ROTTEN TOMATOES: Five Favorite Films with Push Director Paul McGuigan Comments

Five Favorite Films with Push Director Paul McGuigan

by Jen Yamato | January 27, 2009

Summary

Given his filmography of stylized thrillers, Scottish director Paul McGuigan (Gangster No. 1, Wicker Park, Lucky Number Slevin) seemed a fitting choice to helm February's supernatural actioner Push, a Hong Kong-set sci-fi adventure about normal people endowed with super powers starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, and Djimon Hounsou. Accordingly, one may be taken aback to hear that McGuigan names romantic auteur Wong Kar-Wai among his favorite directorial influences, but as he demonstrates in Push -- which captures the vibrant streets of Hong Kong in lush detail, appropriately -- McGuigan possesses a strong visual finesse that belies his history of making brutal crime movies and Hollywood suspense flicks. Back to Article

(1-42 of 42 posts) | Reply

oddjob323 writes:
on Jan 27 2009 05:58 PM

I'm surprised he didn't say Jumper.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Jan 27 2009 06:25 PM

Meh. I just summed up his career. "Rear Window" is great, I'm not so sure about "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". I have no interest in "Push".

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arendr writes:
on Jan 27 2009 06:37 PM

A movie about Robert Capa, eh? I wouldn't exactly call that a "Hitchcockian backstory" since Capa is one of the most influential photojournalists of all time, but okay.

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gneah3 writes:
on Jan 27 2009 06:38 PM

thats an awesome list.

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meinink2y writes:
on Jan 27 2009 06:47 PM

He EVEN liked The Fountain? That pisses me off; such a great movie doesn't deserve to EVEN be liked. It deserves to be loved because it's one of the best movies ever made.

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cubitfox writes:
on Jan 27 2009 07:21 PM

He's kind of a moron, and a little bit unoriginal. Yeah, people have heard of Requiem for a Dream. not a big deal. not a whole of people, but people none the less. when you go into the movie industry, people usually know a lot about movies. he probably thinks no has heard of trainspotting or fear and loathing in las vegas.

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jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jan 27 2009 08:04 PM

Come on guys don't bash his list, it has Rear Window! I do think Push looks bad though and this years Jumper and I will probably rent it- maybe it will surprise me like Lucky Number Slevin which was kind of good. Though Push will probably suck.

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Tyler Foster writes:
on Jan 27 2009 08:11 PM

In reply to this comment (#2287144)
He was saying he was surprised that people had heard of his film Gangster No. 1, not Requiem For a Dream.

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doc.grizzly writes:
on Jan 27 2009 08:26 PM

Man, Push is the only movie sense Tropic Thunder that I'm willing to throw down $8 to $10 dollars to see. To me, it looks like a sleeper hit.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jan 27 2009 09:22 PM

Jen,

I'm sorry you had to see Push.

This guy couldn't direct himself out of a paper bag. He panders to the lowest common denominator of an audience, mostly borderline personality/mildly retarted adolescent males. The trailer for Push was one of the most Stupid things I've seen in a good long time. I'm very sad, also, that Djimon Hansou is in this film.

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jan 27 2009 09:24 PM

Oh,

the fact he picked Wong Kar-Wai annoyed me, but the fact he has taken cues from him made me laugh out loud. They're totally opposite directors. . .

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Alex Mang writes:
on Jan 27 2009 09:58 PM

"And it dawned on me that people in America aren't that dumb after all, you know? They're kind of smart"

Gee, thanks.

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Jan 27 2009 10:06 PM

Nice call on Rear Window!

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StefansZ writes:
on Jan 27 2009 10:37 PM

I can't really agree with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but Rear Window is definitely a great choice.

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KingSigy writes:
on Jan 27 2009 11:37 PM

Wow, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. That movie was pretty dumb. Wong Kar-Wai is always a good choice, though.

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Jatin p. writes:
on Jan 28 2009 12:18 AM

hi

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Bulletproof_Animal writes:
on Jan 28 2009 12:36 AM

Forget Star Wars and all that? You can p!ss right off, mate. Just for that I'm not going to see your X-Men/Jumper rip-off.

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~*Admiral Snowstorm*~ writes:
on Jan 28 2009 04:54 AM

Well, I was hugely impressed that he picked a Wong Kar-Wai movie, and then hugely disappointed that he picked an Aronofsky movie. Oh well.

I am impressed it's not just Star Wars and The Godfather and Casablanca and other dull choices, though. Rear Window's mention makes me pretty happy. I guess my interest in Push just rose a degree or two, though I still don't expect to pay to see it in theaters. Honestly, if the guy likes Wong Kar-Wai's style so much, I can't understand what compelled him to make Push.

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Dizzle Sizzle writes:
on Jan 28 2009 07:51 AM

I personally dislike/hate all of his movies, so it doesn't surprise me that Push looks equally as terrible an unoriginal, and that his list is far from impressive.

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justjohn writes:
on Jan 28 2009 08:36 AM

When he was talking about Americans being smarter than he thought they would be he was referring to their movie iq's, and how much people know about the movies these days.

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justjohn writes:
on Jan 28 2009 08:40 AM

Oh and why is their such hate out there for Push? So what if at first glance it looks like jumper, all I'm saying is that there is an awful lot of hate for a movie that almost no one has seen yet.

