Kevin Costner and Hailee Steinfeld in "3 Days to Kill." Photo from "3 Days to Kill" Facebook page.
MIX a dash of the cheeky humor of a James Bond film, the weariness of “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold,” one sappy storyline, several likable characters, loads of bad guys, and the copious car chases, shootouts and shoot-em-ups that have become de rigueur for action films of the last 15 years or so and … voila! … the recipe for “3 Days to Kill.”
In Kevin Costner's latest film, opening today in U.S. theaters – should this be described as a comeback or simply a return after sporadic sabbaticals? – he is government spook Ethan Renner. Here's a spy who really does want to come in from the cold. (See video below).
Ethan craves a simple life with his heretofore neglected wife Christine (Connie Nielsen) and daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld). To prove his dedication to the cause, he has agreed to take care of Zoey while Christine takes herself off to London for a job.
Meanwhile, the bad guys are still out there generally menacing society. Only Ethan, of course, can put out of commission a really, really bad, bad guy. Really, really bad, bad guy is a terrorist, of course. Sure, Ethan can have his wish to be with his family, that is if he pulls off one last job for the agency, of course.
Ethan can only have life – literally – if he takes this job, one he'd rather pass on. Conveniently, he has a terminal illness. The one hope for reversal is an experimental drug. This is the carrot that agency bottle-blonde handler Vivi Delay (Amber Heard) dangles in front of Ethan to keep him on the hook. Take the job; get the drug, of course, of course. He has three days to lock this down, hence the title.
“3 Days to Kill” is an action film. To that end, one does not expect sterling dialogue, and one does not get sterling dialogue. Neither should one expect sterling acting, and one does not get sterling acting (it is what it is in what it is) in this effort directed by McG aka Joseph McGinty Nichol, a former video director who rose to real fame on the strength of directing the “Charlie's Angels” films.
Indeed, “3 Days to Kill” is an action film. To that end, the action scenes on the streets of Paris are thrilling and breathtaking, if somewhat familiar. It should be noted that Luc Besson, who knows a thing or thirteen about this business, is a producer of the film. This, no doubt, explains in part its Parisian setting.
Action-film fans have one to love, because this population can't get enough of chases and shootouts. The rest of the moviegoing public should just hold on tight during the loud, bumpy ride.
Oscar Isaac and Elizabeth Olsen in "In Secret." Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
Sustaining more than its share of bumps is another one opening today, “In Secret.” It is in English and is the umpteenth remake of Émile Zola's classic novel, Thérèse Raquin. It concerns love, betrayal and murder in a lower-class milieu of 1860s Paris. (See video below).
Jessica Lange takes on the role of Madame Raquin who forces her niece and the heroine, Thérèse (Elizabeth Olsen), into marrying the girl's first cousin Camille (Tom Felton). Camille is also the son of the Madame. All is as ill as it is going to be until Therese claps eyes on the painterly Laurent LeClaire (Oscar Isaac), Camille's friend and colleague. Then, all gets worse.
“In Secret” is beautifully photographed by Florian Hoffmeister. The demure lighting often clashes with the action. The film is melodramatic and relies too heavily on silence as dialogue. It is the female characters who are at the center of this work. EO's Thérèse is overly worldly, not the seeming innocent that she should be. One believes, however, that she is quite capable of a malevolent act.
JL, trussed up as a brunette with a severe middle part, puts in a solid performance as the odious aunt. Yet, there are moments when she oversells the evil – there's that melodrama – bringing to mind Faye Dunaway in “Mommie Dearest.” “In Secret” also suffers from slow pacing. Not a good thing when the ending is known.
Here's a one for consumers of the period drama.
“3 Days to Kill” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language; visit http://www.bit.ly/1fFuNXv to learn more about the film.
“In Secret” is rated R for sexual content and brief violent images; visit http://www.bit.ly/1p1AqXQ to learn more about the film.
A coffee shop in name only at The Shops at Target pop-up space. Photos by Yours Truly.
ONE can’t exactly have a launch, premiere or debut without food and drink.
