Movies: Ryan Gosling Plays “First Man” On The Moon, Neil Armstrong

Two-time Oscar-nominee Ryan Gosling stars as real-life astronaut Neil Armstrong in Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight.

Time and again, Gosling has proven his commitment to his art—as seen in his preparation for his Oscar®-nominated role in La La Land, when he learned to play the piano in just three months.  Likewise, during his preparation for his role in The Notebook, Gosling spent two months soaking up the culture of Charleston, South Carolina, and, just like his character, actually learned to build furniture.

Movies: CLAIRE FOY, THE UNSUNG HERO IN MOON-BOUND THRILLER “FIRST MAN”

Golden Globe-winner Claire Foy (Netflix’s The Crown, the upcoming The Girl in the Spider’s Web) portrays the passionate, indomitable, unsung hero Janet, Neil Armstrong’s wife and the woman who helped make their lives monumental, in Universal Pictures’ First Man (in Philippine cinemas October 17).  

YouTube: https://youtu.be/qaqGEE5e3ac 

Directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Ryan Gosling as Neil, First Man is the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. 

Although she assumed she’d build her life with someone with an adventurous disposition, Janet grapples with the sacrifices they’re asked to make in this unexpected journey into history.  While Neil travels to the heavens to deal with their shared grief of unthinkable loss, Janet must handle the Earthly business of being the backbone of the burgeoning space program.  One of the most public faces of NASA families…she led a private life of wondering if she’d chosen this path to shape history…or if fate had done so for the Armstrongs.

To prepare for her role, Foy explains that she, like so many of the cast, turned to author James R. Hansen, who wrote the book “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong” from which the film is based.  “Jim gave me the tapes that he had of Janet from when he interviewed her.  She was promoting the space program and supporting her husband, and she was sort of a mouthpiece for NASA as much as any of the other women were.”

Unfortunately, Foy was unable to meet Janet Armstrong in person, due to inclement weather, which kept Armstrong from visiting set in Atlanta.  Janet passed away on June 21, 2018, at the age of 84.  The actress was impressed by the steadfastness of the woman she was portraying.  “You had to take everything she said with a grain of salt because her external support was also heavily impacted by a time that was incredibly stressful, overwhelming and emotional for these women,” Foy says.  “Like all the astronauts’ wives, they are in the background of history.  Nobody spent time investigating what it was like to be them until much later on.”

For Foy, this story is not about just the mission, getting to the moon or the space program.  “It’s about Neil as a human being and what it means for a human to make such extraordinary strides for humankind,” she offers, “and what pushes them to put their life at risk for the rest of humanity.  It’s worthwhile looking at the person who was at the center of that, as opposed to just thinking about what you’ve been fed for the past 50 years about what this person’s done.  It’s about looking back and asking the cost to that person’s life.”

Foy’s director explains just how easily she dovetailed into the production and embodied our heroine, the person whom he feels had the harder part of the Armstrong equation, going on the mission with Neil herself, all the while trying to keep the family together.  “I initially started watching Claire, as many people did, on The Crown,” recalls Chazelle.  “This is a total 180 in terms of role—different country, different temperament, different era.  She just nailed it so completely that people who knew the Armstrongs would come by the set and be suddenly a little gobsmacked for a second.  ‘Is that Janet?’”

Her frequent scene partner was moved by her gifts as well.  “The Armstrongs certainly upheld the image of the traditional American family publicly, but Claire never approached any of our work together as though that also defined Janet and Neil’s private dynamic,” offers Gosling.  “She was constantly exploring new ways to communicate not only the complex dynamics inherent in any marriage, but also the experience of someone living something so singular, that it’s hard to even imagine, let alone relate to.”


In Philippine cinemas October 17, First Man is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.  

Movies: New “First Man” Trailer Reveals Riveting Story

Experience the most dangerous mission in human history.  Watch the brand new trailer of First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight.

Check out the trailer below and watch First Man in Philippine cinemas October 17.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/MBMHN2FwsII

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man.

A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost—on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself—of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

Chazelle’s interest and stories continue to focus on the cost of achievement…and whether or not excellence is worth the price for those who reach.  Just as he reimagined the discipline of mentorship on the road to mastery in Whiplash—and deconstructed the movie musical in La La Land—Chazelle now challenges expectations of what a “mission picture” should resemble.  Discovering First Man alongside numerous collaborators, Chazelle approaches the film from interior angles in order to immerse audiences in this impossible journey. 

First Man is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.  Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/uipmoviesph/

Movies: La La Land” Duo Gosling, Chazelle Re-Teams For “First Man”

On the heels of their six-time Academy Award®-winning La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for Universal Pictures’ First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight.

Movies: Ryan Gosling Uncovers Earth-Shaking Mystery In “Blade Runner 2049”

In Columbia Pictures' futuristic action-thriller Blade Runner 2049, Academy Award-nominee Ryan Gosling stars as LAPD Officer K who is sent on an assignment that could have far-reaching consequences—calling into doubt the divide between people and replicants, between humanity and technology, which could lead to anarchy or even war.

