BuzzSugar

Buzz Interview With the Cast of Precious, Part 1: Paula Patton

BuzzSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:30:27 -0700

The buzz about Precious has been building ever since it swept awards at this year's Sundance Film Festival. (I even put it on my list of Fall movie picks.) Now with its release around the corner and Oscar whispers beginning, I sat down with some of the stars and the director himself. The film is based on the novel, Push, which follows a pregnant sixteen-year old living with her abusive mother. Despite the film's dark subject matter, every cast member I spoke to brought up the story's healing and feel-good power.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be bringing you their interviews. First up: Paula Patton, who plays Precious's teacher and mentor, Ms. Rain.

On the film's unexpected success: "We thought it’d maybe be on Netflix or in my mother’s living room! And then Lee called me in the beginning of the year and said, 'We’re going to Sundance.' That was it for me. That was an award to be able to go and be part of the selection, and then it just steam-rolled.”

For more of what Patton had to say, read more.

On her response to those who think the film is going to be depressing: "I understand saying, 'I want to see it, but I don’t want to see it right now, because I don’t want to go there.' It’s not like that. I say it’s like buying a ticket to a roller coaster ride. You laugh, you cry, you scream, and at the end of the ride, you’re left shaken, but with your heart more open. What’s beautiful about this film is that it breeds love."
On what she learned from Precious: “I think we’ve all judged a Precious. What this movie tells you is, don’t judge, because you don’t know their story. I think when we made this film we all had to admit our own racist feelings, our own prejudices, and deal with them head on.”

On newcomer Gabourey Sidibe: “So many actors will have worked their whole life and never achieve what [Gabby] achieves in this film. It’s remarkable. She’s not Precious. She’s like, ‘Paula, oh my god, did you see The Hills?' She’s such a girly-girl and loves to be happy. It's a difficult thing when you have a character that’s talked about the way she’s talked about - you're fat, you're ugly, you're stupid - that it took someone as smart and as confident as Gabby to play her and not be affected by it.”
On the inspiration for her character: "[My mother] was a public school teacher for 35 years, and she was one of these teachers that went above and beyond the call of duty. She would bring students back to the house, help them pay for books, and be supportive. When I decided to do this role, I was like, this is for my mother and for all the teachers out there who are like her.”
On what's next for her: “I just finished a comedy with Queen Latifah. I went from [a character] who has dedicated her life to helping others to someone who is the most selfish human being on the planet. I call her a gold-digger with a heart of gold. It was so much fun to explore a different character and flex those comedic chops!”

Are you looking forward to Precious? I'm dying to see it and Patton's film with Queen Latifah now!

Photos courtesy of Lionsgate and Source

Buzz Battle: Are Spoilers Ruining New Moon?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:53 -0700

With exactly one month to go until the much-anticipated (to say the very least) premiere of New Moon, the folks at Summit are still getting the Twi-hards' tongues wagging with a new clip aired last night and this latest batch of stills from the movie. But has too much of the movie been revealed - both for those who never read the book and for those who did but still want to be surprised by the visual interpretation?

In today's Buzz Battle, editors S and B square off about whether or not the spoilers are already ruining the yet-to-be released movie.

Editor B: For my opening remarks, I will admit that I'm enjoying all the new footage. I'm always on the hunt for a hot new RPattz photo for my desktop background, and as someone who didn't know much about the Twilight saga this time last year, I've become a full-fledged fan. But like any TV or movie spoilers, the fun of the anticipation is never worth it if expectations are too high. I don't want to walk out of the theater saying, "Man, that was a boring and anticlimactic 2 hours, but the 12 months of hype leading up to it sure was exciting."

To see Editor S's retort and additional arguments, plus more photos just read more.

