Entering a crowded arena Unknown is a film which forces you to compare and in doing so leaves you wanting something more.

Like other Neeson vehicles of late, it finds our hero with an insurmountable task to perform, a sort of Mission: Unknown here, but unlike previous endeavours such as Taken, a film I found to be extremely powerful, or indeed the Mission: Impossible franchise, this latest effort left me rather cold. It lacks the purpose and integrity of his previous films and places him squarely in the hard man mould, which I do not feel he meets as comfortably without an intelligent storyline or mythology to work with.

The film begins with the arrival to Berlin of Dr Martin Harris and his wife, played by the adored January Jones of Mad Men fame. We quickly find out that he is there for a conference and spoon fed the critical importance of his briefcase that is lost within the first few minutes. This is what causes Dr Harris to get into Gina’s cab (Diane Kruger) with the aim of returning to the airport where his case was left upon arrival, but he never gets there.

A road accident sees him being saved by Kruger, hospitalised and after missing for a few days, finding it nigh impossible to reenter his life. His loving wife, his colleagues and all others he has come to contact with do not recognise him and with his identity in question he finds himself in a strange city doing, what to me seemed, relatively strange and somewhat predictable things.

Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction adds some pace but is more concerned with lingering shots of what he perceives to the important things: the briefcase, the hanging bag, Prof Bressler’s (played by Sebastian Koch) daughters, January Jones’s posterior, and the story remains lacklustre which leaves us watching the plotholes go by when we should be carried quickly along past them.. Neeson plays it as though he means it, but above all it is the women that impress in this film, especially Kruger, who does not require a glitzy ball gown to shine.

If I was to be kind I would say that this film tried to do too much in attempting to incorporate famine, scientific innovation, religious and cultural contradictions, charity and the complexity of human relations as themes and it was this rather than a poor script and lack of direction that brought on my existential crisis less than half way through it. I watched it out of curiosity and would not warn you off it completely, but I doubt you will find it particularly satisfying and will probably be left feeling like watching a more authentic example of the action genre or just a different film from Neeson’s back catalogue as soon after as possible.

Special Features

• Unknown: The Story: Concept to screen which reinforces the notion that this extended Twilight Zone espisode gained a lot from its lead actor’s previous form, which leads us nicely to…
• Liam Neeson: Known Action Hero: Perfunctory look at the remarkable transformation of Neeson into an action star – not exactly steeped in depth and would have benefitted with a lttle historical context.
• Behind The Scenes: Behind the Scenes.
• Interviews with Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Jaume Collet-Serra and Joel Silver

{Rating:2/5]

The current conventional wisdom regarding ‘Hollywood’s’ recent output seems to be that it is fresh out of ideas. Blockbusters have become infantile, disposable and interchangeable. Whether or not this belief holds any truth, I personally believe it is a oversimplification of the current situation, it does seem to be clear that the films making it to the multiplexes are becoming even more ghettoised than they were previously, fitting into easily identifiable boxes. The idea of ‘aiming’ films at a certain audience seems to have been taken to extremes and whilst films constantly dispute this approach, it shows no sign of disappearing. Perhaps as an antidote to the perceived infantilism of the blockbuster, perhaps an attempt to effectively target an audience who rarely visits the cinema or maybe even just as a result of a natural shift, there seems to be a spate of ‘intelligent action thrillers’ that are neither intelligent or thrilling coming out of Hollywood. Buoyed by the financial success of Inception this is a trend that could very well continue with little attention paid to whether they are actually any good.

Into this arena steps Unknown. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson this European set thriller has all the trademarks of a low rent mindless action movie – a nonsensical plot, characters that boil down to simplistic stereotypes, poorly constructed and executed action sequences and a high concept premise that relies on the belief that a bump on the head will cause partial amnesia and further bumps will bring back that memory piece by piece. If Unknown succeeded as an action film then fantastic, a good action film is a good film but its constant failings means it never comes close to success and the schizophrenic approach in which the filmmakers seem to be labouring under the belief that they are making an intelligent action thriller makes it all the more disastrous.

The plot ensures that the film never veers into anything vaguely approaching intelligent storytelling with a structure that is entirely reliant on Neeson’s central character remembering salient pieces of information at the exact moment he needs to, or in many cases a few seconds after they would have actually have been useful. The constant twists and turns in the narrative have led some to label this kind of thriller Hitchcockian but unlike even Hitchcock’s weaker films nothing about Unknown convinces an audience that these events are really happening and without the feeling of being trapped with the character as the events unravel, that was key to many Hitchcock films, we are left observing ludicrous things happening to ludicrous characters.

