Antonio Banderas

Zoe Kazan Illuminates Fascinating Fable of ‘Ruby Sparks’

BrianTT — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:40:48 -0400

Rating: 4.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris return to the spotlight this week with their first film since the award-winning “Little Miss Sunshine” and they completely defy the sophomore slump, delivering a smart, fascinating, fun gem in the spectacular “Ruby Sparks.” Buoyed by one of the best screenplays of the year courtesy of one of our most interesting young actresses, “Ruby Sparks” is a clever romantic fantasy that works on nearly every level.

At his core, the writer is a control freak. Writers craft characters to serve their will, whether it be to entertain an audience, to make a statement, or to fulfill a side of their personality that they can’t in the real world. The wonderful Zoe Kazan (“Meek’s Cutoff,” “The Exploding Girl”) has crafted a fable in “Ruby Sparks” about how that sense of control and craftsmanship makes a writer a unique romantic partner. Writing for herself and her real-life romantic partner in Paul Dano, Kazan has delivered a dense, multi-layered piece of work and she was lucky enough to find two directors who completely understood her themes. The screenplay for “Ruby Sparks” is a high-wire act of tones, genres, and themes and Kazan proves to be more than capable of traversing it.

Ruby Sparks
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Calvin Weir-Fields (Dano) is a famous writer who hasn’t delivered a new novel since his breakthrough ten years ago. His agent, therapist, and family encourage him to write more but he’s been blocked by his own success. At speaking appearances, he feels awkward as fans try to break down his characters for the millionth time. He just looks defeated by life. Then he dreams of Ruby Sparks (Kazan).

She starts in his dreams and, as writers often do, Weir-Fields starts to write about Ruby. He crafts a past life for the girl of his dreams and she begins to inspire him. He’s writing again. He’s jumping off his therapist’s walls instead of lying on the couch. And then he wakes up to find Ruby Sparks making him breakfast. She’s gone from dream to paper to reality. And Calvin can still control her, altering her behavior through his typewriter.

Ruby Sparks
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Sound silly? It’s a crazy premise for a film but aren’t so many of our greatest romances built around fables, magic, fate, symbols, and other fictional concepts? Like Kaufman with “Adaptation,” Kazan completely embraces her concept. Ruby Sparks is an imaginary character come to life. Deal with it. One of the many incredible things about Kazan’s screenplay is how confidently she sells her concept. The very foundation of “Ruby Sparks” could have been disastrously whimsical if Kazan hadn’t completely committed to it.

Or found directors and an ensemble willing to play along. Kazan is the revelation here – both as a writer and an actress – but “Ruby Sparks” is supported by some incredibly strong ensemble performances, including a great turn by Chris Messina and some nice moments with Annette Bening, Antonio Bandera, Steve Coogan, Elliott Gould, Alia Shawkat, and Deborah Ann Woll (giving the best one-scene performance of the year). Dayton & Faris clearly have a gift with actors, finding subtle moments in broad concepts. As for Dano, he’s the only arguable weakness in that I found myself wishing that Calvin wasn’t quite so introverted and neurotic. There’s an even more daring version of “Ruby Sparks” in which Calvin is less of a hermit and more of an ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation.

Ruby Sparks
Photo credit: Fox Searchlight

Kazan juggles genres in “Ruby Sparks,” finding wonderfully romantic moments (there’s an early pool sequence that’s just stunning) and then bookending them with action later in the film. It’s not a spoiler to say that “Ruby Sparks” is not a traditional love story. Kazan has loftier goals. This is a story of control as much as passion. We want the girl of our dreams but we want her to stay as we envisioned her. Calvin is a man who cannot recognize that people change in ways he cannot control – a chapter with his mother, played by Bening, is a beautiful thematic commentary on the protagonist in that time has changed her outlook on life in ways that Calvin seems incapable of understanding.

The life of the writer has long been a subject of filmmakers but rarely has there been a film that gets the remarkable dichotomy of dreamer and control freak that lives within someone who crafts characters from thin air like “Ruby Sparks.” And don’t get me wrong. “Ruby Sparks” works on this deep, symbolic level but it’s also simply fun, captivating filmmaking that delivers as pure entertainment. However you want to interpret the unexpected life of “Ruby Sparks,” just don’t miss it.

“Ruby Sparks” stars Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Aasif Mandvi, Steve Coogan, Deborah Ann Woll, Alia Shawkat, and Elliott Gould. It was written by Kazan and directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris. It opens in Chicago on July 25, 2012.

