100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 84: As I Lay Dying

Director: James Franco

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 105 minutes

Year: 2013

Starring: James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parrack, Ahna O’Reilly, Lofan Marshall-Green, Brady Permenter, Danny McBride, Beth Grant

Description: Based on the 1930 classic by Faulkner, it is the story of the death of Addie Bundren (Beth Grant) and her family's quest to honor her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.

Review: James Franco is a multi-talent. Sometimes he chooses blockbusters like “Spider-Man”, he starred in Oscar winning flicks “Milk” and “127 Hours” and he had a guest role on the soap opera “General Hospital”. Franco isn’t only an actor, but also a very talented director, writer and producer. For “As I Lay Dying” he directed, but also helped writing the scenario and he portrays one of the lead characters.

“As I Lay Dying” is an adaptation of the book by William Faulkner. It’s the story of Addie Bundren, who dies, and is transported by her family to give her the final resting place she was promised. During that journey the story is told from different perspectives of the family members.

Franco never chooses the easy way out, because “As I Lay Dying” isn’t an easy story to translate to film. This movie isn’t a crowd-pleaser. Fans of the book might like it, but I think the average viewer could be bothered by the split screen that Franco uses, to show us the different perspectives. It could be seen as a smart way to tell the story, but also confusing to follow the story. And the handheld camera could also throw you off, but it does give it a more realistic look.

The acting isn’t always very strong. Franco does a good and solid job and Beth Grant, with only a minor role, shows us some great acting as well. The other performances aren’t that memorable.

Like said before, “As I Lay Dying” isn’t an easy book. Sometimes it’s hard how to interpret some scenes. Sometimes you don’t know if it’s meant to be funny or if it’s just sad. Franco stayed true to the novel, but unfortunately this movie is (like the book) for a specific audience.

Rating: 2,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (88)

Here are this weeks trailers.

As I Lay Dying
Description: We follow the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family's quest to honor her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson
Director: James Franco
Starring: james Franco, Danny McBride, Tim Blake Nelson, Beth Grant, Ahna O'Reilly, Logan Marshall-Green
Trailer: Trailer "As I Lay Dying"
Comment: Two words: James Franco!

About Time
Description: At the age of 21, Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) discovers he can travel in time... The night after another unsatisfactory New Year party, Tim's father (Bill Nighy) tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. Tim can't change history, but he can change what happens and has happened in his own life�so he decides to make his world a better place...by getting a girlfriend. Sadly, that turns out not to be as easy as you might think. Moving from the Cornwall coast to London to train as a lawyer, Tim finally meets the beautiful but insecure Mary (Rachel McAdams). They fall in love, then an unfortunate time-travel incident means he's never met her at all. So they meet for the first time again�and again�but finally, after a lot of cunning time-traveling, he wins her heart. Tim then uses his power to create the perfect romantic proposal, to save his wedding from the worst best-man speeches, to save his best friend from professional disaster and to get his pregnant wife to the hospital in time for the birth of their daughter, despite a nasty traffic jam outside Abbey Road. But as his unusual life progresses, Tim finds out that his unique gift can't save him from the sorrows and ups and downs that affect all families, everywhere. There are great limits to what time travel can achieve, and it can be dangerous too.
Director: Richard Curtis
Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie
Trailer: Trailer "About Time"
Comment: Rachel McAdams' first time traveller movie is a favorite, so I think I will like this too.

Last Vegas
Description: Four old friends decide to throw a Las Vegas bachelor party for the only one of them who has remained single.
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Starring: Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Kline
Trailer: Trailer "Las Vegas"
Comment: I love Morgan Freemand and I also enjoy watching Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline. I just hope that the big names aren't the only good thing about this movie.

Berberian Sound Studio
Description: 1976. A mild-mannered British sound engineer named Gilderoy (Toby Jones) arrives in Rome to work on the post-synchronized soundtrack to The Equestrian Vortex, a tale of witchcraft and murder set inside an all-girl riding academy. But as Gilderoy begins to work on this unexpectedly terrifying project, it's his own mind that holds the real horrors. As the line between film and reality blurs, is Gilderoy working on a film - or in one?
Director: Peter Strickland
Starring: Toby Jones, Tonia Sotiropoulou, Susanna Cappellaro, Cosimo Fusco, Eugenia Caruso
Trailer: Trailer "Berberian Sound Studio"
Comment: This is one of those movies that will be very good, but is going to be ignored by many.

The Congress
Description: An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider
Director: Ari Folman
Starring: Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Danny Huston, Sami Gayle, Michael Stahl-David, Paul Giamatti
Trailer: Trailer "The Congress"