Edge of Darkness

This one debuted yesterday. It's good seeing Mel Gibson doing the "tough guy" thing again. His performance in Payback--and the film itself for that matter--are highly underrated. Naturally, comparisons are already being made to the surprise hit Taken but they are inaccurate. As stated before, Taken is more of a "search & destroy" film while Edge of Darkness is more the classic revenge film. Remember, one of the daughters in these films is still alive! Some uninformed commenters on various sites have also accused this film of ripping the concept of Taken. Again, this is inaccurate as Edge of Darkness is actually a film adaptation of a BBC television series from 1985.
The director of that series is also at the helm of the film version: Martin Campbell. Given his outstanding work in Casino Royale, the onscreen fireworks tantalized in the trailer below should be quite thrilling. Sizzling with subtly menacing lines, kudos must also be given to the script as well with Ray Winstone looking to have most of the meatier dialogue. Looking forward to this one very much.

Surveillance

Surveillance is an appropriate title for a film that is essentially about "point-of-view." As the word "surveillance" suggests, there is a scene to be observed, from which details and information can be extracted. Two Federal agents, played by Bill Pullman and Julia Ormand (pictured above) are charged with reconstructing the events surrounding a grisly crime. The narrative borrows from the storytelling device employed by Kurosawa Akira in Rashomon whereby the perspectives of characters regarding a single event begin to reveal subtle truths about the situation.

Naturally, the reaction might be to think you've seen this before, but one has to bear in mind that the director of Surveillance is Jennifer Lynch. As such, one has to expect something different and in fact, viewing the trailer reveals an ability to steer interesting and compelling characters on a collision course that superficially seems almost genetic. One other point to bear in mind is where Rashomon was primarily concerned about revealing truth from the perspectives of its protagonists, Surveillance seems to be about the lies itself, particularly what purpose obfuscating the truth serves and the impact this ultimately has for those who perpetuate them.

Stack some gruesome imagery as only a Lynch can depict on to this thematic foundation, and the final product looks to be a competent and taught thriller. View the Standard Def and High Def trailers here at Apple.

Le Premiere Cercle

Actor Jean Reno has a special place in a lot of cineastes' hearts. He has managed to make a career playing characters with a hard edge, but who ultimately proves to be "good" at heart. He has a screen presence that is hard to ignore with a gruff voice that sells the dark cloud with the silver lining aura. It is therefore surprising that he has yet to tackle a purely villainous role. Perhaps it's a personal choice, but with is abilities and that piercing countenance, he has surely been offered such characters. It is therefore quite fortuitous to have learned of this film in which he plays the godfather of a ruthless crime syndicate in control of the underworld in Southern France.

The Malakian clan, a family of Armenian gangsters, is lead by the brilliant and violent godfather Milo Malakian who rules his world with an iron fist. His son and heir, Anton, dreams of breaking free in order to live out his love for Elodie, a clan outsider, and make his own choices.
But the gang's inner circle is engraved in blood. To escape, not only does Anton have to counter his own destiny, but also the man who has sworn to bring his father down: Inspector Saunier. A struggle to the death ensues around the audacious and spectacular heist that the Malakian clan is preparing as its final job.

From this synopsis, the film seems to tread over well known themes in gangster films, especially those from Hong Kong. Regardless, the film may finally give Reno the opportunity to express some true, wicked menace, though the fatherly angle might rub away some of the charcoal of his heart to reveal that familiar "silver lining." Even in such a case, let's hope the silver is a little more tarnished this time.

Source: Allocine France

I Come With The Rain

Thrillers make up a large percentage of my personal film collection. Something has always fascinated me about the tense grip a film can have on you for the length of its running time. The best of the genre always manages to completely immerse me in its characters and their dilemmas. I Come With The Rain has a fascinating and dark premise.

Ex-Los Angeles cop turned private eye Kline travels to Hong Kong in search of Shitao, the missing son of a Chinese billionaire. Enlisting Meng Zi a friend and former colleague now working for the Hong Kong police, Kline follows a faint trail left by the ethereal Shitao. The path leads to local gangster Su Dongpo and his beautiful, drug-addicted girlfriend Lili. But Kline is distracted from his search, haunted by memories of the serial killer Hasford whose 'body of work' was the reason Kline quit the police force.

Add the fact that this is written and directed by Anh Hung Tran, known more for his sensitive, human dramas such as Vertical Ray of the Sun and The Scent of the Green Papaya and you have something that should have your attention immediately. Tran's sensibilities will surely put a different "spin" on the thriller as it is obvious that there is a theme of "healing" central to the search for Shitao who reportedly has a miraculous ability to cure people of their ills.

The casting of the three main leads is also worthy of note. Starring Lee Byung Hun (Bittersweet Life) as Su Dongpo, Takuya Kimura (2046) as Shitao, and Josh Harnett as Kline, the producers obviously are going for a broad international appeal with a strong focus on its pan-Asian release. All three actors are more than capable of the material and under a director such as Tran, this certainly could be a solid entry in the genre. The film has already been released in Japan, though I sadly predict a limited arthouse run in the States; Josh Hartnett alone is not enough of a sell with three Asian talents (no matter how popular they are in Asia) filling out the credits. Below is the Japanese trailer.

NE TE RETOURNE PAS *UPDATED2*

This is just a short entry to acknowledge a film that has two of France's more capable and absolutely stunningly gorgeous actresses in one film: Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. Sprinkle on a little news that their film will be screening at the Midnight Screening section of the Cannes International Film Festival, and you certainly have my interest. Looking forward to more information and a trailer soon.

*Update*
The trailer has been released along with a synopis:

Jeanne a writer, married, with two children - starts to see unsettling changes in her home. Her body is beginning to change. No one around her seems to notice. Her family dismisses these fears as the result of the stress of having to finish her next book, but Jeanne realizes that something far deeper, far more disturbing is taking place. A photograph at her mother’s house sends her in search of a woman in Italy. Here, transformed into another woman, RosaMaria, she will discover the strange secret of her true identity.

via Allocine France

Looks very good to me. I certainly didn't expect a psychological thriller, but I'm very glad it is just to see Sophie Marceau really play with the material. I'm surprised how little of Monica Bellucci there is, but that may be the point...

*Update 2*
There is now a second teaser that is focuses on Monica Belluci's character. You can find it at Allocine here. The premise continues to be increasingly alluring.