The Jungle Book, Disney’s latest cartoon-to-live-action adaptation, gets a lot of things right: It’s wildly entertaining, full of great vocal performances by a stacked A-list cast, and boasts a hilarious/creepy musical number by none other than Christopher Walken. But, as delightful as it is hearing Walken sing a jazzy Disney classic (fond memories of Pennies From Heaven come rushing back), the thing that makes this John Favreau-directed romp so enjoyable is its spellbinding presentation, which is worth the price of admission alone. This thing looks and sounds like pure movie magic and elicits the same gasps of wonder the original 1967 animated feature did at the time. Hell, this modern update may even be better. Time will tell.

Aside from star Neel Sethi, who plays our tumbling, red-loinclothed hero, Mowgli, every character is a computer generated, anatomically correct animal. Cartoons they are not: wolves don’t have insanely big “Disney eyes,” and birds don’t suddenly flash inexplicably human-toothed grins. These animals look real. They’re of our world. The animators and sound designers have done such good work here that it’s hard to express in words how damn amazing this thing looks, so let’s dive into the other aspects of the movie as a sort of respite before I continue gushing about the sound and visuals.

The story feels like a mash-up of the original 1967 animated musical and 1994’s The Lion King (several images—a stampede, a fiery final battle—will give you deja vu). It’s a combination that goes together like peanut butter and jelly. But PB and J can get old (especially when you find it). There are no ideas, themes, plot contours, or characters in this modern update that feel fresh or exciting. This isn’t a big issue, though, as the narrative formula Favreau and his team follow is tried and true and will work like gangbusters for those stepping into the theater expecting nothing more or less than a good ol’ time at the movies.

Plot-wise, screenwriter Justin Marks stays pretty close to the ’67 original. Mowgli is found in the jungle by stoic panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who brings the “man-cub” to a pack wolves led by the noble Akela (Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito). Nurturing Mowgli as his adopted mother is Rashka (Lupita Nyong’o), who rears him as her own. There’s no greater threat in the jungle than prowling tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba), and Mowgli has the unlucky distinction of being at the top of his kill list (for reasons learned later in flashback).

To keep Mowgli out of the tiger’s clutches, Bagheera leaves to take the boy to the nearest man village. They get separated along the way thanks to a ferocious interception by Khan, and Mowgli falls in with loafer bear Baloo (a game Bill Murray, which is always a treat). Mowgli uses a pulley contraption to knock bee hives down from a high ridge (the animals disapprovingly refer to his handmade tools as “tricks”) and the two become fast friends. They, in fact, break out a jaunty rendition of “Bear Necessities,” which will please fans of the original and likely underwhelm youngsters who bring no nostalgia into the theater.

Baloo and Bagheera embark on a rescue mission when Mowgli’s captured by monkeys and taken to King Louie (Walken), a gigantic orangutan who’s like the jungle’s Don Corleone. He wants the boy to harness the power of the “red flower” and pass it along, making him the true king of the jungle. The “red flower,” of course, is fire, and when Mowgli learns that his family has been terrorized by Khan in his absence, he chooses instead to use the “red flower” as a tool of revenge.

It’s hard to understand how the digital artists made the animal characters both anatomically accurate while also expressing the wide range of emotions brought forth by the voice actors. Animals can be extremely expressive with their faces, but the fact that these onscreen beasts are speaking English and it doesn’t look weird at all is a feat of animation that’s hard to wrap your head around. Most CG animals look too clinical and fall headfirst into the uncanny valley, but these creatures look utterly seamless. While the plot isn’t anything special, the movie has a unique momentum to it in that you’re constantly dying to see which animal will be brought to life next (the elephants are particularly wondrous).

The unsung heroes of The Jungle Book, no doubt, are the sound designers and engineers. Their work here is astonishing. The animated characters look great, but what really sells them and makes them look convincing are the sounds they make as they walk around the lush jungle environments. Baloo is a big ass bear, so when he plops down to eat his honey, you can hear and, more importantly, feel the thud. Great sound design typically goes unnoticed, but in the iconic scene where Mowgli gets seduced by giant snake Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), her hypnotizing hisses swirl around you and squeeze like her coils, Johansson’s sultry voice fading in and out, swinging back and forth on the speakers.

Favreau’s always had a knack for giving his movies a sense of constant propulsion, even when there isn’t that much going on. His movies tend to just glide by, and The Jungle Book is no exception. It’s a rollercoaster thrill ride with simple, somewhat clichéd set pieces that nevertheless work like gangbusters because Favreau’s a good filmmaker who knows what beats to hit to get maximum excitement out of an action scene. There’s a tense hide-and-seek sequence involving Mowgli and Louie in the monkey temple that we’ve all seen before (you see the jump scare coming from miles away), but the way it’s edited and shot is just so riveting that you can’t help but eat it up.

There is one aspect of the movie that is, unfortunately, a constant distraction: Sethi’s dialogue delivery. Honestly, the kid’s just not good at saying his lines convincingly, and it makes some scenes just feel weird. It’s not his fault, really. He’s acting opposite imaginary characters whose voices are provided by some of the best actors in the business. But the sad reality is that it’s pretty jarring to hear this kid speak semi-awkwardly while his co-stars coast through their lines like butter.

What Sethi’s is good at is emoting with his body; he’s a physical actor, and a talented one at that. He’s a convincing wolf child, leaping through the trees and sliding down slopes with an effortlessness and sense of purpose, like jungle parkour is all he’s ever known. The film’s best, most touching moment sees Mowgli help a herd of elephants save one of their young, who’s fallen into a pit. The sun is rising, and in semi-silhouette, we see him save the calf (using one of his clever “tricks”) and wave goodbye to his new friends. He feels honest in moments like these, and thankfully, there are several. Sethi’s a mostly worthy Mowgli in a more than worthy retelling of a gem from the golden age of Disney Animation. If they can keep up this standard when bringing more cartoon classics into the world of live action, I say keep ’em coming.

Writer’s note: If you can, watch the movie in IMAX 3-D. The sound is spectacular and the 3-D is some of the best I’ve seen. Also, the closing credits definitely benefit from the added effect.

Open Road was by far the biggest wildcard of the day in Hall H as no one really knew which of the only handful of films announced by Open Road films was the most Comic-Con worthy. But by far the most Con-cloutiest of their upcoming stars is Bill Murray, who stars in the Barry Levinson helmed Rock the Kasbah. And he did not disappoint the fans, making his first Comic-Con appearance ever.

Murray entered from the back of Hall H to the tune of “Smoke on the Water.” At first he appeared as his character in the upcoming film, Richie Lanz, a music manager who manages a musician (played by Zooey Deschanel) and travels with her for a gig in Afghanistan.

Mitch Glazer, the film’s writer (who also wrote Scrooged starring Murray), joined him on the panel and spoke about Murray’s tendency to “re-write” when acting. He dispelled the rumor that Murray goes rogue stating the actor makes only smart changes when improvising.

