My Week with Marilyn is essentially a 99 minute biopic that showcases the infamous actress and sex symbol’s tumultuous stint on the 1957 production of the feature film, The Prince and the Showgirl. Now most biopics will attempt to cover the subject’s entire life, or at the very least, the important parts. Obviously, the title alerts you that we are only going to get a sample-size of the celebrity that constantly turned heads…in more ways than you’d think.

The story is told through the eyes and experiences of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne). Born into an uber-wealthy family, Colin has dreams of working in the movie-making industry and is determined to make it by any means. After literally camping out in a studio’s head office, director/producer and heralded British actor, Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) gives the eager lad a shot as a 3rd assistant to the director – which is him. Colin is basically a “go-for” and handles all the odd jobs on the production site. The guy is now beginning to live his dream.

Just as everyone else on the set is stoked to be living out their dreams while working on a major production, some of them are going to be thinking they walked into a nightmare upon the arrival of the star, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). As the pop-culture icon arrives by private plane, the national media and surrounding locals stalk the starlet day and night. On the set, Marilyn is over-coddled by her acting coach, Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamker), and this drives Sir Laurence bonkers. Although it is his production, the fragile and audacious Marilyn is seemingly calling the shots, giving the entire cast and crew constant headaches. The only one that can seem to get through to her is the quiet and eyes-wide-open Colin.

Seeing the Marilyn character outside of the media and/or films is naturally intriguing. Her bipolar-like personality is brought to life in a classy manner by Michelle Williams. Depending on how they categorize this role, she should be in talks for a Best Actress nod come award season. And sticking with the character, the way they lit all her scenes symbolized what many saw back then: She was always the brightest star in the room. Her presence is over-powering yet her confidence is severely lacking. Seeing her struggle and how the people around her react (Dominic Cooper shines in these moments) tell the story and solidify this very clever biopic. This snapshot of her life is what the lauded actress went through every day and the sequences chosen here were well-planned by the director and screenplay writers.

The smaller plot points, such as Colin fancying a humble wardrobe designer in Lucy (Emma Watson), are mainly used to show the affect Marilyn had when on the scene. One minute Colin is all about Lucy; that is until Marilyn gives him the time of day and things immediately get turned on their head. And that same reaction brings us back to the true show-stopper in this flick, Kenneth Branagh. He is easily the most entertaining character to watch and elevates every sequence. Watching his mood swings – many in mid-sentence – is not only hilarious but a privilege to take-in. His reflective character is used to articulate the current social landscape as well as the changing of the guard, in showing what affect someone with the cache of Marilyn had on a multitude of industries (film, journalism, etc.).

From a storytelling perspective, many of the main characters transition from protagonists to antagonists quite frequently, and effortlessly. Again, this is done to show the power of someone like Marilyn Monroe. So although it is a true account of what her life was like, this flick can double as a social commentary.

Overall, My Week with Marilyn oozes with intrigue and solid performances. Just as the world flaunted over the blonde with the red-devil lipstick, the audience will hang on everything they see in this satisfactory telling of an icon.

RATING: 4 out of 5

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It’s easy to see how J. Edgar was one of my most anticipated films of 2011. It stars my favorite working actor, is directed by a living legend, and features a script by an Academy Award winning screenwriter. But who knew that those elements could combine to create something so…boring?

The film tracks the trajectory of the professional and personal life of J. Edgar Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio), the first director of the FBI, from the early days of his career in 1919 until his death in 1972. Hoover meets a young graduate named Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), and even though he doesn’t fit the profile for a job on Hoover’s coveted new squad, Hoover brings him on anyway. See, Hoover’s been bullied into not accepting his homosexuality. Even his own mother (Judi Dench) says she’d rather have a dead son than a gay one. On a first date with a new woman at the Bureau (Naomi Watts), Hoover is so socially inept that she has to interrupt a proposal from him. She’s married to her work, she says, and Hoover brings her on as his personal secretary (a position she’ll have for the rest of her life). But he can’t help himself with Tolson, what with the young man’s booming voice and broad shoulders and all. Though things never get too sexual – check out another film that played at the AFI Film Festival this year, Steve McQueen’s Shame, if you’re looking for that – their relationship takes center stage as Hoover makes a name for himself and his department.

