'Out Of Blue' Trailer: Patricia Clarkson Investigates An Existential Murder Mystery

There can never be enough Patricia Clarkson, as far as I'm concerned, and even though she's always great in supporting roles she's better in the rare opportunity to lead. I remember a great deal of positive buzz for the existential detective noir Out of Blue when it played at TIFF last year. Now the trailer is here and I'm excited for what looks to be an unconventional whodunnit.

Directed by Carol Morley, the film stars Clarkson as a detective brought in to solve a professor's murder, only to encounter a number of strange characters along the way. As she probes further, a deeper cosmic truth begins to be revealed, so this isn't just another crime procedural. Also in the cast are Jacki Weaver, Toby Jones, and James Caan.

Here's the synopsis: Detective Mike Hoolihan (Clarkson) is called in to investigate the murder of a young professor who, the night before her death, gave a lecture on the mysteries of the universe. When the cool-headed Hoolihan digs into the case, she must contend with the victim’s dubious ex-boyfriend and a family with its own murky past. The more the detective begins to pull apart the various strands of the case, the more her own vulnerabilities and imperfections are revealed. As our mesmerizing protagonist gets closer to the truth behind the murder, she also begins to discover a larger truth — but she worries that the fully realized answer may elude her.

Out of Blue opens on March 15th.

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Review: 'Jonathan', Ansel Elgort Plays Dual Roles In A Suspenseful Body Double Thriller

Part sci-fi, part body horror, part psychological thriller, Bill Oliver's Jonathan is a compelling twist on the old Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde formula. Duality is at the heart of this particular story, and we've seen it play out in thousands of different ways before. Even Marvel's Incredible Hulk plays with the idea of two distinct personalities existing in the same entity, with the Freudian Id/Super-Ego battling it out for dominance. But Jonathan is a little bit different, as the two halves know of one another's existence and live in relative harmony. Oh, and they are actually siblings rather than complete strangers.

Is simple sibling rivalry enough to break such a fragile balance? That's just one of the many questions raised by Oliver in his suspenseful, deeply engrossing film which gives Ansel Elgort one of his most complex performances in a dual role. He plays both Jonathan and John, brothers who share one single body with each holding dominance for 12 hours. Jonathan is the responsible one, basically living like a hermit when he's not building up an impressive career as an architect. When we first see him he's recording a video message for John, and that's when we learn they update each other about all of the day's happenings just to avoid any confusion. Jonathan even cooks John dinner. When John takes over he indulges in what the night offers him; he's impulsive, he's making friends, going out to bars, and meeting women. When Jonathan realizes the fatigue he's feeling is abnormal, he knows John is up to something. They have a certain set of rules. No girlfriends. Tell each other EVERYTHING. No lying. And did I mention "no girlfriends"?

Of course, it's a woman. It's always a woman. John has been hanging out with Elena (Suki Waterhouse), who doesn't suspect what's going on. When Jonathan, who has hired a detective (Matt Bomer in a weird cameo) to find out the truth, confronts John it leads to a break in their relationship. John disappears, stops making videos, and stops contacting Jonathan in any way. But can these two halves really exist without the other? Or are they forever co-dependent despite their attempts to establish independence?

The film's first act can feel a little bit like a boring version of Memento, with John and Jonathan spending the bulk of their time ticking explaining details of the daily routine. Jonathan, in particular, is flat and personality-free, which is the point but since things are mostly seen from his perspective it doesn't make for entertaining viewing. All of that changes when John disappears and Jonathan's world starts to crumble out of loneliness. He begins reaching out to Elena, becoming friends with her and then much more than that. If they were normal brothers in separate bodies would Jonathan even consider doing something like that? How deep does his obsession with John run that he's begun sniffing around his ex-girlfriends? Since we tend to see things through Jonathan's eyes it leaves a lot of blank spaces to fill, some of which are picked up by Dr. Naiman (Patricia Clarkson), a neurologist who has been treating the brothers since childhood. If the first half of the movie is about Elena breaking up the brotherly bond, the second half is about their complicated feelings towards Naiman, and her conflicted feelings towards them.

