(Evelyn) Wot? Even Sandi and Tress caught on to this one. Um......hi! ;-)

(PW) I get two questions for me That would be me. ;-) (Bad DD! Where *are* my priorities?) Sorry, Tress to leave you picking up Trauma slack. Damn job of mine! ;-) I know I've said little about it, but Sandi and Tress have done very thorough job. Will have a bunch more of my impressions by early next week,if not before, if needed. (Evelyn) Uh-oh...ME will have to do a lot of tweaking to fix this one... Can't see how to "tweak." Except redubbing the unintelligible accents.

Dead quiet on the news front...I think I am in the minority of those that have not seen GWAPE (and am unlikely to have the opportunity prior to DVD release:-()but these reviews and all of your comments are all I have to go on...Actually, the first two are very complimentary and the last one just made me laugh... http://www.detnews.com/2004/entertainment/0401/16/e03-37008.htm http://promontoryartists.org/lookingcloser/movie%20reviews/A-G/girlwithapearlearring.htm http://www.eclipsemagazine.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=855

(eclipse)Colin Firth plays Vermeer a little bit like Gomez Aadams with no joie de vivre and incredibly bad hair; he�s moody, he�s eccentric, and boy, does he enunciate. He strides around and glares. He insists with a hint of petulance. He�s obsessed with the perfection of his craft. Did we mention that no one understands him? Thanks for the articles Maria . . hmmm he's been described as Fabio, a member of Iron Maiden . .but Gomes Aadams?? . .that's a new one for you;)

Hartelijk dank for the new reviews, Maria! (Lorelei from Eclipse)there simply must be more to a character than a lot of stomping, wild hair, and menacing pronunciation LOL! I never noticed any unnecessary enunciation (all enunciation was vital, IMHO). Interesting comparison to th T review several days ago that accused Colin of "snarling the Queen's English"? Can he do nothing right? ;-)

(promo)Fortunately, they have found an actor who can bring the same amount of gravity to the screen in order to portray the painter. I never would have thought of Colin Firth for the portrayal of a contemplative, passionate painter, but he finds in Johannes Vermeer material for what may indeed be his best performance. Surprise, surprise.

Just caught another GWAPE commercial . .newer - mentioned oscar nominations (though not specifically which ones) . . odd choice of music for the commerical . .would have thought they would have chose a snippet from the score . .instead they chose a very snappy, modern bit of music . .rather incongruous with the subject of the film and the images . .made me look twice, though . .;)

.rather incongruous with the subject of the film and the images . .made me look twice, though . .;) Was it from that odd video?

I just saw the new commercial too, and really odd music. I do not recall it being like the video, guitar strumming, drumming and piano. I saw it on HGTV and it almost sounded like it was their music that comes on in-between programs! 4 stars from Roger Ebert.

(Bee)Was it from that odd video? Can't say . .didn't see the video . .I caught it on TLC (am obsessed with the show Clean Sweep/Trading Spaces and What Not to Wear!)but it kind of was like as sandi said . .the music sounded like something that would be played between programs . .not suited to the subject of the commercial . . Of course there's a car commercial out there right now. .I think BMW? . .w/ music I swear swiped from the GWAPE score . .had me run to the TV only to be disappointed:(

(Peter Webber)Listen, I didn't really know that he was such a heartthrob until afterwards, to tell you the truth. I have discovered [that] because every time I go to a Q&A, I stand up, and I get two questions for me, and then the third question is [in a high-pitched voice], �Where's Colin? Where's Colin?� And here he is 30 seconds before that first infamous Q&A! Hee! Hee! I did ask him two other questions but as it turns out, I asked "Where's Colin?" first.:-0 This is outside of the second showing of GWAPE. Peter is holding a white coffee cup and speaking to two "young" guys and a girl. Andy Patterson is taller and behind him with a cup and speaking to a lady in black. Peter's wife has her back to the camera but you can still check out her fashion choices for Telluride. She is in a dress with a denim jacket. She reminded me of Bridge going on her mini-break though perhaps ever so slightly more elegant!:-)

MOVIE REVIEW- Brush with Greitness: Nobody home at the Vermeers' Published January 29, 2004, in issue #0304 of the Hook Subtlety can be a virtue in movies, especially since it's such a rare commodity in Hollywood. But like anything else in cinema, it can be overused. Girl with a Pearl Earring is about people who lived in subtler times, and despite director Peter Webber's attempt to immerse us in their world, "What's the big deal?" would be an appropriate response from a modern viewer. On a purely visual level, the film is more successful. They've done a magnificent job of recreating Delft, Holland, in 1665, and Eduardo Serra has photographed it with a painterly eye; but as they haven't spared themselves in creating this world, they spare none of our time showing it off. The plot is so simple there's plenty of time to fill with atmosphere. Scarlett Johansson plays 17-year-old Griet, who-- to help her family with expenses-- takes a job as a maid in the household of painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). It's as dysfunctional a family as you could ask for. Catharina (Essie Davis) turns out babies as regularly as Vermeer does paintings and has all the mood swings associated with pregnancy. Her mother, Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt), really runs things, doing whatever it takes to keep her son-in-law productive. The oldest child, Cornelia (Alakina Mann of The Others), 12, takes an instant dislike to Griet; and as her father shows an interest in the new maid, the other women of the house follow the child's lead, including head housekeeper Tanneke (Joanna Scanlan). Griet catches the eye of the butcher's son, Pieter (Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later), because she's the only maid in town with a nose for rotten meat. She impresses her master because, though illiterate, she has an innate sense for things artistic. When told to clean the windows in his studio, she hesitates because it will change the light. Later she moves a chair to improve the composition of a painting. Also impressed with Griet is Vermeer's patron, Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), who commissions a painting of her, apparently out of prurient interest. The artist is said to have gotten a previous maid pregnant when he painted her, so the stage is set for some steamy action. It's much ado about nothing. He's strictly hands-off while painting the fully clothed Griet, albeit with a certain amount of heavy breathing. The most scandalous thing he does is to borrow his wife's earrings for her to wear in the painting. Apparently there's little enough known about Vermeer's life that this speculative fiction, created by Tracy Chevalier in the source novel, fits the known facts. The international cast manage a reasonable cohesiveness and do what they can to pretend something is really happening. Johansson is a curious but wise choice to play Griet. Known for contemporary roles (Ghost World, Lost in Translation) she has less trouble fitting in a period setting than, say, Keanu Reeves. Girl with a Pearl Earring gives you a tour of a fabulous house, but there's nobody home. http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2004/01/29/movieReviewBrushWithGreitn.html

Heard a rumor somewhere about Colin and possibly a certain "Nanny". Will check it out and let you know! :)

(Hola) Heard a rumor somewhere about Colin and possibly a certain "Nanny". Will check it out and let you know! :) Oh...now...I'm gonna overload...what am I to make of that?? I'm thinking Mary Poppins, Nanny and the Professor, I'm thinking The Nanny Diaries, I'm thinking Fran Drescher...??? LOL.....GAAAAHAHHHHHH!!! ;-) Always good to hear from you Hola! How ya doing??

