Here’s the big question hanging over the head of The Fifth Estate: do we contextualize it based on content or structure? Bill Condon’s first post-Twilight film bites off more than it can chew, but it’s difficult to say whether that’s because of the subject matter – being the origins and rise of both Wikileaks and its controversial founder, Julian Assange – or because of the production’s unavoidable biopic bent; even at the tender age of only seven (which amounts to light years on the web), Wikileaks can already claim a rich, storied, complex history, so much so that two hours feels scarcely enough to scratch the surface of its conception…
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G-S-T Review…jOBS
Joshua Michael Stern’s Jobs has one question to answer, and one question only: can the towering genius of the late Steve Jobs be adequately embodied by Michael Kelso on the big screen? Every critic reviewing the film will inevitably struggle to utter, “yes”, if only because no one wants to risk their credibility by going to bat for an Ashton Kutcher performance. But, miracle of miracles, he’s actually pretty good, good enough at least to warrant real praise instead of yawning skepticism or begrudging acceptance, but not necessarily good enough to raise Jobs above the sub-standard, thoroughly muddled biopic Stern crafts around his lead’s portrayal of Apple’s driven, visionary, and utterly ruthless…
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Ohhh, Look…First '42' Poster Slides Into Home
I’ve felt for a very, very long time that poster-making has become something of a lost art, particularly when it concerns big studio movies or star-driven movies. Seeing even the slightest amount of effort put into the creation of a movie poster tends to pique my interest, so it stands to reason that when somebody really knocks it out of the park with a one-sheet, I get a little bit giddy inside. Which brings us to this poster for 42, the upcoming Jackie Robinson biopic hailing from Legendary Pictures. It’s kind of spectacular. It’s also slightly reminiscent of the Skyfall poster from last year, but there’s so much more that’s special about…
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Cooper & Abrams Might Give Lance Armstrong the Biopic Treatment – UPDATED
Does it take a man having a great professional year to portray a man having a terrible professional year? Yes, at least if J.J. Abrams and Bradley Cooper have anything to say about it. If you’ve been paying close, or even cursory, attention to the news for the past week and change, you’re probably well aware that Lance Armstrong has tanked his entire legacy by not only admitting his use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his cycling career to Oprah*, but also being kind of an unapologetic jerk about it. Now, Abrams wants to capture the man’s rapid transformation into social pariah on film for all time. To that end, Bad…
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First Photo of Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Fifth Estate'
Permit me to take this opportunity to admit two things: that I’d totally forgotten about the existence of The Fifth Estate, and that I’m ill-acquainted with the work of Benedict Cumberbatch. I like the guy! Don’t get me wrong! But I’ve only made it through half of the first episode of Sherlock and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Four Lions make for a really small sample size. Maybe, given that 2013 looks to be the year of the Cumberbatch, I should go back and watch The Other Boleyn Girl, re-watch Atonement, and catch up on Sherlock so I can join the legions of fans foaming at the mouth for the…