A thread for Joe Wright, director of movies

I saw Anna Karenina yesterday and don't really feel like starting a whole thread on that because it doesn't deserve it. But I do think Joe Wright is a pretty slick dude. This is only on the basis of Hanna (which I really liked) and Anna, I haven't seen his other literary things (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement). He loves those long, swirling tracking shots, and he does a lot of creative things with staging and design. Not enough to keep me from getting bored with boiled-down Tolstoy, but the first hour at least was worth seeing.

Anyway, I think he's fun to watch. Maybe he'll make something great someday, or maybe he's just a good stylist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZzcxcKPcrI

Good stylist.

The best bits of Hanna reminded me of Seijun Suzuki. From Wright's track record he's obviously most interested in prestige middlebrow stuff, which is too bad. I hope he at least makes some more action movies or something. (Not sure what happened with the rumored Hanna sequel.)

Suzuki is a good shout. He does seem to go for middlebrow, but only Pride and Prejudice is actually good imo.

The closing shot of Anna Karenina is totally gorgeous. Unfortunately you have to sit through a lot of irksome melodrama to get to it.

I really liked his adaptation of P & P.

Yeah I was pleasantly surprised by P&P...it had a lot of warmth? if that is a description that makes any sense
like color wise, and overall tone
it felt like a real place

I guess I should watch it. Anna Karenina does interesting things in terms of establishing a sense of place -- it's deliberately artificial, a lot of the action takes place in one old theater with changing sets, but not in an anachronistic or arch way. It's not like a Baz Luhrmann thing. It struck me as an inventive way to do a period movie without having to worry about po-faced authenticity. I wish he'd found a more creative approach to the story, but Tom Stoppard's script is pretty literal and straightforward.

There are moments in that movie that rank among the best of the year imo, but the problem is that the solution to the budget problem that Wright came up with (using the stage, etc...) has a very specific effect that renders the histrionic melodrama of the second half cold and a bit silly. It doesn't help that Aaron Johnson is absolutely terrible, obviously, or that the (crucial, perhaps) story of Levin just feels undercooked when it should be a counterbalance to what's happening in St. Petersburg. Though in defense of the latter, it might have been laid on pretty thick (society is artificial and all a play, while the rural, simple life is outdoors and real), those farm scenes looked stunning.

Basically I don't think Wright has it in him to use his not-inconsiderable visual talents towards a greater, more intelligent and moving purpose. It's why Hanna is my favourite of his films.

Atonement should've been called Abortion.

There are moments in that movie that rank among the best of the year imo, but the problem is that the solution to the budget problem that Wright came up with (using the stage, etc...) has a very specific effect that renders the histrionic melodrama of the second half cold and a bit silly.

Yeah. Also agree about Aaron Johnson, the rest of the cast is all right but he's ooky. I was thinking how much better Jude Law would have been in that role 10 years ago.

Basically I don't think Wright has it in him to use his not-inconsiderable visual talents towards a greater, more intelligent and moving purpose. It's why Hanna is my favourite of his films.

I think this could be true, and maybe he's more likely to just let himself go when he's making genre things than when he's trying to win awards or be David Lean or whatever.

I should add that I've never seen The Soloist. I do not plan to.

loved hanna, hated anna

agree that the "theatrical" staging is a somewhat clever concept that unfortunately robs the story of its dramatic immediacy

i saw most of the soloist on tv. it was bad, peace

i had to read the book for a book club I am no longer part of, that convinced me i needn't see the movie

Wright will direct Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

Gary adds to his wacky historical gallery

that Oscar ceremony would be my darkest hour

you will fight it in the streets, in the Hollywood Hills...

That is strange casting.

So either we're gonna get some extreme application of method acting or Oldman with goofy and an alienating special effects?

http://www.thefashionisto.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Gary-Oldman-Prada-Spring-2016-Menswear-Show.jpg

https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/35/7535-004-99D14F9B.jpg

They're practically twins!

never forget:

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/sixactorsportrayingfdr-140501153022-phpapp02/95/six-actors-portraying-fdr-who-is-your-favorite-8-638.jpg?cb=1398958423

Michael Caine as Stalin sounds incredible.

it's not a bad movie actually. Lithgow was most convincing.

Well yes he's the only vaguely sane casting choice in there.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/190/1172417422.jpg

the resemblance is un-uncanny

whoa chroma key