The film also stars Kate Hudson and Bruce Willis. Murray told a story about Bruce Willis and an past SNL connection Willis recently informed him of. Willis was once a page on the show, and apparently Willis lamented that Murray and Gilda Radner were the only ones nice to him.

In true chaotic Murray-fashion he stopped the panel at one point to get everyone to sing the song of their choosing for 30 seconds. A hilarious and very Bill Murray sort of moment.

With Rock the Kasbah’s classic rock soundtrack there was much discussion around music. When asked about his favorites Murray surprised with old and new music recommendations. None so surprising though as Miley Cyrus, who Murray thinks “is really f***ing good.”

As for future projects for Murray? He did confirm he’s been working out, and is hopeful to be considered for the new Han Solo prequel role.

What if we took a love triangle between Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, and Rachel McAdams, threw in some John Krasinski, and then situated everything on the island of Hawaii?

Could it indeed get any better than this? The new trailer for Cameron Crowe’s Aloha has just been released and we say, actually, yes. Yes it does. And their names are Bill Murray and Alec Baldwin.

Bradley Cooper plays a disgraced weapons consultant who is called in for a special operation in Hawaii, giving him a chance for redemption, new (or old?) love, and reclaiming the name he had once made for himself there. Emma Stone is the soldier assigned to guide and guard him (from himself, mainly) and Rachel McAdams plays the love-torn ex trying to find contentment in her own reclaimed life as wife of John Krasinski and mother of 2. Bill Murray and Alec Baldwin are the two opposing bosses of said military and contracting companies with vastly dissimilar leadership tactics.

Columbia Pictures’ Aloha is set to be released in theaters on May 29, 2015.

FoxSearchlight has shared a video of Wes Anderson and other cast members of The Grand Budapest Hotel discussing the singular inspirations Anderson culled from when forming his latest film. Nominated for 9 Academy Awards, Anderson discusses especially being inspired by Ernst Lubitsch’s (Shop Around the Corner) hilarious, fast-talking, European comedies.

While The Grand Budapest Hotel’s nominations fall mainly within technical categories along with prestigious Best Picture and Best Director nominations, his cast is strangely not nominated for their work. The way they discuss Anderson throughout the video proves however that as wonderful as the performances of the cast are, their inspired and exceptional leader really is the force behind this fantastic film.

Bill Murray as a sourpuss isn’t a stretch. He has played unlikeable to absolute likability on many occasions, especially as the grand master curmudgeon Scrooge in Scrooged and as the primadonna news anchor in Groundhog Day. Using him in older age as the prosaic “Grumpy Old Man” seems a natural progression. So here he is in writer-director Theodore Melfi’s newest film St. Vincent and it would be easy to write the film off for its somewhat uninspired lead casting and its familiar storyline. But strangely what makes St. Vincent work isn’t the believability of Bill Murray in the role based on past work, or that he brings any of his usual sensitivity to the role, it’s that for once, he doesn’t. He keeps up his coarseness throughout the entire film, and strangely, it works.

In the film, Murray is Vincent, a Brooklyn native living alone, spending his days gambling, drinking, dodging those he owes money, and shacking up with Daka (Naomi Watts), the pregnant Russian prostitute who counts as his only friend. Disturbing his usual routine is Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), the new kid next door, whose single mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) is at her wits end trying to provide for her and her son while dealing with her ex’s custody battle. After bullies at school steal his house keys, Oliver spends an afternoon with Vincent and an unlikely babysitting situation emerges. Vincent needs money, Maggie needs childcare, it all works out. Except of course that Vincent isn’t exactly babysitter material. His idea of supervising Oliver includes trips to the race track, threatening Oliver’s bullies, visiting his alzheimer-stricken wife in her convalescent home, and hanging out in his favorite bar.

At first glance the film’s eventual plot conclusion seems a given. In these situations an emotional transformation seems inevitable. And while the incredibly clever Oliver does end up seeing the good in Vincent, deciding to feature him in a school project around finding everyday saints, the film focuses more on forgiveness and modern patchwork family formation than personal growth. Lieberher and Murray’s chemistry sells it. It would be easy to focus on Murray’s performance as the impetus for the film working, but Lieberher plays Oliver as more than just a sorry sort of kid, infusing him with real empathy and cleverness.

McCarthy’s usual rambling gimmick is put to best use here, for once giving her a chance to do so with the emotional realism of a frazzled mother. Chris O’Dowd is maybe a bit obvious in his part as a progressive Catholic school teacher, but as always he picks up the humor and adds his own indelible touch to it. In fact so many enjoyable characters really throw into light the one that just doesn’t work, which is Naomi Watts’ Daka. Whether or not making her Russian was deliberate in order to make her dimwittedness seem more excusable, or worse, a cheap joke poking fun at Russian accents, Daka stands out like a sore thumb as unoriginal and unfunny. I’d prefer not to blame Watts, and instead blame Melfi, but she owns the role and plays it up. It’s certainly part of why St. Vincent isn’t spotless.

Because the script is based on many of his own personal experiences and people he’s known, it seems harsh to pinpoint Melfi’s plot holes (for one, he successfully uses a health setback to throw off the story, but then makes too light of the reality of recovering from such an ordeal), but they do exist. Terrence Howard has a small but substantial role as a loan shark lackey trying to collect from Vincent, but there’s no clear resolution on his story thread. Vincent’s inevitable super-grump moment seems a little out of step in the film’s storyline. Some sharper editing might have helped there.

All in all, St. Vincent is everything you do expect, and a few things you don’t. Murray does this particular role quite well (why else would he have done two Garfield movies if a grumpy cat wasn’t relatable to him?) and he pushes the film beyond the obvious. The emotional climax isn’t as hard-hitting as it could be, but audiences will enjoy St. Vincent for its humor and performances, not for any depth Melfi may have been hopeful to convey. And to be honest, who needs another sappy tale of late-life redemption? I’d rather watch Murray be crotchety from beginning to end.

It’s been 15 years since Theodore Melfi last made a feature film, Winding Roads. While that movie featured a young pre-Party Down/Parks & Recreation Adam Scott, his newest endeavor St. Vincent has a bevy of notable actors lead by its star Bill Murray, and continuing through Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts and others. As the film begins its rollout in the United States, Melfi has been festival hopping, most recently stopping by the Opening Night of the Philadelphia Film Festival. On the red carpet, he spoke with WayTooIndie about what inspired the new project, the environment he likes to create on set, and calling Bill Murray’s 1-800 number.

Read the full interview below or watch part of it in the embedded video, also below.

Could you tell me about where the idea to write this film came from?

