Little Bird is coming soon to PBS. The network has picked up the Canadian drama, which will begin airing in October. Darla Contois and Lisa Edelstein star in the six-episode limited series created by Jennifer Podemski and Hannah Moscovitch.
The Little Bird drama follows a young woman (Contois) trying to find her birth family. Ellyn Jade, Osawa Muskwa, Joshua Odjick, Imajyn Cardinal, Braeden Clarke, Eric Schweig, and Michelle Thrush also star in the series.
Read More…...
The Little Bird drama follows a young woman (Contois) trying to find her birth family. Ellyn Jade, Osawa Muskwa, Joshua Odjick, Imajyn Cardinal, Braeden Clarke, Eric Schweig, and Michelle Thrush also star in the series.
Read More…...
- 8/29/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. Today’s Free Movie of the Day is the true crime “dramedy” Casino Jack, which first premiered in 2010 and stars Kevin Spacey as the title character. You can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.
Directed by George Hickenlooper from a screenplay written by Norman Snider, Casino Jack has the following synopsis: A hot shot Washington DC lobbyist and his protégé go down hard as their schemes to peddle influence lead to corruption and murder.
Spacey is joined in the cast by Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Jon Lovitz, Rachelle Lefevre, Graham Greene, Ruth Marshall, Hannah Endicott-Douglas, John Robinson, Jason Weinberg, Spencer Garrett, Yok Come Ho,...
Directed by George Hickenlooper from a screenplay written by Norman Snider, Casino Jack has the following synopsis: A hot shot Washington DC lobbyist and his protégé go down hard as their schemes to peddle influence lead to corruption and murder.
Spacey is joined in the cast by Barry Pepper, Kelly Preston, Jon Lovitz, Rachelle Lefevre, Graham Greene, Ruth Marshall, Hannah Endicott-Douglas, John Robinson, Jason Weinberg, Spencer Garrett, Yok Come Ho,...
- 2/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Montreal-based Rezolution Pictures, behind Sundance winner “Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World,” and Winnipeg-based Op Little Bird have partnered with Fremantle International on Jennifer Podemski and Hannah Moscovitch’s original drama series “Little Bird,” which is set to premiere on Crave and Aptn in Canada.
The series, which stars Darla Contois and Lisa Edelstein, follows the life of Bezhig Little Bird, a victim of the Sixties Scoop in Saskatchewan wherein First Nations children were abducted and placed in foster homes before being put up for adoption by white families.
Told in parallel timelines, “Little Bird” quickly contrasts Bezhig’s childhood with her engagement party – only this time as Esther Rosenblum, a woman in her 20s on the cusp of life, and suddenly wracked with repressed memories. As a showrunner, Podemski, who is herself both Indigenous and Jewish, is perfectly positioned to give authenticity and meaning to the matter. She...
The series, which stars Darla Contois and Lisa Edelstein, follows the life of Bezhig Little Bird, a victim of the Sixties Scoop in Saskatchewan wherein First Nations children were abducted and placed in foster homes before being put up for adoption by white families.
Told in parallel timelines, “Little Bird” quickly contrasts Bezhig’s childhood with her engagement party – only this time as Esther Rosenblum, a woman in her 20s on the cusp of life, and suddenly wracked with repressed memories. As a showrunner, Podemski, who is herself both Indigenous and Jewish, is perfectly positioned to give authenticity and meaning to the matter. She...
- 2/2/2023
- by JD Linville
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Mann’s films turn on the fulcrum of historical upheaval. Sometimes that upheaval is imminent; sometimes it has already happened. In either case his characters are precision-tuned to reflect it, existing within an exact moment in time that violently disrupts their worldview and forces them to reconsider their very methods of being. Personal ideals are often overshadowed by realpolitik—cold, clinical systems that rely on dehumanization to function.
The Last of the Mohicans, adapted from James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel of the same name, stands among the purest distillations of Mann’s narrative rigor. Though an aesthetic departure—his signature glittering skylines and rain-slicked city streets are replaced with the verdant wilderness of colonial Albany—the film is every bit as concerned, if not more so, with the cosmic ebb and flow of change, the individuals swept up in it. Its fluctuating scope is laid bare in its two opening intertitles: “1757. The American colonies.
