My very best wishes for health and happiness in 2001! Happy New Year!

(Karen)Given your comment, Mari, I've been wondering if I'm too cynical or have seen too many movies and maybe I'm setting the bar too high. No, I don't think so, though I do feel that I'm more forgiving than you and Moon.;-) If I like several elements of a film, I'm more likely to focus on those and minimize the shortfalls, whereas I think you guys have to really love a film in order to readily acknowledge strengths. Translation: I'm going soft in my old age.;-) Hey, it always makes for interesting discussion, and it's a pleasure to debate and discuss with others who really enjoy film. I do agree with you that last year was an unusually good one for film, and this year falls short of that mark, overall. (BTW, I loved Magnolia, thought it was really brilliant and inventive.) A very Happy New Year to all, and thanks for the fun and friendship at Drool!

Happy New Year to everyone

Happy New Year To All! Click HERE to listen to Auld Lang Syne

Happy New Year! A glass of champagne for you all. What does "auld lang syne" mean anyway? Old long time?

(Mari) If I like several elements of a film, I'm more likely to focus on those and minimize the shortfalls, whereas I think you guys have to really love a film in order to readily acknowledge strengths. Not necessarily, at least for me. Magnolia is a perfect example. I thought it was v.v.good, yet I thought it could've been trimmed, hated the song sequence, thought Julianne Moore's character was completely unbelievable, but loved the frogs. BTW, I am recommending Finding Forrester to everyone as the best I've seen of the Christmas flicks so far. Totally formulaic a la Good Will Hunting, but I enjoyed it immensely. ("poor assumptions for 800") Was even better than GWH, but that's probably due to the Minnie Driver factor. ;-)

(Evelyn)(The End of the Affair) Didn't you think that would have been a terrific role for ODB? I'm afraid I daren't tell whom I would have cast instead

Why not? No one's going to jump all over you...but please don't say Mel on this one and I wouldn't be sold on Pierce either (even though I like both of them). ;-)

Actually, I did think of Pierce... It would be a different thing for him to do, and he could do it very credibly. It would just be another "tortured role" for Colin.

(Gi)..Actually, I did think of Pierce... Whew...I was afraid it was going to be Nicolas Cage:-( (Gi)It would just be another "tortured role" for Colin. True...but a goodie. BTW Captain Corelli's Mandolin has a website now with a trailer. Penelope Cruz sounds great. accent and all. Wonder if Nic is going to do it with an accent. http://www.captain-corellis-mandolin.com/

(Gi) I did think of Pierce... It would be a different thing for him to do Yes, it would be different. ;-) Have seen some pics from the Tailor of Panama, but can't remember where.. A magazine, perhaps?? Looked good.

Thankfully no ref to SLOW, from the BBC Online: Lottery funds film failures Only one of the 11 films released and funded through National Lottery money has made a profit, according to latest figures. More than �13.5m in lottery money has been spent by three film companies to produce and distribute 11 films since the government entrusted them with nurturing the British film industry 1997. Pathe Productions, DNA Films and The Film Consortium have made 18 films in three years - 11 have been released - with only An Ideal Husband, made by Pathe, fully repaying its lottery investment. The three companies have been allocated �92m for film production over the duration of a six-year franchise. They have so far spent �37.23m on film development and production, which includes the �13.5m spent on the 11 released films. But the Film Council, set up last year to co-ordinate Britain's film strategy and funding, says it is happy with the work the three companies are doing. The new film body became custodian of the franchises last year. It is also pursuing a separate strategy for film production in the UK, planning to inject a further �22m in the industry. A confidential mid-term report carried out by accountants has cleared the three franchise-holding companies to continue for the next three years. "We are happy with their work and that is why we passed them," a spokesman for the Film Council told BBC News Online. A campaign to make the accountants' report public has been launched by Alexander Walker, film critic of the Evening Standard. "Confidentiality was agreed between the Arts Council and the companies when the franchises were set up," the Film Council spokesman added. John Woodward, chief executive officer of the Film Council, said on renewing the Film Consortium's franchise: "The Film Consortium has recently been revitalised and is now backed by a focused, commercially-minded publicly quoted film company. "The Film Council believes that the Film Consortium management is now poised to build a successful and profitable British film company." Pathe Productions has made nine films in the last three years. Six have been released, with only An Ideal Husband, starring Minnie Driver and Cate Blanchett, making a profit at the UK box office. Pathe films which have failed to ignite the British box office include Ratcatcher, which was awarded �615,000 in lottery money and made �381,099 at the UK box office. A second was There is only one Jimmy Grimble, which received �1,650,000 from the lottery and earned �348,412 at the UK box office. A spokeswoman for Pathe Productions told BBC News Online that ancillary earnings - from distribution rights on cable, satellite, TV, and video - could see the films eventually repaying their lottery investment. "It was always our intention that the films would do that," she told BBC News Online. Ratcatcher has earned more than �60,000 since it was released in the United States. The Film Consortium has made five films in three years - Hideous Kinky, starring Kate Winslet, Janice Beard 45wpm, starring Patsy Kensit, and The Lost Son, Hold Back the Night and Fanny and Elvis, spending more than �5m in lottery money. It is thought that the films have so far earned less than half that amount at the UK box office. DNA Films has made three movies but not one has so far reached cinema screens. Beautiful Creatures, which was planned for release in 2000, is now expected to be screened next month. It has used almost �6m in lottery money to help finance the three films.

I liked Hideous Kinky and the other films never came my way. I would rent them. Truth be told, I am not happy with "The Film Council believes that the Film Consortium management is now poised to build a successful and profitable British film company." It could only mean lowering the quality standards and we do have a lot of that lately. Instead, they should set up a distribution company for those films . How are they expected to turn a profit if nobody sees them?

If I were taxpayer in UK I would object.IMO Of course if they don't advertise their films, what can they expect!! Ideal Husband made it in the US because of RE; he promoted it. I saw it in London on Leicester Sq. with twenty people in the audience.

Here's a guy who smelled the coffee.;) From Ananova: Clive on verge of Hollywood breakthrough Clive Owen is about to make his Hollywood breakthrough nine years after he was first tipped for movie stardom. The British actor has been signed up to play the assassin on the trail of Matt Damon in the movie version of Robert Ludlam's best selling thriller The Bourne Identity. Owen found fame in the 1980s through the TV series Chancer in which he played a yuppie go-getter. And he was tipped for international acclaim after starring with Saskia Reeves in the erotic movie Close My Eyes in 1991. But Owen drifted back into television until making Croupier with Mike Hodges two years ago. The film - which also stars Gina McKee, Kate Hardie and Alex Kingston - sank without trace in the UK but is now set to be re-released following rave reviews in America. Owen will soon be back on TV screens in a new series of the BBC cop tale Second Sight. And friends say is now ready to have a real crack at the movie market. One said: "Clive wasn't best at promoting himself years ago and quite loathed the idea of being considered a heart-throb. But he's grown up a lot. He got married, had two children and sees things differently. "There isn't much chance of him quitting Britain but he wants to make commercial movies. He'll do whatever it takes."

Expect next news item to read: "Brit plays Hollywood bad guy again" ;-)

"Who won the NATIONAL CHAMPION , No 1 Football team in the country?" You asked??? ;-) OOOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA , ORANGE BOWL 2000 WINNERS! Yeay Sooners!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Just finished seeing Rafe Fiennes on the Today Show plugging SUNSHINE.They showed clips from the film and he talked about how much making this film mean't to him. It's about identity and being yourself and of course anti-semitism. He read the script two years ago , but had other commitments,[Onegin] so the director waited for him. The interviewer asked: "Is there a lot of pressure exerted on you, because people expect so much from you as an actor.He answered that he always tried to do his best. And "all actors want people to come and see their work".Talked about awards and yes, they do mean a lot to actors as do nominations. Katie Couric is pushing him for Best Actor. She added: "Are you listening, academy?"

(Gi)..Actually, I did think of Pierce... (Evelyn)Whew...I was afraid it was going to be Nicolas Cage:-( Nah... Don't like him very much either - for different reasons than RF. (Karen) Have seen some pics from the Tailor of Panama(...)Looked good. Always does, I'm afraid ;-)

(Gi) Always does, I'm afraid ;-) Hmm, we get Remington Steele every afternoon at 3. What a shocker! ;-) Billy Elliot has been nominated for nine prizes at this year's awards of the London Film Critics' Circle. Jamie Bell, the 14-year-old star of the touching drama, is up for the British Newcomer award, as is the film's director Stephen Daldry. Gary Lewis who played Billy's father in the film has been nominated for the Best British Actor Award and Julie Walters who played Billy's dance teacher has been shortlisted for the Best British Actress of the Year. There are 15 categories in all at the awards which will be held at the Savoy Hotel in London next month. Screen legend Sir Anthony Hopkins is also up for the British Actor award for his role in Titus, alongside Ralph Fiennes who has been nominated for his performance in The End of the Affair. New mother Kate Winslet, star of the gothic drama Quills and last year's winner Emily Watson are alongside Julie Walters in the British Actress category. Among those nominated in the international categories are Michael Douglas, who is up for the Best Actor Award alongside Jim Carrey and Russell Crowe. The awards, now in their 21st year, are sponsored by the Mail on Sunday's Night and Day Magazine and are being held in aid of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

(Evelyn) OOOOOOOOOOKLAHOMA , ORANGE BOWL 2000 WINNERS! Believe it or not, bro went there. I thought you would find this funny: "PLEASE NOTE! Due to extremely high traffic to our store servers and the demand for Sooner National Championship items, you may experience difficulty in placing your order."

From Variety: Sicilian soccer tale among projects ROME -- Miramax Films has closed multi-pic deals to develop and produce English-lingo features with up-and-coming Italian directors Gabriele Muccino and Davide Ferrario. [...] Ferrario's first film with Miramax will be an untitled Italian-American comedy based on the director's own pitch. The film follows the fortunes of underdog Sicilians who manipulate their way into a professional soccer team and travel to the U.S. for a big match. Miramax is seeking a screenwriter to work with Ferrario on the project. [Maybe they should enlist Nick Hornby? Cannot wait to see Miramax promoting a soccer film in the US] ;-)

(Donna)...." demand for Sooner National Championship items, you may experience difficulty in placing your order." LOL. That's not me....I have mine. Along with you- know-whose- tee- shirt.:-))) evelyn*The Tee Shirt Queen*

I saw CRHD day after Christmas and I liked it a lot. You'll be happy to know that there will be a prequel and a sequel, both of which Ang Lee is directing (courtesy of my brother who is HUGE Chow Yun Fat fan). (Based on books that were written in the '20s.) I have to disagree with Karen's assessment of the younger girl (Jen) being unsympathetic. Her age and her youngness would make her seem unsympathetic, but I believe her actions later on showed how much she had matured. Without giving away any secrets or plots, she did what was expected of her. The martial arts were amazing (or should I say the choreography was amazing. There is a legend in Ancient China that people at one time could fly, hence the acrobatic martial arts, again, thanks courtesy of my brother.) Happy New Year all. Haven't been around at all lately. Family, holidays and the like keeping me extremely busy. (being the mom of a 10 year old is hard stuff these days;)) You guys have seen SOOO many movies and I think the last BIG movie I saw was the Grinch (I hated it, Rebecca loved it.) I am totally looking forward to the spring flicks especially BJD! I have been keeping up with the discussions on "Possession"; will be very curious to see the end result in any case. I hope everyone is having a safe and happy new year this fifth day into the new millenium.

Thanks, Laura. I will still see CRHD. I admit Karen and Jana had me worried. Cannot wait to see Miramax promoting a soccer film in the US] ;-) This is a strange turn of events? Is his daughter playing in a little league? ;-) I have seen some hysterically funny Italian soccer films, but you really have to know the players and the game to get much of it. Unfortunately, the US is not there yet.

Good to hear from you Laura..Pop in again... I'm going to see CTHD the minute it gets here. I'm fond of Asian culture..even Chinese opera. I think this is a fine addition to the foreign film selections which up to now has ignored Chinese language films.

Here are two more folks who agree with Karen and Jana. The only reason I'm posting this is that the critics' reviews have been so uniformly rapturous, that I thought we needed equal time.;-) I've yet to see it, but will. From Jeffrey Wells's column: Crouching Backlash? � "Have the critics lost their collective minds over Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? To hear it from them, you'd think this is the first kung-fu film ever and that the idea of lifting actors with wires for the fight sequences should lead to Ang Lee being canonized. Judging from the almost unanimously positive reviews, I expected to be blown right out of my seat. What I got was an incredibly boring film that was periodically punctuated with some cleverly executed fight sequences. And that's it. "I didn't see any serious cross-breeding of martial arts and emotional drama. The actors are so stiff it was like watching an anime, where the only things that move in the frame are the characters' mouths. With the exception of Zhang Ziyi, all of the actors had the emotional range of a dead alligator. I realize that Ang was going for the implosive, 'underneath' emotional development (which he used to devastating effect in The Ice Storm), but the actors' faces were so stiff, it would have been easier to read concrete. "The look of the movie was another problem for me. Why was it so unbelievably dull??? Has Ang not seen any historical Chinese films or, for that matter, read any history books? This film looks very, very flat. The dialogue scenes are photographed with the aesthetic panache of an episode of The Golden Girls. The colors are muted, the costumes are cheap, and the set dressing shoddy. "The fight scenes are nicely done, but there's nothing in them that hasn't been done before. The use of wires is imaginative, but hardly deserving of the 'brilliant' and 'astounding' accolades the critics are bestowing. The majority of the fights are just long � nothing more. How is this film an 'instant classic'?" � Dan Pridachin, Philadelphia, PA "Kudos to Mr. Pridachin for nailing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The hype and praise still have me bewildered. In addition to the wooden expressions the actors have, their pronounciation is horrific. We're not talking about Kevin Costner doing a New England accent here � it's that Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh's lines are barely understandable. Chow's English in the The Replacement Killers was probably better than his Mandarin in Crouching. This obviously has little concern to the American audience, but it should at least count as something � go ask anyone who speaks Mandarin Chinese. And before the next person steps up to mention that Crouching Tiger won the Taiwanese Golden Horse Award, we should keep in mind that Jackie Chan has multiple best actor Golden Horses." � Kirk Tsai

" but the actors' faces were so stiff, it would have been easier to read concrete. " ..." the wooden expressions the actors have" Have not seen many Chinese films, but I believe this is their style of acting. "Chow's English in the The Replacement Killers was probably better than his Mandarin in Crouching. This obviously has little concern to the American audience, but it should at least count as something � go ask anyone who speaks Mandarin Chinese. " Ouch! Have contacted Emma, our resident advisor on Chinese accents;-)

Has anyone seen Traffic yet?

Me....aren't you surprised? I'm usually the last one!!A druggie movie at that. Traffic:V. well done. If you consider that there are three intersecting stories that Steven Soderbergh manages to deliver without confusing the audience. In this I found it superior to Magnolia which at times, lost me.Each story, however,was a re-hash of other druggie films IMO .Inventive, but not as subtle as Nurse Betty. The camera jumps around. SS does his own camera work.Why not pay a real pro to do it.He d oes use color to keep the stories visual.There was the now familiar bluish tint to indicate gov't and wealth (DQ bluish tint indicated his other life).Brownish tint for Mexico, and sun-washed tint of San Diego.Each story had the apparent good guy/ bad guy. Benicio del Toro was the stand-out.Michael Douglas was the same guy we left off on Wall St, Park Ave. with Gwynnie,or the Lincoln bedroom with Annette Benning. It was a disturbing film,full of cliches..generally OK. But didn't live up to the hype. But GG Best Film award? Best Supporting Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones? Puhleeze..

