With 'Interstellar,' Possibly Trending Toward Oscar-Winning, A-List Actors Spacing Out

Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and David Oyelowo are searching for a new home for humankind in “Interstellar.” Photos from “Interstellar” Facebook page.

A pattern may be emerging.

Matt Damon in “Elysium.” Jodie Foster in “Elysium.” Sandra Bullock in “Gravity.” George Clooney in “Gravity.” (http://www.bit.ly/1GGhneD; http://www.bit.ly/1w7NAmB)

That is, a run on A-list actors doing outerspace films. Outside of an established franchise. Is a trend in the making?

Anecdotally, perhaps. Now going where few have gone before is “Interstellar.” In this space odyssey, a team of explorers scouts other galaxies in search of a new home for mankind before earth expires. (See video below).

“Interstellar,” opened in limited release on Wednesday in Belgium, France, North America and Switzerland. Today, the film opens wider in North America, the UK and other places and will continue to roll out across the world over the coming weeks.

Directed by Christopher Nolan, “Insterstellar” stars the Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey (http://www.bit.ly/1twlakb) as well as Oscar winner Anne Hathaway. And Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn. And Oscar winner Michael Caine. And Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain. And the aforesaid MD, an Oscar winner. And Oscar nominee John Lithgow. And David Oyelowo. And others.

A trend is sure to be spawned if “Interstellar” is a commercial success. Over the last two days in the United States, the nearly three-hour film has earned an impressive $2.1 million on 249 screens.

This portends big numbers when box office results are released in a few days, showing the numbers from more than 3,500 screens. Filming on “Interstellar” began late last year, a period during which the 91-minute “Gravity” was being discussed with gravitas.

Alfonso Cuarón's project excelled during the awards season, garnering Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and so forth. At the world box office, it earned nearly three-quarters of a billion USD.

A year from now, another A-list actor may be heading out into the great unknown in a vehicle (or rather, spacecraft) that suits will be hoping will bring both coin and critical acclaim.

A good number of naysayers have compared “Interstellar” unfavorably to “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Mainly, however, it is being critically well-received, often described in glowing terms: “audacious”; “ambitious and visually inspired.”

Matthew McConaughey and his team are facing an urgent deadline in "Interstellar."

“'Interstellar' is a marvel of congruency from the opening shot to the final frame,” declares one admirer.

“Interstellar” is rated PG-13 for some intense perilous action and brief strong language; visit http://www.interstellarmovie.net/ to learn more about the film.

No Shame in Game of 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) listens attentively as Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) tells it like it 'tis on The Street in "The Wolf of Wall Street." Photos from "The Wolf of Wall Street" Facebook page.

YOURS Truly has been mulling over “The Wolf of Wall Street” since she screened it more than a week ago.

The film, based on the best-selling book of the same name by former scheister Wall Street stock broker and current motivational speaker Jordan Belfort, had its world premiere in New York City on 17 Dec.

It opened wider in the country on Christmas Day (25 Dec.). Leonardo DiCaprio stars as the former defanged broker in a film directed by frequent collaborator Martin Scorsese. Both men are among the film’s producers.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” has been on the brain because I do not recall the last film that left me so conflicted. Pressed to produce a title, I’d cite “Gone With the Wind.” I love it, though I should not, considering its content.

The former film has filled me with a far greater disquietedness, however. It has only been the last couple of days that I have been able to articulate why, a disclosure that I will make shortly. Critically, “The Wolf of Wall Street” has been generally well-received. Already, LDiC and MS have been nominated for awards; other nominations are sure to follow. (See trailer below).

The accolades are understandable. Is it even possible for MS to misdirect a film? Of course, yet he rarely does. As for LDiC, he has become an actor with a capital A. He’s proved that he is a dramatic actor. But in “The Wolf of Wall Street” he shows that he can manage the far more difficult business that is the comedic performance.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is definitely a dramedy. When LDiC has to be serious as Jordan, whom he resembles, he is quite good. However, when he is required to bring the funny, he is even better. The long scene that begins at the WASP country club and ends in Jordan’s kitchen about a mile away is uproarious. In those few minutes, LDiC brings to mind Cary Grant, specifically in “Bringing Up Baby.” There are numerous laugh-out loud scenes in “The Wolf of Wall Street. One of the most memorable is toward the beginning of the film and involves Matthew McConaughey.

