Marc Forster

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Quantum of Solace’ Offers Action Ride, Average Blu-Ray

BrianTT — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 19:38:56 -0600

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

CHICAGO – “Quantum of Solace,” the second Daniel Craig 007 movie after the earthquake to the franchise that was the brilliant “Casino Royale,” didn’t make quite the same waves in the action genre and left a few viewers dissatisfied but it still makes for a better-than-average action movie rental. Sadly, MGM continues to struggle a bit in the HD revolution, releasing a so-so Blu-Ray that won’t help the viewers who felt let down by the film in theaters.

If “Casino Royale” was the rock ‘n’ roll set that we knew this classic character was still capable of producing with the right star, script, and production team, “Quantum of Solace” is the encore. It may not be as purely satisfying, but it still rocks in its own way.

Quantum of Solace will be released on Blu-Ray on March 24th, 2009.
Photo credit: MGM/Fox

“Quantum” is the first James Bond film to pick up immediately after the end of the film that came before it. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) has died and James (Daniel Craig) is following the trail she left behind. It leads her to another sexy woman looking for vengeance named Camille (Olga Kurylenko) and into the path of the nefarious Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), the head of the Quantum organization.

The villain and the Bond girl aren’t as interesting as “Casino” and director Marc Forster doesn’t know how to handle this material as deftly as Martin Campbell, but is it fair to compare “Quantum of Solace” to arguably the best Bond film ever made (and, by extension, one of the best action movies overall)? No, “Quantum” isn’t as good as “Casino Royale,” but neither are most action movies.

Quantum of Solace will be released on Blu-Ray on March 24th, 2009.
Photo credit: MGM/Fox

And “Quantum of Solace” IS better than at least three Pierce Brosnan Bond movies, both Timothy Dalton movies, and most of the Roger Moore missions. It’s a brutal action-fest that is missing something because it’s naturally all final act - being a continuation of the last film - but it’s still incredibly well-made. The first fifteen minutes alone make it worth a rental. For anyone who calls themselves a serious Bond fan, they make it worth a purchase.

As for the Blu-Ray, I’ve reviewed many in recent days - this is a crowded time of year - and MGM/Fox keep producing titles that look a little flatter than some of their competitors. There’s no problem with the detail, but the gorgeous scenery of “Quantum of Solace” doesn’t pop like you hope it would.

The audio is okay, but not as mind-blowing as it should be. Just before watching the opening scene of “Quantum of Solace,” I watched the “action” opening of “Bolt”. It sounded better mixed than this English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. That’s not right. It’s not that “QoS” sounds bad. It doesn’t. But it’s not going to blow you away like it should.

And the same “good enough” judgment extends to the special features. There’s a cool music video and two great featurettes - one on the locations and one about often-unheralded crew members - but no commentary and no deleted scenes. It reeks of material being held back for a special edition timed to the next theatrical Bond. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Special features

Music Video: “Another Way to Die” by Jack White & Alicia Keys (4:30)

Hey, look, a music video. Are there any channels that still play these things? This is actually a great clip blending the style of the opening with Alicia and Jack kicking rock and roll ass. I know the theme song has been divisive. Personally, I dig the attempt to blend bluesy lyrics, solid guitar riffs, the classic Bond theme, and one of the best voices in soul. Unlike most music videos on Blu-Ray, I’ll probably watch this one again. If a channel like, oh I don’t know, MTV had actually played it, the song might have been a bigger hit.

Quantum of Solace will be released on Blu-Ray on March 24th, 2009.
Photo credit: MGM/Fox

“Bond On Location” (24:45)

That shots of Bond in the suit with the gun that became so associated with the film and is featured as its cover was actually shot in a Chilean desert. Bond movies, especially lately, don’t do much on-set. “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” have gorgeous photography around the world. Location is essential to this piece and this is a great featurette detailing why and the decisions that were made in picking them.

