Release Date: 02/14/14
A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. When he learns that he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her.
I know, I know: I'm not exactly nailing down my expectation for Winter's Tale with a range .5 to 4.5. What I am nailing down, is that I don't think there's a lot of room between the two. This film will either be a defining romance, or be taking home multiple Razzies.
There's a lot to like in the trailer. Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe; these are all serious A-listers who are also all in need of something of a comeback role. Colin Farrell keeps showing his talent by getting supporting parts in big movies (Horrible Bosses, Crazy Heart) or starring roles in criminally-overlooked movies (Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges). Then he gets his chance to really carry a movie, and picks something terrible (Fright Night, Total Recall). Note that I'm saying the movies are terrible. HIs performance in them is always, at the very least, above average (and he expertly chews through the scenery as Jerry in Fright Night). This is a man who almost made Daredevil watchable. If there was ever someone in need of a better agent, he's it. As for Jennifer Connelly, quick, name something she's been in that isn't Requiem for a Dream or A Beautiful Mind (Russell Crowe reunion!). It's OK, most people couldn't. Her IMDB page reads like a list designed to elicit a ton of "Oh, that's right! She was in that!" comments. Russell Crowe could probably get his comeback later in Noah, but make no mistake: this is a motivated cast.
You've got time travel to make the love story interesting. The suddenly chic plot device seen in Time Traveller's Wife, The Lake House and About Time, has certainly been done before, but it also certainly isn't exhausted yet. So heck yes! Full steam ahead on a 4.5 star rating! So why the hesitancy and the worst case scenario? Well, I mean, sure, "I'm beginning to think I haven't stolen it yet" is a bit on the cheesy side, but... what's that you say? It was written by Akiva Goldsman, the same man who gave us the steaming turds of Batman & Robin and Lost in Space? Yeesh. And it's his feature-length directorial debut? Yikes.
Which is why this seems like a movie where either everything's clicking, or the wheels come off almost the minute the theater lights dim. You could walk out of the theater as profoundly impacted by a movie about love as you have been since Blue Valentine, or you could spend the entire movie wondering why they didn't just cast Rachel McAdams and be done with it.
There's a lot to like in the trailer. Colin Farrell, Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe; these are all serious A-listers who are also all in need of something of a comeback role. Colin Farrell keeps showing his talent by getting supporting parts in big movies (Horrible Bosses, Crazy Heart) or starring roles in criminally-overlooked movies (Seven Psychopaths, In Bruges). Then he gets his chance to really carry a movie, and picks something terrible (Fright Night, Total Recall). Note that I'm saying the movies are terrible. HIs performance in them is always, at the very least, above average (and he expertly chews through the scenery as Jerry in Fright Night). This is a man who almost made Daredevil watchable. If there was ever someone in need of a better agent, he's it. As for Jennifer Connelly, quick, name something she's been in that isn't Requiem for a Dream or A Beautiful Mind (Russell Crowe reunion!). It's OK, most people couldn't. Her IMDB page reads like a list designed to elicit a ton of "Oh, that's right! She was in that!" comments. Russell Crowe could probably get his comeback later in Noah, but make no mistake: this is a motivated cast.
You've got time travel to make the love story interesting. The suddenly chic plot device seen in Time Traveller's Wife, The Lake House and About Time, has certainly been done before, but it also certainly isn't exhausted yet. So heck yes! Full steam ahead on a 4.5 star rating! So why the hesitancy and the worst case scenario? Well, I mean, sure, "I'm beginning to think I haven't stolen it yet" is a bit on the cheesy side, but... what's that you say? It was written by Akiva Goldsman, the same man who gave us the steaming turds of Batman & Robin and Lost in Space? Yeesh. And it's his feature-length directorial debut? Yikes.
Which is why this seems like a movie where either everything's clicking, or the wheels come off almost the minute the theater lights dim. You could walk out of the theater as profoundly impacted by a movie about love as you have been since Blue Valentine, or you could spend the entire movie wondering why they didn't just cast Rachel McAdams and be done with it.