Oliver Stone to Film Bush

WHY, OH WHY

Oliver Stone to make "fair" movie about George W. Bush

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Oliver Stone, who has made movies about Presidents John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, is developing a project about the current occupant of the White House, but promises it will not be a hatchet job, Daily Variety reported on Sunday.

Stone is in talks with Josh Brolin, who is starring in "No Country For Old Men," to play the title role in "Bush," the trade paper said.

He is shopping the script to financiers and hopes to start production by April, with a release date in time for the election in November, or the inauguration of Bush's successor in January.

... Stone's efforts last year to film a documentary about another Bush nemesis, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also hit turbulence. His request for access was denied with an official reportedly dismissing the filmmaker as "part of the Great Satan."

(Reporting by Dean Goodman, editing by Philip Barbara)

Click title for full article.

Ocean's Thirteen

Revenge is a funny thing.

They should have stopped at eleven.

The Flying Scotsman

The true story of the unlikely champion that inspired a nation.

Yahoo: " The true story of celebrated Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree, a former world champion who broke the world one-hour record on a bike of his own design, made partly out of sections of a washing machine. It follows his life's victories as well as his debilitating battles with mental health problems."

This Scotsman doesn't fly.

Joshua

The story of a perfect boy who had a perfect plan.

This is a creepy, omen-like kid who has a taste for killing.

Underdog

I watched this just to hear the old theme song ... I swear. If you're five, I'm sure this film is hilarious, but anyone over that age will have trouble sitting through it.

Voto Latino

From Latina, February 2008: "Voto Latino, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group co-founded by Rosario Dawson in 2004, registers Latinos to vote in the 2008 presidential election, raises awareness on issues affecting our community and lets us know where each candidate stands through national PSAs and celebrity-led political forums online (at votolatino.org). Voto Latino also recently released cool compilation albums through the iTunes Store featuring Nina Sky, Calle 13 and others."

Stinky Cheese! Ambassador for Children’s Literature

The New York Times
By MOTOKO RICH
Published: January 3, 2008

Jon Scieszka, the author of witty and subversive children’s favorites like “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” and “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales,” is to be named the country’s first national ambassador for young people’s literature on Thursday, a kind of children’s book version of the Library of Congress’s poet laureate program.

Mr. Scieszka, 53, who has written more than 25 books in the last two decades, is to be named to this new position by James H. Billington, the librarian of Congress. Mr. Billington said that unlike the role of the poet laureate, which does not come with specific responsibilities, this one calls for Mr. Scieszka (pronounced SHEH-ska) to be a spokesman who will travel and speak to groups of children, parents and teachers “to evangelize the need for reading.” He will also speak at Children’s Book Week in New York in May and the National Book Festival in Washington in September.

... The idea for the ambassadorship had been raised a number of times in previous years but finally came to fruition last fall when Robin Adelson, executive director of the Children’s Book Council, a trade association for children’s book publishers, contacted John Cole, director of the Center for the Book, an arm of the Library of Congress that promotes books, libraries and literacy and has established centers in every state and Washington, D.C.

... Ms. Adelson said that with headlines about declines in children’s reading and test scores, the timing for the appointment was apt. “In a world where children have so many different forms of entertainment vying for their attention,” she said, “it does take someone special to remind them that there is this vast body of literature out there that is fabulous entertainment.”

Mr. Billington said the position augmented efforts to reach out to kids on Web sites including loc.gov and Americaslibrary.gov. “We have organized to make sure that the central role of books and reading is not obscured by the new technology, but is rather enriched and enlivened by it,” Mr. Billington said.

... Mr. Sciezska said that above all he hoped to encourage parents and teachers to support whatever reading their kids want to do. “People say, ‘All my son will read is “Captain Underpants,”’ or ‘My son is crazy about shark books, is that O.K.?’” he said. “I want to be the person to say, ‘Yeah, that’s really O.K., as long as he’s motivated to want to read.’”

