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The Yellow Handkerchief: A Subtle Charmer

BuzzSugar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:30:21 -0800

One advantage of the Twilight cast's overwhelming fame? That their smaller projects get the release and attention they normally wouldn't. This is the case for The Yellow Handkerchief, an independent drama starring Kristen Stewart, William Hurt, Maria Bello, and Eddie Redmayne.

Stewart has a big part as Martine, an insecure teen who impulsively takes off on the road with a stranger named Gordy (Eddie Redmayne), but the movie belongs to Hurt. He plays Brett, a recently released ex-con tortured by his past. Brett hitches a ride with Martine and Gordy toward Louisiana, and through a series of misadventures, the three of them become unlikely friends, unfurling Brett's history in the process. It's Hurt's acting and his character's story that make The Yellow Handkerchief a compelling character study while saving it from being a meandering mess. To hear why, just read more.

Stewart is at home as a beautiful outcast but she's out-acted at every turn by her costars. It's not that she's not working hard; it's just tough to dominate Hurt, who's such a quietly phenomenal actor. Redmayne is also impressive as Gordy, who's so socially awkward that he initially turns off his traveling companions. He manages to remain sympathetic to the audience, as does Brett, even when we don't know why he was imprisoned. Both men pull off characters who seem dangerous at first but slowly win you, and their onscreen conquests, over.

The film's other powerhouse is Bello, as Brett's ex May. Her relationship with Brett emerges first in Brett's flashbacks, until Martine and Gordy become interested enough in Brett to have him recount the rest of the narrative. Incidentally, that becomes a frustrating storytelling device, since the Brett/May plot is the best part of the movie. You realize you wanted to be watching their affair all along, and the time spent with Martine and Gordy feels wasted. Though those two eventually form a sweet bond, the movie tries to force a parallel between the younger couple's relationship and Brett and May's, which doesn't work. The older couple's story is so much more powerful and real.

Like I said, it's ultimately Hurt who keeps the movie from being just an eventful road trip. By the time the movie wraps itself up, you're so satisfied with the resolution that you forgive any missteps.

Buzz News Roundup, 4/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:56 -0700

Regina Spektor's latest album is headed to stores in June. - Billboard
William Hurt will join the cast of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood as William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke. - The Hollywood Reporter
TNT won't renew Trust Me for a second season. - TV.com
It's confirmed: Zac Efron has signed on to play the title role in the planned live-action version of the '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. - ComingSoon
Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel are set to join Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell in the crime drama London Boulevard. - Variety
Showtime has passed on the Tim Robbins drama Possible Side Effects, which may still be shopped to other networks. - TV Guide
Maggie Gyllenhaal will star opposite Emma Thompson in the Nanny McPhee sequel, titled Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. - ComingSoon
Spoiler alert: Is George leaving Grey's Anatomy or not? - Entertainment Weekly

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Glenn Close and Damages Hold Court at TCA

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:30:56 -0700

The first season of FX's Damages was enthralling and chilling, and from just the couple of minutes we got to glimpse Tuesday morning at the TCA press tour, the show still has its captivating qualities. The show's main cast - including two of the three new cast members, William Hurt and Timothy Olyphant - was on hand to discuss a bit of what we'll see in the coming months, and I already feel sucked back in to the Damages universe. Some of this is spoilery, so if you don't want to know anything about season two, stop here - but if you want to hear about the new characters, the evolution of Ellen, and the fate of Arthur Frobisher (well, maybe), just read more.

First things first: Ted Danson attended the Damages panel. But does that mean Frobisher is alive? Apparently, we shouldn't go that far. The show has so many flashbacks and flash-forwards that it's hard to say exactly when and in what context we'll be seeing Danson's character. (Although, it's worth noting that FX President John Landgraf said earlier in the day that Frobisher "did survive.")

Moving on, one of the biggest changes we'll see in the new season comes is the evolution of Ellen. In the clips we watched, she's bracing and in control, telling the agents she's working with that she wants to wear a wire while Patty talks to her about the Frobisher case and telling someone (who wasn't visible in the clip) that they should be terrified. "We all wanted to approach Ellen in a very different way to make her more of a warrior in season two," Rose Byrne said. "This season she's kind of made of steel a little bit more, which is really interesting to play. The first season, the audience was so much ahead of her . . . This season, it's sort of the reverse."

