Rating: 3.0/5.0
Chicago – Over a decade ago, Jill & Karen Sprecher made waves on the indie scene with “Clockwatchers” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” but then virtually disappeared. They’re back with another arthouse piece, a “Fargo”-esque black comedy called “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and more. The strong ensemble makes the relatively weak script (as presented…more on that later) easier to take as the film skates over some treacherous rough patches but never falls through.
Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) is a jerk (and it’s the complete lack of a likable or relatable protagonist that is one of the film’s biggest drawbacks). He’s an insurance salesman who uses lies and deceit to scare people into buying policies they don’t need. And he rips them off whenever possible. In one of the first scenes in the film, he sleeps with a drunk girl at a casino conference,...
Chicago – Over a decade ago, Jill & Karen Sprecher made waves on the indie scene with “Clockwatchers” and “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” but then virtually disappeared. They’re back with another arthouse piece, a “Fargo”-esque black comedy called “Thin Ice,” starring Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin, and more. The strong ensemble makes the relatively weak script (as presented…more on that later) easier to take as the film skates over some treacherous rough patches but never falls through.
Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) is a jerk (and it’s the complete lack of a likable or relatable protagonist that is one of the film’s biggest drawbacks). He’s an insurance salesman who uses lies and deceit to scare people into buying policies they don’t need. And he rips them off whenever possible. In one of the first scenes in the film, he sleeps with a drunk girl at a casino conference,...
- 2/23/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
When the screenwriters of “Thin Ice” finally play their hand and reveal their film’s obvious twist ending, that dumb plot point almost eclipses all the other lousy things that came before it. But make no mistake, “Thin Ice” is nothing if not consistently lousy. Set in frigid Kenosha, Wisconsin, the film follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a shifty and increasingly desperate insurance salesman as he tries to con his way to a tropical vacation. Mickey is the leader of a parade of unlikable, uniformly histrionic and very unfunny characters. Living and being around the residents of Kenosha is nightmarish, but not in the humorous, neo-noir-inflected way that director Jill Sprecher (“Thirteen Conversations About One Thing”) and her co-writer Karen Sprecher want us to think. Both Mickey and the secondary characters that sparsely populate “Thin Ice” test the dramaturgical guideline that dictates you don’t need to like a...
- 2/14/2012
- The Playlist
New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...
- 2/9/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...
- 2/9/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
New clips from Thin Ice, starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup! Also in the cast of the indie comedy drama are David Harbour, Bob Balaban, Lea Thompson, Michelle Arthur, James Detmar, Jennifer Culbert, Chris Carlson and Jennifer Edward-Hughes. Helmed by Jill Sprecher, who scripts alongside Karen Sprecher, the story follows Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger...
- 2/9/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
“Thin Ice” premiered at 2011’s Sundance Film Festival under the name “The Convincer.” The Greg Kinnear/Billy Crudup-starrer got some good reviews at the time, but the less kind notices called it the “poor man’s ‘Fargo,’” which sounds about right by the look of the trailer. The dark comedy features Kinnear playing a down-on-his-luck insurance man who resorts to fraud in order to get some more cash. Crudup finds out about the scheme and blackmails Kinnear. There are also murders and hi-jinks and ultimatley, it all feels a bit more “Ice Harvest”-esque than deserving of ‘Fargo’ comparisons. Jill Sprecher (“13 Conversations About One Thing,” TV’s “Big Love”) directed the film, which she co-wrote with her sister, Karen Sprecher. Alan Arkin is always a treat so it's nice to see him here (and he seems to get along with Sprecher as he was also part of her '...
- 1/6/2012
- The Playlist
Back in March, Deadline broke the story that Ato Pictures was near a deal to acquire Us rights to The Convincer, the Karen Sprecher-directed dark comedy that made its debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The distributor has changed the title to Thin Ice, but has just confirmed the deal. Here's the official announcement: New York, NY (July 19, 2011) – Ato (Art Takes Over) Pictures announced today that it has acquired U.S. theatrical rights to Thin Ice (formerly titled The Convincer) starring Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson, David Harbour and Bob Balaban. Thin Ice is a thriller about an insurance agent (Kinnear) looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of duplicity believes that salesmanship is all about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He...
- 7/19/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Exclusive: The impressive volume of distribution deals for 2011 Sundance Film Festival fare is about to expand again. I'm told that Ato Pictures is wrapping up a deal for Us rights to The Convincer, the Karen Sprecher-directed dark comedy that stars Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup. It's Fargo-style caper-gone-awry tale in which a conniving insurance salesman (Kinnear) thinks he has found a way to fortify his bank account and get his wife back. He sets out to scam a retired farmer (Arkin) out of a rare violin worth $25,000. A lot goes wrong and blood and dead bodies ensue. Produced by Werc Werk Works, the film was scripted by the director and her sister Jill, who also did Clockwatchers together. CAA is repping the film. Ato, which was hatched by Johnathan Dorfman, Temple Fennell and musician Dave Matthews, distributed George Hickenlooper's final film Casino Jack and recently acquired The Woman in the Fifth.
