Young Saudi Arabian woman plays the role of heroine in an American film about an Arab teenager

Some scenes incited controversy because of her exposure

Dubai - Al-Arabiya.net

American cinema screens during the summer holiday expose controversial films revolving around the sexual life of a young, Arab-American teenage girl, with the lead role played by a young Saudi Arabian girl who takes on American sexuality.

The young Saudi-American woman, Summer Bishil, plays the primary role in the film "Towelhead", which revolves around events dealing with emerging sexual awareness in a young Arab girl living in the state of Texas as she enters adolescence during the Gulf War in 1991.

The film derives its tale from a novel written by Alicia Irian, and features star actors and actresses such as Aaron Eckhart and Toni Collette.

Summer Bishil has an American mother and a Saudi father, who comes from Indian roots, according to the Bahraini newspaper "Daily Golf News" (Friday, July 11, 2008).

...

The movie is controversial because of sexual scenes between a teenage girl and a married man with children, but the film's producer says that no more than the shoulders of the actor Aaron Eckhart and actress Summer Bishil actually appears in the film.

The dead girl, que cuenta cómo la muerte de una chica afecta en varias vidas diferentes y que no tienen nada que ver entre sí.

La película me atraía más que nada por el reparto. Toni Collette (Pequeña Miss Sunshine) y Rose Byrne (Damages) sobre todo. Sin embargo, cuando leí que se trataba de una de esas películas de moda, dividida en varias historias, me eché un poco para atrás. Y no por el hecho de estar dividida en varias historias, que me parece que es una estructura que puede dar mucho de sí (Crash y todas las de Iñárritu-Arriaga son prueba de ello). Más bien porque es una moda, y las modas parten de algo original para crear muchos productos mediocres.

Las historias de la película son las siguientes. En The stranger se nos muestra a la mujer que descubre el cadáver de la chica muerta; en The sister, una joven forense cuya hermana desapareció hace 15 años cree que la chica muerta era su hermana perdida; en The wife, una mujer descubre que su marido es un asesino en serie; en The mother vemos la emotiva búsqueda de la madre de la chica muerta por saber cómo era la vida de una hija que se fue de casa a los 16 años; y en el último acto presenciamos las últimas horas de la chica muerta sobre la que gira la película.

Aunque la película adquiere desde cierto punto un poco tufo a "historia de Laura Palmer", lo cierto es que la trama sí es una buena base para contar cinco historias diferentes. De hecho, lo peor de la película es que, como unidad, se queda un sabor de boca extraño que te dice que no estaba del todo bien tratada, pero cada historia en sí resulta interesante.

Eso sí, unas más que otras. Por ejemplo, en la primera historia, la directora y guionista Karen Moncrieff se pasa de rarilla describiendo a unos personajes demasiado perturbados, con algún que otro momento del todo incomprensible. Pero lo cierto es que todos los personajes son interesantes, y se ve una clara característica común en todos ellos: están encerrados en sí mismos. Son ellos su propia cárcel, su pena, su miedo, sus familiares, su cobardía. Son personas que necesitan un gran cambio en su vida, pero quizá no lo tengan porque ellos mismos no lo van a permitir.

En total, cinco historias con personajes muy interesantes, todos ellos (sobre todo las cinco protagonistas) muy bien llevados por sus intérpretes, destacando a Toni Collette como una trastornada y ninguneada solterona, a Rose Byrne como una impotente joven aplastada por su pena y la de su familia, y a Marcia Gay Harden como una desesperada madre que intenta sacar algo servible de los restos de la vida de su hija, a la que no ve desde que tenía 16 años.

Una de las cosas más interesantes de The dead girl es que es como un puzzle, con cinco piezas, y cada una de ellas tiene un trozo de información para la imagen global, pero además cuenta su propia historia, en mayor o menor medida. Esto conlleva que, en ocasiones, llegue a ser una película de detalles, con frases o imágenes que son verdaderos guiños a hechos de las demás historias.

En general, una buena película, opción que casi nadie tendrá en cuenta pues llega con dos años de retraso a nuestro país y sin ninguna promoción. Ea.

Las razones para que la serie sea a priori interesantísima son obvias: guiones de Diablo Cody, cuyo nombre seguro que recordáis porque es difícil de olvidar, la ex streaper guionista de la gran Juno. Otra razón de peso: la protagonista, Tara, será interpretada por Toni Collette, la madre de Pequeña Miss Sunshine. Me gustó mucho en esa película (como todos sus compañeros de reparto) y creo que puede dar mucho de sí para el personaje que le ha tocado encarnar.

¿El personaje que le ha tocado encarnar? Ahí va otra gran razón para esperar una buena serie: la historia. Tara es una madre de familia de lo más normal. Tiene a su marido (John Corbett), y a sus hijos. Tiene todos los problemas que una mujer puede tener, pero también otro más: trastorno de identidad disociativo. O desorden de personalidad múltiple, si lo preferís. Ah, claro, y su familia es disfuncional. Pero esto no nos suena ya nada raro.

El piloto ha sido dirigido por Craig Gillespie, responsable de Lars y una chica de verdad, película que no he tenido oportunidad de ver en el cine, pero estoy deseando poder pillarla en DVD. Y al parecer ésta es otra buena noticia. Y entre los productores se encuentran la propia Cody y Steven Spielberg.

Estamos hablando de una comedia de capítulos de media hora, en la que conoceremos a un difícil personaje, y a miles a la vez, de diferentes edades, temperamentos e incluso sexos. Y a su familia. Por las personas que están involucradas en el proyecto, espero que el humor sea a lo Juno/Pequeña Miss Sunshine, con grandes personajes muy bien dibujados que acaben enamorando al espectador.

Entre United States of Tara, Dexter, una serie británica muy interesante acerca de una prostituta, que intentaré ver (Secret diary of a call girl) y la que aún tengo pendiente, Californication, la cadena Showtime es una de las más interesantes para la próxima temporada.

