A Twitter has reminded us of the outrageously long standing ovations at Cannes Film Festival, several of which have gone over 15 minutes! 73691x

Attendees of the festival, which is running until May 28, traditionally honor films with ovations. In theory, the longer the ovation, the better the movie. That doesn’t bear out in practice, however, as the list of the longest Cannes standing ovations is filled with oddities.

Sure, number one is Pan’s Labyrinth, arguably the most celebrated dark fantasy film of the 21st century, but is it worth 22 minutes of sustained, elevated applause? Some Twitter s don’t think that any film deserves an ovation that long.

Michael Moore has two films in the top 10, Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, both of which were critical successes, but the same can’t be said for The Neon Demon and The Paperboy. The former received mixed reviews, while the latter was a critical bomb, earning 45 percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mud, Capernaum, Belle, The Artist, and Inglourious Basterds are generally beloved, but Twitter s are torn on whether several-minute ovations were appropriate for any of them.

Other films that received an extra long ovation but didn’t make the list include Foxcatcher (eight minutes), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (seven minutes), and Inside Llewyn Davis (five minutes). At this year’s festival, the Indian biopic Rocketry: The Nambi Effect entered the elite 10-minute ovation club.

If you’re attending Cannes, make sure to lotion your hands and stretch your legs before each screening, then. Who knows which film you’ll be compelled to stand and clap for.

Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy is a difficult film to sit through, because not a single character in this steamy and nasty film is worthy of following for more than five minutes at a time. Where The Paperboy gets recognition is in its unique visual presentation that renders the film far from beautiful or pleasing. The Paperboy is an undesirable piece of cinematic trash, but credit must be given to Daniels and his cast for making such a filthy show. Writer Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) returns to his Florida home to help investigate a case involving a death row inmate by the name of Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack). Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) acts as his assistant/driver because he’s got the hots for the crazy lunatic of a lady known as Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman). See, Charlotte has a thing for Hillary and she plans on using Ward’s writing to help free the man so that they can marry and go on living like crazies in some swamp. Jack doesn’t care much for Hillary and instead he’s got his eyes set on Charlotte. Jack’s been having problems getting over his own mother’s death, so he’s used his sparked interest in Charlotte as a way to cope with his life’s already messed-up batch of problems. Ward fits into this blunt puzzle as the piece that strings the two together and the one that has the most to possibly lose if this case goes south on him. The Paperboy is a troubling film to dissect, because director Lee Daniels clearly shows talent as a visual artist. He completely and almost too much so captures the hot and sweaty atmosphere of the film. The characters he reveals are disgusting and reprehensible souls that are just tough to watch. Nicole Kidman’s Charlotte comes off as the sex symbol of the film, but between watching her uncomfortably pee on Efron’s Jack and have one of the most violent and rampant sex scenes with John Cusack’s Hillary; I honestly struggled finding anything good about her character. Charlotte might be a drifting lady having trouble clinging to the right people, but she’s smart enough to know what she’s getting into is bad and yet she continues to do so. Zac Efron’s turn as Jack is easily the most innocent of the film, but even Jack’s racial anger and pent up sexual desires come bursting out of the film midway through and when that happens he quickly fits in line with the rest of the criminal cast. Matthew McConaughey and John Cusack ham up their roles the most, with McConaughey giving us another memorable thick accent and a shady back-story, while John Cusack does his best impersonation of an alligator out in the swampy waters. There’s nothing cool or sly about McConaughey in this one. Cusack is just downright sick and disturbing. The Paperboy never gets off the ground when it needs to and that’s what keeps the film from becoming anything more than a bizarre and trippy story of murder and sexual tension. It feels like it wants to be a slow-burn drama and it does burn as slow as one of those fireworks sparklers, but there’s never a big reveal or shocking climax. Surprises get dropped as the film goes along, but the film doesn’t bother placing importance on anyone or anything, so it all feels like a wash. The Paperboy comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer that can only be described as ugly and dirty. Grain is as heavy as can be and most of the skin tones and textures are soft and lacking any sort of natural clarity. I’m sure most of this was Lee Daniels’ intention, but that doesn’t really give this one an excuse from ever showing some finer detail. I’ve seen films with much more grain hold up better than this one. The Paperboy is a murky mess of a transfer. The 5.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track is much better. The outdoor swamps come to life as the sounds of the water and the creatures that inhabit it come floating by on the back channels as the actors argue and debate on the front two speakers. Dialogue is occasionally hard to hear during the beginning, but most of the film gets by on being understandable. The musical score is an odd pick for the film, but works well on the track. Here’s a list of bonus content found on the disc:

• Featurette (SD)
• Director Interview (SD)
• Cast and Crew Interview (SD)
• Behind the Scenes (SD)