As tensions mount and the situation grows increasingly desperate, Oliver and his trio of screenwriters always keep the film grounded in some kernel of truth. Never does it spin out of control or lean too heavy on sci-fi or horror elements, although both of those genres are clearly inspirations. John/Jonathan react out of a desire for individual expression, but at the same time, it's something they can never truly achieve. One of their rules is that they will always be one another's best friend, but how can that be when there can be no shared experience? If Jonathan has a bad day, he can't call up John on the phone or go out with him for a drink. When the brothers hurt one another, can there truly be reconciliation without direct confrontation?  How easy is it to forgive when you see the cause of your pain every time you look in the mirror?

Elgort is a hit-or-miss actor for me, as he seems to rise and fall with the quality of the material. It's more than just the messy hair and loose-fitting clothes that differentiate his split performances here. The way he moves and talks is different. John slouches on the couch and delivers his video messages with a slang the straight-arrow Jonathan can only furrow his brow at.

Oliver sells out his intriguing premise a little bit in the final act, taking a lot of choice from his characters with a sudden, unnecessary twist. At the same time, he all but telegraphs how things will end for John/Jonathan, when it had been completely uncertain for so long.  Still, Jonathan is a gripping, somber tale about the brotherly bond and the danger in being unable to grow independent of it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Jonathan' Trailer: Ansel Elgort Experiences A Unique Case Of Sibling Rivalry

How do you and your siblings get along? No doubt there is at least some small amount of rivalry between you, because that's just normal. But what happens when you and your rival sibling share the same body? That's the intriguing premise of the new sci-fi film Jonathan, which features twice the Ansel Elgort for one low price.

The Baby Driver star pulls double-duty as Jonathan and his brother, who lead very different lives. Very different lives that happen to be in the same body.  In the morning, one brother leads a normal, every life; in the evening the other, more exciting brother takes over. They exist in shifts, basically, but that fragile balance can't last forever. Assassination Nation's Suki Waterhouse co-stars as the love interest of the nocturnal bro, with Patricia Clarkson and Matt Bomer also on board.

Bill Oliver directed and co-wrote Jonathan, which hits theaters and VOD on November 16th.

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Review: 'The Bookshop', Starring Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, And Bill Nighy

The Bookshop stars Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, and Bill Nighy. The movie follows the story of Florence Green as she attempts to open up a bookshop in a small town. Through this fight she gains the friendship of a little girl, the admiration of a widowed recluse, and the resentment of a local grand dame.

I unfortunately found this movie to be rather lifeless; there was nothing extremely compelling about it. You would think (or at least I would) that a movie centering around a love for books would have at the least thrown in some poignant, quotable moments of dialogue that would create some kind of stirring emotion like metaphors about books and life or monologued moments that reveal a person's true view on the power struggle that classism creates that, to the cynically driven people, would come off as terribly corny (especially seeing as though this is based on a novel), but other than one line at the beginning of the movie, we get none of that. It's almost as if the movie doesn't even try to be a little captivating.

There was also nothing in this movie that made me feel invested in any of its characters. Florence wants to open up a bookshop because she loves books, but I feel like the movie never really shows and explores her love of books. The movie puts more attention on her journey to opening up the shop much to the opposition of the aristocratic, more high class members of the town, especially by way of Dame Violet Gamart, rather than remembering to also ground us in this love that she is willing to fight so hard for. I felt like the movie made Mr. Edmund Brandish's (side) character - an old, widowed, recluse, who loves books, and hates people - way more established, interesting, and complex than Florence, the lead.

I think that Violet's motivations also could've been fleshed a bit more. So she doesn't want the bookshop to be located at The Old House because she feels as though a historic site such as that one should be put to better use - ok, fine. But when it then comes to explaining why her choice of an art center is better than a book shop, we're left out in the cold with more questions than answers.

It's a shame that this movie didn't really offer much of anything because there are some great and well-known actors in this and they do a great job with their characters, but great acting alone can't save a movie.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5

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Review: 'The Party,' Invitations Are Out, But It May Not Be For Everyone

Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) has just achieved a new level of political success and decided that the best way to celebrate would be to invite some close friends over for a dinner party. Of course, this group of people is arguably as dysfunctional as they come. April (Patricia Clarkson) and her boyfriend Gottfried (Bruno Ganz) are a couple clearly coming to the end of the line – which April literally tells Janet and Gottfried throughout the party. April appears to despise Gottfried and his naturalistic elements, rolling her eyes as she mentions him meditating, or dancing, or doing anything really. Then we have Martha (Cherry Jones) and Jinny (Emily Mortimer), a couple who have a large announcement of their own. They seem happy together, but there are secrets from the past that may catch up with them before the night is through. Tom (Cillian Murphy) is a wealthy wanker banker who has come to the party stag, with his wife Marianne planning on joining them later. Tom is taking advantage of her absence – doing cocaine in the bathroom and enjoying some drinks – but he too is trying to numb himself from revelations that have come up in his life. Lastly, there is Bill (Timothy Spall), Janet’s husband who has been there to support her campaign through thick and thin. Bill spends most of the party sitting in the same seat, staring off into the distance, seemingly in deep thought. He does not look like a man who is happy that all of his wife’s work for the past several years has paid off.

With its short runtime (around 70 minutes) and over-the-top characters, The Party felt like it was a British play that went straight from the stage to our black and white television screens. The entirety of the film is essentially set in one location, Bill and Janet’s flat, but Sally Potter (who wrote and directed the film) manages to successfully use this enclosed area to weave a twisted tale, entangling most characters with one another. Each group of guests has announcements that vary in importance, from the ending of relationships to pregnancies to major health concerns. Each announcement overshadows Janet, shifting the spotlight of the evening to themselves, and each announcement becomes more grandiose than the last. Some performances throughout the film do stand out, most notably those of Patricia Clarkson and Cillian Murphy, but a lot of them get lost in the absurdity. I have been to parties with dysfunctional people before, but nothing like what Potter has put together in The Party. The film has some moments that stand out, and a few humorous undertones, but nothing that really makes it stand out. However if you are looking for a quick and decently entertaining flick then The Party might just be an affair you want to find yourself invited to.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Review: 'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' Sprints To A Satisfying Conclusion

The Maze Runner occupies an interesting place in YA history.  Arriving just as the already-tired genre was fading out, it managed to steal the mantle left behind by The Hunger Games that we all presumed was meant for Divergent. But after an on-set injury sidelined star Dylan O'Brien, the third film, titled The Death Cure, was delayed so long it arrives already feeling past its prime. Fortunately, promising director Wes Ball has used the hiatus to reclaim the pulse-pounding energy of the first movie, after its sequel The Scorch Trials, was something of a meandering mess.

All of these dystopian YA flicks kick off with a unique premise, in this case a bunch of boys and one girl trapped in a mysterious forest labyrinth. Then they all sort of devolve into "teens vs. tyrranical government" riffs, as war breaks out against the adults who are planning some nefarious scheme or another. These are, naturally, the least interesting parts of the story, but at least The Death Cure continually moves at a brisk space and has an impressive sense of scale, two things the first movie excelled at.

After a breakneck train sequence that owes a lot to Mad Max: Fury Road or The Fast & the Furious, Thomas (O'Brien), Newt (Thomas Brodie Sangster), Brenda (the awesome Rosa Salazar), Frypan (Dexter Darden), veteran rabble-rouser Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and more rescue a bunch of imprisoned kids from the clutches of WCKD. It was revealed that WCKD, led by dour head honchos played by Patricia Clarkson and Aidan Gillen, has been harvesting special youths to find a cure for the Flare virus that has turned most of the population into zombie "Cranks". The rescue worked, but they didn't find their friend Minho (Ki Hong Lee), which means they'll have to bust in to WCKD's fortress city and find him.

The action is bigger than ever and more relentless, although at times it's also pretty damn silly. A chaotic, utterly unfathomable sequence involving a giant crane and a bus full of Gladers being about where things jump the shark. But I like Ball's visual eye, choreographing some truly stunning set pieces. He gets a lot of help from his cast, with O'Brien leading the way as the film's charismatic focal point. The only one who commands the screen better is Salazar, who as Brenda is the franchise's resident firecracker. Brenda's closeness to Jorge, and unrequited romantic interest in Thomas who still longs for the traitorous Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), make her the most fully-realized character of the bunch.  Others don't fare so well, like Walton Goggins as a disfigured walking McGuffin who plays a crucial, if extraordinarily convenient, role in the final battle.

There are plenty of surprises, including the return of a major character thought long dead, and an ending that is satisfying but leaves you wondering if there are more stories left to tell. If only Ball could have found a way to trim down that unforgiveable 142-minute runtime, I think more would be willing to run the Maze once again, perhaps adapting the other two novels in James Dashner's series.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' Trailer: This Isn't About Mazes Anymore, Is It?