MMcC has a cameo role as Mark Hanna, a top dog at the first brokerage that employs Jordan before the stock market crash of 1987. He makes very good use of his short time on screen and gives new meaning to the multiple-martini lunch. Don’t be surprised to see MMcC’s moniker on some “Best Supporting Actor” nomination lists; ditto for Jonah Hill’s (Donnie Azoff).

The latter plays Jordan’s partner (whose name has been changed in the film, the case for most of the main players) in Stratton Oakmont, the penny stock firm that Jordan founded shortly after the crash. Indeed, the film boasts a very strong supporting cast, including Margot Robbie as Jordan’s second wife, Naomi. Don’t be surprised to see the name of the Australian newcomer on some “Best Supporting Actress” lists, in part for her command of the Long Island, New York accent.

Katarina Čas as money mule Chantalle in "The Wolf of Wall Street."

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is well-directed. It is also well-acted. So, what’s not to like? It is important to note that Jordan Belfort was a drug and sex addict; this is chronicled in the book. In fact, during that memorable lunch scene, Mark gives an uncorrupted, but eager Jordan to know that the way forward in their business is drugs and sex – pretty much in that order.

Therein lies the crux of my consternation. “The Wolf of Wall Street” gorges itself on sex and drug scenes, as well as general hedonism. It is the sex scenes, however, that still haunt me. Women are terribly demeaned (and men, too, for that matter). In “Gone With the Wind,” blacks are demeaned, but the scenes are not grossly offensive.

No such defense can be made for “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Hollywood standards and practices have become so relaxed and permissive that almost anything goes. And in this film, almost anything does go. Indeed, the going was so bullish at one juncture that MS had to edit some sex scenes to avoid an NC-17 rating, almost certain box-office death for many films. Can't you just imagine that meeting with the suits from Paramount, the film's distributor, trying to diplomatically make such a suggestion to a legendary, Oscar-winning director who generally retains creative control of his projects?

Incidentally, it is too early to prognosticate about how "The Wolf of Wall Street" will do at the box office. Open in the United States at the moment in around 2,500 theaters, it did about $9.1 million and $6.6 million on 25 Dec. and 26 Dec., respectively. The top film for both days, "The Hobbitt: The Desolation of Smaug" on roughly 3,900 screens, brought in $9.3 million and $10.5 million. U.S. audiences won't likely gear into full moviegoing mode until this weekend. Stay tuned for more numbers on Monday (30 Dec.).

But I digress. I am of the school of thought that subscribes to the notion that just because something is written in a book or dreamed up in a mind does not mean that it has to be done precisely so on the screen. Some things can, must and should be left to the imagination. MS leaves very little room for imagining here.

Countless are the sex scenes that could have been excluded. The one featuring the “penny stock” prostitute belongs at the top of the list, closely followed by the airplane scene of Jordan’s Las Vegas-bound bachelor party, and the nursery scene involving his second wife, Naomi, in which she graphically informs her husband of what he will not be getting any of. These women are mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins, aunts. They deserve better, regardless of how far they've fallen or how much they have compromised.

Film audiences in many countries have been numbed by drugs, violence and sex. “The Wolf of Wall Street” continues the powerful anesthetic. MS could have easily borrowed a page from Vincent Minnelli's “The Bad and the Beautiful,” for instance. Kirk Douglas’ movie producer is far more depraved than Jordan Belfort and he was sober. Still, the 1952 film left much to the imagination, perhaps or not, owing solely to standards and practices of the time.

Martin Scorsese (center) directing Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street."

Of course, Wall Street will eat up “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and probably take inspiration from it. But one wonders on Main Street whether the film will prove equally disturbing for men as it should for women on any street. What am I saying – and I am not a prude or so-called feminazi? This film should prove colossally disturbing, in spite of the talent involved, for anyone who sees it.

In a word, shame. Shame on Martin Scorsese. Shame on Leo DiCaprio. Shame on Jordan Belfort, the son of accountants, for writing such smut – yes, smut!!! Just because these events happened and Jordan is required to turn over millions in restitution to those he swindled does not mean that a book about his boorish behavior had to be written and the most salacious aspects fed to the moviegoing public. These events have zero redeeming value.

