New Release Review: POM Wonderful: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Morgan Spurlock, 2011)

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, the amusing new film from controversial documentary filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me and Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden), exists somewhere between an indictment and an endorsement of the now-ridiculous extremes of product placement, branding and advertising we find popping up in film and television. It opened the 2011 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and documents Spurlock’s bold attempts to pitch his ideas to major corporations in an attempt to convince them to fund his documentary by allowing their products to appear during the course of the film, which is comprised predominantly of this very same process. 

His challenge, really, is to convince them, because, seriously, why would the CEO’s want to advertise their products in a film that makes fun of such endorsements? Well, he manages to secure twelve companies, headlined by the titular POM Wonderful, to cover the 1.5 Million dollar funding of his film. Most of this money is utilized in the latter half to promote the film, because he actually starts out without the involvement of these companies, who join him along the way.

New Posters for 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'

New posters for the huge Sundance Film Festival hit Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin's hauntingly assured psychological thriller, can now be found online. Continuing it's success at the 2011 Sydney and Melbourne International Film Festivals, Australian audiences will have to wait until January 19, 2012 for it's official cinematic release. But, rest assured, Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes' names should be amongst the Oscar buzz for their excellent performances in this unsettling but elegantly constructed masterpiece.

Here are a couple of posters. What are your thoughts?

Releases (25/08)

There are four new films opening in Australian cinemas on Thursday 25/08: Horrible Bosses, Priest, Beginners and The Guard. Luckily for me, I have already seen three of these films, though I suspect I'll make time to see The Guard again. It is very funny. As for Priest, you couldn't pay me to see that. Well, actually, that's not true!

Horrible Bosses - For Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day), the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Anniston) into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con (Jamie Foxx), the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers...permanently. The saving grace for this film, which becomes contrived and desperate in the second half, is the cast. Charlie Day is especially good. It's a very funny premise, but the screenplay doesn't do it justice unfortunately.

Looking Ahead: 10 Films To Watch This Spring

This post was inspired by the most recent episode of The Matineecast hosted by Ryan McNeil, where he asks listeners to comment by revealing the films they are most anticipating in the Fall. I thought I would look through the films scheduled for release in Australia over the next three months and pick out some I would suggest checking out. A few of these I have already seen (at SFF and MIFF), but I can't wait for Midnight in Paris. That three week block in October is awesome - Take Shelter/Midnight in Paris/Drive - seriously, save your pennies for then.

13 Assassins (Takashi Miike) - September 8

Submarine (Richard Ayoade) - September 8

Project Nim (James Marsh) - September 29

Crazy, Stupid Love (Glenn Ficara) - September 29

Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols) - October 13

Classic Throwback: MASH (Robert Altman, 1970)

Robert Altman's highly acclaimed 1970 film MASH centres on Captain "Hawkeye" Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and Captain "Duke" Forrest (Tom Skerritt) who are assigned to the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, who are in need of replacements. It is evident that they are mischievous, womanising rule-breakers who immediately start flirting with the nurses and ignoring protocol having arrived at the camp in a 'borrowed' jeep. Despite this,they soon make it clear that they are both excellent surgeons. They clash with their new tent mate, Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall) and request with Lt. Colonel Henry Black (Roger Bowen) to have a specialist thoracic surgeon assigned to the 4077th. This would be Hawkeye's eventual partner in crime, Captain "Trapper" John McIntyre (Elliot Gould). 

There is no real plot, but the film is comprised of a series of experiences and misadventures. A lot of crazy things happen, including a ploy to cure the anxieties of "Painless Pole" Waldowski (John Schuck), a dentist who has recently suffered a ‘lack of performance’ and now believes he has homosexual tendencies. The man contemplates suicide and seeks advice on which method to use. Hawkeye and Trapper suggest the ‘black capsule’ and an impromptu last supper, which includes the strains of “Suicide is Painless”, ensues.