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

Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor in Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Haywire’

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:45:14 -0500

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Steven Soderbergh is one of the few directors who can do whatever the hell he wants. Whatever genre, whomever he casts, whichever story he chooses to tell – he pulls it off. He hasn’t made anything approaching a stumble since 2004’s “Ocean’s Twelve” (and, believe it or not, there have been eight films released since including this one) and his latest, “Haywire,” serves as further evidence that any conversation of the best working directors that doesn’t include him is incomplete. The film is ultimately a bit too thin for its own good, and you’ve seen nearly the entirety of it in the over-saturated previews, but it’s yet-another tightly-directed, expertly-made work from a director who seems to know no other way.

“Haywire” opens with a beautiful woman named Mallory (Gina Carano, an MMA fighter for whom Soderbergh and writer Lem Dobbs reportedly built this film around) scoping out a snow-covered restaurant. She cases it from a distance, moves in slowly, and slides into a booth. Aaron (Channing Tatum), a man with whom she clearly has a past enters the restaurant and sits across from her. After some tense, mysterious conversation that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, Aaron throws a hot cup of coffee in Mallory’s face and the two start fighting. And I mean FIGHTING. They punch. They kick. They throw each other into booths and stools. And this is one of those films where you feel every blow. It’s the opposite of the modern trend of quick-cut, confusing action choreography.

Haywire
Photo credit: Relativity Media

Before you can recover from the brutality of the first fight, Mallory has ordered a young man named Scott (Michael Angarano) to help her escape. Mallory is driving, Scott is tending her wounds. It’s the perfect time for a story! Our heroine tells Scott how she got to this position and reveals why they need to be headed to their current destination.

Mallory worked as a secret agent for hire under the leadership of the shady Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), who also happened to be her ex. It’s never a good situation when deadly people break up. Two men named Coblenz (Michael Douglas) and Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas) come to Kenneth with a job – releasing a hostage from his captivity in Barcelona. They demand that the legendary Mallory be a part of the job and we learn that Aaron the coffee hurler was also on the team. Things got a little shaky in Barcelona, but they got their man and seemingly got away smooth. When Mallory went on her next mission, an undercover gig involving the freelance British agent Paul (Michael Fassbender), all hell broke loose. Now, Mallory is on the run and her famous author father (Bill Paxton) may be the only person who can help her.

Not like Mallory needs much help. As crafted by the great writer Dobbs (“Dark City,” “The Limey”), she is a heroine for which the viewer rarely fears actual danger. It’s quite a compliment to the way this character is designed and the way she’s brought to life by Carano and Soderbergh that she approaches James Bond or Jason Bourne level supremacy in that, even with seemingly formidable opponents like Fassbender and Tatum, one knows she will always come out on top. She is a force of nature, a woman who doesn’t just hold her own, she holds yours too.

Haywire
Photo credit: Relativity Media

But to what end? Is “Haywire” more than a remarkable technical exercise? Not really. Much like Lars Von Trier, Soderbergh seems to occasionally make films that are designed to test and expand his boundaries as a filmmaker. Can I make a movie about a high-end escort (“The Girlfriend Experience”)? Can I make a movie about making movies (“Full Frontal”)? Can I make a movie with no names for virtually nothing and find new ways to distribute it (“Bubble”)? While the all-star, A-list supporting cast might make this look like one of his mainstream ventures (like “Contagion” or the “Oceans” movies), it is actually MUCH closer to his experimental work in its lack of character and newcomer lead. Are we supposed to care about Mallory Kane? Are we supposed to be intrigued by the plot? Not really to both questions. Everything about “Haywire” feels like an experiment in filmmaking more than honest spy movie storytelling.

But what remarkable filmmaking. It literally seems like there’s nothing that this man can’t do. A spy movie built around a debut actress? Sure, why not? And he doesn’t just deliver the basics. He delivers stunningly well-choreographed chase and fight scenes. The battle between Mallory and Paul is incredible and the climax in which Mallory’s betrayer is finally caught up to is fantastic. It’s the connective tissue that leaves “Haywire” a little thin. But it also leaves it a lean action machine that runs less than an hour-and-a-half with credits. Carano and Soderbergh get in, kick your ass, and get out. He doesn’t have time for traditional plot and character. He’s too busy moving on to the next project.

“Haywire” stars Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Angarano, Michael Douglas, Bill Paxton, Michael Fassbender, and Antonio Banderas. It was written by Lem Dobbs and directed by Steven Soderbergh. It will be released on January 20th, 2012.

