Restless

Worst 5 Films of 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 28th, 2011 at 5:44 pm

Every year, I wonder why I feel the need to call out five films that were the worst of the worst.  No studio exec is going to read this article think, “Matt Goldberg, that voice of sage wisdom, has spoken, and now we must cease production on all of our banal romantic comedies.”  But I make myself sit through a lot of junk every year because I have the idiotic policy of finishing every movie I start.  And these movies were not only a trial, but they managed to waste a potentially good aspect and be shockingly offensive at the same time.  Don’t look for The Zookeeper or Jack and Jill on this list; I prefer not to shove toxic waste into my eye sockets.  The five movies on this list had at least one enticing aspect: the talent involved, the premise, the success of previous entries in the franchise.  And then that lure brought me into a grueling slog where my only solace was knowing the film’s running time and having a wristwatch.  These films punched me for no reason.  This is me hitting back with good cause.

Hit the jump to check out my picks for the worst five films of 2011.

97 Original Scores Up for Oscar; DRIVE and ATTACK THE BLOCK Ruled Ineligible

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

As the 84th Academy Awards move closer, we’re starting to get a better sense of how things will pan out. We recently shared the 39 songs that will contend for the Best Original Song category, and now the Academy has announced the 97 original scores eligible for the Best Original Score award. AMPAS is notoriously picky when it comes to eligibility in this category, and as we feared the scores for both Drive and Attack the Block have been deemed ineligible. Also disappointing is the ineligibility of Alexandre Desplat’s mesmerizing score for The Tree of Life.

While it’s upsetting to see some of the year’s best work side-lined, there’s plenty to be happy about. I was a huge fan of Howard Shore’s work in Hugo and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as The Chemical Brothers’ brilliant work in the criminally underseen Hanna. Hit the jump for the full list, as well as who I think will make the cut.

Director Gus Van Sant Interview RESTLESS

by Christina Radish    Posted: September 13th, 2011 at 4:58 pm

Restless tells the story of Annabel Cotton (Mia Wasikowska), a terminally ill teenage girl that falls for a unique young man, named Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper), who likes to attend funerals. Although Annabel is a cancer patient, her deeply felt love of life and the natural world is apparent. On the other hand, Enoch lost interest in living, after an accident claimed the life of his parents. When these two outsiders meet at a funeral, they find a common ground with which to share their unique experiences of the world, making the most of the time they have together.

For the film’s press day, Collider spoke to director Gus Van Sant, in both a roundtable and a 1-on-1 interview, about how the simplicity of this story is what he found most appealing, that he’s drawn to stories about young people because it’s the most vibrant part of life, how Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska had just the right chemistry that they were looking for, and that he used a technique of doing silent takes of the scenes, leaving the actors with only their eyes and faces to fall back on. He also talked about directing the pilot for the upcoming Starz drama series Boss, premiering on October 21^st and starring Kelsey Grammar, and said that he’s currently looking at scripts to figure out what to do next. Check out what he had to say after the jump:

TIFF 2011: RESTLESS Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 9th, 2011 at 3:39 pm

Is it a rule that a major film festival has to have a disingenuous, painfully quirky coming-of-age film?  This year’s Sundance Film Festival had one with Homework (re-titled to The Art of Getting By when it was released in theaters) and TIFF 2011 has at least one with Gus Van Sant’s Restless.  A collection of meaningless quirks and affectations, Restless obnoxiously makes it way to the banal conclusion that we must accept death.  It succeeds in that it will make you pray for your own demise if it means you don’t have to keep watching such an awful movie.

Bryce Dallas Howard Interview THE HELP; Talks About Her 50/50 Role and Producing RESTLESS

by Christina Radish    Posted: August 8th, 2011 at 1:26 pm

In the drama The Help, set in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960′s and adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name, actress Bryce Dallas Howard plays the film’s bitchy antagonist Hilly Holbrook. A villain who believes in her own self-righteousness and who has no idea that she is doing anything wrong, Hilly has the charisma needed for other women to follow her, but is also ice-cold and viciously cruel, if you cross her. Convinced she is justified, even though she is deeply misguided, Hilly’s actions cause Aibileen (Viola Davis) to go to Skeeter (Emma Stone) to share her stories about being a maid for wealthy white families for a secret writing project that the aspiring journalist is working on. While that unlikely friendship puts them all at risk, it also changes their lives in extraordinary ways that none of them ever could have imagined.

