Since winning Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her performance in Black Swan, Natalie Portman has stepped out of the spotlight to be a mom. But now it’s time to get back to work, and the actress has set up two back-to-back projects with the same director: none other than Terrence Malick, whose Tree of Life is up for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars and has garnered him a nomination for Best Director. I think it’s safe to say there will be a certain amount of prestige attached to these films.

First up is Knight of the Cups, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and…Isabel Lucas (let’s play a game – which of these actors doesn’t seem to belong here?). Nobody knows much about this one – other than it shoots this summer – but suffice it to say that any Malick movie is going to be highly anticipated among the cinephile community. And immediately following will be a film called Lawless, which co-stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett (sound familiar?), Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, and Haley Bennett. Some filming for this was done at last year’s Austin City Limits music festival, but we’re not sure if that was just some kind of character research or if we’ll end up seeing any of that footage in the final cut.

The Playlist brings up an interesting point: though Knight of the Cups and Lawless were initially announced as individual projects, the casting of Portman, Bale, and Blanchett leaves us wondering whether there may be some connection after all. Don’t expect much as far as answers go any time soon; Malick’s projects are almost always shrouded in secrecy.

Malick clearly wants to scratch a filmmaking itch that has been building up for years by taking on so many projects this quickly. There was a five year gap between The New World and Tree of Life, and now he’s got these two projects, plus another one that stars Ben Affleck, Rachel Weisz, and Javier Bardem that’s presumably finished but still without a title or release date.

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While I was looking at today’s Golden Globe nominations, I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps the Golden Globes toss in a few head-scratcher nominations just to give Ricky Gervais some joke material. Or maybe just to be different from all the other awards shows. Either way, the Globes always provide a few surprises, and this year is no different, although I must say it’s nowhere near as bizarre as last year’s inexplicable The Tourist fiasco. In fact, some of the surprises are rather welcome.

Part of the reason the Globes regularly have so many unexpected nominees, derives from the fact that several of the categories are split into Drama and Musical/Comedy, which opens up a lot of room for some wild cards to step in.

One of the biggest examples of that this year occurred because The Artist, which has been one of the strongest players this awards season, qualifies as a Musical/Comedy. Thus, since Jean Dujardin was placed in Musical/Comedy, a slot opened up for a deserving Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) to slide onto the Drama ballot. Gosling has been an off-and-on presence so far this year, but less often for his role in George Clooney’s political thriller, and marginally more often for his quiet violence in Drive.

Another pleasant surprise was the pair of nominations garnered by 50/50. I’ve been waiting for it to get some awards-love ever since I saw it this fall. It is up for Best Picture – Musical/Comedy and Best Actor – Musical/Comedy (for Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

Taking a cue from the SAG awards, Berenice Bejo (The Artist) was relegated to a Supporting Actress. Obviously somebody thinks Bejo has a likelier chance at winning in the Supporting category, even though she is the film’s leading lady. We’ll see if that trend continues.

Due to Bejo’s absence from the Best Actress – Musical/Comedy competition, a few interesting nominees stepped in to fill the gap, namely Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) and the Carnage duo: Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet. This is the first splash any of these three have made so far this year.

Speaking of Bridesmaids, what happened to Melissa McCarthy? She has been one of the most consistent Supporting Actress nominees all season long, but failed to grab a nod from the Globes. I suppose we could partly blame this on Bejo being placed arguably in the wrong category. In the long run, I don’t think this snub will hurt McCarthy’s chances at an Oscar nomination too badly, as the Golden Globes don’t have a great track record in predicting the Academy’s picks. (Last year True Grit was utterly absent from the Globes, but received 10 Oscar nods.)

Other notable snubs include Gary Oldman, who is itching for his first Oscar nomination for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Steven Spielberg for directing War Horse, and the complete exclusion of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which has had Oscar buzz written all over it for months. Also, I’m personally disappointed that The Muppets didn’t manage to land a single nomination. I know it’s not a typical award-winning flick, but it’s currently at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, and I thought it might get some love from an awards show that separates its Musical/Comedy and Drama categories.

And finally, why is My Week With Marilyn in the Musical/Comedy category? Maybe Ricky Gervais can shed some light on that mystery.

All in all, the Globes, while avoiding the absurdity that defined it last year, did very little to solidify the race to the Oscars. This season has been rather fuzzy so far, with no clear front runners in any category. Maybe things will become more focused in the next couple weeks, but I’m not holding my breath.

The Golden Globes award show airs on Sunday, January 15th, 2012.

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Amazon has now made Drive available to pre-order via these links: DVD | Blu-ray

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set the Drive DVD and Blu-ray release date for January 31, 2012. The movie, which was released back in September, starred Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Christina Hendricks, and was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn.

Drive is currently one of the best movie of the year with 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and despite its R rating it managed to earn $34 million at the US box office, and $63 million in total worldwide. Not bad for a movie that cost $15 million.