-The dead girl: uno de esos thrillers de historias que se entrecruzan con un leit-motiv central; sale gente como James Franco (Harry Osbourne en Spiderman), Toni Collette (la madre del Sexto sentido) y Rose Byrne (Briseida en Troya).

-La niebla: Frank Darabont, ninguneado su guión para Indy 4, adapta a Stephen King; terror por encima de la media.

-La ronda de noche: ¿funcionan las pelis sobre pintores?; normalmente, no; véase La joven de la perla; aquí es Rembrandt quien sirve de vehículo argumental a Peter Greenaway.

-La boda de mi novia: comedia mema con el "chico" de Anatomía de Grey, el ahora heart-breaker Patrick Dempsey.

-Fay Grim: dentro del perfil bajo de los estrenos del último fin de semana, una con trasfondo de la CIA... pero que nadie se espere un Bourne.

-Alexandra: drama checo que... ¿tendrá su público?; uf.

-Edificio Yacoubian: vaya, que el fin de semana se puso exótico, aquí con unas historias radicadas en El Cairo.

Disculpas por el retraso... aunque más se perdió en Cuba.

Stop laughing . . .

Anyway, after the Magnum opus that was my last post, I thought I'd come back today with something a bit on the sunnier, fresh-air side of life.

I love movies. Always have. The peaceful moments of my existence are embodied best in a quite evening at home with a DVD in the Pioneer and the lights out. And while there's nothing wrong with the occasional lighthearted romantic comedy or a mindless blockbuster action movie, what I really enjoy are movies about interesting characters. Often called dramas, these presentations of honest people living real, complex lives in the midst of both the magnificent and the mundane turn my crank and drag me through the entire spectrum of emotions. I laugh. I cry. I escape for a couple hours and then slide reluctantly back into the real world, often having learned a thing or two about myself along the way. And making good character-driven movies take incredibly talented and versatile actors.

I got to thinking about all this last night while watching one such movie with my son, and our chat was still jogging upon the dewy grass track of my mind as I awoke this morning. So I decided to run with it and solidify a list of my favorite character actors to share with you, starting with the ladies. When I see any of these gals cast in a movie, it's almost always a must-see. So here they are, my leading ladies, in no particular order:

Patricia Clarkson

She oozes talent from every pore. While most may not consider her a leading lady, I find that she brightens nearly every movie I've had the pleasure of seeing her in. I fell for her in The Green Mile. To watch her transform from a diseased and bedridden bag of bones into a beacon of light and redemption moved me. She stole the show, even if only for a brief few minutes. She did almost the same thing in The Station Agent. And then she melted my heart completely in Lars and the Real Girl.

Joan Allen

She never plays a weak character, every one a strong woman with poise and intelligence. Consider her as Bonnie Waitzkin, the protective yet compassionate mother to a chess prodigy in Searching for Bobby Fischer, or as the no-nonsense senator in The Contender. And who really wants to mess with Pamela Landy, the hard-as-nails agent with a heart of gold in the last two installments of the Bourne trilogy? She's been in too many good movies to list here. As a leading lady, she's not had much success. But she steals every scene she gets with her wit and charm. She's spot on every time and a pleasure to watch.

Helen Hunt

I've loved her since Mad About You. She was the perfect foil for Paul Reiser, counterbalancing is stupidity with her spunk and grace. She manages to save Twister, and then burst onto the big screen with class in As Good As It Gets, providing the shaky yet determined voice of reason to Jack Nicholson's insanity and earning and Oscar in the process. Her eyes speak volumes and her silence screams. It all just simmers underneath and then bursts out with such precision and poise. She's been sort of underground for a while but has a new movie out, Then She Found Me, which she wrote, produced, directed and starred in. I can't wait to see it.

Charlize Theron

She could have been a bimbo actress. Her first big screen role was in Children of the Corn III. What?! Then came The Devil's Advocate. I was a bit worried. Then she started taking on some real meaty roles and came out shining. Most people missed The Legend of Bagger Vance, which is a shame. And . . . my God . . . the awesomeness that is her performance in Monster. Rent it today if you haven't seen this Oscar-winning performance. She sparkled in The Cider House Rules and showed her tough side in The Italian Job. She's gorgeous, talented and hasn't disappointed me in quite some time. Of course, I haven't seen Æon Flux yet . . .

Cate Blanchett

My favorite elf. I'd enter a spooky, ancient forest any day for an audience with this extremely talented former Queen of England . . . er . . . I mean actress. Cate has portrayed almost everyone imaginable, including Bob Dylan, and done so with her own unique style. Her smile can lift your spirits or rip out your heart. Consider her role in Notes on a Scandal opposite the always-good Judi Dench. She fell apart on screen, deconstructing the stereotypical image of a successful woman with secrets in the closet. And she managed to steal Babel right out from under Brad Pitt. Then there's all that red hair. My oh my, what a beautiful woman.

Toni Collette

She quietly slipped on the scene in 1994's Muriel's Wedding in a performance lauded by critics but missed by most moviegoers. Then came The Sixth Sense, in which her startling and sympathetic turn as struggling single mother Lynn Sear earned her an Academy Award nomination. I watched this movie again last night with my son and I'm still touched by her transparent performance. Simply riveting. Almost as good as her role in the funny yet touching Little Miss Sunshine. Her pout isn't . . . pouty, if you catch my drift. She's honest with her emotions and never fails to make me smile.

Kate Winslet

Face it. Anyone who could make Titanic a joy to watch has to be good. Kate is fearless when it comes to the roles she chooses. She can play the classics, as she did as Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet, embody such eccentric personalities as Iris Murdoch in Iris, and then bring boring to life with an easy dramatic flair as she did in Little Children. She even managed to breathe life into Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind opposite Jim Carrey. That was no small feat, for that movie would have been dead without her knack for sincere laughter atop a smile that speaks a thousand words. She's a rare and elegant beauty, and I just adore her.

