BuzzSugar

I Think I Might Already Love New York, I Love You

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:30:24 -0700

It happened to Beth Cooper and, um, "Man," and next year it'll happen to Phillip Morris, but today the latest profession of love in a movie title is for New York. The collection of vignettes in New York, I Love You is a New York-set version of Paris, je t'aime. It's a kind of love letter, using various stories about love itself, to the city that never sleeps.

The movie features performances by a zillion different well-known actors, including (but seriously not limited to) Natalie Portman, Julie Christie, Andy Garcia, Robin Wright Penn, Chris Cooper, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Bradley Cooper, and Shia LaBeouf. The list of directors is also impressive.

After the jump there's an endearing new trailer for the film, which opens Oct. 16 in limited release. A movie about love, in all its glory and pain, set in New York City? I already kind of love it. To watch the trailer, read more.

Big Names Sign Up to Show New York Some Love

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:34:11 -0700

Many a filmmaker has made New York City a muse over the years, and some have even fashioned entire careers around a kind of ode to the Big Apple - Woody Allen, for example, or the makers of Sex and the City. Now the city is getting some serious love as dozens of stars and filmmakers begin production on a film anthology called New York, I Love You (not to be confused with I Love New York, mind you).

Based on a similar project called Paris, je t'aime that's part of an emerging franchise of "love" movies, the anthology will consist of a series of film shorts that will be written, directed and performed by some of the biggest names in Hollywood. As one person associated with the project told Variety, New York, I Love You is meant to be a "a valentine to the city." As producer Marina Grasic said:

"With films like Crash and Babel, the approach to narrative has changed. . . . People are getting more sophisticated about watching content in shorter forms."

Does the idea of a bunch of short stories set in New York get your heart fluttering? I'm pretty excited to see how this unfolds myself. To learn more about who's involved with the project and other details about this film, read more

Also according to Variety, directors working on the project include Mira Nair, Brett Ratner and Alan Hughes.
The late Anthony Migehella-scripted shorts that will star Shia LaBeouf, Julie Christie and John Hurt will now be directed by Shekhar Kapur according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Both Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson will make their directorial debuts on this project.
Other actors associated with the project include Hayden Christensen, Rachel Bilson, Chris Cooper, Anton Yelchin, Drea de Matteo, Ethan Hawke, Orlando Bloom, Blake Lively, Robin Wright Penn, Olivia Thirlby and Kevin Bacon.
Several other cities will get some "love," including Shanghai, then a city in South America, then somewhere in Africa.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:19:23 -0800

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.

Gilmore Girls - Season Seven
Oh, Gilmore Girls, how we miss you! Say what you will about the final season of this fun, heartwarming, silly CW show, I will always look back on the series fondly, even if the final episode was a little rushed and abrupt. This six-disc set includes all 22 episodes of the seventh season, from "The Long Morrow" to "I'm a Kayak, Hear Me Roar," through to "Bon Voyage" (tear!). As is often the case with GG DVD sets, there are no commentary tracks and slim pickins in the special features department. In fact, there's just one: a behind-the-scenes featurette. So, if you need to round out your GG DVD collection, today's the day. Sigh.

Three more new releases, so read more

Paris, Je T'Aime
Paris, Je T'Aime is a collection of 20 different five-minute films all focusing on Paris. The various writers, directors, and actors involved provide an eclectic grouping of voices and techniques. Some of the directors include Gérard Depardieu, Gus Van Sant, and Wes Craven, while Maggie Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman, Steve Buscemi, Juliette Binoche, and Willem Dafoe are among the many actors lending their talents. It's like a collection of short stories about Paris vividly brought to life.

Ocean's Thirteen
Neither groundbreaking nor the worst movie ever, this third installment of the Ocean's series finds the regular assortment of handsome men (Clooney, Damon, Pitt, Cheadle, etc. etc.) planning yet another casino heist - this time aided by the dashing Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Also, this time the crew is banding together to take down a seedy high roller, appropriately played by Al Pacino. Special features include a set tour, deleted scenes, and a Vegas documentary.

Shrek the Third
Another third chapter in a series that didn't necessarily require more movies, Shrek the Third couldn't possibly live up to the adorable success of the first movie, but it's cute and watchable nonetheless. If nothing else, I could watch that little Puss in Boots for hours and still be hopelessly enchanted by him and his big eyes. This time around, Shrek and Fiona are happily married and looking toward parenthood when Fiona's father, King Harold, falls ill, and Shrek has to find Artie (voiced by Justin Timberlake) and drag him back to the kingdom as heir to the throne. Meanwhile, Fiona, Queen Lillian, and a few of the other ladies of the kingdom (a sleepy Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc.) kick some Prince Charming butt, proving that not all princesses need rescuing.

If you don't have the other Shreks and want them all at once, the trilogy is now on sale as well.

Link Time! 4/26

BuzzSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:29:13 -0700

GeekSugar has the scoop on Wired Magazine's "Heroes" story.
Tube Talk chats up Kelly Carlson, better known as Kimber from "Nip/Tuck."
JoBlo has the lowdown on LonelyGirl15's (Jessica Rose) movie role in Perfect Sport.
Over on Idolator, Drew Barrymore proves she can sing out of the side of her mouth, too.
Buddy TV reaches into the bowels of "American Idol" to pick the worst singers ever to appear on the show.
TV Squad tells you how to chat with Tina Fey after tonight's "30 Rock" finale.
If you like Maggie Gyllenhaal, you may as well join the lovefest going on over at Film Experience.
Merry Swankster rounds up the best geezers playing at Coachella this weekend.
TV with MeeVee sits down with Rachael Harris, the best thing about "Notes from the Underbelly."
I'm with PopCandy, who really wants to see the short film collection Paris Je T'Aime, featuring people like Elijah Wood and Natalie Portman.
The Fader blog gets its hands on a new track from M.I.A.

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.