Neon and Topic Studios present writer/director Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool at 1,835 theaters in a lively specialty weekend sandwiched between a new crop of Sundance films and noteworthy expansions in the glow of Oscar nominations.
Infinity Pool, staring Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and Jalil Lespert, had a splashy debut last weekend in the Midnight section of just wrapped Sundance Film Festival. Skarsgard and Coleman are enjoying a perfect vacation at a beach getaway in the fictional state of Li Tolqa — until another tourist couple convinces them to venture outside the resort grounds, where they find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and horror. Deadline review here.
A24 presents Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close, just nominated for Best International Feature and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The drama follows Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele), two thirteen-year-old...
Infinity Pool, staring Alexander Skarsgard, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman and Jalil Lespert, had a splashy debut last weekend in the Midnight section of just wrapped Sundance Film Festival. Skarsgard and Coleman are enjoying a perfect vacation at a beach getaway in the fictional state of Li Tolqa — until another tourist couple convinces them to venture outside the resort grounds, where they find themselves in a culture filled with violence, hedonism and horror. Deadline review here.
A24 presents Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Close, just nominated for Best International Feature and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The drama follows Leo (Eden Dambrine) and Remi (Gustav De Waele), two thirteen-year-old...
- 1/27/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Hey, remember 2020 quarantine? That’s a joke — of course you do. Not only was it the most disruptive worldwide event of the last five years, it has also been exhaustively mined for content. Only three years out, it already feels like all the articles, books, social media posts, paintings, films, and TV shows that could be made about quarantine have already been made. Such is the nature of our rapid-fire online world. If you want to say something about the pandemic lockdown, it’d better be inventive. Like, a-Zoom-seance-killed-all-my-friends inventive.
Unfortunately, “Life Upside Down” makes no such contributions. This second feature from the writer-director Cecilia Miniucchi (“Expired”) uses the expected pandemic filmmaking gimmicks — actors filmed their scenes on phones and computers as Miniucchi directed them remotely — to produce a cringe-inducing melodrama. In this undercooked tale of middle-aged romance, there is nobody to root for and nothing of interest. All there...
Unfortunately, “Life Upside Down” makes no such contributions. This second feature from the writer-director Cecilia Miniucchi (“Expired”) uses the expected pandemic filmmaking gimmicks — actors filmed their scenes on phones and computers as Miniucchi directed them remotely — to produce a cringe-inducing melodrama. In this undercooked tale of middle-aged romance, there is nobody to root for and nothing of interest. All there...
- 1/26/2023
- by Lena Wilson
- The Wrap
No one wants to relive the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic from early 2020, but director Cecilia Miniucchi thinks it’s ample terrain for a romantic comedy. Her latest film, “Life Upside Down,” follows three couples in LA forced to reckon with themselves and each other after lockdown brings them into close quarters.
Read More: Bob Odenkirk Wants To Keep Making More Action Movies Like ‘Nobody’
Bob Odenkirk leads the film’s ensemble cast as Jonathan Wigglesworth, just one of the characters about to receive one of the pandemic’s several reality checks.
Continue reading ‘Life Upside Down’: Bob Odenkirk Leads A Pandemic-Set Romantic Comedy On January 27 at The Playlist.
Read More: Bob Odenkirk Wants To Keep Making More Action Movies Like ‘Nobody’
Bob Odenkirk leads the film’s ensemble cast as Jonathan Wigglesworth, just one of the characters about to receive one of the pandemic’s several reality checks.
Continue reading ‘Life Upside Down’: Bob Odenkirk Leads A Pandemic-Set Romantic Comedy On January 27 at The Playlist.
- 12/9/2022
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
"It's been so long since we've been together." IFC Films has revealed a trailer for an indie film titled Life Upside Down, formerly known as Worlds Apart, written and directed by filmmaker Cecilia Miniucchi. This is yet another lockdown project, finally releasing after first premiering at the Venice Film Festival's sidebar Venice Days a few months ago. Three couples who know one another are stuck at home during the beginning of lockdown. Jonathan, Clarissa and Paul will soon see their lives turned upside-down, forced to look at each other and ultimately at themselves. Forced to honestly face their spouses, friends, lovers, as well as take a good look in the mirror. The indie film stars Bob Odenkirk, Radha Mitchell, Danny Huston, Rosie Fellner, Cyrus Pahlavi, Terence Bernie Hines, and Jeanie Lim. This looks pretty rough, like many of the pandemic-inspired "what happened to us in lockdown" films the last few years.
