1
People & Places ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 20 NEWS/FEATURES This photo provided by Universal Pictures shows, Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers, in the film ‘Everest’. (AP) French singer Charles Aznavour, 91, performs on stage at the Palais des Sports in Paris on Sept 15, in Paris. (AFP) Stewart Carey Variety LOS ANGELES: Jon Stewart, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, Ray Romano, Bruce Springsteen and trumpeter Chris Botthi are among the performers set to attend the ninth annual Stand Up for Heroes event organized by the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the organization announced Tuesday. The benefit will be held Nov 10 at New York’s Madison Square Garden to honor the nation’s injured veterans, service members and their families. Surprise per- formers are also expected to appear at this year’s annual event, which in past editions has seen big-name comedians including Louis CK and Jerry Seinfeld perform. “Despite their wounds, veterans are returning home looking for their next challenge, to make a true difference in their communities — sometimes, they just need a helping hand — and events like Stand Up for Heroes help us do that,” said Bob Woodruff. The event is presented by BWF and the New York Comedy Festival in conjunc- tion with Veterans on Wall Street. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ LOS ANGELES: Alan Elliott, producer of the documentary “Amazing Grace,” has agreed not to hold screenings of the film or show footage of a 1972 Aretha Franklin concert for 30 days, after the singer sued after he showed the movie to prospective buyers at the Toronto Film Festival. The agreement was filed in US District Court in Denver on Tuesday, where Franklin filed an amended complaint over the weekend. The latest agreement, according to a court filing, is a prelude to efforts to settle the dispute. The documentary is based on footage of a 1972 Franklin concert shot by Sydney Pollack, as part of an uncompleted proj- ect. “Promptly entering this Stipulated Order will avoid the need for a contested temporary restraining order hearing on short notice, and will preserve the status quo for at least thirty days, allowing the Parties to begin good faith negotiations to resolve this dispute while eliminating the uncertainty and distrust that currently per- meates the situation,” Franklin’s attorney, Reid Neureiter, wrote in a court filing. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ COPENHAGEN: Award-winning singer, actor and heartthrob Justin Timberlake will star in “Trolls”, a DreamWorks ani- mated musical about the spiky-haired This image released on Sept 16, shows Global Rockstar United Artists: (from left) Murray Yates (Canada), Katie Thompson (New Zealand), Christian Rabb (Sweden), A Yeon (South Korea), Jhanniel (Argentina), and Syssi Mananga (Congo). ‘Music knows no borders’: is the motto of the song ‘To the Moon’, co- written by the six artists from six continents, and released on Wednesday to mark the relaunch of the music platform globalrockstar.com. (AP) Danish dolls, the studio said on Tuesday. Timberlake will play Branch, a “hilari- ously hardcore survivalist”, joining Anna Kendrick as Princess Poppy in the first movie adaptation starring the Danish toys, which have already played cameos roles in Pixar’s Toy Story movies. The blank-gazed dolls with colourful spiky hairdos were inspired by Scandinavian troll folklore. They were first crafted in 1959 by Danish woodcutter Thomas Dam, too poor to afford a Christmas present for his daughter, and grew in popularity in the sixties. The movie will be directed by Mike Mitchell, who is well qualified by virtue of his experience on DreamWorks’ other troll franchise, Shrek. It will be released on Nov 4, 2016 by 20th Century Fox. (RTRS) ❑ ❑ ❑ CINCINNATI: A Cincinnati film com- mission has announced that singer and actress Mariah Carey will be filming a Christmas movie in the region. WCPO-TV reports the Greater Cincinnati Film Commission said Tuesday the singer and actress is set to star in “Melody & Mistletoe” in Cincinnati start- ing in October. The made-for-TV movie will air on the Hallmark Channel Dec 19. Carey also will be directing the movie with an executive producer. The commission last week announced that an action film starring Bruce Willis is slated to begin filming in Cincinnati at the end of September. Kristen Schlotman, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Film Commission, says they are “ecstatic” to have another movie filmed in the city. (AP) Awe-inspiring movie lacks emotion ‘Everest’ harrowing spectacle By Lindsey Bahr ‘E verest’ is not an easy movie to watch. No entertainment that contains such tragedy should be. The truly breathtaking spectacle and technical achievements can make you feel like you too are on a vertical slope at 29,000 feet. But this awe-inspiring movie is also one that’s laced with dread, little triumph and even less per- spective