Tag: Tony Gilroy

Special Look: Star Wars Series “Andor” – Debuts On Disney+ September 21 With 3-Episode Premiere 

Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Disney+ has released the thrilling, final “Andor” trailer as well as a Special Look at the upcoming series.

“The series is a prequel to ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’” explains creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy. “It rewinds back five years from the events of ‘Rogue One’ to follow Cassian Andor on his journey to get to the movie. We’ve done twelve episodes for the first season. The twelve episodes that we’ve done cover one year in time. We’re going to do another twelve that are going to take us over the next four years into ‘Rogue One.’”

The series is from Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated writer/director/producer Tony Gilroy, who also wrote Episodes 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12. Gilroy, who cowrote “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” is known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed feature films “Michael Clayton” and “The Bourne Legacy” and wrote the first three Bourne Films: “The Bourne Identity,” The Bourne Supremacy,” and “The Bourne Ultimatum.”

The music for “Andor” is by Emmy®-winning composer Nicholas Britell (“Succession,” “Moonlight”).

“Andor,” a spy thriller from Lucasfilm filmed over two 12-episode seasons, takes place five years before the events of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The era featured in “Andor” is filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero. “Andor” presents Star Wars from a different perspective, focusing on everyday people whose lives are affected by the Empire. The decisions they make have real consequences, and the stakes for them—and the galaxy—couldn’t be higher. 

The series stars Diego Luna, Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Forest Whitaker, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw and Faye Marsay.

(L-R): Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgard) and Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) in Lucasfilm’s ANDOR, exclusively on Disney+. ©2022 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.

Toby Haynes, Susanna White and Benjamin Caron direct specific episodes, and Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan executive produce. Tony Gilroy is also the creator and showrunner. 

With action, adventure and suspense filmed against a cinematic landscape, the first three episodes of season one premiere exclusively on Disney+ on September 21.

BEIRUT – Review

Jon Hamm (foreground) and Rosamund Pike, in BEIRUT. Photo courtesy of Bleeker Street.

Jon Hamm finally gets the leading man role he has long deserved, in the Middle East-set thriller BEIRUT. It should have happened long ago for the former St. Louisan, based on his unforgettable turn in MAD MEN, if nothing else.

Hamm is excellent as Mason Skiles, a one-time U.S diplomat stationed in Lebanon whose life was upended by tragedy but is reluctantly pulled back into service to negotiate the release of his former colleague and best friend Cal Riley (Mark Pellegrino) who is being held hostage by Palestinian terrorists. Hamm’s strong performance is the primary reason to see this thriller, which does not finish as strong as it starts. Still, Hamm is good enough to make the film still worth seeing.

BEIRUT opens in a peaceful, idyllic Beirut in 1972, where skilled diplomat Mason Skiles (Hamm) is working the room of a party he and his wife are hosting. The party is barely underway when his friend Cal (Mark Pellegrino), an embassy staffer and covert CIA operative, arrives with disturbing news that concerns Karim (Yoau Saian Rosenberg), the 13-year-old Lebanese orphan the couple have virtually adopted. Events suddenly take a violent turn and end in tragedy for Skiles.

A decade later, Skiles has left the diplomatic service and is working as a union negotiator, when he is not drinking himself into oblivion. Nonetheless, the CIA arrives to press him into service again, to negotiate the release of his old friend Cal, who has been kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists hoping to trade him for one of their leaders. Skiles’ particular skill set is needed to win Cal’s freedom.

Skiles returns to a very different Beirut, one at war and in rubble. Briefed by embassy official Donald Gaines (Dean Norris) and assigned to work with CIA operative Sandy Crowder (Rosamund Pike), Skiles has to work through his own demons while trying to save his friend.

Hamm is excellent in this film, and the main reason to see the film. The film is directed by Brad Anderson with a script by writer-producer Tony Gilroy. Gilroy wrote the script for the BOURNE IDENTITY and MICHAEL CLAYTON. Although this is a spy thriller, it feels closer to MICHAEL CLAYTON, with a shadowy world of intrigue, more a John LeCarre spy novel than a Bourne action spy thriller.

Hamm creates a complex character, dealing with a lot of emotional baggage and bad history while applying his skills as a negotiator to the task for which he has been pressed into service. All the emotional connection the audience feels is centered on this character. None of the rest of the cast get the chance to develop the same depth to their characters or get the same resonance with viewers.

Hamm is excellent in this twisty spy thriller, but one wished the film itself was better. BEIRUT is so busy being twisty that it ties itself into knots, Gordian ones. While Hamm delivers the goods, one wishes the film he was in was as good has he is. After a promising start, the thriller seems to lose some steam once it returns to war-torn Lebanon. We see the devastated city and the heartbreaking impact that has on Skiles but while we get a sense of its chaos, there is little on the issues or human drama at play in the rubble. The problem is that BEIRUT raises issues in the political fraught Middle East but then only touches gingerly on them. The Palestinian, Lebanese and Israeli characters are all two-dimensional, something that has caused some offense, and the conflict serves mostly as just backdrop for Skiles’ personal journey.

Which is a shame, since there is much to say about the region, its conflicts and U.S. policy, besides being rich ground for complex, thoughtful political thrillers. There was so much more that could have been said in BEIRUT, but Jon Hamm is a strong enough actor to make the thriller work.

BEIRUT opens Wednesday, April 11, at Plaza Frontenac.

RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

THE BOURNE LEGACY – The Review

The success of the original BOURNE trilogy meant the inevitable continuation of the franchise. This, despite what had seemed an end to the source material and Matt Damon’s exiting the franchise, would probe not enough to stop the Hollywood sequel machine. The directorial outcome from Doug Liman on THE BOURNE IDENTITY (2002) wound up with mixed reactions, primarily over the stylistically blurred and chaotic action sequences. This approach, however softened, was carried out through the following two sequels by director Paul Greengrass, both of which received relatively more favorable reactions.

THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (2004) and THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (2007) round out the original trilogy of films, all of which star Matt Damon as the title character of Jason Bourne, a highly trained off-the-books operative, lost and searching to regain the truth of his own identity. Aside from the fast pacing and exhilarating action, the appeal of the original trilogy lies within the mystery, the journey we take with Jason Bourne as he seeks the truth of himself. As Bourne does not know where his journey will take him, nor does the audience know and must learn as we search and survive with the character.

This is the primary downfall of THE BOURNE LEGACY… there is no mystery. There is nothing to keep the audience guessing. THE BOURNE LEGACY is 2 hours and 15 minutes of chasing and talking. This is not to suggest it’s done poorly, but merely that what is done is light on plot and intrigue. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, who also co-wrote all three of the original BOURNE screenplays, is no rookie to the story or the source material, but this fourth installment fails drastically to live up to its predecessors. With this said, I did not find myself bored or frustrated, but rather just terribly disappointed.

THE BOURNE LEGACY is essentially a race against time. Jeremy Renner plays another physically and mentally enhanced operative named Aaron Cross. Renner (THE HURT LOCKER) is most recently and widely recognized as Hawkeye from THE AVENGERS (2012). This fourth film takes place immediately following the events of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, in fact, the first act of THE BOURNE LEGACY actually overlaps with the third act of THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM. There is a brief tie-in of the Jason Bourne character, but we do not see a return of Matt Damon, except for his mug shot. Unlike the Jason Bourne character, Aaron Cross is fully aware of who he is and what he can do, but the procedure is significantly different. This plays into one half of the straight-forward plot that drives the movie forward.

In the original trilogy, Jason Bourne is said to have gone rogue as he hops from country to country, tracking down those in the program with answers as he survives one assassination attempt after another, led by the head honcho who wants him to disappear. In THE BOURNE LEGACY, this obstacle is revealed as Eric Byer, a retired colonel now responsible for keeping the Treadstone, Blackbriar and any other secretive black ops programs from going “sideways” and causing a catastrophic media storm. Byer, played by Edward Norton, is a world-class asshole with a one-track mind… to eliminate Jason Bourne, and now Aaron Cross. Norton is fabulous at portraying a head strong prick, as he proves again here.

