Tag Archives: colin firth

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: A lengthy second wave of Gala and Special Presentation programming has been announced for the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival, including this year’s Closing Night Film, which will be Paul Andrew Williams’ “Song for Marion,” with Terence Stamp and Gemma Arterton. It will mark the film’s World Premiere.
But that’s only one of eight new World Premieres included in today’s announcement. In addition, TIFF plans to pull the exclusive curtain back on the following films:
- “Emperor,” Peter Webber’s drama about the American occupation of Japan following World War II, with Tommy Lee Jones playing Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
- “What Maisie Knew,” an adaptation of the Henry James novella about a 7-year-old caught in a custody battle between her mother – a rock and
roll icon – and her father. Alexander Skarsgård, Julianne Moore, and Steve Coogan co-star.
- “Arthur Newman,” Dante Ariola’s offbeat golf drama about a former pro who fakes his own death and reinvents himself as a different player. Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, and Anne Heche co-star.
- “Do Not Disturb,” Yvan Attal French’s comedy that follows college pals Jeff and Ben who couldn’t be more different, but come together for a wild party that will change their lives forever.
- “Greetings from Tim Buckley,” Dan Algrant’s anticipated feature about Jeff Buckley’s 1991 performance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Imogen Poots and Penn Badgley star.
- “Rhino Season,” a Turkish drama about a former prisoner who sets out to find his wife, who people say died while he was detained.
- “Yellow,” Nick Cassavetes’ latest which centers on Mary Holmes, a young woman addicted to Vicodin who takes audiences into her hallucinatory world — peopled with Busby Berkeley dancers, Cirque du Soleil, Circus freaks, and human farm animals where nothing is quite what it seems. Sienna Miller, Gena Rowlands, Ray Liotta, David Morse, Lucy Punch, Max Theoriot, Riley Keough, Daveigh Chase, Heather Wahlquist and Melanie Griffith star.
In addition to the world premieres, TIFF revealed that several anticipated titles will make their North American premieres after stopping at previous festivals (such as Cannes or Venice).

Spike Lee will bring his Michael Jackson documentary “Bad 25” to Toronto, celebrating the late artist’s seminal album. Susanne Bier’s latest, “Love is All You Need,” has been slated for TIFF, as has Brian De Palma’s “Passion,” with Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace.
Kristen Stewart’s Cannes hit “On The Road” will travel to [...]

HollywoodNews.com: It is being reported that Carey Mulligan is officially married to Mumford & Sons singer Marcus Mumford.
The two allegedly wed in Somerset, England in front of about one hundred guests that reportedly included stars like Sienna Miller and Colin Firth, states UsMagazine.com. Mulligan and Mumford reportedly got engaged last August after about five months of dating.
The two stars have been very quiet about their relationship since the beginning.
Do you think they are good together?
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By Sean O’Connell
hollywoodnews.com: Do or die time. After month and months of tracking the Oscar race, it’s time to put up (and shut up) by posting my official picks for Sunday night’s Academy Awards.
And while I have been saying (OK, complaining) that too many of tonight’s winners are all but predetermined, there’s still a few mysteries to be solved, primarily in the below-the-line categories, where deserving films could take home Oscar gold.
So, without further ado, here are my selections for tonight’s winners, bolded in each category. I hope they help you win an Oscar pool or two. Enjoy the show!
Best Picture
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”
“Hugo”
“Midnight In Paris”
“The Help”
“Moneyball”
“War Horse”
“The Tree of Life”
Best Actor
Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”
Best Actress
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”
Best Director
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Max Von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”
Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
JC Chandor, “Margin Call”
Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, “Bridesmaids”
Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
John Logan, “Hugo”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, “The Ides of March”
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, “Moneyball”
Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughn, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Best Animated Feature
“A Cat In Paris”
“Chico & Rita”
“Kung Fu Panda 2″
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”
Best Foreign Feature
“Bullhead” (Belgium)
“Footnote” (Israel)
“In Darkness” (Poland)
“Monsiuer Lazhar” (Canada)
“A Separation” (Iran)
Best Art Direction
“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“War Horse”
Best Cinematography
“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”
Best Costume Design
“Anonymous”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“W.E.”
Best Documentary Feature
“Hell and Back Again”
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
“Pina”
“Undefeated”
Best Documentary Short
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”
“God Is the Bigger Elvis”
“Incident in New Baghdad”
“Saving Face”
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”
Best Film Editing
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”
Best Make-Up
“Albert Nobbs”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
“The Iron Lady”
Best Original Score
“The Adventures of Tintin”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
“War Horse”
Best Original Song
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio” [...]

HollywoodNews.com: Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo and Colin Firth have been added to the growing list of presenters who will be at the 84th Academy Awards®.
The stars were all winners at last year’s Oscars as they won for lead and supporting roles in their various films.
Now, they will be joining other presenters like Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez, Bradley Cooper and Ben Stiller for the awards on Sunday, February 26th.
Will you tune in to watch?
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Is the “Bridget Jones” sequel dead or isn’t it?
Conflicting reports are coming down the wire over the past 24 hours, leaving fans of Renee Zellweger’s beloved spinster with their heads spinning just a bit.
First, there were reports that the production on a third “Bridget Jones” comedy had stalled, and that script problems could doom the entire effort despite the involvement of original “Diary” stars Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. It is Grant, in fact, who was receiving the lion’s share of the blame for delaying the production, though producers now are coming to the funny man’s defense.
“Reports that Hugh Grant has exited ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ are untrue,” said Working Title co-chairman Tim Bevan. “We are still working on the script, hence the delay to the start of production, but the film is going ahead as planned.”
David Nicholls and “Diary” author Helen Fielding are fine-tuning the script, which will be directed by Peter Cattaneo. And for now, it sounds like these labor pains are minor, and the film will happen.
Good news?
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By Sean O’Connell
hollywoodnews.com: After more than three decades spent crafting some of the most memorable characters in film history, Gary Oldman earned his first Oscar nomination on Tuesday.
Stop for a minute and say that out loud. Gary Oldman’s first Oscar nomination. I mean, really, Academy. What took you so long.
On the nationally syndicated Sirius/XM program “The Opie and Anthony Show,” Oldman contemplated a question he likely has been asked before: “What was your favorite character?” Yet how does one choose from a body of work that spans includes iconic characters that range from Sid Vicious to Lee Harvey Oswald, from Dracula to Sirius Black.
Oldman, being a good sport, talked about staying in character as Oswald or wanting to make a splash in the brief amount of screen time allotted for “True Romance.” But he confessed that his most recent turn as heady spy George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of John le Carre’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” ranks as one of his all-time favorites.
And why not? It’s a stirring, forceful performance that’s showy in its restraint, and the less Oldman does with the chameleonic character, the more we’re impressed.
And, it earned him his first Oscar nomination. The first of many, we can only hope. Here’s our conversation with Best Actor nominee Gary Oldman:
HollywoodNews.com: This struck me as an exercise in listening, as an actor. Do you appreciate that?
Gary Oldman: Oh, absolutely. And Smily is a great watcher, and a great listener. He listens with his whole body. He’s like a spider. I’ve always thought that. Not physically like a spider. But George is one of those people who is over here on the web, and then he gets a little twitch on the thread, and he acknowledges it, but he doesn’t have to run to get his dinner. He’ll take his time.
HollywoodNews.com: I love that analogy. Was there ever a fear in the moment that you weren’t given enough.
Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. There were a few times on the set where we’d do a scene and I had to maybe look in a certain direction and glance to a window, and Tomas would say to me, “Let’s, on this one, if you can maybe look to the window.” And I’d go, “I did!” [Laughs] It was small, you know? But you’ve got this wonderful camera that’s here [points at face], and it [...]

By Sean O’Connell
hollywoodnews.com: What is the over/under or the number of minutes Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais spent on screen Sunday night? Ten minutes? 15?
Seriously, after the host worked through his opening monologue, he seemed to disappear for enormous chunks of time. Was that the HFPA’s approach? Is that how they compromised on the decision to bring Gervais back as a host: Give him a monologue, then limit his exposure to perhaps contain his controversial statements?
I even think Gervais’ monologue, while funny, was safer than the slash-and-burn technique he took last year. His finest jabs probably were aimed at the “evil” Colin Firth. Though the night’s best one-liner came from George Clooney and was aimed at Michael Fassbender’s … ahem, talent.
How do you think Gervais did? Give him a grade in the comments section below. And check out these montages of the “best” of Gervais from Sunday night’s Golden Globes ceremony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF1oOoh2iOQ
Awards Alley brings you the best Oscar coverage. Click below to read our exclusive interviews with:
- Harvey Weinstein
- The cast of “The Artist.”
- Kenneth Branagh for “My Week With Marilyn.”
- Bennett Miller talks “Moneyball.”
- Sir Ben Kingsley and Chloe Grace Moretz for “Hugo.”
- Tilda Swinton for “We Need to Talk About Kevin.”
- David Fincher, Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
- Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer for “The Help.”
- Tate Taylor for “The Help.”
- Woody Harrelson for “Rampart.”
- Gavin O’Connor for “Warrior.”
- Gary Oldman and Colin Firth for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
- Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody for “Young Adult.”
- Steve McQueen for “Shame.”
- Glenn Close for “Albert Nobbs.”
- Seth Rogen and Will Reiser for “50/50.”
For complete Oscar and Film Festival coverage, visit our Awards Alley for the latest news items, reviews and interviews all season long.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Early in his career, Kenneth Branagh says he drew comparisons to Sir Laurence Olivier.
“Specifically, it all kicked off when I directed a film of ‘Henry V,’ which of course he had done spectacularly,” Branagh tells me. “The comparisons were always tough because, in my view, he’s an unsurpassable master. I never had any mind or intention of trying to compete with him. But I was inspired by him. That’s probably what gave me the courage to even try directing a film as an actor.”
Now, in Simon Curtis’ nostalgic “My Week With Marilyn,” Branagh can be seen playing Olivier during the production of the 1957 comedy “The Prince and the Showgirl,” which Olivier directed and starred in opposite Marilyn Monroe. It was a difficult shoot, one marked by creative compromise. But Olivier (through Branagh’s brilliant portrayal) understands that to capture a star as bright as Marilyn, one needs often to simply give up, give in, and go along for the ride.
Branagh spoke with me at length about his earliest memories on a film set, his preferred genre of film, and the charming “Marilyn,” for which he has been nominated for a Satellite, SAG and Critics’ Choice Movie Award, to name but a few.
Here’s Kenneth Branagh:
HollywoodNews.com: Eddie Redmayne’s character, Colin, is all wide-eyed optimism on his first movie set. What do you recall about your first days on a movie set?
Kenneth Branagh: My first time on a proper film set was for a television film called “To the Lighthouse.” And I remember staring in wonder as a man who looked as if he was about to set up a model railway put down this train track. I asked him what it was, and he told me it was dolly track. He explained that they were going to put a physical machine on the track, strap the camera to it, and then they could then ride the camera, move it up or down, and get the shot that they need.
And then I suddenly realized that was how … you know, I specifically remember asking, God knows how or why, “In Laurence Olivier’s film of ‘Henry V,’ when the battle starts, there’s a hot where the camera tracks alongside the walking, then cantoring, then galloping horses. Is this what they would have shot it from?” They told me yes, and that was the beginning of, “Oh, so this is [...]

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: At this point last year, Colin Firth had waded up to his waist into the Oscar pool for his courageous work as stuttering King George in Tom Hooper’s “The King’s Speech.” Firth and the film were beyond the point of treading water, but few would definitively state (in early December) whether the prestigious, inspiration period drama would sink or swim.
Needless to say, Firth floated all the way to the Oscar podium, collecting a Best Actor trophy for a film that would nab Best Director and Picture awards, as well. The performer looked far more relaxed when we met in Manhattan to discuss his role in Tomas Alfredon’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” another period thriller with awards aspirations (though most swirl around Firth’s co-star, Gary Oldman, who’s terrific as British spy George Smiley).
Though it was hard not to start a conversation with Oscar, and so that’s where Firth and I begin:
HollywoodNews.com: It was around this point last year when you were deep into the awards-season rounds for “The King’s Speech.” Is there anything about that marathon that you miss?
Colin Firth: Oh, well, I wouldn’t have wished it away. But I think that you can’t sustain that sort of intensity. It’s good that it has the lifespan that it has, and that you get to come home at the end of it. I’m still immensely grateful that it happened. And I think that it happened at a good time in my life. It’s hardly the beginning, but I hope we’re still some way from the end.
HollywoodNews.com: I’m sure that we are. As for “Tinker,” it struck me as a unique exercise in listening, as an actor. Was that the case?
Yes, I suppose so. I mean, unless you are playing a particularly quiet person, it’s unlikely that you are going to get so much screen time without speaking. And that’s because it is an ensemble, and so much of it is rooms full of people. Five guys sitting around a table in a situation that’s not unlike a poker game. And you are free to have your own internal monologue.
HollywoodNews.com: Because of that, is there a fear that you might not be giving enough in a scene?
Oh yeah, and I think you have to be able to judge it for yourself, but also, you know that you are going to put yourself into the [...]

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Gary Oldman, appearing on Sirius/XM’s “The Opie and Anthony Show,” contemplated a question he likely has been asked before: “What was your favorite character?” Yet how does one choose from a body of work that spans decades and includes iconic characters that range from Sid Vicious to Lee Harvey Oswald, from Dracula to Sirius Black.
Oldman, being a good sport, talked about staying in character as Oswald or wanting to make a splash in the brief amount of screen time allotted for “True Romance.” But he confessed that his most recent turn as heady spy George Smiley in Tomas Alfredson’s adaptation of John le Carre’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” ranks as one of his all-time favorites.
And why not? It’s a stirring, forceful performance that’s showy in its restraint, and the less Oldman does with the chameleonic character, the more we’re impressed. As “Tinker” prepares to open in limited release and pick up awards steam, Oldman sat down with HollywoodNews.com to discuss the process, and the cast members who impressed him the most. Here’s Gary Oldman:
HollywoodNews.com: This struck me as an exercise in listening, as an actor. Do you appreciate that?
Gary Oldman: Oh, absolutely. And Smily is a great watcher, and a great listener. He listens with his whole body. He’s like a spider. I’ve always thought that. Not physically like a spider. But George is one of those people who is over here on the web, and then he gets a little twitch on the thread, and he acknowledges it, but he doesn’t have to run to get his dinner. He’ll take his time.
HollywoodNews.com: I love that analogy. Was there ever a fear in the moment that you weren’t given enough.
Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. There were a few times on the set where we’d do a scene and I had to maybe look in a certain direction and glance to a window, and Tomas would say to me, “Let’s, on this one, if you can maybe look to the window.” And I’d go, “I did!” [Laughs] It was small, you know? But you’ve got this wonderful camera that’s here [points at face], and it enables you to try and put across the smallest little flickers.
HollywoodNews.com: Your co-star, Colin Firth, was speaking about “Tinker” affording him the opportunity to work alongside some legends he’d anticipated acting alongside. After your illustrious career, are there still [...]