- 12/8/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Cecilia Miniucchi’s “Life Upside Down” which stars Emmy-award winning actor Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”), Radha Mitchell (“Pitch Black) and Danny Huston (“21 Grams”). The movie world premiered at Venice in the Giornate degli Autori sidebar.
IFC Films will release the film in select theaters and VOD on Jan. 27 and will stream exclusively on AMC+ in April 2023.
“‘Life Upside Down’ is a romantic comedy following three couples, connected by friendship, love and work, who are each stuck in their respective homes in Los Angeles during the beginning of lockdown. Finally forced to face their spouses, friends, lovers, and eventually themselves head on, their lives turn slowly but surely upside-down.
“Cecilia has brought warmth and empathy to this universal story of love and growth in isolation that we can all relate to,” said Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Films . “We are so...
IFC Films will release the film in select theaters and VOD on Jan. 27 and will stream exclusively on AMC+ in April 2023.
“‘Life Upside Down’ is a romantic comedy following three couples, connected by friendship, love and work, who are each stuck in their respective homes in Los Angeles during the beginning of lockdown. Finally forced to face their spouses, friends, lovers, and eventually themselves head on, their lives turn slowly but surely upside-down.
“Cecilia has brought warmth and empathy to this universal story of love and growth in isolation that we can all relate to,” said Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Films . “We are so...
- 10/12/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Odenkirk better call his trainer because the “Better Call Saul” star is dead-set on becoming the action movie hero.
The Emmy winner revealed during the 2022 Venice Film Festival while promoting Cecilia Miniucchi’s “Worlds Apart” that his turn as attorney Saul in the “Breaking Bad” prequel series inspired his hitman role in “Nobody.”
“I was very surprised by ‘Nobody.’ I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in ‘Better Call Saul’ was the kind of character you see in an action film,” Odenkirk explained, via Deadline. “He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself.”
Odenkirk added, “I still train multiple times a week, and if I get my way, you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy. I love the early Jackie Chan films,...
The Emmy winner revealed during the 2022 Venice Film Festival while promoting Cecilia Miniucchi’s “Worlds Apart” that his turn as attorney Saul in the “Breaking Bad” prequel series inspired his hitman role in “Nobody.”
“I was very surprised by ‘Nobody.’ I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in ‘Better Call Saul’ was the kind of character you see in an action film,” Odenkirk explained, via Deadline. “He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself.”
Odenkirk added, “I still train multiple times a week, and if I get my way, you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy. I love the early Jackie Chan films,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
During a Venice Film Festival masterclass today, Better Call Saul and Nobody star Bob Odenkirk told the audience he “wants to do more action.”
The actor said: “I was very surprised by Nobody. I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in Better Call Saul was the kind of character you see in an action film. He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself…I still train multiple times a week and if I get my way you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy…I love the early Jackie Chan films which had humour in them. I’d like to get that in in future.”
Venice Film Festival: Deadline’s Full Coverage
“It’s almost like people like to see older people lose their shit.
The actor said: “I was very surprised by Nobody. I had initiated that project because I had a feeling that the character I was developing in Better Call Saul was the kind of character you see in an action film. He has earnest desires and he was willing to sacrifice himself…I still train multiple times a week and if I get my way you’re going to see me doing more action. I found the action sequences a great deal of fun and close to doing sketch comedy…I love the early Jackie Chan films which had humour in them. I’d like to get that in in future.”
Venice Film Festival: Deadline’s Full Coverage
“It’s almost like people like to see older people lose their shit.
