BuzzSugar

Forbes Reveals Its Top 10 Best Actresses For the Buck

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:30:55 -0700

We know that some actresses in Hollywood have hefty paychecks, but which A-listers bring in the most money for the studios? Forbes just revealed its top 10, and the list includes several unexpected choices.

At No. 1 is Naomi Watts. Are you surprised by the pick? Seems kind of odd - why not the biggest earner of all, Angelina Jolie? - but keep in mind that these are the women who make the best financial investment. (Read: Lower paychecks, higher-grossing movies like King Kong.)

I'm actually glad to see Watts in the lead. She's an underrated actress, and she somehow always manages to stay out of the Hollywood limelight, so it's nice to see her get some recognition.

Who else made the list? A few more of my favorites, so check out the full rundown, and then tell me if you agree with Forbes when you read more.

1. Naomi Watts
2. Jennifer Connelly
3. Rachel McAdams
4. Natalie Portman
5. Meryl Streep
6. Jennifer Aniston
7. Halle Berry
8. Cate Blanchett
9. Anne Hathaway
10. Hilary Swank

The International: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Bank?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:00:05 -0800

The International, starring Clive Owen as an Interpol operative tracking the shady dealings of a large bank, has as much going for it as it does working against it. It's not a bad movie, sprinkled as it is with scenes that are visually extraordinary, not to mention insanely entertaining. But it's not a good movie either, thanks to half-baked characterization and dialogue that had my audience howling with laughter (which I'm sure was unintended).

To see what I think works in this action-thriller and what fails miserably, read more.

Oh, Clive! I hate to talk badly about his projects, but I'm afraid his brooding, unshaven brute with a thirst for justice is a character that even the most talented actor would have a hard time getting an audience to take seriously. His character is given just a little bit of flimsy back story that is supposed to shed some light on why this guy is so violent and totally obsessed with nailing this big bank that murders anyone who threatens to reveal its corrupt ways. But an even flimsier reason is given for why Naomi Watts's character, New York Assistant District Attorney Eleanor Whitman, hops on board this chase for clues across Europe. These two characters are intense but empty - like a vacuum at the center of this movie.

So when the mysterious bank dealings are revealed to the audience and the drama hits its crescendo, it falls dreadfully flat. Both Watts and Owen give long, heartfelt speeches full of trite observations about the state of the globe, debt, justice - even socialism, for Pete's sake - but their personal revelations mean nothing to us because we've never invested in these hollow people.

The plot is also a little convoluted and never quite hits a cohesive narrative stride. Thankfully, I wasn't too bothered by that because all the odd pieces of the story take place in wonderfully scenic locales. From the cliffs of Italy to a rooftop bazaar in Istanbul, the aerial shots are fun to behold. The real reason to see this movie is a lengthy gun fight scene that takes place in a re-created version of New York's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum. It's pretty awesome. In fact, I'm telling my friends to wait for this movie to come out on DVD and fast-forward to that scene.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Separated at Birth: Clive Owen Intrigue Movies

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:30:59 -0800

This weekend the Clive Owen movie The International will debut in theaters. Aside from some key differences, this movie looks a bit like another Clive Owen movie that will be out in March titled Duplicity. Both appear to deal with large international corporations and potentially involve espionage. Both also see Clive in many suits without ties, and both pair Clive with an A-list female costar. But which Clive movie is which? Should you see both? After the jump I have a pretty little chart that breaks down some of the differences between both upcoming Clive movies so you'll be able to make an educated decision. To see my "separated at birth" chart, just read more.

	The International	Duplicity
Costar	Naomi Watts	Julia Roberts
Release Date	Feb. 13	March 20
Vibe	Serious thriller with a lot of action sequences, plot may require brain power	Cheeky spy movie in which con job serves as reason for main characters to flirt
How Do You Prefer Your Clive?	Disheveled, unshaven, using guns, slightly emotionally withdrawn, intense	Clean cut, witty, puppy dog eyes, flirtatious
Corporation at the Center of the Plot	A large international bank	Two large corporations that make stuff
Potential for Clive Love Scene	Low. Most likely a kiss near the end.	Very high. The trailer reveals his shirtlessness.
You Should See if You:	Enjoy movies written and/or directed by Tony Gilroy like Michael Clayton	Are able to erase the memory of Clive and Julia's dysfunctional characters in Closer from your mind

The International one-sheet courtesy of Sony Pictures and Source

Movie Preview: The International

BuzzSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:30:49 -0800

In the trailer for Clive Owen's new movie The International, there's lots of heart-pounding music and stressed out characters, and yet I failed to feel the excitement while viewing it. There's a lot going on and everyone's saying cryptic things about a bank, and I'm just not totally intrigued.

On the other hand: Yay, Clive Owen! He's so handsome and Naomi Watts is a great costar for him. Also, trailers can sometimes muck things up when trying to convey genuine suspense in think-y, talk-y, action-y movies like this so in the end, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

To check it out for yourself, just read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Buzz News Roundup, 10/22

BuzzSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:32:07 -0700

Private Practice has been picked up for a full second season. - TV Week
Anne Hathaway will star in the romantic comedy The Fiance. - ComingSoon
Dominic Monaghan will guest-star in Chuck's 3-D episode in February. - Entertainment Weekly
Whoa - NBC might make a few more episodes of ER. - The Hollywood Reporter
Ashton Kutcher will star as a former hit man in the action-comedy Five Killers. - Variety
Tony Hale and newcomer Ben Koldyke have been cast as the leads in the Fox pilot Boldly Going Nowhere. - Zap2it
Naomi Watts is in talks to take the lead role in the based-on-a-true-story drama My Name Is Jody Williams. - The Hollywood Reporter
Kenny Chesney has scored his fifth No. 1 album on The Billboard 200. - Billboard

Movie News Roundup: Watts, Fox, Another 300 Movie and More

BuzzSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:46:17 -0700

According to The Guardian, Naomi Watts will play one of King Lear's daughters in the next film adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Gwyneth Paltrow and Keira Knightley will take on the roles of the other two daughters to Anthony Hopkins's King Lear.
Matthew Fox is in talks to star in yet another one of Hollywood's comic book-turned-movies, Billy Smoke, about "an elite hit man who's nearly killed during a botched job and realizes that his only way to find redemption is to rid the world of all assassins."
Hollywood Reporter writes that Helena Bonham Carter will have a "small but pivotal role" in the fourth Terminator movie.
A follow-up to 300 is officially in the works, with Frank Miller currently writing the graphic novel on which it will be based. Though he's not committed yet, 300 director Zack Snyder is "definitely interested" to see what Miller comes up with. It's unclear whether the new installment will be a prequel or a spinoff, Variety reports.
Robert Rodriguez is casting his lady Rose McGowan yet again, this time for a new film version of Red Sonja, a story based on the fearsome woman warrior created by Robert E. Howard and later adapted for Marvel Comics, Variety writes.
According to Hollywood Reporter, four more ladies (Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Juliette Lewis and Zoe Bell) have joined Drew Barrymore's directorial feature Whip It, starring Ellen Page. The movie is based on the novel Derby Girl.

Source, source, source and source

Movie Preview: The Painted Veil

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:10:44 -0800

There are so many movies coming out right now that it's hard to remember them all, much less see them all. But I'm definitely adding The Painted Veil to my list. Directed by John Curran (who gave us the thought-provoking anti-romance We Don't Live Here Anymore), the movie stars Naomi Watts as an aristocrat who marries a bacteriologist, played by Edward Norton; the newly married couple who travel to China to treat a cholera outbreak. The cast also includes the always subtle Liev Schreiber, and judging from the trailer, it looks to be a beautiful film.