Tom Hiddleston reveals character in Crimson Peak, Loki's role in Thor 3; Actor in casual terms with Elizabeth Olsen

VENTURE CAPITAL



Tom Hiddleston is engaged in a lot of projects right now. He is currently doing Crimson Peak and will start filming Thor 3: Ragnarok Film in the coming days. This favorite villain may confirm what is eating much of his time but not Elizabeth Olsen.

First on his plate is his soon to release movie Crimson Peak. This new film Guillermo Del Toro is a gothic romance in which people can expect the film to be kinky and shocking- as Del Toro puts it. Tom Hiddleston plays the character of Sir Thomas Sharpe whom Hiddleston called the antihero.
Tom described further Sir Thomas Sharpe as "the most morally ambiguous or complex figure in the story, because ... he's genuinely caught in-between people and in-between conflicting emotions and is trying to find the best route through a very, very, difficult tangle of what people need from him and want from him and what he feels is his responsibility to those people" when he was interviewed by Collider. Prior to filming, Tom Hiddleston got so busy studying the 10 pages biography that Director Del Toro gave his actors in preparation for their characters.

As for Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Hiddleston is not ditching Elizabeth because as of press time no one could really prove that the two are seriously hooking up as reported by Youth Health. Just like everyone already knew, the two were just casual and were keeping in touch when not together because the two have been doing a project of Hank Williams' "I Saw The Light". Tom is still very much in the list of the most Eligible Bachelor though rumors about him being link to his co-stars in the film circulate in the internet.

Crimson Peak is scheduled to be in Theaters this October 2015 but as for "I Saw The Light" there has no specific schedule to date.


Read more: http://www.vcpost.com/articles/71843/20150604/tom-hiddleston-reveals-character-crimson-peak-loki-role-thor-3-actor-casual-elizabeth-olsen.htm#ixzz3c8yTTOYT

Tom Hiddleston Will Rule the Big Screen in 2015

MOVIES CHEAT SHEET
Michelle Regalado
January 4, 2015



Tom Hiddleston may currently be best known for his turn as a fan favorite villain from Marvel’s Thor series, but that’s all set to change over the course of the next year. Judging from the wide-ranging list of projects the actor is scheduled to take on in the coming months, it looks as if Hiddleston is about to rule 2015 the same way that many proclaimed fellow British actor Benedict Cumberbatch owned 2014.

As of now, Hiddleston has four movies set to hit the big screen in 2015, which span the genres — from biographical to horror. By far, the most well-known and highly anticipated of these projects is a little film called Avengers: Age of Ultron. The sequel to the hugely successful superhero franchise will feature the actor reprising his famous role as Thor’s evil brother, Loki, alongside other returning cast members Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson, among others. Though the blockbuster isn’t set to hit theaters until May, fans have been eagerly poring over details regarding the film’s plot and cast for months now, with excitement reaching a particular high after this summer’s Comic Con.3



While Age of Ultron will be the actor’s biggest movie to soon hit the screen, Hiddleston will also be moving well beyond the superhero role he’s most known for in the next year. Following the release of the Avengers sequel, the actor is also set to star in the forthcoming horror flick Crimson Peak, currently scheduled for release on October 16. While not as high-profile as the former, Crimson Peak has drawn public interest for its high-quality cast and creative team.3

Directed and written by prolific filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro, the project is set in a crumbling mansion in a rural region of northern England in the 19th century. Hiddleston stars as Sir Thomas Sharpe, the charming new husband to young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) who turns out not to be whom he appears to be. Jessica Chastain and Charlie Hunnam also co-star.What do you think?

Another Hiddleston project drawing plenty of attention? The upcoming biopic, I Saw the Light, which is set to hit theaters sometime in 2015. The actor will be playing the titular role in the film, based on the 1994 book Hank Williams: The Biography, and he’s already started preparing. Hiddleston made headlines earlier this month for covering two different Williams’ songs during a surprise performance at Michigan’s Wheatland Music Festival. The resulting footage quickly went viral, and though there wasn’t enough to tell if he’d be able to do the country star justice, it was certainly enough to stir up all kinds of buzz for the film, which co-stars Elizabeth Olsen as Williams’s wife, Audrey Mae.



Read more: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/entertainment/tom-hiddleston-will-rule-the-big-screen-in-2015.html/?a=viewall#ixzz3O5qzrhLU

DID TOM HIDDLESTON GET MARRIED IN SECRET? HE'S WEARING A RING ON THAT FINGER ... — PHOTO

BUSTLE
MARTHA SORREN @MARTHASORREN
13 HOURS AGO ENTERTAINMENT

If you thought Benedict Cumberbatch getting engaged broke the Internet, just imagine if Tom Hiddleston secretly got married. That’s what a lot of fans feared this weekend when they spotted a gold band on a certain finger of his. On Sunday, a fan posted a picture with the actor and people immediately pointed out that it looked like Hiddleston was wearing a ring on his left hand.