No doubt, Target knows what time it is and the time is the Coffee Shop. It was the place a couple of hours or so ago for celebrities, industry VIPs, friends and sundry others to whet their privileged whistles at the fall rendition of the retailer's The Shops at Target. Jessica Chastain (“The Help”) and Hailee Steinfeld (“True Grit”) were among those who had an opportunity to shop ahead of the hoi polloi. The latter will be given the shoppertunity online and in-store from 9 Sept. onward. (A bit more on that tomorrow).
The Sparkling Rose Sangria is an interesting hybrid.
The Coffee Shop was doing the briskest bidness of all of the pop-up shops holding it down at Highline Stages. Incidentally, Coffee Shop is a misnomer. There was nary coffee cup or scent of Kenyan organic in the air. There were cocktails, though.
One most intriguing was the Sparkling Rose Sangria. Its vitals: rose sparkling wine, white sangria, blackberries, oranges. It is absotively delicious and accessibly complex. Sparkling wine and sangria lovers have gotta get a load (or sip) of this. Here is an instance where you should try this at home. Of course, lovers will drink/sip in moderation.
A recent morning in early April, sunny and wonderful, finds Yours Truly navigating the cobblestone-lined Crosby Street en route to the transportive Mondrian Soho for a media lunch hosted by officials from the New York office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The occasion is a culinary celebration of the Thai New Year, which starts Friday (13 April) and officially goes through Sunday (15 April). In some parts of Thailand, however, the festivities last as long as a week. At the entrance to the dining room annex of Imperial No. Nine are young women wearing traditional Thai garments who offer greetings and an invitation to receive a blessing.
The blessing ritual involves rose-petal laced water gently poured over hands followed by the presentation of a boiled egg, “so that the blessing doesn’t escape," according to the kind lady who administered the blessing. In effect, the egg serves as a holding vessel. Next, a white string is tied around the wrist for good luck. Luck is the centerpiece of the Thai New Year rituals, as it is in many cultures. While a few days later the boiled egg completed a breakfast of scone and Chai tea, the string is still on my wrist. I am happy to report that I’ve had a string – to use a word – of good luck recently. Is it dumb luck – to use a word – or something else? … Hmm …
Not surprisingly, the good luck theme of the Thai New Year or the Songkran Festival extends to food, too. In the United States, Americans eat black-eyed peas in hopes of having prosperity; the sweet black bean, kuro-mame, is a Japanese staple. Cubans eat grapes. Not only do Thais have favorite dishes, some of them have lucky names.
Larb Gai, right, and Kaeng Kanun, bottom, are typical dishes eaten during the Songkran Festival or Thai New Year. The Larb Gai is served with sticky rice, cucumber, green beans and chicken wings. Photo courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand.
In its earliest days, the Songkran Festival was a time to visit loved ones. Another part of the tradition involved trips to the Buddhist monasteries to pray and give food to the monks. Yet another commemoration is the cleaning of the home and the Buddha(s) therein. Tradition has it that washing the Buddha with water and fragrance is believed to bring prosperity to the home. Before the Buddha era, the throwing of water was a spring festival practice symbolizing sufficient rain for the crops. From the washing of the Buddha came what is today known as the water wars.
Despite their name, the water wars are good, clean fun. Because the Songkran Festival falls during the hottest time of the year it is not merely hot, it is sweltering. One way to cool off is to take refuge in air conditioned structures, which don't exist on the same scale in Thailand as they do in the United States, for instance. A better, environmentally friendlier way to keep reasonably cool is to get doused with water. As a bonus, the water may be scented and powdered. Of course, one can work up an appetite with all of this dousing and spraying. So what to eat?
The first lunch course is one of the most popular New Year dishes. Minced Chicken Salad is also called Larb Gai. Larb (also laap, larp, laab) means fortune; gai means chicken. It is served with a garlic chili dressing on lettuce cups. (See video above of Larb Gai preparation).
Mango with Sticky Rice is a favorite Thai New Year dessert. File photo.
