Recently, CBS served up the new,official,synopsis/spoilers for their upcoming "Person Of Interest" episode 21 of season 3. The episode is entitled, "Beta," and it sounds like things will get very intense and quite interesting as Decima threatens the love of Finch's life, and more! In the new,21st episode press release: Finch's greatest fears are going to be realized as Decima threatens the love of his life in order to lure him out of hiding. Press release number 2: As Decima uses Samaritan’s feeds to hunt Reese and Shaw, Greer is going to exploit Finch’s greatest weakness in an attempt to lure him out of hiding: his love for his former fiancée, Grace Hendricks. Guest stars will feature: John Herrera (Bodega Owner), Rayniel Rufino (Bodega Gunman),John Horton (Priest) Daniel K. Kim (Virgil), Matt Walton (Maybank), Joey Sorge (Uniform), David Michael Garry (Dock Worker),Robert Manning, Jr.
- 4/15/2014
- by Andre
- OnTheFlix
Valentine's Day is here! For some, it's a day full of joy and hubris, where cherubs are your local baristas complete with handle-bar mustaches. It's a day you ride unicorns to work and nothing will get in the way of you delivering those flowers you fought for like “This is Sparta”. This day your wildest dreams will be exceeded and you may even get a marriage proposal! Nothing can top this feeling of euphoria – not even Luther Vandross singing 'Always and Forever’ to a bunch of dolphins can top that sh*t... And then there's those for whom the day is abhorrent and full of rue. It's like a herpes breakout - an embarrassing reminder that somewhere you went wrong (like the time you proposed on Valentines Day). A catalog of memories of past failed romances, all accumulating in one day. You wish you had been 'catfished', so you would have never met them at all... Anyways, LatinoBuzz got to chop it up with young Latino Hollywood about their most romantic films, their cine-crush and in the spirit of los haters de San Valentin: their worst date!
“I think I'll have to say Natalie Portman in 'Garden State'. 'Love her in that. Maybe minus the helmet and epilepsy but I think I'd be able to deal with it. Something about a beautiful woman that can make me laugh. My favorite romantic film has to be Charlie Chaplin's 'City Lights' - Beautiful! One of my favorite movies ever, and not a word is spoken. I remember seeing it at the age of 16 for the first time and it made my heart explode. And 'Pretty in Pink' always makes me feel like I'm 'Duckie' at heart” - Jorge Diaz, 'Love, Concord', 'Filly Brown'
“My worst Valentine's date was when my ex-boyfriend spent the day with his best friend instead of me because his best friend's birthday is on Valentine's Day. He tried to make up for this by scheduling our date for February 13th instead of the 14th. He had a nice dinner date and a movie planned but his best friend (the birthday boy) and his other friends crashed our entire date and took over. Dinner was awkward and the birthday boy joined us after and even chose the movie. The worst was what happened during the movie, I decided to lay my head on his shoulder and because I was wearing a hat he couldn't see my eyes and he thought that I had fallen asleep. His phone received a text message from a girl that read "Happy Valentines baby! Miss you and care about you. You're very special, I hope your girl knows what she got". And that's when I found out he had been cheating on me!!!” - Francia Raisa, 'Chastity Bites'.
