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Thompson on Hollywood

'Pride and Prejudice' 200th Anniversary Movie Roundup: Setting the Austen Standard

In honor of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" celebrating its 200th anniversary today, we rank the best screen versions of the romantic classic which sees the uniting of bright, stubborn Elizabeth Bennet with the breathlessly handsome yet slow-to-warm Mr. Darcy. Video below.
  • By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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  • January 29, 2013 2:17 PM
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  • 7 Comments

Immersed in Movies: Jacqueline Durran Talks 'Anna Karenina' Costumes

Although the boldness of Joe Wright's theatrical approach to "Anna Karenina" has been unappreciated by most critics, there's no denying the craft and beauty of both Sarah Greenwood's production design and Jacqueline Durran's costume design.
  • By Bill Desowitz
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  • January 4, 2013 2:55 PM
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  • 0 Comments

Immersed in Movies: Production Designer Greenwood Talks 'Anna Karenina'

What's old is gloriously new again in Joe Wright's magnificent "Anna Karenina." He boldly conveys the complexity of Tolstoy's epic love story through the simplicity of a puppet-like theater, compressing time and collapsing space in a real theater. It's an elegant metaphor...
  • By Bill Desowitz
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  • November 26, 2012 1:35 PM
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  • 0 Comments

Oscar Watch: Sex and Death in 'Anna Karenina' Costumes (VIDEO)

After its fest circuit rounds and limited openings last weekend, "Anna Karenina" screened Sunday at the Academy, yielding yet another set of divisive reactions. Wilshire Boulevard's Kate Mantilini Restaurant was packed with members hanging out between "Karenina" and "Life of Pi." Joe Wright's artfully stylized take on Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" has passionate defenders and detractors. (The NYT's A.O. Scott gives it a rave.) But whatever happens on Oscar nominations morning, the film's costume designer Jacqueline Durran will likely be recognized withher third nomination, after Wright's "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement."
  • By Anne Thompson & Sophia Savage
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  • November 19, 2012 1:19 PM
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  • 0 Comments

Which Stars Need a Comeback?

Everybody loves a comeback. Ben Affleck redeemed himself from "Jersey Girl" and Gigli" with "The Town" and "Argo," while President Obama gave Democrats hope by deciding to show up for his second debate against Mitt Romney after a frustratingly muted first round. So with the fall movie season upon us, HitFix names ten likely comebacks of the fall season, among them Robert De Niro, Jamie Foxx, Barbra Streisand, Helen Hunt and Robert Zemeckis. We also name a few of our own stars needing a comeback below.
  • By Sophia Savage
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  • October 18, 2012 4:25 PM
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  • 3 Comments

Interview: Rupert Friend Talks Directing Short Film Debut 'Steve,' Starring Knightley and Firth

In Rupert Friend's short movie "Steve," the first-time director uses his sixteen minutes of film to put a tense twist on a slice-of-life portrait of neighbors interacting in a anonymous city. "Steve" is part of the Stars in Shorts series premiering this Friday.
  • By Maggie Lange
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  • September 26, 2012 11:45 AM
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Review: Seven Shorts Showcase Rare Performances from Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Jason Alexander, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh

This fall, ShortsHD will present a collection of several brief films unambiguously titled "Stars in Shorts." Each of these otherwise unconnected seven films features big name talent including Judi Dench, Colin Firth, Tom Hiddleston, Keira Knightly, Kenneth Branagh, Lily Tomlin, Jason Alexander, and others. The seven films, reviewed below, will premiere in theaters on September 28th, followed by an iTunes/Pay Per View release on October 9.
  • By Maggie Lange
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  • September 19, 2012 7:24 PM
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  • 2 Comments

Oscar Talk: Toronto and Telluride Update, from 'The Master' and 'Cloud Atlas' to 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Kris Tapley and I go over the Oscar race post-Toronto and Telluride, from Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" and Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder" to the fate of "Anna Karenina" and "Cloud Atlas." Neither of us liked "Hyde Park on Hudson" very much.
  • By Anne Thompson
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  • September 15, 2012 4:40 PM
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  • 4 Comments

Knightley Talks 'Anna Karenina,' and How Cronenberg Set Her Free (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Keira Knightley has done her best work with director Joe Wright and producers Working Title--she earned an Oscar nomination as Elizabeth Bennett in "Pride and Prejudice" and more kudos for the wartime romance "Atonement."
  • By Anne Thompson
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  • September 10, 2012 5:15 PM
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  • 4 Comments

'Anna Karenina' Early Review: Visually Splendid, Audacious, Swoony Epic Romance Heads for Oscars

The startling new adaptation of Tolstoy’s great novel "Anna Karenina," with Keira Knightley in the title role, is . as visually splendid as any studio epic, even if it plays with audience expectations of what lavish looks like. It’s a respectable adaptation of a huge story, encompassing a wealth of ideas; yet it also has the direct, heartfelt appeal of what Hollywood once called ‘a women’s picture.’
  • By David Gritten
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  • September 2, 2012 7:00 PM
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  • 10 Comments

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