Biography movies will never die! Run for cover.The NY Post blog PopWrap gave me a little chortle titling this premiere photo to your left "Emily Blunt: Boob Watch". If you were Emily Blunt wouldn't you stare at it, too? She's delicious and knows it.
It seems like years ago when we first started talking about her star vehicle bio The Young Victoria -- oh, it was -- and now the film is opening in the UK tomorrow and has an official site and everything but still no news about a US release. Surely there's an audience here of some limited release size. Why no distributor? Julian Fellowes, the Gosford Park screenwriter, is certainly excited about it. He quipped to a crowd on the promotional circuit that he told his agent
“If I don’t write it, you die.”Here's the trailer. It does look a little, hmmm, lightweight... even lighter than The Duchess so maybe it only has a costume design nomination in it (Hi, Sandy Powell!) but you never know. "Don't judge a movie by its trailer," Nathaniel shouts to no one in particular. Nathaniel even ignores him.
There's also a new trailer to Public Enemies which is also not entirely enticing though Michael Mann films are so reliant on sustained mood and machismotic* grit that trailers are tricky. It occurs to me watching this and writing that Oscar post yesterday that Johnny Depp, who gained enormous fame and fortune creating indelibly weird originals, has actually done more than his share of real life impersonations. John Dillinger, the famous gangster he plays in this film, is his sixth biographical portrayal. Seventh if you count Hunter S Thompson's fictional alter ego in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
It seems odd that this film's stacked supporting cast o' names isn't featured more prominently in the trailer. For example: If you have Channing Tatum in your movie, why the hell aren't you bragging about it?
* I made that word up. Sorry, but it seemed appropriate.
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34 comments:
Oh nothing could be more lightweight and reductionist than The Duchess.
And is it just me, or is the title a little funny? It's as if they were trying to hedge their bets on young audiences and really just wanted to call it "The Skinny Victoria."
The trailer looks fine to me, and I'm excited just for costume porn, and Paul Bettany seems quite dashing--it doesn't look too dull. Of course the real drama was she became the old, fat, mournful Victoria (Judi Judi Judi), but it still looks good.
As it's released in the UK tomorrow there are plenty of reviews available for the curious. Most of them seem to give it a 3 out of 5 rating:
http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?FID=135318
http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/the-young-victoria
http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/86642/the-young-victoria.html
http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/shrevf.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/mar/05/young-victoria
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article5845713.ece
Public Enemies is going to be a masterpiece. I can feel it in my bones.
Michael Mann films are always much, much better than they have any right to be, so I'm still very hopeful.
It took like four viewings, but I've come to like that PUBLIC ENEMIES trailer a lot. Especially for not being the usual thing. I'm even warming to Crudup's very mannered performance.
Also Actionman that photo is inspired.
overheard in the editing room: 'wait, is that channing tatum with a, i think it is, a shirt... on? and in period clothing?!? there is no room in this trailer for a clothed tatum. the public won't stand for it.'
Re: Johnny Depp's many biographical portrayals, both his characters from "Before Night Falls" were real people, but I guess they aren't notorious enough to be considered as such. Have you read the book? It's absolutely amazing.
oh yummy! another couple of fun movies to look forward to!!! ;o)
I just hope The Young Victoria is equal to the previous one with Romy Schneider... those are big shoes to fill Emily!
and when, oh when will Depp and Bale get an Oscar?!?!?! Seems odd to see the "Oscar winner" in front of Marion Cotillard's name and not theirs... (although she deserved her win)
I'm getting an Emily Blunt/Steve Zahn (yay!) double feature this weekend: Sunshine Cleaning (with Amy Adams) on Friday and The Great Buck Howard (starring Malkovich and Colin Hanks) on Saturday. So I can wait for young Vicky.
Young Vicky. Ha!
Maybe they decided to call it The 'Young' Victoria, so that they can follow in the footsteps of the inevitable Elizabeth trilogy (yes, i know they've made two but they will probably make a third).
So they can come back to the character within the next 20 years with the title; 'The Middle-Aged Victoria', coming to cinemas this Fall, followed hotly by 'The Old Victoria.
I don't like that Public Enemies is shot in HD
somehow I don't think the "middle age" victoria would be that big a box office draw . Old and Young each have a certain cachet though ;)
dammit, i love The Duchess, and i am not ashamed of it. so i am looking forward to The Young Victoria. if only it had come out last year. i mean, can you imagine an actress category with *all* the Devil Wears Prada girls? poor Amy Adams would feel so left out, vying for approval from brand new BFF Meryl, wondering why she demands films for one-scene wonders, and now this....
