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Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster Reunite with Oren Moverman for Rampart

Krystal Clark — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:12:31 +0000

The Messenger trio is at it again with Oren Moverman’s latest feature Rampart. The director of the post-war drama that earned both Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson critical acclaim has once again enlisted their talents. According to Variety, they’ll join the cast of his new film that also features Anne Heche, Sigourney Weaver, Robin Wright, Steve Buscemi, and Cynthia Nixon. Everyone wants to work with this guy.

The trade states that Rampart is “set against the backdrop of the scandal within the L.A.P.D. Rampart Division in the late 1990s and is the fictional account of a veteran police officer (Harrelson) caught up in the scandal, and his search for redemption.” As someone who lives in Los Angeles, I can tell you from personal experience that the Rampart area looks shady, but who knew it was shady enough to spawn a movie?

Rampart is fully financed and scheduled to begin production on October 25th in (of course) Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see the interaction between all these actors considering the caliber of talent. I don’t know about you but I’m ready to see Sigourney Weaver tackle some material good enough to finally get her an Oscar. Maybe this will be it?

What do you think of the cast of Rampart? Are you excited to see Foster and Harrelson together again?

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson Reunite With Oren Moverman

Anet Hovhanesian — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 02:57:31 +0000

Director Oren Moverman is reuniting his dream team of Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster from last year’s The Messenger for writer James Ellroy’s new project. Although Moverman was previously in talks to helm a biopic based on the life of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, he’s moved on to Rampart, a cop drama based on a script by Ellroy.

According to Cinematical, the film will be inspired by the LAPD Rampart Scandal that took place in the late 90′s. Back in the day it was a huge farce that got plenty of media coverage. Not only did the story document one of the largest cases of police corruption but it was also the source material for the hit FX series “The Shield.” Ellroy had the following to say about his newest creation:

“Rampart is another of these misperceived criminal conspiracies. It’s really the story of a handful of rogue, criminal cops who ratted out a wider number of untainted cops to save their own skins.”

Ellroy has a serious background writing crime dramas having worked on LA Confidential and The Black Dahlia. We can’t wait to see how his newest project compares to the rest of the films on his resume.

Are you anxious to see Rampart? Who else should star in this film?

The Messenger’s Oren Moverman to Direct Kurt Cobain Biopic

Krystal Clark — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:18:28 +0000

For years, Hollywood has been infatuated with making films based on the short, tumultuous life of the late grunge singer, Kurt Cobain. And according to Deadline Hollywood there’s been some positive movement involving the latest take on his life. Oren Moverman, the man behind the drama, The Messenger has been tapped to rewrite and direct the next Cobain-centered feature.

The original script for the Cobain film was written by David Benioff, and went by the name All Apologies. Moverman will be brought on to polish the screenplay and eventually direct it. There have been several versions of Cobain’s life portrayed on film, in both documentary and narrative form. This take will center on the last two days of the singer’s life leading up to his eventual suicide.

Moverman has worked on his fair share of music-centered material. He co-wrote the Bob Dylan inspired feature I’m Not There, and he’s up for an Oscar this year for his screenplay for The Messenger. There has been so much speculation regarding Cobain’s death, I think we’re all interested in seeing what the writer/director comes up with.

When it comes to screenplays by David Benioff, he’s a hit or miss. Everytime his name is mentioned, you have to remember he’s the same man who wrote the script for X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and that should give you some perspective on where to put your hopes. There must be a reason they want Moverman to “polish” the story.

What do you think about Moverman taking on the Cobain film? Do you think the film should be produced?

The Messenger: Movie Review

Kara — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:34:18 +0000

This is it, with The Messenger in theaters, the time for possible Oscar films has begun! First time director and co-writer Oren Moverman shows us how to make a movie with his debut film, which is as subtle and beautiful as it is poignant and dramatic. From an amazing script, to beautiful performances he has unknowingly made himself Oscar-bait.

