Slideshow: 21 Official Photos From Disney’s ‘John Carter’ With Taylor Kitsch

PatrickMcD — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:29 -0500

CHICAGO – Coming on March 9th is one of the more anticipated action films of 2012. Walt Disney presents “John Carter,” featuring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Samantha Morton, Clarán Hinds and Bryan Cranston. The story is based on a 100 year old series of novels by “Tarzan” creator Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Carter1: Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) and Lynn Collins (Dejah Thoris) in ‘John Carter’
Carter2: James Purefoy is Kantos Kan in ‘John Carter’
Carter3: Another View of James Purefoy as Kantos Kan
Carter4: Lynn Collins is Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium in ‘John Carter’
Carter5: Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins Share a Moment in ‘John Carter’
Carter6: Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in ‘John Carter’
Carter7: Epic Shot of Taylor Kitsch as John Carter
Carter8: Taylor Kitsch with Facial Hair in ‘John Carter’
Carter9: Taylor Kitsch in Full Warror Mode in ‘John Carter’
Carter10: Clarán Hinds (Tardos Mors) and Lynn Collins in ‘John Carter’
Carter11: Lynn Collins is Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium in ‘John Carter’
Carter12: Taylor Kitsch is the Title Character in ‘John Carter’
Carter13: Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins Explore in ‘John Carter’
Carter14: Another View of Taylor Kitsch as John Carter
Carter15: Daryl Sabara is a Young Edgar Rice Burroughs in ‘John Carter’
Carter16: Don Stark (Dix) in ‘John Carter’
Carter17: Taylor Kitsch is John Carter
Carter18: James Purefoy as Kantos Kan in ‘John Carter’
Carter19: Lynn Collins and her Court as Princess of Helium in ‘John Carter’
Carter20: Lynn Collins is Ready for her Close-up in ‘John Carter’
Carter21: Taylor Kitsch and Director Andrew Stanton on the Set of ‘John Carter’

”John Carter” opens everywhere March 9th. Featuring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, Clarán Hinds and Bryan Cranston. Screenplay adapted by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews and Michael Chabon. Directed by Andrew Stanton. Rated “PG-13”

By PATRICK McDONALD
Senior Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Film Review: Performance of Exemplary Cast Collects on ‘The Debt’

PatrickMcD — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:58:05 -0400

CHICAGO – Re-imagining, almost re-engaging the evil of the Holocaust has been thoroughly examined in film for years. “The Debt” looks at another angle, that of revenge and how much that revenge can wreak havoc on the truth.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

With both Helen Mirren, who plays the character of Rachel in 1997, and Jessica Chastain, who mirrors her in the Rachel of 1965, there is a mood generated that has a haunting and melancholy personality. This is matched with a frantic and thrilling tale of espionage tinged with the karma of revenge. It is a morality play by way of tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.

Rachel (Helen Mirren) was a covert Israeli intelligence agent in the mid-1960s, and her daughter has just written a book about one of her exploits. Her mission then was to find the so-called ‘Butcher of Birkenau,’ a Nazi doctor (Jesper Christensen) who experimented on female Jewish inmates during the Holocaust in World War II. In a flashback to the past events, set in Communist East Berlin, the young Rachel (Jessica Chastain) goes through the process of the assignment, with agent partners Stephan (Marton Csokas) and David (Sam Worthington).

Back in 1997, it is revealed that Rachel and Stephan (Tom Wilkinson) were married, the parents of the author daughter. While on the book promotion, Rachel is visited by the contemporary David (Clarán Hinds), who expends his guilt regarding elements of what the official report had to say about their former mission. The secrets potentially revealed could be devastating, both to the now older agents and the country that welcomed them back as heroes.

”The Debt” opens everywhere August 31st. Featuring Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Clarán Hinds, Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, Sam Worthington and Jesper Christensen. Adapted by Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman and Peter Straughan, directed by John Madden. Rated “R”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Debt”

Clarán Hinds as Contemporary David and Helen Mirren as Rachel in ‘The Debt’
Photo credit: Laurie Sparham for Focus Features

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “The Debt”