The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies
The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies |
| Posted: When it comes to comedy, ladies are giving men a run for their money. "Women aren't funny," the late writer Christopher Hitchens declared, arguing that men have evolved a better sense of humour because they needed it to impress women. But although male comedians continue to dominate Hollywood, more women are breaking through and making a name for themselves in mainstream entertainment. The 2011 comedy Bridesmaids was hailed as a turning point in this regard. Here was a movie written by women, with women as its main characters, and almost everyone loved it. It was co-written by its star, Kristen Wiig, one of a wave of new female comic auteurs developing their own material and shows, often with great success. Here are some funny females who have been messing up Hitchens' theorem: The Auteurs Leading the charge are comediennes and actresses who have developed their own material and shows, often drawing on their neurotically hilarious experiences in their work and love lives. Tina Fey, 43, started out in improvisational comedy and became a performer and head writer on the esteemed comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live. She then wrote the screenplay for the hit film Mean Girls (2004), and created and starred in the award-winning TV series 30 Rock. Lena Dunham, 27, created the acclaimed TV comedy drama Girls, an unvarnished look at the lives of a group of dysfunctional 20-somethings in Brooklyn. Since its debut in 2010, it has remained one of the most talked-about shows on US television. Dunham also received US$3.5mil (RM11mil) last year to write her first book, a collection of essays titled Not That Kind Of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned. Mindy Kaling, 34, was a writer and actress on the US version of the sitcom The Office before she created her own show, The Mindy Project, about the romantic misadventures of a young doctor. She also produces and stars in it, a first for an American actor of South Asian descent. Zooey Deschanel, 33, landed her own show last year, the comedy New Girl, which is based on creator Elizabeth Meriweather's experiences sharing a flat with a group of men. The New York Times named Meriweather, along with comedic writer Diablo Cody (who penned the 2007 movie Juno), as a member of a female "Hollywood powerhouse writing posse who call themselves 'The Fempire'". The Batty Beauties Anna Faris, 36, and Isla Fisher, 37. These gorgeous goofballs and delightful ditzes have appeared in a succession of sophomoric but high-energy comedies rife with toilet and bodily-fluid jokes, such as The Dictator (2012) and The House Bunny (2008) for Faris and Bachelorette (2012) and Wedding Crashers (2005) for Fisher. Romantic-comedy veterans such as Julia Roberts, 45, Jennifer Aniston, 44, Sandra Bullock, 49, and Katherine Heigl, 34, have all done an attenuated version of this character: the beautiful but luckless/clumsy/neurotic woman. However, their individual comedic talent in these roles is somewhat debatable. Aniston and Bullock have also gone on to do non-, or at least less, romantic comedies - Aniston breaking type as a nymphomaniac dentist in Horrible Bosses (2011) and Bullock developing a little sideline in playing cranky police officers (Miss Congeniality, 2000, and The Heat, 2013). The Shockers Although their energies are rather different, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, 2011), 42, and Rebel Wilson (Bachelorette, 2012), 27, both trade in a brand of shock comedy that seems to turn on saying and doing the most outrageous and unexpected thing in any given situation, and on subverting stereotypes about femininity - for example, with comically oversexed personas. Aussie girl Wilson also openly defies Hollywood's ideas about women's bodies. Her role as Fat Amy in Pitch Perfect (2012) is widely seen as the highlight of the movie - she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance and was nominated for a handful of other honours. – The Straits Times, Singapore/Asia News Network |
| Posted: Penelope Cruz directs short film for Agent Provocateur. PENELOPE Cruz has directed a short film to promote the new range of underwear for Agent Provocateur. Working with her sister Monica Cruz, the Oscar-winning actress, has created a new range for the London-based lingerie brand. 'L'Agent' hit stores including Bloomingdales, Harrods, and Printempslast Thursday, and will also be available on a special L'Agent website. In celebration of the collection, the actress chose to direct her debut film, which was shot in Madrid. In fact, the whole project is something of a family affair. Alongside the aforementioned Monica, Cruz's husband (and fellow Academy Award winner) Javier Bardem also makes an appearance, while the film's soundtrack was composed by younger brother Eduardo Cruz. Filling out the cast, the actress picked Russian model Irina Shayk. "I chose Irina, as she is such a vivacious woman, and with all the beautiful women in the campaign, I really needed someone who would keep the audience's attention," Cruz said. In fact, as Cruz told WWD, the experience was extremely personal. "They gave me all the freedom, and I was able to tell the story I wanted to tell. I used women of all shapes and ages, as it was important for me to let women know that this brand is for everyone," she shared. The film can be viewed on the brand's website. Cheaper than the main Agent Provocateur lingerie sets, the L'Agent collection will sell at an average price of US$61.50 (RM200), but won't be available in the brand's own stores. – AFP Relaxnews |
