Fun and comprehensive entertainment blog feat. movies, TV series, actors, movie-makers, music & books: 1980 - Present
Maybe these movies already came to the theaters in your country or you did have a chance to see them already at an early screening. But for those of you who haven’t, here are 3 movies to anticipate and enjoy in the summer. The article features trailers and info on the movies. You can read it here.
More Cameron Diaz
More Cruise
If you are anything like me, you have some actors whose projects really entertain you. But sometimes those actors come together to star in a film. So for instance what’s better than seeing Michelle Pfeiffer acting with Robert De Niro? Adding Mark Strong to the list. And you provide the comic relief with Ricky Gervais. Beauty? Siena Miller. New talent? Charlie Cox. Before you know it, you have one hell of a cast. Here’re my 6 favorite ensemble casts:
1) STARDUST
Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Siena Miller, Charlie Cox, Ben Barnes, Ricky Gervais, Mark Strong and Henry Cavill.
Magical, thrilling, romantic and visually wonderful story of a young man (Charlie Cox) after a star (Claire Danes), the star co-operating so that she can go home, princes after a crown necklace and the witches after the star’s heart. For many more details, photos and trailer of Stardust:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/20-reasons-to-love-stardust/
2) Playing By Heart
Starring:Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, Dennis Quaid, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Gillian Anderson, Gena Rowlands, Ellen Burstyn, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe.
It is romantic, sweet and at times really funny. You can check out the plot here.
3) The Air I Breathe
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, Julie Delpy, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Emile Hirsch, Sarah Michelle Gellar.
If you like any of these actors and enjoy intersecting stories, you will enjoy this one. Sure, the undertone is very dramatic and it is slightly depressing but it is hopeful. Love, hatred, depression, anger, revenge, fun, loyalty,….. You name the emotion and you will find the story. No event is unrelated here. Andy Garcia is the villain. Kevin Bacon plays a really nice guy. Refreshing, right?
4) The Good Shepherd
Starring: Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Lee Pace, William Hurt, John Turturro, Billy Crudup and Alec Baldwin.
1960s. CIA agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is faced with a crisis as some crucial information might be leaked to enemies. As the agents try to figure out who is responisble and who the info was given to, we start learning about Edward’s past with flashbacks going into the late 30s. We learn about what made he who he is from his childhood to his days at Yale, from the ww2 and onward. The cast is by far one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen. It might be due to the fact that De Niro is the director. Great film. It is a drama thriller.
5) He’s Just Not That Into You
Starring: Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johannson, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long
Don’t wait by the phone, don’t make excuses. If he is not calling you, he is just not that into you. Based on the refreshing relationships book by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo. Extendend review for both the movie and the book can be found here.
6) Hairspray
Now, you may have watched an Hairspray film made in 1988, written and directed by John Waters. And it is not that its cast is unknown, featuring names like Sonny Bono and Deborah Harry. However, you might realize that it was rated 6.8 votecd by over 8.000 people. However the Hairspray film that I’ll brag about I from 2007 and it is rated 7.2, voted over 40.000. So yes, we are facing a remake rated higher than the original.And I have no intentions of seeing the original.
Because John Travolta is a terrific actor and a singer and he is playing a woman! The wife of Christopher Walken! Absolute hilarity! And you have seen the cast, right? Yes, Michelle Pfeiffer makes a kick-ass bitch. James Marsden is a great actor, yeah- but here he shows us that he is an amazing singer too. And br ready to forgive Zac Efron for the Highschool Musical series. Yeah he still plays a guy in high school but the guy can sing rocknroll. Just forget about his pop idol/teenage-girl magnet reputation. If a guy can sing rocknroll well, he will have my respect. I also vote for the jet black hair.
If you aren’t entertained by this film-regardless of how you feel about musicals- I am sure what will put a smile on your face. Directed by Adam Shankman (A Walk to Remember).
Feel free to add your favorite ensembles. In the meantime, here’s a list of posts on these actors:
ANGELINA JOLIE:
Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life
The Most Gorgeous Women in Haollywood
Lee Pace:
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
James Marsden:
Julie Delpy:
Bradley Cooper:
Yes Man
Zac Efron:
Ashley Judd is quoted to have said that she refused to get naked in her first role, saying her mom didn’t work that hard to see her daughter lose her clothes in her first movie. But then Ashley Judd appeared naked in some roles. So apparently it is alright for her mom if her daughter does it the second/third time around?
Some actors have no problems baring all whether some have to agree, otherwise they wouldn’t get the part. It depends on the power and the preference. Sarah Jessica Parker is the only Sex and The City star that doesn’t bare her boobs. It is a major accomplishment to keep one’s bra in such a TV show is a remarkable thing, if you ask me. I love the show but hey, I don’t need to see everything the four women’ve got!