At the film’s press day, Bryce Dallas Howard talked about how much she wanted to be a part of such a fantastic project, how daunting it was to live up to the expectations of the fans of the book, making the character into a real woman instead of a two-dimensional villain, the fun and freedom of playing a bitch, and the honor she felt in working with Sissy Spacek, Viola Davis and Allison Janney. She also talked about taking on a dramedy with 50/50, in which she plays Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s girlfriend, and the experience she had producing the Gus Van Sant film Restless, due out in September. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

New Trailer for Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 7th, 2011 at 3:40 pm

A new trailer for director Gus Van Sant’s (Milk) new film Restless has been released. The film tells the story of a terminally ill girl (Mia Wasikowska) who, during her last remaining months, befriends a boy (Henry Hopper) whose best friend is a ghost. Van Sant has a knack for small dramas, and judging by the trailer Restless seems to be no exception. Wasikowska and Hopper look great, and the story is quirky with a touch of heartbreak.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer. In addition to Wasikowska and Hopper, the film stars Ryo Kase and Schuyler Fisk. Produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, Restless is poised to hit theaters on September 16^th.

Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS to Open Un Certain Regard Selection at Cannes Film Festival

by Talia Soghomonian    Posted: April 13th, 2011 at 8:12 am

One of Cannes’ omnipresent directors, Gus Van Sant will return to the South of France this year to present his new film Restless on the opening night of the Un Certain Regard selection, on Thursday, May 12. The Festival kicks off on May 11.  Mia Wasikowska, Henry Hooper and Ryo Kase star in this movie about the relationship of two teenagers. Hit the jump for more info and the trailer.

Sony Pictures Classics to Release Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS Starring Mia Wasikowska

by Jason Barr    Posted: March 31st, 2011 at 4:26 pm

In November of last year, we reported that Sony had moved Oscar-nominated director Gus Van Sant’s (Milk) drama Restless from its January 28th release date to an unspecified date later in 2011. While the film, starring Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper, is still without a solid release date (sometime around the fall 2011 festival season might make sense), a press release from Sony earlier today confirms that it has been shifted to the studio’s Sony Pictures Classics division who will handle its domestic distribution.

As a reminder, Restless tells the story of a terminally ill girl (Wasikowska) who befriends a gentleman who attends funerals for the heck of it (Hopper) and their ensuing friendship. You can check out a trailer for the film by clicking here. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

Mia Wasikowska Interview JANE EYRE; Updates on RESTLESS and THE WETTEST COUNTY

by Christina Radish    Posted: March 8th, 2011 at 10:26 am

The classic tale of Jane Eyre has been given a bold new re-telling that is infused with a contemporary awareness that makes it easily relatable to a modern audience. With Cary Joji Fukunaga at the helm, and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender in the lead roles of the romantic drama, the 19 Century-set story follows an orphaned girl who is mistreated and then cast out of her childhood home, and subjected to further harsh treatment at a charity school. A teenaged Jane (Wasikowska) is then sent to the vast Thornfield Hall, under the guidance of the housekeeper, Mrs. Fairfax (Judi Dench), where she works as a governess for a child under the brooding master of the estate, Edward Rochester (Fassbender). As the two engage in games of wit and storytelling, they develop a deep connection which both frightens and intrigues her.

At the film’s press day, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska, best known for her roles in Alice in Wonderland and The Kids Are All Right, talked about how much she wanted to play this role, why a story set in this era is still so universal, playing the subtleties of a woman in this time period, and how much she enjoyed working with co-stars Michael Fassbender and Jamie Bell. She also talked about her roles in the upcoming features Restless, directed by Gus Van Sant, and The Wettest County, directed by John Hillcoat. Check out what she had to say after the jump:

Sony Pushes Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS from January 28, 2011 to Later Next Year

by Ramses Flores    Posted: November 30th, 2010 at 7:57 pm

With less than two months left before it was set to open, Sony has dropped Gus Van Sant’s Restless from its planned theatrical release date of January 28, 2011.  Variety speculates the decision might open the film to more festivals and a greater chance at the box office with an opening later next year. The film was faced some tough competition on January 28th from such films as The Mechanic, The Rite, and From Prada to Nada.  So it does make sense to move the more “artsy” film to a quieter release date.