Ellen is also in therapy, which is where she encounters one of the show's new characters: Wes, played by Timothy Olyphant. According to executive producer Daniel Zelman, he's "a mysterious figure who comes to be a confidant of Ellen's because they've both been through similar traumas recently. What the future of their relationship will be is something for the audience to guess at and wonder."

As for the other newcomers:

William Hurt plays Daniel Purcell, a figure who enters Patty's life in trouble - though we don't know what kind of trouble - and seeking legal aid. It seemed from the clip that his story would form the basis for this season's new case.
Marcia Gay Harden, who was not present because she'd only just been cast, will play a high-powered attorney for an unspecified company who appears to be behind some equally unspecified wrongdoing.

If you're getting the sense that there are a lot of secrets, it's true - but there's also a lot that's left to be figured out. The producers emphasized several times that they liked to keep things fluid, and all of the actors mentioned that their stories could (and did) change up until the very last minute.

As for Patty Hewes, Glenn Close says Patty seems to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as well. "She still has a lot of very unresolved issues going on that take more energy to cover up than before," she said.

A couple of other interesting tidbits:

Here's how Close described the typical reaction she got to the show's twists and turns from her family and random strangers on the street: "Tell me what's in the box - don't tell me!" They all seemed to have a huge respect for how engaging the show can be, especially Hurt, who said he stayed up till 5 a.m. watching episodes when the idea of taking the role first came up.
About those flashbacks: The show is still going to play with time; Zelman called the flash-forwards and flashbacks "a signature of the show." But he said the producers' goal this year is to make them slightly easier to grasp this year.
Throughout the session, Damages was occasionally referred to as being like a novel, with each season telling a full story. It's interesting to think about that and try to imagine what season three will look like (since FX has already committed to it). Presumably Patty and Ellen will still be around - but will anyone else?
Danson wouldn't tell us how often Frobisher will be on the show - and he insisted that's because he doesn't know.

Photos courtesy of FX and Source

The Incredible Hulk: Most Improved But Not the Best

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:30:47 -0700

Bringing Marvel's Hulk to the big screen is a challenging undertaking. For one thing, the idea of the Hulk is just funny: when a guy loses his temper he morphs into a giant green monster who smashes things. Plus, that green monster in ripped-up pants is just cartoonish, any way you slice it. You can always update Iron Man's suit with sleeker corners and more abilities or give Batman cooler gadgets, but how do you make a green monster-man something today's audience will take seriously?

So, given these obstacles, and the fact that Ang Lee did everyone a favor by demonstrating what not to do if you want the fanboys to show up, the most recent incarnation of The Incredible Hulk is pretty much a success. All things considered, the CGI looks great, there is plenty of action to keep hearts pounding, and Ed Norton and Liv Tyler turn in wonderful performances with the lines they have. That said, it's no Iron Man and I'm about 99.9% sure once The Dark Knight hits theaters we may all forget this movie even happened.

To find out why this Incredible Hulk will be remembered as the superhero movie that gave us something to do between Iron Man and Dark Knight, read more.

First of all, it's worth the ticket price alone to see Ed Norton with this much screen time. Despite the fact that he isn't given much material to work with and not a minute is spent on character development, he still manages to convey the emotional toll that spontaneous, out-of-control monster transformation can take on a person. I was also pleasantly surprised by the chemistry Norton and Tyler have together.

Taking a cue from the movie itself, I'm not going to waste time on plot, and you just kind of accept certain things about each of the characters. For example, Norton's Bruce Banner is very concerned with the weapons General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (played by a superbly chilly William Hurt) will create with the science behind whatever turns Bruce into the Hulk. I'm not sure where Bruce's initial concern comes from, nor do I understand what motivates Thunderbolt's obsession. But right when this started to bother me, the movie kicked into high gear with lots of action sequences and scary CGI and I forgot what I was puzzling over before.

It's in this way that the pendulum swings just a bit too far in the other direction from Lee's film. Sure, it can be boring to spend too much time building up the sad events that lead to the Hulk's creation. But when you nearly banish all dialogue and scenes that include a little humanity, you end up with a fun ride that lacks a heart (despite the cast's best efforts to inject one). So, while I laughed (it has some genuinely witty moments) and clung to my chair (Poor Hulk! Stop shooting at him!) I didn't leave with the emotional connection I had with Iron Man.

