YNMS: From Mt. Everest to Jarden, Texas (Pop: 9,261)
Tuesday, June 16, 2015 at 9:15PM We've been falling behind with current trailers. So here are a few key future favorites (or not) that we missed talking about. Do these promos sell you on their movies / seasons respectively?
YNMS notes and trailers follow after the jump for the all-star thriller Everest, the action spy comedy The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the potential Oscar player Bridge of Spies and HBO's The Leftovers Season 2.
But let's start on the mountaintops with...EVEREST
MAYBE SO: This cast is a Yes many many times over though what they've come up with leans more maybe so... waiting for reviews. It's a personal reaction, I'm fully aware: mountain climbing is one of my personal obstacles to empathy like -- why feel bad for people who deliberately put themselves at risk for death for no discernible reason other than to say that they did [insert brave/foolish stunt here]?! Also there is not enough Jake Gyllenhaal in the trailer and definitely not enough Keira Knightley anything. She's one of our very best romantic drama actresses but if that marital drama subsists of just worrying over the phone this role is movie is seriously lacking in your recommended allowance of Keira Knightley. Malnourishment ahead?
But I'm curious. Baltasar Kormákur's English language movies have not been critical darlings but generic action programmers. Nevertheless he's still the director that kicked things off with the memorable Icelandic films 101 Rejkavik and Hafið /The Sea (Oscar Submission 2002) so maybe there's just been a Hollywood learning curve?
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
NO: Henry Cavill is doing a 'voice' of some kind, right? I can't quite place it. This is one noisy trailer. If you like 'em noisy this one is for you. But noisy is kind of bare minimum requirement for action blockbusters. Also Henry Cavill who is British is playing an American and Armie Hammer who is playing a Russian is American? Needlessly complicated! Were no Russian hotties available? Potential saving grace that might tilt this towards a Yes: Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki are both looking slinky and hot in the background in sixties duds. In the background though. (sigh)
This opens in August 14th, aka the fatigue period. I can't imagine it will open big as none of these actors are "bankable" in any sense. Superman sells Superman, not the actor playing him. Hollywood keeps trying with Armie Hammer though.
BRIDGE OF SPIES
YES'ish: I went big for this one in my initial Oscar predictions for the year... and I still feel pretty good about that even though this isn't the type of movie that personally puts my hairs on end from excitement. "Inspired by True Events" often has a more narcoleptic effect. And there's nothing in this trailer that feels "exciting" unfortunately. But it does look classy so that's often enough for Oscar season. Spielberg reuniting with Hanks is obvious Oscar Bait. But I was surprised not to notice Billy Magnussen at all in the trailer. I'd assumed his post Into the Woods role would be big. But at least we have the great Mark Rylance, another stage star, to look forward to as the foreigner Hanks has to negotiate for.
If Rylance's role is big enough Oscar play could totally happen. He's a hugely respected actor in both the UK and US, despite not really having much in the way of a film presence. Yet.
THE LEFTOVERS
YES: While the first season of this curious HBO drama about life after "Sudden Departure" (when 2 % of Earth's population vanished in a vaguely Rapture life event, albeit one without even tortured religious logic) left many viewers puzzled, angry or confused some of us fell hard for its structural daring. It jumped randomly from character to character, sometimes burrowing in deep on just one, and actually stared down humanity's nihilism without celebrating its communal death wish as so many series do on multiple networks with their deep love of mayhem, dehumanization, rape, violence, and body counts. It was a challenging series so it's no surprise but still brilliant that this teaser shows NONE of the original stars (of course not everyone made it out alive of that first season) but a new curveball: we're apparently moving locations (?) and all the teaser shows is the road to a new town with a great twist via freeway signage. (Thursday at TFE: Ann Dowd, the great character actress and one of the stars of that first season, is in the house, guest blogging! Be here)
Are you a Yes No Maybe So on giving this series a second chance? What about the movies above?
PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES...
