ScreenCrave.com » greg kinnear

Sundance 2011: Salvation Boulevard – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 20:56:08 +0000

Salvation Blvd is one of those films that I would have thought would never receive a home outside of festivals. It’s not that it’s not fun, or that it doesn’t have an entire cast fill of friendly A-list faces — but it’s a film that mocks religion outright and doesn’t really have any reason for doing it. But, once again, I’ve found myself saying “I was wrong” because IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced yesterday that that the two companies will be partnering to acquire North American rights to the film. Lets take a look at if they made the right decision…

The Players:

Director: George Ratliff
Writers: Douglas Stone, George Ratliff, Larry Beinhart
Cast:Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Marisa Tomei, Ed Harris,
Cinematography By: Tim Orr
Original Music By: George S. Clinton

Review:

Hell House and Purgatory County director George Ratliff decided to take on a new kind of horror — Christianity. This religious romp has a lot of great ideas and a fun concept for those who think that the only way to deal with religion is with a laugh, but my biggest problem was no the subject matter, but the story. The film film jammed packed full of interesting ideas that they didn’t necessarily have the right vehicle for. They seemed to have trouble finding ways to tie them all together in to one coherent story or genre. Some of the transitions between one seen to another therefore feel a bit glued together instead of feeling like they all flowed together as one thought. Maybe having three writers was just too much creativeness for a while.

The film is about a charismatic preacher, Pastor Dan (Brosnan) who has managed to trick, captivate, manipulate (you choose) an entire city worth of Christians to join together in one town and praise one man — him… I mean… Jesus. This expert orator takes on a Ex-deadhead and “recovering hippie” (Kinnear) to show others how to be saved, that it until he needs saving himself and then he pitches his lamb to the wolves. “The megachurch is cast into shadow, and a hellish storm begins brewing that could jeopardize its entire existence.”

All of this is good fun, the problem is things begin to spin so out of control and then things become a bit contrived. Though the journey is at times extremely fun, there are a number of moments that fall victim to convenient action film cliches such as someone always being in the right place at the right time for the story to come together and NO one listening to anything logical. Dare I say a simpler story with more ideas may have been better, but not necessarily as fun or easy to follow for mainstream audiences. One with less locations and more problems would have been better. In fact the whole “Mexican kidnapping” section could have been cut out without harming the core of the story.

This is not necessarily a film for those “mainstream” audiences anyway, so why not go even crazier, bolder, even more over the top, with even more hysteria? I guess they needed it to sell — though I wonder if there will be any re-shoots?

That being said, it’s always fun to watch Brosnan play a creep/dirty character and he does a great job of capturing both the charming and slimming part of his character. I’m sure he enjoyed giving his over the top sermon and thinking Satan was calling him on the phone. Kinnear is one of the easiest actors to follow through just about anything, even this crazy romp. Connelly is irritating in all the right ways, Tomei seemed to be having a blast playing a hippy-security guard and we had a blast watching her, and Ed Harris’ part of short but every-sweet.

Overall:

This is one of those films where the idea and concept is better than the film itself. Chances are this is a film that despite it’s impressive cast and fun concept, will piss off half the people and just about omentertain the other half. It’s not a bad film if you’re looking for something light and easy and a little bit out of the norm — it is something relevant to today and therefore worth seeking out if you can.

Rating: 4.5/10

Check out the cast…

Photo Gallery:

Video Review:

Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear to Star in Kennedy Biopic

Krystal Clark — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:46:44 +0000

A few weeks ago it was announced that Rachel Weisz was set to star as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a feature film directed by Darren Aronofsky. Now according to Vulture, Katie Holmes has signed on to play the former First Lady as well. Holmes’ incarnation will be on the small screen in a made for TV movie aptly titled, The Kennedys.

The Kennedys will co-star Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy (good casting), Barry Pepper as Robert F. Kennedy, and Tom Wilkinson as the family patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy. The film will air on the The History Channel and is said to be a multi-episode event. This is the first time that the cable network has taken on a scripted program of this caliber. “The eight-hour miniseries, which will cover the time period from Joe Sr.’s time at Harvard until RFK’s assassination, is scheduled to air in 2011.”