There’s a very specific crowd that The Paperboy is going to play to. If you like those sleazy investigation films that deal with detestable characters that are all out for sex and death then you’ll probably find this film to be suitable for a Saturday night viewing. The Paperboy tries hard to shock you with its cruel characters and it works at becoming a film that feels gross and would probably smell if it could give off an odor. Watching it had me begging for a cold shower immediately after. The Blu-Ray doesn’t help the film out at all, with a video transfer that’s possibly a close representation of what Daniels intended, but still comes up with striking errors and inconsistencies. Also, not a single one of the short special features are offered up in high definition. The Paperboy‘s swampy locations and disturbing sex scenes fit the hard-to-chew story neatly. Director Lee Daniels has made a pulpy tale that just isn’t worth the time. Despite the range of performances delivered the characters aren’t given very much to do and that makes the entire thing feel like a nightmarish dream that never wants to end. [springboard type=”video” id=”527927″ player=”wgtc007″ width=”600″ height=”350″ ]

Apparently there’s no ing for taste; The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 is leading the pack in Blu-Ray pre-sales this week, closely followed by Taken 2 and Skyfall. After a lengthy run, The Dark Knight Rises has fallen to number 12 on the bestselling Blu-Ray sales charts and it will be sorely missed (thankfully I already own the film and you should too).

This week, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña star as two boys in blue in End of Watch, a classic samurai film gets a reboot, and a little-known Sherlock Holmes film finally arrives on Blu-Ray.

Ready for this week’s picks? Then read on.

End of Watch

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña, Anna Kendrick, America Ferrera, Frank Grillo, and Natalie Martinez. Director: David Ayer

An American thriller drama film written and directed by David Ayer ( who also wrote Training Day and The Fast and the Furious) that was well-received by critics. Roger Ebert gave the film his highest rating of four stars and called it “one of the best police movies in recent years”. 

Plot: After confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop, two young police officers are marked for death.

My Thoughts: I plan on watching it in the next few days and I can’t wait. I’ve heard great things about it and, to be honest, Training Day is one of my favorite films. Ayer’s work has a gritty visceral quality to it and I’m interested to see what Gyllenhaal does with the material. Although, I hear that his co-star in the film, Michael Peña, does an excellent job and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best ing Male for his role in the film. If you like your police films more grounded than Lethal Weapon, then you should give this a watch.

Check out our review of End of Watch.  

The Paperboy

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, David Oyelowo, and Scott Glenn. Director: Lee Daniels

A thriller based on the 1995 novel of the same name by American author Pete Dexter. It competed for the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival but received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot: Lured by imploring letters from the beautiful siren Charlotte (Kidman), hard-nosed reporter Ward James (McConaughey) and his partner, Yardley Acheman (Oyelowo), return to Ward’s hometown of Lately, Florida, to investigate the seemingly unjust imprisonment of Charlotte’s lover,  alligator hunter Hillary Van Wetter (Cusack).

My Thoughts: I’m still on the fence about watching this one. It’s a decent enough cast and I love the ever-sensual Nicole Kidman (who still hasn’t responded to my ‘friend request’ on Facebook), but I’m a hard-sell on thrillers. However, while it did receive mixed reviews at Cannes, it also received the longest sustained standing ovation of the festival at 16 minutes. If you like thrillers you might want to add it to your collection or, at the least, give it a rental.

Read our review of The Paperboy over in our movie reviews section.

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: Koji Yakusho, Hikari Mitsushima, and Naoto Takenaka. Director: Takashi Miike

A 3D remake of Masaki Kobayashi’s classic film Seppuku a.k.a Harakiri. The film was shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival to positive reviews but had only a limited theatrical release in the US.

Plot: A poverty-stricken samurai discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this film and recommend it to anyone whose taste in samurai films go beyond their love of action and gore. It touches on issues of loyalty and honor while not being dragged down by expansive dialogue. While some of the values of the samurai culture may seem alien to a western audience, the film makes them accessible. For your Useless Information Pile: the film is the first 3D title ever to be show in official selection at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: Nicol Williamson, Alan Arkin, Robert Duvall, Vanessa Redgrave, Laurence Olivier, and Joel Grey. Director: Herbert Ross

A 1976 film based on the novel of the same by author Nicholas Meyer. A sort of tribute to/hodge-podge of a Sherlock Holmes adventure, both the novel and the film were critically-acclaimed.

Plot: When Dr. Watson (Duvall) discovers that Sherlock Holmes (Williamson) has become delusional as a result of his addiction to cocaine, he arranges for Holmes to journey to Vienna to be treated by none other than Sigmund Freud (Arkin). However, during the course of his treatment, Holmes becomes embroiled in investigating a kidnapping case with international implications, as Freud uncovers a large personal secret suppressed in Holmes’ subconscious.