The Last of the Mohicans, adapted from James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel of the same name, stands among the purest distillations of Mann’s narrative rigor. Though an aesthetic departure—his signature glittering skylines and rain-slicked city streets are replaced with the verdant wilderness of colonial Albany—the film is every bit as concerned, if not more so, with the cosmic ebb and flow of change, the individuals swept up in it. Its fluctuating scope is laid bare in its two opening intertitles: “1757. The American colonies.
- 9/22/2022
- by Cole Kronman
- The Film Stage
Cavitycolors pays tribute to Maniac Cop 2 with a new shirts and pins collection, and in today's Horror Highlights, we also have details on Aliens Ate My Homework, What the Waters Left Behind, and The Tormenting.
Maniac Cop 2 Shirts and Pins Collection: From Cavitycolors: "Hey Fiends!
This Thursday, we're bringing you our officially licensed Maniac Cop 2 collection!
Written by Larry Cohen (The Stuff) and directed by William Lustig (Maniac), Part 2 of the series is my personal favorite entry in the series. A 90's cult classic in the truest sense, it's just so satisfying to see a much more monstrous Matt Cordell wreak havoc on the streets of New York City. We couldn't be more excited to work with top notch artists on this release, including Devon Whitehead, Jason Edmiston, Shane Murphy, and Matt Skiff. All art is officially licensed, and approved by William Lustig himself for what might...
Maniac Cop 2 Shirts and Pins Collection: From Cavitycolors: "Hey Fiends!
This Thursday, we're bringing you our officially licensed Maniac Cop 2 collection!
Written by Larry Cohen (The Stuff) and directed by William Lustig (Maniac), Part 2 of the series is my personal favorite entry in the series. A 90's cult classic in the truest sense, it's just so satisfying to see a much more monstrous Matt Cordell wreak havoc on the streets of New York City. We couldn't be more excited to work with top notch artists on this release, including Devon Whitehead, Jason Edmiston, Shane Murphy, and Matt Skiff. All art is officially licensed, and approved by William Lustig himself for what might...
- 9/1/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Recently, CBS released the new,official synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming " Elementary" episode 6 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Terra Pericolosa," and it turns out that we're going to see a murdering map stealing criminal, prompt the investigative attention of Holmes and Watson, and more. In the new, 6th episode press release: Holmes and Watson are going to search for a thief who commits murder to procure a rare map. Press release number 2: Holmes and Watson will search for a thief who committed murder to steal a rare map. In the meantime, Watson is going to become concerned with Sherlock’s escalating interference into Kitty’s burgeoning personal life. Mamie Gummer guest stars as wealthy New York heiress, Margaret Bray. Guest stars feature: Ophelia Lovibond (Kitty Winter), Mamie Gummer (Margaret Bray), Eric Schweig (Leon Moody), Skipp Sudduth (William Ziff), K.Todd Freeman (Rafael) and Liv Rooth (Sharon Tavener). The...
- 11/27/2014
- by Derek
- OnTheFlix
Brace yourselves. This list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies is probably going to generate some howls of protest thanks to a rather major upset in the rankings. Frankly, one that surprised the hell out of us here at AfterElton.
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked AfterElton readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
We also wanted to expand our list to 100 from the top 50 we had done previously. We figured there were finally enough quality gay films to justify the expansion. And we wanted to break out gay documentaries onto their own list (You'll find the...
- 9/11/2012
- by AfterElton.com Staff
- The Backlot
One chaotic round of updates coming up.
Jane Espenson has announced the new project she has been working on with Alessandra Torresani, Brad Bell (Cheeks) and Sean Hemeon, in an interview with CliqueClack. Yes, it's Husbands, a web series about "two guys, a newly dating couple, who celebrate a new marriage equality law in Vegas and wake up married." A couple of snippets from the interview:
Km: What do you hope to become of Husbands in the long run? If it simply stays as a free series on the web, will that satisfy not only you but the actors?
Je: Honestly, I would love to see Husbands turn into a network television show. I’m loving the freedom that we’re enjoying as we put it together ourselves, but there’s something about it that feels so accessible — it’s Ab Fab, Dharma and Greg, Will and Grace … it feels...
Jane Espenson has announced the new project she has been working on with Alessandra Torresani, Brad Bell (Cheeks) and Sean Hemeon, in an interview with CliqueClack. Yes, it's Husbands, a web series about "two guys, a newly dating couple, who celebrate a new marriage equality law in Vegas and wake up married." A couple of snippets from the interview:
Km: What do you hope to become of Husbands in the long run? If it simply stays as a free series on the web, will that satisfy not only you but the actors?
Je: Honestly, I would love to see Husbands turn into a network television show. I’m loving the freedom that we’re enjoying as we put it together ourselves, but there’s something about it that feels so accessible — it’s Ab Fab, Dharma and Greg, Will and Grace … it feels...
- 8/6/2011
- by fanshawe
- CapricaTV
Chicago – In our latest Kevin Spacey edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have a Kevin Spacey-signed poster for the new film “Casino Jack” up for grabs plus these Kevin Spacey DVDs: “The Usual Suspects,” “American Beauty” and “Swimming With Sharks”! Kevin Spacey has just been nominated for a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Jack Abramoff in the new film “Casino Jack”.
The poster is signed by Spacey along with “Casino Jack” stars Jon Lovitz and Barry Pepper. The film also stars Kelly Preston, Rachelle Lefevre, Anna Hardwick, Ruth Marshall, Graham Greene, Hannah Endicott-Douglas, John Robinson, Jason Weinberg, Spencer Garrett, Yok Come Ho, John David Whalen, Matt Gordon, Jeffrey R. Smith, Christian Campbell and Eric Schweig from director George Hickenlooper and writer Norman Snider.
To win your free Kevin Spacey prize pack courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form.
The poster is signed by Spacey along with “Casino Jack” stars Jon Lovitz and Barry Pepper. The film also stars Kelly Preston, Rachelle Lefevre, Anna Hardwick, Ruth Marshall, Graham Greene, Hannah Endicott-Douglas, John Robinson, Jason Weinberg, Spencer Garrett, Yok Come Ho, John David Whalen, Matt Gordon, Jeffrey R. Smith, Christian Campbell and Eric Schweig from director George Hickenlooper and writer Norman Snider.
To win your free Kevin Spacey prize pack courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, all you need to do is answer our question in this Web-based submission form.
- 12/23/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Title: The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Bd-50 Dual-Layer Disc Video: 1080p/Avc Mpeg-4 Audio: 5.1 DTS-hd Master Audio Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish Run time: 114 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Rating: Unrated Region Coding: Region A Only Equipment used for review: Sharp Lc-46SB57UN 46" 120Hz 1080p LCD (24fps), Onkyo TX-SR606 7.1 Receiver, Onkyo Sks-HT540 7.1, & LG BH200 Super Blu Cast/Crew Info: Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye (Nathaniel Poe) Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro Russell Means as Chingachgook Eric Schweig as Uncas Jodhi May as...
- 10/8/2010
- by Shawn Bokros, Jackson Blu-ray Disc Examiner
- Examiner Movies Channel
If there.s anyone who goes back and tinkers with their films more than George Lucas it may be Michael Mann. His interpretation of James Fennimore Cooper.s novel was not safe from revision either. This version corrects some mistakes of the tinkered version, but is still not the version you may have fallen in love with in theaters. Mohicans Chingachgook (Russell Means), his son Uncas (Eric Schweig), and his adopted .white son. Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis) are drawn into the 1757 French and Indian War. Col. Edward Munro (Maurice Roeves) has summoned his daughters, Cora (Madeline Stowe) and Alice (Jodhi May), to meet him at his garrison. To that end, he.s sent Maj. Duncan Heyward (Steven Waddington) to...
- 10/7/2010
- by Jeff Swindoll
- Monsters and Critics
We are continuing our trailer watching where they are so fresh we might as well have stolen them. That’s right “Stolen, Fresh Daily” we have another TrailerWatch for you and this time it revolves around one of my favorite actors, Kevin Spacey.
>> Bagman Trailer # 1
When it was revealed that Kevin Spacey was going to play political wheeler and dealer, Jack Abramoff in the film once known as Casino Jack, now Bagman, I was thrilled. The Playlist had posted the first trailer for George Hickenlooper’s Bagman and we have posted it below.
The studio (Hannibal Pictures) asked us to remove this trailer and set some things straight.
Bagman is the International title being used but that Casino Jack will for the time being be the Us Version’s title. The trailer that we had posted was for the International version and that a Us version is being cut by the film’s Us distributor.
>> Bagman Trailer # 1
When it was revealed that Kevin Spacey was going to play political wheeler and dealer, Jack Abramoff in the film once known as Casino Jack, now Bagman, I was thrilled. The Playlist had posted the first trailer for George Hickenlooper’s Bagman and we have posted it below.
The studio (Hannibal Pictures) asked us to remove this trailer and set some things straight.
Bagman is the International title being used but that Casino Jack will for the time being be the Us Version’s title. The trailer that we had posted was for the International version and that a Us version is being cut by the film’s Us distributor.
- 6/16/2010
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
It's time to break some Unvaulted rules. Normally I write about movies that you likely haven't seen, but right now I am going to make an exception, because you probably have seen Michael Mann's excellent Last of the Mohicans. But I need to write about it anyway.
Picture me in a yellow shirt and black eye makeup, nursing a beer in a dark North Shore Massachusetts bar. Some older guy is chatting me up, but he leaves for a moment. And in that moment, his friend and loyal wingman steps in to advocate for his buddy: "You know Daniel Day Lewis' Indian brother in Last of the Mohicans? That's how I feel about that guy."
It just so happens I do know about Daniel Day Lewis' Indian brother in Last of the Mohicans, who was played to stoic perfection by Eric Schweig. (One of my college friends...
Picture me in a yellow shirt and black eye makeup, nursing a beer in a dark North Shore Massachusetts bar. Some older guy is chatting me up, but he leaves for a moment. And in that moment, his friend and loyal wingman steps in to advocate for his buddy: "You know Daniel Day Lewis' Indian brother in Last of the Mohicans? That's how I feel about that guy."
It just so happens I do know about Daniel Day Lewis' Indian brother in Last of the Mohicans, who was played to stoic perfection by Eric Schweig. (One of my college friends...
- 5/21/2010
- Fox Movie Channel - Unvaulted
I'd like to start the second installment of Motion History by thanking everyone for all their positive feedback! There's no better feeling than knowing people enjoyed reading something as much as you enjoyed writing it, particularly since I feel as though I didn't even give the topic justice!
I've had a lot of requests to tackle particular movies. Believe me, I'm making a list, and we'll tackle it together. Your favorite will be coming. With so much enthusiasm, I feel as though this week's selection may let a lot of people down. But I was trying to avoid the personal temptation of picking something medieval, and I was inspired by TCM devoting a month to portrayals of Native Americans on film. I thought I'd chip in with a discussion of Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, a film that walks the weird line between history, stereotype and authenticity.
I've had a lot of requests to tackle particular movies. Believe me, I'm making a list, and we'll tackle it together. Your favorite will be coming. With so much enthusiasm, I feel as though this week's selection may let a lot of people down. But I was trying to avoid the personal temptation of picking something medieval, and I was inspired by TCM devoting a month to portrayals of Native Americans on film. I thought I'd chip in with a discussion of Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, a film that walks the weird line between history, stereotype and authenticity.
- 5/14/2010
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
Toronto -- Tina Keeper ("North of 60"), Don Burnstick, Jennifer Baxter and Blues musician Derek Miller have joined the second season cast of the Canadian TV soap "Cashing In" from Animiki See Digital Productions and Buffalo Gal Pictures.
They join a returning cast for the Aptn half-hour dramedy about a fictional First Nations-run gambling palace in Manitoba that includes Eric Schweig, Wesley French, Karen Holness, Glen Gould and Sarah Podemski.
The comic series has found cult status by portraying aboriginal Canadians as sexy and wealthy in a modern casino setting, rather than telling traditional stories in Canada's Great White North.
Vanessa Loewen and Jean du Toit are producing "Cashing In," with Peter Strutt and Phyllis Laing executive producing.
They join a returning cast for the Aptn half-hour dramedy about a fictional First Nations-run gambling palace in Manitoba that includes Eric Schweig, Wesley French, Karen Holness, Glen Gould and Sarah Podemski.
The comic series has found cult status by portraying aboriginal Canadians as sexy and wealthy in a modern casino setting, rather than telling traditional stories in Canada's Great White North.
Vanessa Loewen and Jean du Toit are producing "Cashing In," with Peter Strutt and Phyllis Laing executive producing.
- 2/24/2010
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"The Last of the Mohicans" written/directed by Michael "Miami Vice" Mann in 1992, is a historical feature set in 1757 during the French and Indian War, based on author James Fenimore Cooper's classic novel.
Cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, with Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig and Jodhi May.