(Hola)Heard a rumor somewhere about Colin and possibly a certain "Nanny". Will check it out and let you know! :) You really know how to get a gals attention! I'm on overload with Tress now. What could it be, what could it be? Hope all's well with your own new production;-))

ARGGGGGGGGGGG Nanny I thought Fran! Hola...am drowning here, you must send a line! Hope you are well!

I'm joining in with the others here! Nanny??? Rumor??? Please tell!! Also, hope you are well and thriving!

Hola!!!!!!! HI! . .Hope you are doing well. . .you and yours:) Hmmm . . .Colin and a Nanny! . .don't think it's Fran . .Nanny Diaries would be interesting . . that was a great book . . I have to laugh though . .been piddling around with ideas for a screen play . .had started one with a father of three young kids . .wife up and left him . .and well . .he hires a new nanny to help him out as an interim person while his housekeeper/nanny is away for the summer . .of course I was basing the father on ODB;) . . . guess my story idea is going to be old news . . I'm going to love seeing what your lead is going to turn out to be;) . . let us know as soon as you can . .I'm dying to know now!

Let's just hope it isn't a remake of this *gem* http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107612/ :-D

Wasn't it on these boards I saw something saying Emma Thompson was slated to play a magical nanny ? What do you think ?

Isn't ODB supposed to be filming "Dead Wait" around now? Has anyone heard anything about that project? I'd love to see him work with Emma Thompson, but am not so enthused about the idea of him being in a movie with a magical nanny... Personally, I'd prefer something a bit more sophisticated. But Nanny Diaries could be fun... The only male I can recall is the husband... not a big role. Can't wait to hear more... He certainly has been keeping busy!

Let's just hope it isn't a remake of this *gem* LOL! I was coming in to say that I bet Livia will make sure the nanny is being played by a man ;-) And Sandy posted that. A wrestler would be just right:D

Don't think this has been posted yet. Not too great a review for GWAPE. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/entertainment/movies/reviews/s_177023.html 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' looks good on surface Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth star in 'Girl With a Pearl Earring' By Jolie Williamson TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, January 30, 2004 "Girl with a Pearl Earring" desperately wants to be a significant piece of cinema. It presents a screenplay that spares no unnecessary word, cinematography that begs to be described as "painterly" and understated acting dependent to an extraordinary degree on facial expressions and body language. Despite this meticulous preparation, the film arrives with a thud. A good-looking, understated thud, but nonetheless, one that makes its short 95-minute running time feel like a three-hour epic that doesn't know when to wrap it up and go home. The film is based on a novel of the same name that tells the imagined story of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer's 1665 painting, also with the same name. The film has the poor, quiet-yet-perceptive 16-year-old Griet (Scarlett Johansson) arrive at Vermeer's well-to-do Delft household to do servant's work. Vermeer (Colin Firth) becomes obsessed with the girl, much to the dismay of his ferociously jealous wife. From the first manly glower to the final minor bloodletting -- when Vermeer pierces Griet's ear as he prepares to paint her portrait -- we're fully aware of his intense fascination with his lowly maid. It's not entirely sexual -- Griet seems to be the only one interested in the process of Vermeer's art, how he chooses his methods and what influences the final appearance of his paintings. Her interest in him as an artist and not just a breadwinner brings what can possibly be described as a primitive sort of nonsexual joy to the painter. Maybe it's because the actors are so good at conveying their characters' feelings that we can see where this is headed before the film barely gets rolling. But there is a significant difference in a restrained film that nevertheless challenges our perceptions and keeps us enthralled, and one that simply bores us with its predictability -- no matter how well photographed or acted. As if in recognition of this, the film's score contains a horribly cloying piano motif that chimes in every so often to signal us that Something Important is happening. One begins to wonder how many more times the same few maddening notes of music must be endured before escape is possible.

(Tress) ...I'm thinking Fran Drescher...??? LOL! Good heavens! Can you imagine that donkey laugh with Colin's rich, velvety voice? *shudders* I'd have to wear ear plugs watching that one. The type that blocks only Fran's voice of course. ;-) Colin and Emma Thompson? YES!!! I like that combination. She is terrific. I've been very fond of her ever since I've seen Much Ado About Nothing.

Emma and Colin . .great combo! Here is a blurb about Emma's New "Nanny project" from the Emma Thompson Sacntuary Website Main site Address: http://www.muldermedia.com/emma/ From the Roles page:http://www.muldermedia.com/emma/background/roles.html Nanny McPhee Emma wrote the screenplay based on the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand. She will play a governess who uses magic to turn around a bunch of naughty kids. Status: Pre-production.

Ooh . .sorry about 2nd post Boss . .but looks like Emma's going to work on a Nick Hornby film: Fast Forward . .Nick and Colin are friends. .that would be a neat project for them to work together on . .perhaps

Hi Hola!!! Happy New Year and hope all is well with you. See what a one-liner can do around here? Nanny, as in??? co-starring with??? While I'd love to see ODB paired with ET, I'm not so sure about a Nurse Matilda... Still, I love the speculation, ladies. (Meg)Isn't ODB supposed to be filming "Dead Wait" around now? I e-mailed Beyond Films before the holiday. Got a strange response back saying TDW wasn't based on a play and it hadn't been cast, yet. I think some intern(no offense to interns) must have been given the task of answering the mail. I'll try again. YES!!!! The 400+ expansion of GWAPE has brought it to Princeton. I'm hoping it didn't have anything to do with the 7,000 phone calls I made to the theater. If you don't hear from me in the next few weeks-I can be contacted at my little office in the theater;-) 555-GWAPE.

