Dev Patel to Make Directorial Debut With Action Movie ‘Monkey Man’

Dev Patel is directing a movie. The young actor, known for Slumdog Millionaire and Lion, is set to helm an “action revenge” film with Indian mythological elements. Patel will also star in the film and has producer and co-writer credits as well, implying that this may be a passion project for the Oscar nominee.

As an avid mythology nerd and genre movie fan, I had my interest piqued by the brief summary given by The Hollywood Reporter:

“Steeped in mythology, the film will be set in a vibrant modern India and will follow the Kid (Patel), who emerges from prison to take on a world awash in corporate greed and eroding spiritual values.”

That summary and the title Monkey Man imply a story and setting ripe for a “trickster archetype” story, like that of Hanuman, the Hindu monkey deity. I find it likely that Hanuman will make an appearance of some sort in this film, either as a character or as a heroic theme or analogue running throughout the story. Even better, the film is stated to be an action movie, and Hanuman is a noted mythological badass. Personally, I’m hoping for some fight choreography and traditional martial arts.

Hanuman is a “half-ape” deity in Hinduism who makes cameo appearances in Buddhism and Jainism. His most prominent appearance in narrative myth is probably as Rama’s friend and ally in the Hindu epic story Ramayana. While Hanuman’s role in this story is relatively minor, taking a passenger seat to Rama himself, his part showcases all his wild powers and trickster’s personality. He sneaks into the enemy stronghold and meets with a kidnap victim, offering to rescue her, but when she refuses (traditional heroism, values, beliefs; let it slide), he instead lets himself get captured, pulls a prank on his torturers with some fun monkey powers, and then trashes the entire enemy city for fun.

Hanuman is the source of a lot of trickster myths throughout the world, mostly in Southeast Asia (would you believe me if I said it was because East Asian versions get yellow-washed?), and celebrations of Hanuman typically involve his martial arts expertise. It is commonly accepted by scholars that Sun Wukong (aka the Monkey King) of Chinese literary fame is based on Hanuman, and I think that kind of action character has the potential to be cool, especially when we’re becoming saturated in superhero battles with a lot of punching.

These mythological “Monkey Men” are known for their methodical, infiltration-based ways of accomplishing their objectives, and while they can duke it out in a fistfight when they feel like it, typically they outsmart their adversaries instead of overpowering them, and I think this kind of hero is underrated in our modern action movie age. Instead of being a guy who’s so cool that he rides a motorcycle at freeway speeds with no helmet on, our action hero, in this case, is more of a lovable rogue, like Lupin III or Scott Lang.

It’s impossible to talk about this movie without talking about Hotel Mumbai, a movie starring Patel that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival just two months ago. Hotel Mumbai is also a more action-oriented thriller, in contrast with Patel’s previous roles, which tended more towards the dramatic. Perhaps it was Hotel Mumbai that got Patel interested in the genre? Regardless, the announced slate of producers includes three people who also worked on Hotel Mumbai: Joe Thomas, Samarth Sahni, and Patel himself. So, I imagine the creative direction of Monkey Man will be similar.

In fact, the film’s creative team is stacked with people known for great action movies. The fourth producer, Basil Iwanyk, previously worked on John Wick and Sicario, and the camera department is taking on international talent, signing on Chung-hoon Chung of The Handmaiden and Oldboy fame as the director of photography. Action sequences are set to be choreographed by 87Eleven Action Design, a dedicated stunt studio that worked on the John Wick franchise and Atomic Blonde.

With such a star-studded team, action movie fans should keep an eye out for this one. I am interested to see the direction that a Hanuman-inspired action film will take. Asian folklore and mythology can provide sources for many kinds of fun stories, and Patel is a great lead for this kind of project. He doesn’t really come off as a strong-man type action hero (he’s no Dwayne Johnson), and I think a trickster would be a great match for him. Martial arts films are becoming rarer and rarer, so I’m on the edge of my seat for this one if it’s got a chance of being one.

The post Dev Patel to Make Directorial Debut With Action Movie ‘Monkey Man’ appeared first on Film School Rejects.

