OUR NEXT DVD REVIEWS

Series 1 of the Spanish drama Grand Hotel (Gran Hotel) will be released this Wednesday on DVD in France by Koba Films.

The following week Koba will release the BBC 2011 adaptation of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, with Ray Winstone, Gillian Anderson, David Suchet and Douglas Booth.

The Wolf of Wall Street French R2 DVD will be available on Friday 25. The talented Tristan Harvey, who is the French-speaking voice of Leonardo DiCaprio in Quebec for this movie, kindly sent us the R1 DVD (released last month).

Reviews ASAP.

http://www.kobafilms.fr/serie/grand-hotel---saison-1-367.html
http://www.kobafilms.fr/film/de-grandes-esperances-368.html
http://www.doublage.qc.ca/p.php?i=162&idmovie=4029

THE GREEN HORNET

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen) is a young playboy who exasperates his father, James Reid (Tom Wilkinson), publisher of the L.A. newspaper The Daily Sentinel. When James dies, Britt meets Kato (Jay Chou) - a genius mechanic with martial art skills who worked for his father.

As paranoid mobster Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz) is taking over the town, Britt Reid and Kato become masked crimefighters posing as criminals in their rolling arsenal: The Black Beauty.

The Green Hornet was created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker for a radio series. In the 1940s the character was adapted for comic books and into two movie serials. A 1966-1967 television series starred Van Williams as Britt Reid/The Green Hornet and Bruce Lee as Kato. Thanks to Lee's later stardom their incarnations returned in two compilation movies, The Green Hornet (1974) and Fury of the Dragon (1976).

« Hand over the sushi.
- Yeah, hand it over. »

IT'S NOT THAT EASY BEING GREEN

Now actor/producer Seth Rogen stars as Reid in this $120 million movie written by him with Evan Goldberg, and directed by someone you would not expect on such a project: French director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). You'd not expect Rogen as a masked crusader either but he lost weight and got more athletic for the character. After all, why couldn't he expand the scope of his roles beyond comedy? Jim Carrey did it and Seth Rogen would be talented enough to do it too. Except he doesn't even try to put a toe beyond his comfort zone.

« Kato, I want you to take my hand and want you to come with me on this adventure.
- I'll go with you but I don't wanna touch you. »

His Britt Reid is a "rich cretin" and a bumbling accidental superhero outsmarted by Kato, the martial artist and master inventor played by Taiwanese music superstar and actor Jay Chou. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are obviously more interested by the bromance (« Girls are such a drag, Kato. Thank God we have each other. ») than by the source material, past Kato and the customized retro car "loaded up the ass with cool shit": The Black Beauty. They even sacrifice a major character of the original Green Hornet the way Jim Phelps was mistreated in the first Mission: Impossible movie (1996).

« I should kill Kim myself, he's a friend. »

Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz is constantly fine-tuning his performance as Chudnofsky between the nazi of Inglorious Basterds (« Decapited statues. I decapitated real people. ») and the generic blockbuster villain. He delivers one of the movie's best scenes, facing James Franco in his usual stuff, before looking hardly concerned and losing it around the end in red leather and gas mask! At this pace Waltz will be the next Victor Newman in Y&R but thank God Nicolas Cage left the movie, imagine him with that line: « I'm Bloodnofsky. I killed a thousand before and I'll kill a thousand more. » The legendary Edward James Olmos is miscast as the Sentinel Managing Editor Mike Axford and Cameron Diaz (Lenore Case) is virtually nonexistent as "one of the boys".

« Well, it’s not really my movie. » (Michel Gondry)

When not pushing the limits of disbelief to the heights of ridicule, thanks to state of the art digital sfx and 3D conversion, the action sequences borrow rather happily to the 007 and Superman franchises. You'll find not even a single trace of Michel Gondry's creativity in The Green Hornet, as the movie is an extra large pop corn flick in total WTF mode (the Hornet and Kato sing Gangsta's Paradise on their trying ride of The Black Beauty). Somewhere in the middle of Iron Man and Get Smart with Steve Carell, no one involved seems to take it seriously anyway.