This sounds like the real deal so how did Katie Holmes get involved? Taking on such a high profile role might be a good way for her to resurface in the acting world. Physically, with the right hair and makeup she could pull off the look of Mrs. Kennedy but we’re not sure if she’s the best actress for the part. Nothing against Holmes, but Rachel Weisz seems much more appropriate, don’t you think?

What do you think of the cast of The Kennedys? Do you think Holmes can pull of a decent portrayal of Jackie?

The Last Song: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:30:17 +0000

The Last Song is the latest installment in a long line of sappy romance films based on the works of Nicholas Sparks. The novel writer actually penned the screenplay for this drama, which centers on a troubled teenage girl who reluctantly falls in love when every fiber of being doesn’t want to. Somehow she has the blond haired, blue eyed companionship of a local volleyball player to keep her distracted from her uncomfortable home situation. Out of all the girls in the world, the hottest guy on the beach decides to love the one with the Gothic makeup, nose ring, and the bad attitude. How poetic…

The Players:

Director: Julie Anne Robinson
Writers: Nicholas Sparks (book and screenplay), Jeff Van Wie
Cast: Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear, Liam Hemsworth, Bobby Coleman, Kelly Preston, Kate Vernon, Nick Searcy
Music: Aaron Zigman
Cinematography: John Lindley

The Plot:

Based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks’ (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook) forthcoming book, The Last Song is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenage daughter (Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common, music.

The Good:

Greg Kinnear: The veteran actor plays Cyrus’ father in the film and delivers the most natural and realistic performance out of the entire cast. He’s not over the top, he’s not melodramatic, and he doesn’t try too hard. In a movie filled with teen angst and heartbreak, you need a relaxed presence to keep you from going insane and thankfully he provides it.

The Bad:

The Story: The plot is typical Nicholas Sparks, which means it’s formulaic and filled with emotional push and pull. There will be love, there will be heartache, someone will die, almost die, or get sick enough that you think they’ll die.
Montages: There are a lot of musical montages that feature Cyrus and Hemsworth frolicking on the beach, and playing in mud, which don’t do much for the story. I can understand the need to consolidate their courtship by editing it in that way, but it feels like you’re watching a music video for a 1980′s power ballad.
The Last Song: There’s a build up to the musical talent that Cyrus’ character has yet when she finally decides to reveal it, it falls flat. The last song should be this epic piece of music that blows us away, but instead it puts you to sleep. It’s a major letdown.
Kelly Preston: This actress was a supporting player in every sense of the word. She literally popped up in the beginning, came back in the end, and that was it. Her part was so unnecessary, any no name actress could have pulled it off and had the same result.

Overall:

The Last Song, is a disappointing addition to a long line of Nicholas Sparks romance films. It’s no Walk to Remember and it’s definitely not The Notebook. The intent is there but the execution isn’t. At the center of it all this is a teen romance, which gives Miley Cyrus an excuse to be rude and act emo, while Liam Hemsworth walks around topless 80 percent of the time. In other words this is every 15 year old’s fantasy.

Rating: 4/10

The Last Song opens nationwide on March 31, 2010.

Photos:

Trailer:

Will you go see The Last Song this weekend?

Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly Join Salvation Boulevard

Krystal Clark — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:34:34 +0000

Greg Kinnear is having a busy week. The actor has a movie coming out called The Last Song with Miley Cyrus and now he’s been cast alongside an Oscar winning actress for his next film. According to Puggal, Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly will star in Salvation Boulevard, the latest flick from director George Ratliff.

Salvation Boulevard is based on the book written by Larry Beinhart and centers on “a hippie who runs from the fundamentalist members of his mega-church who are determined to do anything in an order to protect their larger-than-life pastor.” Joining Kinnear and Connelly are Pierce Brosnan, Jim Gaffigan and Ed Harris. We’re also hearing that the producers are looking to cast another Oscar winning actress in the form of Marissa Tomei.

Brosnan is set to play the lead role, and the other actors will be supporting characters. The theme of the movie will be along the lines of Wag the Dog, the political satire turned black comedy released in 1997. The cast that’s currently on board have the chops to pull off a film of that quality, it’s just up to whoever writes the screenplay to execute a good story.

What do you think of the cast for Salvation Boulevard? Do you think the film can be as good as Wag The Dog?

Greg Kinnear Isn’t The Villain in The Last Song

Krystal Clark — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:10:31 +0000

Next week Greg Kinnear will tackle the role of an absentee father to “Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation, The Last Song. The actor has played his fair share of dramatic and comedic roles in the past, but with this one he didn’t want to be the bad guy.

When discussing his character Steve Miller, in The Last Song, Kinnear admits he had some reservations about how audiences would perceive him.

I was afraid that I was going to look like the guy who cut out on the family living in a palopa listening to Jimmy Buffett songs. ‘Hey guys, what’s up? Welcome to the island! It’s great you stopped by. ‘It was all very subtle but just trying to establish that they had a relationship, and there had been problems on both sides, and that’s what caused this rift. That’s what happens sometimes and that was OK, there were no villains in the movie.

I guess, after his darker role in Green Zone he wanted a break from the title of “evil doer.” He does have a point regarding the portrayal of divorced parents in teen centric films. For the most part the dad is often seen as the philanderer or the parent who doesn’t want to have any responsibility. In The Last Song, that’s not the case and when you watch the movie you’ll see what Kinnear’s character is really all about.

The Last Song hits theaters on March 31st.

Are you excited to see the film? Do you think Kinnear and Cyrus will have good father daughter chemistry?

Miley Cyrus in The Last Song Trailer

Krystal Clark — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:46:35 +0000

Miley Cyrus will once again hit the big screen, and this time she’s bringing Thor’s little brother with her. Hannah Montana’s latest feature entitled, The Last Song is a coming of age tale that focuses on the relationship between a teenage girl and her estranged father, who’s played by Greg Kinnear. The movie is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel so get the tissues ready and check out the trailer for The Last Song.

Based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks’ (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook) forthcoming novel, The Last Song is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

Just like 99.9 percent of all Nicholas Sparks novels there’s a love story that underlines the entire plot to this film. The eye candy in The Last Song comes in the form of Liam Hemsworth as in the brother of Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek, Thor). After watching this trailer, you’ll notice that they look a lot of alike, and he manages to hide his Australian accent really well.

Check it out for yourself…

The Last Song will hit theaters on March 31, 2010.

What do you think of the trailer?

Green Zone First Trailer and Photos

Mali Elfman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:29:57 +0000

Maybe I missed something, but this is the first I’ve heard of Green Zone. Matt Damon has teamed up again with Bourne Supremacy and Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass in an action packed war thriller, about “a rogue U.S. Army officer who must hunt through covert and faulty intelligence hidden on foreign soil before war escalates in an unstable region.” The film has a strong supporting cast including Greg Kinnear, Brendan Gleeson, Amy Ryan, Khalid Abdalla and Jason Isaacs.

You would have thought that we would have heard more about this by now. Oh well! It’s here now with a bang. Check out the first action packed trailer and some stills from the film below…

Anyone else feel like they just watched a trailer for another Bourne film with a new twist? Luckily Bourne is a great series and Matt Damon is once of the easiest men in the world to watch on screen so the film definitely has some potential.

It will be interesting to see if this is a straight out action film or a war film with some purpose behind it. This trailer makes it look action-flick, but there is an opportunity for some depth. Damon is one to support a political cause so it’s easy to see why he might get behind a war-thriller. Then again, he’s done a number of flat out shoot um up films, so it might just be that. Where will this one fall? It’s hard to tell just yet.

Check out Damon in some action shots below…

The film will be in theaters March 12, 2010.

Will you pay to see it?

The Last Song Kicks Off Production in Georgia

Mali Elfman — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:18:23 +0000

The Last Song is a coming-of-age drama starring Miley Cyrus, Kelly Preston and Greg Kinnear, begins production in Savannah, Ga. this week. The film is based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks’ forthcoming novel. For those of who don’t remember, Sparks’ was the man behind movie then women love and men say they hate (but really love) The Notebook, as well as Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe.

If we can expect one thing from Sparks, it’s that he knows how to pull at your heart strings. Find out more about the film below…

The film is “set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Cyrus), who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.”

