Only God Forgives, red-band trailer

Announced for Cannes. Looks great.

The Bling Ring, Trailer 2!

Cannes 2013 lineup!

Can't wait!

In Competition

Only God Forgives, dir Nicolas Winding Refn
Inside Llewyn Davis, dir Ethan and Joel Coen
Borgman, dir Alex Can Warmerdam
La Grande Bellezza, dir Paulo Sorrentino
Behind the Candelabra, dir Steven Soderbergh
La Venus a la Fourrure, dir Roman Polanski
Nebraska, dir Alexander Payne
Jeune et Jolie, dir François Ozon
La Vie d'Adele, dir Abdellatif Kechiche
Wara No Tate, dir Takashi Miike
Soshite Chichi Ni Naru, dir Kore-Eda Hirokazu
Tian Zhu Ding, dir Jia Zhangke
Grisgris, dir Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
The Immigrant, dir James Gray
Heli, dir Amat Escalante
Le Passe, dir Asghar Farhadi
Michael Kohlhaas, dir Arnaud Despallieres
Un Chateau en Italie, dir Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi

Masterpieces Classics: Before Sunset (2004)

Before Sunset is neither my favorite movie of all time, nor is it even the best of 2004 (I would put Million Dollar Baby and Eternal Sunshine ahead of it). But that does not mean the film is masterpiece, because it quite simply just is.

The film is a direct sequel to Before Sunrise, a sumptuously romantic film that I thought was missing something. And after watching Before Sunset, I figure that it was chemistry that was missing. You can argue that since Jesse and Celine just met, they wouldn't have much chemistry. That is a true point, but maybe Before Sunrise was just destined for imperfection.

To the Wonder (2012)- What is the love that lives among us? (3½ Stars)

The second film in Terrence Malick's self-named Texas Trilogy, with the first being the moving Tree of Life, and the third presumably set in the Austin music scene. That all is besides the point. Right now is To the Wonder, a film shot with an expert's eye, told with expert abstractness, and requiring an expert amount of attention, if that makes any sense.

The story begins with Marina (Olga Kurylenko), a seemingly naive Parisian in a relationship with the near-silent Neil (Ben Affleck). We see them in the middle of a relationship, and Malick oddly never chooses to show the beginnings of their first or second relationships. Marina has a child, and that child is her daughter that wants to move to the US with Neil.

Tatiana, the child, is what we the audience view as the childish one in the relationship between Neil and Marina, since she is the child. Marina is our subject, and like The Tree of Life, is one subject that comes of age. Marina begins naive, free as a bird. The film depicts Marina feeling rejection, lust, anguish. All three of those, not in any order nor variety.

Taking a leave of absence... as if this hasn't been assumed...

No ScreenTeen for a month? Oh no! (Zero de Conduite)

TheScreenTeen (that's me) will be taking a break. To be specific, an academic leave until Cannes Film Festival enters full swing. I will post occasionally in April, but don't expect anything too frequent...

TST

2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture

Trying to predict next year's Best Picture winner and nominees is about as easy as throwing a dart on the center of a dartboard... from 10 yards away. Moral of the story is, that it is pointless and near-impossible.

1. The Monuments Men
George Clooney has yet to win his directing Oscar, and this is a very attractive project for the Academy to vote for. It is in WWII, a true story, and has an all-star cast. If this wins director for Clooney, it might as well  win picture.

2. Untitled David O. Russell Abscam Project
That is a mouthful! At least this is not the final project title. This is also a true political thriller, like Monuments Men and recent victor Argo. David O. Russell has yet to win his Oscar, so chances are this could be his prize winning film if it turns out well. This also has an all-star cast, boasting the likes of Christian Bale, Jen Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper (just to name a few).

3. The Wolf of Wall Street
Another film with an unrewarded component. This time, it is actor Leonardo DiCaprio, in a part he has described as 'his best one yet'. Scorsese is behind the camera, and his last film Hugo did very well at the Oscars. Let this be an indicator of name recognition.

4. Foxcatcher
Bennet Miller is king when it comes to biopics. Both Capote and Moneyball were nominees in their respective years. This one might have winning performance with Mark Ruffalo as a late wrestler killed by a schizophrenic (Steve Carell).

5. The Counselor
Brad Pitt, the popular actor. Cormac McCarthy, the popular writer. Ridley Scott, the popular director. 20th Century Fox, the popular studio. Javier Bardem, ANOTHER popular actor! Need I say more?

The remaining 5 films I think have a shot at a nom are listed below. (in order!)
6. Captain Phillips
7. August: Osage County
8. Nebraska
9. Inside Llewyn Davis
10. Fruitvale

Maybe none of these will be nominees. Maybe all of them will be. We'll find out in 10 months...

Sony Pictures Classics love foreign melodrama.

Yesterday I saw Almodovar at his best with Volver, a great film reminiscent of Fellini. So obviously I am excited for his latest film I'm So Excited!. I have heard descriptions of the film reminiscent to Airplane! Check out the trailer below.

I'm so excited for Woody Allen's next project, Blue Jasmine. It has a great dramatic actress (Cate Blanchett) and two of the best living comedic actors (Alec Baldwin and Louis CK). There's no trailer, but there are a few still. Check them out!

Check back soon for my 2014 Oscar nominee predictions.

Great Gatsby to open the Cannes Film Festival!

So the race begins. Again. I'm glad that this beast is opening, so it must be good enough to be selected for Cannes.

New trailers.

Trailers for both The Bling Ring, and To the Wonder.