Aaron Cross is on a mission of survival, not only from his would-be assassins, but to keep himself properly drugged on the program medicine, or “chems,” that keep him enhanced. As a necessity of this endeavor, Cross tracks down and drags Dr. Marta Shearing along for the ride. Shearing, played by Rachel Weisz, is a scientist in the top secret program and Cross hopes she can lead him to acquiring more of the all-important drugs. Weisz gives a commendable performance as an understandably neurotic and frantically frightened citizen, giving the film an extra little dimensional slice to make up slightly for the lacking plot. Jeremy Renner also hands in a quality performance, convincing us once again he at least looks like a total bad ass on screen.

THE BOURNE LEGACY is not a failure. That would be too harsh and inappropriate for a film that delivers well enough as a typical summer blockbuster action film. Unfortunately, this fourth installment gives us nothing new and lacks all of the elements that kept us on our seats in the first three films. If you choose to go see this film, you will likely be entertained by it’s popcorn movie value, but I would recommend not comparing it to the other films. Consider THE BOURNE LEGACY as you would any of Jason Statham’s TRANSPORTER films and you’ve got roughly the same entertainment value, but this film truly does nothing for the “legacy” of Jason Bourne.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

THE BOURNE LEGACY Director Tony Gilroy & Star Jeremy Renner To Chat Live With Guests Of AMC Theatres/Premiere In Exclusive First Look Of Film July 9

AMC Theatres® and Universal Pictures announced today that fans eagerly anticipating the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise – THE BOURNE LEGACY – will have an opportunity to see a Livestream Q&A featuring director Tony Gilroy and star Jeremy Renner on Monday, July 9. Prior to the Q&A, fans will be treated to an exclusive first look at THE BOURNE LEGACY. The event begins at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT).

Additionally, AMC Stubs members in the Los Angeles area have the exclusive opportunity to join Gilroy and Renner in person for their Q&A session, which will take place at AMC Century City 15 in Los Angeles on Monday, July 9 at 7 p.m. PDT.

“Tony Gilroy, Jeremy Renner and the entire Universal team have taken the Bourne story in an exciting new direction, and we can’t wait to offer AMC Stubs members in the Los Angeles area this unique opportunity,” said Sun Dee Larson, vice president of Film Marketing at AMC Theatres.

THE BOURNE LEGACY debuts in theaters everywhere August 10.

Those unable to attend in person to view the Q&A with Gilroy and Renner and see the exclusive first look at THE BOURNE LEGACY, may still see it live by visiting go.amctheatres.com/bourne at 7 p.m. PDT on July 9. Fans may also pre-submit questions for the Q&A on Twitter using the hashtag #amcbourne or on AMC’s Facebook page at facebook.com/amctheatres

The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

THE BOURNE LEGACY also stars series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.

Visit the official site: http://thebournelegacy.net/

“Like” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBourneSeries

Watch Jeremy Renner And Rachel Weisz In THE BOURNE LEGACY Trailer No. 2

In theaters on August 3rd, check out the second trailer for THE BOURNE LEGACY – introduced by Hawkeye himself, Jeremy Renner.

The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

THE BOURNE LEGACY also stars series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.

Visit the official site: http://thebournelegacy.net/

“Like” on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBourneSeries

Review: ‘State of Play’

stateofplay1

Let me begin by saying that ‘State of Play’ is a terrible title. It doesn’t really tell us anything other than what we already know, which is that this movie is a political thriller, and only fails miserably at attempting to induce any sort of intrigue in the story by way of suggesting a double meaning. With that off my chest, what I can tell you is that ‘State of Play’ is not a terrible movie. That is to say it’s not perfect either.

‘State of Play’ was directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and was co-written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (The Kingdom) and Tony Gilroy (Bourne trilogy, Michael Clayton). Suffice it to say that these three talented individuals working together was unlikely to produce anything less than entertaining, which is for lack of better terminology, the best way to describe this movie, despite it’s relatively non-descript usefulness. It’s also worth mentioning that the film is based on BBC television series that lasted for one season in 2003.

