"Sister Brothers" Trailer + Updated Oscar Acting Charts

by Nathaniel R

Quip Quip Bang Bang. ← I probably should've saved that sentence for the eventual review of The Sisters Brothers but here we are with the trailer upon us just as we're trying to update the Oscar charts. The western comedy (?) is adapted from the novel by Patrick DeWitt which is about two assassins Eli (John C Reilly) and Charlie Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix), who are sent to a man named Warm (Riz Ahmed), who is accused of stealing from the Sisters' boss The Commodore (Rutger Hauer, unseen in this first trailer). More after the jump... 

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Review: Joaquin Phoenix in "You Were Never Really Here"

by Seán McGovern

As the credits begin to roll on Lynne Ramsey's visceral and intense film, I felt an odd feeling of relief that Joaquin Phoenix did not win an Oscar for playing Johnny Cash. In the years since, Phoenix has eschewed the mainstream and become a full-blown movie-star weirdo. His raw performance in You Were Never Really Here isn't just told his line-readings but also his back muscles, feet, scars and posture. A role for the classical leading man, this is not.

Ramsey's first film since 2011 is a singular assault. It's quite possible that you hated We Need to Talk About Kevin, which took the parental horrors of Lionel Shriver's novel and intellectualised them at a remove. But Ramsey has a knack for distance, creating a particular style of alienation that works perfectly for the story of a traumatized hired-gun...

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"You Were Never Really Here" First Look!

Chris here. Can you believe the wait for the next Lynne Ramsay film is almost over? We've only had to wait a mere six years this time after the the nine year gap between Morvern Callar and We Need to Talk About Kevin, so maybe we shouldn't complain. But this film is a promising return: Ramsay worked on You Were Never Really Here until the last minute before its Cannes debut, landing both a Best Actor trophy for Joaquin Pheonix and a tie for Best Screenplay (shared with The Killing of a Sacred Deer). And don't expect any dampened intensity from the auteur - Pheonix stars as a vigilante hitman tasked to rescue a young girl from a human trafficking circle.

The film is absent from the fall festival circuit and Amazon has yet to announce a release date, which likely spells out a slightly further wait and spring stateside release. No worry for our European readers as the film will open in a few countries this fall, and we've got a new trailer to go with it. Phoenix is pretty thrilling even in just this brief glimpse, but the trailer also hints at a pulsing score from Jonny Greenwood and gorgeous visuals from director of photography Thomas Townend. Take a look at the bloody and brutal NSFW trailer (fair warning - those who've seen the film say the trailer uses a lot of footage from the climax of the film) and rejoice Ramsay's return!

No More Mara "Magdalene" This Year

Chris here. We've been dying to see Rooney Mara in Garth Davis's Lion follow-up Mary Magdalene ever since those set photos emerged of her smoking in costume. But unfortunately the wait is about to be longer: the Weinstein Co. just pushed the film off this year's release calendar. We suspected this news might be coming when the film wasn't showing up in any festival lineups, but now the news in confirmed.

However, this doesn't mean that Mary Magdalene is headed towards the same fate as their delayed-into-oblivion titles Suite Francaise and Tulip Fever (which will finally open wide Sept. 1 - allegedly). Weinstein Co. has simply pushed the film back to March 30, which will be appropriately timed for Easter weekend. Perhaps opening on the holiday will be a smart cash grab given the relevancy with the subject.

But the Weinstein's aren't giving up that prime November release date after the same timing worked out so well for them last year with Lion. They have now moved up the Edison/Westinghouse electricity race film The Current War to Magdalene's former November 24 date. That film plays right into the Academy's biopic sweet spot and boasts a nomination-ready ensemble that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, and Tom Holland. The financial struggles of the Weinstein Co. would likely have not been able to support the awards hopes for both, so maybe this is the best scenario for both films. Even if it means we'll have to smoke another pack with Mara Magdalene while we wait.

Say What! On the "Mary Magdelene" Set

Garth Davis's Lion arrives in theatres today, but he'll be reuniting with supporting player Rooney Mara in short order for next year's Mary Magdalene. That intriguing project is one of many coming next year from the actress, including a just announced secret film shot with her Aint Them Bodies Saints director David Lowery last summer and maybe Terrence Malick's Weightless. However, we've now seen some set photos of Davis's film with Mara and Joaquin Phoenix's Jesus getting all biblical:

What could Mara be saying to Phoenix? Caption This in the comments!