"Rendition" director Gavin Hood, whose South African drama "Tsotsi" won the 2005 foreign-language Oscar, said Witherspoon's casting served as a Trojan horse to draw people into the movie.
"I don't need this movie to play to the choir," he said. "I need this movie to play to the people who are deeply skeptical to what I'm doing, so that they can be engaged in the debate. Well, who better to help take that out there to that world than the all-American girl? "Reese is a woman of integrity. She is not a flighty, fluffy person. She's an intelligent woman who's done great work, who is also an all-American girl. This is the reality. It can happen to Reese. And it could. The girl next door who happens to marry a nice Egyptian guy who was at NYU."
Co-star Peter Sarsgaard, playing an old friend of Witherspoon's character now working for a U.S. senator, said the actress subtly captures a woman coping with a nightmare scenario without giving in to one-note anguish.
"She was playing a grieving woman in every scene in the movie. It's an incredibly difficult thing to do, just because it's hard to act like you're in grief or be in grief. It's hard to create variety within that," Sarsgaard said.
[...] Starting acting lessons as a child in Tennessee, Witherspoon broke into movies with the 1991 teen drama "The Man in the Moon." She later turned heads with 1996's "Freeway," a Red Riding Hood black comedy in which she plays an illiterate youth who goes toe-to-toe with a real-life big bad wolf (Kiefer Sutherland).
[...] In next year's comedy "Four Christmases," Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn play a couple rushing to squeeze in holiday visits to each of their divorced parents all in one day. Source: www.showbuzz.cbsnews.com Thanks to Maria for sending me the first and second pictures.
"If you’re thinking of seeing Rendition to get a glimpse of the on-screen chemistry between rumored budding young couple Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal, don’t bother. She filmed in the U.S., he filmed in North Africa, and the twain never met. But if you want to see a multi-faceted political thriller with extraordinary, mature performances - especially from Gyllenhaal - it’s well worth the price of admission.
[...] I then asked him what kind of wisdom and experience he gained from the very mature-themed Rendition. “Absolutely nothing; it was basically like treading water,” he replies playfully, with that boyish twinkle in his eye. Then Gyllenhaal went on to explain what he really learned from the film.
“For me, being far away from home is a learning experience,” he explains. “This was shot in North Africa, in a different country with a lot of different rules, and I felt very isolated. It was a very good thing for me. You need to ostracize yourself to learn.”
[...] “You look like a nice mint chocolate chip cookie,” he suggests in reaction to the mint green blouse and a dark brown skirt I am wearing. “I do?” I ask, blushing and feeling like a 14-year-old. At my advanced age, it really does take a great actor to make me feel that way. “That’s my favorite flavor, so I’ll take that as a compliment,” I offer. ““You should – that’s my favorite flavor too,” he replies.
Now I’m totally flustered. As a mature professional, I like to think I can handle any curve ball that’s thrown my way, but Gyllenhaal is looking at me with his adorable blue eyes and incredibly long eyelashes. “Okay, where do we go from here?” I say, stalling for time while I try to recollect my next question. “Let’s just talk about ice cream,” he offers, oozing boyish charm. Oh yes, Jake Gyllenhaal has arrived. The man has definitely arrived". Source: www.filmstew.com
"When Hollywood actress Kirsten Dunst was chosen to play Debbie Harry in a biopic there were howls of protests from Blondie fans. Now the new-wave singer herself has stepped forward to defend the star following reports that she was unhappy with the casting.
"She's (Dunst) a really sweet person. I've met with her a couple of times and hung out with her socially. She's just a sweetie", the Eighties icon told spinner.com.
"She's probably capable of a lot of things she hasn't been asked to do yet, and doing something that's sort of left of centre would be great for her."
The Spiderman actress had previously insisted she had Debbie Harry's blessing for the role. "Debbie chose me for this role so anyone who disputes this can take it up with her," Dunst said.
"I'll work hard on this character because she is the coolest woman of all time."
Blondie fans hit the internet message boards after Dunst was rumoured to have landed the Blondie singer role last year. One fan complained on icydk.com: "She (Dunst) is too young and too goofy. They should get an older and more senual actress."
[...] "I cannot imagine seeing Kirsten Dunst belting "Call me!" or some other classic lyrics. The singing scenes from Spiderman 3 were just so painstakingly bad."
The as yet untitled film will be directed by Michael Gondry of Eternal Sunshine fame and shooting is scheduled for early next year. It will be the first time Harry has been portrayed on the big screen. Debbie Harry has herself starred in over 30 films. Born in Miami, Florida, she worked as a waitress and Playboy Bunny before achieving international fame as the front singer of punk band Blondie in the seventies. Blondie have released eight albums since 1976, selling over 13 million copies in the US alone.
And it is not the first time Dunst has been required to sing in a film. She sang two songs in Spiderman 3 and lent her voice to the end credits of The Cat's Meow, singing Henry Creamer and Turner Layton's jazz standard "After You've Gone". Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
"He is talking about how, despite being born there, he is not really a Hollywood person. 'I just don't really buy it. But I do buy London, because there is an appreciation of growth here.'
