Hollywood is a star factory, as we all know. This is because a big star name translates into box office success, see financial profit. Well, in most cases, yes, but that might not always be a rule. After all, often even a great actor who puts up a movie poster is no guarantee of his popularity. While this game has a lot of analysts and speculators, it’s definitely unpredictable which is why it feels so good.
The point is, movies starring Hollywood’s biggest stars can go unnoticed, with a large portion of the audience and even moviegoers not even hearing about their existence. Whether for small theaters, critical failure or an audience, which results in a direct video release in Brazil, sometimes even the prestige of the awards cannot be enough to save a work from total apathy. With that in mind, CinePOP continues its story on recent movies with big stars who have gone without seeing you, with part 2 of the review. Come and see, you won’t regret it.
Washington Washington | Roman J. Israel (2017)
And the Denzel Washington legend you don’t already know. Considered one of the best performers today, the true sacred monster has no less than 9 Oscar nominations on his program – with two wins decorating the filmography. Thus, one would think that his films have a captive place in theaters around the world. At least in Brazil, things aren’t exactly like that. The truth is that this Sony drama, despite earning the star her last Oscar nomination (so far), has gone blank in much of the world, including the United States, arriving directly on video in our country – leaving many unable to give a performance that competed for the maximum cinema prize. And one incorporated by a great actor. In the plot, Washington saw an idealistic lawyer winning the biggest opportunity of his career. Did you know the movie?
Enjoy watching:
Josh Brolin | Men of Courage (2017)
Speaking of films released directly on video in Brazil, produced by Sony, we have a similar case with this Men of Courage. It is a drama based on a true story about wildland firefighters, the men who risk their lives to put out the natural fires that still plague the United States. An edifying work, full of renowned actors and a renowned director. At the head of the cast, we have none other than Josh Brolin, nominated for an Oscar of milk (2008), and who will win the following year the maximum number of projectors with works like Deadpool 2, Avengers: Infinity War and Sicário : Soldier’s Day. Men of Courage is directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: The Legacy), and in the cast, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly, Taylor Kitsch and Andie MacDowell. A truly underrated film.
Chris Hemsworth | Pirate (2015)
Speaking of Marvel blockbusters, Chris Hemsworth is one of the mainstays of the MCU and the performer of the God of Thunder, Thor. A significant part of the Avengers movies, such overproductions made the charismatic blonde a real movie star. From there were born more serious works, interspersed with their absolute successes, see Rush (2013) and No Coração do Mar (2015). The same year, Hemsworth, who had already directed two Thor films, consolidates as a protagonist and comes across this universal thriller directed by the talented Michael Mann (Fogo Against Fogo e Collateral). Great maneuver. Well, almost, because nobody saw Hacker, and many didn’t even know he was out, even with a luxurious Oscar-level Viola Davis in the cast. As a result, Hacker launched direct-to-video in Brazil – marking Mann’s last work to date.
Chris Evans | A Bond of Love (2017)
Moving from one Marvel superhero to another, here we have another Chris, Chris Evans, Captain America himself, playing in this FOX drama which you guessed went a virgin and aired in video in Brazil. In the plot, Evans plays a young bachelor, forced to raise his niece – a girl prodigy played by charismatic child actress Mckenna Grace (The Curse of Hill Residence). In the cast, names like Octavia Spencer (Oscar winner for Cross Stories), Lindsay Duncan (Birdman) and Jenny Slate (Venom) stand out. But one of the biggest draws here is the direction of Marc Webb, who after 500 Days With Her (2009) looks back on films about complicated human relationships.
Eddie Murphy | M. Church (2016)
There’s been a lot of talk about comedy star Eddie Murphy’s comeback last year with the big Meu Nome é Dolemite (2019). A nomination for the comedian was pretty much required by everyone (those with eyes), but showing bias with comedians, or maybe Netflix overexposure at the awards, Murphy ended up coming out. The truth is he already has his nomination, published in 2007 by Dreamgirls. And before Dolemite rehearses a comeback with Mr. Church – a drama by Bruce Beresford (Directing Miss Daisy), which has also sparked discussions over the actor’s nominations. Unlike Dolemite and Dreamgirls, however, Mr. Church’s path was hampered by the fact that no one saw him and the film barely reached Brazil. In the film, Murphy plays a cook who serves as the bond between a family.
