TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY (2011) - Character posters

If you haven't seen them already - here are 5 new characters posters of the upcoming spy drama "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". Every character is made from many numbers and looks like a secret code.

This movie will be presented at the 68th Venice Film Festival, which starts on 31st August.

More about "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (2011). (trailers, synopsis, posters, interview etc.)
More about 68th Venice Film Festival.

Gary Oldman as George Smiley

Colin Firth as Bill Haydon

Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux

Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam

Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr

Posters - Empire

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" (2011) - Trailers

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" was presented this year at the Cannes Film Festival and was In Competition. Directed by Lynne Ramsay this movies tell us a story about how the upbringing influences a child's life and what can cause. When Kevin, two days before his sixteenth birthday, goes on a horrific rampage, his mother Eva grapples with her own feelings of grief and responsibility. She confronts the ultimate taboo – did she ever love her son? And how much of what Kevin did was her fault? (Official BBCfilms page) The main parts are played by Tilda Swinton (Eva), John C. Reilly (Franklin) and Ezra Miller (Kevin).

The Guardian review (click to read).

"Надо поговорить о Кевине" был представлен в этом году на Каннском кинофестивале и принимал участие в борьбе за награду. Режиссер Линн Рэмси рассказывает нам историю о том, как воспитание влияет на судьбу ребенка и к каким последствиям может привести. Когда Кевин за несколько дней до своего 16-летия совершает ужасный непоправимый поступок и его мать Ева пытается справиться с чувствами скорби и ответственности. Любила ли она когда-то своего сына? И насколько виновна она в том, что совершил Кевин? Главные роли исполнили Тильда Суинтон (Ева), Джон Си Райли (Франклин) и Эзра Миллер (Кевин).

Release dates - September 28, 2011 (France), October 21, 2011 (UK)

Trailer #1



Trailer #2

Top-5 movies of the week - 01.07 - 07.07

My top-5 movies of this week.

1. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. When a mysterious event from Earth's past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us. (Official movie site)

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/04/transformers-dark-of-moon-trailer-2.html

2. "Larry Crowne"
This summer Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts return with a bit dramatic comedy "Larry Crowne". Directed by Tom himself this story shows us how important higher education is not just for everybody, but also for those people, who became 'the best worker' many times. Tom plays the main character Larry Crowne with whom he returns back to college to get a degree and keep his work. Julia Roberts plays a self-confident, smart and strict teacher, who is bitchy sometimes. And, of course, they meet and accidentally fall in love with each other. So this movie has a good story, talented actors, a bit of romance and a chance to be ended happily.

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/05/larry-crowne-2011-trailer.html

3. "Terri"
A hit at the Sundance Film Festival, TERRI, directed by Azazel Jacobs (MOMMA'S MAN) and produced by the team behind BLUE VALENTINE and HALF NELSON, is a moving and often funny film about the relationship between Terri (Jacob Wysocki), an oversized teen misfit and the loquacious but well-meaning vice principal (John C. Reilly) who reaches out to him. (Official movie site)

Trailer -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT9R6xj64U8

4. "Delhi Belly"
Tashi, Arup and Nitin - flatmates, buddies and partners in crime. Tashi is to get married in a month but still doesn't know if his fiancé is THE ONE! Arup can't make up his mind who he wants to kill first - his girlfriend who has just dumped him or his stupid, annoying boss whose idea of creativity is sketching a smiling banana! And Nitin is about to discover that eating delicious tandoori chicken off a street vendor is going to give him the worst case of Delhi Belly he's ever known! Three regular blokes, living the regular life EXCEPT for one small detail - they are on the hit list of one of the world's deadliest crime syndicates. Will they be able to get away before the 's*!t hits the roof' and it comes crashing down? (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcKn9BxTg1A

5. "Monte Carlo"
Three graduates fulfill their dreams of vacationing in Paris. They accidentally find themselves in a lavish world, where they live like royalty and experience romance. But at the end of their journey, they discover the true magic of friendship. (Rotten Tomatoes) Starring Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy and Selena Gomez, it will be interesting for girlish girls.

Trailer -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxm_bVVhbr8

Top-5 movies of the week - 23.06 - 30.06

I was very busy this week, but I still found the time to choose 5 movies of the week.

