Tag: Robert Pattinson

DIE MY LOVE – Review

Just as the end of the year family holiday preparations are beginning, moviegoers are getting another flick about the dark side of motherhood (something to think about as you await her never-dry turkey). Think of these as the flip-side to those Hallmark cable movie staples. So, last year we saw Amy Adams howling at the moon as NIGHT BITCH. And just a few weeks ago, I endured (that’s right, though many of my fellow critics are embracing it) Rose Byrne careening close to the edge in IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU. Now for the first full weekend of November, an Oscar-winning actress who’s been a movie MIA for the last couple of years is returning in a flick with a mixed-message title (or is it somewhat passive-aggressive) title, DIE MY LOVE (I wonder if they toyed with a title riff on the Everly Brothers classic and called it “Dye, Dye, Love”).

After several seconds of a black screen with ambient sounds, the story begins as longtime couple Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson) enter what will be their new home. Actually he’s been there before, since it was owned by his late uncle, but she’s a tad “under-whelmed” by the rickety, weather-beaten shack in the middle of rural Montana. Nonetheless, they soon turn it into their family home with the arrival of a baby boy. Ah, but we then get a flashback as pregnant Grace is hosting a big holiday dinner for her in-law, including Jackson’s doting mother Pam (Sissy Spacek) and his addled papa Harry (Nick Nolte), who somehow connects with Grace. The story springs ahead as Jackson begins taking jobs that keep him away from her and the baby . This sends Grace down a road of despair and delusion. She’s certain Jackson’s cheating on her, since their passion has cooled. Is that why Grace likes to crawl around like a cat in the tall grass? Or is it the reason she joins Pam on her midnight sleepwalking strolls? And is the mysterious man on a motorcycle, Karl (LaKeith Stanfield) real or a “player” in her fevered fantasy dream state? Can Jackson get his own act together to guide Grace away from the abyss of possible madness?

Though the two leads get fairly equal billing in all the marketing, this film serves as a reminder that Ms. Lawrence is one of our most compelling and adventurous actresses. Once again, she’s “without a net” as the complex Grace who elects our sympathy just before showing “her claws” (listen to how she verbally assaults that poor cashier). What a handful, though Lawrence conveys her deep almost fanatical devotion to her child (mama Grizzly, indeed), while seeming to endanger herself frequently (always eyeing Pam’s rifle). Her Grace is sad and scary. Let’s hope it’s not another two years until Lawrence “graces” the big screen. Thankfully, she has chemistry to spare with Pattinson, who brings more humanity to Jackson than’s there in the script. He’s not as complicated as Grace, but Pattinson draws us in to see the shift from the beer-swilling “good ole’ boy” to the husband struggling to understand his spouse. Happily, these current film stars share a few scenes with a couple of veteran actors who made their “mark” nearly fifty years ago. Spacek is a caring and giving “Earth mother”, who is one of the few elders who notices something is “off” with Grace and embraces her as a way of destroying the “demons”. But she’s also “fragile” after the loss of her own love, played by the raspy, often menacing Mr. Nolte. Harry isn’t around for the story’s big catastrophic turns, but Nolte projects a pride that shines through even as he struggles to make it past his mental “fog”, which is parted by the concern and compassion of Grace. He’s not given much dialogue, but Stanfield says so much with his dark, brooding eyes, which is like gasoline to the still smouldering embers of passion in Grace’s libido until he gets tangled in her mania.

This exceptional cast is guided by director/co-screenwriter (joining Alice Birch and Edna Walsh in adapting the book by Ariana Harwicz) Lynne Ramsay, whose 2011 horror/drama WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN is far too relevant. She keeps the characters operating in an almost dream-like state, perhaps to reflect Grace’s slowly cracking psyche. This puts us at a distance as the timeline is shifted haphazardly (that family flashback doesn’t fir with the first act). I was reminded of another “artsy” drama in which Lawrence was a tortured (in all ways) lead, the baffling MOTHER. Like that “experiment” we’re subjected to a near constant feeling of danger as Grace makes bizarre choices that often leave her naked and bloody. In that way, Jackson is seemingly an “after thought”, showing up to try to “clean up the mess”. And it’s so messy, sometimes scuttling any incident into the very real challenges of postpartum depression (Grace juggles that with her cluttered “head space”). This makes for frustration for the folks around the couple along with us. And, once again, good intentions are part of the road to Hell and Hellish cinema. Even though Lawrence is still a most watchable talent, her bravado can’t work its magic on DIE MY LOVE.