[...] 'You may be torturing an innocent man,' Gyllenhaal says. 'On the other hand you may be torturing a guilty man and the information you elicit from him could save the lives of 5,000 innocent civilians.
'That is the moral dilemma faced by my character in the film. That said, I think for CIA people in those circumstances, moral imperatives do not come into play. They leave that for the philosophers. All they care about is what is working and what isn't working. Practicality wins over morality. Extraordinary rendition is intended to protect. Sadly, as a policy, it has been over-used and misused.'
[...] Does he feel ashamed to be an American? 'Well, it's complicated, isn't it? There is a lot of fear in America at the moment and some of it is justified. I wouldn't want to lay it all on one political leader.'
Spoken like a politician, or at least a politically engaged Hollywood actor who campaigned for the Democrats in the 2004 American election, appeared in 'Rock the Vote' advertising and is talked about as the next George Clooney, or God forbid, Sean Penn.
[...] So let's get it on the record: is he saying he is open to persuasion? 'No, I am not open to persuasion myself, but the idea of homosexuality is acceptable to me. I grew up in a city where half the people I know are gay. Both of my godfathers are gay.'
[...] OK, having established that he is not bisexual, was he being quite calculating when he allowed people to think he was? 'It was meant as a way of saying it was important for Heath [Ledger, his co-star in Brokeback Mountain] and I to have the movie exist as the movie, but also to have people know it was two straight actors playing those parts.'
[...] What's with this aggression? 'Yeah there is that side. That is a part of me. Part of me would like to know what I would be like in battle. Have my courage tested. Would I be an altruist or a coward? Would I run away or engage? The engaging is what I would want of myself.'
[...] When he experiences genuine emotions in his own life – anger, grief, love – do they feel less authentic because he has had to fake them in films? 'Hmm. Have I devalued the currency? I tell you, when I fall in love in real life it has felt nothing like I have acted it in the movies.'
Recalling the rumours about him and Reese Witherspoon, his co-star in Rendition, I say: just don't fall in love with your co-star on screen, eh? 'Yeah, well?…' He laughs. 'I haven't had many opportunities.' Fan-Picture in The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. He must find it difficult persuading women to go to bed with him. 'I don't think of myself as good-looking. Not at all. When I was a kid I had these huge glasses. I once went to a fancy dress as a Crest toothpaste tube with these huge glasses stuck on. That is how I see myself most of the time. A Crest toothpaste tube with bad eyesight.' Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
"With their divorce finalised last week, Reese has spoken for the first time of her heartache and how she is putting her life back together with the help of actor Jake Gyllenhaal – with whom she co-stars in new film Rendition, out today.
“It’s been a challenging year,” admits the 31-year-old blonde. “But I feel I am so lucky to have a wonderful family and great friends. My brother calls me three times a day to see how I’m doing and that’s a real stabilising element in my life.
“You have to focus on the good things, but there are days, of course, when I feel pretty rotten. At other times I feel very hopeful about life. I’m also excited about working – I try and work every day and focus on positive things.”Reese met Phillippe, now 32, at her 21st birthday party. She had previously had romantic flings with actors Jeremy Sisto, Chris O’Donnell and Mark Wahlberg.
They were married on a plantation in June 1999 and she gave birth to their daughter Ava three months later. Son Deacon was born in October 2003.
Then, last year, reports began to surface that Phillippe, the star of Flags Of Iwo Jima,was having an affair with Abbie Cornish, the 25-year-old Australian actress with whom he was filming "Stop/Loss" in Austin, Texas. They were reportedly seen leaving his rented apartment together on several occasions, and shortly afterwards Ryan and Reese issued a joint statement announcing their separation.
A week later, Witherspoon filed for divorce and abruptly pulled out of the film Bunny Lake Is Missing, which she was due to produce and star in.
Recently Reese has been seen out with Gyllenhaal, although she denies there is any romance between them.
“I have known Jake for years through different friends and he is just wonderful,” says Reese. “He’s very kind, generous and funny. It’s been nice these past days to laugh a little bit. Yeah, he’s great and I look forward to maybe making another film with him.”Reese has another film, "Penelope", which she made two years ago, awaiting release and is about to start work on a family comedy, Four Christmases, in which she will co-star with Vince Vaughn". Source: www.mirror.co.uk
"Rendition" director Gavin Hood, whose South African drama "Tsotsi" won the 2005 foreign-language Oscar, said Witherspoon's casting served as a Trojan horse to draw people into the movie.
"Reese is a woman of integrity. She is not a flighty, fluffy person. She's an intelligent woman who's done great work, who is also an all-American girl. This is the reality. It can happen to Reese. And it could. The girl next door who happens to marry a nice Egyptian guy who was at NYU."
a Red Riding Hood black comedy in which she plays an illiterate youth who goes toe-to-toe with a real-life big bad wolf (Kiefer Sutherland).