“Toong Tong” or Fried Chicken Dumplings (in a Sweet Peanut Dipping Sauce) is the second course. Toong Tong roughly translates golden basket. A favorite on the six-course menu is the Mango Salad with jalapeno, lime and cilantro. It embodies the main elements of Thai food: sweet, sour and spicy. The flavors balance nicely and are doing wonderful work on the palate. Mango is a big part of the New Year feast, particularly Mango with Sticky Rice – mangoes symbolizing prosperity and rice, fertile land. (Visit http://www.thaitable.com/thai/recipe/mango-on-sticky-rice to see a recipe from Thai Table).
Hungry yet for Thai food? One can journey to Thailand for a meal, and the tourism office officials would be eager to assist that effort. In Bangkok, two restaurants that have a reputation for good eats are Somboon Pochana http://www.somboonseafood.com/e-index.html and Secret Garden http://www.bit.ly/HBoZDc.
Though there is no special Songkran Festival drink a la Champagne, Thai Iced Tea is on the menu at Imperial No. Nine. Made wtih condensed evaporated milk, the tea looks remarkably like a beige Russian. Meanwhile, the Mango-Mint Lemonade with fresh basil looks, but does not taste like Tang. Rounding out the courses and served together family style are Kaeng Massaman Neur (Massaman Curry with Beef), Massaman Curry with Eggplant and Tofu, Shrimp Pad Thai, Steamed Jasmine Rice and Black Garlic Green Beans. Most are on the menu in one form or the other at the above restaurants.
Happy eating and Sawadee Pee Mai (Happy New Year)!
When 'Hunger Hits Home' and Home Is Not a Faraway Land
THERE are hungry children in Africa and Asia. True.
There are also hungry children in the United States of America. Say what?!
Indeed, one in five U.S. children is food insecure, meaning that sometimes they have insufficient or no food to eat. The numbers in New York City, for instance, are one in four.
It’s the country’s dirty little secret that Food Network, partnering with Share Our Strength through the latter’s No Kid Hungry campaign, is exposing. On Saturday night (8 Eastern/7 Central), “Hunger Hits Home” (See trailer above) premieres on the Food Network. The documentary uses the stories of three families, advocates and others to shine a spotlight on childhood hunger in America. Not only is it a wakeup call, it's call to action.
Youth are recruited in the fight against childhood hunger through Save Our Strength's "No Kid Hungry 2" campaign. Photos courtesy of Save Our Strength.
Like many speaking in “Hunger Hits Home, Jim McGovern’s (D-Mass.) words resonate. “We are the richest country on the planet and not a single community is hunger free. We should be ashamed.”
We should also do what Americans always do when we really learn that there is a problem: we address it with an eye toward eradicating it. There is something to do for anyone who wants to get involved. An obvious option is to give money. As little as $1 to No Kid Hungry can help one child receive up to 10 healthy meals. (http://www.bit.ly/IWd0hw)
Visit the Share our Strength home page and not only does the donation pop-up button appear, so does a petition button. Sign it, click on “Add Your Name,” and the petition will be sent to Congress. It reads in part, “Please work to support existing nutrition safety nets and to increase access for eligible families." (http://www.strength.org/)
A chorus of voices in “Hunger Hit Home” stresses the fact that there is no shortage of healthy food in this country. Hunger is exasperated in our so-called capitalist system because food is perversely commoditized – priced out of the range of the many. In effect, only those with the means can access healthy, humanely raised food. Despite such obstacles it is still possible to get food in the bellies of children. The No Kid Hungry pledge considers such obstacles. (http://http://http//www.nokidhungry.org/learn-about-campaign) It reads:
Jeff Bridges has been working for years to end childhood hunger. He is the narrator of "Hunger Hits Home."
I believe that no child in America should go hungry. By pledging today, I add my voice to the national movement of people committed to ending childhood hunger in America.
I pledge to do more than I ever thought I could to help children gain access to the healthy food they need to grow and thrive.
I will help make the invisible hunger visible for my neighbors, my family, and our local, state, and national leaders.
By uniting my voice with thousands of others, I believe that we can make No Kid Hungry a reality.
Some recognizable names that have taken the pledge are Jeff Bridges, national spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry campaign and founder of the End Hunger Network (http://www.endhunger.com/index.html). JB also narrates “Hunger Hits Home.” Among the nearly 140,000 (at this writing) who have taken the pledge are JB’s “True Grit” costar Hailee Steinfeld, Food Network’s Guy Fieri and Kori Reed of ConAgra Foods Foundation.