USA Today on Oscar nominated films on DVD and the big screen: Girl With a Pearl Earring. The tale of artist Vermeer and his young female muse is up for three Oscars; it goes into 300 theaters today. The DVD is due in May.

(Mary) The DVD is due in May. YESSS!!! *pumping fists in the air* I was hoping we wouldn't have to wait for too long for it. Oh,I feel like hugging somebody. Thank you Mary! Happy GWAPE watching Linda!

(meg)The only male I can recall is the husband... not a big role. I just read a review of the book. Apparently there's a HH who lives upstairs. - Sounds a better prospect! Re Dead Wait. Seem to remember reading a while back that production wasn't certain to be going ahead.

Hurrah! GWAPE opens here today-I'll be at the first showing @ 2:00. Finally, I can view this treasure and read the spoilers,at long last!!!! Then I get to go back and see it again and again and again......you get the picture!

(Janet) Apparently there's a HH who lives upstairs. - Sounds a better prospect! Sorry, HH was a college student. Hi, Hola from not-so-sunny-at-the-moment Florida!! Hope you're well! Thanks, as always, for the cryptic note! ;-D

From my hometown paper in this week's Weekend (TGIF) section..... I have rarely agreed with this guy and was surprised to see a favorable review. He gave it an A-. 'Pearl' is a gem of a picture By Hap Erstein, Palm Beach Post Film Writer Friday, January 30, 2004 Little is known of the model or the motive behind 17th-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's haunting portrait, Girl With A Pearl Earring, a void that was imaginatively filled by the conjecture of writer Tracy Chevalier in her novel of the same name. That exercise in historical fiction has now made it to the screen, in a slow-paced but visually exquisite and engrossing film that turns the entire city of Delft into a Vermeer canvas. Production designer Ben van Os meticulously re-creates 1665 Holland, but it is cinematographer Eduardo Serra who bathes it in contrasting pools of light and shadow, capturing the vivid textures of Vermeer. First-time director Peter Webber makes the film a window to the past and a view of the creative process, but more than either of those, each frame is a painterly work of art. We see Vermeer's world through the eyes of an uneducated, teenaged serving girl named Griet (Scarlett Johansson of Lost in Translation), daughter of a recently blinded tile painter, who is begrudgingly taken into the Vermeer household as a lowly servant. Treated rudely by the painter's perpetually pregnant wife and singled out for mischievous abuse by one of his bratty daughters, she also attracts the lecherous attentions of Vermeer's chief patron, the crude Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), who has an acquisitive nature and roving hands. By a quirk of domestic management, Griet gains the exalted assignment of cleaning Vermeer's studio and is awed by the sight of his work, even in its preliminary stages. It is the conceit of the film, and Olivia Hetreed's taciturn screenplay, that Griet is a natural kindred spirit of Vermeer's, instinctively appreciating art. When she asks his wife, Catharina (Essie Davis), and her mother, the shrewd, mercenary Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt), whether she should clean the studio windows -- for that would affect the light spilling into the room -- they are dumbfounded by the apt question. Before long, Vermeer (Colin Firth of Love Actually) befriends Griet, showing her his prized camera obscura, teaching her to see colors in the clouds, and eventually entrusting her to grind and mix his pigments, the vibrant ruby shellac, gum arabic, malachite, vermilion and other exotic hues. At one point, she boldly removes a chair from a carefully composed scene, claiming that it ruins the balance of a portrait and, soon after, Vermeer deletes the chair from his painting. Eventually, Vermeer has Griet pose for him, but when he decides she must wear his wife's pearl earrings, the implied intimacy ignites Catharina's jealous streak. In fact, artist and model rarely touch, except when he painfully pierces her virgin ears, arguably a symbolic sexual defilement. Johansson (who also appears in this week's The Perfect Score) gives a delicately understated performance, almost expressionless, yet her wide blue-gray eyes suggest Griet's unexpected intelligence. The painting is considered to be a Dutch Mona Lisa, and Johansson radiates an alluring mystery. By comparison, Vermeer is much less interesting a character, though Firth broods well and plays up the tempestuous artistic temperament effectively. Wilkinson is an aptly greasy fat cat, though hampered by the role's one-dimensional nature, and Parfitt steals many a scene as Vermeer's calculating mother-in-law. Ultimately, beyond the characters, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a haunting tale about the creation of a work of art, an entrancing over-the-shoulder portrait and its engrossing, though completely fabricated, back story. And for you South FL Droolers....and lurkers that I'm aware of, here's the list of theaters.... Shadowood 16, Delray 18, Mizner Park, Movies at Boynton Beach, Treasure Coast Mall, Indian River 24, Jupiter 18, PGA Cinema 8.

(meg)Nanny Diaries ... The only male I can recall is the husband... not a big role. It's a nothing role. Weak ineffectual husband. Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand. She will play a governess who uses magic to turn around a bunch of naughty kids. Another nothing, presumably. Weak ineffectual father. Lola, whatever happened to those *real* movies you had mentioned? The ones that would require him to do something other than phone in a small supporting role.:-( Fran Drescher is starting to sound good.;-) I'm sure I've posted this before, but since it's come up again . . . at the NY premiere of LA, Colin told me that the status of The Dead Wait was "very precipitous." Translation: don't hold your breath. GWAPE is now playing in 9 theaters throughout my area.

AHHHHHHHHH .......I SAW IT!!!!! Daily Variety Gotham - Friday, January 30th 2004 in the Film PRoduction Chart - Page 16 in "Films in the Future:" section Nanny McPhee Emma Thompson, COLIN FIRTH Prod, Lindsay Doran; DIR, Kirk Jones; SCR, Ema Thompson; DISTRIB, MGM, Working Title 4/04/.UK. It must be true . .they wouldn't print it in Variety otherwise . . .right?

Grrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-( That's right, it would be true. Who the #$%^ is Kirk Jones? Oh, yes, I see he directed Waking Ned Devine.

