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Review: Tommy Lee Jones Shines In Otherwise Serviceable, Flawed 'Emperor'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • March 5, 2013 7:57 PM
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  • 0 Comments
Reviews
"We must be seen as liberators, not conquerors," Tommy Lee Jones' crusty General MacArthur says in the opening moments of "Emperor," and that line of dialogue is about as thematically rich as the film gets. A modestly budgeted, respectfully executed post-WWII drama, the film is also entirely edgeless, and aside from a couple of swear words is ready to be shown in classrooms and on the History Channel in endless repeats. As a big-screen outing, it's a very minor war film, that traps one actor in a miscalculated character and doesn't give us enough of another, who is clearly the best thing in the picture overall.
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More: Emperor, Review, Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox

The Early Gems: Notable Performances From 2013's Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nominees

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • February 13, 2013 3:21 PM
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  • 5 Comments
Awards
After a long, punishing Oscar season that started about 50 weeks ago (although we suppose it only really kicked in in August or September), we're now about a week-and-a-half out from the 2013 ceremony. And for all our grumbling, it's always a key fixture in the cinephile calendar, and as such, we're going to be commemorating the approaching ceremony in various ways over the next ten days or so.
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More: Features, Oscars, Academy Awards, Awards, Christoph Waltz, Tommy Lee Jones, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Arkin, Robert De Niro, The Early Gems

Tim Blake Nelson Joins James Franco-Directed 'Bukowski' & Tommy Lee Jones' 'The Homesman'

  • By Charlie Schmidlin
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  • January 29, 2013 12:45 PM
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  • 3 Comments
News
Tim Blake Nelson has always been a talent equally as adept on-screen as he is behind the camera -- putting his stamp on such diverse films as WWII drama “The Grey Zone” and pot comedy “Leaves of Grass” -- but as his primary focus and the majority of his credits remains acting-based, he's now found back-to-back roles in the ambitious directorial efforts of his fellow peers.
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More: Tim Blake Nelson, Tommy Lee Jones, James Franco, Bukowski, The Homesman

Oscars: 5 Things Learned From The SAG & PGA Results This Weekend

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • January 28, 2013 12:44 PM
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  • 14 Comments
Awards
We're now less than a month until Oscar night, and the next few weeks will feature a steady drip of guild awards and other precursors, leading up to big shindig on February 24th. And the crystal ball is staring to get a bit more clear on who will walk away with some statues on Oscar night.
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More: Screen Actors Guild, Producers Guild Of America, Ben Affleck, Argo, Jennifer Lawrence, Daniel Day-Lewis, Emmanuelle Riva, Tommy Lee Jones, Awards, Academy Awards, Oscars, The Amazing Race

Watch: Tommy Lee Jones Is General Douglas MacArthur In First Trailer For WWII Drama 'Emperor'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • January 17, 2013 2:43 PM
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  • 5 Comments
News
Can anyone play gruff, grizzly, still kind of endearing but totally standoffish better than Tommy Lee Jones? For this writer, he pretty much walked away with Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" as the idealistic yet conflicted Thaddeus Stevens (equally awesome was James Spader, but that's for a whole different article). Not to knock the man's talents, but he does pretty much the same characterization in another war movie, the upcoming "Emperor," this time as General Douglas McArthur. And now the first trailer is here to show you what it's all about. 
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More: Emperor, Film Trailers, Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox

12 New 'Lincoln' Photos As Film Heads Towards Wide Release & Wide Acclaim

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • November 15, 2012 2:33 PM
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  • 0 Comments
News
Even though none of us at The Playlist seemed to care for "Lincoln" -- here's our review, our thoughts from NYFF, and I saw it last night and thought it to be reverential to the point of tedium -- our tepid reaction to it doesn't discount the fact that it's already taken off in limited release, seems poised to do well in wide, and should be a major Oscar contender come February when the nominations are released. And Disney is certainly getting the word out with a dozen new images from the Steven Spielberg's latest effort.
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More: Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis, Steven Spielberg, Tommy Lee Jones

Watch: 2 New Clips From Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'

  • By Cain Rodriguez
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  • November 8, 2012 9:23 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
Now that the U.S. presidential election is out of the way, folks will be gearing up to see another president in action with Steven Spielberg’s long-brewing “Lincoln.” And with the film opening in select theaters this weekend, a pair of new clips have been released.
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More: Tommy Lee Jones, James Spader, David Strathairn, Lincoln, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson

Take A Break From The Exit Polls And Watch 3 Clips From Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Plus New Pics From The Film

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • November 6, 2012 7:31 PM
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  • 4 Comments
News
In a few hours we'll know who the next President of the United States will be, but until then, every network and social media outlet will be buzzing with endless chatter about electoral votes, and examining the how the results have changed as each one comes in. Pundits will be getting in their last observations before they are boxed up and brought out again four years from now, while anchors and analysts will tell the story of the election from every angle possible. Need a break? Well, Steven Spielberg has a treat for you.
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More: Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

NYFF Impressions: Steven Spielberg Unveils His 'Lincoln' History Lesson In Surprise Screening

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • October 8, 2012 10:42 PM
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  • 18 Comments
Reviews
Characterized by refreshing restraint, its passionate convictions and patience, if Steven Spielberg’s worst tendencies are his propensity for the sentimental and overwrought (as evinced recently in much of “War Horse”), his latest, “Lincoln,” thankfully possesses almost none of those unfortunate traits. However, as a two hour procedural about the ratification of an amendment in the House Of Representatives (does anything sound more appealing as a premise to you?), "Lincoln" is also not exactly the most engaging nor well-paced picture either.
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More: Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis, Steven Spielberg, Tommy Lee Jones, Jackie Earle Haley, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Good Old Fashioned American Swagger: Clip From 'Emperor' With Tommy Lee Jones & Matthew Fox

  • By Edward Davis
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  • September 14, 2012 11:52 AM
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  • 1 Comment
News
After being the butt of the joke for far too long (not helped by continual references to that "Knocked Up" gag), is Matthew Fox trying extremely hard to be taken seriously? The actor lost a shitload of weight to play a cage-fighting sociopathic hitman in the upcoming movie "Alex Cross." And by the sounds of a recent Entertainment Weekly article, the actor was attempting to go method. "[My character] is an assassin, but he really enjoys his job," Fox told the magazine, noting that he shed 35 pounds and spent many hours in the gym getting "hyper, hyper, disturbingly lean." There was a mental anguish aspect to the role as well. "The emotional intensity of the guy was exhausting," he said. "I didn't sleep much for five months."
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More: Emperor, Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Fox

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