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New York, I Love You: A Jigsaw Puzzle That Doesn't Quite Fit

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0700

As a city with so much personality and penchant for possibility, it's no surprise that the follow-up to Paris, Je t'aime heads to New York. New York, I Love You is a tale of the connections and personal missteps that occur every single day in the city that never sleeps. It plays out like a movie version of a song mash-up: some story lines are linear and independent of the rest while other characters wander in and out of each other's lives. Throw an all-star cast in there, and you could possibly have a recipe for perfection.

Unfortunately, the ingredients don't blend together as well as I had hoped, and instead we're left with an engaging but bland look at a handful of trials and tribulations in relationships. To see what I mean, just read more.

Made up of a series of short films, New York, I Love You is an homage to the city as well as the residents who hold it near and dear to their hearts. The "anything can happen" theme is alive and well, as strangers become acquaintances and friends, putting so much emphasis on each and every interaction that we take part in on a regular basis.

You meet a few characters that represent New York well enough; Bradley Cooper is the guy who's constantly jumping into a cab the same time as someone else, Orlando Bloom is the struggling musician who turns to Central Park for inspiration, Hayden Christensen is the pick-pocket who's as sexy as he is dangerous. But sometimes it feels just a little too forced; like the film is primarily concerned with proving that New York is a melting pot. Rather than seeing a few love stories shine through stereotypes, I was more distracted by the fake accents.

As with Paris Je t'aime, some of the stories shine brighter than others. Natalie Portman directs a sweet piece about a relationship between a father and daughter; Olivia Thirlby and Anton Yelchin are refreshing as a younger pair who makes the prom a night to remember. The lighter films are breaths of fresh air amongst others that are trying too hard to be hip and stylized.

The ensemble cast certainly gives the movie a boost; even when it's not provoking the deepest of emotions, the film always had my attention. There are solid performances all-around, particularly from Chloris Leachman and Eli Wallach as an aging couple who are still bickering when they aren't helping each other cross the street. It is the most hopeful of the scenarios, and by far the sweetest and most touching.

The film provides plenty of the standard money shots of Manhattan: a typical day in Grand Central Station in fast forward, subway rides, hours of people watching in a coffee shop. The encounters feel authentic and realistic, but the failure lies in the inability to make us feel something on a deeper level. Sometimes you can relate to the characters, and sometimes you feel sorry for them, but it doesn't squeeze your heart nearly enough - and with a title like New York, I Love You, this a disappointment.

Buzz News Roundup, 8/12

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:30:45 -0700

Ed Helms will play the lead in spy-comedy Central Intelligence. - Zap2it
Natalie Portman will produce Booksmart, a new comedy series for Fox. - Variety
The Black Eyed Peas will perform before the NFL's season-opening game. - AP
Ernie Hudson has been cast as a detective for the upcoming season of Heroes. - The Hollywood Reporter
Warner Bros. is bringing LEGOs to the big screen. - ComingSoon
The Lifetime Movie Network is making Robin Wasserman's Seven Deadly Sins series of novels into a four-hour miniseries. - The Hollywood Reporter
NBC has gained the rights to air the biggest events in gymnastics through 2012. - Variety

Buzz News Roundup, 7/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:30:13 -0700

Natalie Portman will play Jane Foster in the upcoming comic-book film, Thor. The film is to be directed by Kenneth Branagh and is slated to be released May 20, 2011. - AP
Director Morgan Spurlock will produce and direct the documentary special The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special in 3-D on Ice, which will air on Fox on Jan. 14, 2010. - EW
Lady GaGa joins Avril Lavigne and Ace of Base as the only artists to have three songs from a debut album hit number one on the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart - The Hollywood Reporter
Jason Statham is in negotiations to star in Blitz, a thriller about a serial killer who targets cops. - Variety
Paul McCartney will play the Late Show With David Letterman this Wednesday, which will be a return to the theater where the Beatles made their American debut 45 years ago. - The Hollywood Reporter
Fox is bringing back Sit Down, Shut Up as part of its late-night lineup this fall. - The Futon Critic
Danny Huston will be King Richard in Ridley Scott's Robin Hood movie. - The Hollywood Reporter

Movie Preview: Portman, Gyllenhaal and Maguire in Brothers

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:30:21 -0700

Based on Susanne Bier's 2004 film and directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father), Brothers tells the story of a young man (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) who "comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan." The older brother is played by Tobey Maguire and the wife is played by Natalie Portman, and from the looks of the trailer, the wife ends up getting very close with her brother-in-law, which causes some tension when her husband returns home from war.

For whatever reason, I have a hard time buying Portman as a mother of two but otherwise the movie looks intense and heart-wrenching. Brothers opens Dec. 4 and you can check out the trailer for it if you read more.