as you wait, with a knotted stomach, for the disasters to manifest. “Everest” recounts the events of, and leading up to, May 10, 1996, when a series of controversial deci- sions and a heap of bad luck led to the deaths of 8 climbers — then the dead- liest day in Everest history. It is not, however, based on the most famous account, journalist Jon Krakauer’s book “Into Thin Air.” It’s an amalgamation of stories, reports and never-before-heard tapes from the day, focused mostly though on Adventure Consultants lead Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), and Texan climber Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin). Krakauer is a character in “Everest,” (“House of Cards’” Michael Kelly), but a peripheral, underdeveloped one. His presence as a journalist covering the expedition frames the growing tension between customer service and safety inherent in the commercialization of adventure. The script also uses him as a “why climb” observer. He can bluntly ask what the audience is thinking, and he does at one point. The scene goes nowhere, though. The other characters crack wise or choose silence, as though the desire to climb Everest is so unex- plainable. “Because it’s there,” they say. Euphoria So when a handful of climbers do make it to the peak, it’s harder to feel their euphoria. All we can see is loom- ing death. That’s part of the problem of “Everest.” All the elements are there, but the emotions never land — even with the inclusion of previously pri- vate conversation between Rob Hall and his pregnant wife Jan (Keira Knightley) as his plight atop the mountain becomes direr. The large ensemble cast is packed with recognizable faces — Clarke, Brolin, John Hawkes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Watson, Knightley, Sam Worthington, and on and on. It can be distracting, but perhaps it is the only way to truly orient an audience with who’s who. There’s not a lot of time to get to know the individuals before their faces are obscured with ski masks and goggles and they’re reduced to, and dependent on, our ability to recall the color of their snowsuits. Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur (“2 Guns”) wrangles the story, charac- ters, and beastly natural setting as best as he can. The film trots along briskly and hits beats with sitcom precision as we go from sea level to base camp to the ultimate ascent. There is some levity too, thanks to Gyllenhaal’s earthy expe- dition leader Scott Fischer, but mostly blunt foreboding. The scenes on the mountain are truly outstanding, and the 3-D is atmospheric, not gimmicky. You can almost feel the ice thrashing against the characters’ faces as the remarkable storm hits. A brief, thrilling scene with a helicopter is worth the price of admission alone. The grandiosity of the mountain, though, is juxtaposed with Kormakur’s odd choice to shoot many of the charac- ter scenes in extreme close-up. Unless you’re in the ideal center in an IMAX theater, the effect can be claustrophobic, and it does not make the emoting more effective. Instead, it detracts from the performances. Fictionalized accounts of real tragedy are not impenetrable. James Cameron made us feel for a ship full of characters we’d never met. “Everest” can’t break that seal, and it’s a handicap. Maybe there’s too much reverence. Maybe the story and the truth are supposed to be enough and anything else would have seemed exploitative. With 19 years of perspec- tive and the technical ability to visual- ly tell the story that we’ve all heard so many times at this point, though, it should have been more. “Everest” is a good movie, but it could have been a great one. There’s no doubt that “Everest,” based on a true story, is a bleak, har- rowing experience, but something gets lost in translation. While watching the film, it becomes clear that it’s very much an amalgam of source material rather than one, through narrative. “Everest” is so overstuffed with characters that at times it’s impossible to tell who is who. It doesn’t help that everyone on screen looks the same (so many beards), and they’re all covered head-to-toe in climbing gear, which makes it all the more confusing. There’s simply not enough time in a 2 hour film to explore the back stories and get to know all of these people. This makes it hard for the audience to become completely invested, which is disappointing considering this story is so ripe for it. It’s bizarre to see the filmmakers pick-and-choose which characters they deem worthy of caring about, and the writers may have been better off consolidating multiple real-life figures into one fictionalized person instead of several. Stunning Visually, the film is quite stunning. It was shot in the mountains of Italy as well as the actual base of Everest in Nepal, and the sly use of CG com- bined with the location shooting gives the mountain a seriously imposing presence. Anytime the camera pans down during an intense traverse, it’s hard to not feel the