The film opens with a mildly intriguing first act in which the American scientist Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) arrives in Berlin with his wife Elizabeth (January Jones). The couple are separated with Elizabeth checking into a hotel and Martin racing back to the airport to pick up a forgotten piece of luggage. On the way there he becomes involved in a car accident that results in his amnesia inducing bump on the head. Saved by the heroic skills of taxi driver Gina (Diane Kruger) he is dropped off at the hospital where he stays until he awakes, becomes increasingly distraught and finally discharges himself. Rushing to the hotel he finds his wife with another man who she claims is her husband, Martin Harris. Neeson’s character then enlists the help of ex-Stasi officer turned private investigator Ernst Jurgen (Bruno Ganz) and ultimately taxi driver/illegal immigrant Gina to try and figure out what the hell is going on. Cue woefully executed car chases, uninspired fight sequences and a plot that derails itself with contrivances and absurdities at every turn.

The direction and editing of the car chases is particularly egregious with a seemingly incessant need to cut to extreme close ups of gear changes, handbrake shifts and feet hitting pedals. The reason for this appears to be the desire to tell the audience that this is a really thrilling car chase that’s fast and action packed. Clearly this was deemed easier than actually making a car chase that is thrilling or action packed. The experience is akin to an excitable child behind you making “vroom vroom!!” noises to suggest strongly that the car is going fast. At no point do you believe it though and after a very short amount of time it becomes incredibly annoying. The hand to hand fights between characters are equally weak with efforts to inject kineticism through the editing and composition failing to make rather dully choreographed action look interesting. Unlike Liam Neeson’s previous action romp across a European city Taken (a film which undoubtedly played a part in Neeson’s casting here) or any of the Bourne trilogy (a trilogy that Unknown is indebted to, for better or worse) , Unknown seems to take no joy in the action. There is no gleeful bone crunching visceral absurdity that at least added a bit of ‘fun’ to those films. No, the makers of Unknown seem to be firm in their resolve that this is serious and intelligent, thereby missing out on the only thing that could have saved this daft thriller, enjoyment.

Perhaps the only area where the film falls into being fun is in an entirely unintentional one and that is in the performances. With the exception of Bruno Ganz, who seems to be trying to expertly act his way out of the bad script, and to a lesser degree Diane Kruger, the performances are laughably bad. Whether down to a bad script, poor direction or lousy editing (all are present) or even just terrible work on the actors’ part Unknown runs the gamut of things that can go wrong in a performance. January Jones comes out of it the worst though with line readings that are impossible not to just roll your eyes and laugh at. The stilted, awkward way she delivers the line, “Are you crazy?” is a hot mess highpoint. A guilty pleasure moment derived from it being so bad it’s almost good but this is hardly a point to recommend the film on. Liam Neeson fairs a little better but still seems to be partially comatose for most of the film. Albeit in keeping with the story this seems to be more born out of a weak performance than any commitment to the character’s mental state. His more emotional scenes are littered with dreadful lines of exposition badly delivered and at one point Frank Langella even appears to seemingly just to help him out with some of the more ridiculous expositional dialogue.

Even tied to a tricky high concept Unknown still had all the potential to be an exciting action film, a smart and well told story and an enthralling thriller with a high class international cast and a characterful European location but ineptitude and idiocy render this a disastrous and vacuous mess.

*½~~~ (1.5/5)

There is a lot to be said of Liam Neeson’s new role as 21st Century action man, formed in films such as The A-Team and Taken and cemented in his latest film, Unknown, which makes the most of this new persona.

Neeson stars alongside Diane Kruger, January Jones, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, Sebastian Koch and is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, a man whose career is moving into increasingly interesting territory.

The excellent people at Upbeat sat down with the director, Neeson and January Jones to talk about the film, which is out in the UK tomorrow.

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson, TAKEN) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Here’s the vid,

To celebrate the release of Liam Neeson’s latest action-thriller, Unknown, in cinemas March 4, we’ve teamed up with Optimum Releasing to offer three lucky readers the chance to win a poster signed by Diane Kruger and director Jaume Collet-Sera!

