That’s right. Instead of appending a roman numeral or a pretentious under-title, this time the filmmakers are going the other way… by dropping the “the”s out of the title. This time, it’s just Fast And Furious. The surviving cast from the first film are all back – Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster, plus the super cool Sung Kang from Tokyo Drift. And I’m not ashamed to admit it, but this excites me much more than many of the bloated, faux-profound slam-bang offerings we got at the multi-plex this summer.

When I saw this on the big screen, I was so excited, I started texting my motor-head friends from the theater, mid-trailer. This is a true teaser trailer. No “voice of god” intonations, no anticipatory title cards to start with. The first :75 is all one continuous action scene from the film, and while it lacks the power-slide stunt driving of Tokyo Drift, it’s still full of hard-nosed driving and more than a little gunplay.

Watch it here: Fast And Furious

Comments? Reactions?

The script pages were previously leaked, and he’s racing to have the movie in theaters by election season. The trailer isn’t bad – though obviously it’s a rush job. There’s no cartoonish Will Ferrell impersonation, or cheap shots . The more I hear, the more curious I am about this project. When he has a mind to do it, Stone is a great filmmaker, and nothing fuels his engine like controversy.

Truly, the most controversial thing thing Stone could do is to treat W like a legitimate tragic hero.

And what’s downright eerie is the casting – Rumsfeld, Bush Sr, and Rove look a little off, but Rice, Cheney, Powell, and Laura Bush are frightening dead ringers.

See it here, and click it quick before the lawyers pull it down.

The link to the trailer is right there on the main page. Comments are welcome.

This is an incredible documentary which, due to a heavy personal bias, I can’t really review… but I will shamelessly plug the film because it’s spectacular. It’s the story of Kassim Ouma, a kidnapped child soldier who deserted the Ugandan army, fled to America with nothing, and became a champion boxer. The film is a reflection on his path to success, and documents his struggle to return home to visit his family in Uganda. Because of his status as a deserter, he has to fight for a military pardon from the President of Uganda in order to return.

It’s a heavy and moving story, yet the storytelling is deceptively simple. The broad strokes of Kassim’s life are laid out cleanly and quickly, but this isn’t a triumphant Rocky or a weepy tale of overcoming tragedy. The film never drifts away on sentiment or boxing-movie cliche. Director Kief Davidson resists the temptation to sensationalize it – Kassim’s story is almost unbelievable as it is – and instead he gradually peels back the layers of Kassim’s personality. Victory and defeat are easy to grasp, but far more elusive is knowing what’s it like to survive the unthinkable.

Kassim did more than survive, he flourished. He arrived in America speaking no English, stayed in a crack hotel (which was a huge step up for him), and found salvation in a boxing gym. He is an irrepressible, constant joker, but in the lulls, the nightmares of his childhood are never far away. Kassim’s childhood was stolen, so he remains a perpetual adolescent, joking and needy at the same time. The specifics of his story are searing, and Davidson watches with an unblinking camera eye.

The cinematography is stunning. Shot on high-definition video using a Varicam – a video camera that approximates the beauty of rich film stock, cinematographer Tony Malina, Jr. captures some breathtaking and epic imagery. The real achievement, though, is keeping the on-the-fly, verite footage on the same level as the picturesque beauty shots. Whether Kassim is working out, hanging out in a crowded kitchen, or posed in the gym, nothing feels out of place. The film is intent on looking at Kassim clearly, and the precise camerawork pays off handsomely.

I first watched Kassim The Dream in a small window on a laptop editing program, and I was riveted. For those of you in New York City, attending the Tribeca Film Festival, this is the screening schedule… this is a truly unique and beautiful film, you won’t be disappointed:

Fri, Apr 25, 6:00PM	Village East Cinema 1 (Map)	In your Calendar
Sat, Apr 26, 3:00PM	AMC 19th St. East Theater 2 (Map)	In your Calendar
Sun, Apr 27, 4:30PM	AMC Village VII Theater 5 (Map)	In your Calendar
Sun, Apr 27, 10:30PM	AMC Village VII Theater 5 (Map)	In your Calendar
Tue, Apr 29, 6:30PM	AMC Village VII Theater 3 (Map)	In your Calendar
Sat, May 03, 6:30PM	AMC 19th St. East Theater 3 (Map)	In your Calendar