“Favorite Romantic Film: 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' is probably the most romantic story I have ever seen. This film moves me in a way no other film has. No matter how many times I see it I always cry and that to me is wonderful. It is a story of impossible love accompanied by the most beautiful music and color. Although the main characters do not end up together, the film shows their early stages of love and courtship so beautifully. One can be so lucky to experience such hope and blissfulness, even for just a moment. It is anything but predictable just the way life and love really is” - Diane Guerrero, 'Emoticon'
“Lou Diamond Philips as Richie Valens in 'La Bamba'. I dreamt of him serenading me to "Oh Donna" when I was younger. I still swoon at the thought of it. Lou is so young, handsome, and hopeful and "Richie Valens" is such a tragic hero. To have a man write and sing you songs, I mean come on, it doesn't get anymore dreamy than that. I married a poet and he writes me poems, I guess I made my dream come true!” -Julia Grob, 'East WillyB'
“I was once set up on the worst blind date ever. It was like eating dinner with Dr. Jekyll and Mrs Hyde. One minute she was trying to wine and dine me and the next she was throwing every insult you can imagine my way. It was very confusing” - Roberto Aguirre, 'Struck By Lightning'
“My crush would be Salma Hayek... Come on now, do I really need to say any more? She's perfection” - Joseph Julian Soria, 'Army Wives', 'Mission Park'
“My favorite romantic movie is 'True Romance'. Always. A reckless love story. When two unlikely lovers cross paths and fall madly in love in record time and he fights to the death for her freedom from her pimp so they can run away together with millions of dollars worth of drug money!? Oh! My heart melts” - Alicia Sixtos, 'East Los High'
“My perfect cine girlfriend would have to be Kate Winslet! She is not only stunning, but also ridiculously talented and the British accent doesn't hurt either. She had me at Titanic! And 'King Kong' is the most romantic film of all time! There is nothing more touching that the love of a giant gorilla and Jessica Lange. Lol! Seriously, 'Out of Africa' is my favorite romantic film. How can you beat Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, and the music by Stephan Grimes really punctuates a beautiful true story” - Jeremy Ray Valdez, 'Mission Park', 'H.O.M.E'
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Just a great film! We all wish we could forget that someone who may have caused us pain. It's a bitter sweet movie and bitter sweet is what love is all about”- Rayniel Rufino, 'Trouble in the Heights'
“Lisa Bonet circa late 80's early 90's, hands down! I think she's just gorgeous. Everything about her screams Take Me On A Date Ej! I have an agreement with my girlfriend. I'm allowed to cheat on her with early 90s Bonet” - E.J . Bonilla, 'Four', 'The House That Jack Built'
“My favorite film is 'Big Fish' by Tim Burton and although it's not a traditional romantic film, it definitely showcases “Love” the way I like to think it truly is. That movie inspires me every time I watch it. Ewan McGregor is the perfect leading man in this film and it makes me believe in love at first sight. My worst date ever would have to include too much Pda. There is nothing more unattractive than two people in public doing what should be done in private. I also would be tortured if I went on a date with someone who smells bad and talked only about themselves haha!” - Denise Bidot, 'Curvy Girls', 'Habla'
“Matt Bomer!!! Oh wait, I'm barking up the wrong tree aren't I? But goodness, look at that face! My fave romantic film is definitely Dirty Dancing. It's actually my favorite movie, period. I don't care if I sound cheesy or corny, I've loved that movie ever since I can remember. Yes, I watched it as a kid and my mom would make me close my eyes during certain parts. It's nice to be able to watch the full movie now, even though I still feel like someone's telling me "cover your eyes" sometimes haha.” - Janine Larina, 'East Los High'
“I can say, best boyfriend from any era of film would have to be the dude from the movie 'The Princess Bride'! What's that dudes name? Oh, he was so delicious and heroic! Chivalry at its best! I don't admire men often but when I do it's the dude from 'The Princess Bride'. Omg Worst Date Ever was with this dude about 2 years ago! I want to say his name only for the small, minute, almost impossible possibility that he would read this because he should know how awful it was! But alas I won't! He took me to this bar, Village Idiot, for dinner and if tossing his car keys to the valet while he walked in the joint (keys that were definitely not caught by valet) wasn't obnoxious enough, he then told the hostess "best table, they know me here" except No they didn't! We proceed to sit down and he goes on this rant about how much money he has, who he knows and why he is the ultimate La bachelor! As I sit there stirring in my contempt for this over the top ridiculous man, he stops and says "Well it's not ladylike to look so ugly, smile at least!" I wanted to stab him with my fork! I respond "Well I usually smile when I'm happy, entertained, excited and I'm none of those right now. I would like to leave...now" and with that I dropped cash on the table and walked right out. Worst date ever! Gina Rodriguez, 'Filly Brown', 'Sleeping with the Fishes'
“It'd have to be January Jones and of course, in the Mad Men era. What is that, the 60's right? I love the show but also hate it because Don Driver gets to come home to her. There's something about how patient and loving she is. Such a soothing voice. I'd let her talk my ear off”- Walter Perez, 'Mission Park'
“My favorite romantic film would definitely be 'Amelie', because it's about a young girl on a journey fueled by love, the love of helping others selflessly and in the midst of it all, she falls in love with a quirky guy who collects photo booth pictures. It's a sweet little unique story, not to mention it was such a musical inspiration for me, I can play majority of the songs from it on the piano - Just so lovely!!! I'd highly suggest adding it to your movie list”– Andrea Sixtos, 'Sunset Stories'
“The Wedding Planner, because they were going down different paths but still ended up together. For awhile after I watched the movie I would only eat the brown M&Ms haha! And worst date, one Valentines Day I was supposed go out with my boyfriend, he picked me up and when we got in the car we had a huge fight and broke up. So the date just made it to the drive way” - Chelsea Rendon, 'A Better Life', 'Kill Kapone'
“Andy Garcia in 'When a man loves a woman' and the worst date ever was the time when this guy took me out and tried to get me drunk so he could hit it. He left me stranded on 6th Street in Austin Texas” - Corina Calderon, 'All She Can', 'End of Watch'
“I had two horrible dates with the same person. The first date we went to a karaoke bar and he got sexually molested by his ex-girlfriend. He told me about it and he felt really uncomfortable. He wanted to leave and I wanted to confront her. So we stayed and I took her outside and she and I exchanged words. We agreed to be civil, but I missed my turn and never got to sing. The second horrible date happened a couple months into our relationship. We went to 'Lucky Strike' for a birthday party and ran into another ex-girlfriend who swore they were meant to be together and that he shouldn't be bringing me into her work. Long story short, I laughed and asked her to get me a coke. I never got the coke. After all that drama, we are still together and It only took him a over 1000 good dates to make up for those two” - Veronica Diaz-Carranza, 'Blaze You Out', 'Taco Shop'
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter and www.facebook.com/latinobuzz...