- 3/31/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
2011 Sundance Film Festival review of The Convincer - Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin butt heads in playful scam comedy. Kinnear and Arkin make a funny pair in con artist comedy ‘Convincer' (3 out of 5 stars) All eyes are focused on Wisconsin these days due to the Green Bay Packers winning Super Bowl Xlv and returning the Vince Lombardi to Green Bay. Arriving in perfect tandem with the Wisconsin hoopla is The Convincer, the latest movie from director and Wisconsin daughter Jill Sprecher and a playful hybrid of past art-house favorites Fargo and The Usual Suspects. Recently debuting in the Premieres section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Jill and her sibling co-writer Karen Sprecher reunite Little Miss Sunshine co-stars Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin for a playful con artist comedy that makes the most out of their likable leads as well as a satisfying, climactic twist...
- 2/8/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
2011 Sundance Film Festival review of The Convincer - Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin butt heads in playful scam comedy. Kinnear and Arkin make a funny pair in con artist comedy ‘Convincer' (3 out of 5 stars) All eyes are focused on Wisconsin these days due to the Green Bay Packers winning Super Bowl Xlv and returning the Vince Lombardi to Green Bay. Arriving in perfect tandem with the Wisconsin hoopla is The Convincer, the latest movie from director and Wisconsin daughter Jill Sprecher and a playful hybrid of past art-house favorites Fargo and The Usual Suspects. Recently debuting in the Premieres section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, Jill and her sibling co-writer Karen Sprecher reunite Little Miss Sunshine co-stars Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin for a playful con artist comedy that makes the most out of their likable leads as well as a satisfying, climactic twist...
- 2/8/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Reviewed by Jeremy Mathews
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban
There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.
All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban
There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.
All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...
- 2/5/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Jeremy Mathews
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban
There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.
All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jill Sprecher
Written by: Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher
Starring: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson and Bob Balaban
There’s no son of a bitch quite like Mickey Prohaska. The insurance salesman played by Greg Kinnear in “The Convincer” lies constantly, treats everyone like dirt and never passes up a chance to screw someone over. When the random drunk woman he sleeps with during a convention robs his room, he not only hides what happens but belittles the hotel manager and accuses the housekeeping staff of theft. So he isn’t a character who evokes much sympathy when his scruple-less little scheme goes terribly wrong. It’s no less than he deserves.
All it takes to push Mickey to do something wrong is for an opportunity to present itself. The film is structured like a domino course,...
- 2/5/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Rating: 2/5
Director: Jill Sprecher
Writers: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson
How much trouble could a little violin cause? We find out just how as the off-beat film The Convincer takes us on a ride through the viewpoint of slightly shady insurance salesman, Mickey (Greg Kinnear), as he attempts to sell a policy to retiree Gorvy (Alan Arkin) and discovers a much bigger payday in the process.
Read more on Sundance 2011 Review: The Convincer…...
Director: Jill Sprecher
Writers: Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, Lea Thompson
How much trouble could a little violin cause? We find out just how as the off-beat film The Convincer takes us on a ride through the viewpoint of slightly shady insurance salesman, Mickey (Greg Kinnear), as he attempts to sell a policy to retiree Gorvy (Alan Arkin) and discovers a much bigger payday in the process.
Read more on Sundance 2011 Review: The Convincer…...
- 1/29/2011
- by Allison Loring
- GordonandtheWhale
Catch .44
Opens: 2011
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll
Director: Aaron Harvey
Summary: The story focuses on three women being thrust into an extraordinary situation involving a psychopathic hitman, a grizzled trucker and a delusional line cook.
Analysis: Oddly little is known about this indie crime comedy aside from the three lead female roles have gone through more than a couple of rounds of casting musical chairs. The likes of Maggie Grace, Kate Mara, Laura Ramsey, Sarah Roemer, Lizzy Caplan and Lauren German were all attached at one point or another before the final trio of Malin Akerman ("Watchmen"), Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and Deborah Ann Woll ("True Blood") were settled on.
Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker, Michael Rosenbaum and Brad Dourif also star with Willis as a crime boss behind everything that happens and Whitaker as a dangerously unstable assassin. Aaron Harvey, who last directed...