But you can all breathe a collective sigh of relief because Hiddleston is most likely not married. He’s not even rumored to be dating anyone. (Although, I can’t imagine why, since he’s the world’s best catch.) The real story here, it seems, is that Hiddleston forgot to take his prop ring off at the end of his filming day. He’s currently playing Hank Williams for the movie I Saw the Light and his character has a wife. (Who is played by the very lucky Elizabeth Olsen.)

READ MORE HERE:http://www.bustle.com/articles/50964-did-tom-hiddleston-get-married-in-secret-hes-wearing-a-ring-on-that-finger-photo

Elizabeth Olsen will play Tom Hiddleston's wife in 'I Saw the Light'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
By Jonathon Dornbush on Sep 11, 2014 at 2:51PM



Tom Hiddleston has been making the rounds to prove he can take on the legendary career of musician Hank Williams in I Saw the Light, and today it was announced he’ll be getting a little help from an Avenger.

Elizabeth Olsen will play Williams’ wife, Audrey Mae, in the film, which is set to release in 2015. Williams’ real wife, Audrey Sheppard, was a manager for the musician before the couple’s divorce. Their split was not the only issue plaguing Williams’ life, as he died at 29 from heart failure after battling alcoholism, prescription drug abuse and back problems.


READ MORE HERE: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/09/11/elizabeth-olsen-tom-hiddleston-cast-i-saw-the-light/

Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery and others at London fashion week

Tom Hiddleston, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olsen

London Fashion Week: Tom Hiddleston, Michelle Dockery, Lana Del Rey and other Front Row Celebrities British actor Tom Hiddleston (L), British actress Laura Carmichael (2nd L), British Actress Michelle Dockery (C), U.S. actress Michelle Williams (2nd L) and U.S. Actress Elizabeth Olsen are seen before the presentation of the Mulberry 2012 Autumn/Winter collection show during London Fashion Week February 19, 2012.


http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/301470/20120220/london-fashion-week-celebrities-hiddleston-dockery-lana.htm#page1

Daniel Radcliffe Is 'Phenomenal,' Elizabeth Olsen Raves (MTV)

Jan 21 2012 7:44 PM EST 1,648

 

'Martha Marcy May Marlene' actress is getting ready to star opposite Radcliffe in the thriller 'Kill Your Darlings.'

By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz)

 

PARK CITY, Utah — Daniel Radcliffe is no longer just the Boy Who Lived — at this stage, he's the Man Who Flourished.

Indeed, Radcliffe has kept his post-"Potter" career very interesting, what with a turn as a horror lead in next month's "Woman in Black," a lengthy run on Broadway in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and even a hosting stint on "Saturday Night Live" earlier this year. He's set to keep his fans guessing even further with his next confirmed movie, "Kill Your Darlings," which tells the tale of how Beat Generation icons Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Lucien Carr first met — and how that meeting eventually led to murder.

Radcliffe plays Ginsberg in the film, and starring opposite him is up-and-coming actress Elizabeth Olsen. The brilliant young star of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" spoke with MTV News about joining the cast of "Kill Your Darlings," making her admiration for the "Harry Potter" star very well-known.

"He is so phenomenal," Olsen said at the Sundance Film Festival, where she's repping the paranormal thriller "Red Lights." "He's an incredible person. He's so funny and smart and fun. He's such a good guy."


Read More:  http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1677686/daniel-radcliffe-elizabeth-olsen.jhtml

Tom Hardy: HUGO, Martin Scorsese, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain: Nevada Film Critics Winners (Alt Film Guide)

Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Warrior

Steve Montgomery | Jan 14, 2012

The Nevada Film Critics Society, not to be confused with the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, has announced its Best of 2011 list. Martin Scorsese's period adventure fantasy Hugo was voted Best Picture. Scorsese was the Best Director and Asa Butterfield the Best Child Actor.

The Best Actor and Best Actress choices were the Nevada Critics' biggest surprises: the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy was selected as the Best Actor for his performance as a boxer in the little-seen Warrior. Jessica Chastain has been winning awards everywhere, but in the Best Supporting Actress category. The Nevada Critics chose her as the year's Best Actress "for her outstanding work in several films of 2011 including The Debt, The Help, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter."

With Chastain out of the way, the Best Supporting Actress Award went to Janet McTeer for her butch lesbian in Albert Nobbs. Albert Brooks was cited for his work as a mean gangster in Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive.