“I think I'll have to say Natalie Portman in 'Garden State'. 'Love her in that. Maybe minus the helmet and epilepsy but I think I'd be able to deal with it. Something about a beautiful woman that can make me laugh. My favorite romantic film has to be Charlie Chaplin's 'City Lights' - Beautiful! One of my favorite movies ever, and not a word is spoken. I remember seeing it at the age of 16 for the first time and it made my heart explode. And 'Pretty in Pink' always makes me feel like I'm 'Duckie' at heart” - Jorge Diaz, 'Love, Concord', 'Filly Brown'
“My worst Valentine's date was when my ex-boyfriend spent the day with his best friend instead of me because his best friend's birthday is on Valentine's Day. He tried to make up for this by scheduling our date for February 13th instead of the 14th. He had a nice dinner date and a movie planned but his best friend (the birthday boy) and his other friends crashed our entire date and took over. Dinner was awkward and the birthday boy joined us after and even chose the movie. The worst was what happened during the movie, I decided to lay my head on his shoulder and because I was wearing a hat he couldn't see my eyes and he thought that I had fallen asleep. His phone received a text message from a girl that read "Happy Valentines baby! Miss you and care about you. You're very special, I hope your girl knows what she got". And that's when I found out he had been cheating on me!!!” - Francia Raisa, 'Chastity Bites'.
“Favorite Romantic Film: 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' is probably the most romantic story I have ever seen. This film moves me in a way no other film has. No matter how many times I see it I always cry and that to me is wonderful. It is a story of impossible love accompanied by the most beautiful music and color. Although the main characters do not end up together, the film shows their early stages of love and courtship so beautifully. One can be so lucky to experience such hope and blissfulness, even for just a moment. It is anything but predictable just the way life and love really is” - Diane Guerrero, 'Emoticon'
“Lou Diamond Philips as Richie Valens in 'La Bamba'. I dreamt of him serenading me to "Oh Donna" when I was younger. I still swoon at the thought of it. Lou is so young, handsome, and hopeful and "Richie Valens" is such a tragic hero. To have a man write and sing you songs, I mean come on, it doesn't get anymore dreamy than that. I married a poet and he writes me poems, I guess I made my dream come true!” -Julia Grob, 'East WillyB'
“I was once set up on the worst blind date ever. It was like eating dinner with Dr. Jekyll and Mrs Hyde. One minute she was trying to wine and dine me and the next she was throwing every insult you can imagine my way. It was very confusing” - Roberto Aguirre, 'Struck By Lightning'
“My crush would be Salma Hayek... Come on now, do I really need to say any more? She's perfection” - Joseph Julian Soria, 'Army Wives', 'Mission Park'
“My favorite romantic movie is 'True Romance'. Always. A reckless love story. When two unlikely lovers cross paths and fall madly in love in record time and he fights to the death for her freedom from her pimp so they can run away together with millions of dollars worth of drug money!? Oh! My heart melts” - Alicia Sixtos, 'East Los High'
“My perfect cine girlfriend would have to be Kate Winslet! She is not only stunning, but also ridiculously talented and the British accent doesn't hurt either. She had me at Titanic! And 'King Kong' is the most romantic film of all time! There is nothing more touching that the love of a giant gorilla and Jessica Lange. Lol! Seriously, 'Out of Africa' is my favorite romantic film. How can you beat Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, and the music by Stephan Grimes really punctuates a beautiful true story” - Jeremy Ray Valdez, 'Mission Park', 'H.O.M.E'
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Just a great film! We all wish we could forget that someone who may have caused us pain. It's a bitter sweet movie and bitter sweet is what love is all about”- Rayniel Rufino, 'Trouble in the Heights'
“Lisa Bonet circa late 80's early 90's, hands down! I think she's just gorgeous. Everything about her screams Take Me On A Date Ej! I have an agreement with my girlfriend. I'm allowed to cheat on her with early 90s Bonet” - E.J . Bonilla, 'Four', 'The House That Jack Built'
