'Adore'

Love this title, cast, the look of the film. Subject is a bit of a stretch and fairly believable at the same time.

Directed by Anne Fontaine. Written by Christopher Hampton, based on the novel by Doris Lessing.























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Trailer for 'Two Mothers'

Based on the novel by Doris Lessing. Written by Christopher Hampton (A Dangerous Method). Directed by Anne Fontaine. With Naomi Watts and Robin Wright. What more could you ask for?
























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Brilliant Clip from 'The Impossible'

Very nice camera, editing.




















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'The Impossible' Featurette

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New Poster for 'The Impossible' Much More Hollywood Than Spanish Version

A while back this Spanish version rolled out.

I thought it was noteworthy that the actors' faces couldn't be seen, saying:

• No faces are visible, making the selling point strictly story-centric as opposed to star-oriented. These are regular people caught in terrible circumstances who struggle for survival. There is an unmistakeable emphasis on light from above, which denotes influence of fate or the divine. This element, perhaps, will resonate more with Latino audiences than it would the average American and probably won't be seen in US posters.

Sure enough, in the US poster the faces are seen though, to be fair, the actors' names are de-emphasized and the focus is still on the family and survival rather than the actors involved. The 'heavenly' light from above is gone as well. No surprise there -- that element wouldn't work on a domestic poster.

Pretty good graphic, but not very dynamic.





















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Spanish Poster for 'The Impossible'

An unusual poster by Hollywood standards (though this is a foreign property with a Spanish director, Juan Antonio Bayona, and financing via Apaches Entertainment and Telecinco Cinema, with Warner Bros. only handling US distribution). Hollywood actors Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, however, anchor the production and it seems clear there are high hopes for US box office dollars.

No faces are visible, making the selling point strictly story-centric as opposed to star-oriented. These are regular people caught in terrible circumstances who struggle for survival. There is an unmistakeable emphasis on light from above, which denotes influence of fate or the divine. This element, perhaps, will resonate more with Latino audiences than it would the average American and probably won't be seen in US posters.

There is also a left-to-right motion/energy of the water and the trees (which lean to the right), which implies moving forward, (right to left would be backward), in the correct direction, in an evolutionary process -- that is, facing your destiny (or, in this case, being swept along by destiny) and clinging to what's important -- loved ones and family -- when all else has been stripped away. Thematic.

It's true, though, an earlier (Spanish) banner did show the faces of the actors. This was probably necessary in that it was the first poster and served to introduce the movie to the public. This new poster, however, indicates the PR guys are pitching a purely human story (to any and all markets [where people may face uncertain futures]).

It will be interesting to see what emphasis domestic posters will have, what the American approach will be.

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New Trailer for 'The Impossible'

Love this. Looks better with each trailer.

















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Another Great Trailer for 'The Impossible'

It's why we go to the movies. 
























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'The Impossible' Banner

I'm loving this movie. With Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts. Directed by JA Bayona, who kept things moving along nicely in the very atmospheric 'The Orphanage'. Considering a movie about a tsunami depends on creating a tense atmosphere and sustaining suspense when nothing much is happening, Bayona was a probably a good match for the material.

Due October 11 in Spain, sometime this year in the US -- figure November/December -- should be an awards contender.

If you haven't seen a trailer, check it out, it'll bring your day to a stop.

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Naomi Watts as Diana

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Stunning Trailer for 'The Impossible'

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Twisty Turny Trailer for 'Dream House'

Did. Not. See. That. Coming.

Atmospheric. Great production value. Both creepy and conceptual. Love how they pull the rug out from under you -- again, and again. The creepy Für Elise rendition, especially how it degrades to a single repeated note, is very effective.

My kinda movie. Have heard mixed reviews. Hope this one comes through. With Daniel Craig, Naomi Watts, and Rachel Weisz executing those plot twists, could be good.

But, plot twists cut both ways -- can be too conceptual for some, may not draw a huge audience. If they work though, if word of mouth is good, could do well. Needs good buzz, though. Tons of marketing won't be enough, not with this kind of story.

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'Dream House' Gets a Poster

Love this. Great execution. Clever. The tag: Once upon a time there were two little girls who lived in a house. -- just great. Very storybook.

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Trailer for 'Fair Game'

'You can't break me. I don't have a breaking point.'

The International

What to say about this one. Title, not good. What's that supposed to mean to anybody? It conveys nothing conceptual that can be associated with plot elements -- not without convoluted analysis, anyway. Poster has dynamic corners but the largely monochrome approach doesn't appeal to mass audiences. It says 'lots of musuem action, think hard, watch closely'...pass.

The action -- Clive Owen firing an Uzi (or whatever) and Naomi Watts standing there being protected -- doesn't click and doesn't tell us anything about the story. For what it's worth, characters are too close to right edge and the title.

Worst of all, though, is the last tagline: And everybody pays. Somebody at the PR agency wanted to go home early. 'And everybody pays'... Even the stock 'There's no escape' works better.

The signals are not good for this one. I've liked the trailers but can't see 'The International' doing well.

NYTimes.com/TMagazine - Screen Test: Naomi Watts

Funny Games

When I first heard about this remake of 'Funny Games' I thought it would be a superficial psych-thriller riding on the coat-tails the Saw/Hostel ilk -- I called it torture porn brought to your living room. But, this clip changes my mind. Naomi Watts delivers (as she always does), and the direction by Michael Haneke (who wrote and directed the 1997 original) is crisp -- this guy knows how to handle actors. Haneke also knows story. The relationship between antagonist and protagonist is anything but mindless -- it's sadistic, yes, but not mindless; there's more intimacy in this clip than is found in many love scenes. Haneke's script looks like a winner. This may be a true psychological horror movie -- more in the vein of 'Silence of the Lambs'.

It looks like this will be a success on DVD. Now the only question is will it succeed at the box office. I think that depends mostly on the release date. This is one to watch.