Jennifer Connelly

I just realized that Jennifer Connelly is the first brunette on my list. I'll let you decide what that means. Meanwhile, I'll watch her again and again. I loved her in the thinking person's sci-fi noir flick Dark City. She looked just so darn poised and otherworldly standing on the dock at the end of the film, her dark hair blowing in the breeze. But her other roles have taken her deeper, as a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream, as Jackson Pollock's impressionable lover in Pollock, as a single mother with supernatural water stains on her apartment ceiling in Dark Water. But watching her shatter a glass of water in anger and frustration in A Beautiful Mind is a study in excellence of expression and personification. And those baby blue eyes . . .

Hilary Swank

Russell Crowe once encouraged anyone who came from "the downside of advantage" to pursue their dreams whatever they may be. Such is the case with Hilary Swank. She got her first big break in The Next Karate Kid after she and her mother moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Then came Boys Don't Cry, and astonishingly compassionate and realistic performance as Brandon Teena, a transsexual who was brutally raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993. Few people saw this movie, which is a shame. She earned an Oscar for her performance, and then earned a second Oscar for her portrayal as boxing phenom Maggie Fitzgerald in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby. She's had some duds (The Reaping) but the good far outweigh the bad.

Laura Linney

If I were pressed to name my favorite actress, I wouldn't hesitate a second in picking Laura Linney. Honestly, I've never seen her in a bad movie. She has that rare ability to rescue even the shallowest of screenplays and bring her performance to life. I first fell for her in The Truman Show. Her over-the-top performance matched Carrey's step for step. And consider her opposite Mark Ruffalo in You Can Count on Me. The quiver in her voice sounds genuine and unforced and adds a sympathetic touch that dives deep but never drowns. I especially enjoyed her in The Savages with Philip Seymour Hoffman. Interestingly, she always seems to be cast opposite some of my favorite actors. She holds her own and brings out the best in everyone.

Julianne Moore

Ever see Magnolia? No, not Steel Magnolias. That one sucked. Magnolia is the three-hour ensemble drama directed my Paul Thomas Anderson, the wunderkind behind last years best movie, There Will Be Blood. He has a way of bringing out the best in his actors, and he got way more than even he could have imagined from Julianne Moore in Magnolia. She walks the tightrope of madness and never slips. She's done sensitive and sweet in Far From Heaven, sexy, dirty and nasty in Boogie Nights, and strong and proud in Children of Men. Not all of her movies have been masterpieces, but that's no fault of hers. Heck, I even liked her as Clarice Starling in Hannibal, not an easy role to take on after Jodie Foster's Oscar-winning turn.

So there you have 'em, my leading ladies of cinema. Were I an actor in need of someone to work with who could make my star shine, I'd choose any one of these gals any day of the week. Feel free to add your favorites to the comments, or simply add your praise for these actors if you feel so led. I love talking movies, so fire away . . .

Titulo: The Dead Girl

Titulo Original: The Dead Girl

Género: Drama

Nacionalidad: USA

Año: 2006

Director: Karen Moncrieff

Guion: Karen Moncrieff

Reparto: Toni Collette, Rose Byrne, Mary Beth Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden, Brittany Murphy, Kerry Washington, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi, Piper Laurie, James Franco, Mary Steenburgen, Bruce Davison

Sinopsis: Un conjunto de cinco historias acerca de personas sin relación aparente entre ellas cuyas vidas convergen alrededor del asesinato de una chica.
"La Extraña" es la mujer que encuentra el cuerpo. La publicidad suscitada por el descubrimiento le genera una vía de salida para escapar del control de su abusiva madre y establecer una extraña relación con el misterioso Rudy.
"La Hermana", una estudiante de Anatomía Forense, se encuentra entre dos aguas: la presión de su madre para que conserve la esperanza de que su hermana desaparecida hace años regresará a casa y su propio anhelo de seguir adelante con su vida. Cuando examina el cadáver de la chica muerta, está convencida de que ha hallado el cuerpo de su hermana desaparecida, lo cual le quita un gran peso de encima.
"La Esposa" está atrapada en una Intensa relación de amor/odio con su marido. Un terrible descubrimiento sobre su conexión con el asesinato de la chica la obliga a hacer frente a lo que creía que sabía acerca de él… y de ella misma.
"La Madre" busca respuestas acerca de la vida de su hija fugada y se enfrenta a una serie de revelaciones que cambiarán el curso de su propia vida. En su búsqueda cuenta con la ayuda de otra chica con problemas, la prostituta que vivía con su hija.
"La Chica Muerta" es como una bola de fuego: hiperactiva, volátil, autodestructiva y sujeta a ataques de incontrolable ira. También tiene un lado inocente y pueril. Sueña con mejorar su vida y ser una buena madre para su hija.

Baghead

youtube

The Duplass Brothers explore the minutiae of relationship dynamics in this in-depth study of a group of desperate actor friends. And a bag. And a head.(IMDb)

and this one sounds better:

Towelhead

A young Arab-American girl struggles with her sexual obsession, a bigoted Army reservist and her strict father during the Gulf War. Based on Alicia Erian's novel "Towelhead".(IMDb)

geregisseerd door Lajos Koltai
met Claire Danes, Hugh Dancy, Vanessa Redgrave en Toni Collette

Evening vertelt het verhaal van Ann Grant (Vanessa Redgrave). Op haar sterfbed komen de herinneringen aan haar romantische verleden en emotionele heden. Af en toe half bij kennis mompelt ze steeds de naam 'Harris'. Haar twee dochters die bij haar sterfbed zitten vragen zich af wie deze 'Harris' eigenlijk is. Hun moeder heeft die naam nooit eerder genoemd. De herinneringen van hun moeder doet de dochters, Constance, een tevreden vrouw en moeder, en Nina, een rusteloze vrijgezelle vrouw hun eigen leven overdenken. In haar gedachten gaat Ann met de nachtzuster terug naar een gedenkwaardig weekend zo'n vijftig jaar geleden. Dat weekend is Ann (Claire Danes) te gast op een high society bruiloft waar haar beste vriendin Lila Wittenborn gaat trouwen. Ann is erg close met Lila maar nog closer met haar energieke broer Buddy (Hugh Dancy). Die laatste is helemaal verliefd op Ann maar die is weer verliefd op de tuinman Harris (Patrick Wilson) van de familie Wittenborn. Op die bruiloft zullen Harris en Buddy een levenslang stempel drukken op het leven van Ann.

