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The Promise Trailer


Michael is a promisingstudent living in Armenia during the Ottoman Turkish Empire, who agrees to marry a rich woman in return for a dowry than can put him through medical school. He travels to Istanbul where he meets a reporter for the Associated Press named Christopher and his Armenian love interest Ana who grew up in France. It isn't long before a love triangle develops between the three of them which causes tension in their relationships, but all of that ceases to matter when the Empire begins the Armenian Genocide. He manages to get out of serving in the army, but after trying to save a member of his family he gets locked up in a prison camp himself. With his village in danger, all he wants is to rescue his family and his people, and Christopher - freeing himself of his jealousy of Ana and Michael's attraction - insists on helping in their escape.

Continue: The Promise Trailer

Song To Song Trailer


The music scene of Austin, Texas becomes tainted by lust and illict desires as two aspiring songwriters named Faye (Rooney Mara) and BV (Ryan Gosling) become entwined in two overlapping love triangles with a major player in the music business named Cook (Michael Fassbender) - who encourages them to take their music careers further - and a charming waitress (Natalie Portman). As much as their lives are about making it in the industry and becoming world renowned successes, their lives get more complicated by disloyalty, temptation and infatuation with each other, pushing all of them ultimately further away. Can love last when betrayal lies at every corner?

Continue: Song To Song Trailer

10 Best Films Of 2013


Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Matt Damon Rob Lowe Michael Douglas Sarah Polley Lake Bell Paul Greengrass Tom Hanks Ryan Coogler Michael B. Jordan Octavia Spencer James McAvoy Christian Bale Bradley Cooper Jennifer Lawrence Amy Adams

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

10. Behind The Candelabra - Sadly consigned to TV in America, this Liberace biopic's lavish production design deserves to be projected on the biggest screen possible. As do great performances from Michael Douglas, Matt Damon and a hilarious Rob Lowe.
Read our 'Behind The Candelabra' Review
Watch 'Behind The Candelabra' Trailer

STORIES WE TELL

Continue reading: 10 Best Films Of 2013

The Women In 'American Hustle': Lawrence Is Brilliant While Adams Is Reinvented


Amy Adams Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale

In Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams, Hollywood has two confident, assertive, talented and self-aware women, more than poised to fight the fight against the patriarchy that is 2013’s film industry.

And while their roles in American Hustle can’t be described as dominant, neither are they submissive and meek. Lawrence plays a housewife – an odd sentence to follow up an opening paragraph that hints at forward thinking and equality – but that she does.

Watch the trailer for American Hustle

Continue reading: The Women In 'American Hustle': Lawrence Is Brilliant While Adams Is Reinvented

Jennifer Lawrence Delivers Oscar-worthy Performance In 'American Hustle'


Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Amy Adams

Jennifer Lawrence is winning all the plaudits for her latest movie, David O'Russell's comedy-drama American Hustle. The film itself is a star-studded 1970s set epic and the critics universally agree that it will be amongst those vying for the major awards in early 2014.

American HustleJennifer Lawrence [R] Turns In Another Oscar-worthy Performance in 'American Hustle'

It follows the story of a brilliant con man named Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) who, along with partner Sydney (Amy Adams) is forced to work for an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) who pushes them into the dangerous world of Jersey mafiosi. The operation becomes more wide-reaching and Irving's wife (Lawrence) threatens to derail the entire thing. 

Continue reading: Jennifer Lawrence Delivers Oscar-worthy Performance In 'American Hustle'

Video - Bradley Cooper And Christian Bale Arrive At 'American Hustle' NY Premiere - Part 1


Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale, the leading male actors in crime drama film 'American Hustle', are spotted at the New York screening held at the Ziegfeld Theater. The duo play crime-fighting partners Richie DiMaso and Irving Rosenfeld respectively, who set out to uncover the corrupt international leaders and their dangerous mafia connections.

Continue: Video - Bradley Cooper And Christian Bale Arrive At 'American Hustle' NY Premiere - Part 1

American Hustle Is Ready For The Oscars With Precursors Sewn Up


Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Amy Adams Jeremy Renner David O Russell

A late entry to the 2013 awards race, David O. Russell's American Hustle is emerging as a force to reckon with. The film reunites Russell with Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence, who both won Oscars working with him in the past.

Check out the trailer for American Hustle

Hustle completes a remarkable trilogy for O Russell, a man who came to the party late and didn’t fight his feet right away.

Continue reading: American Hustle Is Ready For The Oscars With Precursors Sewn Up

American Hustle Fashion A Mixture Of 70s Playboy And Vintage Gucci


Amy Adams Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale

American Hustle may have received lashings of praise for its dark humour, gripping premise and whip-cracking plot but none of that would have mattered had the seventies era scene not been set so perfectly with a mixture of big bouffants, gargantuan glasses and skimpy stylings.

American Hustle
The American Hustle gang look imperiously 70s in their getup

Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale each give storming performances in a movie that has already brought excited Oscars chatter but it must be said: the fashion is hilariously and unapologetically 70s bad-taste.

Continue reading: American Hustle Fashion A Mixture Of 70s Playboy And Vintage Gucci

Golden Globes Odds - The Nominees Have Been Priced Up, So Who's Favourite?


Chiwetel Ejiofor Cate Blanchett Robert Redford Michael Fassbender Bradley Cooper Christian Bale

The Golden Globes won’t be handed out until January 12th, but with the nominees freshly announced, a set of odds have already been priced up by Paddy Power, meaning you can start speculating with a few to accumulating post haste. But what are you going to place your hard-earned cash on?

12 Years a SlaveChiwetel Ejiofor as Soloman Northrup in 12 Years a Slave

Kicking off with the big one, Best Drama, and it looks as though 12 Years a Slave will pick up the Grammy as a precursor to an awesome Oscars performance. The Steve McQueen directed, Chiwetel Ejiofor-starring slavery epic has stunned the critics, and odds of 4/11 make it the favourite.

Continue reading: Golden Globes Odds - The Nominees Have Been Priced Up, So Who's Favourite?

American Hustle Review


Essential

David O. Russell deploys his deranged genius to explore the real events behind Abscam, cleverly focussing on the inter-relationships rather than the details of the elaborate sting operation. So under the wild 1970s hair and costumes, we have a series of characters who are never very likeable but are still hugely engaging. Which makes this one of the most prickly, exhilarating movies of the year.

As the opening caption says, "Some of this actually happened". It's set in 1978 New York, where lowlife conman Irving (Bale) is making a decent living with his girlfriend Sydney (Adams). Although his wife Rosalyn (Lawrence) knows something is up. Things get even more complicated when Irving and Sydney are cornered by FBI agent Richie (Cooper) and forced to co-operate in a complex scam to entrap mobsters and dirty politicians, including the likeable Mayor Polito (Renner), with whom Irving strikes up a friendship. As things develop, the sting continually threatens to spin crazily out of control. And Irving starts to worry that Sydney is getting far too close to Richie.

Intriguingly, even as the story gets more and more insane, Russell keeps the story grounded in the characters and the way they interact with each other. So their shifting relationships, power struggles and internal jealousies take centre stage, blurring the details of the undercover operation into the background. This may annoy viewers who want clear insight into Abscam, but it makes the movie much more involving. And it gives the actors a lot to work with. Each of them delivers a powerhouse performance that blends the character's distinct physicality with a complex inner life.

Continue reading: American Hustle Review

SAG Awards Noms & Snubs: '12 Years A Slave' Leads The Way [Trailer]


Chiwetel Ejiofor Steve McQueen Jennifer Lawrence Daniel Bruhl Michael Fassbender Lupita Nyong'o Robert Redford Christian Bale Matthew Mcconaughey Jared Leto Cate Blanchett Sandra Bullock Meryl Streep Julia Roberts

12 Years a Slave hasn't even been released in most countries yet but has already been heaped with accolades with more awards bound to blossom from the scores of nominations Steve McQueen's movie has garnered. The Screen Actors Guild awards nominations are out and yet again the slavery drama starring Chiwetel Ejiofor has emerged on top with four major nominations.

12 Years A Slave Chiwetel Ejiofor
Steve McQueen's '12 Years A Slave' Leads The SAG Nominations.

The critically lauded movie is up for best ensemble, best male actor (Chewitel Ejiofor), best supporting male actor (Michael Fassbender) and best supporting female actor (Lupita Nyong'o). 12 Years will come up against American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club, Lee Daniels' The Butler and August: Osage County in the coveted Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category, according to the LA Times.

Continue reading: SAG Awards Noms & Snubs: '12 Years A Slave' Leads The Way [Trailer]

American Hustle: Jennifer Lawrence & Amy Adams Reveal Costume Challenges & Near Nip-Slips [Trailer]


Amy Adams Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale

American Hustle, the latest movie from Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell, is quickly picking up speed before its big release this weekend with scores of gleaming reviews, a dazzling trailer, an enthralling promise and an inviting 1970s dresscode.

American Hustle
They May Look Comfortable & Carefree But 'American Hustle' Posed A Costume Challenge.

The movie follows Christian Bale's heavy and resentful Irv Rosenfeld, one of the most talented con artists in the world married to single mother Rosalyn Rosenfeld, played with emotional sincerity by Jennifer Lawrence. However, Irv is passionately in love with his mistress and business partner, Sydney Prosser, who is played by the ever brilliant and seductive Amy Adams.

Continue reading: American Hustle: Jennifer Lawrence & Amy Adams Reveal Costume Challenges & Near Nip-Slips [Trailer]

For Christian Bale 'Out Of The Furnace' Was A Welcome Change Of Pace [Trailer + Pictures]


Christian Bale Jennifer Lawrence Scott Cooper

Sometimes movie stars have trouble restarting their career after the role of a lifetime, but such is not the case with Christian Bale. After the end of the tough-to-follow Dark Knight trilogy, Bale has been hard at work and now has two impressive films to show for it – the highly anticipated American Hustle, where he stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence and of course, Out of the Furnace, a gritty tale of blue-collar life in the American Rust Belt.

Christian Bale, Out of the Furnace Still
For Bale, Out of the Furnace provided a new kind of challenge.

The film is a low-budget affair, directed by Scott Cooper, for whom this is a sophomore directorial effort. Even so, with a stripped down, hard-hitting screenplay and all-round great performances, Out of the Furnace has been receiving stellar reviews so far.

Continue reading: For Christian Bale 'Out Of The Furnace' Was A Welcome Change Of Pace [Trailer + Pictures]

'American Hustle' Cements Its Oscars Nomination With Critical Praise And NY Win


Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Amy Adams Jeremy Renner

We’re going to stick our necks out and say American Hustle is guaranteed an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. And we’re not sticking it out very far; David O Russell’s stylish thriller/dark comedy completes a trio of ‘comeback’ films, starting with The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook.

American Hustle CastAmy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence are a motley crew in American Hustle

‘Hustle's’ New York Critics Circle award for Best Film saw its odds shorten dramatically for The Oscars – it’s now second favourite only to 12 Years a Slave, which has been considered a frontrunner ever since it was announced. And now that the film’s reviews have been filed, its chances look even better. The critics have waxed lyrical in their respective outlets, culminating in a 95% rating on review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes.

Continue reading: 'American Hustle' Cements Its Oscars Nomination With Critical Praise And NY Win

Does 'American Hustle's' New York Win Mean Anything? Past Winners Examined


Jennifer Lawrence Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Amy Adams David O Russell

The reviews haven’t been filed yet, but American Hustle is already shaping up to be one of 2013’s best films. But who didn’t see that coming? David O Russell working with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and Christian Bale once again – the only thing ready to take this film down was it’s own pressure.

Christian Bale and Bradley CooperChristian Bale and Bradley Cooper in American Hustle

By now, the size of the Oscars gang has all but taken shape; Gravity, Captain Phillips, Blue Jasmine, 12 Years a Slave, Saving Mr. Banks and The Wolf of Wall Street are all in line for nominations, and following American Hustle’s win in the New York Film Critics Circle, its addition to the list is inevitable.

Continue reading: Does 'American Hustle's' New York Win Mean Anything? Past Winners Examined

'American Hustle' Wins Big At The New York Film Critics Circle - Now Aims For Oscar Glory


Christian Bale

Nearly a month before the crime thriller plays in theatres, the New York Film Critics Circle named David O.Russell's 'American Hustle' the 'Best Picture' of 2013 on Tuesday night (Dec 3rd). It also picked up 'Best Screenplay' and Russell awarded screenwriter Eric Warren Singer with the prize.

American Hustle
'American Hustle' won 'Best Film'

The upcoming drama is headed by an ensemble cast which sees the reunion of Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (Both starred in 2012's 'Silver Lining Playbook), as well as Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.

Continue reading: 'American Hustle' Wins Big At The New York Film Critics Circle - Now Aims For Oscar Glory

Waiting For 'American Hustle'? Check Out These New Clips


Jennifer Lawrence David O Russell Bradley Cooper Christian Bale Amy Adams Jeremy Renner

We’re edging ever closer to David O Russell’s follow up to the much-celebrated Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, but it’s not quite here yet. In fact, it’s over two weeks until the US get hold of it, while the UK have to stay patient until January 3rd, 2014. So in the meantime, here are some cool clips from the movie.

American Hustle castAmy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

American Hustle sees O Russell combine with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence again, but the reunification story doesn’t stop there: Christian Bale and Amy Adams also return to work with the director, after their success on The Fighter, which also starred Mark Wahlberg, a sequel for which is in the works.