Opens: 2011
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll
Director: Aaron Harvey
Summary: The story focuses on three women being thrust into an extraordinary situation involving a psychopathic hitman, a grizzled trucker and a delusional line cook.
Analysis: Oddly little is known about this indie crime comedy aside from the three lead female roles have gone through more than a couple of rounds of casting musical chairs. The likes of Maggie Grace, Kate Mara, Laura Ramsey, Sarah Roemer, Lizzy Caplan and Lauren German were all attached at one point or another before the final trio of Malin Akerman ("Watchmen"), Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and Deborah Ann Woll ("True Blood") were settled on.
Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker, Michael Rosenbaum and Brad Dourif also star with Willis as a crime boss behind everything that happens and Whitaker as a dangerously unstable assassin. Aaron Harvey, who last directed...
- 12/23/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Catch .44
Opens: 2011
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll
Director: Aaron Harvey
Summary: The story focuses on three women being thrust into an extraordinary situation involving a psychopathic hitman, a grizzled trucker and a delusional line cook.
Analysis: Oddly little is known about this indie crime comedy aside from the three lead female roles have gone through more than a couple of rounds of casting musical chairs. The likes of Maggie Grace, Kate Mara, Laura Ramsey, Sarah Roemer, Lizzy Caplan and Lauren German were all attached at one point or another before the final trio of Malin Akerman ("Watchmen"), Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and Deborah Ann Woll ("True Blood") were settled on.
Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker, Michael Rosenbaum and Brad Dourif also star with Willis as a crime boss behind everything that happens and Whitaker as a dangerously unstable assassin. Aaron Harvey, who last directed...
Opens: 2011
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Bruce Willis, Malin Akerman, Nikki Reed, Deborah Ann Woll
Director: Aaron Harvey
Summary: The story focuses on three women being thrust into an extraordinary situation involving a psychopathic hitman, a grizzled trucker and a delusional line cook.
Analysis: Oddly little is known about this indie crime comedy aside from the three lead female roles have gone through more than a couple of rounds of casting musical chairs. The likes of Maggie Grace, Kate Mara, Laura Ramsey, Sarah Roemer, Lizzy Caplan and Lauren German were all attached at one point or another before the final trio of Malin Akerman ("Watchmen"), Nikki Reed ("Twilight") and Deborah Ann Woll ("True Blood") were settled on.
Bruce Willis, Forest Whitaker, Michael Rosenbaum and Brad Dourif also star with Willis as a crime boss behind everything that happens and Whitaker as a dangerously unstable assassin. Aaron Harvey, who last directed...
- 12/23/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Sundance's lineup of films selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival (January 20-30 in Park City, Utah) are not sucky this year as they include two awesome docs about women in media, one lesbian space alien adventure directed by Madeliene Olnek, a dark western by Kelly Reichardt, and two thrillers by chicks (I can say 'chicks' because of third wave feminism, apparently) plus some of our favorite male genre directors defy gender stereotypes and film convention with their brave new films.
Sundance, the super-over-hyped and most pretentious of all film festivals in the United States, occasionally has a moment of clarity and recognizes the value of some of the brand new movies made by intelligent, funny, and interesting women. As we previously ranted about Miss Representation, we're excited about the USA premiere of !Women Art Revolution by Lynn Hershman Leeson, One part of a transmedia project that includes the...
Sundance, the super-over-hyped and most pretentious of all film festivals in the United States, occasionally has a moment of clarity and recognizes the value of some of the brand new movies made by intelligent, funny, and interesting women. As we previously ranted about Miss Representation, we're excited about the USA premiere of !Women Art Revolution by Lynn Hershman Leeson, One part of a transmedia project that includes the...
- 12/3/2010
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
After announcing the 58 films in four categories that would be eligible for awards at Sundance, the film fest has now announced the next 57 movies to be screened this coming January. These 57 films are of course out of competition and will be included in Premieres, Next, Spotlight, New Frontiers and Midnight categories. Most are big name projects from already established filmmakers and some have already made their way around film festival in 2010. The list includes Kevin Smith’s Red State, Tom McCarthy’s Win Win, Morgan Spurlock’s documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Submarine, I Saw the Devil (which had plenty of buzz at Tiff) and my most anticipated film of 2011, Hobo With a Shotgun.
Here is the full list:
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films.
Here is the full list:
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films.
- 12/3/2010
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Tons of high-profile film items for sale with star casts are, as I predicted, making the cut this year in the Premieres section. If I'm not mistaken, Fox Searchlight will use the fest to not only go shopping, but they'll be using Park City to launch Cedar Rapids and Win Win. With yesterday's Comp titles announcement, there appears to be a breakout commentary of an anti-church and anti-religion statement. We have Higher Ground, Martha Marcy May Marlene and we could add George Ratliff's Salvation Boulevard and Kevin Smith's Red State (see pic above) to the same discourse. Cedar Rapids /U.S.A. (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat, John C. Reilly, Rob Corddry, Anne Heche. The Convincer /U.
