Sam Rockwell

‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Creator Jared Hess Scores With ‘Gentlemen Broncos’

PatrickMcD — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:34:35 -0700

CHICAGO - Writer/Director Jared Hess’ universe, where obscure pop culture references and strange survivors abide, gets another workout with the spontaneously funny “Gentlemen Broncos,” which also features Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Gentlemen Broncos features the affable Michael Angarano as Benjamin, a science fiction nerd with a penchant for creating his own intergalactic stories. His widowed mother, Judith (Jennifer Coolidge) is his biggest cheerleader, but is racked with bi-polar bouts of crying in conjunction with a fledgling designer nightgown business. When she sends Benjamin away to a sci-fi writing camp, it puts into motion the next phase of their lives.

At the camp Benjamin meets Tabatha (Halley Feiffer), a perplexing fellow nerdling who vaguely takes a shine to him. She reads his stories of Bronco, a sci-fi action hero who is searching for his lost testicle. Bronco is a lusty adventurer, who rides bucks (male deer) that can shoot laser beams. His writings also come to the attention of his author hero, Rob Decker (Jemaine Clement), who recognizes his talent by stealing his story for publication.

Back at home, Benjamin must contend with his new found friendship with Tabatha, selling the movie rights for his story to a untalented director named Lonnie (Héctor Jiménez), and his new best friend/guardian angel, Dusty (Mike White).

”Gentlemen Broncos” opens in Chicago November 13, 2009, with a limited release elsewhere. Check local listings for theaters and times. Featuring Michael Angarano, Jennifer Coolidge, Halley Feiffer, Héctor Jiménez, Mike White and Sam Rockwell, directed by Jared Hess. Rated “PG-13.”

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Gentlemen Broncos”

Buckin’ Bronco: Sam Rockwell in ‘Gentlemen Broncos’
Photo credit: Seth Smoot for Fox Searchlight

Continue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Gentlemen Broncos”

Interview: To the Stars With ‘Moon’ Director Duncan Jones

BrianTT — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:00:00 -0600

CHICAGO – With “Star Trek,” “Terminator: Salvation,” and now Duncan Jones’ “Moon,” it’s been a good season for science fiction fans. Jones’ directorial debut is a stunning piece of psychological sci-fi about a man who is literally being replaced by a younger version of himself.

Sam Rockwell stars (and gives the best performance of the year to date) as Sam, a man who works mining an energy-producing substance on the moon and sends it back to Earth. His three-year assignment with only a robot pal named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) to keep him company is finally about to come to an end.

After an accident outside the base, Sam returns to find a younger version of himself who claims to be starting his three-year assignment. Has Sam gone crazy? What is going on? “Moon” is one of the best debuts of the year and it was borne not out of looking at the stars but looking within.

Sam Rockwell, Duncan Jones.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

“Most of the stuff was quite personal, to be honest,” says Jones. “Story-wise, it was really something that I came up with because I wanted to address a few things in my own experience - the idea of being able to meet yourself and talk to a younger version of yourself and maybe give yourself a little slap. Or tell yourself that everything is going to be okay. That was something I found interesting and assumed that everyone has gone through - wanting to be able to tell the younger you that either everything is going to be fine or that you need to change something.”

“Also, while I was writing, I was going through a really painful, horrible, long-distance relationship that was a heartbreaker. I wanted to talk about that - the paranoia and what you go through when you’re trying to maintain a long-distance relationship. So, again, that was a very personal thing that became incorporated into the story.”

Sam Rockwell.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Jones came up with the story, which he wrote specifically for Rockwell, but he handed over screenwriting duties to Nathan Parker. Jones regularly works with a writer named Mike Johnson, but he was busy working on “Sherlock Holmes”. He felt confident that Parker could handle writing duties but also not interfere with what Jones wanted to accomplish as a director. “It was my first feature and it was Nathan’s first feature. It seemed like I was going to get my opportunity as a director and Nathan needed his opportunity as a writer, but it was very much a collaborative work.”