Remember when you couldn't go a day without there being some new YA franchise being launched? Twilight started it, The Hunger Games pretty much ended it, and others that have tried to start since, like Divergent, Beautiful Creatures, The Host, and others, have pretty much died on the vine. All except for The Maze Runner, which featured something those movies didn't have; a mostly-male cast, and a mystery unlike any other. Now after a delay so star Dylan O'Brien could recover from an injury, the trilogy wraps up with Maze Runner: The Death Cure, and a new trailer has arrived.

O'Brien is joined by Rosa Salazar (Also in the new Alita: Battle Angel trailer), Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Patricia Clarkson, Aidan Gillen, Giancarlo Esposito, Barry Pepper, Walton Goggins, and more. Frankly, the synopsis can do a better job of explaining this thing than I ever could, but it's really not about mazes anymore, is it?

In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.

Directed by Wes Ball, Maze Runner: The Death Cure opens February 9th 2018.

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'The Party' Trailer: Patricia Clarkson & Cillian Murphy Lead A Delicious Ensemble

It really doesn't matter what the film is about if it has an ensemble boasting the talents of Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall. You already know it's going to be great, and with a director like Sally Potter (Ginger & Rosa) at the helm, The Party is one you'll not want to miss.

The title pretty much says it all; a group of friends get together for an intimate gathering, and of course personalities clash, secrets revealed, marriages destroyed, guns drawn...you know, all the ingredients for a great dinner party. Here's the synopsis:

In Sally Potter’s new dark comedy THE PARTY, Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) is hosting an intimate gathering of friends in her London home to celebrate her political ascension, while her husband, Bill (Timothy Spall), seems preoccupied. Janet’s acerbic best friend, April (Patricia Clarkson), arrives and others follow, some with their own dramatic news to share, but an announcement by Bill provokes a series of revelations that gradually unravel the sophisticated soiree, and a night that began with champagne may end with gunplay.

RSVP to The Party on February 16th 2018.

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'Maze Runner: The Death Cure' Trailer: Dylan O'Brien Races To The Finale

After the first couple Maze Runner movies came out in fairly rapid succession, the wait for the third, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, has been pretty long. When star Dylan O'Brien went down to a serious on-set injury it was a major setback, delaying its release almost a full year. But everything got rolling again, and now the first trailer is here to remind you this franchise still exists when others have fallen by the wayside.

Looking like a kid again rather than the hardened soldier he was in American Assassin, O'Brien leads the final chapter in Wes Ball's saga. Could I tell you what the heck is going on at this point? Hardly. The first film was terrific, offering a genuine puzzle to figure out mixed with some great action sequences. The sequel, 'The Scorch Trials', was less coherent and this new footage makes even less sense. But I trust it'll all come together in the end. Here's the synopsis:

In the conclusion to the Maze Runner trilogy, Thomas and the surviving Gladers prepare to face off against WCKD one last time as they fight to find a cure for the deadly disease known as The Flare that has wiped out most of the world. Friendships and loyalties will be tested and the fight against WCKD will also determine who will survive in the end.

Right. Gladers. WCKD. Okay, it's starting to come back to me a little bit.

Also starring Rosa Salazar, Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Patricia Clarkson, Aiden Gillen, and Giancarlo Esposito, Maze Runner: The Death Cure opens January 26th 2018.

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Review: 'Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials' Starring Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and More

Emerging out of the YA fog as a welcome diversion to...well, Divergent, was The Maze Runner, a film that relied more on an intriguing central mystery than silly teen love stories. It also had a fair share of running...running through tunnels, running through mazes, running away from robotic spider creatures. It certainly wasn't lacking for action, excitement, or diversity in cast, all positive aspects that carryover into the larger spectacle that is Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. But with the grander scale, 'Scorch Trials' trades that intimate mystery for more bullets, explosions, and unfortunately more similarity with its YA peers.