Oordeel: Sterke film door het uitstekende acteerwerk, het goede verhaal en de af en toe sprookjesachtige sfeer waarin het verhaal zich afspeelt. Aanrader!

Klik hier om te trailer te bekijken (YouTube).

IMDB

人身後留給在世的人除了傷痛還有什麼？一本小說影響三個曾想自殺的女人，卻因為各自的原因走向不同的結局。

導演利用漂亮的運鏡將三人生活連接在一起，原只是互不相干的三人，因為一本小說，對彼此的人生有了改變。在片頭小說家以自殺結束生命，一方面點出了全片的核心，一方面也預告這只是最不受煎熬的手段之一。在選擇最後結局的過程，獨自一人承受各種痛苦更令人難受，唯有看穿人生的模樣，才能夠勇敢的走下去。

IMDB

前半與探索病童心理的戲份，讓Haley Joel Osment充分發揮，個人認為演的比AI好，另一方面也更凸顯當時的Bruce Willis若要演內心戲，還有很大的進步空間。不過值得肯定的是，Willis的憂鬱表情無論用在動作片或是內心戲都是相當吃香的！

片末劇情逆轉使得本片不至於乏味（我原以為這是驚悚片…），不過可以看到dead people的老梗真的是百用不厭啊。

"A fantasia, em todas as suas formas, só tem utilidade se servir como uma reflexão do que pode ser construído para o futuro." (Kurt Vonnegut)

Muito embora o filme traga três personagens femininas, é do lado feminino de ser que cada um de nós temos, homens e mulheres, que ele mostra. E esse olhar feminino vem pelo poeta, justamente por um personagem masculino. Um jeito romântico de ser e de olhar o mundo. Lindo!

Aí ficam perguntas... Tudo tem que ser tão certinho? Tudo tem que sempre ser encarado dentro da normalidade, daquilo que já está pré-estabelecido? A mola do mundo também é movimenta por algo fora dos padrões, fora do convencional. Sempre teremos tempo de subverter a engrenagem. Ou não, pois o tempo não para. As horas voam... Onde estaria, melhor, onde ficaria o sonho, o desejo, a vontade em traçar seu próprio destino? Pois, levar uma vida dupla, onde a real é por pura obrigação, onde a de sonhos é escapismos, há de chegar uma hora que não aguentará mais. E ai...

Não li o livro do qual o filme foi baseado. Como também ainda não li o livro de Virgínia Woolf, "Mrs. Dalloway" que faz parte do filme. Esse me motivou a mais em ler. Então, focarei o filme. E sem entrar muito na patologia da escritora, por não ser a minha praia. O filme mostra um dia ímpar na vida de algumas pessoas. Com ela, escrevendo os esboços de mais um livro. Que viria a ser seu último trabalho. Como também, anos depois (Em 1951 e em 2001; nos EUA.), vidas alteradas em alguns dos leitores desse mesmo livro. Um dia que ficará marcado para sempre.

O que me cativou de pronto foi o lance dela ficar buscando uma frase para então iniciar o texto. Sem nenhuma pretensão nessa comparação, lhes digo que eu era assim. Para qualquer texto que escrevia, mesmo para uma redação na escola, buscava por uma frase para iniciar. Após encontrá-la, o texto fluía naturalmente.

Nicole Kidman faz a Virgínia Woolf. Confesso a vocês que não a reconheci de imediato. Só fui mesmo notar quando outra pessoa comentou. Parabéns pela performance e pelo visual!

Virgínia, após encontrar a frase... Ótima por sinal! Eu adoro flores! ...pensa no rumo que dará aos personagens. Sua intenção inicial era matar a protagonista. Sua inquietude também por conta de sua doença a faz parar por algumas horas e olhar o mundinho que a cerca. De onde se deprime por saber que está presa ao seu problema. Gostaria que mais do que drogarem-na, que os médicos encontrassem uma solução. Durante esse correr do dia... Constata que sua casa funciona sem ela, pois as criadas tomam as decisões que deveriam vir dela. Talvez, numa de punir, faz a empregada ir comprar gengibre em Londres.

Depois, com a visita da irmã com os filhos, capta mais coisas. Visita essa que por terem chegado antes da hora, irrita o marido (Stephen Dillane). A irmã (Miranda Richardson) lhe diz que é uma privilegiada, por poder viver duas vidas: a real e a dos livros. Mas Virgínia queria mesmo viver outra vida. Até da irmã, já seria bem-vinda. E por conta de um cerimonial junto com a sobrinha para um pássaro à beira da morte... reflete mais agora também sobre a sua vida real.

Uma das passagens mais tocante é dela com o marido na estação de trem. (Algo sadio em qualquer relacionamento: o de discutir a relação.) O que cada um falou para o outro. Mas que deixou uma pergunta: Será que ambos ouviram o que o outro dizia de fato? Claro, que eles tentaram. (Atualmente, eu diria que num caso semelhante, precisariam da ajuda de um profissional.). Mas diante do quadro clínico dela e por Leonard ser meio avesso às mudanças repentinas, não houve o acesso até ela. Mesmo havendo amor entre eles, um não conseguia satisfazer o outro. Numa parte, quando ela diz estar entediada ali naquele lugar, ele lhe diz que ela sentia o mesmo na agitação da capital. Ele bem que tentou dentro do limite dele, do jeito dele, fez o que julgava estar certo e por amor a ela. Mais uma vez estava disposto a mudar a si próprio por ela. Mas não era isso que ela queria. Virgínia queria não apenas libertar-se, como também não manter ninguém preso a si. E eles não se entenderam.

