Thompson on Hollywood

'Zero Dark Thirty' CIA Duo Chastain and Clarke Talk Torture Controversy & Bigelow (EXCLUSIVE VIDEO)

Video

Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal's ripped-from-the-headlines "Zero Dark Thirty" (December 19) has been wowing the critics, who are raving about best actress Jessica Chastain, who plays the hard-swearing tough-as-nails CIA agent who doggedly pursues Osama bin Laden.

By Anne Thompson
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December 12, 2012 6:26 AM
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'Les Miserables' Review Roundup; Hooper and Cast Talk Singing Live

Reviews

The review embargo for Tom Hooper's "Les Miserables" has lifted. Critics are singing the praises of the film's strong performances (Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman are standouts), and admire the successful hybridizing of the musical with the Victor Hugo source material, but for some the film sags under its own bombast. Review roundup below.

By Anne Thompson
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December 6, 2012 2:51 PM
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Anne Hathaway Talks Singing Live on 'Les Mis' Set, Hugh Jackman & Her Family History with the Role Fantine

Interviews

Time Magazine sat down with Anne Hathaway to discuss Tom Hooper's upcoming "Les Miserables," singing live on set, the power-house Hugh Jackman and more...

By Beth Hanna
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December 6, 2012 1:19 PM
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'The Waiting Room' Director Peter Nicks Talks Immersive Verite ER Documentary--On Oscar Shortlist

Interviews

Most documentaries emerge through various known gatekeepers at major festivals. More and more these days, such a plethora of strong docs are being made by talent able to deploy inexpensive digital cameras that it's easy for new faces to get lost. "The Waiting Room" is a first feature from veteran television journalist Peter Nicks...

By Anne Thompson
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December 3, 2012 4:56 PM
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Fran Walsh, The Woman Behind the 'Hobbit' & 'LOTR' Curtain

Interviews

The NY Times' Brooks Barnes compares meeting Fran Walsh, co-writer and producer of "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, to meeting the Wizard of Oz. While Gollum actor Andy Serkis says that “It’s impossible to overstate her importance,” the woman remains an elusive Hollywood mystery who shies away from the spotlight. She's also Peter Jackson's partner, and tells Barnes that, “He’s not my husband. He’s never asked me, and if he did, I probably wouldn’t say yes.”

By Sophia Savage
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December 3, 2012 2:04 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Composer Patrick Doyle Talks Pixar's 'Brave'

Interviews

Patrick Doyle isn't new to animation but his first taste of working with Pixar on "Brave" brought him even closer to his Scottish roots. Doyle, in fact, was in Scotland when he was first approached to compose the quintessentially ethnic score accentuated by the Highland bagpipes.

By Bill Desowitz
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November 30, 2012 2:25 PM
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David Lynch Talks Digital Transition & Elusiveness of Filmmaking: 'She Is the Idea. You Are in Love.'

Interviews

After receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from the 20th Plus Camerimage cinematography festival in Poland, David Lynch sat down with the Hollywood Reporter to talk about the ups and downs of the digital transition...

By Beth Hanna
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November 30, 2012 1:11 PM
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Christopher Nolan Reflects on Batman Trilogy, Creating Bruce Wayne & His Faith in Cinema and its Audience

Interviews

Christopher Nolan discussed his Batman trilogy at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on November 28. In Contention's Kris Tapley reports on the conversation, which was moderated by Scott Foundas...

By Sophia Savage
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November 29, 2012 2:48 PM
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Jessica Chastain on CIA Agents & Actresses, Sex Symbol Status & Redheads in British GQ

Interviews

British GQ got Jessica Chastain to strip down for a bedroom-set photo shoot--often the standard for young actresses breaking into the mainstream with sex-symbol status, whether they want to do it or not (in the THR Actresses roundtable the women share stories). But Chastain seems genuinely happy to be playing the part.

By Sophia Savage
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November 29, 2012 1:20 PM
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Foreign Oscar Watch: Nicolaj Arcel Talks Denmark's 'A Royal Affair'

Interviews

One of the front runners in the current foreign film Oscar race is Nicolaj Arcel's "A Royal Affair," starring Danish star Mads Mikkelsen and newcomer Alicia Vikander in a true romantic royal triangle. The film won screenwriting and actor prizes (for rookie Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as King Christian VII) at Berlin and is in current stateside release from Magnolia.