trailer for the documentary Second Class Citizens

a must-watch.

50/50 (2011)
directed by Jonathan Levine; starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendricks

Saw this yesterday! Overall, I’d say it was smart and extremely touching. The reflection of Seth Rogen & company’s (it’s based on life of its screenwriter, Will Reiser) personal journey is very evident in the film. Probably why everyone in the theatre cried, too.

In interviews I’ve read, Seth has discussed how particular humorous scenes in the film (such as shaving his friend’s head) were extremely difficult and upsetting incidents in real life, and humor became his and his friend Will’s (Adam, in the film) method of dealing with it. The quality of the filmmaking here shows in that the humor does shine through, without at all compromising the reality and emotional weight of these moments.

And while they got less screen time, the actors who played Adam’s (J G-L) parents were outstanding. Adam’s father has Alzheimer’s, and Mrs. Lerner’s (Oscar-winner Anjelica Juston) struggle with a husband who can’t communicate with her, and a child sick and angry in his fight with cancer, is devastating to watch.

Between 50/50 and Drive, my movie dollars this year have been surprisingly well-spent. Go see this one.

first look at Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close trailer (by upandcomersnet)

Curious to see how this one translates to film… I sometimes find Jonathan Safran Foer’s writing voice to be trying so hard to be clever/’artsy’ that it’s pretentious, but I am a huge fan of this book, its plot and the internal monologue of Oskar Schell, the colorful, naive and curious 9-year-old protagonist.

I just have this fear the film won’t bring out that voice, and will fall back on cheesy, cliché-emotional movie lines, like a few seen in this trailer…

(via regularsam)