As outras duas histórias, mesmo passadas em anos diferentes, irão se unir de fato nesse único dia. Não, não se trata de nenhuma viagem do tempo, vendo o filme irão entender melhor. Por hora, vou tentar contar sem estragar a surpresa de quem ainda não viu esse filme.

Laura Brown (Julianne Moore) leva a vida de uma dona de casa padrão. Casada. Mãe de um menino e encontra-se grávida de outro. No dia do aniversário do seu marido, Dan (John C. Reilly), algo acontece que a faz mudar radicalmente a sua vida. Pontua essa decisão não apenas a história do livro, mas a conversa com a amiga Kitty (Toni Collette). Essa, por estar na iminência de não mais poder gerar um filho considera a amiga uma privilegiada. Mas essa não é a vida que ela queria levar. Laura queria libertar-se. Mas como sair daquela engrenagem? O que seria do seu garotinho? Certo ou errado, Laura segiu com a sua decisão.

Passados mais alguns anos... Conhecemos Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) que como na manhã da história do livro, sai para comprar flores. Também irá dar uma festa. Seu grande e inestimável amigo Richard (Ed Harris) ganharam um prêmio. Prêmio esse que o colocava na lista dos grandes poetas. Mas que para ele, viera mesmo por ele se declarar aidético. Ela já incorporou em seu dia-a-dia ir cuidar dele. O que o deprime. Tal qual Virgínia com o marido, ele também se desgosta em precisar desses cuidados. A ama demais para mantê-la presa a ele. Ela tem uma filha (Claire Daines), ela tem Sally (Allison Janney). Tem a sua própria vida.

Assim, ao final de um único dia... após fazerem um mergulho profundo dentro de si mesmo... após reverem seus fantasmas, ou seriam seus piores pesadelos? Dormem o sono dos justos. Para alguns, um novo amanhecer surgirar. E por conta disso, mesmo sendo um clichezão, repito: Enquanto há vida, há esperança. Eu fico triste quando vejo um final com o fim de certos personagens. Triste, mas respeitando a decisão.

Esse entrou para a minha lista de que vale a pena rever, sempre! Filmaço! Nota máxima!

Por: Valéria Miguez.

As Horas (The Hours). 2002. EUA. Direção: Stephen Daldry. Elenco: Nicole Kdman, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, John C. Relly, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Miranda Richardson, Jeff Daniels, Stephen Dillane. Gênero: Drama. Duração: 114 minutos. Baseado no livro de Michael Cunningham.

Basada en la provocativa novela de Alicia Erian (definida como una mezcla de "American Beauty" y "Lolita"), "Nothing is Private (Towelhead)" narra la historia de superación al entrar en edad adulta de una chica de 13 años. Jasira, durante la guerra de Irak vive con su madre estadounidense y el novio de ésta, que queda prendado por la sugerente madurez de la chica. Por esto su madre la envía a Texas con su estricto padre libanés. Éste trata de inculcar a su hija los valores tradicionales de la cultura musulmana. Mientras tanto, Jasira sigue sin saber muy bien que hacer cuando nota como su físico afecta a los hombres que le rodean, en especial, a su vecino (Aaron Eckhart) un atractivo e intolerante marine.

Dirigida por Alan Ball y protagonizada por Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi, Summer Bishil, 'Towelhead' tiene previsto su estreno para principios de agosto del presente año. En un verano que se espera cargado de cine aventurero y de acción títulos como este se agradecen para contrarestar la excesiva adrenalina cinematografía propia del verano.

*Pulsa aquí para acceder al trailer de la película

Fdo: Kitano

Diretto da Lajos Koltai, racconta la storia di una donna che, sul letto di morte, durante il delirio, ricorda un fine settimana in cui, quarant'anni prima su un isola del Maine, durante il matrimonio del suo migliore amico, incontrò l'uomo che sarebbe stato il grande amore della sua vita. Il film esce il 24 aprile in Italia. Piccola curiosità: Keira Knightley fu considerata per la parte della giovane Ann Grant Lord, ma lei non potè accettare perchè si trovava sul set dei Pirati dei Caraibi: la fine del mondo del 2007.

We set out to change the world and just changed ourselves

Synopsis

"Velvet Goldmine" is a rock opera of sorts, as the famous movie to "Citizen Kane",  the film tells the story of Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), an enormously popular glam rock star and his relationship with his wife, Mandy Slade (Toni Collette) and his love affair with the glam rock star Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor), al this, by the eye of Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) who was a fan of the glam movement when he was young and ten years later, he is a journalist who have to write about the fake murder or Slade. The film is a combination of documentary, concert, and music video, which combine to present the film in a non-linear fashion, an 'experience' movie. 

During Stuart's search, however, we are provided with a glimpse into the world of glam rock. Slade is shown as being ultimately a construct, transformed by an ambitious record agent into a popular rock star. He is invented by his record company, and soon rises to fame as a part of the brief English phenomenon of glam rock. Although married, Slade and Mandy have an open relationship, and are both openly bisexual. The rocker Curt Wild enters Slade's life, and he falls in love. Wild, based around fantasies of Iggy Pop, goes to England to record with Slade, and the two men are marketed "like a pair of 40s starlets, a Spencer and Tracy for the 70s"2. However, the two men's love affair soon turns sour and Wild leaves Slade. Slade, despondent, plans his assassination in order to get himself out of his current tour, and afterwards, slips into drug abuse and depression. Soon after, glam rock itself dies out.

Director: Todd Haynes
Producer(s): Christine Vachon
Screenplay: James Lyons, Todd Haynes
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Toni Collette and Eddie Izzard

Movie trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TYptm6MoMo

Movie soundtrack
http://www.mediafire.com/?mvtnym2mymb

I watch and listen some reports of this movie when it was in theaters. Then, some people talks my about, so, it becomes one of the movies to watch if you have the opportunity. Today, I watch in on cinematk (a cable channel) furthermore in orginial version, great! Great explained, visually, the songs... it's an interesting movie that I recommend you! The soundtrack too, it's good and it't not necessary to be a glam rock fan, I'm not.