Check out our interview below…

The Players

Director: Oren Moverman
Writer: Oren Moverman and Alessandro Camon
Cast: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

The Plot

“You always shoot the messenger.” When someone dies fighting in combat today they no longer send a message but a messenger to deliver the news. In the film one solider (Foster), who was recently been pulled from battle, is paired up with seasoned officer (Harrelson) to do possibly the hardest job in the army, inform people that their loved have been killed. The young solider gets in trouble when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer (Morton).

The Good

The Script: One of the best scripts I’ve seen all year. Every moment has a reason, each scene pushes another plot point in the story, and they never rely on cliches to get where they’re going. Every moment feels organic and makes for a series of dramatic and yet nuanced performances
Simple Shots: As the director told us in our interview with him, often it would just be him and a cameraman in the room recording the performance. As a result, nothing felt staged, it felt like you were a part of the drama taking place. His choice to have all the message delivery scenes done in one shot again make you feel like what you’re watching is honest and real, and adds to the emotions of the scene.
Ben Foster: Finally he gets the chance to lead a great film. His portrayal of his characters is the perfect mix of intensity and yet vulnerability. You understand where he’s been and the pain of trying to adapt to his new laugh without him ever trying to show it.
Whole Cast: Woody Harrelson gave a serious and heartfelt performance that we’ve never truly seen from him before. He was even quoted saying that this first film where he truly cried on camera. Samantha Morton was gracious and beautiful, gave the story heart with what looked like no effort at all.
The Music: Completely understated, as it needed to be to match the performances and the style of filmmaking.
Directing: Honestly, everything that I’ve mentioned comes down to good directing. There are a million things that can go wrong with a movie, but this is one of the few times when everything went right.

The Bad:

I got nothing.

Overall

From start to finish this is a great film and I can only hope it receives the recognition it deserves come Oscar time. I highly recommend it for the holiday season, it has enough humor to keep you from feeling like it’s a “downer” and leaves you appreciating what you have in front of you.

Rating: 9.7/10

Photo Gallery

The Messenger will be released in a limited amount of theaters on November 13

Watch the trailer below…

Video Interview: Oren Moverman for The Messenger

Mali Elfman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:57:18 +0000

First time director and co-writer Oren Moverman shows us how to make a movie with his debut film The Messenger. With one of the best scripts I’ve seen all year laying the groundwork, by the time I start talking about the performances they are like a cherry on top of a perfect sundae.

Moverman tells a touching and poignant story about war without using any manipulation or cliches. His choice to have Ben Foster lead the film was dead on, and as he says in the interview below, he knew from the first moment he first saw him that we was the man for the job. Foster proves him right and manages to give one of his most powerful performance of the year in the film. Fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton also only add to the magic.

Watch our interview with Oren about making the film below…

Warning: He is a soft talker, so be prepared to turn those speaks up to the max.

The Messenger is in theaters November 13th, be sure to check it out!

Further Reading:

Woody Harrelson in The Messenger Poster

Krystal Clark — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:32:16 +0000

A new poster has been released for the Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster film, The Messenger. The film is the directorial debut of screenwriter Oren Moverman, and co-stars Samantha Morton and Jena Malone. The Messenger is an Iraq-based war drama that centers on the men who have the unbearable task of telling families that their relatives have died in war.

Take a look at the grim poster for The Messenger…

Another interesting twist in the storyline has to do with the partnership of Harrelson and Foster. According to Cinematical, their characters can’t stand each other. When you take this type of job, and compound it with an annoying co-worker, the drama will ensue. On his journey from house to house, Foster’s character also falls in love with one of the widows of a fallen soldier. The Messenger has made its rounds on various festival circuits, including Sundance, and has received many positive reviews.

The Messenger hits theaters on November 13th.

What do you think of the poster for The Messenger?

Source: Cinematical

ScreenCrave.com » Oren Moverman

Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster Reunite with Oren Moverman for Rampart

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The Messenger: Movie Review

The Players

The Plot

The Good

The Bad:

Overall

Rating: 9.7/10

Photo Gallery

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Video Interview: Oren Moverman for The Messenger

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Woody Harrelson in The Messenger Poster

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