Photo Gallery: Los Angeles Britannia Awards (November 4, 2010)

The celebrities came out for the 19th Annual BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Los Angeles Britannia Awards in Los Angeles November 4, 2010. Here are photos from the red carpet. Photos courtesy of REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni(UNITED STATES – Tags: ENTERTAINMENT). Content © 2010 Reuters All rights reserved.

The Runaways (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

A film that truly is all about ‘Sex, Drugs & Rock n’ Roll’!  “The Runaways” definitely rocks on Blu!

Images courtesy of © 2010 Runaways Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: The Runaways

DURATION: 144 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition (2:35:1), English, 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English Narration, Subtitles: English, English SDH

COMPANY: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Language, Drug Use and Sexual Content)

RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2010

Based on the book “Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway” by Cherie Currie

Screenplay written and Directed by Floria Sigismondi

Executive Producer: Joan Jett, Kenny Laguna, Brian Young

Producer: Art Linson, John Linson, Bill Pholad

Co-Producer: David Grace

Associate Producer: Jonathan Sanford, Sabrina Sipantzi

Cinematography by Benoit Debie

Film Editing by Richard Chew

Casting by Wendy O’Brien

Production Design by Eugenio Caballero

Set Decoration by Fontaine Beauchamp Hebb

Costume Design by Carol Beadle

Starring:

Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett

Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie

Michael Shannon as Kim Fowley

Stella Maeve as Sandy West

Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford

Alia Shawkat as Robin

Riley Keough as Marie Currie

Johnny Lewis as Scottie

Tatum O’Neal as Cherie’s Mom

Brett Cullen as Cherie’s Dad

Hannah Marks as Tammy

Jill Andre as Aunt Evie

Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the music-fueled coming of age story of the groundbreaking, all-girl rock band, THE RUNAWAYS. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon, Pearl Harbor), who turns the rebellious Southern California kids into a rock group with outrageous success. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten.

Trailer

Years before Joan Jett was rocking on MTV with her mega hit “I Love Rock n’ Roll” and Lita Ford with “Kiss Me Deadly”, there was The Runaways, the all-female rock band that took Japan by storm (and also achieved recognition in the US) during the the mid-to-late ’70s and would eventually open up doors for female rockers and showing that young ladies can rock on stage and also can make great music!

The Runaways continues to have a strong following even though the group had broke up in the 1978 and interest in the band continues to grow stronger after the theatrical release of “The Runaways”.

The band was born with the help of producer-turned-manager Kim Fowley with the idea to form an all-girl band.  A concept that was unheard of at the time and would feature teenagers vocalist/guitarist Joan Jett; drummer Sandy West; bassist Micki Steele (who would leave the band and would later be in the band “The Bangles”) who was later replaced by Peggy Fox and later with Jackie Fox and then with Vicki Blue; guitarist Lita Ford and lead vocalist Cherie Currie.

And in rock history, The Runaways were a major hit as they performed at sold out concerts, headlining for Cheap Trick, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Van Halen.  These young teens at the time embodied sex, drugs and rock n’ roll and now their story of how they became a band and focus on the lives of Cherie Currie and Joan Jett has been made into a biopic adapted from vocalist Cherie Currie’s book “Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway” and made to film courtesy of writer and director Floria Sigismondi (known for directing music videos for Sheryl Crow and David Bowie).

In the film, we learn of how Cherie Currie (played by Dakota Fanning) grew up in a home with her twin sister and lived away from her father and lived with a mother who is planning to get married to Indonesia.  While Cherie’s sister Marie (played by Riley Keough) is the girl who is known to have fun, Cherie was a teen who was entranced with glam-rock ala David Bowie.  Joan Jett (played by Kristen Stewart) was seen as a young teen who always loved music and playing a guitar and no matter how many people told her that girls don’t play electric guitar, she wanted to prove them wrong.  So, eventually she took the opportunity to meet with vibrant producer Kim Fowley about being part of an all-female rock band.

The concept of an all-female rock band interested Fowley and knew that he had to find teenage girls who can rock on stage but also be marketed as a group who can attract the young guys by their performance visually and musically.  So, with the musicians all selected for the band, it was time to find a visual vocalist and sure enough, Cherie Currie had the look of a Bridgit Bardot and can embody the sexiness that the band needed.

And thus “The Runaways” are born and we see the band go through struggles, especially when vocalist Cherie Currie starts to become used for her sexiness to promote the band and easily causing jealousy with her fellow bandmates, while Joan Jett tries to keep the band together and continue to play music.  And like most biopics on ’70s rock stars, the fall from grace due to the heavy drugs.  The film literally embodies the phrase “Sex, Drugs & Rock n’ Roll” during the mid-70s.

This is the story of “The Runaways” based on Cherie Currie’s account and also with Joan Jett (as Executive Producer) and giving fans an account of what led to Currie leaving the popular band during its peak and what happened to Currie and Jett right after.

VIDEO:

“The Runaways” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1) and sports a vibrant and colorful pallet.  It’s a very colorful film with scenes that tend to experiment on various cuts especially during the band member’s drugged out euphoria.  There is a good amount of grain present in the film which was very cool and the blacks were nice and deep.  From Kristen Stewart’s black hair ala Joan Jett to the black leather jacket or the hot pink  jacket, to Dakota Fanning ala Cherie Currie in her red outfit or her black lingerie, colors really come together in this film and is presented very well in HD.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“The Runaways” is presented in English 5.1 DTS HD-MA.  For the most part, the film contains a lot of dialogue which is center and front channel driven, I wasn’t expecting too much in terms ambient sounds in the background but I did expect more from the concert sequences during the film.

The concert portions definitely utilize the surrounds especially scenes with crowds but I didn’t really notice any significant use of the low frequency or rear surrounds.  But overall, dialogue and music is clear but it would have been great to have more of an immersive lossless soundtrack for the concert portions.

Subtitles are in English and English SDH.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Runaways” comes with the following special features (in HD, English Stereo with English subtitles):

• movieIQ(tm)+sync featuring “The Runaways” Playlist – While watching the film, you can have playlists and websites e-mailed to you.
• Commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning – A very interesting audio commentary.  Joan Jett giving us some idea of what she remembers in reality compared to the film, Kristen Stewart absolutely blunt about what she liked about the film and scenes that she didn’t like and Dakota Fanning discussing various scenes that she took part in and the challenges.
• Plugged In: Making the Film – (15:37) Author (and former The Runaways vocalist) Cherie Currie talks about how her book became a film.  Interviews with the director, producers and talent in regards to the film and bringing the life of The Runaways to the big screen.
• The Runaways – (2:19) A short featurette about “The Runaways” and interviews with the main talent.

May you be the young at heart, reminiscing of that time when you first heard of The Runaways music or discovering a band that opened the doors for many female rockers, The Runaways represented a time when an all-female band was non-existent.

And The Runaways received recognition for their “screw you; we do what want!” style of attitude.  Heavy hitting music, a visual style (each member demonstrated their own style visually and musically) and for any rock n’ roll fan, you can’t help but just be in awe of what these young ladies at the time accomplished.

I personally enjoyed “The Runaways”.  I grew up around the time, heard it on the radio as a child and having been a fan of Joan Jett and Lita Ford’s work, I was definitely highly anticipating the film after I saw the preview trailers.

And I wasn’t disappointed at all.  Especially showing how these young teenagers at the time wanted to defy what the public thought of rock n’ roll being a man’s world.  So, it was good to see how life was for the band in the beginning and unfortunately, through the turmoil that ended the band.

It’s important to note that this film is an adaptation of Cherie Currie’s book “Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway” and it’s not really a biopic in the sense of life for the five members of the band.  It focuses on Currie and Joan Jett (who was the Executive Producer of the film) and due to the bad blood that still exists within the band members, Lita Ford made it clear she has nothing to do with this film.

And also because of a legal suit between Joan Jett and Jackie Fox, Fox also had no involvement in the film (it’s important to also note that Jackie Fox’s name was changed to a generic bassist named Robin). Drummer Sandy West passed away in 2006 after a long battle with lung cancer but her rights were given to the making of the film alongside band manager Kim Fowley.

Needless to say, the drama between the band members continue to exist today and thus, the film’s script had to be modified.  And although based on the perspective of Cherie Currie, Currie admits that certain parts of the film didn’t happen the same way in real life and Joan Jett has concurred.  But emphasized that the film does capture what the band did go through and how female rockers proved to the music world that they can do it  and also showcasing the pitfalls of being a rockstar and also exploring one’s own sexuality.

But I really enjoyed the film and its overall look and feel.  Granted, there is no way Kristen Stewart can replace Joan Jett but she sure does do a good job trying to emulate the rockstar on stage and onscreen.  According to the audio commentary, Stewart watched her videos on YouTube and by listening to her comments, she was very astute in her observations of how various members of the group interacted, walked and performed on stage, especially Fanning’s performance as Cherie Currie.

As for Dakota Fanning, this is where it’s hard for me to comment on the actress’s performance because I’ve watched a lot of Joan Jett interviews and performances in my lifetime to know and see how the attitude and passion for the rock music was emulated by Stewart but I really didn’t know anything about Currie outside of the music.  But I will say that I have always admired Fanning’s commitment as an actress even when she was young and now as we watch her as a teenager.

It’s easy to forget that these young women were in their teens when they began The Runaways and while watching the film and seeing them embrace the sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, they seem much mature for their years especially when I see their performance in 1977 in Japan.  While watching the actresses take on their real-life counterparts onscreen, while Currie seemed much more mature, Fanning looked as a teenager who got caught up into the rockstar lifestyle and nearly was consumed by it.

As for the music performances by the ladies, as mentioned earlier, there is no way Stewart and Fanning can come close to the originals.  Currie had so much fire and sexuality in her voice and while Stewart did a remarkable job, Joan Jett is such a magnificent performer that she’s hard to emulate.  In fact, Stewart even takes some jabs at some her scenes that seem out of place in the film during the audio commentary.

It’s a shame that the other women of the band had no part in the film and that some of the members have been estranged from each other for decades, because it would have been good to see how Lita Ford and Jackie Fox would have contributed to the film and perhaps we would have gotten a true biopic of the actual band from all members points of view than just focusing on Currie and parts of Jett.

Also, it would have been nice for the film to at least give acknowledgment to the other two members and showing what they have done with their lives (Lita Ford went on to become a successful solo artist and Jackie Fox went on to become a lawyer) and possibly the most surprising is no dedication to Sandy West (even the talent and Joan Jett were surprised by not seeing a dedication in the credits as discussed in the audio commentary).

But overall, despite not being a true biopic of the band and a film based on Cherie Currie’s book and perspective, I was pleased by “The Runaways” and enjoyed it.  Love the vibrant visuals, trippy drugged out scenes and that ’70s rock vibe.  And of course, for anyone who grew up listening to The Runaways and music of that time, just hearing it again and seeing it onscreen without it being to schlocky or kitschy.

I was really getting into the music of the film and since watching the film, have been listening and watching old ’70s performances by the band online and even now wanting to buy the original soundtrack for the film.  The Blu-ray release doesn’t have too many special features but the audio commentary was definitely entertaining.

If you are a fan of the Runaways, their music or wanting to watch an enjoyable rock n’ roll film, definitely give “The Runaways” a chance!

Images from “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” premiere in Los Angeles

The following images of the celebrities arriving to the premiere of Summit Entertainment’s ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse’ during the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on June 24, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

THE RUNAWAYS EXPLODES ONTO BLU-RAY DISC & DVD JULY 20, 2010

STARRING KRISTEN STEWART, DAKOTA FANNING
AND OSCAR® NOMINEE MICHAEL SHANNON
EXPLODES ONTO BLU-RAY DISC™ & DVD JULY 20, 2010

Culver City, Calif. (June 1, 2010) – The year was 1975 and five teens haphazardly came together amidst a burgeoning glam-punk scene in Los Angeles.  Guided by the eccentric manager-producer-promoter Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon, Oscar® nominee for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Revolutionary Road, 2009), these young women banded together often amidst illicit and abusive circumstances to become the pop-punk phenomenon: The Runaways.  The film based on the girl group explodes onto Blu-ray and DVD on July 20, 2010.

The ensemble was fronted by rock prodigy Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga) and supported on lead vocals by Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning, The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Eclipse), a platinum princess who exuded an innocent yet devilish attitude.  The hard-rockin’ goddess Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton, Halloween II) on guitar and banging bombshell Sandy West (Stella Maeve, Transamerica) on drums rounded out these deviant divas and poised them to take on the man’s world of rock n’ roll, fully clad in leather and lace.

Rocking special features include commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning as well as two featurettes, “Plugged In: Making the Film” and “The Runaways.”  The Blu-ray also features movieIQ™+sync with “The Runaways” Playlist.  movieIQ®+sync allows users to access real time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie via BD-Live™.

The Runaways will be available on Blu-ray for $34.95 SRP and the DVD for an SRP of $27.96.

Fans can enter the Facebook sweepstakes starting June 18, 2010 for a chance to win rocking prizes by proving they have what it takes to be the ultimate The Runaways groupie.  Additional information regarding the upcoming release can also be found on The Runaways Twitter and MySpace pages.

Synopsis
Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star as Joan Jett and Cherie Currie in the music-fueled coming of age story of the groundbreaking, all-girl rock band, THE RUNAWAYS. They fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon, Pearl Harbor), who turns the rebellious Southern California kids into a rock group with outrageous success.  With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie-Bardot looks, is the sex kitten.

Blu-ray & DVD Special Features
·        Commentary with Joan Jett, Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning
·        Two Featurettes
o       Plugged In: Making the Film
o       The Runaways
BD Exclusives
·        movieIQ®+sync featuring “The Runaways” Playlist
·        BD-Live

The Runaways has a run time of approximately 105 minutes and is rated R for language, drug use and sexual content – all involving teens.

FRAGMENTS (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“An all-star cast in an ensemble film.  With separate stories of five different individuals, a live film adaptation of the novel is challenging and difficult.  Director Rowan Woods was able to come up with a dark, provocative film but its not a film that is mean to tug at your heart but a film to show how people react to a tragic event quite differently.”

Images courtesy of © 2008 Winged Films, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: FRAGMENTS

DURATION: 96 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: English, French 5.1 (Dolby Digital), Subtitles: English and French

COMPANY: Peace Arch Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

RATED: R (For Violent Content, Sexuality and Language)

RELEASE DATE:  August 4, 2009

Directed by Rowan Woods

Based on a story by Roy Freirich

Executive Producer: Gilbert Alloul, Naomi Despres, John Flock, Lewin Webb

Produced by Robert Salerno

Co-Produced by John J. Kelly

Music by Marcelo Zarvos

Director of Photography: Eric Alan Edwards

Editing by Meg Reticker

Casting by Nicole Abellera, Jeanne McCarthy

Production Design by Max Biscoe

Set Decoration by Maria Nay

Costume Design by Mary Claire Hannan

Starring:

Kate Beckinsale as Carla Davenport

Forest Whitaker as Charlie Archenault

Dakota Fanning as Anne Hagen

Guy Pearce as Dr. Bruce Laraby

Jeanne Tripplehorn as Doris Hagen

Josh Hutcherson as Jimmy Jaspersen

Jennifer Hudson as Kathy Archenault

Jackie Earle Haley – Bob Jaspersen

Robin Weigert as Lydia Jasperson

Embeth Davidtz as Joan Laraby

Hayley McFarland as Lori Carline

Tim Guinee as Aaron Hagen

Jacquie Barnbrook as Lori’s mom

One moment can change a lifetime. Shots ring out and the early morning tranquility of a diner shatters. As survivors pick up the pieces, they find themselves transforming in the most unexpected ways as they cope with the aftermath. One brief moment and their lives are changed forever.

Featuring an all-star cast including Kate Beckinsale, Dakota Fanning, Guy Pearce, and Academy Award® winners Forest Whitaker (Best Actor, The Last King of Scotland, 2006) and Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, Dreamgirls, 2006).

In 2008, the novel “Winged Creatures” writted by Roy Freirich was released.  Not long after, the film was greenlighted for a live film adaptation and Director Rowan Woods (“Farscape” and “Little Fish”) would be the man to bring some life to the original story for the big screen.  Joining Woods is composer Marcelo Zarvos (“The Air I Breathe” and “The Good Shepherd”) and cinematographer Eric Alan Edwards (“Love Happens”, “The King of Texas” and “Knocked Up”).

Starring an all-star cast which includes Kate Beckinsale (“Van Helsing”, “Underworld” and “Vacancy”), Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”, “Vantage Point” and “Street Kings”), Dakota Fanning (“War of the Worlds”, “Push” and “Man on Fire”), Guy Pearce (“Bedtime Stories”, “Traitor”, “Rules of Engagement” and “The Count of Monte Cristo”),  Josh Hutcherson (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Little Manhattan”),  Jennifer Hudson (“Sex and the City”and “Dreamgirls”), Jean Tripplehorn (“The Firm”, “Water World” and “The Trap”) and Jackie Earle Haley (“Watchmen”, “Breaking Away” and “The Bad News Bears”).

