Tag: Rachel McAdams

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Spotlight

by MCDave

I’ve always revered the overlooked work of screenwriter and director Tom McCarthy. More respected for his earnest screenplays filled with wonderful character development and light-hearted comedy, McCarthy quickly hops into the directors chair once again following a critical bashing of his previous well-documented dud, The Cobbler. But despite McCarthy’s recent poor showing, he bounces back in notable form – as you would expect from any artist and visionary with his talents – delivering one of 2015’s hottest titles, Spotlight.

When Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) is hired as the new editor of The Boston Globe in 2001, he assigns the paper’s finest team of investigators (known as Spotlight) to look into a surprisingly disregarded case of sexual abuse allegations against a local Catholic priest. And as Spotlight digs deeper into the facts, they begin to uncover a massive conspiracy by the church to cover-up decades of known misconduct. But with the powerful institution pulling strings throughout the entire city of Boston, unveiling this shocking true story proves to be mighty difficult task.

Spotlight 1

Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight unravels as one of the most compelling investigative dramas in decades. Tied to a national story that strikes a nerve in all of us, this entertaining fact-based tale commands the audience’s attention with elite acting from its entire cast. Michael Keaton follows up his Oscar Nominated turn in last year’s Birdman with another upper echelon performance that should return him to the big dance. Keaton not only finds stiff competition in the Supporting Actor race from Bridge of Spies’ Mark Rylance, co-star Mark Ruffalo could quite possibly give Spotlight the first pair of actors nominated in the same category since Bugsy‘s Harvey Keitel and Ben Kingsley accomplished the rare feat in 1991. And while critics and insiders have touted Keaton’s performance, there are moments throughout the film when the excellence of Mark Ruffalo dwarfs his co-star by comparison. In addition, Stanley Tucci continues to impress as one of the best character actors in the business. Spotlight‘s perfect blend of a hard-hitting story and an unmatched ensemble leave the film as a primed Best Picture contender.

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Despite all of the feature’s shining attributes, Spotlight is weighed down by a few glaring blemishes. The film does an adequate job of keeping the audience’s attention throughout its more than two-hour running time, yet there are a few noticeable lulls the viewer is forced to push through. Generally, these poorly paced moments occur as a result of McCarthy and co-writer Josh Singer’s quest for Hollywood dramatization. A collection of these scenes feel inauthentic and unnecessary to the progression of the film, which ultimately leave Spotlight as a flawed, albeit successful, title.

Considering the minuscule number of elite films in 2015, Spotlight positions itself nicely as one of the top tier entries. McCarthy relies on numerous fine performances to transition his gripping factual script to the big screen. If history is any indicator, for more than the last decade every Best Picture winner has debuted to audiences in some form prior to November. Therefore, there’s a strong chance Spotlight could be a major player during this year’s run to the Oscars, and it’s definitely one you won’t want to miss.

GRADE: 4/5

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Will Rachel McAdams Join The Cast Of Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’ Film?!

by Gabriel von Grünbaum

In Rachel McAdams’ own words to the L.A. Times, “it’s still super-early days, and I don’t know where that’s gonna go, if it’s gonna go anywhere at all,” but word that she’s considering taking a leading role across from Benedict Cumberbatch—in the title role—of Marvel’s upcoming Doctor Strange is very exciting news. McAdams reliably turns in strong performances in romance (The Notebook), comedy (Mean Girls), action (Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes) and is lately proving her dramatic chops with True Detective. (Check out Geekscape’s coverage of True Detective here.)

Honestly—hopefully, without spoiling anything—I’ll admit that I was most into the Sherlock Holmes films when she was most on screen and part of the storyline. Hearing others in Hollywood tell it, McAdams already seems a sort of ethereal presence in Tinseltown—preferring to stick closer to her Canadian roots rather than getting lost in the glitz and glamour—which could naturally bring just the right energy to Doctor Strange.

Credit: Andrew Robinson
Credit: Andrew Robinson

If she ends up with the, as of yet unnamed, role in Strange, she’ll be joining Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor as well as Cumberbatch in the Scott Derrickson (writer/director of Sinister and Deliver Us from Evil) directed adaptation. I’m not sure if Derrickson’s resume gives me enough to get a bead on how he’ll handle the Strange film but I did sorta appreciate some of the choices he made directing the 2008 remake, The Day the Earth Stood Still. Overall, that film got a pretty cold reception and only almost made its budget back in stateside box-office receipts—but I doubted any update would ever be able to fill the big shoes of the original in the first place and did my best to remain open to it from there. I’m curious to see what Derrickson will do with Doctor Strange—want to give him a shot—but mostly I’m worried. I really want to see Strange a success—especially with the cast being assembled!—and I’ve got my fingers crossed.

