DePalma's "Redacted" summarized

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Update: A Magnolia Pictures staffer told me yesterday there was a long-jead journo screening in Manhattan two days ago for Brian De Palma's Redacted. That was wrong, I've now been told -- the screening was "for some festival committees." I asked to speak directly to Magnolia Pictures chief Eammon Bowles about this but he never returned the call, so I accepted the word of an underling.

Redacted only wrapped about three months ago, but it will play in Toronto in September and open in the fall. A DePalma fan site has quoted a "source" who saw the HD-shot film, and the short verdict is that this "Rashomon-style series of video diaries based on a single incident between American soldiers and Iraqi citizenry" is "very good."

The video diaries come from several sources, including an American soldier, an Iraqi, and a terrorist website, among others." The source adds that the film is "intense" and "very affecting," and that "it feels like the work of a young man."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 2, 2007 at 4:54 PM

comment #1

dre says ...

Thank God. Black Dahlia made me start questioning whether or not he lost it altogether.

Posted by dre at August 2, 2007 5:14 PM

comment #2

AJW says ...

Does it star Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan?

Posted by AJW at August 2, 2007 5:38 PM

comment #3

MilkMan says ...

Black Dahlia was a waste of time. I mean, I even liked Femme Fatale, but Black Dahlia was a old turd, and I suspect most of it had to do with the casting. I don't know who is starring in Redacted but I hope to God they are unknowns. Please tell me no Hartnett or Jeremy Davies or Bobby Canavale or Shane West. Please.

Posted by MilkMan at August 2, 2007 6:19 PM

comment #4

T. Holly says ...

Was this one on Wells list of Iraq movies?

Why wouldn't it be HD? It's Magnolia. Do you really need to say it's from Magnolia and it's HD, anymore? Will it be released day and date? So many questions.

Posted by T. Holly at August 2, 2007 6:38 PM

comment #5

BurmaShave says ...

BLACK DAHLIA was half of a good movie. If it the whole thing had the courage of its convictions, and played on the David Lynch level of insanity seen in the last 20 minutes, it would have been a hell of a lot more enjoyable. Swank and Fiona Shaw certainly knew what they were doing. Hartnett and Johanssen were laboring under the misaprehension that they were in THE BIG EASY 2 or something. But it was certainly watchable, and looked amazing. Mia Kirschner especially was mesmerizing.

As for that REDACTED image, I was not aware we were still using WW2 era modified Thompson machine guns in Iraq. I can only hope he takes matter as seriously as CASUALTIES OF WAR, I'd hate for him to trivialize just to be stylish. Nothing in his career makes me think he is right for this material though, and this is coming from a man who thinks CARLITO'S WAY is a masterpiece, so I'm no detractor. We'll see.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 2, 2007 7:26 PM

comment #6

Josh Massey says ...

Boy, I hope it's as good as Basic!

Posted by Josh Massey at August 2, 2007 7:28 PM

comment #7

BurmaShave says ...

P.S. I understand that late period Coppola has a lot to answer for (JACK, etc.), but I think it's interesting that the attitude about REDACTED is very wait and see and hopeful ("the work of a young man"), while the attitude about YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, which has been described in much the same way, is so downbeat and "How can it possible be good?". Especially considering that DePalma is actively working and has been so inconsistent.

Posted by BurmaShave at August 2, 2007 7:32 PM

comment #8

Titus Pullo says ...

The name DePalma, like Ben Stiller recently, was moved to the 'Must Avoid' list a long, long time ago, the 5 minutes of 'Femme Fatale' I've seen a thousand times notwithstanding. However, it does sound like he's forced himself out of the comfort zone, and the premise is interesting. Maybe he could give Matt Sanchez a camera and see if he can film anything, er, interesting, heh, heh.

Posted by Titus Pullo at August 2, 2007 7:59 PM

comment #9