I don’t know how many more romantic dramas I can take. I need to a trailer to be convinced.

What about you?

Interview: Greg Kinnear

Mali Elfman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:00:38 +0000

This week, Marc Abraham’s new film Flash of Genius, starring Greg Kinnear will be hitting theaters. The story is about based off the real life of, Robert Kearns, a who fought a decades long battle with the Ford Motor company over ingenuity. No matter what the price, Kearns single-handedly took on the corporation and refused to be silenced. Greg Kinnear gives a stunning performance as Robert Kearns in the film. He represents the joy and the pain that it takes to be a self-made hero.

We were lucky enough to get to sit down with Kinnear, who seems like one of the most genuine human beings you’ll ever meet.We got to chat about the film, big business, the Wiggles and a whole lot more…

Very rarely does principle win over money these days, how do you feel the audience will be able to relate to his struggle?

Greg Kinnear: I think it was funny how the audience, in a way their sense is, as their watching it, kind of mirrors the Ford motor company. It’s “come on, just take the money just bend, it’ll be ok.” I mean we live in a world where we have game shows about taking the money now, so I think people really feel like there’s a way out of this. What I was intrigued by all along with this story, was just his inability to do that and why, and ultimately it’s grounded in principle, not about money but real principle. I thought is pretty incredible, and he’s not a perfect character, he’s not a guy who doesn’t have his own shortcomings. He’s abrupt and prickly and self destructive in a way, but inspite of all of those qualities, I really felt myself championing his journey, I wanted him to find some satisfaction in all of this.

You have taken a number of risks to follow your dream with your own career, was this something you could relate to the character or did you find there to be things that were hard for you to connect with?

GK: I have kids, and obviously the part of him as a father that ended up setting his children aside to make this thing right was troubling to watch, kinda troubling to read when I first read the script. And its still kind of a difficult aspect of the story to swallow, but how do you ever put yourself in this guy’s shoes? I mean this was an idea that was manifested out of a personal handicap. I think he obviously felt that this was something deeply personal to him and the way in which he had been marginalized in all this created some sort of behavior; I wouldn’t call it obsessive, but it was obviously something he couldn’t let go of. It’s akin to saying to somebody who has a drinking problem: you know what you really need to do, stop drinking. If you don’t drink any more you’ll be fine! And I think his family and certainly the ford motor company and a lot of people around him are unsettled by the idea that he can’t just work his way through this.

Having done both this film and Fast Food Nation, what’s your sense of which is the more formidable corporate adversary, fast food industry or the automotive industry?

GK: Well I don’t know, the fast food industry certainly isn’t the tobacco industry, but in terms of the dietary needs that would help make our country healthier and what their serving, does seem to be a little at a bit of odds with each-other in a pretty sever way. The automotive corporations, including Ford, are in the business of trying to make cars that people will drive. I think the fault with automotive cars right now is just the fact that were not getting as many miles for every gallon of gasoline in the year 2008 that all of us hoped we would be at this point. But in terms of the way Ford is portrayed in the movie, I liked the representation of them. I didn’t feel like these were guys in black hats twisting their mustaches, nor did I feel that way about Alan Alda’s character whose basically explaining to Bob how justice works in a very articulate way. Ford felt like they had been done wrong here, and thought buying him off like any corporation does today could remove this from their plate. Of course they came across the worst possible kind of adversary; a guy not driven buy money, a guy driven by principle.

Do you think this story has any relevance to the way the corporations work today?

GK: I’m not sure this kind of a story could exist even exist in 2008 right now. If a friend of yours told you they were gonna go fight Google, you’d give them a bottle of Prozac and put them to bed. In a way its a nostalgic story, I think the Bob Kern story is kind of the last chapter of an individual being able to take on a corporation, today it’ll be a class action suit, it would all be about money and settlements and that stuff, but this guy having the audacity to do what he did and at great costs, like I said I think he lost a lot in this, this is a story that I’m not sure can ever happen again.

When I first saw this film, I was very surprised, to see that the devise that he was fighting for was the intermittent windshield wiper, something we all take for granted.

