Awards
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Actor-Directors: Affleck's Gone Baby Gone, Hopkins' Slipstream, Redford's Lions for Lambs
Actors who reach a certain prominence are often able to get a movie made. This fall, Anthony Hopkins and Ben Affleck have both directed debut feature films. But the two movies couldn't be more different. Hopkins came to my UCLA class with his second film Slipstream (trailer), which premiered at Sun...
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Michael Clayton's Boxoffice and George Clooney's Stardom
Reading this thread on Hollywood Elsewhere responding to Kim Masters' Slate story on George Clooney and the boxoffice fate of Michael Clayton depressed me.
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Julia Roberts Awarded at American Cinematheque Ball; Charlie Wilson's War Trailer
At Friday night's 22nd annual American Cinematheque Ball at the Beverly Hilton (which AMC will air December 5), honoree Julia Roberts sat with director Mike Nichols, husband Danny Moder, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Leslee Dart, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Kevin Huvane of CAA. "It's hard to think when my dress is this snug," said Roberts after accepting the award from Pelican Brief co-star Denzel Washington. "More than anything, I am just the most proud wife and mother of the three most amazing children and that is all I could ever ask for. And the widening of my life and my hips is the true gift of my husband Danny, who I'd just be so lonely wi...
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Oscar Watch: Early Line on Oscar Actresses
As more and more of this year's would-be Oscar contenders have been screened, Oscar pundits are starting to declare their favorites. MCN's Gurus 'o Gold makes the following Best Actress picks:
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Michael Clayton Vs. Leatherheads; Gilroy Talks
Things are looking up for Michael Clayton, which opened to rave reviews (a terrific 88% fresh on rotten tomatoes) and boffo initial box office in limited release.
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Penn Premieres Into the Wild
Three men stood in the back of the Directors Guild theater beaming proudly at actor-filmmaker Sean Penn: producer Art Linson, Paramount Vantage head John Lesher and River Road financeer Bill Pohlad. Without them, the movie might not have gotten made.
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Juno Rocks
While I was an admirer of Jason Reitman's frosh effort Thank You for Smoking, which was a wickedly funny intellectually sharp and well-acted movie, Juno is another matter entirely. One, it is written by ex-midwestern stripper-turned-blogger/screenwriter Diablo Cody, who has an uncommon ear for smart...
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TIFF: Atonement, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
It was a Working Title double-header today. First, the Oscar contender: Atonement is breathtakingly assured. During Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, I smiled at the screen with pleasure. He took you through these people's rooms, their lives, their conversations, hopes, dreams. He made you care about them. The emotions were believably large within an intimate space. He didn't let the moviemaking overwhelm the story, he kept the cuts coming, moving fast, the dancing was spectacular. It felt modern, up-to-date, not stuck in some deadly stuffy period past. And Keira Knightley gave a winning, Oscar-nominated performance. (Here's her interview in ...
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Oceans Gang and Hollywood Salute Pacino at AFI
At the Oceans Thirteen premiere in Cannes, the movie's arch-villain, Al Pacino, was noticeably absent. The actor was back in L.A., producer Jerry Weintraub told the Cannes press corps, because he was prepping for his AFI Life Achievement Award. On the beach in Cannes, the Oceans gang taped a video t...
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Cotillard is Strong Oscar Contender for Piaf Biopic La Vie en Rose
I've been tracking the French Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose since Picturehouse president Bob Berney picked it up after screening some footage during last May's Cannes Fest. His instincts were correct. The movie, which opens stateside on June 8, is beautifully done. Luckily Piaf's life is so gut-...
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