(Watch the featurette “What is a Blade Runner?” at http://youtu.be/b_lkz0URi-0.)

The highly awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's 1980s original classic, Blade Runner 2049 is directed by Oscar-nominee Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival).

Movies: “Blade Runner 2049” Returns Us To Enthralling, Dystopian Future

Thirty-five years ago, the groundbreaking futuristic film Blade Runner hit theatre screens for the first time. Directed by the legendary Ridley Scott and based on the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the movie thrust audiences into a dystopian future unlike anything they had ever experienced.

Back then, no one could have imagined how Blade Runner would go on to reverberate through modern culture, pioneering what became an entirely new genre: neo-noir cyberpunk. Today, Scott’s visionary masterpiece is heralded as one of the best and most important motion pictures of all time, but its impact has gone beyond filmdom, to television, music, art, fashion, and even university courses.

Now, after more than three decades, Columbia Pictures' Blade Runner 2049 returns us to the world that has enthralled generations of fans in a film that is at once a long-awaited follow-up and a much-anticipated standalone moviegoing experience.

Movies: The Hunt Is On In New Trailer Of “Blade Runner 2049”

The past will always find you. Watch the new trailer for Blade Runner 2049, which has just been released by Columbia Pictures and may be viewed at http://youtu.be/21aQ2opAAjI.

The highly awaited sequel to Ridley Scott's 1980S original classic, Blade Runner 2049 is directed by Academy Award-nominee Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival) and opens in Philippine cinemas on October 6, 2017,

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

The film also stars Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian and Hiam Abbass.

Blade Runner 2049 will be distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International

Movies: The Story's Far From Over In “Blade Runner 2049” Trailer

The new trailer for Blade Runner 2049, the highly awaited sequel to the classic Blade Runner, has just been released by Columbia Pictures and may viewed at https://youtu.be/V9QTv2k37GQ.

Coming to Philippine cinemas this October, Blade Runner 2049 is directed by Academy Award-nominee Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival).

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

The film also stars Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian and Hiam Abbass.

Blade Runner 2049 will be distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Movies: “Blade Runner 2049” Teaser Psters Take You To The Future

Columbia Pictures has just unveiled the teaser posters for Blade Runner 2049, the highly awaited sequel to the classic Blade Runner.

Check out the companion posters separately featuring stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, and watch Blade Runner 2049 in Philippine cinemas October 11, 2017.

The film is directed by Academy Award-nominee Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Arrival).

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.

The film is written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green, and succeeds the initial story by Fancher and David Peoples based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

The film also stars Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Carla Juri, Mackenzie Davis, Barkhad Abdi, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian and Hiam Abbass.

Blade Runner 2049 will be distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.

Movie Review: La La Land

In an ambitious and effective opening sequence, heavy traffic stretches out for miles and miles with cars at bumper to bumper, drivers and passengers each lost in their own worlds, listeing to their own music, concerned and worried about their agenda for the day, each trying to get somewhere but not really going anywhere. Then the camera focuses on a lone female driver in a yellow dress, she breaks into song and exits the behicle in graceful movement, kicing in the air and twirling in her dress. 

The rest of the commuters then follow suit, singing and dancing out of their vehicles, singing and dancing on top of cars; it is a genuine, honest to goodness song and dance number in a feature film. As you are watching this, you will find yourself smiling and thinking 'if only all traffic jams can be so entertaining and God knows we see enough traffic in our everyday lives'. You will be in awe and you just know that you are in, for one hell of a show. 

Such is the premise which Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" brings to its audience and thankfully it delivers. 

After the grand traffic song and dance number we meet our two characters (Mia) Emma Stone an aspiring actress who works as a barista and serves coffee to famous actors on a coffee shop on the Warner Bros. lot in Hollywood. She rushes to auditions whenever her schedule allows it, having one coffee related accident probabbly botch an audition for her. Mia is one of those commuters in the traffic jam opening number but unlike the others who break in song and dance, she is too engrossed memorizing her lines for an audition that she does not notice the car in front of her move forward, much to the annoyance of the driver behind her, Sebastian (or Seb) played by Ryan Gosling who is learning piano pieces being played on cassette tapes in his car. Sebastian blares the horn at Mia, who then gives him the finger, and just like that, our two main characters have met. 

We then take turns following their daily lives as struggling artists, Mia as she goes from one audition to the next, desperate for any role-no matter what it is! 

Yes, 'Dangerous Minds' meets 'The OC' is a thing!

Sebastian, a jazz pianist on the other hand is a sentimental purist, an analog guy in a digital world, who when practicing the piano at home, uses a record player (and I totally get him, since I myself own a record player with a very humble vinyl collection definitely getting a copy of this OST on vinyl). 

