It’s no mystery that, through the course of my entire life, I have been an absolute Steven Spielberg fanatic. It seems that stating that truth is practically a mortal sin for any person who’s gone to school for filmmaking, yet, I have no shame in admitting it. No matter what genre, mood or style, Spielberg usually finds a way to nail it.
Despite all of this, both projects that the man is releasing in 2011 have never rung any bells for me. The whole concept of Spielberg directing a 3D animated feature, such as “The Adventures of Tin Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn,” is a little irritating. Being released within a few days of that film is his epic story of animal/human comradery and history, “War Horse,” which now has a teaser trailer.
Spielberg has always had a penchant for sentimentality, in different-sized doses per film. However, from what we see here, this theme has been taken to ridiculous heights. We can fully expect at least two hours of heart-warming sap, complete with a tear-jerker ending. On the bright side, the film looks absolutely gorgeous. Janusz Kaminski, the director’s longtime collaborator and my personal favorite cinematographer working today, has produced some fantastic images. I’m also quite excited to see the work of French actor Niels Arestrup, who absolutely devoured his role in Jacques Audiard’s “The Prophet,” last year.
Can’t say for sure yet whether this film will have the right qualities to return Spielberg to the Kodak theater in February. However, the original source material just won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Play, along with four other awards. Hopefully, the same magic that made the theater version so popular will shine through on the big screen.
Check out the full HD version of the teaser below.
The Edge of the Frame 