"Cumberland Courier Newspapers journalist Nikolaos Stavrou has your guide to which films to look out for in the first half of 2010.
January: The Fantastic Mr Fox (1st) - Visionary director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited) directs his first animated film, utilizing classic handmade stop motion techniques to tell the story of the best-selling children’s book by Roald Dahl. Stars the voicing talents of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.Up in the Air (14th) - Oscar buzz already surrounds this George Clooney vehicle about a man who spends more time on an airplane flying around the US firing people than he does on land.Invictus (21st) - Clint Eastwood directs Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in this true story of how Nelson Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite South Africa.
The Road (28th) - A post-apocalyptic tale of a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his son trying to survive by any means possible. Based on the 2007 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men).
February: Shutter Island (18th) - Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio and an impressive cast in a film about two US marshalls sent to a hospital for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of patient.
March:Alice in Wonderland (4th) - Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reteam to tell this classic Lewis Carroll tale.Green Zone (11th) - Matt Damon and The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass reunite for this thriller set in the days immediately following the US invasion of Iraq.
April:
Clash of the Titans (1st) - Aussie wonderboy Sam Worthington stars as Perseus in the this re-imagining of an ancient Greek myth that pits the hero against gods, demons and fearsome beasts. Iron Man 2 (29th) - Robert Downey Jr returns as the eponymous character in the follow-up to the 2008 blockbuster smash hit. The sequel also stars Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Sam Rockwell.
May: Untitled Robin Hood project (13th) - Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and Russell Crowe come together again for a different look at the prince of thieves. Also stars Cate Blanchett.Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time (27th) - Walt Disney Pictures and super producer Jerry Bruckheimer bring this classic adventure video game to life. Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley.
Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) with the dagger in "Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time" (2010).
Lego fan site Brickset has five new Persia play sets featuring key scenes from the film, which means you can now collect Lego camels and figures with turbans. One that stood out to me was a box labeled “The Ostrich Race” because it’s the first we’ve heard there will be racing ostriches. Finally, a movie where the hero rides an ostrich through the desert in a high speed chase. This has been a long time coming.
There’s also play sets called Quest Against Time, Hassasins Hide Out, Fight For The Dagger, and Battle of Almut.7570-1: The Ostrich Race7571: Fight for the Dagger7572-1: Quest Against Time7573: Battle of Almut Source: www.newsinfilm.com
June: The A-Team (10th) - The classic ‘80s TV show about members of the US military out to clear their names after being framed comes to the big screen. Get Him to the Greek (17th) - A record company intern (Jonah Hill) is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand’s character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) to a concert at L.A.’s Greek Theatre". Source: cumberland-courier.whereilive.com.au
Jake Gyllenhaal at 'Brothers' Press Conference in Los Angeles, on 3rd December 2009. Additions from the IHJ gallery.
Jake Gyllenhaal as Tommy Cahill walking under a snowfall in "Brothers" (2009).
“Brothers” isn’t Tommy’s story, but he acts as our guide into the headspace of the Cahills, who serve without question, trusting in the purity of home as their reward. Source: www.brianorndorf.com
"Mr. Gyllenhaal is so consistently good an actor that he has a tendency to get overlooked in favor of flashier co-stars, but without him this movie would be meaningless. Tommy is smartening up, taking responsibility for his life and realizing he has the power to make better choices now, while Sam had thought he had it all figured out. The differences between Messrs. Maguire and Gyllenhaal — who are perfectly cast — before and after the deployment are subtle but very striking. Before, Sam was a little bit smug, certain about himself and his life, while it was Tommy that squirmed at the dinner table". Source: www.criticsnotebook.com
Carey Mulligan and Natalie Portman as Cassie Willis and Grace Cahill in "Brothers".
"Sam returns home a shattered man, especially after Tommy brings to the dinner table his new girlfriend, Willis’s widow Cassie (Carey Mulligan). Hank admits that his harshness toward his two sons can be traced to his own combat experience in Vietnam. How that plays out is similar to Stop Loss (2008) but with a very different ending. The Political Film Society has nominated Brothers as best film on the vices of war and virtues of peaceful conflict resolution". MH Source: www.polfilms.com
"A second featurette on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has come online and can be watched using the player below! Hitting theaters on May 28th, the Mike Newell-directed video game adaptation stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina and Toby Kebbell.(Gyllenhaal) reluctantly joins forces with a mysterious princess (Arterton) and together, they race against dark forces to safeguard an ancient dagger capable of releasing the Sands of Time—a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world". Source: www.comingsoon.net
Notes provided by Lionsgate Films: "The promise of working with Sheridan on a substantive character drama quickly attracted an A-list ensemble. Jake Gyllenhaal was the first to sign on, taking the role of black sheep brother Tommy. I wanted to work with Jim very much, and I wanted to work with him on a character that was a little different from what I'd played before, the actor explains. Tommy has grown up in Sam's shadow, and he feels that he's not loved. He's angry and closed-off. And through horrible circumstances, his heart is awoken in the most innocent way.Sheridan found that the primary stars brought different techniques to their roles, which helped them mesh as an ensemble. Jake is kind of free-form and tries to feel the truth of each scene. Natalie is very clear about what she wants to do. Tobey likes control, but he can lose it as well - which he really had to do in this role, I suppose.The human factor, in Gyllenhaal's estimation, is encapsulated in the film's title. This movie is really about a family. Sometimes the only person you can turn to is the person you grew up with, in the beauty and pain that is your family. Sam and Tommy are so different, yet so much the same. And in the end, the only person who can go out there to save Sam's life is Tommy". Source: calendar.blufftontoday.com
Jake Gyllenhaal at 'Brothers' LA Press Conference - December 3.
