Tag Archives: Michael Fassbender

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TEN Notable Foreign Actors to Watch – Where Are They Now?

I first published this list back in November 2009, and I’ve been wanting to do an update in a while, thanks to the suggestion from Iba @ ILuvCinema.

As I said back then, this kind of list is a matter of opinion/preference, and it’s impossible to please everyone. This one in particular is not meant to be a prediction of ‘the next big thing,’ whatever the heck that means, but more of an indication that these non-American actors have been generating some buzz for current or upcoming flicks, or accolades for their performances as of 2009.

FlixChatter's Top Ten Foreign Actors to Watch

FlixChatter’s Top Ten Foreign Actors to Watch

The criteria was that at the time, these actors were virtually unknown to the average movie-going public (even if they had seen their movies), but are definitely on the radar of cinephiles and movie bloggers alike. To help narrow things down, I kept the age range between 20-40 years old (as of the time I made the list).

Well, so how are they doing now, almost three years later? Take a look below on how each of the talent’s career has taken them:

Tom Hardy, 34

Thanks to Christopher Nolan’s final Batman movie, Tom Hardy’s name has perhaps become a household name by now. Since I made the list, I’ve seen him in three additional films: Inception, Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises. As I said before, I quite like his comic skills in Rocknrolla, but since his roles have showcased his dramatic chops and a penchant for the theatrics for his role of Bane. No, I haven’t seen him in This Means War yet, though I have not ruled that out yet.
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What’s Next? He’s currently starring in the prohibition-era thriller Lawless. I look forward to seeing him in the new Mad Max action adventure Fury Road with Charlize Theron.
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Sam Worthington, 36

Now this is quite unfortunate. Though I was initially keen on the Kiwi actor after Terminator Salvation and Avatar, now I’m actually not as fond of him. Blame the awful Clash of the Titans for that, I guess, and also some dismal reviews for Man On Ledge, which didn’t sound too promising from the start. But no doubt Worthington’s career continues to be on the rise. I mean, heck, he’s now got another franchise besides Avatar as the sequel to ‘Clash‘ was released this past Summer.
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What’s Next? He’s signed on for several movies out next year, but the one I’m most curious about is Thunder Run that’s reportedly on pre-production. The Iraq-war thriller about the surprise assault on Baghdad also stars Gerry Butler and Matthew McConaughey.
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Carey Mulligan, 27

After seeing her fabulous performance in An Education, she wowed me again in Never Let Me Go. I haven’t seen Drive and Shame, but those two movie caught a lot of buzz with critics and moviegoers alike. Seems like the talented Londoner (one of my faves born in the UK capital) is perfectly suited for both indies and more mainstream fares like Wall Street: Money Never Sleep.
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What’s Next? Too bad The Great Gatsby‘s been pushed back to next year from this Christmas. I think she’d make a compelling Daisy Buchanan in the tale of tragic romance amidst the lavish world of Jay Gatsby. On a personal front, Carey has also now been married Marcus Mumford, the lead singer of Mumford & Sons band last April.
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Tobey Kebbell, 30

As I said before, it’s pure coincidence that three actors on this list have been in Rocknrolla! I guess Guy Ritchie’s pretty good at spotting real talents. I’ve since only seen Kebbell in one other film, War Horse, but his scene was easily one of the most memorable. Unlike Hardy though, Kebbell’s career hasn’t really quite taken off. Perhaps because his two films following Rocknrolla (The Conspirator and Prince of Persia) weren’t really well-received nor become box office hits.
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What’s Next? His upcoming film The East with Alexander Skarsgård and Brit Marling sounds interesting, but I doubt it’ll be his big break as it’s a low-budget movie. Kebbell is still young though, so there’s still time for his career to hit it off.
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Chiwetel Ejiofor, 39

Since I just saw a movie with him in the lead role in Endgame, I’m so glad I put him on my list! He had a memorable role in Children of Men and also American Gangster. Even in brief screen time as Keira Knightley’s groom in Love, Actually, it’s hard not to notice the handsome London-born actor (born of Nigerian parents). I wish he had been as prolific as fellow British/African Idris Elba, as both are charismatic and talented actors. As displayed in Endgame, I am convinced Ejiofor can carry a movie as a leading man. He’s obviously very easy on the eyes, but also got that intellectual, sophisticated vibe that’d make him suitable for a variety of roles.
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What’s Next? He’s starring with Thandie Newton in a film set around Nigeria’s independence, Half of a Yellow Sun. And hopefully starring in the Steve McQueen’s historical drama Twelve Years A Slave would also boost his career even more.
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Michael Fassbender, 35

Well I think this Irish-German actor’s career has been on a meteoric rise in the past three years, wouldn’t you say? He nabbed nominations left and right for his performance in Shame, though he was egregiously snubbed by the Academy Award. Since 300, I’ve loved his performance in Centurion, Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class and Prometheus. I think it’s safe to say Fassbender has ‘arrived’ in Hollywood, and I’m glad to see him getting more prominent roles.
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What’s Next? Fassbender will be collaborating with London-born director Steve McQueen for the third time in Twelve Years A Slave that I’ve mentioned above. He’s also co-starring with Brad Pitt in the Ridley Scott’s drug-trafficking thriller The Counselor set for next year.
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Abbie Cornish, 28

I have to admit I haven’t seen Cornish in anything new since Bright Star, apart from watching her in A Good Year with Russell Crowe. She’s obviously VERY talented, and she could perhaps have the career of fellow Aussie actresses like Naomi Watts or Mia Waskikowska, but yet she’s not as well-known. She’s quite in demand though, she’s starring in five new films in the next couple of years.
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What’s Next? She’s been cast in the much-beleaguered RoboCop reboot alongside Joel Kinnaman (The Killing) and Gary Oldman. This seems to be the most high profile she’s involved in as the others seem to be small-budget fares.
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Sharlto Copley, 38

I LOVE his performance in District 9, that’s why he’s on this list. But it seems to be a slow-burn rise for the South African actor, as he hasn’t starred in anything since the A-Team reboot a few years ago. Not sure why that is but perhaps he’s busy working on the District 9 follow-up Elysium with Neill Blomkamp, even though it seems that it’s Matt Damon who’s got the starring role in that movie.
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What’s Next? He’s listed on IMDb as having five upcoming projects, including the Sleeping Beauty spin-off Maleficent with Angelina Jolie and the Korean cult favorite Oldboy remake with Spike Lee. Not sure how big his role is in those two films. I do hope he gets another starring role in a sci-fi movie, he certainly has the chops to carry a film.
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Gemma Arterton, 26

Now, out of the ten actors I put on the list, Gemma is the only one I wish I hadn’t. I guess I’m just too fond of her. I probably would rather put fellow Brit Hayley Atwell in her place. It’s interesting that she was Sam Worthington’s co-star in Clash of the Titans, whom I initially liked but now I’ve grown cold on. Like Worthington, Arterton is also in quite a high demand, she even played a Bond girl in Quantum of Solace and balancing smaller-budget fares (Tamara Drewe) and blockbusters (Prince of Persia).
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What’s Next? You might’ve seen her in the recently-released trailer of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (if not, you can see it here), just one of the four projects she’s got in 2013. None of them I’m really interested in however, that Hansel and Gretel one looks like crap.
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Ben Whishaw, 31

The UK actor has since been on my radar since his leading role as John Keats in Bright Star and a small role in The International. I’ve been meaning to rent the ensemble-cast Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There in which he portrayed Arthur Rimbaud, but haven’t got around to it. Needless to say, I haven’t seen him in anything since but I’m hoping to see him in two films before year’s end: Cloud Atlas and Bond 23 Skyfall as the new, young and hip Q!
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What’s Next? There’s nothing else listed for him in IMDb after Skyfall, but he’s also starring in a BBC four-part miniseries The Hollow Crown (you can read all about it here on Dezzy’s blog) Hopefully this massively talented actor gets a leading role sometime soon!

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Honorable mentions:

  • Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe, 21, Fifty Dead Men Walking)
  • Rupert Friend (Cheri, The Young Victoria)
  • Idris Elba (Rocknrolla, The Losers, Prometheus)
  • Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Dorian Gray)
  • Ben Barnes (Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Dorian Gray)

Again, I made this original list three years ago. Now, with hindsight, I would’ve probably swapped a couple from the main list, such as Idris Elba and Rebecca Hall. Especially for Idris, I’m psyched that his career continues to rise now, he deserved it!!