Sorry hit submit so fast was excited I found it . . . so they are shooting this April in the UK . .Emma wrote the screenplay . . .probvably not high drama . .buit might be something nice family film . .I did enjoy Emma's Sense and Sensibility screenplay . .so I have good hopes;)

OMG! Kimberly! Thanks for finding that!!! Emma (love her) AND Colin in the same film...okay....but a magical nanny?? Hmmmm....okay, keeping open mind and getting excited about seeing ODB with Elinor Dashwood (BTW, I just realized that Elinor's father was Henry Dashwood...so odd)!

Emma has written the screenplay: an adaption of the "Nurse Matilda" governess stories of the 1960s, now out of print. From Ananova Emma Thompson to play magical nanny in new film The director of Waking Ned is set to make a new film with Emma Thompson. Kirk Jones will direct Thompson in Nanny McPhee. The actress has also written the screenplay to the movie. The film is about a nanny who uses magic to make a group of rowdy children in her care behave reports www.variety.com. Filming is expected to begin next year. [article was actually written 16 December 2002]

If it was in today's Variety, then yeah, it's true. Plus it meets all the right criteria: --Passes red nail test (no love scenes) --Can take Tube to work --Filming starts in April, which means it will wrap in time for summer vacation. McPhooey! :-(

Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have used this for one of Colin's birthday parties a few years ago. :-(

Colin . .my guess is to play father of the children? Will be nice to see him again as paternal figure . .liked him in MLSF, SLOW & even WAGW working with the kids . .GWAPE doesn't count . .was too distant from his brood of kids;)

A link (in German) mentioning Nanny McPhee, Emma and ODB: http://www.hl-fonds143.de/nanny.html Die Rolle der Nanny soll Emma Thompson �bernehmen, die derzeit mit "Tats�chlich Liebe" ("Love Actually") in den deutschen Kinos zu sehen ist. Aus diesem Film ist auch Colin Firth bekannt, der ebenfalls mit von der Partie sein soll. And Lost in Translation: The role of the Nanny is to take over Emma Thompson, which is to be seen at present with "actually love" ("Love Actually") in the German cinemas. From this film also Colin Firth is well-known, which is to likewise also be from the portion.

Karen - will that pic be the new one for this film's page on colinfirth .com?;) Cheer up it may be a very sweet film . . . (*singing* - "And a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down . . ")

Nurse Matilda - "Two clueless upper-class parents, their TWENTY demon children, and the magical nanny who brings them into line without turning a hair."

Also from your link, Tress, in LITese: The budget is calculated at present with approximately USD 44 millions, about which for instance USD 34.5 millions are to be allotted to the turning work). $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ It's freezing here and this little tidbit isn't going to warm the cockles of my heart or my toesies for that matter. Signed, Too Proud to Buy a Ticket to G-Rated Movie

(Kimberly) (*singing* - "And a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down . . ") Oh...hope it's not a musical...I was sweating it out yesterday after Hola's tidbit...trying to imagine ODB singing...and dancing (am picturing Henry Dashwood in leather here and not Fitzwilliam in those breeches that cause vibrations). Love ODB dearly, but, IMO, he cannot sing (though I said the same of Antonio Bandaras pre-Evita and now that's nearly all he does). It makes me laugh...which can be a good thing...or bad...depending on what you're going for, I guess.

ROTF......You guys....

(Tress)Love ODB dearly, but, IMO, he cannot sing Oh, he know he can't sing as do those stalwarts who saw TIOBE:-O He was so very cute at it though, IMHO.

(tress)but, IMO, he cannot sing Alas . . .singing ain't his strong point . .am hearing TIOBE song in my head now . . . I'm sure if needed his sister could help him out . .isn't she a voice teacher?:) . .I'll give him singing lessons;P (bethan)TWENTY demon children OK, now getting a bit I'm worried . . . perhaps UK version of "Cheaper By the Dozen" . .Steve Martin film currently out???? Am hoping Emma's screenwriting skills will keep silly bad sight gags at bay . . .

Whoa!!! Before this goes any further, this film is NOT a musical.

(Bee) He was so very cute at it though, IMHO. Agree! He was v. v. cute...but he couldn't carry that tune to save his life!! And I listen to that CD over and over just to hear him butcher that song! Tis funny...and I'm easily amused! (Karen) Signed, Too Proud to Buy a Ticket to G-Rated Movie Oh! But with TWENTY children I'm hoping for at least a PG (and a director's cut of NC-17)!! ;-) Signed, My Glass is Half Full (Today)

(Karen)maybe I shouldn't have used this for one of Colin's birthday parties a few years ago. :-( Didn't Dick Van Dyke turn into a terrible alcoholic after that film was made? No wonder.;-) At least Colin's English accent will be better than DVD's. ;-)

LOL. I love all your responses to the Nanny news. Cheer up, there are other things in the horizon that will help make the sugar go down :) Sorry I have not been around much but its been crazy busy. Award season is very hectic and even more so when you no longer fit through a doorway! :) Will be back soon! take care Huge Lola

Whew, afer reading all this about a Nanny I'm glad its Emma Thompson, cause the only other Nanny I could think of was Mrs. Doubtfire. That could have been scary. Mari --Passes red nail test (no love scenes) --Can take Tube to work Your assessment of the situation would appear to be on the money. Thank you for defining red nail test -- I wondered what was meant by that.

(Kimberly)I did enjoy Emma's Sense and Sensibility screenplay . .so I have good hopes;) Emma did a brilliant job of writing with each actor in view. She wrote HG's role specifically because he was seen as a floppy-haired, stuttering, indecisive guy. But, what does ET think of ODB? Or worse yet, what did she think of him three years ago? (Mari)it fits the criteria LOL! What can we expect of (my fav CF quote):"a refurbished houseboat floating down the Thames"?

Would this have been too much to expect out of the houseboat?

Awwww! "You sir; me sir."

(Hola)Cheer up, there are other things in the horizon that will help make the sugar go down :) LOL. I'm cheered, really I am. Watch out for those doorways! (Caribou) But, what does ET think of ODB? Oh, I think she had her eyes (and ears) opened for her in NY at the LA premiere. "Are you all here for Colin"? I wonder how much say so she had for the casting? ...and how much, if anything, the noise in the tent set her mind to working... LOL, be careful what you wish for...I know I wanted to see him paired with ET for a long time.

