Thursday, September 29, 2011

Internet internet marketer Marvin Levy draws jerk

Levy Veteran film internet internet marketer Marvin Levy will be the first inductee into Variety's Film Marketing Hall of Fame on Tuesday through the 2011 Film Marketing Summit.Levy, who works carefully with Steven Spielberg together with other principals at DreamWorks Art galleries, is presently concentrating on marketing campaigns for "The Adventures of Tintin" and "War Equine," which he recently done "The Help.InchVariety's Film Marketing Summit, co-produced by Variety and Stradella, Road, runs Tuesday and Wednesday within the Universal Hilton and may feature movie marketing chiefs in addition to their technology partners speaking about the best way to target film audiences. Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Real Steel

Hugh Jackman backs slightly robot that could in Disneys Real Steel. A Wally Disney Art galleries Movies relieve a DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment presentation from the 21 Laps/Montford Murphy production. Produced by Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Shawn Levy. Executive producers, Jack Rapke, Robert Zemekis, Steve Starkey, Steven Spielberg, Josh McLaglen, Mary McLaglen. Co-producers, Ron Benattar, Eric Hedayat. Directed by Shawn Levy. Script, John Gatins story, Serta Gilroy, Jeremy Leven, based simply round the short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson.Charlie Kenton - Hugh Jackman Max Kenton - Dakota Goyo Bailey Tallet - Evangeline Lilly Finn - Anthony Mackie Ough - Kevin Durand Deborah Barnes - Hope Davis Marvin Barnes - James Rebhorn Tak Mashido - Karl Yune Russian Robot Owner - Olga FondaThough occur the following where boxing is becoming so intense only high-tech robots have the required steps to compete, "Real Steel" still trusts an excellent, old-fashioned father-boy drama to supply the thrills. Like the high-fructose-laced soda given front-and-center product positioning, this underdog sports story is nice corny -- in an ideal measure to satisfy the general public, especially 10-year-old boys and Dale earnhardt junior . fathers who never lost touch utilizing their inner-child. A effective eleventh-hour marketing push can purchase the opening, giving Hugh Jackman his finest non-"X-Males" hit since "Van Helsing," while putting junior co-star Dakota Goyo round the energy power grid. Goyo plays 11-year-old Max, a Dr. Pepper-chugging, videogame-obsessed urchin who appears within the breaking reason behind the career of onetime heavyweight contender Charlie Kenton (Jackman). While Jackman is clearly the bigger star, "Real Steel" so deeply identifies with Max's perspective, there can be no question the pic was created to draw in youthful auds. Although online reactions have mistaken "Real Steel" just like a live-action version in the Rock'em Sock'em Robots game, pic's actual inspiration was Richard Matheson's hardscrabble short story "Steel," formerly modified becoming an episode of "The Twilight Zone." Adding the child character is one kind of many departures inside an approach that borrows the robot-boxing concept but hardly anything else in the pulp source material. Consistent with director Shawn Levy's "Evening within the Museum" series, "Real Steel" exploits the stress from the deadbeat father and also the estranged boy, serving up some serious wish fulfillment to be able to reconciliation involving the decades. John Gatins' script (with story credit prone to Serta Gilroy and Jeremy Leven) is almost cruel within the presentation in the problematic father figure: Jackman plays an alarmingly selfish disadvantage guy who owes his creditors nearly $100,000 and who sells custody of the children from the kids of his boy for a similar sum. After Charlie sees his last robot reduced to scrap metal within a rodeo run-together with a bull, the empty-handed opportunist appears in the courtroom to sign away Max to his aunt (Hope Davis) and her filthy-wealthy husband (James Rebhorn). Since the kid's parents-to-be use a fancy trip planned, Charlie unwillingly confirms to think about proper proper care of Max for just about any month roughly -- the required time for something different of heart to occur. As being a 21st-century Bogart (with substantially better physique and teeth), Jackman has mastered the ability of affable surliness. Goyo holds their very own in the star, though Levy uses the adorable youthful guy more for mouth area-pinching appeal than to make a well-rounded character. While widescreen lensing allows for further visual audacity than his previous features, TV-trained Levy loves closeups -- a tactic that plays better on homevideo than Imax screens -- and Goyo's the kind of dewy-eyed child actor on whom they can depend for emotional cutaways. Actually, "Real Steel's" most endearing character isn't human whatsoever, but an obsolete second-generation robot named Atom. With neon-blue eyes glowing behind what seems just like a mesh fencing mask, Atom appears being more alive in comparison to gleaming, cutting-edge options he faces inside the ring. "Don't get worried, your secret's safe with me at night,In . Max notifies him, though pic leaves it alluringly open-ended what that "secret" might be -- much like it allows for that chance that Charlie is probably not Max's actual father. A smaller amount ambiguous might be the example between Atom's roots (after Father destroys two pricey fighting bots, Max digs the battered android in the grime in the dangerous landfill raid) as well as the scrappy status of his two trainers. Charlie has essentially disposed of his youthful charge, and that he is not definately not being tossed in the small-time circuit themselves. Still, something relevant for this robot -- needing a beating and often will not stay lower -- inspires these to challenge most likely probably the most advanced robot in the world Robot Boxing League, an autonomous, constantly altering pile driver named Zeus. Such concentrate on character helps it be obvious to determine why the story would connect to youthful auds. The uncanny factor about "Real Steel" is just how gripping the ideal moments are Sugar Ray Leonard offered just like a consultant for the motion-capture artists responsible for pantomiming the machines' moves. Atom is different because he features a "shadow mode," further anthropomorphizing the level of smoothness since the bot finds out to mimic the moves of the trainer. As future-set tales go, the pic doesn't alter much in regards to the present. Rather, Levy takes note of your truck-driving, can-do spirit in the heartland, adapting professional producer Steven Spielberg's all-American attitude to more blue-collar crowd. Seamless visual effects and-duty appear design complete the illusion of fast-moving fighting machines, while Danny Elfman's inspiring score leaves no heartstring unstrummed. Camera (color, widescreen), Mauro Fiore editor, Dean Zimmerman music, Danny Elfman music supervisor, Jennifer Hawks production designer, Tom Meyer supervisory art director, Seth Reed art company company directors, Jason Baldwin Stewart, Rob Wisniewski set decorator, Victor J. Zolfo costume designer, Marlene Stewart appear (Dolby Digital/SDDS/Datasat), Steve Cantamessa appear designers, Warren Hendriks, Craig Henighan supervisory appear editor, Henighan re-recording mixer, Paul Massey stunt coordinator, Garrett Warren animatronic supervisor, John Rosengrant live-action animatronic and robot effects, Legacy Foreign exchange effects supervisor, Joey DiGaetano visual effects supervisor, Erik Nash visual effects, Digital Domain, Cantina Creative Digital Neural Axis, Ockham's Razor connect producer, Ron Ames assistant director, Josh McLaglen casting, David Rubin, Richard Hicks. Examined at Company company directors Guild of America, La, Sept. 22, 2011. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 126 MIN. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Weekend B.O. Brawl! Lion King 3D Still #1, Moneyball Edges Dolphin Tale For #2, Twilighter Taylor Lautners Abduction #4, De Niro/Statham/Owens Killer Elite #5

