Monday, June 30, 2008

Wanted Wanting & Slutting The Links

Saw Wanted on Friday night...lots of good loud sexy mind-bending fun, thanks in part to solid performances from James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, but primarily due to the incredibly imaginative visual stylings of Russian-Kazakh film director Timur Bekmambetov. Bekmambetov is best known for his effects-ladden vampire franchise Night Watch and Day Watch...and he brings more A-game to Wanted.

Seriously, check out this dude's work --- it's like the Wachowski Brothers on steroids.


But speaking of the Wachowski's, Wanted was no Matrix, even though much of its story was structurally similar. Regular guy...works in cubicle...finds out he has special abilities...learns to use them --- I won't play spoilers...but will say that not only was The Matrix groundbreaking as far as visual effects go, it still holds up as an exciting, well-told story today (I had to watch Neo do his thing again later that night). Wanted's story wasn't bad but it left me wanting... more.

LINK SLUTTING EDIT: Sex In The Sub's Bill Martell rambles on not only about Wanted but also the ups and downs of a possible SAG strike (see further down) over at his digs.

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And speaking of directors, Ken Levine writes a nice post about 'Why Writers Direct', including this snippet...

No, the real reason writers want to direct is this: directing is easier. Sure there are long hours, a million stupid questions (who gives a fuck what color the floss is? It’s floss!!), difficult actresses, and Faye Dunaway. But your job is to make something that already exists work. That’s a whole lot easier than creating something out of nothing.

He's right you know...but even though its easier, I will still give top marks to the good smart directors out there who can take that something that already exists on the page and elevate it, I mean really elevate it, to a new and exciting level. Like a Timur Bekmambetov for example...

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And go get educated by Nikki Finke about where things are at and where they might go regarding a possible SAG (Screen Actors Guild) strike. The actors contract with the AMPTP expires end of this month, and a lot of what you'll read will sound exactly like what was heard earlier this year during the WGA writers strike, and it is...the same i mean...but hopefully, lessons were learned then by the studios and networks and another extended work stoppage can be avoided (it's certainly slowing down right now for a lot of Canadian service producers I know). Or perhaps another shutdown is exactly what the Big Seven want...


That said.... Happy Canada Day everyone.

1 comment:

Ken said...

I'll address the "Wanted" part of your post, Will. I saw the film last night and all I could think was: when are we going to start using our powers for good instead of evil (read: mindless, stupid gun porn)? I, like you, thought Timur Bekmambetov directed the shit out of that film. But for Christ's sake the body count was absurd. I'm no prude for violence but this thing was ridiculous.