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Link Time!

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:40:23 -0700

The original cast of Fame: Where are they now - Moviefone
Rumor has it that George Clooney is directing Matt Damon in Aaron Sorkin's Hamdan v. Rumsfeld - MTV Movies Blog
Ben Whishaw talks about working with Jane Campion and getting into character as a dreamy John Keats for Bright Star - Movieline
Taking Jennifer's Body to task for its 911 and Great White club tragedy allusions - Vulture
"At Merlotte's": The True Blood sitcom, complete with laugh track! - PopWatch
John Malkovich joins Diane Lane and Dylan Walsh for horse-racing period flick Secretariat - Coming Soon
Not Into Dollhouse yet? Apparently it's all about the unaired 13th episode - TV.com
The Wrestler's Darren Aronofsky is set to direct large-scale bank robbery flick Heist - Cinematical
Did Jay-Z get to T-Pain? T-Pain's latest single "Dope" uses no autotune - HitFix

Bright Star: A Vibrant Love Story

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:30:43 -0700

I remember reading the poet John Keats's work as a college student, and I very specifically recall the page-long description of his life. Two facts dominate his bio: that he died young and that he fell in love with the girl next door, Fanny Brawne. It was obvious that a romantic love story existed in that bare-bones text - and filmmaker Jane Campion has brought it to life in Bright Star.

Campion's film is the gorgeous and tragic story of Keats and Brawne. She doesn't merely set her movie in the early 1800s England and leave it there, she gives you an appreciation for a time when literature was exalted and marriage was a financial transaction.

To hear what I thought about the film, just read more.

While the Internet provides access to every medium of entertainment, hearing the characters' fervor and esteem for poetry made me fantasize about living in this quieter era. Helping my cause are the swoon-worthy ways that lovers had to express their devotion while still remaining chaste. Though their love goes unconsummated, they achieve an even higher level of intimacy. One of his best poems is written for and about her - the "bright star" of the film's title.

As leading man John Keats, Ben Whishaw jettisons memories of his handful of supporting character credits (and one unsettling lead role). His character is sensitive and introspective to a fault, but Whishaw delivers a sexy, captivating performance.

The force that really carries the movie is Abbie Cornish's portrayal of Fanny Brawne; the film belongs to her and her emotional portrayal of the girl left behind. She makes you feel every stage of her involvement with Keats, from crush to infatuation to heartbreak when she fears she's been forgotten - and finally, to devastation when she loses her beloved to death. It's almost unbelievable that Brawne was supposed to have been seen as a silly girl only interested in fashion and flirting, because Cornish plays her so earnestly and with so much depth.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Paul Schneider and his portrayal of Keats's best friend, curmudgeonly fellow writer Charles Armitage Brown. I've been anxious to see Schneider in a meatier role since All the Real Girls - while he's cute in things like Parks and Recreation, he gets to shine as an actor in Bright Star. A full-on Scottish brogue isn't the only thing that Schneider uses to distance himself from his lighter work; he's charmingly loathsome as Brown, picking apart Fanny's every move. But when Keats's health is threatened, Brown's love for his friend overcomes his hard exterior to as he nurses Keats day and night.

Even if history couldn't do the same for Keats and Brawne, the love in Bright Star, platonic or romantic, lifts you up.

British and Irish Manjoyment Comes to Toronto Film Festival

PopSugarUK — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Lots of gorgeous men from our side of the pond travelled across the Atlantic to make an appearance at the Toronto Film Festival this weekend, following Dominic Cooper and Paul Bettany's lead from last week. Ewan McGregor and George Clooney continued their bromance promoting The Men Who Stare at Goats, and travelled from Venice Film Festival to Canada, as did Matt Damon and his wife Luciana. Cillian Murphy was joined Brendan Gleeson for the premiere of Perrier's Bounty, while Colin Farrell was on the promotional trail for Triage. Ben Whishaw was at the Festival for Bright Star, and Ben Barnes premiered Dorian Gray.

To see loads more pictures of all the gorgeous guys in Toronto, including Matt Damon, Dominic Cooper, Paul Bettany and Brendan Gleeson, just read more.

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Images include: Ben Barnes, Ben Whishaw, Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Dominic Cooper, Ewan McGregor, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Paul Bettany, Brendan Gleeson, Luciana Damon, Jennifer Connelly

Bright Star - See It or Skip It?

PopSugarUK — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:21:06 -0700

Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw star in Bright Star, a look at poet John Keats' real life romance with Fanny Brawne. It showed at Cannes earlier this year, and is directed by Jane Campion. Slated for release in November in the UK, I'll definitely be seeing it as Ben is a fantastic young Brit actor, although the trailer doesn't make me anticipate the film a great deal. But what do you think? Let me know!

Movie Preview: Jane Campion's Bright Star

BuzzSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:30:49 -0700

Director Jane Campion won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay for The Piano (she was nominated for Best Director as well, losing out to Steven Spielberg for Schindler's List), and the trailer for her next film, Bright Star, already has some tongues wagging about "Oscar bait." The rich, dreamy quality to the film is certainly appealing, and the two stars at the center of the story, Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw, make for a sweet romantic pair. Whishaw plays the poet John Keats, "the dreamer," who falls in love with "a realist," Fanny Browne (Cornish).