SATURDAY PM, 4THUPDATE: This has been ashifting-like-quicksandweekend for North American box office, with the Top2 order changing again as of Saturday night. Everyone agrees that Lion King 3D is No. 1 but Moneyball and Dolphin Tale are neck-and-neck for #2. Some studios are picking the baseball tale while others are choosing the maimed mammal. On Friday night,I also couldn’t get claritybecause ofRentrak hiccups during the day.Can’t we all just get along, especially whenI’m supposed to be on vacation? This order could change again Sunday morning, but for now: 1. Even Disney is surprised that its Lion King 3D is infirst place tonight from 2,330 theaters after its huge first-place finish last weekend. But rival studios tell me it got a boost Friday from the rain back East for a $6M Friday for an excellent hold. And another giantkiddie matinee bump on Saturday for as much as $9.5M. That’s a $22M weekend as well and only a modest -30% decline. This re-release is projected to hit a cume of as much as $61.5M by Monday. Here’s my question: Why is it that in all the promotional hype I’ve been sent by the studio about this pic, no one at Disney is thanking Jeffrey Katzenberg for micro-managing the original? C’mon, Mouse House, give credit where credit is due. Even if Jeffrey is a big pain in everyone’s ass. 2. Sony’s much-hyped newcomerMoneyball is now officially the best baseball-themed opening ever (Not accounting for inflation or higher ticket prices, it beat Benchwarmers’ $19.6M, The Rookie’s $16M, and A League Of Their Own‘s $13.7M.) It openedNo. 1 Friday with$6.7M and then soared +27% to $8.5M Saturday from 2,993 theaters. (As a Sony exec told me, “$6 million would be great. $7 million amazing. $8 million would be a triumph.”) With that healthy adult bump, it’s looking at a $21M weekend which is on target with the studio’s expectations. That solid number helps keep Brad Pitt’s star wattage shining and his awards chances climbing because ofthis well-reviewed male-centric sports movie that scored 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. (As Deadline Hollywood’s Awards columnist Pete Hammond opined out of the Toronto Film Festival: “This is a classic movie star role in the tradition of something that Robert Redford or Paul Newman would have done in their prime. He has never been better, and the movie is the best sports film since Bull Durham, a real triumph considering the long and winding road it took to get to the screen.”) Audiences really liked this pic: it received all A’s — male, female, young, old — from CinemaScore. But a rival studio exec points out thatalmost 60% of that audience was over age 50.Sonybelieves Moneyball could play strongly through the Fall generating a multiple that could very well exceed 4X and 5Xits opening. Marketingtargeted adult moviegoers and was designed to appeal to both men and women. Call me sexist, but I thought targeting women was hopeless for a picbased on the true story of Billy Beane who rebuilt theOakland As in 2002through computer-driven statistical analysis long ignored by the baseball establishment. This stuff makes my eyes glaze over, even though Michael Lewis wrote a great book about it and producer Rachael Horovitz recognized the bones of a great movie about it.To build awareness among men, Sony had a strong presence in sports programming, especially baseball where the campaign kicked off during the MLB All-Star Game in July.Trailers aired on the MLB Network, while spots also ran in high-profile NFL games including the season opener. In recent weeks, Moneyball‘s presence was in MLB games across FOX, ESPN, and TBS andselect NCAA football games.The TV campaigntook advantage of primetime premieres and high-impact specials, including the Emmys and MTV’s VMAs. On cable, Moneyball had sneak peeks onSons of Anarchy, Tosh.0, Conan and ESPN’s SportsCenter. To reach women, Sonybought spots on Dancing With the Stars and Glee while Pitt appeared on Ellen this week and was pretty much omnipresent as both producer and star. Like most movies these days,Moneyball had a twisted and tortured history to the big screen. Initially, baseball freak Steven Soderbergh was involved but passed because of other commitments. Eventually Sony brought in producer Michael De Luca to join Horovitz and, 5 years later in 2009, Soderbergh was back to direct. Butin a well-chrincled case of creative differences, the Oscar-winning director was jettisoned from the film just 72 hours before production was to begin when the studio changed its mind about his changes to Steven Zaillians adaptation. (Soderbergh’s primary addition included Reds-like testimonials from real-life players.) Conventional wisdom had it that the pic was a goner. But Pitt stayed on board throughout. The project really got back on track with executive producer Scott Rudinalong with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who did a polish on Zaillians script (both get credit now). Pitt himself credits director Bennett Miller (an Oscar nod for Capote first-time out), who replaced Soderbergh and then had the vision to “crack” the film’s outsider/insider themes by making an unconventionalfilm about them. 3. Very close behind is Alcon Entertainment’s Dolphin Tale distributed into 3,507 theaters by Warner Bros.It opened with $5.1M Friday and zoomed to $8.6MSaturday heading for a$20Mweekend.Alconexpectedthe heartstrings-pulling pic to jump 60% on Saturday because of the family film bump and did +70% more. Remember,it’s also playing in the most theaters.According toCinemaScores, parents and kidsaudiences are giving it an A+. “The film is very inspirational, and tracking is terrific.We will own the family marketplace,” an exec told me.Warner Bros was looking to give Moneyball a run for No. 1this weekend, but didn’t anticipate the continued strength of Lion King 3D. The strategy for Dolphin Tale was to reach primarily parents and kids with this real-lifestory andfine ensemble cast. The studiodevised a very long trailer campaign in order to get maximum exposurebeginning in April and playing through the summer on everything from Rio to Cars 2.The TV strategy wasrobust, covering everything from kids cable in late summer before school started, through key season premieres such as Dancing With The Stars and Biggest Loser,to a wide array of sponsorships with Discovery, Teen Nick, Lifetime, Nation Geographic, Disney XD, MTV, and more.Warner Bros crafted an aggressive word-of-mouth screening program that involved 3 full roundsin the top 60 markets. Military and home schoolers were targeted as well asyouth groups and other family-oriented orgs. The director and cast completed a 7-market PA tour that includeda junket to accommodate Winter, the real-life star of the film who had her ownlive Winter-cam.Online, there was afirst-time integration with the Spongebob Squarepants Facebook page given thesea theme. 