4. "Word is Jamie might get nominated again." In response to Reply # 0
________________________________________________________________________ "I don't want a president I can have a beer with, I want one that can think." - Aaron Sorkin
ricky_BUTLER Member since Jul 06th 2003 16899 posts
Thu Sep-11-08 09:22 AM
5. "Wait, why have I been spelling it "Jaime"?" In response to Reply # 4
I can't say it's-a-California-thing, since Zoo, you, spelled it right.
Maybe it's just a dumbass thing.
But staying on topic and speaking of awards, I wonder if Dario Marianelli has a chance to make it a two-peat. It's a music movie, and he's already coming off a win, so there's definitely more attention heading his way than there was going into Atonement.
6. "Downey got the Oscar for best supporting on lock" In response to Reply # 5
Hollywood wants to give it to him. He might not give the best performance in the film but after the year he has had with Iron Man and his career in general he will win the Oscar for this. Downey was fucking great in Wonder Boys.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86794 posts
Thu Sep-11-08 10:59 AM
9. "I tend to feel the same way about Jamie when he's capital-A Acting." In response to Reply # 0
Maybe this'll be different than Ray, where I thought his performance was one-note at best. He's always been charming and very naturally likable, and I'm hopeful that he can act crazy rather than Act crazy. He's got a ton of potential.
ricky_BUTLER Member since Jul 06th 2003 16899 posts
Thu Sep-11-08 06:17 PM
11. "I've avoided reading those articles so far." In response to Reply # 10
Mainly because I know the most accurate account of these men and their story, as presented in the articles at least, might not make it to the movie version. Not that that necessarily says anything one way or another about the quality of the film in its own context, but I don't want my expectations to be biased as to how I think the story will take shape. For instance, in real life, the reporter Downey portrays is still married. In the movie version, he's divorced (presumably from Catherine Keener's character). I give the moviemakers all the right in the world to do this and whatever else they want with their story, but I want to temper what I know about the more honest edition of it all until at least after I've seen the movie.
20. "saw the trailer yesterday" In response to Reply # 0
>Three questions to ponder: > >1. How will Joe Wright make the transition to a modern day, >non-British story?
is it worth looking up with this is based on? will it ruin the movie for me?
>2. How mannered will Jaime Foxx's performance be?
considering Ray and considering his counterpart this has serious potential
>3. If RDJ makes this a 3-3 year, how "legendary" does that >make his 2008 against other great years actors have had?
dammit i'm only remembering ironman at the moment ~~~~ When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. Live so that when you die, you rejoice, and the world cries. ~~~~
BlakGirlSoul Member since May 21st 2002 14430 posts
Thu Sep-18-08 02:14 PM
21. "I will see this movie but....." In response to Reply # 0
Jamie's hairdo will make me laff for about 2 minutes when he comes on screen the first time ************************************** <--- I love ya man http://blackgirlsdontdate.blogspot.com Black Girls Don't Date - Coming soon! ***************************************
22. "The Soloist delayed until March 13th, 2009" In response to Reply # 0
Honestly, I like the move because it should be able to get more attention than being lost amongst all of the Oscar bait. ---
There's fallout today from Paramount's newly announced decision to release 20 movies a year. Already bigwigs are shuffling the 2008-2009 release schedule -- and that has Oscar ramifications. I can tell you that DreamWorks is very upset because Paramount is pushing back its Robert Downey Jr-Jamie Foxx starrer The Soloist from a limited release on November 21st until March 13, 2009 -- even though ads on all sorts of media platforms have already started appearing for the Oscar-touted movie based on Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez' accounts of a homeless violin player. Soloist insiders fear the delay will prompt a lot of web speculation that something is "wrong" with Joe Wright's pic when everything is right. I'm surprised especially because Downey has really good awards season and box office heat from Iron Man. But Paramount instead will be pushing the actor for Tropic Thunder consideration.
Paramount also is delaying its Vantage pic Defiance, the Ed Zwick-directed Academy Award hopeful starring Daniel Craig in the true story of four Jewish brothers battling the Nazis. It was supposed to come out December 12th, but it will be pushed back to an Oscar-qualifying run on December 31st, and then go wide January 16th. So the delay won't interfere with its 2008 Oscar chances.