(Mari)Didn't Dick Van Dyke turn into a terrible alcoholic after that film was made? No wonder.;-) Yup! And the Dick Van Dyke Center is in the town down the street from me. (Caribou)But, what does ET think of ODB? Or worse yet, what did she think of him three years ago? At LA in NYC I remember her asking us who we were there for and we said Colin Firth and she said *Oh Nice* and smiled. She seemed genuinely pleased for him. You think we had something to do with it?;-) Trying to pick up some more *fan base*;-))

(Bee) At LA in NYC I remember her asking us who we were there for and we said Colin Firth and she said *Oh Nice* and smiled. And I remember her just *gushing* and saying "I'm so thrilled for him"! when we said we were there for Colin...Also have a picture of her at ODB's feet (when he is up at the ET podium), just chatting away with him! They appear to get along quite well.... One of my fav pics from London LA premiere:

Is it egotistical of me to want a pinch of credit for my thought at #1020? All I want is a spoonful of sugar!!!!!!

(Bonnie)Is it egotistical of me to want a pinch of credit for my thought at #1020? Yay for Bonnie! And yay for all the amazing investigative work done by all the industrious and inquisitive Drooleurs!!! And yay to Lola for inciting such excitement!! (Linda)YES!!!! The 400+ expansion of GWAPE has brought it to Princeton. I'm hoping it didn't have anything to do with the 7,000 phone calls I made to the theater. If you don't hear from me in the next few weeks-I can be contacted at my little office in the theater;-) 555-GWAPE. Yay for the expantion of GWAPE!!!! It's now at seven theaters in metro Atlanta (amazingly at a number of mainstream multiplexes). I can now go to a theater that is playing both LA and GWAPE (and LIT and PS if I wanted to see Scarlett 3 times)! (Murphy) The DVD is due in May. Yay! Yay! Yay!!!

(tress)but, IMO, he cannot sing But he does play a mean air guitar;-)

(Linda) But he does play a mean air guitar;-) How true! LOL...and that makes up for it all!! Mean air guitar overrides off key singing (it's like rock, paper, scissors....) ;-) And kudos to Bonnie for calling "magical nanny"!

Bonnie - I'll give you a spoonful of sugar and then some;)!!!! . .your comment made me check ET's website and got the Nanny McPhee info;) . .which actually made me look twice when I picked up Variety at work . .I was groaning at looking at Miss Congeniality 2 (why Sandy, why???) . .and there it was . . a few titles right below! You were the impetus, my dear . .full credit to you!!!!! Must say also YAYAY!!! with Shoshanna for the GWAPE DVD release news! (Thanks Murph!) Tress -I second loving that pic w/ ET, ODB & BN from the LA permiere party . . . .I think the two of them will be great together . .G rating or not . .I spy something nice in the future;) Hola - I can imagine you laughing yourself silly at all of us! Your litle tip certianly spurred on alot of action here today;) Can't wait for hints toward the really big stuff you've warned us about! I still hope . .perhaps after Nanny McPhee . .that ET and ODB work together on that Nick Hornby Film (Fast Forward) I saw on her website;) Can't help it it's in my head now (just for you Bonnie). .and a one . .and a two: "A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down The medicine go down-wown The medicine go down Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down In a most delightful way . . ."

Kudos to all the DD's....am very impressed with group investigational skills re: the nanny tip. Perhaps Lola can be convinced to spin a group 'Columbo' type script to Hollywood players looking for the next big screen sensation? Have visions of many active fingers on keyboards across the globe scanning internet for obscure clues in search of ultimate truth...ODB playing part of cantankerous police superintendent beseiged by bevy of gorgeous detectives...

I know Moon would've posted this herself, from the Miami Herald: GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING (PG-13) ** � Period piece is high on art, low on action BY CONNIE OGLE "It's obscene," snarls the fuming, jealous wife of Johannes Vermeer of one of the artist's most famous paintings, the work after which this stately, visually dazzling but imperfect film is named. The painting is not, of course, obscene, but it's not hard to see why an emotional wife might view it that way. The subject's gaze of unadorned hunger is not something most spouses could shrug off lightly. Girl With a Pearl Earring is based on Tracy Chevalier's bestselling fictional account of the origins of Vermeer's classic work, told by the teenage maid who becomes its focus. Chevalier's evocative novel, however, is not just about creation. It is also a coming-of-age tale; a view into the harsh economics of art, specifically in 17th century Holland; a meditation on the desire -- maybe even need -- for beauty in the simplest of lives. Some of these themes find their way into the film seamlessly -- it's clear from the start that the large, rapidly expanding Vermeer family needs its patriarch to paint faster to keep up with the bills -- but others get a bit derailed. The film is primarily concerned with the romance, such as it is, between the man and the maid, not with Griet's growth or understanding of how her life must proceed. But this is a sort of burning-gazes-across-the-room, will-our-hands-ever-touch? romance. The fire is not exactly blazing brightly; some audiences will find developments a bit slow. The toughest loss is the narration by young Griet, whose father's blindness has sealed her fate as a servant. In the novel, we are privy to her thoughts as she leaves her home for the Vermeer household, learning of her loneliness, her homesickness, her fears (most of which center on the Vermeers' exotic Catholic behavior). We begin to sense her intelligence and practicality long before Griet sees such qualities in herself. In the film, though, Griet is almost mute, with no confidants to share her feelings. She is more vulnerable, less assured. Fortunately she is played by the remarkable Scarlett Johansson, as striking here as she was in Lost in Translation. Bringing to mind Holly Hunter's virtuouso and mostly silent performance in The Piano, Johansson works mostly with her eyes and mouth, conveying with only a few flicks of expression turbulent surges of fear, confusion, intelligence, desire. Her face is a canvas, and her artistry is undeniable. One has to think Vermeer would have approved. Colin Firth, with sullen rock-star eyes and hair, is an appropriately remote and arrogant Vermeer. He might take Griet's side in a small household squabble, but in the end his paintings are what matter. It's too bad the film skipped the novel's postscript, in which an older Griet has moved on to what is surely a better life for her. This ending feels incomplete and unsatisfying, as if the filmmakers feared they had to finish up quickly or risk losing the audience's attention. Girl With a Pearl Earring is beautifully constructed and filmed. It's fitting that a movie about art glows with such dynamic richness. The dark chill of the Vermeer home contrasts starkly with the brilliant colors Griet grinds obediently for her master, the deep yellows and the bright blues that will translate light onto canvas. This translation of book into film is not quite so effortless or lovely. Lavish attention to historical detail, the thorough immersion in this unusual world and Johansson's impressive performance make Girl With a Pearl Earring memorable but not a masterpiece.