Some roles do ask for it. You can always get a body stunt. Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke’s hit 9½ Weeks includes a lot of Kim’s flesh- only they are not Kim’s.
Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie never minded being naked and you can take a look at them going native together in the movie Original Sin. Fun movie but I am not sure how comfortable I would be with their scenes, had I been dating Antonio (OK, I wouldn’t exactly mind if I were dating Banderas. I’d be too busy gloating, but I’m making a point here).
Gerard Butler does bare a lot (but not enough, as one of my good friends notably mentioned) in Law Abiding Citizen. He jokes with Jay Leno that he does like getting undressed for a movie. After all, he produces the movie and calls the shots. He didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do. Hey, no complaints here. Besides, if I were a guy and I looked like that ,I so wouldn’t mind taking my clothes off either.
So, either you don’t have the power and have to say yes for the role (or you just have to pass on the role) or you do have the power. When you do have the power, it depends on how you feel about the “sex sells” motto. Now, I am guessing Law Abiding Citizen would not have been less successful without Gerard showing off his muscles, but hey, his “naked” scene does add to his characters psycho “mood.” As long as the scene calls for it, I guess there is no harm done. But hey, nudity for nudity’s sake always feels out of place- whether it is a feast of sight for the boys or the girls or both…
What do you think?
This is not about critics, imdb ratings or box office results. It is my favorites from one of my fav. actors. If you want to share your thoughts on Gerard, you are more than welcome to do it here.
1) Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
This movie is a wonderful thriller that makes you question a lot of things, including who the bad guys/good guys in the movie. I side with Gerard Butler’s Clyde on most of his avenging acts, despite a couple of things. This movie isn’t perfect but it is pretty damn good. If you like your story smart, your “hero” on the “darker” side and enjoy a good revenge story, do not miss it. For the ones who have seen it, here is a review:
http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/law-abiding-citizen-two-steps-short-of-perfection/
2) Butterfly on a wheel (2007)
I tend to like a movie more if it has some of the actors I love. This movie has 3: Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello. A perfect marriage, a perfect kidnapping, an unpredictable criminal with strange requests. Or maybe the crime makes perfect sense and our “hero” Neil is not so perfect after all. No spoilers.
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/gerard-butler/
3) Please (1999)
Award-winning short film with Butler in the lead. My review on the film includes the youtube link where you can watch the whole movie:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/please/
4) The Ugly Truth (2009)
Men are cocky, superficial and all you need to get one is to be thin, own some hot lingerie and give blow-jobs. Women are hopeless dreamers who are equally supeficial. They want romance if it is provided by a handsome guy with a good job. Or maybe things aren’t just simple and the truth isn’t that ugly. This R-rated romantic comedy shows us some reality with hilarious scenes, likable characters and predictable yet enjoyable twists. For the review including screen shots:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/the-ugly-truth/
One modest sweetheart of a movie that wins you over with the acting and storytelling; not with the originality of the script. Frankie is a smart but deaf boy raised by his mother and grandmother. Their whereabouts are hidden from his violent father. His mother Lizzie does everything to protect him from the truth, so she writes to him as his father: a nice man, a sailor who can not be with them because of work. Of course a coincidence forces Lizzie to find a man to pose as the father. What she hasn’t planned on how this stranger (Gerard Butler) will connect both with her and Frankie:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/dear-frankie-2004/
6) P.S I love you (2007)
Holly (Swank) and Gerry (Butler) are a happily married couple and still madly in love. When Gerry suddenly dies, Holly has difficulty in coping. However Gerry has planned ahead: He has written to Holly that are to arrive at specific times after his death. Bittersweet romantic drama/comedy. For the trailer:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/p-s-i-love-you/
7) Attila (2001)
An epic TV film based on the life of Atilla, leader of the Huns. It has all the glory of an epic picture should have: nice battle sequences, love,loss,pain,treachery,lust…:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/attila-2001/
8 ) Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life (2003)
Sequel to the first Lara Croft. Is it just me or is Angelina Jolie the best actress to play a video game character ever? She has the looks and the stamina. And who better than Butler to provide the sexual tension? Check out the longer review with pictures:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/lara-croft-tomb-raider-the-cradle-of-life/
9) Timeline (2003)
A group of archeology students are forced to travel in time to save one of their friends’ father. It doesn’t help that they find themselves in France in the middle of the war with England, in 21st century. The fact that one of them is French doesn’t help. Paul Walker and Gerard Butler star. Funny, full of action and very romantic:
https://pinartarhan.com/blog/timeline-2003/
A widower biologist father (Gerard Butler) and his daughter Nim live on a recluded Pacific island. Nim loves this life and reading adventure books by Alex Rover. What she doesn’t know that the real Alex is an agoraphobic female (Jodie Foster) – unlike the Indiana Jonesque Alex she imagined. All hell breaks loose when Alex needs to get out to save Nim from trouble…For more details and the trailer:
