To be fair, directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden haven't always hit the mark for me with their first three features.
Half Nelson starred Ryan Gosling as a drug addicted inner city teacher squaring off against Anthony Mackie. That film was great because of their performances moreso than the material.
Sugar might be the best baseball movie in years not named
Moneyball. And then last year the duo gave us the psycho ward dramedy,
It's Kind of a Funny Story, a movie I liked but didn't love. Fleck and Boden always make interesting movies supported by phenomenal acting, so even the failures are a success in some way. Enough that it's become imperative to follow any of their future projects with a keen eye.
The duo are back now and this one looks like another character study coming out of left field. They'll direct
Hate Mail, featuring connected stories about several Manhattanites dealing with the fall out after they all receive some form of hate mail. Ok...not sure what to make of that, but if anybody can make it work it's Fleck and Boden.
Casting should begin soon, so hopefully we'll see this one some time in 2012. [
Variety]