Sebastian is determined to save jazz and hates having to play at demeaning gigs just to get by. 

The two cross paths which result to some hilarious exchanges and even if they don't know it yet (the audience already does) the have both already fallen each other. 

In beautiful sequences the two sing and dance across the screen, just like the old Hollywood Stars did back in the day-and it is beautiful. Its funny when you are engrossed to seeing them tap dancing and you would think that it was a period piece but then a phone rings and you are reminded that this is in contemporary L.A. 

Of course it can't be all song and dance as the film's main conflict grows, an ugly monster rearing its head and this time it is in the form of ambition, disguised as dreams-because love can only take so much. When Mia and Seb each have a shot at fulfilling their dreams  they risk losing each other.

With beautiful cinematogpraphy where the camera movements compliment the dance numbers to make you feel as if you, yourself were dancing as well. 

"La La Land" brings back the razzle dazzle of old Hollywood with tap dancers that just make you wnt to get a pair of tap shoes and dance! If just one person (no matter the age) decides to take up tap dancing or jazz-then I would be very happy. 

Among the songs in the film, there were two that were stand outs for me, "Another Day in the Sun" (the opening sequence, all shot in one take by the way, very "Birdman" like) and of course "City of Stars" -the rest were unfortunately not that memorable.

You have to remember of course that unlike their predecessors, Stone and Gosling are actors first and took lessons to be able to portray their characters, while they are both incredible actors, the singing and dancing are not particularly exceptional but I have to admire them for the passion and dedication that they put in their craft. Kudos! 

The film is ambitious for wanting to bring the old and the beautiful and I admire them for that. I was so engrossed in the film, that I didn't even notice its running time, of over 2 hours. + That last bittersweet 'what if' sequence?! Phew! It will bring me to tears whenever I think of it! 

9/10- an experince you shouldn't miss in the cinema-and not just any cinema but I suggest seeing it in the best one! The ones with great projection and sound! 

"La La Land" is now showing in cinemas. 

Movies: GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS’ FRONTRUNNER “LA LA LAND” STARRING EMMA STONE AND RYAN GOSLING OPENS JANUARY 11 IN CINEMAS

The highly-anticipated romantic musical and Golden Globe Awards frontrunner “La La Land” starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling brings the audience to classic Hollywood on an exuberant song-and-dance journey through a life-changing love affair between a jazz pianist and a hopeful actress. 

 

                From the recently announced Golden Globe Awards nominees, “La La Land’s” nominations include Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Ryan Gosling for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy), Emma Stone for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy),  Damien Chazelle as Best Director for a Motion Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score  and Best Original Song. 

 

                Both an ode to the glamour and emotion of cinema classics, a love letter to the Los Angeles of unabated dreams, and a distinctly modern romance, “La La Land” reunites Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, bringing them together with rising writer/director Damien Chazelle (the Oscar®-winning “Whiplash”).   The film begins as everything begins in L.A.: on the freeway. This is where Sebastian (Gosling) meets Mia (Stone), with a disdainful honk in a traffic jam that mirrors all too well the gridlock they’re each navigating in their lives. Both are focused on the kind of near-impossible hopes that are the lifeblood of the city:  Sebastian trying to get people to care about traditional jazz in the 21st Century, Mia aiming to nail just one uninterrupted audition. But neither expects that their fateful encounter will lead them to take leaps they never could do alone.

 

                Wearing its influences on its sleeve yet taking considerable risks, La La Land allows filmmaker Chazelle to pay homage to legends of cinema while harnessing its current power to make the most private human terrain – the territory of intimate relationships, personal dreams and the crossroads where decisions set fate into motion – come to life on the screen as a palpably real, yet enchanted, universe.

 

                As it turned out, Gosling had his own long-held affection for movie musicals that came into play the minute he came aboard. Says Gosling: “I was really intrigued by the fact that Damien wanted to make a film in the style of that Fred and Ginger and Gene Kelly eras, because those are the musicals that move me. The fact that he wanted this film to have that kind of aesthetic and spirit of playfulness was fantastic because it was also a secret wish of mine to make a film like that.”

 

                Early on in the process, Stone met with Chazelle, who took her through his ideas for some of the musical numbers. “It was intoxicating,” Stone recalls. “The idea of telling this really modern story of two struggling artists -- but in a 1950s-style musical version of today’s Los Angeles -- became something really exciting to me very quickly.”

 

                Mia’s yearning for something beyond the ordinary also hit home with her. “Mia is driven by something that maybe she doesn’t completely understand,” says Stone. “She wants to be an artist in a city of so many people who seem to be just like her. She feels that there's something special inside her but she doesn't quite know what it is. I could relate to her being an actress and going on auditions but even more so, there was something so exciting about taking her into this musical world where you can suddenly spin down the street or burst into song. That was a wonderful challenge.”

 

                “La La Land” will open on January 11 in local cinemas nationwide from Pioneer Films.