Picking up where the last film left off, Thomas (Dylan O'Brien), Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Minho (Ki Hong Lee), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), and other former Gladers have escaped into the seemingly welcoming arms of a new group opposed to the evil organization WCKD. Their mysterious new benefactor is Janson (Game of Thrones' Aidan Gillen), who keeps them locked up for unclear reasons and is evasive with his answers. This immediately puts Thomas on edge, and it doesn't help that they're in what appears to be a prison along with hundreds of other kids rescued from similar mazes. While the others are satisfied to get a shower, a hot meal, and some new company, Thomas and mousy outcast Aris (Jacob Lofland) aren't sold. Kids are being selected to go to a supposed "paradise", which in sci-fi parlance means they aren't going anywhere good at all. It isn't long before Thomas discovers they're all just a bunch of lab experiments, and after a break-neck chase they escape out into "the scorch", the ravaged, desolate world outside.

The film assumes you remember everything that came before, such as the Gladers' apparent immunity to the Flare virus, which turns humans into snarling, predatory creatures known as Cranks.  Many questions that need to be answered are frustratingly buried in the sand, so director Wes Ball, working from a streamlined adaptation of James Dashner's novel, races from one thrilling chase to the next. While not as colorful and visually appealing as before, Ball manages to come up with truly inspired ways to build tension, from a claustrophobic underground chase to a harrowing escape up a crazy-angled skyscraper. Ball's use of kinetic camera movements and unusual perspectives is quickly becoming a trademark for the young filmmaker.

Falling into a similar trap that has hobbled other YA franchises, The Scorch Trials largely jettisons the Lord of the Flies-style aspect that helped set it apart in the first place. Also gone is that distinctly masculine energy and the conflicts raised by all that testosterone. Instead everyone seems to get along, more females are introduced (still no sexual dynamic to speak of), and the characters basically move from one deadly encounter with WCKD to the next.  That said, every hardship they face is thrilling, gripping stuff, especially when shady criminal Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and adopted daughter Brenda (Rosa Salazar) enter the picture. Esposito is as cool as ever while adding a patriarchal note, while Salazar's tough-as-nails attitude dominates every scene she's in. She also brings just a little bit of romantic tension in a strange, Eyes Wide Shut-esque party scene featuring an oddball appearance by Alan Tudyk.

The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials is only disappointing because the first film set the bar incredibly high, and expecting the sequel to measure up was perhaps unfair. There's still too much confusion surrounding the actual plot, but the film moves at a break-neck pace too fast for you to care.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Review: 'Learning to Drive' Starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley

When you watch a lot of movies, you start to get an idea of what makes them good or bad, or at least what makes them work for you or not.  For myself, one of my common irritations is when characters do stupid things without motivation, just because the story itself wouldn't work if they were smarter.  It's not that characters can't make mistakes, but the story needs to justify the mistake, or at least provide cover.  Going back to classical drama, hubris is a great way to push characters into stupid errors.

These days you're more likely to notice this in genre pictures.  It's what's behind the horror audience's plaintive cry, "why would you go down into that basement!?"  But it can happen just as often in straight-up middlebrow crowd-pleaser dramedies.  And Learning to Drive is a great example.

Specifically, nobody in this movie has ever thought to ask the people close to them, "what is it that you want or need here?"  It would be one thing if this were just part of the toxic dynamic between Wendy Shields (Patricia Clarkson) and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Ted (Jake Weber).  They've also passed it to their relationship with their daughter, Tasha (Grace Gummer), who we find is no better in her own romantic life.  But it's everywhere, in every relationship we see, and it's downright frustrating to see everyone keep making the same mistake without even the filmmakers seeming to understand that they're doing it.

Wendy lives on the upper west side of Manhattan, and evidently has her entire life since she's never learned to drive herself.  Wendy and Ted's ridiculously uncomfortable breakup happens in one of the cabs she uses to get around when Ted can't drive her somewhere.  In her distress, she leaves an envelope in the cab.  The driver, Sikh immigrant Darwan Singh Tur (Ben Kingsley), finds it and returns it the next day on his day job as a driving instructor.  Wendy takes his card, thinking if she learned to drive herself she'd be able to visit Tasha on the farm in Vermont where she's staying for a few months.

Back around 2000, writer Sarah Kernochan said in an interview that she, "requires that female characters be very real, that they have all the dimensions that the male characters do."  Well, Wendy does have all the dimensions that Darwan does, which is "not many", and they're both laced with stereotypes.  She's a flibbertigibbet who falls to pieces at the drop of a hat, and who has evidently learned nothing about the human condition from her decades-long career as a literary critic.  He's a Magical Person of Color with her, preternaturally calm and collected, but emotionally unavailable when his arranged wife, Jasleen (Sarita Choudhury), arrives from Punjab.