Well, that’s it for the updates folks. Thoughts on any of these actors and/or their projects?

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Weekend Viewing Reviews: Mirror Mirror and Angel (2007)

The last day of July is coming to an end, in fact it’s already August for some of you, but hey I thought I’d fit in a couple of reviews first before I post my Monthly Roundup tomorrow. Been watching the Olympics much? The only thing I managed to watch is the opening ceremony which was splendid I thought. Great job Danny Boyle! To me the main highlights were the Mr. Bean on the Chariot of Fire orchestra and of course, James Bond escorting the Queen! If you haven’t seen that Happy & Glorious clip you can watch it here.

Anyway, here are the two movies I saw over the weekend:

Mirror, Mirror

By the time I posted this Snow White battle post I was still on the fence about which Snow White movie I was anticipating most, but then after seeing the silly trailer, I decided I wasn’t going to waste my time on Mirror, Mirror. Well this Friday night my hubby and I were looking for something light and fluffy, and it’s either this or This Means War, and since we like a few of Tarsem’s work, we thought ok, what the heck.

Well guess what, it’s actually quite entertaining. Right from the early concept poster, this movie had always been marketed as a comedy and I think on that front it delivered. I was laughing throughout and despite some really cliche moments, I enjoyed it. Lilly Collins is definitely believable as Snow White, and despite marginal acting skills (this isn’t exactly an acting movie after all), at least she is far more expressive than Kristen Stewart!

I’m still bothered by Julia Roberts as the evil queen however, and her atrocious British accent (if you can even call it that) is just laughable. Why did Tarsem even insist on her speaking with a British accent anyway?? I mean this is a fairy tale, she could’ve been speaking with an Icelandic accent and it won’t matter, might as well let her keep her Southern drawl. Thankfully, it doesn’t derail the whole movie, and Armie Hammer as the dashing Prince more than makes up for her shortcomings. The 6’5″ hunky Californian looks like he practically jumps out of the Disney fairy tale princess storybook, but Hammer’s got some decent comic timing to prevent him from being more than boring eye candy. The part where he was under the puppy love spell is quite a hoot! The Prince and Snow White has a sweet chemistry, and there’s an amusing twist about the whole true love’s kiss notion.

Nathan Lane is a natural at comedy and he gets the most laughs here. A major plus here is that unlike Snow White and the Huntsman where the dwarfs were criminally underused, they have a pretty big part here. The relationship between them and Snow White are also much more developed in a whimsical but heartwarming way. That’s not to say this is a deep movie, but at least it’s consistent with the trailer and doesn’t over-promise us with something profound.

Tarsem’s visual is not as spectacular as in The Fall, in fact it seems too CGI-ish coming from the visual visionary. I’m also not too fond of Snow White’s makeup, I mean Collins is absolutely gorgeous but someone needs to wax her Leonid Brezhnev eyebrows! I normally don’t complain about stuff like that but those bushy brows do become quite distracting as I’m watching this.

Overall I thought it was pretty enjoyable and did I mention Sean Bean also had a cameo here? Oh, and Tarsem did an homage to Bollywood in the final scene which I thought was fun, but at the same time I’m glad he didn’t put this scene in the middle of the movie!
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3 out of 5 reels

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Angel (2007)

Now this movie seems to have everything going for it for me to LOVE it. It’s a period drama, one of my favorite genres, it’s about a writer, and it’s got a nice cast. I actually like Romola Garai in Amazing Grace and Atonement, I think she’s quite underrated. There’s also Sam Neill, Charlotte Rampling AND Michael Fassbender as Garai’s love interest. Ok, what’s not to love, right? Alas, it’s quite disappointing.

The story is set in early 20th century England where Angel Deverell (Garai) grew up with her single mother atop her grocery shop. She is a gifted writer who’s always dreamed of being a novelist. She defies all odds when somehow a publisher (Sam Neill) is willing to take a chance on her and publish her romance novels. The thing is, Angel is as far from angelic as you can get. She is a pompous brat with no manners and treats her own mother and aunt, pretty much the only family she has, like dirt. It’s tricky to create a story based on an unsympathetic heroine. She reminds me a bit of Scarlet O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, only much, much less endearing. Heck, at least Scarlet treats her parents far better than Angel does.

The transformation from rags to riches feels rather abrupt as well, and I can’t seem to figure just what is the point of Angel’s story. We’re only given a glimpse into her best-selling novels but not enough to see just what made her the way she is. Those novels made her famous and rich enough that she could buy Paradise House, a sprawling estate she’s always dreamed of living in as a kid. But Angel remains an enigma up until the end, and it’s such a lost opportunity since the movie pretty much focuses mostly on her for the entire two hours running time.

Fassbender as the object of Angel’s affection is wonderful to watch, though even he still can’t save the movie. The moment Esme appeared he was quite breathtaking, and despite his not-so-kind words about Angel’s work, she was smitten [well naturally]. Yet there is something wanting about their romance, I don’t know why I just wasn’t enthralled by it, even their love scenes leave me cold, Fassbender’s shapely bum notwithstanding, ehm. There’s also a key relationship between Angel and Esme’s sister, Nora, who’s rather obsessed with Angel, but once again, there’s not much character development in that either, so the whole thing is just frustrating.

I generally like Sam Neill but I feel that he’s wasted here. Charlotte Rampling who plays his wife makes much more of an impression with her sardonic smile, she’s the only character who doesn’t think highly of Angel right from the start. As for the protagonist, I just can’t muster enough sympathy for Angel, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily Romola’s fault as I do think she’s a decent actress.

It turns out that this is French director François Ozon’s first English-speaking movie based on a novel by Elizabeth Taylor [no, not the Hollywood actress]. Well, I’m not exactly impressed by his work here. The set pieces and costumes are beautiful enough, but poor narrative really drags this movie down. Oh, to make matters worse, this film has got the worst special effects I’ve ever seen in a contemporary film. It looks like it was made for only $150K instead of  $15 millions!

So, unless you’re a die hard Fassbender fan, I really can’t recommend this one. It’s too bad as it seems to have the recipe of a charming period drama.

2 out of 5 reels

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Well, what did you watch this past weekend? Thoughts about either one of these movies?

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Weekend Roundup: Thoughts on Prometheus, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, BBC’s ZEN

Yo, Happy Tuesday all!

It’s been one hectic weekend for me. Saturday morning my hubby and I participated in the annual Kids Against Hunger’s Fill Their Plate 5/10k walk/run sponsored by my friend’s church. It’s raining but still a whole lot of fun to do and we were caught up in the energy of all the people at the beautiful Calhoun Lake.

That night we finally saw Prometheus. Well, I wasn’t exactly disappointed but I can’t exactly say it’s a stellar film either. I agree with my colleague Phil’s review that it’s indeed a gorgeous film, but I have sooo many issues about the plot that I’d probably give this movie a 3 out of 5 instead of 4.

Below is just my quick thoughts about the movie:

Now, Phil mentioned in his review that ‘the movie brings up an awful lot of questions that will leave you shaking your head days later and some of those questions can only be answered by a sequel.’ Now it’s to be expected that Ridley Scott would want to create another lucrative franchise out of Prometheus but I’m afraid that the fundamental questions about the story would likely still be left unanswered.

