Melancholia - Coming Soon

Director - Lars von Trier

Main Characters
Justine - Kirsten Dunst
Claire - Charlotte Gainsbourg
John - Keifer Sutherland
Michael - Alexander Skarsgard

When I first saw the title for this movie, I thought we were in for an emotionally charged drama, which I still think we are, but this movie also falls under the category of science fiction.

Justine (Kirsten Dunst) is getting married to Michael (Alexander Skarsgard) at the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and brother-in-law John (Keifer Sutherland). Meanwhile, a planet that's been hiding behind the sun becomes visible. The planet is called Melancholia, and its heading straight for earth. As it gets closer, it sets off a destructive chain of physical and psychological events.

I think this is a terribly refreshing take on the end of the world story line. I mean, why do end of the world movies always have to have aliens, or huge explosions?

As for performances, Charlotte Gainsbourg is a favourite actress of mine since her portrayal of Jane in the 1996 production of Jane Eyre and I'm very much looking forward to seeing her in action again.

Kirsten Dunst has always been kind of a hit and miss actress for me. I loved her in Marie Antoinette and Mona Lisa Smile but simply could not stand her in the Spiderman franchise. Melancholia however, looks to me like its going to be a hit.

I'm very interested to see this movie. The trailer is very engaging, and I can only expect that the movie will live up to that. Although  there is no North American release date for Melancholia as of yet Magnolia Pictures has picked up the movie for release in Canada and the US. I'll post an update as soon as we get a release date confirmed.

Love Wedding Marriage - Coming June 3, 2011

                                                        

Director - Dermot Mulroney

Main Characters

Eva - Mandy Moore

Charlie - Kellan Lutz

Eva's Mom - Jane Seymour

Eva's Dad - James Brolin

Mandy Moore is one of my top 5 favourite romantic comedy actresses, and stars in some of my very favourite movies like Because I Said So, A Walk to Remember and License to Wed. I'm positive that Love Wedding Marriage will be another enjoyable romantic comedy for Moore.

Eva (Mandy Moore) is living the life that most young women dream of. She's got a great career, parents still together, and a fairy tale wedding. But as these movies always go, things start to go wrong. As a marriage counselor, Eva focuses on helping other people, probably with a view to helping them attain what she thinks she has, but no relationship is easy. As Eva's parents (James Brolin & Jane Seymour) prove when they announce that they're getting a divorce. Well, if the trailer is any indication, Eva's mother wants a divorce. Her father seems far from on board with the idea.

While Eva uses her expertise to try and save her parents' marriage, she begins neglecting things with her new husband Charlie (Kellan Lutz) and just like that, two relationships hang in the balance.

Jane Seymour's foray into romantic comedy scene in Wedding Crashers a few years ago was thoroughly amusing, and I expect her performance here to follow suit. I'm not familiar with much of James Brolin's work, but it looks like hes going to be comfortable fit in the cast.

Kellan Lutz is a name I heard for the first time when preparing for this post, apparently another young star I missed because of my lack of interest in the Twilight series. I can't really speculate on what I think his performance will be like, but I can't say I have any real concerns. Even if the performance is terrible, we do get to see some great shirtless shots of him.

Looks like another solid romantic comedy, if completely cookie cutter.

Love Wedding Marriage will be Dermot Mulroeny's first directing gig. You'll recognize his from performances in My Best Friend's Wedding and Friends. I've always liked Mulroney as an actor, and if his directing instincts are as good as his acting instincts, its another mark in favour of this movie.

Larry Crowne - Coming July 1, 2011

Director - Tom Hanks

Main Characters
Larry Crowne - Tom Hanks
Mercedes Tainot - Julia Roberts

Although Tom Hanks' directing credits include some movies that I've really enjoyed and have done very well like Band of Brothers, That Thing You Do and A League of Their Own, I'm far from being sold on this movie.

I mean, the plot obviously is something that a lot of people will be able to relate too. Its no secret that many people who have been downsized, as Tom Hanks' character Larry Crowne has been in this movie have decided to go back to school to try and jump start their lives. Also, Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks have always been favourite actors of mine. That being said, I'm just not sure that this movie is going to be something I'm going to enjoy. The trailer leaves me with a feeling of, 'I'm gonna wish it was better.' Anyways, back to the plot, Roberts plays Mercedes Tainot, a teacher in one of Larry's classes, who he develops a crush on, and the romance and comedy flows from there, I guess.

Then again, I really feel like I'm not in the demographic of people that this movie was produced for. Lets face it, Hanks and Roberts aren't young anymore, and that's obviously going to reflect in the roles they take on going forward.

I think people that are in a similar situation to the characters in this movie will find it enjoyable because of the relate-ability factor, but for the rest of us? I just dunno if its going to fly. Its already clear that the all important opening weekend at the box office is not going to do any favours for this movie, as it opens the same day as Michael Bay's much anticipated Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third installment of the Transformers franchise. I think the only hope for this movie to do well over-all will be strong word of mouth from people who do see it, and hopefully solid DVD sales later on.

X-Men: First Class - Coming June 3, 2011

Director - Matthew Vaughn

Main Characters
Professor Charles Xavier - James McAvoy
Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto - Michael Fassbender

Of course there are a lot of other characters in the upcoming X-Men: First Class that would certainly be considered 'main', however, the heart of this story is the loss of friendship over differing opinions between Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr.

In this prequel, we will finally get to learn the story, much alluded to in he other X-Men movies of the falling out of Xavier and Lehnsherr, who were once best friends. The movie is set in 1963 when Charles (James McAvoy) starts up the famous school for 'Gifted Youngsters' that we've become so familiar with. Of course, we know that the ultimate argument between Charles and Erik (Michael Fassbender) is whether mutants should try to combat the ignorance that causes normal people to fear them, or if they should use their special abilities in combat.

Along with some new characters, there are a couple of familiar characters appearing in X-Men: First Class, such as Mystique and Beast.

I've no doubt that this will be another action packed X-Men story, like those we've come to expect and love.