Al Pacino And Leo DiCaprio Will Read Your Mind
Remember hairdo’d Malcom Gladwell’s pop philosophy bestseller Blink? It was all about the power of the mind or something, and now they’re making a bizarre-sounding movie out of it. Starring the increasingly bizarre Al Pacino.
The movie’s been on the table for some time now after Leonardo DiCaprio optioned it. Presumably he’s attached as a cocky young fella who can “read” people in a blink of an eye. We read the script a while back and it’s just… bad. Pacino will play DiCaprio’s papa, a scheming finance mucky-muck who tries to reach out to his estranged kid when he needs his particular brand of expertise to “read” judges so he can win a lawsuit. But this wunderkind is not so smart to know that the girl he’s fucking is 16.
Stephen Gaghan, he of Syriana and Traffic, got $US2 million to write the strange thing for Universal. But now it’s being produced as an indie and now with Pacino’s involvement, it just reeks of a Devil’s Advocate rehash. What with the menacing father wrangling his headstrong son to do wicked, magical things. In that earlier film Pacino was the devil. And these days, what with the economy and all, a Tri-State finance guy is basically the same thing. So basically the movie is based on the book in name only, a thin little launching pad to discuss issues of fathers and sons, abilities and responsibilities. With, you know, mind reading.
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Aren't there like several network television shows about this same exact thing? The Mentalist, that other one about some magical type guy who can read minds or some such, and Psych, the adorably campy show about seeing thread on a rug and solving a murder with lots of 80's references and white man/black man shtick? So why are we thinking this movie will fail? Is it because Pacino now looks all tough and wrinkly like a 5 hr old turkey sausage link from IHop? Or is it because of Dicaprio's unfailing ability to annoy just everyone by playing tough-guy types with his baby face and Jack of the Titanic whisper-voice?
Spirit Fingers
I can't wait to see him screaming through the entire film.
@CheapCynicism: I used to be like you, but then I saw Righteous Kill and a few minutes of 88 Minutes on Starz. I couldn't sleep for days.
Cecil's Wielder
He gave us The Godfather, and so we are obligated to support any and all Al Pacino projects. THIS IS OUR BOND WITH HIM, and I will honor it with the same pride I did when I bought a ticket to "Two For the Money."
CheapCynicism
How is this different than "Lie to Me"?
Looks like Gaghan might be more Havoc than his good material.
Cecil's Wielder
Maybe these two could make an appearance: [www.theawl.com]
SpecialK
Hoo Ha?
@Cecil's Wielder: I know it hurt. It hurt me, too. In a way, we're heroes.
CheapCynicism
unpacked, Gladwell's books reveal to be sheer nonsense. There are a gazillion counter-arguments and examples.
MrRewrite