As I mentioned in Castor’s review, I mentioned that the questions begin early with the uber-ripped ‘engineer’ in the opening sequence [obviously there's a bunch of GOLD GYM in the alien planet]. It’s never explained what the heck happened by the waterfall there that caused him to fall into a decaying creature. That’s just the beginning, but my biggest beef is with the protagonist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw’s ‘belief system.’ She wears a cross necklace and the movie alludes to the fact that she is a believer in a Higher Being in what I presume is the Judeo Christian God [her father seems to have been a missionary?]. When her boyfriend Charlie asks her at one point why she keeps wearing the cross when it’s been suggested that aliens rather than God made humans, she shoots back saying, “Yes, but who made them?” But then later on she ends up convinced the engineers are indeed her ‘maker,’ despite non-conclusive evidence a scientist like her would require before jumping into such theory. That supposed DNA match argument doesn’t really hold up either as the engineers don’t really share our likeness so to think that they created us is just laughable. I guess you can chug it to ‘that’s what I choose to believe’ [shrug]

Scott directing Rapace in Prometheus

Prometheus does work as a sci-fi thriller though, and there are a lot to be enjoyed in the movie. The suspense and eerie feeling is definitely there throughout, peppered with jump-out-your-seat moments but not too scary that would repulse someone like me. I’ve mentioned how gorgeous this movie is, the opening sequence look like something from an IMAX National Geographic film. I also enjoyed the performances of Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba, in that order. Rapace’s Shaw definitely echoes the badassery of Alien’s Sigourney Weaver. Her survival instinct is just incredible, yay for woman power! Fassbender’s robotic David is wonderful to watch as well, ironically, his character is the most well-developed of all the others. Clearly Scott is far more interested in the ‘replicant’ character than the human ones. Elba is his usual charming self and you could say he’s the comic relief in the movie.

So overall I see it as a fun sci-fi but not exactly a profound one. Sure Ridley Scott did a decent effort exploring the basic questions all of us grapple with: why are we here, where are we from, etc., he just can’t follow ‘em up with meaningful answers, let alone a rational one.
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Another movie I saw over the weekend is The Imaginarium of  Dr Parnassus, Heath Ledger’s last film I’ve been wanting to see since 2009. Ivan and I started watching it really late so we actually have only seen the first 90 minutes. So far I really enjoyed it though, it’s a fun fantasy flick, definitely bizarre but that’s what one would expect from Terry Gilliam. Christopher Plummer is wonderful as always, but the scene stealer is Heath Ledger. He was so charismatic, a pity that he died during production of this film. I am curious to see the three actors who replaced him in the latter half: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law. Heath actually reminded me of Depp in some scenes so it’s definitely inspired casting. Bonus that Andrew Garfield is in this as well, I adore him and he’s the reason I’m looking forward to The Amazing Spiderman.

Oh and last but not least, my pal Becky made me promise that I watch BBC’s ZEN on Masterpiece Mystery on Sunday, and really she didn’t need to ask me twice. I mean, it’s Rufus Sewell + Rome = a delectable combination! Rufus is at his most gorgeous  [those Armani suits fit him sooo well], and so is his love interest, Caterina Murino [the other Bond girl besides Eva Green in Casino Royale]. It’s a great detective drama peppered with action and wit, it’s a pity BBC didn’t make more of it. Check out this in-depth review of the series when it first premiered on PBS last year.

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Well, that’s my weekend viewing roundup. What did you watch this weekend? I welcome your reaction to my Prometheus mini review.

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FlixChatter Review: Steven Soderbergh’s ‘Haywire’

The one thing I found appealing right away is of course the cast: Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Bill Paxton… and the femme fatale, a real mixed-martial arts fighter Gina Carano. Soderbergh confessed to the Hall H panel at Comic-con that he ‘discovered’ Carano fighting in a cage whilst watching TV on a Saturday night. According to this NY Post article, after he’d been fired from directing the Brad Pitt starrer Moneyball, he said he decided to make ‘an action flick that looked beautiful.’ Upon seeing Carano, he ended up building an entire script based on her.

Soderbergh with his muse

So was this a good move on Soderbergh part?

After seeing this, my answer is a resounding YES. I like the director’s style in filming this, consistently keeping Mallory Kane, the black ops super soldier [ex-Marine, natch!] as the main focus from start to finish. Right away we find out she’s betrayed by the people who hired her on a mission in Barcelona and the rest of the film follows her hot on the trail to exact her vengeance. Yes, it’s a simple story, this is no twisty espionage thriller so there’s no convoluted plot to deal with. Soderbergh simply creates a vehicle for Carano to be her bad-ass self and it works!

I’ve heard people comparing this to Angelina Jolie’s SALT. Now I haven’t seen that movie and there probably is some similarities, but if these two were to be in a fight together, no doubt Carano would take Jolie’s bony frame down in a matter of seconds. Y’know she made me think that she could practically take down the rest of the Expendables cast, ahah.

Don’t I look like James Bond? Complete with my kick-ass Bond girl!

The action sequences are the reason to watch this film. It’s done without the overblown fast cuts, or slo-mo or nauseating hand-held style employed by many action directors [just as Ted has pointed out here]. Those are done supposedly to make the sequences look cool but it’s hard to see just what the heck is going on. No, Soderbergh filmed the fight scenes realistically, you could see every punch/blow/kick the characters endure. The most intense one is in the clip shown at Comic-con, involving the Bond-like Michael Fassbender [as an MI-6 agent no less!]. So going in I already knew his fate, ahah. But still that is one kick-ass fight scene, woof!

This is not an *acting* film for everyone involved, especially for Carano who never acted before. That said, Carano acquits herself well as Soderbergh is smart enough not to give her long monologues or complicated emotion to convey. Now of course I wish there’s more character development in play, I wish there was a bit more background on Mallory, but y’know what, there’s a certain appeal to its minimalism. In fact, my hubby said it reminds me of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï in its stark simplicity and pacing. We didn’t really know much about Alain Delon’s Jef Costello either, but it’s still interesting to watch him in his journey.

Run Mallory Run!

The star-studded male cast don’t exactly show their range but they’re still fun to watch. They all seem well aware when they signed on that they won’t be given much to do than being the next target of Carano’s vendetta. In the case of Bill Paxton as her author dad, his character is given a bit more emotional weight, but not by much. The ending does seem abrupt but also brilliant at the same time. It ends with an expletive uttered by a character who realizes that his blissful island life with his model girlfriend is about to go um, haywire.

I feel like giving Soderbergh’s other works a watch now. I haven’t seen too many of them, but Out of Sight and Traffic are some of his best films I’ve seen so far. I appreciate his unorthodox style and his effort in experimenting with different genres.

Final Thoughts: Gina Carano certainly makes for a convincing action star whilst still retains her feminine aura. This dynamic action thriller will please any action fans with its high adrenaline-stunts and gritty fight sequences. If you’re a fan of Soderbergh’s other works, this one is definitely worth a watch.
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4 out of 5 reels

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Have you seen this movie? Well, what do you think?

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Trailers of the Week: Trailer 2 of Prometheus & Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Happy Sunday all!

Hope you’ve recovered your festive St. Patrick’s Day! This is quite a big weekend for trailers, and given their epic-ness I can’t help but not posting ‘em here.

PROMETHEUS

Woo hoo!! I was already looking forward to this from the start but with this trailer, my excitement just jumped tenfold! In case you haven’t seen it (or you just want to watch it again for the umpteenth time :) ), here it is below:

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EPIC is the word here, don’t you agree? I thought the first one was good but I was annoyed by title treatment but THIS, it’s nothing but mystifying awesomeness. This looks like Ridley Scott’s return to form and to a genre that he knew how to do so well! If the cast of Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Noomi Rapaci and Patrick Wilson didn’t sell you, this trailer surely will.

This has got to be the BEST trailer of all the 2012 blockbusters… it grips me right from the moment we hear Charlize Theron’s narration. It then begins asking a series of enigmatic question…

“An invitation … from whom?”

“What do you mean a life form?”

“They’re changing… changing into what?”

“They’re moving… to go where?”

The last 30 seconds are so damn intense my nerves is stretched to its snapping point… and ends with android-looking Fassbender stating… ‘big things have small beginnings.’ Woof!! Seriously that trailer is so goosebumps-inducing I don’t know if I’ve got the nerves to sit through the entire movie! The eerie background music definitely adds to the whole edge-of-your-seat experience.

Thanks to my pal Ted who sent me the International version, I decided to add this one to the post as well:

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As Ted said in the comments, it’s perhaps closer in tone to the actual film, instead of the all-out action flick the US trailer suggest. Still, it promises a hair-raising and ominous journey for the team of explorers when they discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth.

This is poised to be the sci-fi event of this Summer folks! JUNE 8 can’t come soon enough!

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Ok, switching gear now from a futuristic space adventure to a supernatural but earth-bound adventure taking place in the 1800s. You’ve likely seen the International trailer a month ago which shows the US President his bad-ass side and his ax-wielding skills. Well the second one shows a bit more history and background to the story of the 16th US President’s secret life as a young man.

Check it out:

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Historical fiction doesn’t get anymore free rein than this one, ahah… but this trailer definitely shows even more promise than the first one.

“History prefers nobility to brutality… prefers soaring speeches to quiet deeds… history remembers the battle, but forgets the blood…”

I like that this trailer shows more backstory of the and the idea of an American president trying to stop vampires from taking over the United States certainly capitalizes on the whole superhero theme, but with a giant twist. Nice to see Rufus Sewell as the villain leader being shown in the trailer, albeit way too quick… “It’s time we have a nation of our own,” he declares. Heh, blood sucking vampires in American politics?? Now that’s an idea ;) Anyway, Rufus’ character is actually not in the Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, he’s created specifically for the film.

I’m quite optimistic about this one, I do hope it’ll deliver!

You can read more about these two films on my Anticipated 2012 Part II post.

Thoughts on either one of these folks? Are you excited for Summer blockbuster to arrive?

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Upcoming Flix Spotlight: Brendan Gleeson’s At Swim Two Birds

Since tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d highlight an upcoming Irish film starring actors and this one has been on my radar for some time, thanks to my Cillimaniac friend Novia :)

This project is actor Brendan Gleeson’s passion project he’s been working for quite a long time. And according to my friend Stella’s @ Byrneholics, Ireland’s Cultural Ambassador Gabriel Byrne announced that Gleeson has secured funding for the movie, yay!

Mr. Byrne himself is to be a part of the most awesome Irish ensemble cast ever! I mean we’re talking the who’s who of Irish cinema (most of whom are in my Top 10 Irish Actors list :D ):

From top left: Byrne, Gleeson, Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Michael Fassbender, Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Most of those actors have worked with Gleeson in various films. Gleeson’s son Domhnall (Bill Weasley in Harry Potter Part 7) has also been cast.

Whew! This is one of those movies that I’d run to the theater just for the cast and of course the Irish scenery as it’s likely to be filmed there.

The premise itself sounds intriguing. Here’s the book description from Amazon:

A wildly comic send-up of Irish literature and culture, At Swim-Two-Birds is the story of a young, lazy, and frequently drunk Irish college student who lives with his curmudgeonly uncle in Dublin. When not in bed (where he seems to spend most of his time) or reading he is composing a mischief-filled novel about Dermot Trellis, a second-rate author whose characters ultimately rebel against him and seek vengeance. From drugging him as he sleeps to dropping the ceiling on his head, these figures of Irish myth make Trellis pay dearly for his bad writing. Hilariously funny and inventive, At Swim-Two-Birds has influenced generations of writers, opening up new possibilities for what can be done in fiction. It is a true masterpiece of Irish literature.

Gleeson told Collider whilst promoting The Guard last August that “It’s one of the funniest and most anarchic novels I’ve ever read… It’s a great book but it’s kind of unfilmable in the way that the book was unwriteable.” But he confirmed that he’s got the script and so it’s just a matter of time for this project to be underway.

So how close to filming is this project?

“Well, fingers crossed, we’re trying to stitch it in this year. All things are going well but we’re not quite there yet. We’re hoping to be there in the next month or two to where we put a start date on it,” Gleeson said (via Irish Central)

Mr Gleeson himself has been quite prolific lately, starring in three films in 2011: The Guard, Albert Nobbs, and The Cup; and also in Safe House and The Raven in 2012.

Anyway, I absolutely can’t wait to hear more about this one and hopefully filming does happen this year and all the cast above will be involved! I might even pick up Flann O’Brien’s book sometime this year, it sounds really intriguing and funny.

What do you think folks? Interested in this one?

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Musings on Golden Globes Nominations 2012

Hello all, I must be quite out of it this week that I didn’t realize the Golden Globes is today! Thanks to Anna from Defiant Success for pointing out to me via Twitter that Gerry Butler was one of the announcers for this year’s nominees. You can check out the video below the complete list.

FULL LIST OF NOMINEES – MOVIES

(now updated with winners, highlighted in dark teal)

Drama 

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

War Horse
…

 Comedy/Musical 

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight in Paris

My Week With Marilyn
Actor, drama 

George Clooney, The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

 Actress, drama

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
…
Actor, comedy or musical Jean Dujardin, The Artist Brendan Gleeson, The Guard

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50

Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love

Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris
…

 Actress, comedy or musical Jodie Foster, Carnage Charlize Theron, Young Adult

Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Kate Winslet, Carnage
…
Supporting actor 

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Albert Brooks, Drive

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Christopher Plummer, Beginners
…

 Supporting actress

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist

Jessica Chastain, The Help

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Animated film

Rango

The Adventures of Tintin

Puss in Boots

Winnie the Pooh

Arthur Christmas
…

 Foreign-language film 

The Flowers of War

In the Land of Blood and Honey

The Kid with a Bike

A Separation

The Skin I Live In
Director

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

George Clooney, The Ides of March

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo
…

 Screenplay

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxwon, Jim Rash, The Descendants

Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball
…
Original song

Hello Hello (music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin), Gnomeo & Juliet

The Keeper (music and lyrics by Chris Cornell), Machine Gun Preacher

Lay Your Head Down (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close), Albert Nobbs

The Living Proof (music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas),
The Help

Masterpiece (music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry), W.E.
…

Original score

Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Howard Shore, Hugo

John Williams, War Horse
…

…

I feel like this year I haven’t seen enough movies that are nominated here, which is a bummer! But hey, it won’t stop me from opining on the nominees… after all, these are simply my opinion, no science whatsoever in my predictions obviously.

Well, well, well, there aren’t a lot of surprises this year. I knew somehow The Artist would sweep a bunch of nominations and they do indeed with six. Lots of usual suspects again… Clooney, Pitt, DiCaprio, etc. Clooney is forever the GG King, seems like he’s never NOT nominated. He’s got TWO of his movies under the Dramatic category alone (The Descendants & The Ides of March)! Wow, he sure has a lot of clout in this business! Maybe one day I’ll get just what the fuss about him is [shrug]

The Artist

Even without having seen it, The Artist seems to be a shoo-in in the Comedy/Musical category, which translates to Jean Dujardin a highly likely winner for his performance in that category.

For the Dramatic Actor category,  I haven’t seen The Descendants yet but I heard George Clooney‘s performance was good, so I give him the benefit of the doubt. Somehow my gut says that Fassbender will perhaps walk away with the statue, though the other ‘it’ boy of the moment Gosling (I kind of think of Fassbender as the European version of Gosling for some reason) might also steal Clooney’s thunder. He’s got TWO nominations this year but none for Drive, which I thought is rather odd. So was his abs in Crazy, Stupid, Love really THAT spectacular??

Ok, I’m not gonna lie that I sort of wish Gerry Butler would pick up at least a nomination for his turn in Machine Gun Preacher, I really think he was good in it, but no, I’m not gonna say he’s snubbed as I haven’t seen the others’ performances.

In the Dramatic Actress category, I’d like to see Viola Davis win but with Meryl and Tilda, wow the competition is steep!! I can’t really say much on the Supporting Actor category as I have not seen a single one of those performances nominated [sigh] Just from seniority standpoint, I’d probably be cheering for Christopher Plummer as playing against type in Beginners (as a gay dad coming out in his later years) usually is popular with the voters.

Williams as Marilyn Monroe

The Supporting Actress category seems to be more up for grabs. I like Chastain in The Debt and Tree of Life, and I heard she was excellent in The Help so I’d love to see her win. But then again, if The Artist were to sweep most of the awards, there is a highly likely chance Bejo would walk away w/ the Globe along with Dujardin.

So Jodie Foster will battle it out w/ Kate Winslet in the Comedy/Musical Actress category for Carnage? That’s interesting, though I personally would rather see one of the noms go to Marion Cotillard instead for Midnight in Paris, anybody else feel that way too? In any case, if I were a betting woman, I’d probably put my money on the talented Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn.