4.Lionsgate’s Abduction in 3,118 theaters ended up with $3.8M Friday but went up +20% Saturday for $4.5m andan$11M opening for the weekend. (So it wasn’tfront-loaded like what happened to Zac Efron in Charlie St Cloud.)Through Sunday,Hollywood eyes have been focused onits starTaylor Lautner in his first leading man role in an action thrillerbecause he’s been very much in demand — presumably because of his enormous Twi-hard fan base and aggressive promotion of his films –but not because of any solo box office which the 19-year-old has done yet. Then again, I’velearned thatLautner’s $36M-budget action thriller was outspent 4-to-1 in marketing dollars by both Sony and Warner Bros leading up to this weekend. (Shame on Lionsgate’s Jon Feltheimer for tying everyone’s hands even after powerless Alli Shearmur pleaded.)So the jury is still out on whether this Twilight kid can open an envelope,especially in as rotten a reviewed movie as this one was directed by John Singleton. (“Silly” and “convoluted” were the words used most often to describe it.) Audiences didn’t think it was quite as bad as critics, giving it a B- CinemaScore.Too bad Lionsgate can’t seem to make a decent movie (Conan The Barbarian) or market one anymore (Warrior). An $11Moutcome is less than the $15M it appeared to be earlier Friday and not the$12M-$14M range which the studio told me it needed to show a “nice profit” for the film.”ButTaylors a great kid. Hes worked hard for us, doing about 8 national TV shows and endless amounts of press,” one of the execs said to me. “We know the opening weekend box office averages for Taylors Twilight co-stars, so this falls in the zone of what was to be expected. There are lots of movies opening this weekend to a variety of audiences, but ours is laser-targeted to tweens and we hope to dominate that market.”Lionsgatesimultaneously streamed the premiere to an additional 20 regional markets and broadcast the Red Carpet online as ‘The Abduction Fan Premiere Live Event’with 50M impressions.Media promotions included ABC Family andChannel One, the in-school network that reaches 2.3 million teens aged 1517.Other youth-focused exploitation includedan announcer spot for Tay-Tay at the VMAs (tied to a sweepstakes to ‘Get Abducted’ to the awards). It wasn’t nearly enough. 5. Open Road Film’s Killer Elite looks likeonly $9.5M for the weekend from 2,986 theaters. But when the veteran star trio of Robert DeNiro, Jason Statham, and Clive Owencan’t knock off Lautner solo in a lousy movie, that’s worth noting. The pic went upto only $3.7M on Saturday after its $3.3M debut Friday. CinemaScore was aB. I hear Open Roadacquired the film for nothing, only P&A, so it’ll be nicely profitable. Not bad for the company’s first release.A few notes about the Killer Elite marketing campaign: it had the predictablyheavy presence in sports including an ‘NFL on FOX’ TV promotion with a “Killer” prize of trip to LA to hang out with the Fox sports on-air guys, apromotion with Spike TV’s UFC Fight Night, and even Comedy Central’s Charlie Sheen Roast.De Niro made a rare late-night talk show appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he sat down with Kimmel’s security guard-turned celeb interviewer Guillermo. AndMTV Networks did a direct email campaign to target demos within their very largecustomer database. Here’s the rest of the Top 10: 6. Contagion (Participant/Warner Bros) Week 3 [3,136 Theaters] Friday $2.6M,Saturday $4.1M, Weekend $9M, Cume $57.5M 7. Drive (FilmDistrict) Week 2 [2,904 Theaters] Friday $1.8M (-50%),Saturday $2.4M, Weekend $6M, Cume $21.6M 8. The Help (Participant/DreamWorks/Disney] Week 7 [2,695 Theaters] Friday $1.3M,Saturday $2M,Weekend $4.5M, Cume $154.5M 9. Straw Dogs (Sony) Week 2 [2,408 Theaters] Friday $685K (-65%),Saturday $900K, Weekend $2.1M, Cume $8.5M 10. I Don’t Know How She Does It (Weinstein Co) Week 2 [2,490 Theaters] Friday $677K (-57%),Saturday $875K,Weekend $2M, Cume $8M FRIDAY 4 PM: On vacation. So box office is brought to you from a sunny climate where the palm trees sway in time to the dancing trade winds… But back home there’s a fierce fight going on. These are very early grosses, and my sources say Rentrak has been experiencing problems today — thus giving Hollywood even more Maalox moments than usual. Sony’s Moneyball starring Brad Pitt will be No. 1 with approx $8M Friday and possibly mid-$20sM for the weekend. That solid number helps Brad Pitt’s awards chances in this well-received male-centric sports movie. Right now Alcon Entertainment/Warner Bros’ Dolphin Tale and Lionsgate’s Abduction are battling for No. 2 with around $6M today and what could be high teens for the weekend. Interesting, because the heartstrings-pulling pic was tracking much better. Then again, Taylor Lautner’s action thriller is playing in 389 less theaters. So anyone who claimed this Twilight kid couldn’t open an envelope is wrong, wrong, wrong: there are major stars who would be thrilled with that outcome, especially in as rotten a reviewed movie as this one. Open Road’s Killer Elite looks a notch lower – maybe $5M today, and low teens for the weekend. Frequent updates coming with full analysis.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Toronto: Where Will We Go Ahead Now? Wins Audience Award, The Raid Will get Madnight Madness, Island Leader Wins Docu Prize

The 2011 Toronto Film Festival is drawing to some close, and also the festival just passed out its awards. The those who win: Cadillac People’s Choice Award: Nadine Labaki-directed Where Will We Go Ahead Now? Cadillac People’s Choice Award For Documentary: Jon Shenk-directed The Area Leader Cadillar People’s Choice Award For Night time Madness: Gareth Evans-directed The Raid Town of Toronto and Astral Media’s The Film Network Award For The Best Canadian Feature: Philippe Falardeau-directed Monsieur Lazhar Skyy Vodka Award For The Best Canadian First Feature Film: Nathan Morlando-directed Edwin Boyd FIPRESCI Prize For Special Presentations Section: Gianni Amelio-directed The Very First Guy FIPRESCI Prize For Discovery Programme: Axel Petersen-directed Avalon (Sweden) Best Canadian Video Clip: Ian Harnarine-directed Doubles With Slight Pepper

Monday, September 12, 2011

Child Mariachi Concert Sounds Strangely Like Horror-Movie Theme

Not to get down on a bunch of kids, but check out the string parts in this video of a child mariachi ensemble currently making the Web rounds, and tell me this isn’t custom-made for some kind of Shining-esque psychological thriller. Or maybe a Radiohead album. And then there’s a trumpet! All it’s missing is Shia LaBeouf behind the camera. Rock out, freak out and read on for more Buzz Break. [via Videogum] · Better late than never: At age 74, Dustin Hoffman is set to make his directorial debut with the film Quartet, starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, and other UK acting powerhouses in the tale of a retired opera singers’ home turned upside-down by old rivalries and traditions. [THR] · I don’t know how anyone can think The Damned United isn’t the best soccer film ever made, but there you have it. See where your favorite sports flicks fall in The Sports-Movie Hall of Fame. [Nerve] · It’s that time again! Vote early and vote often for Hollywood’s least-liked executives in the 2011 Brown List sweepstakes. [Hollywood Temp Diaries] · Congratulations to romance novelist Susan Andersen and her editor on the awesomest… typo… ever: “I apologise to anyone who bought my on-sale ebook of Baby, I’m Yours and read on pg 293: ‘He stiffened for a moment but then she felt his muscles loosen as he shitted on the ground.’ Shifted - he SHIFTED!” [The Guardian via The Awl]

Saturday, September 10, 2011

DIGGING FOR TREASURE: Third Treasure Search Project Offered In The Nets This Year