Region 1 DVD contains the excellent French-speaking dubbing with the talented Tristan Harvey for Britt Reid/The Green Hornet. Harvey is also the voice of Kevin James or Ricky Gervais in Quebec and belongs to the very select club of those dubbing artists who can really bring an added value to the movies they work on. The DVD special features include an interview with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg about writing The Green Hornet, and The Black Beauty: Rebirth of Cool, a feature about the true star of the film.

« I call it The Black Beauty.
- Kato! It's beautiful! And it's black. »

http://collider.com/the-green-hornet-interview-seth-rogen-evan-goldberg-on-set/37011/
http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/comic-con-7-sony-green-hornet-panel/
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/01/16/green-hornet-director-michel-gondry-its-not-really-my-movie/
http://www.doublage.qc.ca/p.php?i=162&idmovie=3268

THE INVENTION OF LYING

In a world similar to ours except that the human race has never evolved the ability to tell a lie, everybody says what they think even if it's harsh or embarassing. Until one day when a strange thing happens to Mark Bellison (Ricky Gervais).

The Invention of Lying originated as a draft script from freshman L.A. screenwriter Matthew Robinson. Producer Lynda Obst convinced Robinson's idol, British comedic genius Ricky Gervais - co-creator of TV comedy series The Office and Extras - to read it. Gervais and Matthew Robinson ended up writing and directing the movie together.

Mark Bellison is a struggling screenwriter. In a world where there's no such things as deceit, flattery or even fiction, movies are moments from history read by narrators like an introduction of Masterpiece Theatre. Bellison is mad about the lovely Anna McDoogles (Jennifer Garner) but she dines with him only to please her mother and because she's afraid to spend the rest of her life alone, even if she doesn't find him attractive.

He's fired because his last script was too "depressing" (the Black Plague!) and he is about to be evicted. When at the bank in order to close his account, Mark asks for more than he really has without any kind of suspicion from the cashier. He tests his new power on his friends and in casinos, then realizes he can do some good around him and later sells his former boss (Jeffrey Tambor) the best script ever written. A story with a spaceship, a ninja army and a robot dinosaur... in the 14th century.

Mark Bellison's true moment of glory actually comes involuntarily when he tells his dying mother (Fionnula Flanagan) about the wonderful things that come after death. Now he's a rich global celebrity but still can't conquer Anna's heart, as the young woman is stopped by her genetic prejudices - in spite of her growing feelings for him.

The Invention of Lying is an astute social comedy. In the world of Mark Bellison a homeless man in the street holds a cardboard which states: "I don't understand why I'm homeless and you're not". The retirement home is called "A sad place for hopeless old people". Commercials are honest or disillusioned ("Pepsi, when they don't have Coke").

Gervais is at his best when it comes to human relationships and particularly in workplace: Mark's secretary openly hates him, his boss is a coward and his professional and sentimental rival, Brad Kessler (incredible Rob Lowe) is the epitome of shallow. The film is also an enlightening, moving and poetic philosophical tale with reflections about prejudice, religion or creativity. Its only weakness is certainly the romance between the hero and Anna.

The Invention of Lying is not Ricky Gervais's Liar Liar but his Groundhog Day and the versatile comedian is surrounded by an excellent cast. Louis C.K. as Greg (Mark's best friend), and Jonah Hill as Frank - a neighbour Mark saves from suicide - are fabulous. And there are tasty cameos from Tina Fey, Stephen Merchant, Edward Norton, or Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman is Mark and Greg's bartender in a scene which could be used as an audition for Gervais as Homer in a live action Simpsons movie.

Region 1 DVD contains the very good French-speaking dubbing made in Quebec with the talented Tristan Harvey, who should be the only voice of Ricky Gervais in French. Virtually ignored by US box office, The Invention of Lying is released confidentially in French theaters this week.

http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/inventionlying.php
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/interviewsnews.php?id=58294
http://www.tristanharvey.com/

TRISTAN HARVEY

Tristan Harvey (1) is an extremely gifted French-speaking dubbing actor from the Province of Quebec, where he is the voice of Seth Rogen (Zack and Miri make a porno), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop) or of British comedy God Ricky Gervais.

You can now hear his work on his website (http://www.tristanharvey.com/) through a very well done demo. All the dubbed clips are excellent but I particularly appreciate Tristan's rendition of Gervais.