Of course, the driving lessons turn out metaphorical, standing in for the emotional lessons Wendy has to learn.  Largely, they take the form of "be present", which I agree is good advice.  If only the lesson were actually learned.  Wendy gets her cathartic moment when she admits she hasn't been present in her life, but there's nothing to exemplify actual personal growth and change in her behavior.  Darwan makes adjustments to be literally, physically present more with Jasleen, but they still come as dictates for how he believes things should be.  He's still not emotionally present and responding to her expressed needs.

Clarkson and Kingsley are undeniably fine actors, but they're doing a good job of acting in a bad story.  Good characterizations can't help against a backdrop shot through with pandering clichés: Wendy's "thank goodness we women don't have sexual feelings or desires like those piggish men do" group hug with her sister; the cultural tourism of Darwan's visits to his temple that provide all of the Orientalism with none of the actual Orient.  Learning to Drive plays hard towards what it thinks its audience wants, but unsurprisingly never bothers to ask them what they need.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson Bond in First Trailer for 'Learning to Drive'

Sometimes it's a good idea to brand out and try something new. Cheery, feel-good comedies have not been familiar territory for Spanish filmmaker, Isabel Coixet, director of somber, serious dramas My Life without Me, Elegy, and The Secret Life of Words. Her next film, Learning to Drive, is decidedly more light-hearted, and reunites her with Elegy co-stars Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson. Coincidentally it also has to do with starting over and taking some new chances. Here's the synopsis:

Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson and Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley star in this feel-good, coming of (middle) age comedy about a mismatched pair who help each other overcome life’s road blocks.

Wendy is a fiery Manhattan author whose husband has just left her for a younger woman; Darwan is a soft-spoken taxi driver from India on the verge of an arranged marriage. As Wendy sets out to reclaim her independence, she runs into a barrier common to many lifelong New Yorkers: she’s never learned to drive. When Wendy hires Darwan to teach her, her unraveling life and his calm restraint seem like an awkward fit. But as he shows her how to take control of the wheel, and she coaches him on how to impress a woman, their unlikely friendship awakens them to the joy, humor, and love in starting life anew.

While the poster is corny as heck with Kingsley smiling devilishly in his dastar, this actually looks like a charming little film about people of different cultures coming together, not as lovers but as friends. Also starring Grace Gummer, Jake Weber, and Samantha Bee, Learning to Drive opens August 21st.


Learning to Drive TRAILER 1 (2015) - Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson Romantic Comedy HD by Movie Trailer

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Review: 'The Maze Runner' starring Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Will Poulter

It's undeniable there are some surface similarities between The Maze Runner and others in the sci-fi fantasy genre; dystopian future, social commentary, one mysteriously powerful kid who flips the balance of power. Been there, done that, right? Not so; with its focus on a contentious male-dominated society and a continuously thrilling mystery in the vein of Lost (the early seasons, anyway), The Maze Runner is an impressive start to what could be an even better franchise.

Based on James Dashner's bestselling books and directed by first-time feature helmer Wes Ball, the film gets your heart racing right from the very first moment. In pitch darkness we hear what sounds like gears of an elevator shaft, followed by the introduction of Thomas (Dylan O'Brien of MTV's Teen Wolf) as he wakes up in a cramped freight with no memory how he got there.

"Rise and shine, greenie.” is the unwelcome greeting he receives from Gally (Will Poulter), who muscles him out of the transport and into a giant greenland known as the Glade. There are other boys in the same predicament; stuck in this place with no idea how they arrived or how to leave. And it's a veritable Rainbow Coalition of ethnicities, too, another nice change-of-pace. The leader, Alby (Alm Ameen), takes charge of showing Thomas around, seconded by Newt (Game of Thrones' Thomas Sangster). The Gladers, as they call themselves, have set up their own little community in this place, each with their own jobs. The toughest job is also the most dangerous, belonging to the Runners. The Glade is surrounded by a gigantic, shifting maze of which there seems to be no escape. It's the Runners' job; led by the speedy and brave Minho (Ki Hong Lee) to map the maze, but only if they can survive the Grievers, spidery creatures that stalk the labyrinth.