Russell Crowe plays an “old dog” newspaper reporter named Cal McAffrey who stumbles upon a major story while investigating what appears to be just another drug-related shooting. Cal soon discovers some evidence that the two stories and much more are all connected to one big political-corporate conspiracy that somehow involves his former college roommate and friend, Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). During his research on the story, Cal is assisted by an eager, yet skeptical young blogger for the Washington Post named Della Frye (Rachel McAdams) and persistently ball-busted by his editor, played with old school, sharp-tongued wit by Helen Mirren.

The story itself is engaging enough and the plot has enough twist and misdirection to keep the audience guessing to a point. ‘State of Play’ benefits from solid writing and even more confident dialogue. The movie knows when to be serious, but more importantly it knows when to ease off of the serious stuff and allow for a bit of low-key, realistic comic relief that is presented well through the characters’ personalities. Solid supporting performances of smaller portions are given by Jeff Daniels, who plays Rep. George Fergus, and most of all Jason Bateman, who gives a memorable performance as Dominic Foy, owner of a successful PR firm. Bateman delivers what is probably the most accomplished acting in the film, save maybe Helen Mirren, displaying the widest and most believable range of emotions and character development within the shortest amount of screen time.

On the down side of the film, ‘State of Play’ falls short in two key areas. First, and I know it’s popular to bash Ben Affleck so I’ll emphasize this isn’t a direct bashing of the man himself… but, Affleck was not well cast in this role. He did an acceptable job within his capabilities, but there’s something about his appearance combined with his portrayal of the character that doesn’t fit. It seems too perfect, that is, perfect to the point of being imperfect. His character never convincingly develops any believable flaws and fails to sell us on the idea that he’s the “perfect politician” resulting in my once again watching his on camera and not being able to separate the actor from the role.

‘State of Play’ as a whole is well worth seeing if you enjoy these kinds of political thrillers, save the ending which to most will come off as either flat and anti-climactic (as is my opinion) or as mostly predictable as Jeremy stated was his opinion. Either way, I believe the film does offer enough merit in it’s entirety to satisfy most viewers and I can say it did ultimately prove more entertaining to me than I had originally predicted.

[Overall: 3.5 stars out of 5]

Review: ‘Duplicity’

duplicityx

Ram Man:

Tony Gilroy has brought us some of the best action films in the past few years (Bourne Trilogy, Armageddon) . Gilroy has re-team Clive Owen and Julia Roberts in a   sassy corporate espionage who-done-it, ‘Duplicity’. Duplicity has an “Oceans” feel from the opening credits and delivers an entertaining story that will have you guessing the outcome right up to the closing credits.

Clive Owen and Julia Roberts play  Ray Kovac and Claire Stenwick,   spies that share a steamy past. The two hooked up on an assignment in Dubai where Claire slept with Ray, drugged him and stole some government secrets and then disappeared. The crazy couple then bump back into each other years later and decide to quit the spy business and go into business for themselves so they can retire to a life of luxury in Italy. They need to make one last big score to build the needed capital to retire. Ray and Claire enter the private sector of corporate espionage. Claire is a mole working for Howard Tully (Tom Wilkerson), a CEO of a personnel care company that is developing the next big skin creme. His competition Richard Garsith (Paul Giamatti), an over zealous CEO that will beg borrow and yes…steal to get ahead in the business. He has planted Claire in Tully’s company to steal the formula to the big secret product that they are about to unveil to the stockholders. The only thing is Ray and Claire plan to steal the formula for themselves and sell it to an overseas company for about $40 million.

I’m not going to give away any more of the twists and turns of the is film. Let me just say Duplicity has more layers than an onion and you won’t know what is happening until just before the house lights come on. There is a noticeable lack of any action. Duplicity is a sort of ‘Man from Uncle’ meets ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ type film. Duplicity keeps you entertained with witty banter between Owen and Roberts and an outstanding performance by Giamatti. If you are looking for Mission Impossible , Duplicity is not for you. But if you want an interesting romantic spy drama that will make you think then go check out duplicity and see if you can figure out who is conning who and why?

‘Duplicity’ [PG-13] opens today in theaters everywhere.

[Overall: 3.75 stars out of 5]