Continue reading: Waiting For 'American Hustle'? Check Out These New Clips

American Hustle - Clips


Irving Rosenfeld is a conman whose impressively deft criminal exploits have eluded authorities for years. However, when he finds himself forced to use his talents for good as he is roped into an FBI sting operation led by the unhinged agent Richie DiMasom, he finds his life of partying, drinking and squandering money under massive threat. He must use his fraudulent cunning to reveal the seriously corrupt crusades of Carmine Polito, the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, whose power cast spreads much further than his constituency. Irving is helped by the seductive but dangerous Sydney Prosser who soon becomes less of a business partner and more of a mistress. As their relationship deepens, however, they arouse the suspicions of Irving's gregarious but unbalanced wife Rosalyn who threatens their whole operation with her lethal jealousy and deadly rage.

'American Hustle' is a high-stakes gangster thriller directed and co-written by the Oscar nominated David O. Russell ('Silver Linings Playbook', 'I Heart Huckabees', 'Three Kings') alongside writer Eric Singer ('The International'). Featuring a talented award-winning cast (some of whom O'Russell has previously worked with with much success), the flick is set to hit the big screen on December 18th 2013 in the US.

American Hustle Movie Review - Click Here To Read

Batman To Batman: Don't Wee In The Suit. Bale Gives Affleck The Superhero 411


Christian Bale Ben Affleck

We thought Christian Bale might have some advice for Ben Affleck, but we assumed it would be some sort of grandiose speech detailing the intricacies of the character and the importance he holds to millions across the globe. Just ask Batkid.

Christian BaleBen Affleck
Christian Bale has passed on the Batman mantle to Ben Affleck

But it wasn’t anything like that, he just told Affleck not to take a pee in the suit, which is basically telling an adult man not to urinate while he has his work clothes on. Good advice, really.

Continue reading: Batman To Batman: Don't Wee In The Suit. Bale Gives Affleck The Superhero 411

Christian Bale On The Batman Voice: "Thank God They Went For It!"


Christian Bale

As the Dark Knight, Christian Bale definitely left his mark on the Batman character – most notably in the form of Batman’s signature voice. The gravelly voice that Bale did has practically become synonymous with the caped crusader by this point, but according to a recent MTV News interview with Bale, it was all a happy accident. The actor recalled how the voice was a spur-of-the-moment decision, brought on by the fear that he wouldn’t fit the part.

Christian Bale, American Hustle Set
Following his departure from the Batman franchise, 2013 saw Bale film "American Hustle" alongside the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro.

"I got there. They put me in Val Kilmer's suit, he recalled. “It didn't even fit properly, and I stood in it and I went 'I feel like an idiot.' What kind of guy walks around, dressed like a bat? And is then going to go 'Hello, how are you? Just ignore that I'm dressed as a bat.' Of course, he's meant to be doing this," Bale said. "If you look at the history of the guy and the pain that he went through. I went 'I can't do this in a normal voice. I have to become a beast in order to sell this to myself."

Continue reading: Christian Bale On The Batman Voice: "Thank God They Went For It!"

Batkid's Crime Fighting In Gotham Attracts Praise From Christian Bale


Christian Bale

5-year-old Miles Scott, aka Batkid wowed Gotham City (a transformed San Francisco) with his heroic antics on Friday. Miles has been battling cancer since he was 18 months old but on Friday, with the disease in remission, the Make-A-Wish foundation fulfilled his wish of being Batman for a day. The Foundation’s call for volunteers snowballed into a city-wide event, centered around the little boy and the news got so big, that even some actual (well, using the term loosely) Batmen reached out to Miles to congratulate him on his victory – as Batman and in real life.

The Penguin. London Zoo
Miles saved Gotham from the evil of The Penguin.

"I looked on the news and I saw this headline and thought, 'What's that?' And I saw all the pictures of him running around and saving people. It's so touching," "The Dark Knight" trilogy's Christian Bale told Vulture Saturday.

Continue reading: Batkid's Crime Fighting In Gotham Attracts Praise From Christian Bale

David O'Russell Teaming Up With Jennifer Lawrence And Bradley Cooper Once Again For Gritty "American Hustle"


Jennifer Lawrence Christian Bale Bradley Cooper Robert De Niro

So by now we should all agree that Jennifer Lawrence can play any character, right? She’s equally believable as the teenage leader of a rebellion, as a mentally unstable 20-something widow and now, as a bored New Jersey housewife in the newly released clip from David O’Russell’s American Hustle.

Jennifer Lawrence, Catching Fire Premiere
So Lawrence can play anything, right?

The clip shows 23-year-old Lawrence star opposite Christian Bale, who apparently plays a low-rent con man. The film is set in the 70s and is something of a Silver Linings Playbook reunion. Besides featuring Lawrence and being directed by Silver Linings’ O’Russell, American Hustle’s cast also includes Robert De Niro and Bradley Cooper, according to MTV News. Rounding out the cast is Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, with supporting performances from Louis C.K., Michael Pena and Jack Huston.

Continue reading: David O'Russell Teaming Up With Jennifer Lawrence And Bradley Cooper Once Again For Gritty "American Hustle"

Jake Gyllenhaal And 5 Other Actors Who Took Their Roles Too Far


Jake Gyllenhaal Robert De Niro Steve Carell Halle Berry Christian Bale

Jake Gyllenhaal was forced to visit the emergency room on Wednesday (13th November) after punching a mirror on the set of his upcoming drama, Nightcrawler.

Jake Gyllenhaal
Gyllenhaal was so embroiled in the scene he cut his hand and was taken to hospital.

The actor was filming an "emotionally charged" scene when he seems to have got carried away and smashed a mirror. A source, speaking to People, explained what happened: "Jake flipped out, his character was looking into a mirror during the scene and punched the mirror in anger and broke it, cutting himself so bad he had to be taken to a hospital."

Continue reading: Jake Gyllenhaal And 5 Other Actors Who Took Their Roles Too Far

American Hustle - International Trailer


Whilst running a con, being anonymous is very important. Keeping past operations secret and your personal life out of reach from potential targets is just as important as running the actual hustle. For years Irving Rosenfeld has been a con at the top of his game, evading arrest by the police and capture by past marks but all that could quite easily change when he and his business partner, Sydney Prosser, are recruited by an unruly FBI officer Richie DiMaso. 

The target Rosenfeld has to hit is one even cons wouldn't usually mess with, an elected mayor the FBI believe to be dirty. Mafia connections and lots of Laundered money are the least of Rosenfeld worries, when his wife might just become an accidental chink in their armour. 

Set in the 1970's the films screenplay was written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell and is loosely based on a real sting operation named Abscam which lead to the arrest and conviction of a number of elected officials. 

