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Thursday, October 12, 2006 - The Michigan Daily - 5B


On the trail of another good movie
The Dadyflm staff chooses the cream ofthe movie trailer crop

railers are like an ex -
tempting at first, but once
you buy what he's selling
you look back to realize he was
nothing more than a manipula-
tive fagade in the first place.
So it goes with film's most
dynamic means of advertis-
ing. You need only check out
YouTube's infamous "Shin-
ing" trailer (in which Kubrick's
fabled thriller is re-edited as a
heart-warming family drama)
to recognize how craftily mis-
leading these previews can be.
And, just like with that ex, once
you've been burned (why, "Black
Dahlia," why?), it's hard to trust
again.
At the same time, trailers are
still the reason to get to the the-
ater at the listed time, perfect
little cinema capsules as integral
to the experience as appetizers
to a full meal. In just around two
minutes, trailers can dole out a
couple jolts of horror, annihi-
late a few bad guys with action-
adventure artillery or string
together all of the few good
jokes in a half-decent comedy.
Besides, in some cases (namely
the upcoming "Flick," which
seems to consist solely of Tim
McGraw, tears and horsies), two
minutes is about all you need.
The Daily film staff has weed-
ed through this season's current
trailer crop and picked its favor-
ites. Some hopes, some fears and
(it's never too early) some award
predictions for the coming year:
Leading men
My name is Sarah, and I have
an addiction. To movie trailers.
Yes, it's a sad addiction, lead-
ing me to comb the Internet for
the newest trailer and the next
break-out star. My friends have
had enough of this dependency
(I tend to yell at the screen in
the theater at the trailers I've
already seen), but it just feels so
good. Get your fix from my early
Oscar picks in the best actor cat-
egory (based on the looks of the
trailer as much as the men):
"The Pursuit of Happyness":
Will Smith + true rags to riches
story = Oscar hopeful. Watch
this trailer. If you don't feel
tears coming to your eyes when
watching Smith rocks his son
while locked in a bathroom, you
have no heart.
From trailer alone, "The Last
King of Scotland" already fits
the Academy bill, as Oscar loves
a biography ("Capote," "A Beau-
tiful Mind," "Ray"). Though
"Last King" is the story of a mass
murderer, that awards-season
love should still pull through for
Forrest Whittaker's mesmeriz-
ing performance. His last words
("You have grossly offended
your father!") still sends chills
up my spine.
You may have to comb the
Internet to find "Breaking and
Entering," but it's worth it just to
see Jude Law. Despite his predi-
lection for gossip rag stunts, Law
can truly act like few of his gen-
eration. And be shirtless, too.
Breathe in, breathe out and
enjoy the trailer rush.
-Sarah Schwartz

Director's cut
When sorting through upcom-
ing films,just look to their direc-
tors for guidance. This year, two
celebrated foreign filmmakers
stand out - Alejandro Gonzilez
Ifirritu ("21 Grams," "Amores
Perros") and Yimou Zhang
("Hero," "House of Flying Dag-
gers"), who both return to bring
us two new sure-to-be-heralded
films.
Ifirritu specializes in tales
of determinism and destiny,
and his latest "Babel" continues
the trend. Driven by an intense
drumbeat, the trailer for "Babel"
makes it out to be a high-class
international thriller, with politi-
cal undertones from terrorism to
immigration and an even more
random cast than Infrritu's mix
in "21 Grams" - Brad Pitt, Cate
Blanchett ("The Aviator"), and
Gael Garcia Bernal ("Y to mami
tambidn"), their stories link
around a tragedy despite conti-
nental separation.
Zhang's "Curse of the Golden
Flower" trailer also continues his
own legacy of elaborate sequenc-
es and visuals stunning enough
for best achievement in cinema-
tography. Set in a struggling
Asian empire where political
mutiny divides the royal family,
"Curse" pits king Chow Yun Fat
("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Drag-
on") against his queen (Gong Li,

career of fashioning incredibly
strong female characters with
moving, melodramatic stories,
but "Volver" brings back the
question: How many variations
of the lost-woman-returning-to-
her-roots saga can he tell?
-Hyatt Michaels

"Memoirs of a Geis
sons in a power stru
ruption and deceptio
release makes this1
bait, especially in t
category.
Living up to thel
After being fool
from the likes of "A
Men," I've become
commit even to so
most anticipatedj
namely, the music
girls" and Spani
"Volver." The two h
frontrunners for th
awards season since
Cannes in May, but
tricks show signs
disappointment.
The "Dreamgirls'
earn good grades for
production number,
a foot-stomping ren
catchy single "OneT
But the glammed-u
of the trailer puts t
dramatic weight in
actresses Beyonce
("The Pink Panther
nifer Hudson ("Ame
sound and look fan
the two R&B divas
on screen, the music
flatter than "Grease
"Volver" probabl
fer the same pro
Penelope Cruz ("Al
Mother") and her c
an ensemble award
Yet there's still so:
perfect with the trail
mystery is intriguin
only brief details o1
but the mystery seem
ed solely to cover up
director Almoddva
before. He's made a

ha") and his Best of the rest
uggle of cor- The eternal question - when
n. A Dec. 22 watching trailers, how do we
prime Oscar pick out the good from the crap?
he technical Films with great potential are
often hurt by trailers that are too
-Elie Zwibel conventional. Clint Eastwood's
"Flags Of Our Fathers," Emilio
hype Estevez's "Bobby" and Robert
ed by clips DeNiro's "The Good Shepherd"
.11 the Kings are all guilty of nauseating cheesi-
hesitant to ness, wrought with boring impera-
me of fall's tive chatter and "serious" music.
releases - Hopefully they bode little for the
al "Dream- films' actual quality. I'm just not
sh comedy sure if I want to see them now.
have become Touting high-caliber perfor-
e upcoming mances, "The Pursuit of Hap-
conquering pyness" (sic), "Catch A Fire"
their trailer (political intrigue in Africa) and
of potential "The Queen" (England's Elizabeth
II after Diana's death) all look to
trailer does seek Oscar gold and, unlike the
focusing on aforementioned trailers, actually
snippets and look original and entertaining.
dition of the And, by trailer alone, Daniel Craig
Night Only." actually looks ready for some
sp spectacle sensational action in November's
he musical's "Casino Royale." It seems the
doubt. Lead much-criticized, already notori-
Knowles ous attempt to revamp James Bond
") and Jen- just might work.
erican Idol") But the trailer everyone should
tastic, but if be talking about is Todd Field's
can' bring it adaptation of Tom Perotta's
al could fall "Little Children." The sound of
2." a chugging and whistling train
y won't suf- emerges in the background,
blem, since foreshadowing imminent crisis.
I About My Mixed with gorgeous footage
:o-stars won of a dreamy suburbia and poetic
at Cannes. dialogue from Kate Winslet and
mething too Patrick Wilson, it's drama at
er. The clip's its most promising - we know
g - flashing domestic crisis will follow, and
f the plot - can't help but be excited for it.
ns construct- Easily the best trailer of this
a story that year, and hopefully it anticipates
r has told a movie of similar quality.
n interesting -Blake Goble

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Vantage
TOP: Penelope Cruz and Lola Duenas In "Volver." MIDDLE: Alison Lohman in "Flicka." BOTTOM:
Brad Pitt and Alejandro Gonzalez Iiarritu.

K.AKi
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