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Finding Amanda: Never Finds Its Footing

BuzzSugar — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:30:43 -0700

For me, there are two big issues with writer/director Peter Tolan's feature-length debut: some crazy, disconcerting tonal shifts and a crazy, disconcerting casting choice. There's also a third, less important issue adding to my perplexity about Finding Amanda which is that Matthew Broderick lifelessly sleepwalks through his role.

Tonally, the movie seems to have no idea what it wants to be and vacillates between screwball comedy, dark humor, high drama, and bleak character study. Sometimes, when you toss those elements into a bag and shake them up, you get something pretty cool. But in this case, it's not cool. In fact, it reminds me of sitting in a car while someone learns how to drive a stick shift, getting jerked around uncomfortably between gears the entire ride. The gear shifts in this movie are so jarring emotionally that it made me want to get the heck out of that car.

To see why I think Brittany Snow should never, ever play another prostitute, read more.

In the opening we meet Matthew Broderick's character, Taylor Peters, a TV writer who's working on a low-rated comedy. We quickly discover he's a bit of an industry loser due to his many addiction problems (drugs, alcohol, etc.). He's supposedly kicked most of these habits at the behest of his wife (played by Maura Tierney) - except for gambling on horse races. Throughout this entire setup, Broderick has some life in him, giving big puppy dog eyes to the camera as he lies to his wife about being at the tracks. All the while, bouncy music a la Curb Your Enthusiasm plays along in the background.
But things begin to unravel for Taylor when his wife threatens to leave him and in some strange attempt to prove his worth, he decides to save their niece Amanda (Snow) who is working as a prostitute in Vegas. This is about when things seriously unravel for the audience, too, because we are suddenly jerked into another gear when the bright eyed, sing-songy Amanda joyfully describes to her uncle in explicit detail the sexual acts she performs as a prostitute.

She also reveals a terribly shocking secret about her past, to which Broderick basically responds with a shrug.

Um, I never want to hear some of these words coming out of Snow's mouth again. It is like watching a Disney movie where suddenly the princess admits she was raped as a girl. It's icky, uncomfortable and completely outside of Snow's acting range. This is all even more disconcerting when Snow is directed to quit with the peppy "Hey, Uncle, I'm a happy hooker!" shtick and is breaking down in a bathroom stall. Her breakdown doesn't make you feel a thing besides "Wait. . .wha??"

On some level, this project could be seen as a valiant try. Maybe give it an "A" for effort because it's not unintelligent and there are some good laughs. But the execution is so poor and actors so off that it's hard to care about it one way or another.

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Movie Preview: Finding Amanda

BuzzSugar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:30:42 -0700

You know, if someone told me Ferris Bueller grew up to have a gambling problem, I'd totally believe it. Which is probably why I watched the trailer for Finding Amanda with a little smile. It looks like the first role in a long time that lets Matthew Broderick stretch those acting muscles we know are in there, and he's paired with the lovely Brittany Snow.

The plot for this movie, which I missed when I was at Sundance, is this: "A television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling is sent to Las Vegas to convince his troubled niece to enter rehab."

Finding Amanda is due out June 27 and you can see the trailer if you read more.

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Movie Preview: Amanda Seyfried in Letters to Juliet

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:33 -0800

Amanda Seyfried's latest film Letters to Juliet looks like a mash up of her other work. First off, her character's name is Sophie, which brings Mamma Mia to mind, as does the romantic foreign locale. But even the title itself made me do a double-take - wait, isn't she already doing a book-turned-film about letters called Dear John?! Still, I'm not writing it off just yet. (No pun intended). I can be a sucker for a love story, even if it's a bit sappy.

The film follows Seyfried as an American tourist who discovers an unanswered "letter to Juliet" while on a trip in Verona, Italy. (The notes are left by visitors asking for help from Shakespeare's famous heroine.) She responds to the plea, and then sets off to find its author (Vanessa Redgrave) and reunite her with the man she left decades before. Of course, there's a triangle in there too, as Sophie begins to question her own relationship with her fiance (Gael Garcia Bernal) and falls for the woman's grandson (Christopher Egan).