“My favorite film is 'Big Fish' by Tim Burton and although it's not a traditional romantic film, it definitely showcases “Love” the way I like to think it truly is. That movie inspires me every time I watch it. Ewan McGregor is the perfect leading man in this film and it makes me believe in love at first sight. My worst date ever would have to include too much Pda. There is nothing more unattractive than two people in public doing what should be done in private. I also would be tortured if I went on a date with someone who smells bad and talked only about themselves haha!” - Denise Bidot, 'Curvy Girls', 'Habla'
“Matt Bomer!!! Oh wait, I'm barking up the wrong tree aren't I? But goodness, look at that face! My fave romantic film is definitely Dirty Dancing. It's actually my favorite movie, period. I don't care if I sound cheesy or corny, I've loved that movie ever since I can remember. Yes, I watched it as a kid and my mom would make me close my eyes during certain parts. It's nice to be able to watch the full movie now, even though I still feel like someone's telling me "cover your eyes" sometimes haha.” - Janine Larina, 'East Los High'
“I can say, best boyfriend from any era of film would have to be the dude from the movie 'The Princess Bride'! What's that dudes name? Oh, he was so delicious and heroic! Chivalry at its best! I don't admire men often but when I do it's the dude from 'The Princess Bride'. Omg Worst Date Ever was with this dude about 2 years ago! I want to say his name only for the small, minute, almost impossible possibility that he would read this because he should know how awful it was! But alas I won't! He took me to this bar, Village Idiot, for dinner and if tossing his car keys to the valet while he walked in the joint (keys that were definitely not caught by valet) wasn't obnoxious enough, he then told the hostess "best table, they know me here" except No they didn't! We proceed to sit down and he goes on this rant about how much money he has, who he knows and why he is the ultimate La bachelor! As I sit there stirring in my contempt for this over the top ridiculous man, he stops and says "Well it's not ladylike to look so ugly, smile at least!" I wanted to stab him with my fork! I respond "Well I usually smile when I'm happy, entertained, excited and I'm none of those right now. I would like to leave...now" and with that I dropped cash on the table and walked right out. Worst date ever! Gina Rodriguez, 'Filly Brown', 'Sleeping with the Fishes'
“It'd have to be January Jones and of course, in the Mad Men era. What is that, the 60's right? I love the show but also hate it because Don Driver gets to come home to her. There's something about how patient and loving she is. Such a soothing voice. I'd let her talk my ear off”- Walter Perez, 'Mission Park'
“My favorite romantic film would definitely be 'Amelie', because it's about a young girl on a journey fueled by love, the love of helping others selflessly and in the midst of it all, she falls in love with a quirky guy who collects photo booth pictures. It's a sweet little unique story, not to mention it was such a musical inspiration for me, I can play majority of the songs from it on the piano - Just so lovely!!! I'd highly suggest adding it to your movie list”– Andrea Sixtos, 'Sunset Stories'
“The Wedding Planner, because they were going down different paths but still ended up together. For awhile after I watched the movie I would only eat the brown M&Ms haha! And worst date, one Valentines Day I was supposed go out with my boyfriend, he picked me up and when we got in the car we had a huge fight and broke up. So the date just made it to the drive way” - Chelsea Rendon, 'A Better Life', 'Kill Kapone'
“Andy Garcia in 'When a man loves a woman' and the worst date ever was the time when this guy took me out and tried to get me drunk so he could hit it. He left me stranded on 6th Street in Austin Texas” - Corina Calderon, 'All She Can', 'End of Watch'
“I had two horrible dates with the same person. The first date we went to a karaoke bar and he got sexually molested by his ex-girlfriend. He told me about it and he felt really uncomfortable. He wanted to leave and I wanted to confront her. So we stayed and I took her outside and she and I exchanged words. We agreed to be civil, but I missed my turn and never got to sing. The second horrible date happened a couple months into our relationship. We went to 'Lucky Strike' for a birthday party and ran into another ex-girlfriend who swore they were meant to be together and that he shouldn't be bringing me into her work. Long story short, I laughed and asked her to get me a coke. I never got the coke. After all that drama, we are still together and It only took him a over 1000 good dates to make up for those two” - Veronica Diaz-Carranza, 'Blaze You Out', 'Taco Shop'
Written by Juan Caceres and Vanessa Erazo, LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on twitter and www.facebook.com/latinobuzz...
