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Movie Preview: Amy Adams in Leap Year

BuzzSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:30:04 -0800

You can rarely accuse a romantic comedy of being original, and the set up for Leap Year is no different. Amy Adams stars as Anna, a woman who's waiting for her boyfriend (Adam Scott) to propose when she learns that according to Irish tradition, women are "allowed" to propose to men on February 29, leap day. She chases him to Dublin and when she's diverted to Wales, meets a handsome stranger (Matthew Goode) who makes her rethink her scheme and relationship. Stop groaning.

I know the movie sounds cliche and sexist, yet I can't dismiss anything with Adams in it - her charm is just too powerful! Seriously, though, amid the mildly offensive plot details and too-familiar setting (how many times have we seen that stuck-in-the-road-while-cows-cross scene?), Adams still shines along with her freakishly dreamy foil, Matthew Goode. Take a look at the trailer to see for yourself, and watch out for a small bit from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Kaitlin Olson, when you read more.

Leap Year comes out January 8, 2010.

Amy Adams and Zach Galifianakis Move In to Town House

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:24 -0700

Zach Galifianakis's star continues to rise. The Hangover funny man is reportedly in talks for Town House. Loosely based on the novel by Tish Cohen, the dramedy follows an agoraphobic dad (Galifianakis) living off royalties from his rock star father - the dilemma being what to do when the money runs out. Amy Adams would play a call girl who befriends him.

Adams, aka Miss Enchanted, as a prostitute? Galifianakis as a father?! I love both of these actors, and I'm excited to see them branch out. With Tony and Ridley Scott producing, and John Carney of Once fame is attached to direct, I have high hopes for this one.

What's your take on the news? If the plot gets romantic - which I'm guessing it will - do you think Galifianakis and Adams will make a good pair? (I wonder if he'll shave that beard!)

Julie and Julia: One Amazing Story . . . and Another One

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:45:29 -0700

Julie and Julia markets itself as being based on "two true stories": one of Julie Powell, a secretary-turned-blogger who endeavors to cook every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year; the other of Child herself, also a secretary-turned-writer and chef who brought French recipes to American cooks. But what happens if one of the two true stories just doesn't deserve equal time?

The trouble with Julie and Julia is, quite simply, that it would be a better as just Julia. Not that I blame anyone for trying to merge these two lives: Powell's original blog and book, which combines her story and Julia's, seem like good fodder for a big-screen adaptation. If anything, the trouble is more a tribute to Meryl Streep, whose big, boisterous Julia Child sweeps onto the screen and demolishes any other story that might try to rise around her. Once you meet her delightful Julia, it's hardly surprising that Julie's story pales in comparison.

Julie and Julia flashes back and forth through time, splitting its time between Julie's 2002 life in a tiny New York apartment and Julia's Parisian life in the late 1940s and early '50s, where a passion for French food led her to learn to cook. To be fair to writer/director Nora Ephron, who put the stories together for film, Julie and Julia's lives do have plenty of parallels: Both are (or have been) secretaries looking for something more to do. Both love food and find solace in cooking. And both are shown in the film pre-fame - before Julia became a household name, before a New York Times story helped turn Julie's blog from a side project into a published book. But that's about where the similarities end. To talk more about it, read more.

It shouldn't be surprising that Streep shines, but I was floored by how much I loved her Julia. Streep herself isn't particularly tall, but as Julia, she takes up the whole screen, towering over her doting husband, Paul (Stanley Tucci). She's dominating and inappropriately loud, but ultimately, she's irresistible. Whether she's whacking away at a lump of dough, gleefully starting a cooking school, or drawing stares from the French when her equally tall and magnetic sister (Jane Lynch, in a brilliant piece of casting) comes to town, she's a joy to watch. She seems to know that any defeat she might suffer - like failing her cooking school final or having her cookbook rejected- is just a speedbump on the way to something bigger. By the end of the film, I wanted to be Julia Child, or at least be her best friend - not necessarily for the cooking (though that would be nice) but for the resilient and loving spirit she brought to life.

The movie's Julie Powell, on the other hand, is harder to love. She's more passive, more concerned with what others think, and more self-deprecating. And more selfish, too - her cooking project nearly ruins her marriage on more than one occasion. Some of the Julie stories work well: her attempts to kill her first lobster or create and eat a disgusting plate of something en gelee get plenty of chuckles. Amy Adams is a good fit for the role, which calls for a tricky blend of vulnerability and anger, and on some level, it's wonderful to see Hollywood embrace a female protagonist who's deeply flawed and deeply stubborn. But she suffers in comparison to Julia, who handles greater obstacles with more grace. In the end, the Julie sequences feel like something to get through so we can hang out with Julia again.