“Information is power,” an elderly Hoover dictates to one of numerous agents tasked with writing a book about him (the structure of the film is told from the old man’s point of view through flashbacks), and the film does add a tiny bit of complexity when dealing with the issues of how far Hoover is willing to go to keep his power in Washington, simultaneously commenting on the state of American politics and freedoms in a post-9/11 world. I wish more of those concepts were explored instead of what we are actually shown: a stale biopic about a tortured man whose private life was undoubtedly messed up, but was also, as the marketing hails, “the most powerful man in the world.”

There’s much made of the creation of the FBI and Hoover’s crusade to secure the adoption of the investigation techniques used in regular police work today. But since our modern media is saturated with a different CSI or NCIS show seemingly every night, the “magic” of the implementation of those tactics seems dull and uninteresting. The film doesn’t really help us out in this department: the centerpiece of the use of this technology surrounds the infamous Lindbergh baby case – specifically, agents studying wood from a ladder found outside the home the day of the kidnapping. Yep, you read that correctly – guys standing around in a lab analyzing a wooden ladder. Some movies may be able to make a scene like that interesting, but J. Edgar is not one of them.

Behind the camera, this is not the rough and tumble Eastwood I prefer. Instead, it’s as if adhering to his notoriously quick directing style – Fincher did 99 takes for the opening scene of The Social Network, while Eastwood prefers to do everything in one or two takes – became more important than the content of the film itself, rendering the movie completely devoid of any passion or personality. It could have been directed by anyone, and that was a big disappointment for me.

Another disappointment? This is not DiCaprio’s best work. More distracting than the heavy age makeup for me was his speech, as he adopts what one can only assume is an accurate representation of the way Hoover actually spoke. But accurate as it may be (or maybe it isn’t, how should I know?), DiCaprio’s delivery is brittle and jerky, with an accent sliding in and out depending on the scene. This is the same actor who received high praise for his South African accent in Blood Diamond, one of the most difficult accents to replicate. So I’m sure it was just a choice on his part in J. Edgar, but it was one that I could never quite get past as the movie progressed. Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts were both fine, but the monotonous script doesn’t allow them to live up to their potential and never gives them a true “moment” to make their own, save for a laughably over-the-top emotional outburst from Hammer seen in the trailers.

Sometimes the combination of some of the best talent in the business results in a misfire. In the blockbuster genre, take a look at Cowboys & Aliens from earlier this year: Jon Favreau, Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Damon Lindelof, Hawk Otsby, Mark Fergus, Alex Kurtzman, and Roberto Orci all had their hands in that pot, and it was pretty awful. If the nicest thing I can say about J. Edgar is that it’s the dramatic equivalent of Cowboys & Aliens…well, there’s that saying about “if you can’t say anything nice,” so maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all. Until next time…

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We got the main details from the Skyfall press conference earlier today, and now Digital Spy have uploaded the full press conference for all to see.

The panel includes director Sam Mendes, Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe, along with producers Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli.

In Skyfall, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

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A press conference for Bond 23 was held this morning in London, and it was confirmed that the movie will be called Skyfall, a title which producer Barbara Broccoli said “has an emotional context which will be revealed in the film”.

Director Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig were in attendance, as were Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe, confirming their involvement in the film. Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw were also announced as cast members.

Here’s the full press release:

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli’s Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

“We’re so delighted to have Sam Mendes direct SKYFALL and be working once again with Daniel Craig. We’ve a great script, an extraordinary cast and an incredibly talented creative team for this latest James Bond adventure,” said Wilson and Broccoli.