- 9/1/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
[1] David Hasselhoff has become the latest actor to join Piranha 3Dd, the sequel to last year's Piranha 3D (which in turn was a remake of the 1978 film Piranha). The new cast looks just as enjoyably eclectic as the last one -- in addition to returning stars [2]Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, and Paul Scheer, 3Dd will also feature Katrina Bowden [3] (30 Rock), Gary Busey [4] (Point Break), Danielle Panabaker [5] (The Crazies), David Koechner (Anchorman) and Matt Bush (Adventureland). Here's the plot synopsis -- not that the premise is terribly difficult to figure out: There’s something in the water . . . again. And this time no one is safe from the flesh eating fish as they sink their razor sharp teeth into the visitors of the best summer attraction, The Big Wet Water Park. Piranha 3Dd is currently shooting in Wilmington, Nc under the direction of John Gulager (Feast). The film will open November 23, 2012. [The Hollywood Reporter [6]] After the jump: A plagiarizer,...
- 5/12/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Orlando Bloom, Nick Nolte, Stanley Tucci and Cristiana Capotondi have joined the cast of Cecilia Miniucchi's comedy "Idea in America" for Indomina Releasing says The Hollywood Reporter.
The coming-of-age road-trip comedy follows a young Italian ornithologist who travels from California to Georgia in the pursuit of the American bald eagle, a dream job and her independence.
Jeffrey Coulter, Fred Roos, Claudio Saraceni and Jenny Hinckey are producing. Shooting kicks off in the Fall.
The coming-of-age road-trip comedy follows a young Italian ornithologist who travels from California to Georgia in the pursuit of the American bald eagle, a dream job and her independence.
Jeffrey Coulter, Fred Roos, Claudio Saraceni and Jenny Hinckey are producing. Shooting kicks off in the Fall.
- 5/11/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
"Get Smart," the resurrected spy spoof from Warners and Village Roadshow, defeated the forces of boxoffice K.A.O.S., emerging as the top gun in the North American marketplace with an estimated $39.2 million this weekend.
It also easily prevailed in the comedy showdown with "The Love Guru." Mike Myers' first live-action comedy in five years, from Paramount and Spyglass, wasn't feeling the love. Its weekend haul of just $14 million relegated it to fourth place.
That left plenty of room for holdovers to prosper. In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda," the DreamWorks Animation production released by Paramount, fell just 35%, collecting an additional $21.7 million in the second place slot to bring its domestic tally to $155.6 million.
Right on its heels in third place was the second weekend of Universal and Marvel's "The Incredible Hulk" with $21.6 million, raising its domestic take to $96.5 million. The re-engineered "Hulk" fell by 61% in its second weekend, but that was better than the 70% drop that Uni's 2003 "Hulk" took in its second weekend. While the new "Hulk's" cumulative number is running slightly behind that of the old "Hulk," which had scored $101 million by the end of its first 10 days, Uni confidently expects the new film to outgross its predecessor over the course of its run.
Marvel also notched a milestone as Paramount's release of "Iron Man" crossed the $300 million mark on Wednesday, bringing in an additional $4 million as its cume approaches $305 million.
Meanwhile, among the limited openings, Picturehouse's "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" signaled it's a potential powerhouse. Debuting in just five theaters, it grabbed $222,697 for a whopping per-screen average of $44,539.
Overall, ticket sales continued to outperform last summer for the fourth weekend in a row. The weekend's estimated $139 million was up 6% from the comparable weekend last year, when "Evan Almighty" led the list with an opening take of $31.2 million, according to Nielsen Edi. As a result, summer boxoffice is now running 3% ahead of last summer.
For the year to date, 2008 has finally caught up with 2007. This year's estimated $4.36 billion to date is on par with the same period last year.
On the specialty film front, Warners' decommissioned Picturehouse may be staging a sort of going-out-of-business sale, but it's going out with a bang rather than a whimper.
This weekend, it opened "Kittredge," Patricia Rozema's G-rated feature about a Depression-era girl played by Abigail Breslin, on a single screen each in five cities to establish the movie, based on a character in the American Girl toy line. From the first Friday morning showings, it knew it was on to something. "We've got a loyal audience," Picturehouse president Bob Berney said. "We also got reports of grandparents showing up with their grandkids, so it all bodes really well."
