Year: 2008

Great Scot… and Brits!

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For MANY reasons, I tend to gravitate towards British shows/movies/actors.  I think (overall) the theatrically-trained Brits are able to delve deep into a multitude of characters.  They are not out for merely celebrity status, and think of acting as a “job” (several greats have used this word).  They are more subtle and less self-conscious, unlike a lot of the “stars” here in US who tend to play themselves (the example that comes to mind now is Brad Pitt in Troy).  Below are a few young, talented, and cute (hey, that doesn’t hurt!) actors that YOU should watch out for.

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Toby Stephens – It’d be weird if he wasn’t an actor (mum is Dame Maggie Smith)!  Besides the (obvious) physical resemblance, he shares her ability to command attention onscreen, highbrow British accent, and confident gait (I love how he walks!)  He was honored with the role of the mysterious/romantic Mr. Rochester in the newest version of Jane Eyre.  Toby even learned Hindi to co-star in The Rising (titled Mangal Pandey in India) with noted Bollywood actor, Aamir Khan.  Plus he makes red hair look GORGEOUS!

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Benedict Cumberbatch – Obviously, this young actor DID NOT change his name for fame- LOL!  He isn’t a BIG star yet, but has received praise for his roles in Amazing Grace (he was Prime Minister, and best pal to Gruffudd’s Wilberforce) and Atonement (McAvoy was innocent; he was NOT- can’t give more away).  Looking forward to seeing more of Benedict in the future…

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Ioan Gruffudd – How can you NOT like the guy who insisted on coming around to save Rose from the icy arctic waters (in Titanic)!?  He’s done TV (in The Forsyte Saga he was rival to the- also fabulous and British- Damian Lewis), small indie films, and box office hits.  Ioan is a Welsh actor, so he’s been navigating different languages and cultures his entire life.  In his TV interviews, he is very humble and low-key.  He was even on The Tavis Smiley Show (which I LOVE) to promote Amazing Grace.  Hmmm… his looks and demeanor bring to mind Rupert Graves- another reason to be a fan!

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Hugh Dancy – He’s already worked with Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons (in the HBO miniseries Elizabeth I), played the lead role in his own miniseries (Daniel Deronda), tried rom com (here in US) and… just LOOK at that fabulous picture!  His great smile makes ME want to smile; I think he’ll keep getting work.  😉

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James McAvoy – Yup, he’s the Scot I metioned in the title!  He was doing theater as a teen, then got a considerable role in a sci-fi miniseries (Dune) in his early 20s.  Some critics have said that he is TOO interesting for “typical” boring leading parts because he can be fun, quirky, and engaging.  I went to see Atonement mainly to see how he’s grown as an actor.  James is my age, but already shown his maturity via his work!

Movie Review: “Eastern Promises”

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I know I’m a BIT late in watching this (very interesting) movie, BUT I was wary about the violence.  Usually, I don’t like seeing blood, fights, etc.  However, the director (David Cronenberg) doesn’t glorify violence- it’s short, to-the-point, and then over!  He also made A History of Violence with Viggo Mortensen (also the star here).  Eastern Promises is engrossing (I was on the edge of my seat), short, and filled with great moments of acting from various characters.  Just like the previous film, this one has a BIG twist…

Viggo Mortensen covered in tattoos as a crime boss in new movie with Naomi Watts

Viggo is completely transformed- hair, mannerisms, and speech!  His acting is subtle, because that suits the role to a tee.  Naomi Watts (always looks good, even when wearing “ordinary” clothes) is the everyday midwife who gets pulled into the world of the Russian mafia.  She is the sympathetic character the audience can relate to.  Viggo is intrigued by her from the start, BUT they do NOT have a “typical” movie romance/relationship.  The film also hits on serious stuff: slavery/prostitution (of underage girls who don’t know what they are getting into), drug abuse, alcoholism, thievery, retaliation- what a list!

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Eastern Promises is a bigger film than A History of Violence, because it has more scope.  However, when you look a LITTLE deeper, you will find very interesting parallels.    In AHOV, the main character (Tom/Joey) was fighting to protect his NEW family (wife, kids) from his OLD family (his big brother, Philly mob).  In EP, Nikolai is fighting to protect a family (Anna, her mom, her uncle, and Tatiana’s baby) from his mafia family (Semyon, Kirill).  Tom became a new person when he left Philly; Nikolai became a new person when he decided to immerse himself into the crime world, instead of just being a “driver.”  Are these two guys “good” or “bad” or neither?  Is violence sometimes needed?

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The sudden bursts of violence in the small town setting of AHOV are jarring, but in EP, violence is less weird (gritty ethnic enclave of London).  The Russian mob boss looks like a pleasant old man (soft speech, big sweaters, cooking).  The Irish mobsters in AHOV, on the other hand, looked and acted tough.  What is more scary to you?

Check out this movie, and discover the different layers!

The BEST Oscar Gowns

Emma3 Comments

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Kate Winslet: This dress was so low-key, yet elegant; it suited her figure VERY well.

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Cate Blanchett: This dress harkens our minds back to old Hollywood glamour, as do her hair and cool diamond pin.

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The designs on this dress are VERY cool, feminine, and youthful.

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Halle Berry: She’s known for making GREAT fashion choices, BUT I prefer the subtle look on her because she doesn’t need frou-frou to stand out in a crowd. 

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Holly Hunter: She can pretty much wear anything and look good with her petite, lean figure; I can’t believe she’ll be 50 this year! 

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Helen Mirren: This is one of my FAVORITE dresses of ALL time!  I think we should (unofficially) make her queen here in U.S. (since that job is filled in her native UK).

It’s alright to be an American Idol drop-out…

Emma2 Comments

I stopped watching AI a LOOOONG time ago, so I didn’t know about country singer Bucky Covington, a finalist (8th place) from Season 5!  Browsing on iTunes, I’m getting to know a little bit about some REALLY good new country singers.  Bucky (I find the name a bit humorous) now has his first CD out and two music videos on CMT.  And just like Alan Jackson, he’s got the slightly long, light blonde hair and mustache. 

 

On an early 2007 Larry King interview, Bucky said that he still “loves” AI, but considers some of it “comedy” (like the success of William Hung).  Three cheers to Bucky for surviving the (very weird for small town NC guy, no doubt) AI experience and coming out with positive attitude and of course- success!  Mark Miller (from the band Sawyer Brown, and a great stage performer) has a young son who LOVED Bucky on AI, and was mad that he got voted off… so he asked his dad to call him up.  That’s how the record deal happened- cool!

 

That was then…

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 American Idol Clips:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxF85HZ_SU (Best I Ever Had – originally sung by Gary Allan)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IZTn09s5T8 (Real Good Man– originally sung by Tim McGraw)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfUUMsiC1jQ (Thunder Rolls – made very famous by Garth Brooks) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGpcGggE9M (Part 1 of interview about the AI experience; can see his personality here!) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPn-Q7aChV4 (Part 2 of interview- Wow, what a transformation!)

This is now…

 

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Music Videos:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIjM6SNt8Hg (Good To Be Us – a fun rock/country song) 

http://www.cmt.com/videos/bucky-covington/133268/a-different-world.jhtml (A Different World – a song that my generation and a BIT older can relate to!)