2 Out of 4

DIE MY LOVE is now playing in select theatres

Robert Pattinson Stars In First Trailer For Bong Joon Ho’s MICKEY 17

From the Academy Award-winning writer/director of “Parasite,” Bong Joon Ho, comes his next groundbreaking cinematic experience, “Mickey 17.”

The unlikely hero, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has found himself in the extraordinary circumstance of working for an employer who demands the ultimate commitment to the job… to die, for a living. Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, “Mickey 17” stars Robert Pattinson (“The Batman,” “Tenet”), Naomi Ackie (“Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”), Steven Yeun (“Nope”), with Academy Award nominees Toni Collette (“Hereditary”), and Mark Ruffalo (“Poor Things”).

Watch the first trailer below.

The film is produced by Dede Gardner (Oscar winner for “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave”), Jeremy Kleiner (Oscar winner for “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave”), Bong Joon Ho and Dooho Choi (“Okja,” “Snowpiercer”). It is based on the novel Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton. The executive producers are Brad Pitt, Jesse Ehrman, Peter Dodd and Marianne Jenkins. The director of photography is Darius Khondji (Oscar nomination for “Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” “Okja”). The production designer is Fiona Crombie (Oscar nomination for “The Favourite,” “Cruella”). It is edited by Yang Jinmo (Oscar nomination for “Parasite,” “Okja”). The visual effects supervisor is Dan Glass (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”). The costume designer is Catherine George (“Okja,” Snowpiercer”).

Warner Bros. Pictures presents An Offscreen Production / A Kate Street Picture Company Production, A Film By Bong Joon Ho: “Mickey 17.” The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in theaters only nationwide on January 31, 2025, and internationally beginning on 28 January 2025.

THE BATMAN – Review

ROBERT PATTINSON as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE BATMAN,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/™ & © DC Comics. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Matt Reeves goes noir for THE BATMAN, the latest in a long line of Batman reboots, and this time featuring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader. Reeves, whose previous work includes CLOVERFIELD, DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES and its sequel, gives us a dark world, where it always seems to be raining, where corners are dimly lit and gritty streets are littered. The imagery suggests THE JOKER or even BLADE RUNNER, but this film is not as high-concept as either of those films. While the film noir style is gorgeous and the supporting cast strong, Pattinson’s one-note brooding, a plot with too many villains and not enough focus, and a nearly three-hour running time keep the film from truly soaring.

Still, it is distinctly different from the typical superhero movie, and an aesthetic well suited to Batman, always a darker superhero than most. That is all good for those of us who like film noir and gritty thrillers, although those who want brighter sets and a more typical superhero fare may be less pleased. However, beneath the surface, THE BATMAN is more a typical superhero tale, just in different clothing.

Batman (Robert Pattinson), the crime fighting alter-ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne, is one year in to his career as a secret enforcer of the law, but he is already questioning whether he is making any difference. The crime in Gotham City seems to still be going up and, since he lacks superpowers, he can’t be everywhere at once to stop crime. While he is plagued with doubts about this new life he has taken on as a way to avenge his murdered parents, he is still responding when the Bat signal lights up the sky. This time the crime strikes a personal chord for Batman – a man murdered on Halloween in his own home while his son was out trick-or-treating, only to come home and find the body. While this gruesome crime was taking place, Batman was beating up some baddies in the subway, who had targeted an Asian man, in a little contemporary reference.

While Gordon (the always-excellent Jeffrey Wright), Batman’s police contact and the future Police Commissioner, is unwavering in his support, others on the police force are more hostile to the Batman, regarding him as an intruder rather than a help. But this murder scene has some quirky elements, among which is a greeting card addressed to the Batman. Inside are hints in the form of a riddle, a sure sign of Batman’s long-time nemesis, the Riddler (Paul Dano). Except, at this point, he isn’t a long time adversary, because Bruce Wayne is still fairly new at this Batman stuff.

However, Reeves doesn’t stop with a single villain. THE BATMAN also brings in the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and an underworld figure, Carmine Falcone, played by John Turturro. But the best character is Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman, that combination criminal adversary and love interest for iron-jawed Batman. Rounding out the cast are Andy Serkis as Batman’s aide/butler Alfred, Peter Sarsgaard as District Attorney Colson, plus Barry Keoghan, Rupert Penry-Jones and Jayme Lawson, among others.