Tate Taylor's sleeper hit The Help won for Best Ensemble (in addition to Chastain, the film's cast includes Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sissy Spacek, Octavia Spencer, Mary Steenburgen, and Cicely Tyson). Rooney Mara (for her Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Elizabeth Olsen (for her problematic character in Sean Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene) tied for the Best Breakthrough Performance of 2011. Chris Miller's Puss in Boots, featuring the voices of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, was the Best Animated Feature. Curiously, the Nevada Critics don't hand out award for Best Foreign Language Film.

If you hadn't heard of the Nevada Film Critics Society, don't despair. They're a brand new (and apparently quite small) group, founded last year. Below is the full list of the Nevada Critics' choices.

Best Film - Hugo
Best Director - Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Best Actor - Tom Hardy (Warrior)
Best Actress - Jessica Chastain (The Debt, The Help, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter)
Best Supporting Actor - Albert Brooks (Drive)
Best Supporting Actress - Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs)
Best Ensemble Cast - The Help
Best Child Actor - Asa Butterfield (Hugo)
Best Breakthrough Performance (tie) – Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy Mae Marlene) and Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Best Animated Film - Puss in Boots

Via Awards Daily
Tom Hardy/Joel Edgerton/Warrior photo: Lionsgate Films
7 29share39

More information about: Albert Brooks, Albert Nobbs, Chris Miller, Drive, film awards, film awards 2011, Hugo, Janet McTeer, Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton photos, Martin Scorsese, Nevada Film Critics Awards, Nevada Film Critics Awards 2012, Puss in Boots, Take Shelter, The Debt, The Help, The Tree of Life, Tom Hardy, Tom Hardy photos, Warrior, Warrior photos

Toronto Film Critics Awards 2007

St. Louis Film Critics Awards 2006

Oscar 2009: Hollywood & Highland Photos

2005 European Film Award Winners

Oscar 2010: Honorary Awards Relocated

Amy Adams, Kate Hudson, Ashton Kutcher, Zoe Saldana: Golden Globes 2010 Presenters

Text © 2004-2011 Alt Film Guide and/or author(s). Not to be reproduced without prior written consent.

Cancel Reply

http://www.altfg.com/blog/movie/hugo-martin-scorsese-tom-hardy-jessica-chastain-nevada-film-critics-winners/

Daniel Radcliffe: Elizabeth Olsen Set to 'Kill Your Darlings' Along with Daniel Radcliffe (First Showings)

by Ethan Anderton
January 12, 2012
Source: Variety

Just after Thanksgiving in 2011, it was reported that Daniel Radcliffe was keeping his career interesting post-Harry Potter by playing Allen Ginsberg in the thriller Kill Your Darlings, a story about the relationship between Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Lucien Carr which eventually ends up with them caught up in murder. Now Variety has word that the cast is filling out around Radcliffe with Sundance starlet and indie darling Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) is set to join the film along with Dane Dehaan ("In Treatment") and Jack Huston ("Boardwalk Empire"). Details on their characters below.

Olsen has been set to play Edie Parker, the wealthy art-student girlfriend of Jack Kerouac who will be played by Huston. Meanwhile, Dehaan will play Carr, a key member of the original New York City circle of the Beat Generation in the 1940's who also catches the romantic eyes of Ginsberg. Carr befriended the beatnik poet and introduced him to Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs but she was also friends with a somewhat deranged David Kammerer, who was so in love with Carr that when he and Kerouac decided to join the Merchant Marines, he flipped out and ended up in a scuffle with Carr at a park, where he eventually stabbed Kammerer to death. As you can imagine, things take a turn for the worse after that. The film is expected to begin filming at Columbia University in New York City this March. If Radcliffe keeps this up, he will have much more than The Boy Who Lived leaving a mark on cinema.

http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/elizabeth-olsen-set-to-kill-your-darlings-along-with-daniel-radcliffe/

Keira Knightley ('A Dangerous Method'), Charlize Theron ('Young Adult'), Elizabeth Olsen ('Martha Marcy May Marlene') are on the edge in award-contending roles.(LA Times)

January 05, 2012|By Hugh Hart, Special to the Los Angeles Times

Shortly after Russian hysteric Sabina Spielrein is carried kicking and screaming into a Swiss sanitarium, her new doctor, Carl Jung, primly inquires, "What are your interests?" Sabina, portrayed in "A Dangerous Method" by Keira Knightley, snarls in reply: "Suicide and interplanetary travel."

Some icebreaker!

Spastic and stammering, Sabina recovers after taking the "talking cure" administered by Jung (Michael Fassbender) under the guidance of his mentor Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen). Over the course of the film, she embodies a character type highly coveted by Hollywood's finest actresses: Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdowns

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/05/news/la-en-women-verge-20120105

10 Break out stars of 2011 (Big Hollywood)

by Lauren Veneziani     

A great actor is one who takes their role, researches it, studies that character’s story and puts themselves in that person’s shoes without holding anything back. A fantastic actor is all of the above, plays well with others, and takes direction and criticism with a grain of salt.
An Oscar-winning actor is all of the above and at some point in their life have had one hell of a year in movies. There were several intense and thrilling performances in film this year, and these actors are the most noteworthy.