That collaborative work actually stemmed from a meeting with Rockwell about another film. “It was written FOR Sam,” reveals Jones. “I met with Sam about three years ago to discuss another script - one that Mike and I had written together. He loved it but it was slightly too ambitious as a first feature and it wasn’t something that we were going to be able to make. But Sam and I got along very well and we just started talking about the kinds of roles that he wanted to play as an actor and I told him that I would write something for him because I wanted him to be in my first film. ”

Rockwell and Jones got together for a week of rehearsal time with the help of “one of Sam’s actor buddies. We broke the script down and went through it scene by scene. We tried a lot of improv. We tried to get into how differentiate the two Sams. What made Sam #1 and Sam #2 different? Sam had a lot of details about the background of the character that didn’t even make the script. I would either know it or I would make it up in a way that could be cohesive with the rest of it, so we both felt comfortable knowing where things were coming from.”

Unable to shoot Sam #1 and Sam #2 separately, Rockwell had to jump between the two characters. “We did have, in the back of our minds, some rough archetypes,” says Jones. “Sam #1 was kind of a little more hippie-dippie. He’d kind of mellowed out over the years and he was a little bit bumbling in some ways. We didn’t want to play it up too much but it was a way to immediately get into that character and then we could tone it down. Sam #2 was kind of angry, a bit aggressive, but he does actually change over the course of the film and he mellows out and becomes much more sympathetic and almost brotherly to Sam #1. Those were the two types and it was really gauging where they were over the course of the film.”

Sam Rockwell.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

A key element to “Moon” is the design of the base, one that looks like it was pulled straight from sci-fi of the ’70s and ’80s, more than the slick look of today’s genre product. When asked about the design of the base, Jones says, “Our big homage is to science fiction films of the ’70s and ’80s. There’s two homages. There’s the type of film in that it’s about a character, a blue-collar guy, and how the environment affects them as opposed to lantern-jawed heroes going from one set piece to another. That was one homage. The other homage is obviously the aesthetic. That was straight out of films like Outland and Alien. Those were the two touchstones. The work of Ron Kolb, Syd Mead, Douglas Trumbull, Ridley Scott.’

Jones and his team also did something unusual in modern sci-fi, using miniatures instead of just CGI. “Cameron used them for all of the Aliens stuff and it still holds up,” says Jones. “It looks fantastic. And we were lucky that were still a couple of old-timers out there who worked on those films that were willing to come and work with us. I’m not sure we could have done it without them. Bill Pearson, who built our miniatures, built the Nostromo.”

Sam Rockwell.
Photo credit: Sony Pictures Classics

To make a movie like “Moon,” a director needs to be a sci-fi fan himself. Jones cites “Silent Running,” “Outland,” and “Alien” as major influences but also cops to seeing two of 2009’s biggest movies, having high praise for J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek”, but also noting, “Watching it, it did sort of remind me of some things about Star Trek that I missed that WEREN’T in the film. But I’m sure that…It was a good starting place for a new franchise and it was a great starting place. If J.J. decides to do a sequel, I’m sure he will venture into the territory that I miss from the TV show - the idea of venturing to new places. That side of it.”

As for “Terminator: Salvation,” Jones merely says, “I think you’re a very, very brave man to try and make a sequel to a James Cameron film. I think Cameron himself is one of the few people to make a successful sequel - Aliens - from the Ridley Scott film. But I wouldn’t try and do that. (Laughs.) You’ve got to have very special chops to do a sequel to a James Cameron film. I can’t wait for James Cameron’s Avatar. That should be really interesting. But other than Avatar, which we’ll have to see, they have been fairly stereotypical Hollywood films. Some work better than others but this is very different from anything else.”

Finally, Jones revealed that he’s working on a companion piece to “Moon” called “Mute”. The film will take place in the same time period and even feature Rockwell in a small role playing the same character from “Moon”.

“It’s the other side of the coin from Moon,” says Jones. “Moon is this small, quiet film about isolation and alienation. Within the same timeline of Moon, I want to tell a city film, a story that takes place in future Berlin and it’s a thriller. It’s very much paying homage to Blade Runner. It’s that vibe. And Sam’s actually agreed to do a little cameo in it and we’ll do a little epilogue about what happened to Sam in the next film. It’s very much the other side of the coin.’

Jones doesn’t want to lock into science fiction for the rest of his career. “Just these first two,” he admits. “I think these work as a companion set. It kind of worked for Ridley Scott and for James Cameron to do a pair of science fiction films first. (Laughs.) Kinda. If I could get anywhere near that, I’d be very happy.”