Shame on me, Yours Truly, for not walking out of the screening, instead staying until the bitter, three-hour end of a film that does deserves an NC-17 or greater rating.

Shame, shame, shame on everyone involved in the making of “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Shame!

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is rated R for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some violence; visit http://www.thewolfofwallstreet.com to learn more about the film.

Matthew McC, the ACTOR. His Name and Film Are 'Mud.'

IT’S as if a few years ago Matthew McConaughey went to his agent, Jim, and the conversation went something like this:

MM: Hey Sally (Jim’s secretary and General Miss-Do-It-All)

SALLY: Good morning, Matt. How are you today?

MM: I’m OK; is he in?

SALLY: Yes, he’s expecting you; go on in.

MM: Thanks, Sally

(MM opens door to Jim’s office and the man is on his feet in front of his desk smiling).

JIM: Look who’s here. What’s up? You see the game last night?

(Taking a seat and lowering his Lakers cap on his forehead) MM: Yeah, the Lakers pulled it out again.

JIM: What’s wrong? Your girlfriend break up with you?

MM: Naw, man. Nothin' like that?

(With a concerned look) JIM: What then? You don’t look like yourself.

(Shrugging his shoulders, not making eye contact) MM: It’s nothin' …

(Arms folded; waiting) JIM: Yeah? …

(Looking up as he worries the tattered threads on the right knee of his faded Levi’s): MM: It’s my career.

(Walking around his desk to sit down; looking uneasy) JIM: What about your career? It’s booming. You’re a movie star.

MM: That’s the problem, Jimmy. I’m a movie star.

Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron as brothers in “The Paperboy.” Photo from The Paperboy Facebook page.

JIM: That’s the problem?! Do you know how many chumps want to be a movie star? I thought we agreed 15 years ago that this is what you wanted. Is this a joke?

MM: I know and I’m grateful. I know there are a lot of cats out there who would love to switch places. I’m just tired of ….

(Cutting off MM) JIM: Tired of what?

MM: I want to be an actor.

(Staring at MM incredulous) JIM: What’s with you guys? You come to this town hungry. HUNGRY, sayin' you wanna make it in pictures, to see your name in lights. Then you get there and you wanna be an actor. Everybody wants to be Laurence friggin' Olivier ... Do you know how many actors there are in this town working for tips at Spago?

MM: I know. I know. That’s not what I want. I want real, solid roles. I wanna make movies that mean something to me, something I can sink my teeth into. I want something that not any pretty face in town can do. Roles that won’t land me on the cover of People magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive. Not that I’m not grateful, Jimmy. I just wanna do some work that I can be proud of.

(Getting up and walking over to MM and putting his hand on his shoulder) JIM: OK, my friend. I got a coupla ideas. I think we can make you into an actor. But don’t come cryin' to me if you don’t like it!

(Smiling, giving Jim a man hug) MM: Thanks, Jimmy. That three-pointer that Kobe sank at the buzzer was amazing.

Fast forward to now and MM is an actor with a capital “A.” For the last few years, he has been starring in mostly meaty independent films. The latest is “Mud,” which had its world premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It opens in select U.S. theaters today.

MM plays a quirky drifter on the run. He has a cock-and-bull sounding story that two teen boys have trouble buying; nevertheless they agree to help him, then all hell breaks loose. It’s another actorly performance from the man who clearly must have wanted to shed his movie star skin going into the second decade of the 21st century. (See video above).

Last year was a watershed year for the Texas native. He put in a stunning performance as a closeted gay reporter in Lee Daniels’ “The Paperboy.” He won a couple of Best Supporting Actor awards, including the Independent Spirit Awards and the New York Film Critics Circle, for his work as a strip club owner in “Magic Mike.”

The Independent Spirit Awards rewarded him with a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of a hit man police detective in “Killer Joe.” The New York Critics also bestowed on MM the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as district attorney Danny Buck Davidson in Richard Linklater’s “Bernie.” The actor and director have a special relationship, dating as far back as MM's big screen debut in “Dazed and Confused” in 1993 and “The Newton Boys” in 1998.