Eight years ago my oldest brother passed away and he left an eight-year-old daughter, and my wife & I adopted her. We moved her from Tennessee to Sherman Oaks, California, and we put her into a Catholic school, Notre Dame High School, and in her sophomore year, in her world religion class, she got a homework assignment to find a Catholic saint that inspired her and find someone in her real life that mimicked the qualities of that saint. She picked St. William of Rochester, the patron saint of adopted children, and she picked me. That’s the genesis of the story, whereby a young kid named Oliver chooses a drunk Bill Murray as a saint.

So inspired by real-life events?

Yeah, it’s a true story.

Did you write this with the idea being you would ultimately direct it as well?

Oh yeah. I was going to direct it from the beginning whether I had to do it 50 cents or a 100 million, it doesn’t matter I was going to do it no matter what.

You ended up getting Bill Murray in the movie. He’s a little notorious to track down, I was wondering what the process was like to getting him to star in the film?

That’s too long a story. That’s like 10 minutes long. But basically, I’ll tell you this, Bill Murray doesn’t have an agent or a manger, he has a 1-800 number. So you just call the 1-800 number and if he likes what you have to say he calls you back.

So you were one of the lucky call backs?

One of the lucky call backs, yeah.

What was it like to work with such him, being such an iconic star?

You know, Bill’s so spontaneous, so free, and so in the moment. You got to be prepared and ready for anything he’ll do, whatever he’ll do. It was truly inspirational working with him, one of the greatest actors in the world, of our time, so it was just awesome.

You also worked with a couple underrated funny women in Melissa McCarthy and Naomi Watts, what was the experience like of working with them?

Melissa and Naomi, again just like Bill, they’re the best actors in the world. So free, so ready to go, so dedicated, I don’t know it was just a dream come true to have Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy in the same movie, and then you add Naomi Watts that’s even more [of a dream come true]. There’s Chris O’Down, and Terrence Howard, so it’s like having an all-star cast right off the bat. Everyone was kind of free, we had a good time.

Is that something important to you, to have an easy-going atmosphere on the set?

You know, stress is like death to comedy, so you can’t stress out. We had a lot of parties, a very free set. Very loose, very fun. It was hot in Brooklyn but we had a good time.

Did any movies in particular inspire this story aside from the true events?

My favorite movie of all time is It’s a Wonderful Life, where a guy who doesn’t think he has any value in his life learns he has lots to value. So that had a lot of meaning to me and the film Up. It’s one of my favorite movies, too. About a curmudgeonly guy who takes a boy scout under his wing. So those two movies.

BONUS CONTENT! Watch a brief interview with the child star of St. Vincent, Jaeden Lieberher:

Three of our most anticipated films at the Mill Valley Film Festival played on Day 9 in the 11-day stretch, and they didn’t disappoint. From Bill Murray’s performance as the grumpy titular character in St. Vincent; to Steve Carell’s long-awaited dramatic turn in Foxcatcher; to Marion Cotillard’s incredibly vulnerable performance in the Dardenne brothers’ Two Days, One Night, the festival is still going strong as we approach the final days. Stay with us through the weekend as we continue to bring you more coverage from Mill Valley!

Patron Saint of Despicability

[Ananda]

Opening today in New York and Los Angeles, Theodore Melfi’s St. Vincent is almost as quirky as the story behind its main star signing on. In a Q & A after the Mill Valley Film Festival screening, Melfi described what exactly is involved in getting Bill Murray to agree to do your movie. First you call his 800 number, leave a lot of messages, and hope he calls you back. Then you snail mail him a description of the film to a PO box provided by his attorney.  If you’re lucky, like Melfi, he might just call you out of the blue, tell you to meet him in an hour at LAX and proceed to drive you around for 6 hours into the desert to discuss the project, at the end of which a handshake seals the deal. And while Melfi has plenty of fun stories about Bill Murray — he demands avocados, chocolate, and Mexican coke in his trailer — anyone who has seen the movie will say whatever it took to get Murray, it was worth it.

Acting opposite Jaeden Lieberher as small-for-his-age Oliver, Murray plays Vincent, a curmudgeonly old alcoholic in Brooklyn with a load of debt, a gambling addiction, and a “professional” relationship with a pregnant Russian prostitute, Daka (Naomi Watts). Oliver and his mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) move in next door to Vincent, and due to her late working hours (necessary because of the custody battle she’s in) Maggie is forced to ask Vincent for help as Oliver’s babysitter. Only ever concerned with earning a spare buck, Vincent thinks very little of his duties, shlepping Oliver to bars, the race track, and to visit his alzheimer-consumed wife in the home she lives in. The film is funny, due in major part to Murray’s delivery, but much of the true cleverness is given to Lieberher, who holds his own with a skill much larger than his age. Somehow the film manages to avoid the typical conventions of the reverse parenting gimmick, focusing less on transformation and instead on forgiveness.

St. Vincent is warm and well-told, but it’s the excellent chemistry between Murray and Lieberher that makes it worth watching.

Gold Medal In Crazy

[Ananda]

We’ve seen some truly impressive performances this week. In fact our Oscar prediction list is getting so long that narrowing things down later in the year is going to be a serious challenge. But having seen many of our most anticipated films of the fall now, I think I can say with confidence one performance that will undoubtedly surpass any cut to that list is Steve Carell in Foxcatcher. Whether you know anything about the true story of Mark and David Schultz, the Olympic gold winning sibling wrestlers representing the U.S. in the ’80s, or whether you enter into a screening of Foxcatcher completely unaware of the history behind it, I guarantee the film will have you hanging onto every scene transition, wondering when it’s all going to cave in.

The Schultz brothers were two successful wrestlers in the ’80s, and after both winning gold in the ’84 olympics they went on to coach. In the film, Mark (Channing Tatum), the younger brother, was practically raised by his brother David (Mark Ruffalo), and, since David was the more sought after wrestler, Mark often interpreted his success as having some connection to his older brother. So when billionaire John E. du Pont (Steve Carell and a foreboding fake nose) reaches out to Mark wanting to hire him to help build an award winning wrestling team, Mark finally finds the attention he has been craving. Carell as du Pont is disturbing from the get go. While the transformation of his face is distracting at first, the perfect awkwardness of Carell’s delivery quickly becomes the focus. His shuffling gait, his too big smile, his lack of eye contact at times, all paint du Pont as a man whose subtle madness hovers just below his surface at all times. Whether by wealth, loneliness, bad parenting, or an innate mania, du Pont is a slow building volcanic eruption waiting to happen. And with the physicality of wrestling, it seems an obvious choice of obsession for a depraved and disconnected man. Just as compelling is the chemistry between Ruffalo and Tatum. As brothers, their connection is ever-present, driving the film forward, each each other’s motivation in life.

Bennett Miller seems to have followed a direct path from Capote to Moneyball to Foxcatcher. The first dealing in a murderous mind, the second in a competitive sport, and the third throwing the two together. While undoubtedly grim, Foxcatcher is historically-based filmmaking at its best. Providing a speculative insight into the lives and minds of people who have lived events so bizarre and tragic that no similar Hollywood fiction could be remotely plausible. It’s a hard watch, but the kind that reminds viewers that every person is a story unto themselves.