“FRAGMENTS” (known as “Winged Creatures” in other countries) is a film that has had its challenges.  Because of its not-so-happy storyline, the film had challenges with financing and only when all-star talent such as Kate Beckinsale, Forest Whitaker, Guy Pearce, Dakota Fanning and a few others were part of the film, then the film was able to obtain financing.  But unfortunately, after a test screening at the Los Angeles Film Festival, the film didn’t get massive distribution at theaters and very few people saw it.  In fact, there were posters that the film would be in theaters in July 2009 but for some reason, the film is being released in the US on DVD in August 2009.

With that being said, I have to emphasize that I doubt that its treatment was due to a bad film but because it’s a film that is more or less straight-forward and makes no attempt to captivate the hearts of the viewer.  This is not that type of film.  I’ll explain further during my “Judgment Call” at the end of this review.

The film revolves around a tragic incident.  During a normal day at a restaurant in Los Angeles, a man walks in and starts shooting.  A few people are dead, some injured and the gunman kills himself.  But its what happens afterward is what “FRAGMENTS” is about.  Post-Traumatic stress that the characters are suffering.  And each suffer in their own way.

Kate Beckinsale as Carla Davenport – The waitress at the diner.  Before the tragedy, she was a loving mother always trying to find out how her baby is doing.  After the tragedy, despite thinking she is fine, she is suffering post-traumatic situations in which she starts to neglect her toddler by not feeding him.  And uses the opportunity to bring her child to the doctor and see if she can get close to Dr. Bruce Laraby.

The Hagen Family:

Dakota Fanning as Anne Hagen – Anne is a teenager who hid under the table with her friend Jimmy while the gunman was shooting.  While her father was gunned down, she froze and the only thing that she watched was birds flying out the window.  She deals with her father’s death by treating him as a hero but in a way, uses religion and God to justify her emotions.  She seems strong-willed and like nothing has phased her.  She sees herself as a witness and that people should forgive the killer.  She is instrumental in helping another friend and grieving family through their ordeal.

Jean Tripplehorn as Doris Hagen – The mother of Anne who is concerned with her daughter.  Her daughter has become religious but is that to conceal her pain or has the murder of her husband brought Anne closer to God?

The Jasperson Family

Josh Hutcherson as Jimmy Jasperson – A close friend to Anne but has been affected deeply after the tragedy.  Jimmy was hiding under the table with Anne when her father was killed.  Since the incident,  Jimmy has stopped talking and his parents constantly fight of how to get Jimmy out of his shell. The hospital has been offering counseling but he refuses.  He harbords this deep pain that he doesn’t know how to let go.

Jackie Earle Haley as Bob Jasperson and Robert Weigurt as Lydia Jasperson – The parents of Jimmy who are constantly arguing and have their own way of dealing with Jimmy’s situation.  Jimmy’s father is against him receiving counseling because Jimmy’s brother, who is in the military, was wounded in battle in the Middle East.  When his brother came back, he was not the same and was in a state of depression.  The family reached out and got him counseling but in the end, their older son is now in the coma and Bob believes that counseling may hurt their youngest son.

The Archenault Family

Forest Whitaker as Charlie Archenault – Charlie is a man who believes in luck.  While eating at the diner, he is seen holding a pamphlet on cancer.  He was wounded during the diner tragedy and a doctor has told him he was lucky.  Charlie tries to deal with the tragedy in his own way and that is by gambling.

Jennifer Hudson as Kathy Archenault – The authorities are continuously questioning Kathy in regards to her father’s involvement in the shooting and want to speak to him.  She has no idea what’s going on and her father will not answer any of her calls.

The Laraby Family

Guy Pearce as Dr. Bruce Laraby – Dr. Laraby was actually in the diner the day of the shooting and opened the door for the gunman when he exited the diner.  He was the doctor who tried to save Anne Hagen’s father during surgery but was unable to.  Since that day, he has had bad luck with his patients and he has been affected by the tragedy, despite not being at the diner of the time of the tragedy.

Embeth Davidtz as Jan Laraby - The loving wife of Dr. Bruce Laraby – For some reason, she has been suffering from some type of illness and not knowing why she is feeling this way.

The film divides itself into these five different ensemble stories of how each character have lived their life not long after the tragic incident.   There is no straying away from that plot, we literally see how these individuals are brought to their lowest of lows and how, if they can, recover from it.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“FRAGMENTS” is featured in Anamorphic Widescreen (1:85:1).  For the most part, the picture quality on DVD is good, as many parts of the film are shot outdoors and you are able to get some vibrancy with the colors.