“Moon” is playing in select cities now and opens around this Friday, June 19th, 2009 in Chicago.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen in Ron Howard’s ‘Frost/Nixon’

BrianTT — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:27:24 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – I want to love “Frost/Nixon”. I’m generally forgiving of historical dramas, especially ones that paint Richard Nixon in a bad light. And I think the world of Michael Sheen, Frank Langella, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall, and Oliver Platt. But “Frost/Nixon” is a good movie that was too commonly praised as a great one because of its subject matter and pedigree. Worth a rental? For sure. Worth a purchase or its Best Picture nomination? I don’t think so.

It’s easy to see why people fell in love with “Frost/Nixon”. Ron Howard expertly directs his entire ensemble, particularly his two leads. His work with actors has always been his strength. And professional critics have always had a soft spot for movies that paint journalists as heroes. And that’s what “Frost/Nixon” does. Most critics would love to have their David Frost experience, making a heavyweight like Tricky Dick start to sweat.

Frost/Nixon was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

“Frost/Nixon” is about a legendary series of interviews between David Frost (Michael Sheen) and Richard Nixon (Frank Langella). Both men and the teams of intellectuals behind them saw the event as their moment for redemption. Frost would finally be seen as a serious journalist and Nixon would get the understanding and redemption that he felt he needed for Vietnam and Watergate.

Frost/Nixon was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

For this viewer, “Frost/Nixon” falls victim to the weaknesses of Ron Howard’s directorial abilities. I’ve always felt a cool, whitewashing effect from Howard. There’s a distinct lack of passion in “Frost/Nixon” that places it firmly in the “good-not-great” category of most of his films. I don’t hate Howard’s filmography, but he’s never made anything that I loved either. “Frost/Nixon” is good enough and there’s a lot to like here, but it feels like another director could have hit a home run instead of this ground rule double.

Peter Morgan’s screenplay, based on his own award-winning play, displays this excellent writer’s flair for adult, intellectual dialogue. When you combine it with Langella’s award-worthy performance, “Frost/Nixon” is absolutely worth a look. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a missed opportunity at something greater. I can’t imagine people watching “Frost/Nixon” repeatedly, the true test of a great Blu-Ray release.

As for the Blu-Ray release of “Frost/Nixon” by Universal Home Video, it has a similar good-not-great vibe. The video and audio stand out more than the special features as Universal continues to excel in those departments. Howard’s film is presented in 1080P HD widescreen with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and accompanied by an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Frost/Nixon was released on Blu-Ray on April 21st, 2009.
Photo credit: Universal Home Video

Special features include Universal’s spectacular U-Control, a feature which allows picture-in-picture access to behind-the-scenes details and information. This time, viewers can watch “The Nixon Chronicles,” which includes actual footage from the real Frost/Nixon interviews.

Rather annoyingly, the back of the Blu-Ray case tells viewers to go to another DVD, “Frost/Nixon: The Original Watergate Interviews,” to see the whole thing. Because when I spend over $30 on a Blu-Ray, I want to be told to buy another DVD. A brief search reveals that the advertised DVD is owned by Liberation Entertainment. Whatever it cost, Universal should have paid them and made the original interviews available in their entirety on the Blu-Ray release of “Frost/Nixon”. That kind of material separates great Blu-Ray features from average ones.

Other special features include “Discovering Secrets,” “The Making of Frost/Nixon,” “The Real Interview,” “The Nixon Library,” deleted scenes, and a feature commentary by director Ron Howard.

‘Frost/Nixon’ is released by Universal Home Video and stars Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Rebecca Hall, Toby Jones, Matthew MacFadyen, Oliver Platt, and Sam Rockwell. It was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Ron Howard. It was released on April 21st, 2009. It is rated R.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

The 10 Most Underrated Film Performances of 2008

BrianTT — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:47:10 -0700

CHICAGO – From Heath Ledger’s searing portrayal of The Joker in “The Dark Knight” to Sean Penn’s riveting embodiment of Harvey Milk in “Milk,” 2008 has been an excellent year for on-screen performances. However, the onslaught of high-caliber performances at the end of the year – including Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon,” the reunion of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in “Revolutionary Road,” Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and the quartet of regularly nominated actors from “Doubt” – has left some great work from earlier in the year underappreciated and underrated.

Sometimes it’s a case of critics and award voters seemingly only being able to remember one actor from a certain film and sometimes it’s a tragic case of an entire movie not being recognized thoroughly while late-season, high-profile films incorrectly steal their thunder. Either way, it was shockingly easy to come up with 10 performances that are barely getting mentioned in this season of nominations and year-end lists and truly should be especially considering the overrated ones that are getting such undeserved praise.