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson, TAKEN) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question using the form below:

Which star plays the role of Dr. Martin Harris in Unknown?

1. Harrison Ford
2. Liam Neeson
3. Bruce Willis

Unknown is in cinemas March 4

Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 113 mins

http://www.facebook.com/UnknownUK

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Terms and Conditions:

• Prize is an Unknown poster signed by Diane Kruger and Jaume Collet-Sera
• There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions
• Winners will be notified by email
• The Editor’s decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into
• Competition is open to UK entrants only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 10th March 10..30 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

We’ve teamed up with Optimum Releasing to offer 18 lucky users the chance to win a pair of tickets to see the latest action-thriller, Unknown, starring Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger and January Jones, which is released in cinemas March 4.

The screening will be taking place this Monday 28^th February at 6.30pm for 7pm at a Central London Location.

Synopsis: Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson, TAKEN) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Unknown is in cinemas March 4

• Certificate: 12A
• Running Time: 113 mins

You can find out more about the movie on the official Facebook fanpage.

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the following question using the form below.

In which major city is the movie Unknown set?

1. London
2. Berlin
3. Paris

The small print:

• Open to UK residents only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close 24th February at 17.00 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

—————-

Optimum Terms and Conditions:

Prize is a pair of tickets to the screening of Unknown on Monday 28^th February at 6.30 for 7pm at a Central London Location.

• Travel and accommodation is not included
• There is no cash or other alternative to the prize stated and the prize is not transferable and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions
• Winners will be notified by email
• Winners must be able to attend the screening on the evening of Monday 28^th Feb and may need to be available to collect their tickets on the same day
• The Editor’s decision is final and binding on the entrants. No correspondence will be entered into
• Competition is open to UK entrants only
• Winners must be 12 years and over or accompanied by an adult

Liam Neeson has deftly positioned himself as the go–to action man of the 21st century with Taken and The A-Team giving Neeson a Jack Bauer-esque makeover, and his new film, Unknown, looks to cement that reputation.

A new clip of the film has just been made available and is a fierce vehicular stuntorama, showing director Jaume Collet-Sera’s adept handling of the action in this film. Collet-Sera was in the news recently as the man Warner Bros are looking to in order to reinvigoratorise the Dracula myth with Harker, read more about that here.

Would you like to know more? Here’s a synopsis,

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson ) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Plenty of other Unknown quantities are available right here, TV spots, trailers, poster - just go and see the damn film, ok?

Here’s the clip,

Ellen Mirojnick worked as costume designer on 80s classic Wall Street, as well as last year’s sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Her work on the film was so successful that she has been nominated in the ‘Excellence In Contemporary Film’ category in this year’s Costume Designers Guild awards.

We were recently given the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with Ellen, which we present to you below this featurette from the movie:

———-

HUG: Obviously you worked on the original Wall Street, did you feel like this was a continuation of your job  there?

Ellen Mirojnick: Actually, yes. I felt that the original film opened the door to our perception of finance and  Wall Street . WallStreet Money Never Sleeps closes t­­hat chapter.

HUG: As I understand it, you used the costumes to emphasise character traits, for instance reflecting Gekko’s shark-like personality in his suit. Can you explain how this came about and provide some additional insight?

EM: As the costume designer, I interpret the essence of the story  thru the character’s imagery. This story has Gordon Gekko as an outsider. In this film, there’s a man who has nothing to do with the Street. He takes his time circling the story, sharking, until he finds a way to “feed” until he can. He Gekko’s up, and swims off to other waters.

HUG: Were there any other ways in which costume was used to tell the story?

EM: Costume is always used to tell the story. It is the film’s visual language. It is how we understand the story and the  characters that inhabit the film.

HUG: To the layman, there seems to be much less scope for costume design on a contemporary film like Wall Street than on a period piece or a sci-fi film. How do you put your stamp on a movie where, by the very nature of the characters, they ought all to be wearing Armani suits?

EM: In my opinion, a contemporary film is the most difficult to design. Most people don’t realize what actually goes into the making of it. I have always liked replicating the time and place that we live in. I love creating history. It is the contemporary film that will be the period piece in 20 years! It will be the piece that documents our history. To create a contemporary film, there are many things to take into account. Your first job is to translate the story and the characters .It is the designers decision if the character is best off wearing an Armani suit. Is there another suit that will work better for the film or actor? These types of questions are considered while translating the story with every character in every scene. If the designer’s  answer is found in a ready-to-wear garment or is illustrated and crafted in a costume workroom. The designer’s job is still the same.

