Forest Whitaker Page 5

Forest Whitaker has finally made his Broadway debut in Michael Grandage's revival of Eugene O'Neill's 'Hughie'; a safe choice in some ways, given that there's little action involved and it stands at just an hour in length, but a risky endeavour in others because much more depth is expected from a play of such little substance.

Frank Wood and Forest Whitaker star in 'Hughie'

Set in 1928 in a New York hotel lobby, 'Hughie' features just two characters. Whitaker plays a man named Erie Smith who spends the play delivering a number of anecdotes to the uninterested night clerk Charlie Hughes - played by Frank Wood - while grieving over the death of his friend, Hughies predecessor Hughie. Alas, critics have not been too kind about it. While praising his magificent talent as a big screen actor, having appeared in such epics as 'The Butler', 'Platoon' and his Oscar winning 'The Last King of Scotland', it seems Whitaker's acting style doesn't translate as well to the stage.

Continue reading: Forest Whitaker Fails To Engage Critics With His Broadway Debut 'Hughie'

Liam Neeson is set to return yet again for another spell of breakneck action and a seemingly impossible manhunt in 'Taken 3'; a movie which he claims will be the biggest of the franchise yet as the tables turn on Bryan Mills.

Liam Neeson returns in 'Taken 3'

We thought the Mills family had finally got their happy ending, with Bryan re-united with Lenore (Famke Janssen) and their daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) apparently over her sex-trafficking trauma of the first movie, moving on with her new boyfriend and heading to college. We thought wrong. Unfortunately for Bryan, he didn't kill enough people and now more overseas criminals are out to eradicate his loved ones, and frame him for murder along the way. On the run from the LAPD, the FBI and the CIA while attempting to hunt down the real killer, Mills is facing a bigger challenge than ever.

Continue reading: Liam Neeson Admits Bryan Mills Has Finally Met His Match In 'Taken 3'

Two big premieres this week were more about raising awards-worthy awareness than launching a movie. Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin and Juliette Lewis were all on hand for the August: Osage County premiere in Los Angeles. Meanwhile in New York, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner were all dressed up for American Hustle. Both films are scooping up awards and nominations at the moment. Watch Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale arrive at 'American Hustle' NY Premiere and here's another video showing Amy Adams as she dazzles on the red carpet.

Justin Bieber won't be chasing awards for his latest behind-the-scenes doc Believe, which held its much-hyped world premiere in Hollywood on Wednesday. He was joined on the red carpet by director Jon M Chu, who also directed two Step Up movies, the last G.I. Joe blockbuster and Bieber's previous doc, 2011's Never Say Never. You can watch the trailer for Justin Bieber: Believe here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Stars Court Awards Attention At Premieres, While Bieber Hits The Red Carpet And Several New Trailers Arrive

It’s a big weekend for the UK box office, kicking off tomorrow (Fri Nov 15), when Jude Law’s Don Hemingway, Forest Whitaker’s The Butler, Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Don Jon and Michael Fassbender’s The Counsellor all coming out.

Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Joseph Gordon Levit and Michael Fassbender are all hoping to dominate the box office this weekend

Continue reading: UK Movie Reviews Special: Dom Hemingway, The Butler, Don Jon, The Counsellor

As expected, predicted and prophesized, the wonderfully strange world of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 enticed enough families to propel it to the top of the weekend box office.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 proved magical enough.

It didn’t manage to outgun Hotel Transylvania, though, as the animated comedy grabbed $35m - $7.5m less than the spooky flick managed last September.

Continue reading: It Was Always Going To Be Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs For The Box Office This Weekend

The first shaky reports of the Labor Day holiday box office taking couldn't decide whether Lee Daniel's The Butler or Morgan Spurlock's One Direction documentary This Is Us had sold the most movie tickets across the weekend, so neck and neck they were for a while.

Watch The Butler Trailer:

Initially, it did look as though the 1D concert documentary would race ahead, with a predicted $21 million in takings. However, the boyband movie performed well, raking in $18 million but not well enough to overtake The Butler's massive earnings of $20 million. Not only did the two films collectively help made this year's Labor Day the highest earning ever, with $156 million, compared to 2007's $148 million, reports THR, but  the weekend also helped contribute to a record breaking summer where an incredible $4.7 billion was taken thanks to a wide array of film to entice filmgoers.

Continue reading: 'The Butler' Gives Rivals The Brush Off Over Labor Day Weekend: Why Is Lee Daniel's Movie So Successful?

This year's Labor Day box office takings marked a record year for Hollywood, with an estimated $156 million paid to see movies across the national holiday weekend. One film "steamed" ahead over the weekend to give all other contenders the "brush" off by "sweeping" in $20 million over the four day holiday. Ok, enough of the cleaning puns; if you hadn't guessed, Lee Daniels' The Butler was the highest earning movie of the weekend, advancing its existing domestic earnings to a total of $79.3 million, according to THR.

Watch The Butler Trailer:

Continue reading: The Labor Day Box Office Round-Up: Which Film "Cleaned Up" Over The Record Weekend?