Conspiracy theorists will postulate that Paramount did all this so it could put more of its Oscar campaign money into The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road this year. But it has nothing to do with that." It has to do with the metrics of managing its numbers," one Paramount defender tells me. In English, that means more of the "economic reality" which studio boss Brad Grey explained to Paramount employees yesterday in that house memo. The studio is looking for "consistency of product" now that it's releasing 20 movies a year so I'm told it took these steps to make sure "we don't have a giant hole next year."
23. "Man fuck this shit" In response to Reply # 22 Thu Oct-16-08 08:51 PM by dunk
studios always do this dumb shit. Defiance hasn't got shit really when it comes to ads but The Soloist has been talked about a lot and there have been plenty of trailers. Anyone who has gone to the movies has seen the trailer recently and ive already heard buzz about it. if anything release with less ads but leave it out there cause march is a dead zone and your movie will have almost no reward potential. ticket aren't gonna sell that much better in march either.
Why move a movie with two big stars that in their recent past have pulled big bank, esp. RDJ. In two blockbusters in one year. They don't think a chunk the fans of tropic thunder and iron man will see this cause of him? *Smh*
25. "Fox's performance is the problem" In response to Reply # 23
I want to see this film more than most others being released this Oscar season (Doubt looks great from the trailer) but industry sources say that at test screenings people don't like Fox's performance. So i imagine the test screening results have some what influenced the studio executives performance decision to move it back to the March graveyard. RDJ not going to be happy - that was his Oscar.
31. "shit, it may have been Jamie's oscar too" In response to Reply # 25
plus he hasn't had a huge movie in a while. i KNOW he's pissed. RDJ already had a big year but i know he's made cause this would have capped off a huge year for him big time.
so a few little test screenings made them do that? i still dont see that as a reason to push it back to March where ill do nothing for the movie. I agree it was one of my most anticipated and Doubt looks like its gonna sweep Oscars. i already see it...
And its good, it deserves to be seen. It felt a little long despite running for a little less than two hours. RDJ is good as ever, he does the comedic parts of the role really well but his performance shows how much he becomes to care for Foxx's character. Catherine Keener is good but has a minor role and its difficult to argue with what Foxx does with the role of Ayers, how do you act as a mentally ill man?
I think Joe Wright makes another claim as one of the most exciting up and coming directors, this film really shows he has such a great vision of how he wants his films to look and he really captures LA in an interesting way (especially as an outsider/non American).
The music in the film is superb and beautiful. If you think you might be interested in the film, you should probably give it a try and go see it.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86794 posts
Sat Apr-25-09 05:14 PM
41. "A decent flick... I think Joe Wright got too ambitious here." In response to Reply # 0
He tries all sorts of things, all sorts of flashbacks, all sorts of visuals and special effects, in an attempt to make it a really epic inspiring film. At the end of the day, it's constantly interesting but fails to inspire.
Downey Jr. did a terrific job as the morally ambiguous lead, and Foxx did better here than in Ray, although I was constantly questioning why they kept dressing him in such silly costumes-- the only four or five articles of clothing he had HAD to be laugh-provoking buffoonish shit? We get that he's crazy, the dialogue and acting make him plenty eccentric enough, he doesn't need all the extra stuff to make us laugh at him... so that element bugged me.
Still, it's worth a peek if you're interested. Nothing outstanding, but Joe Wright is a very skilled director, full of ideas, and he worships at the altar of light, sound, and visuals telling the story, which I immensely respect.
42. "these were pretty much my thoughts as well" In response to Reply # 41
i felt the story should have focued a bit more on Ayers character since the flashbacks didn't do much for me and seemed to come in at the wrong time of the story, not giving much of an emotional impact like it could have.
the costumes on Jamie were ridiculous. it provided more humor if anything.
Michael Phillip's review in the Chicago Tribune pretty much summed up my thoughts exactly.
43. "Thought it was eh. Foxx and Downey were very good, however." In response to Reply # 0
But again it just highlights the difficulty of telling a story of mental illness visually... Joe Wright makes some interesting choices, but the story feels like it's all over the place and ultimately falls flat...
I did like the performances from Foxx and Downey, as well as Nelsan "Lafayette from True Blood" Ellis and Catherine Keener, although she really didn't have much to do here but spout "lovingly biting" one-liners at Downey... I also agree with the objections to Foxx's wardrobe... ________________________________________________________________________ He is stupid But he KNOWS that he is stupid And that almost makes him smart Let's listen
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