The trailer pretty much gives away the whole movie, but this sort of storyline is usually predictable so I'll forgive the studio for it. Bonus for Taylor Swift fans: her "Love Story" is the theme song. The film doesn't arrive in theaters until May, but check it out and tell me what you think when you read more.

90210 vs. Melrose Place: Which Was More Scandalous?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:30:19 -0800

The Tuesday night CW block made a particularly strong showing this week. Personally, I thought 90210 had one of its best episodes of the season - nice character development, a few teary moments, and some "oh no she didn't" disses. And as for Melrose Place, I've got two words for you: Heather Locklear. Yes, Amanda Woodward is back, and it's quickly becoming clear that the residents aren't going to have it easy any time soon.

So with plenty of drama to go around, which show shocked more? Let's break down all the juicy tidbits and decide the victor when you read more.

90210 point: Well, Annie sleeps with Jasper, and she skips into the kitchen in the morning to tell her parents about her new boyfriend. Debbie invites him for dinner - but once Dixon warns about his druggie reputation, Deb and Harry are less than enthused and forbid Annie from seeing him. She, of course, gets defensive, and as for Jasper's reaction? He tries to kill Navid by pushing him down the stairs at school.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Speaking of crazy murderers, did Michael off Sydney? Sure seems like it after David ransacks his car and finds her bloody necklace in a plastic bag. Now, he's determined to clear Auggie's name (who has since been shunned by all of his friends) and get payback by putting Michael behind bars.

90210 point: Richard and his mom walk in on Naomi with Jamie. (How about the Dean sarcastically calling Naomi "classy?" Ouch.) Naomi admits to Jamie that she was dating Richard for the wrong reasons, and he breaks up with her over it. Her guilty conscience getting the best of her, Naomi then confesses to Richard, too. Jamie finds out and asks to get back together, but unfortunately for him, Naomi had an epiphany during their 24 hours apart - she's still not over Liam.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Like I said, Amanda Woodward is back, and she's out to make Ella's life hell. First she fires Caleb, and then she sends in an agent named Melissa to lure Ella away from WPK as a "test." Oh, and did I mention that Melissa comes on to Ella and the two women make out in a back room? That part totally came out of nowhere - talk about scandalous.

90210 point: Last week Silver's mom Jackie wasn't waking up, and this week starts with her being rushed to the hospital. The doctor tells Silver and Kelly to say their goodbyes, but Kelly refuses after all the years her mother mistreated her. She regrets that decision later, so she finally makes amends and tells Jackie that she forgives her. Jackie passes soon after, and I admittedly got a bit choked up.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Things are looking up for Riley - her jeans campaign is all over magazines - but once Amanda Woodward steps in, she concocts a rags-to-riches fake bio for Riley for PR purposes. Once the press starts asking questions, Riley admits to the lie and things blow up in WPR's face. Amanda seeks revenge by asking Ella to rat on Riley for abusing her sick days for the photo shoots. When Ella won't agree, ruthless Amanda does it herself, and Riley gets fired.

90210 point: Adrianna tells Navid that he was easy to get over because she was never really in love with him. Brutal. Then Naomi discovers Adrianna's stash, and she says good riddance to Adrianna, too. This can't be good for her substance problem.
Melrose Place counterpoint: Can we talk about Violet and Auggie's sex scene on the kitchen counter? Lauren's stripteases make me blush enough already, but this may have even topped that.

90210 point: I still can't stand Jen, but we're slowly starting to see her softer side. Ryan suggests going camping, and she packs a fondue set and a Burberry rain coat - not exactly low-maintenance is she? After she complains a lot, Ryan tells her he's disappointed since he's always bending over backwards for her. She takes his words to heart - even builds a fire! - and opens up about being broke . . . and still married.
Melrose Place counterpoint: In other couple news, David woos Lauren by decorating her apartment like Autumn, complete with falling leaves. But just as things get hot and heavy, she puts on the brakes, because of her "issues" with intimacy. How long are they going to drag this out?

While I really enjoyed 90210, we're talking about scandal here, so I'm going to give this week to Melrose Place. Having Amanda Woodward on your side already makes you a lock, but then throw in the borderline porno - Auggie and Violet, Lauren and David, Ella and Melissa - and it's a no-brainer. Plus, we had a great MP cliffhanger - what exactly is Sydney is referencing in her letter to Amanda that says, "You'll never find it?" You'll never find what?!

Tell me your theories (and what you thought about the episodes) in the comments! And don't forget that if you're a 90210 follower, you can always join the 90210 Superfans group in the Buzz Community.

Photos courtesy of The CW

Do You Prefer Amanda's Hair, Straight, Wavy or in Retro Curls?

BellaSugarUK — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:45:00 -0700

Last night at the London Film Festival, actress Amanda Seyfreid arrived on the red carpet with straight hair, (albeit with tonnes of body) for the UK Premiere of her latest film Chloe. Earlier in the day, she was spotted with co-star Julianne Moore with casual looking wavy hair. And just last month at the Toronto Film Festival, she promoted her flick with beautifully constructed retro-curls. I adore her thick and shiny mane, so to me, she can't really go wrong with any of these hairstyles. How about you, which look do you find most flattering on Amanda?

Maggie Receives An Education From Peter, Dominic and Carey

PopSugarUK — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Maggie Gyllenhaal joined Peter Sarsgaard at the Paris Theatre in New York City last night for the premiere of An Education. Peter's costars Carey Mulligan and Dominic Cooper were also in attendance, although Dominic's girlfriend Amanda Seyfried couldn't make it. The trio of stars premiered the movie at the Toronto Film Festival last month, and the film is one of several great movies to hit our cinema screens this month: do you plan to see it or skip it? Find out how to recreate the film's fab frocks in your interior design thanks to my girl Casa's tips.

To watch the trailer, and see more pictures from the premiere, just read more.

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Megan Fox Flaunts Her "It Girl" Status on the Cover of Nylon

PopSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:00:34 -0700

Megan Fox is on the October cover of Nylon, as she keeps making the rounds to promote Jennifer's Body despite its rather lackluster first weekend at the box office. She's also set to host Saturday Night Live tomorrow, though you guys aren't too thrilled about seeing her on the season opener. As always, she sat down to give a controversial interview - this time touching on issues like kissing Amanda Seyfried and her Marilyn Monroe tattoo. Here's more:

On seeing her in Jennifer's Body: "It's a comedy, which no one has really seen me do before. It might be a complete failure on my part. But the fact that I had to really put myself out there is totally different than being able to hide behind the magic of ILM [Industrial Light and Magic, which did special effects for Transformers]. That's no hiding from anything. There's nothing there to distract you from my performance. So if it's bad, it's going to be f*cking bad for me. And if it's good, then I will have achieved something on some level."
On her Marilyn Monroe tattoo: "I'm really knowledgeable of her life, but I would never want to emulate her. She's not, like, a hero of mine. And I don't find any amazing parallels where I feel like we're one and the same, or any shit like that."
On kissing Amanda Seyfried in their film: "They slowed the film down or something. Amanda was extremely uncomfortable doing it, because she doesn't kiss girls. She hated it. I was way more comfortable with it than she was. And if I have to kiss a stranger for work, I would much rather it be a female than a male."

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Get Amanda Seyfried's Sweet, Smoky Toronto Film Festival Look

BellaSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Amanda Seyfried always manages to look soft and pretty, but at the Toronto Film Festival last night, she turned it up a few notches with this nice-girl, sexy look. Using gold shadow to brighten up a traditional smoky eye, and rocking just-bitten lips and rosy cheeks, her makeup was understated but fresh, and totally perfect for the new season. To find out how to get her glowing Fall-forward look, just keep reading

Pop Watch: Lost In Austen, Episode Four

PopSugarUK — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Last night's final episode of Lost In Austen was full to the brim, giving us yet more action and tying up lots of loose ends. The action even moves to the present day, but I'm glad the majority of the finale focuses on the world of Pride and Prejudice.