Click title for full article

German Experts Crack Mona Lisa Smile

Reuters By Sylvia Westall

BERLIN (Reuters) - German academics believe they have solved the centuries-old mystery behind the identity of the "Mona Lisa" in Leonardo da Vinci's famous portrait.

Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, has long been seen as the most likely model for the sixteenth-century painting.

But art historians have often wondered whether the smiling woman may actually have been da Vinci's lover, his mother or the artist himself.

Now experts at the Heidelberg University library say dated notes scribbled in the margins of a book by its owner in October 1503 confirm once and for all that Lisa del Giocondo was indeed the model for one of the most famous portraits in the world.

"All doubts about the identity of the Mona Lisa have been eliminated by a discovery by Dr. Armin Schlechter," a manuscript expert, the library said in a statement on Monday.

The notes were made by a Florentine city official Agostino Vespucci, an acquaintance of the artist, in a collection of letters by the Roman orator Cicero.

The comments compare Leonardo to the ancient Greek artist Apelles and say he was working on three paintings at the time, one of them a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.

Click title for full article.

First Book

from Domino Magazine 1/08:

"Providing a needy child in the U.S. with a brand-new set of reading materials is a significant way to give on a friend's behalf. At the nonprofit First Book, the formula is simple: Buy a gift (with a printable card) in any amount, and every $2.50 translates to one crisp, new book-whether in New Orleans or an inner city near you. That means $50 will help First Book deliver 20 bedtime stories to a struggling family, and $25 will donate 10 board books for learning the alphabet." www.firstbook.org

Dragon Wars

They've made our world their battleground.

I may have more inclined to watch this film sans human characters. Ugh, what an ordeal.

Who Needs Plot When You’ve Got Dragons?

By ANDY WEBSTER

Published: September 15, 2007
New York Times

If you’ve been missing Japanese monster movies, take heart. “Dragon Wars: D-War” (from South Korea actually) proves the genre quite alive. It is such a breathless, delirious stew, it’s impossible not to be entertained, provided — this is crucial — you have a sense of humor.

Hmmm, exposition. O.K. Centuries ago in Korea there were giant serpents called Imoogi. A bad one, Buraki, had armored troops. A girl, Narin, had this glowing bubble, the Yuh Yi Joo, which turns Imoogi into dragons. But she and her lover-protector, Haram, sacrificed themselves without giving it up.

Deep breath. In Los Angeles an eruption suggests something big has awakened, something cranky. When Ethan Kendrick (Jason Behr) finds out, he recalls being taught as a child by the mystic Jack (Robert Forster) that he is Haram reincarnated. Narin is now Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks). Exhale.

Matt Hughes Visits Borders Wheaton

January 10, 2008
by Zoda

"Matt Hughes was at the Borders in Wheaton last night signing copies of his new auto-biography, Made in America. Facing possibly one of the largest crowds yet. (I assure you that borders was not expecting that many fans, they were sold out of copies long before Matt even showed up.) Matt showed why he is one of the classiest guys in the sport. He was very great to meet and as many of you may know he has always been one of my Idols, and I don't use that word lightly. He signed, took pictures, chatted with fans and generally promoted good will for the great sport that is MMA. His book is off to being a great read too. So pick up a copy at your local booksellers and if you get a chance to catch him somewhere else on the tour leading up to the next UFC on Jan 19th... stop out and say HI."

Golden Globe Winners

There was no red carpet, no political speeches or worse-dressed sightings, but the Golden Globes still went on.