Director Nicolas Winding Refn said he hopes to put together a ‘Queen Edition’ DVD/Blu-ray which “describes the process of the filmmaking, and answers some of the more mysterious elements of the success of that it has achieved”, but until that happens the standard edition DVD and Blu-ray will contain the following special features:

- “Drive Without a Driver”
- “I Drive”
- “Under the Hood”
- “Driver and Irene”
- “Cut to the Chase”

Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).

After a heist intended to pay off Standard’s protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defence for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk-that they’re coming straight for Irene and her son-Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

Amazon has now made Drive available to pre-order via these links: DVD | Blu-ray

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FilmNation Entertainment today announced that they’ll be handling international sales and distribution on Terrence Malick’s next two films, which are currently in pre-production and will shoot back-to-back in 2012.

No plot details for either film have been revealed, but The Tree of Life director has put together two impressive casts. The first film, Lawless, will star Ryan Gosling as the lead character, with Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, and Haley Bennett in supporting roles.

In the second film, Knight of Cups, Bale will take the lead, with Cate Blanchett and Isabel Lucas (Immortals) supporting. The Playlist says both are being described as “separate narratives” so it’s unlikely they’ll have a connection story-wise.

While the filmmakers are keeping quiet, Christian Bale and Terrence Malick were spotted shooting something at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September so one film (likely Knight of Cups) may be music-related.

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My primary concern heading into The Ides of March was the possibility of the film being a bit too pretentious for its own good. After all, political dramas have a tendency to be stuffy and have a smug sense of self-importance. Thankfully, none of that is found here. Instead, we get a smart, well-executed story highlighted with exceptional performances and Clooney’s sure hand guiding the picture, behind the camera as well as in front of it.

In the same way that Moneyball provided a fresh perspective on a baseball movie, The Ides of March gives a dramatic look at the behind-the-scenes scheming of election films. Though Clooney is primarily known as an actor, this is his fourth feature film as a director; with solid movies like Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck on his resume, it’s no wonder he’s able to amass such talented casts for his projects. The multi-talented superstar also lends his hand to the screenplay, co-writing with his producing partner Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon (whose play, “Farragut North,” is the source material for this movie). Clooney’s collected persona seems to permeate the film through every frame: the movie itself definitely takes a stand for one side of the political spectrum (Clooney himself is an outspoken Democrat), but The Ides of March is impressive because it has a sense of conviction without condemnation. The ideas presented are not preached but practically stated, and regardless of the audience’s personal political beliefs, anyone can watch this movie without his or her feathers being ruffled too much.

While idealistic political advisor Stephen Meyers (Gosling) masterminds the primary campaign for Democratic candidate Mike Morris (Clooney), the young consultant makes some troubling discoveries about loyalty, compromise, integrity, and the reality of politics. Tempted by his enemies (Paul Giamatti as the rival campaign manager), seduced by an intern (Evan Rachel Wood), tested by his boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman as Morris’ campaign leader), and hounded by a reporter (Marisa Tomei as a journalist for the New York Times), Meyers soon realizes the world of politics isn’t easily traversed without sacrifice.

This film has one of the best casts assembled this year. Everyone does fantastic work and the Oscar nominations are sure to come once awards season rolls around. Thus continues the Year of Our Gosling, 2011: after a stoic role in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, Ryan Gosling is allowed more opportunities for actual emoting and takes full advantage of them, delivering one of the best performances of the year. He’s terrific as the starry-eyed advisor, a man who honestly believes in the cause he’s fighting for, slowly revealing to the audience his willingness to justify the final result of the election. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti fit right in with their characters, having played variations of them before (see: Giamatti in 2009′s Duplicity). Both actors were wonderful, each bringing an intangible quality that captivates the audience – we hang on their every word. Evan Rachel Wood was outstanding as the young intern who provides a jolt of energy to the story, and from what I’ve seen of her career, this is my favorite performance of hers. Marisa Tomei (Wood’s co-star in Aronofsky’s The Wrestler) also does some good work with a small role.

The look of the film can be a bit stark at times, but there’s some great imagery here. Clooney’s character gives a campaign speech in front of a giant American flag with thousands of people cheering him on while Gosling and Hoffman’s characters argue just behind the flag. On one side, the flag represents hope and progress, and on the other side, it hangs ominously as a weighty reminder of the stakes of every decision the key players make. Every directorial choice in the movie felt calculated (in a good way), and Clooney continues to prove himself as powerful creative force in Hollywood.

The Ides of March is a must-see for audiences who love strong dramatic performances. It’s not as much a great political movie as just simply a great movie, and this could easily end up scoring a nomination for Best Picture. As someone who isn’t heavily invested in politics, I was captivated during the entire film and definitely recommend checking it out. Until next time…

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According to Box Office Mojo, Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer’s mafia epic The Gangster Squad has found a release date for October 19, 2012. The film tells the real life story of notorious mobster Mickey Cohen and the LA police department looking to bring him down. Said Mobster will be played by Sean Penn and also stars Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) among others.