The soundtrack, featuring music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, featured the haunting song "I Will Find You" by Clannad.
"Last Of The Mohicans" won an Academy Award for Best Sound.
Mann's film, like the novel is a romance, set against a turbulent era, with authentic wardobe and weaponry of the period.
"Last Of The Mohicans" opened in North America, September 25, 1992. By the end of its domestic run, the film earned $75,505,856.
Sneak Peek "Last Of The Mohicans"...
Cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe, with Russell Means, Wes Studi, Eric Schweig and Jodhi May.
The soundtrack, featuring music by Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman, featured the haunting song "I Will Find You" by Clannad.
"Last Of The Mohicans" won an Academy Award for Best Sound.
Mann's film, like the novel is a romance, set against a turbulent era, with authentic wardobe and weaponry of the period.
"Last Of The Mohicans" opened in North America, September 25, 1992. By the end of its domestic run, the film earned $75,505,856.
Sneak Peek "Last Of The Mohicans"...
- 12/5/2009
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Something's missing in "The Missing".
Director Ron Howard's follow-up to his Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind" after he parted ways with "The Alamo", this murky, thriller-tinged Western has the terrain down cold -- from the wide-open spaces to the rocky vistas -- but beneath all the requisite genre trappings there's a vast, empty gulch where the affecting dramatic element should have been found.
Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by Thomas Eidson and adapted by Ken Kaufman ("Space Cowboys"), this story of a frontier doctor who is reluctantly reunited with her estranged father after her teenage daughter is abducted by a treacherous Apache more than slightly recalls the 1956 John Ford classic "The Searchers", but the derivative aspect isn't the major culprit.
Even with the ever-reliable Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones on hand, the picture seldom feels like anything more than a ride through a Western town set -- it's all rickety facade and scaffolding.
Although Columbia Pictures' marketing has wisely been playing up the thriller element in its TV ads and Howard's name carries some well-deserved weight, "The Missing" still looks to be a tricky sell, especially if it can't bank on year-end critic kudos.
Set in the untamed American Southwest circa 1885, the film wastes no time in establishing its unsettling tone as local healer Maggie Gilkeson (Blanchett) extracts an old woman's rotting tooth.
Soon after, a grisly, long-haired stranger called Jones (Jones) rides into her family's homestead seeking treatment. It turns out the visitor is none other than Maggie's father, who had abandoned her and her mother 20 years earlier to go and live among the Apaches.
The resentful Maggie wants to see neither hide nor ponytailed hair of him, but the two must become allies when her daughter Lilly Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by the psychotic Pesh-Chidin (Eric Schweig), a spell-casting brujo, or male witch, who snatches teenage girls and sells them into Mexican slavery.
Of course, the ensuing trek to rescue Lilly -- in which they're accompanied by her younger sister, Dot (Jenna Boyd) -- is really about things like tolerance and reconciliation, and not just between father and daughter.
Wanting to have its politically correct cake and eat it too, Kaufman's annoyingly black-and-white script, with its borderline cartoonish characterizations, seems to be saying all Indians aren't bad ... but some are really, really bad.
Handed those sorts of archetypes, Blanchett and particularly Jones do what layering they can, but their characters haven't been given enough complexity to keep the viewer involved. With even less to work with, the supporting cast (which also includes Val Kilmer in a cameo as an Army lieutenant) are saddled with whatever version of good or evil they've been assigned.
Having always wanted to do a Western, Howard makes sure to get everything in, right down to the flaming arrows. And while he and cinematographer Salvatore Totino take full advantage of their New Mexico locations, very little of it carries any emotional weight despite the constant tug of composer James Horner's "Titanic"-sized score.
In the end, while Blanchett's Maggie comes back with what she was looking for, as well as something that she didn't know she had lost, the film emerges disappointingly empty-handed.
The Missing
Columbia Pictures
Revolution Studios and Imagine Entertainment present a Brian Grazer production in association with Daniel Ostroff Prods. A Ron Howard film
Credits:
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Ken Kaufman
Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by: Thomas Eidson
Producers: Brian Grazer, Daniel Ostroff, Ron Howard
Executive producers: Todd Hallowell, Steve Crystal
Director of photography: Salvatore Totino
Art director: Guy Barnes
Editors: Dan Hanley, Mike Hill
Costume designer: Julie Weiss
Music: James Horner
Cast:
Samuel Jones: Tommy Lee Jones
Maggie Gilkeson: Cate Blanchett
Lilly: Evan Rachel Wood
Dot: Jenna Boyd
Pesh-Chidin: Eric Schweig
Brake Baldwin: Aaron Eckhart
Kayitah: Jay Tavare
Honesco: Simon Baker
Emiliano: Sergio Calderon
Lt. Jim Ducharme: Val Kilmer
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time -- 130 minutes...