You know that feeling you get, when you are sitting in a movie theater, anxious for the latest Blockbuster to start showing...and then, just to really annoy you...there's like a million adverts for upcoming movies and like usual, most of those movies just look stupid and you are this close to standing up and shouting at the pimply teenager running the projection to get on with the movie already...

Or maybe you don't. Maybe the adverts don't bother you at all, and weirdly enough, you find them more entertaining than that actual movie.

I can't remember what movie I was going to see when I first saw the advert for "Little Miss Sunshine". Most likely, the advert for "Little Miss Sunshine" was much better than whatever movie I had originally gone to see. But that's not important. The important thing is that when I saw the trailer for LMS I knew I would like this movie. Unfortanately, when the movie was in theaters...I missed it. It never played in my town and at the time I just didn't have a whole lot of extra time to be galavanting over southern NJ trying to find a theater that WAS playing it.

So, fast forward last Wednesday. I went shopping with a friend and while browsing the local record shop (what's the hip term for those type of stores now?) when I saw that LMS was now on DVD, and even better...it was onsale.

Now, typically I don't buy movies unless I've seen them before. I don't watch movies too often as it is, so for me to buy a movie without seeing it first is a pretty big gamble. But, as I was so sure I was going to like it, I bought it.

And I was very pleased to see that it has met and exceeded the hype. It seems like such an insignificant story line...a family taking a cross country trip so the daugher can compete in a pagent...well, really, that doesn't seem too exciting.

But mix in the characters on this little journey, and well, I don't think you'll ever look at roadtrips the same way ever again. There the Dad, who's running a failing motivational speaking seminar (oh the irony), Mom...just trying to hold everyone together the best she can, grandpa...who, well, don't expect him to be a sweet old grampa...there's the uncle who's fresh out of the mental hospital after a botched suicide attempt...the teenage son who has taken a vow of silence until he is old enough to join the air force...and of course the beauty queen herself, Olive...a very precoucious seven year old.

The humor in the movie is first class, leaning heavily on irony and dark humor...the type that will probably having you saying to yourself...omg, I cannot believe this! And even, jeeze, do they have any feelings at all? But then there are some very pivitol scenes in the movie that are are really touching and very human and changes the tone of the movie (at least for me it did). Instead of just being a comedy about a messed up family, it became a movie about a family learning how to be a family despite their shortcomings.

The movie is rated R. However, I didn't think it was "that" bad. Yes, there were a liberal amount of F-bombs thrown around, but the content was fairly tame compared to other R movies I have seen. There's some mention of sex and a brief view of the front of a porno magazine, and two brief scenes of one of the characters doing snorting drugs but it wasn't that bad.

So this is post number 300. Yay! Puns this week are Ingmar Bergman films.

Top Story: The first Watchmen video journal has turned up. A new one is going to be released every month for the next year. This instalment focuses on the set design team as they attempt to recreate David Gibbons' gauzy vision of New York. Look pretty encouraging.

JoBlo has a video of Maggie Gyllenhaal in The Dark Knight.

Uwe Boll says it would take one million signatures to stop him making movies.

More pics from Iron Man have turned up.

Leslie Mann has joined Jim Carrey on Philip Morris.

EW has a list of Charlton Heston's greatest roles. All my votes for Touch of Evil, still among the greatest films ever made.

CHUD has a video interview with Russell Brand.

Toni Collette has joined the new Sam Mendes project.

A first look at Pixar's WALL-E has turned up.

More hype for The Spirit every day.

O primeiro, será uma série para o canal Showtime (produzida por Steven Spielberg). The United States Of Tara é o título da série, que contará a história de uma mãe com múltiplas personalidades (que será interpretada pela atriz Toni Collette, Em Seu Lugar).

E o segundo, será um filme... A comédia-de-horror Jennifer's Body, que possivelmente será produzida por Jason Retiman (diretor de Juno).

E finalizando (ela anda bastante ocupanda, heim? rs), Diablo Cody ainda ganhará uma coluna na revista Entertainment Weekly.

This Sunday marks the return of the Jane Austen series on PBS's Masterpiece Classics (which means the spring membership drive is OVER! Yay!)

Emma Woodhouse (Kate Beckinsale, Pearl Harbor) has a penchant for matchmaking, despite her imperfect success rate. Curiously, as Emma is forcing introductions, she seems entirely disinterested in finding a match for herself. She does feel a twinge of interest in Frank Churchill, (Raymond Coulthard, He Knew He Was Right) and a brotherly regard for Mr. Knightley (Mark Strong, Stardust). When Jane Fairfax (Olivia Williams, The Sixth Sense, Miss Austen Regrets) enters the scene with a certain air of mystery, intrigue gets layered into Jane Austen's tale of misconstrued romances.  (summary courtesy PBS)

I am going to be woman enough to admit that Emma is my least favorite Jane Austen novel. Jane Austen herself called Emma "a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like.”

There are several things that set Emma apart from Austen's other heroines, like Lizzy Bennet or Anne Elliot. Emma is the only one of the six (seven, counting Marianne Dashwood, eight if you count Jane Bennet) major heroines for whom finances aren't a problem. Emma is wealthy. She doesn't need to worry about securing a good marriage to ensure a comfortable future. In fact, Emma informs her protege, the poor Harriet Smith, that she plans never to marry, because she doesn't need to. Emma is also the first in precedence in her neighborhood/social circle. She is the woman everyone admires and defers to, so that when she deigns to bestow her time and attention on Harriet, the foundling orphan who grew up in a nearby girls' school, it is seen as an act of great benevolence. Emma is more closely related to Miss Caroline Bingley or Elizabeth Elliot than to Lizzy or Anne---she thinks more highly of herself than she should and looks down upon those she considers unworthy or beneath her.

Yet Jane Austen manages to redeem her in the end. The metaphoric mirror is held before her, and she realizes the bad judgment she's used, the awful way she's treated people, and the fact that she may have lost her only chance at real love---and admits that she deserves to lose him.

