Freida Pinto inspires Colin Firth to donate his tuxedo (MID DAY)

December 22, 2012
MUMBAI Kunal M Shah

They say charity begins at home. Well, for Freida Pinto it began in Dubai. She recently auctioned her 1920’s vintage Valentino gown that she wore to an event at the desert Emirate. And not just that, the actress even inspired Colin Firth to do the same. Freida is yet to sign a Bollywood film but that’s not stopping her from making just the right kind of friends in Hollywood. And one among the many is Colin Firth.

The Mumbai-born actress wore a Valentino gown to the event and offered to donate it for charity. The source adds, “Livia and her team were bowled over by her generous offer. The dress fetched a whopping amount.”

Seeing Freida’s gesture, Colin too decided to pledge his custom-made Paul Smith tuxedo for the cause. “He mentioned on the stage that her act inspired him to take this step, thereby making the tuxedo his second addition to the lot auctioned from his end.”

READ MORE: http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2012/dec/221212-Freida-Pinto-inspires-Colin-Firth-to-donate-his-tuxedo.htm

Colin Firth among stars at Dubai Film Festival (SCOTTISH PASSPORT)

British actor Colin Firth was among the stars to grace the red carpet at the Dubai International Film Festival last week, attending a charity ball and auction on Saturday night with his Italian wife Livia.

The couple posed for photographers as they entered the 'One Night to change Lives' event, which raised half a million dollars for local agency Dubai Cares and international charity Oxfam.


Other stars to attend included Sex and the City's Kristin Davis, Rooney Mara from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto.

The majority of the ladies were proudly taking part in Livia Firth's Green Carpet Challenge – which encourages the stars at red carpet events to wear clothing which is sustainably produced as well as stylish.

The green entrepreneur and film producer came up with the idea of the challenge in 2009, with journalist Lucy Siegle, and now insists on wearing ethical fashion to all events.


READ MORE: http://shows.stv.tv/scottish-passport/celebrities-on-holiday/206167-colin-firth-among-stars-at-dubai-film-festival/

Colin Firth,Stars raise $542,000 for charity in Dubai (TABLOID)

The Oxfam charity gala on the sidelines of Diff saw celebrities out in full force

By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Senior ReporterPublished: 12:23 December 15, 2012

TAB_121214_OXFAM_RED_CARPET Actor Colin Firth with his wife Livia at the red carpet for the Cares and Oxfam 'One Night to Change Lives' Charity Gala, at the Armani Hotel, during the 2012 Dubai International Film Festival ? photo Zarina Fernandes/ Gulfnews

The slight drizzle in Dubai on Friday threatened to pull the rug (or should we say red carpet) right from under our feet. But when you have stars such as Colin Firth, Frieda Pinto, Kristin Davis of ‘Sex And The City’ fame, Rooney Maara and Arab star Amr Waked in the same house despite some moody clouds, it would take no less than a hurricane to make the journalists in the press pen budge. And what a night it was.

The annual black-tie charity gala One Night To Change Lives held in association with Dubai Cares and Oxfam held outdoors against the backdrop of a towering Burj Khalifa and the magnificent fountains at Armani Hotel Dubai lived up to its lucrative reputation.

The stars joined forces and raised a whopping $542,000 (Dh1,990,386) in less than three hours of relentless but highly entertaining bidding. This year’s collection may not have surpassed last year’s $1 million mark, but it’s never easy to put a price to an evening that saw Firth impulsively auctioning off his Paul Smith “guilt-free” organic tuxedo or Frieda Pinto teasing the bidders to unzip their wallets to take home her strapless red Valentino gown that she was wearing for the night.

READ MORE: http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/tabloid/stars-raise-542-000-for-charity-in-dubai-1.1118885

Dubai film fest: Where to meet Freida Pinto... or Colin Firth (EMIRATES)

As the curtains rise on the seven-day affair, we look at the best spots to catch the starry action in the emirate

By Bindu Suresh Rai Published Monday, December 10, 2012

As the curtains have risen on the ninth edition of the Dubai International Film Festival, the city is fast becoming a playground for the very famous to soak up some winter sun, while wrapping up official red carpet appearances in between.

This year, the film festival is playing host to Hollywood’s top brass Oscar winners such as Kevin Spacey, Cate Blanchett and Colin Firth; meanwhile, damsel turned diva, Freida Pinto, is also returning to the city that gave her a starry status when it screened ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ several years ago.

If you want to be very all the action is, here’s a nifty guide by Emirates 24|7 to catch all the stars in the flesh these next eight days.

Red Carpet Galas

Fans of Hollywood elite need go no further than the red carpet enclosure at the Madinat Arena every night from 6pm to catch their favourite stars.