Audi is featured in English and French 5.1 (Dolby Digital).  The film is primarily a dialogue-driven film in which the majority of the audio comes from the front and center channels.  Although, the gunshots from the tragic incident is probably where you will hear most of the punch throughout the soundtrack.  Because the tragedy is replayed many times in different situations, the gunshots are heard throughout the film and you can hear it clearly through the front channels and some usage from the surrounds.  But for the most part, it is a dialogue-driven film and you can hear the talent quite clearly.

Subtitles are featured in English and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There is one special feature included on the DVD and that is an audio commentary by Director Rowan Woods.  Woods is upfront about the challenges of funding of the film, why it was shot in Los Angeles, working with the various talents in the film, challenges of making an ensemble film but most importantly is his feelings of why audiences may have not gravitated towards the film.

Many people have many questions of why the film didn’t receive that much attention, especially since it has an all-star cast and the DVD commentary by Rowan Woods will help answer that.

“FRAGMENTS” is a film that will be compared to other ensemble films such as “CRASH” and “BABEL”.  It can also be compared to the television series “The Nine” which has a similarity to this film but the main difference is that “The Nine” revovles around a bank heist and the victims end up becoming close friends and become their own support group, as they also deal with their own post-traumatic stress.  There is also a mystery element that grabs the attention of the viewer.

With “FRAGMENTS”, there is no mystery, there is no support group.  It’s straightforward in showing us that these people who do not want to get professional help have been mentally scarred by these events.  The film doesn’t make one appreciative of the characters either.

Maybe with the exception of Dakota Fanning and Josh Hutcherson’s characters (which the two are more or less the primary characters and have a big reveal at the end), the other characters are just not likable. It’s one thing for the viewer to understand that these characters are suffering from post-traumatic stress but how they deal with it is quite shocking.

The actions that Carla Davenport (Beckinsale) goes through by neglecting her son while trying to get attention is just going to upset people who will no doubt be upset of how bad of a mother she becomes and the neglect she has towards her own baby.

Dr. Bruce Laraby (Pearce) and what he does to his wife in order to makeup his inner ego of losing patients is also going to upset people.

And Forest Whitaker’s role as Charlie Archenault is not going to have viewers feel happy as he tries to gamble his life away and in the process, hurting himself even further.

With an ensemble film, there is some sort of mystery, some sort of storyline that can either captivate your attention, “FRAGMENTS” keeps you watching throughout the end to find out, what really transpired on that fateful day and after seeing the characters being put through hell, you find yourself asking the question, “is that it?”.

And that leads to the question of, how much of “Winged Creatures” made it into the final cut of “FRAGMENTS”.  Perhaps it was too ambitious to take the novel and give it a proper film adaptation because perhaps, there was a lot of storyline that needed to be cut out.  Granted, this film could have been even more tragic than it was, and I’m glad it wasn’t.

For the most parts, we do get a solid performance from Beckinsale who shows that she can portray a variety of characters quite well.  Dakota Fanning is a talented actress and is able to deliver emotion in a variety of levels (like she has done while she was younger). Josh Hutcherson is definitely put into a more emotional role than his previous films but overall, the kid definitely has talent and provides a balance with Fanning’s character.

Forest Whitaker is more or less a loss soul and you wonder if this character was going to snap but in the end, his fix for dealing with his problems is through intense gambling.  Guy Pearce started off strong but its his character that is indirectly such a sleazeball, that you just can’t believe how far he would go in order to boost his inner machismo.  Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson has a short role that it didn’t make much of a difference to the overall story.

Supporting characters such as Jeanne Tripplehorn as Anne’s mother and Jackie Earle Haley was great to see both on the big screen.  Especially, Haley for those of us who grew up seeing this actor when he was a child star through the late 70′s and 80′s.

If anything, the positive of the film is that it was an interesting film that focuses not on any conspiracy or mystery, it’s a look of how people deal with tragedy differently.

“FRAGMENTS” is  a deep and somewhat depressing, provocative film and in the end, I enjoyed it for its take on characters dealing with post-traumatic stress.  Again, no conspiracy, no mystery.  It’s a straightforward story of characters near their breaking point.

I wish there were more special features included on the DVD but the commentary was definitely interesting in hearing Director Rowan Woods discuss his overall feeling about the film.

For the most part, “FRAGMENTS” may grab your attention but it’s simply not a film that I can find myself watching it repetitively.