100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 102: To the Wonder

Director: Terrence Malick

Genre: Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem

Description: After falling in love in Paris, Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck) come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Their church's Spanish-born pastor (Javier bardem) struggles with his faith, while Neil encounters a woman (Rachel McAdams) from his childhood.

Review: We know Terrence Malick from then very much talked about movie “The Tree of Life”. It won in Cannes and “To the Wonder” wouldn’t be a Malick movie if you didn’t recognize his unique style. It’s again an impressionistic piece of art. “To the Wonder” follows the American Neil and the Ukrainian Marina, who live a passionate life on a French island. Together with Marina’s daughter, they move to America. When in Oklahoma, Neil starts to doubt his love for Marina and gets into touch with his old flame Jane. In the meantime Marina has gone back to France and Neil lives a loving life with Jane. Parallel to these happening we see the life of a priest, who is starting to doubt his faith.

The viewer gets little background information about the characters. You’re actually guessing the whole time. It doesn’t bother you. What does bother me is that Neil hardly says anything entire film, while Marina gets a bit more depth though her narration. Neil stays to close to the surface. The ‘silent type’ could be interesting, but it doesn’t work here.

“To the Wonder” is a nice film. Great quality, perfect camera work and wonderful cinematography. And the music is so amazing, it gives you chills in a good way. The poetic narration just finishes this all, it all fits together like pieces in a puzzle. It shows many similarities to “The Tree of Life”, it’s almost impossible not to compare. It’s all about emotions, the complexity of people and relationships and the pain you can feel.

“To the Wonder” is beautifully made, but still has some critical notes. Not a movie for just anyone, but definitely worth your time.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (66) 2013 Preview

Like last year I'm going to share with you trailers of movies I'm looking forward to seeing next year. Some of them I already shared in a previous "Movie Trailer Sunday". Here they are.

World War Z
Description: United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.
Director: Marc Forster
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale, Matthew Fox, David Morse
Trailer: Trailer "World War Z"
Comment: This was actually on my list last year, but there wasn't a trailer yet. Now there is and I'm super stoked about this film.

Monster's University
Description: Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) are an inseparable pair, but that wasn't always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. "Monsters University" unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.
Director: Dan Scanlon
Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray, Peter Sohn
Trailer: Trailer "Monster's University"
Comment:

Ganster Squad
Description: Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless, Brooklyn-born mob king Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, the guns, the prostitutes and--if he has his way--every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It's enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop...except, perhaps, for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders led by Sgt. John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who come together to try to tear Cohen's world apart.
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Emma Stone, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Robert Patrick, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Peña
Trailer: Trailer "Gangster Squad"
Comment: I really don't want to skip this movie in 2013!

Zero Dark Thirty
Description: "Zero Dark Thirty" focuses on the black ops mission to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, which culminated in his death during a high-stakes raid on his compound in Pakistan.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Nash Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Harold Perrineau, Frank Grillo
Trailer: Trailer "Zero Dark Thirty"
Comment: I heard so many great things about this film.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Description: We follow the siblings Hansel and Gretel (Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton) 15 years after the incident at the gingerbread house. The two are now specialized bounty hunters looking to put down the cackling black-hat set.
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Peter Stormare
Trailer: Trailer "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters"
Comment: I love darker versions of fairytales!

Oz the Great and Powerful
Description: When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking--that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity--and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.
Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Zach Braff, Bruce Campbell
Trailer: Trailer "Oz the Great and Powerful"
Comment: You know I love James so I have to see this. And Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz are all great too. And the visuals look fantastic. I'm in!

The Great Gatsby
Description: We follow would-be writer Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
Director: Baz Luhrman
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Isla Fisher
Trailer: Trailer "The Great Gatsby"
Comment: It looks amazing.

To the Wonder
Description: Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck) meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Javier Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (Rachel McAdams).
Director: Terence Mallick
Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem
Trailer: Trailer "To the Wonder"
Comment: Shared it last week, but this looks so amazing!

Movies I'm lookig forward to seeing, but don't have a trailer yet: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The World's End, Kick-Ass 2, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Knight of Cups, Twelve Years as a Slave

Movie Trailer Sunday (65)

This weeks trailers are about a couple with problems and seeking someone elses comfort, the apocalypse, the different lives of two men, a man fighting against Pinochet and a maniac.

To the Wonder
Description: Marina (Olga Kurylenko) and Neil (Ben Affleck) meet in France and move to Oklahoma to start a life together, where problems soon arise. While Marina makes the acquaintance of a priest and fellow exile (Javier Bardem), who is struggling with his vocation, Neil renews a relationship with a childhood sweetheart, Jane (Rachel McAdams).
Director: Terence Mallick
Starring: Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem
Trailer: Trailer "To the Wonder"
Comment: This trailer gave me goosebumps, it looks so beautiful.

This is the End
Description: We follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling supplies and cabin fever threaten to tear apart the friendships inside. Once they discover that they are experiencing the Apocalypse, they must come to terms with why they were left behind. Eventually they are forced to leave the house, facing their fate and the true meaning of friendship and redemption.
Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Watson
Trailer: Trailer "This is the End"
Comment: It's only a teaser, but anything with James Franco gets my attention.

The Place Beyond the Pines
Description: A motorcycle rider Luke (Ryan Gosling)makes a fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Bradley Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Bruce Greenwood, Ray Liotta
Trailer: Traler "The Place Beyond the Pines"
Comment: I love Ryan!

No
Description: When Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet, facing international pressure, calls for a referendum on his presidency in 1988, opposition leaders persuade a brash young advertising executive, Rene Saavedra (Gael García Bernal), to spearhead their campaign. With scant resources and constant scrutiny by the despot's watchmen, Saavedra and his team devise an audacious plan to win the election and free their country from oppression.
Director: Pablo Larraín
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Ant�nia Zegers, Marcial Tagle, N�stor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell, Pascal Montero
Trailer: Trailer "No"

Maniac
Description: The owner of a mannequin shop develops a dangerous obsession with a young artist.
Director: Franck Khalfoun
Starring: Elijah Wood, Norah Arnezeder
Trailer: Trailer "Maniac"