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Marvel Team-Up: Falcon and The Winter Soldier to Headline New Series

An FSR prediction has come true with a little bit of a twist. When reporting on the big news about Disney and Marvel’s planned limited series for Loki and Scarlet Witch last month, our own Christopher Campbell briefly mulled over the possibility of Sam Wilson / Falcon (Anthony Mackie) getting his own small-screen vehicle someday. Now, as reported by Variety, we can actually expect Falcon to join the ranks of Disney’s in-house streaming service after all. And he’ll have Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as a co-headliner.

Disney previously announced that “second-tier” Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes — those unlikely to star in their own movies as the franchise chugs along — would get to lead streamable series instead. These shows will run anywhere between six to eight episodes apiece. Importantly, rather than rely on the resources of Marvel Television (which makes Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the company’s Netflix ventures), they have the full arsenal of Marvel’s film arm at their disposal. That includes the direct “hands-on” involvement of pioneer producer Kevin Feige.

Neither the Mouse House nor Marvel Studios are concretely confirming anything remotely related to these off-shoots. That said, what makes the Falcon-Winter Soldier vehicle more of a sure bet even in its preliminary stages lies in the fact that a writer has been hired to tackle the series. Malcolm Spellman, who is best-known for his work on Empire, will reportedly write the show.

Frankly, as there is constantly a ton to look forward to when it comes to the MCU, holding off on all kinds of excitement until we know more about this Falcon-Winter Soldier series would be a logical response. Yet, as a fan of this neverending superhero franchise, and a nostalgic cinema goer who is less-than-willing to let old heroes go that easily, I’m already thinking about how this show is basically brimming with possibilities.

The Sam and Bucky team-up is, in and of itself, a great place to anchor a series. Although both characters are introduced as ideal companions to Steve Rogers / Captain America at different points of the hero’s life, they’ve come together to tease out a possibly fun and exuberant dynamic. Mackie and Stan showcase tons of vibrancy and infectious personality when Sam and Bucky get to fight side-by-side in Captain America: Civil War. The results are good-natured and hilarious, too. Bucky, in particular, doesn’t often get to be especially funny in the Marvel films. Nobody could be expected to be after they’ve been brainwashed and turned into a killing machine. Nevertheless, the scenes that he shares with Sam are peppered with snarky levity. “Can you move your seat up?” could totally spawn so much more ribbing.

Of course, there is tension and suspicion between both characters as well, which feasibly draws out enough drama for six to eight episodes of TV. Really, Sam just deserves more backstory, in general. Because although we know certain facts about him — that he is as good-natured as Steve, a military veteran, and committed to helping others after his years of service — he hasn’t been given the chance to effectively lead any storylines on the big screen. Sam’s motivations to help Steve are barely fleshed out in Captain America: The Winter Soldier due to all the moving parts present in that film. With more time to spare in a series, the audience would really get to know him definitively beyond the extant nuance of Mackie’s portrayal.

Comparatively, Bucky has been given more screen time. In fact, he isn’t just vital to the central plot of his eponymous Captain America sequel. Civil War further examines how Bucky’s past actions constantly haunt him. Moreover, the film unpacks Steve’s relationship with Bucky, specifically how crucial it is to the former’s worldview. In turn, could Bucky still have more than his fair share of demons to fight moving forward? Granted, he spends a fair amount of time recuperating in Wakanda. When we next see Bucky in Avengers: Infinity War, he already seems healed and at ease. He smiles in that movie! Genuinely!

Yet, given that the Falcon-Winter Soldier series will likely be set in the aftermath of Avengers 4, something definitively big (and probably sad) is bound to happen to Captain America as we know it. That may or may not introduce trauma into the dynamic yet again. Furthermore, there has long been chatter about who could take up Cap’s mantle once Chris Evans definitively bids the role farewell. Both Sam and Bucky are known to pick up the vibranium shield at some point in the comics. A happy medium for their onscreen counterparts would be for them to continue Steve’s fight for justice as a duo.