“Start of Shooting” (2:54)

A brief piece about pre-production, concept, and the start of shooting for “Quantum” in early 2008.

“On Location” (3:14)

Overkill after the “Bond On Location” featurette about moving locations in March.

“Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase” (2:14)

A self-explanatory look at one of the most crucial scenes in the film that was shot in April. It’s here that you realize that these mini-featurettes are merely chronological, brief, behind-the-scenes pieces that should have just been incorporated into one longer piece. Typical Fox/MGM in that there’s no Play All and they’re all too brief.

“Director Marc Forster” (2:45)

About bringing on the new guy. They’re all real proud of him.

“The Music” (2:36)

Self-explanatory bit about recording and conceiving the score with composer David Arnold.

“Crew Files” (45:30)

A stunning amount of material profiling individual crew members and their role on the film one at a time. Profiles include Michael G. Wilson, James Grant (Location Manager), Ana Endara (Extras Casting), Ben Cooke (Stuntman), and many, many more. This is actually a great feature that allows access to people who don’t often get the credit they deserve but are just as much a part of the fabric of the piece as those who do.

The set is rounded out by two trailers but no commentary or deleted scenes.

‘Quantum of Solace’ is released by Sony Pictures Home Video and stars Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright, and Judi Dench. It was written by Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and directed by Marc Forster. It will be released on March 24th, 2009. It is rated PG-13.

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

Principal Photography For Untitled James Bond Film No. 22 to Begin on Jan. 3, 2008

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 15:26:40 -0700

Principal photography for untitled James Bond film No. 22 will begin in the United Kingdom on Jan. 3, 2008 at Pinewood Studios, according to the comprehensive James Bond Web site MI6.

Daniel Craig for the 22nd James Bond film.
Photo credit: MI6
In its Dec. 30 report, MI6 cites an interview with James Bond film No. 22 director Marc Forster as published with Swiss newspaper SonntagsZeitung. The Jan. 3 start date for the film is one day earlier than previously stated by star Daniel Craig.

You don’t have to dig too far back through the HollywoodChicago.com archives to find a few local hits on this director. Forster’s 2007 film “The Kite Runner” was a 2007 hit at the Chicago International Film Festival and we photographed him on Oct. 4, 2007.

“The Kite Runner” director Marc Forster at the
Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
Though an official title for the film hasn’t yet been announced, IMDb lists the film under the generic title “Bond 22” while various reports cite the rumored title “007”.

Marc Forster is the director of the 22nd James Bond film.
Photo credit: MI6
Indeed, Forster in this interview delves into how the next film in the massive franchise is a quest into 007’s inner self. He said:

When [James] Bond began in the [Sean] Connery days, travel was a luxury not everyone could afford. Today, the world has become smaller.

If Bond goes to a beach with palm trees, it’s almost banal now. The only interesting trip remains the journey inward deep into the psyche.

As for the business of Bond, Forster goes on to admit:

Financially, there are limits – even on a Bond film.

As for additional casting beyond Craig, MI6 says “British actress Gemma Arterton may have indeed secured a role” in the film. MI6 says it is unlikely, though, that her role will be as the major Bond girl.

Gemma Arterton “may have indeed landed” a role
in the 22nd James Bond film, according to MI6.
Photo credit: Sarah Dunn

Gemma Arterton
Photo credit: Gemma-Arterton.net
Produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the film is slated to hit theaters on Nov. 7, 2008.

Marc Forster is the director of the 22nd James Bond film.
Photo credit: MI6
For background, MI6 adds:

Foreign [filming locations will include] Italy, Panama, Austria and Bolivia. Paul Haggis completed the script based on a first-draft screenplay developed by regular scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

The story will be a direct continuation of the events of “Casino Royale”. It is British actor Daniel Craig’s second outing as James Bond following his debut [James Bond] film “Casino Royale,” [which was released on] Nov. 16, 2006.