First and foremost, deciding what determined the qualification for “underrated” needs to be defined. Josh Brolin in “Milk,” Eddie Marsan in “Happy-Go-Lucky,” Michelle Williams in “Wendy & Lucy,” the cast of “In Bruges” and James Franco in both “Milk” and “Pineapple Express” all deserve at least one nomination or two that they didn’t get. When they have been snubbed, they’ve been mentioned and they’ve all received at least one major nomination. Academy members should definitely take a second look at all of them (especially Marsan, Brolin and Franco), but they can’t exactly be called underrated when they’ve already gotten so much press.

10. Hiam Abbass as Mouna Khalil in “The Visitor”

It’s been wonderful to see the very-deserving Richard Jenkins get the press and nominations he richly deserves for “The Visitor”, but the performance wouldn’t be nearly as complete without the decisions made by his lovely and underrated co-star, Hiam Abbass. Walter (Jenkins) is a man whose heart has been closed since his wife’s death and it’s first re-opened by the friendship of Tarek (Haaz Sleiman), an awakening that takes Walter to unexpected places, particularly his response to Tarek’s unjust incarceration and the arrival of Tarek’s mother, Mouna. It’s not your typical love affair, but Mouna and Walter change each other’s lives forever and the final act of “The Visitor” wouldn’t have nearly the emotional power that it does without BOTH of their performances. It’s a turn by a supporting actress that hasn’t even been mentioned in the year-end conversation, even though it stands far above many performances that have already been nominated.

9. Emily Mortimer as Jessie in “Transsiberian”

Great thriller performances are often underrated. If critics are too busy scribbling down the twists and turns of an intricate plot, they sometimes miss the acting involved. Well-reviewed thrillers may get credit for their director (the word “Hitchcockian” is one of the most overused in the critical vocabulary), but the cast misses out on the acclaim. Brad Anderson’s “Transsiberian”, one of the best thrillers of the last several years, would completely collapse if not for the three-dimensional performance by the always-great Emily Mortimer (who also rocked this year in “Redbelt” and was the best thing about “Chaos Theory”). As Jessie, Mortimer has the biggest burden in “Transsiberian” - to make her extreme actions believable. In retrospect, you or I probably wouldn’t have gone on that field trip with Carlos and might have acted a little more rationally afterwards, but Mortimer sells it when it counts - during the film. The thriller genre is in a state of disaster nowadays because too many writers and directors forgo character in favor of plot twists, but Anderson and Mortimer know that films are a lot more thrilling when the people and their actions are believable.

8. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike Terry in “Redbelt”

American audiences seem to be having a tough time catching up with the greatness of Chiwetel Ejiofor. That’s not the case overseas, where Ejiofor won the Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Actor earlier this year, beating out Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen. Sure, that was stage work, but what Ejiofor has accomplished on-screen in films as diverse as “Serenity”, “Dirty Pretty Things”, “Kinky Boots”, “Talk to Me”, and this year’s “Redbelt” has been consistently fascinating. As much as any actor of his generation, Ejiofor has a charisma and an on-screen resonance that brings gravity to everything he does. He was the perfect choice for Mike Terry in David Mamet’s “Redbelt”, a film about a man with an unbreakable moral code. Mamet has long-been fascinated by good men surrounded by wolves, but Mike may be the most morally righteous character that the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer/director has ever written. It’s not easy to sell unshakable beliefs to an audience, but Ejiofor is perfect yet again, bringing a touch of grace and calm that you don’t often see in Mamet characters.

7. Michael Fassbinder as Bobby Sands in “Hunger”

One of the most riveting scenes in any movie this year is the emotional centerpiece that kicks off the final act of Steve McQueen’s “Hunger”, a must-see on every level that we’ll cover more upon its release. You may be asking how a performance in a film that hasn’t been released could be underrated. Well, most critics and journalists have seen “Hunger” and, while McQueen has been getting some appropriate raves, Fassbinder seems to be sliding under the radar. Don’t let it happen. “Hunger” is a surreal, riveting experience with no clear protagonist for at least the first half of the film and very little dialogue. The mesmerizing, nearly silent film is shattered by a sequence that is just as jaw-dropping in its simplicity. IRA activist Bobby Sands (Fassbinder) has a meeting with his priest to convince him why the hunger strike he’s about to go on is the only morally correct decision for his future. With no cuts and very little blocking beyond smoking for SEVENTEEN minutes, Fassbinder is impossible to ignore. In 2008, Michael Shannon and Viola Davis have earned heaps of praise for brief roles in their respective films. With just one, extended scene of dialogue in “Hunger”, Fassbinder is just as hard to forget.