And the winners are:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
ATONEMENT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
JULIE CHRISTIE Away From Her

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS There Will Be Blood

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
MARION COTILLARD La Vie En Rose

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
JOHNNY DEPP Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
RATATOUILLE

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY – FRANCE AND USA

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
CATE BLANCHETT I’m Not There

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
JAVIER BARDEM No Country for Old Men

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
JULIAN SCHNABEL The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
ETHAN COEN & JOEL COEN No Country for Old Men

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“GUARANTEED” — INTO THE WILD
Music & Lyrics by: Eddie Vedder

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
MAD MEN

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
EXTRAS
BBC and HBO Entertainment; HBO

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
TINA FEY 30 Rock

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
QUEEN LATIFAH Life Support

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JEREMY PIVEN Entourage

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

National Book Foundation: "Based on the author’s own experiences, this heartbreaking yet funny story chronicles the adolescence of one contemporary Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he seems destined to live."

This is one of the best teen lit books I have ever read. I laughed throughout and nearly went for the tissues a few times. Adults and teens both should read this and learn from Arnold Spirit.

"Excellent in every way, poignant and really funny and heartwarming and honest and wise and smart .... I have no doubt that in a year or so it'll both be winning awards and being banned." - Neil Gaiman, best-selling author

"When my horoscope said I was going to meet someone tall, dark and handsome ... who knew he'd be 14! Thankfully for me Arnold Spirit is one of the funniest, most endearing characters I've met in a very long time. This book is so original, I laughed consistently from beginning to end." - Amy Sedaris, actress, comedian, and author of I LIKE YOU: HOSPITALITY UNDER THE INFLUENCE

"Arnold Spirit's offbeat coming-of-age tale will touch your battle-scarred teenage heart." - Megan Kelso, cartoonist

Sherman wins the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Watch a clip on the New York Times Web site. Read the stories in The Seattle P-I (11/14/07), The Seattle Times (11/14/07), The New York Times (11/15/07), and Publishers Weekly (11/15/07).

See the True Diary page for reviews and to hear an audio file of Sherman reading from the book.

Sunshine

Dark days are coming.

Jacket: It is the year 2057, the sun is dying and mankind faces extinction. Earth's last hope rests with a courageous crew of eight men and women on a mission to ignite the fading star with a massive nuclear weapon. Deep into their voyage, out of radio contact with Earth, their mission begins to unravel and they find themselves fighting not only for their lives, but for the future of us all. with twists and turns you won't see coming, this pulse-pounding journey to the sun is a non-stop thrill ride.

I'm convinced that the best Sci-fi films were created in the late 70's and early 80's. Sunshine tried to be philosophical like 2001: A Space Odyssey and a thriller like Alien. Thankfully, this was a free rental for me. Cillian Murphy completely absorbs himself in any leading role and for that I watched the entire film.

If you need to watch a Danny Boyle film check out Shallow Grave or Trainspotting. I plan on renting his 28 Days Later soon.

IMDb: References 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Both the scene where Mace, Capa and Harvey jet from airlock to airlock is almost identical to the scene in 2001 where Dave does the same thing, and the part where Icarus 2s voice starts to deepen and slow when the cores are pulled out is very reminiscent of HAL singing "A Bicycle Made for Two" (which HAL incorrectly calls 'Daisy') as Dave turns him off. Dark Star (1974) - Character name (Pinback/Pinbacker). Also set on a spaceship carrying out a bomb mission. Alien (1979) - Character jokes about the film while entering the Icarus I.

The Mist

The Screen Door: "Frank Darabont’s adoption of the Stephen King novella may be a contender for my Top Ten list. Darabont meticulously directs this thriller that is far superior to I AM LEGEND as it keeps you on the edge of your seat even after the film is over. The ensemble cast includes a lot of familiar faces from Darabont’s other films (SHAWSHANK, GREEN MILE) and make the characters come to life. Whatever is in the mist outside of the grocery store they are trapped in is far more real and scary than any other Hollywood invention. A director’s film that you won’t be able to shake off." Rating: A

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

The Screen Door: "Standard Hollywood popcorn fare that works well, but is ultimately forgettable. It’s engaging, makes the time fly by and is highlighted by a peek-a-boo performance by Ed Harris. But like most fast food, it goes down easy, but rarely leaves a lasting impression." Rating: B-

IMDb: "Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (Cage) looks to discover the truth behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, by uncovering the mystery within the 18 pages missing from assassin John Wilkes Booth's diary."