On Her Hands and Knees

[Bernard]

Like Vittorio de Sica’s Italian Neorealist classics Umberto D and Bicycle Theives, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s Two Days, One Night (one of my favorite films at Mill Valley) is so relevant, so aware of the socio-economic climate of its time that it’s hard not to surrender yourself to it completely. This is a film for those who struggle; it understands how money—or more specifically, the lack thereof—can trick us into becoming lesser people than we ought to be, forgetting that self-worth is the most invaluable treasure we own.

Marion Cotillard plays Sandra, a factory worker who’s been dismissed from work due to issues with depression. On a Friday, her 16 co-workers have voted to keep their bonuses rather than let Sandra keep her job. There will be a second vote on Monday, however, giving our heroine the weekend to convince her colleagues to forego their much-needed bonuses for the sake of she and her family. 

Cotillard is the biggest star the Dardennes have worked with yet, and she gifts them with one of the best performances of her career. She can be anything—glamorous, dangerous, sultry—but here, she bares her soul for all to see. Tremendously vulnerable and earnest, Cotillard has our vote from the beginning. As with the Dardenne’s other work, the plot and camerawork is elegant and simple, giving the actors all the room they need to tell their story. A bracingly truthful film.

Premiering in Toronto with mostly positive reviews, St. Vincent is about a bum (played by the one and only Bill Murray) who becomes an unlikely mentor for his neighbor’s son. The recently released clip doesn’t have any major plot details and instead is a nice stand-alone one-take sequence with Murray, lounging in his front yard, singing along to Bob Dylan’s “Shelter from the Storm.” These two-and-a-half minutes tell us pretty much all we need to know about Vincent in a delightful little package.

St. Vincent doesn’t open in wide release until October 24, but you can see a clip of star Bill Murray at his most Bill Murray-ist below now.

Clip of St. Vincent

Wes Anderson’s highest-grossing film to date, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has been officially announced for a Blu-ray & DVD street date of June 17th. The film not only pleased moviegoers, but critics were also enamored with Anderson’s film ever since its premiere in Berlin. And rightfully so. The Grand Budapest Hotel dazzles with plenty of Anderson’s usual visual flair, but the film doesn’t compromise substance for style. As always, each character has their own quirky personality and the cast is full of Anderson regulars including; Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Jude Law, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody.

The Grand Budapest Hotel releases on Blu-ray and DVD on June 17th

The Grand Budapest Hotel Special Features

• Bill Murray Tours The Town
• Kunstmuseum Zubrowka Lecture
• The Society of the Crossed Keys
• The Making of the Grand Budapest Hotel
• Mendl’s Secret Recipe
• Promotional Featurettes – “Cast” and “Wes Anderson”
• Stills Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

The Grand Budapest Hotel Blu-ray + Digital HD

• Street Date: June 17, 2014
• Screen Format: 1.85:1
• Subtitles: English/French/Spanish
• U.S. Rating: R
• Total Run Time: 100 minutes

Trailer

The Grand Budapest Hotel Blu-ray cover

Partway through The Grand Budapest Hotel, there’s an argument between Dmitri (Adrien Brody, looking brilliantly evil) and his deceased mother’s lawyer (Jeff Goldblum). The lawyer refuses to hand the dead woman’s fortune over to her son as the details of her murder haven’t been cleared up. Dmitri angrily leaves, and his henchman (Willem Dafoe) casually tosses the lawyer’s cat out of a window on his way out. It’s a cruel act, and a funny visual gag, until the lawyer peers out his window and the camera cuts to his cat’s splattered body below.

Writer/director Wes Anderson uses these shock moments of sudden violence more than once throughout the film. The dead woman (Tilda Swinton, unrecognizable with pounds of old age makeup) is Madame D., an old rich countess who frequented the titular hotel. Located in the mountains of the Republic of Zubrowka, a made up European nation, the hotel is a gorgeous and highly popular establishment. Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes) is the hotel’s concierge, a charming man who was also taking Madame D. to bed during her visits (one of Gustave’s many duties as concierge included sexually satisfying the rich old ladies who visited). When it’s revealed that she put Gustave in her will as the recipient of a priceless painting, Madame D.’s family frames him for her murder.

Gustave receives help from Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori), a young lobby boy that Gustave has taken a shine to. The story, taking place in 1932 during some unnamed war ravaging the country, is narrated to us by an older Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) in the 1960s. He’s telling his tale to a young author (Jude Law) over dinner at the hotel, now well past its glory days. Law narrates the 1960s segments, which are actually from a novel being read to viewers in the 1980s by (presumably) a now much-older author (Tom Wilkinson). The nesting-doll structure may seem frivolous, but Wes Anderson’s films thrive on frivolity.

The multi-layered narrative also establishes Anderson’s attempts to comment on memory and nostalgia. Moustafa’s story in the 1930s, shot gorgeously in 1.33:1, is stylistically Anderson’s best work to date. The set design, meticulous framing, whip pans, quick zooms, and use of animation and miniatures, among Anderson’s other visual trademarks, operate at a level that more than matches his story’s large scale. Anderson and cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman are clearly having a field day, and it shows. The charming style also shows Moustafa’s nostalgia for this period of his life, as if these “good ol’ days” represent something that’s never to return.

Anderson is aware of how dangerous this way of looking at the past with rose-coloured glasses is, which is why he throws in scenes like the one with Goldblum’s cat. He is purposely breaking the spell his film casts, reminding viewers that the time period was still a tumultuous one. The hotel is not so much a shining example of long-lost civility and politeness as it is an escape from the harsh realities of wartime and poverty. These two worlds of fantasy and reality eventually come together, but through Anderson’s lens the stylistic flourishes still remain. The final scene of the ‘30s timeline, also the bleakest part of Moustafa’s story, switches to black and white, showing how Anderson still finds a way to fill his heavier moments with aesthetic quirks.

While Anderson’s toying with memory and nostalgia is interesting, it fails to make any impact to the film overall. The handling of violence makes for an awkward juxtaposition, one that’s more admirable in its intent than execution (I never thought I’d say this, but Anderson should take some tips from Quentin Tarantino in this area). The war going on in the film’s background is wiped of any details, save for some vague allusions to the SS. The obscuring of these elements only muddy the water, and the dense plotting of Anderson’s screenplay make his thematic points get swallowed up by the film’s aesthetics.

Not that the aesthetics are a bad thing; The Grand Budapest Hotel is still a treat to watch. Fiennes is perfect as Gustave, and Anderson’s script is filled with plenty of hilarious moments. The massive ensemble, where seemingly every role is filled with a well-known actor (supporting cast includes Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Saorise Ronan, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson just to name a few), work together perfectly. While The Grand Budapest Hotel works well, it only does up to a certain point. What the film amounts to is nothing more than a well-done and admirable piece of fluff.

The Grand Budapest Hotel trailer

Wes Anderson, known for his distinctive visual and narrative style in such films as Moonrise Kingdom, Fantastic Mr Fox and The Darjeeling Limited, will be releasing his latest quirky comedy The Grand Budapest Hotel.

The adventures of an infamous concierge at a well known and well frequented hotel between the world wars and Zero Moustafa, who becomes his confidant and trusted friend are detailed with this all star cast. Anderson loves to work with familiar faces and The Grand Budapest Hotel is no exception; Jude Law, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, and Adrien Brody are all listed as cast members. The film looks to be quite the dramatic comedy with the charm and flare we know Wes Anderson films to behold.

The Grand Budapest Hotel trailer

Any film that has Bill Murray in some capacity has me excited, let alone when it is a lead role. In his new film Hyde Park on Hudson, he plays the historical President FDR. To celebrate the film in theaters, Way Too Indie is giving away a night out at the movies to go see it.

Hyde Park on Hudson is a based-in-reality story told from the perspective of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 5th cousin, Margaret “Daisy” Suckly (played by Laura Linney), and takes place for the most part during the weekend that King George VI (Samuel West), along with his wife Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman) became the first British Monarchs to visit America. The royal couple visit President Roosevelt (Bill Murray) at his mother’s home in upstate New York, Hyde Park, with the agenda of asking the President for the help of the United States when the inevitable World War breaks out.

To win a $25 American Express Gift Card for a night at the movies, email us your favorite Bill Murray film.

EMAIL HERE TO ENTER

For an additional entry, tell us your favorite film of his in the comments below (please also include your email).

This giveaway will end on Friday, January 18th at noon EST. The winner will be notified via email.

Official trailer of Hyde Park on Hudson:

Hyde Park on Hudson movie cover:

Many of America’s favorite Presidents had what we’d call ‘personality’; those distinctions that established them in the hearts of those they served. Lincoln with his storytelling, Washington and his cherry tree antics, Clinton and his saxophone. The American public likes to see the personal sides of our Presidents; at least once they leave office that is. In Hyde Park on Hudson, however, we’re exposed to the intersection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s personal and professional lives, in a way that had me longing to theater hop to that little Spielberg film playing next door.

Hyde Park on Hudson is a based-in-reality story told from the perspective of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 5th cousin, Margaret “Daisy” Suckly (played by Laura Linney), and takes place for the most part during the weekend that King George VI (Samuel West), along with his wife Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Coleman) became the first British Monarchs to visit America. The royal couple visit President Roosevelt at his mother’s home in upstate New York, Hyde Park, with the agenda of asking the President for the help of the United States when the inevitable World War breaks out.

Playing out as a confused farce, accidentally veering into melodrama, Hyde Park on Hudson introduces us to the many women in FDR’s life. As Daisy spends more time with her shining star of a cousin, she finds herself wrapped up in a world of romance and adventure she’s never experienced. And when their relationship becomes sexual (which happens so quickly we’ve hardly finished watching the opening credits, and which holds little historical evidence), she seems all too glad to have the attention of this, the most influential man in the world. Her naiveté to his ongoing relationships with his secretary, Missy (Elizabeth Marvel), another unseen woman (his much historically documented mistress, Lucy Mercer), and her dismissal of his friendly if not romantic marriage to Eleanor (played with perfection by Olivia Williams), would all make for interesting dramatic elements if it just wasn’t so obviously ill-suited for Laura Linney. I’d write it off as a casting issue except that she’s forced to narrate the entire film in childish tones, trying to heighten the stories elements with hyperbole and managing only to enhance just how un-impressive it all really is.

As the events of the weekend unfold, from dinner with the King and Queen, where everything seems to go wrong and the full moon garners the blame, to the American-style picnic where hot dogs are served to the horror of Her Majesty, Daisy starts to uncover that to be involved in the President’s life means sharing him with more than just the public. In the most off-putting scene of the film her dramatic reaction to the revelation that an unfaithful husband makes for an unfaithful lover takes such a dramatic turn it’s laughable.

Bill Murray is this film’s guiding light. He plays FDR with perfect execution, nailing his stiff New York drawl and subtle wisdom. As President Roosevelt, he’s warm and likable. As Franklin, the script portrays his personal life as that of a man who craved worship so much he took on mistresses flippantly and apparently with little thought to why these women appealed to him. And because of his age and physical situation, there’s no way not to interpret it as slightly pathetic and icky.

The characters most worth watching are the King and Queen, with all their British propriety and concern for their nation. The most brilliant scene of the film involves a candid conversation between FDR and King George. It seems historically unlikely, but is exactly the sort of anecdote we’d like to hear about a favorite President. How he played father-figure to a King.

Hyde Park on Hudson, while showing some of the affability of FDR, his goofy playful side, dwells more on his philandering ways and doesn’t do much to instill pride in the only President to serve more than two terms. Through Daisy’s narrative lens it’s hard to understand the magnetism he had to accrue the devotion of many, including women. And as a film it flip-flops far too suddenly between comedy, historical drama, and melodrama and therefore is disjointed from one scene to the next. Laura Linney, a proven superb actress, seems to have been suckered into believing that a film that involves both a well-loved President and well-loved King (this being the THIRD film in two years to feature King George alongside The King’s Speech and W.E.) could not fail. But alas, having so many grand elements means the film has only farther to fall on its face and her character is given such little importance to the story no amount of great acting could bring life into it.

It’s a shame that such a crown jewel of a performance from Bill Murray would be wasted on such a poor script. Now can someone please write a better historical drama about FDR for him? Had this one been better, he’d easily have been getting the Best Actor award this winter.

We have got two Blu-ray copies of Wes Anderson’s quirky indie hit Moonrise Kingdom to give away to a couple of our Facebook and Twitter followers. As a bonus, one of those winners will receive a special “Survival Package” to go along with the Blu-ray.

We are giving away one (1) Moonrise Kingdom on Blu-ray and one (1) Moonrise Kingdom Survival Package” which includes:

How do you enter the giveaway?

Step 1: LIKE Way Too Indie on Facebook

Step 2: Leave a comment on this page telling us who your favorite Wes Anderson character is.

* Additional chance to win: Follow @WayTooIndie on Twitter. Then tweet: @WayTooIndie (your favorite Wes Anderson character) http://tooin.de/moonrise, to enter.

Details on the giveaway
Winners will be selected at random. One (1) winner will win a Blu-ray and one (1) winner will a “Survival Package” (which includes a Blu-ray and more). If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Must be in the United States to win. Entries can be submitted until October 11th, 2012 at 11:59PM CT. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Twitter. Good luck!

AVAILABLE OCTOBER 16, 2012 ON BLU-RAY COMBO PACK WITH ULTRAVIOLET, ON DVD AND ON DEMAND FROM UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT

Set on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, two twelve-year-olds fall in love, make a secret pact, and run away together into the wilderness. As various authorities try to hunt them down, a violent storm is brewing offshore — and the peaceful island community is turned upside down in more ways than anyone can handle.

Moonrise Kingdom director Wes Anderson is a master at poignantly depicting those who are a bit different from most of the other characters in the world around them. Regardless of gender, era, and even species, Anderson manages to perfectly represent characters that we can all relate to in one way or another. Here, we’ve highlighted our top 5 most beloved “outsider” characters created by this Academy Award nominated director.

Rushmore – Max Fischer

1998’s Rushmore focuses on the life of Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman), a 15 year old with high ambitions and a low grade point average. He is ridiculed and rejected by most of his fellow classmates of Rushmore Academy and his closest confidante is Dirk, a much younger attendee of the school. Desperation for companionship, Max attempts to befriend both a young teacher (Olivia Williams), as well as the father of his classmates (Bill Murray). The two adults soon become involved in a love affair, leaving Max upset and jealous; however, he soon finds himself bonding with someone more his age – the equally ambitious Margaret Yang – and is able to find a place for himself at school.

The Royal Tenenbaums – Margot Tenenbaum

It’s true that every member in the Tenenbaum family could be marked as an outsider:
Overprotective parent Chas (Ben Stiller), Riche (Luke Wilson), the anxiety-ridden tennis prodigy, insensitive patriarch Royal (Gene Hackman). But arguably the character who dons the biggest outsider status is none other than Margot, the notoriously secretive adopted daughter who mysteriously lost half of a finger during a two-week period when she ran away from home as a child. Utterly depressed and unsatisfied with her life, Margot ends up being the object of not one, but two men’s affection – both her brother Richie, and his best friend – self declared “honorary Tenenbaum”, Eli Cash.

Fantastic Mr. Fox – Ash

Awkward little Ash Fox has a lot to live up to, as his father, the “Fantastic” Mr. Fox, is quick, cunning, and essentially, everything their species should be. And to make matters worse, his soft-spoken and athletically gifted cousin, Kristofferson, comes to live with him in his family’s tree while his father recovers from double pneumonia. The two boys are barely on speaking terms, but begin to start their friendship anew once Kristofferson comes to Ash’s rescue when he is being bullied at school. Later on as the cousins aid Mr. Fox’ in his plan to rob three infamously nasty farmers, Ash must brave many obstacles to rescue his cousin from captivity. The young fox quickly matures and realizes that he has strengths of his own – his quirkiness being one of them!>

Moonrise Kingdom– Sam Shakusky

Khaki Troop 55’s most eccentric member is without a doubt 12-year-old Sam Shakusky, played by newcomer Jared Gillman. Although Sam is extremely smart and resourceful in his outdoor survival skills, this misunderstood character just doesn’t quite fit in with his fellow scouts was abandoned by both his real parents and his foster family. Luckily, Sam finds a refuge in Suzy, his one true love, and the two are able to help each other feel like less of outsiders, and more like a part of their own little community.

Moonrise Kingdom is unmistakably a Wes Anderson film. It features presumptuous children who seem to be more intelligent and mature than the adults and a simple but whimsical storyline that is completely overshadowed by its presentation. Everything is exaggerated and deadpan humor is in abundance. That is what often makes his films so fascinating to watch and Moonrise Kingdom is no exception. It is a fun adventurous fantasy that only he is able to create.

In the opening sequence, the camera paces through the house of the Bishop’s, introducing us to the three young boys listening to their precious record player and their older sister Suzy (Kara Hayward) who always has a pair of binoculars around her neck. Their mother Laura (Frances McDormand) is always yelling into a megaphone to call after the children and sometimes even her husband Walt (Bill Murray).

Also located on the fictitious island of New Penzance is a camp belonging to Khaki Scout Group Number 55. On what seems to be a routine morning, Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) emerges from his tent then proceeds to do his daily check-ins to make sure his troop members are doing their duties. Finally he notices at the dinner table that one of its members is absent. He rushes to 12 year old Sam Shakusky’s (Jared Gilman) tent to find out that he has “flown the coop”.

Through a flashback a year earlier we see how Sam and Suzy met. During a play of Noah’s Ark Sam wonders around the building and stumbles into a dressing room full of girls dressed as birds. One of the birds catches his eye, the raven, which was played by Suzy. Soon after that run in, they exchanged many love letters back and forth over the course of a year. In their last letters, which brings us to the present time, they agree to run away together.

It is not long before the island’s local policeman Captain Share (Bruce Willis) receives a call from Suzy’s parents that puts the entire island on a manhunt to find the two. Due to Sam’s survival skills learned from being a Khaki Scout, the two young lovers are prepared and seem to not be in any harm. Suzy did bring several reading materials and a battery operated record player after all.

Our narrator (Bob Balaban) informs us that this is set in September of 1965. He also lets us know that in three days time there will be a massive rainstorm that will result in a flood unlike one the island has seen in hundreds of years. This information adds to the urgency of finding Suzy and Sam.

Each scene is meticulously designed with props and a matching color scheme which is a very common feature for a Wes Anderson film. I noticed it early on in Moonrise Kingdom when we see a primary yellow toned kitchen, in the very back of the shot there is a fan that even its blades we’re yellow to match. The little things like those that are often overlooked in other films that are done to perfection.

In addition to the amazing visual style, the other key element in Moonrise Kingdom is the fantastic cast. First you have Bill Murray, who seems to be born to play Wes Anderson films with his deadpan tone (he has been in five of his last six films). Another Anderson veteran is Jason Schwartzman whose sarcasm fits perfectly with his role as one of the Scout Leaders.

Then you have Anderson newcomers such as Bruce Willis, who I was concerned may stick out like a sore thumb in this role but was proven wrong. Edward Norton as the always serious and enthusiastic leader did not miss a beat either. Last but not least, the two young lovers played by Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman were outstanding together.

It is hard to walk away from a Wes Anderson film with a firm opinion, you must first let it soak in for a bit. It does not help that there is not as much substance in his films. But what Moonrise Kingdom lacks in substance it more than makes up for with plenty of style and quirky but lovable characters.

Moonrise Kingdom, for better or for worse, totally has Wes Anderson written all over it. If you were a fan of his films before, you will love Moonrise Kingdom. On the flip side, if you were not a fan of his work before, I do not think this will change your mind on the matter. Over the years I have come to accept the fact that the plot in his films does not seem to matter as much as the picturesque scenery and development of his quirky characters. It is hard to deny that he is one of the most original American filmmakers in the field today.

In order to celebrate the release of Wes Anderson’s latest film Moonrise Kingdom in theaters this Friday, Way Too Indie is giving away two special “Moonrise Kingdom Survival Packages”. It is undoubtedly one the most anticipated indie films of the summer as it has been three long years since Wes Anderson has put out a new film.