1. Michael Fassbender — This year’s “It Man” headed into 2011 as basically an unknown. It wasn’t until his performance as Mr. Rochester in “Jane Eyre” that this fine performer popped up on my radar. Fassbender, 34, added a whole new depth to the brooding Rochester to a point where he didn’t come off as a complete creep, as co-star Mia Wasikowska is only 22 and looks even younger. In June, he hit box office glory by playing the young Magneto in “X-Men: First Class,” one of the greatest origin superhero movies I’ve ever seen. Now that award show season is here, Fassbender is getting buzz for both his roles in “A Dangerous Method,” where he plays psychiatrist Carl Jung, and for “Shame,” where he portrays a sex addict whose private life is interrupted by the indefinite stay of his sister, played by Carey Mulligan. With a year like this, let’s hope this promising actor gets more starring roles noteworthy of Oscar buzz.

2. Jessica Chastain – This actress has been in more films this year than I can count on one hand and the amazing thing is, she was perfect in all of them. She played Brad Pitt’s scared and grieving wife in “The Tree of Life,” one of the most artistically creative films of the year; a Mossad undercover agent in “The Debt;” and the tight dressed, desperate high society wannabe Celia Foote in “The Help.” In addition, indie films “Take Shelter,” “Coriolanus,” and “Wilde Salome” have all debuted this year as well. Up next, Chastain will appear opposite Tom Cruise in the sci-fi thriller “Horizons.”

3. Melissa McCarthy — Though the actress’ first claim to fame was Sookie St. James on “Gilmore Girls,” Melissa McCarthy has proved to be one of the best comedic actresses of our time. This year’s “Bridesmaids,” the highest grossing female casted comedy ever, featured several scene-stealing performances by the talented McCarthy. She also took home the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for CBS’s “Mike & Molly.” She will appear in Judd Apatow’s “This Is 40″ in 2012.

4. Rooney Mara – I can’t wait for the day this girl takes home her first Oscar. I’ve been a fan ever since she played Mark Zuckerberg’s fictitious girlfriend in “The Social Network.” This year, director David Fincher took her under his wing again by casting her as the female protagonist Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” One of my favorite films of 2011 and certainly one of my favorite performances as well, Mara will shine in the spotlight for years to come and deservedly so.

5. Elizabeth Olsen — There’s been nothing but praise for this fine young starlet, who has truly out-shined her famous older sisters, the Olsen twins. Her acting debut in “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” as a girl fleeing from an abusive cult, may have been one of the most surprising breakout performances ever. Though it has a strange title, I hope that didn’t discourage anyone from seeing the film. Olsen will appear in “Red Lights” opposite Robert De Niro and Cillian Murphy in 2012.

6. Chris Hemsworth — The Australian actor first came to my attention when he played the doomed Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” in 2009. Hemsworth’s breakout role came earlier this year, where he starred as the title character in “Thor.” Looks like superhero films had a big role for a lot of our breakout stars in 2011! The actor added a refreshing boost to the God of Thunder, bringing strength and comedy to the role. Hemsworth will star as the Huntsman in “Snow White and the Huntman” in 2012.

7. Octavia Spencer — All of the actresses in “The Help” hit their character’s personality right on, but it was Octavia Spencer who justified herself as an actor and advanced her profile this year for her role as Minnie from the beloved Kathryn Sockett novel.

8. Jennifer Lawrence – Yes, it was last year’s “Winter’s Bone” that brought attention to the 21-year-old actress, but this year she starred in “X-Men: First Class,” “The Beaver” and “Like Crazy.” In addition to these films, she’s starring as Katniss in the wildly popular series, “The Hunger Games,” set to release March 2012.

9. Shailene Woodley — It was “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” that brought fame to the now 20-year-old actress. However, it was this year’s “The Descendants,” where she starred as George Clooney’s oldest daughter who is suffering over the loss of her mother and trying to reconnect with her distant father, that we saw that Woodley can really act. She was hysterically crying under water and stole every scene with her sarcastic personality that added comic relief to the movie. I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next.

