Having nowhere to go, he moves back to his Long Island home with his mother, Ilene (longtime actress Shirley Knight). He doesn’t like it there, so he moves in with one of his 3 sisters, Liz (Emily Mortimer, CITY ISLAND) her husband, Dylan (Steve Coogan, THE OTHER GUYS) and their children. Dylan reluctantly hires Ned to help on his documentary of a Russian ballet dancer, Tatiana. Ned becomes very close with their son, River, who instead of learning to play his obscure woodwind instrument to get into a prestigious elementary school, would rather play hide and seek and watch YouTube videos of Karate. Because of this, River is not excepted to the school. Ned is then forced to move out.

Ned then moves in with his second sister, Miranda (Elizabeth Banks, SLITHER), but things don’t go well there either. Miranda is trying to work her way up to being a reporter for Vanity Fair, but Ned screws that up. He also screws up a potential relationship that Miranda might have with a neighbor, Jeremy (Adam Scott, PIRANHA 3D). Miranda kicks Ned out, so he moves on to his third sister, Natalie (Zooey Deschanel, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER), who lives with her girlfriend Cindy (Rashida Jones, PARKS AND RECREATIONS) and about 20 of their friends. Cindy is a lawyer, and is trying to help Ned get Willie Nelson back by dog napping him. While on this journey, Ned lets slip something that Natalie didn’t want Cindy to know. They get into an argument and he’s kicked out and has to move back in with his mother.

While working on Dylan’s documentary, Ned finds out that Dylan is sleeping with Tatiana. He let that slip to Miranda before they have their falling out. Ned is arrested again for telling his parole officer that he broke down and smoked weed with his neighbor.

All this sounds like a lot, and it is, especially for a 90 minute movie. The cast assembled is a fantastic one, but that’s not where the movie’s problems lie. The movie has a lot of heart and a good message, but it’s getting to that message that’s a chore. The flow of the movie is not a good one, many of the jokes fall flat and the decisions by some of the characters are really not the best. Cindy, being a lawyer, encourages Ned to steal his dog instead of taking his ex to court. Miranda telling Ned to keep his mouth shut and then forcing him to tell her editors about a story that would help get ahead. Ned telling Natalie to be truthful to her girlfriend about a mistake she made, only for her to lie to him about telling said truth.

For 80 minutes, Ned makes mistakes and ruins his relationships with his sisters, for them to realize that he’s a great person in the final 5 minutes (with 5 minutes left for the credits). Former Lemonheads bassist, Jesse Peretz directed and co-wrote this movie specifically for Rudd, whom he worked previously with on The Château. Rudd is great playing against type. Normally we see Rudd playing the straight character like in I LOVE YOU, MAN and ROLE MODELS. Here he is the screw up, but not really. The mistakes he make are out of love for his family, so he’s really not even an idiot like the title would make you think. This is one movie where adding another 15 minutes to flesh out storylines would have helped a lot. The movie ultimately feels rushed and performances are wasted. Rashida Jones seems horribly miscast here as she supposed to be playing a frumpy lesbian, but all they do is put her in oversized clothes and huge glasses. Elizabeth Banks does a great job channeling Parker Posey as the part seemed more written for her than Banks. Having a self proclaimed man-crush on Paul Rudd since his big screen debut in CLUELESS (up for debate, since some say HALLOWEEN 6 as both were released in 1995), it’s hard for me to recommend this movie.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Look at the list of winners below and let us know what you think of the final results.:

Best Supporting Actor

• Woody Harrelson – The Messenger

Best Screenplay

• 500 Days of Summer – Michael H. Weber & Scott Neustadter

The Truer Than Fiction Award

• 45365 – Bill & Turner Ross

The Someone to Watch Award

• Kyle Patrick Alvarez - Easier with Practice

Piaget Producer’s Award

• Karin Chien – The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa

The Robert Altman Award

• A Serious Man

The John Cassavetes Award

• Lynn Shelton – Humpday

Best Cinematography

• Roger Deakins – A Serious Man

Best Documentary

• Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Best Supporting Female Actor

• Mo’Nique – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Best First Screenplay

• Geoffrey Fletcher – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Best Foreign Film

• Lone Scherfig - An Education

Best Female Lead

• Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Best Director

• Lee Daniels – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Best Male Lead

• Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart

Best Feature

• Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Deadline Hollywood reports that the studio is already eyeing a quick production start to give them plenty of time to fix up all of the effects that will be put together for it to be presented in 3D. I’m sorry for all of you Spider-Man fans, but it is the truth. Now that they more than likely have a director who will completely cater to the high school aspect of Peter Parker (lord knows about the superhero portion), now it’s just purely a matter of time when we find out who’s writing or more so being cast into this feature.