| Posted: Unbeatable may have taken a while to make, but director Dante Lam is happy with the result. Dante Lam's Unbeatable first came across our radar when its leads bagged top acting honours at the recent 16th Shanghai International Film Festival, with Nick Cheung winning the best actor award and Crystal Lee winning best actress. Filmed in Macau and Hong Kong, Unbeatable is an action movie that features mixed martial arts. Lam was excited to work with a multi-national cast: Cheung is from Hong Kong, Eddie Peng is Taiwanese-Canadian, Andy On is Chinese-American and of course, Lee is from Malaysia. "I enjoy making each and every one of my films, but this one even more so. When filming action blockbusters, there tends to be many sources of stress. For example, when filming on a street, various issues could crop up which would require some quick-thinking to solve the problem. "In comparison, Unbeatable was quite different as I was able to enjoy the shooting process, and conduct detailed discussions with the actors about their roles, which created a more enjoyable atmosphere," shared Lam, 48, in an e-mail interview.  According to the director, Peng was the perfect choice to play Li Si Qi because they are alike in some ways. Though Unbeatable was conceptualised five years ago, Lam had problems getting actors for the film, so he had to put the movie on hold. In the meantime, though, Lam focused on working on – and releasing – The Viral Factor (2012), The Stool Pigeon (2010), Fire Of Conscience (2010), Sniper (2009) and Beast Stalker (2008). "Naturally, Nick Cheung was my first choice and I was surprised at how much he pushed himself to great effect. Our previous two collaborations (Beast Stalker and The Stool Pigeon) were already tough to do, but Unbeatable exerted a whole different level of physical challenge. Nonetheless, we both share the same ideology: The film industry is a tough one, but the audience can see the effort you put in and the sacrifices you make for the film," said Lam. In Unbeatable, Cheung portrays debt-ridden former boxing champ Chin Fai, who is forced to flee Hong Kong to Macau to avoid further harassment from loan sharks. There, he befriends his neighbour's bossy daughter Dani (Lee) and meets a young boxer named Li Si Qi (Peng). Seeing how Li is determined to win a boxing match, Fai becomes the young man's mentor, and eventually rediscovers his own passion to fight. Having to buff up for the role of a lean and mean mixed martial arts fighter may be a tall order for some actors, but Cheung spared nothing to acquire the physique of a boxer. He went on a strict diet and hit the gym daily. Famed for his dedication to his craft, Cheung had previously spent six months working out for the role of a convict in the Roy Chow-helmed Nightfall. He had lost so much weight then that he was only 53kg by the time filming began for Nightfall. At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur in June with Cheung and Lee, the former recalled an embarrassing moment. "I was changing out of my clothes for the next scene and had just removed my shirt when I noticed that everybody in the room, whether they were male or female, were just staring at me. It was terribly embarrassing," said the 45-year-old actor, who stopped going to the gym after he was done with Unbeatable as he had "absolutely no interest in body-building and only did it for the movie". Cheung had some tough times while filming the movie. "My pinky finger was broken in so many places (a stuntman had accidentally kicked him), it was shaped like the letter 'Z'. It was so bad that I didn't even dare look at it while I was waiting in the emergency room. But my only concern then was that it would affect the movie. At that time, we hadn't even started filming the action sequences yet and my scenes included punching sandbags, fighting with opponents in the boxing ring and getting beaten up," said Cheung. As for the character of young boxer Li Si Qi, director Lam thought he wouldn't be able to find the perfect actor until he met 31-year-old Peng, whose commitment to his role as a gymnast in the coming-of-age flick Jump Ashin! (2011) was impressive. "This film tells the tale of two different men from different age groups, with each having his own challenges and problems. Finding someone youthful with such a strong fighting spirit – and one who could meet our shooting schedule – was a big problem. "Then one day, someone suggested Eddie Peng. They also told me that he trained for a year to play his part in Jump! Ashin, but I was still a sceptic. After all, where would such an actor exist today? However, during my first meeting with him, I was immediately taken in by how much he is like the character Li Si Qi. The rest is history," said Lam. Unbeatable opens in cinemas nationwide on Aug 15. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Movies To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan