Zac Efron | pinartarhan.com

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

Playing by Heart starring Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Phillippe, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Jon Stewart, Dennis Quaid. There’s also Ellen Burstyn and Jay Mohr. I love this movie and the cast. Photo: http://www.moviegoods.com

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

Hairspray starring John Travolta, Christopher Walken, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, James Marsden, Queen Latifah, Amanda Bynes. Fun, colors, the hair and more fun…Photo: drkruznutty.files.wordpress.com

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:

Beyond Borders

Lara Croft Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life

The Most Gorgeous Women in Haollywood

Lee Pace:

Possession

The Fall

Soldier’s Girl

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

James Marsden:

Julie Delpy:

Bradley Cooper:

Yes Man

Zac Efron:

17 Again

17 Again starring Matthew Perry and Zac Efron

Starring: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sterling Knight, Thomas Lennon

So most of us saw similar movies before. Of course we have. It is 2009!!! Some people like it and some think writers should go after new ideas. But the thing is, for the people who do like these kind of stories- “Big”, “13 going on 30”, hell even “back to the future” in some aspects,and so on- this movie definitely delivers.It is funny with great situational and physical comedy;complete with one-liners.

About the plot: Mike O’ Donnell ( Matthew Perry) is in his late 30s and an utter failure at all aspects of his life. His wife is divorcing him, his kids despise him, has a crappy job that he manages to get fired from…And this is all his doing. He used to be ( played by Zac Efron) a promising basketball star in his highschool. He is goegeous,popular,successful and is dating the girl of his dreams. But he receives some shocking news at the beginning of the most important game of his life and after that his life goes downhill…At least he thinks so and his -Scarlett (Leslie Mann)- having been fed up with his complaining all through the years, can’t take it anymore. So he meets a stranger, makes a wish and bizarrely enough, he finds himself at the age of 17 again. Except this time, he is not 17 in 1989. He finds himself going to the same school with his daughter and son. He realizes he barely knew what went on his kids’ lives and to make matter worse,his daughter (Trachtenberg) is constantly making out with the school’s bully who is making his son’s life hell…His best friend Ned-played by Lennon- is hilarious as the rich,sci-fi junkie who now has to pretend as Mike’s dad.

You don’t have to like Zac Efron to like this movie. I personally have a kind of love&hate relationship with him. Before Hairspray, I hadn’t seen him in any of his high school musical movies. I had seen his pictures/movie trailers however; and I thought he was just another teen actor/pop star who was there to attract young girls and make them dream. He was baby-faced and well too blond. Then, I watched Hairspray and frankly didn’t realize Zac was in it.I had to double-check the credits. He was great as the promising, jet-black haired, handsome star of a musical TV show. He used a great,thick singing voice to sing 50s/60s rock’n’roll songs and sounded so unlike himself. As an avid rock’n’roll fan, I loved his role and how he carried out.He didn’t look bad next to great talents like John Travolta, Christopher Walken and James Marsden. So just when I decided he had more then the high school musical going on for him, he seized to surprise me. Until 17 Again, that is. Yes, he plays a high schooler. At 22 and baby-faced, he looks perfectly 17. He is less blond, thank goodness and he is pretty good as a comedic actor. He actually didn’t disappoint me as the younger version of Matthew Perry. Some people are hung up on the idea of Zac can not be the younger version of Perry, lookswise. But then again, I claim that he should be flattered since Perry is an amazing comedian. Having played my favourite “Friend” Chandler, he is one of my fav. comedians of all times. Is Efron just as talented and funny? Not yet. Are both actors good casting choices? Absolutely. And if Zac can get more diverse roles, he might just pleasantly charm and surprise us.

For more posts on the cast:

Matthew Perry- Numb , Hollywood Stars in Friends, Including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and More

Zac Efron- Hairspray

Leslie Mann- Funny People

Buy 17 Again on Amazon

Zac Efron as Mike in his second-time-around 17 era — Zac as Mike in his second-time-around 17 era

Zac Efron and Michelle Trachtenberg 17 Again — Zac Efron with co-star Michelle Trachtenberg

Stardust, The Air I Breathe, Playing by Heart, The Good Shepherd, Hairspray & He’s Just Not That Into You: 6 Good Movies with Brilliant Casts

17 Again starring Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Michelle Trachtenberg and Leslie Mann