The WGA Awards will take place on February 20th in two simultaneous ceremonies taking place in Los Angeles and New York. Below is the list of nominees.:

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

• Against the Tide, Screenplay by Richard Trank; Moriah Films
• Capitalism: A Love Story, Written by Michael Moore; Overture Films
• The Cove, Written by Mark Monroe; Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions
• Earth Days, Written by Robert Stone; Zeitgeist Films
• Good Hair, Written by Chris Rock & Jeff Stilson and Lance Crouther and Chuck Sklar; Roadside Attractions
• Soundtrack for a Revolution, Written by Bill Guttentag & Dan Sturman; Freedom Song Productions and Louverture Film

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• Crazy Heart, Screenplay by Scott Cooper; Based on the novel by Thomas Cobb; Fox Searchlight
• Julie & Julia, Screenplay by Nora Ephron; Based on the books Julie & Julia by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme; Sony Pictures
• Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher; Based on the novel Push by Sapphire; Lionsgate
• Star Trek, Written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman; Based upon Star Trek, Created by Gene Roddenberry; Paramount Pictures
• Up in the Air, Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner; Based upon the novel by Walter Kirn; Paramount Pictures

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• (500) Days of Summer, Written by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber; Fox Searchlight
• Avatar, Written by James Cameron; 20th Century Fox
• The Hangover, Written by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore; Warner Bros.
• The Hurt Locker, Written by Mark Boal; Summit Entertainment
• A Serious Man, Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Focus Features

Best Direct-to-DVD Horror Film: Laid to Rest (read the original review here)

Best Wide Release Horror Film: (TIE) Zombieland (read the original review here); The Collector (read the original review here).

Best Documentary: The Cove (read the original review here)

Best Limited Release Film: Medicine for Melancholy (read the original review here)

Honorable Mention Films: Che (here), The Girlfriend Experience (here), Coraline (here), Food, Inc. (here), and Observe and Report (here).

And now (insert drum roll) my Best Films of 2009, all in alphabetical order:

(500) Days of Summer

You know ladies, guys can be crushed from break-ups as well, as this film does so wonderfully well to depict. A great soundtrack, a clever premise and construction of the falling in and then out of love, with two solid leads, makes for one superb film.

Antichrist

Brutal, sickening, demented, and sorely misunderstood. There are images here so talked about, that will never leave your memory, but Von Trier gives us more than some gore scenes. The story of a couple’s descent into depression is harrowing, yet beautifully photographed. One of the prettiest films of the year, as well as, a borderline masterpiece. A modern Salo: Or, the 120 Days of Sodom. (read the original review here)

Avatar

I was one of this film’s biggest skeptics, until I saw it in the glorious IMAX 3-D. Say what you will about it’s simple story arc, it’s the event of the film, with the scope of Cameron’s vision, that makes the culture of aliens so appealing. This is what the Star Wars prequels should have been: a spectacle of effects, story, and event. (read the original review here)

Goodbye Solo

An intimate film about a friendship and tragedy and hope. Some superb acting, with Ramin Bahrani’s distinct direction. A small film in terms of budget, but a great film that I hope finds some Oscar love. (read the original review here)

Hunger

Riveting and heart-wrenching, a film I’m sure many of you haven’t caught theatrically. Please get the Criterion DVD soon, because you’ll be treat to some astounding filmmaking of the Irish Hunger Strike. There’s a 25 minute scene done in one take that is as powerful, as any 90 minute feature. (read the original review here)

The Hurt Locker

In a star making role, Jeremy Renner anchors this unique Iraq war film, that doesn’t parade heroism. Some people are just war junkies, and this film explores the why. (read the original review here)

Inglourious Basterds

Tarantino’s best script.  Granted the whole Mike Myers sequence could have been deleted, the first 45 minutes are so good, who cares? Funny, epic, a sprawling American fantasy of how WWII should have ended. (read my original review here)

The Messenger

A heart-breaking look at the team sent out to notify loved ones that their kin has died in war. Ben Foster is excellent, as is the under-appreciated Samantha Morton. (read the original review here)

The Princess and the Frog

Disney return to the Princess formula and cell animation is a stunning showcase of wonderful animation, great songs, and great storytelling. Pixar is not needed this time. (read the original review here)

Up in the Air

A keen look at both our economic woes and a man finding redemption, makes for a comedy that could nab the one Oscar, comedies don’t win: Best Picture.