I think that the majority of us don't know much of chinese filmaking, but (trying to type while feeding 3mos old nephew, not easy!), the reserve of the older couple was bang on. There were reasons why they didn't "overact". I don't speak Chinese and they are right, I wouldn't have cared one iota, the subtitles were perfect. This movie represented loyalty, lost love, found love and new love. And it presented all of those in a very adult and mature manner. Zhang Ziyi is a definite actress to watch; I'm hoping that Hollywood will snatch her up. As Jen, she was a spoiled rich girl (think in terms of Marianne in S&S); She was secretly training in the martial arts and thought that she knew everything; what 17/18 year old doesn't??? There are very many layers to this movie that need removing to enjoy it. I think the American audiences aren't going to get the full of it due to the translation, but overall, (and I brought a friend who would never in his wildest dream see a foreign flick, and HE loved it!), the movie, the cinematography, and choreography was beautifully done. There was a lot of love in the production of this movie. I saw that. I'm a HUGE Ang Lee fan. I really liked the "The Ice Storm". If anyone of you haven't seen "The Wedding Banquet" I recommend you run out and rent it, it's funny and touching. "Eat Drink Man Woman" is another one that is very good. (What brought Ang Lee to Emma Thompson's attention.) (haven't seen "Ride with the Devil" yet.)

I think that the majority of us don't know much of chinese filmaking, but (trying to type while feeding 3mos old nephew, not easy!), the reserve of the older couple was bang on. There were reasons why they didn't "overact". I don't speak Chinese and they are right, I wouldn't have cared one iota, the subtitles were perfect. This movie represented loyalty, lost love, found love and new love. And it presented all of those in a very adult and mature manner. Zhang Ziyi is a definite actress to watch; I'm hoping that Hollywood will snatch her up. As Jen, she was a spoiled rich girl (think in terms of Marianne in S&S); She was secretly training in the martial arts and thought that she knew everything; what 17/18 year old doesn't??? There are very many layers to this movie that need removing to enjoy it. I think the American audiences aren't going to get the full of it due to the translation, but overall, (and I brought a friend who would never in his wildest dream see a foreign flick, and HE loved it!), the movie, the cinematography, and choreography was beautifully done. There was a lot of love in the production of this movie. I saw that. I'm a HUGE Ang Lee fan. I really liked the "The Ice Storm". If anyone of you haven't seen "The Wedding Banquet" I recommend you run out and rent it, it's funny and touching. "Eat Drink Man Woman" is another one that is very good. (What brought Ang Lee to Emma Thompson's attention.) (haven't seen "Ride with the Devil" yet.)

(Evelyn) Me....aren't you surprised? I'm usually the last one!!A druggie movie at that. Yes, I am a bit surprised, Evelyn! The three-color scheme scenario sounds interesting. I guess the hand-held camerwork is supposed to evoke a you-are-there effect, but I know it can be jarring. I tried to see it this afternoon--sold out. My number 2 pick, CTHD (thanks for the comments, Laura)--also sold out. My number 3--Finding Forrester--also sold out! Actually it's good to see the theaters packed for these type of films. So, I landed in Chocolat (also packed, but I got in). Sweet film, nicely acted, but that's about it. Can't understand the fuss, the premise is incredibly silly (and yes, I realize that it symbolizes larger issues of tolerance vs. lack thereof, etc,) but to me it's just very lightweight fare. I cannot believe that this is the only thing Harvey has to hype for Oscars--and from what I've read, he's once again put together a real full-court press. 4 GG noms for this one--and not a single one deserved, IMO. I think those Golden Globe people are smoking something.;-) Might try to land in Traffic tomorrow.;-)

There's nothing bad about the hand-held camera work in Traffic; it certainly isn't the amateurish stuff that was in another film. Hand-held doesn't necessarily mean shaky. Dancer in the Dark was hand-held as well and so was my personal fav. I liked Traffic, but it wasn't great great. However, it is terribly ambitious and largely successful. Each of the three stories was intriguing; kept me interested in how they would be resolved. In the Michael Douglas, drug czar, story, the actress who played the daughter was fantastic. MD was a continuation of his previous role in the American President. There's even a little speech at the beginning where it almost sounds like his end speech in that movie ("we're going to get the guns"). Overall, it's a v.g. portrayal of Washington politics and I'm amazed those politicians appeared at the cocktail party. Catherine Zeta-Jones' part was significant and meaty and she did it justice. She's the woman who wants her beautiful life no matter what. She's completely convincing. And in that segment, you get the entire message of the movie every time Miguel Ferrar opens his mouth. The Mexican segment seemed the weakest at the end. I didn't get a feel for what Javier (Benicio del Toro) wanted, except to do good. But is that exemplified by a baseball game? The simplicity of a baseball game? But then again, I may not understand this movie either. ;-)

and I'm amazed those politicians appeared at the cocktail party. A continuation of Steven Soderbergh "gimmicks".. to be different IMO. Along with the hand -held camera,and the camera filters. One of the senators is mine... Senator Don Nichols. Gave an interview in the papers ;(they give one any chance they can get!) Apparently, "it was to enhance the realistic feel of the film" He was not given a script..."just simply put in your two cents worth". The Mexican segment seemed the weakest at the end LOL.My favorite segment of the film.Good accents too;-) The simplicity of a baseball game? He was a simple guy...didn't want much out of life.Just a field for the poor little Mexican kids to play baseball... Thanks Mari. Think I'll wait for Chocolat to come out on video!

(Evelyn) A continuation of Steven Soderbergh "gimmicks".. to be different IMO. It's not different, as politicians and others have appeared as themselves in many other movies (American President, Dave, etc.). But, when the whole point of the movie is to show how ineffectual the government's policies are, you have to wonder if they knew. If they realized they were being ridiculed. There's Michael Douglas' line about Washington not being much different from Calcutta: all the beggars with their hands out but they're wearing $1500 suits. Oh well... Good accents too;-) End credits showed that BdelT needed a dialect coach! ;-)

(E)Good accents too;-) (K)End credits showed that BdelT needed a dialect coach! ;-) B del T is Puerto Rican.Needed the Mexican touch. But wasn't General Salazar (who is he?)terrific? Had every nuance down pat. Well done movie. Hey, I don't begrudge having gone 120 miles to see it:-) .... If they realized they were being ridiculed Everybody was ridiculed in that film...parents,teenagers, law enforcement,lawyers,community rehabs.Politicians took their lumps like everybody else.

(Evelyn) Everybody was ridiculed in that film...Politicians took their lumps like everybody else. Everybody else was an actor. These people were listed in the credits a themselves.

I'm late with this, but I hope that everyone enjoyed a Happy New Year. As there are 358 or 357 days (depending on where you are in the world) left in this year, I wish you a continuing Happy New Year.

More awards announced...and they're not the People's Choice (*cough cough*) Film Critics Group Honors 'Yi Yi' Edward Yang's "Yi Yi," a quiet family drama set in Taiwan, was named best picture of the year Saturday by the National Society of Film Critics. In the organization's weighted ballot system, Yang's Winstar-distributed Mandarin-language film, which clocks in at close to three hours, won nearly twice the number of votes received by the runner up, Steven Soderbergh's "Traffic." The surprising choice reflects an award season that has become unusually hard to call, in which a wide array of specialty films, several by Asian filmmakers, have stolen some of the thunder of even the most celebrated studio releases. The 35-year-old Society, chaired by New York magazine critic Peter Rainer and comprised of 51 critics from around the country, awarded several other top prizes to films released by specialty labels. Paramount Classics' "You Can Count on Me" won two awards, with best actress honors going to Laura Linney and best screenplay kudos to Kenneth Lonergan. USA Films' "Traffic" also received two citations. Benicio Del Toro was named best supporting actor and Soderbergh was named best director (for both "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich"). Javier Bardem won best actor kudos for "Before Night Falls" from Fine Line, and Elaine May took the best supporting actress prize for "Small Time Crooks" from DreamWorks. The awards for best cinematography and best nonfiction film went to pictures from microdistributors--the former to Agnes Godard for "Beau Travail," distributed by New Yorker Films, and the latter to "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg," released by Cowboy Booking. Perhaps unusual in a year with so many strong foreign-language contenders, including Ang Lee's celebrated "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which earned third place for best cinematography and director but was otherwise ignored, no prize was presented in the best foreign film category. ~~~~~~ Here's how the voting went in the major categories: Best Picture: 1 Yi Yi 34 2 Traffic 18 3 The House Of Mirth 17 Best Director: 1 Steven Soderbergh Traffic & Erin Brockovich 42 2 Edward Yang Yi Yi 28 3 Ang Lee Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 25 Best Actor: 1 Javier Bardem Before Night Falls 40 2 Mark Ruffalo You Can Count on Me 28 3 Tom Hanks Cast Away 9 Best Actress: 1 Laura Linney You Can Count on Me 58 2 Gillian Anderson The House of Mirth 39 3 Ellen Burstyn Requiem for a Dream 28 Best Supporting Actor: 1 Benicio Del Toro Traffic 49 2 Fred Willard Best in Show 30 3 Willem Dafoe Shadow of the Vampire 27 Best Supporting Actress: 1 Elaine May Small Time Crooks 28 2 Frances McDormand Almost Famous & Wonder Boys 24 3 Marcia Gay Harden Pollock 23 Screenplay: 1 You Can Count on Me Kenneth Lonergan 49 2 Wonder Boys Steve Kloves 28 3 Traffic Stephen Gaghan 18 Best Cinematography: 1 Beau Travail Agn�s Godard 31 2 (tied)Traffic Steven Soderbergh 20 2 (tied) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Peter Pau 20

Ouch! Have contacted Emma, our resident advisor on Chinese accents;-) Evelyn, sorry to disappoint you, but I speak Cantonese, not Mandarin. As for the actors' faces being so stiff�the reviewer is forgetting that the Chinese tend to be very reserved in formal situations, especially several hundred years ago. (Laura)This movie represented loyalty, lost love, found love and new love. And it presented all of those in a very adult and mature manner. Exactly, a lot of repressed feelings, very familiar to us JA fans. I enjoyed Chocolat, a sweet little movie, my DH and I rushed out of the theatre looking for hot chocolate.

LONDON BRIDGE FILM SOCIETY AWARDS Best Actor: Ralph Fiennes in "Sunshine" Best Actress: Angela Bassett in "Boesman and Lena" Best Director--Ang Lee for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Best Film-- (tie)"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and ??? Cinematography--"Croughing Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Citation of Historical Merit--Michael Douglas for lifetime achievement. Foreign Film--"Time of Drunken Horses" Music Score--"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Screenplay Citations--"Croupier", "Quills", "Almost Famous" Supp. Actor--Robert DeNiro in "Men of Honor" Supp. Actress--Marcia Gay Harden in "Pollock" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't know what ???is in the tie for Best Film.... But, Reah Rafe!! Love the Citation for Historical Merit....!!!!

Back to CTHD... the repressed feelings of the main two characters--Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Yui Hsui Lien (Michelle Yeoh)--are not at issue for me. Neither is the underlying theme of duty vs. desire. Just that it didn't touch me as I believed it should. Saying more is to discuss plot, when so many people haven't seen it yet. The Sense & Sensibility angle has been overplayed IMO. This is not S&S. Just as Li Mu Bai and Yui Hsui Lien are not Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood, neither is Jen Marianne Dashwood. What happens to the characters should make it clear to anyone. I liked what was written in the Sunday Times about Jen. It very much captured my problem with that character.Now every critic in the land is quoting Ang Lee's line about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon being like "Sense and Sensibility with martial arts", but I see it as Beverly Hills 90210 with martial arts. Jen - the Qing dynasty's answer to Shannen Doherty - is your classic bored, rich teenage brat who hates mom and dad and wants to live the freewheeling, butt-kicking life of a warrior woman like Lien. She even steals the fabled Green Sword for nothing more than kicks. There's one great comic moment when Bai - who tries to become her surrogate father/teacher - starts doing his ponderous Zen routine and Jen says, with typical teenage weariness: " ot another lecture!Because she was such a bratty character, who didn't conform to what society asked of her and who didn't care at all what her actions did to others, I couldn't feel any sympathy for her. Nor do I believe that what she did at the end meant anything. It was "too little, too late" and if that last scene meant redemption, then I have even more problems with it. Oh well, that's just my opinion.

Lest we forget...it is the King's birthday (and my little sister's)

To any UK J.E fans Paradise Road is playing on channel 4 right now!

Today is also David Bowie's birthday. Tomorrow it's Jimi Page. :-) Mark Ruffalo You Can Count on Me 28 I thought he was terrible. You Can Count on Me is overrated. I think Almost Famous is a much better film. Why are they lyonising YCCOM? I would only award it,"The two most opposite looking brother and sister in a film". (Karen), I see it as Beverly Hills 90210 with martial arts. Jen - the Qing dynasty's answer to Shannen Doherty Ouch! CTHD opens here this friday, and I also want to see Shadow of the Vampire (my old love for vampire movies). is your classic bored, rich teenage brat who hates mom and dad and wants to live the freewheeling, The theme to so many movies now, especially in the UK. Has the GG nominated "Time of Drunken Horses" for Best Foreign Film?

Interesting article from Reuters/Variety today on book deals for films. Hornby mentioned. It's kind of long. We have "Perfume" here at home. I have been meaning to read it. **************** ''Perfume'' smells like money to film biz By Michael Fleming NEW YORK (Variety) - In one of the largest book rights auctions in years, the 1981 German novel ``Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'' has bids as high as $6 million on the table, with a sale near to Bernd Eichinger's Constantin Film for an advance of about $5 million against a final payout of $10 million. It's exactly the kind of out-of-left-field sale needed to energize the sluggish book-to-movies marketplace. A-list filmmakers have wanted to turn Patrick Suskind's story of an 18th-century serial killer perfume maker into a big-screen feature for two decades, but Suskind (who once wanted Stanley Kubrick to do it) hasn't been willing to make a deal until now. Constantin has been battling for the title against formidable competition. One bidder has been the ``Gangs of New York'' producing group of Initial Entertainment Group, Artists Management Group and Miramax, who want it for a vehicle for Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. Former Fox studio boss Bill Mechanic's Pandemonium has been vying to make it with director Tim Burton and ``Criminal Conversations'' scribe Hanna Weg. Director Ridley Scott and scribe Steve Zaillian also chased the material. ``Perfume'' is being sold by Switzerland-based Gesine Lubben, who handles subsidiary rights for German publisher Diogenes. She declined to comment as did Constantin, which might well tap some of the rival talent should it prevail and complete the sale. Neither the seller nor the producer would comment on the negotiations. While 2000 didn't boast the kind of near-eight digit book deals that Michael Crichton and John Grisham used to rack up with regularity, the season was strong in volume. And the ``Perfume'' auction, coupled by strong grosses for the $9 million book ``Hannibal'' to be released next month, could portend a strong first half of 2001, with the marketplace growing even stronger, by default, if strikes by writers and actors occur this summer. Other titles that have the potential to help are ``How to be Good,'' the just-completed novel about a female doctor and her husband by Nick Hornby, whose last, ``About a Boy,'' is likely to be made by New Line with directors Chris and Paul Weitz and Hugh Grant. There are also some attachment-enhanced offerings, like ``Circle William,'' a Tom Clancyesque novel by former Pentagon (news - web sites) spokesman Bill Harlow about a Navy destroyer captain's race to thwart a Libyan germ warfare plot. ``Patriot Games'' scribe Peter Iliff will adapt, and Morgan Freeman is attached as star and producer with his Revelations partner Lori McCreary. They've been courting Denzel Washington, hoping it'll be a ``Glory'' reteam for the thesps. AMG-Renaissance's Joel Gotler will auction ``The Cold 6000'' by ``L.A. Confidential'' author James Ellroy, plus a new series by Michael Connelly. None of these is an automatic big seller, as last year proved that dominance on the bestseller lists doesn't mean automatic big sales to the movie biz: despite the attachment of scripter David Mamet, Robert Ludlum's ``The Prometheus Deception'' hasn't sold. Nor has John Le Carre's ``The Constant Gardener.'' How did books fare in 2000? By Dish's count, 195 books or novellas were acquired, not counting magazine articles and plays. Those titles have a wide range in subject matter and price, from the Paramount/Nickelodeon-bought Gordon Korman novel ``Nose Pickers From Outer Space'' to the Dave Eggers memoir ``A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,'' which went to New Line for $2 million. Surprisingly, Miramax led studios in book buys with 22. Next was Paramount, fueled by producer Scott Rudin, which bought 15 books. Sony bought nine, followed by Warner Bros. (7), Universal (6), New Line (5), Fox and Disney (4), DreamWorks (3), and MGM (2). Also strong were independently financed producers like Castle Rock, which made three big buys that included Stephen King's ``The Dreamcatcher'' and Chris Van Allsburg's ``Polar Express,'' the latter a purchase made with Tom Hanks' Playtone Co. banner for a kid-themed pic to star Hanks, with Rob Reiner directing. While some studios closed Gotham offices and avoided books because they take long to develop, the marketplace was helped by offshore outlets, both for purchasing power and material generated (''Perfume'' publisher Diogenes). Aside from Constantin's bold ``Perfume'' pursuit, Italy's Eagle Pictures stunned Hollywood by paying $1 million for Robert Mawson's ``The Lazarus Child,'' and another $2 million to Ron Bass to adapt it. And the Frankfurt book market has become good for a surprise or two. Two years ago, Marc Levy's French lingo novel ``I Know This Much is True'' had studios scrambling for French translators before a sale was made to DreamWorks, which is trying to make it with director P.J. Hogan. Last year, the French find went to Miramax, which bought ``The Education of a Fairy,'' as well as the Irish novel ``Artemis Fowl.'' Other fast-emerging book buyers include Intermedia and Joe Roth's Revolution, sure to be a big player this year with the Gotham presence of Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Deb Schindler, an executive at Julia Roberts' Revolution-based Shoelace Prods. Imagine also should be a bigger player. After turning the Dr. Seuss book ``How the Grinch Stole Christmas' into 2000's biggest grosser and with ``The Cat in the Hat'' on deck with Tim Allen, as well as the adaptation of ``A Beautiful Mind'' that Ron Howard will direct with Russell Crowe, Imagine principal Brian Grazer's keen to be more active. In fact, the desire to compete for Gotham books that normally go to Rudin first was one motive for a move east by company vice chairman Karen Kehela. With a strike in the offing, will all that translate to better sales in 2001? Most sellers think so, though they acknowledge the money's not nearly so good as it was five years ago, when John Grisham and Michael Crichton were notching near-eight figure deals. Agents said they get less now, and have to be craftier to close deals. Nick Ellison brokered three seven-figure deals last year for Nelson DeMille, one of which was a Paramount sequel to ``The General's Daughter'' called ``Up Country.'' Knowing that picture gave Paramount rights to the Paul Brenner character played by John Travolta, DeMille waited till Ellison had a fat Paramount deal before definitively making it a Brenner tale. ``We said, either you buy it, or we take Paul out and make it another character,'' said Ellison, who also had to be crafty because as he was selling ``Up Country,'' he was trying to get film interest in a partial manuscript by author James Webb (``Emperor's General''), which was also about the investigation of a murder that took place in Vietnam during the war. Rather than compete, Webb instead finished his book, ``The Lost Soldiers,'' and Ellison will shop it this month. United Talent Agency tandem Howie Sanders and Richard Green said television's desire to ramp up to bigger budgets and higher quality miniseries has been a godsend for books, and that packaging, which they once avoided, has also helped bolster sales. They sold ``Burden'' to Miramax with Lasse Hallstrom attached, and Intermedia bought ``In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,'' the Nathaniel Philbrick book that sold with director Barry Levinson, his producing partner Paula Weinstein, and A-list scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. ``Packages have become the best way to get studios to write larger checks,'' said Sanders. Getting creatives hot and bothered about books also helps from quality standpoints. ``Braveheart'' and ''Pearl Harbor'' writer Randall Wallace used his own money to buy the obscure Vietnam memoir ``We Were Soldiers Once... And Young,'' and turned it into a hot book property by writing a script that got Mel Gibson to commit, with Wallace directing, and Gibson's Icon and Paramount making it before potential summer strikes. Dustin Hoffman has shown the same resolve with the Scott Turow novel ``Personal Injuries.'' He paid seven figures of his own cash for the book and got a script by Cyrus Nowrasteh (''The Day Reagan Was Shot''), with scribe David Hollander now taking a pass at it. Hoffman will look to set it up as a feature on which he'll make his directorial debut. He'll star as well. While the entire industry dreads writer and actor strikes, book sales might be the only component that would benefit, said several agents. ``During the '88 strike, we sold a lot of material,'' said Green. ``The phone was ringing because we were the only ones there to call. Studio execs and producers want to feel forward momentum, and they still have their checkbooks. If a strike happens, the book market will shoot up.'' Creative Artists Agency's Robert Bookman said also the idle time is another plus. ``Underlying rights buyers have more time to read and to appreciate what they're reading,'' he said.

Doesn't this guy EVER learn? ;-) Milos Forman has signed to direct for producer Saul Zaentz a dramatic feature about the life and times of Spanish painter Francisco Goya, considered the father of modern art. The untitled project is being targeted for a spring or summer 2002 start of principal photography in Spain. Michael Weller, who wrote the screenplays for the Forman-helmed "Ragtime" and "Hair," is writing the script for "Goya," which will chronicle the life of Goya, who lived from 1746-1828, his politics, the disturbing nature of many of his paintings and his being a constant target of the infamous Inquisition. The project will mark Forman and Zaentz's third collaboration following the multiple-Oscar-winning films "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Amadeus" (1984). Forman and Zaentz have discussed the Goya project over the past four years and got serious about it during the summer, Zaentz said. Zaentz said Carlos Saura's "Goya in Bordeaux," released last year in the United States by Sony Pictures Classics, "doesn't deter us t all."

Karen, I beg to disagree. I am thrilled that Forman is doing Goya. I was very disappointed with Saura. Goya had a very exciting life and he is a grand character as was Mozart and Forman did it right. :-D Very Happy! Thanks, Murph, it was a very interesting article.

(Mary Murphy -- excerpts from Michael Fleming article) In one of the largest book rights auctions in years, the 1981 German novel ``Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'' has bids as high as $6 million on the table, with a sale near to Bernd Eichinger's Constantin Film for an advance of about $5 million against a final payout of $10 million... ...and Intermedia bought ``In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,'' the Nathaniel Philbrick book that sold with director Barry Levinson, his producing partner Paula Weinstein, and A-list scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver... I remember that just after I'd finished reading "Perfume", I thought that it reminded me of nothing so much as one of those British Hammer Horror flicks from the 1960's. The director Tim Burton had an interesting take on the Hammer output. He felt that the movies, particularly the acting, owed much to the German Expressionist Cinema. The Hammer style greatly influenced Burton on his film "Sleepy Hollow". As for the suberb Philbrick non-fiction "In the Heart of the Sea: The Tradgedy of the Whaleship Essex", that is an absolutely expliary read. It is a hugely exciting and tragic exploration of an event which was something akin to being the Titanic disaster of it's day, as well as being the source material utilized by Herman Melville in writing "Moby Dick". But Barry Levinson? He'll make an unmitigated mess of it. With Levinson helming, it will be awful, perfectly wretched. Levinson should stick to doing what he does best -- autobiographical films based in Baltimore. He's quite good at those; he's horrid at pretty much everything else.

(Cheryl) he's horrid at pretty much everything else. By the looks of the trailers for his newest, An Everlasting Piece, I'd agree with you.

I've been looking forward to this one: Germany's Stalingrad Film to Open Berlin Festival BERLIN (Reuters) - A German-American co-production about the pivotal World War Two battle of Stalingrad, ``Enemy at the Gates,'' will open the 51st Berlin film festival with its world premiere on February 7, organizers said on Wednesday. Given the rare honor of opening the annual Berlinale, ``Enemy at the Gates'' is one of the most expensive films ever made in Germany, the world's second largest market in ticket sales that is nonetheless dominated by Hollywood films. Filmed in English, the drama pits a German and a Russian sniper against each other during the epic 1942 battle at Stalingrad. Germany lost the battle, which turned out to be one of the main turning points of World War Two. About 20 films making their international debuts compete each year for Golden Bears at the Berlinale, Europe's first major film festival each year and considered to be one of the world's top festivals, after Cannes and alongside Venice. Starring British actors Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes as well as American Ed Harris, ``Enemy at the Gates'' was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and produced by the U.S. company Mandalay Entertainment in association with Germany's KC Medien and MP Film Managment. Filmmakers denied reports in the German media that the film, shot almost entirely in the Babelsberg studio and in rural areas outside Berlin, had a $90 million budget. They declined to say what the exact costs were but confirmed it was one of the most expensive productions ever made in Germany, where film budgets rarely top 50 million marks. It is extremely rare that a German film opens the Berlinale. ``Although we know everyone is against war, we cannot ignore the gruesome events of the past,'' said festival director Moritz de Hadeln. ``Jean-Jacques Annaud has brilliantly shed light on a chapter of German history. ``He and his team of German technicians have successfully demonstrated that Germany and Europe are in a position to realize such major projects and challenge the idea that Americans have a monopoly on such works.''

And Mike Nichols' made-for-cable movie Wit with Emma Thompson is supposed to be shown there too, along with the Tailor of Panama.

Better article on subject from Variety, so will delete one above: PIC STARS GO LEGIT Ambassadors seals deals with Natural Nylon, Parfitt By ADAM DAWTREY, MATT WOLF LONDON -- The Ambassadors Theater Group, London's second-largest legit chain and arguably its leading one for straight plays, has struck two separate deals with top British film talent to create a bridge between stage and screen. Natural Nylon, the production company of thesps Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Sean Pertwee and Sadie Frost, has formed a joint venture with the Ambassadors group to produce stage plays either starring the actors or drawing on their expertise, interests and contacts. The formation of Natural Nylon Theater will be unveiled today at a press conference in London's swanky St. Martin's Lane Hotel. Separately, Oscar-winning producer David Parfitt ("Shakespeare in Love") is teaming with Ambassadors to develop theater projects with film potential. The two alliances mark a deliberate effort by Ambassadors, which runs nine West End venues and twice that many around the country, to profit from the increasingly fruitful crossover between the London theater scene and Hollywood. A third collaboration between the Ambassadors group and Carlton Television will be announced in a month or so. The West End stage has long been a spawning ground for film talent and pojects, while movie stars are ever more eager to tread the London boards--many of them, of course, having been bred on the London stage. Law was a habitue of the Royal Shakespeare Co., the Royal National Theater and the Young Vic well before his screen career took wing with "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and other films; he received a 1995 Tony nom for his Broadway debut in the Jean Cocteau play "Indiscretions." McGregor interrupted a busy film sked several seasons ago to appear in a London stage revival of "Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs," directed by his uncle, Denis Lawson. Ambassadors, which owns the Donmar Warehouse, where Oscar winner Sam Mendes is artistic director, has been frustrated at not having a stake in the movie success of plays and talent that started out in its theaters. To that end, the deals with Natural Nylon and Parfitt's Trademark Films are both 50/50 joint ventures, with development fully funded by the Ambassadors Theater Group, which then will have the option to participate in any film or TV versions of plays produced under the deals. In the case of the Natural Nylon pact, it virtually guarantees that when the likes of Law or McGregor decides to do a play, it will be staged in Ambassadors theaters--or, should it preem somewhere else (such as Broadway), it would be in association with Ambassadors. At least three Natural Nylon Theater projects are expected to be announced today, with startup costs for the venture in the region of �2 million-�3 million ($2.9 million-$4.4 million). Trademark already has moved its office into the New Ambassadors Theater, but that deal will not kick off properly until Parfitt has completed his producing chores on Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," currently shooting in Rome. Parfitt has a strong track record of transferring stage plays and theater talent to the bigscreen, with pics such as "The Madness of King George," adapted from Alan Bennett's hit London play, and Kenneth Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing."

Jude Law is a busy little bee, isn't he?

Who would have thought? I too was impressed by all he has managed to do. Now if he would only die his hair permanently blond. ;-)

Lisa Schwarzbaum is quickly becoming a fav in telling it "like it is." Now, she's exposing Miramax's Oscar campaign for Chocolat:Either way, I think you would agree that "Chocolat" has about as much business making an appearance in any category on Oscar night as "Duets." The damnedest thing is, the hustle is working: No one seems to care that "Chocolat" is about as tasty as that Monty Python treat, Crunchy Frog. The Raccoon Lodge outpost known as the Hollywood Foreign Press Association served up four Golden Globe nominations, thereby assisting the movie's ad campaign. Members of the American Hollywood press willingly serve as unpaid flacks, reading the company line--"'Chocolat' is a contender!"--without even the benefit of payment... Here's her article: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6595,94878,00.html

I saw "Chocolat" yesterday and while I consider it quite charming.... it's not Oscar nomination material by a long shot. However, it is getting big audiences, word of mouth mostly. My local theatre went from 3 showings to 5 . Part of the reason is that so many of the films out there are c***. So along comes an innocuous story , a no-brainer, no message,no gimmicks, v. well acted.Pure entertainment. You know, that has its appeal.

LONDON (Reuters) - Shakespearean actor Michael Williams, husband of actress Dame Judi Dench, has died after a long battle against lung cancer, his agent said on Friday. Williams, 65, died on Thursday afternoon at the home he shared with his wife in Surrey. The couple, who played alongside each other in the popular 1980s television series "A Fine Romance", were married for 30 years. Williams was best known for his classical roles, having spent 14 years at the Royal Shakespeare Company under director Sir Peter Hall. His stage career continued until 1999 with his appearance in Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky's "The Forest" at the National Theatre in London. While his wife pursued a successful career in film and television -- winning an Oscar for her role in "Shakespeare in Love" -- Williams took parts in smaller films, including "Educating Rita" in 1982 and "Tea with Mussolini" in 1998. Last year, Williams received a Papal knighthood for his contribution to Catholic life in Britain, one of the highest honours bestowed by the Catholic Church. The couple had one daughter, Finty, aged 28.

Oh, how sad for Dame Judi Dench. My prayers are with her.

I am sorry to hear that she is one of my favorite actresses. I watch her every Saturday night on PBS in As Time Goes By. I thought she was wonderful in Shakespeare In Love.

The damnedest thing is, the hustle is working: No one seems to care that "Chocolat" is about as tasty as that Monty Python treat, Crunchy Frog. LOL! Lisa S. must have read my earlier post on this film.;-) Agree with everything she wrote; honestly, when I saw it, all I could think was that the town looked like some Disney version of an oh-so-quaint-Europe-and-golly- aren't-their-backward-ways-just-so-charming-and-cute. Look closely: the aerial "shots" are all computer-generated. Too bad her magazine is too craven to anger Miramax by actually publishing this article in its pages (it only appears online).

I had the misfortune of seeing Chocolat last night. Oscar material? I agree with everything that reviewer wrote. Huge penitence, not even cute. If Miramax keeps this up they will lose whatever credibility they have. They are also bringing Malena the Tornatore film to the US. I saw the previews last night and can tell you it is the same sentimetal/clichee filled movie he is known for making. (Shame on Livia) I am taking the boys to see Crouching Tiger today. Yeah! :-D

Have seen House of Mirth. Excellent, despite the parade of dislikable actors (Dan Ackroyd, Elizabeth McGovern, Jodhi May, Anthony LaPaglia).

I liked Crouching Tiger very much. Boys said it copied the Japanese cartoon "Dragon Ball Z" which they like very much. But they like the cartoon better. I am a big fan of Mandarin films (and have seen many), and found nothing wrong with the acting as some reviewers had. The love story is secondary in the characters' lives as it is in the film. The struggles are elsewhere and the film succeeds 100%. Ang is v.v. talented. I loved the Ice Storm and thought he did very well with S&S. One of the year's best film. I want to see it again. I saw the previous for Corelli's Mandolin and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ boring! Will wait to hear your opinion when the movie comes out, but it looks like a rental.

Anybody see "Great Gatsby " last night on A&E? Good cast and you can't knock a good story.I was impressed with Paul Rudd who is currently appearing in "Long Day's Journey.. "on the West End with Jessica Lange and Charles Dance.Toby Stephens's acting was forced at times, but his american accent was flawless IMO. If only he had told the script-writer that he refused say "old sport " twenty times;-)

(Evelyn) Anybody see "Great Gatsby " last night on A&E? Yes, I forced myself. :-) I admit I am not a fan of 1920 character-driven melodramas (GG, Splendor in the Grass, This Property is Condemned, etc.). That's why I couldn't drag myself to see The Wild Party when it was on Broadway, LOL. But I enjoyed this flick more than I expected. :-) Yeah, I thought Paul Rudd was good too, as was Sam Waterston in the same role. I sort of wish they could have combined the best parts of both scripts. I liked the way this one revealed the darker side of Gatsby, though I liked how they handled Gatsby's death and the grieved husband in the other movie. Mira was good, less annoying than Mia imo, but I still wish I could see a Daisy that was mesmerizing. I remember years ago that Ali McGraw was supposed to be Daisy until she got a divorce from her then husband, Bob Evans. I don't know if she is the femme fatale either. Hmmm, a good role for JE... I must admit that during the last hour, when Gatsby and Tom Buchannan meet and then start to spar, I thought that the 2 perfect men to have played those roles would have been Colin and Stephen, several years ago. Both great actors with great presence, either one would have been good in either role. One a rich snob, the other mesmerizing, both phonies. Both good-looking, either one could have slipped into either role. And can't you just hear either one of them saying the "old sport" line? It would have been great casting to have both parts filled with men who can fill a screen and draw your attention. It would give the film more dimension. But then, I never read the book, so I don't know how the part of Tom was really written. Was it really more like Bruce Dern? (Of course, ahem, a dialect coach would have to be brought in, tee hee.) But it would be great to see 2 men of substance plausibly fighting over the same woman. Toby, the first time I've seen him, a cutie and fab smile. But his screen presence doesn't compete with Redford's. Tough act to follow. He also didn't have either the mystery or hardness that I thought should go with the part, but I am curious now to see him in another role. I know he's probably the right age for Gatsby, but he just seemed too young for the part, imo. Notice the freckles on his legs? :-)

I'm going to be v. nationalistic here and say that IMO Gatsby should be an American. Agree that Toby Stephens doesn't have a screen presence. I saw that Granada , BBC & A&E were involved and wonder if that is why they cast TS...an Anglo-American cast to appeal to both sides of the pond;-) Paul Rudd carried the movie. Did Robert Redford let Nic carry the film?

I liked Gatsby, thought the cast was good, especially Paul Rudd. Have had my eye on him since Clueless (remember, he was the dishy stepbrother?) Also liked him in a sweet film he did with Jennifer Aniston a couple of years back called The Object Of My Affection. He's also done Neil LaBute's "Bash" Off-Broadway and in London, to good reviews. Talented, charismatic young actor. I thought Toby was good as Gatsby, though I expected someone with more of an imposing physical presence. But he did capture G's insecurity and vulnerability. (Donna) Notice the freckles on his legs? :-) Not just his legs--the guy is one big freckle!:-) Seems like it was filmed on the cheap; I haven't read the book in awhile, but Gatsby's parties were more lavish, more decadent, orchestras playing, people dressed more opulently, falling down drunk, diving clothed into the pool, etc.

GOLDEN SATELLITE AWARDS Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama Ellen Burstyn - REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Artisan) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama Geoffrey Rush - QUILLS (Fox) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Renee Zellweger - NURSE BETTY (USA Films) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical Michael Douglas - WONDER BOYS (Paramount Pictues) Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama Jennifer Ehle/Rosemary Harris - SUNSHINE (Paramount Classics) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama Bruce Greenwood - THIRTEEN DAYS (New Line Cinema) Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical Kate Hudson - ALMOST FAMOUS Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy or Musical Willem Dafoe - SHADOW OF A VAMPIRE Best Motion Picture, Drama TRAFFIC (USA Films) Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical NURSE BETTY (USA Films) Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (Taiwan-Sony Pictures Classics) Best Motion Picture, Animated or Mixed Media CHICKEN RUN (Dreamworks, THE WALLACE AND GROMIT FILMS) Best Motion Picture, Documentary RECKLESS INDIFFERENCE Best Director Steven Soderbergh - TRAFFIC Best Screenplay, Original Ken Lonergan - YOU CAN COUNT ON ME GO JENNIFER

(Donna) Notice the freckles on his legs? :-) (Mari)Not just his legs--the guy is one big freckle!:-) Well then, he seems to have *that* in common with Robert Redford ;-)

Ah, Evelyn - you could have highlighted RZ as well.

Great news for ODGs Jennifer & Rosemary! Very very well-deserved; I can't imagine Sunshine without them. Let's hope the Academy is listening.:-) Good for RZ, too, and also well-deserved. Was just reading that this Golden Satellite group broke away from the Golden Globe group a few years back. I must say, overall, I like their picks, and I applaud their not jumping on the Gladiator/Chocolat bandwagon. Karen, you saw Requiem For A Dream--can you comment on Ellen Burstyn's performance? I've heard she was excellent.

Wonderful news Evelyn, I am so pleased for both of them. What a year it has been for Jennifer, Awards and nominations by the score, let's hope next year is just as good. Something else for the Publicist for DFL to add to Jennifer's CV.

Excellent news!! Need to get round to seeing it now. It was described as "undervalued" in one of the Sunday Papers recently. Thought RH was wonderful in MLSF BTW. A fabulous year for a fabulously talented lady.

..... not forgetting her mum too!

...A fabulous year for a fabulously talented lady. She works hard too;-)

I agree. Did you notice the strong resemeblence betwee the two of them. Jennifer really looks like her mother

From Screendaily: Meanwhile, Working Title Films' Captain Corelli's Mandolin has emerged as an early but strong contender for the opening night slot after UK distributor Buena Vista International slotted it into a May release date. While Working Title previously released romantic comedy Notting Hill in May without any platform at Cannes, John Madden's lavish, European love story is seen as far more like Cannes material and is expected to be submitted to Jacob. RE: Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream Well...notwithstanding her accent, she is something, but then again so is the film. Her acting is not subtle like Laura Linney's; in fact, it's the exact opposite. But their characters are so different as well. Burstyn's character is out of control. She gives a dizzying performance of a woman addicted to more than just diet pills. I recommend this movie to everyone. It is dazzling, full of sharp cinematic technique, but with a solid story and solid acting. The last 30 minutes or so are positively harrowing. All kids should be dragged to see this one.

I think I read about this before. From Ananova: Film writer sues Notting Hill team An American film writer is suing the team behind Notting Hill claiming the story was stolen from him. Nick Villiers was a friend of one of the film's producers Eric Fellner. He says in 1988 he gave Fellner a copy of his script Cheek, which he claims is the basis for Notting Hill. He has filed the $15 million lawsuit against the film's writer Richard Curtis, its producers and Universal Pictures. The lawsuit has been filed in a Los Angeles court and outlines a number of similarities between Cheek and Notting Hill. They include a similar setting in London, and a similar theme involving an ordinary Englishman who meets and has a romance with the biggest star in the world. Other similarities claimed are a loutish supporting character who betrays a friend and a public reunion at the end of the film. The complaint asserts claims for breach of a confidential relationship, fraud and misappropriation.