Continue: American Hustle - International Trailer

Sigourney Weaver And Ridley Scott To Join Forces Once Again For 'Exodus'


Sigourney Weaver Ridley Scott Joel Edgerton Aaron Paul Christian Bale John Turturro Russell Crowe Darren Aronofsky

Sigourney Weaver is re-teaming with the man who gave her her big break; Ridley Scott, to co-star in the director's upcoming Bible epic Exodus. The 20th Century Fox production will see Weaver star as Tuya, mother of Ramses (played by Joel Edgerton), in the movie, with John Turturro already signed on to appear as her husband.

Sigourney Weaver
Weaver will star as Tuya in one of 2014's two biblical movies

Weaver re-unites with Scott for the first time since the 1979 sci-fi classic Alien, in a film that is already looking like a star-studded affair, even though casting hasn't yet finished.

Continue reading: Sigourney Weaver And Ridley Scott To Join Forces Once Again For 'Exodus'

Ben Affleck Already Has Haters - He Hasn't Even Put The Batsuit On Yet!


Ben Affleck Batman Christian Bale

Just when you thought the hoards of comic book fanatics were easing up a bit, allowing their favorite franchises to sun themselves under Hollywood’s bright lights, they go and make a big fat petition to strip Ben Affleck of his newly appointed Batman crown.

"He's not intimidating enough for the role of Batman," said John Roden, the man who started the petition. "I would like to add that this petition was not meant in any way to harm Ben Affleck or his career. I respect Affleck's work, I just feel he is inappropriate for the role," added Roden.

Affleck was handed the role after a remarkable year saw him turn from a joke to a hero with Argo. The film landed him Oscar success, but, more importantly, it reinstated him to the pantheon of Hollywood royalty; a luxury stripped from him due to a heady couple decades involving bad films and public relationships. He overcame that road and is now a hero, anyone see the Batman similarities or do we have to write some more?

Continue reading: Ben Affleck Already Has Haters - He Hasn't Even Put The Batsuit On Yet!

Christian Bale Offered $50 Million For Batman As Orlando Bloom Lurks


Christian Bale Orlando Bloom Batman

Christian Bale has reportedly been offered $50 million to reprise his role as Batman in the upcoming Justice League movie, as well as Man of Steel 2 which pits the Caped Crusader against Henry Cavill's Superman.

Warner Bros has begun principal production on a Justice League movie, which features Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern uniting to fight evil powers. 

Bale played Batman in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed Dark Knight trilogy though speaking to Entertainment Weekly earlier this year, the Oscar winner confirmed he would be hanging up the cape.

Continue reading: Christian Bale Offered $50 Million For Batman As Orlando Bloom Lurks

Is Bradley Cooper's 'American Hustle' The Oscar Contender We Expected? [Trailer]


Bradley Cooper Jennifer Lawrence Christian Bale Amy Adams Jeremy Renner

As 2013 moves closer to the Oscar bait months, Sony has released the first trailer for its secret weapon, David O'Russell's American Hustle, with Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Christian Bale.

It boasts a cast of Academy favorites and the movie has been talked up since 2012, though will it deliver?

The movie is based on the true story of a brilliant con artist (Bale) named Irving Rosenfeld and his partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) who team up with an FBI agent (Cooper) to take down corrupt politicians and criminals in 1970s New Jersey.

Continue reading: Is Bradley Cooper's 'American Hustle' The Oscar Contender We Expected? [Trailer]

Is 'Batman Vs. Superman' The Title Of New DC Comics Movie?


Henry Cavill Christian Bale David S. Goyer Zack Snyder Ryan Gosling

After Zack Snyder's Comic-Con announcement that Batman and Superman would meet on screen for the first time in a 2015 Warner Bros. movie and sequel to 2013's Man of Steel, there's now fresh knowledge from screenwriter David S. Goyer that the production team are mulling over a few specific titles. "We're already in pre-production," Goyer told a Comic-Con panel on Sunday. "(The film) comes out in summer of 2015 ... We're actually not sure whether the title is 'Superman vs. Batman' or 'Batman vs. Superman,' but yes, it's that rematch, that combination, the two guys onscreen and that's happening," as reported by the NY Daily News. The franchise will apparently eventually build up to match Marvel's Avengers movies with DC Comics' Justice League of America team that should also include Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman.

Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder Teases Fans With New Movie Concept.

Superman vs. Batman/Batman vs. Superman certainly gets the point across well: two opposing forces fighting it out. But to juxtapose the two characters in such a way seems a bit blunt; not least the question of superiority to whichever superhero's name comes first in the title. Secondly, the 'vs.' part implies the combatants represent antithetical concepts: good vs. evil, light vs. dark, heroes vs. villains, etc.

Continue reading: Is 'Batman Vs. Superman' The Title Of New DC Comics Movie?

Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt In Frame To Become New Batman


Ryan Gosling Joseph Gordon-Levitt Christian Bale Brad Pitt Zack Snyder Henry Cavill

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ryan Gosling are leading the race to become the new Batman, following the announcement at Comic-Con that both Superman and the Caped Crusader will unite for the first time on-screen.

Following the success of Man of Steel, it is likely that Henry Cavill will return as Superman, though with Christian Bale announcing his departure from the Batman franchise, the race is on for one of Hollywood's hottest roles.

As it stands, bookmakers Paddy Power have Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the 3/1 favourite to play the role, though many would regard it as an odd choice, given his role as 'Robin' in The Dark Knight Rises. 

Continue reading: Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt In Frame To Become New Batman

Zack Snyder Confirms That A Superman & Batman Movie Will Be Happening


Batman Superman Henry Cavill Zack Snyder Christian Bale

One of the biggest rumours to be circulating around this years San Diego Comic-Con International was the potential big screen team up with two of the most famous superheroes of all; Batman and Superman. These rumours were confirmed towards the end of the convention when Man of Steel director Zack Snyder told an eager audience that he and a team of others are currently working on the script for the superhero crossover, with Warner Brothers going on to confirm their involvement in the project shortly after the announcement.

Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill will reprise his role as the Man of Steel

Much to the delight of many of the comic book fans at the San Diego convention, and indeed to the delight of superhero fans the world over, a Batman/Superman crossover film has long be awaited and following the huge success of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy and this years equally impressive Superman re-boot, Man of Steel, an eventual collaboration between the heroes had been expected. In the DC comic universe, the two have teamed up on more than one occasion, beginning with a slew of friendly team-ups in the 1950's to the 70's, before Frank Miller's The Dark Knight comics changed the complexion of their relationship to an antagonistic one where the two heroes barely see eye-to-eye on anything. The big screen hook-up will probably take the latter route.

Continue reading: Zack Snyder Confirms That A Superman & Batman Movie Will Be Happening

Superman And Batman Set To Team Up In 2015 'Man Of Steel' Sequel


Henry Cavill Zack Snyder Christian Bale Superman Batman Frank Miller

Warner Bros. announced, during their Comic-Con panel appearance, that Henry Cavill would be reprising his role as Superman. However Batman will also be dropping in to lend a helping hand. It will be the first time the caped heroes have appeared together on the big screen.

Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill at the Australian premiere of Superman: Man of Steel.

Many comic-book fans have welcomed the announced as it is a step towards such DC 'Avengers-like' teams as the Justice League. Marvel's superheroes are considerable more integrated with references to the various Avengers in their individual films. A Justice League movie was rumoured to be in production earlier this year, following the success of Superman: Man of Steel, however Cavill confirmed no such film had been mentioned to him. Should the Justice League movie be shot, it would feature a team of superheroes including Superman, Batman, The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman. 

Continue reading: Superman And Batman Set To Team Up In 2015 'Man Of Steel' Sequel

Is Comic-Con Still Just For Geeks?


Bryan Cranston Christian Bale Robert Downey Jr Chris Evans

Comic Con has always been the Mecca of the geek. Whether it’s showcasing the latest superhero movie, a Q&A session with a prominent comic book writer or a season reveal of the latest sci-fi franchise; it’s always been for geeks, by geeks. But what about this year?

Iron Man 3Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man

The last decade has seen a rise in popularity of geek culture, culminating in the ever-popular U.S sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, featuring four lovable geeks and their supposedly ‘normal’ neighbor Penny. Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj all eulogize Comic-Con in the show, and like many of so-called geeks who identify these characters, they collect innumerable fantasy and sci-fi object D’art.

Continue reading: Is Comic-Con Still Just For Geeks?

Out Of The Furnace Trailer


Russell Baze lives in a rundown, underprivileged neighbourhood where he works full-time at a steelworks while also trying to support his wife and take care of his dying father. His spirits lift, however, at the arrival of his brother Rodney, a soldier, who has finally come home after serving in Iraq. Unfortunately, he brings will him a burden - he's in need of money and has approached a ruthless crime boss in order to get it. They arrange for him to take part in a bare-knuckle boxing match, but when he fails to comply with the winning/losing arrangements he made with his new boss, he suddenly disappears without a trace. Russell goes to the police who are less than helpful and have been unable to find his brother and so he decides to go after the gang himself, determined to seek justice.

This gripping crime thriller has an all-star cast and has been directed by Scott Cooper ('Crazy Heart') who also wrote the screenplay alongside Brad Ingelsby ('The Dynamiter'). It's a story of desperation, justice and loyalty and just how far people would go to save their loved ones. 'Out Of The Furnace' is set to appear on UK cinema screens on November 29th 2013.

Click Here To Read - Out of the Furnace Movie Review

Guardians Of The Galaxy: Is Chris Pratt The Next Big Hollywood Star?


Chris Pratt Kathryn Bigelow Osama Bin Laden James Gunn Dave Bautista Zoe Saldana Lee Pace Glenn Close Karen Gillan Benicio Del Toro John C Reilly Joel Edgerton Jack Huston Jim Sturgess Eddie Redmayne Joseph Gordon-Levitt Christian Bale

Chris Pratt, the 34-year-old actor who has bagged himself some pretty tasty roles in recent years, is bulking up for his role in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Pratt is the latest movie star to undergo a dramatic physical transformation and posted his progress in an Instragram photo this week.

It's not the first time the Parks and Recreation actor has changed weight for a movie role - he sported a hugely toned physique for his role as a member of Seal Team Six in Kathyn Bigelow's Osama Bin Laden movie 'Zero Dark Thirty' last year.

Continue reading: Guardians Of The Galaxy: Is Chris Pratt The Next Big Hollywood Star?

Christian Bale Wont Be Doning His Black Cape For The Justice League Film


Christian Bale Christopher Nolan Joseph Gordon-Levitt Henry Cavill

The Dark Knight trilogy has been lauded as the greatest comic book adaption series ever committed to film and has re-written the way Hollywood sees superhero movies, but Christian Bale has decided that when it comes to wearing the famed black mask and cape; three times is enough. The Oscar-winning actor told Entertainment Weekly that although he cherishes the time he had making the movies, he thinks it better to leave things as they are and not tamper with Christopher Nolan's astounding vision.

Christian Bale DKR
Bale wont be returning as Batman/Bruce Wayne

"We were incredibly fortunate to get to make three [Batman films]. That's enough. Let's not get greedy," said the Batman/Bruce Wayne actor during the interview to promote his new film, Out of the Furnace, adding; "Chris [Nolan] always said he wanted to make it one film at a time and we ended up sitting there looking at each other, saying 'We're about to make the third.' We never really knew if we were going to get to be there, but if that was how it was going to be, this was where it should end as well."

Continue reading: Christian Bale Wont Be Doning His Black Cape For The Justice League Film

Christian Bale Won’t Join Up With Justice League – His Time As Batman Is Over


Christian Bale Batman

Not even Christian Bale envisaged just how popular his turn as Batman would be; the Dark Knight Trilogy was easily the best comic book film series of all time, and paved the way for loads of subsequent geek out pictures to hit screens.

Christian BaleChristian Bale and Sibi Blazic The European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight Rises'

For Bale, though, that’s enough: he’s hanging up his batclaw, popping the keys to the batmobile on the side table and… well, he might hang out in the batcave – it’s a cool place to relax and look at some intricate cave work.

Continue reading: Christian Bale Won’t Join Up With Justice League – His Time As Batman Is Over

Henry Cavill: The Justice League Movie "Needs Building Up"


Henry Cavill Batman Superman Christian Bale

The Justice League (DC's version of Marvel's Avengers) movie will not, speculating from what Henry Cavill said in a recent interview, be in cinemas in the near future.  

Should such a film be made would we see Cavill as Superman saving the world (or possibly the universe) alongside Christian Bale's Batman and Ryan Reynolds's Green Lantern?  They would, of course, be supported by a team of other less known superheroes: Wonder Woman, Martian Man-hunter, Flash and Aquaman. 

Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill at the Superman: Man of Steel Premiere in London

Continue reading: Henry Cavill: The Justice League Movie "Needs Building Up"

'American Hustle' Resumes Boston Filming: David O'Russell's Movie Was Halted By Bomb Suspect Manhunt


David O Russell Christian Bale Amy Adams Bradley Cooper

David O’Russell’s latest movie, American Hustle, has resumed filming in Boston, after it was halted due to the city’s lockdown, after last week’s Boston marathon bombings. The Silver Linings Playbook director was filming his forthcoming movie, starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Bradley Cooper but was shut down by police on Friday (April 19, 2013) as Boston’s police force embarked on a manhunt for suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, The Guardian reports.

American Hustle tells the story of the FBI’s Abscam sting operation in the late 1970s. The movie’s production team is thought to have been the only one shut down during the manhunt and a spokesperson for Sony’s studio told Deadline that the shoot was due to resume today (April 22, 2013). The movie is loosely based on genuine FBI history and the Abscam sting which led to the conviction of a senator and five members of the US House of Representatives on charges of bribery and conspiracy, between 1978 and 1980.