"When I get hungry, it feels like I am about to pass out," says a little sad-eyed boy in "Hunger Hits Home." He live in the United States, not Africa or Asia.
Visit http://www.strength.org/ and http://www.foodnetwork.com/ to learn more about “Hunger Hits Home” and “No Kid Hungry.” Check local cable listings for Food Network channel.
Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) and Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) are unlikely allies on the trail of a killer in the 2010 adaptation of "True Grit." Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures.
WHEN Yours Truly learned that Ethan and Joel Coen were behind a second adaptation of “True Grit,” I almost dropped a 10-pound weight on my right foot. I don’t normally carry weights around; I was at the gym when I heard it on the tele.
Immediately and inexplicably, I was filled with dread. A huge fan of westerns, am I. “True Grit” I circa 1969, starring John Wayne, Kim Darby and Glen Campbell, is one of my all-time favorites. It and the Coens’ version are based on the classic American novel of the same name by the reclusive Charles Portis. The novel chronicles the odyssey of determined and precocious 14-year-old Mattie Ross who hires crusty, weathered U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn to bring the killer of her beloved father to justice. They would be joined in the pursuit by the loquacious Texas Ranger, only identified as LaBoeuf, who is after the same man for another murder.
Rooster Cogburn, LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) and Mattie Ross prove to each other that each has true grit.
“True Grit” I aired last week on TCM – no doubt so movie buffs could compare it with Version Coen, which opened nationwide on 22 Dec. just in time for Christmas. Comparisons are inevitable. (See video: http://www.truegritmovie.com/#/video)
Reservations about the Coen Brothers were born of what I am not certain. After all, I am a fan of their entire body of public work. My favorite is “Miller’s Crossing,” which they handled with both whimsy and seriousness. They have a reputation for telling authentic stories, albeit with elements of surrealism and subversion. Perhaps, it is owing to these latter and the fact that, heretofore, they had not done a western. I was convinced the brothers would visit a grave injustice upon “True Grit.” Therefore, I was bitterly disappointed in advance. While I had no desire to see what I presumed would be carnage of the worst order, I also could not not see the film.
After a hard day's ride, Mattie and Rooster keep the night chill at bay around a campfire.
How misplaced were my fears! From the start worries were allayed. Now, I simply began to breathe, burrowed myself farther into my cushiony seat and enjoyed the film. Clearly, moviegoers are enjoying it, too. As of 29 Dec., “True Grit” has grossed $55.6 million. It opened in second place during Christmas weekend behind “Little Fockers” with a take of $24.8 million. Partial credit for this success has to go to the Coens, who not only directed and produced, but are responsible for the screenplay. They are pretty faithful to the book, whereas Marguerite Roberts took a few more liberties with "True Grit" I.
Jeff Bridges is like a fine wine, improving with each passing year. How delightful it was last year to see him bask in all of the accolades and honors for his role as Bad Blake in “Crazy Heart.” He won a well-deserved Oscar. It would not come as a surprise if he is nominated for an Oscar as Rooster Cogburn – a role for which the Duke took home his only statue. He is just as crusty, stubborn, lovable and capable as was JW, yet his performance is not derivative. He captures the spirit of the man while also making the role his own. Further, the chemistry with newcomer Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie is just as strong as was JW's with KD.
Mattie watches in anticipation as LaBoeuf takes a shot at some outlaws.
Matt Damon is the biggest surprise. It was not at all clear that this man from Massachusetts would be able to pull off a credible Texas accent. He does a fine job and delivers the lines in the proper cadence. He so envelops the role that on occasion it seems that he is Glen Campbell. In fact, a look into his eyes reveals a dead ringer for GC. MD’s Texas Ranger, though, is both a little more pretentious and pedantic as well as more witty than GC’s. The latter’s interpretation of LaBoeuf is more brooding and defensive. At the time he was cast, GC also had less acting experience than MD. In fact, it was his first major film role, whereas MD is accomplished at his craft.