HUG: Film making is a collaborative process, how much influence did Mr Stone have on the designs?

EM: Mr Stone, being the writer and director influences and  informs the design of the film. He would continually weigh in on the look and direction of the characters. Our relationship has a long history with support and a solid trust. Given that, he was able to let me freely create the characters, knowing the choices I made and were ultimately going to tell and serve the story he was creating.

HUG: And, how different was working on a film like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps as opposed to, say GI: Joe or Starship Troopers?

EM: There are no two films that are the same. Creating each world is a process that has different components and design challenges. The differences lie in the translation of the story and the director’s vision.

The best analogy I can share is, you are travelling to 3 different parts of the world. Each country  a new foreign language. You don’t know the language, but have to communicate daily. You wouldn’t have a choice , but to learn how to communicate by learning the language.

——————

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is out on Blu-ray and DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on 31^st January.  You can order your copy here or rent it here.

Optimum Releasing have sent us this new 60 second TV spot for their new movie, Unknown which stars Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Frank Langella, Aidan Quinn, Sebastian Koch and is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson, TAKEN) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

You can check out the full length international trailer for the movie here. Unknown is released in cinemas on 25th February 2011.

Here’s another new poster for Liam Neeson’s latest movie, Unknown. If you’ve not seen the trailer for the movie, you can have a watch here.

Unknown is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and also stars Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella and Aidan Quinn.

Synopsis: A man (Neeson) awakens in Berlin from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Unknown will be released in the UK on the 25th February and in the US on February 18th.

This new poster comes courtesy of CinemaBlend.

Earlier this week, I put up the new trailer for Liam Neeson’s new movie, Unknown. Now we get another poster for the movie which is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and also stars Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella and Aidan Quinn.

Synopsis: A man (Neeson) awakens in Berlin from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Unknown will be released in the US on February 18, 2011 but no date as yet for us here in the UK.

Source: IMPA

Here’s a brand new International trailer for Liam Neeson’s new movie, Unknown which has just been sent to us by Optimum Releasing. Now we get another poster for the movie which is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, and also stars Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella and Aidan Quinn.

Synopsis: Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson, TAKEN) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife (January Jones, MAD MEN) suddenly doesn’t recognise him, and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS), Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Unknown will be released in the UK 25th February.

Warner Bros. Pictures, via Comingsoon, have released a brand new poster for their upcoming action thriller Unknown.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Unknown stars Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella and Aidan Quinn.

Synopsis: A man (Neeson) awakens in Berlin from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, believes him. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is.

Unknown will be released in the US on February 18, 2011. A UK release date has not yet been scheduled.

Check out the poster below:

Yahoo have just debuted the new trailer for Liam Neeson’s new movie, Unknown. Unknown is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and as well as Neeson, stars January Jones, Diane Kruger and Frank Langella. This trailer looks great with Neeson waking up after a car accident to discover that his life has been taken over with his wife denying she’s ever seen him before.

It’s scheduled for release in the US February 18, 2011 but no release date has been mentioned for the UK as yet.

Synopsis: Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally, Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is the follow up to Oliver Stone’s 1987 Wall Street and he is back in the directing chair here. The film surrounds the recent economic meltdown that hit America and the rest of the world.

The film has an impressive cast including Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon and the mighty Eli Wallach.

We were lucky enough to sit down at a roundtable with Oliver Stone this week and you can read what Oliver Stone had to say below.

On how and why he came to direct Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

In 2006 I said yes lets try something, Stephen Shiff wrote a good script but it was celebrating the hedge fund culture, you know there was Russian hedge funders in Monaco and there was a scene with a guy who had a submarine in the harbour of New York. It was James Bond stuff and it was just rich people, no point.

2008 gave it definition, a sense of karma, that there had been some reckoning in this system. Crime and punishment. After that Allan Loeb had a script although I wasn’t involved. in 2009 I read it, I liked it. It had a hook, it had a good idea but it was still based on hedge funders and we changed it to bankers. We changed a lot of the plot over the course of our research. The movie is about banks, it’s an amazing story compared to the ’87 story because it really is about the failure of banks in the United States to maintain the system. They were no longer the institutional foundation and they had to be bailed out. It’s an enormous story really, historically important. If we ever have a history left.