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

‘Puss in Boots’ Coasts Through Familiar Animated Antics

PatrickMcD — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:10:29 -0400

Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Animated family films have made a pact with their audience. For our participation – and extra 3D glasses fee – they deliver the latest in computer generated eye candy, familiar voice talent and heroes that always win while making pop culture references. Antonio Banderas is “Puss in Boots.”

Expanding on the feline swashbuckler from the “Shrek” series of films, “Puss in Boots” is a decent exercise of the animated pact, but doesn’t offer anything new or particular exciting. The generated atmosphere is gorgeous, truly a miracle of the modern age, but the filmmakers probably think this is enough. It took four writers to sweat out the adventurous screenplay, only to fall back on litter box jokes and a greek chorus cat who offers the oh-no-you-didn’t aphorism.

Set before his Shrek adventures, Puss in Boots (voice of Banderas) is introduced in all his roguish ways, loving and leaving his feline companion. He hears rumors about magic beans, being held by the grown-up Jack (Billy Bob Thorton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris). When he goes to steal them, he is outmaneuvered by a masked thief named Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek). They decide that teaming up is better than working apart, and they set off anew to steal the beans.

Puss (voice of Antonio Banderas) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) in ‘Puss in Boots’
Photo credit: Dreamworks Animation

Puss comes upon his hometown, and the orphanage where he grew up. In flashbacks, we meet Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), once the closest friend of Puss, who ended up betraying him. The egg man holds the key to the power of the magic beans, which naturally grows a climbable vine that reaches to the land of the giants. Humpty knows there is a goose that lays golden eggs there, and joins Puss and Softpaws in stealing the beans from Jack and Jill. When they finally procure them, golden eggs and retribution is next.

There is action and adventure in this movie, more than the comic overtones of the Shrek series. The fights, chases and dance-offs are carefully choreographed, with witty shades of 1960s spaghetti westerns thrown in. The computer generated landscape is flawless, now so well-rendered as to be taken for granted. The deserts, villages, magic vine surfing and the land of the giants are awe inducing, but since the story isn’t all that inspiring, the same atmosphere sometimes slipped into commonality once it was established.

The voice talent has fun – animated voiceover is the easiest payday in the business – although some of the celebrities sound so generic the production could have saved money hiring any voice. Zach Galifianakis proves again that if he plays a “character” outside his established show business persona, he doesn’t come off as well. His Humpty Dumpty is bland, and relies more on his comical look than the performance. It came off a bit scrambled.

There are a couple indications that the story wasn’t a priority. Multiple story consultants – there were four – is a red flag for trouble in a big production. They also padded the 90 minutes with a long dance-off and crazy chases that exist to show off the animation, but obviously is elaboration. And the whole fairy tale universe that Shrek parodied for four films only leaves scraps in “Puss in Boots.”

Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Puss in ‘Puss in Boots’
Photo credit: Dreamworks Animation

The film has its moments, plus Banderas and Hayek are perfectly charming. The kids might get a bit bored with the padding and stretched-out story line, but the scenic eye candy might also burn a hole later in the DVD player. There are tons of family films now, literally a new animated epic every month. With the crowded marketplace, the “Law of Diminishing Returns” is bound to be a factor, and “Puss in Boots” wrestles with the law probably without knowing it.

Make the checklist and bring the kids. Celebrity voices, the Shrek seal of approval, funny-looking fairy tale characters and the 3D option. If it provides 90 minutes of time-killing in the midst of our quiet desperation, then it’s fun for the whole family.

“Puss in Boots” opens everywhere October 28th. See theater listings or 3D show times. Featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thorton and Amy Sedaris. Written by Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler and Jon Zack. Directed by Chris Miller. Rated “PG”

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

Lazy, Uninspired ‘Shrek Forever After’ With Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz

BrianTT — Fri, 21 May 2010 14:52:08 -0400

Rating: 1.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The laziest big budget film of the year, “Shrek Forever After” is the worst kind of family entertainment in that it relies solely on the goodwill engendered by the hit movies that came before to not only get audience members in seats this weekend but to sell them toys, video games, and tickets to amusement parks.

Last year was a landmark one for animation with films like “Coraline,” “Up,” and “The Princess and the Frog” proving that the medium had a wealth of storytelling possibilities that wouldn’t merely result in commercials for other products or films. The pattern continued into early 2010 with the spectacular “How to Train Your Dragon,” one of the most beautiful movies of the year to date.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and His New Nemesis, Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn).
Photo credit: DreamWorks

Perhaps without the recent high quality output in mainstream animation, I wouldn’t be as aggravated by the shear, unadulterated laziness at the heart of “Shrek Forever After,” not just the worst film in this franchise but the worst high profile work in a long time. With the depth and complexity of the animated films of 2009, why do we have to suffer through a piece that doesn’t seem as creatively inspired as the TV special “Shrek the Halls”? Every frame of this film reeks of a project that has been conceived and executed merely to fulfill the bare minimum to get audiences into seats. They know that if they tell a few jokes and bring back the characters you love, that you’ll pay to see it. Actual creativity requires too much effort. Fans of all ages deserve better.