From today's Times Eye section on latest DVD releases, there is a review of the latest rom-com DVD's. There are pictures from Le Divorce, Down with Love and Hope Springs with CF carrying HG. The bit on HS says: Old-fashioned hearts and flowers are esssential ingredients of a proper rom-com. The gently romantic HS is a film in which the names of two of the main protagonists - Colin and Vera - give you some idea of the target age range.[!] CF plays a gilted painter who arrives in a sleepy New England town and rediscovers life and love with the local booze-hound (HG). Quietly paced but never slow, this is soft-centred fare for a rainy afternoon. On the subject of The Nanny project, have to say that I am in the pro camp. And if it was the choice of LD, then I would not blame her. I feel sorry for her (well - a bit sorry). It is one thing to marry a relatively unknown actor; quite another thing to find yourself hitched to the "world's sexiest man". And in a world full of glamorous seductive women who would regard it as good publicity to add him to their list of conquests. He is just a man after all, not superman. I think most people have to make choices when they work in professions or businesses where in order to reach the very top, family and personal relationships have to take second place. Colin is lucky in that he can, if he chooses wisely, tread a path where he can combine success and personal life. I think he has shown by choosing projects such as Trauma and Conspracy that he would like to do more serious work. I assume that the choice of lighter fare is to pay the mortgage and because higher profile serious drama has not yet been off red to him. IHNSVHO that is ;-)

Weighing in on the "Nanny" situation, I would have to lean towards to Pro side if only for the ET involvement. Take her out of the equation and I might repair to the fainting couch with fingers pressed to a deeply furrowed brow.

Karen - impressive shrine! Is recent news quite this dire? ;-)

Colin Firth, with sullen rock-star eyes and hair, Did I miss something? Did Vermeer play air guitar with one of his brushes, or did Connie see WAGW? (Shoshanna)Karen - impressive shrine!Is recent news quite this dire? Yeah, boss, I'm confused. I thought one lit candles in anticipation of red-less finger nail projects. Are the candles lit with the hope that this nanny stuff was a nightmare ala the Bobby Ewing dream episode of Dallas? Or, are they lit in anticipation of the "horizon" stuff Hola mentioned? GWAPE tonight and tomorrow. Ooh-la-la

adding this little light(s) of mine, I'm gonna let it shine........ I will try to keep a positive outlook and hope that this is perhaps a favor to Emma (and a paycheck) and that it will help keep him as *durable* as he wishes. Now back to the juicy stuff!

Saw GWAPE yesterday here in Tulsa. Good crowd (60) for Fri matinee. *Am taking spoonful of sugar*. Agree with DD who said take ET out of the equation and I take a spoonful of Pepto-Bismol. Working Title not stupid. Those G-rated films take in $$$$$$$$ regardless of the reviews. Another supporting role where he doesn't have to carry the movie:-)) And just for the record, I don't care about his home/family life. ;-/

(Evelyn) And just for the record, I don't care about his home/family life. But I bet he does! ;-) I like ODB because he seems so grounded...as well as being a great actor. If he were sans wife and kids.....a serial dater, with a different woman every couple of months, I don't think the appeal would be as strong for me. That and he seems to have read a few books....or done his Guardian crossword.....we got "precipitious" from ODB....when Dorine and I saw Ashton K on the carpet, we got a thumbs up....big difference! That ODB seems to have some substance makes me all tingly....(add the dimples, the Jon Stewart interviews, that walk and posh voice and I'm a total goner!!)

Sorry to post twice in a row. Local (Portland OR) review. From the The Willamette Week A Rare Beauty Tracy Chevalier�s Novel Girl with a Pearl Earring comes richly to life on the big screen By Lindsay Utz When writer Tracy Chevalier looked at Johannes Vermeer�s striking portrait of a fair-skinned girl wearing a pearl earring, she imaged a world beyond the oil colors and canvas. Building on the few known facts about Vermeer�s life, she created a story about a girl who inspired his most famous painting. Now the film Girl with a Pearl Earring breathes new life into a work of art that is more than 300 years old. The setting is Delft, Holland in 1665, where a proud tile craftsman has been blinded in a terrible accident and can no longer provide for his family. His daughter, Griet (Scarlett Johansson), is forced to go to work at the home of the master painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Griet�s days are spent cleaning the artist�s studio, careful not to disturb anything, but curious all the same about what goes on. Vermeer watches her. He recognizes Griet�s innate understanding of light and composition, the artistic potential that dwells beneath the demure surface. Slowly she becomes a part of his mysterious world. Girl with a Pearl Earring is that rate film that feels like a rich literary novel, taking its time to develop characters and establish story lines. To ensure a faithful adaptation, Chevalier and screenwriter Olivia Metreed were in close correspondence during the writing of the script. The result is a film that retains the literary essence from which it drew it�s inspiration, and at the same time pays visual homage to Vermeer and the art of painting. Every scene is carefully lit, composed to create the depth and texture of a painting. The snowy streets and bustling markets of 17th century Delft seem like familiar scenes, right out of an art museum, come to life. Extraordinary performances work with Metreed�s deft script and Peter Weber�s assured direction to add dimension and character to the film. Australian actress Judy Parfitt co-stars as Vermeer�s controlling mother-in-law, English actress Essie Davis is his jealous, possessive wife and prolific actor Tom Wilkinson is Master Van Ruijven, Vermeer�s licentious patron. All create indelible portraits. That teenage actress Johansson can hold her own among such heady company is amazing; she excels in her role as the quiet servant. With little dialogue, the actress conveys the complexity of her character primarily through her facial expressions, conveying a wealth of feeling with her large almond eyes. With subtlety, Johansson brings forth the passion and sexuality stirring inside her as Vermeer approaches and declares, �I will paint you as I first saw you. Not a maid. You.� Firth is the perfect Vermeer: commanding, intense and obsessive. But there is also a vulnerability to his character. The real Vermeer was a perfectionist, often taking months to finish a painting. As the disheveled, introverted artist, Firth has little dialogue, though his piercing stare says it all. At times, the tormented artist looks like he might cry. Alexandre Desplat�s original score is entrancing. In a way, the music becomes a character unto itself, the ethereal presence, haunting and mesmerizing. As the anger of Vermeer�s volatile wife, Catharina, intensifies and the erotic tension between Griet and Vermeer rises, the music builds and winds into a maze of exhilaration, drawing the audience into Vermeer�s passionate world. Thankfully, Hollywood didn�t get its hands on this film. Director Weber, working with a small British production company, has brought Chevalier�s novel to the big screen with a genuine desire to preserve the emotional truth of the book. Like a painting that hypnotizes the viewer, Girl with a Pearl Earring is an enchanting film that holds its audience spellbound.