10. Armie Hammer — In 2010, Hammer starred as the Winklevoss twins in “The Social Network.” We saw that he was a stud, had some talent, but was he anything more than just a pretty face? In this year’s “J. Edgar,” he starred as Clyde Tolson, associate director of the FBI and the alleged lover of Hoover. This role gave him exposure as an actor that he might not have been able to gain anywhere else. In 2012, he will star in “Mirror Mirror” as Prince Andrew with Lily Collins and Julia Roberts


http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/lveneziani/2011/12/29/top-10-breakout-stars-of-2011/

Fresh Faces at the Golden Globes: Michael Fassbender of ‘Shame,’ Jessica Chastain of ‘The Tree of Life,’ Octavia Spencer of ‘The Help,’ and More (Yahoo Movies)

By Thelma Adams | The Reel Breakdown – Tue, Dec 13, 2011 8:11 PM EST

 

Fresh Faces for 2011

 

When it comes to acting honors, the great thing about the Golden Globes nominees, which the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will announce Thursday morning, is that the HFPA doubles the pleasure by splitting honors into drama and comedy/musical, and they give an award for best ensemble. It's the awards season equivalent of goodie bags. It also means that there are a lot of fresh, newer faces in the mix. Here's our preview of some names neither Streep nor Pitt nor Clooney:

Michael Fassbender:GQ's Man of the Year would have made a splash just walking around his apartment in the nude in "Shame," Steve McQueen's revealing cautionary tale of a sexaholic. But the European studmuffin, 34, couldn't sit still: He went over to the bad side as Magneto in "X-Men: First Class"; spanked Sabina Spielrein, played by Keira Knightley, as a repressed Carl Jung in "A Dangerous Method"; and brooded his way across the moor as Rochester in "Jane Eyre." It's enough to make other aspiring actors whine, "Leave some parts for us!"

Jessica Chastain:Call the porcelain-skinned redhead, 30, the female Fassbender. If you had asked about her a year ago, the answer would have been a big "who"? Then came a flood of well-received movies, from the mainstream "The Help," to the arty "The Tree of Life," as well as "The Debt," "Coriolanus," "Take Shelter," and "Texas Killing Fields." Equally adept at playing a saintly suburban mother and a slatternly Southern bombshell, she may be the Streep of her generation. Her biggest problem? With so many roles, how do you pick just one to nominate?

Jean Dujardin: Already a major name in France for his fluffy spy comedies, Dujardin, 39, earned a César nomination (the French Oscar equivalent) for the title role in "OSS 177: Cairo, Nest of Spies" with director Michel Hazanavicius. He won best actor at the Cannes Film Festival for their latest collaboration, "The Artist," in which Dujardin plays an early Hollywood silent-film star who speaks a single word of English but expresses the entire language of charm in this wistfully humane black-and-white glance back at the world before talking pictures.

Elizabeth Olsen:Last January at the Sundance Film Festival, the consensus after the premiere of "Martha Marcy May Marlene" (oh, shoot the writer who decided on that title!) was that here, finally, was the Olsen sister who could really act. In her feature-film debut, the 22-year-old younger half-sibling of Mary-Kate and Ashley peeled off her clothes and got underneath the audience's skin as a cult member who flees the commune and returns home to her sister but can't quite wrap her head around her individual identity.

Octavia Spencer: The "Ugly Betty" star, 41, has arguably the most dramatic storyline in "The Help." Her Minny is a sympathetic but prickly black maid who struggles to remain her own person despite the social costs. While Minny's mouth gets her at trouble at work in a white woman's kitchen and at home with her unseen and violent husband, she gets her revenge. According to Spencer, she met novelist Kathryn Stockett through their mutual friend, writer-director Tate Taylor, and the character of Minny was actually molded to the actress well before the book became a chick-lit must-read.

Shailene Woodley: Sure, the actress received some Teen Choice nominations for her role as Amy Juergens in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," but that was hardly preparation for her award-winning, older-and-wiser-than-her-years daughter to George Clooney's Matt King in "The Descendants." She may hang out with Miley Cyrus off-screen, but she can hold her own with Oscar-winner Clooney, never overplaying her emotional hand, even when she's the one to deliver the so-sad, too-bad news: Mom was cheating, and Dad was too self-involved to notice.

For TV fans, Melissa McCarthy of "Mike and Molly" and comic Patton Oswalt from "United State of Tara" and "Bored to Death" are old news. But both broke out big in subversive big-screen comedies. McCarthy's Megan was the surprise hit of "Bridesmaids," overtly sexual in a power-forward, plus-size way. While in "Young Adult," Oswalt also gets a sex scene, removing his wash-worn undershirt to reveal a beer-barrel gut instead of a six-pack. His Matt is the Jiminy Cricket conscience of the black comedy, a geek on a crutch with more self-respect than Charlize Theron's beautiful but blitzed ex-cheerleader. Both Oswalt and McCarthy are viable contenders for best supporting actor and actress at the Globes, with Oscar potential beyond.