In short, the big question I have going into this limited series is who would these characters be without Steve as a present common denominator? Even Mackie himself once seemed perturbed at the idea of not having Steve as Cap by Sam’s side. Nevertheless, with Stan’s Bucky along for the ride, this Falcon-Winter Soldier series could go in a variety of directions and all those avenues could finally give these characters their due.

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Cate Blanchett to Grace Our TV Screens With ‘Mrs. America’

While it was once considered a lowbrow, uninspiring wasteland, television has proved its creative and commercial prowess in recent years, attracting A-list movie actresses like Emma Stone, Amy Adams, and Meryl Streep along the way. The wonderful Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett is the latest star to jump on the embracing-television-as-an-artistic-medium bandwagon. Per Deadline, she will executive produce and star in Mrs. America, an FX limited series centering on the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s.

Mrs. America will incorporate different voices from the ideological and political spectrum, including second-wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and Shirley Chisholm, as well as conservative and anti-feminist political activist Phyllis Schlafly. Spearheaded by Mad Men writer Dahvi Waller, the series will run for nine episodes.

Blanchett will play Schlafly, who opposed and ultimately helped defeat the ERA, which simply proposed that equal protection and civil rights won’t be denied to any American based on sex. Initially, the ERA wasn’t polarizing. With near unanimous bipartisan support (even from then-president Richard Nixon!), the bill seemed destined to be ratified until Schlafly charged against it. As a public defender of traditional gender roles, Schlafly mobilized many Americans into believing the ratification of the bill would unfairly disadvantage housewives and lead to women serving in the military. Schlafly played a key role in beating the ERA and damaging second wave feminism in turn. (She was also a vocal opponent of abortion and LGBT rights.)

Enter Blanchett, an outspoken supporter of Hollywood’s Time’s Up initiative and advocate for increased representation in film. It is alarming to see Blanchett take on the regressive Schlafly for her next role, as the two women’s political leanings diametrically oppose each other. Blanchett is no stranger to playing more antagonistic, overtly flawed, or villainous roles, as seen by her performances as the evil stepmother in the live-action Cinderella remake and Hela, the goddess of death, in Thor: Ragnarok.

Playing Schlafly, though, is a whole other beast. Where Cinderella’s stepmother and Hela are delightfully campy and cunning fictional characters, Schlafly was a real and horrific historical figure whose career promoted the disempowering of women, paved the way for the Ann Coulters and Tomi Lahrens of today, and generated irreversible, constraining ramifications for American women. Schlafly’s character thus presents uncharted territory for Blanchett — to properly render Schlafly, the actress must climb to a more deeply felt, sinister kind of villainy. Imbuing Schlafly’s character with any sort of humanity or nuance is a challenging task, but if there’s any actress who can a controversial figure, it’s Blanchett.

As one of the best working actresses today, Blanchett consistently gives wonderful and larger-than-life performances, even when the film she’s in isn’t all that great (looking at you, Ocean’s 8). Often, Blanchett initially presents her characters as fairly knowable and simple until she slowly unveils their layers of vulnerability and depth. Consider Blanchett’s performance as the titular character in Carol. At the beginning of the film, Carol seems nothing but cool, collected, and alluring. Then, Blanchett gradually unearths Carol’s personal upheaval and loneliness with a striking, poignant urgency. A similar case can be made for Blanchett’s performance as Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator: when the theatrical, strong-willed Hepburn expresses concern for her troubled boyfriend Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), Blanchett displays an earnest and heartbreaking empathy.

Time and time again, Blanchett has resiliently exposed the weaknesses and wounds of her characters, and it wouldn’t be surprising if she takes a similar approach to Schlafly. While Schlafly seemed devoid of any tenderness or compassion for others, there was some appeal, likability, and charisma to her persona — how else was she able to resonate with millions of Americans? Blanchett is an actress more than qualified to deliver Schlafly’s inferiority and even shatter some assumptions about the activist.