What are you favorites from this year? Feel free to leave a comment!

(500) Days of Summer

One of my favorite films of the year. Magical, funny, heart-breaking, what love is all about. Killer soundtrack too! Did I ever mention that I love Zooey? Because I do. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)  Jon says: Buy    Donny says: Buy

District 9

Everyone’s favorite summer film, did little for me. All hype; the shifting from documentary to action film didn’t gell well with me. Still, a fan fav this summer. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)  Jon says: Rent   Donny says: Buy

Extract

I mentioned in my review, that like all other Mike Judge films, many will discover this on DVD. Here’s your chance. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)  Jon says: Buy    Donny says: Buy

It Might Get Loud

A guitar documentary that many seemed to like, yet we missed out on. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)  Jon says: Rent   Donny says: Rent

Family Guy Presents: Something Something Something Dark Side

Anyone tired of Star Wars parodies? I am. (Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)  Jon says: Skip   Donny says: Rent

New to Blu

Sadly, nothing this week, except for the new releases.

Keep it here to Killer Film for reviews of these discs and more!

Best Feature

• 500 Days of Summer
• Amreeka
• Precious
• Sin Nombre
• The Last Station

Best Director

• Ethan and Joel Cohen – A Serious Man
• Lee Daniels – Precious
• Cary Joji Fukunaga – Sin Nombre
• James Gray - Two Lovers
• Michael Hoffman - The Last Station

Best Screenplay

• Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman - The Messenger
• Michael Hoffman - The Last Station
• Lee Toland Krieger - The Vicious Kind
• Greg Mottola - Adventureland
• Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber - 500 Days of Summer

Best First Feature

• A Single Man
• Crazy Heart
• Easier With Practice
• Paranormal Activity
• The Messenger

Best First Screenplay

• Sophie Barthes - Cold Souls
• Scott Cooper - Crazy Heart
• Cherien Dabis - Amreeka
• Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious
• Tom Ford & David Scearce - A Single Man

John Cassavetes Award

• Big Fan
• Humpday
• The New Year Parade
• Treeless Mountain
• Zero Bridge

Best Female Lead

• Maria Bello - Downloading Nancy
• Nisreen Faour - Amreeka
• Helen Mirren - The Last Station
• Gwyneth Paltrow - Two Lovers
• Gabourey Sidibe - Precious

Best Male Lead

• Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
• Colin Firth - A Single Man
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 500 Days of Summer
• Souleymane Sy Savane - Goodbye Solo
• Adam Scott - The Vicious Kind

Best Supporting Female

• Dina Korzun - Cold Souls
• Mo’Nique - Precious
• Samantha Morton - The Messenger
• Natalie Press - Fifty Dead Men Walking
• Mia Wasikowska - That Evening Sun

Best Supporting Male

• Jermaine Clement - Gentlemen Broncos
• Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
• Christian McKay – Me and Orson Welles
• Raymond McKinnon - That Evening Sun
• Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

Best Cinematography

• Roger Deakins - A Serious Man
• Adriano Goldman - Sin Nombre
• Anne Misawa - Treeless Mountain
• Andrij Parekh - Cold Souls
• Peter Zeitlinger - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans

Best Documentary

• Anvil!: The Story of Anvil
• Food, Inc.
• More Than a Game
• October Country
• Which Way Home

Best Foreign Film

• A Prophet
• An Education
• Everlasting Moments
• Mother
• The Maid

Acura Someone to Watch Award

• Kyle Patrick Alvarez - Easier With Practice
• Asiel Norton - Redland
• Tariq Tapa - Zero Bridge

Truer Than Fiction Award

• Natalie Almada - El General
• Jessica Oreck - Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
• Bill & Turner Ross - 45365

Plaget Producers Award

• Karin Chien - The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa
• Larry Fessenden – I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil
• Dia Sokol - Beeswax, Nights & Weekends

(500) Days of Summer

Musically, this soundtrack is the film on CD, kicking off with the opening narration from the trailer with A Story of Boy Meets Girl, then kicks right off with a Regina Spektor tune Us (she also contributes another song to the soundtrack). Most of the songs here are to enhance the romantic nature of the film and Joseph-Gordon Levitt’s emotional roller coaster Zooey Deschanel put him through. Speaking of Ms. Deschanel, her band She&Him does a cover of The Smiths’ Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want to a delight fan of the group. It’s more inspirit to her sound, than the fun made-up band she created for the Yes Man soundtrack (here).