The Butler, the star-studded historical drama by director Lee Daniels, has topped the North American box office for a second week with $17 million in takings, reports BBC News.

Forest Whitaker [L] and Cuba Gooding Jr [R] In 'The Butler

Officially titled Lee Daniels' The Butler owing to a legal battle, the movie stars Forest Whitaker as a long-serving member of the White House team. Despite early Oscars talk, the movie appeared to have taken a knock with several mediocre reviews, though it battled to a box-office win in its first week.

Continue reading: 'The Butler' Serves Up $17 Million Box-Office To Remain No.1

The Butler has outperformed all of its rivals upon its first weekend, having been released on 16th August to much nodding from critics and $25 million (£15.9m) earned. The film showcases an all-star cast, who portray a period of dramatic social upheaval in America, set around the life of the not-entirely-fictional butler, Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker).

A Shot From The Movie Showing The Kennedys Meeting The Whitehouse's Staff.

Gaines serves as a butler in the White House for 34 years and eight presidents and uses his unique position to witness important presidential discussions of national civil rights issues as the historical events play out. The movie charts such landmark events as Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, the Vietnam war, the Nixon resignation, Obama's presidential campaign and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Gaines' character is based upon the life of Eugene Allen who worked in the White House from 1952 to 1986.

Continue reading: 'The Butler' Gives Competitors The Brush-Off In First Weekend Success

Lee Daniels' The Butler has defeated other newcomers Kick-Ass 2 and Jobs in the US Weekend Box Office. The Butler has headed straight to number one whilst Kick-Ass 2 and Jobs have respectively gained 4th and 7th place.

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey who star in Lee Daniels' The Butler as Cecil and Gloria Gaines at the L.A. premiere.

The Butler has made $25 million in its opening weekend and has gained critical praise. The historical epic is inspired by the true story of Cecil Gaines, a black butler who whilst serving at the White House, saw the offices of eight presidents. His life and family form a touchstone for the audience when addressing such historical events as the Civil Rights Movement and the rise of Black Power in the US. 

Continue reading: 'Lee Daniels' The Butler' Beats 'Kick-Ass 2' And 'Jobs' In US Weekend Box Office

Lee Daniels' The Butler is released today in US cinemas. Early reviews of the historical drama have been mixed although most suggest the film is definitely worth a watch.

Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey at the L.A. premiere of The Butler.

The film has been praised by critics for being "both deeply affecting and blatant Oscar bait", according to Claudia Puig of USA Today. Whilst Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal wrote in his review "fiction merges with fact, and finally soars."

Continue reading: Lee Daniels' The Butler Is "Deeply Affecting And Oscar Bait"

Lee Daniels’ The Butler will only see its US-wide release tomorrow (August 16), but the film, telling the story of a White House butler, who saw eight presidents come and go during his residency, is already being praised across the internet and back.

The Butler might be patchy, but it's not bad, say critics.

For once, everyone seems to agree what’s so great about the film. The story of Cecil Gains is captivating in many ways, not least of all for its portrayal of the civil rights movement, but for Forest Whitaker in the title role, who steals the show.

Continue reading: Lee Daniels' 'The Butler' Already Aiming At The Distant Glow Of The Oscars

Oprah Winfrey claimed last week that she was the victim of a seemingly racist attack by a store clerk in Switzerland. Nearly ten days ago (5 August), the Queen of chat was speaking with Entertainment Weekly when she recalled a recent experience at an exclusive handbag boutique in Zurich - whose identity she chose not to reveal, although it later turned out to be the glitzy Trois Pommes - which sparked a media frenzy across much of the globe and calls for an explanation from the store clerk and the store manager.

Oprah has since backed down from the racism row

An explanation is exactly what we got too, and it was one that pleaded the store's innocence and that the whole ordeal was a big misunderstanding, something that even Oprah is starting to agree with. Trudie Goetz, the manager of the Zurich boutique, spoke to CNN to say that the entire incident was a "200 percent misunderstanding" and was in no way to do with racism. Similarly, the woman who served Oprah in Trois Pommes and supposedly declined her permission to see a handbag that was being kept behind the counter has also given her side of the story, again saying that there was a misunderstand between the two, which was most likely caused by her poor grasp of English. Speaking to Swiss paper SonntagsBlick, the shop assistant said, "I wasn't sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection. I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do."

Continue reading: Oprah Winfrey Apologizes For Naming & Shaming Swiss Handbag Merchants In Racism Claim

The big news this week was that Harrison Ford will join the Expendables for their third film adventure. Sylvester Stallone tweeted the announcement, then went on to mention that Bruce Willis won't be around this time, apparently because he asked for too much money. Stallone was also caught on camera poking fun at Arnold Schwarzenegger's "big ego". Before they re-team for the next Expendables movie, they're costarring in the prison-break thriller Escape Plan. Watch Sly talking about Arnie at Comic Con here.