GK: Yeah it’s a little like, you tell somebody about the intermittent windshield wiper and [there is] a brief moment that is like “oh yeah.” It’s true that it is something that everybody universally knows, and unless you mention it to them they’re kind of like “what?”. From the movie I think everything has a design, everything has an idea behind it. Somebody had to design this beautiful piece of whatever that holds that poster up that. That was a person that wasn’t a company that came up with that, and in a world were more and more of us worked for fewer and fewer people, I mean we all work for the same 5 guys don’t we? I feel like here’s a chance they’ll do a story about somebody who having been marginalized by that system actually chooses to go the full distance. I thought that was pretty amazing.

Do you know how he spent his settlement?

GK: Well most of it went to lawyers, other law firms, other assistants, people who helped him. He had some money, the family got some money, it’s not like he ended up with this windfall of money and ran off. As Phillis says in the movie, “I don’t think it’s ever over with you” and I dont think it was with him, he still felt that he had been grossly underpaid and what they had done to settle wasn’t a settlement at all, he was involved in other cases as well.

The original thing he wanted was for them to take out an add in the paper, did he ever get that?

GK: Never did, no. He never got that cause you know what was the thing, he never got the thing that I think he wanted most and I didn’t really fault him on this. I feel like if this was a guy that need his ego stroked or needed to be on the cover of reader’s digest or inventor magazine, or whatever, I would’ve felt less strongly about the character. I don’t think that was what he was looking for. I think he really just needed the smallest identification of this idea having been his. That’s really what he was chasing and they wouldn’t give it to him, and I still don’t understand why not. You know talking about corporations again, they’re so big there’s not a person at a corporation. It’s rules and ideas and I’m sure that part of it was that it was the policy that wouldn’t let them do that.

Were you ever able to meet Kearns?

GK: He died a year before I got involved with the project. I would’ve liked to have met him. I met his wife Phillis and his son Dennis was very helpful. I talked to him quite a bit before we started the movie and the other kids came by, and that was all very interesting. I mean Mark showed the movie for the family and it was very emotional, and maybe some sort of cathartic process of having this realized as a film was in some ways more satisfying than even his lawsuit was, for them to say “ah theres’ the story of our dad.”

Did he and his wife have any sort of relationship after the trial?

GK: I think they were cordial, my sense was she still was in love with him… sequel (laughter). She just said he was a larger than life kind of guy for her. And she was telling me after he cracked the invent and had success with it he said, “I’m gonna buy you a Cadillac for each foot.” He was so excited, and I think everybody in the family kinda got caught up in the wake of that enthusiasm of his. At the same time, as is the case with somebody with that kind of manic behavior, the lows are really bad, but she was in a difficult position and I thought Lauren (Grahman) was really great in the movie because that’s a tricky role. She’s the one who leaves him and yet you need to understand why and you need to understand her limited options. It’s a fine line, and I thought Lauren did a nice job

In the film you had six children, would you ever consider having your own children play a part in a film you are in?

GK: I don’t know, I would call Will Smith first, and ask him what his experience was like. I certainly wouldn’t want to deny my kids of something they would want to do, but I would inherintely be very weary for countless reasons

What’s your favorite film and what music are you listening to right now?

GK: Well, my favorite movie is “Tell No One.” Music? (Joking) The Wiggles, pretty much the Wiggles right now, they’re just fantastic, so subtle, the music is just you know, “hot potato hot potato,” “fruit salad,” obviously I don’t want to get into all the songs right now, but you know, the classics.

You’ve been in some great films and had an Oscar nomination, do you consider your self a movie star?

GK: Uh, no, I don’t. Well I never know what that term means, I don’t consider any of actors that I admire movie stars. A movie star sounds to me like some-guy who takes jacuzzi and champagne baths and wears a boa. (Joking) So in that case I am.

Movie in theaters October 3rd.

Trailer:

ScreenCrave.com » greg kinnear

Sundance 2011: Salvation Boulevard – Movie Review

The Players:

Review:

Overall:

Rating: 4.5/10

Photo Gallery:

Video Review:

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The Last Song: Movie Review

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The Plot:

The Good:

The Bad:

Overall:

Rating: 4/10

Photos:

Trailer:

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