Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (2011) races forward in the intense trailer

After winning the Best Director, garnering a nomination for the Palm D’Or (basically one of the highest honors at Cannes) at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and seeing the release of the trailer, Drive (2011) has forced its way into the upper third of my Most Anticipated Films list.  Acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising, Bronson) knows how to film hardcore, intense action flicks that also have some depth to them.  Moving on from visceral performances by Mads Mikkelson and Tom Hardy, Refn has chosen Ryan Gosling as his lead for this film.  Gosling has proven himself to be an acting force to be reckoned with, and much like Leondardo DiCaprio has done since the romance Titanic, Gosling has shed his Notebook roots and become a legitimate star.  Purely based on what’s shown in the preview, he seems to give another tremendous performance here.

Teaser trailer for Andrew Stanton’s John Carter (2011) Mystifies

The teaser trailer for John Carter (2011), formerly titled “John Carter of Mars,” came online a few months ago and tempered expectations.  On the one hand Disney/Pixar legend Andrew Stanton directs the film; he’s proven his worth in directing Finding Nemo and Wall-E and co-wrote numerous Pixar movies including Toy Story.  This will be his first live-action film and features a gifted cast.  On the other hand, the preview borders on cheesy with a multitude of CGI (albeit decently rendered for a preview) and leaves something to be desired.  Then again, don’t all teaser trailers do that?

Film Review: The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

This is by far the best performance by Matthew McConaughey in nearly a decade.  Apart from his strong turn in the touching We Are Marshall (2006) and comical take in the hilarious Tropic Thunder (2008), he’s been stuck in a string of underwhelming romantic comedies and hasn’t lived up to his massive potential displayed in A Time to Kill (1996) and other early 2000s films.  Here, though, he showcases his talents in a slick, tour de force performance.  He carries the film and elevates it to be worthy of the big screen and not just the television movie-like story.  Adapted from the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) is a surprisingly absorbing thriller and fine piece of entertainment; it might not add anything new to the genre, but it is still a solid, fresh courtroom drama-thriller.