- 12/2/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Following yesterday's announcement of the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions, the Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the second part of their lineup, which includes the more starry-eyed Premieres section, the best-of-fests Spotlight section, the sure-to-be-culty Park City at Midnight section, the low-budget Next section, and the more experimental New Frontier section (an extension of New Frontier Program, the collection of video art installations which has already been noted here for playing James Franco's dramatic multimedia examination of "Three's Company.")
In addition to the return of filmmakers like "Chuck & Buck"'s Miguel Arteta, "Clockwatchers" director Jill Sprecher, Kevin Smith and "The Station Agent"'s Thomas McCarthy to Park City, the festival will also welcome less frequent or first-time Sundance attendees such as Hollywood types Al Pacino ("Son of No One") and Tobey Maguire ("The Details") and mumblecore alums Joe Swanberg ("Uncle Kent," which announced it's been...
In addition to the return of filmmakers like "Chuck & Buck"'s Miguel Arteta, "Clockwatchers" director Jill Sprecher, Kevin Smith and "The Station Agent"'s Thomas McCarthy to Park City, the festival will also welcome less frequent or first-time Sundance attendees such as Hollywood types Al Pacino ("Son of No One") and Tobey Maguire ("The Details") and mumblecore alums Joe Swanberg ("Uncle Kent," which announced it's been...
- 12/2/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Yesterday, when the 2011 Sundance Film Festival announced its full in competition line-up, a few eyebrows were raised about the somewhat surprising lack of star power in the year’s crop of films. Well, today, the festival announced its full out of competition slate, and a cavalcade of bold-faced tumbled forth. For one thing, from Jan. 20 through 30, 2011, Elizabeth Banks is going to be quite busy in Park City, Utah. Some highlights:
Ed Helms, Sigourney Weaver, and John C. Reilly in Cedar Rapids, about a small-town Wisconsin insurance salesman overwhelmed by the big city life at a regional insurance conference in Cedar Rapids,...
Ed Helms, Sigourney Weaver, and John C. Reilly in Cedar Rapids, about a small-town Wisconsin insurance salesman overwhelmed by the big city life at a regional insurance conference in Cedar Rapids,...
- 12/2/2010
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
The Sundance Film Festival announced the in competition film line-up for the film festival running January 20th through January 30th 2011 in Park City, Utah.
Today the festival has announced the line-up for the non-competition films and there is one hell of a line-up! There are a ton of great films that will be premiering at the festival, and if you're going you have a lot of great films to choose from!
Each film has an incredible cast and a great story. These films include Cedar Rapids, about a man traveling to an insurance conference, featuring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Sigourney Weaver; Kevin Smith's Red State, about a group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America; The Details, about domestic tensions spawned by raccoons with Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert; I Melt With You, starring Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay,...
Today the festival has announced the line-up for the non-competition films and there is one hell of a line-up! There are a ton of great films that will be premiering at the festival, and if you're going you have a lot of great films to choose from!
Each film has an incredible cast and a great story. These films include Cedar Rapids, about a man traveling to an insurance conference, featuring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly and Sigourney Weaver; Kevin Smith's Red State, about a group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America; The Details, about domestic tensions spawned by raccoons with Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert; I Melt With You, starring Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay,...
- 12/2/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Well, yesterday, we saw the full list of films in-competition; today, we get to see those titles that have been selected for Sundance 2011′s out-of-competition lineup.
And as I said with yesterday’s post, I’ll be going over the complete list, highlighting titles that need to be, taking into consideration this blog’s specific interests. The only title that immediately stands out is Brit John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which MsWOO positively reviewed, after seeing it at the London Film Festival in October. Read her review Here.
But look for future posts profiling any other titles I deem worthy. I’ve applied for press credentials to attend next year’s festival. I won’t know until the 23rd of this month, whether I’ve been granted press access or not. If I am, I will attend the festival; and if I’m not, well, I probably won’t.
And as I said with yesterday’s post, I’ll be going over the complete list, highlighting titles that need to be, taking into consideration this blog’s specific interests. The only title that immediately stands out is Brit John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which MsWOO positively reviewed, after seeing it at the London Film Festival in October. Read her review Here.
But look for future posts profiling any other titles I deem worthy. I’ve applied for press credentials to attend next year’s festival. I won’t know until the 23rd of this month, whether I’ve been granted press access or not. If I am, I will attend the festival; and if I’m not, well, I probably won’t.