“Jake’s more like a charismatic actor. He likes to be the centre of attention, which for a while drove me mad, because I want to be the centre of attention. It took me a few weeks to get used to him. “But he knows how to stay real. He acts how he behaves in real life. He’s interested in everything that’s going on around him. That leaves a powerhouse kind of person that you want behind your back in a war.” Source: www.nowtoronto.com
Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart - Entertainment Weekly outtake. New still of Robert Pattinson as Tayler in "Remember me" (2010).
Emilie de Ravin and Robert Pattinson in "Remember me" (gif).
"Robert Pattinson was spotted taking in some culture at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. While we love to think of Rob as the Renaissance Man, he was only at LACMA for a Vogue photoshoot for his upcoming film Remember Me. E! News reported, "I'm told editors at the fashion bible are planning a multipage spread of the twosome for the mag's annual Power Issue that rolls off the presses just in time for Remember Me's March 12 release date." Source: news.screenstar.com
Twilight star Robert Pattinson faces the Stocking of Truth and reveals who he'd kiss under the mistletoe - but did he say New Moon co-star Kristen Stewart? Or did he say Ricky Gervais?
Jake Gyllenhaal at 'Brothers' Press Conference, on 3rd December 2009, in Los Angeles. Pictures courtesy of Iheartjakemedia.com
Disney has released another featurette which focuses on the dagger, which has the power to turn back time, with new footage and snippets of interviews to director Mike Newell, Jerry Bruckheimer, Gyllenhaal, and Gemma Arterton.
Maggie Gyllenhaal (in Marni) and her Crazy Heart co-stars close the market at Nasdaq in New York City on Wednesday (December 16).
The 32-year-old actress, who sported a super-flattering flowery dress, helped end the day of trading with Jeff Bridges, producer Judy Cairo and writer/director/producer Scott Cooper. justjared.buzznet.com
David Letterman - When Maggie Met Jeff Bridges. They're starring in "Crazy Heart" together, but how did Maggie Gyllenhaal's first meeting go with Jeff? Air Date: 12/21/09
"Let the holiday parties begin! Jake Gyllenhaal braved the snowy New York City weather for a guys' night out at the Smyth Tribeca hotel, where Justin Theroux, Mark Ronson and Scott Campbell were throwing a bash to benefit God's Love We Deliver, an HIV/AIDS charity. The single actor chatted the night away with Matt Dillon and they seemed like they were having a great time, a source says. Ronson, meanwhile, provided the evening's soundtrack and guests like Josh Hartnett and Mary-Louise Parker danced the night away". Source: www.people.com
Interview Magazine has made a list of the Twenty Most Beautiful People of the Decade. Colin Farrell, Ashley Greene and Ryan Phillippe were included in the list.1. ZAC EFRON
Before we got to him, the High School Musical star was the squeaky-clean song-and-dance Disney showpiece with the "surreal" beauty (as an admiring Robert Pattinson, no slouch himself in that department, once gushed). Now he's starring in a serious movie (Me and Orson Welles) that critics actually seem to like. 3. ASHLEY GREENE
With five films scheduled to come out in the next year, it's safe to say that Ashley Greene is riding the momentum from the absurd Twilight wave. The young vampire with the psychic abilities—she also has the power to make girls literally break down in tears in public—has already survived a sex-tape scandal, so that's out of her teen idol system. But how far into her own future can she see? ASHLEY GREENE: "I grew up in a house that would be perfect to set a horror movie in. It was out in the country, right on the water. I'm glad I never got to see scary movies when I was young. Otherwise I would have imagined things coming out of the lake.5. NATALIE PORTMAN
We've had her on our radar since she was the 12-year-old Lolita of The Professional. And somehow, her beauty has grown and grown over the past decade. Now 28, she's won a Golden Globe, earned a psychology degree from Harvard, devoted her free time to social and political activism, and looked better than Demi with a shaved head. She's even a vegan. Enough, really.JAKE GYLLENHAAL: So, then, let me ask you this: If you could get into a time machine, to what place and period would you travel?