As far as which role McAdams may be considering, at this time we can only speculate. So I will!—I’m speculating it’s Clea. I mean, who else? The Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension—she and Doctor Strange are practically a package deal—it makes sense to me. McAdams has that kiss of otherworldly beauty; all she needs is the white hair. Depending on what sort of origin story is told, if Strange is already sort of established from the beginning, the film could be the story of meeting Clea and facing off together against Dormammu! We could then extrapolate that Swinton may be Umar and Ejiofor may be Dormammu, yeah?

Let’s hope there’s a bit less speculation and a whole lot more details soon!

‘True Detective’s Second Season Gets Two New Trailers!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re just a few weeks away from the holy-crap-I-can’t-wait-for-it return of HBO’s True Detective, and following the second season’s first trailer from a few weeks back, and the recent character posters, the network has debuted two new trailers for the upcoming episodes

This season’s tagline is “We get the world we deserve”, and creator Nic Pizzolatto stated this year was all about “hard women, bad men and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system.”

This season, “A bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California. Colin Farrell is Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, LA County. Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work, while his wife and closest ally (Kelly Reilly), struggles with his choices and her own. Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves, while Taylor Kitsch plays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene which triggers an investigation involving three law enforcement groups, multiple criminal collusions, and billions of dollars.”

Take a look at the trailers below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to True Detective‘s return.

‘True Detective’s Second Season Gets Four New Character Posters!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re just over a month away from the holy-crap-I-can’t-wait-for-it return of HBO’s True Detective, and following the second season’s first trailer from a few weeks back, the network has debuted new character posters for the upcoming episodes.

They all share the tagline “We get the world we deserve”, and fit in with the theme of the season, which series creator Nic Pizzolatto stated was about “hard women, bad men and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system.”

This season, “A bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California. Colin Farrell is Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, LA County. Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work, while his wife and closest ally (Kelly Reilly), struggles with his choices and her own. Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves, while Taylor Kitsch plays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene which triggers an investigation involving three law enforcement groups, multiple criminal collusions, and billions of dollars.”

Take a look at the posters below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to True Detective‘s return.

ferrell

Colin Farrell is Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, L.A. County.

kitsch

Taylor Kitsch is Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene, which launches an investigation involving three law enforcement groups and multiple criminal collusions.

mcadams

Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves.

vaughn

Vince Vaughn is Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work, while his wife and closest ally (played by Kelly Reilly) struggles with his choices and her own.

We Get The World We Deserve: HBO Debuts ‘True Detective’ Motion Posters

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re just two months away from the holy-crap-I-can’t-wait-for-it return of HBO’s True Detective, and following the second season’s first trailer a few weeks back, the network has debuted 3 motion posters for the upcoming episodes.

They all share the tagline “We get the world we deserve”, and fit in with the theme of the season, which series creator Nic Pizzolatto stated was about “hard women, bad men and the secret occult history of the United States transportation system.”

This season, “A bizarre murder brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California. Colin Farrell is Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective in the all-industrial City of Vinci, LA County. Vince Vaughn plays Frank Semyon, a criminal and entrepreneur in danger of losing his life’s work, while his wife and closest ally (Kelly Reilly), struggles with his choices and her own. Rachel McAdams is Ani Bezzerides, a Ventura County Sheriff’s detective often at odds with the system she serves, while Taylor Kitsch plays Paul Woodrugh, a war veteran and motorcycle cop for the California Highway Patrol who discovers a crime scene which triggers an investigation involving three law enforcement groups, multiple criminal collusions, and billions of dollars.”

Take a look at the motion posters below, and let us know if you’re looking forward to True Detective‘s return.

Motion1

Motion2

The Truest Of Detectives Returns: Check Out This Season 2 Teaser For ‘True Detective’

by Shane O'Hare

True Detective is arguably one of the best television programs on the air right now. It’s short, eight episode, first season kept fans of the show begging for more. WELL FOLKS, here is a little tiny teaser for you!

Season Two airs June 21st on HBO, and stars Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams and Taylor Kitsch.

‘True Detective’ Season 2 Might Involve Cults, S&M, and the Transportation System

by Eric Francisco

On the train this morning I had “Far From Any Road” from The Handsome Family playing on my iPod. (Yes, I still carry an iPod. iPhones can’t carry all my music.) It’s a haunting yet comforting experience, listening to the Handsome Family’s Americana sound while seeing run down buildings, swamps, and other grim sights whiz by that lie between the suburbs of New Jersey to bustling Manhattan.