International celebrities flying into Dubai this December include: Academy Award winners Cate Blanchett, Colin Firth, Livia Firth, Frieda Pinto, Rooney Mara, Kirsten Davis, Amr Waked, Bryan Ferry, Suraj Sharma, Steve Oram, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jessica Mauboy, Shravanthi Sainath and Adil Hussain and Erica Linz.

Phew!

READ MORE:http://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/dubai-film-fest-where-to-meet-freida-pinto-or-colin-firth-2012-12-10-1.486585 

Christian Bale: Freida Pinto to romance Christian Bale in Knight of Cups Press Trust of India | Friday, June 29, 2012 (New Delhi) (MOVIES)

 Mumbai The Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto will be seen romancing Oscar-winner Christian Bale in Hollywood director Terrence Malick's next project Knight of Cups.

After Brad Pitt starrer The Tree of Life, Malick, will explore the theme of love and truth in the film, which has already gone on floors in Santa Monica.

Also starring Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett, Knight of Cups is set to hit the big screen internationally in 2013.

Freida Pinto, born in Mumbai, has been making strides in Hollywood since starring in Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Freida Pinto has successfully avoided being stereotyped in Hollywood by playing a variety of roles in movies like You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Immortals.


READ MORE: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20120207969&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=hollywood&nid=237642

The Works, Frieda Pinto, Dan Stevens join The Catastrophist 16 May, 2012 | By Andreas Wiseman (SCREEN DAILY)

Filming is due to start in Tanzania in February 2013.

Broomfield and Marc Hoeferlin wrote the script, which is based on Ronan Bennett’s 1960, Belgian Congo-set novel about the love affair between a jaded writer and a young idealistic journalist who are forced to take sides when a violent civil war breaks out.

READ MORE:  http://www.screendaily.com/news/production/the-works-frieda-pinto-dan-stevens-join-the-catastrophist/5041843.article

Meet the new Superman, British actor Henry Cavill. Plus, Breaking Dawn premieres in Australia

Freida Pinto says filming loves scenes with Henry Cavill was 'uncomfortable'

Posted by heatworld 14 November 2011 14:55

Freida Pinto thinks that nothing can prepare you for filming awkward love scenes, even if they are with the super hunky, Henry Cavill.
Freida revealed to Parade, "These kinds of things are always uncomfortable whenever you do it. There is never a good time for these scenes that deal with intimacy. "Honestly, I don't mentally prepare myself. I just go in and do what I need to do. It's my job and I try and separate that from reality."
We’re sure that her boyfriend Dev Patel appreciates, Freida’s professional attitude but if we were filming a love scene with Henry Cavil (The new Superman) we’d want to remember every moment.

Freida and Dev are not engaged

Things may be going well with Feida and Dev but they are not engaged, Feida even went so far to get her spokesperson to tell The Times of India: "Freida is not getting engaged anytime soon. She is on the final leg of promotions for her film and has got two more films due for release early next year.
"She's extremely tied up with her work commitments and is not planning on settling down anytime soon."

Well that clears that up then.


Heatworld

REVIEW – IMMORTALS

Courtney HowardNovember 10, 20110

IMMORTALS
Directed by: Tarsem Singh
Written by: Charley and Vlas Parlapanides

Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Frieda Pinto, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff, Isabel Lucas, and Kellan Lutz

There’s a very famous line from GLADIATOR that Russell Crowe’s Maximus yells to the Roman audience, thirsting for blood and death: “Are you not entertained?” I think of this phrase every time I see any movie. As a critic, it’s the key question that’s answered when composing a review. Naturally, due to the similar subject matter of a poor man becoming a fighter for the people (not to mention the sword-and-sandal milieu), it’s especially apropos with IMMORTALS. The film never takes itself too seriously. As far as inevitable comparisons go, it falls right smack in between 300 (on the higher end of the spectrum) and the CLASH OF THE TITANS remake (on the low end).

In IMMORTALS, megalomaniac King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) and his evil, bloodthirsty army are rampaging across Greece, destroying everything in their path. Village after village are conquered and decimated on his quest to unleash the sleeping Titans (the vanquished prisoners of a war with the gods) from Mt. Olympus. Once the Titans are awakened, gods and mortals be damned! It would seem no one can stop this madman, until Theseus (Henry Cavill) vows to avenge the death of his mother after she is killed in the raid on his town. When he is taken prisoner by Hyperion, he meets up with a virgin Oracle, Phaedra (Freida Pinto). She’s had visions that indicate Theseus is the key to stopping this destruction, and he answers the call to be the savior for his people. With the help of Phaedra and his right hand man Stavros (Stephen Dorff), he assembles an army just massive as Hyperion’s. Watching and waiting in the heavens above are Theseus’ trainer Zeus (Luke Evans), Athena (Isabel Lucas), Poseidon (Kellan Lutz), and Ares (Daniel Sherman). However, they are bound to not interfere until the Titans are released.