War

Vengeance is the ultimate weapon.

I am at war with myself for actually watching this. As much as I love to look at Jason Statham, this slow-going action film tried too hard to be a drama as well. Rating: C-.

IMDb: " An FBI Agent seeks vengeance on a mysterious assassin known as "Rogue" who murdered his partner."

The Savages

The Screen Door: "Brutally honest with a small dash of humor thrown in, once again, Philip Seymour Hoffman shines alongside Laura Linney who continues to devour all of the prime roles of women going through a mid-life crisis. It’s not an easy film to watch, but it’s an important one. The humor is very faint and as harsh as the story is, it doesn’t quite make it to the top tier of filmmaking, but still damn good." Rating: B

IMDb: "A sister (Linney) and brother (Hoffman) face the realities of familial responsibility as they begin to care for their ailing father."

27 Dresses

The Screen Door: "This was a sneak peak and after dragging my family to all of the films I wanted to see, I owed my Mom and wife. It’s not great, but it’s solid. Katherine Heigl is rather splendid in the lead but this is probably a rental for 99% on the list."

IMDb: "After serving as a bridesmaid 27 times, a young woman (Heigl) wrestles with the idea of standing by her sister's side as her sibling marries the man she's secretly in love with."

Charlie Wilson's War

A stiff drink. A little mascara. A lot of nerve. Who said they couldn't bring down the Soviet empire.

The Screen Door: "I had zero interest in seeing this, but I went and was pleasantly surprised. Philip Seymor Hoffman steals the film with his colorful take on a CIA agent. I found it rather engrossing and the supporting cast, which includes the radiant Amy Adams, was excellent. Definitely worth seeing." Rating: B

Wikipedia: "Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 film about Democratic Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who conspired with a rogue CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos to launch an operation to help the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet war in Afghanistan. The film is adapted from George Crile's 2003 book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History.^[1]"

The film is directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, and stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Ned Beatty. It has been nominated in 2007 for five Golden Globe Awards, including "Best Motion Picture."

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

No one was supposed to get hurt.

The Screen Door: "One of the five best films of the year. Brutal, bracing and biting all around with exultant direction from Lumet, boiling performances by Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Marissa Tomei and AlbertFinney. It’s a crime thriller that turns the audience on their head. As we left the theater the other night NO ONE was up out of their seats three-minutes into the credit roll just because they could not believe how it ended." Rating: A

Roger Ebert: "Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" is such a superb crime melodrama that I almost want to leave it at that. To just stop writing right now and advise you to go out and see it as soon as you can. I so much want to avoid revealing plot points that I don't even want to risk my usual strategy of oblique hints. You deserve to walk into this one cold."

IMDb: "When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelery store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife hurtling towards a shattering climax. "

Wikipedia: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is a 2007 film written by Kelly Masterson and directed by Sidney Lumet. It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney. The title comes from the Irish saying: "May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead".

The Heartbreak Kid

The Heartbreak Kid (2007)

New York Times, October 5, 2007

The Seven-Year Itch, Days After the Wedding

By A. O. SCOTT

Published: October 5, 2007

If you haven’t seen “The Heartbreak Kid,” Elaine May’s 1972 adaptation of a short story by Bruce Jay Friedman (with a screenplay by Neil Simon), you’re missing a minor, if somewhat dated, classic, a study in Jewish male sexual anxiety that fits comfortably (which is to say nervously and neurotically) alongside “Portnoy’s Complaint” and the early films of Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky.

If you haven’t seen “The Heartbreak Kid,” Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s new update of that earlier picture, I’m jealous."

Click title for complete article.

Leave this one on the shelf. A few funny moments cannot carry this film.

Superbad

Totally superbadass! This is laugh out-loud-truly-tasteless-teenage humor at its best.

La Vie en Rose

Wikipedia: "The film presents a fractured and largely non-linear series of key events from the life of Édith Piaf. Although scenes often jump back and forth across decades, parts of her childhood take up much of the first part, and the movie ends with her death, and the performance of what is perhaps her signature song, Non, je ne regrette rien."

Slant Magazine: "Edith Piaf's tidal emotional vulgarity and brutish commitment to the most sentimental chansons is captured accurately and even irresistibly in La Vie En Rose, an epic, intuitive exploration of her hard life and times. In recent years, audiences have endured a deadening heap of biopics that have either betrayed or exploited their subjects. The rare good biopic, like Alan Rudolph's Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, generally tried to give us a sense of lives as they might have been lived. La Vie En Rose goes in the opposite direction, treating Piaf's life and art as a heartfelt, theatrical spectacle. Director Olivier Dahan has said he wanted to make a "tragic, romantic blockbuster," and he has done so: this is bravura popular filmmaking, marked by both precision and gusto. The use of Piaf's music is so impressionistic throughout that it almost has a Terence Davies flavor to it; song is treated as memory."

The Nanny Diaries

IMDb: "A college graduate goes to work as a nanny for a rich New York family. Ensconced in their home, she has to juggle their dysfunction, a new romance, and the spoiled brat in her charge."

Wikipedia:

Differences between novel and film

There are three major areas of difference between the novel and film: the protagonist's background, the timeframe of the story and the ending. The location of the Xes' building was moved two blocks from the nonexistent 721 Park Avenue to East 70th Street near Fifth Avenue, the Frick and the park.

The Bourne Ultimatum

IMDb: "After being recovered from the sea, and after losing the one he loves, Jason Bourne (Damon) is one more step closer to finding out how David Webb became Jason Bourne. Whilst Pamela Landy (Allen) has decided to leave Bourne alone, CIA Deputy Director Noah Vosen (David Strathairn) has other plans. He believes that Bourne is still dangerous and must be eliminated, before he finds out his true identity and takes the CIA down with him."

This was well-worth checking out, even if you only wanted to see how Bourne discovers his true identity. And true to franchise form, they leave a few set-ups for a fourth film.

3:10 to Yuma

I haven't watched many Westerns, but this one can make me a convert. It was that good!

New York Times: "Russell Crowe and Christian Bale are the main reasons to see 3:10 to Yuma, a serviceable addition to the current western revival."

Wikipedia: "Andrew Sarris of The New York Observer said "There is more greed-driven corruption in the remake than there was in the original" and that the film is less a remake "than a resurrection of both the film and its now unfashionable genre." Sarris said Peter Fonda and Ben Foster "are especially memorable" and said "the performances of Mr. Crowe and Mr. Bale alone are worth the price of admission."[17] The New Yorker film critic David Denby wrote that the film "is faster, more cynical, and more brutal" than the 1957 film. Denby wrote that Peter Fonda "gives an amazingly fierce performance" and that Russell Crowe "gives a fascinating, self-amused performance", saying "Crowe is an acting genius." Denby said "this is by far [director James Mangold's] most sustained and evocative work." Denby wrote that one action scene looks fake, but "much of this Western is tense and intricately wrought."[18] Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called the film "lean, almost absurdly satisfying." Burr wrote that the actors Russell Crowe and Christian Bale "are among the best, most intuitively creative we have, and whatever transpires offscreen in Crowe’s case, onscreen they only serve their characters. Neither man showboats here, and it’s a thrill to watch them work." Burr said that the character of Ben Wade is "a snake and a snake charmer in one irresistible package" and said Ben Foster as Charlie Prince is "mesmerizing." Burr said "Bale and Crowe never once misstep."

Rescue Dawn

IMDb: "Rescue Dawn ... is a dramatized version of the true story of Vietnam POW Dieter Dengler that Herzog previously filmed as a documentary in 1997 entitled "Little Dieter Needs to Fly." Masterfully realized, "Rescue Dawn" emerges as Herzog's most accessible film. After over 30 years of film-making, he's gone "Hollywood" but has done it on his own terms.

Rescue Dawn features classical and feverishly transcendent direction from Herzog, breathtaking cinematography of Laos and Vietnam from Peter Zeitlinger, a triumphant and evocative music score from Klaus Bedelt, and Oscar-worthy performances from an amazing cast. In the lead role of Dieter, Christian Bale once again puts his whole body into the character (as he did in The Machinist). Bale has become one of those rare actors whose every role seems to be the performance of his career. Also noteworthy are Jeremy Davies (Saving Private Ryan, and Ravenous) as Eugene from Eugene, Oregon, who seems to always get cast as the most emotionally unstable soldier, and a shockingly good and sympathetic Steve Zahn as Duane. Herzog puts the cast through the ringer in artistically rendered depictions of torture, horror, and survival in the harshest of conditions. Even in some of the most cringe-worthy scenes, Herzog turns what could've been wallowing on its head--witness the fantastic transition from Bale eating live worms and one crawling in his beard to a beautiful caterpillar leisurely making its way across a leaf in the peaceful jungle.

Essentially what we have here is the war-movie version of Milos Foreman's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest as Herzog depicts a group of average men who were slightly crazy already becoming increasingly more mad through involuntary imprisonment. While Bale's character refuses to be held down and is constantly trying to keep his brain and skills sharp through plotting an escape, some of his fellow prisoners are rendered hopeless as they have turned their own minds into the most impenetrable walls. Herzog does a great job of depicting tiny bits of humanity and dignity shining through in the most inhumane conditions, and how the will to survive can triumph over death. He's somehow crafted a movie that is both boldly anti-establishment and unapologetically pro-soldier and patriotism. Being based on a true story where the ending is known to the viewer doesn't take away from the white-knuckle suspense and human drama."

I agree with this review completely. Bale gives an amazing performance, as usual, and shows that there is nothing that he can't do.

The facts behind the story of the motion picture:

Rescue Dawn: The Truth

City of Violence

IMDb: “Tae-su, a detective fighting organized crime, returns to his hometown for his high school friend Wang-jae's funeral. At the funeral, he meets his old friends Pil-ho, Dong-hwan and Seok-hwan and they reminisce. Suspecting something fishy about Wang-jae's death, Tae-su and Seok-hwan start investigating it each in his own way. Both of their investigations lead to a land development project that Pil-ho is directing and the two embark on a difficult battle."

www.cityofviolence.co.uk

Angel-A

A man meets a woman in Paris.

Official Site: "Andre is in trouble. He has just returned to Paris in the hopes of making some easy money, give up his life pf petty crime and start his life over as an honest man in America. In Paris for only a few hours, Andre suddenly finds himself dangling over the edge of the Eiffel Tower, high above Paris, begging for his life from a man he hoped never to see again. With his underworld dealing catching up to him, Andre is given twenty-four hoursto find 20,000 Euros to pay for his debts and save his life.

... Andre is left with nowhere to turn and with his deadline fast approaching, he despairingly climbs onto the ledge of a bridge and gathers the resolve to jump into the river.

But, he is not alone. Beside him, a beautiful and mysterious woman is a moment away from throwing herself into the Seine. Andre pleads with the woman to stop ... [but] despite his efforts to save her, ... she jumps into the water. Without thinking, he too jumps into the water.

About to give up on the mysterious woman, he is relieved when she finally opens her eyes. His trouble though has only just begun."

This film is beautiful to watch. Every scene looks like a photograph. Jamel Debbouze, as Andre, gives such an endearing/comedic/pathetic performance of a man hanging on for dear life, literally.

I'm a fan of Luc Besson's works and productions which include:

• The Big Blue


• Leon: The Professional


• La Femme Nikita


• The Fifth Element


• Arthur and the Invisibles (sequel currently in the works)


• The Transporter


• District B-13

Waitress

waitressmovie.net:

Jenna (Keri Russell) is trapped in an unhappy marriage with a controlling, jealous husband and the last thing she wants is a baby, so when she discovers she has fallen pregnant, she’s terrified of what the future holds.