1. "Cars 2"
Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in "Cars 2" when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world's fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning spy-in-training Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer). Mater's action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world. The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors. (Official movie site)

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/04/cars-2-2011-trailers_08.html

2. "Bad Teacher"
Some teachers just don't give an F. For example, there's Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz). She's foul-mouthed, ruthless, and inappropriate. She drinks, she gets high, and she can't wait to marry her meal ticket and get out of her bogus day job. When she's dumped by her fiancé, she sets her plan in motion to win over a rich, handsome substitute (Justin Timberlake) - competing for his affections with an overly energetic colleague, Amy (Lucy Punch). When Elizabeth also finds herself fighting off the advances of a sarcastic, irreverent gym teacher (Jason Segel), the consequences of her wild and outrageous schemes give her students, her coworkers, and even herself an education like no other. (Official movie site)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VihlsPKMh4U

3. "A Better Life"
From the director of About a Boy comes A Better Life - a touching, poignant, multi-generational story about a father's love and the lengths a parent will go to give his child the opportunities he never had. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaLSBdL-zCY

4. "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
I think that it's very important not to forget what the humanity is doing to our planet. This new documentary by the filmmaker Marshall Curry explores the inner workings of the Earth Liberation Front, a revolutionary movement devoted to crippling facilities involved in deforestation, while simultaneously offering a profile of Oregon ELF member Daniel McGowan, who was brought up on terrorism charges for his involvement with the radical group. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAGxy85R380

5. "Leap Year"
Laura is 25 years old. She's a journalist, she's single and lives in a small apartment in Mexico City. After a series of short-lived affairs, Laura meets Arturo. After the first time they make love, she is left deeply unsettled. They embark on an intense and passionate sexual relationship, in which pleasure, pain and love merge. As days go by which Laura conscientiously crosses out in a calendar, her secret past resurfaces, pushing Arturo to the limit. (Rotten Tomatoes )

"It's a gripping, mysterious use of no-budget cinema at its finest, and an intimate character study with surprising emotional power." - Andrew O'Hehir from Salon.com

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlN39kAMcY8

Top-5 movies of the week - 16.06 - 22.06

I'm a bit late with my every-week top-5, but I hope you'll find in this list some, which you haven't seen yet.

1."Mr. Popper's Penguins" 
Jim Carrey returns as Mr. Popper, a driven businessman who is clueless when it comes to the important things in life - until he inherits six penguins. Popper's penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland - and the rest of his life upside-down. Filmed on a refrigerated soundstage with real Emperor Penguins, Mr. Popper's Penguins is a modern adaptation of the classic children's book written by Richard & Florence Atwater. I hope it would be not less hilarious as Jim's early movies.

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBVTtaJbMUI

2. "Green Lantern" 
A comic-based story about a superhero by director Martin Campbell. The story takes place in a vast and mysterious universe, where a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds). Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But he has a smart and beautiful friend Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), who will help him to learn how to control his new power. The supervillain, who Hal have to fight, is played by talented actor Mark Strong.

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/06/green-lantern-2011-trailer.html

3. "Buck"
Documentary story about a very gifted man and his horses. "Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will." So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems. This story follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real life "horse-whisperer", he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. In this film, the animal-human relationship becomes a metaphor for facing the daily challenges of life. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMm5uoZtXw

4. "Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times"
Andrew Rossi captured a documentary about life in "NY Times". It is named "Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times", so I hope to see how journalists are working and to see it without any decorations - just truth. And official trailer promises us the same. Also Andrew Rossi is going to show us how they are working with new media and I find it important, because the world lives in Internet. But is the real work in "NY Times" as exiting and the one to dream about? Waiting to discover it.

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/05/page-one-year-inside-new-york-times.html

5. "My Afternoons with Marguerite"
The story of life's random encounters. In a small French town, Germain, a nearly illiterate man in his 50's and considered to be the village idiot by his friends at the local bistro, takes a walk to the park one day and happens to sit beside Marguerite, a little old lady who is reading excerpts from her novel aloud. She's articulate, highly intelligent and frail. Between Germain and Marguerite, there are 40 years and 200 pounds difference. Germain is lured by Marguerite's passion for life and the magic of literature from which he has always felt excluded. As Marguerite broadens his mind via reading excerpts from her novel, Germain realizes that he is more of an intellectual than he has ever allowed himself to be. Afternoons spent reading aloud on their favorite bench transform their lives and start them both on a new journey - to literacy and respect for Germain, and to the deepest friendship for Marguerite.Gerard Depardieu portrays Germain, so I'll definitely watch it. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7Qm_nDvpZ0

"Sweet November" (2001) - Soundtrack

"Sweet November" by director Pat O'Connor is a very inspirational movie for me. Every time I watch it, it makes me laugh and cry. It is one of the first movies, which helped me understand what for we need cinema. Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron showed me a magical love story, the dramatic one, the truthful one. I know fast every quote from it, but it can't get me bored. I love it and I love its atmosphere, which was created by beautiful views of San Francisco and wonderful music. "Only Time" by Enya, "Wherever You Are" by Celeste Prince and others are always associated by me with powerful moments from "Sweet November".

