I put this one off for as long as I could. It’s time to face the music and get it done. I really didn’t want to re-watch this one, but I finally bit the bullet. Horror isn’t really my genre (other than maybe the Halloween movies).
To be honest, Giallo wasn’t quite as bad as I remember, but it sure isn’t good.
Here we go…
Cast: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Eamonn Walker, Beyonce Knowles, Cedric the Entertainer, Gabrielle Union, Mos Def, and Norman Reedus
Written by: Darnell Martin
Directed by: Darnell Martin
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Released: November 24, 2008 (U.S.)
MPAA Rating: R
Adrien plays a slightly sanitized version of Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records, a pioneering blues and rock n’ roll label. Adrien’s version of Len Chess is mainly concerned with getting black artists heard. The real Chess was more concerned with making money, and not giving the artists much of it. Continue reading “Cadillac Records”
To say I’ve had a tough few months would be a vast understatement. I had a very painful injury (broken sewing needle lodged between layers of tissue in my foot), which led to an infection (because no one acted quickly enough to remove it), then surgery, and a long recovery. I’m still healing from nerve damage, which I’m told can take up to a year.
As you might imagine, being in nearly constant pain all these months, and having my mobility challenged (and taken away for several weeks) has caused my depression to rear its ugly head. It’s been winning the battle most days.
So, not much of anything has been getting done. Including writing here. Just this week, I’ve started making specific plans for getting my life on track. I would say “back on track,” but I’m trying to be honest, here. Ha ha.
Coming back here and updating regularly is definitely on my list of things I need to do to improve my situation. This is my outlet (along with my work at MovieBabble), and I love it. And I miss it!
However, there are some items on said list that take a higher priority, and need to be under my belt before I can make a successful return.
The plan is to come back in mid-late February.
Thank you all for your patience all this time. I can’t believe I haven’t written anything here since May!
Take care until then.
Patricia,
EveryBrodyMovie.com
Cast: Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi, Robbie Coltrane, and Maximillian Schell
Written by: Rian Johnson
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Genre: Comedy, Adventure/Caper, a bit of Romance
Running Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Released: September 9, 2008 (Toronto International Film Festival)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
As some of you know, I also write for a movie blog called MovieBabble. I recently did a piece about The Brothers Bloom over there. *Note: that piece contains some minor spoilers, as it’s a retrospective for the 10th anniversary, not a review. If you’d like to read it, you can find it right here.
Adrien plays “Bloom” (no first name is ever given), a semi-willing partner in con to his brother, Stephen (Ruffalo). The two have run scams for years, with Bloom usually playing the charming one who approaches the mark. Bloom wonders who he really is, after a lifetime of his brother writing roles for him. And he wants out.
This movie is also known as Manolete, The Passion Within, or Blood and Passion.
Cast: Adrien Brody, Penelope Cruz, Santiago Segura, Josep Linuesa, Nacho Aldeguer
Written by: Menno Meyjes
Directed by: Menno Meyjes
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Running Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Released: September 6, 2008 (Toronto Film Festival)
MPAA Rating: Not Rated (I would say PG-13, leaning toward R)
Adrien trained with a dialect coach for this film, but ended up using his own voice/accent, with a few random words pronounced accurately. Sort of like an American newscaster (you know what I’m talking about).
I’m not sure why this happened, given the character he played was a real person born and raised in Spain. Perhaps trying the accent was distracting him too much from the emotional parts, so they scrapped it. Whatever the reason, it’s distracting to have the lead sound American, when everyone else sounds Spanish.
Some of you may be wondering…
Well, first of all, I hope Adrien Brody will remain active in the film industry in whatever capacity he chooses. At the present, he has taken a step back from acting, to focus on producing. If this blog becomes focused on things he’s had a non-acting hand in creating, then that’s okay.
There are also some films in the can whose releases have been delayed, such as Emperor and Air Strike (aka: The Bombing, or Unbreakable Spirit). If those ever come out, I’d be happy to discuss them.
Meanwhile…
Cast: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Amara Karan, Wallace Wolodarsky, Waris Ahluwalia, Irrfan Kahn, Anjelica Houston… (and a Bill Murray cameo)
Written by: Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Adventure… really, the genre is Wes Anderson 😉
Running Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes
Released: September 28, 2007 (New York Film Festival)
I am rating this objectively, like a “real” film critic would. However, this is one of my favorite movies, so if it was based strictly on my enjoyment as a fan, it would be about a nine.
Also, I have a lot to say about this one. My apologies.
A word of thanks: The screen captures used in this article (save for the photo in the header) are from KissThemGoodbye.net. Thank you for your beautiful images (and for saving me a lot of time and work).
The Darjeeling Limited was Adrien Brody’s first collaboration with writer/director Wes Anderson. The story centers around three estranged brothers (Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman) who come together for a trip through India, a year after their father’s death. In true Wes Anderson style, there is dysfunctional family-based humor, and the tragic moments are still beautifully executed.
Cast: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Robin Tunney, Bob Hoskins, Molly Parker, Zach Mills, Kathleen Robertson, Larry Cedar, Jeffrey DeMunn, Lois Smith…
Written by: Paul Bernbaum
Directed by: Allen Coulter
Genre: Crime, Drama
Running Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Released: August 31, 2006 (Italy); September 8 in the U.S.
MPAA Rating: R
George Reeves, the man who played Superman on the original television series, passed away via suicide in June of 1959. Some people believed his death was suspicious. At the very least, the circumstances surrounding Reeves’ life and death were somewhat complicated. This film explores many scenarios for what could have happened that night, and it’s very interesting to watch those play out.
My thoughts on Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005), and Adrien Brody’s performance therein.
Cast: Andy Serkis, Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Kyle Chandler, Colin Hanks, John Sumner, Craig Hall, Evan Parke, Jamie Bell, Lobo Chan…
Screenplay by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson
Based on a story by: Merian C. Cooper, and Edgar Wallace
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Genre: Action, Adventure
Running Time: 3 hours, 7 minutes (there’s also a 3 hour, 20 minute version)
Released: December 14, 2005 (U.S.)
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Peter Jackson dreamed of recreating King Kong since he was a child. The original movie (from 1933) was the very reason he went into filmmaking. With all of that build up, and all those years of work, how did Jackson’s vision turn out?
Cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristopherson, Daniel Craig, McKenzie Phillips…
Written by: Massy Tadjedin, Marc Rocco, and Tom Bleeker
Directed by: John Maybury
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Released: January 23, 2005 (Sundance Film Festival)
MPAA Rating: R
In my top 10 Adrien Brody movies, The Jacket is number six. So, obviously, I enjoy it. There are just nitpicky things (or maybe valid) things that keep it from scoring higher.