While the Golden Globes are often dismissed as a fun, drunken awards party caught on camera -- a feeling that English comedian Ricky Gervais as snarky ringmaster has only intensified -- the Globes do roll out a lot of names that end up arriving on the Academy Awards ballots. Expect the majority of the fresh faces above to have become very familiar on the red carpet at Hollywood's Kodak Theater by the time February 26 and the 84th Annual Academy Awards winners' names are snug in their sealed envelopes.

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/the-reel-breakdown/fresh-faces-golden-globes-michael-fassbender-drive-jessica-011111708.html

Top 10 Film Performances of 2011 (according to Patrick Broadnax)(Examiner)

Patrick Broadnax

, Huntsville Movie Examiner

December 22, 2011 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.

Film in 2011 brought upon some dazzling new titles that will forever go down as classics, and along with the movie as a whole, came performances that stood out. Personally, there were more than ten performances that struck as more than the average performance, being amazed, surprised, and even generally shocked. The top ten of which caught me by surprise inflicting emotions such as anger, hate, pity, sadness, happiness and more come from an eclectic group of films and even more eclectic groups of actors and actresses. Here are the Top 10 Performances of 2011 in film:

10. Melissa McCarthy of Bridesmaids: Stealing just about every scene she was in on the year’s best comedy film, Bridesmaids, Melissa McCarthy is number ten on the list. She played one of the quirky, colorful bridesmaids that brightened the screen with gut-busting hilarity and even a little bit of heart. Ms. McCarthy portrayed one of the most memorable characters of this year.

Advertisement

 

9. Joseph Gordon-Levitt of 50/50: The always charming Mr. Gordon-Levitt helmed a character going through the struggles of cancer in the tragic comedy film, 50/50. Not only did he sustain the film’s sharp humor (with Seth Rogen), but also delivered some raw emotion as well. The film itself was unexpectedly effective, particularly in a scene that comes later in the film involving his character and his therapist, played by Anna Kendrick. It’s pretty masterful stuff for such a fine young actor.

8. Alan Rickman of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2): Professor Snape has always been a generally exquisite part of every single Harry Potter film to date; however nothing can compare to his performance in the last film. Anyone who had the pleasure to view part two of the last Harry Potter chapter knows just how important Snape’s Memory scene is. And one can only credit director David Yates and the great Alan Rickman for appropriately displaying, what goes down in my book as, the best scene in any Harry Potter film.

7. Elizabeth Olsen of Martha Marcy May Marlene: The lost Olsen sister makes a valiant debut in a dark film involving a vicious cult. As surprised as I was to find out that there was another Olsen sister, I was even more surprised to see that she might be better than her two twin sisters. Giving a chillingly shocking performance in the film, often more quiet than one would think. Still, Elizabeth plays scared quiet very well, indeed, which is the best explanation why I cannot shake this film from my head.

6. Octavia Spencer of The Help: In what I consider to be this year’s best film, The Help, there were a myriad of downright excellent performances, and one of the most standout performances must be Octavia Spencer’s portrayal as the strong, feisty, defiant, smart-mouthed maid Minny Jackson. Also one of the most memorable black characters I’ve seen in a while. You laughed with her, you cried with her and was even shocked by the terrible, awful thing she did in the movie, which was also rather hilarious. Spencer revealed that playing Minny was the meatiest role she had ever had, and finally got to do more than just a few scenes. I’m hoping to see much more of her in the future.

5. Andy Serkis of The Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Some will argue that it was all visual effects. I will beg to differ. In fact, Mr. Serkis gives such a powerful and nuanced performance that he doesn’t even need to be seen in the film. By that fact alone, it would be hard for some academies to award him anything. Playing the mighty Caesar from this year’s epic prequel to the "Planet of the Apes" series, Andy Serkis clearly pulled of one of the year’s most memorable performances just with facial expressions, ranging from anger, confusion, depression, rage, sadness, amazement, and of course vengeful. The film could have failed completely, but luckily they cast the right chimpanzee to take over as the main character.

4. Charlize Theron of Young Adult: The story of Young Adult came out of nowhere and surprised movie nerds and buffs everywhere. Even greater was the performance of the selfish, bitter, devastated thirty-nine year old approaching forty, by the always wonderful Charlize Theron. This portrayal could have simply come off as ridiculously cartoonish in the hands of a less masterful actress, however the character comes off as more relatable than one would think, although rather cold and unapologetic for her obviously inappropriate actions. It is apparent that Charlize definitely understands this character, her darkness, her devastation, and her daring. It’s only up to the audience to be able to find what lies deep within this stunning, complicated character.