But never fear---an Austen hero always comes through in the end! Here, again, there are differences that set him apart. Mr. George Knightley is the oldest of all the Austen heroes, yea, older even than good ol' Colonel Brandon with his flannel waistcoats. Mr. Knightley is thirty-seven years old, to Emma's twenty-one (similar to Col. Brandon's thirty-six to Marianne's seventeen). He has known her since she was born, lived a mile away at Donwell Abbey all her life, has been a frequent and welcomed visitor over the years, and is related to Emma by marriage---her older sister to his younger brother (unlike Fanny and Edmund from Mansfield Park, who are first cousins and have lived in the same house since she was eight years old). Like the other Austen heroes, he is driven by his high morals and his concern for those less fortunate than himself---and by his love for our heroine (though we're never really sure why).

There are several other important secondary characters, primary amongst them are Harriet Smith, Reverend Elton, Frank Churchill, and Jane Fairfax. But I'll let you watch the movie to figure out their characters.

Now, let's talk adaptations.

More people are familiar with the 1996 theatrical-release adaptation of this film, starring Gwenyth Paltrow (with her terrible, put-on British accent) as Emma and the glorious Jeremy Northam (whom, yes, I did forget to mention in my Favorite British Actors list) as Mr. Knightley. However, the adaptation that is airing on PBS this weekend is the much better Andrew Davies--penned adaptation done for the ITV/A&E in 1997, starring Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong. In the '97 version, the characters are much more richly drawn, and, in my opinion, Kate Beckinsale makes a much more likable and believable Emma than does Paltrow. She brings a vulnerability to the character that Paltrow's Emma doesn't possess. (She also brings a genuine British accent to the role, but I digress.)

So, without further ado . . . a head-to-head comparison of the actors:

Emma Woodhouse: Gwyneth Paltrow vs. Kate Beckinsale

Gwyneth Paltrow brought a petulance and haughtiness to the role that made her into more of an ice-queen than I believe is found in the characterization in the book. And I didn't quite believe her reformation in the end.

Kate Beckinsale gives the superior performance of the two, in my opinion. She is a little more snarky, but it comes across less as being cold (like Paltrow) and more as a defense mechanism---to hide any sense of vulnerability she feels, because with her position, she cannot show weakness. And, frankly, I happen to think Kate Beckinsale is prettier.

Mr. George Knightley: Jeremy Northam vs. Mark Strong

Ever since I first saw The Net back in 1993 or '94, I've loved Jeremy Northam. He was the saving grace of the theatrical version of Emma for me, even though I'm not sure his interpretation of the character is spot-on. He does bring a little more lightness and good humor to the role than Mark Strong, but there are a few scenes when he's just a little too light-hearted to do the character justice. But his "badly done, Emma!" scene makes me cringe every time, he's so powerful.

The first time I saw the A&E adaptation---after having seen the theatrical release---I wasn't impressed with Mark Strong as Knightley. He was forgettable. He was stiff and formal and dry. But then, last fall, I saw Stardust, in which Mark Strong plays the delightfully villainous Septimus. Afterward, Ruth and I got to talking about him---about how much he reminded us of "that guy" who played Knightley in the Beckinsale version of Emma. Low and behold, it was the very same actor! So, is it weird that I now really like Mark Strong in this role because he was so good in Stardust? Or is it strange that the first notice I've taken of either of these actors was in a movie where they were playing the bad guy? Many years later, now, and more familiar with the story (I hadn't read Emma before seeing either movie the first time), I have to say that Mark Strong's potrayal is closer to how I imagine Knightley behaving when I read the book.

Harriet Smith: Toni Collette vs. Samantha Morton

Toni Collette---who is actually Australian, not British---plays a Harriet Smith who is a slack-mouthed simpleton. She cannot seem to come up with a unique thought of her own, and depends too greatly on Emma. Much of what was done to her character was done for comic effect, but it just makes the character look stupid, which she wasn't.

Samantha Morton gives us a much softer, more humble version of Harriet Smith. She pays attention to what Emma says because she respects Emma's position, not because she can't think for herself. And she fits the physical description of Harriet from the book much better.

Jane Fairfax: Polly Walker vs. Olivia Williams

The weird thing about the casting of Polly Walker as Jane Fairfax in the theatrical version is that she resembles Greta Scacchi, who plays Mrs. Weston (her future step-mother-in-law). That, and she just looked too old for the role.

I've really become an Olivia Williams fan of late. I think her look is a little softer, her demeanor more retiring, as is fitting for the character of Jane Fairfax. But, frankly, both actresses do an adequate job in the role.

Frank Churchill: Ewan McGregor vs. Raymond Coulthard

Yes, there is a reason I've saved Frank Churchill for last---and that's because Ewan McGregor was so laughably bad in this role, I almost feel sorry for him. With as much as I love him in Revenge of the Sith (Star Wars #3), and with his wonderfully romantic performance in Miss Potter, he's AWFUL in the theatrical release of Emma. Then, there's the issue of the cat that crawled up onto his head and died there . . .

I haven't ever seen Raymond Coulthard in anything else. He's a decent actor and fulfilled the requirements of the role much better than Ewan did. And if that's not his real hair, it's a much better wig than Ewan's.