The plot of “Shrek Forever After” is essentially a riff on “It’s a Wonderful Life” spun into more of a midlife crisis story for Shrek (Mike Myers). The big green guy longs for the day when his roar struck fear into the hearts of the townsfolk instead of just serving as a party trick. Domesticity can be tough on any man but it seems especially hard on Shrek to go from fearsome creature into exhausted father.

Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn) happens upon Shrek in a moment of crisis and moves in for the nefarious kill. He offers Shrek one day of old-fashioned rabble-rousing ogre chaos in exchange for an already-passed day of Shrek’s life. Thinking that he can sow his oats one final time before going back to changing diapers, Shrek takes the deal and never considers that the pint-sized dealmaker could take the day that Shrek was born.

Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) Off on a New Adventure.
Photo credit: DreamWorks

Shrek wakes up in a world where he was never born and it turns out that Far Far Away is a much different place without the love affair between Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek. This alternate universe features a Donkey (Eddie Murphy) who is a mere pack mule, an obese Puss N Boots (Antonio Banderas), a King Rumplestiltskin, and a Fiona who lives underground and leads her ogre in a daily battle against a corrupt leader and his cadre of witches. Shrek has until sunrise to enact the contract’s loophole, finding “True Love’s Kiss” once more and returning life to normal.

Clearly, it’s not a bad concept. The “Shrek” movies have always been about how beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it’s consistent to tell a story about a character not seeing the beauty in his family life and longing for the old days. But the cleverness stops with the concept. There’s not one clever line, visual joke, or surprising plot twist. “Shrek Forever After” simply isn’t funny. “Shrek the Third” had its problems, but it was a laugh riot compared to this boring affair.

And the laziness doesn’t stop with the script. You can almost sense the contractual obligation in Myers’ and Murphy’s line readings, as if they were merely counting their money when they recorded their parts. They can’t muster the energy to bring these characters to life any more. The film is even visually inert. The 3D adds a dim, gray layer to a film that is mostly set in a colorless world. The result is a piece where even the visuals seem as half-conceived as the jokes.

“Shrek Forever After” has often been referred to as “Shrek: The Final Chapter” and the title has alternated a few times. Personally, I like the second choice as it at least hints that this affair could be the nail in the coffin of a franchise that has gone from creative to merely commercial.

‘Shrek Forever After’ features voice work by Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Walt Dohrn, and Antonio Banderas. It was written by Josh Klausner & Darren Lemke and directed by Mike Mitchell. It opened on May 21st, 2010. It is rated PG.

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

‘Shrek the Third’ is Foxy Flirt Between Kid’s Play, Adult Wit

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:41:35 -0400

CHICAGO – To thwart his fate of being royally screwed (“mommy, what does that mean?”), the ornery ogre who smells like the shallow end of a swamp has unwavering resolve to crown someone else as proxy for his kingdom’s recently croaked king.

“Shrek the Third,” which vigilantly flirts with the grey matter between child’s play and adult humor, creates curious questions for children while bringing back beloved characters for another joyride in Far Far Away.

Shrek begrudgingly submits to a royal primping as he prepares to stand in with Fiona as the king and queen of Far Far Away due to King Harold’s illness.
Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation
In the eyes of the filmmakers, they never had to lead the irascible Shrek anywhere. They view the series to be a natural progression of a normal man’s life. This time around, he’s faced with the finery and lumber of adulthood. Initially freaked by the notion of fathering ogres, he comes around.

The stories are designed to be clear and mimic real life. In the first, Shrek gets married. In the second, he meets the parents. In the third, he learns to be a dad. All three follow the trend of bucking what Shrek thinks about himself.

“In the first film, he didn’t think he was worthy of falling in love,” Mike Myers said in the film’s production notes. “In the second, he didn’t think he was worthy of being a husband. Now he’s struggling with worthiness because he’s afraid of being a king and a father. You really have to rely on yourself and not listen to what people think about you.”

These CGI films, of course, are designed to crack grins and play to youthful fantasies and imagination. The unanimous funniest moment in the film was when Gingy – the gingerbread character you can’t help but love – reveals that he’s not one tough cookie. He’s so petrified he poops a gumdrop. It was a simply jocular moment.

