So, did you subject yourself to that “Jack And Jill” trailer? Well, here’s a little reward for your effort.
The trailer for John Sayles‘ latest effort “Amigo” has also arrived this afternoon and the film is another strong effort from the director whose fierce independence and vision in a market that has become less and less supportive of small scale, thoughtful films has made his work tough to seek out. Admittedly, the voice over is pretty bad in this spot and it’s cut a bit more like an action movie than it really is, but we saw the film last year at TIFF and admired it greatly. Starring Chris Cooper, Garret Dillahunt and DJ Qualls, and utilizing a large supporting cast of non-actors, the film is fictional take on the Philippine-American War that uses the backdrop to draw parallels to contemporary politics. While it might seem a bit hamfisted in the trailer, it’s much more elegantly drawn out in the film, as Sayles explores the uneasy relationship that builds between an American army force that occupies a small Philippine village.
The film will hit theaters on August 19th and if you want to see it, make an effort because according to Sayles’ blog, “Amigo” won’t be on DVD for at least two years. Check out the synopsis and trailer below (or in HD at Apple).
AMIGO, the 17th feature film from Academy Award-nominated writer-director John Sayles, stars legendary Filipino actor Joel Torre as Rafael, a village mayor caught in the murderous crossfire of the Philippine-American War. When U.S. troops occupy his village, Rafael comes under pressure from a tough-as-nails officer (Chris Cooper) to help the Americans in their hunt for Filipino guerilla fighters. But Rafael’s brother (Ronnie Lazaro) is the head of the local guerillas, and considers anyone who cooperates with the Americans to be a traitor. Rafael quickly finds himself forced to make the impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by ordinary civilians in an occupied country. A powerful drama of friendship, betrayal, romance and heartbreaking violence, AMIGO is a page torn from the untold history of the Philippines, and a mirror of today’s unresolvable conflicts.