(1) http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/11/french-speaking-dubbing-voice-of-seth.html

81st ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (PART TWO)

Jennifer Aniston («Talking squirrels, romantic robots and super-powered dogs... ») and Jack Black (« ... These are just a few of the ways producers describe actors behind their backs») introduced the Best Animation category.

A "yearbook" reminded us that maybe it's time for the animation industry to move on: a robot, a panda, chimps, a whole zoo, an elephant, penguins and a mouse. All creatures great and small... except for The clone wars and Wall-E, this animated year looked like Noah's Ark! Jack Black was fantastic: « Each year I do one Dreamworks project, then I take all the money to the Oscars and bet it on Pixar» - even Jeffrey Katzenberg seemed to sincerely enjoy the line. Wall-E won, how much won Mr Black this evening? Fortunately, the beautiful La maison en petits cubes, won the Best Animated Shortfilm.

Then came the unlikely tandem of Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig... for the Best Art Direction category and Best Costume design. Why can't I help thinking that the fact that Parker and Craig presented the latter is revelatory. « We don't have to tell you what the makeup artist does » SJP went on, « Just look at us », added Craig. I'm a James Bourne quitter since I fell asleep during Casino Royale, but Daniel Craig, who is a fine actor (Layer Cake) deserves better. You can't imagine Chris Noth saying that... The curious case of Benjamin Button won Best Art Direction and Best Achievement in Makeup, The Duchess won Best Costume design.

Best cinematography was introduced by Natalie Portman and Ben Stiller. Sorry Nikki (Finke), but I found Ben Stiller hilarious as Joaquin Phoenix (« I heard that Slumdog Millionaire was shot entirely on a cell phone »). For our readers who may ignore it, Phoenix announced in October 2008 his retirement from film to focus on a career as a rapper. And since then he wears a long beard and dark glasses. Stiller will certainly not "retire from being a funny guy" with this one but Nikki Finke is right: "Christian Bale" as Batman (with an Adam West costume) and "Joquin Phoenix" at the IFC Spirit Awards, with Brit comic genius Steve Coogan and director Frank Coraci (1), were by far much better (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPLs6v_52GQ&hl=fr). Anyway, Anthony Dod Mantle won for Slumdog Millionaire, which is amazing for a movie shot entirely on a cell phone.

Actually the funniest part of the show was James Franco and Seth Rogen watching DVDs and laughing loud watching The Reader, even if I don't get the stapler stuff a la Jackass. But the "intrusion" of Janusz Kaminski (director of photography on Saving Private Ryan or the last Indiana Jones) and a film crew in their apartment saved the segment. « If you liked that piece, I helped write it. If you didn't, then it was all Judd Apatow » said Seth Rogen - allow me here to salute one of my friends, the great Tristan Harvey, who's the French-speaking dubbing voice of Rogen in Quebec.

Franco, Kaminski and Rogen introduced the Best live action short film, won by Spielzeugland (Toyland). One of the commenters under Deadline Hollywood Daily's Live blogging of the Oscars (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/live-snarking-the-2009-academy-awards/) wrote: « I’m totally enjoying the Oscars this year. So much better than last year. Vicodin really makes everything better ». Even Gregory House reads Nikki Finke!

(To be followed)

(1) http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/06/frank-coraci.html

Part One: http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/02/81st-annual-academy-awards-part-one.html
Part Three: http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/81st-annual-academy-awards-part-three.html

THE FRENCH SPEAKING DUBBING VOICE OF SETH ROGEN IN QUEBEC

Yep, I know... Who speaks French these days... But the guy is talented and he's a friend: there's a very interesting interview of Tristan Harvey (http://www.tristanharvey.com/), the French-speaking dubbing voice of Seth Rogen (Zack and Miri make a porno) in Quebec since The 40 year-old Virgin, on the excellent http://www.cinoche.com/ website (http://www.cinoche.com/dossiers/189).

I had the opportunity to interview Tristan in 2004 when I was deputy editor of La Gazette du doublage (http://www.objectif-cinema.com/spip.php?article2454). The quality of French speaking dubbing in Quebec is always top-notch and deserve to be recognized as a reference.

These interviews are in French.

The trailer of Zack and Miri make a porno in French speaking dubbing from Quebec: http://www.cinoche.com/trailers/5283/5562