. Over the lengthy trip, Ivan’s mind drifts back to his childhood as we view the family’s tragic troubled past.

Connelly projects an indelible screen presence, one too rarely used in recent years, so it’s regrettable that she lends her talents to such an etherial, undefined role. She infuses Nana with grit and determination and elicits some compassion for this often beaten-down, struggling single mother (we rarely hear of her former partners as she trudges to her mind-numbing job at a meat processing plant). But we never really go inside her head as she makes her devastating parental decision. This is the inspiration for the constant anger and rage that Murphy must be project, with brief intervals particularly during an intense panic attack in the ice and snow triggered by a horrific childhood trauma. Laurent continues to impress as a compelling screen performer, but her role is often a plot device used to get two other characters in position for the big confrontational finale. Still her big reveal about the trip’s true purpose packs an emotional wallop. McGrath as young Ivan gives a realistic, nuanced portrait, free of cloying, child actor ticks.

Director/screenwriter Claudia Llosa never really breathes life into this dreary drama with the falcon subplot never emerging as more than heavy-handed allegory. Like the characters, we feel trapped in this bleak, overcast, frozen Hell with little chance of escape, or even a bit of warmth and sunshine. We’re on a never ending Arctic trek, too. With the two separate time lines, the story tries to build to a huge last act that never delivers any emotional heft. Instead we marvel at the superbly subtle aging of Connelly by the terrific make-up team (aided by her movement and vocal delivery). But in these last moments ALOFT finally crashes to the hard, cold ground with a definite thud.

1.5 Out of 5

ALOFT opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

Jennifer Connelly Stars In Trailer And Poster For ALOFT

Check out the first trailer and poster for the upcoming film ALOFT.

As we follow a mother (Jennifer Connelly) and her son (Cillian Murphy), we delve into a past marred by an accident that tears them apart. She will become a renowned artist and healer, and he will grow into his own and a peculiar falconer who bears the marks of a double absence.

In the present, a young journalist (Mélanie Laurent) will bring about an encounter between the two that puts the very meaning of life and art into question, so that we may contemplate the possibility of living life to its fullest, despite the uncertainties littering our paths.

From filmmaker Claudia Llosa (THE MILK OF SORROW), the director says ALOFT,

“journeys through the worlds of art and nature to explore the meaning of healing and death as it forces us to confront the immensity of such concepts as love, order, chaos and faith, which at times are impossible to understand through rational thinking alone.

Does art heal? Is nature a variable? Aristotle said that humans feel pain when they act against their nature.

In the end, we learn that understanding our own nature is the most difficult task in life and that, perhaps, art can help us by offering the possibility of catharsis and sublimation.”

ALOFT opens in the US May 22nd.

ENEMY – The Review

You’re probably heard the old chestnut that somewhere in the world resides your mirror twin or doppelgänger, a person with your exact mannerisms, voice, etc., but completely unrelated to you. Pretty farfetched a notion you say. Well film makers certainly believe it, or at least have used that idea for action thrillers and comedies in everything from THE PRISONER OF ZENDA to FRANCES JOINS THE NAVY!. But what if this discovery of your double is not the inspiration for swashbuckling romance or manic hi-jinks? What if it drops you into a nightmare world? That’s the main idea of ENEMY which re-teams co-writer and director Denis Villeneuve and actor Jake Gyllenhaal less that a year after their first work together, the crime thriller PRISONERS.

The film opens over the Toronto cityscape as we hear a voicemail message left by a concerned mother about her son’s new home. Cut to an elegant, nude mother-to-be. Then we’re inside a strange, dark, exclusive fetish club. Finally the camera zooms in on one of the club’s patrons (or is he?). It’s Adam Bell (Gyllenhaal), a disheveled college history teacher who trudges back and forth between work and his drab, spartan apartment. The monotony is occasionally broken by visits from his gorgeous girlfriend Mary (Melanie Laurnet) who drops by for drinks and lackluster sex. One day, in between classes, a colleague recommends a locally produced film to him. On the way home Adam stops at a video store and rents a DVD of “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way”. That night he pops the disc in his laptop, the film’s an unremarkable 1930’s-set comedy released the previous year. But that night the flick occupies his dreams. There’s something about the scene of the heroine checking in at a posh hotel lobby. It’s the bellhop! He’s got my face! Adam wakes up and views the disc again…it’s true. He makes note of the actors names in the end credits (Bellhop numbers one, two, three). Using an internet search engine he tracks down Anthony Clair, a fellow with a very different life from his. He’s successful, dynamic (he loves his motorcycle!), and shares a spacious brand-new high-rise condo with his beautiful, very-pregnant wife Helen (Sarah Gadon). The eventual meeting of the two men changes their lives in unexpected, twisted, tangled ways.

Gyllenhaal does such a good job of delineating Adam and Anthony that we are always sure of who’s who even when their spouses are being tricked. Adam is all slouches and nervous ticks as his eyes always seem to shift downward. When he’s not on automatic pilot delivering his class lectures he’s hesitant and stammering, his words barely trickling out of his clenched mouth. Anthony is all macho bravado and confidence while masking his inner darkness, easily intimidating his double. The big confrontation between the two provides some nifty special effects tricks. Unfortunately the actresses aren’t given anything quite as interesting to do. Laurent is a sensual free-spirit whose attraction to the drippy Adam is one of the film’s many mysteries. Gadon is often on the verge of hysteria as she learns of her hubby’s unknown twin. Luckily there is a sprightly cameo by the ever-radiant Isabella Rossellini as Adam’s condescending, haughty artist mother.