- 12/2/2010
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Well, if the Competition titles at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival don't generate any early year Oscar buzz, I think it's safe to say the Out of Competition titles will. Several films that have already been seen and positively reviewed can be found in the fest's Spotlight Line-Up along with a batch of anticipated hopefuls in the Premiere Section.
Beginning with the festival's premieres, Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) is bringing Cedar Rapids to Park City where it will debut before it hits theaters only a couple weeks later on February 11. "Big Love" co-producers, Jill and Karen Sprecher are bringing an impressive cast for their crime drama The Convincer. Jacob Aaron Estes's The Details, which was shot only a few miles from my house in the Queen Anne district of Seattle, arrives with Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney and Tobey Maguire in tow.
Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies) will debut I Melt with You,...
Beginning with the festival's premieres, Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt) is bringing Cedar Rapids to Park City where it will debut before it hits theaters only a couple weeks later on February 11. "Big Love" co-producers, Jill and Karen Sprecher are bringing an impressive cast for their crime drama The Convincer. Jacob Aaron Estes's The Details, which was shot only a few miles from my house in the Queen Anne district of Seattle, arrives with Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney and Tobey Maguire in tow.
Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies) will debut I Melt with You,...
- 12/2/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Wednesday, the 2011 Sundance Film Festival announced the 58 films in four categories [1] that would be eligible for awards. Today, they've announced the next slice of their line up - 57 out of competition films in the Premieres, Next, Spotlight, New Frontiers and Midnight categories. This is generally where you get many of the bigger name projects and this year is no exception. We already knew [2] that Kevin Smith's Red State would be on the list, but there's also Tom McCarthy's new film Win Win, Morgan Spurlock's documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, the highly buzzed-about Submarine, Fantastic Fest darling I Saw the Devil as well as Hobo With a Shotgun and a whole bunch more including films with Al Pacino, Tobey Maguire, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore, Paul Rudd and others. As we said yesterday, the announcement of the movies playing the 2011 Sundance Film Festival is like looking into our film futures.
- 12/2/2010
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Yesterday we revealed the in-competition line-up for this years Sundance Film Festival. Today the programmers have announced the second wave, the out-of-competition line-up. It includes six categories and you can check them all out below. We already knew Kevin Smith‘s Red State would be screening, as he announced on his podcast last night. The rest of this out-of-competition line-up is pretty unbelievable.
We get Cedar Rapids (from Youth In Revolt‘s Miguel Arteta), Mark Pellington‘s I Melt With You, My Idiot Brother starring Paul Rudd, Tom McCarthy‘s Win Win, as well as Dito Montiel‘s third feature The Son of No One. We also have new documentaries by Morgan Spurlock and Eugene Jarecki. Some of my favorite Tiff films are also making an appearance, including Submarine (pictured above) and Meek’s Cutoff. Check it out below.
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance...
We get Cedar Rapids (from Youth In Revolt‘s Miguel Arteta), Mark Pellington‘s I Melt With You, My Idiot Brother starring Paul Rudd, Tom McCarthy‘s Win Win, as well as Dito Montiel‘s third feature The Son of No One. We also have new documentaries by Morgan Spurlock and Eugene Jarecki. Some of my favorite Tiff films are also making an appearance, including Submarine (pictured above) and Meek’s Cutoff. Check it out below.
Premieres
To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance...
- 12/2/2010
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Sundance Institute announced its full non-competition slate for both narrative and documentary films for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival today. The entire field is listed below. Premieres Cedar Rapids / U.S.A. (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) - A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver. The Convincer / U.S.A. (Director: Jill Sprecher; Screenwriters: Jill Sprecher & Karen Sprecher) - An insurance salesman, caught in a caper involving a rare...
- 12/2/2010
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Michelle Arthur, Bob Balaban, David Harbour and Lea Thompson have joined the cast of the independent crime drama "The Convincer." The cast also includes Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup.Jill Sprecher is directing from a script that she wrote with her sister Karen Sprecher. Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing."The Convincer" follows a down-on-his-luck insurance salesman in the Midwest whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to tragic consequences. According to Variety, the film is currently shooting in Minneapolis and St. Paul.Balaban can be seen in the upcoming "Howl." Harbour recently appeared in "State of Play" and "Revolutionary Road." Arthur was in the Starz sitcom "Head Case." Thompson last appeared in...
- 2/24/2010
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Michelle Arthur, Bob Balaban, David Harbour and Lea Thompson have joined the cast of "The Convincer," now in production from Werc Werk Works.
Written by Jill and Karen Sprecher and directed by Jill Sprecher, the crime drama, shooting on locations around Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., stars Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup in the tale of a desperate insurance salesman scheming to get possession of a rare violin.
Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing.
Arthur most recently appeared in and wrote for the Starz sitcom "Head Case." Balaban's credits include "Howl," also produced by Werc, as well as "Gosford Park" and "Waiting for Guffman." Harbour recently appeared in "State of Play" and "Revolutionary Road." Thompson is best known for the sitcom "Caroline in the City" and the "Back to the Future" trilogy.
Written by Jill and Karen Sprecher and directed by Jill Sprecher, the crime drama, shooting on locations around Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., stars Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup in the tale of a desperate insurance salesman scheming to get possession of a rare violin.
Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing.
Arthur most recently appeared in and wrote for the Starz sitcom "Head Case." Balaban's credits include "Howl," also produced by Werc, as well as "Gosford Park" and "Waiting for Guffman." Harbour recently appeared in "State of Play" and "Revolutionary Road." Thompson is best known for the sitcom "Caroline in the City" and the "Back to the Future" trilogy.
- 2/22/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Scripted by the "Coen-sisters", Jill and Karen Sprecher (sister and creative partner), The Convincer will feature a trio of vet indie actors in Billy Crudup, Greg Kinnear and Alan Arkin (who was also featured in Sprecher's 13 Convos...) in a story about a desperate insurance salesman who devises a plot to obtain a rare violin. - 13 Conversations About One Thing has the distinction of being a rare "Matthew McConaughey film" that I've actually cared about (Lone Star and Dazed and Confused are the other two), but Jill Sprecher's sophomore film also happens to have been a Top 20 film of mine back in 2002. The pic received a long theatrical run from the Spc folks, was shown at Venice, Tiff and Sundance, but apart from producing about a dozen shows of Big Love, the film didn't culminate into full fledged filmmaking career for Sprecher. That inactivity is officially finished with as of now.
- 2/4/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Not a great title. We'll start there. Jill and Karen Sprecher, whose previous writing credits consist of Thirteen Conversations About One Thing and Clockwatchers, have co-written the script for The Convincer, which Jill Sprecher will direct. The film, according to Variety, "follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences."
It's either going to be one of those grim indie pictures, or one of those quirky indie pictures. I don't see it going any other way, although I am basing my assumption on a single sentence. That said, there is one thing (well, three things I suppose) that makes me a lot more intrigued -- the cast. Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, and Billy Crudup are set to star, and that is a hell of a lineup right there. It's great to see all of them, actually. Kinnear is always great,...
It's either going to be one of those grim indie pictures, or one of those quirky indie pictures. I don't see it going any other way, although I am basing my assumption on a single sentence. That said, there is one thing (well, three things I suppose) that makes me a lot more intrigued -- the cast. Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, and Billy Crudup are set to star, and that is a hell of a lineup right there. It's great to see all of them, actually. Kinnear is always great,...
- 2/3/2010
- by TK
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup will star in the indie crime drama "The Convincer."According to Variety, shooting begins Feb. 8 in Minneapolis.Jill Sprecher will be directing from a script she co-wrote with her sister Karen Sprecher. Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing for Werc Werk Works.The story follows a down-on-his-luck insurance salesman whose scheme to steal a rare violin unravels.Sprecher's directing credits include 1997.s "Clockwatchers" and 2001.s "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing," which were both co-written by Karen Sprecher. "Clockwatchers" starred Toni Collette, Parker Posey and Lisa Kudrow while "Conversations" starred Matthew McConaughey, Alan Arkin and John Turturro.
- 2/2/2010
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Orlando Bloom will star in the indie drama The Good Doctor, starring opposite Michael Pena, Troy Garity, Courtney Ford, Taraji P. Henson, Rob Morrow and J.K. Simmons, who are all in negotiations to co-star. Pena will play an orderly who discovers the doctor’s budding relationship and blackmails him for prescription painkillers. Garity is a successful, self-assured doctor, a counterpoint to Bloom. Ford is a woman who has eyes for Bloom’s character.
From a script byJohn Enbom is described as a Hitchcockian thriller, and centers on a frustrated doctor looking to impress his superiors and colleagues. When his 18-year-old patient, admitted for a kidney infection, provides him with the esteem he so craves, the doctor tampers with her treatment so that she’ll have to stay at the hospital with him.
THR is also reporting that Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup have...
From a script byJohn Enbom is described as a Hitchcockian thriller, and centers on a frustrated doctor looking to impress his superiors and colleagues. When his 18-year-old patient, admitted for a kidney infection, provides him with the esteem he so craves, the doctor tampers with her treatment so that she’ll have to stay at the hospital with him.
THR is also reporting that Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup have...