Strategically, Berney plans to keep "Kittredge" in its limited holding pattern over the coming weekend, when Disney and Pixar's "Wall-e" will be making a broad play for the family audience. Then, on July 2, he plans to widen "Kittredge." The original plan called for an 1,800-theater run, but now that number could bump up to 2,100-2,500 theaters.
So why go the limited route in the first place, given the popularity of the doll line? "We had to let audiences know it is a real film," Berney said. "It almost reminds me of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' where you had to first make it an event and let the word-of-mouth spread out."
Picturehouse also is cultivating an audience for the foreign-language "Mongol." Adding 89 theaters to bring its count to 94, the film took in $744,368 in its third weekend as its cume climbed to just over $1.1 million. The film looks to add another 100 runs this Friday as it proves itself a canny summer counter-program.
Sony Pictures Classics bowed "Brick Lane," Sarah Gavron's drama about a Bangladeshi woman facing an arranged marriage in London, in seven theaters, attracting $50,470 for a solid per-theater average of $7,210.
Truly Indie launched Cecilia Miniucchi's L.A.-set love story "Expired" in just one theater, where he collected $5,700.
Turning a '60s TV series, no matter how fondly remembered, into a hit movie is no sure thing, but the PG-13 "Get Smart," directed by Peter Segal, beat both the odds and expectations. The comedy with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway portraying Agents 86 and 99, respectively, checked in with $39.2 million.
Warners domestic theatrical distribution president Dan Fellman credited the filmmakers with rounding up "the perfect cast, which all stepped up." Adding support were the Oscar-wining Alan Arkin and action star Dwayne Johnson, who contributed to the movie's demographic appeal, which tilted somewhat older. The studio reported that 60% of the audience was 25 or up. And even though Warners and Paramount were second-guessed for going head-to-head with competing comedies, Fellman said, for Warners, "it was a tough choice, but the right one," given the release schedule for the surrounding weekends.
While "Get Smart" skewed older, the PG-13 "Guru," in which Myers introduces a new character, self-help Guru Pitka, flipped that equation: 55% of its audience was under 25. But the comedy also ran into a buzzsaw of negative reviews, which appeared to take their toll.
At least it won't have to face any new comedies next weekend, as "Wall-e" aims for family audiences and animation buffs while Universal's "Wanted," starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, makes a bid for the action crowd.
It also easily prevailed in the comedy showdown with "The Love Guru." Mike Myers' first live-action comedy in five years, from Paramount and Spyglass, wasn't feeling the love. Its weekend haul of just $14 million relegated it to fourth place.
That left plenty of room for holdovers to prosper. In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda," the DreamWorks Animation production released by Paramount, fell just 35%, collecting an additional $21.7 million in the second place slot to bring its domestic tally to $155.6 million.
Right on its heels in third place was the second weekend of Universal and Marvel's "The Incredible Hulk" with $21.6 million, raising its domestic take to $96.5 million. The re-engineered "Hulk" fell by 61% in its second weekend, but that was better than the 70% drop that Uni's 2003 "Hulk" took in its second weekend. While the new "Hulk's" cumulative number is running slightly behind that of the old "Hulk," which had scored $101 million by the end of its first 10 days, Uni confidently expects the new film to outgross its predecessor over the course of its run.
Marvel also notched a milestone as Paramount's release of "Iron Man" crossed the $300 million mark on Wednesday, bringing in an additional $4 million as its cume approaches $305 million.
Meanwhile, among the limited openings, Picturehouse's "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" signaled it's a potential powerhouse. Debuting in just five theaters, it grabbed $222,697 for a whopping per-screen average of $44,539.
Overall, ticket sales continued to outperform last summer for the fourth weekend in a row. The weekend's estimated $139 million was up 6% from the comparable weekend last year, when "Evan Almighty" led the list with an opening take of $31.2 million, according to Nielsen Edi. As a result, summer boxoffice is now running 3% ahead of last summer.
For the year to date, 2008 has finally caught up with 2007. This year's estimated $4.36 billion to date is on par with the same period last year.
On the specialty film front, Warners' decommissioned Picturehouse may be staging a sort of going-out-of-business sale, but it's going out with a bang rather than a whimper.
This weekend, it opened "Kittredge," Patricia Rozema's G-rated feature about a Depression-era girl played by Abigail Breslin, on a single screen each in five cities to establish the movie, based on a character in the American Girl toy line. From the first Friday morning showings, it knew it was on to something. "We've got a loyal audience," Picturehouse president Bob Berney said. "We also got reports of grandparents showing up with their grandkids, so it all bodes really well."
Strategically, Berney plans to keep "Kittredge" in its limited holding pattern over the coming weekend, when Disney and Pixar's "Wall-e" will be making a broad play for the family audience. Then, on July 2, he plans to widen "Kittredge." The original plan called for an 1,800-theater run, but now that number could bump up to 2,100-2,500 theaters.
So why go the limited route in the first place, given the popularity of the doll line? "We had to let audiences know it is a real film," Berney said. "It almost reminds me of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' where you had to first make it an event and let the word-of-mouth spread out."
Picturehouse also is cultivating an audience for the foreign-language "Mongol." Adding 89 theaters to bring its count to 94, the film took in $744,368 in its third weekend as its cume climbed to just over $1.1 million. The film looks to add another 100 runs this Friday as it proves itself a canny summer counter-program.
Sony Pictures Classics bowed "Brick Lane," Sarah Gavron's drama about a Bangladeshi woman facing an arranged marriage in London, in seven theaters, attracting $50,470 for a solid per-theater average of $7,210.
Truly Indie launched Cecilia Miniucchi's L.A.-set love story "Expired" in just one theater, where he collected $5,700.
Turning a '60s TV series, no matter how fondly remembered, into a hit movie is no sure thing, but the PG-13 "Get Smart," directed by Peter Segal, beat both the odds and expectations. The comedy with Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway portraying Agents 86 and 99, respectively, checked in with $39.2 million.
Warners domestic theatrical distribution president Dan Fellman credited the filmmakers with rounding up "the perfect cast, which all stepped up." Adding support were the Oscar-wining Alan Arkin and action star Dwayne Johnson, who contributed to the movie's demographic appeal, which tilted somewhat older. The studio reported that 60% of the audience was 25 or up. And even though Warners and Paramount were second-guessed for going head-to-head with competing comedies, Fellman said, for Warners, "it was a tough choice, but the right one," given the release schedule for the surrounding weekends.
While "Get Smart" skewed older, the PG-13 "Guru," in which Myers introduces a new character, self-help Guru Pitka, flipped that equation: 55% of its audience was under 25. But the comedy also ran into a buzzsaw of negative reviews, which appeared to take their toll.
At least it won't have to face any new comedies next weekend, as "Wall-e" aims for family audiences and animation buffs while Universal's "Wanted," starring Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, makes a bid for the action crowd.
- 8/18/2008
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Neil Pedley
While Steve Carell and Mike Myers face off at the multiplexes this week, indie theaters fight back with a wide range of quirk, including a meter maid romance, a doc on balloon animals and a horror flick about killer hair extensions.
"Brick Lane"
"Brick Lane" in London's East End might be just a relatively short jaunt down the M1 from Salford, but it's still a million miles (and a decade) away from the careful multi-ethnic empathy of another film that dealt with south Asian refugees in England, the 1970s-set "East is East." This story follows 18-year-old Nazneem (Tannishtha Chatterjee), who steps off a plane from Bangladesh and into an arranged marriage with middle-aged Chanu (Satish Kaushik). Bored and lonely, she's forced to question her beliefs when the charismatic and secular Karim (Christopher Simpson) knocks on her door. Director Sarah Gavron landed herself a Bafta nomination for this...
While Steve Carell and Mike Myers face off at the multiplexes this week, indie theaters fight back with a wide range of quirk, including a meter maid romance, a doc on balloon animals and a horror flick about killer hair extensions.
"Brick Lane"
"Brick Lane" in London's East End might be just a relatively short jaunt down the M1 from Salford, but it's still a million miles (and a decade) away from the careful multi-ethnic empathy of another film that dealt with south Asian refugees in England, the 1970s-set "East is East." This story follows 18-year-old Nazneem (Tannishtha Chatterjee), who steps off a plane from Bangladesh and into an arranged marriage with middle-aged Chanu (Satish Kaushik). Bored and lonely, she's forced to question her beliefs when the charismatic and secular Karim (Christopher Simpson) knocks on her door. Director Sarah Gavron landed herself a Bafta nomination for this...