The trailer is already lovely on its own; I can't wait to see the whole movie when it opens Sept. 18 (here in San Francisco, anyway). To take a peek at Bright Star, read more.

Cannes Starts Up With A Smattering Of Stars

PopSugarUK — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:12:23 -0700

On Wednesday night the Cannes Festival 2009 launched with a special 3D screening of new Disney/Pixar film Up, with guests dressed up to the nines including Tilda Swinton, Aishwarya Rai, Elizabeth Banks and judge Asia Argento. British movie Fish Tank premiered last night, with new Doctor Who Matt Smith joining the movie's stars Harry Treadaway, Michael Fassbender, Kierston Wareing on the red carpet. Gorgeous Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish were also out promoting their movie Bright Star, and Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz teamed up to promote Precious, while Eva Longoria-Parker and her husband Tony Parker soaked up some atmosphere!

I can't wait to see what the rest of the festival holds, but check out some clips and afterparty footage from the Cannes premiere of Up under the cut!

To see many more photos, plus the Up footage, just read more.

View 35 Photos ›

Source and WENN.com

Suits You, Sir! Men At The BAFTA TV Awards

PopSugarUK — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:48:55 -0700

It was a hot day in London today, but Ed Westwick, Dermot O'Leary, Ant and Dec, Ben Whishaw and Andrew Garfield were among the men that got all dressed up in their suits for the 2009 BAFTA TV Awards, alongside the glamorous women. I can't wait to hear what you think of their red carpet looks!
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Sugar Bits - Rob Brydon Is Bafta Nominated!

PopSugarUK — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:15:43 -0700

Rob Brydon, Ben Whishaw and June Brown have all been nominated for TV BAFTAs. - BBC
Madonna's new man Jesus Luz has denied claims that he's cheating on the superstar, saying his mother was with him while photos of him dancing with a lingerie model were taken. - The Sun
Jade Goody's funeral date has been confirmed as April 4, at a church near her home. Her mother Jackiey Budden has said she's been overwhelmed by the public's reaction. - BBC
Kanye West, The Streets and Dizzee Rascal are some of the acts topping the bill at the Wireless Festival this year, more are to be announced. - NME
The first photos from the movie adaptation of popular childrens' book Where The Wild Things Are have been released. - Daily Mail
Chris Moyles has been given a warning about mocking Will Young on his radio show. - BBC

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Pop Preview: Brideshead Revisited

PopSugarUK — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Miramax has made the brave decision of releasing a film version of Brideshead Revisited which takes a fair few liberties with Evelyn Waugh's novel. If you've read it (which I did for September's PopUK Book Club) you may find the alterations distracting, but view the film as a separate entity and you can marvel at the acting and cinematography.

It tells the story of Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) and his involvement with the aristocratic Flytes, from his Oxford days with Sebastian (Ben Whishaw) to his relationship with Julia (Hayley Atwell). The family are controlled by Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson) and her strict Catholic views, while Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon) lives with his mistress in Venice.

The most outstanding aspect of the film for me was the cinematography. The action moves between the glowing buildings of Oxford University, the dark corners of a London house, the stately grounds of Brideshead, the luxury of a cruise ship, the waterways of Venice and the hot streets of Morocco. The different qualities of light, as well as the beautiful locations, are truly breathtaking. This is a feast for the eyes, and a sumptuous celebration of the visual.

To find out what else I thought of this adaptation just read more.

I was also impressed by the acting, in particular Ben Whishaw. He brings out Sebastian's vulnerability beautifully, and inhabits the role with his entire body. Emma Thompson also does an excellent job at portraying the sinister power of Lady Marchmain, and yet manages to bring a more human aspect to the role. As the plots jumps around in time, the characters have to age by 10 years, and this was most convincing in Michael Gambon and Hayley Atwell's performances. Hayley was excellent in The Duchess, and also gave a solid performance in this film, but I was left feeling quite cold towards most of the characters save Sebastian.

The film faltered for me on this point. I don't want to like every character, but I ended up caring little, and at more than two hours long it did drag in places. The other aspect where it disappointed was the liberties it took with the original novel. It is unsurprising that the film misses out a lot of the action - after all, it doesn't have the luxury of time in contrast to the ITV adaptation - and I was fully expecting an abridged version. However, there are significantly altered aspects which change motivations and consequences, and some of the complexity is lost in these changes.

To get a feel for the film check out the trailer. It is beautifully shot and well acted, but the alterations from the novel proved too distracting for me to give it a higher rating.

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Brideshead Revisited: See It or Skip It?

PopSugarUK — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:00:00 -0700

The new Miramax film version of Brideshead Revisited, based on Evelyn Waugh's novel (which we read for September's PopUK Book Club), is released in the UK today.

It centres on Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) and his infatuation with the aristocratic Catholic Flyte family, headed by Lady Marchmain (Emma Thompson) and Lord Marchmain (Michael Gambon).

Dramas unfold from Charles's intense relationships with siblings Sebastian (Ben Whishaw, who appears in our October Must Haves) and Julia (The Duchess' Hayley Atwell).

Having reviewed ITV's adaptation, I'm intrigued how the film will fit so much action in to a smaller amount of time.

Will you watch the film too, or do you plan to skip it?

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