So the episode begins with Amanda distraught over Darcy's rejection. Within minutes, Darcy announces his engagement to Caroline Bingley (who we know has no interest in him, or any other man for that matter). Mrs Bennet runs from the room in tears, but not over their announcement; she's just found out Lydia and Bingley have run off to Hammersmith to sample this brave new world Amanda talks about, in the hopes of beating their ennui. As Amanda says, it should be Wickham, and we have another departure from the plot of Jane Austen's novel. How will this all turn out?

To find out what happens next, and leave your own comments, just read more.

Mrs Bennet blames Amanda for the situation, and Jane says Bingley's intention must be to marry Lydia. Yeah right! They head back to Longbourn to get Mr Bennet, only to find Mr Collins' three brothers making themselves at home thanks to Lady Catherine's interference. When Amanda makes it clear to the Bennets that there won't be a wedding, Mrs Bennet is hilarious in her hysteria (Alex Kingston's finest hour in this role) and Mr Bennet finally gets involved, with the three of them heading off to Hammersmith.
Their carriage rolls in to Hammersmith, which is positively countryside-ish, and just as Amanda is about to come clean to the Bennets, the (not so) wicked Wickham turns up and saves her bacon, making up a story about her parents being out of town and the house being shut up. What's this, Wickham saving the day again? As Amanda says, Jane Austen must be "spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble dryer". Heh.
They all head over to the inn to find Lydia crying. Bingley explains that nothing has happened - she is simply bored, as he is to, as Hammersmith is not the exciting destination that Amanda had talked about. Darcy arrives and tries to cover for the pair, but Bingley tells him there's no need as they've been "philosophising" not "making the beast with two backs" as Mr Bennet thinks. Bingley and Mr Bennet duel, with the latter hitting his head and bleeding profusely. The writer can't kill Mr Bennet, surely?

Once again, Wickham saves the day as he knows a woman who can put stitches in. Amanda is grateful but still sure that Wickham is wicked, telling him: "You are a bastard, but you are the right bastard at the right time". He responds by telling her that everyone will eventually prise her fingers from the yacht and watch her drown, except for him. I'm loving this new version of Wickham! I wonder what Jane Austen would make of him?
Amanda tells Darcy that she needs to find Elizabeth and walks out of the door in to ... modern day London! It's a real jolt from the world of Pride and Prejudice, and I'm not overly keen on it, but I guess it had to go back to the future at some point to tie up all the loose ends. Amanda returns to her flat and finds boyfriend Michael there, who's sold his bike to pay for their honeymoon. He's being quite sweet and saying they don't have to get married, they can just go on holiday and see how things go, and it looks like Amanda's pleased to see him. No Amanda, no! End up with Darcy!
Michael and Amanda are on their way to find Elizabeth Bennet (who's got a job as a nanny) when they see Darcy in his top hat looking thoroughly bewildered in the busy London street. He tells Amanda he's been blinded by pride and says he loves her and would follow her anywhere. Awww. Amanda still has the plot of the book on her mind thinking Darcy and Elizabeth should be together, and tells him they must find her. They get the bus and find a short-haired Elizabeth watching the TV (with no sound) and doing the ironing.