The biggest letdown of Julie and Julia is that we may never get another shot at a glossy, gorgeous, commercial big-screen biopic of Julia Child. From Streep's performance here, I would have gladly bought a ticket to that movie. I'll settle for this one, which certainly has its moments, but that won't stop me from wondering what could have been.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Amy Adams Joins Wahlberg and Bale in The Fighter

BuzzSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:30:58 -0700

Now that the filmmakers have finally settled on the two male leads for The Fighter, a lady love has been cast. The endearing Amy Adams will join Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in the story about a famed Massachusetts boxer. Based on a true story, Wahlberg will play "Irish" Mickey Ward and Bale will play Ward's "trainer-brother" Dick Eklund, and the movie will follow "their early days on the rough streets of Lowell, Mass., through Eklund's battle with drugs and Ward's eventual world championship in London."

Amy Adams will take on the role of Charlene, "a tough, gritty bartender and former college high-jumper from Massachusetts who ends up dating Mickey." After playing so many cheerful, bright-eyed characters (ditzy Leslie Miller in Drop Dead Gorgeous, sweet Ashley in Junebug, optimistic Giselle in Enchanted, carefree Delysia in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - and even the innocent Sister James in Doubt), I'm curious to see what Adams' "tough, gritty" character is like. Before this, however, we'll get yet another Adams fix when she appears this August with Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia.

Movie Preview: Julie and Julia

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:30:56 -0700

Ever since I read Julie and Julia, the story of a New York woman working and blogging her way through Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking, I've been curious to see how the movie would translate to film. We got a brief glimpse after this year's Oscars, but today the first full trailer is out, and it looks charming.

It appears that writer/director Nora Ephron has beefed up the Julia Child portion of the story, showing her life in France and her own early cooking ventures to go along with Julie's modern kitchen foibles. There's also more physical humor than I was expecting - whacking at things with rolling pins, running from lobsters that escape from pots - and both Streep and Adams seem to pull it off with ease.

Hmm, what would be the appropriate movie theater snack for watching Julie and Julia? The film hits theaters on Aug. 7, and to check out the trailer, just read more.

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Sunshine Cleaning: A Cloudy Comedy

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 07:30:45 -0700

Critics may draw comparisons between this year's Sunshine Cleaning and 2007 Best Picture nominee Little Miss Sunshine. Both were Sundance darlings, both star the wonderful Alan Arkin, and both have optimistic-sounding titles. And despite each film's light-bright disposition, both skew closer to comedy of the darker sort. This intriguing juxtaposition worked quite well for Little Miss Sunshine, and, to a slightly lesser extent, it works for Sunshine Cleaning, too.

The off-kilter premise is what first drew me to the movie when I previewed it for last year's Sundance Film Festival. I loved that the film focuses on the dirty and demeaning task of cleaning up crime scenes, yet didn't seem as gloomy as the description suggested. By the time I saw the trailer, it was clear: No CSI confusion here. Luckily the film delighted me as much as I had hoped, mostly because the two lead actresses, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, are so compelling to watch.

To hear a little bit more about the plot and what else I liked, read more

In the lead, Amy Adams is Rose Lorkowski, a former hot-shot high school cheerleader who has settled into a low-paying career of cleaning houses. Emily Blunt plays her sister Norah, who, as a failed waitress, is even more down on her luck than Rose. It seems that the strapped-for-cash sisters may have inherited a touch of fiscal bad luck from their father Joe (Alan Arkin) who is constantly searching for ways to get rich quick. And while Rose disapproves of her father's shenanigans, she, too, finds herself scheming to pay for her son's pricey private school.

Enter Sunshine Cleaning, a biohazard removal service that Rose starts with her sister when she discovers that the field is rather lucrative. What follows are oddly hilarious scenes of Rose and Norah learning the ropes of the business and navigating the truly messy world of crime scene clean-up. Picking up chunks of brain matter and bleaching out blood stains sounds like your typical horror fare, but in the hands of these two ladies, there is a sense of down-iness that comes from their "we're in this together" camaraderie.

Despite the more comical moments, there are touches of genuine grief, especially when we hear about the suicide of Rose and Norah's mother, and view some of the sisters' failed relationships (Steve Zahn and Mary Lynn Rajskub are lovely in their respective supporting roles). These parts add a melody to a movie that could otherwise be somewhat one-note.

Bottom Line: The film doesn't reach the fever-pitch fun that Little Miss has at the end, but it's still a worthwhile journey, especially if you're a fan of Blunt or Adams.