As for Best Director, well I like both Hugo and Midnight in Paris, the latter much more so, but despite both Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen being such celebrated auteurs, French director Michel Hazanavicius is likely to nab this award along with Best Picture in Musical/Comedy.
…

MORGAN FREEMAN TO RECEIVE CECIL B. DE MILLE AWARD

Just what is a Cecil B. DeMille award given every year by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association? Well, the award is given every year by the HFPA for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.

Here’s what the HFPA website says about the marvelous 74-year-old actor:

After more than 20 years as a working actor he was finally catapulted into national prominence with the role of the volatile pimp Fast Black in 1987’s Street Smart, that earned him Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.

He won a best actor Golden Globe in 1990 for Driving Miss Daisy and was nominated three more times, for The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, for which he won an Oscar, and Invictus.

Woot woot, I’d say he deserves it!! Who doesn’t love Mr. Freeman? He’s got a smile that lights up a room, and a booming voice that matches his regal charisma. Whether he’s in a serious roles like in Shawshank Redemption or comedic ones like in Maiden Heist or RED, he’s always so wonderful to watch! Plus, his brief role as Lucius Fox in Nolan’s Batman flicks are such great scene-stealers, I really think Lucius had the best lines!! So congrats Mr. Freeman, can’t wait to see you in The Dark Knight Rises next year!

Speaking of Cecil B. DeMille Award, my beloved Gregory Peck (you know I’m gonna slip him in somehow right? :D ) was one of the recipient of the award in 1969, along with other Hollywood legends like James Stewart, Charlton Heston, Joan Crawford, among others. Oh, his co-star in Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn, was also one of the prestigious award recipient. Mr. Peck has won three Golden Globes in his career, and was nominated for more than a half dozen times.

Gregory Peck with Barbra Streisand at the 1969 Golden Globes Award

Well, that’s my thoughts on this year’s Golden Globes. Now what do YOU think?

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Comic-con Day 2: A day in the life inside the coveted Hall H – Part I

Hello everybody! Pardon the late updates of my second (and last) day at Comic-con. I was hoping to be able to blog Friday night when I came back home but it was already late and our flight was super early on Saturday morning, so it just wasn’t possible. I only had time to take a bit of a nap post flight and off we went to the U2 concert that was delayed from last year for Bono’s back surgery.

In any case, I hope you’ll stay with me as I summarize everything that went on inside the mighty popular Hall H on Friday. I’m happy to report that we actually got to see most of what I had hoped to see that I listed on my Comic-con countdown post, hence the two-part post for the sake of length.

The line to Hall H – Photo courtesy of kellykilmer.tumblr.com

Well, we got there by 7:30 and the line was already quite long but the people in front of us said that the day before they were further back in the line but was still able to sit about halfway inside the hall, so that gave us hope. The hall was finally opened at 10:30 or so… but this year, the organizers were nice enough to put up tents so we didn’t have to be under the scorching hot sun for 3 whole hours! It was surprisingly bearable and actually felt pretty fast as we were chattin’ away about all kinds of movies with a couple of con-goers from Canada [too bad we didn't get their names]. I really think one of the beauty of going to comic-con is to be amongst folks who love movies as much as I do.

Photo courtesy of thechrisevansblog.blogspot.com

It really was a great decision to spend our time in Exhibit Hall on Thursday instead of lining up at Ballroom 20 or Hall H as I wouldn’t have been able to meet Chris Evans @ Marvel booth! Btw, the guy next to him, Michael, was the one holding the bucket of the raffle tickets.

Considering the lineup for Friday, it was truly worth waiting in line for 3 hours. Before I get to my summary for each of the panel, let me just tell you how gratifying it felt to even be able to get into the massive hall. I’ve read all the horror stories of people camping the night before just to get in, etc. and some who lined up for hours and still couldn’t get in. So the fact that we’re able to get a front row seat at the left section right behind the Q&A mic is a huge blessing! Hall H holds 6,500 seats, a giant stage where the panel table is and four jumbo screens so the people way in the back can see what’s happening — but from where we sat, we could actually see the panel itself with unobstructed view. Oh, and because the lights focused on the area when I was sitting during the Q&A segment, sometimes the people on the panel appears as if they’re looking directly at my husband’s camera! :D

So here’s Part I of the rundown from Hall H on Friday … read on:

11 AM – The Adventures of Tintin panel

The day started off with a big bang as one of the most iconic filmmakers, Steven Spielberg, graced Hall H to receive the Inkpot Award before the panel for his massive contribution to films and pop culture. It’s a historical event in itself as it’s also his first time ever at SDCC!! He literally brought the house down as the crowd was cheering at the top of their lungs when footage of his movies were shown during the introduction, I got a bit teary-eyed to see all the movies he did that I saw growing up, like E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Peter Jackson showed up a few minutes later to join him at the panel and we’re given a trailer and some exclusive clips of The Adventures of Tintin in 3D which was awesome! The moderator Geoff Boucher (whom I follow on Twitter) thanked Spielberg for Raiders (which coincidentally is MY all-time fave Spielberg movie), and Jackson for The Lord of the Rings (also my favorite from his work!).

The Q&A section was fun as well, lots of great questions that gave insights to stuff I didn’t know before. Here’s a good question for Spielberg:

What movie did you produced that he wished you had directed?

The answer: American Beauty [wow, that's news to me, I had no idea he even produced that one!]

There’s also an interesting tidbit about Tintin that I was curious about, which is in regards to why The Secret of the Unicorn book was the one chosen for the movie treatment when there were so many other Tintin books that Hergé wrote. Jackson replied that it’s Capt. Haddock’s back story about that involves his ancestor, the 17th century Sir Francis Haddock, and the beginning of his friendship with Tintin that appeals to him.

Oh, speaking of Haddock, Andy Serkis also made a surprise appearance at the panel! A couple of minutes before Q&A session started, he took a seat on the exact same row where we sat, just a couple of people away from me! Everyone next to him were oblivious to his presence but I recognized him right away even with his dark sunglasses on. I kept looking at his direction and was really itching to say hello to him (I mean, he’s Gollum for crying out loud!!), but didn’t want to interrupt what was going on. Sure enough when he went to the mic, the moderator revealed who he was and the room went wild.

The best part of the Q&A is when a fan wearing a t-shirt that says ‘If possible I would like to meet Steven Spielberg just to shake his hand and say thank you very much.‘ When Spielberg saw it, he immediately waved to him to come to the stage. The crowd went wild as two of Hollywood’s greatest directors practically fussed over the guy and took pictures of him with their own personal camera. It was a hoot to see Jackson ‘directing’ the shot of Spielberg shaking the guy’s hand in various poses. You might’ve seen some news footage of the t-shirt-wearing fellow as news people immediately pulled him as he got off the stage and he became the subject of multiple impromptu interviews on the spot. Needless to say, not only did he get to meet his idol, the fan also got his 15 minutes of fame. Awesome stuff!!

Noon – 1 PM — Relativity Media’s The Raven and Haywire

The Raven – Neither one of these movies were on my radar before SDCC but I must say that the trailer shown at Hall H looked pretty gripping. It’s a fictionalized account of the last days of Gothic American author/poet Edgar Allan Poe’s life, in which the poet is in pursuit of a serial killer whose murders mirror those in the writer’s stories. John Cusack plays Poe, whom he called “[the] Godfather of Goth,” and Luke Evans plays detective Emmett Fields in the 19th century period thriller. All the cast and director James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) were all present at Hall H. “It’s an art movie and a popcorn movie all at once,” Cusack said during the panel.

The trailer reminds me of Sherlock Holmes but darker and bloodier… “a little bit of Misery, a little bit of Seven” was how McTeigue described the film. Looks pretty good, but I think it’s too spooky for me to see it on the big screen. I’ll post the trailer once it’s available.

Nothing particularly memorable from the panel, I’m actually more interested to see what Luke Evans had to say. He’s one of the up and coming Brits on my watch list and I’m glad he’s got a bunch of projects in the pipeline, including three that I’m really looking forward to see: The Three Musketeers, Immortals and The Hobbit as Bard the Bowman.

