(Conclusion)
LOS ANGELES — “Mammoth,” Swedish director Lukas Moodysson’s film with Gael Garcia Bernal, Michelle Williams and Filipina actress Marife Necesito, has been selected for main competition at the Berlin Film Festival which runs next month.
“Mammoth” is on our list of promising films of 2009. According to the film’s publicity materials, “‘Mammoth’ revolves around successful New York couple Leo (Gael) and Ellen (Michelle). Leo is the creator of a booming website while Ellen is a dedicated emergency surgeon. Their 8-year-old daughter Jackie (Sophie Nyweide) spends most of her time with her Filipino nanny Gloria (Marife). When Leo travels to Thailand on business, he unwittingly sets off a chain of events that will have dramatic consequences for everyone.”
In a press statement, Lukas said, “The film is about families … and how we behave towards children, both our own and others.” Other Filipino actors were cast in the scenes shot by Lukas in the Philippines.
‘Nine’
Just imagine this cast: Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Kate Hudson, Fergie and Daniel Day-Lewis. And the director — Rob Marshall — in his return to the musical genre since “Chicago.” The movie is “Nine,” the film adaptation of the stage hit which in turn was inspired by Fellini’s autobiographical masterpiece, “8 ½.”
‘A Serious Man’
There are no big stars in “A Serious Man” but with those gifted writer/directors Joel and Ethan Coen at the helm, who needs a Clooney or a Pitt?
The movie’s publicists gave us this teaser of a synopsis: “It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job.”
‘Nottingham’
Can you picture Russell Crowe in tights? Give Russell some credit because he furiously tried to lose the weight he gained for Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies” to play Robin Hood in “Nottingham.”
‘Julie & Julia’
Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, both Golden Globe nominees for their excellent portrayals in “Doubt,” is another pair that teamed up again in “Julie & Julia,” a movie about the late famous American chef, Julia Child.
‘The Soloist’
We heard that Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx were not happy when their movie, “The Soloist,” was moved from its late 2008 awards season release slate to an April 2009 showing. There was earlier buzz that “The Soloist,” based on LA Times columnist Steve Lopez’s (Robert) friendship with a homeless, Juilliard-trained musician (Jamie), could be a force in the 2008 awards season.
‘Amelia’
Hilary Swank could turn in another award-winning performance as legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart in director Mira Nair’s “Amelia.”
‘Up’
Will the law of averages finally catch up with those brilliant animation artists and filmmakers at Pixar? We’ll find out with their “Up,” which leads Disney’s releases this year.
‘Shutter’s Island’
The great Martin Scorsese is reunited with his muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, in “Shutter’s Island,” which is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. Martin tells the story of two US marshals, Leonardo and Mark Ruffalo, who are summoned to a remote and barren island off to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.
‘Jennifer’s Body’
We’ll finally see “Jennifer’s Body,” Diablo Cody’s first work since her excellent, Oscar-winning script for “Juno.” The unconventional Diablo addresses teenage cannibalism this time with Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”) in the lead roles and Karyn Kusama as director.
‘The Imaginarium’
That no less than three good actors — Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law — finished Heath Ledger’s role in “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” speaks well about the late actor. Johnny, Colin and Jude reportedly gave their earnings from the movie to Heath’s daughter, Matilda. This Faustian fantasy is directed by Terry Gilliam (“Brazil,” “The Fisher King” and “The Baron Munchausen”).
E-mail the columnist at rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com and read his blog, “The Nepales Report,” on http://blogs.inquirer.net/nepalesreport.