Elizabeth sees Amanda's wearing her dress and, in a laugh out loud moment for me, says it wouldn't fit her now as she's macrobiotic! Once Amanda's told her about her father's accident she rushes around turning off the appliances, because her employers are concerned about their footprint, but she stops in her tracks when she realises who Darcy is. She tells him she is his wife, that they've been married for 200 years, and she shows him a website with a picture of Colin Firth's wet shirt moment!
I was concerned about how the show was going to deal with Elizabeth in contemporary times, as I don't really think there's any way of doing it without it being a bit predictable and tedious. I found this part alright, and it could have been a lot worse, but it certainly wasn't a highlight for me. What about you?
Michael and Darcy trade insults outside the house and throw a few punches, but Amanda splits them up and they all head back to her flat and the portal in the bathroom. The door won't stay open for Elizabeth, it will only open for Amanda. Her flatmate Pirhana refuses to go with her, and boyfriend Michael says he'll leave for good if she goes through the door, but she goes through nonetheless, taking Darcy and Elizabeth with her.
Phew, we're back in Austen's world. Elizabeth feels awful about Charlotte Lucas moving to Africa to become a missionary, but soon puts her out of her mind as she tells Jane she must marry Bingley, and nurses her recovering father. Thanks to Wickham's friend, Mr Bennet has survived, and they're all back at Longbourn. Darcy goes to bed as he's feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, and Amanda goes to see him while he's asleep. He's clutching a piece of paper, and she kisses him goodnight.
Wickham tries hitting on Amanda, to no avail, and the next day Darcy is back to his cold self, asking for a carriage to be summoned to take him home. Still trying to follow Austen's plot, Amanda gets Elizabeth to walk with Darcy so the two can get together, but Elizabeth explains to Amanda that she has been changed by what she's seen. Bingley tells Jane that he had no bad intentions towards Lydia, and she gives him a flower and says that they will think of each other on this day each year and remember the love they shared, and then kisses him. They're a bit wet really, but quite sweet.
Lady Catherine turns up (with Caroline in the carriage) and has a go at Mrs Bennet for not making proper use of Mr Collins' brothers. Mrs Bennet has a go back, and Jane sticks up for them too, with Mr Bennet cheering from his sofa and saying he'll sleep in the bedroom again instead of the library. Lady Catherine then lays in to Amanda outside, asking her what it is she wants. When Amanda says she wants Jane not to be married to Mr Collins, Lady Catherine says that as long as Amanda leaves she can arrange an annulment as they never consummated the marriage. Hurrah, just as I hoped back in episode three.
Lady Catherine and Caroline drive off, but Caroline's crying about not getting to see anyone. Wickham, who tells Amanda to chase gaiety, offers his handkerchief to Caroline as she drives past. Would these two be good together? Jane is annoying devastated about the annulment, thinking that it will look awful to society, but good old Bingley turns up and says society can go hang. He'll take her to America and they can be recreated. So these two have got their happy ending; what about Amanda, Elizabeth and Darcy?
Darcy and Elizabeth arrange to meet at Pemberley and he says goodbye to Amanda, telling her he is minding his duty. They're both obviously heartbroken that they have to part, and Elizabeth isn't interested in Darcy anyway, telling Amanda that she could learn to love him. Amanda advises her to keep talking; from talking comes the love.
As Amanda makes her way back to the portal to the modern day, she pictures all the key moments with Darcy, at the first ball and the wet shirt moment in the lake (natch). Just as she reaches the door she finds the piece of paper he was holding as he slept; it's the bus ticket, with the words "Not one heartbeat do I forget" written on the back. Love. It.
We then cut to Elizabeth waving off Amanda as the latter takes the carriage to Pemberley. Elizabeth asks her father if she can go back to Hammersmith and he lets her go. Amanda arrives at Pemberley and walks over to Darcy. They have a nice little banter and then have a long old kiss, with the final shot being Amanda's big grin as she looks over his shoulder. I am SO glad this didn't end with "and then she woke up". I kept expecting a twist like that right up until the credits rolled, and am relieved it continued in its crazy, surreal way right up to the end.

So there are my opinions on the final episode. All in all I really enjoyed this series, and would love to see more kinds of innovative ideas like this on TV. I'd love to hear your views, so share your thoughts with me.

A New Battle Begins Over The Next Iron Chef!

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 11:45:51 -0700

Days before the season finale of The Next Food Network Star - and hot off the heels of another captivating Top Chef Masters round - we've learned more about another foodie reality TV show. After the first successful iteration of The Next Iron Chef in 2007 (alums Michael Symon, Chris Cosentino, and Aaron Sanchez have all become Food Network personalities), the show is returning for a second season on Oct. 4.

This season will purportedly "take the contestants from Los Angeles to Japan to New York to compete in the food fight of their professional lives." Alton Brown hosts once again, with the competitors facing the wrath of three judges: returning panelist and restaurateur Donatella Arpaia, Vogue food writer Jeffrey Steingarten, and sustainable advisor (and Slow Food Nation director) Anya Fernald.

Who will be next to join the likes of Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, Mario Batali, Michael Symon, and Masaharu Morimoto (who just confirmed plans to open his first West Coast restaurant)? I've got my speculations - and I'd love to hear yours below. Find out who the 10 contenders are.