The soundtrack consists mostly of indie rock acts, with some classic cuts like the Hall & Oates ’80s hit, You Make My Dreams, which of course, is a standout dance number in the film. The song perfectly captures hat feeling of first love (or that feeling when you finally sleep with the person you really care about), and while it’s great having it here, you have to see how the song is married to Levitt’s and the film’s standout sequence.

The Smiths appear twice, and there second song is There is a Light That Never Goes Out is a great song, as is the UK rock band Mumm-Ra’s She’s Got You High. The song is mournful but upbeat, a nice tune on love and the feelings of love. That’s how this soundtrack works. Collecting a variety of tunes squarely bent on telling the story of two lovers that fall apart, and it could also be a soundtrack for our own love lives. While the songs aren’t new sans the She&Him cover, collecting these together is a wonderful experience for fans of the film, who are probably curious to listen to the bands the characters were, as well as expanding to new musical horizons. For fans of the film and indie music (although I kind of hate using that term for these songs, perhaps rock-folk would work better?), this is bliss.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This theory of mine was brought to light after watching the “anti-rom com” 500 Days of Summer and reading the reviews for it from male film critics.  I was baffled by how many of them could not understand the Summer character. She was written in reviews as an ambiguous and free-spirited character, which although of was true, it did not explain the reasoning for her unhappiness towards her relationship. Summer simply just felt trapped in a passionless relationship with someone that was perfectly content with using passion for the same eclectic music as a life support ventilator.  Why was it so easy to see? If you’re female and into music and movies outside of the norm, it is pretty much guaranteed you are the love/wrath of some poor male movie geek’s life.

Being a huge horror movie geek, this is a story I know all a little too well. Making friends is easy enough. However the second I reveal my love for Tom Holland films, my ability to connect Edwige Fenech to Kevin Bacon in five seconds, or my adoration to Fred Dekker for using Marshall Bell as an important cameo in his Tales From the Crypt episode And All Through the House, it’s as if I had just paraphrased the chorus of Digital Underground’s Humpty Hump to the male movie geek friend and then all bets are off. Immediately everything I say or do is misconstrued as a means of flirting and everything becomes extreme awkward afterwards which always leads to me paraphrasing Robert Palmer’s I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On to get myself out of a sticky situation. Seriously, one time I had an idiotic and unfaithful girlfriend of a well-known horror movie director try to make my life a living hell all because she was adamant of the fact that I was somehow trying to steal her meal ticket away from her. (However, that`s a story for another day.)

I know it may sound like I`m being smug, but it honestly doesn`t take much for ANY female movie geek to attract the attention of a male one. If a girl decides to wear a “zombie vs. shark“ shirt, she might as well as spritzed on a sample of Love Potion number 9, and if she dare wear it at a film convention, she should prepare herself to make like Tate Donovan and get the hell out of there.

So why do certain male movie fanatics act like this? My theory is that men see non-gothic female movie buffs as fictional as the leprechaun or lipstick lesbo. The second they meet a girl that is nice to them and has the same passion for the odd and rarely seen films as they do, it`s as if the delusion of `chemistry` and a future relationship has already entered their heads. It`s enough to make aficionadas want to race to the bookstore to buy anything by Stephanie Meyers to use as repellent.

So guys, if you find yourself heart-broken and rejected by a female movie enthusiast who seems more interested in the douche who thinks Timothy Dalton was the ultimate James Bond, ask yourself what else do you have in common with this person? Are you attracted to anything about this person that is non-superficial? Or are you…(gulp) trying to use her to fill in the void that`s missing in your life? It may sound harsh, but like a character once said in 500 Days of Summer, “Just because some cute girl likes the bizarre old crap you do, it doesn`t make her your soul mate.“

If more male film geeks lived by this, I guarantee you more women film geeks would come out of hiding and then maybe the idea of hooking up with a movie geekette would not seem as captivating anymore. Treat the female movie fans like you would treat the rest of your buds.  Don`t project an unreasonable set of expectations on her. If there`s a spark, then let it take its natural course. Just don`t suffer from the delusion that she`s your kindred spirit because you have the same love for Demonic Toys films. Trust me; it will save you much time, pain and money spent on a Full Moon pictures box set trying to impress an aficionada if you do.

“This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know up front this is not a love story.”

The above statement quoted from the Roscoe Lee Browne-like narrator in the opening moments of Marc Webb’s directorial debut tells the audience right away that this is not the typical fluffy romantic comedy that they are expecting or have been accustomed to. In fact, the film should not even be classified as an entry in the sappy sub-genre as it is not a film about romance. It is a film about the consequences of the deluded fantasies one conjures up when romance is simply not there.

