Helen Mirren Joins The Last Station April 9, 2008
Posted by movies in : Uncategorized , add a comment- Academy Award winning actress Dame Helen Mirren is to star in The Last Station which is shooting now in Germany.
The film, which is directed by Russian filmmaker Andrei Konshalovski, is a historical drama based on the latter years of writer Tolstoy’s life.
Mirren is set to play his wife Sopia who is angered by her husband’s decision to give his book royalties to charity.
- 3:10 to Yuma and Puccini for Beginners actress Gretchen Mol has joined Luke Wilson for new film Blowtorch.
The film, which has been written and will be directed by Mike Million, follows two professors who are fighting it out for the same permanent spot on a college faculty roster.
Filming gets underway in Philadelphia next week.
- Pride and Prejudice actress Rosamund Pike and Pitch Black star Rhada Mitchell have joined Disney’s The Surrogates.
The film is based on Robert Venditti’s graphic novel and will also star Bruce Willis.
Directed by Jonathan Mostow the film is expected to start shooting in Boston later this month.
- Diane Keaton has signed up to star in road trip comedy The Widows’ Adventure.
The film will revolve around two widowed sisters who go on an unlikely trip from Chicago to Los Angeles.
The project is currently looking for a director.
- PS I Love You actor Jeffery Dean Morgan has joined All The Good Things alongside Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst.
The eighties drama follows a New York real estate mogul (Gosling) who becomes involved with a girl (Dunst) from the poorer side of town.
Morgan is expected to play the detective who investigates the disappearance of Dunst’s character.
Filming begins later this month in Connecticut.
- Little Miss Sunshine actress Toni Collette has joined Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes’ as yet untitled comedy.
According to the Hollywood Reporter Collete will play a professor and friend of a couple who are looking for a place to settle down and start a family.
Filming gets underway later this month.
Is Marion Cotillard’s Hollywood Career Over? March 11, 2008
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After just two weeks of basking in her slightly unexpected Best Actress Oscar glory French star Marion Cotillard faces a backlash over 9/11 comments.
In an interview given to a French television network the thirty two year old actress appeared to suggest that the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre were stage in an attempt to avoid refurbishing them.
‘We see other towers of the same kind being hit by planes, are they burned? There was a tower, I believe it was in Spain, which burned for twenty four hours.
‘It never collapsed. None of these towers collapsed. And there (in New York), in a few minutes, the whole thing collapsed.’
The comments were made on a television programme in 2006 and footage for the show has, only recently, appeared on the Internet.
9/11 was the biggest tragedy in American history killing almost 3,000 people.
The actress, who won an Oscar for her role as Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose, went on to question America’s greatest historical moment questioning if they really did land on the moon.
‘Did a man really walk on the moon? I saw plenty of documentaries on it, and I really wondered. And in any case I don’t believe all they tell me, that’s for sure.’
However in an embarrassing u-turn that actress claimed that there had been a misunderstanding as she attempted to try and keep the Hollywood film industry, which is notoriously patriotic, on her side.
Her lawyer Vincent Toledano said: ‘Marion never intended to contest nor question the attacks of September 11, 2001 and regrets the way old remarks have been taken out of context.’
While she my have backtracked she hasn’t apologised for the comments that many in Hollywood, which is divided over the remarks, see as anti-American.
Tim O’Neil, a critic for The Envelope, said: ‘This crosses the line. You can say crazy things, they all do in Hollywood all the time, but she’s a foreigner who is perceived to be saying things that are anti-American.
He also suggested that if this video had been released sooner ’she probably would have lost the Oscar.’
The effect that this will have on her international, and in particular her Hollywood, career is yet to be seen as she is due to begin shooting Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale next week, a contract she signed prior to this outburst.
Public Enemies, which is directed by Michael Mann, will be the biggest role, in terms of being in a large money spinning movie, for the little known actress but may be her last in Hollywood.
‘Non, je ne regrette rien’ may not be the feeling in the Marion Cotillard camp as her career, that is yet really to take but looked very promising, burns down around her.
Is the Franchise Damaging the Box Office? March 10, 2008
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With the rumours this week that Disney are planning a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, to add to the already successful franchise, surely it is time to look at the industry and ask the question has the business of the sequel gone too far?
Other projects that are rumoured to be on the cards, for Disney alone, include a third outing for National Treasure and a second Cars, which was arguably the weakest of the Pixar/Disney collaborations.
Plus movies like Batman, Hulk, Indiana Jones and The Mummy, which will all be fighting it out to be top of the box office this summer, are all, at least, on their second picture except The Mummy which is on it’s third and a fourth for Indy.
It follows the same pattern as last summer where Transformers, which will no doubt go on to be a franchise of its own, was the only original blockbuster as Pirates, Spidey, Shrek and Bourne all wrapped up their respective trilogies.
So I suppose my question is this is the big business for sequels damaging and clogging up the movie industry?
A second or third movie to a successful debut is, without a doubt, a great way for studios to make the big bucks exploiting the general public to buy into a franchise two or three times over, and yes I have done it myself.
Takes Pirates of the Caribbean for example Curse of the Black Pearl was a top of the range action adventure movie that created one of the biggest cinema icons, in Captain Jack Sparrow, of the last decade.
It succeeded where so many other pirate movies had failed that Disney pressed forward to produce two more films: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End.
While both movies are in the top five biggest grossing films of all time, Dead Man’s Chest took just over $1billion at the global box office at three and At World’s End at five grossing just over $958 million, they failed to match Curse of the Black Pearl’s critical response.
There’s a famous saying that the first is always the best. But why is this why can’t the quality of the first movie be replicated in those to follow?
Did Disney’s haste to cash in on this unexpected success have a detrimental effect on the quality if these two movies?
And Pirates is not alone George Lucas’ second Star Wars trilogy, Shrek the Third, Spiderman 3 and Harry Potter and have all suffered from critical negativity despite most of them appearing in the top twenty biggest grossing films of all time.
Compare this to the recent Academy Awards Best Picture category which contained: There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Atonement, Juno and Michael Clayton . Together they had one of the lowest box office grosses for this awards category in twenty years.
Despite this they are all high quality, original one off movies that achieved critical acclaim
.
However the low gross of these movies did lead to some saying that the Oscars has become distanced from what has been successful at the box office and that nominations should follow, to a certain degree, public popularity.
But did we really want to see Spiderman 3 or Shrek the Third win a Best Picture Oscar? I don’t think so!
It is fair to say that the blockbusters are there as a form of entertainment, and while the Oscar nominees may have the backing of the critics they were all a bit dark and depressing.
And while I don’t actually have a problem with the idea of sequels it’s some of the second rate filmmaking that is being released in order to make money and exploit cinema goers that I have a major problem with.
I do genuinely hope that a fourth Pirates movie is on the cards as Sparrow is a great film character and Curse of the Black Pearl was such a fabulous movie.
It is rumoured that the film, if made, would be looking at a 2011 release so that gives Disney plenty of time to get together a great script and make up for mistakes made in the past with this franchise.
Heath Ledger Remembered January 25, 2008
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It’s time to spare a thought for Heath Ledger who sadly passed away earlier this week at the age of twenty eight.
Pushing aside the reason why his life may have been cut so tragically short Heath Ledger was an astonishing acting talent who really was on the brink of super-stardom.
He will be remembered most for his turn in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, a risky role that highlighted his desire to be recognised for his acting talent than box office success.
However the his role in the movie earnt him an Oscar nomination as well as the respect of his Hollywood peers.
I hope that the release of a Dark Knight is not pushed back as there is no better way to celebrate his life than to enjoy his work.
The movie industry has been dealt a heavy blow losing one of it’s most promising talents who, without a doubt had a long and successfull future ahead of him.
Rest in peace.Â
Atonement Dominates BAFTA Nominations January 17, 2008
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While still riding high from winning Best Picture at the recent Golden Globes, Atonement receieved more good news when BAFTA announced that the British movie led the nominations with a whopping fourteen nods.
 It earnt recognition in the big four categories Best Picture, Best Director, for Joe Wright, Best Actreess, for Keira Knightley and Best Actor for James McAvoy.
Joining Atonement in the Best Picture category is  Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, The Lives of Others, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood.
Knightley will once again go head to head with fellow Brit Julie Christie, smoking hot fave for the Oscar, Â for Best Actress with Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page grabbing the other three nominations.
 There are also two Brits, James McAvoy and Daniel Day Lewis, in the Best Actor category with Lewis hoping to repeat his Golden Globe success. George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen and Ulrich Muehe completing the category.
While British talent had something to celebrate there were shocks all round when Sweeney Todd, directed by Tim Burton and starring his old mate and audience fave Johnny Depp, failed to be nominated in any of the major categories.
The film received two Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture Musical/Comedy and Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy at last weekend’s Globes and is tipped for Oscar recognition.