NATALIE PORTMAN: Well, right now, I’m very fascinated with 1920s Berlin. I mean, probably the more interesting thing would be to go to the beginning of civilization or precivilization—like polytheistic times. It would be interesting to see what came before modern religion and culture—what circumstances created the environment or the need for it. I actually felt like I was in a time machine last week when I went with Jay-Z to the Laserium in Los Angeles. —INTERVIEW FROM SEPTEMBER 2009 9. SCARLETT JOHANNSSON
Since that first shot of Johannsson in Lost in Translation, her throwback beauty has been bewitching us. The red lips against porcelain skin, the platinum curls, the breathy voice, the curves—she's Marilyn all over again, but brainier this time around. She can even sing, as she proved with her album of Tom Waits covers in 2008. Recently wedded to Ryan Reynolds and seemingly over being Woody's ingenue, Scarlett Johansson still remains the ultimate Muse.10. ROBERT PATTINSON A bit of Brando, a twinge of Dean, the Twilight star possesses that slightly strange alien quality that turns brooding good looks into the iconic. He has just enough edge to make teens and tabloids go into "crazed hunter" mode—have you seen Robsessed?—but also a disarming, slightly crippling self-awareness. It's early yet for Pattinson, but we're eagerly awaiting part two of his entertaining saga.
On life before Twilight:
"We spent the better part of a year just getting drunk every night... "I don't know if that counts as ‘struggling'.19. JAKE GYLLENHAAL
Since Donnie Darko, he's shown himself to be an eager actor. From oddball neuroses (Bubble Boy) to the raw emotional center he cracked wide open in Brokeback Mountain, he's devoted himself to his roles. Even in action blockbusters like The Day After Tomorrow, he worked to bring an "artsy" element to the schlock (to the consternation of his co-stars). He's been the same way with love; in his relationships with Kirsten Dunst and Reese Witherspoon, he was the one who's all in. That kind of person tends to be the one with the most to lose—but all told, we like his chances.DAVID FINCHER: Have you been biking?
JAKE GYLLENHAAL: I bike every day. I never thought I would be somebody who devoted so much of their time to that type of physical activity.DAVID FINCHER: Be careful—you don’t want to get so big you can’t fit into your suits. That’s what I first noticed in Rendition—this guy is pretty fit for a rendition observer.
JAKE GYLLENHAAL: Well, we were shooting that in the middle of a desert outside of Marrakesh, and I’d go running a lot. I imagine that as a director, when you’re filming, every possible second of your time is filled. But as an actor you have so much free time your mind wanders. Running is a really good antidote for a mind that tends to spin around a lot. Source: www.interviewmagazine.com
The Fantastic Mr Fox (1st) - Visionary director Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited) directs his first animated film, utilizing classic handmade stop motion techniques to tell the story of the best-selling children’s book by Roald Dahl. Stars the voicing talents of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray.
Up in the Air (14th) - Oscar buzz already surrounds this George Clooney vehicle about a man who spends more time on an airplane flying around the US firing people than he does on land.
Invictus (21st) - Clint Eastwood directs Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in this true story of how Nelson Mandela used the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite South Africa.
Shutter Island (18th) - Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio and an impressive cast in a film about two US marshalls sent to a hospital for the criminally insane to investigate the disappearance of patient.
Alice in Wonderland (4th) - Director Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reteam to tell this classic Lewis Carroll tale.
Green Zone (11th) - Matt Damon and The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass reunite for this thriller set in the days immediately following the US invasion of Iraq.
Iron Man 2 (29th) - Robert Downey Jr returns as the eponymous character in the follow-up to the 2008 blockbuster smash hit. The sequel also stars Mickey Rourke, Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle and Sam Rockwell.
Untitled Robin Hood project (13th) - Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) and Russell Crowe come together again for a different look at the prince of thieves. Also stars Cate Blanchett.
Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time (27th) - Walt Disney Pictures and super producer Jerry Bruckheimer bring this classic adventure video game to life. Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton and Ben Kingsley.
Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) with the dagger in "Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time" (2010).
7570-1: The Ostrich Race
7571: Fight for the Dagger
7572-1: Quest Against Time
7573: Battle of Almut
The A-Team (10th) - The classic ‘80s TV show about members of the US military out to clear their names after being framed comes to the big screen. 
Get Him to the Greek (17th) - A record company intern (Jonah Hill) is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand’s character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall) to a concert at L.A.’s Greek Theatre".
