Sign of the times: A big-budget internationalist action throwback of sorts, one with some of the goofiest, most downright absurd conceits you’ll find all year, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s both intentionally and unintentionally funny Or Noir (Black Gold) will probably never see the light of day in the States. Relegating it to marginal art-house material because of its odd place on the contemporary film mantle, in which it has been deemed simply too silly and conventional for the American art house crowd and too high minded and not award season-worthy enough for the big leagues, Warners is only handling the U.K., Europe and a […]
by Brandon Harris on Dec 6, 2011At the Gotham Awards next Monday night, IFP is honoring actor Gary Oldman with a career tribute. Oldman’s thirty-year acting career has included memorable performances in Alex Cox’s Sid & Nancy, Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula, Oliver Stone’s JFK, and, more recently, the Batman and Harry Potter franchises. Oldman’s latest is Tailor, Tinker, Soldier Spy, an adaptation of the 1974 British spy novel by John le Carre. In this interview from Lovefilm.com, Oldman discusses working with costars Colin Firth, John Hurt, and Tom Hardy. And check out this clip from the film, in which the head of the British foreign intelligence […]
by Jane Schoenbrun on Nov 22, 2011You’ve seen it all before. Amidst a sea of police corruption, one last honest, wisecracking cop and an improbable sidekick unravel a series of criminal entanglements.They’re an unlikely pair and one of them is surely way out of his natural element. There will be chases, usually with cars, although likely on foot too, and gunplay, half quotable one-liners, and maybe a dash of suspense, although it’s highly unlikely either of our leads will meet an untimely demise. How could anyone possible make a tired scenario like this fresh? Just ask John Michael McDonagh, brother of Martin, the lauded Irish playwright […]
by Brandon Harris on Jul 27, 2011