Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Six Actresses Walk Into a Room...

The Hollywood Reporter is proclaiming that "Awards Season Begins Now" but the cover is freaking me out. Did Nancy Meyers direct it? It's so beige.


Do Amy Adams, Nicole Kidman, Hilary Swank and Natalie Portman all suddenly have the same hairstylist & colorist these days? They're interchangeable. And with women that special, that's a big no-no. Kidman's styling bugs me the most. It's so Blair on Facts of Life.

Am I right?



"I've got another one of my brilliant ideas."



Even craycray HBC looks like she's been stripped of her actual wardrobe in some coordinated Bossy Stylist intervention -- guarantee you she's never worn that before -- "You must be on trend, Helena. Muted colors this Oscar season! Think: Vanilla!"

But I'm intrigued by her fessing up about her working relationship with Tim Burton
I did do a film with him before I slept with him, and it's very different. We went through a really bad time on Sweeney Todd. ... I didn't get one compliment (from Burton). He really had this whole thing, like he didn't want to seem as if he was favoring me. So he'd go in the opposite direction. And Tim and Johnny, they have their lovely relationship, you know, they get on so well. So that was a difficult one. ... I really didn't think he'd ever want to work with me again. On Alice, I said there were going to be rules. ... I listed the Ten Commandments of how to work together.
I'd like to know what those Ten Commandments are. But I'm guessing she doesn't get into it in front of 5 other actresses.

Meanwhile, back to that cover -- this post is a runaway train (of thought) bear with me! -- notice that The Bening is propping herself up by her chin, biding her time, knowing they'll photoshop her in later.

I suppose it's possible that they were all in the room together, but I'm guessing it was more like Skype. The photo sure doesn't look like it's all one photo, does it?

Come to think of, I'm waiting for the day when some famous magazine or celebrity photographer refuses to do any more shoots where you have to photoshop busy people together later on. This didn't used to happen of course. Part of the jam-packed celebrity schedule used to include making time to be photographed with other celebrities. There's just something so dehumanizing about the photoshop mash-ups. I do them for humor but I hate it when they're presented to me like a photo I should believe in. (At least those Vanity Fair covers do a good job of tricking you about it... and you know that at least sections of it involve actual stars, draped about each other in real time.)

I miss stars being photographed together in the flesh where they can totally feed off each other's energy. Like...


Michelle Pfeiffer & Jessica Lange in 1997 (one of my favorite celebrity photos of all time even if their movie wasn't good.)  Or how about Keanu Reeves & River Phoenix in 1991?



Of course this still happens now but almost exclusively with only two people. Larger groups? Forget it.

Currently paparazzi photography is so much more exciting than actual portraiture. I mean, would any magazine ever be able to schedule The Town cast to be photographed in a room together at the same time and capture this much interpersonal energy...



Isn't that a sweet pic? I think it's my favorite movie premiere shot from 2010. I've looked at it so many times since September.

But back to The Hollywood Reporter to wrap up. I haven't seen the mag yet but I'm loving some of the quotes I'm reading like this exchange between Swankster & Adams
On losing roles 
Swank: There was a script I fell in love with back in August that was sent to me...I went in and I didn't get it.
Bening: Who did?
Swank: Do you really want to know?
Bening: Amy, you got it, didn't you?
(Laughter)
Swank (to Adams): Did you read it? Did you like it?
Adams: I'm not getting into this! (Thunderous laughter)
Swank: Amy got the role! Amy will be playing the role that I wanted! (Laughs)
Adams: Let me just say, I'm not doing it. We don't normally talk about this!
Hee. I've never liked Swank more than reading that exchange. And I've never felt better about The Bening's winning chances in February than I did while "hearing" her tease Swank and Adams on this topic.

MORE ON THE WHOLE HOUR LONG VIDEO HERE.

I'm suddenly very excited for awards season. Maybe it did begin just now?
*

Helena Bonham-Carter Annette Bening

44 comments:

pomme said...

awful photoshop but i want to read this interview

mrripley said...

Was the film the janis jolin one.

NATHANIEL R said...

who knows?

RJ said...

Everyone loves white ladies!

Ashley said...

Ugh I can't stand Natalie Portman. WTF is she talking about, she IS skinny like a model!!!!!!

Gosh, were was Julianne?? I guess you can't have both Julianne and Annette.

NATHANIEL R said...

ASHLEY -- don't say that in front of Oscar voters, lol ;)

NATHANIEL R said...

also Ashley -- I KNOW, RIGHT (about the skinny). I went to the press conference for BROTHERS and stood mere yards from her. Portman is definitely as skinny as a model. She's a beautiful beautiful woman but "average" or "voluptuous" she is not. SKINNY she most definitely is.

RJ -- yes!

James T said...

This is just so weird.

I mean, it's not the first time but...

The magazine is talking about the awards season and they're, partly, randomly choosing which actresses have the best chance. Have they seen The Fighter? Did they like Swank that much (or bothered to evaluate her chances)?

And it's like they're having them all ready to start running at the sound of the shot.

Funny and creepy.

But I really find it weird. It's like Nathaniel made his predictions and gathered some of the predicted nominees for a picture. I find it perfectly normal (and delightful) when thefilmexperience makes predictions but in this case it seems so random!

I sound angry again :p I don't think it's a big deal. Entertaining and a bit odd. Off to read the conversation.

James T said...

Oh, not much more than what's in the Nathaniel's post.

Ashley said...

Sorry!!! :)

Last year's round table consisted of Emily Blunt,Patricia Clarkson ,Vera Farmiga, Mo'Nique ,Carey Mulligan, and Robin Wright.

Only Vera,Carey,and Mo'Nique got Oscar nods. Then in 2008 it was with Emma Thompson, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams, Sally Hawkins, and Taraji P. Henson. Taraji and Amy only got nods.

It will be interesting to see who on this cover will get nods.

Rob said...

Haha I was watching The Today Show this morning and they were in fact all in a room together based on the pictures inside. But the cover is indeed pretty weird.

But let's focus on how awesome it is to see these ladies together, doing a Actress roundtable! I mean, sans Swank, of course.

Robert Hamer said...

I was thinking the exact same thing, James!

It pisses me off when magazines and entertainment media crown the "Oscar contenders" before the year is out, especially since they have the power to influence the Academy voters.

OtherRobert said...

It is criminal what they did to poor Helena Bonham-Carter's face in that photo. She looks like someone smashed silly putty on a picture of Kelly Osborne

NATHANIEL R said...

where is everyone tonight? we need ACTRESS discussion ;)

Rob -- that is bizarre. they were all actually there and they still photoshopped them all together for the cover?

James T said...

Robert - Yes! As if Kidman needs the attention more than Manville.

But, of course, they aren't really predicting. They just say: Hey, who is famous and might be in contention for an Oscar?

If you care about having fun predicting, work as hard as Nathaniel, Kris etc. If you just want to sell copies, don't pretend otherwise.

Again, I'm not that angry. It's business and as old as time.

Derreck said...

I'll agree with pomme there about the awful photoshop and wanting to read the interview. I also agree with Nat about actually having a photoshoot that doesn't involve cut and paste. I guess it's easier, but it always ends up looking like crap.

(Exhibit A: That Vogue cover for the NINE ladies)

and then RJ brings up a great point. Is there not someone of color who could possibly be in the running? i mean, i don't know. I guess it's not 'For Colored Girls'? Anyways, who knows if anyone from that flick will even be noticed or not. I kind of hope someone does because there are so much worthy actresses, but then i honestly don't want to encourage Tyler Perry to put out more Oscar bait.

(side-note: i'd love if Whoopi got some attention. I've loved her since The Color Purple, and she managed to make something like 'You are my angel' sound moving in 'For Colored Girls' TV Spot.

and frankly, i hate when people give hype to an acting performance that i probably won't see for months. It almost always ruins the experience for me. I won't be sitting there watching the performance, but thinking 'is this Oscar-worthy?', 'ooh, i'm so glad ___ got a nomination' or something like that. It's distracting! Gawd, i hate Oscar politics and pre-mature awards talk.

plus, at least HBC is getting out from under the Tim Burton dungeon. I think people are starting to forget about her talents outside the Burtonverse and the Harry Potter films.

and to end this giant form of procrastination from studying, i sooooo want Nicole Kidman to get a nom/win so she could be like 'that's right, bitch' to all the haters. Plus, it would give her an opportunity to go all glam on the red carpet which she hasn't done in ages.

