THE DAILY MOJO by Adam Daniel

Been very slack on the old Blogatrons this month. Here’s a catchup Trailerwatch column with my thoughts on four exciting (and one cringe-inducing) upcoming films:

AWAY WE GO

Co-written by one of my favourite novelists, Dave Eggers (most famous for ‘A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius’), and directed by the seemingly infallible Sam Mendes, this has all the hallmarks of a standard indie film (road trip, scruffy protagonist, plinky-plunk guitar soundtrack, wry humour) but excellent pedigree and an outstanding cast. John Krasinski is remarkably appealing in The Office and should make for an compelling lead character.

SHERLOCK HOLMES

Could be good but has a whiff of ‘LXG’ about it. Guy Ritchie knows how to shoot a cinematic film, and Downey Jnr. and Law normally have a good bullshit radar, so it has that going for it. Plus the ravishing Rachel McAdams, another of my personal favourites.

On the downside, the action in the trailer looks a bit cheesy and it looks like Ritchie has been suckered into the time-ramp effect on his fight sequences, an action scene staple that is rapidly becoming F’d out.

Nice joke on the outro.

500 DAYS OF SUMMER

I love the idea of a “boy meets girl” story without the requisite ‘Hollywood Happy Ending’. The Smiths are the perfect choice to soundtrack the meet-cute of a melancholic not-a-love-story. And Joseph Gordon Levitt is a future star in the Heath Ledger mould.

But the #1 reason I am excited for this movie: the radiant Zooey Deschanel. Be still my beating heart.

The Sid / Nancy Joke on the outro is an example of an another actually funny joke on an outro – bravo trailer editors. Don’t know how they screw this up so often. See ‘Away We Go’ for a classic example of a ho-hum outro.

NINE

Ugh. This looks like ‘Chicago’ all over again, only more hyperbolic. And I consider myself a fan of musicals. Broader than Broadway. Pass (Okay, maybe I will watch it with the sound on mute, just for the eye candy).

THE ROAD

This is the trailer that has me the most excited in this bunch. Based on Cormac McCarthy’s tale of a father and son braving a difficult journey in a post-apocalyptic world, the film was originally intended for a late 2008 release but was pushed back to October 2009 for reasons unclear. Whatever the reason, the trailer looks awesome.

Featuring an amazing cast (Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall) and a talented director (Australian John Hillcoat, whose film ‘The Proposition’ was equally grim and captivating), it’s easy to see why ‘The Road’ is already getting Oscar buzz. Esquire Magazine are calling it “the most important movie of the year” (review contains spoilers).

For me, a lot of the attraction is the gorgeously photographed post-apocalyptic wasteland setting, and the possibility that some of the survivors have turned cannibal (!). But mostly, it’s the masterful and underrated actor that is Viggo Mortensen. The unsung hero of the LOTR trilogy, Mortensen has a rare combination of masculinity and tenderness. He’s the perfect choice for this role.