Today sees the most comprehensive relaunch of an Australian metro or national newspaper in at least five years, with The Sun-Herald showing Sydneysiders its new look.
It’s a definite improvement, and I suspect that in the process of reconfiguring the sections, Fairfax Media is going to save some print costs too. it also reverses most of the changes made in its last redesign about 18 months ago.
Let’s start with the cover.
The first reality kicks in the with new, dark blue masthead. Despite many advances, colour newspaper printing is still something of an imprecise art. In the case of my edition, the dark blue is so dark that the masthead has actually gone black.
The same goes for the headline on the front page teaser for Annabel Crabb’s column.
The major change though is the cover led image. Which by the way strikes me as a good strategy.
It’s a definite improvement, and I suspect that in the process of reconfiguring the sections, Fairfax Media is going to save some print costs too. it also reverses most of the changes made in its last redesign about 18 months ago.
Let’s start with the cover.
The first reality kicks in the with new, dark blue masthead. Despite many advances, colour newspaper printing is still something of an imprecise art. In the case of my edition, the dark blue is so dark that the masthead has actually gone black.
The same goes for the headline on the front page teaser for Annabel Crabb’s column.
The major change though is the cover led image. Which by the way strikes me as a good strategy.
- 3/25/2012
- by mumbrella
- Encore Magazine
Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt make strange bedfellows in "The Devil's Own", a beguiling but ultimately leaden tale of moral conflict focusing on an upright Irish cop in New York City (Ford) and a revenge-minded Irish terrorist on a mission to make a violent statement in support of his cause.
Unfortunately, the film is bedeviled by its murky, slow-moving dramatic nature and will be hurt appreciably at the boxoffice after the first weekend of major green based on the attractive pairing of Ford and Pitt.
In this heartbreaking old/new yarn, Pitt stars as Rory, a young man who witnessed his father being gunned down at the family dinner table because of his political affiliations (read IRA). A personable chap, Rory has never gotten over the horror of his father's death and he has become an avenging "angel" of sorts, moving to New York with a false identity and winning his way into the home of an upright Irish-American cop, Tom O'Meara (Ford). Tom is an old-school type guy, a straight arrow who eschews using force even in his capacity as one of New York City's finest. As a good Catholic with a houseful of daughters, it's not surprising that Tom takes to Rory's company immediately. In steadfast Tom, Rory sees the father he never had.
Although this scenario bursts with good male-bonding scenes, as Tom and Rory come to admire and respect each other, the screenplay tends to wallow in these scenes. In short, it never really cuts to the chase until way too late. Admittedly, the writing is bright, pointing up the respective moral dilemmas as personified by these two very different people, but nothing essentially happens for long patches of the film. The character development, while admirable, tends to subsume this thriller's obvious point of conflict.
Director Alan J. Pakula deserves credit for appreciating the significance of the pairing of these two very different individuals, but, alas, Pakula has allowed the script to stew. Aesthetically, Pakula and the well-chosen production team have swathed the film in a chorus of dark tones, reflective of the harsh and murky moral choices being made. Special praise goes to cinematographer Gordon Willis for the somber, complex hues and to composer James Horner for the indigenous sadness of the score.
Individually, Ford and Pitt are solid. With his close-to-the-neck haircut and crisp manner, Ford exudes the decency and certainty of a man who has his priorities carefully dotted. When he senses the stiff order of his ways is no longer working, he rallies forth in a decent, resilient manner. As the troubled terrorist, Pitt is strong -- charismatic and dangerous -- a time bomb waiting to explode. Other cast members are well-selected, including Ruben Blades as an police sergeant and Margaret Colin as Ford's rock-solid wife.
THE DEVIL'S OWN
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures and Lawrence Gordon present
an Alan J. Pakula film
Producers Lawrence Gordon,
Robert F. Colesberry
Director Alan J. Pakula
Screenwriters David Aaron Cohen,
Vincent Patrick, Kevin Jarre
Story Kevin Jarre
Director of photography Gordon Willis
Production designer Jane Musky
Editors Tom Rolf, Dennis Virkler
Costume designer Bernie Pollack
Music James Horner
Casting Alixe Gordin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Tom O'Meara Harrison Ford
Rory Devaney Brad Pitt
Sheila O'Meara Margaret Colin
Edwin Diaz Ruben Blades
Billy Burke Treat Williams
Peter Fitzsimmons George Hearn
Chief Jim Kelly Mitchell Ryan
Megan Doherty Natascha McElhone
Sean Phelan Paul Ronan
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Unfortunately, the film is bedeviled by its murky, slow-moving dramatic nature and will be hurt appreciably at the boxoffice after the first weekend of major green based on the attractive pairing of Ford and Pitt.
In this heartbreaking old/new yarn, Pitt stars as Rory, a young man who witnessed his father being gunned down at the family dinner table because of his political affiliations (read IRA). A personable chap, Rory has never gotten over the horror of his father's death and he has become an avenging "angel" of sorts, moving to New York with a false identity and winning his way into the home of an upright Irish-American cop, Tom O'Meara (Ford). Tom is an old-school type guy, a straight arrow who eschews using force even in his capacity as one of New York City's finest. As a good Catholic with a houseful of daughters, it's not surprising that Tom takes to Rory's company immediately. In steadfast Tom, Rory sees the father he never had.
Although this scenario bursts with good male-bonding scenes, as Tom and Rory come to admire and respect each other, the screenplay tends to wallow in these scenes. In short, it never really cuts to the chase until way too late. Admittedly, the writing is bright, pointing up the respective moral dilemmas as personified by these two very different people, but nothing essentially happens for long patches of the film. The character development, while admirable, tends to subsume this thriller's obvious point of conflict.
Director Alan J. Pakula deserves credit for appreciating the significance of the pairing of these two very different individuals, but, alas, Pakula has allowed the script to stew. Aesthetically, Pakula and the well-chosen production team have swathed the film in a chorus of dark tones, reflective of the harsh and murky moral choices being made. Special praise goes to cinematographer Gordon Willis for the somber, complex hues and to composer James Horner for the indigenous sadness of the score.
Individually, Ford and Pitt are solid. With his close-to-the-neck haircut and crisp manner, Ford exudes the decency and certainty of a man who has his priorities carefully dotted. When he senses the stiff order of his ways is no longer working, he rallies forth in a decent, resilient manner. As the troubled terrorist, Pitt is strong -- charismatic and dangerous -- a time bomb waiting to explode. Other cast members are well-selected, including Ruben Blades as an police sergeant and Margaret Colin as Ford's rock-solid wife.
THE DEVIL'S OWN
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures and Lawrence Gordon present
an Alan J. Pakula film
Producers Lawrence Gordon,
Robert F. Colesberry
Director Alan J. Pakula
Screenwriters David Aaron Cohen,
Vincent Patrick, Kevin Jarre
Story Kevin Jarre
Director of photography Gordon Willis
Production designer Jane Musky
Editors Tom Rolf, Dennis Virkler
Costume designer Bernie Pollack
Music James Horner
Casting Alixe Gordin
Color/stereo
Cast:
Tom O'Meara Harrison Ford
Rory Devaney Brad Pitt
Sheila O'Meara Margaret Colin
Edwin Diaz Ruben Blades
Billy Burke Treat Williams
Peter Fitzsimmons George Hearn
Chief Jim Kelly Mitchell Ryan
Megan Doherty Natascha McElhone
Sean Phelan Paul Ronan
Running time -- 113 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/19/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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