Director Villeneuve seems to be going for a nightmare set in broad daylight vibe (yet another spider, man?), but this just tends to undercut any dramatic tension that begins to slowly (so slowly) build. Fortunately the plot goes off in a somewhat unusual direction in the last half hour, but the final pre-fadeout scene will have most viewers scratching their heads (after checking their watches to see that this flick was really only ninety minutes). Despite strong work from Gyllenhaal, the film’s surreal stylings never really connects its themes. In trying to go for the artistic instead out of concentrating on solid story telling, these pretensions may be ENEMY’s own worst enemy.

2.5 Out of 5

New Trailer & Poster from Jake Gyllenhaal’s ENEMY

The first poster has arrived for director Denis Villeneuve’s ENEMY.

Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the actor and director also worked together on last year’s PRISONERS starring Hugh Jackman.

Watch the new trailer below, followed by a conversation with Toronto International Film Festival Artistic Director Cameron Bailey, where they will discussed the inspiration for the thriller, working methods and the distance between Hollywood and Toronto.

Adapted from the novel “The Double” by Nobel Laureate José Saramago, ENEMY tells the story of a university lecturer named Adam (Gyllenhaal) who is nearing the end of a relationship with his girlfriend Mary (Laurent).

One night, while watching a film, Adam spots a minor actor who looks just like him. Consumed by the desire to meet his double, Adam tracks down Anthony, an actor living with his pregnant wife Helen (Gadon) and engages him in a complex and dangerous struggle.

The film is a haunting and provocative psychosexual thriller about duality and identity, where in the end only one man will survive.

A24 will release ENEMY in NY on March 14, exclusive premiere on DirecTV February 6.

Official Website: http://a24films.com/

Likes us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A24films

Watch The New NOW YOU SEE ME Trailer

Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Michael Caine, here’s the new trailer for Summit Entertainment’s NOW YOU SEE ME.

NOW YOU SEE ME pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen”, a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists.

“The Four Horsemen” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

The cards are on the table, aren’t they? Directed by Louis Leterrier, NOW YOU SEE ME will be in theaters on May 31st.

http://www.nowyouseememovie.com/

LIKE on Facebook: http://facebook.com/NowYouSeeMeMovie
FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/NYSMmovie

BEGINNERS – The Review

Fathers’ Day was last Sunday, but it’s not too late to enjoy the latest entry in a long line of cinematic father/son stories. Like many other films, this twosome bonds as the son navigates through adulthood and the dad is near the end of his life’s voyage. But this story involves a surprising revelation from pop which sheds a new light on many incidents from their past.

Oliver ( Ewan McGregor ) is a single, thirty something, hang-dog California graphic artist. Besides dwelling on his past failed romantic relationships, he must deal with the home and effects ( including a very cute Jack Russell terrier ) of his recently deceased father, Hal ( Christopher Plummer ). In flashbacks we witness Hal coming out to his son shortly after his wife’s death. Oliver is stunned to hear his seventy-something father declare, “I’m gay.” after decades of marriage. In deeper flashbacks to Oliver’s adolescence we meet his eccentric, non-conformist mother ( Mary Page Keller). In these memories Hal is a faceless, shadowy figure always leaving the house as Mom stares at him with concern. Once he’s single and out of the closet Hal is re-energized. He buys a new wardrobe, places personal ads, joins a men’s choral group, hits the dance clubs, and gets a much younger boyfriend, Andy ( Goran Visnjic ). Unfortunately cancer arrives to curtail his new lust for life. Hal asks Oliver not to tell anyone and becomes more determined to not let the disease keep him from his new interests. In the present day Oliver meets a beautiful French actress, Anna ( Melanie Laurent ) at a party. She’s staying in town for a short time, but wants to act on her attraction to Oliver. As he tries to open up to his new love, Oliver has to put Hal’s estate in order while reflecting on the close bond the two shared in Hal’s final days.

Writer/director Mike Mills has made a very engaging-and personal- film. He’s told interviewers that his own father came out to him. Mills uses lots of interesting visual touches while occasionally veering into whimsically cute territory. The photo montages ( In 1969 this was beauty. This was the president ) are used too frequently and the close-ups of the dog with subtitles expressing his thoughts ( Go after her! ) seem forced. I did not enjoy the scenes of McGregor and his office mates indulging in some late night graffiti. It’s not cool, it’s vandalism. Speaking of McGregor, he does his best to make this mopey artist interesting, but often comes off as whiney and self absorbed. I was looking forward to seeing Laurent ( from INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS ) in an English language role, but she and McGregor generate very little chemistry on screen. Also, Visnjic’s child-like character almost becomes a male bimbo parody.

In spite of my problems with the film I recommend seeing BEGINNERS for the inspired acting by Christopher Plummer. He lights up the screen while portraying Hal’s infectious joy. Hard to believe that he’s been working in movies and television for nearly sixty years. Now past leading man roles, Plummer’s been giving one one supporting character performance after another in the last few years. Let’s hope the members of the Academy remember this great work at the end of the year. He makes you believe that you’re never too old to be a beginner.

Overall Rating: Three and a Half Out of Five Stars

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