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Adore starring Naomi Watts, Robin Wright & Xavier Samuel: Sexy, Twisted and A Bit Weird

Posted on August 20, 2013 Written by ripitup

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Adore 2013 drama starring Naomi Watts, Robin Wright and Xavier Samuel
Adore 2013 drama starring Naomi Watts, Robin Wright and Xavier Samuel. Image via filmeserialee.blogspot.com

Lil (Naomi Watts) and Roz (Robin Wright) have been best friends and neighbors since they were kids. They are always there for each other, including the death of Lil’s husband. Roz is still married to universtiy lecturer Harold (Ben Mendelsohn), and both women have good-looking boys in their 20s- who are also best friends.

Roz’ seemingly happy marriage gets a bit disrupted when her husband gets a better job in Sydney, and naturally wants both his director son Tom (James Frecheville) and his wife with him. But Roz doesn’t want to leave her gorgeous beach house, her best friend or her gallery.  However she asks for some time to adjust to the idea and make the arrangements.

She never gets to make any arrangements, and she also gives in to temptation by sleeping with Ian (Xavier Samuel), Lil’s son, who is smitten with her.  When Ben sees this, he makes a pass on Lil, and when Lil rejects him, he tells her what he saw.

Lil can’t seem to digest this, but she doesn’t confront Roz. Instead, she gives in to Ben’s attempts. She and Roz later decide that this should be a one-time mistake, and they should stop, but neither women can.

Because they’re all happy despite the weirdness of the situation, they all decide to go along with it. And they are happy for a while, until Ben gets involved with a play in Sydney and meets somebody else.

From then on, all their relationships resemble a bomb, with the timer running…

 

Analyzing Adore  (with some spoilers)

Adore is, by subject matter, a strange movie. What makes it strange to me, is not that two women fall for younger men or two young men fall for older women. And if you forget for a second that these women are best friends who have known the sons since they were babies, it seems only logical that there would be sexual attraction. Xavier Samuel is stunning, and James Frecheville is also quite good-looking, especially in the scenes where he is vulnerable. As for the women, we are talking about two of Hollywood’s most beauiful actresses here. So no, I have nothing against age differences in couples.

What I find appalling is the idea that the women would go for each other’s sons. It’s one thing to meet and fall for a stranger who is older/younger than you. It’s another to sleep with the adult version of the baby whose diaper you probably helped changed at some point.

And even if you can gets past that, there is the fact that Roz is married to a really decent guy. Sure he does get occasionally feel left out, but given how close the women are, it is only natural. As far as he know, he doesn’t lie or cheat or misbehave. He wants to be close to his family. So it is all very unfair to him.

And let’s say we want to give into temptation and hey, it is Ian who makes her happy, there’s how far Roz takes her loyalty to liln. As when Ben screws up, she also ends her relationship with Ian. This really wounds Ian, and he later starts a relationship with a girl around his age.

Guess what? Sexual attraction and addiction like that, and one of our couples haven’t quite stopped their affair. Hence the bomb analogy…

Adore, albeit having a somewhat uneasy theme, is not a boring movie. It has gorgeous scenery, good acting, beautiful actors and gets you thinking. It’s about going after your heart (and hormones) vs. doing the right/expected thing, and how sometimes the right choice isn’t so obvious. It’s about how hurting one person in the short run can turn out to be a good thing in the long run- but hurting another person for their good can backfire big time in the long run.

The right thing would have been not to have started anything. Then it would have been to be honest with all parties involved. Then of course Tom shouldn’t have tried to have his cake and eat it too…

But apart from Harold, nobody really does anything right in the movie. And maybe except from the boys’ wives, who are truly clueless. Then again, Tom’s wife didn’t exactly do a very professional thing when she jumped into bed with her director. That almost never goes right…

So it is full of mistakes and twists you see coming, but you just can’t resist. After all it is a sexy, twisted drama and there’re no surprises. But if this movie proved one thing to me, is that I wouldn’t mind moving to Australia…I’m just saying.

 

Also on Naomi Watts

21 Grams starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn & Benicio Del Toro

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Also on Robin Wright

State of Play starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel Mcadams and Helen Mirren & Robin Wright

Reviews of 4 Nicholas Sparks Movie Adaptations: A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a Bottle and The Notebook 

Also on Xavier Samuel

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Jackson Rathbone and Xavier Samuel

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Adore, adore 2013 movie, adore cast, adore movie review, adore naomi watts, Ben Mendelsohn, james frecheville, Naomi Watts, naomi watts adore, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuel, xavier samuel adore

21 Grams starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn & Benicio Del Toro

Posted on November 21, 2012 Written by ripitup

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21 Grams starring Naomi Watts, Sean Penn & Benicio Del Toro
Image via mltheyoungriderstv.net

Christina Peck (Naomi Watts) is a happily married mother of 2 young daughters.

Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is about to die of heart failure, and his smoking isn’t helping his survival odds.

Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro) is an ex-con who tries to stay out of trouble, but he does take his faith too far.

When Jordan accidentally crashes into Christina’s husband and their daughters and kills them, the lives of Christina, Paul and Jack change completely.

Christina, unable to cope with her extreme loss, shuts everybody down and returns to her old drug habit.

Paul is transplanted Jack’s heart and starts to recover. But his unhappy marriage, the obsession of his wife to get pregnant and her reluctance to understand his desire to find his donor are preventing him to start a happy, new chapter in his life.

Jack, husband and father of 2, is wrecked with guilt and turns himself in against the will of his wife. He is also not at all sure about his faith anymore.

But things really get complicated when Paul finds out the donor’s identity, and meets Christina. Can anything good come out of him falling in love with her, and joining in her obsession to find Jack?

*

21 Grams is Difficult, Depressing but Addictive

This is not an easy movie to watch. A mother trying to deal with the loss of her family? A man who can barely manage his own demons, a job and a normal family life with a criminal background who has an accident and needs to add a guilty conscience to a life/personality he barely manages? A dying guy who finds a new chance in life but falls for the wife of his dead donor– a woman who is barely going through the motions?

Just like the premise, 21 Grams is abundantly tragic. But it works, as the movie provides you enough background information so that you have no problems with character dilemmas, mistakes and motivations.

However the movie uses a “tangled” way of telling the story. There are 3 different timelines (before the accidents, after the accident, after-after the accident) and even they are not told in order. It takes a while to adjust to which scene takes place then, and even after you are used to it, scenes are thrown to you in such a way that you don’t really have much choice in what to look forward to, dread or anticipate.

I know many viewers think the story-telling makes the movie, but if anything, I think it might be the movie’s only flaw. The story is compelling enough, the acting is superb and there are enough conflicts to stay with you until after the movie. But its non-linear telling distracts the audience- from understanding the movie, but from your empathy, focus and excitement.

Rated at 7.8 on IMDB. It’s a really good movie, and can’t object to the rating. But watching it is not a positive experience. Difficult, depressing, honest and very grey. Watch it at your own peril.

Written by Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, Babel, The Burning Plain) and directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Biutiful, Amores Perros). Nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) and Best Actress (Naomi Watts).

Also on the Cast

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: 21 Grams, 21 grams cast, 21 grams movie, 21 grams movie review, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Benicio Del Toro, benicio del toro 21 grams, Guillermo Arriaga, Naomi Watts, Naomi watts 21 grams, Sean Penn, sean penn 21 grams

Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Posted on April 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn
Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn. Image via sinema3.com.

Fair Warning: This movie is a political drama, based on real events – which is based on the book written by an ex- CIA agent. It has a documentary feel to it, and if you don’t like political dramas, with no action sequences, you should stay away. But it is well-told, well-shot and well-acted. And I liked this movie!

Movie Info:

Starring: Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

Co-starring: Noah Emmerich

Guest Appearances: Ty  Burrell, Sam Shepard, Rebecca Rigg, Brooke Smith,

Made in: 2010.

Awards: Mill Valley Film Festival Award (for Best Narrative Feature), Freedom of Expression Award (National Board of Review)

Written By: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth

Based on the Books By: Joseph Wilson (The Politics of Truth), Valerie  Plame (Fair Game)

Directed By: Doug Liman (director of The Bourne Identity, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

 

Plot:

Set in the early 2000s, first term of President George W. Bush. C.I.A. Agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is happily married to ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), with two young kids. While their friends know about Joe’s career and political views, they think Valerie is working for a finance company. And while Joe is not always happy about his wife being an agent, he is supportive and understanding.

Joe gets a chance to be involved in her work, when he is sent to Nijer to see whether they are working on weapons of mass destruction. Joe’s findings indicate that they are not working on such weapons, but the Bush administration is pretty much dying to invade Iraq, so they make sure the “findings” justify the invasion. Joe is more than frustrated to see that the government is using bogus intel, so he writes an article for The New York Times, explaining what he actually found. Angry White House officials strike back by exposing Valerie’s identity, and calling Joe a liar.

Now that her identity is exposed, Valerie’s operations come to halt- risking the lives of scientists she was meant to save. Moreover, everybody finds about her and a majority is willing to label to label them both as traitors. Valerie wants to avoid exposure, while Joe is willing to seek more publicity to clear their names.

Joe’s standing up for truth risks not only their reputation, lives and finances, but their marriage as well. Can Joe succeed? Or will they lose everything, while the White House gets away with everything?