Of course, Blanchett’s performance style will largely depend on the tone and agenda of Mrs. America, which obviously remains unknown at this point. Blanchett could very well approach Schlafly as odious, loathsome, and undeserving of any audience empathy. Even so, Mrs. America will nonetheless re-expose us to a fascinating antagonist of the past, one we have likely forgotten amid the unavoidable, often corruptive conservative voices of the present.

The post Cate Blanchett to Grace Our TV Screens With ‘Mrs. America’ appeared first on Film School Rejects.

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Tobin Bell & Joaquín Cosio in Sales Trailer for Horror Film 'Belzebuth'

"The Pope himself asked us to look into cases…" Raven Banner has released an official promo trailer for the indie horror film Belzebuth, the latest film from Mexican director Emilio Portes (Meet the Head of Juan Pérez, Pastorela). Set on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the film is about a Detective investigating the deaths of young children at the border. What seems like a clear case becomes much more intense when a priest of the Vatican appears with another point of view. Tobin Bell (from the Saw series) plays that priest, sporting a pretty gnarly beard along with markings all over his body. Belzebuth also stars Joaquín Cosio, Aida López, Tate Ellington, Giovanna Zacarías, Norma Angélica, Jose Sefami, Yunuen Pardo. This is a freaky trailer and it does a good job of selling this, but I want to see more of what's really going on.

Here's the first promo trailer (+ poster) for Emilio Portes' Belzebuth, direct from B-D's YouTube:

Set on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, the film follows special agent Emanuel Ritter (Joaquín Cosio) as he leads a police investigation into a series of mysterious deaths involving young children at the border of Mexico and U.S.A. The case takes a supernatural turn when a priest (Tobin Bell) from the Vatican links the ancient demon Belzebuth to the murders. Belzebuth is directed by Mexican filmmaker Emilio Portes, director of the films Meet the Head of Juan Pérez, Pastorela, and The Popcorn Chronicles previously, as well as a few shorts. The screenplay is written by Luis Carlos Fuentes and Emilio Portes. This premiered at the Sitges Film Festival last year, and also played at the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival this year. The film is still trying to find distribution, no official release dates are set yet. Stay tuned. Who's interested already?

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Official Trailer for Turkish Retirement Home Doc 'Distant Constellation'

"You sure there are aliens out there?" "Yes." Grasshopper Films has released an official trailer for a peculiar little documentary titled Distant Constellation, the feature debut of filmmaker/camerawoman Shevaun Mizrahi. This film has been playing at numerous film festivals all of last year and this year. It's described as a "Tarkovskian dream-like landscape", focusing on "the inhabitants of a Turkish retirement home where pranksters, artists and old casanovas seduce us to confront the true nature of time." Well that sounds quite mesmerizing, and this trailer gives us a good look at a bit of that. I enjoy how quirky and playful this seems, yet it's also very wise and profound in its examination of humanity and our life experiences on this planet.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Shevaun Mizrahi's doc Distant Constellation, from YouTube:

A beautifully composed and magical documentary, Shevaun Mizrahi's Distant Constellation introduces us to the colorful residents of a Turkish retirement home, a community made up of pranksters, historians, artists and would-be Casanovas. A 2018 Independent Spirit Award nominee, Mizrahi’s playful, dreamy film is one of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences of the year. Distant Constellation is directed by Turkish-American filmmaker Shevaun Mizrahi, making her feature directorial debut after a short film and other camera jobs previously. This premiered at the Locarno Film Festival last year, and played at lots of other fests including London, Vienna, IDFA, Göteborg, Sarasota, & BAM CinemaFest. Grasshopper Films will release Mizrahi's Distant Constellation in select theaters starting November 2nd this fall. Thoughts?

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Watch: Creepy Baby Monitor Horror Short 'Monitor' by Geof Wolfenden

Sleep tight tonight. Just in time for Halloween, filmmaker Geof Wolfenden has unveiled his new horror short film Monitor. The idea came about from a moment where he was watching the baby monitor with his wife, suddenly wondering what would happen if something was on the monitor. This isn't a new concept, but it's the execution and tension here that makes this short a thrilling watch. And it's an entirely dialogue-less short film, only 3 minutes long, but still incredibly creepy. Monitor stars Nicole Evans as the mother, with a score by Wesley Roskell. I really like the way it plays out at the end, and how the cinematography works so well in establish much of the scary feeling. If you need a good jolt, this short will definitely give you one.

Thanks to Geof for the tip on this. Original description from YouTube: "A sleep deprived new Mother hears strange noises over the baby monitor…" Monitor is written and directed by filmmaker Geof Wolfenden - follow him @GeofWolfenden. You can see more of his work on Vimeo. Featuring cinematography by Andrew McKee, with original music by Wesley Roskell. Geof explained to us via email that: "the idea was inspired by a late night conversation between me and my partner as we watched our son sleep on the baby monitor… my partner suddenly shivered and said 'imagine if he wasn't alone in there' - few months later and I've tried to make her nightmare a reality." For info on the film, visit YouTube. To see more shorts, click here. Thoughts?

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New Trailer for Italian Doc 'Ferrante Fever' About a Mysterious Author

"Outside of my books, what am I? A woman not unlike many others." The Match Factory has released an international promo trailer for the Italian documentary titled Ferrante Fever, which already opened in Italy last year but is still looking for a US distributor. The doc film is about the mysterious writer who goes under the name "Elena Ferrante", known as one of the most successful Italian authors of our time. Her novels – from Troubling Love to The Story of the Lost Child – have captivated millions of fervent fans. But the true identity behind this pseudonym has become one of the most "incendiary literary mysteries of recent decades." Who is she, really? Durzi's documentary explores the depths of Ferrante's oeuvre, and attempts, in his words "to stimulate reflections on the particular reasons for Ferrante's success, without being seduced by the provocation of making a 'gossipy' documentary about her unknown identity." Interesting - see below.

Here's the official promo trailer for Giacomo Durzi's documentary Ferrante Fever, direct from YouTube:

And here's a look at the original Italian trailer for Durzi's Ferrante Fever, released last year on YouTube:

The mysterious author of the book series "My Brilliant Friend" (or "L'amica geniale" in Italian) is climbing the charts around the world, without revealing her true identity. Born in Naples, she says her name is Elena Ferrante. But we don't know if this is true. Nobody has neither seen her face nor knows where she lives, who she is. Ferrante Fever is directed by Italian filmmaker Giacomo Durzi, director of the docs S.B.: I Knew Him Well and Numero uno in lista previously as well as plenty of TV work. The film just premiered at the Cinelibri International Book&Movie Festival. The doc opened in Italy last year, and is scheduled for release in Portugal this year. No other release dates are set yet. Ferrante Fever is represented by The Match Factory and is currently still looking for US distribution. Stay tuned for updates. Intrigued? Who's curious?

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First Trailer for 'Head Full of Honey' Alzheimer's Film with Nick Nolte

"Tell me again how you met Grandma!" Warner Bros has unveiled the first trailer for the new Alzheimer's drama titled Head Full of Honey, formerly known as Honey in the Head. This film is another English language remake (in addition to Cold Pursuit with Liam Neeson) that is directed by the same director who made the original "foreign" film. World famous German actor Til Schweiger directed the original movie, Head Full of Honey, in 2014 and also directs this one, produced by Warner Bros as a big Hollywood feel-good feature. Head Full of Honey stars Nick Nolte as a man suffering from Alzheimer's who embarks on a final road trip with his granddaughter, played by Sophie Lane Nolte. The full cast includes Matt Dillon, Emily Mortimer, Jacqueline Bisset, and Eric Roberts. This looks as intensely emotional as expected.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Til Schweiger's Head Full of Honey, from WB's YouTube:

Matilda (Sophie Lane Nolte) tries to help her grandfather, Amadeus (Nick Nolte), who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, to navigate his forgetfulness, and ends up going on a remarkable adventure with him. Head Full of Honey is directed by German actor-turned-filmmaker Til Schweiger, the director of many German films including The Polar Bear, Barfuss, Rabbit Without Ears, Kokowääh, and Schutzengel previously. The screenplay is written by Jojo Moyes. This is a remake of Schweiger's own 2014 German movie of the same name, with a screenplay by Hilly Martinek & Til Schweiger. Warner Bros will release Schweiger's new Head Full of Honey movie in theaters everywhere starting November 30th this fall. Who wants to watch this?

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On the Criterion Channel: Jeff Smith on SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER

DB here:

Last Friday TCM/ATT/WarnerMedia announced the decision to cease streaming FilmStruck as of 29 November. Soon after, the Criterion Channel posted another entry in our “Observations on Film Art” series. This one is from Jeff Smith, who analyzes Truffaut’s widescreen shot design. It’s a fine discussion, and we hope that if you’re a subscriber, you’ll have a look in the waning days of the service.

By good luck, the Channel has also posted an interview with Damien Chazelle on Pialat’s A Nos amours. Damien filmed the interview during his visit to Madison last February.

As you probably know, the reaction to the closing of FilmStruck has been swift and intense. You can read ATT’s official rationale here, along with Variety‘s speculation about the strategic plan behind it. The Criterion people have provided a statement:

We have some sad news to share: earlier this morning, Turner and Warner Bros. Digital Networks announced plans to shut down FilmStruck, the streaming service that has been our happy home for the last two years. Like many of you, we are disappointed by this decision. When we launched the Criterion Channel in 2016, we had two goals: to ensure that our entire streaming library remained available, and to address our audience in our own voice. We’re proud of the work we’ve done, bringing curated programming and the full range of supplemental features to the streaming space, championing a diverse array of filmmakers from beyond our collection and creating original content that invites you into exciting conversations about cinema culture.

All this is very new, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated as we learn more details. But rest assured that we are still committed to restoring and preserving the best of world cinema and bringing it to you in any medium we can. In the weeks ahead, we’ll keep you informed about the great programming you can watch on the Channel before it shuts down on November 29, and we’ll be trying to find ways we can bring our library and original content back to the digital space as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed FilmStruck, and we hope you’ll join us as we look forward to what the future brings.

Kristin, Jeff, and I have posted twenty-four entries in our series and have very much enjoyed preparing them. We have four more in the can, one of which may go live in November. We have no insider information, but of course we hope we can continue with the series on whatever new platform Criterion might find.

Meanwhile, better binge-watch all those classics while you can. And thanks to the many people who have written us over the years and in recent days. We appreciate their support–and that of the Criterion staff, who care deeply about cinema.

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Thanks to Kim Hendrickson, Grant Delin, Peter Becker, and the whole Criterion team for their superb work. A complete list of our FilmStruck installments is here.

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Milo Gibson & William Fichtner in First Trailer for 'All The Devil's Men'

"Either we execute, or a lot of people are going to get killed." Saban Films + Lionsgate have released the first official trailer for another action movie we've never heard of before titled All The Devil's Men, which is opening in December if anyone's interested. In the film, a battle-scarred "War on Terror" bounty hunter is forced to go to London on a manhunt for a disavowed CIA operative, which leads him into a deadly running battle with a former military comrade and his private army. The action film stars Milo Gibson, William Fichtner, Sylvia Hoeks, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Joseph Millson. This looks about as derivative and bland as every other random action movie they've been dumping on us this year. There's so many of these, and none of them ever turn out good. I'd rather tell you to go see Widows instead of this. Have at it anyway.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Matthew Hope's All The Devil's Men, direct from YouTube:

All The Devil's Men follows a team of hardened military operatives on a relentless manhunt through the backstreets of London. The explosive action-thriller finds a battle-scarred mercenary in the War on Terror who is forced to go to London on a manhunt for a disavowed CIA operative, which leads him into a deadly running battle with a former military comrade and his private army. All The Devil's Men is written and directed by American filmmaker Matthew Hope, director of the films The Vanguard and The Veteran, and writer on Emotional Backgammon. This hasn't premiered at any film festivals or anywhere else as far as we know. Saban Films will release Hope's All The Devil's Men in select US theaters starting on December 7th.

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