SCARLETT JOHANSSON ESCAPING THE ISLAND By Brad Balfour When 20 year-old actress Scarlett Johansson joined director Michael Bay in making The Island, it didn’t seem the pairing would work Though Johansson has been known for starring in quirky small-scale character driven films (such as Ghost World, Lost In Translation and The Girl with the Pearl Earring), Bay had been … Continue reading
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Johnny Depp – In Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Master Actor Gets Deep Into the Role of Willie Wonka
Johnny Depp In Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, The Master Actor Gets Deep Into the Role of Willie Wonka by Brad Balfour Though often nominated as one of the world’s best looking men as well as for various Oscars [Finding Neverland, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl], the 40-something Johnny Depp inspires fascination. But it’s … Continue reading
Cécile De France – In a Tense Moment
CÉCILE DE FRANCE IN A TENSE MOMENT By Brad Balfour With high cheek bones and rich full lips, 30-year-old actress Cécile De France has been dubbed one of the next big things to come out of France recently. The character she plays in the just released slasher/psycho killer flick High Tension might shock people into believing that. Though … Continue reading
Chris Rock is a Busy Man
CHRIS ROCK IS A BUSY MAN By Brad Balfour However busy actor-comedian Chris Rock is, he never gets so worn out that he can’t crack a joke. And he has enough excuses to be exhausted, having both summer blockbusters, The Longest Yard and Madagascar, coming out on the same Memorial Day weekend. Yet Rock, one of the most … Continue reading
Ice Cube Goes From Hip Hop to Hijinks
Ice Cube Goes From Hip Hop to Hijinks by Brad Balfour Who would have thought that when Ice Cube appeared as a member of the original Los Angeles gangster rappers NWA that he would end up doing such a goofy and utterly cute yet pathetic comedy Are We There Yet? Yet as the hardcore star went from music to … Continue reading
Nicole Kidman Interprets Her Career
Nicole Kidman Interprets Her Career by Brad Balfour With her previous film released being the odd and controversial Birth, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman has proven to be unpredictable, very much her own person, not unlike the character she plays in her most recent film, The Interpreter, directed by Sydney Pollack-which premiered at the 4th annual Tribeca Film … Continue reading
Sigourney Weaver – Getting Real
SIGOURNEY WEAVER GETTING REAL by Brad Balfour Actress Sigourney Weaver has been an action film hero since the days when she first appeared as the avenging survivor in the film Alien. But besides her blockbusters such as Ghostbusters, she’s performed in a string of critically acclaimed films of emotional depth such as The Ice Storm, Gorillas in the … Continue reading
Alexander Payne – Staying Straight While Making Sideways
ALEXANDER PAYNE STAYING STRAIGHT WHILE MAKING SIDEWAYS by Brad Balfour With Sideways, Alexander Payne really proves he’s a true contender, not just the creator of smart, snarky idiosyncratic comedies but solid filmmaker who tackled humanity with aplomb. In this humorous on-the-road buddy flick, leads Paul Giamatti (failed writer Miles Raymond) and Thomas Haden Church (former hot actor Jack) grapple with Jack’s … Continue reading
Bruce Willis Stands Firm
BRUCE WILLIS STANDS FIRM By Brad Balfour It’s hard to believe that superstar Bruce Willis, a man often heard over many explosions in his signature action adventure films like those in the Die Hard series, should be so soft spoken. Yet after his wildly successful career as a hardnosed hero, Willis still tries to challenge himself and … Continue reading
Samuel L. Jackson – Learning from Reconciliation
SAMUEL L. JACKSON LEARNING FROM RECONCILIATION By Brad Balfour Few actors prompt the same kind of awe that Samuel L. Jackson does after having played a remarkable range of characters; from the tough gangster in Pulp Fiction to the heroic Mace Windu in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Through the eyes of a harsh … Continue reading