sheer terror deep in your bones. The performances are also quite good, with Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin getting the meatier roles and really delivering. Besides one female climber, the women on screen (includ- ing A-listers Keira Knightley and Robin Wright) are relegated to waiting by the phone for bad news. These sequences are quite manipulative, but will certainly have plenty of moviego- ers reaching for some Kleenex, which is their intention. “Everest,” a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “intense peril and disturbing images.” Running time: 121 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. Music Big Sean earns 10 noms Drake tops nominees again for BET Awards ATLANTA, Sept 16, (AP): Drake does it again. For the second straight year, the Canadian rapper tops nominees for the BET Hip- Hop Awards. In a statement to The Associated Press, BET said Tuesday that Drake received 12 nominations for the 10th annual awards show. It airs Oct 13. Drake’s chart-topping “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” became the first platinum-selling album this year. He had 14 songs simultaneously placed on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, tying a record set by The Beatles in 1964. Rap veteran Snoop Dogg returns for the third straight year as host of the show, which will be taped Oct 9 at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Big Sean earned 10 nominations and Nicki Minaj scored nine nods. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole each got eight nominations. Nominees ■ Best Hip Hop Video: Big Sean featuring Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $Ign – “Play No Games” Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings” Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself” ■ Best Collabo, Duo or Group: Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings” Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu” Fetty Wap featuring Monty – “My Way” Nicki Minaj featuring Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself” Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter” ■ Best Live Performer: Drake; J. Cole; Kanye West; Kendrick Lamar; Nicki Minaj ■ Lyricist of the Year: Big Sean; Drake; J. Cole; Kendrick Lamar; Nicki Minaj ■ Video Director of the Year: Alan Ferguson; Benny Boom; Chris Robinson/Lil Chris; Colin Tilley; Director X ■ DJ of the Year: DJ Drama; DJ Envy; DJ Esco; DJ Khaled; DJ Mustard ■ Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard; J. Cole; Kanye West; Mike Will Made-It; Pharrell Williams; Timbaland ■ MVP of the Year: Big Sean; Drake; Future; J. Cole; Kendrick Lamar; Nicki Minaj ■ Track Of The Year: “Alright” – Produced By Pharrell Williams & Sounwave (Kendrick Lamar) “Blessings” – Produced By Boi- 1da & Vinylz (Big Sean FEATUR- ING Drake & Kanye West) “Commas” – Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside (Future) “Idfwu” – Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane (Big Sean FEATURING E- 40) “Trap Queen” – Produced By Tony Fadd (Fetty Wap) ■ Album Of The Year: Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly Nicki Minaj – The Pinkprint Wale – The Album About Nothing ■ Who Blew Up Award: Bobby Shmurda; Dej Loaf; Fetty Wap; Rae Sremmurd; Tink ■ Hustler Of The Year: Dr. Dre; Drake; J. Cole; Jay Z; Nicki Minaj ■ Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip Hop Style): A$Ap Rocky; Dej Loaf; Drake; Kanye West; Nicki Minaj ■ Best Hip Hop Online Site: Allhiphop.Com; Complex.Com; Hotnewhiphop.Com; Rapradar.Com; Worldstarhiphop.Com ■ Best Club Banger: Big Sean featuring E-40 – “Idfwu” (Produced By Dj Dahi, Dj Mustard, Kanye West & Key Wane) Dej Loaf – “Try Me” (Produced By Dds) Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” (Produced By Tony Fadd) Future – “Commas” (Produced By Dj Spinz & Southside) Rich Homie Quan – “Flex” (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh) (Produced By Dj Spinz & Nitti Beatz) ■ Best Mixtape: Future – 56 Nights; Future – Beast Mode; Future – Monster; Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 The Wait 2; Travis Scott – Days Before Rodeo ■ Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse: Drake – “Blessings” (Big Sean Featuring Drake & Kanye West) Drake – “My Way Remix” (Fetty Wap Featuring Drake) E-40 – “Idfwu” (Big Sean Featuring E-40) Kendrick Lamar – “Classic Man Remix” (Jidenna featuring Kendrick Lamar) Lil Wayne – “Truffle Butter” (Nicki Minaj featuring Drake & Lil Wayne) ■ Impact Track: Big Sean featuring Kanye West & John Legend – “One Man Can Change The World” Common & John Legend – “Glory” (From The Motion Picture “Selma”) J. Cole – “Apparently” J. Cole – “Be Free” Kendrick Lamar – “Alright” ■ People’s Champ Award: Big Sean featuring Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings” Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen” Future – “Commas” Kendrick Lamar – “I’’ Rae Sremmurd – “No Type” Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”