There is also a ploy to discover whether the no-nonsense chief nurse Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan is ‘naturally blonde’, while Hawkeye and Trapper accept an order to operate on the GI son of a U.S Congressman purely because the trip to Japan presents the opportunity to play on quality golf courses. The film ends with a friendly football match between the 4077th and another unit, where Hawkeye insists they apply for a specific neurosurgeon, "Spearchucker" Jones (Fred Williamson), to help them win the game. He was a former professional player with the San Francisco 49ers. 

Monday Links (22/08)

I have remained pretty consistent with my posts this month despite down in numbers for both films and posts. I have a pile of DVDs to work through, and I haven't even started on the Altman coverage I promised. Honestly, I don't think I can see many more films than I am now. Last week we had six new releases (well seven if you include the unscheduled limited release of The Woman). That's crazy. I had already seen Win Win and felt like I could skip most of them. After hearing some interesting things about The Woman at MIFF I might try and see it. I would also like to see POM Wonderful: The Greatest Story Ever Told if I can make time.

This week I managed to finally see L'illusionniste. It was a delight. I was also lucky enough to catch advanced screenings of Horrible Bosses and Beginners. As for the non-new releases I continued with some Kieslowski, watching and reviewing one of his early Polish films, Camera Buff. I re-watched Inception because I felt like it and re-watched (and loved) Superbad for the same reason. I also decided to give Guillermo Del Toro's Cronos a go because John at John Likes Movies gave it 4 stars and that had me intrigued. I love Del Toro's work (mostly) but I was yet to see his debut, and The Devil's Backbone, which many consider to be his best work.

I have some links for you (after the jump):

New Release Review: Beginners (Mike Mills, 2010)

Beginners is the second major feature from filmmaker and graphic artist, Mike Mills (Thumbsucker), who has made his name predominantly from directing short films and music videos. He is married to fellow artist and filmmaker Miranda July (The Future) and drew inspiration for this film from personal experiences with his father, who 'came out' at age 75 after 44 years of marriage to Mills’ mother. He succumbed to lung cancer five years later. Beginners premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and was selected as the Closing Night film at the 2011 Sydney Film Festival.

Beginners tell the story of Oliver (Ewan McGregor, The Ghost Writer), a man reflecting on the life and death of his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer, The Last Station), while trying to forge a new romantic relationship with a beautiful young French actress, Anna (Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds). The film is set predominantly in the present but structured to include a series of interconnected flashbacks to different periods of Oliver’s life. They reveal his relationship to his lonely mother (who initiated the marriage despite sensing something was amiss) and his struggle to accept both his father’s open declaration of homosexuality and his pending death from terminal lung cancer. Hal, who has never been happier, moves in with Oliver, changes his lifestyle to embrace his newly awakened sexuality and meets Andy (Goran Visjnic), a much younger man who cares deeply for Hal. Andy assists Oliver in taking care of the ailing man all the way until his deathbed.

Review: Superbad (Greg Mottola, 2007)

I am McLovin. 

While Super Bad is as crude and vulgar as teen comedies come, there is also a surprisingly heartfelt sensitivity to the story and the film never loses sight (if it does become distracted at times) that it is a film about youth, co-dependent friendship, coming-of-age fears and the desperations that accompany the desire to conform and fit in. Oh yeah, it is also very funny.

Directed by Greg Mottola (who recently directed Paul), the screenplay was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who have worked as frequent collaborators with Judd Apatow on a number of projects, including The 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Pineapple Express. It is reported that Rogen and Goldberg had begun working on the screenplay when they were thirteen years old and had completed a draft by the time they were fifteen. This explains why they were able to really get the juvenile dialogue, the late high school atmosphere, and the adolescent insecurities spot on. They were living through it. Bizarrely, the events could also be inspired by personal experiences. The central characters do share their first names. But I sense there will be more than just the co-writers who can relate to the zany events depicted here.