We are giving away two (2) “Moonrise Kingdom Survival Packages” which include:

How do you enter the giveaway?

• Leave a comment below and Like our Facebook page. Tell us what your favorite Wes Anderson movie is in comments below. Then click here to Like Way Too Indie on Facebook. Simple as that.
• Winners will be selected at random. Two (2) winners will win one (1) “Survival Package”.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Must be in the United States to win.
• Entries can be submmited until May 27th, 2012 at 11:59PM CT. Good luck!
• Giveaway closed, winners were notified.

Moonrise Kingdom is in select cities May 25th. Wide release is June 29th.

Official trailer for Moonrise Kingdom:

The Royal Tenenbaums is about a dysfunctional family with each member having their own talents and idiosyncrasies, reunited again under the same roof the child prodigies grew up together. Director Wes Anderson’s style is clearly shown like most of his films, the script is incredibly detailed and the character development is phenomenally well done. Most of it is comprised of quirky characters with deadpan punch lines. Love him or hate him, Anderson remains one of the most original contemporary American filmmakers, this film only reflects that.

The Royal Tenenbaums is written in a style of a book and starts off with a prologue – which is narrated by Alec Baldwin – that gives us a detailed background on the Tenenbaum siblings as children. Each of the three kids is gifted in their own way. The oldest son Chas managed to develop a new breed of mice and close real estate deals in his teens. Margot is an adopted daughter who before the age of 14 produced a $50,000 playwriting grant and a secret smoker since 12. Richie is an international tennis champion. Then you have Eli Cash, who is a neighbor kid who spends enough time with them to be considered an honorary Tenenbaum.

To close out the prologue, we see the father, Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman), explain to the kids that even though he has made “certain sacrifices” by having children, that he is leaving based on their mother’s, Etheline Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston), decision.

The film then jumps 22 years later and we see the children all grown up. At their core, the siblings are falling apart although it is seems like it was not because of being child prodigies or growing up fatherless but simply where life as taken them.

Royal has not spoken to his ex-wife in seven years until one day he pops in to tell her some news. He tells her that he is deadly sick and claims he has six weeks to live. In his own words he “has a pretty bad case of cancer”. However, you do not know if he is telling the truth or not as he is the type of person that walks with a cane but rarely uses it. His last wishes are simple, to get the family back together.

Chas (Ben Stiller) in now permanently in a state of paranoia after losing his wife in a plane crash. The film implies that the late night fire evacuation drills he does with his two children are not rare occurrences. He decides that because there are no sprinklers inside the apartment, he and his kids should live with his mother.

Richie (Luke Wilson) was once a famous tennis player but had choked in a big tournament which ended his career. He blames his failure on his absent father and his love for his adopted sister Margot. Currently, he is cruising around the world on a large ship when he hears the news about his father and decides to go home to visit him.

Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) spends six hours a day in the bathtub of a locked bathroom watching TV and secretly smoking. Her isolation has caused her not to write a play in years. She is married to Raleigh St. Clair (Bill Murray) but leaves him when she decides to go back home.

Royal never has as much as a quarter on him at any time. He constantly has to ask people for money or credit. His own son Chas has sued him twice for taking money from him. That may be pay back from when Royal shot him in the hand with a BB gun as a kid (which actually happened to Owen Wilson’s brother as a kid).

Since moving back home, Margot rekindles a relationship with Eli Cash (Owen Wilson) which is very upsetting to Richie who is in love with her. Richie eventually resorts to suicide as desperate call for attention. Similar drama surrounds Etheline as Royal is trying to get closer to her at the same time his nemesis Henry Sherman (Danny Glover) is.

Henry calls Royal out for not having cancer and he is right. Royal admits to faking it in an effort to try getting back with his ex-wife but realizes the 6 days he spent with his family has actually been one of the best times in his life. And that is something he is not lying about.

A scene towards the end of the film is wonderful, a long continuous scene that captures almost all of the characters showcasing their personality. Henry is still trying to cheat the system by getting the most out of his insurance. Royal finally makes up to Chas by giving him a dog. The doctor who was giving bad medical advice in the beginning is still giving terrible advice. Margot is still getting cigarettes from hiding places and Richie Wilson is still taking care of his bird as he did as a child.

Wes Anderson’s love for the theater shows as this felt more like a play than it did a feature film. His focus on scene decoration and matching of colors on the set are both artfully done. Along with cinematography, another similar theater element is most of the characters are almost always wearing the same clothing throughout. When you watch a Wes Anderson film, you instantly know it by the look and feel of it, which is something I greatly admire of him. His style is identifiably unique.

While both Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson came up with a script that can hold its own to many others, the acting performances help sell it wonderfully. Gene Hackman nails the role perfectly, in what might be the best film he has done. This role landed him a Golden Globe win. Granted, the amount of talented actors Wes Anderson got to work with for this is mesmerizing, but he did get them each to perform their best.

With The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson spends so much time carefully distinguishing each character that it makes the main storyline seem relatively shallow. It is the type of film that becomes more rewarding after each viewing and because of that it has a tremendous cult following. Of course, most films put out by Anderson have a following automatically associated to them.

Get Low is a period drama about an old hermit set in the 1930’s with a mysterious past. The roles are filled with two highly respected actors, Robert Duvall and Bill Murray. A lot of people will watch it just for them, but the good news is there is more than just that to look forward to.

Felix Bush (Robert Duvall) is a 1930’s Tennessee hermit who has lived on his own isolated property for the past 38 years. We get a sense of his personality when he puts up a sign that reads, “No Damn Trespassing, Beware of Mule.” He lives alone, unless you count his mule, which serves as both his best friend and transportation.

Most people of the town nearby know of Felix, he is the recipient of many name-calling and rumors of him run rampant. The opening scene of the film gives us the likely reason why people talk down about the hermit. The scene at the beginning is of a farmhouse on fire and a man running from it, which we presume is Felix.

For obvious reasons, Felix does not venture into town very often. However, he does make an exception to pay respects to his fellow hermit friend who recently passed away. On his visit he gets into a confrontation with a local. The local harasses Felix buy calling him names and throwing rocks at his mule.

Frank Quinn (Bill Murray) is a desperate funeral home owner that is just waiting for people to die, for his business to pick up. Because of the position his business is in, he transforms his assistant, Buddy (Lucas Black), into a salesman to generate new business. Buddy suggests meeting up with Felix to discuss funeral arrangements.

The two go to Felix’s place, who not surprisingly, was upset at first that there was an intruder on his property. As Buddy sits down to talk with him, it becomes clear that Felix is very curious as to what other people have been spreading rumors about. Of course, Buddy did not want to bring up the rumors but Felix insisted firmly. One such rumor was that Felix killed some people in a fist fight. To which is response was, “Is that all?”