3. Michelle Williams of My Week With Marilyn: Who can portray the great Marilyn Monroe? That was the biggest question on everyone’s mind. Michelle Williams pulls it off perfectly. The transformation from private to public figure is quiet honestly thrilling, it’s so surprisingly done with such ease it seems like second nature to Ms. Williams. The small little gestures and movements, just emulate the blonde bombshell. If the darling young actress doesn’t receive a myriad of awards this season, there is literally no justice in the world. If it were anyone else in that film pretending to be the most famous movie star of all time, no one would even give her the time of day. But when Michelle Williams transfigures into Monroe, she’s not pretending and we accept her as no more than the true 20th century legend, herself.

2. Viola Davis of The Help: What is there to say, besides finally. A film that gives Viola Davis more than just eight or so minutes to show she is one of this century’s best actresses. Playing the coy, strong-willed, devastated black domestic maid, Abilene. Much like her co-star, Octavia Spencer, you feel everything she feels, from laughter, to depression and devastation, loss and regret. Playing a loving surrogate mother to white children and a put upon servant to their parents, Davis brings a hopeful warmth to the screen, as the radiating warmth from her eyes counter the often fear and worry that accompany her, everywhere she goes. Possibly the most enduring, loveable character to grace the screens this year in film, Abilene triumphs. And of course so does Viola Davis. And she’s right…"Stop calling black actresses dignified!" Davis proves to be more than that.

1. Rooney Mara of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Some will remember Rooney Mara as the icy ex-girlfriend of Mark Zuckerberg from David Fincher’s 2010 hit, The Social Network. She had a great stint inthat film. Now after very recently viewing David Fincher’s adaptation of the late Stieg Larsson’s first novel to his Millennium Trilogy, I am shocked, a bit disturbed and very impressed with everyting involving and especially Ms. Mara’s portrayal of character favorite, Lisabeth Salander. Critics are calling her performance a “revelation” and “hypnotic and fearless”. These mere words do not really do Rooney Mara’s portrayal any justice. In fact, most words won’t describe how great she was. If there is any reason to see the film, Mara is it. Lisabeth in Fincher’s version is bleak, strong but delicate, beyond intelligent, even darkly charming and sexy at times. A real broken heroine. A rush of different emotions are generated just simply from the two and a half hours that is the film, and it sticks with you. Not only has Fincher given the world a new wonderfully dark, brutal film, but he has also introduced us to one of this generations’ better talents. Which is why Rooney Mara is the number one film performance of 2011!

http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-huntsville/top-10-film-performances-of-2011

2012 Oscar Predictions: Best Actress Nominees! (E! OnLine)

Fri., Dec. 16, 2011 6:53 AM PST by Team Truth

'Tis the season...for Oscar predictions!

And since our fave race of the Academy Awards is (duh!) the Best Actress slot, we decided to narrow down which par-tick babes we think will make the tough cut. Now that we've analyzed the SAG and Golden Globe noms for further clues, we realize our first hunches were right on target: We've settled on a list that's inspired by such iconic chicks as Marilyn Monroe and Margaret Thatcher.
Talk about beauty and the beast, eh?

READ: Golden Globe Nominations 2012: Five Shockers and Snubs!

Let's start with the obvious.

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady:
While the legendary actress has 16 Academy Award nominations and two wins to her credit, Meryl hasn't taken home the Oscar since 1982. That is simply a crime, people, a crime! Gal's most definitely due in for some more modern recognition, but, we're not entirely sure Streep's precise portrayal of bullish British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is more Oscar-worthy than her previous noms.

Streep's simply perfect star-deliveries in Devil Wears Prada and Julia & Julia, et. al, just keep on getting ignored by the Academy, albeit she always manages a nom. Will Meryl be Susan Lucci-ed out yet again in 2012? Come on, even Hilary Swank and Dianne Weist have two Oscars. Shouldn't our most talented living actor today have at least one more little statuette? Don't worry, she will—soon.

RELATED: Five SAG nomination stunners

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn:
Williams has at least two strong factors going for her: one, while Marilyn isn't exactly getting rave reviews, Michelle's eerily sexy-lonely turn as Marilyn Monroe (while she made the film The Prince and the Showgirl in England with Laurence Olivier) certainly is—across the board. Plus, more on the sentimental side, Michelle has been Oscar-nominated twice before (Brokeback Mountain and Blue Valentine), and for a pretty young, former Dawson's Creek gal, Michelle's damn respected by the Academy. Lastly, do not forget Williams represents the possible continuation of Heath Ledger's tragically halted career talents, as she is the mother of their daughter, Matilda. Those are two pedigrees Oscar never sniffs at, in fact, just the opposite.

RELATED: Michelle Williams Channels Her Inner Marilyn Monroe—Even Between Takes!

Viola Davis, The Help:
Let's be very clear and on the record, we lived for many of the performances in The Help, particularly those of Davis and Jessica Chastain (who could easily get nominated in the Supporting Actress category for one of her many stand-out acting jobs this year). And even though Davis's gut-wrenching, bravura performance as a put-upon 1950s maid in the racist deep south is utterly beyond compare, it just sort of sucks that it took a white woman (Emma Stone) to inspire Viola's character to do something about it. Come again?