My Thoughts: A great way to spend two hours. I’m a fan of Sherlock Holmes in general and gave this a watch under the mistaken impression that it was some sort of satire or comedy. While there are some comedic elements, it’s a mystery through and through, and I’d advise any mystery-lover to pick up a copy. The film received two Oscar nominations for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) and Best Costume Design at the 49th annual Academy Awards.

The Quiet Man Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, and Victor McLaglen. Director: John Ford

A 1952 Irish-American comedy-drama film that was well-received all-around and was a hit at the 1952 Venice Film Festival. It was nominated for a slew of awards and earned Ford the Academy Award for Best Director.

Plot: A retired American boxer returns to the village where he was born in Ireland, where he finds love.

My Thoughts: An excellent film and one that should be watched with your significant other. There’s a chemistry between the actors that’s almost palpable and you can’t help but cheer for a happy ending. Something to add to your Useless Information Pile: the kissing scene between John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara is actually shown in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. E.T. is touched by the scene while watching it on TV, causing Elliot to re-enact it while he’s at school as a result of their developing telepathic bond. In conclusion, if a fictional rubber alien can enjoy this film, then so can you.

The Men Who Built America

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013 Starring: Eric Rolland, Tim Getman, Adam Jonas Segaller, and Ray Reynolds. Director: Various

An eight-hour, four-part miniseries docudrama produced by the History Channel.

Plot: A series that shines a spotlight on the influential builders, dreamers, and believers whose feats transformed the United States, a nation decaying from the inside after the Civil War.

My Thoughts: I’ve only seen the first episode of the series so far, but I’m committed to watching the rest. It’s informative and dramatizes the time period in a way that gives it a modern-day relevance. I couldn’t help but compare many of the influential historical figures that the series highlights to some of the powerful CEOs that navigate today’s business world. If you like historical television, or know someone who does, pick this one up off of the shelves.

That’s all for this week. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be getting some quality time in with my couch while watching Zombieland. Many people ask me how I manage to watch so many films; the truth is that I don’t sleep. I run on a combination of entertainment and sadness. That’s why to pull an all-nighter I have a Steven Seagal marathon.

Are you a fan of any of this week’s releases? Let us know in the comments below.

Earlier this year, Lee Daniels’ new film The Paperboy premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to less-than-stellar reviews. Those who were nicer towards it referred to it as “a surprisingly involving film with solid performances from its cast,” while other found it to be ” A lurid, florid, humid, flaccid and insipid waste of time and money for the audience.” Our own James Powell caught the film at Cannes and found himself leaning towards the negative, calling it “a slightly lackluster affair with little imagination” in his review. Today we have the first trailer for the film for your viewing pleasure. It’s not much to judge the film on, but personally it did nothing for me in of making me want to see it. The cast (which includes Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, and Zac Efron) appear to be giving some pretty cheesy performances, while the premise looks to be a generic “innocent man behind bars” kind of film. The official synopsis reads:

A directionless young man helps his reporter brother investigate the possible wrongful conviction of a man on death row, and in the process, falls for the woman whom the convict has been romancing through prison correspondence.

Like most, I enjoyed Precious, Daniels’ previous film, though not quite as much as everyone else seemed to. After earning two Oscar nods for the film (producing and directing), many have been wondering what he would follow it up with, but so far, most seem to have been disappointed with the result. While it looks like The Paperboy may not be his return to powerhouse filmmaking, it may interest you to know that he is already hard at work on his next film, The Butler, which tells of a White House butler who served eight presidents over three decades. Just from seeing the cast list, I’m already far more excited for that than I am for The Paperboy. However, for those still intending to check The Paperboy out, it arrives in limited theaters on October 5th. (Source: The Film Stage)

