Trailer for 'Nightcrawler'. Wow. Love this. Really -- fantastic looking.

'Enemy' Spanish Poster

Nice job.

"Not Just Another Action Movie"

At :40 in the interview below Arnold Schwarzenegger confirms what has been pretty clear in clips and trailers for 'Sabotage' -- David Ayer wanted to make more than just another action movie, another collection of hackneyed and expected beats. Schwarzenegger also mentions how Ayer 'drills down' in every scene, asking actors to find more nuance in their characters.

Can't argue with any of that. Ayer is becoming a director to watch. 'Action' doesn't seem broad enough to describe the genre Ayer works in, and 'character-driven' is way too soft, doesn't work either. Ayer delivers tightly shot and edited action sequences yet peels back the veneer to expose layers of character, driving motivations, and emotional complexity in just about every shot, and does it without missing a beat, while still keeping the audience on edge -- quite the hat-trick.

'End of Watch' had much the same feel as the footage I've seen from 'Sabotage' but, of course, that movie had Michael Peña and Jake Gyllenhaal in the leads so nobody was expecting a superficial action movie. With Arnold's involvement, bloggers have largely dismissed 'Sabotage' as a B-actioner and ignored the fact Ayer is directing -- a fairly thoughtless knee-jerk reaction.

'Sabotage' is almost certainly a cut above. That Schwarzenegger is in the movie, in this case, with this director, doesn't mean what it might have in years past. 'Sabotage' may deliver some of the most brutal action sequences, yes, but it might also be one of the deepest character studies, albeit with unavoidable restrictions inherent to the genre, to come along in a while.

So Creepy

One of those movies you feel like can't deliver on the level the trailer promises. However, this is from Denis Villeneuve who directed the excellent 'Prisoners' (also with Jake Gyllenhaal), so I'm thinking 'Enemy' will go nicely with popcorn.

Great Poster And Clip/Trailer For 'Enemy'

After what I've seen of 'Prisoners' (directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Jake Gyllenhaal) I'm down for anything done by these two.

Here's a bit of footage. Love the soundtrack. That clarinet is spooky, forlorn. Man, I'd love to watch this on a cold, rainy winter night. Just right.

Director Denis Villeneuve On 'Prisoners'

Okay, lemme just say 'Prisoners' is looking better all the time. I thought it was just product, simply a popcorn flick, albeit a well crafted one. Now, though, I'm thinking this could be one of the special movies of the year and can't wait to see it.

In the clip below Villeneuve talks us through a beautiful scene. I love the tonality -- cold, blue. Cinematography by Roger Deakins is, as you'd expect, lush and easy to watch, however it's the editing that really shines, makes this particular scene come alive.

Editors Joel Cox and Gary Roach often work together. They've spliced Clint Eastwood's 'Invictus' and 'Changeling' among others. Joel cut 'Unforgiven', 'Sudden Impact', 'The Gauntlet', and 'The Enforcer'.

HUGE SPOILER AHEAD

The story (script is by Aaron Guzikowski who did 'Contraband') resonates. There's so much energy. Really, watching trailers can put me on edge, but this clip puts you in the car, in the rain, and makes you wonder just what the hell Jackman's character is up to.

Don't watch if you don't want to know more. The spoiler is pretty heavy duty. How bad is it? We get a clue from A.O. Scott's review:

But if “Prisoners,” written by Aaron Guzikowski, upholds some of the conventions of the angry-dad revenge drama, it also subverts them in surprising, at times devastating ways. The easy catharsis of righteous payback is complicated at every turn, and pain and uncertainty spread like spilled oil on an asphalt road. 

Yeah, 'subverts' may be a weak choice of words as you'll see if you (choose to) watch the video. What I'm thinking is this story throws such a curve at the audience, goes in such an unexpected direction, digs so deep into character, into the human psyche, 'Prisoners' may end up being considered one of the best psychological thrillers of the year.

Reviews are very good and all have the same sly tone, like there's something sinewy and dark afoot. Movies like this don't come along often. Like I said, can't wait.