2009年12月3日星期四

Sundance Film Festival: This year's must-see (noncompetition) movies

Sundance Film Festival: This year's must-see (noncompetition) movies







Sundance organizers have just eBron James Shoes announced their out-of-competition features, and it’s a diverse list, with movies that offer plenty of promise, particularly on the countercultural front. Here are a few of the notables.

“The Company Men”: The man who gave us “ER” hands us a story about wounds of a different sort. Six-time Emmy winner John Wells makes his feature directorial debut with “The Company Men,” the cuttingly relevant tale about a group of men coping with the emotional and financial effects of losing their jobs. Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Kevin Costner star in one of the most anticipated movies in Park City, Utah. The question is, with all the real-life stories we read and see every day, will the subject matter feel resonant or redundant eBron James Shoes?

“The Runaways”: Punk rock was never the same after Joan Jett and her young band of musical misfits got through with it in the 1970s. Whether the same can be said of musical biopics after the teenage female stars of today — LeBron James Shoes Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning — do the same in their dramatization of the influential band remains to be seen. At the very least, the film will offer the chance to see Stewart vamp around the screen with a guitar and her dyed-black chop job.

“Nowhere Boy”: A different kind of musical trailblazer gets the feature treatment in this coming-of-age story, which might just as easily be titled “Portrait of a Beatle as a Young Man.” John Lennon’s difficult teenage years are chronicled in Sam Taylor Wood’s portrayal of life in 1950s Liverpool, before the world changed for young John, and before young John changed the world eBron James Shoes.

“The Killer Inside Me”: With Jim Thompson’s acclaimed book as its source material, and Silver Bear winner Michael Winterbottom as its director, this nihilistic story of a sheriff who’s also a serial killer almost feels as though it could be a Berlin or Cannes premiere. As it is, its appearance in Park City will give a taste of international auteurism, while the starring presence of Jessica Alba will offer the prospect of, perhaps, national droolism.

“Untitled Duplass Bros. Project”: You probably won’t find a more perfect embodiment of Sundance than Mark and Jay Duplass. Five years ago, the writing-directing duo landed with one of the biggest cult hits in the festival’s history, the offbeat romantic comedy “The Puffy Chair,” which centered on a twentysomething man, his girlfriend and his brother on a quixotic road trip. This year they come with the story of a different triangle: a fortysomething man, the woman he’s dating and her jealous son. They’re working with a bigger budget, more stars (Mark and his girlfriend, Kathryn Aselton, starred in “Chair”; Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly star here) and the backing of specialty division powerhouse Fox Searchlight. But expect the same mix of high jinks both hilarious and insightful eBron James Shoes.

“Winning Times: Reggie Miller vs. the Knicks”: Of all the influential documentaries that have premiered at Sundance over the years, few have been as entertainingly off-the-wall as “Crazy Love,” the story of a man who blinded an ex-girlfriend only to end up in a 30-year marriage with her (after he was released from prison). The director of that film, documentarian Dan Klores, returns to Sundance with a sports picture about the fateful 1995 playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks. The series offered the spectacle of Pacers star Reggie Miller and filmmaker Spike Lee taunting each other. Similarly colorful drama from this assured filmmaker is likely in store here.

“Splice”: Every few years, a genre movie breaks out in the festival’s after-midnight section, a time when most of the adults have long gone to bed, or are out at parties. This year, one of the lead contenders is “Splice,” Vincenzo Natali’s bio-thriller about scientists who, after creating a new animal species, try engineering creatures with human DNA. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley up the intrigue factor eBron James Shoes.

“Please Give”: With indie stalwarts like “Walking and Talking” and “Friends With Money,” director Nicole Holofcener has elevated female-relationship tales to an art form. Now, she’s turned her eye toward the marital dynamic -- and thrown real estate into the mix for good measure. This New York-set story about a couple waiting for their elderly neighbor to die so they can claim her apartment promises the mix of comedy and pathos that Holofcener is known for. And it will offer the chance to see Catherine Keener in what official estimates have as her 367th Sundance film.

Senate boosts preventive care for women

Senate boosts preventive care for women







WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate backed a plan on uggs outlet Thursday to make it easier for women to get preventive health screenings such as mammograms as it cast its first votes on a sweeping healthcare overhaul.

On the fourth day of a sometimes bitter debate, the Senate voted 61-39 for an amendment to improve access to women's screenings for diseases like cancer and diabetes by eliminating insurance co-pays and deductibles for them.

The move follows last month's controversy over federal task force recommendations that women delay regular mammograms for breast cancer and from a doctors' group that women delay pap smears for cervical cancer uggs outlet.

