Ever wish there was a place where you could discuss boxers, gnomes and corrupt politicians all at the same time? Well, pine no longer because it is time for Trailer Tracker here at Player Affinity where we collect the best new trailers hitting the web. Boxer Mickey Ward gets his own film in the aptly titled The Fighter, Ron Howard unveils his new comedy The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James and we terrorize new college students even more than they are now with The Roommate. Next, Kevin Spacey is the greedy Casino Jack in the new biopic and finally Shakespeare gets the ceramic treatment in Gnomeo and Juliet.
The Fighter
Mark Wahlberg headlines a fantastic ensemble cast including Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo in The Fighter from David O. Russell, the rise of amateur boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward and his relationship with his brother Dickie Eklund (Bale). I admit to not recognizing Bale during the first half of the trailer despite him being my favorite actor working today, but he continues his astounding “yo-yoing” of weight and is again a gaunt version of the beefy Bruce Wayne from The Dark Knight. Daren Aronofsky was original attached to direct which would have given him a literal one-two punch following his Oscar-nominated The Wrestler. All the elements are certainly in place to make The Fighter a serious contender come Oscar time, we’ll just have to see in what weight class it eventually lands.
The Dilemma
If there is any dilemma to be found with this next trailer it would be attempting to keep one’s optimism of this pedestrian-looking, slap-stick-filled comedy intact. Ron Howard is one of the best directors working today and he has earned the benefit of the doubt, plus, how often have trailers deceived us of a film’s true quality? Starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James as two best friends Ronny and Isaac respectively, they live out their life in New York in presumable happy marriages. But Ronny is shocked to find Isaac’s wife (played by Winona Ryder) is cheating on him. Let the hilarity commence. Vaughn and James are incredibly talented comedians but have suffered with regards to project choice of late and the screenplay looks to offer little to break them out of that rut. But as I said, Howard is a genius so I’m game come its 2011 release.
The Roommate
If you thought your roommate in college or university was intolerable because they always left the door unlocked or slept naked, well you can thank your lucky stars they didn’t turn out like our crazy antagonist in The Roommate. Minka Kelly stars as Sara, a newcomer to college who begins to realize her originally perfect roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester) is not the angel she appears to be. This thriller has been pegged as a remake of the 1992 film Single White Female starring Bridget Fonda but apparently it is based on a novel of the same name which shares essentially the same plot. I’m not sure how long Hollywood will be able to come up with horror titles by simply adding “The” to random nouns (probably longer than we could imagine) but with the state of this genre, The Roommate will need to go a long way to break free from convention.
Casino Jack
Following closely on the shoes of the acclaimed documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money comes the more fictionalized account of the corrupt DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff who is now serving five years for felony charges. The great Kevin Spacey plays dear Jack in the biopic and is joined by the likes of Kelly Preston, Berry Pepper and Jon Lovitz in supporting roles. Ironically Casino Jack, despite being about American as apple pie, was filmed heavily in
Gnomeo and Juliet
At last, the Shakespearian epic we have all been waiting for has arrived: the tragic Gnomeo and Juliet, a tale of woe and grass clippings that explores the deepest and most intimate of gnome emotions and the true meaning of offensive Dutch caricatures. Glibness aside, the voice cast is the true eye-opener featuring a who’s-who of big stars: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Jason Statham, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Jim Cummings, Ozzy Osborne and the music of Elton John. “Gnomeo” is being created by Toronto-based Starz Animation which previously released the Tim Burton-produced 9. It seems unlikely that this film will be able to bridge the gap present for animated films which often fail to please kids and adults alike, but the animation is spunky and the actors talented so I’m willing to keep an open mind.