Verdict:

I was a little afraid that this movie could be disappointing when the guy at the video store frowned at my choice and asked whether I picked the movie for its actors. Well, while I really seeing  enjoy Watts and Penn on the screen, I also enjoy watching politics related conspiracy theories, and real-life examples of manipulation of the public view. So, no I wasn’t bored.  I don’t know if Joe and Valerie are as right as they were depicted. But I wouldn’t be surprised if everything depicted in the movie really happened.

Fair Game is engaging. It frustrates you and it challenges you. No, it is not fast. But it is solid, and worth-watching. And I really like the overall message and Joe’s actions. It is not all that hard to identify either with him and Valerie- regardless of your country.

Give it a shot. Currently 7.0 on IMDB, which I find a little underrated.

Favorite Lines/Scenes:

–          When a full class doesn’t know the 16 words George W. Bush used that led them to war, but they all knew that his wife’s name was Valeri Plame

Joe Wilson (Sean Penn): when did the question move from why are we going to war to who is this man’s wife? I asked the first question.

 

–          Valerie’s friend (Brooke Smith): So do you have lovers all over the world? Do you have a gun? Have you killed people?
Valerie (Naomi Watts): I can’t tell you anything.
Friend: You can’t tell me anything. OK. So you wanna go shopping?

 

Fun notes:

–          Modern Family’s Phil Ty Burrell has a short role as a friend of the couple.

–          Grey’s Anatomy’s Brooke Smith has a short role as a friend. She played the cardiologist Erica Kahn for 23 episodes in Grey’s Anatomy.

–          Rebecca Rigg, who also plays a friend, is the real life wife of The Mentalist star Simon Baker.

 

Also on Naomi Watts:

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Also on Sean Penn

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Also on Noah Emmerich

Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie & Noah Emmerich

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino

Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: brooke smith, doug liman, fair game, fair game 2010, fair game cast, fair game movie, joe wilson, Naomi Watts, naomi watts movies, Noah Emmerich, rebecca rig, sam shepard, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, valerie plame

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack

Posted on February 18, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack
Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack. Feat. Jacqueline Bisset, Naomi Watts & Oliver Platt. Image via cinemanow.com

Marco (Rufus Sewell), a handsome and fun-loving guy from an established Venice family. And life is going just fine for him – especially after he falls in love with his sister (Moira Kelly)’s friend Veronica (Catherine McCormack).

Veronica and Marco are crazy about one another. But their happiness lasts only until Marco’s father reminds him that he has to marry according to his station; that is marrying to a girl with parents with the right background. Marco accepts this, devastating Veronica.

Veronica is intelligent, beautiful, modern and elegant. She is also a poet and a romantic. But since her pen wouldn’t feed her or her family, her mother (Jacqueline Bisset) comes up with the most shocking career option: being a courtesan. Although she is outraged by the idea, sleeping with men for money sounds better than living in a convent. So after some training, Veronica turns into the perfect seductress

Of course Marco is shocked and he is disappointed, especially when he is one of the very few men in Venice who is rejected by her – the other one being his own cousin Maffio (Oliver Platt).

Now, Marco is stuck in an unhappy marriage, still madly in love with Veronica. Veronica still isn’t over him and as events unfold, they will find it impossible to stay apart. But Maffio has sworn for revenge and when war strikes, Veronica might just lose all the power she has and witness the whole country turn against her, except for Marco…

The movie is a lovely, romantic period drama with wonderful performances from both Rufus Sewell and Catherine McCormack. Oliver Platt is always fun to watch, even when he plays the jerk.

Naomi Watts has a supporting role as Marco’s wife. The scenery, costumes and the art direction are simply beautiful. It is romantic and thought-provoking. Catherine’s character Veronica is really inspiring. She really had the guts to question the hypocrisy of her time.

It is especially recommended for the fans of period dramas and Rufus Sewell. You might remember Catherine McCormack from her short but very important role in 1995’s Braveheart.

Also on Naomi Watts

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi W   atts

The Painted Veil starring Edward Norton & Naomi Watts

Also on Rufus Sewell

Tristan and Isolde starring James Franco, Sophia Myles and Rufus Sewell

The British Actors We Love feat. Rufus Sewell, Colin Firth, Daniel Day Lewis

The Woodlanders: A Gorgeous Rufus Sewell in an Awful Movie

In a Savage Land with Rufus Sewell

Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence: Fun romcom with Monica Potter, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes

Vinyan starring Rufus Sewell

The Illusionist with Edward Norton, Rufus Sewell and Jessica Biel

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Braveheart, catherine mccormack, dangerous beauty, dangerous beauty movie, drama, jacqueline bisset, Naomi Watts, Oliver Platt, period movie, romance, Rufus Sewell, Rufus Sewell movies, the international movie, The Painted Veil

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