When showing someone around his property they mention the beautiful scenery of trees, which his response is, “When you leave things alone, they know what to do.” Without knowing it, Felix metaphorically stated what his entire life has been like up until that point. It was blatant enough of an analogy that even a character in the film pointed it out. Apparently, the director did not want you to miss that connection.

The next day Felix shows up at the funeral home unannounced. Clearly, Frank is very nervous perhaps mostly because he is face to face with the hermit for the first time, but he may also just be excited that he finally has a customer. Felix lists off some arrangements he would like including the peculiar request that he wants to be alive at the funeral. He goes on to reveal why the odd request was made, he wants the people that have stories about him to attend.

Felix then sets out to find a Reverend to speak at his funeral and he has someone in mind. He meets with Reverend Charlie Jackson (Bill Cobbs) who seems to have not only known Felix for a very long time but may be the only person that knows what happened on the night of the farmhouse fire. Jackson asks Felix if he has asked forgiveness to the Lord for what he did, which his answer is no. Felix pleads that he has punished himself by living completely alone for the past 40 years but even he knows that is not enough to make up for what he did, whatever that was.

There is no doubt that Felix has some skeletons in the closest. We have no idea if he is a murderer, criminal or something even worse. But we do know Felix wants to set the record straight on what he did. His intentions shift from wanting to hear what other people’s stories about him, to him telling his story to others, the real story about him. We as viewers are just as interested in hearing the truth as the hundreds that gathered to hear it at his funeral party.

Get Low definitely benefits from having two well-seasoned actors. It is likely that both Robert Duvall and Bill Murray sit on most critics’ favorite modern-day actors list. Each is perfectly casted for their role. Duvall masterfully takes the lead role but is careful not to completely steal the show as Murray entertains us with his role as funeral director. Getting to watch both of them performance on the same screen is a treat.

First-time feature director Aaron Schneider gives us a wonderfully shot film, but it should come to little surprise since most of his work previously was cinematography. The 1930’s set looked authentic from wardrobes to interiors of buildings. Luckily, a good portion of Get Low is outside so we get to see beautiful shots of the Tennessee landscape, particularly the scene where he walks through the woods.

There was a lot of build up to the speech that he gives, but once that card is revealed there is not much left in the hand. Unfortunately, it did fail to fully deliver the emotional impact it intended to. But I still think it carried some feeling, we have Duvall to thank for that. I felt like the conclusion was not as good as the entire thing leading up to it, perhaps keeping the idea of not knowing what exactly happened would have been better.

Get Low started off going in an irony direction with the hermit coming to town and wanting to be alive for his own funeral. But it switches to more of a serious and emotional direction about midway through. While the conclusion may have missed a little emotionally, it does not take away from the fact that this is a great film to see.

The 2011 Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced today with Debra Granik’s Winter’s Bone being the front runner. Winter’s Bone could be this year’s Precious as it has the most nominations this year with seven which include; Best Feature, Best Director, Best Screenplay and acting nominations for Jennifer Lawrence, Dave Dickey, and John Hawkes. Some of the other major nominees include The Kids Are All Right which received 5 nominations, Black Swan and Rabbit Hole which received 4. All four of those films have a good chance at Oscar nominations as well.

Although, I have not seen the Duplass brother’s Cyrus or Philip Seymour Hoffman‘s Jack Goes Boating, I am a little surprised that they were not one of the major contenders. I suppose Jack Goes Boating did haul in 3 nominations and Cyrus did receive 1 for Best Male Lead. I would have thought they would have had some more praise considering the people behind the films. Also Best Worst Movie did not make an appearance for Best Documentary, bummer.

Joel McHale will host the 26th Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday, February 26 which will air that night on IFC at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

127 Hours, Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson
Black Swan, Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver
Greenberg, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin
The Kids Are All Right, Gary Gilbert, Philippe Hellmann, Jordan Horowitz, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray, Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Winter’s Bone, Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Anne Rosellini

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone
John Cameron Mitchell, Rabbit Hole

Everything Strange and New, directed by Frazer Bradshaw; Producers: A.D. Liano, Laura Techera Francia
Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider; Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck
The Last Exorcism, directed by Daniel Stamm; Producers: Marc Abraham, Tom Bliss, Eric Newman, Eli Roth
Night Catches Us, directed by Tanya Hamilton; Producers: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, Ronald Simons
Tiny Furniture, directed by Lena Dunham; Producers: Kyle Martin, Alicia Van Couvering

Daddy Longlegs, written and directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie; Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott
The Exploding Girl, written and directed by Bardley Rust Gray; Producers: Karen Chien, Ben Howe, So Yong Kim
Lbs., directed by Matthew Bonifacio, written by Matthew Bonifacio and Carmine Famiglietti; Producers: Matthew Bonifacio, Carmine Famiglietti
Lovers of Hate, written and directed by Bryan Poyser; Producer: Megan Gilbride
Obsedila, written and directed by Diane Bell; Producers: Chris Byrne, Mathew Medlin

Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right
Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Winter’s Bone
Nicole Holofcener, Please Give
David Lindsay-Abaire, Rabbit Hole
Todd Solondz, Life During Wartime

Diane Bell, Obselidia
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture
Nik Fackler, Lovely, Still
Bob Glaudini, Jack Goes Boating
Dana Adam Shapiro, Evan M. Wiener, Monogamy

Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Greta Gerwig, Greenberg
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Ronald Bronstein, Daddy Longlegs
Aaron Eckhart, Rabbit Hole
James Franco, 127 Hours
John C. Reilly, Cyrus
Ben Stiller, Greenberg

Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism
Dale Dickey, Winter’s Bone
Allison Janney, Life During Wartime
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jack Goes Boating
Naomi Watts, Mother and Child

John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Samuel L. Jackson, Mother and Child
Bill Murray, Get Low
John Ortiz, Jack Goes Boating
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Adam Kimmel, Never Let Me Go
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan
Jody Lee Lipes, Tiny Furniture
Michael McDonough, Winter’s Bone
Harris Savides, Greenberg

Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy
Marwencol, Jeff Malmberg
Restrepo, Tim Hetherington, Sebastien Junger
Sweetgrass, Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor
Thunder Soul, Mark Landsman

Kisses, Lance Daly
Mademoiselle Chambon, Stéphane Brizé
Of Gods and Men, Xavier Beauvois
The King’s Speech, Tom Hooper
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Please Give
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Casting Director: Jeanne McCarthy
Ensemble Cast: Ann Guilbert, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Lois Smith, Sara Steele

In-Ah Lee, Au Revoir Taipei
Adele Romanski, The Myth of the American Sleepover
Anish Savjani, Meek’s Cutoff

Hossein Keshavarz, Dog Sweat
Laurel Nakadate, The Wolf Knife
Mike Ott, Littlerock

Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Sweetgrass
Jeff Malmberg , Marwencol
Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Summer Pasture