- 6/16/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
GreeneStreet Int'l nabs 'Expired' rights
NEW YORK -- GreeneStreet Films International has acquired worldwide sales rights to Cecilia Miniucchi's dark romantic comedy Expired starring Samantha Morton, Jason Patric, Teri Garr and Illeana Douglas.
Expired will close the 46th Festival de Cannes Critics Week sidebar, and is the only U.S.-made film selected for the program.
The feature, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, explores the dysfunctional relationship between a meter maid (Morton) and traffic cop (Patric).
Expired is produced by Jeffrey Coulter and Fred Roos. Antoni Stutz, Alexander Shing and Lawrence Wang served as the film's executive producers.
Upcoming GSFI features on the Cannes sales slate include another Sundance premiere, The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds and Hope Davis, and Gary the Tennis Coach with Seann William Scott.
GreeneStreet Films International President Ariel Veneziano negotiated the deal with Coulter and Roos.
Expired will close the 46th Festival de Cannes Critics Week sidebar, and is the only U.S.-made film selected for the program.
The feature, which premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, explores the dysfunctional relationship between a meter maid (Morton) and traffic cop (Patric).
Expired is produced by Jeffrey Coulter and Fred Roos. Antoni Stutz, Alexander Shing and Lawrence Wang served as the film's executive producers.
Upcoming GSFI features on the Cannes sales slate include another Sundance premiere, The Nines starring Ryan Reynolds and Hope Davis, and Gary the Tennis Coach with Seann William Scott.
GreeneStreet Films International President Ariel Veneziano negotiated the deal with Coulter and Roos.
- 5/10/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Expired
PARK CITY -- This meter maid is no lovely Rita. Dowdy and quiet, Claire (Samantha Morton) lives vicariously through insights she romanticizes about the owners of the upscale Brentwood-area vehicles she tickets.
A stirring story of one seemingly unremarkable woman's fortitude and inner beauty, "Expired" inspired its world-premiere audience here at the Sundance Film Festival. Told with a robust female perspective, "Expired" may win its widest appreciation as a cable offering, seemingly perfect for Lifetime.
In this smart story about people who never get center stage in life, Samantha Morton stars as meter-maid Claire, who lives with her mute, stroke-stricken mother (Teri Garr). Shy and inarticulate, Claire doesn't attract notice. Admittedly vulnerable, Claire is starved for attention and through social default begins to entertain the crude advances of Jay (Jason Patric), a bitter male colleague. A hostile lout of onetime promise, Jay too lives in essential isolation: His hostile personality precludes any real emotional involvement -- no male friends no female relationships.
On their surfaces both Claire and Jay could be deemed losers, yet screenwriter/director Cecilia Miniucchi musters our sympathies for their personal predicaments. Charting the course of their most uneven romance, we appreciate that Claire's toleration of Jay's crudity is not mere desperation, but rather her amazing capacity to distill the goodness in someone.
To her credit, filmmaker Cecilia Miniucchi does not manipulate heartstrings or resort to generic conventions to serve up a touchy-feely love tale. The narrative is unraveled with courage, depicting Claire's shortcomings and, quite remarkably, mining Jay's decencies. Truly, we care about Claire and if anyone can rescue Jay from himself, it is she.
Although its freeze-frame ending may seem too optimistic and enigmatic, "Expired" is a remarkable romance of no easy answers; to wit, like real life.
Samantha Morton's vigorous and self-effacing portrayal of Claire is wonderful: We see Claire's bravery and her incredible strength to endure personal assaults and indelicacies. Truly, she rises above her lot in life. Similarly edgy, Jason Patric is terrific as Claire's boorish admirer, not flinching from his character's nastiness and inner conflicts. In a dual role as Claire's invalid mother and selfish aunt, Teri Garr invigorates the story with her supple versatility.
Technical contributions are exemplary, especially Natalie Sanfilippo's revealing production design. From the kitsch of Claire's dwelling to the macho-techno void of Jay's apartment, she clues us to their inner worlds.