The Paperboy is based on a thriller written by Pelter Dexter. In the film, Nicole Kidman plays the sultry and stunningly alluring Charlotte Bless, a prostitute who has fallen in love with a local inmate named Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) who is imprisoned for the murder of a Police officer. Sensing injustice and wrongful imprisonment, two journalists arrive in town to investigate the original murder charge filed against Hillary. Ward James (Matthew McConaughey) and Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo) systematically go through all the evidence, and try to pick apart the prosecution’s case. Yardley also calls upon the services of his younger brother Jack (Zac Efron), who is deployed as chauffeur and aid, and who immediately becomes infatuated and lustfully drawn to Charlotte. This can only lead to disastrous consequences as Charlotte is insistent that she wishes to spend the rest of her days by Hillary’s side upon release. Over its entirety, the film maintains a steady level of suspense and intrigue towards Hillary’s character. Cusack plays the role of a cold and unhinged sociopath wonderfully and the iciness can really be felt from behind his eyes. The character however seems so guilty throughout the film and it is never entirely clear why so many people are intent on proving his innocence. Making things even more confusing is frequent gaps in the film, that leave much to the imagination. We watch as Ward gets increasingly and unrealistically obsessed with the case at a very early stage but we never see just how everyone and everything has come together in the first place. Alongside Cusack’s portrayal is a truly sexy and tantalizing performance from Kidman who shows she stills has the looks, figure, and more importantly sassy attitude, to fit in with today’s young stars. That being said, the connection between Charlotte and Jack never quite seems real, and as able as Efron’s on screen persuasion is, his character seems a little wooden and safe. McConaughey’s performance is as equally uninspiring. For me, he is Mr. Dependable in a role which requires little eccentricity or fluidity and I think he was miscast in the film. I should also mention that there a couple of scenes which director Lee Daniels seems to have included in order to give the film a shock factor, and cast an aura of bewilderment on the audience. I won’t give these away during the review, but it won’t be hard to tell which scenes I am referring to when you watch the film. Unfortunately, they do seem a little out of place and don’t hold any real basis for progressing the story. There is also a comparative feeling of being left in the lurch as the whole viewing draws to a close and we are almost mislead into expecting a predictable end. While delivering unpredictability is a useful cinematic tool when used correctly, in this instance it fails to enhance the experience and only serves to deliver a reaction of disappointment. Ultimately, The Paperboy is a poorly made film with not a whole lot going for it. The story is intriguing at first but quickly becomes messy. Daniels’ direction is often misguided and the film is nowhere near as good as his last film, Precious. It’s messy and often ridiculous and a lot of the narratives just seem to end rather abruptly, a lot of things feel unfinished as the credits roll. Daniels is all over the place with this one and unfortunately, I don’t see it finding much of an audience.

The Paperboy is one of the first films set to screen at the Cannes Film Festival next week. The feature is based off the novel by Pete Dexter which focuses on reporter Ward James(Matthew McConaughey) who returns home to Florida to investigate death row inmate Hillary Van Weet (John Cusack). Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman will co-star and Lee Daniels is the man behind the camera. While Daniels’ did not have much success with his debut film Shadowboxer, his follow up Precious earned much acclaim and did quite well for itself at the 2010 Oscars, scoring six nominations and two wins. The Paperboy seems to have no problem confirming that Daniels’ is still a force to be reckoned with. Today we have the first clip from the film and while it may be brief, it shows a confrontation between Cusack and McConaughey that showcases both actors at the top of their game. The film may not seem like a typical Cannes title but I think it’s going to surprise a lot of people. Check out the clip below and let us know what you think. [Sorry, this video is currently unavailable] Source: Indie Wire

A new poster has debuted for The Paperboy, an thriller directed by Lee Daniels (Precious) and starring Zac Efron, Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, and John Cusack. The unique one-sheet has a retro feel to it, with muted colors that leave a lasting impression. The poster manages to have a creepy feel to it with just a single image of Cusack’s creepy eyes, with the rest of the poster remaining ambiguous. Having the slanted lines from the car attempt to run parallel to the poster’s borders adds a very unsettling feel, and overall, the ominous tones are definitely a great way to the film. In The Paperboy, McConaughey plays a reporter who investigates the death of a sheriff and possible wrongful conviction, and Efron plays the character’s younger brother, Jack. Good genes in that family. Jack falls for a local woman, played by Kidman, who has been having a pen-pal romance with the convict in question, played by Cusack. Check out the poster for The Paperboy below, courtesy of RopeOfSilicon.

Lee Daniels, despite being an Oscar-nominated director, hasn’t picked up much notice since his powerful, almost hard to watch film Precious, which got him the nod from the Academy. Reports from the Cannes Film Festival though, say that Daniels has picked his next project and has attracted quite an excellent cast. After being picked up by Millennium/Nu Image, Sofia Vergara (who has been attached for some time), Matthew McConaughey, Tobey McGuire and Zac Efron have all come on board for Daniels’ adaptation of the Peter Dexter novel, The Paperboy. The story focuses on the two sons of a Florida newspaper mogul, one who’s a reporter and the other a college dropout, and the investigation of a death row inmate convicted of killing the local sheriff. No word yet on what characters the actors will play or when the film is expected to start shooting, but it is speculated that it will begin production sooner rather than later as Vergara will have to go back to filming Modern Family in late summer. The casting is looking solid and although it sounds slightly typical for McConaughey I am excited to see what Efron does in his role. Once you move past his stint in the High School Musical series and the little mishap with Charlie St. Cloud, he really is a fine, young actor. What are your thoughts on this star-studded project? (Source: Deadline)