Evans & Cusack in The Raven

Haywire – This is another Steven who’s made his debut at Comic-con besides Spielberg. Steven Soderbergh that is, who’s on hand to promote Haywire, about a black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission. So basically a Lara Croft-type who’s a super spy instead of a wealthy archaeologist-adventurer. I’ve never heard of Gina Carano, but apparently Soderbergh discovered the beautiful mixed martial art fighter when he saw her on TV and ended up building an entire script based on her. Based on the trailer below, it’s safe to say she won’t be winning any acting awards (nor would her co-star and fellow panelist Channing Tatum) but she sure is bad ass.

They also showed a clip of her super intense fight scene between Carano and Michael Fassbender (who’s sadly absent from the panel) and the director said the scene was filmed with the actual actors doing the fight sequences, not the stunts. He even said that Fassbender was knocked in the face by a vase despite having trained and warned NOT to look at the vase. Tatum also mentioned being knocked over a few times by Carano during filming. So I guess that’s cool that Soderbergh hired someone who actually could fight in real life [unlike the scrawny Angelina Jolie], but the movie itself doesn’t seem interesting to me (yes, despite Fassbender being in it).

1:30 – 2:30 Underworld 4 and Attack the Block

Underworld Awakening – There’s really not much to say here as I have zero interest to see another Underworld movie. Even my hubby who thinks Kate Beckinsale is one of the most beautiful women ever has no interest in seeing it. The first one was ok but this is really not a worthy franchise. The trailer did nothing to convince me as it only had Kate looking hot in a leather bodysuit going all bad ass doing flips and shooting up a storm. [yawn]

I have to say that director Len Wiseman is just as gorgeous as his wife Kate Beckinsale. He kinda looks like Eric Bana at times, and Kate really is a knockout in a little black dress with her luscious brown locks framing her gorgeous face.

Attack the Block – I first heard about this when my friend John from TDYLF said on Twitter that he got a free screening to see it. The movie about a teen gang in South London defending their block from an alien invasion had been winning rave reviews from various film festivals earlier this year. I can see why, even though it’s not my kind of genre, it looks really well-made and well-acted, despite having mostly young newcomers between the age of 10 and 17. British director Joe Cornish, producer Edgar Wright, and lead teen actor John Boyega were present at the panel and they were all great. Nick Frost (who’s absent from the panel) may be the big name of the movie, but Boyega is poised to steal scenes as the gang leader. He cited Season 4 of HBO’s The Wire as an acting inspiration, “Those great actors create stories through their eyes,” Boyega said. He seemed wise beyond his years, definitely one to watch from Britain.

Cornish, Boyega & Wright at Attack the Block panel

The panel itself was quite entertaining, which is to be expected considering the British humor. Cornish sounds like an impressive visionary director, he seems very confident and knowledgeable about his craft and what he wants from his films/actors. One fan at the Q&A said he had seen the film at a Los Angeles sneak preview and said it was his favorite film of the year, Wright replied, “If it’s the best film you’ve seen all year, then don’t seen any more films!” Cornish cited John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London as his main influence, looks like Attack the Block is poised to be a cult favorite as well.

Btw, the part about him teasing Wright about his silky dark hair was pretty funny, and Wright went on to say people can go touch his hair right outside Hall H after the panel or something of the sort. You know what, now that Cornish mentioned it, Edgar does have amazing hair :D

2:30 – 3:30 – Fright Night remake

This movie wasn’t even on my radar that I didn’t even mention it on my countdown post, but it was actually a pretty entertaining panel. I had seen the original Fright Night (1985) with Chris Sarandon as the scary & seductive vampire so it was great to see him moderating the panel.

This time Colin Farrell takes his place as the vampire next door, and Anton Yelchin plays Charlie, the neighbor who has to save his family from his wrath. Colin is perfectly cast as Jerry Dandrige, as Sarandon aptly said “[Colin] Farrell is feral in this movie.” The Irish actor brings his virile charisma to the panel with his shirt unbuttoned all the way down to his chest… I don’t usually find him all that irresistible on screen, but I must say I found the bloke quite sexy in person. Oh, he also showed a bit even more um, skin when a screaming fan asked for his table top name tag and Farrell went over to the edge of the stage to kneel down to sign it just before he gave it to her. Just as he did that, he inadvertently ‘half-mooned’ the camera before the cameraman realized it and panned away. The director poked fun at him about going commando and Farrell actually blushed a bit as he hiked up his pants and joked about forgetting to remove the pimple on his butt. Ahah, that was freakin’ hilarious!

Back to the panel, there’s Yelchin—who’s quite good in Terminator Salvation and Star Trek— joined by director Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl), lovely British actress Imogen Poots (Centurion) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad). But it’s David Tennant who stole the show via satellite video announcing the free screening of the movie later that night. The trailer showed the Scottish Doctor Who actor chewing the scenery in his role as a vampire killer masquerading as a Vegas magician Peter Vincent. For a minute there I thought he was Russell Brand with his long, black hair, wearing only black leather pants and crucifix necklace on his bare chest. The trailer also made fun of Twilight which panel had been at Hall H the day before, no surprise there.

That’s it for Part I, folks. Stay tuned for a full Captain America review coming tomorrow, as well as Part II of the SONY Pictures panel presentation that includes Ghost Rider 2 (yes I know, I WON’T be watching that), 30 Minutes or Less, Total Recall and last but definitely NOT least, The Amazing Spider-man! If you have a keen eye, you might be able to spot me and hubby in some of the pics and clips that have been circulating all over the net of Spidey star Andrew Garfield pretending to be a fan asking a question from the Q&A mic ;)

So which ones of these films are you looking forward to the most? Comments/questions welcome.

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Oh lookie here! Cool new X-Men First Class pics and teaser poster

Oooh, my inner fangirl has been so spoiled lately! Forget Spider-man and Captain America, the superhero movie I’m hugely anticipating this year is X-Men: First Class prequel, especially the Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy casting.

You’ve probably seen this banner with all the cast in their mutant suit. As much as I’m excited to see anything from the upcoming flick, I thought the image looks like a bad Photoshop job (that turns out to be a fan-created so that explains the dismal quality). But yesterday, a few additional photos were released that look a heck of a lot better and more realistic. I mean, these people look like they were actually being photographed together. I’m digging the retro 60s look, and I think the cast is great. I just realize Rose Byrne is in this one, I like her. And Jennifer Lawrence has been generating lots of buzz with her performance in Winters’ Bone. I’m also looking forward to seeing the talented young Brit Nicholas Hoult (the one with the glasses) as the young Hank McCoy (Beast).

All photos courtesy of LA Times’ Hero Complex Blog

X-Men: First Class Cast

To see the whole cast list, check out its IMDb page

James McAvoy as Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto

As for the teaser poster, they pretty much went with the ‘X’ emblem route that have been used for the previous X-Men flicks (this one for X:3 with Wolverine’s claws is my favorite). The only difference is this one looks a little more retro with the serif font. If you don’t know anything about this film and what ‘school for the gifted’ means, it almost look like a poster for a Roman swords & sandals film as the whole thing kinda looks like a bronze shield.

I wish they’d just release the trailer already, I mean this movie is supposed to be released June 3rd, you’d think they’ve got at least a teaser trailer of some sort. Just as a comparison, Green Lantern is released two weeks later than this one but we’ve already seen its trailer like a month ago. Well, all we got so far is this trailer description that The Daily Blam released earlier this month. Here are some of the highlights:

● Patrick Stewart and Ian Mckellan voice over the opening lines about destiny and which side will you stand for as scenes of each in their previous X-Men movie roles flash until the entire screen flashes from white to black.
● A very young Xavier and Erik meet for the first time, followed by a different angle of the scene from the opening of X-Men in the concentration camp.
● Scene transitions to Erik yelling dramatically as metal tables in the room begin to float around him. Xavier and Mags shake hands with a tall man in a lab coat introduced as Dr. McCoy.
● The words “The other was too far gone” flash as a very pissed off Erik storms through a hallway killing guards as he passes them.

And for more First Class goodies, MSN also got an interview with Michael Fassbender where he discussed his role as Erik Lehnsherr (a.k.a Magneto). You can read it here. I absolutely can’t wait for this movie, though I kinda feel bad for director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, Layer Cake) who seemed really stressed out based on this Hero Complex article. Looks like this is the first time he’s got to work against an extremely tight deadline, whilst he’s used to working on small films that might not even find a distributor! I hope that the studios cut him some slack, I mean, I’d rather wait a few more months if need be than seeing this suffer from a rushed production.