- 2/13/2013
- by Juan Caceres
- Sydney's Buzz
The trailer for the Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden-helmed comedy "It's Kind of a Funny Story" is live. The dramedy stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, Viola Davis and Zoe Kravitz and finds theaters on September 24th via Focus Features. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden worked together on the acclaimed "Half Nelson" starring Ryan Gosling as well as the sports drama "Sugar" starring Algenis Perez Soto and Rayniel Rufino which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. "Half Nelson," written by Fleck and Boden and helmed by Fleck, earned Ryan Gosling an Academy Award nomination. These are clearly talented filmmakers who will continue to contribute well to the film industry.
- 7/15/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
If this year's Gotham Awards winner is any indication, A Serious Man might be in serious trouble with its Oscar chances as Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker appears to be the "preferred" independent film of the year. - If this year's Gotham Awards winner is any indication, A Serious Man might be in serious trouble with its Oscar chances as Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker appears to be the "preferred" independent film of the year. The Coen Bros. film lost out in the Best Feature and Best Ensemble categories, but I'm really curious in seeing how this all plays out in the next couple of weeks with the New York based film critics' year end kudos. The biggest surprise of the the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards was the Breakthrough Actor award going to Catalina Saavedra's performance in The Maid over Ben Foster...
- 12/13/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker (Best Feature, Ensemble, Breakthrough Actor) and Robert Siegel Big Fan (Best Feature, Breakthrough Director and Actor) managed to pick up three mentions each for the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominations, but the big winner on November 30th might actually be The Coen Bros. A Serious Man who have noms in the Best Feature and Best Ensemble Perf. categories. - Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker (Best Feature, Ensemble, Breakthrough Actor) and Robert Siegel Big Fan (Best Feature, Breakthrough Director and Actor) managed to pick up three mentions each for the 19th Annual Gotham Independent Film Award nominations, but the big winner on November 30th might actually be The Coen Bros. A Serious Man who have noms in the Best Feature and Best Ensemble Perf. categories. Sebastian Silva's (who we just recently interviewed) picked up pair...
- 12/13/2009
- by Ioncinema.com Staff
- IONCINEMA.com
"The Hurt Locker's" march to the Oscars has begun! The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, is nominated for best feature, breakthrough actor, and best ensemble performance at the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards.
Robert Siegel's "Big Fan" also topped the Gotham nominations with best features, breakthrough actor, and breakthrough director noms.
"The Hurt Locker" is one of my favorite films this year (Click Watch My Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2009!) so I'm rooting for this brilliant flick!
Bigelow, Natalie Portman, and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will each be presented with a career tribute.
The ceremony will be held Nov. 30 at Cipriani Wall Street.
And the nominees for the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are:
Best Feature
"Amreeka"
Cherien Dabis, director; Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin, producers (National Geographic Entertainment)
"Big Fan"
Robert Siegel, director; Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin, producers (First Independent Pictures)
"The Hurt Locker"
Kathryn Bigelow,...
Robert Siegel's "Big Fan" also topped the Gotham nominations with best features, breakthrough actor, and breakthrough director noms.
"The Hurt Locker" is one of my favorite films this year (Click Watch My Top 10 Best Movies of Summer 2009!) so I'm rooting for this brilliant flick!
Bigelow, Natalie Portman, and Stanley Tucci, and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will each be presented with a career tribute.
The ceremony will be held Nov. 30 at Cipriani Wall Street.
And the nominees for the 19th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards are:
Best Feature
"Amreeka"
Cherien Dabis, director; Christina Piovesan, Paul Barkin, producers (National Geographic Entertainment)
"Big Fan"
Robert Siegel, director; Jean Kouremetis, Elan Bogarin, producers (First Independent Pictures)
"The Hurt Locker"
Kathryn Bigelow,...