The most crucial role in “True Grit” is that of Mattie, of course. The casting department spent months and saw thousands of girls before unearthing the jewel right under their noses in Los Angeles. It is only because this is HS’s first film and she is a relative unknown that she did not get a credit above the title. Like KD before her, she effortlessly conveys the innocence and fastidiousness of Mattie. She, too, has true grit. Regardless how full of bravery and bravado she is, though, Mattie is a mere girl who circa 1870s in a very uncivilized America journeys into bad country in pursuit of a worse man. She has experiences most won't have in their lifetime. She bears them all with – well – true grit. Where others may have swooned or fainted she maintains her composure in the face of unadulterated terror.
One can almost smell the fear emanating from her in the scene in the log cabin. Rooster kills a man for shooting his already wounded partner whom Rooster will later have to mercy kill. Mattie displays the same steely composure when she is taken hostage by Lucky Ned Pepper’s (Barry Pepper) gang. Alas, there are instances when that wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder becomes a little one-note. A few different facial expressions or ticks to capture her fright would have done nicely.
"Afeared" she may be, Mattie stands up to Lucky Ned Pepper (Barry Pepper).
The film loses a bit of its grit on other occasions, too. An early scene is of Rooster in court defending his heavy-handed actions in the name of the law. It is funny but it goes on too long. Elsewhere, the end is true to the novel, yet it feels like a last-minute, ill-advised addition. At the beginning, an older Mattie in a voiceover recounts briefly that this is a flashback, then the film begins. After Rooster gets Mattie help for the potentially fatal snakebite on her hand, the actions switches to the present.
An older, one-armed Maggie (Elizabeth Marvel) – now a spinster – is on a train to see her old pal, Rooster, who is plying his trade in a Wild West show. He dies a few days before she arrives. Until now the audience has not clapped eyes on this woman; she bears no resemblance in looks or manner to the spirited teen. It is a very brief appearance. “True Grit” I ends in true Hollywood style with Rooster as spry as a young buck riding off into the proverbial sunset with his spry new horse. Today's audiences don't expect this from “True Grit II, but a few more liberties could have been taken with the end. As is, it is the one major flaw in an otherwise good film.
“True Grit” is one of the best modern westerns - in company with two other remakes/updates, “3:10 to Yuma” and “Tombstone.” It deserves such praise in part because of the language - another place where the Coens are faithful to the novel. The language is beautiful because it is crafted from commonplace words; often subjects and verbs are inverted. Also, there's such exquisite speech taking place in ugly circumstances and in ordinary matters. When one morning Mattie asks after LaBoeuf who has gone away to wash or to go, Rooster informs her that he is "taking care of his necessary."
Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed Mattie's father, faces his young nemesis for a second time.
There are many hilarious moments, too, as when LaBoeuf needles Rooster during the latter’s drunken target practice. “I thought you were gonna say the sun was in your eyes. That is to say, your eye.”
Another star in "True Grit" is the camera. It brings the audience squarely into the frame. In one scene in particular, Mattie evades the ferryman and swims with her new horse, Little Blackie, across the river after Rooster and LaBoeuf leave her behind the first day on the trail. It is a tight shot. The camera is right down in the water with her and the horse. Will they survive the crossing? Won’t they? The audience sees that this is a difficult, treacherous crossing, hence the ferryman. It is also obvious that the short journey is arduous for both girl and horse. In “True Grit” I in this same scene, a wider-lensed camera it used; it is at their back, offering a panoramic view. The camera is aloof. The danger is not apparent. In fact, it seems that such a crossing is routine.
Credit another pleasure of watching this latest “True Grit” to technological advances. The picture is so clear that grooves in wood are visible; detectable is the plaid on Mattie’s coat, as well as the dirt and debris on Rooster’s well-worn hat.
So defined is everything that the grit is true.
"True Grit" is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of western violence, including disturbing images.
Kevin Costner and Hailee Steinfeld in "3 Days to Kill." Photo from "3 Days to Kill" Facebook page.
Ethan craves a simple life with his heretofore neglected wife Christine (Connie Nielsen) and daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld). To prove his dedication to the cause, he has agreed to take care of Zoey while Christine takes herself off to London for a job.
Oscar Isaac and Elizabeth Olsen in "In Secret." Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions.
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