While James L. Brooks’ recent output hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire (”How Do You Know,” anyone?), there’s still a genuine sense of curiosity around his return to the director’s chair.
And rightly so. This is the man behind “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News,” and “As Good As It Gets,” three great films. After a 15-year absence, Brooks is back with “Ella McCay,” and the film has just released its trailer.
Mackey stars as the titular Ella, a young, idealistic politician juggling personal responsibilities with a rapidly accelerating career as she prepares to succeed her mentor, an aging, long-serving governor.
The cast is filled with talent: Emma Mackey, Rebecca Hall, Jamie Lee Curtis, Woody Harrelson, Ayo Edebiri, Albert Brooks, Kumail Nanjiani, Jack Lowden, and Spike Fearn. However, let’s keep our expectations in check. Brooks hasn’t really made a worthy film in almost thirty years.
Behind the camera is Robert Elswit, the Oscar-winning cinematographer known for his gorgeous black-and-white work on Netflix’s “Ripley.” Elswit was once Paul Thomas Anderson’s go-to DP (“There Will Be Blood,” “Punch-Drunk Love”), until a well-documented falling out during the making of “Inherent Vice” ended their longtime collaboration.
Brooks, now 85, has directed only six films in his forty-year career, but when he’s on, he’s one of the best in the genre. Whether “Ella McCay” finds itself on the same level as his classics remains to be seen, and that trailer hasn’t fully convinced me just yet, but regardless, this one has my attention.
The film has set its sights on a December 19 release. Is that a prime awards-season date, or Disney and 20th Century just hoping for a holiday sleeper hit?