Photo courtesy of Big Beach Films

Link Time! 2/12

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:30:23 -0800

Are you surprised to learn that Madonna is 2008's biggest music earner? - Popwatch
Members of the Office Space cast reconnected in Austin for a round of some good ol' nostalgic printer bashing. - Cinematical
Is Fringe just a giant ripoff of Alias? - TV Filter
A lovely interview with the sweet Amy Adams. - FilmExperience
Meet the judges for Top Chef: Masters. - YumSugar
Things I never thought I'd hear: The New Pornographers' AC Newman covering A-ha's "Take On Me." - Stereogum
Some photo and video goodies for My Boys fans. - Give Me My Remote
Ben Kweller shares his favorite love songs, just in time for Valentine's Day. - I Heart Daily

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Doubt: All About Meryl and Philip

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:30:55 -0800

Doubt is a tense, thought-provoking and incredibly well-written play, and it must be difficult to adapt such a dense play for the big screen. With a play there's the understanding that we're somewhat confined in terms of location and there's often a lot of talking and emoting. The film adaptation of Doubt is pretty much entirely talking and emoting. It's not that that's a bad thing, per se, it's just that it requires a bit more wrangling of the ol' attention span than most movies require. In some ways, I'm not completely sure why it was adapted for the big screen, except to cement in cinematic history these exceptional performances by some of today's Hollywood giants.

There's nothing visually interesting about it (at all), though surely the visuals aren't the focus here. The exploration of what's moral and good, which sin is greater than another sin, and the back-and-forth dance of trust and suspicion - these are central to the story that Doubt attempts to tell. But it is, well, a lot of talking. It's often absorbing because these actors so expertly guide us through the narrative, but it might take a particularly patient modern-day moviegoer to enjoy this movie. To see what it's all about and more of my thoughts, read more.

The story takes place in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964 where the school's stern, unyielding principal, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) becomes suspicious of the parish priest, the likable Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), when he takes a particular shine to one boy: The school's first black student, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster). Father Flynn insists that he is merely trying to help a lonely, isolated boy, but Sister Aloysius is convinced that the nature of this relationship is inappropriate. The sweet, young nun Sister James (Amy Adams) is pulled into the conflict and doesn't know who to believe: Her kind and gentle-seeming priest or this steely nun who is utterly certain (despite a lack of hard evidence) of wrongdoing. The audience is basically in Sister James's shoes, wanting to believe the best about this seemingly good-hearted priest, but worried that if there is something going on and it goes ignored then this boy will be further harmed.

The performances are top-notch, and all the awards buzz is completely deserved. Restricted by clothing and (for the women) modest head-covering bonnets, as well as a nearly action-free script, it's up to the actors and their facial expressions, vocal intonation, and slight changes in body language to convey the emotion within this story. Lesser actors would have brought down the entire thing, but as it is, Streep, Hoffman, Adams and Viola Davis (who plays Donald's mother) manage to make this heavy, talky script loom more powerfully before us than I ever thought possible. They each have such tremendous presence, emitting a heat that we can practically feel in the audience. However, all in all it feels like watching a play, so if you aren't exactly a fan of plays, this may not be the movie for you.

Photos courtesy of Miramax

Buzz News Roundup, 12/5

BuzzSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:30:32 -0800

Florence Henderson will play Christina Applegate's grandma on Samantha Who? - Entertainment Weekly
Jay Baruchel is negotiating to play the title role in The Sorcerer's Apprentice. - ComingSoon
Russell Brand is developing - and may star in - a remake of the 1981 comedy Arthur, while Fox is planning a remake of the 1984 adventure story, Romancing the Stone. - The Hollywood Reporter
Guitarist Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay for plagiarism. - Billboard
Amy Adams will star in a film adaptation of the book The 10 Best Days of My Life, about a woman who must list her 10 best days in heaven. - Variety
Joseph Fiennes and John Cho are in negotiations for ABC's Flash Forward, which will possibly be paired with Lost. - The Hollywood Reporter
The Dark Knight will be re-released in theaters and IMAX on Jan. 23. - ComingSoon
Some details on the post-Super Bowl episode of The Office. - TV Week

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Buzz News Roundup, 10/15

BuzzSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:30:55 -0700

Don Cheadle is replacing Terrence Howard in the role of Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes for Iron Man 2. - ComingSoon
The sequel to Wall Street is actually happening and will "center on Gordon Gekko, who has recently been sprung from prison and re-emerges into a much more tumultuous financial world than the one he once lorded over." - Variety
Amy Sedaris has signed a deal to create, write, and star in a new comedy series. - Hollywood Reporter
Amy Adams is in negotiations to star in the comedy Leap Year, the story of a woman who travels to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend on Feb. 29, a day when he has to say yes, according to tradition. - ComingSoon
Comedian D.L. Hughley is getting his own comedy/news show on CNN. - Broadcasting and Cable
Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, and Malin Akerman are joining the cast of Jon Favreau's comedy Couples Retreat. - Hollywood Reporter
Best Week Ever is changing its format, with just one host: Paul F. Tompkins. - New York Times
Marilynne Robinson and Aleksandar Hemon are among the finalists for the National Book Award. - AP
Starz has picked up a series called Party Down co-created by Rob Thomas and Paul Rudd. - Hollywood Reporter

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