Gingy stands up to a line of questioning in “Shrek the Third”.
Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation
While such witty and light-hearted scenes define the Shrek franchise, the third humble fairy tale lacks as much as the other two packed in. With a strong sequel that majestically followed the first, the third – while certainly an entertaining, feel-good film – is the weaker of the bunch.

Shrek – played by Mike Myers and viewed by the actor as a family reunion – is reluctantly persistent to scout Artie – played by Justin Timberlake – as new king. Picked for his “malice, melodrama and comic timing,” according to producer Aron Warner, Rupert Everett as Prince Charming erringly vies to be king and challenges the Shrek and Artie duo.

Just as Timberlake’s selection took some convincing, his character’s likability takes some growing. Warner added: “He’s got a great soul and he brings that to Artie. Even when Artie says stuff that isn’t necessarily likeable, you can tell he’s just a teenager trying to use this kind of language to … cover up his own insecurity.”

Justin Timberlake voices Artie in “Shrek the Third”.
Image courtesy of Saeed Adyani
Eddie Murphy as Donkey – again always having Shrek’s back – is described by director Chris Miller as “an endless stream of funny” while Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots “sings, dances and coughs up hairballs with gusto,” according to Warner.

While author and comedian Amy Sedaris was also wary about playing Cinderella because it seemed astray for her, she warmed up to the idea of being involved in a “Saturday Night Live” girly gang.

“No one’s ever asked me to play a princess before. I thought it would be challenging. Once I heard who the other princesses were going be, I couldn’t pass it up,” Sedaris said. “With TV and film, it’s always ‘bring it back, pull it back and make it smaller’. I never hear that with animation. ‘Can you go bigger?’ [It’s] my dream to hear that. ‘Bigger’ and ‘one take’ are my two favorite phrases.”

In addition, the film features a massive, gold-plated voice cast including Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), Julie Andrews (the queen), John Cleese (the king), Eric Idle (Merlin), John Krasinski (Lancelot), Ian McShane (Captain Hook), Cheri Oteri (Sleeping Beauty), Amy Poehler (Snow White), Maya Rudolph (Rapunzel), Regis Philbin (Mable) and Larry King (Doris).

In total, the film utilized a catalog of nearly 5,000 characters. All approved by the directors and art directors, many were “digital extras” that may have been way off in the background and relatively unnoticed.

As for the tech of Shrek, the creative team aimed for dazzle in the details. Down to the tiny bits of fur on the Three Blind Mice to the individual strands of hair in Merlin’s beard and Fiona’s hair, DreamWorks Animation advanced already advanced systems to push the envelope and bring alive what started as pencil sketches.

“Going into each new film, we will have a list of tools and techniques we want to improve,” said effects supervisor Matt Baer. “The tricky part is deciding which improvements will have the biggest impact.”

John Krasinski voices Lancelot in “Shrek the Third”.
Photo courtesy of Kelvin Jones
While DL145 HP ProLiant servers, HP xw9300 workstations powered by AMD Opteron processors and HP nx6125 notebooks based on AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core mobile technology likely sound like gibberish to most people, such raw computing power afforded the ability to render incredibly detailed characters at a faster pace.

When Shrek winces, you can now see the wrinkles in his nose. The project couldn’t realize such specificity its first two times around. Special effects veteran Arnauld Lamorlette depicts No. 3 as the “difference between drawing and sculpting”. The film also exploited new hair simulation tools for more realistic motion and collisions with geometry.

“You can really feel the material of the fabric in Fiona’s dress,” said co-director Raman Hui. “It’s a little bit shinier when it’s facing the light. I swear you can feel the texture of it. You can feel the softness.”

When Donkey and Puss in Boots drink a potion and switch bodies, the animators were challenged with transferring their personalities. Puss had to move like a cat in a donkey’s body and Donkey had to awkwardly exist in a cat’s hide.

“Most of the environments in this film are even larger and more detailed,” said art director Peter Zaslav. “Of course, we [also] exaggerated things. We put carvings into the wall and even created a medieval vending machine. If you look closely, you’ll spot several clever little jokes. It’s always fun to infuse contemporary humor into a medieval world.”

Prior to the third film, Shrek has raked in $1.4 billion in box-office receipts and divvied out 90 million DVDs. For the 2007 holiday season, “Shrek the Halls” will appear on ABC. In 2008, the saga will evolve into “Shrek: The Musical” on Broadway.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com