Yeah, it would be akin to writing Rosa Parks's story, but, making her trailblazing inspiration some do-gooder, white housewife in pearls. Laughably insulting, but, Davis's uniformed trajectory is so stunningly moving, you kind of forget about all that nonsense, which is often what winning an Oscar is all about.

READ: The Help Star Viola Davis Adopts Baby Girl!

Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo:
OK, quit gasping and just realize you've gotten to the total wild-card portion of the tabulation. Glenn Close playing a sad woman playing an even sadder man in Albert Nobbs is just as likely as Rooney to nab an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, we say.

Both women deliver knock-out emotionally brittle performances that make you shudder and shake—in very different ways. One's all about tatts and blood and revenge, the other's all about bleeding to death from a heartless existence on the inside. A-plus to both superiorly talented actors, we're just saying Rooney has a slight edge, despite Close's myriad prior Oscar nominations.

Only because the Academy (sometimes) seems obsessed with going for a younger demographic. So, since Billy Crystal got the hosting gig, poor Glenn stands a tiny less chance—though, remember, Close, not Mara, got the SAG nomination, always a good indicator.

But, on the third hand, go and watch Tilda Swinton (also a SAG nominee) go and swoop it from both women for We Need to Talk About Kevin, which we really should but, we'd rather say Tilda totally got robbed not even getting nominated for last year's absurdly heart-breaking I Am Love. Never under estimate the power of make-up Oscar noms and wins!

RELATED: Rooney Mara Dishes on Her "Necessary" R-Rated Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Piercings

Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
OK, so Elizabeth (yes, younger sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) is the real long shot—especially since she hasn't earned any recognition from the SAG or Golden Globe voters—but we're still saying that the newbie actress could manage an ascendancy from nowhere and steal a nomination for her first big screen role.

She wasn't completely overlooked this award season (she managed to score a Spirit Award nomination against William's Marilyn) and there was tons of award season buzz about her performance as an emotionally wounded young woman escaping a violent cult when the film first hit (select) theaters. To be frank, she's damn good in the role and deserves the credit.

The only question is whether the lack of campaigning will cause her to be seriously overlooked. Or, ya know, if the Academy isn't willing to honor two younger gals (along with Rooney) in their first leading roles. Sure, they always love to gush over a fresh face (think Gabourey Sidibe in Precious), but two of those rosy pusses may be a tad too much young blood for the Academy's elite tastes.
Let's hope we're wrong.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/the_awful_truth/2012_oscar_predictions_best_actress/281109#ixzz1goFbu98P

Difficult women; Oscar gold - Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron, Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep

Published Dec 01 2011, 06:22 PM by Peter Keough

1

I just came from a screening of David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method," in which Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein kicks and screams and laughs hysterically as she's dragged from a carriage into the Bürgholzi Mental Hospital to be treated by Michael Fassbender's Carl Jung.

Yesterday I went to a screening of "Young Adult," directed by Jason Reitman from a script by Diablo Cody, in which Charlize Theron (an old hand at disturbed characters after her serial killer in "Monster") plays a woman who is acutely depressed, alcoholic, and self-destructively obsessed with a man she went out with over fifteen years ago.
I'm starting to think that every nomination for Best Actress this year will be for someone portraying a basket case. Maybe it's a carryover from Natalie Portman's triumph last year in "Black Swan." But then mental disability has traditionally been the road to Oscar gold for men also, as with winner Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man" and nominee Russell Crowe in "A Beautiful Mind."

Some more out-of-their-mind Oscar contenders? How about another depressive case, the woman played by Kirsten Dunst in Lars Von Trier's "Melancholia," who is so bummed out that she summons up the title planet to slam into earth to end her life, and every one else's.

Or the hapless and suicidal nymphomaniac and probable sufferer from Borderline Personality Disorder played by Carey Mulligan in "Shame?"

Or the escapee from a mind controlling cult who is losing her grip on reality played by Elizabeth Olsen in Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene?"

True, not all the on-screen crazies this year are women. There's Michael Fassbender's sex addict, also in "Shame," who probably could use some of the dangerous method practiced by the actor's character in the Cronenberg movie. And Michael Shannon as the is-he-nuts-or-is-he-a-prophet character in Jeff Nichol's "Take Shelter."
Nor are all the leading Academy candidates playing the a character who is unhinged.

Like Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lord's "The Iron Lady" (with a screenplay by Abi Morgan, co-writer of "Shame"). Unless you think someone who would wage a war over the Falkland Islands might not be totally sane.

 

The Boston Phoenix

|