There’s no question about it. IMMORTALS has 5 star visuals. Director Tarsem (THE CELL, THE FALL) adds depth and perspective to fight sequences not applied to 3-D films thus far. Things don’t just don’t come toward the audience, but are happening all around. The final battle feels immersive and tangible in its massive scope. Tarsem suffuses his frame with movement, color, and clarity. Images remain crisp and clear, not suffering from the muddied darkening of the glasses, which helps when you’re checking out every costume detail or ab crease.

However, a movie can’t simply exist on all gloss and no substance. The script from Charley and Vlas Parlapanides pulls from all different cultural sources of mythology to create its own universe – one that’s chock full of silly hats. While the beats are very familiar (ahem, predictable), it’s fun to see how goofy the scenarios become for our heroes. They turn out more campy than clever, which works for this movie. The silver minotaur in Hyperion’s courtyard is used as a deliciously wicked dramatic device that pays off handsomely.



My only real beef with IMMORTALS is in its sexist treatment of its two main female characters. Phaedra, who is pursued and coveted by Hyperion, is virtually forgotten about after she spends the night with Theseus – indicating a woman’s uselessness after she gives her “power” to a man. And it’s not just on Earth where sexism runs rampant. Even in the heavens, Athena gets her fair share of it when Zeus chooses to not permanently extinguish her like her brother. But why not, as they both broke the exact same rule?! Oh, because she’s a girl. When war finally does rage in the spectacular last act, I couldn’t help but think Zeus was probably regretting having one less god around to help him fight the Titans.

IMMORTALS knows it’s not a Shakespearean drama, and never tries to be either. It exists as pure escapist entertainment. Yes, it’s silly – especially the headgear mortals and gods wear – but it’s also a lot of fun. If you embrace this film for the eye candy absurdity it is, you will find yourself entertained.


Very Aware

Rising stars Henry Cavill and Freida Pinto share the screen in The Immortals

Relativity

Henry Cavill in Immortals

Nov 10, 2011 – 5:00 PM ET | Last Updated: Nov 10, 2011 4:26 PM ET

By Bob Thompson

Henry Cavill and Freida Pinto are enjoying the best of times right now.
After separately struggling to make names for themselves in the film industry, they share a new movie and higher profiles in Hollywood.
Cavill, 28, and Pinto, 27, are co-stars in the 3D epic fantasy Immortals, which opens in theatres Nov. 11.

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Freida Pinto

Add to Cavill’s resume the Superman part in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, currently filming in Vancouver. Pinto, who had her breakout in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, was featured in the box-office hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes this past summer.

In Immortals, the Tarsem Singh-directed R-rated gods-and-monsters film shot in Montreal last year, Cavill plays Theseus. He’s the mortal chosen by Zeus (Luke Evans) to fight for Greece against warrior king, Hyperion (Mickey Rourke). The nasty ruler leads his army on a rampage in search of the virgin oracle priestess (Pinto) and the whereabouts of a magical weapon.

Massive battles and major sword fights highlight the production, which also includes an intimate lovemaking sequence between Cavill’s Theseus and Pinto’s priestess.

“He was an absolute gentleman, and those are the kinds of actors that you want to work with,” said Pinto, who joined Cavill to promote the movie at a Beverly Hills hotel recently.
In fact, the sex scene was the least of Cavill’s concerns. He needed to stay in shape, and hit the training room as much as he prepared his lines.

“I trained for six months before we even started shooting,” Cavill recalled. “I was on The Tudors (TV series), getting up at 4 a.m., doing a basic martial-arts routine and sword stuff, just to get ready for Immortals.”

The tone of the mythological world was easier to tap into for Cavill. “Before we even started filming [in Montreal], Tarsem [Singh] did this wonderful thing of building Immortals mini-sets and creating a story board, and he talked us through the entire movie.”

That didn’t necessarily help Pinto prepare to play a virgin priestess, but she’s fine with that, too.
“As an actor, you live to be in an imaginary world,” she said. “When I was finally asked to play the oracle, I decided to feel like I was born to do that.”

Not quite. Raised in Mumbai, India, Pinto was a successful model when she decided to give acting a try in 2004. She had smaller parts in low-profile shows before her Latika role in Slumdog Millionaire catapulted her into international stardom.

“I guess the biggest struggle is getting your foot in the door,” she said. “Once you get there, then you have to be brave enough to embrace all the challenges that come your way, and make it happen for yourself. I guess the one thing that keeps you going is the belief that it will happen.”