I am so tired of having trailers tell me (or, to be fair, imply) that every single movie being released has exactly the same tempo as every other movie.
Speaking of trailers... Have you seen this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEszWsKuyjo I shouldn't judge the movie by it, I know....but it REALLY made me want to see it. On a shallow note, I've never seen Bebe Neuwirth (whom I LOVE) look more beautiful. What do you think?
I'm rather excited about 'The Young Victoria' (and seeing it on Saturday) here in the UK in lovely York.
Emily Blunt, Jim Broadbent, Miranda Richardson - What's not to love ?
Most anticipated movie this March ?
In terms of Emily Blunt, it seems that Hollywood's just waiting for her to enter their club. I remember reading once that Meryl Streep referred to her (paraphrasing here) 'as the most talented young actress she's ever worked with'. Those are some pretty heavy words ocming from LA STREEP. I'm still debating whether to include her in my predictions for Nathaniel's Actress Psychic contest though. Is Oscar sick of queens?
Young Vic will need a significantly more positive reception in the US than it's gotten in the UK press in order to get anywhere near awards consideration. Has the US release data been determined yet?
I still want to see it in spite of the lukewarm reviews, though.
Wayne - i don't know, they seem to be on a roll: Elizabeth II, Elizabeth I, Harvey Milk. prospects looking good so far.
I agree. That looks incredibly shallow and cliche. You'd think by now these directors would see that you need more than just pretty sets and cliche lines to make a period piece.
Channing Tatum is in the "Public Enemies" trailer. I believe he plays Babyface, so that will be him running away in the woods and getting shot. Obviously a major role, then.
P.S. Crudup is God.
Channing Tatum only has one scene in Public Enemies. That's why he's barely in the trailer...he's barely in the movie.
oh forgot Wayne B.
Emily Blunt>>>>>>>over most of young Hollywood including Adams.
I'm not looking forward to Public Enemies. Michael Mann has never touched a film he hasn't damaged in some way (remember the bloated, overwrought Insider? Or the bloated, empty Ali? Or the empty.... you get the drift).
Saw a Screening of Public Enemies and Channing isn't in it much, that's why the barely show him in the trailer.
Michael
Chaning Tatum sucks. I hope they keep his cinema presence to a minimum. He's pretty, but he's a hack.
A little bit off topic, but is Amy Adams really considered "young Hollywood"? Not that she's old, but she a year older than Kate Winslet and nobody refers to her as YH.
@Billy D: "The Skinny Victoria" made me laugh out loud. How about, "The Young, Skinny, might-be-amused-at-some-point Victoria"?
Well, the guy who directed "The Young Victoria" is the same guy of "C.R.A.Z.Y." (I LOVE that film) and this is a Martin Scorsese's production (Martin is always in, at least, good productions even great). So I still I have hope... I saw the trailer and I think it looks good, not average like many of that kind of films.
About The Duchess, I hope TYV will be a better film that Knightley's. A mess of screenplay, Over-the-top and inconsistent Knightley, lack of chemistry between her and Dominic Cooper and pretencious story. Only Fiennes looks decent in this film.
Reply: I just wonder if this'll be an "Elizabeth: Golden Age" situation where the movie gets dogged for being "cliche and shallow" but the performance hangs on for the duration of the Oscar season.
Arkaan, what about Collateral? I think that's easily Mann's best.
Actionman can feel in his bones that Public Enemies will be a masterpiece but then uses a Colin Farrell still from Miami Vice (aka not-so-great) for an avatar? Hmm...
I The Young Victoria yesterday in a largely packed arthouse. I hadn't read a great deal about the movie, other than the romance angle between Victoria and Albert. It also works rather well exploring the politics of the age, and certainly draws on Elizabeth (1998) exploring the political intrigues and the power struggles with a young monarch, although it would be true to suggest the stakes are never quite as high for Victoria.
It's handsomely shot, costumed and designed and well acted. Jim Broadbent has a couple of scenes which he steals as Victoria's Uncle William IV, Miranda Richardson as the Duchess of Kent, doesn't have a great deal to do (but its always great to see her back on screen) - the movie is really Emily Blunt's , and she is very, very good - showing us a steely determination, but decisons with often show her naievity.
Whenever this gets a US distributor, I hope its release is handled well - if marketed well could have a shot at some awards attention in the technical catergories and maybe for Blunt. But you never can tell.
Went to see the Young Victoria yesterday.. and i have to say i thought it was amazing. I think it helps when you know a little of the history but oh my did i weep through the end of the movie. such a beautiful romance.
Emily Blunt was incredible, conveying so many emotions throughout.
Costumes, sets & music stood out too.. very impressed with this british film - we can do our period pieces welll!
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