“The Northman” is a bloody Scandinavian Viking’s tale of revenge. The film follows Prince Amleth (played by Alexander Skarsgård) who vows to avenge his father’s death at the hands of his uncle.
While, perhaps, not everyone waits with baited breath for the next bloody Viking saga, this particular outing might have a shot at a wider audience due to the elevated filmmaking and stunning visuals.
The trailer (below) will give you a taste of this, and based on how you feel once having viewed it you may have a better idea of why you might want to visit a theater (later this month, only in theaters) to get the full treatment.
Along with Skarsgård comes a hard-hitting cast including: Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hake (plays King Aurvandil), Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang and William Dafoe (witch).
Reviews for the film, directed by Robert Egger, are coming out now, since the theatrical release of the film will hit screens at the end of the month. Rotten Tomatoes calls it “bold, unflinching and visually breathtaking”. Eggers is known for the historical fables / period setting pieces that push the genre, such as in his previous films, for example, “The Lighthouse” and “The Witch”.
“The Northman” is set for theatrical release starting April 22.
Despite the title of the upcoming film, “Nightmare Alley”, the new Bradly Cooper / Cate Blanchett starrer is not a horror movie or anything in the realm of the otherworldly or comic book are fantastical. Instead, it’s a very different type of movie, which perhaps less surprising once you take into account that it is the newest work from Guillermo del Toro who is best known for his supernatural films like “The Shape of Water” or the franchise “Hellboy”.
In this outing, it’s a somewhat obscure genre; a larger-than-life-update to a 40s noir classic with a unique aesthetic, perhaps more fitting for 2021.
Perhaps, given the star studded cast, it aims for academy cred, such as last years “Mank” without the obvious Orson Wells connex.
The official “Nightmare Alley” synopsis from Searchlight Pictures reads: “When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society.
With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.”
The remake of the 1947 film noir classic, inspired by the 1946 novel of the same name. The official trailer gives viewers a sneak peak at the upcoming creepy psychological thriller that will premiere in theaters December 17.
Edward Norton Returns to Director’s Chair for 1950s Detective Drama
The last time Edward Norton directed, it was nineteen years ago for a forgotten Ben Stiller romantic comedy called “Keeping the Faith.” Since then, the three time Oscar nominated actor has remained primarily in front of the camera, starring in several iconic movies across the twentieth century and only occasionally dabbling in producing, cinematography, or editing.
On November 1st, however, Norton returns to the director’s chair once again, this time for a gritty, 1950s detective drama based off of a screenplay he wrote. The film is called “Motherless Brooklyn.” It is an adaptation of a 1999 National Book Critics Circle Award-winning novel by Jonathan Lethem. Norton’s screenplay of the story will go down as his first writing credit.
Starring a Detective with a Disability, Never-Before-Seen on the Silver Screen
“Motherless Brooklyn” is about a private investigator working in mid-twentieth century New York City—Brooklyn, obviously. Played by Norton himself, the private eye is named Lionel Essrog, and despite his daring profession, he is an estranged and lonely man who suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome.
Stuttering, twitchy, and seemingly nervous all the time, Essrog is not your everyday Hollywood protagonist. He is vulnerable and smitten with anxiety, as the movie will show by telling the story from his point of view. Essrog is a new kind of character for Norton as well, for the actor usually plays the serious, smart, but oftentimes devilish lead. Not since “Primal Fear”, where he played a schizophrenic murder suspect, with a severe stutter, has he dabbled in this type of over-the-top character portrayal. That performance was his career debut, and breakthrough, earning a Golden Globe supporting actor win and an Oscar nomination for same.
In the film, Essrog’s only friend is Frank Minna, his mentor played by Bruce Willis. After Minna is murdered, the crux of the story centers on Essrog trying to figure out who done it. Using his condition not as a disability, but as a resource for understanding and analyzing situations, Essrog employs his Tourette’s to his advantage, and they aid him in cracking the case.
Classic Oscar Bait Elements, perhaps, but Will it Play in 2020?
It is a classic detective story with an original twist. Everything about “Motherless Brooklyn” fits in with the bygone noir genre, but instead of having the leading character be overly hard-boiled, he is highly susceptible and must navigate a corrupt urban world while also dealing with his own inner-turmoil.
Alongside Norton and Willis, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe also star in the film, making the cast pretty star studded. On top of disability, the movie’s themes will also include power, its limits, its ethics, and the layers of depravity that surround it. While the conventional noir genre may be dead in the twenty-first century, those themes have proven themselves timeless. Like any good noir film, “Motherless Brooklyn” is labyrinth-like in its structure and bound to throw a couple of unexpected narrative turns our way.
Although film noir may not be on the brink of a revival, “Motherless Brooklyn” could still be a stimulating project. The movie has clear talent and thematic relevance on its side, and the script is based off of popular source material that feels both familiar and fresh.
Given its 1950s setting and retro noir aspects, “Motherless Brooklyn” is not exactly doing anything to combat a whitewashed Hollywood. However, assuming that the movie handles it with appropriate sensitivity, we applaud Norton for bringing matters of disability to the big screen. Let’s hope that he plays the part with the grace it deserves, does right by the misunderstood trope, and perhaps even demystifies a few assumptions about the condition in the process.