- 10/20/2009
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Chicago – As the baseball season winds to a close, take some time to catch up with one of the best dramas of the year and one of the best movies made about the changing face of the sport in Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s fantastic “Sugar”. This is a film that gets better with each viewing and as it lingers in the memory. Now on Blu-Ray and DVD, don’t miss “Sugar”.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0 I don’t want to sell “Sugar” as a traditional baseball movie. This is far from “Bull Durham” or “Field of Dreams”. It’s more about what baseball has become for a lot of players in the 2000s: a story of immigration. It’s also not your traditional story of a rising star overcoming adversity to find fame and fortune.
So what is “Sugar”? First and foremost, it is simply enjoyable from beginning to end...
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0 I don’t want to sell “Sugar” as a traditional baseball movie. This is far from “Bull Durham” or “Field of Dreams”. It’s more about what baseball has become for a lot of players in the 2000s: a story of immigration. It’s also not your traditional story of a rising star overcoming adversity to find fame and fortune.
So what is “Sugar”? First and foremost, it is simply enjoyable from beginning to end...
- 9/8/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Sugar
Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Cast: Algenis Perez Soto, Andre Holland, Ellary Porterfield, Rayniel Rufino
Running Time: 2 hrs
Rating: R
Release Date: May 1, 2009 (limited)
Plot: This is the story of a young Dominican whose lifelong dream to play in the Major Leagues lands him on a seemingly smooth path to realizing his destiny. There proves to be more than perfecting the knuckle-curve in landing a spot on a Big League roster as an array of pitfalls routinely bludgeons his attempts to achieve the greatness he so aspires to realize. A coming-of-age story that dabbles in the temptations young people come across upon their difficult paths to greatness.
Who’s It For?: Baseball fans young and old. This is a slick reminder that the third world not only wields a superior slew of ballplayers, but also encases these young men in baseball-only “schools” that Mlb teams pluck from on an everyday basis.
Directed by: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Cast: Algenis Perez Soto, Andre Holland, Ellary Porterfield, Rayniel Rufino
Running Time: 2 hrs
Rating: R
Release Date: May 1, 2009 (limited)
Plot: This is the story of a young Dominican whose lifelong dream to play in the Major Leagues lands him on a seemingly smooth path to realizing his destiny. There proves to be more than perfecting the knuckle-curve in landing a spot on a Big League roster as an array of pitfalls routinely bludgeons his attempts to achieve the greatness he so aspires to realize. A coming-of-age story that dabbles in the temptations young people come across upon their difficult paths to greatness.
Who’s It For?: Baseball fans young and old. This is a slick reminder that the third world not only wields a superior slew of ballplayers, but also encases these young men in baseball-only “schools” that Mlb teams pluck from on an everyday basis.
- 5/1/2009
- by Chris De Salvo
- The Scorecard Review
Release Date: April 3
Directors: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Writers: Anna Bodden and Ryan Fleck
Cinematographer: Andrij Parekh
Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Ann Whitney
Studio Information: Sony Pictures Classics, 120 mins.
Sugar, the second film by the young writer-director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, follows a promising baseball pitcher named Miguel—nicknamed Sugar—from his home in the Dominican Republic through a series of minor league teams in the U.S. This isn’t The Natural, but rather a naturalistic view of the underside of professional baseball, where young men are chasing the American dream in its most iconic form, facing culture shock and loneliness in the process. I don’t remember seeing this aspect of the game on the big screen before, and the peek behind the curtain is fascinating, but Sugar is, more than anything else, a character study of a particular young man,...
Directors: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Writers: Anna Bodden and Ryan Fleck
Cinematographer: Andrij Parekh
Starring: Algenis Perez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, Ann Whitney
Studio Information: Sony Pictures Classics, 120 mins.
Sugar, the second film by the young writer-director duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, follows a promising baseball pitcher named Miguel—nicknamed Sugar—from his home in the Dominican Republic through a series of minor league teams in the U.S. This isn’t The Natural, but rather a naturalistic view of the underside of professional baseball, where young men are chasing the American dream in its most iconic form, facing culture shock and loneliness in the process. I don’t remember seeing this aspect of the game on the big screen before, and the peek behind the curtain is fascinating, but Sugar is, more than anything else, a character study of a particular young man,...
