BuzzSugar

Great Movie Mothers: Honorable Mention

BuzzSugar — Sun, 08 May 2011 05:30:02 PDT

To celebrate Mother's Day, I've been taking a look at some of the most memorable moms in movies, as played by big-name actresses like Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton. To finish up the series, let's recap some of the other famous names that I've left out - you didn't really think I could do a list without mentioning Sally Field now, did you?

Wes Anderson Lines Up Starry Cast For Moon Rise Kingdom

Lauren Bradshaw — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:30:00 PST

Get ready for another film from the loopy mind of Wes Anderson! The writer/director is at work on his next project Moon Rise Kingdom, and he's attracting the likes of Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and old favorite Bill Murray.

Set in the 1960s, Moon Rise Kingdom centers on young paramours who run away together and the aftermath of their disappearance. Willis is in talks to play the local sheriff who is having an affair with the girl's mother (McDormand); Murray will play the girl's father. As for Norton, he's a scout leader who enlists his troop to search for the couple. No word yet on Swinton's role, though I'm sure it'll be just as delightfully oddball as the rest of them. Although I loved last year's stop-motion Fantastic Mr. Fox, I'm pleased as punch to see Anderson direct actors again. The real question is: who will play the young couple in question?

Summer Netflix Challenge: Frances McDormand in Laurel Canyon

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:30:00 PDT

Hi there! Editor L. here again, and I'm ready to discuss the next entry in my Frances McDormand movie marathon. Last time, I shared my thoughts on Friends With Money, but after seeing the excellent The Kids Are All Right, I moved director Lisa Cholodenko's Laurel Canyon to the top of my list.

McDormand plays Jane, the strung out and stoned music producer mother to Sam (Christian Bale). After Sam gets a job near LA, he and his girlfriend Alex (Kate Beckinsale) pack their bags to stay in his mom's house while she's away for work. But unfortunately for Sam, Jane hasn't left; she's still holed up in the house slaving away on a band's latest album. To hear about the rest,

read more. Between her hippie attitude and new rocker boyfriend (Alessandro Nivola), Jane is a constant embarrassment to her son, but Alex is intrigued by Jane's alternative lifestyle - which only causes conflict between mother and son and boyfriend and girlfriend. Even though many of Jane's actions are completely deplorable (one act of motherly betrayal is a particular jaw-dropper), McDormand approaches the role with such a free-spirited ardor that you can't help but like Jane, despite her flaws. The supporting actors also turn in satisfying performances, but this story itself just didn't grab me. The plot feels sluggish, building toward a finale that kind of gets dropped. See it for McDormand who has complexity in spades, but if you're worried that a great performance alone won't do it for you, bypass this one. Want to review and chat about your own Summer rentals? Join my Netflix challenge group, pick your theme or actor, and get watching! You may see your own posts right here on BuzzSugar.

Summer Netflix Challenge: McDormand in Friends With Money

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:30:32 PDT

Hey there, it's Editor L., and I know what you're thinking - Frances McDormand? So random! That may be true, but allow me to explain. While brainstorming my own Summer Netflix Challenge, I realized that two of the movies that have been on my list of must-sees - Friends With Money and Wonder Boys - both include the brilliant McDormand; hence, she's become my subject of choice. So, over the weekend, I dove into Friends With Money.

The film is by director Nicole Holofcener, who completely wooed me with the recent Please Give. While I don't think Friends With Money is quite as good, there are a few common attributes. For one, you have Holofcener's female leads - all flawed and unlikeable, yet incredibly interesting. There's Franny (Joan Cusack), the rich pal with tons of money; Christine (Catherine Keener), the friend who has nice things, but a terrible marriage; Jane (Frances McDormand), the successful but argumentative designer; and Olivia (Jennifer Aniston), the mess of the bunch who works as a maid. Ready to hear my thoughts? Just

read more. I feel like I should forewarn you that this film isn't the grabbiest; instead, it's more of a character study. But in the interactions of the four women you see glimpses of your own friends - a more conflicted portrayal perhaps, instead of the shiny-happy one we often see in chick flicks. Best of all, they get you thinking. At one point, Franny questions whether she and Olivia would be friends if they didn't have history (given their two very different incomes and circles of friends, they don't have much in common any more). While it's a tough question, I think it's one we've all asked ourselves at some point, even if money isn't the issue. But I do have one large complaint: Olivia. Aniston does a nice job with the role; however, I didn't like how they wrote the ending for her character. Watch, and you'll see what I mean, but basically, it's too contrived for such a smart script. If you're going to rent it, I say watch it for the ensemble. All four actresses (especially McDormand) do a great job in their parts; they're real, honest women without the Hollywood sheen - something you don't typically see at the box office. Want to review and chat about your own Summer rentals? Join my Netflix challenge group, pick your theme or actor, and get watching! You may see your own posts right here on BuzzSugar.

