Columbia

Author: Craig
Location: CA

"Columbia"

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu
Written by Guillermo Arriaga
Music by Alexandre Desplat

Principal Cast:

Emmy Rossum (Jennifer Freeman)
Shawn Ashmore (Patrick)
Evan Rachel Wood (Danielle)
Johnny Depp (Mark Huthrow)
Scott Mechlowicz (Kyle)
Thora Birch (Chloe)
Renee Zellweger (Amelia Huthrow)
Julianne Moore (Cathy Freeman)
Haley Joel Osment (Todd)

Tagline: "It really happened"

Synopsis: In the tradition of 21 Grams and Babel, director Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu presents a new three person drama but this time, it contains an all-star supporting cast as well. It is the story of a young girl (Rossum) who avoids a train accident and becomes connected with two others who are somehow involved.

Ashmore is the only survivor of the accident who is visited by Jennifer in the hospital, and finds himself falling in love with her. Wood is a teenager who was orphaned by the accident, and turns to drugs to escape her grief. Mechlowicz is the typical sports star boyfriend of Jennifer, who becomes suspicious of her frequent trips to the hospital. Depp plays a teacher who is deeply concerned by the lead’s behavior. Birch plays a teenage girl who befriends Jennifer during her personal crisis. Zellweger plays Depp’s wife who wonders why he is becoming more distant and why his thoughts are always somewhere else. Moore is the mother who becomes frightened by her daughter’s new aggressive behavior. And Osment is a friend of Danielle who realizes that she does not belong with drugs. The three stories soon become linked and things become even more complicated.

What the press would say:

Emmy Rossum turns in another amazing performance as a young girl who begins to unravel after she witnesses the accident. Her performance is awe-inspiring, but the best performance is Wood’s. Similar and different at the same time to her role in Thirteen, Wood portrays a troubled girl with flying stars. She completely dissolves into her character and steals the show. Depp gives another Oscar-caliber performance as the teacher, but Zellweger surpasses even him as his wife, who beings to believe that he is having affair. Renee is fabulous in one of her first gritty roles, and this will certainly change her career for the better. Birch is fantastic as the mature but troubled girl, and while her role is not very demanding, she draws all attention to her when she is onscreen. Moore again displays her talent as the frightened moth er who is too afraid to do anything to help her daughter. While not a particularly caring mother, her maternal instincts kick in when she realizes her daughter may be a danger to herself and others. Great directing and another superb script make this a surefire Academy Award winning project. The potential awards are:

Best Picture
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu
Best Original Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga
Best Actress: Emmy Rossum
Best Actress: Evan Rachel Wood
Best Supporting Actor: Haley Joel Osment
Best Supporting Actor: Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger
Best Supporting Actress: Julianne Moore
Best Special Effects