M
SHIRLEY MACLAINE
CLOSING
THE RING: Shirley MacLaine,
Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Gregory Smith, Brenda Blethyn,
Pete Postlethwaite, Neve Campbell (Directed by Richard Attenborough;
Written by Peter Woodward; Odyssey Entertainment) A military plane
crashes on the outskirts of Belfast toward the end of World War
II, and just before the rear gunner dies, he asks a local lad to
see that his ring is returned to his girlfriend. Fifty years later,
the girlfriend has still not received that ring, but she has managed
to marry the gunner’s best buddy. Still, it’s never
too late, for a young native of Belfast who knows the history of
the ring is on his way to North Carolina to deliver it in person.
This sounds like a natural for Richard Attenborough, the director/warrior
who gave us “Oh! What a Lovely War,” “A Bridge
Too Far” and “In Love and War.”
Opening date to be announced
FOR GUY FLATLEY'S
1977 INTERVIEW WITH SHIRLEY MacLAINE, click
here.
TOBEY
MAGUIRE
BROTHERS:
Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman
(Directed by Jim Sheridan; Written by David Benioff; Relativity
Media) There was a time when some moviegoers had difficulty telling
the difference between Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal. Finally,
we got the picture: Tobey was a climber of skyscrapers; Jake was
a herder of sheep. More than ever, it will be important to tell
the stars of “Spider-Man” and “Brokeback Mountain”
apart in “Brothers,” a drama in which a dutiful young
man goes off to combat in Afghanistan, leaving his wife and child
in the care of a younger brother not known for his dependability.
The four-square sibling is played by Maguire, and Gyllenhaal plays
the rebel without a conspicuous cause. The role of the woman responsible
for expanding their fraternal relationship into a love triangle
has gone to Natalie Portman. “Brothers” is a remake,
so if you’re eager for more details, check out Susanne Bier’s
2004 Danish-language film starring Ulrich Thomsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas
and Connie Nielsen. Opening date to
be announced
STEVE MARTIN
ONE
BIG HAPPY: Steve Martin, Diane
Keaton (Paramount) What we have here is a comedy about a family
that is far from happy and has been that way for a long while. But
you can bet that Ma and Pa, played by Keaton and Martin, will patch
everything up in time for a big happy ending--just as they did in
“Father of the Bride” and "Father of the Bride
Part II." Opening date to be announced
JAMES McAVOY
WANTED:
Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman,
Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Chris Pratt (Directed by Timur
Bekmambetov; Written by Derek Haas, Michael Brandt, Dean Georgaris
and J. G. Jones; Universal) Following his standout turns in “The
Last King of Scotland” and “Atonement,” James
McAvoy plays a clueless young man who is stunned to learn his long-missing
father has been murdered. As if that weren’t enough of a shock
to handle, he is also informed that daddy was an extraordinarily
accomplished assassin. So, naturally, McAvoy says yes when he’s
invited to sign up with the old man’s former employers and
to take lessons from lethal champ Morgan Freeman in the fine art
of killing. As for Angelina Jolie, anyone who caught her hit-woman
act in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” won’t be surprised
if she teaches McAvoy a few tricks of her own. Opens
6/27/08
THE LAST
STATION: Christopher Plummer,
Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti, James McAvoy, Anne-Marie Duff (Directed
by Michael Hoffman; Written by Jay Parini; Notro Films) Anthony
Hopkins was set to play Count Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War
and Peace" who was strugglig to live out his final days with
dignity and grace. But somewhere along the line Hopkins dropped
out and Christopher Plummer dropped in. Getting back to Leo--who
on earth was making it difficult for him to travel a peaceful path
into the hereafter? It was none other than Sofya Andreyevna, his
luxury-loving, more warring than peaceful, wife. And--like Anthony
Hopkins--Meryl Streep, cast as Sofya, made an exit, leaving her
role to Helen Mirren. Paul Giamatti plays a loyal friend of Tolstoy's
who does his best to rein in Sofya, James McAvoy plays Tolstoy's
secretary, and Anne-Marie Duff--McAvoy's real-life wife--plays the
tormented literary lion's daughter. Jay Parini's screenplay for