- 4/3/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Rules: You’re eligible to win if 1) You have not won anything from me in 2009; 2) You have a U.S. mailing address; 3) You enter once and only once. Sugar -- a new drama about a Dominican pitcher who dreams of playing in the U.S. major leagues, starring Algenis Pérez Soto, Rayniel Rufino, Andre Holland, and Michael Gaston, and written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck (Half Nelson) -- opens in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, April 3. To celebrate, I’m giving away two posters from the film, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. Enter by using this link to send your name and U.S. mailing address. (Visit the movie’s official site.) Enter By: 11:59pm Eastern time, Wednesday, April 15. Winners are chosen at random from all eligible entries received. Note: Your email address and mailing address will be used Only for contest purposes. You...
- 4/2/2009
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- The immigrant experience has been seen many times on film before but rarely with the authenticity, wit and intelligence of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's "Sugar".
The story of an aspiring young baseball player in the Dominican Republic, the film is more than a baseball story, but it will be a real delight for fans of the game. HBO should be able to land a smart indie distributor, as it did for the similarly themed "Maria Full of Grace", that can tap the film's huge appeal to the Latino market.
Several of the biggest stars in baseball -- Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz -- have come from the tiny Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic, where every major league team operates a baseball academy for discovering promising prospects. But the ones who make it to the big leagues, or even have a successful minor league career in the States, is a very small percentage. "Sugar" is the story of a talented pitcher who doesn't make it all the way but learns some important life lessons along the way.
Boden and Fleck, who brought a similar sense of reality to their debut film "Half Nelson", recruited mostly ballplayers who could act, not the other way around. For their hero, Miguel "Sugar" Soto, they discovered Algenis Perez Soto on a baseball diamond in the Dominican Republic. With his heavy-lidded, almost brooding presence, he is one of those amateurs whose naturalness allows him to cut to the heart of his character.
Playing baseball is the ticket out of poverty for many boys in the Dominican, and Sugar is no exception. Trained from an early age, and with the hopes of his family riding on almost every pitch, he bears the weight of enormous expectations. His American dream is buying a Cadillac he can drive on the water.
He does well at the academy and is invited to spring training in Arizona, where the culture shock really sets in. Language is the big barrier, sometimes humorous, as when Sugar orders the same food every day (French toast), and sometimes painful, when he can't express himself.
He gives an impressive performance at spring training, and the next stop is a minor league team in Bridgewater, Iowa. No place could be further from the street life and poverty of the Dominican, and the adjustment is hard, even with the help of an elderly couple (Ann Whitney and Richard Bull) who take him in. While the filmmakers don't whitewash Sugar and his teammates, they clearly made a choice to downplay any sexual shenanigans that might go on among young athletes with raging hormones in a foreign country.
Sugar pitches effectively at first, but with the departure of Jorge (Rayniel Rufino), his best friend on the team, a nagging injury and rejection by a pretty white girl (Ellary Porterfield) he has a crush on, he falls into a black hole. Unable to take the loneliness and isolation anymore, he hops on a bus to New York to try to find himself.
New York can be a hard place, too, but eventually he prevails on the kindness of strangers, especially a good-hearted carpenter (Jaime Tirelli), and he eventually meets up with Jorge and starts to create a new life for himself. When he starts playing baseball with a bunch of Latino guys, all of whom have been through the same flirtation with professional ball, the game becomes fun again.
The filmmakers, aided by cinematographer Andrij Parekh and composer Michael Brook, do a fine job capturing the different rhythms of Sugar's experience: the bright colors and sounds of the Dominican, the subdued palette of Iowa and the bustling life of New York. Acting as her own editor, Boden uses crisp cutting and a keen eye to tell the story visually. Everything from the performances to the production design contributes to capturing what life must really be like for these kids.
As much as you root for Sugar to succeed, Boden and Fleck resist the temptation to give the film a Hollywood ending. What happens is more real, and Sugar gains something more important -- he grows up.
SUGAR
HBO Films
A Journeyman Pictures/Hunting Lane Films production in association with Gowanus Projections
Credits:
Directors-screenwriters: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Producers: Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof, Jeremy Kipp Walker
Executive producer: Anna Boden
Director of cinematography: Andrij Parekh
Production designer: Elizabeth Mickle
Music: Michael Brook
Costume designer: Erin Benach
Editor: Anna Boden
Cast:
Miguel "Sugar" Santos: Algenis Perez Soto
Jorge Ramirez: Rayniel Rufino
Brad Johnson: Andre Holland
Stu Sutton: Michael Gaston
Osvaldo: Jaime Tirelli
Helen Higgins: Ann Whitney
Earl Higgins: Richard Bull
Anne Higgins: Ellary Porterfield
Reyna: Alina Vargas
Running time -- 117 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- The immigrant experience has been seen many times on film before but rarely with the authenticity, wit and intelligence of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's "Sugar".