Derreck said...

oh snap. comment du jour?

*squeal* yay for procrastination!

JayJ said...

I hate the cover too, anyone with two working eyes can tell they were photoshopped together.
However, to go on what Ashley mentioned; if only 2 or 3 from the round table get in each year I wonder who will make the cut this time around. I say Adams, Carter and Bening.

NATHANIEL R said...

No Blair Warner fans in da house tonight?

James T said...

JayJ - You're giving too much worth to the cover. It doesn't deserve it. Their inclusions were no-brainers. Just famous and buzzy.

Aren't you more interested in how well Nathaniel will do? He is actually putting some thought on the whole thing.

Alex F said...

"they were all actually there and they still photoshopped them all together for the cover?"

They might've just photoshopped the background and that's why the whole thing looks weird. About 4 years ago I was walking down the street, when I saw a photographer and some others gathered around a bench in a little park area behind an office building. As I walked closer I almost fainted when I realized whom they were gathered around -- Tilda, Jodie, Halle,* and two others I don't remember. Later I realized this was behind the Hollywood Reporter offices. Anyway, I saw that photo a couple weeks after and they'd taken out the background and made the whole thing white and odd-looking.

*I was shocked to see Tilda and Jodie up close. I'd guess the average person would pick Halle as the undeniably beautiful one in that trio,but I couldn't keep my eyes off T &J. Idk, they seemed other-worldly in a way. Maybe it's that elusive star quality thing?

Anonymous said...

They make HBC look more like someone from a Katie Jarvis or a Mike Leigh film than someone from a Tim Burton film. That's my only salvation from this picture.

Also, someone make one/other happen.

Alex F said...

Oops, Ellen Page and Amy Ryan were the other two I couldn't remember.

Anonymous said...

JayJ - If it's only 2 or 3, then I'd pick Bening, Carter and Portman. Adams would be a sure thing if it weren't for that Joplin biopic on the way.

Glenn Dunks said...

I thought that was Jennifer Lawrence, not Amy Adams. Oops. Nicole looks amazing, however. Well, she does, her clothes not so much.

The cover reminds me of that Vanity Fair (or was it Vogue?) Nine cover on the beach from last year. There was video evidence that they were all there together, but they looked like separate entities on the cover.

Also, I love that shot of The Town cast.

Jorge Rodrigues said...

The photoshop here reminds me of the photoshop in poster for "The Expendables". Annette and Helena are unrecognizable. But this wardrobe change in Bonham-Carter feels like a breath of fresh air now doesn't it? I hope she's having fun stepping away from her husband's filmography - I really hope she sticks with non-Burton pictures for a while. The movies need her.


Besides them, I can only see Natalie Portman as another nominee. The rest will have to sit this race out, I'm afraid.


Lastly, I have a request to make you, if you will concede me this favour: go to www.cinemanotebook.blogspot.com and in the sidebar, select Dial P For Popcorn in the 'Melhor Novo Blogue (Best New Blog)' category. If you could help me I would deepy appreciate it. Thanks :) I need all the help I can get ;)

Sorry Nat for this little bit of advertising :)

monkey said...

To me the essence cover of the "For Colored Girls" cast is much better it looks more real.

Hayden said...

One of my favorites:

http://gallery.celebritypro.com/data/media/123/jodie-foster-62.jpg

David said...

I think it's really presumptuous to state that Kidman will "have to sit this one out."' I mean, I understand that the lead category is heavy this year, but she's a big reason as to why it is so stacked. She's far from being "out".

I also don't think we can count out Adams just yet, either.

Swank, on the other hand....I don't really get why she's on the cover other than she had a film out this year and she's a star with a bit of clout.