Link Time! Ken Jeong Is Coming to Transformers 3

BuzzSugar — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:30:07 PDT

Michael Bay reports that Ken Jeong, John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand are in for Transformers 3 - Cinematical
True Blood preview clip! Who's attacking Eric? - Ausiello Files
Skins is coming to the big screen - The Playlist
TV's best cartoons for adults - TV.com
Hear MGMT's entire new album - Pitchfork
Fire on the Harry Potter set - E! Online
Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly join the cast of Salvation Boulevard - Moviefone
How Geek would wire The Millionaire Matchmaker - GeekSugar
Christian Slater signs on for a new Fox pilot - The Wrap
NBC puts the kibosh on Conan O'Brien appearing in Idol Gives Back. Have a heart, NBC! - Inside TV
Why does Zoe have such a big part in the Lost finale?! And why is the actress giving away so much? - Us Magazine

Burn After Reading: A Smart and Sinister Spy Comedy

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:31:51 PDT

As the opening credits of Burn After Reading blip across a satellite image of Washington, DC, viewers may find themselves wondering if they've wandered into the wrong movie - a Bourne Identity type thriller filled with high-tech secrets and evil intentions. But for every spook with high-security clearance in DC, there is a goofball at Jamba Juice, waiting for his afternoon smoothie. And when that iPod-wearing dude wanders into the tropes of a spy movie, the results are wonderfully absurd and fraught with a different sort of intelligence.

The Coen brothers have given us stories of bumbling criminals time and time again, but with Burn After Reading, the filmmakers approach the familiar theme in an entirely fresh way. The "criminals" in this case are more accidental than bumbling, their deceptions adorably mundane against an ominous, thundering soundtrack and spy-camera cinematography. For all the details,

read more. Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand play Chad and Linda, two gym employees who find a CD in the locker room that contains data belonging to a former CIA analyst. Assuming that someone will pay big bucks for the return of the sensitive info, they attempt, with childlike naivete, to blackmail the analyst, a Princeton man named Osborne Cox (John Malkovich). But old Ozzy is far more concerned about his recent unemployment and impending divorce from his wife (Tilda Swinton), who's having an affair with a pinhead womanizer played by George Clooney. When Cox doesn't bite on the blackmail, Chad and Linda attempt to sell the secrets to the Russians, inadvertently setting off a series of plot twists that entangle everyone and provide plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. At one point, a CIA boss (played by JK Simmons) is briefed on the case - and utterly baffled: "Just report back to me when - I don't know. When it makes sense." The way the story unfolds makes perfect sense, and at the same time, it's entirely senseless. Like kids playing spy games, the characters talk like actors trying to up the drama while waiting for something to happen. But when things happen - and believe me, some serious stuff happens - it is simply real, without cinematic spectacle, and more powerful as a result. Where other filmmakers hold might back in the name of mystery or add a cheeky twist, the Coen brothers just give us mundane reality at its most absurd. Photos Courtesy of Focus Features

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:32:02 PDT

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the selections below you can also check out the fourth season of House, Street Kings starring Keanu Reeves, and the HBO movie, Recount which I chatted about with Citizen here.

Gossip Girl: Season 1
Try to ignore for a moment that nobody on that DVD cover looks like a character I recognize from the show. Am I right? That is some wacky Photoshopping there. But anyway, the first season of Gossip Girl is now out on DVD so you can get your collection started and catch up if you haven't seen all the episodes. I'm sure some of you will appreciate this as the CW was not great about putting all their episodes on the Web, especially during the latter part of the season, so you may have missed some pivotal episodes.

I'm excited to relive the early GG days - especially the pilot - but I'm most looking forward to the special features. They include unaired scenes, featurettes titled "The Beginning, XOXO: Concept to Execution," "Gossip Girl Couture," "A Gossip Girl Wedding," and "LOL: Gag Reel." The DVDs also include music videos from The Pierces. How sweet is that?

Three more good ones, so

read more. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day What do you get when you blend Frances McDormand with Amy Adams and sprinkle in Lee Pace? A no-brainer Netflix pick! I adored this little movie about Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand) an out-of-work governess who sort of accidentally becomes the social secretary of American cabaret singer Delysia Lafosse (Adams). The energy of the two women plus the solid acting from the men who make up the rest of the cast make this movie a total delight. If you didn't catch it in the theaters, it's high time you treated yourself. Special features include deleted scenes and featurettes titled "Making an Unforgettable Day" and "Miss Pettigrew's Long Trip to Hollywood."
The Life Before Her Eyes I was so intrigued by the trailer for this film adaptation of Laura Kasischke's book, I made the novel my April Buzz Book Club selection. House of Sand and Fog director Vadim Perelman paints a beautiful portrait with this movie starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood as the older and younger versions of the same woman. The plot might leave you a bit dissatisfied, as it did me (though he changed some aspects of the book that I found jarring, so I may be biased), but it's visually lovely, and not a bad choice for a thought-provoking movie at home. Special effects include deleted scenes, a behind the scenes featurette and, most intriguingly, an alternate ending.
Dexter: Season Two If you missed this season (or the entire series thus far), now you can catch up with the new second season DVDs - and not with the neutered episodes on CBS . Dexter (Michael C. Hall, who was nominated for an Emmy for this role) continues with his serial killing - but only picking off the truly evil ones, of course. Meanwhile, he works to maintain a pristine image at home. This season, FBI agent Frank Lundy's (Keith Carradine) work threatens to expose Dexter. It's worth catching up with Dexter before the new season starts on Showtime September 28.