EXPIRED
(no production company listed)
Producer: Jeffrey Coulter
Screenwriter/director: Cecilia Miniucchi
Executive producers: Fred Roos, Antoni Stutz
Director of photography: Zoran Popovic
Production designer: Natalie Sanfilippo
Casting director: John Jackson
Music: Jeffrey Coulter
Cast:
Claire Barney: Samantha Morton
Jay: Jason Patric
Mother Barney/Aunt Tilda: Teri Garr
Running time -- 112 minutes...
A stirring story of one seemingly unremarkable woman's fortitude and inner beauty, "Expired" inspired its world-premiere audience here at the Sundance Film Festival. Told with a robust female perspective, "Expired" may win its widest appreciation as a cable offering, seemingly perfect for Lifetime.
In this smart story about people who never get center stage in life, Samantha Morton stars as meter-maid Claire, who lives with her mute, stroke-stricken mother (Teri Garr). Shy and inarticulate, Claire doesn't attract notice. Admittedly vulnerable, Claire is starved for attention and through social default begins to entertain the crude advances of Jay (Jason Patric), a bitter male colleague. A hostile lout of onetime promise, Jay too lives in essential isolation: His hostile personality precludes any real emotional involvement -- no male friends no female relationships.
On their surfaces both Claire and Jay could be deemed losers, yet screenwriter/director Cecilia Miniucchi musters our sympathies for their personal predicaments. Charting the course of their most uneven romance, we appreciate that Claire's toleration of Jay's crudity is not mere desperation, but rather her amazing capacity to distill the goodness in someone.
To her credit, filmmaker Cecilia Miniucchi does not manipulate heartstrings or resort to generic conventions to serve up a touchy-feely love tale. The narrative is unraveled with courage, depicting Claire's shortcomings and, quite remarkably, mining Jay's decencies. Truly, we care about Claire and if anyone can rescue Jay from himself, it is she.
Although its freeze-frame ending may seem too optimistic and enigmatic, "Expired" is a remarkable romance of no easy answers; to wit, like real life.
Samantha Morton's vigorous and self-effacing portrayal of Claire is wonderful: We see Claire's bravery and her incredible strength to endure personal assaults and indelicacies. Truly, she rises above her lot in life. Similarly edgy, Jason Patric is terrific as Claire's boorish admirer, not flinching from his character's nastiness and inner conflicts. In a dual role as Claire's invalid mother and selfish aunt, Teri Garr invigorates the story with her supple versatility.
Technical contributions are exemplary, especially Natalie Sanfilippo's revealing production design. From the kitsch of Claire's dwelling to the macho-techno void of Jay's apartment, she clues us to their inner worlds.
EXPIRED
(no production company listed)
Producer: Jeffrey Coulter
Screenwriter/director: Cecilia Miniucchi
Executive producers: Fred Roos, Antoni Stutz
Director of photography: Zoran Popovic
Production designer: Natalie Sanfilippo
Casting director: John Jackson
Music: Jeffrey Coulter
Cast:
Claire Barney: Samantha Morton
Jay: Jason Patric
Mother Barney/Aunt Tilda: Teri Garr
Running time -- 112 minutes...
- 1/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- Quick Links Complete Film Listing: Premiere's section Dramatic Comp Docmentary Comp World Dramatic Comp: World Documentary Comp: Park City at Midnight: New Frontier Short Film Programs January 18 to 28, 2007 Counting Down: updateCountdownClock('January 18, 2007'); This yearâ.s spectrum section as a promising mix of world preems and is perhaps a stronger selection than what was offered same time last year and sadly the highlight of the section finds the last film from actor/director Adrienne Shelly. "Angel-a" (France), directed and written by Luc Besson, a fairy tale about a man who gets a new lease on life after he rescues a beautiful young woman from a suicide attempt in the Seine River. "Bugmaster" (Japan), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and written by Sadayuki Murai, derived from an ancient legend and based on a famous Manga about an itinerant, mystical doctor who cures people from a plague caused by supernatural creatures called "Mushi.
- 1/18/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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