filmotico.com

Well in case you haven’t heard yet, Twilight mania hit a fever pitch this weekend taking in 258.9 million world wide of which 140.7 million was sold in the US.

People are pretending to be surprised but if we’re going to talk surprises we definitely have to talk about the number two film, The Blind Side. This is the type of film that falls by the wayside, specially going up against something like New Moon, but the Sandra Bullock film sold 33.6 million. This means also means that Bullock, who got clobbered when All About Steve came out, will have to be taken seriously as a possible Best Actress nominee.

The other unexpected turn of event is tied to the # 3 film, 2012 which dropped considerably with it’s 26.5 tally on its second weekend. Planet 51 came in at number four, having a soft opening with a little under 13 million and A Christmas Carol held steady at number five with 12.2.

Meanwhile, according to Caribbean Cinemas website, our top five is not that different this weekend. Given that Warners has reservations about opening a sports movie here, and in their defense football movies do seem to tank in Puerto Rico, the top five went like this:

1. New Moon
2. 2012
3. Planet 51
4. A Christmas Carol
5.Paranormal Activity

Ok, quick question. How is it possible that Paranormal Activity is still making money here? The word of mouth has been terrible. I guess everybody’s curious. Anyways this week brings 4 new releases to the Island. Let’s hope Kabo & Platón, the only puertorrican film of the bunch, register at the box office next week. Are you planning on seeing it?

One of the rare thing that happens when you work as an entertainment journalist for a while, in my case it’s been an 8 year ride, is that you get to talk to an unknown performer before they hit it big. And in the case of both Twiligth stars this was the case.

I had a chance to talk to Kristen Stewart during the Zathura junket back in 2005 and later that same year with Robert Pattinson I did a paired interview with Katie Leung (the first girl to famously kiss Harry Potter) for the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire press round up in London. And even though I haven’t been able to interview them since (Thanks Summitt) I have to say the mega success of their film together hasn’t seem to change them one bit.

Photo by David Strict from Hollywood Backlot

“I know that people are really funny about ‘Well, you chose to be an actor, why don’t you just fucking give your whole life away?’ ” This is a quote from Stewart that was published in Entertainment Weekly about a week ago. And she might be right-an average person will go “Jeez-what the hell is your problem? Why are you so uptight?” But fact of the matter is the girl loves to act but has never been comfortable doing press. For the Zathura I had five minutes with her for a TV interview and what I came away is that she was an extremely shy person who gets really defensive when she’s forced to do something she does not like, in this case in particular it would be press. So now that her profile has risen considerably, it makes perfect sense for her to defend her privacy. Still, if she wants to keep her acting career she’s going to have to add some looseness to her bag of tricks and I don’t mean as an interview subject but as an actress. Up until now Stewart has done great handling characters that are often at odds with themselves or uncomfortable in their own skin-which is why she’s perfect for Bella. The only time that she’s displayed a different shade of angst was in the little seen In The Land of Women. For now, it seems like she is stepping up her game by playing Joan Jett in the upcoming Runaways film. There is no way that she can get away playing a rocker like Jett as a stick in the mud introverted musician.

photo by David Strict for Hollywood Backlot

With Pattinson the challenges ahead seem to be completely different, but seems to have something that his co-star lacks: a sense of humor. Back in 2005 he seemed bemused and detached by the Pottermania that swirled around the press coverage. He didn’t say much, but when he did it was sure to be a self-deprecating remark. During our interview he seemed happy to let Leung handle most of the questions but was cordial when one was focused directly on him. Still I could have never had predicted a Heartthrob in the making. And that seems to be the biggest trap his career is facing. With Pattinson Edward’s brooding is definitely an act, but his romantic hero/bad boy status is going to be difficult to shake. Doing alternative roles in indie films that nobody will see will not do the trick. He needs to do commercial films that cast him in a different light. His recently announced role in Bel Ami, where he gets to seduce the likes of Uma Thurman and Kristen Scott Thomas, seems to expand a stereotype that will eventually trap him as an actor.
But for now with two more Twilight films on the way and New Moon racking up 72.7 million in its first 24 hours (besting Dark Knight’s opening day numbers, who cares right?
So what do you think? Do the Twilight Stars have a future after Bella and Edward have their breaking dawn?

Esta es mi reseña de New Moon sin editar que será publicada mañana en El Nuevo Día.

Reseña de New Moon
Por
Juanma Fernández-París

No importa que hayan hombres lobos y vampiros, la esencia de la “Saga de Twilight”, es la historia de un amor imposible entre dos jóvenes. En el primer filme, Bella y Edward tienen que enfrentar su primer obstáculo: que a pesar de sus sentimientos románticos hacia ella, el primer instinto de Edward es querer consumir la sangre de su amada.

En New Moon, la primera secuela de losa novelas de Stephany Meyers, Bella y Edward enfrentan obstáculos aún más complejos: ¿Cómo va a sobrevivir su relación mientras ella siga siendo humana y el inmortal?

Como los protagonistas resuelven esto es la trama central de este filme que a pesar de ser una variación del mismo concepto, el verdadero amor enfrenta muchos obstáculos y los sobrevive todos, resulta ser una oferta cinematográfica superior al primer filme. Esto es resultado del excelente trabajo del elenco y de la nueva energía que trae la dirección de Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass, About a Boy).