The 19 year old bombing suspect Tsarnaev was eventually cornered and arrested in the Watertown area of Boston, a day after a shoot-out that left his brother dead. The two siblings had been accused of planting pressure cooker bombs near the finish line of the popular marathon. Three people were killed in the explosion and more than 180 were injured. 

Continue reading: 'American Hustle' Resumes Boston Filming: David O'Russell's Movie Was Halted By Bomb Suspect Manhunt

Nice Guy Bradley Cooper 'Really Hopes' To Become A Father


Bradley Cooper Jennifer Lawrence Christian Bale

Is Bradley Cooper the nicest guy in Hollywood? The Oscar-nominee is definitely up there. The A-list Hollywood star moved in with his mother following his father's death in 2011, to make it easier on her - they're still living together. "The best way I can answer that is to say we're [my mom and I are] surviving," he told the latest issue of Details magazine, "Both of us. Let's face it: It's probably not easy for her, by the way, to be living with her son. It's life. And right now, two years after my father's death, this is where we are."

The Silver Linings Playbook star nursed his stockbroker father Charles J Cooper through his battle with lung cancer, before watching him die aged 71. "My family is very close, and my dad dying was brutal for all of us," he explains, "It was a schism, and its aftershock has not stopped. And we need each other. So here we are.But don't get me wrong. It's not without complications." 

Now, you'd probably assume Cooper - as a multimillionaire - had a huge guesthouse built for his mother. Not so. "She's in the next room. But here's the thing: She's a cool chick. We can hang, and she can roll with the punches. If that wasn't the case, there's no way." As for becoming a father himself, the 38-year-old says "of course", explaining, "I really hope I have that experience in my life.I saw how much joy fatherhood gave my own dad. So I hope it's part of my journey. You go through stages in your life, and fatherhood seems like a natural stage."

Continue reading: Nice Guy Bradley Cooper 'Really Hopes' To Become A Father

Gloria Steinem Defends Kim Kardashian: Her Body Is Not 'Public Property'


Gloria Steinem Kim Kardashian Christian Bale

Gloria Steinem, Christian Bale's mother, has fiercely defended pregnant star Kim Kardashian from recent media criticism regarding her weight.

The stringent feminist spoke out at the Annual Diane Von Furstenberg Awards in New York, telling Us Weekly, 'Our bodies are never public property under any circumstance. It's wrong, and people in the street who feel the right to touch a pregnant woman's belly ought to be arrested for harassment. Our bodies belong to us, and if we don't invite touching, we shouldn't tolerate it.' The defiant defence comes a little as a surprise as she has previously slammed reality shows. In 2011, after the New York Daily News asked her if the Kardashians 'empowered' women, she bluntly replied, 'They're not empowering other women', though added, 'there's no point in blaming the people who take advantage of the system without changing the system.'

Steinem was known in the 60s and 70s as the leader of the women's liberation movement and the founder of Ms. Magazine. She has spoken out on a number of gender related topics in her career including pornography, transsexualism and same-sex marriage. That she has most recently defended pregnancy stems from the barrage of vile abuse that Kim Kardashian and her curves have received from the press.

Continue reading: Gloria Steinem Defends Kim Kardashian: Her Body Is Not 'Public Property'

Christian Bale Bails On Daniel Espinosa And 'Child 44'


Christian Bale

Having been connected to the upcoming Daniel Espinosa movie 'Child 44', Christian Bale has in fact given the word and the word is 'no'. 

The film has been waiting for years to be put into production, and has been in development since 2007. Originally Ridley Scott had been tipped as the director, but apparently his existing work schedule was just too much. Now, instead, Daniel Espinosa, a Swedish director who was responsible for this year's 'Safe House', has taken up the task, according to Yahoo.

Bale met with the producers on Tuesday (13th Nov 2012) to decline the role of Leo Demidov, the Soviet-Union lawyer who's employed to investigate the murders of numerous children during the 1950s, the era in which it's set. The film is based on a book of the same name, which in turn was based on the true story of Andrei Chikitalo who killed 52 women and children from the 1970s to the 1990s. He was executed for the crimes. Amid the paranoia and political tension of the Soviet Union during the '50s, Demidova ends up being at the centre of that paranoia. This theme is one that will run the course of what's expected to be a trilogy. Bale gave no reason as to why he is choosing not to be involved in the project.

Continue reading: Christian Bale Bails On Daniel Espinosa And 'Child 44'

Christian Bale Bails On Ridley Scott-Produced Project Child 44


Christian Bale Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott and Daniel Espinosa are on board, but even the weight of their names hasn’t been enough to stop Christian Bale from bailing on Lionsgate studios new project Child 44, according to The Wrap.

The developers behind the project were keen to get the Batman actor on board, and had hoped that he’d say yes upon meeting them on Tuesday (November 13). However they were left disappointed when the star turned the Richard Price-written script down, leaving them with a dilemma as to where to go next. The film is based on the book of the same name by British novelist Tom Rob Smith. The plot focuses on central character Leo Demidov, who is a disgraced lawyer in the Stalin-era Soviet Union assigned to investigate the murders. A gritty tale, the book is based on the true story of the Ukrainian serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, who was executed for 52 murders and is the first in a trilogy of tomes exploring the impact of Stalin on the Soviet Union.

Lionsgate don’t have to panic just yet; in Scott and Espinosa they have names easily talented enough to make the film a success, but with Bale out of the frame it does leave the door wide open for someone else. They’ll have to be careful they make the right choice.

Chevy Chase Rant: Did It Rival Christian Bale's On Set Explosion?


Chevy Chase Donald Glover Christian Bale Dan Harmon

Chevy Chase's rant on the set of NBC comedy 'Community' briefly halted production on the show on Friday (October 19, 2012), according to TVLine.com. Multiple sources confirm that Chase dropped the N-word in the presence of African-American co-stars Yvette Nicole Brown and Donald Glover.

An insider reveals how Chevy was struggling with his character's dialogue and - in a moment of sheer frustration - uttered the word. The slur was not thought to be directed at Brown or Glover, though it capped an unhappy filming schedule for the veteran comedian who is thought to be angry at the increasingly dark direction of his character Pierce Hawthorne. According to TMZ.com, Chase yelled out something along the lines of, "What's next? Am I gonna say the word ni**er?"A source told the Hollywood Reporter that Chase apologized immediately to the cast and crew of Community. The outburst comes just months after Chase blasted the show's creator Dan Harmon in a scathing voicemail message, calling him a "goddamn bad writer," before yelling, "Your writing is getting worse and worse."

So on reflection, Chase's outbursts ranks around 7/10 on the on-set-outburst-o-meter. Christian Bale's famous Terminator rant will forever remain the king. "Do you want me to go f*cking trash your lights? Do you want me to f*cking trash them? Then why are you trashing my scene? You do it one more f*cking time and I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired. I'm f*cking serious."