There are twists and surprises aplenty here, often with “Ave Maria” often playing in the background. That soundtrack motif feels a bit of pretentious after while, but photography by Greig Fraser is gloriously noir, a real delight for fans of that genre.

Presenting the Batman story as film noir, as a police procedural, is an intriguing way to come at the whole Batman/Bruce Wayne tale. Audiences are so familiar with the Batman origin story through the many Batman retellings and reboots, that skipping some of its familiar elements, like a scene of his parents’ murders, is no problem. Finding a new way into this story is a bit of a problem, so doing so is an impressive feat, and the film deserves credit for that.

In this is a grim world, corruption is everywhere and the plot is very dark. But despite all the film noir surface, this is still a comic book movie and not some deep psychological drama. Pattinson does his handsome, brooding thing, with a little more youthful vulnerability in the few scenes where he is Bruce Wayne. Clearly Batman’s armor is protective in more than one way. His performance should please his fans, although as an actor, he has done more nuanced work in other roles. This Batman feels very young, more so that other versions. In his crime fighter identity, Pattinson’s Batman projects amazing strength and agility, even beyond all the technology at his fingertips. But his Bruce Wayne is not the smooth social character, polished and perfectly groomed, that we usually see for the alter-ego, but a very young man, reserved, even shy, and often a bit disheveled, but so privileged that it doesn’t matter. Once again, a far different approach.

The supporting cast is excellent, boosted by some unexpected choices, like Paul Dano as the Riddler, who is a delight. While Pattinson does that quiet, brooding thing, Zoe Kravitz nearly steals the show as Catwoman. Kravitz gives us a crackling Catwoman – smart, fearless, with a ready wit, that she sometimes turns on the Batman. This Catwoman has her own alter-ego and backstory, but most of all she lights up the screen with electric energy and has a terrific, biting sense of humor. Zoe Kravitz is one of the best things about this film, followed closely by Paul Dano, doing a fine, crazy Riddler. As the Penguin, Colin Farrell is largely underutilized, appearing in few scenes.

Where THE BATMAN goes off the rails is in offering too much, starting with it’s nearly three-hour running time. Too much story, too many villains and too much running time. Introducing so many villains (or near-villains) does the film no favor, and then there is the the nearly three hours running time. And you feels that running time too – every extra major character requires a subplot that deviates from the central story, and while Reeves does bring it all together in the end, it feels overwritten and audiences many feel exhausted by the end. There is enough material for two, maybe three, movies here, crammed into this one. It is a case of less would have been more.

THE BATMAN opens Friday, Mar. 4, at multiple theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

Robert Pattinson And Zoë Kravitz Are The Bat And The Cat In New Trailer For THE BATMAN, Hitting Cinemas March 4

https://www.instagram.com/thebatman/

Check out the brand new trailer for THE BATMAN, hitting theaters next year on March 4, 2022.

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Starring alongside Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse”) as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Big Little Lies,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (“No Time to Die,” “Westworld”) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the “Transformers” films, “The Plot Against America”) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Interrogation”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (“The Gentlemen,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”) as Oswald Cobblepot.

Reeves (“The Planet of the Apes” franchise) directed from a screenplay by Reeves & Peter Craig, based on characters from DC. Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Reeves produced the film, with Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Chantal Nong Vo and Simon Emanuel serving as executive producers.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team included Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Dune,” “Lion”); Reeves’ “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund, and editor, William Hoy; editor Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); and Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”). The music is by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (the current “Spider-Man,” “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars” films, “Up”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a 6th & Idaho/Dylan Clark Productions Production, a Matt Reeves Film, “The Batman.” The film is set to open in theaters March 4, 2022 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Visit the official site: https://www.thebatman.com/

TENET – Review

JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON stars in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action epic “TENET,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon. Copyright: ©2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Hopes for jump-starting the blockbuster movie season delayed by a summer shut-down largely rest on TENET, Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi spy thriller. The description of the film certainly sounds like it would do the trick – a promised a mix of INCEPTION’s intellectually intriguing concept and THE DARK KNIGHT’s technically dazzling action thrills. While we do get the technical dazzle and an intriguing concept, TENET is more a mixed bag overall, and far from one of Nolan’s best.

Christopher Nolan is an amazing filmmaker, an auteur whose best works include MEMENTO, INCEPTION and THE DARK KNIGHT. But not every Nolan has worked, and there are several that did not quite reach their potential. TENET is among this latter group, unfortunately.

