Thompson on Hollywood

There Will Be Blood: Early Reviews

Variety's Todd McCarthy delivers a rave review of Paul Thomas Anderson's much-anticipated There Will Be Blood. We saw it at the same screening on Friday last week. McCarthy wanted to take his time with this review, and not rush it out the door. Here's a sample:

By Anne Thompson
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November 1, 2007 5:51 AM
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Michael Clayton's Boxoffice and George Clooney's Stardom

Reading this thread on Hollywood Elsewhere responding to Kim Masters' Slate story on George Clooney and the boxoffice fate of Michael Clayton depressed me.

By Anne Thompson
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October 18, 2007 6:41 AM
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Oscar Watch: Early Line on Oscar Actresses

As more and more of this year's would-be Oscar contenders have been screened, Oscar pundits are starting to declare their favorites. MCN's Gurus 'o Gold makes the following Best Actress picks:

By Anne Thompson
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October 9, 2007 7:29 AM
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Michael Clayton Vs. Leatherheads; Gilroy Talks

Things are looking up for Michael Clayton, which opened to rave reviews (a terrific 88% fresh on rotten tomatoes) and boffo initial box office in limited release.

By Anne Thompson
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October 8, 2007 7:36 AM
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TIFF: Atonement, Elizabeth: The Golden Age

It was a Working Title double-header today. First, the Oscar contender: Atonement is breathtakingly assured. During Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, I smiled at the screen with pleasure. He took you through these people's rooms, their lives, their conversations, hopes, dreams. He made you care about them. The emotions were believably large within an intimate space. He didn't let the moviemaking overwhelm the story, he kept the cuts coming, moving fast, the dancing was spectacular. It felt modern, up-to-date, not stuck in some deadly stuffy period past. And Keira Knightley gave a winning, Oscar-nominated performance. (Here's her interview in the London Times.)

By Anne Thompson
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September 9, 2007 8:24 AM
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Cotillard is Strong Oscar Contender for Piaf Biopic La Vie en Rose

I've been tracking the French Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose since Picturehouse president Bob Berney picked it up after screening some footage during last May's Cannes Fest. His instincts were correct. The movie, which opens stateside on June 8, is beautifully done. Luckily Piaf's life is so gut-wrenching and the music holds up so well that writer-director Olivier Dahan's rags-to-riches story arc manages to skirt the edges of cliche. It helps that Marion Cotillard's Piaf is a richly-layered, nasty, gifted, wounded character.