The Director of Photography is Roger Deakins, a nine-time Oscar® nominee who previously shot the films Jarhead and Revolutionary Road for Mendes. The Production Designer is Oscar® winner Dennis Gassner, who previously designed Quantum of Solace and collaborated with Mendes on the films Road to Perdition and Jarhead. The Editor is Stuart Baird, A.C.E., whose many credits include Casino Royale. Jany Temime, whose many credits include the Harry Potter series, In Bruges, and Children of Men, is the Costume Designer. Action specialist Alexander Witt is the 2nd Unit Director. Gary Powell is Stunt Co-ordinator, Chris Corbould is SFX Supervisor and Steve Begg is Visual Effects Supervisor, all of whom have worked on previous Bond films.

It’s good to finally have a brief synopsis for the film. During the press conference Mendes and the cast kept plot details to themselves, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Mendes said the storyline will take 007 to London, China, Turkey and Scotland, and it had “”all the elements of a classic Bond movie, including – to quell any rumours – lots of action”.

What do you think of the title and cast?

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Last month Naomie Harris (28 Days Later, Pirates of the Caribbean) confirmed that she had met with director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli regarding a role in Bond 23. Some thought she’d be up for the Bond girl role, but now it looks like the actress will be playing Moneypenny.

According to The Daily Mail (via Playlist) Harris is “poised” to appear in Bond 23 as Moneypenny, which means she isn’t confirmed yet but it’s likely. Moneypenny, secretary to M (Judi Dench), hasn’t been seen in a Bond movie since Samantha Bond played her in Die Another Day back in 2002. The casting of Naomie Harris suggests Sam Mendes will be doing something different with the character, and she’ll probably have a larger role than in previous films (possibly getting out of the office environment in the process).

The site also suggests Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes, who were previously thought to be up for roles, are locked. With The Dark Tower delayed until next year it appears Bardem has been freed up for Bond. No details have been revealed as to whom he will play, although Bardem confirmed it would be a villain. Bardem played a villain in his Oscar-winning turn in No Country For Old Men two years ago so he’s no stranger to this type of role.

As for Ralph Fiennes, next seen as Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, his role is said to be ‘a darkly complex’ one, and Mendes approached him because “the part is one of extreme complexity and only an actor of great ability and dexterity can take it on”.

Filming is set to begin later this year for an October 2012 release, and with a cast like this Bond 23 is looking very promising.

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In honor of International Woman’s Day, Daniel Craig set aside the Walther PPKs and Aston Martins in favor of some new accessories: in a short clip, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and written by Jane Goldman (she of X-Men: First Class fame) we are invited to feast uncomfortably on Craig’s turn as a woman.

In this 2:09 clip, Bond walks with conviction in front of a spotlight, that is until M recites a litany of statistics damning to the idea of gender equality in 2011.

Is it supposed to be funny? Eye-opening? It’s a little hard to crack a smile despite seeing the ultra-macho Craig, generally considered the epitome of the “strong, silent type” looking more Birdcage than steel cage, clad in a dress and blonde wig. Nevertheless, while M (voiced by the immediately recognizable Dame Judi Dench) explains to Bond (and us) the many ways in which women are discriminated against still today, the joke deflates pretty quickly.

Especially when you consider the track record that Bond has had with women, who generally considered them as so many notches on his bedpost, the clip rings a little hollow.

Oh well. As we get closer and closer to the as-of-yet untitled James Bond 23, most Bond-fanatics will probably just be happy to see Craig, looking smoldering as ever, return to form as 007 in this truncated next chapter of the Bond series.

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Back in 2009 Judi Dench said she would be returning as M in Bond 23 and expected to begin filming in early 2011. However, that was before the whole MGM situation, which was only resolved last month. Since then we’ve had confirmation that Daniel Craig will be returning as Bond with Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, Jarhead) directing, and Dench today confirmed she’ll be back as well.

In an interview with the BBC Dench said she can’t reveal anything about the script, but she is looking forward “hugely” to working with Craig again and Sam Mendes, who she has previously worked with in theatre.

You can watch the short interview here.

The script for Bond 23 has been written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan, and a release date of November 9, 2012 has been set.

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Over the past few weeks we’ve been getting casting news on Clint Eastwood’s John Edgar Hoover biopic J. Edgar which has Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. The Social Network‘s Armie Hammer and Dame Judi Dench signed on, and Charlize Theron was in talks until she was offered roles in Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and Snow White and the Huntsman.

Now according to Deadline Naomi Watts has stepped in to replace Theron and will play Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk Hoover selected as his personal secretary at the age of 21, and who wound up working for him for over 54 years.

In the film DiCaprio will play J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was surrounded by controversy as his career in the Bureau progressed. Hammer will play lawyer-turned-FBI-official — and, some say, Hoover’s lover — Clyde Tolson. Though the pair didn’t always agree on political tactics, Tolson remained a loyal friend and advisor to Hoover.

Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) is set to play Agent Smith, a clean-cut operative hired by Hoover to write his biography; Josh Lucas plays aviator Charles Lindbergh; Damon Herriman plays Bruno Hauptmann, the German immigrant accused of kidnapping Lindbergh’s 20-month baby in 1932. Called the crime of the century, Hauptmann’s trial was a major case for Hoover.

No word on when filming will begin but with the majority of the cast signed on it will probably be sometime over the next few months.

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Earlier this month we heard that The Social Network actor Armie Hammer would be joining Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood’s John Edgar Hoover biopic J. Edgar, and that Charlize Theron was also offered a role.

In a recent interview Eastwood suggested that while Theron isn’t a lock, she will likely be signing on soon, and revealed that Judi Dench had also joined the cast.

From Sandwich John Films (via The Playlist):

I asked him about his casting for the upcoming Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar Hoover biopic (Which has been retitled J. Edgar) and how he went about casting Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover.

Eastwood- The script is a very good script and we were all preparing it and he liked the the script. He actually volunteered for it.

And the casting of Charlize Theron for the film?

Eastwood- We think she will be in the film (With a smile.) And Judi Dench is definitely in the film and there we are.

That’s quite a cast Eastwood has pulled together.

In the film DiCaprio will play the lead role of J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who was surrounded by controversy as his career in the Bureau progressed. Hammer will play lawyer-turned-FBI-official — and, some say, Hoover’s lover — Clyde Tolson. Though the pair didn’t always agree on political tactics, Tolson remained a loyal friend and advisor to Hoover.

Dench’s role is unknown at the moment, but Charlize Theron will likely play Helen Gandy, a Justice Department file clerk Hoover selected as his personal secretary at the age of 21, and who wound up working for him for over 54 years.

The movie looks to be in the scripting stage at the moment, but it should start filming sometime next year. Given the cast and director it could be potential Oscar bait in 2012.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides director Rob Marshall decided to bring Penelope Cruz with him onto the high seas after directing the actress in Nine, and it looks like he has done the same with Dame Judi Dench.

According to the Daily Mail the director “asked her if she’d shoot a cameo role in On Stranger Tides”, which she agreed to do, and will feature in a scene with Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Spoilers below:

On Stranger Tides, which stars Depp, Penelope Cruz (also a Nine alumna) and Geoffrey Rush, starts with a chase sequence — described as a bit like Charlie Chaplin getting away from the Keystone Kops — involving Depp’s character Captain Jack Sparrow.

Cap’n Jack escapes into a carriage belonging to a noblewoman, played by Judi. As he ravishes her, he ­manages to rob her.

Judi will have just a minute or two on screen, if that, but she enjoys hijinks and I’m told she and Depp were in fits of giggles most of the time.

This will definitely be something to look forward to. Dame Judi Dench is one of the great British actresses of our time, and as we won’t be seeing her in a big commercial movie until Bond 23, this cameo should keep her fans happy. Dench has been filming a few small British films recently, and will next be seen in Jane Eyre opposite Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell and Mia Wasikowska.

The fourth Pirates film will include “zombies, cutthroats, mermaids and… Penelope Cruz” as Jack Sparrow and Barbossa sail to find the Fountain of Youth together, only to find Blackbeard (Ian McShane) is after it too. Cruz will play Blackbeard’s daughter who is a woman from Sparrow’s past and he’s not sure if it’s love–or if she’s a ruthless con artist who’s just using him to find the Fountain of Youth.

On Stranger Tides will be released next May, and we will be getting our first look in December as a trailer will be attached to Tron Legacy.

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