Action fans, however, will be thoroughly entertained, even though those who relish the mind-twisting puzzles the director often serves up will feel more frustration. The action starts immediately, with John John David Washington’s unnamed special-ops agent coming in to thwart attempted assassination of a leader, maybe a president, during a classical music concert at a Russian opera house. The sequence wraps up by introducing us to a ticking-time bomb scenario that involves a kind of time travel called inversion, in which events run backwards among other things. The mission also introduces the Protagonist to a code phrase using the word “tenet,” and a host of characters who may or may not be allies or enemies, including a fixer named Neil (Robert Pattinson), as well as a Russian arms dealer Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh) and his beautiful estranged wife Kat (Elizabeth Debicki), and a wealthy contact played by Michael Caine.

There is plenty of James Bond references in this spy thriller, complete with expensive suits, yachts, speed boats, beautiful women, billionaire lifestyle, as well as the witty quips. TENET mixes this throw-back fun with the breathlessly-fast action thriller sci-fi sequences that are cutting-edge contemporary.

The film is technically excellent, with jaw-dropping action and clever plot twists. Action fans should be more that delighted with all that, which is brilliantly executed. The scenes where characters are “inverted” are particularly outstanding The film delivers enough information about what is happening – eventually – to understand what is going on, but audiences could also just lean back and go along for the movie magic ride. For the audiences who want to figure out the puzzle, the situation is less satisfying.

One of the most frustrating things about this film is there in the first scenes, where muddy sound that muffles dialog, which is delivered at a rapid-fire pace that matches the explosion of action that starts the film. Like INCEPTION, the technology that allows the characters to “invert” time is a black box but those who like the puzzle solving would like to hear more about the premise Nolan is offering. Sadly, between the ultra-fast delivery and mixed accents, plus a background sound of explosions, one can hardly make out what is being said. For many action films, what is said hardly matters but one expects it to matter in a Nolan film.

Besides the sound issue, another challenge is the casting. The central pair in this action-driven spy tale is John David Washington and Robert Pattinson While both actors have turned in nice performances in past roles, not much chemistry every develops between them, and they go from action sequence to sequence with just a few traded quips. John David Washington’s damped-down acting style was fine in BLACKKKLANSMAN but for TENET’s unnamed Protagonist something more emotionally involving is needed. A better choice would have been an actor who could give more subtext, more nuance, would have drawn us into the character more, rather than Washington’s square-jawed noble hero. John David Washington is the son of Denzel Washington, but the father would have been a better fit for the role from an acting perspective, The younger Washington is good looking and has the physique for the hero role but his acting style seems flat here. Pattinson has done some good work in many films but here he is a one-note character, a handsome, smiling cipher who provides whatever backup or miracle fix is needed by Washington’s hero character.

The acting sparks are provided by TENET’s outstanding supporting cast, who offer the most interesting characters and performances. Michael Caine’s brief appearance is memorable, and a nice nod to the Batman films. The best good-and-evil struggle is between Kenneth Branagh’s arms dealer and his estranged wife played by the gifted, under-appreciated Elizabeth Debicki, an actress who is beautiful enough to be a “Bond girl” surrogate and talented enough to steal most scenes. Scenes between Branagh and Debicki just crackle with tension and emotion, a battle of acting talents that are just thrilling to watch.

TENET is a big action film, and therefore is best seen on a big screen, the kind of movie made for that viewing experience. As action entertainment, TENET is good enticement to draw film-goers out to theaters and beats most in that genre. But for serious Christopher Nolan fans who relish the director’s intelligence and intriguing style of films, and are hoping for a repeat of INCEPTION’s magic, TENET doesn’t quite hit the mark. TENET opens Thursday, September 3, in multiple theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

Win Free Tickets To See John David Washington & Robert Pattinson In TENET – In Theaters Nationwide SEPTEMBER 3

John David Washington is the new Protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi action spectacle “Tenet.” Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.

The international cast of “Tenet” also includes Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Martin Donovan, Fiona Dourif, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Himesh Patel, Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh.

Nolan wrote and directed the film, utilizing a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film to bring the story to the screen. “Tenet” is produced by Emma Thomas and Nolan. Thomas Hayslip served as executive producer. Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, and special effects supervisor Scott Fisher. The score is composed by Ludwig Göransson. “Tenet” was filmed on location across seven countries. Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, “Tenet.”