"The Last Station" is based on his 1990 novel, which in
turn was based on the actual diaries of the contentious Tolstoys
and their piles of relatives and friends. The director here is Michael
Hoffman, whose eclectic oeuvre includes “Soapdish”
(Robert Downey Jr. & Sally Field), “Restoration”
(Hugh Grant & Meg Ryan), and “One Fine Day" (George
Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer). To
read about more new movies based on books, click
here. Opening date to be
announced
EWAN McGREGOR
AMELIA:
Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor,
Virginia Madsen, Christopher Eccleston, Cherry Jones, Joe Anderson,
Aaron Abrams, Mia Wasikowska (Directed by Mira Nair; Written by
Ronald Bass; Fox Searchlight) Did you know that Amelia Earhart,
who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and eventually
went missing over the Pacific in 1937, had a torrid affair with
Gene Vidal, the father of writer Gore Vidal? And that was while
the ace aviatrix was said to be blissfully married to publisher
George Putnam! But as director Mira Nair (“Monsoon Wedding”)
will undoubtedly make clear to us, this pioneer feminist was never
one to let stuffy rules get in her way. In a bit of inspired casting,
Hilary Swank is Amelia; Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor are her husband
and her lover, respectively; and Virginia Madsen is her husband’s
first wife. To
read about more new biopics, click here.
Opening date to be announced
BETTE MIDLER
THEN
SHE FOUND ME: Helen Hunt, Bette
Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick (Written and directed by
Helen Hunt; Killer Films) Bet you didn’t know that Oscar-winning
actress Helen Hunt is also a writer and director. At least, she’s
written this adaptation of Elinor Lipman’s comic novel, and
she plays the central role of a schoolteacher whose husband (Matthew
Broderick) decides to drop out of their marriage. But the really
sad thing that happens is that her mom dies. And perhaps saddest
of all is the decision of her birth mother, who abandoned her 36
years ago, to move in with--and perform a makeover on--Helen. Unlike
the prim lady who raised Helen, this TV talk-show hostess, played
by Bette Midler, is a total flake, a woman who doesn’t hesitate
to put the moves on a charmer (Colin Firth) to whom her daughter
has recently been introduced by a thoughtful student. Now
Playing
HELEN MIRREN
INKHEART:
Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany, Helen Mirren,
Jim Broadbent, Andy Serkis, Rafi Gavron, Sienna Guillory (Directed
by Iain Softley; Written by David Lindsay-Abaire; New Line Cinema)
A man named Mo has a unique, sometimes dangerous talent. He can
read books from his vast collection to his beloved daughter Meggie,
and the results are so vivid that the characters literally jump
off the pages and enter their quaint home. That’s how they
strike up an acquaintance with a slimy villain named Capricorn,
and that’s also how Mo manages to get himself kidnapped. Can
Meggie and an assortment of helpmates come to his rescue? Based
on the first book of a trilogy by children’s author Cornelia
Funke, the movie features Andy Serkis, of “The Lord of the
Rings” fame, as Capricorn and good “Queen” Helen
Mirren as a quirky collector of rare books. Opens
3/19/08
STATE OF PLAY:
Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Rachel McAdams, Robin
Wright Penn, Jason Bateman (Directed by Kevin Macdonald; Written
by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Tony Gilroy; Universal) Brad Pitt
and Edward Norton, who had a jolly, violent time for themselves
in “Fight Club,” were primed for a promising re-match
in this adaptation of Paul Abbott’s hot six-hour British miniseries.
Pitt, however, thought Tony Gilroy's extensive rewrite of Matthew
Michael Carnahan's screenplay was the pits. So he took a walk. But
who needs Brad Pitt when they have Russell Crowe ready to roll?
Here's the story they rolled with: Investigating the death of politician
Stephen Collins’ mistress, reporter Cal McCaffrey (Crowe)
discovers evidence that could prove the slick pol (Ben Affleck,
replacing Edward Norton) is guilty of murder. He also discovers
the surprisingly potent allure of Collins’ dumped wife (Robin
Wright Penn). Sounds like Kevin Macdonald, the director of “The
Last King of Scotland,” once again has plenty of explosive
stuff to work with in this drama now officially credited to Tony
Gilroy and Matthew Michael Carnahan.
Opens 4/17/09
LOVE RANCH:
Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, Gina Gershon, Rio
Hackford (Directed by Taylor Hackford; Written by Mark Jacobson;
Capitol Films) Not so long ago we were calling Helen Mirren queen;
soon we’ll be calling her madam. That’s because the
Oscar winner is playing an earthy, enterprising woman based on the
character of Sally Conforte, who--along with hubby Joe--made her
wildest dream come true by opening the Mustang Ranch, Nevada’s
first legal brothel. Life became one big love-in for Sally and Joe--until
that memorable moment in 1976 when Oscar Bonavena, an Argentinian
prizefighter rumored to have gotten raunchy with the Mustang boss-lady,
was shot dead by a ranch bodyguard. Director Taylor Hackford, Mirren’s
real-life husband, will be putting his wife through her “Love
Ranch” paces. And her real-life stepson, actor Rio Hackford,
will also be on hand in a supporting role. Opens
4/17/09
THE LAST STATION:
Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti,
James McAvoy, Anne-Marie Duff (Directed by Michael Hoffman; Written
by Jay Parini; Notro Films) Anthony Hopkins was set to play Count
Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace" who was strugglig
to live out his final days with dignity and grace. But somewhere
along the line Hopkins dropped out and Christopher Plummer dropped
in. Getting back to Leo--who on earth was making it difficult for
him to travel a peaceful path into the hereafter? It was none other
than Sofya Andreyevna, his luxury-loving, more warring than peaceful,
wife. And--like Anthony Hopkins--Meryl Streep, cast as Sofya, made
an exit, leaving her role to Helen Mirren. Paul Giamatti plays a
loyal friend of Tolstoy's who does his best to rein in Sofya, James
McAvoy plays Tolstoy's secretary, and Anne-Marie Duff--McAvoy's
real-life wife--plays the tormented literary lion's daughter. Jay
Parini's screenplay for "The Last Station" is based on
his 1990 novel, which in turn was based on the actual diaries of
the contentious Tolstoys and their piles of relatives and friends.
The director here is Michael Hoffman, whose eclectic oeuvre
includes “Soapdish” (Robert Downey Jr. & Sally Field),
“Restoration” (Hugh Grant & Meg Ryan), and “One
Fine Day" (George Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer). Opening
date to be announced
DEMI MOORE
FLAWLESS:
Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Joss Ackland, Lambert
Wilson (Directed by Michael Radford; Written by Edward Anderson;
Magnolia Films) In “Blame It on Rio,” Stanley Donen’s
dismal 1984 comedy, starlet Demi Moore played a teen who’s
irked to discover her father is having a hot affair with her bosom
buddy (Michelle Johnson). So who played Demi’s dirty rotten
scoundrel of a dad? The always professional but not always sufficiently
cautious Michael Caine. We wish them better luck this time around.
A thriller, set in the swinging London of the 60s and based on real-life
events, Caine plays a loyal janitor whose employers at a London
diamond company reject an insurance claim for his seriously ailing
wife, and Moore plays an American executive whose male-chauvinist-pig
bosses at the same firm fail to pay her the proper respect, not
to mention the proper salary. So, naturally, the abused underlings
come up with a masterful plan to relieve the good old diamond boys
of a few of their shiniest baubles. Before you step up to the ticket
window, perhaps you should bear in mind that director Michael Radford
is the chap responsible for 1994’s “Il Postino”
and the 2004 film of “The Merchant of Venice,” with
Al Pacino as Shylock. Now Playing
JULIANNE MOORE
I'M
NOT THERE:
Christian
Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath
Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Julianne Moore, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Michelle
Williams (Directed by Todd Haynes; Written by Todd Haynes and Oren
Overman; The Weinstein Company) Did you ever have the feeling that
there’s something baffling, if not downright bizarre, about
legendary music man Bob Dylan? Well, the mystery may soon be cleared
up in this brazen biopic. Who's been handed the task of acting (and
singing) like Dylan in all of his shifting complexity? As it turns
out, it took at least five men and one woman to rise to the challenge:
Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Marcus
Carl Franklin and, yes, a notably curly-locked Cate Blanchett. The
women in Dylan’s life are played by Julianne Moore, Charlotte
Gainsbourg and Michelle Williams (Heath Ledger’s wife in “Brokeback
Mountain” and in real life). Director Todd Haynes, who worked
wonders with Julianne Moore in “Safe” and “Far
From Heaven,” will undoubtedly keep all of these heavyweight
performers blowin’ eloquently in the wind.