In any other year a B+ superhero movie would be something to get excited about. But 2008 is shaping up to be the summer of the superhero - and everyone else is bringing their A-game.

To see the trailer and more clips from The Incredible Hulk, visit movies.iVillage.com

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Buzz News Roundup, 6/13

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:23:57 -0700

Don Herbert, best known as TV's "Mr. Wizard," has died, the New York Times reports.
After the whole Silver Surfer silver dollars thing, the newest Fantastic Four promotional stunt has made its way to the London Eye, London's observation wheel, Variety reports.
According to Hollywood Reporter, Greg Kinnear and Maura Tierney have joined the already awesome cast of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's comedy Baby Mama.
Want to catch up on "Jericho" after that whole nut fiasco? Repeats from the show's first season will air on Fridays starting July 6, the Futon Critic reports.
T-Pain beat out Rhianna and Paul McCartney for No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Endeavor, the talent agency representing Paris Hilton, has dropped her, Variety says.
William Hurt has been added to the cast of The Incredible Hulk, playing Gen. Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, says the Hollywood Reporter.
USA Today figures out what's happened to the past winners of "Last Comic Standing."

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Do You Agree With the Globe Winner For Best Supporting Actor in a TV Role?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:23:43 -0800

John Lithgow is the winner for this year's Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a TV role for Dexter. He beat out Neil Patrick Harris, Michael Emerson, Jeremy Piven, and William Hurt. Do you agree with this win?

Don't forget to weigh in on all the big winners by voting in my polls!

Up in the Air and Nine Lead the Golden Globe Nominations

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:29:11 -0800

Well, not too many surprises here - one of the most buzzed-about films of the season (and on my list of personal favorites), Up in the Air, will be well represented at the Golden Globe Awards next month. Jason Reitman's film scored six nominations, including Best Director, Best Actor (yay Clooney!), and not one but two Best Supporting Actress nods for Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick.

Of course, it also earned a best dramatic film nomination along with Inglourious Basterds, which was right on its heels with four nominations of its own. Nine edged out Tarantino's film with five nominations, followed by Precious, Invictus, and Avatar. As for the actors, scoring two nods is a big trend this year, as Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep, and Matt Damon have all been doubly recognized.

On the TV side of things, hold on to your hats: newcomer Glee scored the most nominations (!) with four accolades, followed by Mad Men, Big Love, 30 Rock, and Damages, which all scored three apiece.

To see the complete list, just read more.

MOVIES

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA
Precious
Up in the Air
Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
Avatar

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

BEST DIRECTOR
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
James Cameron, Avatar
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The Maid
The White Ribbon

BEST SCREENPLAY
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST SONG
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," U2, Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine

TELEVISION

BEST TV SERIES, DRAMA
Dexter
House M.D.
Big Love
Mad Men
True Blood

TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Glee
Entourage
The Office
30 Rock
Modern Family

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA
Glenn Close, Damages
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
January Jones, Mad Men
Anna Paquin, True Blood
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA

Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Bill Paxton, Big Love

BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
David Duchovny, Californication
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matthew Morrison, Glee

BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Lea Michele, Glee
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Georgia O'Keefe
Grey Gardens
Into the Storm
Little Dorrit
Taking Chance

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Joan Allen, Georgia O'Keefe
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers For Bobby

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Endgame
Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm
Jeremy Irons, Georgia O'Keefe

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jane Adams, Hung
Rose Byrne, Damages
Jane Lynch, Glee
Janet McTeer, Into the Storm
Chloe Sevigny, Big Love

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Michael Emerson, Lost
Jeremy Piven, Entourage
John Lithgow, Dexter
William Hurt, Damages

CECIL B. DEMILLE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Martin Scorsese

What Do You Think About the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:32:08 -0700

Michael Emerson is taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for Lost! He beat out Christian Clemenson, William Hurt, Aaron Paul, William Shatner, and John Slattery.

I am so excited he finally got the recognition after so many amazing seasons as Ben. What do you think about this win?

Vote on all my Emmy Awards polls here!