102page

www.groovekorea.com / October 2014 102 preview by Dean Crawford at the box office the big screen Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com) muSIC & ARTS Directed by david fincher October 16 Directed by roger donaldson October 16 Shortly after Josh Brolin was announced as the voice of Marvel supervillain Thanos in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” he mentioned his ex- citement at working with the multimedia enter- tainment giant, saying he loved that “they didn’t use directors that did music videos” and “would always look for people who had done stories.” This sentiment surprised me, and I wondered if Brolin really knew what he was talking about. It seems like he’s forgotten that some of the most visionary filmmakers in the business got their start in music: Mark Romanek, Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer and even Michael Bay all used MTV to launch their careers, and there is arguably none more tal- ented than David Fincher, director of modern classics such as “Se7en” (1995), “Fight Club” (1999) and “The Social Network” (2010). Fincher returns this October with the thriller “Gone Girl,” which is based on Gillian Flynn’s in- ternational bestseller of the same name. Just as Fincher’s remake of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011) stayed pretty close to the book on which it was based, it appears as if his version of “Gone Girl” will remain true to its source material as well. Originally published in 2012, the thriller follows a man whose wife has disappeared, and whose composure begins to crack under the media’s intense speculation that he is the one responsible. Fincher has been quoted saying that he re- wrote the ending, which should give book read- ers an added incentive to watch (or perhaps not, depending on how much you loved the book). As for Brolin’s justification for his prejudice toward music video directors — I’m still un- convinced, especially when you consider some of the talent that has come out of that world. In any case, I’m pretty sure Brolin would have loved having one of them directing him in “Jo- nah Hex” (2010), a box office flop that could have used both more style and more substance. The lead-up to Oscar season can be an in- creasingly frustrating time for film fans in Ko- rea. Blockbusters aside, it’s not uncommon to have to wait a few extra months for the releas- es of certain films, or even years in the case of “You’re Next” (2011). This leaves October feeling somewhat light when it comes to for- eign releases, which should help David Finch- er’s “Gone Girl” but doesn’t do much for us avid cinemagoers. I’ve been looking forward to Matthew Vaughn’s latest offering, “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” because if he could do to spies what he did to superheroes with “Kick Ass” (2010), we would all be in for a treat. But the release date has been pushed back to February — never a good sign — so instead I’m going to have to settle for another spy film, “The November Man,” featur - ing James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan. Based on Bill Granger’s 1987 novel “There Are No Spies,” “The November Man” follows former CIA agent Peter Devereaux as he is brought out of retirement for one last mis- sion: to protect witness Alice Fournier (“Bond” girl Olga Kurylenko). Because of Devereaux’s insider knowledge of a former CIA job gone wrong, he is declared an enemy of the organi- zation, which sends his former best friend and protégée (Luke Bracey) to hunt him down and kill him. The film doesn’t appear to have any discern- ible edge that could elevate it above the other spy films that have come out as of late, such as “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” (2014) or Tom Cruise’s “Jack Reacher” (2012), yet “The No- vember Man’s” sequel has been green lit even before the first film’s release. That’s a very strange move, considering Pierce Brosnan isn’t exactly Tom Cruise, who himself is having trou- ble getting the “Jack Reacher” sequel off the ground. Here’s hoping the confidence the pro- ducers are showing in the film means that the finished product resembles something that can rival Bond, Bourne and the rest. Even if it can’t measure up, at least there will be something for us to watch this month. Mystery / Thriller U.S. Action / Thriller U.S. gone girl the november man GroovecAst GrooveCast host Chance Dorland and columnist Dean Crawford talk movies. Check out the podcast at groovekorea.com.
102page


102page