The story of an aspiring young baseball player in the Dominican Republic, the film is more than a baseball story, but it will be a real delight for fans of the game. HBO should be able to land a smart indie distributor, as it did for the similarly themed "Maria Full of Grace", that can tap the film's huge appeal to the Latino market.
Several of the biggest stars in baseball -- Sammy Sosa, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz -- have come from the tiny Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic, where every major league team operates a baseball academy for discovering promising prospects. But the ones who make it to the big leagues, or even have a successful minor league career in the States, is a very small percentage. "Sugar" is the story of a talented pitcher who doesn't make it all the way but learns some important life lessons along the way.
Boden and Fleck, who brought a similar sense of reality to their debut film "Half Nelson", recruited mostly ballplayers who could act, not the other way around. For their hero, Miguel "Sugar" Soto, they discovered Algenis Perez Soto on a baseball diamond in the Dominican Republic. With his heavy-lidded, almost brooding presence, he is one of those amateurs whose naturalness allows him to cut to the heart of his character.
Playing baseball is the ticket out of poverty for many boys in the Dominican, and Sugar is no exception. Trained from an early age, and with the hopes of his family riding on almost every pitch, he bears the weight of enormous expectations. His American dream is buying a Cadillac he can drive on the water.
He does well at the academy and is invited to spring training in Arizona, where the culture shock really sets in. Language is the big barrier, sometimes humorous, as when Sugar orders the same food every day (French toast), and sometimes painful, when he can't express himself.
He gives an impressive performance at spring training, and the next stop is a minor league team in Bridgewater, Iowa. No place could be further from the street life and poverty of the Dominican, and the adjustment is hard, even with the help of an elderly couple (Ann Whitney and Richard Bull) who take him in. While the filmmakers don't whitewash Sugar and his teammates, they clearly made a choice to downplay any sexual shenanigans that might go on among young athletes with raging hormones in a foreign country.
Sugar pitches effectively at first, but with the departure of Jorge (Rayniel Rufino), his best friend on the team, a nagging injury and rejection by a pretty white girl (Ellary Porterfield) he has a crush on, he falls into a black hole. Unable to take the loneliness and isolation anymore, he hops on a bus to New York to try to find himself.
New York can be a hard place, too, but eventually he prevails on the kindness of strangers, especially a good-hearted carpenter (Jaime Tirelli), and he eventually meets up with Jorge and starts to create a new life for himself. When he starts playing baseball with a bunch of Latino guys, all of whom have been through the same flirtation with professional ball, the game becomes fun again.
The filmmakers, aided by cinematographer Andrij Parekh and composer Michael Brook, do a fine job capturing the different rhythms of Sugar's experience: the bright colors and sounds of the Dominican, the subdued palette of Iowa and the bustling life of New York. Acting as her own editor, Boden uses crisp cutting and a keen eye to tell the story visually. Everything from the performances to the production design contributes to capturing what life must really be like for these kids.
As much as you root for Sugar to succeed, Boden and Fleck resist the temptation to give the film a Hollywood ending. What happens is more real, and Sugar gains something more important -- he grows up.
SUGAR
HBO Films
A Journeyman Pictures/Hunting Lane Films production in association with Gowanus Projections
Credits:
Directors-screenwriters: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Producers: Paul Mezey, Jamie Patricof, Jeremy Kipp Walker
Executive producer: Anna Boden
Director of cinematography: Andrij Parekh
Production designer: Elizabeth Mickle
Music: Michael Brook
Costume designer: Erin Benach
Editor: Anna Boden
Cast:
Miguel "Sugar" Santos: Algenis Perez Soto
Jorge Ramirez: Rayniel Rufino
Brad Johnson: Andre Holland
Stu Sutton: Michael Gaston
Osvaldo: Jaime Tirelli
Helen Higgins: Ann Whitney
Earl Higgins: Richard Bull
Anne Higgins: Ellary Porterfield
Reyna: Alina Vargas
Running time -- 117 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/25/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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