It is in the early ’90s when MM began to gain notice. He was making the kind of films that he is making now. Of course, back in the day he was paying his dues. He would scrape together enough fare or credits, then the Hollywood big movie budget machine came calling for a guy who had aspirations of being a director.

During most of the first decade of the 2000’s, much of MM's work was forgettable fare along the lines of “The Wedding Planner,” “Reign of Fire,” “Tiptoes,” “How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days” “Sahara,” and “Failure to Launch.” Occasionally, he did some solid acting work such as “Frailty” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing.”

After the regrettable “Ghost of Girlfriends Past” in 2009 with Jennifer Garner, who has not done one interesting piece of work since her TV show, “Alias,” MM appears to have gone on sabbatical. During this period, a shift seemed to occur in his career. It is around this time that he likely had the above exchange with his agent.

Et voila!, the actor in MM re-emerged, starting with “The Lincoln Lawyer” in 2011. Incidentally, MM quit law school at the University of Texas to study film. He stars as Mickey Haller, the title character who does a certain job out of the backseat of a certain make of automobile. Mickey's has been an unremarkable career until the biggest case of his life drops into his lap or on his backseat.

Coming later this year are two films that are based on real life events. MM has done a number of those. He's in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street,” based on the memoir of The Street bad boy, Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

The actor teams up again with Lee Daniels and fellow thespian John Cusack in “The Butler.” It is based on the life of Eugene Allen who had served seven sitting U.S. presidents by the time he retired in 1986. “The Butler” has an uber star-studded cast headed by Forest Whitaker. It is not yet clear what MM’s role is to be.

In “Mud,” MM plays a quirky and possibly dangerous son of a gun. If the film brings to mind Mark Twain it should. Arkansas native and writer-director Jeff Nichols was channeling the author. The film is set in Mississippi but was filmed in Arkansas. It also stars Reese Witherspoon as well as newcomers Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland.

All in all, MM is probably pleased with his career. If not, he should be.

“Mud” is rated PG-13 for some violence, sexual references, language, thematic elements and smoking; visit http://www.mud-themovie.com/ to learn more about the film. Rx.

Lee Daniels Puts His Stamp on 'The Paperboy'

Nicole Kidman as an alluring and ultimately troubled Southern Belle in "The Paperboy." Photo courtesy of Millennium Entertainment.

DIRECTOR Lee Daniels ("Precious") inserted aspects of himself in "The Paperboy" at almost every turn.

He's in the characters, music and general ambiance of the film, which he co-adapted with Pete Dexter from the novel by the latter. To invoke an apt cliche, "The Paperboy" delivers.

The film opens in limited release today after making its U.S. premiere at the 50th New York Film Festival (http://www.filmlinc.com/) on Wednesday as part of a tribute to Nicole Kidman. The actress stars in "The Paperboy" as a woman engaged to a man on Florida's death row ... More shortly.

Transcending Human Bounds in 'Limitless'

Eddie (Bradley Cooper, left) is about to have his life changed by former brother-in-law, Vernon (Johnny Whitworth), in "Limitless." Photos by John Baer/Dark Fields Production, LLC.

“I wish there were a pill I could take to make it all better.”

It is human nature to wax thus in the face of various and sundry unpleasant circumstances, not really expecting that there is really such a thing.

Now there is: MDT. Where we humans normally use only 20 percent of our brain power, MDT allows us to use all of it! The pill synthesizes everything thing we have learned/seen and catalogs it to be recalled at the just the right moment, enabling us to become perfectly proficient in endless ways.

This is precisely what happens in “Limitless” to Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper), a down-on-his-luck New York writer who goes from a bum’s existence to living extra-special large. Based on Alan Glynn’s “The Dark Fields,” it opens nationwide today.

With MDT in his system, Eddie can speak Mandarin and Italian fluently. His facility of karate and boxing are on par with that for Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali, respectively. It spawns in him mathematical genius. It enhances his organizational skills and increases his motivation. On MDT, he wins his ex back. He becomes a perfect version of himself.

Eddie is walking aimlessly down the street one day after his girlfriend, Lindy (Abbie Cornish) breaks up with him. He runs into his former brother-in-law, Vernon (Johnny Whitworth), a former illegal drug dealer who now deals in legal drugs, some of which are awaiting FDA approval. A creature of habit, he is dispensing at least one – MDT – without benefit of a seal of approval. He leaves his card and one MDT ($800 a pop) with Eddie.

Under the influence of MDT, Eddie encounters his landlord’s wife outside his door. She is not happy. At first, she is far removed from him, a series of bulging eyes and gaping mouth – as if she is talking to someone else – before she comes back into focus. He was blind, but now he sees.

Lindy (Abbie Cornish) out to dinner with a new and improved Eddie (Bradley Cooper) in "Limitless."

Repurposed, Eddie recognizes one of the law books she is carrying. He is familiar because his ex-wife studied from the same. How did he remember that? Eddie advises the landlord’s wife about the book, writes a paper for her, beds her and she goes on her way. Back rent is forgotten. Meanwhile, Eddie is a new man. He addresses his filthy, dingy, dirty apartment and completes several chapters of his book, which he places on the desk of his dubious and dumbfounded editor.

BC is tall, fair and good-looking. He has the face and bearing of a leading man, yet there is at the same time something slight about him. Here is a man who would let his woman see him cry, though maybe she wishes he wouldn’t. He’s more pretty than handsome. Virility does not ooze from his as it does, say Daniel Craig, Christian Beale and Matthew Matthew McConaughey, who also has a film opening today (“The Lincoln Lawyer”).

As Eddie, though, BC is a competent lead. He is also likable and credible. It is easy to imagine him as a writer whose life is about to undergo a cataclysmic change. BC comports himself admirably in one of his strongest roles to date. In “Limitless,” he also has an executive producer’s credit which explains in part why he has top billing over Robert DeNiro who probably appeared in the film as a favor to the kid.

To complete his book, Eddie realizes he needs more MDT because the breathtaking brilliance he had yesterday is gone today. In its place is the familiar block. He goes in search of Vernon and finds him at home with bruises on his face and an air of nonchalance. Before he will give Eddie more MDT he sends him out to pick up his dry cleaning and breakfast. Eddie returns to find Vernon’s apartment ransacked and him murdered.

Financier Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro) sees Eddie (Bradley Cooper) as a cash cow in "Limitless."

While Eddie is freaked out, he had the presence of mind to both call the police and to look for Vernon’s MDT stash. He finds the stash and some cash in the stove. When the police arrive he goes with them to the precinct to give a statement, but that is not quite the end of the matter.

Eddie returns to being his best self. He finishes his book and renegotiates his advance. A makeover transforms him into a replica of a GQ cover model. New threads on his back and a few bucks in his pockets, he embarks on a brief, successful career as a poker ace. Eddie's desire to make more money faster leads him to an Eastern European and/or Russian loan shark (Andrew Howard).

He makes swanky, new acquaintances whose idea of going to the beach is not to Brooklyn or The Hamptons, but to Mexico. One MDT a day, and this is some of what life has to offer

Do not take MDT, however, if you are not already smart; it won’t work for dumb-dumbs.
MDT may cause/lead to
1. dizziness
2. vomiting
3. temporary memory loss
4. premature aging
5. manic behavior
6. promiscuity
7. stalking
8. coma
9. death
10. murder

Eddie (Bradley Cooper) makes a deal with the devil (Andrew Howard) in "Limitless."

It is through one of Eddie’s acquaintances that he comes to the notice of Carl Van Loon, a wealthy, (naturally) ruthless, hardscrabble business magnate played with the expected amount of vigor and swagger by RDeN. He and BC play off of each other well. Van Loon wants to exploit Eddie’s talents for defying the odds on Wall Street, which helped the novice amass $2.3 million in 10 days.

As he rises nearer the top, though, Eddie is in increasing danger both from MDT and those on his tail who know he has the drug and want it for themselves. Surely, his fall is imminent because his meteoric rise is as artificial as a ponzi scheme, no? He’s a drug addict. No doubt, he’s going to crash and burn – yeah?

“Limitless” is a thrilling ride with a satisfying end that leaves the door open for a sequel.

“Limitless” is rated PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language.