Director Ron Howard's follow-up to his Oscar-winning "A Beautiful Mind" after he parted ways with "The Alamo", this murky, thriller-tinged Western has the terrain down cold -- from the wide-open spaces to the rocky vistas -- but beneath all the requisite genre trappings there's a vast, empty gulch where the affecting dramatic element should have been found.
Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by Thomas Eidson and adapted by Ken Kaufman ("Space Cowboys"), this story of a frontier doctor who is reluctantly reunited with her estranged father after her teenage daughter is abducted by a treacherous Apache more than slightly recalls the 1956 John Ford classic "The Searchers", but the derivative aspect isn't the major culprit.
Even with the ever-reliable Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones on hand, the picture seldom feels like anything more than a ride through a Western town set -- it's all rickety facade and scaffolding.
Although Columbia Pictures' marketing has wisely been playing up the thriller element in its TV ads and Howard's name carries some well-deserved weight, "The Missing" still looks to be a tricky sell, especially if it can't bank on year-end critic kudos.
Set in the untamed American Southwest circa 1885, the film wastes no time in establishing its unsettling tone as local healer Maggie Gilkeson (Blanchett) extracts an old woman's rotting tooth.
Soon after, a grisly, long-haired stranger called Jones (Jones) rides into her family's homestead seeking treatment. It turns out the visitor is none other than Maggie's father, who had abandoned her and her mother 20 years earlier to go and live among the Apaches.
The resentful Maggie wants to see neither hide nor ponytailed hair of him, but the two must become allies when her daughter Lilly Evan Rachel Wood) is kidnapped by the psychotic Pesh-Chidin (Eric Schweig), a spell-casting brujo, or male witch, who snatches teenage girls and sells them into Mexican slavery.
Of course, the ensuing trek to rescue Lilly -- in which they're accompanied by her younger sister, Dot (Jenna Boyd) -- is really about things like tolerance and reconciliation, and not just between father and daughter.
Wanting to have its politically correct cake and eat it too, Kaufman's annoyingly black-and-white script, with its borderline cartoonish characterizations, seems to be saying all Indians aren't bad ... but some are really, really bad.
Handed those sorts of archetypes, Blanchett and particularly Jones do what layering they can, but their characters haven't been given enough complexity to keep the viewer involved. With even less to work with, the supporting cast (which also includes Val Kilmer in a cameo as an Army lieutenant) are saddled with whatever version of good or evil they've been assigned.
Having always wanted to do a Western, Howard makes sure to get everything in, right down to the flaming arrows. And while he and cinematographer Salvatore Totino take full advantage of their New Mexico locations, very little of it carries any emotional weight despite the constant tug of composer James Horner's "Titanic"-sized score.
In the end, while Blanchett's Maggie comes back with what she was looking for, as well as something that she didn't know she had lost, the film emerges disappointingly empty-handed.
The Missing
Columbia Pictures
Revolution Studios and Imagine Entertainment present a Brian Grazer production in association with Daniel Ostroff Prods. A Ron Howard film
Credits:
Director: Ron Howard
Screenwriter: Ken Kaufman
Based on the novel "The Last Ride" by: Thomas Eidson
Producers: Brian Grazer, Daniel Ostroff, Ron Howard
Executive producers: Todd Hallowell, Steve Crystal
Director of photography: Salvatore Totino
Art director: Guy Barnes
Editors: Dan Hanley, Mike Hill
Costume designer: Julie Weiss
Music: James Horner
Cast:
Samuel Jones: Tommy Lee Jones
Maggie Gilkeson: Cate Blanchett
Lilly: Evan Rachel Wood
Dot: Jenna Boyd
Pesh-Chidin: Eric Schweig
Brake Baldwin: Aaron Eckhart
Kayitah: Jay Tavare
Honesco: Simon Baker
Emiliano: Sergio Calderon
Lt. Jim Ducharme: Val Kilmer
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time -- 130 minutes...
- 12/8/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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