The Martian | MacBeth | Suffragette | Shaun the Sheep | Ricki & The Flash
Reader Comments (14)
People must have missed the interview where Keira said she filmed for two days and is in it for five minutes?
Everest looks good - but why the excellent female cast if they're not going to be used? #JUSTICEforEmilyWatson
zzz to the other two and its about time I started the Leftovers!
I saw a glimpse of Emily Watson but no Robin Wright at all. Hmm...
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has a beautiful cast, but Guy Ritchie = zzz. (The '60s throwbacks are hot no doubt due to Mad Men.)
I couldn't care less for Spielberg + Hanks. #sorrynotsorry
And the first season of The Leftovers left me gutted. Can I stomach revisiting? Do I even want to? I'm not sure.
I'm onboard for Everest because I have travelled in Tibet and Nepal and can't resist the scenery.
It's true at the female cast is limited to fairly small parts but I will be happy to see both Knightley and Watson in a film which has every chance of being a major hit.
I'm not into The Man From Uncle but Bridge of Spies looks interesting.
I am saying right now Rylance will be nominated.
I like Ritchie films but this one has two bland pretty boys starring. Awful casting. Is it wierd that I'm that more excited for Everest now seeing that Clarke is the lead? I like Jake but he is better playing obsessive or wierd characters and this will be great for Clarkes career I think. Speaking of which, I feel like Jessee Plemmons is in a million films this year. Always happy to see FNL alumni pop up in good films.
Tom Hanks is such predictable casting in Bridge of Spies. Did Spielberg even consider anyone else?
Yeah, these are all Maybe So's leaning toward No's, depending on reviews and, especially for Bridge of Spies, Oscar nominations. Between Everest and Southpaw, Jake is choosing strangely generic stories this year. And could Bridge of Spies be more gray? Geez, we get it, this is Important, but geez.
I'd rather watch Keira Knightley worry over the phone than Seyfried/McAdams/Lively/any number of other pretty romantic leads. Girl gets romance. And she's one of our best movie stars.
Also, worrying over the phone about Jake Gyllenhaal worked well for Anne Hathaway once upon a time.
@Hayden, that phone scene alone should've netted our Annie Oscar consideration, IMO.
Nathaniel - that attitude towards mountain climbing is essentially how I feel about marathons.
Everest - BIG yes. that trailer is absolutely riveting, and the combo of location and effects work looks just about perfect. If this ends up erring too far on the Perfect Storm side of the disaster template that will be a lost opportunity, but I'm very encouraged for now.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E - nah, not really feeling this so far.
Bridge of Spies - Spielberg makes this an automatic yes, but I'd be lying if I said this did much for me. A drab, grey procedural, reeking of its own self importance, with a pretty heavy, and frankly unwelcome, jingoistic bent? This is not the Spielberg I was hoping for.
Leftovers - yes. The first season could be maddeningly uneven, but it put out several of the best episodes i saw last year, period. I can deal with the occasional valley when the peak are so high.
I nominate Jake for Best Chest Hair In A Continuing Supporting Role.
Too bad "Everest" is not a beach movie- hmm how about remaking Robinson Crusoe with Jake and give the Friday relationship a gay spin- " Lost on Brokeback Mountain"
Everest: Maybe so. it looks like something I've seen a million times. And not enough Jakey. And Keira relegated to the (Lane in Perfect Storm / Quinlan in Apollo 13 / Chastain in Interstellar / Mastrantonio in the Abyss / etc ad nauseum) "please come back!" support role is far less than she deserves.
Man from U.N.C.L.E.: Maybe so, leaning towards no. But it did look stylish, polished, and exciting. Can it top Spy or the performance of Rose Byrne? We all know the answer to that.
Bridge of Spies: Yes. I tend to enjoy Spielberg and try not to miss anything of his. The last time I thought something of his looked awful from the preview, I was incredibly wrong. It was Lincoln. Hanks doesn't look like he's stretching much here, but I'm a fan in general, so... a for sure yes for me.
Leftovers: No, based on platform alone. No access to HBO.