Movie Preview: The Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:41:35 PDT

OK, now this is a movie trailer! The Coen Bros. latest venture, Burn After Reading, now has a red-band trailer (which in this case means they're using some NSFW language) and it is funny-goofy-weird-dark. Which is to say, awesome. The people in this movie are so fantastically talented, and combined with the Coens' dark and bizarre direction, this movie looks totally promising.

The trailer is a little confusing, but the IMDB plot description puts it like this: "A disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous gym employees who attempt to sell it."

I could watch Brad Pitt act like a total goofball all day.

Burn After Reading opens in theaters September 12. To check out the trailer and tell me if you think there are more Oscars in the Coen family future,

read more. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: A Sweet Cinderella Story Remix

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:30:26 PST

The most accurate way I can describe my feelings about Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is by gushing that it's just so dear. It's darling. It's funny, tender and charming. It's a Cinderella story for adults who want a movie that's not ridiculously cheesy or stupid. It's gloomy in spots but always quickly uplifted, either through the toe-tapping music of the 1930s or the silly wit of the writing. After an awards season in which the most acclaimed movies were across-the-board bleak (with the exception of Juno), Miss Pettigrew is a breath of fresh air.

We are introduced to Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) as she is fired from yet another governess position and shuffles her way to the agency that has found her each of her ill-fated jobs. When the stern agency woman refuses to find Miss Pettigrew more work, she grows desperate, having no money and no home. She swipes the business card of a client in need of a social secretary: the American cabaret singer Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams). She arrives at the sprawling London flat to Delysia frantically trying to get rid of one man before another man comes home. Immediately Miss Pettigrew proves herself a helpful ally, smoothly navigating Guinevere's potentially disastrous dealings with the several men in her life. In this way, the title of the film seems like it could be Miss Pettigrew Saves the Day, but things get a little bit more complex than just this, so

read more. In the arrangement the women swiftly fall into, everyone wins: Miss Pettigrew helps to sort out Delysia's complicated personal matters and gently shows her what's most important in life. Miss Pettigrew herself obtains both a sense of self-worth and a glimpse into the dashing, glamorous life of the wealthy. She is also introduced to a handsome lingerie-maker her own age who, despite the nubile young women around him, finds himself drawn to Miss Pettigrew's maturity and honest nature. The pairing of the two women, however, is what makes this film pure satisfaction to watch. The humble, gentle Miss Pettigrew on her own might be a somewhat one-note character without the wriggly, shimmery Delysia Lafosse. Yet, lest Delysia's silliness get to be a bit too much, there are many sobering references to the imminent war, often revealing the great divide between Guinevere and Delysia's generations. Guinevere wearily recalls the previous war while Delysia is distracted by mannequins wearing gas masks in a store window - not because of the gas masks, mind you, but the "hideous" cap sleeves on the mannequins' dresses. The entirety of the action takes place in one day, which makes for one incredibly eventful 24-hour span. But such is life with Delysia Lafosse, played with that wide-eyed beauty and energy that we're starting to expect from Amy Adams. I predict some people will grow tired of Adams' endless chattiness and blithe innocence but I'm perfectly happy to sit back and watch her light up the screen with her sparkling presence. She is a natural-born entertainer, of the old-fashioned, all-smiles, song-and-dance variety. In this way, she slips easily into the role of an aspiring actress in 1939, and we willingly give her all our attention. There's a lot going on in this film. Lessons on true love and compromising one dream to attain another. The theme that a woman can do anything if she puts her mind to it. The incredibly refreshing message that love knows no age. The whole, "be yourself and love will find you" thing. And yet it never feels overwrought or cheese-filled. It may be a lot at once, but I loved it all. Photos courtesy of Focus Features

Movie Preview: Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 16:30:35 PST

Okay, last Amy Adams-centric post of the day - promise! This trailer for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is just too darn cute and Adams is so delightful in it I simply had to share. The movie also features one of my favorite movie ladies ever, Frances McDormand, as a frumpy nanny who gets a kind of life makeover when she falls in with the lively, free-spirited and girlish Delysia Lafosse (Adams).

It all takes place in 1939, a time period for which both McDormand and Adams seem to have the appropriate look. Miss Pettigrew is scheduled to start living at a theater near you March 7, so to check out the preview,