"This amendment makes sure that uggs outlet the insurance companies must cover the basic preventive care that women need at no cost," said Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski, sponsor of the amendment.

On a 58-42 vote, Democrats also backed the bill's cuts of more than $400 billion in the Medicare health program for the elderly. Republicans said the cuts would mean fewer benefits for seniors, but Democrats said they would eliminate waste and improve the program's fiscal health uggs outlet.

The votes broke a two-day Senate stalemate that had stalled progress on the healthcare bill, President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. On Wednesday night, party leaders finally agreed on a timeline for the votes.

Senate Democratic leaders have vowed to pass the bill by the end of December but Republicans want to prolong the debate into the 2010 campaign season in hopes public opposition will grow.

The Senate bill is designed to rein in costs, expand coverage to about 30 million uninsured Americans and halt insurance practices such as denying coverage to those with pre-existing medical conditions uggs outlet.

The House of Representatives passed its version last month. If the Senate passes a bill, the two will have to be reconciled in January and passed again by each chamber before being sent to Obama for his signature.

The votes occurred as Senate Democrats searched for compromises on the two toughest issues remaining -- the government-run public insurance option and language barring the use of federal funds for abortions.

'MANY DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS'

"There are many different conversations underway," said Dick Durbin,uggs outlet the No. 2 Senate Democrat.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid faces a difficult task keeping his coalition together. Democrats control 60 votes in the 100-member Senate -- the number needed to overcome Republican hurdles -- but some moderate Democrats have objected to the public option and abortion provisions.

Democratic Senator Tom Carper is leading talks with moderates to find a compromise on the public option, focusing on plans run by non-profit boards rather than the government in states that lacked affordable insurance.

Democratic Senator Ben Nelson said he will offer an amendment with the stricter abortion language included in uggs outlet the House version of the bill. He could oppose the overhaul if the amendment is rejected, he said.

National Board of Review goes crazy for Clooney and Clint again ... Will disaster follow at the Oscars?

National Board of Review goes crazy for Clooney and Clint again ... Will disaster follow at the Oscars?






The National Board of Review continued its love affair with George Clooney and Clint Eastwood when unveiling award winners today.



Clooney's "Up in the Air" reaped prizes for Nike basketball shoes best picture, lead actor (Clooney), supporting actress (Anna Kendrick) and adapted screenplay (Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner). Its helmer, Reitman, was cheated out of the director's award by NBR fave Clint Eastwood ("Invictus"). "Invictus" star Morgan Freeman tied Clooney for the lead actor's laurels.

Two years ago Clooney won best actor for "Michael Clayton." His "Good Night, and Good Luck" was voted best picture of 2005. Clint's "Letters From Iwo Jima" won best picture of 2006 and "Mystic River" best flick of 2003. Last year he won best actor for "Gran Torino." None of those wins repeated at the Oscars. Eastwood wasn't even nominated by academy members for his performance in "Gran Torino.".

The biggest NBR snub today was the omission of "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" from the NBR list of top 10 films. Just like "Up in the Air," it's considered to be a best-picture front-runner at the Oscars, but just because it got skunked by NBR doesn't necessarily spell doom at the Academy Awards. In 2003, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" failed to make the list too, then went on to sweep the Oscars, tying the record for most victories previously set by "Titanic" and "Ben-Hur." NBR voters did see "Lord of the Rings" — they gave it an ensemble award. In 2001, they snubbed "A Beautiful Mind" completely. In some other years when the eventual Oscar best-picture winner failed to make the NBR list, NBR voters didn't see the films, being too eager to be the first Nike basketball shoes award of derby season in early December before the films opened.

That situation could repeat this year if "Avatar" wins best Nike basketball shoes picture at the Oscars. "Avatar" is the only major film that NBR voters didn't see before casting ballots. They did view "Nine" and "The Lovely Bones" and snubbed both, but that wasn't a surprise considering the split reactions those films are getting at early industry screenings. Both could still end up being nominated at the Oscars, especially because the best-picture race will consist of 10 slots this year. In recent years, when there were only five contenders, Oscar best-picture nominees "The Reader," "There Will Be Blood" and "The Queen" failed to make the NBR top 10 lists.

NBR's best-actress champ of last year, Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married"), did make the Oscar list on nominees just like NBR's lead-acting winners of the previous year, Clooney ("Michael Clayton") and Julie Christie ("Away From Her"). All lost at Nike basketball shoes the Oscars.

Most of NBR's lead-acting champs of 2005 and 2006 did well at the Oscars: Forest Whitaker ("The Last King of Scotland"), Helen Mirren ("The Queen") and Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"). NBR victor Felicity Huffman ("Transamerica") got nominated by the academy, but lost to Reese Witherspoon ("Walk the Line") on Oscar night.

