Screen Time

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Some of the makers of the great 2002 film “City of God,” about two boys growing up in a violent Rio de Janeiro neighborhood, will return in January with a sequel of sorts called “City of Men.“

It looks like the new movie is spun off from the original film and from the acclaimed TV series of the same name, airing on Sundance Channel in the U.S., and is directed by Paolo Morelli, who directed many eps of the series. This could be a great way to start out 2008. Check the high-res trailer here.

The Coen Brothers’ (”The Big Lebowski,” “Fargo”) critically acclaimed new thriller “No Country for Old Men” is finally screening in the RGV.

This is one of the best-reviewed movies of the year (click here to read what the critics are sayin’), and I can’t wait to see it. Actually, I’m planning on catching it tonight after work. Expect a review soon.

This is a nice surprise. I wasn’t looking forward to catching any of the new movies coming out this week. Click here for RGV showtimes and check the high-res “No Country” trailer here.

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Poster image courtesy Miramax Films

I was sitting on the couch a few nights ago, barely awake and flipping through the channels. I was looking forward to dozing off with the TV on while my wife finished some work on the laptop. Then Rocky Balboa ruined my plans.

TNT, AMC or some such network was airing “Rocky II,” Sylvestor Stallone’s first entry as a director (after writing the 1976 original) in the Rocky series. I caught it at the scene where ol’ Rock, six months after his buzzed-about match with Apollo Creed as depicted in the first flick, was turning down a handout from that wiseass Paulie. I was hooked.

I’d seen “Rocky II” before, but that was a long, long time ago. The Rocky that I remembered for most of my life was the champion in red, white and blue trunks who beat the crap outta that big, chemically-enhanced Russian in “Rocky IV,” not this sad and beaten bum from “Rocky II.” As the movie progressed, I fell in love with this franchise all over again. I’m aware that Stallone never really matched that special, gritty fairytale feeling of the first two Rocky movies, and on some day’s I’ll even agree with those who say that the rest of the Rocky movies were kinda crap. But not today. Today I’ll admit that I love Rocky Balboa and I love this movie franchise.

With Rocky Balboa, Stallone created an incredibly noble, humble and loveable character that became an American icon. For some people, the name Rocky Balboa might conjure up sounds of a slow and low drawl (”UhhhYoooAdriuhn!”), images of a bent lip or some regrettable 80s pop movimeaking conventions (damn you Survivor), but not for me. When I think of Rocky Balboa, I think of a hero. He’s a bruised, imperfect and powerful symbol of integrity and heart that I’ve yet to see bested in any other modern movie franchise.

Stallone is glorious in the original, in “Rocky II” and in “Rocky Balboa,” the final downbeat installment of the series. The other three installments do tend to dip into self-parody, but there’s still some great stuff there that’s often overlooked. What follows are a few of my favorite quieter moments in the life of Rocky Balboa.

- The heart-to-heart with Mickey (Burgess Meredith), “Rocky”
Rocky’s hard-ass trainer breaks down, shows his softer side and tells Rocky he loves him. It’s a great, classic scene with one noble bum trying to make a better life for another.

- Rocky kisses Adrian (Talia Shire), “Rocky”
For my money, this is one of the most tender and most romantic scenes in movie history. Rocky naively announces his love for the shy Adrian, and boy does she love him back.

- Rocky’s argument with Adrian, “Rocky II”
Rock’s overprotective wife, and a bum left eye, won’t let him do what he does best — fight. Rock strikes back with the calm, assertive and surprising argument, “Why can’t you let me be a man? I’m not asking you not to be a woman.”

- The final goodbye, “Rocky Balboa”
After his last day of glory, Rocky visits Adrian’s grave. He leans in and says “You know I couldn’t have done nothing without you… Yo Adrian we did it… We did it.” Rock walks off ready to grow old and knowing, somehow, that his dead wife couldn’t be happier for him.
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Photo courtesy MGM

When I caught the first TV ad for the upcoming thriller “Gone Baby Gone,” starring Ben Affleck’s younger brother Casey, I thought, “Wow, Casey Affleck’s really getting a lot of good roles these days.”

It was looking like Casey was in and Ben was out, but that was before I realized that Ben directed and co-wrote “Gone Baby Gone,” and the film is earning some strong reviews.

Variety praised “Gone” and had kind words for Affleck’s directorial skill. So did The Hollywood Reporter, and PopMatters.com calls Affleck’s directorial debut “moviemaking of classic neo-noir artistry.” All that and the movie looks pretty good too. Check the trailer after the jump.

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The inevitable has happened. Someone just cast Toby Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal as brothers in a movie. It’s called, remarkably, “Brothers” and it’s directed by Jim Sheridan (”In America,” “My Left Foot”) and co-stars Natalie Portman.

This is either brilliant casting or a big no-brainer. I remember back in 2000/2001 - the “Wonder Boys” and “Donnie Darko” days - most people couldn’t tell Maguire and Gyllenhaal apart. They both had that same sleepy-eyed, slim, “alternaboy” look and it seemed like they were always landing similar roles - usually playing the sensitive, sleepy-eyed alternaboy in indie movies.

For a while there I was referring to Gyllenhaal as the “poor man’s Tobey Maguire,” since Maguire seemed liked the better actor, and he seemed to get the better gigs. Well, Maguire still gets great roles (”Spider-Man,” “The Good German”) but Gyllenhaal’s resume is lookin’ pretty good nowadays (”Brokeback Mountain,” “Jarhead”). Who’s the better actor? I dunno, I think it’s a draw at this point. They both still have the market cornered on the sleepy-eyed manboy thing. Hopefully we’ll get to see them act against each other once “Brothers” opens in 2009.

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