The Playlist

Cannes 2013: Surprises & Notable Absence ...

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

First Look At James Gandolfini In 'Zero Dark Thirty,' CIA Role Revealed

By Charlie Schmidlin
|
October 11, 2012 8:56 AM
|
1 Comment

News

Finally securing its winter release spot as a compelling take on recent political and military events -- and not the piece of Obama propaganda as initially thought by watchdog groups -- Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden drama “Zero Dark Thirty” can now carry on being an actual piece of entertainment, which the first look at actor James Gandolfini's supporting role within the narrative certainly provides.

By Oliver Lyttelton
|
October 31, 2011 12:57 PM
|
0 Comments

Search For Female Lead Narrowed To Olivia Wilde & Sarah SilvermanSince "The Sopranos" ended back in 2007, James Gandolfini's been doing pretty well for himself, all told. He might not have taken any roles with as major an impact on the cultural zeitgeist as angsty mob boss Tony Soprano, but he's managed to tackle a diverse range of stuff, from a foul-mouthed general in "In The Loop" to a mood-swing-prone monster in "Where The Wild Things Are," and he's got some high-profile supporting turns on the way, in Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and Andrew Dominik's "Cogan's Trade."

By Simon Dang
|
September 12, 2011 2:45 AM
|
0 Comments

Ever since the controversial finale to "The Sopranos" in 2007, David Chase has been fairly low key, avoiding the spotlight perhaps as a method to steer clear from questions about how his defining series concluded.

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
March 21, 2011 10:26 AM
|
1 Comment

James Gandolfini is currently having a very busy spring. He's got roles in no less than three very high profile films: Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close," Andrew Dominik's "Cogan's Trade" and David Chase's "Twylight Zones" and moreover, he's got a couple in the can with HBO's "Cinema Verite" premiering next month and the teenage assassin pic "Violet & Daisy" due later this year. And "The Sopranos" star shows no signs of slowing down, as he attaches himself to another promising project.

By Simon Dang
|
March 2, 2011 3:18 AM
|
9 Comments

Update: Images removed by request.

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
January 24, 2011 8:24 AM
|
0 Comments

2011 is going to be a busy one for James Gandolfini, as the the actor is lining up a trio of roles in some very high profile projects.

By Gabe Toro
|
October 29, 2010 1:18 AM
|
3 Comments

PUNCH. The remains of a car burn in the darkness. Whomever was present for such a disaster no longer breathes air. PUNCH. A black screen, the title “Welcome To The Rileys” proudly displayed at the center of the screen. PUNCH. The visage of a burly man smoking a cigarette comes into frame. While the location is a suburban backyard, the darkness seems to swallow this man’s face, who entirely has the camera’s attention. In the darkness, smoke pouring out of his mouth, he looks like a caged beast, frustrated by being marginalized in captivity.

By Kevin Jagernauth
|
October 27, 2010 6:09 AM
|
0 Comments

Geoffrey Fletcher's (screenwriter of "Precious") directorial debut "Violet & Daisy" has just received a boost of British class, as Marianne Jean-Baptiste has joined the cast of the film. Who? She's probably best known for her outstanding and Academy Award nominated performance in Mike Leigh's "Secrets & Lies," but unfortunately hasn't found anything since to match the profile that film gave her. But hopefully, her appearance here will help turn that around (though she is a longstanding fixture on the TV series "Without A Trace.")