In recent years, NBR foretold the best-picture winner at the Oscars twice: "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008) and "No Country for Old Men" (2007). Earlier, the last agreement occurred in 1999 ("American Beauty").

Comparisons between Oscars and NBR aren't too relevant before 2005 because a power coup caused a toppling of old leaders of the Exceptional Photoplay Committee around then. Committee members decide award winners along with fractional input from the general membership. Current voters clearly have a strong bias Nike basketball shoes toward Clooney and Clint that may or may not be shared by Oscar voters this derby season. Hmmm, should Clooney and Clint actually be worried about being hailed again by NBR?

Somalia graduation day suicide attack condemned

Somalia graduation day suicide attack condemned







There has been widespread condemnation of a suicide bomb attack in Somalia that killed at least 19 people, including four government ministers.

The prime minister of Somalia's cheap ugg UN-backed government, Omar Sharmarke, described it as a "vicious and calculated outrage".

The African Union condemned the bombing - at a graduation ceremony for medical students - as "inhumane and cowardly".

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, in the capital Mogadishu.

However, presidential spokesman Hassan Haile told the BBC he believed it was the work of Islamist militants al-Shabab.

Militant groups control most of Mogadishu and much of the country.

"The loss of our ministers is disastrous, but it is cheap ugg an outrage to target the graduation of medical students and kill those whose only aim in life was to help those most in need in our stricken country," Mr Sharmarke said.

Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed described the attack at the Shamo Hotel as a "national disaster".

He described the victims as "dear citizens... unjustly assassinated while carrying out their duty to the nation".

The African Union said the blast would "not deter the resolve and determination of the African Union to support the people of Somalia in their quest for peace and reconciliation".
The acting head of the AU's peacekeeping force Amisom, Wafula Wamunyini, said the blast was "intended to intimidate and blackmail" the UN-backed government.

The EU's new foreign policy chief, Baroness Ashton, said in a statement: "I condemn in the strongest possible terms this cowardly attack against civilians including students, doctors and journalists."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in cheap ugg a statement the bombing marred "what should have been an event filled with hope for Somalia."

A statement signed by the UN, the US, the EU and the Arab League said the attack would not deter the international community from continuing its support to the Somali government.

Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said the male bomber had been dressed in women's clothing, "complete with a veil and a female's shoes".

The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan, who was at the scene, said there was a huge explosion in the hotel's meeting hall where hundreds of people were gathered.

"Everyone was covered in dust," he said.

"I looked across and the young guy sitting next to cheap ugg me was dead. I had to jump over him to get out. It was a shocking, terrible scene."

Health Minister Qamar Aden Ali, Education Minister Ahmed Abdulahi Waayeel, Higher Education Minister Ibrahim Hassan Addow and Sports Minister Saleban Olad Roble were all killed, officials said.

At least two journalists were also among the dead but officials said most of those killed were students. More than 60 people were injured.

The students had been graduating from Benadir University, which was set up in 2002 to train doctors to replace those who had fled overseas or been killed in the civil war cheap ugg.

Oprah visits White House for Christmas special

Oprah visits White House for Christmas special









WASHINGTON — Oprah and Obama,cheap uggs teamed up again. The billionaire talk show host descended on the White House on Thursday, accompanied by a giant array of personnel and equipment, to interview President Barack Obama for her upcoming primetime Christmas television special.

In addition to a solo interview with the president, Winfrey conducted a joint conversation with the president and his wife, Michelle, and filmed a tour of the White House holiday decorations for their first year in office.

She has interviewed Obama on other cheap uggs occasions, but not as president. She also shared the cover of her magazine for the first time with Michelle Obama, in this year's April issue,cheap uggs which also featured a long interview with the first lady about decorating, helping women, parenting philosophy, life in the White House and other topics.

Winfrey has been in the Obama White House on other occasions. In addition to coming for the Feb. 17 interview with the first lady for her magazine, Winfrey was on the guest list for an inaugural reception.

Winfrey's relationship with the Obamas dates to their days in Chicago.

Most notably, she lent her celebrity status to Obama's presidential campaign, her first-ever political endorsement. A University of Maryland study found that her seal of approval may have netted Obama about 1 million votes in the Democratic primaries. She appeared with him at high-energy campaign rallies that drew tens cheap uggs of thousands of supporters, raised money and cheered him on at the Democratic National Convention.

Winfrey also was seen weeping in the crowd during Obama's Nov. 4 election night victory speech in downtown Chicago.

Her "Christmas at the White House" show airs Dec. 13 at 10 p.m. on ABC.