The premise established, Ball and screenwriter Noah Oppenheimer (also a writer on the Divergent movies, coincidentally) set about building tension amongst the group. This being a community built purely of testosterone, conflict begins almost immediately upon Thomas' arrival. While everyone else is content to merely endure their predicament, Thomas starts asking the questions they've all tried to forget. His bending of the rules puts him at odds with Gally, who fights to maintain the status quo. When the elevator arrives unexpectedly and drops off Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), the first girl ever in the Glade, it only signals more trouble on the horizon.

Refreshingly, the introduction of a female into the mix does not mean we're treated to the typical "love triangle" nonsense. At no point is Teresa torn between two guys, pining for their attention. The focus is solely on getting out of the maze, figuring out why they're in the Glade, and what makes Thomas so special. In one pulse-pounding sequence he gets trapped in the maze along with Alby and Kinho, helping them do the unthinkable and survive overnight. The Grievers, which look like the spiders from Lord of the Rings, are a constant and dangerous threat. But the biggest danger is the maze itself, made of giant concrete walls and metallic blades that transform at a moment's notice. Ball built his career with the short film, Ruin, and the visual expertise he showed on that is brought to brilliant display in his feature debut. The Maze Runner isn't flashy but Ball makes the Glade a believably intimidating place, part Lord of the Flies with a touch of The Hunger Games. Even though we know Thomas isn't taking a dirt nap any time soon, a good job is done establishing the others so that when some of them die (and many do) we feel the impact.

Those who have never seen MTV's Teen Wolf may be caught unawares by O'Brien but he brings an edge to the role of Thomas. He's surrounded by a cast full of either unknowns or those taking on new challenges. Poulter, who is still probably best known for playing nerdy wimps in The Chronicles of Narnia and We're the Millers, bulks up and makes for a believable bully as Gally. Ameen exudes confidence and will probably find he’s getting a lot of Hollywood attention after this and the same goes for Hong Lee who has real presence despite limited screen time. Scodelario, who was breathtakingly good in Wuthering Heights just a couple of years ago, doesn't get much to do as Teresa. It's likely her role will take on greater importance future movies but for now she's little more than an important background character. As far as veteran actors go, Patricia Clarkson appears in brief flashbacks as Ava Paige, whose role is best left for audiences to discover themselves. Unfortunately, her every appearance signals the movie's one big weakness. It doesn't take long to figure out who Paige is and what she has to do with the Glade. The revealing of answers could have been handled much better, but to be fair that's a problem The Maze Runner's peers also have.

What works for The Hunger Games, other than having a star like Jennifer Lawrence, is the detailed building of a complex, believable world. The Maze Runner may only take place in one small corner of a much larger apocalyptic society, but it's just as elaborate and full of great characters that we'll want to see again in the sequel, The Scorch Trials.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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First Trailer and Poster for 'The Maze Runner' Starring Dylan O'Brien

The YA landscape has been dominated by female leads, and thus so have the many film adaptations. While it's been good to see a lot of strong women characters, it's also made it difficult for any particular franchise to stand-out, which may explain why so many of these movies have failed. The Maze Runner offers something a little different in that it's largely centered on a group of males, but is that enough to separate it from the genre pack?

The trailer for the Wes Ball-directed adaptation has been released, along with the first poster. Set in (you guessed it) a dystopic future version of Earth, the story follows Thomas (Teen Wolf's Dylan O'Brien), a teenaged boy who wakes up in a community of young men known as The Glade. With no memory of his life on the outside, he comes to learn they are surrounded by a giant stone maze from which there is no escape. Everything changes when a girl, the first girl they've ever seen, arrives with an important message.

James Dashner wrote an entire trilogy of novels plus a prequel, all of which we'll see on the silver screen if this one does reasonably well. Also starring Kaya Scodelario, Will Poulter, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, and Patricia Clarkson, The Maze Runner opens September 19th. We'll update this post with the trailer later.