Cavill, from the island of Jersey off the coast of England, believed. He made his movie debut in 2002’s The Count of Monte Cristo.

Assorted TV projects followed and a few more films, some as divergent as 2005’s Hellraiser: Hellworld and 2006’s Tristan & Isolde.

In 2007, he started to turns heads with his Duke of Suffolk in the acclaimed cable series, The Tudors, but he points out he still has to aggressively audition for parts despite his higher profile.
“It’s quite funny when people assume I am picking things from a well of jobs,” Cavill said. “It’s not that way.”

Pinto understands how he feels. She refuses to take things for granted, and says she’s lucky to do independent films and special-effects blockbusters such as Immortals and Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

“I’ve done three very good independent films, and I had a lot of fun working on those,” she said of Slumdog Millionaire and the upcoming Trishna and Black Gold.

“I wanted to try something different. And I watch big-budget films, and I’m completely enthralled and entertained by them. So why not be a part of them, as well?”

Posted in: Arts, Movies Tags: Freida Pinto, Henry Cavill, The Immortals

National Post

Under the Radar: The Cast of 'Immortals'

Hollywood

By Brian Salisbury, Hollywood.com Staff|Monday, November 07, 2011

In many ways, every young actor strives for immortality. They work to build a career of indelible performances and unforgettable films so that their names will be heralded in conversations and discussions long after they have shuffled free of the mortal coil.
When audiences invade theaters to watch Tarsem Singh’s Immortals this weekend, they’ll see many up and coming young stars vie for their attention, hoping to capture the prize of becoming a household name for years to come. Here’s the lowdown on the fresh faces ready to duke it out in Ancient Greece:
Henry Cavill


British actor Henry Cavill, who plays Greek hero Theseus, is definitely someone with whom you are going to want to be familiar before 2013. Appearing in theatrical productions since boarding school and long since making the leap to film, Cavill previously appeared in The Count of Monte Cristo, Tristan & Isolde, and Blood Creek (the latter being a film that comes with the highest of personal recommendations). Most recently, Cavill appeared as Henry VIII’s good friend Charles Brandon on the acclaimed Showtime original series The Tudors. Cavill has been making headlines across the web of late, as he will be the new Superman in Zack Synder’s Man of Steel, flying into theaters in June of 2013.
Frieda Pinto


The beautiful Frieda Pinto portrays priestess Phaedra, who must team with our hero Theseus to stop the evil King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke). In 2008, Frieda made a splash with critics and audiences alike with her performance in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, where she played the long-adored love interest of the film’s young hero. Her beauty and ability to capture the hearts of audiences was undeniable. Earlier this year she appeared opposite James Franco, and a very empathetic chimp named Caesar, in the late summer hit Rise of the Planet of the Apes. As a sequel to RotPotA is currently in the works, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of Frieda in the future.
Isabel Lucas


Playing the goddess Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, and warfare, the cast of Immortals also boasts the lovely Isabel Lucas. The Australian born Lucas is most recognizable as the drop-dead beauty/robot assassin, who seduces, then tries to kill Sam in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Lucas may not have gotten to showcase much more than her “natural assets” in the Transformers sequel, but her performance in 2009’s excellent sci-fi/horror flick Daybreakers more than proved her acting prowess. Lucas has been cast alongside Thor’s Chris Hemsworth and Watchmen’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the remake of Red Dawn slated for next year.
Luke Evans


Charged with portraying Zeus, the god of all Greek gods and king of Mt. Olympus, Luke Evans may have the most pertinent experience on his resume of any of his young castmates. Evans has already appeared in several big screen epics including Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood and W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers, which only hit theaters two weeks ago. On top of that, landing this role in Immortals doesn’t even mark the first time Evans has played a Greek god. He also portrayed Apollo, the god of music and poetry, in last year’s 3D remake of Clash of the Titans. Evans has several exciting projects in line to follow Immortals: He will appear alongside John Cusack in the crime thriller The Raven as well as in both segments of Peter Jackson’s mammoth fantasy epic The Hobbit.
Kellan Lutz


Also among the denizens of Mt. Olympus, Kellan Lutz will portray Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. Lutz first appeared on the big screen in the 2006 gymnastics comedy Stick It and has been landing impressive credits ever since, including turns in remakes of both Prom Night and A Nightmare on Elm Street. In 2008, Lutz appeared as Cpl. Jason Lively in the phenomenal HBO miniseries Generation Kill—a must see for anyone interested in gritty, authentic depictions of modern warfare. But the role for which he will probably be most recognized by the widest audience is that of Emmet Cullen in the Twilight franchise. In addition to Immortals, you can bet your sparkly complexion that he’ll be back later this month for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and again for the concluding chapter next year.