6. Elsa Zylberstein as Lea in “I’ve Loved You So Long”

Kristin Scott Thomas has rocked critics and audiences with her work in “I’ve Loved You So Long” (Richard Roeper even called it the best performance of the decade), but her co-star has been largely ignored. Elsa Zylberstein is the emotional “heat” to the “cool” of Thomas’ performance, and neither would be nearly as complete without the other. She’s the perfect balance to everything that Thomas accomplishes in one of the best performances of the year, but she has been completely absent from the Best Supporting Actress conversation. In a year for good female roles, it could be understandable that Zylberstein might not make a critic’s top five, but she damn sure should have been considered. The cold exterior of Thomas wouldn’t be nearly as effective without the decisions made by the nearly-as-good and more externally demanding work done by Zylberstein.

Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Ensemble Save ‘Frost/Nixon’ From Soulless Direction

BrianTT — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:13:13 -0700

CHICAGO – Peter Morgan’s play “Frost/Nixon” was a searing portrait of two men trying their best to change their image and their future. It was a head-to-head battle between a celebrity interviewer whose reputation was on a steady decline and the man credited with bringing shame to the White House.

Either Richard Nixon would “win” and come out looking like he had successfully defended his controversial actions in his last few years in office or David Frost would give the impeached President the trial that a lot of people feel he deserved.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Clearly, there’s enough drama inherent in the source material of “Frost/Nixon” to make a riveting drama, and the cast that director Ron Howard and Morgan, adapting his own play, have assembled are more than talented enough to pull it off. But something gets lost on the way from the theater to the multiplex. There’s a passion in the war of words between these two driven men that feels diluted by not only the big screen but also Howard’s weaknesses as a director.

Read Brian Tallerico’s full review of “Frost/Nixon” in our reviews section.

Michael Sheen plays David Frost, a man in the midst of a career crisis. He’s a reasonably successful celebrity interviewer, but he’s not taken as seriously as he’d like to be. When he sees Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) resigning on national television and realizes what a ratings draw he is worldwide, he reaches out to try and land an interview. After some negotiations, including a few rules on what can be asked and when, he lands the interview of the decade.

‘Frost/Nixon’ stars Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Rebecca Hall, Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon, and Toby Jones. ‘Frost/Nixon’, which was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Ron Howard, opened on December 12, 2008.

Continuing reading for Brian Tallerico’s full “Frost/Nixon” review.

David Frost (Michael Sheen) greets Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) and Colonel Jack Brennan (Kevin Bacon) in “Frost/Nixon”, from director Ron Howard.
Photo credit: Ralph Nelson. Copyright: © 2008 Universal Studios.

Interview: Sam Rockwell Masters Addiction, Redemption in ‘Choke’

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:11:55 -0600

CHICAGO – Interviewing actor Sam Rockwell is like experiencing him in one of his many excellent characters. He has been Chuck Barris in “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Wild Bill” Wharton in “The Green Mile” and even Guy Fleegman in “Galaxy Quest”. He’s a true performer with a passion that bleeds through in “Choke,” which is his latest film.

Standing and pacing during the Q&A with HollywoodChicago.com, Rockwell made a hilarious theatrical moment out of his frustration while lighting a cigarette. In between all that, he talked about his latest characterization, which is a challenging and exceptional performance channeling an Oedipal and compulsive personality.

“Choke” star Sam Rockwell in Chicago on Sept. 3, 2008.
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

Anjelica Huston in “Choke”.
Photo credit: Jessica Miglio

“Choke,” which is based on the Chuck Palahniuk novel of the same name (he also authored “Fight Club” and “Rant”), involves a sex addict named Victor (Rockwell).

His formerly free-spirited mother (Anjelica Huston) is dying in a local care center.

Between his 12-step sex addiction programs (where he engages in carnal knowledge in the restroom with a female participant) and his job as a character in a colonial theme park, Victor must try to reach a mother who essentially never cared for him.

“I relate to Victor because – like him – early on certain boundaries were broken in my life,” Rockwell said. “I saw things at an early age because my mom was a theater actress. I did a play with her when I was 10 years old. I was backstage with all these naked people and went to bars afterward. Like Victor, I was exposed to things early on.”

Left to right: Gillian Jacobs, Sam Rockwell and Brad William Henke in “Choke”.
Photo credit: Jessica Miglio

Rating: 4.5/5.0

To acquire money for his mother’s care, Victor has devised an attention-getting scam that involves choking on food so people will “save” him and in that heroism also take care of him. Rockwell offered: “The choking and the sex addiction are all related to trying to obtain intimacy. It’s the same goal.”

Victor’s life gets rearranged by a mysterious doctor in his mother’s care facility named Paige (Kelly MacDonald). She reveals a secret that could lead him on the road to redemption.

“Anjelica Huston and Kelly MacDonald are both really special,” Rockwell said. “Anjelica has such a fresh point of view about acting and doesn’t seem jaded at all. She seems more like a student and yet she is veteran actor who really brings it.”

“You fall in love with Kelly,” he added. “She is really unique because she is cast against type in this film.” Rockwell also talked about his preparation for the film and described how he attended sex addiction meetings in real life.

“Choke” star Sam Rockwell.
Photo credit: Jessica Miglio

Brad William Henke (left) and Sam Rockwell in “Choke”.
Photo credit: Jessica Miglio

“The sex addict stuff was required research to get inside the head of the guy,” Rockwell said. “All I had to do in the meetings during my research was say: ‘Hi. I am Sam. I’m questioning things.’ I stayed ambiguous without getting too personal. It’s a personal place.”

He also learned something in this analysis. Rockwell said: “Sex addiction is a pretty serious disorder. Anything compulsive can turn into an addiction.”

In working with Clark Gregg – who was directing his first film (and also wrote the screenplay) – Rockwell talked about the particulars in dealing with such a situation.

“Clark Gregg and I are around the same age. He has been an actor and is a writer,” Rockwell related. “But with a first-time director, there is a way to talk about things they might not know. Because Clark was an actor, though, he knew more about the process than most first-time directors.”

When asked about his penchant for playing odd and dark characters, Rockwell recounted a theory he has about general film character types.

RELATED IMAGE GALLERY
View our full, high-resolution “Choke” image gallery.

RELATED READING
More film reviews from critic Patrick McDonald.

“Once you accept that everything in film portrayal has been done already, you kind of think: ‘Well, they’ve done this character already. That is the best version,’” he said. “My question is always how I can improve upon that or make it different.”

Expounding upon that, Rockwell also said: “I like darker characters. I like playing bad guys. I think I’m drawn to them because those were the characters I liked from the movies when I was growing up. I liked ‘Taxi Driver,’ ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘The Deer Hunter’.”

Sam Rockwell absorbs this redemption-from-hell character in “Choke” with all the sickness and beauty it requires. The sympathy he evokes for Victor is indicative of the high level of actor he has become. He could almost be describing the character when he related his methodology in approaching all his roles.

“I always do drama,” Rockwell said. “It’s just that some people laugh at it and some people cry.”

“Choke,” which opened on Sept. 26, 2008, is directed by Clark Gregg and stars Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Brian William Henke and Bijou Phillips.

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

‘Snow Angels’ an Essential Examination of Yin, Yang in Our Vulnerable Lives

HollywoodChicago.com — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:56:43 -0600

CHICAGO – Staying sane is truly an edge-of-the-knife proposition. We are all the sum of our past environments, our present circumstances and our future worries. The sludge that is generated by such a mixture becomes the psyche that’s ready to interact with other psyches we deem important or are forced to be around through family or commerce.

Director David Gordon Green inspects the tipping point of this interaction in the unsparing new film “Snow Angels”.

Arthur (Michael Angarano) is the teenager who walks through all the lives of this multi-storied road. His old babysitter, Annie (Kate Beckinsale), is amid a separation from her husband, Glenn (Sam Rockwell), who has attempted suicide because of the relationship’s fallout.

Click here to read Patrick McDonald’s full review
of “Snow Angels” in our reviews section!

Click here for our full “Snow Angels” image gallery!

Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale in “Snow Angels”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Michael Angarano in “Snow Angels”.
Photo credit: IMDb