Getting Michael Douglas back as Gekko

He wanted me to do it. It was a lifetime marker for him and he actually wanted to make the movie so he approached me in 2006 with Ed Pressman, the associate producer, and it fits him, it’s like an old shoe. I loved him in the role. It’s natural to him, I’m not saying he’s Gordon Gekko though. He’s certainly much more devoted to family than Gordon Gekko. He’s certainly had those issues though between money and time, you feel like Michael on a certain level, in the eighties, he was much that style and he changed over time.

How Gekko was perhaps misunderstood as a heroic figure in the first Wall Street film.

Didn’t Godard say every popular film is a result of a misunderstanding between the filmmaker and the public.

In the original I think Gekko was a one note villain, he was pure villain to me because he was a an aggressive, shallow, money seeking person. I think people liked him, they found him exciting. The people who actually went to work on the Street went with the idea of being legitimate not going to jail. Put it this way, money was sexy and to make money was acceptable in the Reagan world. That’s changed. People are idealistic now. Shia LaBeouf plays a young trader who basically is trying to capitalise in an alternate energy company, that’s important. There’s going to be a new bubble soon with alternate energy. I hope so, I’d love that, that would be a good bubble. Something good might come out of that bubble as opposed to the real estate market.

How the financial story works in the film.

It’s a background only to me though. We made it about six people in the foreground. These are a mother and her son, a father and his daughter, three financial predators (Josh Brolin and Frank Langella included) trying to trap Shia LaBeouf in their shenanigans. To me that’s what the story is about, people. I’m a dramatist and those people who want outrage from the movie, Oliver Stone the David throwing rocks at the financial institution may not find that. It’s about humanity.

The movie to me is about trust. At a macro level it is the banks and society and the concept of a civilisation going on with a foundation and you cannot put money in a bank in America. The concept of banking has lost its meaning. On a micro level these six people do betray each other at various points in the movie. It’s very important, there’s love and there’s trust but there’s also greed and betrayal. Everybody fucks everybody.

The banking story is great but it’s a documentary. There’s much more coverage of the financial story than there ever was. The investigation was quick. We heard about the Goldman scam before it was in the press because we talked to Eliot Spitzer who was Governor of New York and had investigated Wall Street and made many enemies. He had investigated AIG and Goldman and he told me, you know Goldman is hedging this whole market, they played the securities both ways, long and short. That struck me as a great idea for a movie because that would be the concept of the bookie playing both sides. We pushed that point in the movie.

Excess, the world of privilege and what excess he has seen in his life.

I’ve seen so much excess, it’s unbelievable. I’d say marketing campaigns on movies. I saw something at Cannes that is unbelievable, the red carpet is endless, the food is endless. The New York premiere was excessive but of course you can always say that is the movie business going back to the thirties. When you see it at every party you go to, groaning with food. I do think the world’s richness, the concentration of wealth in the nineties and two-thousands jumped. China is the biggest story of economic prosperity in the history of the world, India, Russia. The whole middle class system, the concept of reality television, that everyone is a princess, that you can have a home for free without earning any money is so Robin Hood distorted that it’s really fucked up. It’s crazy that you buy a house for nothing and not have anything, no collateral, that’s true excess. Where does it end.

The subject matter of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and its audience.

It’s not easy to make these kind of movies. Its a tough subject, arcane, not enough violence, people don’t hurt each other in that way. It’s a throwback in a way to a more adult drama and you have limitations. Some young people will not see a movie with a young man in a suit, they just don’t understand it, why is he not in a baseball cap with a fucking basketball t-shirt on. Can’t get through, there’s a visual wall. I think so. The movie always tracked older, we noticed that from day one.

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps is out in UK cinemas now and you can watch the trailer here.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps arrives in UK cinemas on 6th October. To celebrate 20th Century Fox has given us three goodie bags to give away.

In Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Michael Douglas returns in his Oscar winning role as Gordon Gekko, disgraced former titan of the financial world. Emerging from a lengthy stint in prison, he must learn to adjust to a new era of corporate greed where the stakes are higher than ever before. Gekko, however, has not lost his touch.

As idealistic young banker Jacob (Shia LaBeouf) discovers, Wall Street is about to see the return to its master manipulator. The film also stars James Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon and Frank Langella.

To win one of three Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps goodie bags containing money clip, mousemat, set of cufflinks, Blackberry case, t-shirt and A3 leather portfolio case, just answer this simple question using the form below.