Editor S: I read the book New Moon over a year ago, so nothing can be spoiled for me. In fact, I'm kind of inspired to re-read the book since I don't remember everything I'm seeing in these new photos. My point is that the audience of New Moon will largely be made up of readers who are looking for a loyal scene-by-scene mirror of the book, so the clips are exciting reminders of what happened in those pages. And if you haven't read the book? A) It's not a spoiler if it's in the book, and B) There are still 30 days to read up.
Editor B: Back at Comic-Con, I felt like it was a very special privilege to see the shirtless Edward scene in all its glory, and I totally didn't expect that part to make it to the movie's preview. But there it was: the climax of the book played out in the trailer. I understand that the folks at Summit are catering to pre-ordained fans of the series, but couldn't they have kept the most intense scene of the movie a secret for the select few who don't know exactly what's going to happen? Part of the fun of the books is not knowing how or why Edward and Bella are reunited.
Editor S: In this age of the Internet and blogging, there's no way to avoid anything that gets leaked. That said, for those who haven't read the books, it's a brilliant ploy to show Robert Pattinson shirtless. I'll say it again: Robert. Pattinson. Shirtless.
Editor B closing argument: While I don't deny that the spoilers are helping to generate excitement and buzz, I fear that I'm being set up for disappointment. I just hope that New Moon has some quality entertainment to fill the scenes we've already seen - because otherwise we're all just victims of a publicity stunt.
Editor S closing argument: The book version of New Moon is 563 pages. That's a lot of ground to cover, and we have plenty left to still see. Worst case scenario? Everything's out there in the open right now. You know you'll still be sitting next to me opening night, Editor B, your skittles and popcorn in hand, a big fat smile on your face.

So whose side are you on? Are you loving the footage or has too much been revealed? To talk about the film even more, head over to the Twilight Movies group in the Buzz Community.

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The Invention of Lying: Sweet, but Unsteady

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:45:37 -0700

In his Hollywood directorial debut, Ricky Gervais takes us to an alternate universe where honesty makes the world go round. It's not just that lie-telling is an impossibility; everyone can't help but speak their minds at all times, no matter how personal, embarrassing, or brutal their innermost thoughts may be. The premise of The Invention of Lying is rife for comedy, but the film is also a commentary on religion and has its sad moments as well.

The film tells the story of Mark Bellison, an average joe who just can't seem to get ahead in a world where his mediocrity is ridiculed day after day. His co-workers can't stand him and women reject him based on his looks alone. When he loses his job as a screenwriter, Mark is ready to give up - until he mysteriously becomes the world's first liar.

To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Ricky Gervais stars as Mark, living in a world that's mostly free of flair, frills, and aesthetics. Mark's house and office are plain and boring, complementing his every-day appearance. Those who stand out are the people who are naturally attractive, like the object of Mark's affections, Anna (Jennifer Garner) and his snarky co-worker Brad (Rob Lowe). Anna can't help but show her shallow side on her first date with Mark. She immediately rejects him on the basis that she doesn't want to have "fat, snub-nosed" children someday and must find a "better genetic match." Once Mark starts to stretch his newfound talent though, he decides he can have whatever he wants - and begins a quest to win Anna's affections.

Gervais surprised me with his performance because he finally takes a break from his typical British dry humor. As affable, down-on-his-luck Mark, Gervais proves that he doesn't need his signature sarcasm to be witty. The most important scene of the movie requires a lot of raw emotion from Gervais, and he absolutely nails it, showcasing a sweet side that we rarely see from the actor.

There are two major aspects of the movie that wore me down: the cameos and the product placement. I love a good celebrity appearance, but after Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ed Norton, and Jason Bateman pop in, it starts to feel like Gervais is trying to use his comical buddies to keep the storyline afloat when it starts to lose focus. Seeing a familiar face is always fun, but this isn't a Judd Apatow movie.

The product placement is funny and fitting at first; there's not much room for advertising in a world of stark truth. With only a reputation to rely on, Coke and Pepsi are left with the slogans "It's very famous" and "When they don't have Coke," respectively. The film goes way overboard from there though, and suddenly Mark is surrounded by Budweiser bottles at all times and at the film's climax he's standing in front of a group clutching a pair of cardboard Pizza Hut boxes.

The movie's biggest problem is that it tries to appeal to too many genres. It's packaged as a comedy, but Mark becomes a god-like character once the world gets wind of his lies. His peers literally take everything he says as gospel, and Mark becomes a blatant modern-day Moses (complete with long hair and beard). Just as the audience begins to wonder where it's all going, the movie quickly ditches the religious aspect and finishes up as a love story. The ending is satisfactory, but what's the point of satirizing religion when it doesn't hold much water for the overall message of the movie?

Like I said, the premise is rife for comedy and starts us down a path that's packed with laughs - I just wish Invention of Lying didn't wander off before finding its way back home.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.