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Billy Bob Thornton Joins 'Entourage'; Topher Grace goes 'Home'; Adrien Brody Leads 'Manhattan Nocturne'

* HBO's Entourage was all about cool stuff, cool places, and cool people, so it only makes sense the movie would have more than its share of celebrity cameos. With the gang all set to return for the film by series creation Doug Ellin, one new addition will be Billy Bob Thornton, taking on the role of a cowboy billionaire and financier for Vinnie Chase's Dracula movie. He's making a Dracula movie? Uh, okay? Thornton will also have a son who is sent to oversee the expensive production. Adrien Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Dillon, Scott Caan, and Jeremy Piven will be back, and Deadline notes that Perrey Reeves will return as Ari Gold's put-upon wife. [THR]

* Is Topher Grace on the verge of a comeback? He's already lined up a role in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and now he's set to star in Home, a haunted house thriller from the maestros at Blumhouse Productions. Written and directed by Adam Alleca and Dennis Illiadis, the duo behind The Last House on the Left remake, the film centers on a man recently released from a mental institute, who inherits his parents' mansion only to come to believe it's haunted. Patricia Clarkson is also in talks for an unspecified role. Not even Grace can screw up a Blumhouse film, right? They always make money. [THR]

* Adrien Brody will star in an adaptation of Colin Harrison's novel, Manhattan Nocturne, written and directed by Brian DeCubellis. Co-starring Yvonne Strahovski and Roger Dodger duo Campbell Scott and Jennifer Beals, the story follows "a devoted husband and accomplished journalist who is asked by a seductive stranger to dig into the unsolved murder of her husband." [Variety]

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Ben Kingsley Is 'Learning to Drive'; Mark Strong Plays 'The Imitation Game'; Brian De Palma Revamps 'Therese Raquin'

* Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson will reteam for Elegy director Isabel Coixet's follow-up, Learning to Drive. Based on an essay in The New Yorker magazine, the film has Kingsley as a Sikh driving instruction here under political asylum, who gives lessons to a Manhattanite played by Clarkson. [Deadline]

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Patricia Clarkson Joins 'Maze Runner'; Dean Parisot May Direct 'Houdini'; Ken Levine To Pen 'Logan's Run' Remake

* Patricia Clarkson, who was recently seen in the eco-thriller The East, has joined on to Wes Ball's adaptation of The Maze Runner. The YA novel by James Dasher takes place in a dystopian future in which a boy named Thomas wakes up in a giant maze known as The Glade, with no memory of his arrival. He joins with other boys to create their own society, while fending off dangerous creatures known as Grievers. Clarkson will play Chancellor Ava Paige, the one responsible for testing the boys to see who is strongest. The Maze Runner is set to open on February 1st 2014. [EW]

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Review: 'The East', starring Brit Marling and Alexander Skarsgard

*This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival*

It seems that every conversation or piece on Brit Marling must begin with her amazing debut at Sundance just a couple of years ago with the films Another Earth and Sound of My Voice. The latter, a thrilling and ominous exploration of a cult leader and her followers, was cheered by critics but mostly ignored at the box office. Now Marling and 'Voice' director Zal Batmanglij have returned to Park City with their pulsing and exciting eco-thriller, The East.

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Uncover the mystery in the new trailer for 'The East'

Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij's The East was one of the few films that premiered at Sundance already with a distribution deal in place, and there's a pretty good reason why. Unlike the usual festival fare, and that includes Marling's previous films Another Earth and the hypnotic Sound of My Voice, The East is an espionage thriller at heart, with flashes of nicely staged action that are shown off in the newly-released trailer.

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Patricia Clarkson joins eco-terrorist thriller, The East

Over the last year or so we've really gotten to see the other side of Patricia Clarkson. Not just a great dramatic talent, she's proven to be equally hilarious in both Easy A and Friend with Benefits. She can truly do it all, and any chance there is to see her in action is a pleasure. Fortunately, she keeps pretty busy, and has now hooked up with rising star Brit Marling for her eco-thriller, The East.

I was no fan of Marling's Another Earth, but The East sounds like it's right up my alley. She stars as a security agent infiltrating an eco-terrorist group led by Alexander Skarsgard.  Clarkson will play Marling's boss, while Ellen Page and Toby Kebbell co-star.

Zal Batmanglij, who worked with Marling on the festival fave Sound of My Voice, is directing. Clarkson has had a busy 2011 already, with the aforementioned 'Benefits', and co-starring in the Anne Hathaway/Jim Sturgess romance One Day. She also made her first appearance on the...well, I'll just call it uneven, NBC comedy Parks & Recreation. [Variety]

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