WAMG is giving away to our St. Louis followers, TENET Fandango Code Carriers good for 2 so you can see it in theaters!

IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW, TELL US TWO ACTORS WHO STARRED IN EACH CHRISTOPHER NOLAN MOVIE:

  • INTERSTELLAR
  • INSOMNIA
  • INCEPTION

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Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing “Tenet” in theatres and IMAX worldwide. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language. www.Tenetfilm.com

© 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon
Caption: (L-r) JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON and ROBERT PATTINSON in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action epic “TENET,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Watch Robert Pattinson And Jeffrey Wright In THE BATMAN DC FanDome: Hall Of Heroes Trailer

DC FanDome: Hall of Heroes wrapped up with a 30-minute discussion with director Matt Reeves about The Batman, and it did not disappoint. Introduced by Robert Pattinson and moderated by DC FanDome host Aisha Tyler, the fast-talking Reeves covered quite a bit over the course of the panel, including giving fans a pretty clear idea of what sort of story they’re in for when The Batman debuts in October of next year.

https://www.thebatman.com/

As had been discussed before, The Batman is set during Bruce Wayne’s second year as a crimefighter, meaning it’s not an origin, but the Dark Knight is clearly still establishing himself and becoming the hero he’ll eventually become. As Reeves made clear, “He’s far from perfect.” While Batman is no longer a new presence in Gotham City when The Batman starts, he’s not having the affect on the city that he wants to have…and that’s when the murders start.

Those murders really shed some light on the true history of Gotham and open up a world of corruption that touches on Batman’s origins, forcing Bruce to confront the question of where his family might have sat in all of that. Reeves promises that The Batman will be a mystery and a detective story, but a deeply personal one for Batman.

Later, Reeves answered some fan questions, including some of the movies that influenced his vision for The Batman (Chinatown, The French Connection and Taxi Driver) and one surprising comic (Darwyn Cooke’s Batman: Ego). He even shared a bit of what we can expect from the recently announced HBO Max TV series set in the universe of the film. That series, which Reeves is working on with Boardwalk Empire creator Terrence Winter, will be set during Batman’s first year in Gotham, during the initial appearances of this new masked vigilante who seems to have declared war on Gotham’s underworld. Reeves explained that you’ll see this story through the point of view of the corrupt cops of the Gotham City Police Department, one corrupt cop in particular, and that in many ways, the story would be a battle for his soul.

However, the highlight of the panel was definitely the Batman teaser that Reeves debuted, which looks absolutely breathtaking despite being cut from only about 25% of the film. Moody, dark and utterly gripping, the teaser is everything we wanted and more.

DC Fans can’t wait to see more from The Batman. The second day of DC FanDome, which is called DC FanDome: Explore the Multiverse, is coming on September 12th and features over 100 hours of content that will be available on demand for a full day. You thought eight hours was a lot? Better rest up, DC fans. It’s just getting started!

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes “The Batman,” with director Matt Reeves (the “Planet of the Apes” films) at the helm and with Robert Pattinson (“Tenet,” “The Lighthouse,” “Good Time”) starring as Gotham City’s vigilante detective, Batman, and billionaire Bruce Wayne. Also in the star-studded ensemble as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (the “Hunger Games” films) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the “Transformers” films) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Black Mass”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Barry Keoghan (“Dunkirk”) as Officer Stanley Merkel; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Dumbo”) as Oswald Cobblepot.

“The Batman” was written by Matt Reeves & Peter Craig. Reeves and Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers. Reeves’ behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Lion,” upcoming “Dune”); his “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund; editors William Hoy (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon (“The Jungle Book”); Oscar-nominated SFX supervisor Dominic Tuohy (“1917,” “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”); Oscar-nominated sound mixer Stuart Wilson (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”) and costume designers Glyn Dillon (the “Star Wars” franchise) and David Crossman (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); hair designer Zoe Tahir (upcoming “No Time to Die,” “Spectre”); and Oscar-nominated makeup designer Naomi Donne (“1917”).

Based on characters from DC. Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. “The Batman” is set to open in theaters October 1, 2021 in select 3D and 2D and IMAX theaters and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Warner Bros. Pictures Welcoming Audiences Back With TENET Early Access Screenings August 31st – September 2nd

In support of theater reopenings, Warner Bros. Pictures is offering moviegoers in select U.S. cities a preview program for the first global release of the summer: Christopher Nolan’s hugely anticipated action spy thriller “Tenet.” “Tenet” Early Access Screenings will begin on August 31st, three days ahead of its official September 3rd domestic release. The announcement was made by Jeff Goldstein, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution.

