Thompson on Hollywood

Will Roth & Fincher Deliver Jolie's Cleopatra?

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Let us count the ways that Sony's "Cleopatra" could go wrong. But hiring Eric Roth to write the script for the Angelina Jolie epic (possibly with David Fincher at the helm) is a good sign. We can thank Roth for "Forrest Gump," "The Insider," "Munich," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and many other fine scripts including the upcoming "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Based on Stacy Schiff's sprawling bestseller, this "Cleopatra" is rooted in a complex history and demands a seasoned writer who will not lose sight of the biography's authentic primary sources. Bringing Fincher on board would also set the project on the right course. Exuding the infamous intelligence, charisma and sexuality of Cleopatra will be easy for Jolie, who nonetheless needs a strong director to pull from her a layered and compelling performance. The Egyptian queen--arguably the most powerful woman of all time-- was a master political strategist who deftly manipulated her two life mates, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. (Picking the right two co-stars is also key.) If the movie gods align the elements, this could be Jolie's career-defining role--and her best shot at a Best Actress Oscar.

By Sophia Savage
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November 16, 2011 3:49 PM
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Exclusive Featurette: A Look Inside the Cult of Martha Marcy May Marlene; Olsen and Durkin Vie for Oscar Slots

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Fox Searchlight's mighty marketing machine is in full force right now as they seek to not only push "The Descendants" and "Shame" into movie theaters and the Oscar race, but a less obvious indie contender, "Martha Marcy May Marlene" ($1.6 million in limited release to date). Check out this exclusive featurette, complete with footage, commentary from breakout dramatic actress Elizabeth Olsen (younger sibling of the Olsen twins) and a psychologist who specializes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. They address the nature of Martha's experience both within and outside a cult led by a charismatic, seductive Svengali leader ("Winter's Bone" Oscar nominee John Hawkes). More likely than Olsen landing a slot as best actress is "Martha" writer-director Sean Durkin's shot at scoring an original screenplay nomination--as usual that field is wide open.

By Anne Thompson
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November 16, 2011 11:57 AM
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Oscar Watch: Beginners' Christopher Plummer Supporting Actor Frontrunner, Video Exclusive

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While the supporting actor category is open to change and movement over the next few months, one name is sure to land a slot on Oscar nominations morning: Christopher Plummer. The stage-trained Canadian actor, 81, has been giving great performances for decades, from Baron von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" and Rudyard Kipling in "The Man Who Would Be King" to Mike Wallace in "The Insider" and, remarkably, his first Oscar nomination as Leo Tolstoy in 2009's "The Last Station." But arguably among Plummer's best is the role Mike Mills gave him as Ewan McGregor's ailing gay father in "Beginners." It's a juicy part: late in life, although he's fighting against the dying of the light, the man has come out of the closet and is madly in love with both his freedom and his partner (Goran Visnjic). Plummer is joyful, vigorous, sexy, funny, and heartbreaking. He talks about how he approached the role in the exclusive Plummer featurette below.

By Anne Thompson
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November 11, 2011 4:16 PM
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Trailer For Almost-Edgy Snow White and the Huntsman Sells Theron's Sex Appeal

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The teaser trailer for "Snow White and the Huntsman" looks a dozen times better than Relativity's saccharin "Mirror Mirror" stills. The new imagery does diminish "Huntsman"'s purported edginess, probably because the fairy tale adaptation seeks to lure a large PG-13 crowd, which means that it can only be so dark, but "Huntsman" certainly takes a ballsier approach than "Mirror Mirror." The almost-gothic VFX-packed trailer's main draw is the sexy-evil Charlize Theron, although we're not sure about her accent-- and this sure looks like her Dior ads. Check out the trailer and more images below:

By Sophia Savage
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November 11, 2011 2:51 PM
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WEEKEND PREVIEW: Unmissable Apocalyptic Melancholia, Herzogian Into the Abyss, J Edgar & More

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By Sophia Savage
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November 10, 2011 1:29 PM
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Apocalypses Now and Then: Von Trier’s Melancholia vs. Anderson’s Magnolia

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In his “Now and Then” column this week, Matt Brennan examines two visionary directors’ takes on the end of the world as we know it — controversial Dane Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (on VOD now, in theaters Friday) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling 1999 classic Magnolia.

By Matt Brennan
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November 7, 2011 8:20 AM
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Pixar Launches Legacy Start Up in Vancouver, Air Mater Short Takes Flight

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It’s been a great week for Pixar, writes TOH columnist Bill Desowitz in this week’s Immersed in Movies.

By Bill Desowitz
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November 6, 2011 1:33 PM
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Martin Scorsese Talks 3-D Cinephile Fantasy Hugo and Holograms with Paul Thomas Anderson

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At a special Paramount preview screening of Martin Scorsese’s first 3-D film Hugo yesterday, a capacity crowd avidly responded to the film’s immersive effects and masterly visual style, writes Justin Lowe, who covered a Q & A with the director and his crew and surprise moderator Paul Thomas Anderson, below.

By Justin Lowe
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November 6, 2011 1:16 PM
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Eastwood, DiCaprio, Hammer, Black Talk J. Edgar: DiCaprio Wanted to Gain Weight

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The crowd at the Los Angeles County Museum screening of J. Edgar rose to their feet when three tall straight guys—Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer—joined diminutive gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black onstage at the Bing for a Q and A moderated by the NYT’s Charles McGrath. While Eastwood grew up with top cop J. Edgar Hoover, Black and his cast did not, and had to pore through reams of research to understand the restrictive mores of a time when to be openly gay was simply not allowed. DiCaprio and Black seemed more critical of Hoover—“he was a political dinosaur at the end of his career,” said DiCaprio, “he was a crockpot of eccentricity…didn’t adapt to civil rights…was obsessed with power”—while Eastwood seemed more admiring of Hoover starting thumbprints and his quest for law and order. That tension is in the movie, for better or worse.