Genre: Drama; Action/Adventure; Science Fiction/Fantasy;
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco; Freida Pinto; Andy Serkis; John Lithgow; Brian Cox; Tom Felton;
Release date: 5th August, 2011
"Making the most of special effects breakthroughs pioneered on Avatar as well as on the extensive ape performance background of Andy "King Kong" Serkis, Rise closes the door on the makeup-and-hairpiece monkeyshines of the original Apes sequels once and for all. (...) Serkis invests Caesar with a full measure of personality through the indelibly human look in his eyes. The ape cast is rounded out not only by chimps but by a memorable gorilla and orangutan, both of them fine supporting players. The special effects are most convincing and involving, particularly as the apes move through San Francisco and across the bridge in their attempt to take over George Lucas territory up north."
by Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter
"Anyway, what I'm saying is that Rise of the Planet of the Apes made a monkey out of me. I was certain it would suck. Instead, the movie rises and, at times, even soars. This is all — and I do mean all — thanks to what human actors in league with computer technology can now achieve to bring the apes to life. No more guys squeezed into monkey suits and talking in posh accents. Performance-capture makes all the difference. Actors step into a body stocking covered in dots and the computer captures every move and nuance and then animates it. To watch what actor Andy Serkis does as Caesar, the lead ape in this movie, is to witness a kind of miracle."
by Peter Travers in Rolling Stone
"Smart, fun and thoroughly enjoyable, it's a model summer diversion that entertains without insulting your intelligence. (..) And cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, who shot the "Lord of the Rings" films, gives "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" an exciting wide-screen feeling while providing numerous bravura visual moments. Lesnie's task was complicated by the film's extensive use of state-of-the-art computer technology, an exceptional combination of motion capture and performance capture (for facial expressions) that makes the 150 or so digitally created apes look remarkably real. Visual effects supervisors Joe Letteri (a four-time Oscar winner) and Dan Lemmon (both with New Zealand's Weta Digital) utilized technology pioneered by "Avatar" and took it further."
by Kenneth Turan in Los Angeles Times
Oscar potential categories:
Best Cinematography
Best Visual Effects
Genre: Drama; Comedy;
Director: Tate Taylor
Starring: Emma Stone; Viola Davis; Octavia Spencer; Bryce Dallas Howard; Jessica Chastain;
Release date: 10th August, 2011
"The eminently likable Emma Stone plays the young journalist, a misfit debutante-turned-college grad named Skeeter Phelan, though the true hero is Viola Davis' Aibileen, the African-American maid who puts her life and career on the line; in the Jim Crow South, talking out of turn could get Aibileen lynched. The pair make compelling leads in a film packed with strong female characters. Getting to know this colorful and diverse group of ladies is chief among "The Help's" many pleasures, as the film emphasizes hankie-tugging sisterhood over pricklier issues that continue to divide the races today. (...) Like Stockett, Taylor grew up in Jackson and demonstrates a keen, wryly observant sense for the dialect and mannerisms of his hometown. Despite his limited directing experience, the helmer has firm control of the material, working with production designer Mark Ricker ("Julie & Julia") and costume designer Sharen Davis ("Dreamgirls") to create a robust, fully saturated snapshot of the city, from Hilly's impeccable beehive hairdo to Aibileen's understated-yet-proud living room."
by Peter Debruge in Variety
"A deeply touching human story filled with humor and heartbreak is rare in any movie season, especially summer. That's what makes The Help an exhilarating gift. It could have been a disaster. (...) Short on style and flashy technique, The Help on film compensates with genuine emotional force. The actors are sublime. Start with the brilliant Viola Davis (Doubt) as Aibileen Clark, the housekeeper who's helped raise 17 white children for various families but is still reeling from the accidental death of her only son. (...) Aibileen's best friend, Minny Jackson (an award-caliber performance from Octavia Spencer), isn't one to hold back."
by Peter Travers in Rolling Stone
"The Help, an emotionally enveloping, sharply alive big-canvas adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's powerful 2009 novel, is rooted in that truth more deeply than just about any Hollywood movie I can name. (...) Davis and Spencer are both brilliant, etching these women's hopes and broken dreams with every line, and between the lines, too. (...) The Help was written and directed by Tate Taylor, who is not a film artist (I kept trying to imagine what Robert Altman might have done with this ensemble), yet he keeps hitting full, sturdy notes of straight-down-the-middle emotion."
by Owen Gleiberman in Etertainment Weekly
Oscar potential categories:
Best Picture
Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis)
Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer)
Best Costume Design
Best Original Song ("The Living Proof" by Mary J. Blidge)
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