What If Cary Grant Had Played James Bond?


Daniel Craig James Bond Cary Grant Will Smith Christian Bale Michael Fassbender

James Bond fans across the globe are celebrating 007's 50th anniversary today (October 5, 2012), though it's worth remembering that the quintessentially British franchise could have been a very American affair, had Bond producer Albert Broccoli had his way.

As The Guardian's Amanda Holpuch writes, Hollywood icon Cary Grant - best known for 'North by Northwest' - was urged by the producer (also his close friend and best man) to take the role. Despite his English heritage, it's unlikely that British audiences would have taken to Grant as Bond and the role eventually went to the Scotsman Sean Connery, who played the role with aplomb. Bond producers have since chosen Australian, English, Welsh and Irish actors to fill the role, though we shouldn't rule out an American slipping into the tuxedo in the near future. Will Smith had reportedly been close to the role before Daniel Craig took it on, and the heavy American-accented Christian Bale was also tipped to play 007. Australian star Sam Worthington is currently the bookies favourite to land the part after Craig hangs up his shiny black shoes, though it's likely that Michael Fassbender will be a key target for Bond producers. The 'Shame' star was born in German, grew up in the Republic of Ireland and now lives in London.

Anyway, before we start speculating on Craig's replacement, the actor stars in Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall' which hits cinemas on November 9, 2012.


Flowers Of War Trailer


John Miller is an American mortician who visits the Chinese town of Nanjing in order to prepare the dead priest of a Catholic church for burial. This is soon after the city was invaded by the Japanese military, and John finds inside the church a group of young convent women terrified and hiding out in the building. He grudgingly accepts that he must be the protector of these women, and the group of prostitutes from a nearby brothel that rush into the building also looking for refuge. John poses as a priest and starts to make plans to get the girls out of the city where it is safer. Claiming sanctuary for his refugees to the Japanese armed forces, the colonel agrees to keep the church protected by placing his guards at the door; although this means that the girls cannot be raped (as are the intentions of many of the soldiers) it also means that they cannot leave. But the question remains whether the opposing forces will respect the rules of sanctuary for the Chinese or just take what they want before they leave regardless of the law.

Continue: Flowers Of War Trailer

The Flowers Of War Review


Good
This true story is so outrageous that we'd never believe it as a fictional tale. Especially since its big themes make it almost mythical. Yet while it's gorgeously produced on an epic scale, it also gets rather melodramatic and maudlin in the final act.

American mortician John (Bale) crosses 1937 Nanking as the Japanese finish their brutal invasion. He arrives at the cathedral, but the priest's body has been vaporised by a bomb so there's nothing for him to do. Hiding in the church are a group of orphaned pre-teen girls and one altar boy (Huang), who beg him to help them. Then a group of prostitutes arrive looking for refuge.

Reluctantly, he agrees to help them all hide from the marauding Japanese soldiers. And even more reluctantly, he starts looking for a way out.

Continue reading: The Flowers Of War Review

The Dark Knight Rises Review


Extraordinary
When the credits roll at the end of this overlong action epic, it feels like we've just turned the final page of an immersive novel. It takes about an hour to find its stride, but Nolan's final Batman movie is also thunderously complex and entertaining.

It's eight years later, and Commissioner Gordon (Oldman) has allowed the press to create a myth that Batman was a villain. Badly injured, Bruce Wayne (Bale) has become a recluse, tended to by his butler Alfred (Caine). Then a new baddie arrives: Bane (Hardy) is part of the League of Shadows, trained by Bruce's old nemesis Ra's al Ghul (Neeson) to purge the world of human decadence. So Bruce turns to Wayne company boss Lucius (Freeman) to get back in fighting shape, deciding to trust a slippery cat burglar (Hathaway) and a rookie cop (Gordon-Levitt).

Continue reading: The Dark Knight Rises Review

Video - Christian Bale And Morgan Freeman Arrive At Dark Knight Rises Batman Premiere - Part 2


Lead actor Christian Bale (with wife Sandra Blazic) and co-star Morgan Freeman were among the arrivals for 'The Dark Knight Rises' premiere in New York. Other arrivals were Marion Cotillard (also in the movie) and 'True Grit' actress Hailee Steinfeld with her older brother Griffin.

Now that Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy has ended, Bale has revealed that he can't wait to see who will do the next Batman film and how Batman will be portrayed next. 'I'll be fascinated to see which way they go, which choices that actor makes', he told Entertainment Weekly

Dark Knight Rises Trailer


Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham after eight years in The Dark Knight Rises, his alias Batman nursing a sore reputation after the last film, The Dark Knight, where he assumed responsibility for the attorney Harvey Dent's crimes in order to protect Dent's name after he loses his life during The Joker's assault on the city. This time he intends to defend Gotham City from a new villain: the virtually indestructible Bane who, as discovered by Commissioner Gordon, is plotting the obliteration of the entire city from the inside.

Continue: Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Trailer


It has been eight years since Harvey Dent was killed, during the Joker's killing spree. Billionaire Bruce Wayne accepted responsibility for Dent's death and left Gotham. The city has now recovered from the shocking events and is living in peace.

Continue: Batman: The Dark Knight Rises Trailer

Video - Christian Bale And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Film The Dark Knight Rises In New York


Actors Christian Bale (The Machinist; Batman Begins; The Prestige) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception; Ten Things I Hate About You; 50/50) are spotted filming The Dark Knight rises in New York City. Joseph is seen talking to a member of the crew, before moving out of shot so that Christian can shoot his scene, with several extras portraying paparazzi.

The Dark Knight Rises is the highly anticipated second sequel to Batman Begins. It will also star Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Gary Oldman, reprising his role as Jim Gordon.

The Fighter Review


Extraordinary
Director Russell significantly ups his game with this visceral drama based on the true story of two boxing brothers, one on his way up and one going down fast. But it's the emotional resonance of the tale that makes it so gripping.

In small-town 1993 Massachusetts, Dickie (Bale) is a crack addict who lives in his own glorious past as a boxer who once knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard. But his erratic life is jeopardising the growing career of his half-brother Micky (Wahlberg), who he's training and managing with their tough-as-nails mother (Leo). Micky knows that in order to further his career, he'll need to make a difficult break from his messy family. Then he meets Charlene (Adams), a barmaid who encourages him to go for it. And of course they see her as the villain.

Continue reading: The Fighter Review

Christian Bale, Interview


Christian Bale - Interview

Read our interview with Christian Bale.

Continue reading: Christian Bale, Interview

The Dark Knight Review


Excellent
Have you ever noticed how one measly letter separates "laughter" from "slaughter?"