To
read about more new biopics, click here.
Now Playing
VIGGO MORTENSEN
EASTERN
PROMISES: Viggo Mortensen, Naomi
Watts, Vincent Cassel, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sinead Cusack, Donald
Sumpter, Jerzy Skolimowski, Michael Sarne (Directed by David Cronenberg;
Written by Steven Knight; Focus Features) London is the workplace
of some of the world’s meanest members of organized crime,
perhaps none meaner than a certain Russian-born thug named Nikolai
(Viggo Mortensen). This exceedingly illegal immigrant specializes
in the business of sex and shows little mercy on his victims, though
there is a chance he will treat Ana--a British midwife who knows
more than it is healthy to know about a young woman who died giving
birth--with a smidgeon of tenderness. Enraptured fans of 2005’s
“A History of Violence” will be pleased to see Viggo
Mortensen working once again under the shrewd, mischievous direction
of David Cronenberg. Now Playing
SAMANTHA MORTON
ELIZABETH:
THE GOLDEN AGE:
Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Samantha Morton, Hugh
Dancy, Tom Hollander, Abbie Cornish (Directed by Shekhar Kapur;
Written by Michael Hirst) Could it be that Elizabeth I, England’s
icy Virgin Queen, had something hot going with occasional adversary
Sir Walter Raleigh? Advance word suggests that director Shekhar
Kapur, helmer of 1998’s fiery “Elizabeth,” will
bring the intriguing subject out into the open in this sequel. Best
news of all: Cate Blanchett returns, making a royal effort to nab
the Best Actress Oscar she almost got in 1998 (she lost to Gwyneth
Paltrow for “Shakespeare in Love”). More good news:
Raleigh will be played by the unfailingly masterful Clive Owen.
Now Playing
FOR GUY FLATLEY'S
1999 INTERVIEW WITH SAMANTHA MORTON,
click
here.
CILLIAN MURPHY
PEACOCK:
Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page, Susan Sarandon,
Josh Lucas, Bill Pullman, Jaimi Paige, Virginia Newcomb, Paul Cram
(Directed by Michael Lander; Written by Michael Lander and Ryan
Roy; Mandate Pictures) Nothing much ever happened in the tiny town
of Peacock, Nebraska--unless you count the day a train ran into
the back yard of a humble bank clerk mamed John Skillpa (Cillian
Murphy). That was the same day folks became aware that John had
a housemate, a woman they took to be his wife. Peacockians being
Peacockians, no one made much of the fact that John and his spouse
never appeared in the same place at the same time. Finally, somebody
took notice--a perky single mom (played by "Juno's" Ellen
Page) began to suspect that something strange, maybe even sick,
was going on in John's house. How could this well-intentioned snoop
bring John's story to a happy ending? Persuade John to put his wife
up for adoption? Or, discovering that the guy had been getting off
on slipping into something silky and masquerading as his own wife,
she might try convincing him that she herself would make the best
of all possible Mrs. Skillpas. Or maybe she should get the hell
out of Peacock. Opening date to be announced
EDDIE MURPHY
DREAMGIRLS:
Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy,
Jennifer Hudson, Keith Robinson, Hinton Battle, Sharon Leal, Anika
Noni Rose, Danny Glover, Loretta Devine, John Lithgow (Written and
directed by Bill Condon; DreamWorks/Paramount) A trio of R&B
singers from Chicago enter a competition at Harlem’s Apollo
Theater and eventually achieve fame as mainstream pop artists--but
at a high emotional price. Though he does not play a member of the
trio, Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx is top-billed as the girls’
fast-talking, not-totally-trustworthy manager. Written and directed
by Bill Condon, who last gave us “Kinsey,” this adaptation
of the 1981 Broadway blockbuster will also treat us to the sight
and sound of Eddie Murphy as James “Thunder” Jones,
a red-hot king of pop. Now Playing
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