En las novelas de Meyers el romance de los protagonistas siempre peca de usar los clichés clásicos de un melodrama, el contexto fantástico es lo que le da su voltaje de energía novedosa. Al igual que en el primer filme las interpretaciones de Kristen Stewart y Robert Pattinson elevan este material dándole peso emocional a situaciones dramáticas que en manos de otros intérpretes serían risibles.

Del elenco secundario, Taylor Lautner logra superar la presencia imponente de sus músculos y abdominales para hacerle justicia al personaje de Jacob, quien al igual que Bella no puede evitar enamorarse de una persona que lo va a hacer sufrir. Y en solo una escena Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, The Queen) y Dakota Fanning se roban el show como vampiros de los Volturi, un clan con un régimen nutricional mucho más violento que el de los Cullen.

Además de la calidad de las actuaciones, este filme supera al anterior por el enfoque de la dirección. Twilight parecía estar embriagado en la química de los protagonistas y perdía fuerza en las secuencias de tensión. A pesar de tener retos narrativos más difíciles, considerando que la protagonista del filme esta deprimida por gran parte del filme cuando su vampiro predilecto decide terminar su relación, la dirección de Weitz balancea con efectividad todos los elementos claves de la fórmula de las novelas de Meyers a la misma vez que le da un voltaje de energía a las escenas que hacen buen uso de tener vampiros y hombres lobos como figuras claves de la trama.

A pesar de todas estas cualidades positivas, para poder recomendar este filme el espectador tiene que tener una conexión emocional con los problemas de los protagonistas, algo que pudo haber sucedido con la lectura de las novelas o con haber visto y disfrutado del primer filme. Aquellos que vayan esperando un filme de suspenso atmosférico que genera tensión a través de los códigos de horror que utiliza se encontrarán con un filme que los dejará defraudados. Con colmillos o sin colmillos los problemas de Bella y Edward nunca superan las complicaciones de un dramón de dimensión humana.

Before I say anything about the movie, which I watched last night along with a huge mass of screaming teenage girls, I have to let you know that out of the four Twilight books, New Moon is my least favorite. So with that in mind, take this as you will. New Moon the movie is a great screen adaptation and a much better movie than the first Twilight.

Even though the new director does a fantastic job-making the movie much more visually exciting than the first one ever was-the main reason for this is the cast. They all do an excellent job, particularly Kristen Stewart who makes Bella a likable heroine as oppose to the tortured zap that Meyers wrote in the first to books. I can also say that Dakota Fanning rocks as Jane a key member of the Volturi, a vampire clan that as Edward puts it “are the closest thing we have to royalty”.
Even though the movie has a lot of positive things to offer is still a conservative melodrama disguised as a gothic romance. Those uninformed moviegoers looking for echoes of the Underworld Werewolves vs Vampires action thrills will be sorely disappointed. The rest of the public can get ready to be divided into Team Jacob or Team Edward again and love every minute of it.

Check back tomorrow for the full review of the film! Meanwhile here’s another tease:

It has widely been reported that the main fanbase of the Twilight books and movies are females from ages 12 and up. And if it wasn’t reported officially it was certainly told to me a thousand times when someone saw me reading any of the four novels. Yes, I am one of the few males who have read all four novels. I know, I know cue Katy Perry’s You’re so Gay.

Ok now that you got that out of your system, I have to tell you that I always had the same reaction to the books. BELLA QUIT YOU’RE WHINING! followed by I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
Being inside the head of a classic romantic female character, with teenage angst to boot, was torture but Meyer’s plotting of the story was well thought out.

My reaction to the first movie? Well, I was glaaaaaad we were spared any constant voice over from Bella and that the movie let Kristen Stewart emote her inner turmoil. But other than that, I felt it was kind of like the book. All the good stuff, and by that I mean action and plot development, happens in the end. The whole movie is a soft affair about impossible love. And in the second book it gets even more impossible considering that Edward (GASP from the female peanut gallery) dumps Bella and she spends the WHOOOOOLE time moping, depressed and feeding poor Jacob’s unrquited love. UUUUH! LOVE TRIANGLE! Which is why I find it extremely funny that the movie is being marketted like this

For those out there who think this movie will have more action, I don’t mean to spoil it for you-BUT I’M GONNA- that’s it. Those fifty seconds are it! Unless new director Chris Weitz has done a major script overhaul this movie will be very much like the first one. Slow throughout and all the exciting stuff happens in the last reel.
Here’s a preview of what you are gettin

And yes that is Michael Sheen from the Underworld movies switching to the other team. And the fight does not get more intense than that. I’m still curious to see how the film will handle the horror aspect of that section of the story and how the wolfpack will be presented. Will all the backstories make it to the screen? I am not looking forward to seeing Kristen Stewart depressed for an hour and fifteen minutes.
Anyways for those who are more interested in the film and the process of getting it to the screen check out this interview with New Moon sceenwriter. that came out in the Los Angeles Times.

Check back on Thursday when I will post my official review of the movie!