Enya - "Only Time"



Celeste Prince - "Wherever You Are" (video is from other movie)



Barenaked Ladies - "Off The Hook"

"Water for Elephants" (2011) - My opinion

I've just watched a drama "Water for Elephants" by director Francis Lawrence. It's the first costume movie for him, but I think he did his job well. Visually it looks impressive, with all this retro decorations, beautiful performances in the circus and gorgeous costumes. This story is based on a book written by Sara Gruen. It takes place in USA, in the years of the Great Depression. I was glad to see actor Christoph Waltz playing a brutal villain, who can't control his rage towards people and circus animals. He looked like a real devil. But truly, his August is an unhappy man, who is afraid to loose it all. Also I came to conclusion that Robert Pattinson still can play good. His character is a brave veterinarian, a defender of hurt women, poor workers and miserable animals. Reese Witherspoon, who played a femme fatale, was very beautiful and sensitive. Together they made a romantic duet with a bit of tension. These roles really helped them to step out of their usual acting line. 

I find its plot interesting and dynamic. Love story, tragedies, feisty characters - it didn't bored me at all. But the final scenes disappointed me so much. This ending is good, but it takes more to make it as spectacular as all previous moments. Francis Lawrence failed it, even with his previous experience of making dramas. He made "Water for Elephants" overbrutal and his biggest mistake again was that I was going to cry when furious August was beating Rosy, instead of being emotional when Jacob and Marlena were escaping. Still the movie is good for one time. And my visual receptors are satisfied for today.

- 7/10 -   

Memorable quotes (there are more, but I've found just these):

August: "You do right by me, I'll show you a life most suckers can't even dream of."

August: "As long as we can walk, we play."

August: "Of course an innocent woman would love to get down on her knees."

Top-5 movies of the week - 09.06 - 15.06

Good day, everyone! I hope that you are enjoying this summer as I do. If you'd like to go to the cinema, here is another top-5 movies, which can be interesting for you.

1. "Super 8"
Director J.J. Abrams presents his new sci-fi movie "Super 8" with actors Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Jessica Tuck, Joel McKinnon Miller, Ron Eldard and others. The plot: " In the summer of 1979, a group of young friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries ti uncover the truth - something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined."

Trailer - http://elenastr.blogspot.com/2011/06/super-8-2011-trailer.html

2. "Winnie the Pooh"
A funny bear returns to our big screens. Disney reunites old friends and makes a beautiful animated movie about their new adventures. This story is about the wonderful life in a woods. Main characters, including also Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and Eeyore, are trying to live happily, but first of all, they have to find a proper tail for the most melancholic member of their crew. I was surprised that new Disney animation looks like painted not made by computers. It is very beautiful way to make movies more alive, colorful and not artificial.

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRT86ZggCEk

3. "TrollHunter"
After many movies about vampires and zombies, Norwegian filmmakers found another creature to make a horror movie about. Now everyone is screaming because of a trolls, which are discovered by a group of students. They wanted to capture real-life of this beasts on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, this story delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore. (Official site)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM

4. "Manuale D'amore 3"
Italian director Giovanni Veronesi continues to tell us stories about how love can be complicated and simple at that moment. This movie consists of three romantic novels, where Robert DeNiro, Monica Bellucci, Riccardo Scamarcio,Valeria Solarino, Michele Placido and Laura Chiatti are playing passionately with love.

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xtzzePWTQ

5. "One Lucky Elephant"
A touching documentary about elephant's life after retirement. Sixteen years have passed since circus producer David Balding adopted Flora, the orphaned baby African elephant. As Flora approaches adulthood, he realizes that she is not happy performing. And David must face the difficult truth that the circus is no place for Flora, she needs to be with other elephants. This road to Flora's retirement, however, is a difficult and emotional journey which tests their bond in unexpected ways. (Rotten Tomatoes)

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prAkIYOTiLA

Which movie are you going to see this week?

"The Notebook" - Rachel McAdams

One role can change the whole actor's life and it does. Young, self-confident, ambitious actress came to get a bigger part than her previous roles. She liked staring in comedies, but it is drama that proves how good actress is. Rachel McAdams needed to be noticed and she made all she could to get the leading role in a movie by Nick Cassavetes "The Notebook". She impressed everybody at the audition and made a great screen duet with Ryan Gosling. This movie became one of my favorites along with this talented actors. And when I saw Rachel's audition tape I understood that she is perfect Allie Hamilton.

Rachel McAdams' Audition Tape