Hayden said...

I hate that Swank has managed to make her baitier star turns into "events." Somehow "Hilary Swank is doing halfway decent material" becomes synonymous with "Oscar buzz." She's so bad/fair in everything else that the contrast pushes average work into the stratosphere.

chris na Taraja said...

What you don't like when actors are photoshopped to look like they are friends. I was thinking Nicole looked more Linda Blair to me.

Bryan said...

First of all, congrats to the person who determined that was Amy Adams. I was scratching my head.

And Annette and Helena are the only ones with non-brownish/wavy hair! And apparently, they're not pretty enough to warrant a normal, standing or sitting shot. It's as if the photo-shop person was like "Where do I even put them? How 'bout over THERE, oddly crouching."

Jones said...

That cover freaks me out big time. It's so Stepford Wives.

Aaron said...

I don't think the cover is THAT bad, but I did have to laugh, Chris, when you wrote that Nicole Kidman looked like Linda Blair...I had to control myself cause I was in the library.

I think all the women have solid chances of Oscar attention except Hilary Swank....but mark my words, I'll probably jinx all their chances now and Swank will be the sole nominee out of the bunch.

caroline said...

WHAT is with Natalie Portman's H&M sweater and first-day-of-middle-school skirt? This is a truly terrible cover.

Unknown said...

Amy Adams is cute

Hilary Swank’s dress is fine but it shouldn’t be worn by a man, and boy what a smile! It reminds me of that episode of FRIENDS when Chandler and Monica were posing for a photo and each and every time Chandler was aware of the camera he gave the exact same look … sort of… probably more charming.

Nicole Kidman looks like an office worker that tries to exude sex-appeal and attract a person that never really liked her.

Portman is cute too, the clothes – BURN THEM

The Tim Burton gal looks like one of those angry women from the suburbs that accidentally got that once-in-a-lifetime chance to shine and take full advantage of it.

Bening is OK

Joel Burman said...

Its of course the Janis Joplin film they are refering to. And for the record Amy Adams has looked like this for years. So the rest are copycating her.

Sawyer said...

Love the Nancy Meyers quip. So true.

Dorian said...

The Bening is looking incredible! Get it, girl! Swank and Portman are put together well. HBC's look and hair are both unfortunate. Don't know what the hell they were thinking putting Nicole in that bulky jacket. Amy Adams looks kind of frazzled, like she's still working off that baby weight. But still, this makes me feel like Oscar season is really upon us! Heaven help.

Rob said...

Video of the interview:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/awards-watch-roundtable-actresses-34596#1

Rafael said...

where is Naomi Watts in that cover?! wtf!

Alison Flynn said...

...plus, at least HBC is getting out from under the Tim Burton dungeon. I think people are starting to forget about her talents outside the Burtonverse and the Harry Potter films.

I couldn't agree more.

It was also interesting to hear her talk about her experience filming Sweeney Todd with her husband at the helm. I've always had a sense that they kind of threw her under the bus in order to make Depp look better and push him for an Oscar. She's amazingly talented and deserves better than that.

shineest said...

Kidman is lovely,when she said something ,everyone is focusing on her!!Because she has that power to arract everyone!

Anonymous said...

@James T - good point about Vera,Carey,and Mo'Nique got Oscar nods. Then in 2008 it was with Emma Thompson, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams, Sally Hawkins, and Taraji P. Henson. Taraji and Amy only got nods.

As far as the cover is concerned, it is quite terrible. DVD boxes, posters, magazine covers, media in general has resorted to de-blemishing, white-washing, perfecting, shaping, modeling, and positioning and the trend is beyond tiresome if not borderline offensive. I'm not saying actors and actresses should just be thrown onto a cover or in an article to mix up the 'color' which is in and of itself offensive, but selecting a group for some sense of who's-who on top right now is nearly impossible anyway. Articles that reduce the industry to the top three or top six or top whatever simply miss the mark of meaningful news or editorials.

I for one prefer my milkshake shaken and stirred. WhateverTF that means.
cheers-0