The next big superhero blockbuster will be Thor: The Dark World, and we got a more detailed look at the film in a new trailer this week. Pretty much everyone is back, including Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Stellan Skarsgard. The movie looks like a huge-scale action adventure with a sense of humour about it. It opens in October. Watch the trailer for Thor: The Dark World here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: Ford Joins The Expendables, Thor Strikes Back, And Get Ready For The Biopics

While The Butler seemed like an early contender for Oscar contention, the early reviews suggest it may have fallen short in some areas. Praised were the performances, especially Forest Whitaker's, but criticized is the depth of this ambitious movie.

Forest Whitaker and Cuba Gooding Jr in The Butler

“Whitaker digs in deep and gives a marvelous under-the-skin performance; he seems to catch the very essence of a man who has spent his whole life trying not to be seen,” say Variety. “A great film about the American civil rights movement is way overdue. The Butler, overwhelmed by flash and good intentions, doesn't even come close,” The Guardian write in their review.

Continue reading: 'The Butler' - Was Oscar Talk A Tad Premature? Reviews Are In!

Lee Daniels has earned his reputation as the director of difficult, socially loaded pictures and his latest, The Butler, is no exception to the rule. The film, based on a true story, details the life of Eugene Allen, a butler, who worked in cotton fields, before being employed by the White House for 34 years and serving during several presidential administration. In the script, Allen has been renamed to Cecil Gaines and the number of presidents, as well as some other details, has been changed, but the film still maintains historical accuracy. The film offers an intimate perspective of the dramatic twists of African-American history in the 20th century.

Watch the trailer for Lee Daniels' The Butler below.

Continue reading: Lee Daniels' The Butler" Premiere Gathers Celebrities For Some Heavy Social Commentary [Trailer] [Pictures]

The big global release this week is The Hangover Part III, and the cast has been jetting around the world for premieres in Los Angeles and London, where fans screamed at actors Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms and Ken Jeong as they paraded up the red carpet. The critical response hasn't been quite as positive.

The 66th Cannes Film Festival winds down this weekend in France. Critics are praising new films by Steven Soderbergh (Behind the Candelabra starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon), Alexander Payne (Nebraska with Bruce Dern) and the Coen Brothers (Inside Llewyn Davis with break-out actor Oscar Isaac). They weren't so thrilled by Ryan Gosling's reunion with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn for Only God Forgives, although they praised costar Kristin Scott Thomas for going far against type.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: The Hangover Saga Ends, The Hunger Games Cast Talk Catching Fire And Jennifer Aniston Plays A Stripper

With Jessica Chastain nominated for an Oscar for her role in Zero Dark Thirty. Her presence in Mama, alone, should be enough to generate interest in Guillermo Del Toro’s latest supernatural thriller. Anyone expecting a Zero Dark Thirty-style action drama, though, will be sorely disappointed. And possibly a little scared.

Chastain plays the role of Annabel, a woman who welcomes her partner’s abandoned nieces into her home. They are traumatised and clearly disturbed. Annabel seems unsure whether or not she’s ready to look after them. Little does she know, however, that she’s opened the doors of her home to more than just the two young girls, who disappeared the day that their mother was murdered by their father. More of a psychological horror than a guts-n-gore kind of movie, del Toro knows exactly how to get inside the viewer’s mind and linger there, with his superb use of special effects and the kind of suspense tactics that will require the surgical removal of your fingers from the cinema seat by the time the movie’s over.

“Mama succeeds in scaring the wits out of us and leaving some lingering, deeply creepy images ...” Richard Roeper – Chicago Sun-Times 

Continue reading: Hot Tickets! US Movie Releases: Jessica Chastain Stars In Creepy Thriller 'Mama,' Arnie Makes A Comeback In 'The Last Stand,' Mark Wahlberg's 'Broken City' Is A Doozy

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Django Unchained are riding high at the top of the US box office charts and as the movie industry lurches slowly into the new year, it’s likely that they’ll remain there. After all, an unsolicited addition to the Texas Chainsaw collection is hardly going to have the pulling power to shift some of the biggest movies of last year off the top of that chart.

That, however, is one of the biggest movies of the week: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D. That’s right. An extra dimension has been added to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre story. No, we’re not sure why, either. The phrase “let’s leave well alone, shall we?” springs to mind. The horror genre was just fine and dandy with the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the other Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and... okay all you need to know is that there are already seven of these movies.. but hey, now we have one in 3D, so that, presumably, you can fear not only for the safety of the characters onscreen, but also for the integrity of your own eyeballs, as chainsaw after chainsaw comes flying out of the screen and straight towards your face.

In a classic game of paper, scissors, stone, it becomes quickly apparent that ‘chainsaw’ beats ‘wooden door’ as good old Leatherface wreaks havoc with his favourite power tool once more. Unsurprisingly, it has been met with a tired response, with one reviewer on Rotten Tomatoes describing the film as a “giant turd of a movie.” So, probably not bound for big bucks box office success, then. Bound to divide audiences this one. Divide them between ‘Don’t really like it’ and ‘Really don’t like it,’ that is.

Continue reading: Hot Tickets - US Movie Releases - Did We Need Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D? Opinion Divided By Matt Damon's Promised Land