 Consistently low key but largely entertaining, ‘Supporting Characters’ is a good little indie flick that gets by on good will and charm. I don’t mean that as a bad thing, just as a way of describing how something as simple as this manages to work. Mainly a comedic look at the difficulties of both personal and workplace relationships, the main highlight of the movie is the banter that star Alex Karpovsky engages in with the rest of the cast. Co-writer/director Daniel Schechter keeps things loose, and the script he co-wrote with Tarik Lowe (who also has a major role) is observational and rather witty. Nothing about the work is extraordinary, but much of it is rather solid. It’s really not the kind of movie that you go wild over, but folks who like their Manhattan set comedies to mix the vibe of Woody Allen and HBO’s series ‘Girls’ (which Karpovsky has a supporting role on) will likely dig what this flick has to offer. I’m recommending it overall due to its easy going and pleasurable nature (plus the polish that it shows off despite being made for only about 50 grand), but this isn’t the most memorable of films. It’s nice while you’re watching it, but that’s about it. Still, it’s early on in 2013, so that’s still better than average.
Read more on Supporting Characters (***)…
One of the most anticipated films of 2013 is Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines, starring Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. In Pines, Gosling plays a motorcycle rider turned bank robber, while Cooper is the rookie cop out to stop him. Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, and Dane DeHaan also star. Fortunately, the film opens March 29th, 2013, so we won’t have to wait until the end of the year for this one. Check out nine new images from the film (plus the one above) after the jump.
Read more on 10 New Images from ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ Starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper…
 Well this certainly came out of left field, but what a welcome surprise! Deadline has broken the news that Emily VanCamp, the lead of ABC’s fantastic show Revenge, is currently in talks to star alongside Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. VanCamp is rumored to be playing Sharon Carter, a former SHIELD agent who in the comic books was a sister/niece to Peggy Carter, Cap’s first love.
Read more on ‘Revenge’ star Emily Van Camp to join ‘Captain America: The WInter Soldier’…
Link(s) of the week:
In the wake of Argo cleaning up at PGA and SAG last weekend, Jon Weisman of Variety warns us against counting Lincoln out of the Oscar race, regardless of how good the chances look for Affleck’s film to bring home the big prize.
Read more on Around the Circuit: January 26th – February 2nd…
AMPAS has announced that Mark Wahlberg and his stuffed teddy bear co-star, Ted, will be presenters at the 85th Academy Awards. This comes as little surprise, as Seth MacFarlane – the director, writer, and voice of Ted – is this year’s Oscar host. If I’m not mistaken though, Wahlberg and Ted are the first presenters announced for the ceremony. I’m sure a LOT more names will be dropping in the next few days, so stay tuned to The Awards Circuit for the latest announcements. Have a look at the official release after the jump.
Read more on Mark Wahlberg and Ted to Present at Oscars®…
 New name. Same Category. The Academy Award for Best Production Design celebrates the best in art direction and set design. Production designers have an incredibly difficult role in the making of film. Whether it’s a fantasy film set in far off world or a recreation of a historical building, production designers create the physical building blocks that allow us into the world of the film. Last year this award (called the Academy Award for Art Direction), went to Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo for Hugo.
And the 2012 Nominees are…
Sarah Greenwood – Anna Karenina
Dan Hennah – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Eve Stewart – Les Miserables
David Gropman – Life of Pi
Rick Carter, Jim Erickson, and Peter T. Frank – Lincoln Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Production Design…
Categories: Oscar Circuit Tags: Anna Karenina, Dan Hennah, David Gropman, Eve Stewart, Jim Erickson, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Oscar, Oscar Circuit, Rick Carter, Sarah Greenwood, Terence Johnson, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
 You’d be hard pressed to find a person who was more unsure of Warm Bodies than me when the trailer dropped. In this age of reboots and re-imaginings and remixes, this just seemed like another in the assembly line of ideas. Luckily the writers took care to develop a dynamite script that earns every laugh and dramatic beat, found the perfect director in Jonathan Levine, and captured a fine cast to make it all come to life. A lighthearted romp through the undead genre, Warm Bodies is the first real bright spot in this year’s opening slate of films. Read more on Warm Bodies (***)…
 Once again armed with a tremendous performance from Felicity Jones, up and coming filmmaker Drake Doremus successfully minds the romantic drama genre with his new movie Breathe In. Darker and more visually interesting than Like Crazy (2011), this film isn’t quite as strong overall, but it does make Doremus someone still to be reckoned with. Jones is the standout, but Doremus has coaxed a great performance out of Guy Pearce and newcomer Mackenzie Davis as well. They all are giving their all and it helps boost this somewhat standard story to bigger and better heights. The film succeeds due to its acting and directing. However, the writing by Doremus and Ben York Jones is certainly less impressive. A movie about longing and the connections we make, Breathe In was a real solid film on display at the Sundance Film Festival. I’m not sure if it’s going to wind up being an awards contender, but the trio of Davis, Jones, and Pearce are definitely good enough to warrant at least some sort of consideration down the line.
Read more on SUNDANCE: Breathe In (***)…
So that’s two weeks in a row now that I doubted the likelihood of a “filler” new release taking the top spot at the box office. This week, I’m calling it: Warm Bodies will attract hoards. (Watch it be Stallone’s Bullet to the Head that somehow proves me wrong again…). I’d even wager on Stand Up Guys having a good shot, but I’m not a betting man.
Read more on Weekend Openings: 2/1/2013…
In preparation for my Oscar Circuit article next week in this very category, I proudly share my individual reviews of 2013′s elite batch of Oscar®-nominated Live Action Short Films. These short films, as well as the nominated documentary short subject and animated short films, will be released in select theaters across the country, beginning this weekend in Los Angeles. There’s no excuse to forgo these prestigious works if you call yourself an ardent lover of The Academy Awards™, so be sure to check out select venues near your home that screen these aforementioned nominees. Before we begin, I have to start off by saying that the quality of this year’s group of nominees is so stellar that no single film scored below (***) for me. With that said, it’s now time to fully introduce the film-going audience to this fine group of contenders… Read more on Complete Reviews of Oscar-nominated Live Action Shorts (2013)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Asad, Bryan Buckley, Buzkashi Boys, Curfew, Death of a Shadow, Henry, Live Action Short Film, Matthias Schoenaerts, oscars 2013, Sam French, Shawn Christensen, Tom Van Avermaet, Yan England
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