Links of Interest
Interview with screenwriter Andrew Davies (see #10)
Listing on IMDb.com
Main page at PBS's Masterpiece Classics site
Wikipedia Article on Emma
Full Text of Emma on the Republic of Pemberley

For more information on Jane Austen and all of her works:
The Jane Austen Society of North America
The Republic of Pemberley

Difficile non essere attratti dalla storia, raccontata come se fosse una favola in un tono solenne, così come si fa quando si raccontano i sogni felici che purtroppo ci sono sfuggiti. Difficile non essere colpiti dalla musica, così tragica e così comica, così furba e così traditrice, così protagonista da farti immaginare di essere tu ad indossare lustrini e paillettes. Difficile non rimanere a bocca aperta di fronte al look, così perfettamente curato da sembrare malato e corrotto.
Difficile non amare Brian Slade, folgorato da una performance di Curt Wild, che diventa famoso col solo scopo di conoscerlo. Difficile non avere un sussulto quando si apre il vinile e vederlo seminudo, ricoperto da un solo drappo scarlatto e vellutato che ti guarda come per dire "Eccomi". Difficile non tradirlo per il rozzo Curt Wild, tutto eccessi e strafottenza, difficile trattenere la saliva quando si cosparge il torso nudo di vodka e polvere di stelle, difficile non avere un orgasmo quando incendia il palco e si lancia tra il pubblico, solo per esserne abusato.
Difficile non immedesimarsi in Arthur Stuart che è il personaggio più uguale a noi, il fan che segue le vicende dei protagonisti tanto quanto un fervente religioso segue la propria liturgia; che quando vede Slade in tv dice ai propri genitori indicando lo schermo "Quello sono io! Sono io!". Quanti di voi hanno pensano lo stesso ogni volta che ascoltano il proprio gruppo preferito? Arthur che ora è un giornalista, inseguendo il passato di Slade non fa altro che rincorrere il proprio, per un breve periodo ritorna ad essere quel ragazzetto timido con il desiderio nelle vene, il desiderio di essere qualcun altro, il desiderio di essere su quel palco, il desiderio di essere Brian, di avere tutto ciò che aveva Brian. E la sua paura è tutta qui, ritornare a quel ricordo che fa ancora male, a quel momento dove possedeva tutto, dove era posseduto da sè stesso.
Ma anche dai bei sogni purtroppo ci si desta ma io me ne starò ancora un po' qui, al calduccio, sperando di riacchiappare Morfeo e la sua medicina.

Questa non è una recensione canonica del film, è un vero e proprio elogio della pellicola, un'ode intima e personale ai vecchi miti della preadolescenza, a quei miti che si possono vivere e sentire solo a 14 anni.

Consigliato a quelli che di Bowie, Iggy pop e glam rock non sanno assolutamente nulla e hanno appena finito di leggere Il ritratto di Dorian Gray e non hanno mai aperto niente di Orwell.

Locandina

Curt Wild - Ewan McGragor

Brian Slade - Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Arthur Stuart - Christian Bale

Shoot

Trailer originale

Il bacio di cui parlavo

Brano di Bowie da cui è tratto il film: queste foto dell'epoca fanno vedere bene com'è stato svolto il lavoro di ricostruzione dei personaggi

Cinematically Correct is a big fan of Toni Collette. She's a great actress and there better be an Oscar sitting around with her name already etched into it. Toni has been married for four years now and today, she had her first kid. There aren't any details available yet on boy/girl/name/awesome actor just yet.

Like minds                        

Regia: Gregory J. Read                                          

Cast: Toni Collette, Eddie Redmayne, Tom Sturridge, Cathryn Bradshaw, Richard Roxburgh, Patrick Malahide, Amit Shah, John Overton.

Distribuzione: Delta Video. Australia, Gran Bretagna 2006

Guarda il trailer

Alex, 17enne di buona famiglia, è accusato di aver ucciso barbaramente Nigel, il suo compagno di stanza e studi. Per far luce sulla tremenda verità e su una serie di omicidi che gravitano intorno al college, una psicologa criminale viene incaricata dalla polizia per scavare nella mente del presunto assassino. Il legame fra i due ragazzi è molto più oscuro di quanto appaia e traspare inoltre il collegamento tra loro e una misteriosa setta templare del passato...

Avvincente thriller che si svolge come un puzzle, pezzo dopo pezzo, portando alla luce i rapporti tra i personaggi.

Man mano che si procede nella visione, il mistero si infittisce e lo spettatore inizia a dubitare di tutto ciò che vede o che sente.

Dov'è la verità? Come si sono svolti i fatti? Alex è sincero?

Sono interrogativi che resteranno senza risposta fino alla fine del film e che mantengono lo spettatore incollato alla poltrona.

Davvero ben riuscita l'opera prima di Gregory J. Read, regista proveniente dalla tv.

Ottima la scelta dei protagonisti, i giovani Eddie Redmayne e Tom Sturridge (di cui sicuramente sentiremo parlare anche in futuro) e altrettanto azzeccata la scelta di affiancare loro due attori affermati come Toni Collette e Richard Roxburgh, nei ruoli rispettivamente della psicologa criminale e del detective incaricati di risolvere il caso.

Conclusione: Decisamente consigliato, perchè la mente umana e i suoi misteri sono argomenti sempre molto affascinanti.

Voto: 7.5

This is a story of the Hoover family from Arizona! Richard (the Dad), is all about being a winner, as a motivational speaker he’s trying to get his 9 step program to be recognized. Then you have Sheryl (the Mom), the hard working bread winner of the family. Next meet Dwayne (the teenage son), with dreams of attending flight school. Then there is Olive, sweet little girl (the daughter) who imaginings herself one day as walking down the stage as Ms America! Now there is Edwin (the Grandpa) who has that never had high aspirations, he just lived his life and is now addicted to cocaine. And finally, you have Frank, (the gay suicidal uncle) who also happens to be is the leading Proust Scholar in the United States!

Their voyage begins with the news that Olive can now compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, taking place in the neighboring state of California! Determined to save money, Dad decides to go as a family and take the volts wagon bus! It’s along the way, they face many obstacles together as a family. They will forced to pull together and work as a family through some of their most disappointing and moments of their lives.

No sunscreen is needed when viewing this movie, you want the rays to hit you as you bask in it’s brilliance. The diverse nature of each character really highlights the amazing talents each actor brings to the table in this film. You would not expect them to fit so nicely together as they do, but they make it work. Abigail Breslin stands out as Olive, the lovable 8 year old little daughter. From her infectious smile to her big adorable round glasses, you are immediately in her corner. The audience no doubt cheers for her each step of the way! It was one of the best movies of 2006. Four out of four stars.