I thought about how it was a year ago that True Detective came and went, impacting the TV landscape like a bull in a china shop. I knew a second season was coming, but I was somewhat surprised it hadn’t come already.

Now we have a better idea of what the next True Detective season will look like. Movie Pilot is reporting details that involve Satanic cults and a conspiracy theory that references an actual theory that the General Motors company prevented the state from developing a better public transportation system so residents would be forced to rely on cars. That Los Angeles at rush hour is like a circle of hell, this doesn’t sound too far-fetched.

From Movie Pilot:

Yes, very early on in the preparation for the second season of True Detective, Nic Pizzolatto revealed that the new season would be taking viewers into the messy quagmire that is the “the secret occult history of the United States transportation system”. Specifically, as it pertains to California and the long standing conspiracy theory that General Motors kept the state from developing a decent public transportation system so that residents would continue to have to rely on cars.

 

This does indeed seem to be where season 2 of True Detective is taking us. The season is due to kick off with the dead body of a corrupt politician being found along the Pacific Coast Highway with satanic symbols carved into his chest. California Highway Patrol officers Colin Farrell and Taylor Kitsch are assigned the case.

 

It turns out the victim is a known associate of Vince Vaughn’s character and this dead man had a dark side involving some associations with S&M clubs – but perhaps most importantly, the man was in the middle of brokering a big deal that would solve the state’s gridlock problem.

Also on Movie Pilot are a ton of unofficial set photos that show Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch and Colin Ferrell doing police-y things while Vince Vaughn looks like, well, Vince Vaughn, but in a suit.

A corporate conspiracy interfering with government laws sprinkled with the occult? It altogether sounds very True Detective but also new territory I’m excited to see the series explore.

What do you think? Should this be the plot of season two if the rumors turn out to be true? While you comment below, I’m going to listen to this again.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘About Time’

by MCDave

Nobody quite exemplifies that “British Charm” like filmmaker Richard Curtis. But before Curtis stepped behind the camera to direct popular films such as Love Actually and Pirate Radio, he began as a renowned screenwriter more than 20 years ago. His lifelong journey has brought him to his third major motion picture, one that propels Curtis’ work to groundbreaking heights. Molding together dramatic heart-filled and heart-breaking elements with an appealing comedic allure, Curtis’ newest feature, About Time, is one of the year’s finest delights.

After his 21st birthday Tim (played by Domhnall Gleeson) is confronted by his father (Bill Nighy) and informed of a long-time family secret, he can time travel. But rather than using his unique ability for power or wealth, Tim makes his special gift all about love. He packs up his things and moves from the Cornwall coast to London where he meets Mary (Rachel McAdams) and they fall madly in love. However, as time moves along Tim discovers that no matter how rare his gift is, there are things in life even he can’t control.

about time2

What begins as a quest for love, About Time transforms from an endearing romantic comedy into a sincere and earnest tale about the realities of life. Director Richard Curtis hits the nail on the head and serves up a whimsical story built around fabulous characters thanks to a brilliant collaborative effort from the film’s cast. The onscreen chemistry between Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams sets the table for a whirlwind of emotions, most of which come at the hands of the always amazing Bill Nighy. His supporting turn is the heart and soul of the feature, and one that humanizes a far-fetched and surreal notion such as time travel. Through all the ups and downs, the hurdles and obstacles, About Time  reminds us that the adventure of living everyday life is the greatest form of time travel there is.

About Time

Although Richard Curtis’ wonderful new feature is a tremendous success, many will attempt to thwart its greatest of intentions. Clearly tugging at the heart strings with an outpouring of sentiment, About Time doesn’t try to mask its purpose. Rather, the film embraces its emotion and strives to view life in a more vibrant light. Furthermore, the feature walks a very delicate line by using the sci-fi notion of time travel as a backdrop. In doing so, Curtis and company conjure up some clever ideas, yet flaws in their logic are certainly evident. But all in all the feel-good nature surrounding About Time circumvents these bumps in the road, carefully illustrating that Curtis’ sentimental approach is all the more worthwhile.

Don’t be fooled, About Time exceeds far beyond the “romantic comedy” label. Mirroring our own lives in so many ways, the feature continually grows and expands into something much larger and abundantly greater. And while Curtis’ latest effort delivers effective dramatics, you can’t take the comedic aspects for granted. The jokes are non-stop and the laughs are plentiful, making About Time a witty and moving film. One that I strongly recommend for all types of audiences to enjoy.

GRADE: 4.5/5

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