Natalie Portman to Star in Aronofsky's Next Project

BuzzSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:30:48 -0700

Director Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, The Fountain, Requiem For a Dream) may be going from working with Mickey Rourke to directing Natalie Portman in the supernatural thriller Black Swan. Portman's delicate frame is well-suited for this story set within the world of New York City ballet. Apparently those who have read the script claim it's a "spine-tingler" that's not unlike The Others "in which viewers are left to discern what's real and what's imagined." Here's more:

Swan centers on a veteran ballerina (Portman) who finds herself locked in a competitive situation with a rival dancer, with the stakes and twists increasing as the dancers approach a big performance. But it's unclear whether the rival is a supernatural apparition or if the protagonist is simply having delusions.

Done well, I can see how this could be dark and chilling, and I'm pleased that it's a lady-led thriller. I wonder who will take on the role of Portman's rival dancer. Any thoughts on who could play this graceful - yet menacing - villain?

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Buzz News Roundup, 6/1

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:30:17 -0700

Better Off Ted will be back with new episodes starting June 23. - The Futon Critic
Natalie Portman will star with Danny McBride and James Franco in the comedy Your Highness. - Variety
Live Nation will eliminate all service fees on its concert tickets for one day only on June 3. - Billboard
Michael Shannon is in negotiations to play one of the lead male roles in The Runaways, the feature take on Joan Jett's 1970s rock band. - The Hollywood Reporter
This year's Emmy Awards are moving up a week to Sept. 13. - TV Week
Halle Berry is in talks to star in director Paul Verhoeven's new thriller The Surrogate. - ComingSoon
"Octomom" Nadya Suleman has signed a reality TV deal, but the show hasn't yet been picked up by a network. - Variety
The creators behind comic strip cat Heathcliff might be bringing the feline to the big screen. - Entertainment Weekly

Cute Duo Join Natalie Portman in Indie Drama Hesher

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:30:33 -0700

To sort of steal a line from Zoolander, this casting news makes me think, "That Joseph Gordon-Levitt is so hot right now." He's currently the talk of the independent film town thanks to the good buzz surrounding his upcoming movie 500 Days of Summer, and he just booked a role in Christopher Nolan's next project. Now, he and Rainn Wilson have signed up for a movie titled Hesher that already has Natalie Portman on board as a star and producer. The Hollywood Reporter classifies this flick as a dramedy, and here's how it describes the plot:

The story centers on a loser twentysomething who invades the life of an awkward 13-year-old who is living with a pill-popping father and grandmother. Gordon-Levitt is playing the title character, a good and bad influence on the boy's life. Wilson is the dad trying to keep his family together after the death of his wife.

Portman plays a supermarket worker the kid falls for.

First of all, I didn't know what a "hesher" was until I looked it up online. I feel so behind the times. Also, I'm with Vulture on this point: "Dwight Schrute popping pills?! So, so wrong." Still, this film sounds cute and totally up my alley. What say you? Are you glad to see Gordon-Levitt booking more roles?

Source

Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman Team Up For Rom-Com

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Paramount has won the rights to the Leanne Shapton book Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry, and plans to develop the story as a romantic comedy with Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman in the lead roles. Here's more:

The book takes the form of Sotheby's-like estate auction catalog, with 325 entries and photographs depicting items that reveal the private moments and the rise and fall of a four-year relationship between the fictitious couple Hal Morris (a 40ish photographer) and Lenore Doolan, (a New York Times food columnist in her late 20s).

The project will be developed as a romantic comedy, with Pitt to play Morris, and Portman to play Doolan.

According to Variety, "Portman brought the book to Pitt." In the book, author Leanne Shapton, an illustrator and art director of the NYT's Op-Ed page, uses all sorts of stuff - clothes, e-mails, heirlooms - "to convey the excitement, the hopes and dreams, and ultimately the heartache of a love affair that runs its course." I do hope they shorten the title for the movie.

What a totally interesting (and ridiculously good-looking) pair for this project! Do you think Pitt and Portman will be do well in a romantic comedy together?

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Buzz News Roundup, 10/29

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:30:30 -0700

Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Iron Man for the movie The Avengers. - Variety
Lauren Graham will play Adelaide in a Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. - Playbill
Natalie Portman is set to star in Love and Other Impossible Pursuits. - ComingSoon
The Jonas Bros. will make their feature-film debut by starring in Walter the Farting Dog. - E! Online
NYPD Blue alum Sharon Lawrence will play Megan's mom on Privileged. - Entertainment Weekly
Fox Searchlight has picked up The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, a project based on Tom Wolfe's 1968 book, with Gus Van Sant directing. - The Hollywood Reporter
Vince Vaughn will star in a drama titled Sunny and 68. - Variety
And finally, German police are baffled by a speeding car with a Muppet as its passenger. Seriously, you gotta see this picture. - Nine MSN

Source and Iron Man photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Love It or Leave It: Devendra Banhart Video With Natalie Portman

BuzzSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:36:57 -0700

Before being known to most as Natalie Portman's boyfriend, Devendra Banhart was famous in certain circles for turning out interesting neo-folk music and has been a mainstay in the independent music scene for a little while now.

His new video for his Spanish language song "Carmensita," has people talking partly because Ms. Portman's in it but also because some people aren't sure how awesome this cheeky swipe at Bollywood-style productions is. Do you find this video a fun rush to the senses, or totally forgettable?

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