What say you, folks? Are you as excited about this movie as I am?

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Hollywood Fantasy Draft Pitch II: Last Voyage of The Valentina

LOGLINE

Based on the novel by Santa Montefiore (yup, that’s the author’s real name!), Last Voyage of The Valentina is a romance mystery taking place between war-torn Italy at the end of WWII and aristocratic London in the early 1970s. The story switches back and forth between Italy and London in the span of about 25 years.

The story begins with a brutal murder at an Italian palazzo in 1945. Twenty years later, this unsolved crime touches the live of the story’s protagonist, Alexa (changed from Alba in the book), a hedonistic but unhappy woman who lives on a houseboat on the Thames named after her mother, Valentina. Propelled by her discovery of a portrait of the mother she never knew, Alexa is determination to find out the truth, which takes her back to Incantellaria, an unexpected jewel hidden within the red cliffs and caves of the Amalfi coast where her parents first met. Themes of love, obsession, decadence and betrayal peppered the drama as she delves deeper into her forbidden past. With the ‘alluring woman of mystery’ that is her mother at the center of it all, the revelation might just be the key of finding happiness in her own future.

BACKGROUND

I picked director Joe Wright for his work in Atonement (also based on a novel), as I think he’d be able to handle a dark, mysterious tale that’s also unabashedly romantic. After only three full-length features (Hanna will be his fourth), he’s quite an accomplished director who’ve won a BAFTA and was the youngest director ever to have a film open the Venice Film Festival with Atonement. His movies are often beautifully-shot, which is crucial for this story for its depiction of the Italian setting and he’s also displayed a capable hand in handling films with multiple flashback scenes. Also, I’d like him to incorporate one of his long tracking shots, such as this continuous 4.5-minute shot of the Dunkirk evacuation.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

For the rationale of why I selected these actors for each role, visit my Dream Cast post. Special thanks to Prairiegirl for lending me the novel and for being a consultant for this pitch.

Charlize Theron as Alexa Arbuckle
The protagonist of the story. 26-year-old Alexa is the daughter of British naval officer Thomas Arbuckle and the alluringly mysterious Italian beauty Valentina. She’d also play the young Valentina during the flashback scenes (where she’ll be sporting dark brown locks), which would require Charlize to get some dialect coaching to prep for the role.
…
Long-legged, tanned skin, with long wavy dark hair and piercing blue-grey eyes, Alexa is strikingly beautiful and a free-spirit. Men are drawn to her like bees to honey, but her endless succession of lovers leave her empty and unfulfilled. She may be tough to root for at first due to her hedonistic nature, but she grows up as the story progresses.
Rufus Sewell as Fitzroy Davenport
Viv’s literary agent who pines for Alexa. Described in the book as attractive in a very aristocratic way: intelligent eyes that sparkled with humor; a wide, infectious smile; a strong chin and jaw line; scruffy, with dark curly hair.
…
Ever so charming yet kind, Fitz plays a large role in Alexa’s quest for her mother and becomes the man she deeply falls for. Rufus is no stranger to romantic roles, as well as being the heartbroken one. But he’s not all longing sigh and yearning gaze, which is why his sense of humor and playfulness will come in handy in spicing up the character.
Michael Fassbender as Gabriele Ricci
Yes I know Fassbender is German but with some tan and dark hair, I think he has no problem playing an Italian gentleman. Witty, gallant and reassuring, Gabriele is the Italian Samaritan who helps Alexa get to Incantellaria after she’s robbed penniless. His part is small but prominent, and with his smoldering quality, he is sure to leave an indelible mark to the viewers.
Alan Rickman as Thomas Arbuckle
I love Rickman’s sensitive portrayal as Col. Brandon in Sense & Sensibility. As Alexa’s estranged father, Thomas rarely speak of his lost love Valentina. Now a wealthy man after the war, the former naval captain has since been married to Margo and has additional children, but he is constantly burdened by his memory of his first love.
Emily Watson as Vivienne ‘Viv’ Armitage
Watson is a passionate and versatile actress who’ll imbue the character of a late 30s London novelist with wit and whimsy. She lives on a boat next to Alexa’s and is the one who introduces Fitz to Alexa. Though Viv is fond of Alexa, she’s also weary of her and knows what the girl is capable of. She constantly warns Fitz not to fall in love with Alexa.
Brenda Blethyn as Margo Arbuckle
As Alexa’s stepmother, Margo can never seem to compete with a dead woman. Despite Alexa’s aversion, Margo is always civil with her difficult step daughter, as well as provide the stability that Thomas needs. Blethyn has a way of portraying a sympathetic female protagonist with a heart.
Rupert Penry-Jones as the young Lit. Thomas Arbuckle
This strapping lad seems born to wear a naval uniform, ehm. Thomas falls hard and fast for Valentina the second he sees her in the crowd of the Italian harbor. After being at sea for over three years patrolling the Italian coastline, Thomas is ready to settle down with the love of his life. When he finds out Valentina is pregnant with Alexa, he’s ecstatic… until her life is robbed far too soon, leaving him devastated.
Alfred Molina as Falco Fiorelli
Alexa’s Italian uncle who’s the same age as her father, late 50s. He’s got brooding looks and formidable physique and a sadness in his dark eyes, making him appear older than he is. He and Thomas harbor a deep, dark secret about Valentina’s death which still haunts him since.
Raoul Bova as the young Falco Fiorelli
Valentina’s eldest brother who came back from the war around the same time Thomas came back to fetch Valentina to England. He’s the only person who knew the truth that Valentina isn’t as innocent as she seems.
Rosamund Pike as Caroline Arbuckle
Thomas and Margo’s eldest daughter and Alexa’s stepsister who’s three years younger than she. She works in a Mayfair art gallery owned by the Arbuckle’s close family friend. She really wants to like Alexa but can’t figure her out.
Maggie Smith as Lavender Arbuckle
Thomas’ 70+ year-old mother who took baby Alexa in when he came back from Italy and loved her as her own daughter. She acts as if she were indifferent about Alexa when in reality she’s actually bitter about being cast aside when Thomas married Margo.
Alessandro Nivola as the Italian stranger
The tall and handsome stranger that caught Alexa’s eye on the plane. He’s flirtatious and incredibly charming, the quintessential Italian playboy.
Franco Nero as Marchese Ovidio
Seventy-something Incantellaria aristocrat who lives on the mansion on a hill, Palazzo Montelimone. Strikingly handsome with slicked-back gray hair, with straight Roman nose and aquamarine eyes. Educated at Oxford, he holds himself with the poise of a prince.

…

The film opens in 1945 Italy with a quick scene of brutal murder at an Italian palazzo. Two men came in the thick of night armed with knifes. The victim had been expecting them, he knew why they had come and he was ready, unafraid to die. Up until his throat was sliced he was still triumphant, his last words were “Kill me, but don’t forget that I killed you first.”

ACT I

London 1971 – Viv and Fitz were standing on the deck of Viv’s houseboat on the Thames in a balmy Spring evening. They spied on Alexa who’s ‘entertaining’ one of her lovers on her houseboat. It’s right after her tryst with Rupert, one of her many lovers, that Alexa noticed a brown scroll of paper from between the slats under her bed. She stared at the portrait sketched in pastels and felt a rush of emotions overcame her, it’s like looking into a mirror and the woman’s eyes seemed to follow her as she’s unable to look away. At the bottom of the picture, written in Latin, dum spiro, ti amo (“While I breathe, I love you”) and signed in ink Thomas Arbuckle.

Alexa confronted her father about the portrait and demanded to know more about her mother she never knew. She was resentful that her father had been too busy to build a new family with Margo after Valentina died, and the more children he had, the less Alexa felt that she belonged in the traditional upper-class family. Thomas rarely talked about Valentina, though her presence was still felt in the room, in his eyes. Arguments ensued as Thomas insisted that the past should belong to the past and though he loved her mother, she’s now dead and nothing could ever bring her back. Fuming, Alexa left and vented to her neighbor Viv about her desire to find out more about who her mother was. Viv then suggested that her best friend and literary agent Fitz helped her concoct a plot to dupe her father into divulging details about her mother. Viv’s grand plan is for Alexa and Fitz to spend a weekend together as pretend couple to win the Arbuckles’ heart, and for Fitz to bond with Thomas so that he’s comfortable enough to share about Valentina’s whereabouts. As Fitz had such a huge crush on Alexa, he promptly agreed.