Which actor played Bud Fox in the first Wall Street film?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only
• Only one entry per household will be counted
• The competition will close Wednesday 13th October at 23.59 GMT
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

Find out more at Wall Street: Money Never Sleep’s Facebook page.

Check out the trailer here:

Competition Closed

One of the most anticipated sequels to come our way this year is Oliver Stone’s walk down memory lane – Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

A revisiting rather than a reboot or a remake, Stone’s film has garnered positive reviews when it played the festival circuit. We saw the film at Cannes and you can see our review here.

Our good friends from Upbeat attended the World Premiere of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in New York earlier this week.

They got to chat with stars, Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan and director Oliver Stone.

The film opens in America today and we get the film over here on the 6th of October. Can’t wait.

The 2010 movie award for ‘The One We’ve All Been Waiting Far too Long to See’ has to go to Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps! It was originally due for release in April this year and then got shifted back 5 months and is coming to UK cinemas 6th October which really isn’t that far away! YAY!

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is directed by Oliver Stone and stars Michael Douglas who reprises his role as Gordon Gekko alongside, Shia LaBeouf, Cary Mulligan, Josh Brolin, Susan Sarandon, Vanessa Ferlito, and Frank Langella.

Synopsis:  Douglas is back in his Oscar®-winning role as Gordon Gekko, who’s iconic “Greed is good” mantra and daring corporate raids made him a rock star of financial titans. Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. He now has to play catch-up and redefine himself in a different era.  Gekko has to become relevant again. But a young, idealistic investment banker (LaBeouf) learns the hard way that Gekko is still a master manipulator – and if there’s one place where you can redefine yourself, one place where your relevance is a deal away, it’s Wall Street. Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, & Frank Langella co-star.

This new 30 second TV spot has the name ‘Place’. Enjoy!

Another new clip has gone up on The Sun to coincide with the one Jon put up over the weekend for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps or Wall Street 2 if you’re unsure! The clip shows Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf have a heart to heart on a subway train where Gekko (Douglas) explains the phrase, Money Never Sleeps.

The movie is scheduled for release in the UK 6th October and sees Oliver Stone back as director with a supporting cast which includes Josh Brolin, Frank Langella, Eli Wallach, Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon.

Synopsis: Douglas is back in his Oscar(r)-winning role as Gordon Gekko, who’s iconic “Greed is good” mantra and daring corporate raids made him a rock star of financial titans. Emerging from a lengthy prison stint, Gekko finds himself on the outside of a world he once dominated. He now has to play catch-up and redefine himself in a different era.  Gekko has to become relevant again. But a young, idealistic investment banker (LaBeouf) learns the hard way that Gekko is still a master manipulator – and if there’s one place where you can redefine yourself, one place where your relevance is a deal away, it’s Wall Street. Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, Susan Sarandon, & Frank Langella co-star.

It’s not too long now until we can accompany Oliver Stone on his return to his old haunt with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and tonight there’s a new clip showing three of the film’s main stars locking horns.

Josh Brolin and Michael Douglas face off while Wall St newboy Shia LeBeouf looks on like a terrified otter watching a crocodile and a buffalo scrap over the carcass of a trampled wildebeest.

We reviewed the film when it came to Cannes this year, and Stone’s film is due out in cinemas across the world in the next month.

In the meantime, here’s the clip,

All Good Things, Andrew Jarecki’s long-delayed drama-thriller, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for distribution in the US.

According to the LATimes [via The Playlist] All Good Things will hit cinemas in the US in time for December, making it perfect awards season fodder; Andrew Jarecki’s haunting 2003 documentary Capturing the Friedmans was Oscar nominated.

The film was originally picked up by The Weinstein Company after making a glorious openings at both the Sundance and Cannes Filn Festivals, but has been cast aside, leading Jarecki himself to buy back the film.

All Good Things stars Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Gosling, Kristen Wiig and Frank Langella and is a love story and murder mystery based on a notorious unsolved murder case in New York history. The original screenplay uses newly discovered facts, court records and speculation as the foundation for an imaginative spellbinding story of family, obsession, love and loss.

It’s brilliant news for a film that’s attracted such spectacular reviews. Hopefully Magnolia Pictures will serve the film, and it’s talented cast and crew, much-deserved justice.

Fingers crossed it finds it’s way over to our shores sometime in early 2011.