This post modern “anti love” story sets viewers up with the classic and archetypal “boy meets girl” scenario.  A greeting card writer named Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) becomes instantly smitten with his boss’ assistant named Summer (Zooey Deschanel) after she expresses the same adoration for The Smiths on an awkward elevator ride. Unfortunately, this is enough reasoning for Tom to think he can build a strong relationship with Summer despite the fact that she is quite vocal about keeping their connection very casual. As one could suspect, it doesn’t end well and through non-linear sequences, viewers take a journey with a heart-broken Tom as he reflects on what went wrong in the relationship.

Considering the fact that this summer has disappointed fans with catastrophic comic book spin offs and lacklustre blockbuster sequels, it comes as  a pleasant surprise to admit that 500 Days of Summer proves to be the best film to see this season. In this Chasing Amy meets Shopgirl tale, screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber dissect Tom’s realistic trajectory of the breakup so effortlessly that it’s clear to see that their real-life tales of woe brought this film to life.  (Jenny Beckman wouldn’t contest to that!) Although, it is through Webb’s innovative and quirky direction that makes this film truly stand out from the crowd. From the film’s hilariously off-putting post coitus musical dance routine featuring Hall and Oates “You Make My Dreams,” to the heart-rendering yet imaginative split screen sequence simultaneously   showing Tom’s reality and his larger than life expectations at a chance encounter with his ex, only forebodes many homages of Webb’s directing style for years to come.

However, much praise has to go out to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel who play the dumb struck lovers. Lesser actors would have made the characters as unlikable as they are written down in the script, but Tom’s unyielding desperation and Summer’s utter lack of empathy both come across as equally endearing traits and it’s because of that why scenes of the two playing the “penis” game are hard to look away  from instead of being just cringe-worthy.  Finally, Zooey Deschanel’s kooky behaviour serves a purpose in this film and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is finally able to show mainstream audiences unfamiliar with his turns in Mysterious Skin and Brick that he can be a leading man.  The chemistry between these two actors is through the roof, which is impressive to convey considering the film is ironically about the lack of chemistry between the characters.

It is clearly evident 500 Days of Summer is a well thought out and unbelievably clever film. Unfortunately its original concept proves to be far too clever for the curious mainstream audience its bound to attract and because of that, the film at times is forced to ironically fall into the conventions of the genre its giving the middle finger to in able to maintain the attention spans of viewers that get some empty sense of enjoyment from watching Kate Hudson/Matthew McConaughey “rom coms.”

Yes, despite the film’s painstakingly real emotions it’s able to evoke, it falls victim to the “glamorized reality” it has created for its audience.   Viewers will not be surprised to see two wise-cracking sidekicks, a sarcastic voice of reason, and a devastating twist to the film’s protagonist exaggerated for a full theatrical effect. Even the film’s finale screams of blissful hopefulness only witnessed in romantic comedies.  If 500 Days of Summer had focused more of its energy on the bleakness and pain of the breakup rather than pleasing its audience members that require a happy ending, it would have been a perfect dissection of a modern day relationship.

500 Days of Summer proves that not all anti “rom coms” have to reside in the Judd Apatow universe to be truly successful.  One doesn’t have to be a pompous film snob or into the Spoon Pixies to understand and enjoy this well made film. If you can recognize the power of “twenties angst” and how it can consume a relationship, then you can definitely appreciate this amusing and bittersweet drama.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Friday, July 17th

• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas/Ft. Worth
• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• New York
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Toronto
• Washington, D.C.

Friday, July 24th

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Baltimore
• Cleveland
• Denver
• Detroit
• Houston
• Indianapolis
• Madison
• Milwaukee
• Minneapolis
• Montreal
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Portland
• St. Louis
• Vancouver

Friday, July 31st

Source: Empire

This particular scene suggestion comes from the upcoming 500 Days of Summer, wherein Deschanel and Gordon-Levitt have a conversation comparing the two to the famous couple.

Hopefully these will keep coming and will continue to be awesome. Next week’s clip promises to be Cheech and Chong mashing a scene from Tron and in the future Milo Ventimiglia cinemashing Oldboy, so it looks pretty promising. Fox Searchlight brings  up-and-comer Marc Webb’s 500 Days of Summer to theaters everywhere starting on July 17th.

Source: FirstShowing.net

500 Day of Summer stars indie fav Joseph Gordon Levitt and the lovely Zooey Deschanel and opens in limited release July 24th.

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Source: Trailer Addict