Richard Kelly's "Southland Tales" debuted at Cannes this morning. The follow up for Kelly after cult favorite "Donnie Darko" stars The Rock and Seann William Scott, the new Matthau and Lemmon, along with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, and a cast of thousands.
This eagerly anticipated project has been described as a "futuristic sci-fi musical", a label that suggests another "Rocky Horror Picture Show." The website has promised "graphic novels" (comic books) for months, but all that has emerged are a few stills which haven't inspired confidence. The film looks intentionally unusual, often a sign of desperation that can lead to a disconnect.
Reviews are starting to come in. At 2:40 the film is unlikely to do huge box office, though the tone of the reviews suggests that a reduction by Kelly could greatly enhance the focus of the narrative, so the cinematic release may be shorter.
I haven't seen any comments directly about The Rock, but comments about the arch, mannered, and ultra serious deliveries of the characters suggest that his usually wooden readings were right at home in Kelly's movie and that this won't be the breakout film where Rock proves his acting skills.
Frank
"And the actors -- Duane 'The Rock' Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott and Justin Timberlake have the lead parts -- have been directed to perform with arch and mannered deliveries, or to act ultra-serious and alarmed with constantly shocked expressions, and so it doesn't connect on an emotional level. Nothing is allowed to sink in and touch you.
"Part of the problem is that Kelly's approach undermines itself. You could make the argument that the only way to satirize modern life is through the lens of bad science fiction; the problem with that technique is that at the end of the day, you've still got a piece of bad science fiction.
The inventions and plot ideas and new characters come as a barrage in Southland Tales, but they don't seem like part of any vision or storytelling method; instead, they seem like the rambling elaborations of a bad liar." - James Rocchi, http://www.cinematical.com/2006/05/21/cannes-review-southland-tales/
"I only have a few minutes to spare before my next screening, but I must quickly gawp in astonishment at the sophomore-jinx train wreck that is Richard Kelly's Southland Tales. Set in semi-post-apocalytpic 2008 Los Angeles, Kelly's followup to muddled cult favorite Donnie Darko aims for Pynchonesque black comedy but winds up more like a 12:52 a.m. Saturday Night Live sketch (the cast includes, in significant roles, Jon Lovitz, Nora Dunn, Cheri Oteri, and Amy Poehler) crossed with Hudson Hawk, only far more pretentious and interminable than either. This is a potential career killer, I suspect...though there was a tiny smattering of applause as the closing credits began, and I don't doubt that a movie as bizarre and uncompromising as this will manage to scrape up a handful of ardent fans." - Mike D'Angelo, http://www.nerve.com/nerveblog/cannes2006.aspx?id=106e4750#4750
"The film strives to rank alongside such classics as 'Brazil' and 'Blade Runner' but falls more into the category of 'Mars Attacks!' and '1941,' and boxoffice potential will rely on very tolerant young audiences.
"In terms of Hollywood, it is supposed to be the epicentre of where we make films. Yet we constantly run our films out of the country and it is depressing.
I know a lot of people I work with are losing their health insurance and benefits because we constantly recreate every American city in Canada.
Harsh. I had a feeling that Kelly's post-DARKO inflated head would lead to problems with this, and it sounds as though that is indeed the case. There's a fine line between visionary and crap, and sophomore cult directors often find themselves on the wrong side of it. A real shame.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
"It's like what Mission: Impossible was for Tom Cruise." - The Rock, March 2004
"'Spy Hunter' is going great. We've got Stuart Beattie who's writing it right now, who wrote 'Collateral' as well as 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' so he's a great writer, he's got a great take on it. 'Spy Hunter' is one of those movies that we announced almost two years ago and everybody who I run into is like, 'Where's 'Spy Hunter?' It's one of those movies that you cannot get wrong. That's why it's so important that the writing is right, the feel, the tone is right. You see the car, you see [my character] Alec Sects. So it's going to be the real deal once it's done." - The Rock, August 2005
"This is one of those projects where we've had eight writers on it, on 'Spy-Hunter'--great writers too. Millions of dollars being spent, but it's one of those things where you really don't want to rush it. You just don't want to make just any type of movie. It's such a special movie conceptually. It's so cool with the car. And you're the hunter of spies. Stuart Beattie we all believe will come through. He wrote 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Collateral,' so we're waiting--fingers crossed. It should be in in about a week." - The Rock, October 2005
Dwight's open-mouthed reaction to DunderMifflin/Sys' "Oh, I didn't know we could use the leads we stole from Staples" had me in tears laughing. Great episode.