First up is the limited release of “Edmond”, on July 14. Based on the play by David Mamet, it stars William H. Macy as a businessman who descends into a night of crime. The play was written over twenty years ago, and reunites Macy and Mamet for the seventh time. It deals with many of Mamet’s usual themes, including masculinity, human physchology, bigotry, and sexual confusion. Suffice to say, it’s not a comedy. Macy is as good as anyone at spitting out Mamet’s monologues, and should give an intense portrayal as a man who decides to change his life and ends up exploring his own madness.
On July 21, the latest from M. Night Shyamalan comes out, “Lady in Water.” As usual, the movie deals with the supernatural, this time in the guise of a bed time story. Paul Giammatti stars as an apartment building superintendent who finds a spirit in his pool, played by Bryce Dallas Howard. There has been some controversy created by advance excerpts from a tell-all book about Shyamalan. It details the fights he had with the original studio on the project, Disney. For his last movie, “The Village,” Shyamalan authorized a fake documentary about the supernatural in his real life, so who knows if the book is just publicity for the movie. Either way, the “Lady in Water” looks visually arresting, and will hopefully have the story to back up the images.
“Miami Vice” opens on July 28, and carries with it baggage that has nothing to do with how good the film is. It is based on the ’80s TV series, now widely regarded as cheesy fun, but was actually groundbreaking in its time for its use of music and location. Michael Mann created the original series, and returns here as writer and director. More than a remake of a television show, it is a continuation of his “Collateral,” which was a critical and commercial success. “Collateral” was one of the first films shot using mostly digital cameras, and Mann used them again in “Vice.” The cameras pick up more detail then film which allows so many of the scenes to be shot at night. The stars are Colin Farrell (for the first time playing to the sleaziness of his natural look), Jamie Foxx (appearing in the third Michael Mann movie in a row), and Gong Li (in her first English language film). If anyone can pull of a satisfying, complex, and entertaining summer drama, it is this cast and Mann.
Also on July 28 comes the limited release of two low budget movies, one from a director of over forty films, and one from a pair of first time feature directors. Woody Allen’s “Scoop” stars Scarlett Johansen, who last appeared in Allen’s “Match Point”. “Scoop” is a comedy in which Allen appears in a supporting role, and hopefully like “Match Point” it will be a return to, if not his masterpieces of the 70’s and 80’s, at least his playful early '90s output.
Finally, “Brothers of the Head” also comes out on the 28th, and it has one of the most original concepts in months. It is a fake documentary about conjoined twins who formed a punk band in the ’70s. The directors, Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, previously made two well crafted documentaries about the making (and unmaking) of a couple of Terry Gilliam films. Judging from the trailer, they’ve used their documentary roots to produce seamless footage of a couple of characters who only could have existed in the past.
That just about wraps up the more intriguing movies of the next three or four weeks. So, if you’re not exhausted after checking out “Superman” and “Pirates,” look for these thematically riskier films later in the month.
• Alex Mechlin writes about the movie industry monthly, exclusively in Lumino Magazine. E-mail Alex at alex.mechlin@luminomagazine.com.
