[Saturday Cinema]"The Samurai's Menu," a Berlin Film Festival showcase of culinary delights

Release Date: 2014-04-11

Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes

Director: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash of "The Way, Way Back"

Cast: Steve Carell of "Crazy, Stupid, Love", Sam Rockwell of "Iron Man 2", Toni Collette of "Little Miss Sunshine", Allison Janney of "Mom", Maya Rudolph of "Bridesmaids", Liam James of "The Killing", AnnaSophia Robb of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

 

This film follows 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James), who spends a cringe-worthy, hilarious, and sometimes painful summer with his mother Pam (Toni Collette), her overbearing boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell), and Trent’s daughter Steph (Zoe Levin). While Duncan struggles to fit in and find his place, he unexpectedly befriends and is mentored by Owen (Sam Rockwell), a free-spirited employee at a local water park where Duncan eventually works. As Duncan grows apart from his mother over the summer, Owen encourages him to open up and come into his own.

 

First-time directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash explore the frailties of human nature that help people endure life, transforming a sharp script into a charming and insightful satirical comedy. Backed by a stellar cast of A-list actors and rising young star Liam James in a transformative comedic role, "The Way, Way Back" is filled with the humor of youthful daydreams and the unforgettable emotional depth of classic coming-of-age films.

Release Date: 2014-04-18

Duration: Not provided

Director: Nick Cassavetes of "My Sister's Keeper"

Cast: Cameron Diaz of "Knight and Day", Leslie Mann of "This Is 40", Kate Upton of "The Other Woman", Nicki Minaj, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau of "Game of Thrones"

 

Cameron Diaz plays a woman who discovers her boyfriend is married and tries to reclaim her life. When she unexpectedly meets the betrayed wife (Leslie Mann) of her two-timing boyfriend, she finds they have more in common than she thought – and her nemesis quickly becomes her ally. When yet another girlfriend (Kate Upton) of the boyfriend emerges, the three women team up to plot revenge against the serial cheater.

 

Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz) is a sharp New York lawyer who is extremely particular – and judgmental – about relationships and men. But when she meets Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), she lets her guard down and falls for him. She surprises him with a visit to his Connecticut home, only to discover he’s married to Kate (Leslie Mann), a devoted homemaker shocked by her husband’s infidelity, while Carly is furious that her boyfriend is married. Instead of turning against each other, the women become allies and uncover Mark’s mistress Amber (Kate Upton), leading to a scheme where the three women teach the cheating Mark a lesson. Their plan becomes increasingly effective, and their friendship grows stronger.

 

When producer Julie Yorn was sold on screenwriter Melissa Stack’s concept for the film, she had already been searching for some time for a comedy writer who could create a story centered around women. Yorn explained why Stack was the perfect choice: “Melissa is insanely funny and talented – we all loved her. There are very few writers like her, but after reading the first thirty pages of her script, I said, ‘We’re making this movie.’”

 

Early in their discussions about the story, Stack made one thing clear: “I said, I don’t want the wife to be a doormat or a pathetic loser,” Stack recalled. “And I didn’t want the mistress to just be a bitch. We talked about some of the common female stereotypes – the so-called ‘movie rules’ for women.”

 

Stack’s inspiration came from an interesting place: “I’ve seen a lot of French comedies where everyone is sleeping with someone who’s not their spouse. In America, we take adultery much more seriously, so seeing characters in all kinds of French comedies navigate those complicated relationships and issues was actually pretty fascinating. It’s messy, but it’s real – it’s not just about ‘bad guys’ and ‘good guys.’”