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Movie Preview: Woody Allen's Whatever Works

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:30:08 -0700

In the trailer for Woody Allen's next movie, Whatever Works, Larry David's character Boris insists that "this is not the feel-good movie of the year." While that may be true, I feel pretty good after watching it! I don't know if it's the great cast (which includes Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood, and Ed Begley Jr., among others), Allen's writing and direction, or just Larry David's delivery, but I found myself laughing quite a lot at the preview for this bizarre-looking film.

According to a press notice I received about the movie, Boris is "an eccentric New Yorker" who "abandons his upper-class life to lead a more bohemian existence. He meets a young girl from the South [Evan Rachel Wood] and her family and no two people seem to get along in the entanglements that follow." Whatever Works opens in limited release June 19. To check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Movie Preview: Phoebe in Wonderland

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:30:57 -0700

One of my saddest moments at Sundance this year was not being able to get into a screening of Phoebe in Wonderland, which looks like a darkly whimsical, adorably bizarre film all about the incredible imagination of a little girl. The girl at the heart of it is Phoebe (played by Elle Fanning), who is talented, gifted, and obsessed with a powerful fantasy life. She has trouble with her rule-filled world, and finds relief and inspiration in her quirky teacher (Patricia Clarkson). Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman play Phoebe's frustrated parents.

We already got a tiny taste of the movie, which opens in limited release Sept. 12, and this new trailer for it makes me a little weepy (perhaps it's the use of both "Everybody Hurts" by REM and "Imagine"). To see it for yourself, read more.

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Movie Preview: Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson in Married Life

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:28:59 -0800

Kay: "We can't build our happiness on the unhappiness of someone else."
Harry: "What other way is there?"

This exchange pretty much sums up the dark tone of the trailer for Married Life, a romantic drama starring Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan and the ever-creepy Chris Cooper. Cooper plays Harry, a man who decides he needs to kill his wife (Clarkson) in order to spare her the pain of him leaving her for the young, beautiful Kay (McAdams). As he sets about planning the "merciful" murder, Harry's friend Richard (Brosnan) falls for Kay.

Set in the 1940s, the film has a rich, sultry look to it, especially McAdams' shockingly white-blond hair. Married Life is set to open in limited release March 7, so to check out the trailer, read more.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Behind the Scenes at Sundance: The Photobooth, Take 2

BuzzSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:30:44 -0800

With my time at Sundance nearing its end, I figured I would check back in with the photobooth to see which new stars had stopped by for their festival portraits. Not surprisingly, what I found was a whole new bucket full of cute.

Luke Wilson, Adrianna Barraza, and Radha Mitchell from Henry Poole is Here, which I was lucky enough to see, finally took their turn at the photobooth, as did Mischa Barton, who's here for Assassination of a High School President. Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, and Elle Fanning melted my heart with their shots for Phoebe in Wonderland - I mean, they got Elle a box to stand on! And then there are Matthew Perry and Lauren Graham, hamming it up as they promote Birds of America.

Want to check out the gorgeous, quirky, vibrant shots for yourself? Just read more.

View 35 Photos ›

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Sundance Spotlight: Phoebe in Wonderland

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 07:30:00 -0800

I am so thrilled to go to Sundance this year, and I can't wait to see as many movies as possible while I'm out there! For the next few days I'll be highlighting some of the films I'm most curious to see. Today's spotlight: Phoebe in Wonderland.

Elle Fanning, Felicity Huffman, and Patricia Clarkson come together in Phoebe in Wonderland, what looks like a tender childhood drama all about that period of time during one's youth when it's painful to accept that the real world is, sadly, nothing like a fairy tale. The plot description states, "Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe (Fanning) seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher (Clarkson), even as her brilliant but anguished mother (Huffman) looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration."

You can check out a scene from Phoebe in Wonderland in which this brilliant/anguished mother has a heart-to-heart with her daughter if you read more.

Bauer-Griffin

First Look: Ryan Gosling in Lars and the Real Girl

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 11:27:20 -0700

Well, after much speculation over exactly how this movie would shape up, the Ryan Gosling movie in which he falls for a doll finally has a trailer. Lars and the Real Girl certainly looks bizarre, but also funnier than I thought it would be.

Gosling's character Lars, a loner-type who seems to have issues with dating real human women, orders a life-size doll off the internet and insists that he is dating her. He tells his friends and family that "Bianca" is a "missionary," which is most likely a reference to the missionary position probably described on the Bianca's packaging. The adorable Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson also star.

This strange romantic indie screens at the Toronto Film Festival in September before opening in limited release October 12. To see the trailer, read more

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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:30:00 -0700

It's Tuesday, which means new DVDs hit shelves to fatten up your entertainment library! Trying to decide which to add to your Netflix queue? Check out these three releases.

Orphan

All right, so it's not the best horror film ever - for that, take a peek at my scary movie bracket - but who doesn't love a good spook just in time for Halloween? In Orphan, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard star as parents who adopt a destructive little girl with a huge secret. The movie borders on ridiculous, but if you like to laugh during your fright flicks, it's got a bit of dark humor and over-the-top slasher scenes. Bonus features include deleted scenes and an alternate ending - which should be good for keeping things fresh, seeing as how the big twist has already been spoiled by pretty much anyone who's seen it.

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See two more new releases when you read more.

Nothing Like the Holidays

If you're feeling anti-Orphan, then perhaps a Christmas-themed ensemble film is more your speed. Nothing Like the Holidays follows a large, boisterous Puerto Rican-American family as they gather at their parents' home, and the obligatory love-hate relationships ensue. The storyline is a little stale, so I wasn't a fan when the movie first came out - but it may be a solid rental to get into the pre-holiday spirit and for the actors. (Alfred Molina and Freddy Rodriguez are particularly good as father and son.) There's also a bonus blooper real.

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Whatever Works

Curb Your Enthusiasm's Larry David stars in Woody Allen's story of a crabby New Yorker who takes in a young Southern runaway named Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood). Putting aside the somewhat unsettling older man and much younger woman relationship, the real joy to be had is from the bit character parts. Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr. turn in hilarious performances as Melodie's parents, and dreamy Henry Cavill of The Tudors plays a love interest. If you can get beyond David doing his tiring, whiny Allen schtick, they make the film worth checking out.

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