Silver: I’m a little disappointed in Jason Segel. He should know better than to reveal the age-old secret of “The Jewish Drawer". Every Jewish boy has one, and to reveal its contents … well … let’s just say things take a turn akin to the one at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Regardless, in spite of Five Year Engagement’s lackluster trailer, seeing Segel strap on his sad-sack character is pretty welcome. Working with his frequent collaborator Nicholas Stoller (director and co-writer here), Segel gets to play with some extremely talented comedy folk — specifically NBC’s Thursday stars Alison Brie (Community) and Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation). From the trailer, Five Year Engagement might not be the Bridesmaids-size cultural phenomenon Apatow and Universal are hoping for, but if it comes close to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we all win.
Browne: Silver, I can't believe they discussed "The Jewish Drawer" either. I mean, is nothing sacred? Despite that rude slip up, Emily Blunt is perfect so I will see this 8 times.
Each week, marketers release new movie posters, many for films whose releases are still months away. But for those who know where to look, one-sheets can reveal studios' hopes and insecurities about their products. In this space, we will attempt to decode the hidden meanings of the week's new posters.
A Thousand Words
What the art says: Eddie Murphy is a 50-year-old porcelain doll (look at that skin!) and he’s going to get kidnapped. Either that or he’s an Occupy Wall Street protestor. Those are the only reasons someone has tape on his mouth, right? Turns out no. It also happens when a car salesman talks too much and is left with 1,000 words to say before he dies, as is the case in this movie. A prediction of what at least four of those words will be: “I’ll take the v-neck.” What the text says: There’s no one involved with this movie worth caring about other than Murphy. Sorry, Clark Duke. It’s not just the onscreen talent either. The writer’s latest credit is Jack and Jill and the director is responsible for 81 episodes of One Tree Hill. Not exactly brag-worthy. Tagline: “This March, Make Every Word Count.” Not sure if “This March” is a part of the tagline. We’re going with no. That leaves us with “Make Every Word Count,” which gets points for being totally accurate then loses points for be totally boring. In the end, 0 points.
With Shame, writer/director Steve McQueen (a.k.a. “Not the one in the car”) reunites with his muse Michael Fassbender, who here plays a successful New York businessman who goes to great lengths to keep his sexual deviancy a secret. Although Shame debuted to critical acclaim in both the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, there was concern that a film so graphic and raw (emotionally and sexually) would be hard to sell to American audiences. Great trailer, though.
Verdict: Hints of Blue Valentine, so prepare for a gut punch.