In an effort to escape her husband, Jenna saves what money she can by working at Joe’s Diner where she creates amazing pies which she names after circumstances in her life like “I-Don’t-Want-Earl’s-Baby Pie”; “I-Hate-My-Husband Pie”; and “Falling-in-Love Pie”.

Things seem hopeless for Jenna and dreams of a better life lost until she meets gynecologist Dr. Pomatter (Nathan Fillion),

a good looking man who treats her with love, generosity and simple kindness. He’s handsome. He’s kind. He’s neurotic. He’s married.

Waitress was inspired by writer/director Adrienne Shelly’s own feelings while she was pregnant with daughter Sophie. Adrienne shared with an on-set videographer, “I was about eight months pregnant, and I was really scared about the idea of having a baby. I couldn’t imagine how my life was going to be, that it would change so drastically that I wasn’t even going to recognize myself anymore. I was terrified and I really had never seen that reflected in anything, not in a book or in a movie.” Adrienne went on to express that Waitress is a “love letter to Sophie”.

Wikipedia: The acceptance of Waitress into the 2007 Sundance Film Festival was bittersweet because writer/director Adrienne Shelly was murdered before learning the news. The film opened to glowing critical reviews summarizing it as a well-made, good-hearted comedy, brimming with quality star wattage.

www.foxsearchlight.com/waitress/

This is a cute and funny chick flick. Sit back and enjoy a small slice of this waitress' life.

Resident Evil: Extinction

Official Site: "Resident Evil:Extinction is based on the wildly popular video game series and picks up where the last film left off. Alice, now in hiding in the Nevada desert, once again joins forces with Carlos and L.J., along with new survivors to try to eliminate the deadly virus taht threatens to make every human being undead and to seek justice. Since being captured by the Umbrella Corporation, Alice has been subjected to biogenic experimentation and becomes genetically altered, with superhuman strengths, senses and dexterity. These skills, and more, will be needed if anyone is to remain alive."

This wasn't bad for a video game-inspired action flick. Of course, anything is better than Doom. It is as entertaining as the second film, so maybe we'll see a fourth in the future.

Shoot 'Em Up

Uh, death by carrot? And that was in the first two minutes of the film! Then came an incredulous birthing amidst a storm of gunfire. C'mon Clive!

This was almost painful to watch. Just consider it as someone's trippy, shooter-game dream and it'll make the time pass. This played better as background noise as I was doing something else.

Wikipedia: "The film follows Smith (Clive Owen), a down-and-out squatter with both an extensive military background and a fondness for carrots, who wants nothing more than to be left alone. Smith finds himself embroiled in a complex political conspiracy once he aids a pregnant woman who is being chased by a hitman. He takes the baby and goes on the run with a prostitute (Monica Bellucci). The unlikely family is trailed by the intelligent and ruthless Hertz (played by Paul Giamatti) and his army of thugs."

www.shootemupmovie.com

Saoirse Ronan a young actress to watch

Mon Dec 31, 6:31 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - Her role in "Atonement" earned Saoirse Ronan a Golden Globe nomination, but she hasn't read the Ian McEwan novel the movie is based on. Ronan is only 13, and the book deals with sexual themes.

"Atonement" is Ronan's third film, but the Irish actress (whose first name is pronounced "SUR'-shuh") is already getting attention for her role as the young Briony Tallis.

In 2008, she'll appear with Bill Murray in the action-fantasy "City of Ember" and star as a con artist in "Death Defying Acts" alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones. She also has the lead role in Peter Jackson's film version of "The Lovely Bones" — another book she hasn't read because of the mature content.

Based on the Alice Sebold best-seller, "The Lovely Bones" is the story of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who's raped and killed. She narrates her story from heaven as she looks down on her family as they try to cope with the tragedy.