“Tenet” Early Access Screenings will be scheduled on the evenings of August 31st, September 1st and September 2nd, in U.S. markets where theaters are open. Tickets for those shows will go on sale on Friday, August 21st. Go to www.tenetfilm.com for available cities and showtimes.

“Tenet,” which Nolan filmed using a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film, will be made available in large-format and premium theaters, providing audiences with the most immersive moviegoing experience.

In making the announcement, Goldstein said, “Warner Bros. is proud to support our partners in exhibition as they reopen their doors. And there could be no better film to welcome audiences back to a true big-screen experience than ‘Tenet.’”

John David Washington is the new Protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi action spectacle “Tenet.” Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.

The film also stars Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, with Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. Nolan wrote and directed the film, which was produced by Emma Thomas and Nolan. Thomas Hayslip served as executive producer. Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, and special effects supervisor Scott Fisher. The score was composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, “Tenet.” Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing “Tenet” in theaters and IMAX worldwide. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language.

www.Tenetfilm.com

WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS – Review

(l-r, foreground) Johnny Depp as Colonel Joll and Mark Rylance as the Magistrate, in WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS. Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films.

If all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, the old saying goes, and if you assume everyone is your enemy, they might become exactly that. WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS is drama based on J. M. Coetzee’s novel, that presents a cautionary tale about nations or empires sowing the seeds of their own destruction in their search for imagined threats. Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson star in director Ciro Guerra’s powerful adaptation of J.M. Coetzee’s classic novel of the same name, in a haunting cautionary tale of empire and cultural misunderstanding, with a striking contemporary echoes.

There is a lot of talent assembled in this film – an Oscar-nominated director, a Nobel Prize-winning author, an Oscar winning cinematographer, and Oscar winners and nominees among the fine cast. Such as assemblage doesn’t guarantee success but it has worked here. Although this myth-like story takes place in an unspecified time and place, the points it makes are universal, concerning the dangers of the false assumptions of torture and militaristic mindsets. Torture tends to extract the information you want – even if it is not true. History has shown this time and again, from the Inquisition to Abu Ghraib.

WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS fits in well with the anti-colonial message of the director’s previous work. This is the first English-language film by Colombian director Ciro Guerra, whose previous films include the Oscar-nominated EMRACE OF THE SERPENT. Guerra has long been an admirer of the novel WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS by Nobel Prize-winning South African author J. M. Coetzee. The director made at least two previous efforts to bring the award-winning novel to the big screen before succeeding – oh-so-well – with this one.

Mark Rylance plays the Magistrate, a mild-mannered colonial administrator who has long been in charge of a remote garrison outpost on a quiet, sparsely populated border of an unnamed colonial empire. The Magistrate efficiently and fairly handles the few problems that arise in this sleepy corner of the unnamed empire, which leaves him plenty of time for his hobby of amateur archaeology exploring the ancient history of the region.

When an official from the empire’s center, Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp), arrives in his fine carriage with a small contingent of soldiers, the Magistrate is not concerned. He greets the officious Joll politely and prepares to make his report on conditions around the garrison. As the Magistrate tells one of his assistants, he has seen this before. Every ten years, he says, the empire feels the need to send someone to check on the “barbarians” on the border, just to make sure all is right, and then they leave.

The Magistrate expects the same from this colonel but Joll is different. With a decidedly unpleasant, even arrogant manner, Joll constantly wears his newly-invented sunglasses which conceal his eyes and seems little interested in the Magistrate’s efforts to tell him about the current conditions on the border. Instead, Joll’s focus falls on a pair of nomads, “barbarians” he arrested on the way to the garrison, and Joll’s methods involve torture. The Magistrate is shocked but, suppressing his feelings, he calmly quizzes Joll about the usefulness of the torture. Joll reveals his belief that “the enemy,” meaning the nomads just beyond the border, are planning an attack on the empire, and then extols his own skill at extracting information, never once acknowledging that his victims might have no secret information to tell.

When Joll leaves the garrison to check on other parts of the border, the Magistrate’s disgust spill overs, and he cleans the garrison of all traces of the colonel’s visit, restoring it to its usual peaceful, orderly life. But then another the officer of the empire shows up, an assistant to Joll named Mandel (Robert Pattinson). Mandel as even more brutal and committed to ferreting out a secret invasion by the barbarians.