Robert De Niro | The comedian (2016)
Veteran Robert De Niro playing a comedian? No, it’s not a late sequel to Martin Scorsese’s cult king (1982) – although many classify it as a “spiritual” continuation, I’m sure. Like Mr. Church, The Comedian has flown so far off the radar that we don’t even know if the film landed here on video or if it’s still in cinematic limbo. What we do know is that Oscar winner De Niro’s performance was highly praised, which sparked discussions about possible new nominations. Directed by Taylor Hackford (Destiny and Ray), the film presents the actor as an aged comedian, losing his place in the world and in the region in which he acts. Leslie Mann plays his daughter and the cast also has names like Harvey Keitel and Danny DeVito.
Michael Fassbender | West Without Law (2015)
Fans may wonder what happened to Michael Fassbender. Once on top of the world, with a growing number of acclaimed film performances, even reaching two Oscar nominations, the actor suddenly found himself in a vestigial spiral descent, which spanned four years and his last seven consecutive works – all disappointments from critics or audiences, which fell short of expectations. It is high time to rethink career and project decisions. At a time when he was still “the guy”, Fassbender timidly released this western in which he played the brash villain, in another above average performance. Making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, this independent production ended up being broadcast on video in Brazil and has lived to become one of the most obscure films of the actor’s career.
McGregor | American Pastoral (2016)
Unlike the German colleague above, Scotsman Ewan McGregor has managed to stay on top of the game after work – even when his films don’t turn out to be overwhelming successes, McGregor is always a piece to salute in this gear. Last year, he played the adult version of Danny Torrence in the effective Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, and in early 2020 he faced Margot Robbie’s Harlequin in Birds of Prey as the villain. gay Black Mask. Other than that, he’s already been confirmed as Obi Wan once again, in an upcoming Star Wars series. Here, however, he ventures for the first time into directing a feature film, with the criminal drama Pastoral Americana, which he also plays. In the film, which is set in the 1960s, McGregor and Jennifer Connelly are a devout, conservative couple who face a family crisis when their daughter, Dakota Fanning, begins to become a revolutionary era political activist. Have you ever heard of this?
Matt Damon | Suburbicon – Welcome to Heaven (2017)
Continuing on the actor-director theme, here we have the latest work released by star George Clooney behind the camera (at least on the big screen). Unlike some of his projects, this time Clooney is not participating as an actor. Who plays is his colleague from Eleven Men and a Secret (and their sequels) and Syriana, Matt Damon. Kind of a reimagining of Billy Wilder’s classic Blood Pact (1944), here we have an ordinary guy (Damon) who hires murderers to take out his wife (Julianne Moore) – in order to pocket his life insurance and live with his. mistress, his twin sister (also Moore). The case attracts the attention of a fraud investigator (Oscar Isaac) at the same time as a racial pressure cooker explodes in the neighborhood. Unlike everything on the list so far, Suburbicon, which still has a lot of inspiration in the works of the Coen brothers, has come to be screened in Brazilian theaters, but in a flash, quickly ending up forgotten.
Liam Neeson | Mark Felt – The Man Who Tore Down the White House (2017)
Liam Neeson reinvented himself at the age of 60 as an action hero – and thus became known to a whole younger generation. But what they might not know is that the Irish star was Oscar nominated for Spielberg’s Schnidler List (1993) and praised works in dramas like Rob Roy (1995), Michael Collins (1996) and Kinsey. (2004) – always historically interpreting revolutionary and important men. His latest foray into a drama (away from the action) was in this film based on a true story, directed by Peter Landesman (A Man Among the Giants), about the FBI Deputy Director seen as the true identity of the informant. known as the “Deep Throat”, which helped topple President Richard Nixon’s government after its hoaxes in the 1970s. Like Suburbicon, Mark Felt has toured cinemas around the world, without the public knowing. time to notice its presence.