To Clive Owen, Robson Green and John Thaw fans, from the SF Chronicle: ************************** Pasadena -- These days you'll hear a lot about PBS being reinvented as its new leadership tries to put a shine on already shimmering programming that often goes begging against network fare or must share the spotlight with fine offerings from various cable channels. Apparently PBS is going to start with better marketing. For years PBS has operated under the misguided "build it and they will come" notion of television. As if "Masterpiece Theatre" didn't need hype. But the good news is that PBS now knows the score. It understands that in the vastly growing world of modern television -- where 75 channels are more the norm than the rarity -- viewers have more choices than PBS has pledge breaks. And so, you had to smile a bit when PBS touted "The Men of Mystery!" here Sunday. PBS has long had television's most compelling cops, detectives and odd sleuths. It just never knew what to do with them. That most of the country still couldn't tell Jane Tennison from Cagney or Lacey remains a TV tragedy, given that "Prime Suspect" was as good as "NYPD Blue" and "Homicide" when those shows were at their finest. But never mind that -- the past doesn't concern PBS. The future is for reinventing. Now the system is rightly and finally touting three of its finest men: John Thaw, the beloved "Inspector Morse"; Robson Green as Detective Dave Creegan in "Touching Evil"; and Clive Owen as Ross Tanner in "Second Sight." As "NYPD Blue" continues its creative nose-dive and there isn't a great cop show in sight to take its place, perhaps you should be getting your fix on PBS, from this trio. On Sunday, only Owen wasn't around to share the cop-light. Thaw appeared via satellite from London, and Green, something of a heartthrob in England and beyond, was onstage making "Mystery!" executive producer Rebecca Eaton's day, perhaps year. Calling the three shows "a solid string of testosterone" -- not your everyday PBS pronouncement -- Eaton said the three men share traits that make for good viewing. "What they have in common is they're smart, sexy, irritable and lonely guys. They're all policemen. They're all driven and wounded in some way." And you thought Ricky Schroder had the market cornered on brooding cops. If you're unfamiliar with "Inspector Morse," well, you're in the minority as the series, which premiered 13 seasons ago, has notched 64 episodes and aired in 200 countries. The series will come to an end with "The Remorseful Day" on Feb. 22, in a two-hour movie (preceded by "The Last Morse: A Documentary"). The finale already aired in Britain, where, Eaton said, more than half the country watched. Morse, the hard-living eccentric, goes out -- all the way out. He has been one of PBS' most popular characters, but he still doesn't resonate with American viewers like, say, any character on "Law & Order." Catching up -- then bidding farewell -- will be worth the short-term investment (though it will certainly make you wish you'd jumped on the series earlier). THIRD SEASON OF 'EVIL' "Touching Evil" will kick off its third season on Thursday, and Green (who also starred in "Reckless" and has logged three No. 1 hits as a musician in the United Kingdom) is back on the job as the depressed, troubled Detective Creegan, tracker of serial killers and other very dangerous sorts. These are two people worth getting to know (Owen's "Second Sight" doesn't premiere until March 22). For his part, Thaw says it won't be easy letting go of Morse. "But at the same time, I had a feeling of sadness and not exactly joy -- relief, really -- that he was off my back." Thaw said that Morse wasn't as colorful or eccentric as Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, but that the character will endure. So don't look for Thaw to create a new character. "To be a new detective -- I don't relish the thought of that, frankly, at the moment. It's taken me long enough to get rid of this one. I won't be running off to put on a uniform." Novelist Colin Dexter killed off the Morse character, effectively ending the franchise. But Thaw never thought the famed detective would go out that way. "I just expected that he would retire. Not very gracefully, but retire, or sort of be kicked out and go live in a cottage somewhere," Thaw said. "But I think it was very daring of Colin to do that." Green, who has been gaining Hollywood heat and reminds many people of Paul Newman (including Joanne Woodward, no less, a fan of the series), is glad that his character will continue his dark journey. A LONELY GUY "With Creegan, if you're shot in the head (which he was) and you have an out-of-body experience and you see something better than life -- and then you come back to it -- how do you articulate that back to a crowd of people?" Green said. "So, immediately, it isolates you." Sounds like Sipowicz on "NYPD Blue." Maybe with better promotion -- and "The Men of Mystery!" was a start -- PBS will find more of its public for these compelling cops. ********************* Murph And Fox News Reports that Ang Lee is filming BMW commercials in NJ with Clive Owen....Where???? I ask, Where?????

Karen, just come online after watching a movie review programme almost identical comments to your review of "Requiem for a dream". Uncanny! Keep on hitting the nail (or should that be bucket?!) on the head girl!

Green, who has been gaining Hollywood heat and reminds many people of Paul Newman Robson Green...Paul Newman? They gotta be kidding....

Robson Green...Paul Newman? They gotta be kidding.... It's the eyes;) I like RG, I think he's wonderful in touching Evil.

Robson Green...Paul Newman? ...it's the eyes;) I don't really know why, but all that I can see in RG's eyes is just a great endless pale blue void . Sorry.

(Evelyn) Robson Green...Paul Newman? They gotta be kidding.... Yeah, it is the eyes and he's on the short side too. Read comments similar to this awhile back and more. Something about how this was brought to Paul Newman or Joanne Woodward's attention. I suspect it's the work of his publicist.

Thanks for the article, Murph. I have to take issue with a few things in it. First, Inspector Morse might be new to PBS, but it's been playing on A&E forever; where's this writer been? Also, a bigger problem than their marketing, or lack thereof, is their scheduling. I live in one of those markets where they're "piloting" the move of Masterpiece Theater from Sundays to, allegedly, Mondays. Only, half the time, it's not on. I've been waiting for new Bramwell episodes, which I know have been shown in other parts of the country, but here . . .where the hell is it? BTW, the PBS Jazz series has been very good; anyone watching it? Robson Green doesn't do much for me . . .more Alfred E. Neuman than Paul Newman, IMO.;-) But Clive Owen is very nice indeed.:-)

You should see Clive Owen in "Close Your Eyes"... Um, WOW!!! (WHAT a body!) Okay, saw the House of Mirth (I REALLY HATE Edith Wharton!); I didn't like it. I thought it seemed forced... like everyone was talking in a foreign language. A few scenes with Gillian Anderson totally reminded me of Elizabeth/Darcy sparring at Netherfield. I speak of her tete a tete's with Roseland (LaPaglia). Dan Ackroyd wasn't THAT bad. GA was good, but depressing story. (I saw a free screening of it yesterday)

Oh, I've been watching Jazz and LOVE IT!

For you Robeson Green fans: Tonight on PBS "MYstery" "Touching Evil" first of two parts. Starring RG. Big interview in TV section of newspaper with byline from LA!! (I didn't know he had a music career.) He and his business manager are currently in Hollywood in discussions with studios and producers, including Bruce Willis' Cheyenne Enterprises for a theatrical version of "Touching Evil". [Say hello to Colin while he's lolling on the beach, Robeson:-)] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm watching JAZZ too...(isn't everybody?) The most exciting documentary I've ever seen.What a saga...stirring music. But it's the stories, photos and film excerpts that grabs me. Our friends in UK will undoubtedly see this since I see in the credits that BBC was a collaborator. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Premiere Mag mentions among the "Spoilers"for Oscar noms: RZ Best Actress JE/RH Best Suporting actress Real long shots, but nice to see them mentioned. Also JE as Best Supporting Actress (spoil

In MA I get three PBS stations, so Saturday I watched 5 1/2 hours of Jazz and four hours of Liberty! I guess I was in a documentary roll. Wonder if Jazz will be nominated for an Oscar? I'm hoping the next 4 1/2 hours will be on this coming Saturday;)

We've got "The west Wing" starting here tonite. If you have seen it I'd like to hear your views.

Lizza: Don't miss one single moment of this great show!!!! It is my absolute favorite. Mari will agree, I know. Clive Owen: Very nice indeed, indeed:

Clive's picture was supposed to appear there. I'll try it again.

I like the West Wing. However, it is American liberal clap-trap at its best. If our Governement was really like that (and really that cute), we'd be one hell of a nation;)

Do watch it, Lizza. West Wing is one of my favs. It's smart, topical and interesting. Great characters too. Just read the other day that Martin Sheen (who plays the Pres) was only supposed to be a minor character, appearing once and a while, and the focus was to be on Rob Lowe. Didn't work out that way. Martin Sheen's pres was too good that they changed the entire series to revolve around him. Gaah! Why wasn't he on the ballot this past November? We are getting saddled with the exact oppposite. :-( And I want them to bring back the blonde conservative, Aynsley. Loved her and her weakness for pastries.

Well, call me a liberal clap-trapper (hell, Murph and I have been called worse;-), but IMO, this is must-see TV. Wonderful writing, terrific acting, well-fleshed out characters. Addresses serious issues, but there is a dry, intelligent wit throughout. I don't think it white-washes anything; in fact, it often does show why things don't get done, e.g., political expediency. The show's advisers include a number of people who have worked in high positions in the West Wing; I find it very realistic. Certainly, it does present a liberal Democratic point of view (long may it live), but that reflects the administration that is portrayed.

Forgot to say . . .thanks for the Clive pic, Murph. He is waiting for me when I get home (ok, so my Croupier rental is waiting for me--close enough!;-)

Certainly, it does present a liberal Democratic point of view (long may it live), but that reflects the administration that is portrayed ] The show is preachy and what President would really tear into a Dr. Laura type by telling her that when the President enters the room, you are to stand. I like the show. I LOVE Josh and Donna. But I'm sorry, the President would not deal with someone dropping her panties and he having to apologize? It's definitely OVER THE TOP. Sure it has thrilling stories and you totally agree that the Republicans are bad (they're evil!); that's exactly how they're portrayed. It's definitely liberal clap-trap, but it's a soap opera all the same.