On the bright side the BAFTA’s should go ahead more smoothly without the threat of disruption from the strikig writers as the strike doesn’t effect the UK.Â
And due to the cancelling of the star studded Globes ceremony BAFTA organisers are expected a large number of A-List celebrities to role up in London on 10th Feb.Â
Brits Triumphant at Golden Globes January 14, 2008
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This year’s Golden Globes, despite not going ahead, were a truly international affair as the rest of the world was finally recognised by America.
The Golden Globes is second only to the Oscar and is usually a long line of American talent picking up the gongs - but this year all that changed.
Brit flick Atonement was the somewhat surprise winner of Best Picture, No Country For Old Men was expected to take the prize having already won a string of critic’s awards.
 More British success followed with Daniel Day Lewis and Julie Christie winning Best Actor/Actress for a performance in a drama beating fellow Brits Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.
It seems though such a pity that the ceremony to go ahead so we could see the cream of British talent glide down the red carpet and take on the American film industry in their own back yard.
And there was plenty of British talent on show in the numerous categories with directors Joe Wright and Ridley Scott and actors Tild Swinton, tom Wilkinson and Helen Bonham Carter all missing out.
 But never before has America performed so badly at the awards with only two notable wins for Sweeney Todd in Best Musical or Comedy and Johnny Depp, who we all wish was a Brit but no one is perfect, for Best Actor in a musical or comedy performance.
Other awards went to Cate Blanchett (Aussie), Javier bardem (Spaniard) and Marion Cotillard (French).
More success followed on the televison categories for the Brits with Jim Broadbent and Samantha Morton winning for Longford and Ricky Gervais winning for Extras.
Missing out was Andy Serkis, Jason Issacs and James Nesbitt. Â
And with the Oscar nominations just over a week away we could see British cinema receive more well deserved recognition.
Golden Globes In Jeopardy January 7, 2008
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Well it seems that the chances of seeing the Golden Globes are going from bad to worse as the actors have now announced that they will not cross the writer’s picket lines.
 Things were already looking back for the organisers when the writers, who have been on strike since 5th November, claimed that they would be boycotting the awards by setting up picket lines.
NBC were due to host the event and it looked like the show would take place behind closed doors as there would be no script.
Now hang on a show that has no scrip with writer’s picketing the red carpet sounds like a must see show to me.
However it seems that the actors, including seventy of the most high profile celebs that have been nominated including Keira Knightley, are getting behind the striking members of the WGA. It has been rumoured that George Clooney is the man behind the mass protest by the actors.
Now I totally understand were the writer’s are coming from, sure they should be paid when their work is distributed onto DVD and online, the actors and the directors are, it cannot be one rule for some and a different rule when it comes to others.
However the strike seems to be casuing more problems than it is solving with many of the main studios refusing to give into their demands and the writer’s refusing to back down a stalemate has began.
But while these two sides are at war it’s the members of the crew, make-up artists, hairdressers, security, catering, i.e the people who make the least money when production is in full swing, that are  really suffering as they are out of work. Some situations have got so desperate that many individuals are on the verge of losing their homes.
So when you look at the situation from this point of view it seems a bit bizarre that Globe organisers and NBC are so worried that this awards ceremony cannot go ahead. Surely a resolution has to be made swiftly as this situation cannot be allowed to drag on much longer.
It’s not damaging the industry itself more the people who work in it!
Ego Crazy Cruise January 4, 2008
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The ego and plain big headedness of Tom Cruise never ceases to amaze it appears that he has turned down a role to star alongside Will Smith for fear of being outshone by the box office favourite.
I get a sense of bitterness towards our Will, who is clearly a favourite with cinema go-ers and can currently do no wrong at the box office, as Cruise was that guy and now, after his made ‘I Love Katie’ rants and his odd Scientology beliefs, he has been left looking a couple of pence short of a pound.
 Having said that I could outshine Cruise in a movie he is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most over-rated actor (yes yes he gave a good performance in Rain Man) but he seems to have got along on the fact he stands outside with his fans for hours signing autographs ever since.
What’s even more amusing is he won’t star with Smith yet had no problem appearing in a movie with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, one of the best actresses of all time, in Lions for Lambs.
Or could it be that he believed that with Redford and Streep in a movie about the war on terror he may land himself an Oscar nomination - I wonder!!  Â
Can someone please explain to me why this actor feels the need to be the centre of attention in every movie that he is in?
Take Mark Wahlberg for example he had been quite for a while, on the lead up to The Departed then, fourth or fifth down the cast list he delivers a performance that eclipsed all the other supporting actors, stealing every scene and bagging himself a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination over Nicholson and Damon.Â
And talking of being outshone has any one seen I Am Legend? The damn dog steals the show!!