EXCLUSIVE: Using the systems’ purchasing season half-way done, trends are beginning to emerge. Together with the strong showing through the comedy genre to date and also the ongoing strength of book adaptations, taking pleasure in recognition are shows about treasure tracks. The most recent entry is definitely an untitled adventure drama from Bald eagle Eye author John Glenn, that has been bought by NBC. Referred to as “Da Vinci Code meets National Treasure,” it focuses on a youthful NYPD beat cop who, along together with his family and buddies, embarks upon the finest treasure search in history. Glenn is executive creating with Maria Grasso and Deborah Spera for The new sony Pictures TV in which the two lately inked a pod deal. NBC is also developing an up-to-date version from the 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film Romancing the Stone, whose plot began having a romance author performed by Kathleen Turner getting a treasure map. Mark Friedman is writing the variation. As well as in another book adaptation, ABC lately bought The Seven Miracles, a treasure search show within the spirit of Raiders from the Lost Arc and National Treasure in line with the Jack West Junior. number of adventure books by Australian author Matthew Reilly. Michael Seitzman is writing and Mark Gordon creating.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Eva

An Escac presentation of an Escandalo Films Prod., in co-production with Ran Entertainment, with the Participation of Television Espanola Canal Plus, in association with Televisio de Catalunya Bunuel-Iberautor. (International sales: Wild Bunch, Paris.) Executive producers, Sergi Casamitjana, Aintza Serra, Lita Roig. Directed by Kike Maillo. Screenplay, Sergi Belbel, Cristina Clemente, Marti Roca, Aintza Serra.With: Daniel Bruehl, Marta Etura, Alberto Ammann, Claudia Vega, Anne Canovas, Lluis Homar.Thought-provoking and well-executed Spanish sci-fier "Eva" unfolds in a world some 30 years from now where robots are an unremarkable part of everyday life and the challenges facing mankind have less to do with environmental meltdown than with what makes us human. Giddily beautiful CGI combines with production design that doesn't overdo the futurism to create a very promising feature debut for helmer Kike Maillo, who's made lots of commercials and a few shorts already. After its Venice preem, the pic opens domestically Oct. 28, and should do respectable biz for a genre piece, with good prospects offshore. It's the year 2041, and top robotics designer Alex Garel (German thesp Daniel Bruehl, showing off his fluent command of Spanish) returns after a 10-year absence to his home town in Spain where the U. of Santa Irene, Alex's alma mater, is based. Alex is greeted with warmth by his brother David (Alberto Ammann) who's also a robotics scientist, but with more wariness by David's wife, Lana (Marta Etura), whom later dialogue reveals is an old flame. Alex has come back is to work on the latest generation of android, the SI-9, at the behest of Julia (Anne Canovas), the head of the robotics faculty. Alex has a particular gift for designing androids' minds and personalities, which he adjusts using a holographic schematic, rendered by decorative CGI, that looks like a cross between a crystal chandelier and the inside of a mechanical watch. In order to create an interesting android child, David must find an interesting real one to study for inspiration. Enter 10-year-old Eva (Claudia Vega), a feisty little girl he spots leaving school one day who turns out, wouldn't you know it, to be David and Lana's daughter. Or is she? Someone remarks on how much she looks like Alex, and her original and quirky personality, so like his, suggests there might be more than just an uncle-niece affinity between them. Pic lays on a couple of plot twists, neither of which is much of a surprise to auds savvy to sci-fi storytelling conventions, but the script by Sergi Belbel, Cristina Clemente, Marti Roca and Aintza Serra offers plenty of light and shade, adroitly counterbalancing melodrama and existential philosophizing with more humorous touches. A lot of the laughs are provided by Max, an android factotum -- basically Igor to Alex's Dr. Frankenstein -- played with physical panache and sweet comic timing by Lluis Homar, who took the lead in Pedro Almodovar's "Broken Embraces." Add an adorable robot cat, and plenty of twinkling gadgets, and you have a solid, if not especially deep piece of filmmaking that ticks all the right genre boxes. Tech credits are pro across the board. The animated opening credits sequence, full of the aforementioned glittering crystalline organic matter, is particularly praiseworthy.Camera (color, widescreen), Arnau Valls Colomer; editor, Elena Ruiz; music, Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine; art director, Laia Colet; costume designer, Maria Gal; sound (Dolby Digital), Jordi Rossinyol; sound designer, Oriol Tarrago; re-recording mixer, Marc Orts; visual effects supervisors, Lluis Castells, Javier Garcia; visual effects, Fassman VFX; line producer, Toni Carrizosa; assistant director, Jon Mikel Caballero; casting, Eva Leira, Yolanda Serrano. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (noncompeting), Sept. 8, 2011. Running time: 95 MIN. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com