While I’m a huge fan of rom-coms, this video by Jeff Wysaski (a.k.a. pleatedjeans) nails every rom-com trope out there (right down to Colin Firth!). It’s not to say you should stop watching them all together but the best rom-coms have either used these tropes to their advantage or try to avoid them a la 500 Days of Summer.
For those non-believers out there, I suggest reading Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) or watching her show The Mindy Project as she breaks down her favourite movie-genre.
Remember that alleged yet undeniably bogus feud between Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart? That sh*t just got real. Well, not really, but The Hunger Games and Twilight stars are going for the same movie role and in an effort to make rivalries out of thin air (like magic!) a spat is being concocted.
The two ladies are going for Peyton Loftis in Lie Down In Darkness. The character is a beaut of a girl whose family contributes to her ultimate suicide. That is dark! It’s based on the book of the same name by William Styron.
Both actresses have expressed their interested in the role. ”I want to play Peyton more than anything I can possibly taste or touch in my life,” Stewart said to Elle. ”I want to play her so bad. They’re the most fucked-up family. There’s a script adaptation . . . and it’s good. Two people vying for the part [of the father] are Daniel Day-Lewis and Colin Firth. Daniel would be perfect.”
Then Jennifer Lawrence went and told W Magazine: ”“I am obsessed with that part. I have this feeling of protectiveness over characters I want to play . . . If someone else gets the part, I’m afraid they won’t do it right.
“I’m trying to write the director . . . to convince him that I should be in his movie. I’ll chase him if I have to. I’ll sit outside his house.”
These ladies are both too laid back to get into any sort of Hollywood-style feud (thankfully) but we have to say, this must be the most difficult decision of life for the casting director. [Source]
Who do you think would fit the role?
As much as I’d like to, I’d be totally amiss to bypass Valentine’s Day altogether. So instead, fellow singletons, or couples, lets have a masochistic moment and watch this sappy video, which presents the many ways our favourite film characters have said I love you over the years.
Watch the awkward (Michael Cera, Woody Allen) to the smokin’ hot (Ryan Gosling, Daniel Craig) and the inexplicable (Nicolas Cage, Dany Carvey). Just make sure to hold out to the end when we get over 30s seconds of kissing scenes. Oh, and also remember a box of tissues.
Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter must be thrilled!
British import The King’s Speech has officially taken home the little golden man for best picture at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.
Steven Spielberg presented the film’s cast and crew with the statue, placing emphasis on the true honour of even being nominated in such a prestigious category.
Director Tom Hooper was also honoured in the Best Directing Category, leading man Colin Firth snagged an Oscar in his category, and screenwriter David Seidler managed to nab a win too.
It was a spectacular film, but being die-had Christopher Nolan fans we couldn’t help but root for Inception! Still, the award was absolutely well-deserved and the film was excellent.
Click HERE to check out a full list of big winners!
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
James Franco and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards on Sunday, February 27th and the evening dragged on in it’s traditional lengthy fashion as it honoured the best of film in 2011.
The evening was full of predictable results, with some surprises thrown into the mix. Those included Kirk Douglas’ flirtatious shenanigans, Melissa Leo’s heartfelt f-bomb, James Franco in drag, Bob Hope’s brief resurrection, and the ‘In Memory’ tribute that somehow forgot to acknowledge Charlie Sheen’s career.
Franco and Hathaway lured in a younger demographic with their good looks and auto-tuned shorts of Harry Potter and Toy Story, but the awards still targeted the traditional Academy audience. Keep in mind that the average age of those voting in the Academy is 56.
As for the awards, the Best Picture went to The King’s Speech, Best Actor went to Colin Firth for his performance in The King’s Speech and Best Actress went to Natalie Portman in Black Swan. Other contenders that cleaned up were Inception with 4 awards and The Social Network took home 3,
Here is the complete list of winners and nominees:
127 HOURS (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
BLACK SWAN (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
INCEPTION (Warner Bros Pictures)
THE FIGHTER (Relativity Media/Paramount Pictures)
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Focus Features)
THE KING’S SPEECH (The Weinstein Co)
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Sony Pictures)
TOY STORY 3
(Pixar/Walt Disney Studios)
TRUE GRIT (Paramount Pictures)
WINTER’S BONE (Roadside Attractions)
JEFF BRIDGES – TRUE GRIT
JAVIER BARDEM – BIUTIFUL
JESSE EISENBERG – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
COLIN FIRTH – THE KING’S SPEECH
JAMES FRANCO – 127 HOURS
Tom Ford brings style to his new movie and it’s not just in the wardrobe. The former creative director for Gucci who now fronts his own fashion line makes his directorial debut with “A Single Man”.
Loosely based on the famed novel by Christopher Isherwood, the film follows a single day in the single life of a gay English professor who teaches in L.A. during the ‘60s. After losing his longtime partner Jim (played by Matthew Goode), George Falconer (Colin Firth) plans his suicide in order to end his suffering. However, George has a few things to settle before taking his own life.
The great thing about this film is that audiences can feel the suffering regardless of whether they’ve lost a loved one or not. That’s partly due to Ford’s directing and also to Firth’s impeccable performance.
Whenever George reminisces about his life with Jim, Ford uses black and white, a strong contrast from the vivid, colourful scenes that take place in the present. These colours come to life whenever George meets with his fellow British friend Charley (Julianne Moore) or with Kenny (“About a Boy’s” Nicholas Hoult), a student whose interest in George is more than academic. It’s clear that Ford — who also co-wrote and produced the film — knows how to use light and texture to his advantage.
“Easy Virtue” is easy on the eyes, but is it an amazing film? Not really. The movie, based on the 1920’s play by Noel Coward that was also adapted into a silent film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1928 is definitely viewable — but it won’t bedazzle.
The story goes that a young Englishman, John Whittaker (played by “Narnia’s” Ben Barnes), falls in love with a glamorous American race-car beauty named Larita (Jessica Biel). They elope Vegas-style without telling their families in the roaring twenties. But when John decides to take Larita back home (meaning a humongous mansion in the outskirts of England) John’s mother, Mrs. Whittaker, becomes less than pleased with his selection.
Now, before your alarm bells go off by thinking this movie is anything like J.Lo’s “Monster-in-Law” flick where the mother-in-law vs. daughter-in-law war is there just for laughing purposes don’t worry, “Easy Virtue” isn’t like that at all. Coward was known for presenting comedies in the form of tragedies and this idea transpires into the movie. Also be warned that the film’s opening credits may lead you into thinking you’re in for an hour and a half of cheese but don’t be fooled, it gets much better.