(Tress)I like ODB because he seems so grounded...as well as being a great actor. I agree completely. With all of your comments. I know his private life shouldn't matter to me, but the simple fact is, it does.

(Willamette Week)Firth is the perfect Vermeer: commanding, intense and obsessive. But there is also a vulnerability to his character. The real Vermeer was a perfectionist, often taking months to finish a painting. As the disheveled, introverted artist, Firth has little dialogue, though his piercing stare says it all. At times, the tormented artist looks like he might cry. Nice nice nice . . very well put. (Willamette Week)With subtlety, Johansson brings forth the passion and sexuality stirring inside her as Vermeer approaches and declares, �I will paint you as I first saw you. Not a maid. You.� OK . .I know after even 4 viewings (the 4th being today) . .did I miss this scene? . .Perhaps this was in the version shown in Toronto? Tress - As with Janet I second and third your comments . .it is just those reasons I do like Colin as an actor and as a human being;) I am pro Nanny film;) . .he's done 2 serious film in a row . .going for a lighter turn w/ TEOR and now NMcP . what a better way to clear his head before his summer holiday with his kids. . . I'm trusting Hola will have great news on upcoming roles . . I feel it! I know, I'm disgustingly optimistic . . .;)

(Kimberly)....(Willamette Week)With subtlety, Johansson brings forth the passion and sexuality stirring inside her as Vermeer approaches and declares, �I will paint you as I first saw you. Not a maid. You.� OK . .I know after even 4 viewings (the 4th being today) . .did I miss this scene? . .Perhaps this was in the version shown in Toronto?... No, this line was not in the film (at least the one we've been seeing here in NY). I do seem to remember it from the book - it was a very pivotal moment. Have been thinking that I need to re-read this novel. Perhaps this is the final impetus to go digging through my bookshelf?

Ooops... forgot to add this to my previous post.. Tress, I completely agree with your summation of ODB and his appeal. It's the complete package that does it for me. Without all the depth, grace, and intellect, he's just another pretty face. I've often thought that beneath all the glossy packaging (which I'm sure *his people* have had a hand in designing), there's a bit of a nerd to be found. I can envision a quiet type, not completely at ease in the world, hiding beneath all that magnetism.

Back to news.... A mention of Trauma in a post-Sundance wrap-up column in the Contra Costa Times, though you don't get any indication of good/bad/indifference, just the recurrent themes or its use of the cinematic gimmick du jour: Festival audiences were shocked by Christian Bale's wasted appearance in "The Machinist," an edgy, existential plunge. Colin Firth's character retreats into a world of delusions following a personal tragedy in the psycho-thriller "Trauma," while Julianne Moore and Matthew Broderick endure -- even cling to -- a deeply dysfunctional relationship in "Marie and Bruce," screenplay by Wallace Shawn. http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/entertainment/7849313.htm

Thanks boss for the ultimate daddies (UD) of them all, Very appropriate, My Three Sons and Father Knows Best;-) (Kimberly)did I miss this scene No, but since I'm leaving in 15 minutes for viewing #4, I'll double check;-)I saw some things last night that I'll carry over to Spoilers, later. ...Thank You, Princeton!

(Leslie) ...there's a bit of a nerd to be found. Oh! Another reason to adore him! Love his 'self proclaimed' nerdishness....there is a slight geekiness to him that is appealing. V. v. appealing! Don't know if some of it is that self deprecation or if he does actually have spillage on cobbles....either way, I love it (and it comes through so wonderfullly in the leather pants dance in WAGW and in his singing in TIOBE and in everything about Edward in MLSF and......you get the idea!).

there is a slight geekiness to him that is appealing. V. v. appealing! Agreed! He must be the first "hunky heart-throb" to study A'level Religious Studies. And for some reason "Colin" is definitely a nerdy name in the UK.

(lizbeth54)And for some reason "Colin" is definitely a nerdy name in the UK. I know the man himself has mentioned this is the past, but in my part of the UK, Scotland, it is fairly unusual and definitely not nerdy! In fact, I chose this very name for my second son. (BTW, he was born long before my interest in ODB!!)

closing tags

Have moved Louise's message to Firthology. Remember, this is the News topic (didn't I say that about 6 messages back) and not the reaffirmation topic. ;-D

Lions Gate's "Girl With a Pearl Earring" grossed $1.3 million from 391 theaters, up 319 from the previous weekend. "Pearl" averaged $3,325 per theater and has gleaned an estimated $4.2 million.

For anyone planning to come to London anytime soon: they've produced a LA film location map, which you can get from the Visitor's Centre on Regent Street or download here: http://www.visitlondon.com/whats_on/031120loveactually.html Let's hope they do more of these for some better choices too.

