Thompson on Hollywood

Berlin Review and Roundup: Finger-Clenching Thriller 'A Single Shot' Stars Sam Rockwell, Kelly Reilly, William H. Macy

Reviews

A dark, tightly wound backwoods thriller with a twist, "A Single Shot" received warm applause following its second screening at the Berlinale, where it world-premiered Saturday night. Well-designed and executed by director David M. Rosenthal ("Janie Jones") from Matthew F. Jones’s script and novel of the same name, the film features uniformly fine performances by a cast including Sam Rockwell as an unlucky ex-farmer and hunter, Kelly Reilly as his estranged wife, an unrecognizable Jeffrey Wright as his alcoholic friend, William H. Macy as a gimpy small-town lawyer, and Joe Anderson and Jason Isaacs as seriously creepy denizens of the deep, wet forestlands.

By Tom Christie
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February 10, 2013 7:21 PM
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Berlin: Damon on Affleck’s ‘Rough Spot,’ 'Promised Land'’s Bomb, and Berlin’s Airport Debacle

Festivals

At a press conference following the screening of his and Gus Van Sant’s "Promised Land" at the Berlinale today, Matt Damon was asked what the chances of Ben Affleck’s "Argo"winning the Academy Award, and if he was tired of talking about his friend and business partner. “His life is so interesting, I never get tired of talking about him,” said Damon with a smile. “He’s been on a roller coaster for the last fifteen years.”

By Tom Christie
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February 8, 2013 7:23 PM
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Berlin Market Roundup: New Adaptation from 'Terabithia' Author, Alba Stars in 'Weightless,' Dinklage in 'Long Way Home' and More

Festivals

Westend Films is teaming with Bob Barney's new label Picturehouse for "The Great Gilly Project," the latest adaptation from "Bridge to Terabithia" author Katherine Paterson. Kathy Bates and Danny Glover are attached to star, while Stephen Herek ("101 Dalmations") is set to helm. The film centers on a wise-cracking foster child who meets her match in unconventional foster mom Maime Trottoer (Bates).

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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February 8, 2013 1:08 PM
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Berlinale Review: Wong Kar Wai's Opener 'The Grandmaster' and Press Conference

Festivals

Wong Kar Wai kicked off the 63rd Berlinale today in style with the international premiere of his much anticipated kung-fu period drama "The Grandmaster," which was promptly picked up by the Weinstein Company. Based on the life of Ip Man, master of the Wing Chun kung-fu style and teacher of Bruce Lee, the film begins in the southern Chinese city of Foshun in 1936, when Ip (played with quiet dignity by Tony Leung) is 40 and living happily off of family wealth and with his own young family; it ends some 20 years later in Hong Kong, when things are very different, for both China and for Ip.

By Tom Christie
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February 7, 2013 4:21 PM
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Berlin Market: Charlize Theron Goes to 'Dark Places,' Plus Tom Hardy's 'Locke' and Participant's Spanish Language Films

Festivals

News out of the Berlinale market includes "Dark Places" with Charlize Theron, Tom Hardy's "Locke" and Participant's agreement with Spanish production houses Canana, Fabula and Dynamo...

By Beth Hanna
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February 7, 2013 1:56 PM
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Berlin: Focus Features Reteams with Laika for 'Boxtrolls,' Snaps Up Rights for Upstairs-Downstairs Jane Austen Spin 'Longbourn'

Festivals

Focus acquisitions from Berlin include LAIKA's "The Boxtrolls" and Jane Austen-inspired "Longbourn"...

By Beth Hanna
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February 7, 2013 1:51 PM
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Weinstein Co. Snaps Up Wong Kar Wai Berlin Opener 'The Grandmaster'

Festivals

Wasting no time, the Weinstein Company snapped all rights in the US and English speaking Canadian territories from financeer Annapurna to Wong Kar Wai's Berlin opening night martial arts epic "The Grandmaster," as well as rights to Australia, New Zealand, and the UK from Wild Bunch.

By Anne Thompson
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February 7, 2013 1:36 PM
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Berlinale Announces Retrospective Lineup, Includes Restorations of 'On the Waterfront,' 'Tokyo Story,' 'Dial M for Murder'

Festivals

The Berlin International Film Festival (February 7-17) has announced the titles in its expanded retrospective lineup, Berlinale Classics. The five films on the slate are all restorations, and include Elia Kazan's "On the Waterfront," Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Story" and Alfred Hitchcock's 3-D "Dial M for Murder." Full list below.

By Beth Hanna
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January 31, 2013 12:17 PM
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Berlinale Adds 'Les Mis,' Campion's 'Top of the Lake,' Winterbottom's 'Look of Love,' Double Franco and More

Festivals

The Berlinale continues to add to the lineup for its February 7-17 fest. Tom Hooper's "Les Miserables" will play in the Berlinale Special showcase, as will Jane Campion's "Top of the Lake" miniseries, Giuseppe Tornatore's "The Best Offer," "Michael Winterbottom's "The Look of Love," Yoji Yamada's "Tokyo Family"...

By Sophia Savage
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January 15, 2013 4:05 PM
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Berlinale Adds Nine Competition Titles, Includes Panahi's 'Closed Curtain,' Soderbergh's 'Side Effects'

Festivals

The Berlin International Film Festival (February 7-17) has added nine more titles to its competition lineup, including Jafar Panahi's latest, "Closed Curtain," Bruno Dumont's "Camille Claudel 1915," starring Juliette Binoche, Sundance entry "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman," starring Shia LaBeouf, and Steven Soderbergh's psychological thriller "Side Effects," starring Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum and Jude Law.