Restless stars Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper; hit the jump for a plot synopsis .

Trailer for Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS Starring Mia Wasikowska

by Bill Graham    Posted: October 15th, 2010 at 1:22 pm

Gus Van Sant knows how to direct drama and Restless appears to be yet another in the familiar mold. Of course, this one involves a ghost to mix things up a bit, but by and large the film seems relatively understated. Now we have a brand new trailer for the film and while I’m not sold yet, I am interested. This is the first writing credit for actor Jason Lew. Restless stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and I can’t wait to see her in more films.  Hit the jump for the trailer and synopsis.  Restless opens on January 28^th, 2011.

Mia Wasikowska Video Interview THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT; Updates on RESTLESS, JANE EYRE, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND Sequel Talk

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: July 7th, 2010 at 11:07 pm

One of the films that got rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was director Lisa Cholodenko’s (High Art, Laurel Canyon) The Kids Are All Right. The film is about two teenage children Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Center of the Earth, Red Dawn) that decide to track down their donor father (Mark Ruffalo) as they were both conceived artificially by their two mothers (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore). Once they locate him, their household will never be the same.  Like I said yesterday when I posted my interview with director Lisa Cholodenko, I loved this movie and I think it’s going to be remembered at the end of the year during Award season.

Anyway, I recently got to speak with Mia Wasikowska and we talked about how she got involved in the project, what it was like to work with such a great cast, what the past year has been like for her, and I also got updates on Gus Van Sant’s Restless, Jane Eyre, and has she heard anything about a sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Hit the jump to see what she had to say:

Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS Scheduled for January 28, 2011

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 18th, 2010 at 1:35 pm

Gus Van Sant landed a mainstream critical success and earned a Best Director Oscar-nomination for his last film, 2008′s Milk.  Now his new film, Restless, which stars Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) and Henry Hopper (son of Dennis Hopper), has landed a release date of January 28, 2011, according to Box Office Mojo.  The plot [via The Playlist] centers on “a 16-year-old-girl (Wasikowska) who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and falls in love with an off-beat boy (Hopper) who likes to attend funerals and is suffering from the death of his family — which somehow produces the ghost of a young, Japanese kamikaze pilot from WWII (played Ryo Kase).”  It doesn’t really sound like the mainstream fare of a film like Milk, but it’s certainly an interesting premise.

Restless will now go up against the comedy drama Kids in America (starring Topher Grace and Anna Faris) and the rebel exorcist flick The Rite (starring Anthony Hopkins). [The set photo above is from Progressive Values blogger Paul Hooson (who's standing between Hopper and Wasikowska)]

Mia Wasikowska to Star in Gus Van Sant’s RESTLESS

by Ramses Flores    Posted: October 8th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

THR is reporting that Mia Wasikowska has been cast in Gus Van Sant’s “Restless”.  The actress had previously been contemplating a part in Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” before going with “Restless”. We still don’t know much about the film except it will tell a “complex tale of a teenage boy and girl who share a preoccupation with mortality”.  We also know that the film will be produced by Bryce Dallas Howard and will be written by one of her film school classmates, Jason Lew, who wrote the play that the film will be based on.  You may know Wasikowska from her critically acclaimed performance on HBO’s “In Treatment”, but I’m sure she will be huge next year once Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” opens as she’s playing Alice.  Wasikowska can also next be seen in “Amelia” later this month.

Gus Van Sant is RESTLESS

by Ramses Flores    Posted: August 24th, 2009 at 10:23 am

Gus van Sant is in negotiations to develop and direct “Restless”.  The film will be written by first time screenwriter Jason Lew and produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Bryce Howard.  Not much is known about the film right now but you can click on the jump and find out the kind of interesting story of how this project came to life.

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