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ihatecarneys writes:
on Jan 28 2009 08:41 AM

Push looks like a Heroes ripoff, not an xmen/jumper ripoff. Xmen and heroes both have guys with telekinetic abilities and people that have the ability to neutralize other powers. But xmen doesn't have a person that can see the future like heroes has. It looks more like heroes to me.

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justjohn writes:
on Jan 28 2009 08:46 AM

As for the Heroes example well I like the show and have watched it from the very beginning but it is still a rip off of every super-hero universe and character from the last 40 years so it doesn't really work to say that push ripped off heroes. Besides the style of the 2 look completely different, just saying.

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Carlos R. writes:
on Jan 28 2009 09:52 AM

I haven't seen any of his favorites movies, but I won't take advise from someone who stole Guy Ritchie's style and made a terrible movie with it. (Lucky Number Sleiven).

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Carlos R. writes:
on Jan 28 2009 09:54 AM

I haven't seen any of his favorites movies, but I won't take advise from someone who stole Guy Ritchie's style and made a terrible movie with it. (Lucky Number Sleiven).

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CFM writes:
on Jan 28 2009 10:15 AM

"And it dawned on me that people in America aren't that dumb after all, you know?"

*raises middle finger*

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tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jan 28 2009 10:27 AM

In reply to this comment (#2288212)
"And it dawned on me that people in America aren't that dumb after all, you know?"

Actually, that's what made him sad, as only stupid people from now on will watch his heros/jumper/xmen rip-off.

I mean, have you seen the trailer? How amazingly stupid is it to move guns through the air, and still not be able to get an angle on a guy who is wide open from the back. Instead they keep shooting at the columns.

And,

Heroes is kind of an x-men rip-off.

This director is a total douche.

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vitajex writes:
on Jan 28 2009 10:42 AM

"The Man in the White Suit" is a fantastic film. I especially love the way the laboratory bubbles and beeps like proto-techo music.

No comment needed on "Requiem"...

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stevegilpin writes:
on Jan 28 2009 10:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#2287088)
meinink2y is right! The Fountain is a great cinematic work of art. I'm sort of surprised people didn't dig it more. I love that movie!

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Funkmaster Flex writes:
on Jan 28 2009 11:36 AM

I at least like on these lists when they explain why they like a particular movie. I do find it funny that he feels that Europeans have such a better understanding of "smart" movies. As if the higest grossing movies over there are small indie movies and not Pirates of the Carribean. I seriously can't believe I saw a picture of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang today. I haven't seen that movie in 20 years.

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Failure101 writes:
on Jan 28 2009 03:20 PM

Dubya Tea Eff?

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lestatthevampire writes:
on Jan 28 2009 03:39 PM

ledawg, I say meh. That's my thing I stole from Lisa Simpson.
Meh.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Jan 29 2009 06:50 PM

In reply to this comment (#2288711)
Lisa Simpson owns it really. I said it once and I guy thought I was Jewish. In order to avoid his embarrasment, I just agreed.

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n8mills writes:
on Jan 29 2009 08:03 PM

Wow, I can't believe all the haters. Not getting paid to criticize, but doing it anyway. Why do I read these stream of bile? It's as though I'm waiting for somebody to communicate something poetic and beautiful...

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Jan 29 2009 10:07 PM

In reply to this comment (#2290177)
Paul McGuigan is the greatest filmaker who ever lived. HAPPY?!

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Graeme A. writes:
on Jan 29 2009 10:41 PM

A lot of you folks just seem to be looking for something to whine about. This is the guy's list of personal favourites, so it's a little closed-minded to call him a dick based on his film preferences.
He wasn't bashing Star Wars; merely stating that Alec Guinness' best work was produced before his turn as Obi-Wan. And The Fountain didn't exactly receive rave reviews, hence the statement 'I even liked The Fountain.'
Instead of merely reading the printed words and getting all indignant, why not learn to actually understand what the guy's saying by reading the statements in context.
I have to agree, though, that Push looks like another throwaway action flick. With Heroes having so effectively distanced its audience, however, it may be an enjoyable watch.

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Dr. Bill Harford writes:
on Jan 30 2009 02:36 PM

Does he get points for Requiem for a Dream? Hell yea!

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vagrant_hippo writes:
on Jan 30 2009 08:06 PM

His list sounds honest. He actualls understands the films he's talking about, and he even recognizes that he made Push just for a fun time at the movies, and doesn't expect it to be some intellectually fantastic movie. That, and he says pretty much everything I like about Aronofsky.

Mad respect to you sir.

(Reply to this)

MadMan23 writes:
on Jan 31 2009 09:03 AM

In reply to this comment (#2288090)
He knows alot about how to make a mediocre movie. This guy's a beat off many people don't like to go to the theaters. They'd rather watch the movie at home.

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Eric S. writes:
on Feb 01 2009 10:45 AM

The fact that he has Requiem for a dream on there has turned me away. God, I hated that movie. lol

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Brad 3000 writes:
on Feb 01 2009 03:46 PM

In reply to this comment (#2292650)
Wait - this guy beats off people in theaters? What?

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Ben B. writes:
on Feb 06 2009 02:06 AM

This guy is confused. Seems to me he just mentioned Requiem for a Dream to tell a personal history.

(Reply to this)

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