From the sound of it, this has complete Oscar potential written all over it and it seems like Warner Bros. agrees with that philosophy, considering the fall release that normally bears those big name award winners. After all, the fall, Warner Brothers, and gangster movie are just a few buzz words that shout back to The Departed which went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture in 2007. With an all-star cast and intriguing storyline, The Gangster Squad seems like one to watch out for.

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Certain shots in the beginning of Drive beg the question – or song lyric from the Cranberries – “Do you have to let it linger?” The first act of the 100 minute feature is running idle for the most part. Long drawn-out scenes, with just a handful of words, dominate this story early on, and the script does not rationalize why it is doing this. Ryan Gosling’s stoic and confident persona intrigues right away, but it gets to a point where this plodding along character study needs to snap into it. And snap it does.

When a thumping gun shot goes off, the wheels start to spin. Within seconds of the script revving up, the elements one dealt with in the raw opening segments begin to pay off. Isolated acts of merciless violence enter the arena as our main character – who is indirectly paying homage to “Johnny” from 1984’s Karate Kid’s with regards to his threads – gives off a vibe of “You don’t know what he’ll do next.” Gosling goes through just about every emotion in this multi-genre montage, save for a pure comedy.

The handful of dark-grins if you will are reserved for L.A. underground mob kingpins Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman. These two are doing just above cameo work here and the same can be said for Gosling’s quasi-handler in Bryan Cranston. All of the players are rugged individuals who wear their past “battle” scars proudly. Nothing is glamorous about their lifestyle yet each of them carries themselves as if no one should mess with them. They all have gritty charisma that balances out Gosling’s deadpan persona.

By now you’re probably asking yourself what is this flick about? Telling you would be a disservice to how the filmmakers set this genre conglomerate up. In the efforts to provide a few cinematic references: this piece encompasses tones from flicks such as Shoot’Em Up, The Transporter and Kill the Irishman; there’s even a horror aesthetic toward the end when factoring in the movie mechanics. The revenge tale that weaves its way in could summon up references to The Crow. It also has a throwback execution to it that can remind you of past crime-dramas done twenty years ago.

What is fascinating is how the cinematography can juxtapose when transitioning to a different genre. Sometimes it’s during the same scene. The linear glue is Gosling’s character that stays steady no matter if he’s on a silent rampage or dealing with a love interest angle that ushers in Carey Mulligan. For once, Mulligan’s moping around actually fit’s the bill here. That said, is anyone else tired of seeing her depressed demeanor on-screen? Is this all she can do? Cry?

Based on all the above, this flick seems to have a little bit of everything. By having patience, every emotional vibe in the viewer’s body will get a decent jolt once the story is allowed to show its true bloody colors throughout the less glamorous spots in Los Angeles.

Overall, Drive is a dark-horse that truly knows what it’s made of. There’s nothing flashy or finesse about the product or the crafting behind the lens. It’s pretty much a gloomy character drama that splices in audacious action at all the right moments.

RATING: 4 out of 5

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FilmDistrict have released an excellent new red band trailer for Drive, which comes from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson) and stars Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

Watch below:

Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).

After a heist intended to pay off Standard’s protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals (Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman). But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk-that they’re coming straight for Irene and her son-Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

Drive will be released September 16, 2011.

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According to Deadline Giovanni Ribisi (Avatar) will be joining Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Anthony Mackie in The Gangster Squad, a 1940s crime drama that will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

Penn will play Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen, with Gosling and Brolin set to play two cops assigned to bring him down when the gangster starts targeting innocent people. Ribisi will play Conway Keeler, a cop in the group who is a master of electronics and wires. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Ruben Fleischer has mainly been a director of comedies with his latest, 30 Minutes or Less, set for release in August. This will be his first attempt at a serious drama, and it’s looking promising thanks to the impressive cast he’s managed to pull together.

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Variety reports that Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) will be joining Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling in Gangster Squad, a 1940s crime drama that will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland).

Penn will play Los Angeles mobster Mickey Cohen, with Gosling and Brolin set to play two cops assigned to bring him down when the gangster starts targeting innocent people. The film is based on a series of articles written by Paul Lieberman which chronicle the LAPD’s fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

Mackie will play Rocky Washington, ex-cop and the first black lieutenant in the LAPD, who is ultimately recruited to work as part of the gangster squad. Since The Hurt Locker won gold at the Oscars last year both Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie have been in demand. Mackie, who was considered for The Bourne Legacy and Mission Impossible 4, will be seen next in Real Steel, and in 2012 we’ll see him in Man on a Ledge and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

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