Screendaily: Trauma Colin Brown in Park City 02 February 2004 Dir: Marc Evans. UK. 2003. 93mins Actor Colin Firth goes some way to rescuing his screen persona from being forever enslaved to his romantic alter ego Darcy with his morose presence in Trauma, in which he plays the spooked survivor of a car crash. Dishevelled, disorientated and anything but dashing, Firth�s mental meltdown continues to hold the attention even when the fragmented plotline veers into some murky cul-de-sacs. An ambitious exercise in cinematic atmospherics, the film plays best as a haunting meditation on grief and self-delusion, rather than as the outright boys-horror film one might have expected from the director behind the low-budget My Little Eye. Indeed, Trauma has more in common with Krzysztof Kieslowski�s metaphysical Three Colours: Blue, about a young woman unhinged by the accidental death of her husband and daughter, than it does a conventional chiller. There are creepy moments, for sure, and a culminating death unpleasant enough to register with fans of the macabre � particularly those who suffer from arachnophobia. But the slow-burning mood of ominous portent counts for more here than any storytelling shock and awe. Trauma trades in fear, not fright. The anguish begins in hospital where Ben (Firth) emerges from a coma to learn that his wife (Harris) has been killed in a car accident of his own doing. Or maybe not. In his stricken condition, Ben finds it increasingly difficult to wrestle fact from fiction. Visions of his wife torture him and so too the recent death of a pop superstar that seems eerily close to home. Perhaps he killed her instead? Retreating into an altered state of mental despair, Ben seeks refuge wherever he can � an enigmatic neighbour (Suvari), a psychoanalyst, a clairvoyant (Fricker), even his collection of ants. But each of them succeed only in tormenting him further. By the end, his tenuous grip on sanity has been torn away completely and he lashes out to devastating effect. Marketing this story, which will be released in the UK through Warner Bros, will require ingenuity. Its likeliest audience appeal lies somewhere in the space between Firth�s legion of female groupies and that narrower, predominantly male vein of puzzle addicts who loved being teased by films like Memento. Their common ground might be represented by Don�t Look Now, a seminal film that was steamy enough to be a date movie, but also artful enough to keep the most ardent suspense fans guessing. In the case of Trauma, the question is whether there is enough emotional involvement or cryptic mystery to tempt either constituency into seeing Trauma at theatres, rather than waiting to see it at home. Those that do pay at the box office will at least be rewarded by a UK film whose visual and aural virtuosity sets it apart from the television-influenced social-realist dramas and comedies that have come to typify this country�s output. Dressed in neo-gothic garb, this is a more mythical take on contemporary London than we are used to. Every trick in the cinematic armoury, from elliptical editing to menacing production and sound design, is deployed to create an angst-ridden canvas. But this technical tour de also comes at the expense of audience engagement. In the past, before MTV music videos and Avid digital editing suites changed the filmmaking vocabulary, directors like Don�t Look Now�s Nicolas Roeg could rely on shadows and dark motifs to unsettle viewers. But with even Hitchcockian devices now too hackneyed to truly disturb anymore, the tendency has been towards sensory assault and ever more disjointed narratives in order to keep ahead of viewer anticipation in this kinetic, post-modern age. The problem here is that not every image makes sense, even on a subliminal level; rather that unlock the door to our subconscious fears, this impressionistic barrage of incongruities ends up baffling. This is dislocation to the point of distraction. On the positive side, Welsh filmmaker Marc Evans is nothing if not prescient. My Little Eye, his previous film that took the reality TV concept to horrific extremes, was developed before the Big Brother series had even hit British television. Trauma, his immediate follow-up to that claustrophobic cult favourite, effectively plugs into the emerging zeitgeist of dread and anxiety. Trauma was one of three unnerving Sundance psycho-dramas � along with November and The Machinist - that played tricks with memory and time to the point where fantasy and reality melds into one hallucinatory mindscape. It is not too much of a stretch to see in such films the first signs of a return to the paranoia and unease that marked cinema at the height of the Cold War in the late 1950s.

Thanks, Mari. I find this to be a literate, succint, and accurate review. The first thing I thought of to describe this movie as I was watching it, was it was definitely an exercise in style, which I don't consider a negative thing. I also enjoyed GC's Confessions of a Dangerous Mind for the same reason, in addition to the story. I don't understand why the reviews seem to think MS plays a psychoanalyst of some sort. I'll put further comments about that on Spoilers.

(Screendaily)Marketing this story, which will be released in the UK through Warner Bros, Thanks Mari for this . .here's hoping WB will release it in the US as well . . I just found this facinating: (Screendaily)Those that do pay at the box office will at least be rewarded by a UK film whose visual and aural virtuosity sets it apart from the television-influenced social-realist dramas and comedies that have come to typify this country�s output. Dressed in neo-gothic garb, this is a more mythical take on contemporary London than we are used to. Certainly makes me curious to see it . . .

I just saw a promo of 2004 BAFTAs on BBC America - among all the bits is a flash of CF and wife in their 2003 aisle seats.

A fairly decent review IMO. Made it seem an interesting and worthwhile watch. Screendaily's reviews are often couched in such advisory language, as it is a trade paper and is primarily focused on the business end (box office, marketing and distribution), so those aspects don't bother me. Wasn't too keen on the reference to Firth's legion of female groupies however. :-( However, they will need to get to that *other* group (males) for this film to make it. (Kimberly) here's hoping WB will release it in the US as well . . I think it's pretty clear that WB (US) has passed on it.

(Karen) Girl With a Pearl Earring" .... has gleaned an estimated $4.2 million. Karen, do you know what a film of this type would have to gross overall (approximately) in order to be considered a successful release by the film trade?

(Kimberly) here's hoping WB will release it in the US as well . . (Karen)I think it's pretty clear that WB (US) has passed on it. Oh crap and a half . . .this is one I do want to see in the theaters b/4 the DVD comes out (provided the DVD will be released here in the US)

Dark Horizons is reporting the same NMcP news, though it could just be someone reporting what they've seen here. Hardly an independent confirmation. From the book jacket: Nurse Matilda, "the ugliest person you ever saw in your life," with "a nose like two potatoes," and "one huge front Tooth sticking right out like a tombstone over her lower lip" descends upon the enormous family of outrageously bad Brown children to teach them the error of their ways. Her method is simple, and foolproof: when they are doing something naughty she hangs her magic stick, which causes them to continue doing it endlessly until, of course, all the fun has gone out of it. Each chapter in Nurse Matilda is another episode in this odyssey of naughtiness, beginning with a recital of the children's misdeeds. ("Tora was pouring treacle into the Wellington boots. David was putting glue in the sandwiches, etc.") and ending with the chorus, "And all the other children were doing simply dreadful things too." As their manners improve, she herself grows prettier ("her smile was so lovely that she would have looked like the loveliest person in all the world if only....it hadn't been for that terrible Tooth!") ntil when at last they are (at least temporarily) reformed characters, she leaves. "When my children don't want me, but do need me, then I must stay. When they no longer need me, but they do want me: then I have to go."