- 2/2/2010
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
If you can think of one thing that Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup and Greg Kinnear have in common-- and I'm having trouble thinking of much-- it's that they're all actors who don't really show where you expect them. No one would watch Crudup in something like Stage Beauty and assumed he'd wind up as the giant blue Dr. Manhattan, or assume that Arkin's first Oscar after a 40-odd year career would be as a drug-huffing grandpa. They keep you on your toes, and I like that. So what will happen when all three share the screen in the indie production The Convincer? Something wild and maybe great, I'm guessing. Variety writes that the three have signed on to the film directed by Jill Sprecher from a script she co-wrote with Karen Sprecher, about an insurance salesman's scheme to steal a rare violin. Producers Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf were behind...
- 2/2/2010
- cinemablend.com
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup are teaming for the indie crime drama "The Convincer" reports Variety.
The story follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences.
Jill Sprecher directs from a script she and Karen Sprecher co-wrote. Mary Frances Budig, Elizabeth Redleaf and Christine Walker are producing.
Shooting kicks off February 8th in the Minneapolis area.
The story follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences.
Jill Sprecher directs from a script she and Karen Sprecher co-wrote. Mary Frances Budig, Elizabeth Redleaf and Christine Walker are producing.
Shooting kicks off February 8th in the Minneapolis area.
- 2/2/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Though I have no idea on what The Convincer is about, the indie crime drama has already captured my attention by casting Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup.
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup for The Convincer
Directed by Jill Sprecher off a script she co-wrote with Karen Sprecher, The Convincer follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences. Jill Sprecher's helming credits include Clockwatchers and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, which were both co-written by Karen Sprecher.
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup for The Convincer
Directed by Jill Sprecher off a script she co-wrote with Karen Sprecher, The Convincer follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences. Jill Sprecher's helming credits include Clockwatchers and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, which were both co-written by Karen Sprecher.
- 2/2/2010
- www.canmag.com
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup are set to star in the independent crime drama "The Convincer." Jill Sprecher helms from a screenplay she co-wrote alongside Karen Sprecher. Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf of Werc Werk Works produce. An indie crime drama which follows a desperate insurance salesman. He hatches a plan to get a hold of a rare violin which leads to unforeseen circumstances. More at Variety. Jill Sprecher's other credits include "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing" and "Clockwatchers." Walker and Redleaf produce Sundance player "Howl" starring James Franco.
- 2/2/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup have all signed up for the indie crime drama The Convincer.The script, co-written by Jill and Karen Sprecher, sees a desperate insurance salesman plotting to end his troubles by getting hold of a rare violin. But his plan leads to some difficult consequences.Jill Sprecher, who co-wrote and directed Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, is gearing up to direct the film in Minneapolis next week.
- 2/2/2010
- EmpireOnline
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup have signed to crime drama "The Convincer," written by Jill Sprecher and Karen Sprecher; Jill Sprecher directs.
The production, about a desperate insurance salesman who gets his hands on a rare violin, beings filming Monday around the Twin Cities, Minn.
Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing for the indie production and finance company Werc Werk Works.
Jill Sprecher's credits include "Clockwatchers" and "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing," which were both co-written with Karen Sprecher.
The production, about a desperate insurance salesman who gets his hands on a rare violin, beings filming Monday around the Twin Cities, Minn.
Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing for the indie production and finance company Werc Werk Works.
Jill Sprecher's credits include "Clockwatchers" and "Thirteen Conversations About One Thing," which were both co-written with Karen Sprecher.
- 2/1/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup will star in independent crime drama The Convincer , reports Variety . Jill Sprecher will direct from a script she co-wrote with Karen Sprecher. Mary Frances Budig, Christine Walker and Elizabeth Redleaf are producing. The film follows a desperate insurance salesman whose scheme to get a hold of a rare violin leads to unforeseen consequences. The Convincer begins shooting Feb. 8 in the Minneapolis area.
- 2/1/2010
- Comingsoon.net
PARK CITY, Utah -- A dramatic competition entrant here at the Sundance Film Festival, "Clockwatchers" is a sprightly glimpse into the pink-collar world of temporary office workers. Cheeky and puckishly anti-establishment, the film is a spry delight that, unfortunately, veers into a one-note down spiral into the plight of corporate office workers who are at the beck and call of cost-conscious, downsizing and, uncaring management. In essence, the film seems to have a split personality.
Focusing on four temps at the multinational Global Credit Assn., screenwriters Jill and Karen Sprecher team up to hurl some lethal anti-corporate salvos at big-business America. In their often satirical send-up, we see the giant corporation is more concerned with form than content as management seems obsessed with such things as how many pencils the temp workers have checked out.