Off to Beechfield Park Mansion where the Arbuckles live, a red-brick and flint,300-year-old house that was passed down from Thomas’ grandfather. Though Alexa only wanted Fitz to charm her parents for her own cause, Fitz actually genuinely wanted the Arbuckles to think well of him and he hoped Alexa would return him with love. Just as Fitz had hoped, that night Thomas poured his heart out as the night wore on and the more wine they drank. As he sat in the worn leather chair in his study, Thomas revealed to Fitz who Valentina was and how she had captivated him. La bella donna d’Incantellaria, he referred to her, and that every time he looked at Alexa, he saw Valentina.

Mission accomplished. Fitz happily reported back to Alexa who was already waiting for him in bed. They didn’t make love until the following morning, and for the first time, Alexa actually spent the night with a man in bed without offering her body to him.

ACT 2

Flashback to Italy, 1944 – Young Lieutenant Thomas Arbuckle and his fellow British naval officers arrived in the Italian harbor of Incantellaria. Thomas and his naval crew was tasked to investigate about an arms dump left by the German army to make sure they didn’t fall into the wrong hands. It’s on the way to the munitions dump, on the quayside, was where Thomas first laid eyes on Valentina and fell for her instantly. At first he lost her in the crowd but later when the town carabiniere (Italian police), Lattarullo took them to the only restaurant in town, he was reunited with her, as Valentina was the youngest daughter of the trattoria’s owner, Immacolata Fiorelli. During his brief stay in Italy, Thomas and his friends were also invited to tea by the town’s aristocrat, Marchese Ovidio at his home, Palazzo Montelimone. Just as they left his house, he ran into a handsome young boy, Nero, who ran errands for the marchese.

Following a highly-superstitious ceremony that Valentina’s family attended religiously, Thomas and Valentina retreated from the townspeople to the beach where they made love. But in the morning, he had to go back to the war.

ACT 3

London 1971 – After sharing an intimate weekend together, Fitz was seemingly able to convince Alexa to be exclusive with him. Fitz had become more than a lover to Alexa, he was also her friend. For a brief few weeks, they were happy together until Alexa demanded that Fitz come to Italy with her, but he felt that’s something she needed to on her own. When Fitz refused, Alexa broke up with him. Fitz was devastated but with Viv’s encouragement, he did not relent. Alexa told her father that she was going to Italy with or without his support.

Flashback to Italy, May 1945 – Thomas returned after the war to see Valentina again. He had received a letter from Valentina nine months prior that she had gotten pregnant with their baby, which made him even more desperate to see her. When the townsfolk saw him, they were ecstatic. Valentina came to him with their 3-month old baby in her arms. Immacolata gave her blessings and they soon planned their wedding as they both took care of little Alexa. Thomas then met the rest of the Fiorelli’s family. Three of Valentina’s four brothers had come back after the war, with Falco the eldest who became the head of the family since their father died in the war. Falco didn’t warm up to Thomas right away. In fact, he seemed to be resentful of her sister Valentina as well and that night, Thomas overheard them arguing fiercely but he just shrugged it off and thought that perhaps he didn’t like a foreigner marrying his sister.

London 1971 – Alexa flew to Italy without Fitz. He tried to see her before she left but it was too late. Alexa had a tryst with an Italian stranger who caught her eye on the plane. But she found out in the morning that he had robbed her of all her money. She fled the hotel and managed to trick the ticket agent at the train station for a free ride to Sorrento. But as soon as she arrived, a moment of distraction cost her her luggage. She was robbed twice in the course of 24 hours!

As she cussed loudly in frustration, another Italian stranger noticed her. Upon hearing what had happened to her, the gentleman offered to buy her lunch as well as a boat ride to Incantellaria. Alexa was weary at first considering what she had been through, but she had no choice but to trust him. Gabriele Ricci was a Naples businessman who often spent his summers on the coast. He made good on his promise and Alexa was soon reunited with her mother’s family. Realizing he was out of place in this family reunion, Gabriele slipped away without a fuss, but not before asking Falco to give his card to Alexa.

Alexa bonded with her mother’s family who welcomed her with open arms and joyful heart, even becoming a motherly figure to her 6-year-old relative Cosima, whose mother had ran away with a tango dancer. Alexa finally found a place she belonged, something she had never found where at Beechfield Park where she grew up. But soon she learned the hard truth about her past. At the trattoria one afternoon, Lattarullo revealed that Valentina had been murdered.

ACT 4

Flashback to Italy, 1945 – The day before the wedding. At three in the morning, Thomas was awaken by a frantic knocking on the door by Lattarullo. He had brought the most harrowing news that Valentina was dead. Along with him and Falco, Thomas found Valentina’s body slumped in the passenger seat of a convertible Alfa Romeo with exquisite leather seat and walnut interior. Her throat had been slashed as blood had stained her sequined dress. At first he didn’t recognize her as she was dressed like an elegant courtesan wearing red lipstick, fur stole and sparkling diamonds.

Fast forward to 1971 Italy – Alexa demanded Falco to tell her the truth about Valentina’s tragic death, who finally revealed that Valentina had been living a double life. Her mother had been the mistress of a famous Mafia boss Lupo Bianco who was dead in the driver’s seat. As Bianco had been hunted down by the police for years, his death was a triumph for the town’s police and to them Valentina was simply a victim who was in the wrong place in the wrong time.

Months went by and suddenly Fitz showed up in a warm night in October, just as Alexa was deciding whether to call him or Gabriele. It’s as if fate made the decision for her as Fitz asked her to marry him. A couple of weeks before they went back to London, Alexa took Fitz to Palazzo Montelimoni, determined to find some answers once and for all. The place had become a ruin with walls crumbling and fallen stones swallowed by ivy and weeds. As they stumbled into the room that seemed to have been lived in, someone came behind them. He was startled to see Alexa as if he had seen a ghost as she had been the splitting image of her mother. He introduced himself as Nero, the same young boy Thomas had bumped into after having tea with Marchese Ovidio. Nero told them he was the marchese’s lover who inherited the decaying palazzo. He explained that the marchese had loved Valentina too, and before they left, he gave Alexa a scroll that apparently Valentina had given the marchese.

That day, Alexa solved the case the Italian detectives didn’t bother to crack. It turns out the marchese had wanted to have an heir with Valentina but became insanely jealous when he found out she had become pregnant with someone else’s child and wanted to leave Italy. Falco somehow found out the marchese had killed Valentina, and so he and Thomas planned to sneak into his house in the middle of the night and kill him in the same way he had robbed Valentina’s life. “It was a matter of honor,” he uttered, the same words he said after he slashed the marchese’s throat.

Alexa and Fitz went back to London. Alexa gave her father the painting that he had been looking for, the third and most intimate portrait of Valentina that he drew. But what mattered more to him was that now Alexa knew the truth and the burden has been lifted. Alexa was ready to move on and leave the dark past of Valentina behind. As a symbol of a new beginning, she and her family let her houseboat sink to the bottom of the river. As she and Fitz planned their wedding, Alexa longed for Italy, her heart ached for her new home and the people that she had grown to love, especially Cosima. With a heavy heart, Alexa told Fitz she had to return to Incantellaria.

EPILOGUE

Spring in Incantellaria. Alexa now worked at Immacolata’s trattoria – she’d been working hard buying supplies, setting tables, serving customers, even learning how to cook. As she looked out the window overlooking the beach, she heard the sound of a motorboat growing louder. She walked outside to stand beneath the awning with a basket of apples hanging on her arm. A wave of anticipation overcame her as the boat drew up and a familiar young man descended. She had been taking out and staring at his now rumpled business card she’s kept for months, and thought about the kind man who gave it to her. His dark eyes met with her piercing pale eyes. It was then when he last saw her disappear from his view as she was reunited with her family. It was then that he lost his heart, little did he know he’d ever get it back.

Well, what do you think? Would you be interested to see a movie with this kind of story and cast? Please let me know your thoughts.