Two-time Oscar winning cinematographer Chris Menges (THE KILLING FIELDS, THE MISSION, THE READER) fills the screen with sweeping desert vistas, dusty interiors of the garrison, and views of the Magistrate’s neat, book-filled office. The photography is stunning, imbuing the film with a sense of its remoteness and isolation, and setting the characters in that same overwhelmingly stark place.

The story is very much in the vein of the mythic, and the actors play characters that are symbolic of forces within human nature as much as people. Rylance, Depp and Pattinson are all superb, although the greatest load in telling this tale falls to the gifted Rylance, who plays both the human heart and a voice of decency overwhelmed by drive to war and suspicions of the “other.”

Beyond the lead actors, fine performances are offered by Greta Scacchi as the Magistrate’s housekeeper Mai, a sympathetic ear who also represents the civilians buffeted by the dangerous decisions of Joll and Mandel, and Harry Melling as a young soldier serving under the Magistrate, torn by what he sees. Both actors make the most of these small but important roles. Gana Bayarsaikhan, a striking Mongolian model-turned-actress who had minor roles in WONDER WOMAN and EX MACHINA, appears as a pivot character identified only as the “barbarian girl,” in a nice performance in her first major screen role.

Although the story seems to take place in a distant time and place, what it is saying about human nature is chillingly contemporary and timeless. The story takes place at a purposely vague place and time, at an outpost at the a distant border of an unspecified empire, a deliberate choice of the novel. The dusty, windswept desert location and the Asian features of the nomad suggests Central Asia, the uniforms suggest the French Foreign Legion, and other details suggest the 19th Century, but nothing is definite. In fact, the film was shot in Morocco and Italy,and the cast playing the garrison’s officials and solders sport British accents. All that matters is that it is some colonial power and an outpost on a remote border, in a quiet, sparsely populated area very far from the center of the empire.

WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS is divided into four chapters labeled by season but not quite in order. Colonel Joll arrives in the heat of summer, where his brutality scorches the landscape. Mandel does not arrive until the cold, dark winter, bringing dismay that the chapter opened in summer continues. There is another chapter set in spring, centered on a teen know only as “the barbarian girl” (Gana Bayarsaikhan), who turns up at the garrison, an apparent victim of torture. The final chapter, tellingly, is set in fall.

This is an impressive piece of mythic film making, powerful parable about colonialism, brutality toward the “other,’ and how we can inadvertently create the danger we fear. The drama sends a powerful message about torture in particular, and the danger in the ignorance of other cultures and misunderstandings arising out of mistaken assumptions. WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS is available on demand and on digital starting on Friday, Aug. 7.

RATING: 3 1/2 out of 4 stars

Mark Rylance, Johnny Depp And Robert Pattinson Star In First Trailer For WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS – On Demand August 7

Samuel Goldwyn Films has released the first trailer to Ciro Guerra’s feature film WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS. The film stars Academy Award Winner Mark Rylance, Academy Award Nominee Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson, and Greta Scacchi. WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS will be released on cable On-Demand & Digital platforms August 7.

The Magistrate (Mark Rylance) of an isolated frontier settlement on the border of an unnamed empire looks forward to an easy retirement until the arrival of Colonel Joll (Johnny Depp), whose task it is to report on the activities of the ‘barbarians’ and on the security situation on the border. Joll conducts a series of ruthless interrogations, which leads the Magistrate to question his loyalty to the empire.

WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS was directed by Ciro Guerra (his first English Language film) and written by Nobel Prize winning author J.M. Coetzee, who adapted the screenplay from his own novel. Two-time Academy Award winner Chris Menges was the cinematographer. The film was produced by Michael Fitzgerald, Olga Segura, Andrea Iervolino of Iervolino Entertainment, and Monika Bacardi with executive producers Sir Martin Franklin, Cristina Gallego, Danielle Maloni, Deborah Dobson Bach, and Penelope Glass.

AMBI Distribution, the worldwide sales arm of Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s AMBI Media Group, announced today a slew of major international territory sales for “Waiting for the Barbarians” during the Virtual Cannes market. The film has been acquired in Germany (Constantin Film), France (SND), UK (The Movie Partnership), CIS (Paradise), Middle East (Falcon Films), CEE (Vertical, Monolith and Blitz Films), Indonesia (Artist View) and Taiwan (Cai Chang International).

Photo Courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films