The thrust of this viewpoint is told through the saucy temperament of Margaret Parker Posey), who takes keen delight in tweaking the officious noses of her petty bosses. Other than Margaret, however, the other girls are pretty much like those subservient girls in elementary school who kept their heads down and their pencils sharpened, including Iris (Toni Collette), Paula (Lisa Kudrow) and Jane (Alanna Ubach). They all desperately need their jobs and sometime aspire to be a "permanent" employee with the company or a similar entity.
While the first half of the film crackles with some sassy, headstrong fun as the girls conspire to go out on strike, it soon shifts into a somewhat shriller side as the story harps on the plight of such anonymous workers. Scenes are sometimes repetitive in visualizing the plight of the workers and, most unfortunately, the film loses its kicky spirit. For the most part, however, director Jill Sprecher keeps things moving along at a chipper pace, infusing the film with plenty of offbeat personality.
The players are consistently strong, with Posey being the most entertaining as the "bad girl" of the group. Posey's class-clown putdowns and naughty ruses are hilarious. As Iris, the young woman who is shackled by self-doubt, Collette is both touching and convincing. Similarly, Kudrow shows the vulnerable side of her aspiring actress character, while Ubach shows the torment of a young woman who lives vicariously through her boyfriend, counting on marriage as her ticket out of her monotonous life.
Technical contributions are intelligent and generally well-executed, particularly Pamela Marcotte's hilarious production design that totally trashes the corporate world.
CLOCKWATCHERS
Goldcrest Films International presents
A Gina Resnick production
Producer:Gina Resnick
Director:Jill Sprecher
Screenwriters:Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Co-executive producers:John Quested, Guy Collins
Director of photography:Jim Denault
Editor:Stephen Mirrione
Production designer:Pamela Marcotte
Costume designer:Edi Giguere
Co-producer:Karen Sprecher
Line producer:W. Mark McNair
Casting:Jeanne McCarthy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Iris:Toni Collette
Margaret:Parker Posey
Paula:Lisa Kudrow
Jane:Alanna Ubach
Cleo:Helen Fitzgerald
Eddie:Jamie Kennedy
MacNamee:David James Elliott
Running time -- 105 minutes...
Focusing on four temps at the multinational Global Credit Assn., screenwriters Jill and Karen Sprecher team up to hurl some lethal anti-corporate salvos at big-business America. In their often satirical send-up, we see the giant corporation is more concerned with form than content as management seems obsessed with such things as how many pencils the temp workers have checked out.
The thrust of this viewpoint is told through the saucy temperament of Margaret Parker Posey), who takes keen delight in tweaking the officious noses of her petty bosses. Other than Margaret, however, the other girls are pretty much like those subservient girls in elementary school who kept their heads down and their pencils sharpened, including Iris (Toni Collette), Paula (Lisa Kudrow) and Jane (Alanna Ubach). They all desperately need their jobs and sometime aspire to be a "permanent" employee with the company or a similar entity.
While the first half of the film crackles with some sassy, headstrong fun as the girls conspire to go out on strike, it soon shifts into a somewhat shriller side as the story harps on the plight of such anonymous workers. Scenes are sometimes repetitive in visualizing the plight of the workers and, most unfortunately, the film loses its kicky spirit. For the most part, however, director Jill Sprecher keeps things moving along at a chipper pace, infusing the film with plenty of offbeat personality.
The players are consistently strong, with Posey being the most entertaining as the "bad girl" of the group. Posey's class-clown putdowns and naughty ruses are hilarious. As Iris, the young woman who is shackled by self-doubt, Collette is both touching and convincing. Similarly, Kudrow shows the vulnerable side of her aspiring actress character, while Ubach shows the torment of a young woman who lives vicariously through her boyfriend, counting on marriage as her ticket out of her monotonous life.
Technical contributions are intelligent and generally well-executed, particularly Pamela Marcotte's hilarious production design that totally trashes the corporate world.
CLOCKWATCHERS
Goldcrest Films International presents
A Gina Resnick production
Producer:Gina Resnick
Director:Jill Sprecher
Screenwriters:Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Co-executive producers:John Quested, Guy Collins
Director of photography:Jim Denault
Editor:Stephen Mirrione
Production designer:Pamela Marcotte
Costume designer:Edi Giguere
Co-producer:Karen Sprecher
Line producer:W. Mark McNair
Casting:Jeanne McCarthy
Color/stereo
Cast:
Iris:Toni Collette
Margaret:Parker Posey
Paula:Lisa Kudrow
Jane:Alanna Ubach
Cleo:Helen Fitzgerald
Eddie:Jamie Kennedy
MacNamee:David James Elliott
Running time -- 105 minutes...
- 1/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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