Dame Judi Dench and Giancarlo Giannini will also reprise their roles. Mathieu Amalric and Anatole Taubman will play villains.

8:49 p.m. update on Jan. 24, 2008: The film now has its official title: “Quantum of Solace,” which Variety says is derived from a short story published as part of a collection by Bond creator Ian Fleming in 1960.

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

Dubai Rolls Out Red Carpet For ‘The Kite Runner’ Cast, Filmmakers

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:08:19 -0700

“The Kite Runner,” which made a noticeable impact on this year’s Chicago International Film Festival, just attended a closing-night, red-carpet gala at the fourth-annual Dubai International Film Festival.

The photos above, which were sent to me from the Chicago publicist for the film, also came with this caption:

The young actors from the recently released feature film “The Kite Runner” – including Zekiria Ebrahimi, Ali Danish Bakhtyari and Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada – attended the closing night gala of the fourth-annual Dubai International Film Festival.

The boys were joined by best-selling author Khaled Hosseini, the film’s producers (E. Bennett Walsh, Bill Horberg, Rebecca Yeldham and Walter Parkes) as well as fellow cast members Homayoun Ershadi (“Baba”) and Khalid Abdalla (“Adult Amir”).

HollywoodChicago.com photos from “The Kite Runner” premiere on Oct. 4, 2007 at the Chicago International Film Festival follow.

“The Kite Runner” director Marc Forster at the
Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com

From left to right, “The Kite Runner” director Marc Forster, author
Khaled Hosseini and star Khalid Abdalla at the Chicago International
Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
“The Kite Runner” opened in limited U.S. theaters on Dec. 14.

Chicago International Film Festival Kicks Off With Tribute to Legendary Critic Roger Ebert

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:54:17 -0600

CHICAGO – Producers, writers and actors all took a backseat on Thursday night as the Chicago International Film Festival kicked off its 43rd year with a moving tribute to legendary film critic Roger Ebert.

Roger Ebert and wife, Chaz Hammelsmith, at the
Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
The scores of people gathered around the Chicago Theatre were raring to see the major players involved with the making of one of the most anticipated films of the year: “The Kite Runner”.

It turns out they didn’t become thoroughly animated until they saw Ebert emerge from his car with his faithful wife, Chaz, at his side.

The opening-night celebration for the Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF) paid tribute to the venerable critic – for whom the festival is dedicated and who is now known as the No. 1 pundit in America – for his decades of work in the film industry.

Opening night of the Chicago International Film
Festival paid tribute to Roger Ebert on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
The ceremony moved inside where a capacity crowd of who’s who people – including the chancellor of the University of Illinois, directors, actors and general well wishers – congratulated Ebert on his accomplishments.

The highlight of the night was when Ebert took the stage and spoke a few words with the help of his synthesizer. He has had to use the mechanical voice ever since undergoing surgery to remove thyroid cancer in 2003.

“The Kite Runner” director Marc Forster at the
Chicago International Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007.
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
Ebert paid homage to HAL from “2001: A Space Odyssey”. He was in high spirits and his wife said he is on the road to recovery. She asked the audience to keep him in their prayers as he prepares to undergo the next round of surgeries in November.

A video was presented full of actors and directors congratulating Ebert on his career. It was inspiring how many people talked about him in such warm and glowing terms. Directors including Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood talked of how – after all these years – they still seek Ebert’s approval.

From left to right, “The Kite Runner” director Marc Forster, author
Khaled Hosseini and star Khalid Abdalla at the Chicago International
Film Festival on Oct. 4, 2007
Photo by Evan O’Donnell/HollywoodChicago.com
Ebert has transcended his role as a film critic to what can only be described now as an ambassador for film. He has changed the way we watch movies and will continue to do so for years to come.

It was a night people in attendance won’t soon forget. The evening showed everyone the role of what critics can and should be in the industry. Ebert has done it the right way and has proven himself not only as a film aficionado but as a journalist as well.

By Evan O’Donnell
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com