Opening Title Sequence: The Birdcage

Based on the French play/film La Cage aux Folles, The Birdcage was a huge hit in 1996.  (I also awkwardly utilized it as an entertaining "tool" (!) to come out to my parents.)  While it was a broad comedy that served up a bunch of yucks (and made a star out of Nathan Lane), it was also one of the first successful mainstream movies to deal with gay lead characters.  It also was one of the most popular, and arguable remains so, pieces...

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Casting News: Brenton Thwaites in Maleficent

Australian panty-creamer Brenton Thwaites will play the heartthrob prince in Angelina Jolie's Maleficent.  Thwaite stars in the latest Blue Lagoon rendition which will air on Lifetime television next month.  He's playing opposite professional nuisance Denise Richards, who has the role of mother of his love interest.  (I guess Brooke Shields had bigger fish to fry.)  Previous credits include Australian soap...

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Movie Spoiler Summary: MOONRISE KINGDOM (after capsule review)

While I thought Rushmoreback in 1998 showed promise, I often found Anderson’s characters throughout his career to be overly precious, forced, and different for "different's sake."  His visual aesthetics were designed within an inch of their lives and the emotional core always felt hallow.  If you’ve had a problem acclimatizing yourself to Wes Anderson’s quirky sensibilities as a storyteller like I did, Moonrise Kingdom may be the film for...

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Oscar Outlook 2012: The Paperboy

John Cusack isn’t the greatest actor.  In fact, I often find the 1980s pop culture icon quite difficult to watch in anything past his heyday.  I could say the same about Matthew McConaughey except he does have some appeal when he plays unapologetically slimy roles.  So, their presence in this film should have been the first two indications that the casting department might have fallen asleep on the job.  But, then, you have to...

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Happy Birthday Suit: Annette Bening

"Why don't you run outside and jerk yourself a soda."Like Cate Blanchett, as discussed earlier this month, Glenn Close, and the recent Jessica Chastain, Annette Bening was one of those rare actresses working nowadays who actually got a "late" start in Hollywood.  Then, again, for her generation, breaking into films in one's late 20s, was still not quite yet a rarity.  One of her contemporaries who signaled the return to early debuts...

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Review: La otra familia (The Other Family)

The line went around the block at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre Sunday night for the premiere of La otra familia (The Other Family) at the 2012 Hola Mexico Film Festival.  Gustavo Loza’s crowd-pleaser is about Hendrix (Bruno Loza), a 7-year-old in search of a place he can call home.  Through a series of random associations, he drifts from his crack-addict mother to an affluent gay couple, who, of course, never planned on being parents.Luis...

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Movie Spoiler A LONELY PLACE TO DIE (after capsule review)

The action film A Lonely Place to Die answers the ever pressing question of what happens when experienced rock climbers accidentally find themselves in the middle of a ransom situation.  Writers Julian and Will Gilbey try to tap into the emotional plight of its athletic heroes, but fail to turn them into three-dimensional characters as they try to protect a little girl from danger.  Some of the acting is passable (Melissa George carries...

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