I almost missed this off-the-cuff joke -- it's spray-painted on the side of a semi as the Joker (Heath Ledger) descends on a police convoy hustling doomed district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) beneath the streets of Gotham. But it beautifully captures the balancing act director Christopher Nolan attempts in The Dark Knight, an anticipated blockbuster that seems capable at any point of plunging headlong into hilarity or insanity, moral stability or absolute chaos.

Continue reading: The Dark Knight Review

I'm Not There Review


Essential
We first meet the real Bob Dylan, lit by a spotlight and blowing into a harmonica with his eyes turned ever-downward, at the very end of Todd Haynes' I'm Not There. (The footage comes from a concert filmed in the 1960's.) Though there are six evocations of our hero's persona and dozens of references to his words and images, his actual visage is kept under lock and key until the solemn credits. To Haynes, the mystery of who the man is behind closed doors should stay that way: Behind closed doors tends to be pretty tedious if not downright boring. It's more fun to extrapolate: In the open valleys of cultural myth, a celebrity can become any number of things.

At first, he's a young, train-hopping wanderer who has taken the name Woody (Marcus Carl Franklin), from his hero Woody Guthrie. He also plays a guitar with "This Machine Kills Fascism" painted on it. Later, the man appears as an aged Billy the Kid (Richard Gere) who can't understand why the locals are being bullied out of their land by a decrepit Pat Garrett (Bruce Greenwood). Fitfully, the sequences are shot in the dusty browns of Peckinpah and the hippie westerns of the late 1960s and 1970s. Both stories, along with the others, are consistently interrupted by a press conference with poet Arthur Rimbaud (Ben Whishaw), who speaks in a particularly American sarcasm while scrutinizing everyone who questions him, half-mumbling with cigarette in hand.

Continue reading: I'm Not There Review

Empire Of The Sun Review


Excellent
1941 notwithstanding (and we're all still trying to forget it), Empire of the Sun was Steven Spielberg's first big trip to World War II. For Spielberg, it was an unlikely way to go about it -- examining the British viewpoint of the Japanese incursion into China.

Christian Bale stars as Jim, a British kid born in Shanghai, the son of upper crust expatriates who feel the rising tide of Japanese-Chinese aggression will never reach there strata. Of course it does, and as the Japanese overtake Shanghai, Jim's family is torn asunder, scattering in the chaos. But eventually, like Ben-Hur, Jim returns home to discover his house in ruins and his loved ones gone, so he does the only thing he can think of -- surrender to the Japanese. Only the Japanese don't even want the worthless kid, until finally, after hooking up with a seedy scam artist named Basie (John Malkovich) and his flunkie (Joe Pantoliano), does he manage to get himself arrested and thrown into an internment camp where at least there is the promise of a daily potato and some gruel.

Continue reading: Empire Of The Sun Review

The Portrait Of A Lady Review


Very Good
Jesus, I didn't realize when I went to the movies this morning I was going to have to think!

But seriously, that's what you're going to be doing if you see The Portrait of a Lady -- Jane Campion's follow-up to The Piano, based on Henry James's "classic" novel that you've probably never read. Now, I'm wishing that I had, though, because Portrait is a fantastic movie to watch, exquisitely crafted and painstakingly detailed, gorgeously photographed and full of style -- but it is just plain impossible to follow.

Continue reading: The Portrait Of A Lady Review

A Midsummer Night's Dream Review


OK

I've always seen "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as one of Shakespeare's daffier comedies -- what with the fairies and all -- so this film version, adapted by director Michael Hoffman ("One Fine Day," "Restoration"), came as something of a surprise because it takes itself so seriously.

Hoffman seems to hold the Bard's less jestful observations on amour ("The course of true love never did run smooth") in higher regard than his saucy slapstick of miscommunication.

The laughs are definitely present, but they're subdued as two pairs of young sweethearts steal away into the forest (of 19th Century Tuscany in this adaptation) trying to escape the consequences of an arranged marriage, and rush headlong and unknowingly into the domain of impishly interfering immortals.

Continue reading: A Midsummer Night's Dream Review

Equilibrium Review


Unbearable

The worst theatrically released sci-fi flick since "Battlefield Earth," "Equilibrium" is so blatantly derivative as to be insulting, so absurdly hackneyed it's hard to believe it's sincere, so full of scenery-chomping it's a wonder the actors don't weigh 300 lbs. by the closing credits -- and as a result it's such a laugh riot that it may well be the funniest movie of 2002.

The plot -- brazenly pillaged from "Fahrenheit 451," "1984" and "Brave New World" -- concerns a high-ranking government "Cleric" named John Preston (chisel-featured Christian Bale), a ruthless and deadly law enforcer in a "Metropolis"-styled dystopian future where emotions (and by extension, music, art, poetry, etc.) have been outlawed.

The populace takes twice-daily doses of a stupefacient called Prozium, but when passionless Preston misses a couple injections, has a confusing day of emerging feelings, then finds himself staring into the big brown eyes of a cute little puppy he's supposed to kill during a raid on a "sense offender" hideout (insert shots of famous paintings being torched with a flame-thrower here), he...just...can't...do it.

Continue reading: Equilibrium Review

Christian Bale

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Christian Bale

Date of birth

30th January, 1974

Occupation

Actor

Sex

Male

Height

1.83


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Christian Bale Movies

The Promise Movie Review

The Promise Movie Review

The director of Hotel Rwanda, Terry George, turns to another humanitarian horror: the systematic murder...

The Promise Trailer

The Promise Trailer

Michael is a promisingstudent living in Armenia during the Ottoman Turkish Empire, who agrees to...

Song To Song Trailer

Song To Song Trailer

The music scene of Austin, Texas becomes tainted by lust and illict desires as two...

The Big Short Movie Review

The Big Short Movie Review

Smart and snappy, this comedy is one of the scariest films of the year, using...

Knight Of Cups Trailer

Knight Of Cups Trailer

Rick is one of the hottest screenwriters in Hollywood but after the death of his...

The Big Short Trailer

The Big Short Trailer

When Dr. Michael Burry discovered that the housing market in the US relied upon a...

Exodus: Gods and Kings Movie Review

Exodus: Gods and Kings Movie Review

Aside from impressive 21st century digital effects, this new take on the Moses story pales...

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Exodus: Gods and Kings Trailer

Exodus: Gods and Kings Trailer

Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven) talks about world of his new film,...

Exodus: Gods And Kings Trailer

Exodus: Gods And Kings Trailer

Moses and the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses grew up together as brothers after the former was...

Out of the Furnace Movie Review

Out of the Furnace Movie Review

Coarse and not exactly subtle, this dark drama might disappoint viewers expecting a more traditional...

American Hustle Movie Review

American Hustle Movie Review

David O. Russell deploys his deranged genius to explore the real events behind Abscam, cleverly...

American Hustle Trailer

American Hustle Trailer

Irving Rosenfeld is a conman whose impressively deft criminal exploits have eluded authorities for years....

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