Watch 2014's Top Actors Smooch in '9 Kisses' Video Series

People I'm jealous of this morning: Every guy in these videos not named David Oyelowo or Timothy Spall. You want to know why sometimes you read stories about people fighting really hard for certain movie roles? It's because of stuff like this, New York Times' video series '9 Kisses', in which some of 2014's best actors and actresses kiss one another in different scenarios. My favorite? Chadwick Boseman and Kristen Stewart, partly because I've had that EXACT SAME DREAM where Stewart is my #1 fan. Jenny Slate and Rosario Dawson in some hot girl-on-girl action? Yes please. And Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Miles Teller's video is pretty sweet, too. Shailene Woodley and Jack O'Connell's kiss is cool because it maintains some of the tougher edge of the roles they've been playing all year.

These are all kind of awesome to me. Watch and enjoy.

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Review: Chris Rock's 'Top Five' co-starring Rosario Dawson

We've been waiting a lot of years for Chris Rock to finally put all of the pieces together; to combine the sharp, hilarious social commentary of his stand-up act with the obvious love he has for cinema. Overtly paying homage to the classic films of others hasn't really worked out in Rock's earlier directorial efforts, and nor should we expect it to. Whether he's on stage or on Twitter, Rock is one of the funniest guys on the planet but he does it by examining his own life and how it fits in today's society. Celebrities waxing on about the problems of other celebrities rarely works, but Rock has found the perfect formula for doing so in Top Five, an introspective look at stardom that happens to be the funniest movie of the year.

Bristling with the energy of the Manhattan streets right from the start, Top Five is always moving, whether it's to the next joke or the next discovery as Rock examines his celebrity. He plays Andre Allen, a comedian who hit the big time with a series of popular cop comedies in which he dresses up as bear named "Hammy". His catchphrase "It's hammy time" is part of the national lexicon whether he likes it or not, and he most certainly doesn't. Now trying to go legit with "Uprize", a serious movie about a Haitian slave rebellion, Andre is also on the verge of getting married to a reality star (Gabrielle Union) for broadcast on national TV. So he's at a professional and personal fork in the road, and hardly in the mood for a lengthy interview with Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson), a writer for a magazine that has typically trashed his work.

It's not hard to see Rock coming to grips with the path his own career has taken, while at the same time finding ways to joke about the nature of being famous. He also builds, rather subtly, a sweet little romance at the center. But this can hardly be called a traditional love story by any means. It's a comedy first and foremost, with Rock inviting what seems like an endless string of his buddies (Jerry Seinfeld, Cedric the Entertainer, Tracy Morgan, and many more) popping up for what seem like extended stand-up riffs. Also a character study, Rock gives each character just enough time to be fully realized, such as JB Smoove's role as Andre's best friend/body guard. While the running gag about his "big girl fetish" is funny (it could have been annoying), we also see in small doses the genuine concern he has for Andre, who is dealing with some other personal demons. While some of the revelations towards the end don't quite come together as Rock intended, so much works that they're only a minor quibble. Besides, you'll be too busy laughing to notice.

And it's good to see Rock hitting on all cylinders like this. At heart he is a true lover of film; the last film he directed was inspired by Eric Rohmer'sChloe in the Afternoon, but it didn't have that personal touch Top Fivedoes. Comedy and truth go hand-in-hand and there is honesty in Top Fivethat is undeniable, and yet the tone remains light throughout. Rock is best when at his most raw, and he's not afraid to get downright nasty. Try not to laugh (and possibly throw up) at a flashback to a particularly gross sexual encounter. Try not to pick your own favorites as Andre and his friends rank their top five favorite rappers. It may seem like a trite, throwaway aspect to the story but the rankings will come to mean something special by film's end. So much of Top Five turns out that way, though. The bulk of the film sees Rock sharing the screen with Dawson, and they are a perfect match for one another. We've never seen Rock this comfortable on screen, but you know what? Everybody seems that way opposite Dawson who is absolutely delightful. She's never been better.

So if it's tough to make us care about the troubles of celebrities, Rock has figured out how to do it. Just make sure we laugh. A lot. Top Five isn't just one of the best movies you'll see this year, it deserves to be in your top five.

 Rating: 4 out of 5

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15 Actresses Deserving of Oscars Attention (But Probably Won't Get It)

The other day one of my fellow critics in WAFCA asked who I thought the best supporting contenders ought to be this year, and they were shocked... SHOCKED I tell you, when Meryl Streep's name wasn't mentioned for Into the Woods. Well, why would it be? Why would I mention her when there are so many others who were better than her this year who, sadly, won't get any kind of attention because their last name isn't Streep. Come to think of it, I complained about the same thing last year while compiling this list. Unfortunately, sh*t never changes.

Here is a list of my favorite female performances of 2014 that probably won't get a sniff of Oscars buzz, or just may have been overlooked in general. Because we're still pretty early in the season that meant leaving some names off I'd normally put on, such as Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night, Carrie Coon for Gone Girl, or Renee Russo for Nightcrawler, because there's still a chance they'll get in. I also would have included Rinko Kikuchi for the odd Fargo-esque dramedy Kumiko the Treasure Hunter, but it doesn't officially come out until next February despite being nominated for an Indie Spirit Award. Whatever. One thing I'm happy about is that my list skews crazy young, with most of the actresses stars on the rise or just beginning to break out into their own. And no, I didn't pick any of these women because they're hot. That list comes later. So let's just get right to it, and look out for the rest of our "Best Of" breakdowns all month!

 Tessa Thompson- Dear White People



Charlotte Gainsbourg- Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 & 2




Carla Juri- Wetlands



Jenny Slate- Obvious Child


Emily Blunt- Edge of Tomorrow




Shailene Woodley- The Fault in Our Stars




Kristen Stewart- Camp X-Ray




Emily Browning- God Help the Girl



Tilda Swinton- Only Lovers Left Alive



Michelle Monaghan- Fort Bliss



Mia Wasikowska- Tracks




Kaitlyn Dever- Men, Women & Children



Juliette Binoche- A Thousand Times Good Night



Agata Trzebuchowska- Ida




Rosario Dawson- Top Five

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NSFW Trailer for Chris Rock's 'Top Five' co-starring Rosario Dawson

The timing of this new, very NSFW trailer for Chris Rock's new comedy Top Five couldn't be better. I literally just saw it about 30 minutes ago, and without going into specifics it's a film his fans absolutely must see. Not only is it very funny, but also very personal to Rock as he plays a former stand-up comedian and comedy actor trying to become a serious thespian. But with an impending marriage to a reality TV star (Gabrielle Union), a new film opening in theaters, and an interview with a beautiful journalist (Rosario Dawson), he finds himself questioning the personal and professional choices he's made.

Top Five opens on December 12th. Check out the trailer below.

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Chris Rock Talks his Favorite Rappers in Clip from 'Top Five'

The best part of High Fidelity, at least for me, were the scenes with John Cusack discussing his top five lists, whether it was about old girlfriends or favorite German rock stars. Those moments revealed a lot about his character, and it was something most guys can relate to because we all sit around and discuss stuff like that. That's what Chris Rock seems to be tapping into with Top Five, his new comedy that has been all the rage since debuting in Toronto.

Rock wrote, directed and stars in the film as celebrity comedian Andre Allen, who is about to get married to a reality show star and is trying to reinvent himself as a serious actor, despite his fans not really wanting him to. In this clip we see what amounts to a comedy bit as Rock talks about his top 5 rappers with family and friends, including Rosario Dawson who co-stars an inquisitive journalist.

Top Five opens in limited release on December 5th.

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First Trailer for Chris Rock's Festival Hit, 'Top Five'

While other films may have racked up awards at the Toronto Film Festival, it's doubtful any of them came out of it as hot as Chris Rock's Top Five. The celebrity world comedy scored a big time distribution and has people talking about Rock as a director again, his first effort behind the camera since 2007's I Think I Love my Wife. And with the film a couple of months away from hitting theaters the first trailer has arrived and it's hilarious.

Rock stars alongside Gabrielle Union, Rosario Dawson, JB Smoove, and more in the story of a top comedy star dealing with a lot all at once. He's set to make his big dramatic debut and reinvent himself as a serious actor, while at the same time he's about to get married on national television to a popular reality star. And on top of all this he has to spend the day being interviewed for New Yorker magazine by the beautiful and sharp Chelsea (Dawson), who challenges him on multiple levels.

Not surprisingly, Rock has cast a bunch of his fellow comedians in smaller roles with Kevin Hart, Jerry Seinfeld, Cedric the Entertainer, Adam Sandler, and more making appearances. Top Five hits theaters on December 12th.

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First Images from Marvel's 'Daredevil' Netflix Series; Plus Rosario Dawson's Character Revealed!

This being New York Comic-Con weekend, now was a good time for Marvel to show off some of the projects that have been kept under wraps. One of those is Daredevil, the first of five Netflix series they'll be debuting on the streaming network. Today they revealed the first look at Charlie Cox as the "man without fear" and his look, at least initially, is clearly inspired by the character's most famous storyline.

The two images show Daredevil in the black, ninja-style outfit he wore in Frank Miller and John Romita Jr.'s Daredevil: Man without Fear series. It';s expected that the classic red outfit will appear at some point. The other shows us Daredevil in his alter ego of law attorney Matt Murdock, red shades and all.  Plus, some new cast members were revealed as well as confirmation of Rosario Dawson's character, which many thought would be Elektra. I never did, but I was still way off. Dawson will be playing Claire Temple, who will go on to become Night Nurse. As the name suggests, Night Nurse was someone who provided medical aid to the city's superheroes, usually for free. She's become something of a cult favorite over the years, possibly because of her soap opera-esque origins in the 1960s comic, Linda Carter, Student Nurse. Not sure why they decided to change her name for the TV series, though. What this tells me is that she won't be the same Night Nurse fans of the character are familiar with.

Other additions to the cast include Ayelet Zurer (Man of Steel) as Vanessa Fisk, the wife of Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin who will be played by Vincent D'Onofio; Bob Gunton is Jim Owlsley better known as The Owl; and Vondie Curtis Hall will play reporter Ben Urich. If anybody complains about an African-American playing Urich I'll scream.

Steven Knight serves as showrunner and exec-producer alongside Drew Goddard, with Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson also part of the main cast. Daredevil should premiere on Netflix in 2015.

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'True Detective' Season 2 Rumor Includes Rosario Dawson, Brit Marling, Jessica Biel, and More

 Like the mysteries of HBO's True Detective, the role of the female lead in season two has been a bit murky. Elisabeth Moss and Rachel McAdams were the most recent actresses said to be vying for the part, but now a whole new list of names have emerged, some who have done darker roles before and some who would be traveling that road for the first time.

According to The Wrap, Rosario Dawson, Brit Marling, Jessica Biel, Oona Chaplin, Kelly Reilly, Jessica, Malin Akerman, and Jaimie Alexander are in contention, with Moss and McAdams possibly still in the mix. It seems like a natural fit for Marling, whose films The East and Sound of My Voice share a similar moody tone and sense of mystery. The site, in their awful video hosted by Jeff Sneider, suggest that Dawson is the frontrunner but she's also got Marvel's Daredevil so who knows how that would work out. Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin's granddaughter) is best known for her stint as Talisa on HBO's Game of Thrones, making her familiar to the network. All of these actresses would make interesting options but Marling seems like the closest fit to play "Ani Bezzerides, a tough, no-nonsense Monterey sheriff whose troubled upbringing has driven her to gambling and alcohol". Outside of her, Reilly could be a sleeper pick. She's been great in everything from Flight to Calvary, and she's free for a new series after ABC cancelled Black Box last month.

 Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch, Vince Vaughn, and director Justin Lin seem to be locked in for True Detective, which is expected to go into production soon.

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Review: 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' Starring Josh Brolin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Eva Green

Just how good of a year was 2005 for comic book movies? You basically had two groundbreaking films that turned the entire genre on its side opening within two months of each other: Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and Robert Rodriguez's Sin City. Nobody disputes the impact of Nolan's trilogy but it can be argued Sin City, with its sleazy cast of hard-edged film noir archetypes and visuals literally popping from the pages of Frank Miller's graphic novel, was more immediately impressive. Copycats followed and Rodriguez's use of CGI technology became the new standard for by which all such films were measured. There just weren't any more Sin City flicks, at least not right away. Nine years later, after much teasing by Rodriguez, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is finally here and it offers sexier femme fatales, more angry antiheroes, more blood and nudity. And while that may be enough to satisfy the most hardcore fans others may feel like the long wait was barely worth it.

The genius of Sin City and its pair of adaptations, co-directed by Rodriguez and Miller, is that it resembles the nasty criminal underworld of Batman comics with the hyper-stylization of superheroes. It's a place where a crazed behemoth like Marv (Mickey Rourke) can get shot a dozen times and come back to pluck a guy's eye out, grumbling one-liners the whole way. Rodriguez doesn't so much as recreate the familiar film noir elements; dark shadows, cigarette smoke, vigilantes and manipulative vixens; he glorifies them while indulging in the comical violence he's always been such a fan of. In this case, the maddeningly over-the-top violence more closely resembles that of Rodriguez's Machete Kills, which couldn't be less of a film noir than Spy Kids was.

Rodriguez's computer generated backgrounds, which blew our minds nine years ago, no longer have that element of surprise but they are still breathtaking to behold. Shattered glass and spraying blood glisten in the eye-popping starkness of this black and white world, occasionally lit up by flashes of color. Usually these brief moments of vibrancy are reserved for the ladies, who are either arm candy or scheming she-devils. Like the first film, a series of loosely-connected short stories ripped from the comics comprise the bulk of the material, with a couple of new tales that introduce a new character and expand on another. The crisscrossing chronology allows for some dead characters to be seen once again, like Marv and his demented search for answers in "Just Another Saturday Night". In that one, Marv, whose head has never been screwed on too tight, cracks heads while trying to figure out why he killed a bunch of guys. A thread from the first film is followed-up on in "Nancy's Last Dance", in which the saintly (for Sin City anyway) strip club dancer Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) goes nuts after the death of her savior, John Hartigan (Bruce Willis), and seeks revenge on the politically-connected Roark clan of psychos.

Because so much of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For remains unchanged from before, both in terms of tone and visual flourish, it's the new additions to the cast who are the greatest blast to spend time with. The centerpiece story “A Dame to Kill For" features the dangerously gorgeous Eva Green in various states of undress. No other actress so perfectly embodies the classic femme fatale as Green, who plays Ava Lord in a twisted tale that explains how street hero Dwight (now played by Josh Brolin) came to need that new face he had in the first film. Dwight's always had a soft spot for the ladies and Lord exploits that by calling on him for help against the torturous Manute (Dennis Haysbert) and her abusive billionaire husband. She and Dwight share a troubled romantic past and he can't resist her cries for help or her sexual advances. Of course she's not being totally honest about her situation, and when Dwight enlists Marv (who appears in practically every story) to take down Lord once and for all its bloody and kinky in all the ways we love about Sin City. Green slinks and slithers like a snake with her piercing eyes and Rodriguez lavishes us with every gratuitous shot of her shimmering body. He's as smitten with her as the many men who fall under Lord's spell, which includes Christopher Meloni as a married cop who haplessly carries out her orders. She's everything the title suggests and more.

The best of the fresh material is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's "The Long Bad Night", in which the perfectly-suited actor plays Johnny, a cardsharp riding a hot streak and decides to see how far he can take it. With a hot dame (Julia Garner) by his side he decides to take on Sin City's most heinous villain, Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe) in a poker match and wins handily. Winning may have its privileges but not in Sin City, and Roarke makes Johnny's life a gruesome waking nightmare.

Sadly we don't get to see nearly enough of Rosario Dawson as Gale, leader of the Old Town prostitutes, while brief cameos by Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, and Stacy Keach mostly serve as "ah ha" moments rather than anything memorable. With all the CGI violence and sexy babes this is Rodriguez right in his element, but there's never any attempt to improve on what came before. Sin City was such a game-changer that it's disappointing Rodriguez doesn't try to break new ground with Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. He gives fans all the blood and guts they can handle and absolutely nothing more.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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Crazy Sounds Good to Jessica Alba in First 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' Clip

We're burning through the summer blockbusters pretty fast, and with only a handful left Robert Rodriguez's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For is starting to get a little more attention. Dimension Films has released the first clip from the film, and it features the returning character of Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba), and apparently she's gone a little nutso since the death of her friend, Hartigan (Bruce Willis), the man who saved her life. And when Nancy goes nuts, she starts cutting things. Suffice it to say this will not be the same Nancy, all dolled up in cowgirl gear, that we saw before.  Along with it are a couple of new photos of Old Town's toughest ladies. Jamie Chung (taking over for Devon Aoki) as the deadly assassin Miho, and Rosario Dawson as her fearsome leader, Gail.

Co-Directed by Rodriguez and Frank Miller, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.

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Rosario Dawson Joins Marvel's 'Daredevil' Series

With Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio on board for Marvel's Daredevil Netflix series, the show could use a dose of starpower. Even TV shows could use a boost from a major Hollywood celeb, and Daredevil just got it with the addition of Rosario Dawson in an unnamed role that kind of sounds a lot like Elektra. Here's the relevant portion of Marvel's press release:

Marvel and Netflix are proud to announce that acclaimed actress Rosario Dawson has joined “Marvel’s Daredevil,” an all-new 13-episode series premiering on Netflix in 2015.

Known for her powerful work in “Cesar Chavez,” “Kids” and the upcoming “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For,” Rosario Dawson will play a dedicated young woman whose quest to heal the wounds of Hell’s Kitchen brings Matt Murdock unexpectedly crashing into her life, while her own journey forever alters the course of his battle against the injustices of this broken city.

Dawson joins Charlie Cox (previously announced as Matt Murdock) and Vincent D’Onofrio (previously announced as Wilson Fisk) in the critically-lauded cast of “Marvel’s Daredevil.”

Dawson will be seen next as Gail in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and it's worth noting both Gail and Elektra are creations of comic book legend, Frank Miller. Wonder if he had any input in the casting? I also like that Marvel mentioned her debut role in Larry Clark's Kids. Amazing how far she's come since then.

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Outlaws Become Heroes in New 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' Trailer

A lot has changed in the nine years since Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's Sin City delivered a pulpy and bloody twist on the comic book movie genre. The films are bigger, look better, and with the big two of Marvel and DC running the show there's little room for much else to gain traction. And with Sin City: A Dame to Kill For debuting in just a couple of months with basically the same look and cast, will there be the same excitement for it as before?

A new, expanded trailer makes a solid case that fans of the original will be pleased, but what about everybody else? Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Powers Boothe, Bruce Willis, and Rosario Dawson are back as the criminals and antiheroes of Sin City, joined by newcomers Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Juno Temple, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Haysbert, Jamie Chung, and more. While most of the stories are adapted from Miller's graphic novels, a pair of original stories penned by Miller and William Monahan will keep things fresh. The centerpiece tale, and the one which gives the film its title, will center on Ava Lord (Green) and her double-cross of the heroic Dwight, now played by Brolin.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.


Sin City : A Dame To Kill For (2014) - Official Trailer #3 [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City.fr

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Five New Character Posters for 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'

There are plenty of old faces returning for Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, also some new ones, and old ones looking like new ones. We get a bit of each in a series of new character posters featuring Joseph Gordon Levitt as Johnny, Jessica Alba as Nancy, Rosario Dawson back as Gail, Mickey Rourke as Marv, and Josh Brolin taking over the role of Dwight. It's Dwight's story that will serve as the connecting bridge between multiple tales, with Eva Green as his scorned former lover out for revenge.

Not much new to see here as these images look similar to the promo material from the first film with a few minor changes. Basically, Rodriguez isn't trying to fix what he already knows will work. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.

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New Trailer for Robert Rodriguez's 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'

When Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller unveiled Sin City back in 2006, it was a stylized, revolutionary piece of work. It was as if Miller's comic were springing from the pages right onto the screen, and with a cast of A-listers inhabiting that hard-boiled world it was truly something special. This summer Sin City: A Dame to Kill For finally arrives after numerous delays, and and although the stars and technology appear to be the same, there's a decided lack of buzz surrounding it.

A new trailer has been released and it's basically just an edited version of the one that hit the web a few weeks ago. Josh Brolin is one of the handful of new faces, replacing Clive Owen in the role of Dwight who must prevent being murdered by his former flame, Ava Lord, played by Eva Green. That's just one of the many gritty stories following Sin City's notorious and extremely violent residents. Even the good guys are pretty bad.

Rodriguez hasn't done much to give the film a fresher look, and that may be why it's been lost in the summer crowd. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.


Sin City A Dame To Kill For - Official Trailer #2 (2014) [HD] by MEGA-UP

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First Trailer for Atom Egoyan's 'The Captive' Starring Ryan Reynolds

A few years ago Ryan Reynolds had everything at his fingertips. Hot new DC Comics movie franchise, blockbuster films all lined up, and even a couple of buzzworthy indies. And then it all disappeared and Reynolds has kind of slipped into the background. But he may be on the way back, with a notable change-of-pace role in Marjane Satrapi's The Voices debuting at Sundance, and next he'll hit Cannes for Atom Egoyan's The Captive.

As Cannes continues to reveal footage from their full slate of films, the first trailer for The Captive is among them. The dark and foreboding film, reminiscent of last year's Prisoners, centers on a man dealing with the kidnapping of his young daughter, and how her disappearance leads to the destruction of everything around him. This is pretty tough material, and judging by this Reynolds could be up to the task of handling it. He's surrounded y a talented ensemble of Mireille Enos, Rosario Dawson, Scott Speedman, Alexia Fast, and Bruce Greenwood.

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Review: 'Cesar Chavez' Starring Michael Pena, Rosario Dawson, and John Malkovich

Michael Pena has spent years as one of Hollywood's most reliable character actors, always playing second fiddle to bigger-named stars who don't always have his ability. In the rare times he's been thrust in leading roles, such as in military drama The Lucky One and the cop thriller End of Watch, Pena has proven himself an actor capable of incredible sensitivity and reserves of strength. Both of those qualities come into play in the biggest role of his career, playing activist Cesar Chavez in Diego Luna's sophomore directorial effort.

Pena's performance as the charismatic union leader towers over the film itself, which sadly is too small in scope and formulaic to properly portray Chavez's influence. It's an oddly constructed biopic, one that begins well into Chavez's activism, but without giving us the proper context for it. What drove him to be the man he is when we first meet him? Picking up just as he and his wife Helen (America Ferrera) have gathered up their army of kids and moved to Delano, California, it jumps right into Chavez's fight to secure better working conditions for grape-picking migrant workers.

And so the film takes a fairly linear, undramatic approach to Chavez's battle against the powerful employers, local racists, and corrupt cops looking to squash his little rebellion. Things start off small, with Chavez and his loyal lieutenant Dolores Huerta (Rosario Dawson) merging their small Mexican outfit with the Filipino workers who are in a similarly tough situation. They want better wages and safer working conditions, going on a 5-year strike using a path of non-violent resistance. It's an approach not all within Chavez's group would support, and he battled aggressive internal forces as much as external. To further champion his peaceful cause, Chavez would go on a 25-day hunger strike, putting his life at risk. It's a powerful act of self-sacrifice, and Pena perfectly embodies Chavez's commitment, but we never get a proper sense of how big the stakes are. We see the small victories against local and national wineries, most notably against the scheming Bogdanovich (John Malkovich), but where is the point where Chavez faces a genuine set back? Where is the point where the movement seems devastated beyond repair? Chavez's story is filled with moments such as these but they are barely addressed here, and it seems as if success is preordained. Also in need of a more thorough examination are his strained familial relationships. His wife worries about his safety while also throwing herself in harm's way, and Chavez struggles to connect with a son who has grown resentful.

Pena's understated performance is perfectly in sync with Luna's subtle direction, echoing the minimalist political dramas of Pablo Larrain. It's a competent step in this phase of Luna's career, but the film's low aspirations and unwillingness to show any flawed aspects of Chavez's character doom it to the realm of so-so biopics. Even so, Pena deserves any and all accolades that come his way. Hopefully this will lead to him getting more opportunities to shine.

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First Trailer for Robert Rodriguez's 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For'

Eight years ago when Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller took us to the crime-filled, noirish landscape of Sin City, the film's stylish black & white look was considered revolutionary, at least in the world of comic book movies. But now after all this time does it still hold the same mystique? That question begins to be answered with the release of the first trailer for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

Again based on Miller's pulpy graphic novels, with some fresh material thrown in there penned by William Monahan (The Departed), the film takes us back to the blood-soaked streets of Sin City populated by bizarre villains, femme fatales, and stoic antiheroes. The footage gives us our first official look at Eva Green as the titular dame, and she's leading a powerful cast consisting of Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Josh Brolin, Rosario Dawson, Jaime King, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Haysbert, Jamie Chung, Bruce Willis, Eva Green, Julia Garner, Ray Liotta, Juno Temple, Jeremy Piven and Stacey Keach.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.


Sin City A Dame To Kill For Trailer by Stuff We Like

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Review: 'Gimme Shelter', Starring Vanessa Hudgens and Rosario Dawson

Vanessa Hudgens has come a long way since her High School Musical days. She's definitely grown as an actress and has branched out into roles that no one would have seen her taking on a few years ago. So there's something even more refreshing about her role in Gimme Shelter, and her dedication to playing the part the right way. Her portrayal of pregnant teenager Apple works in a movie where not everything does. 

Agnes "Apple" Bailey (Hudgens) lives an unhappy, abusive, and deteriorating life. She lives with her mom June (Rosario Dawson) and is forced to help her in her business of prostitution. June isn't the ideal loving mother nor does she really try to be. She's always dirty, forces her daughter into doing things, is a drug addict, and is verbally abusive and aggressive towards her. Apple gets fed up and runs away from home in order to go and find Tom (Brendan Fraser), the dad she never knew. 

Tom now works on Wall Street and is married with kids. He tries to help Apple in the only way he knows how, which is to basically tell her what to do with her life, but Apple isn't pleased with the way she's being treated by his wife, so she runs away from there too. But not before discovering that she is pregnant. She decides to keep her baby, but is close to losing her daughter when she gets into a car crash. In the hospital, she meets Father Frank McCarthy (James Earl Jones) who tries to help her and she ends up finding a home with Kathy (Ann Dowd), a woman who has opened up her home for young, pregnant girls who need help. Slowly, Apple finds a family and a way to get her life back on track. 


Director Ron Krauss thoroughly researched everything for this film as well as lived in the shelter for awhile. The character of Apple is based on several of the shelter girls' stories and Krauss even adds a touch of reality by filming the shelter scenes in the real-life Kathy's home. So the touch of real life is welcome and makes the film even more hard to bear in certain parts knowing what Apple and the rest of the girls in the shelter went through. 

A lot of the film touches on Apple's struggles and her typical teenage stubborn streak that declares that she knows how to deal with her own life, but secretly wishes that someone would help her and care. The film generally does a good job portraying that since we follow Apple's journey from beginning to end and we see the progression of her character. Apple's mom is just as complex a character and while a lot of the movie is spent hating on her, there's one split second where you actually begin to feel sorry for her because of where she ended up in life compared to how she was before. 

The movie begins to falter a little bit after Apple reaches the shelter. There she meets a girl named Cassie (Emily Meade), whose plight isn't something we completely understand. We get why she's at the shelter, why she doesn't like being at the shelter, and why she wants to run away from it, but her message and her story are somewhat disjointed. It's as though Cassie's only there to be the possible wrench in the system, the girl no one really understands and who hates everyone on principle. But her presence ends up being a little confusing rather than useful and her relationship with Apple goes from hate to friendship in a blink of an eye without explanation.

At some points the movie feels like it could have been a better documentary than a feature film because it's almost too factual sometimes. It's almost as though Krauss tries to put in everything he's learned about these girls into the movie but at the expense of slowing the movie down. Also, occasionally, the movie gets a little too preachy in its message, but ultimately finds solid ground again near the end. 

The movie's greatest strengths are its performances. Hudgens cuts off her hair, gains weight for the role, and just embodies the character she's playing to the point of being unrecognizable. Everything about her character down to the way she walks screams "I need help!" Her scenes with Rosario Dawson are full of tension and a heightened sense of danger, because Dawson is particularly creepy and out of control in her role. James Earl Jones is always a welcome sight in any film, and here is no exception. 

To sum it up, Hudgens gives a fantastic performance in a film that isn't perfect but is, at the same time, somewhat moving. The great performances are what fuels this film and you can tell that Hudgens and Dawson (and they're pointed out in particular because they have far more to do than Jones or Brendan Fraser) really pour all they have into this movie. Hudgens is unrecognizable and is bound for more complex roles now that she's proven she can succeed outside of the cutesy world she was introduced in. Ron Krauss delivers a decent film that falters and slows in its second act before finding its way to the end, not unlike its lead character does. 

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Interview: Vanessa Hudgens Talks 'Gimme Shelter' and Tackling the Role of Apple

Vanessa Hudgens has had an interesting career so far. While she started acting in 2002, she didn't get her big break until Disney came calling in 2006 and High School Musical, the Disney Channel TV movie, put Hudgens on the map. After three movies and a few hit and get-stuck-in-your-head songs, Hudgens was so associated with the role of Gabriella that she really needed something different to shake off her previous image.  

And in the last few years, and several varying films that include Frozen Ground and Spring Breakers, Hudgens has proved herself an actress to look out for. She's shown that she isn't willing to rest on her former Disney fame and has taken risks that have served her well in her career. 

This time around, Hudgens stars as Apple in the new movie Gimme Shelter, about a pregnant teenager on the run from her verbally and physically abusive mother. The film is based on a true story and is directed by Ron Krauss. 

I got to sit down with Hudgens and a few of my colleagues for a round-table interview a couple of weeks ago. The actress talked about her experience living in a shelter for a few weeks, the emotional journey this film took her on, and working with director Ron Krauss. 

You can read the interview below! And you can watch Hudgens in Gimme Shelter when it opens in theaters on January 24.
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What was your initial reaction when you read the role and what made you want to tackle it? 

Just what a strong character she was. The fact that she was a real survivor and that she took her future into her own hands. I just love strong women, so I think that's definitely something I got right off the bat with her. And I always loved the idea of transformation. Charlize Theron in Monsters. It's just amazing to watch an actor and not see an actor, just to see a character and be an audience member. So, I've always loved that aspect of acting and I knew it was going to require that when I read this script. 

Photo by Mae Abdulbaki

So your scenes with Rosario Dawson are excellent. Some of the best in the film. Before you filmed them, did you have a chance to talk about them with her and rehearse, because I know you gave her the script. 

Not necessarily. Everything was really present and in the moment. We're kind of just discovering as we went. Of course, the fighting scenes we tried to block out a little bit so no one's actually hurt, but I feel like she just understood the role and I had been studying it for awhile. We knew our place and we already had a good relationship together as people, so we just went in and did our thing. 

The girls in the shelter when you were living there, obviously because of their experiences they must have a lot of trust issues. And one of the things they have to learn in the shelter is to place their trust where it's deserved. How did you get them to trust you?

I don't know. [laughs] I think they saw the fact that I was there and I wanted to do justice to their story, you know? I really wanted to be a glimpse into their lives and not be an overdramatazation. And they saw my passion for the project. They knew that I was really invested in it and that this wasn't something I was just going to take lightheartedly. I stayed in the shelter for a couple of weeks before we started filming and was doing the chores with them. I didn't put myself on any different level, except for the ones that they were. I tried to just stay with them consistently. Sure enough, they slowly opened up to me. And the one who opened up to me the most is Darleshia, who Apple's events with her mother actually happened to her. And I was surprised, honestly, how well she opened up to me and how she was so uncensored talking about it. And I was really close to her son [laughs], so I feel like that if he trusted me then she could trust me. 

Hudgens in Spring Breakers

I love that you're this young actress who isn't afraid to take daring roles, like Spring Breakers. And even your role in Frozen Ground is pretty similar to your character in this movie. When you're reading a script, what do you look for that you're like, "I have to do this"?

I'm very selective about the things that I do, but I'm lucky enough to be in a place where I can. I honestly first listen to my intuition and my gut. And if it's giving me good vibes, then I'm down for it. And like I said, I love the idea of transformation, I love being able to be a chameleon and really kind of trip people up when they're watching me onscreen because it seems like such a different person. Someone who has depth and who is real. Just something that I haven't been able to explore in the past. I love, as an actor, that you get to put yourself in situations that you would never have been in. So, I think the further away from, the cooler and the more of a challenge it is. 

In the movie, I noticed that you had different mannerisms that you gave to the character. You ate really fast every time you could eat because she didn't know where her next meal is going to come from. And a different kind of walk. Is there anything else that you tried to do to make your character have a little extra? 

Photo by Mae Abdulbaki

Yeah. In every moment I tried to have something that would set Apple aside from Vanessa. Whether it was playing with the lip rings I had on or just the way that I spoke. The way that I would take care of myself or touch myself... every way possible, basically. In every moment I was trying to search for something that would make it a bit more harsh, and ugly. Because when it is, it's raw and real and vulnerable. So, there was definitely not a stone un-turned, I feel. 

How was the directing process with director Ron Krauss? Did he give you a sense of what he wants and then let you follow your instincts? 

Me and Ron kind of had an instant connection. I don't know why, I don't know how, but we just kind of got each other from the very beginning. And he put me in place. And I put him in place when it was needed. We worked side by side in this magical dance of a way. He, of course, would work with me on the scenes and let me know in his head where I was going. And sometimes he would come up and remind me of those things. We were on the same page. And just because we both had been in the shelter, that became normal for us. So were really on the same page. We both knew the character really well. I set boundaries when I had to and we had a great time. There were times I wanted to punch him but I didn't [laughs]. But no, I love him and I couldn't have ever done this without him. His sheer dedication and motivation. 

So you cut your hair for this movie. You lost 15 pounds and stayed in a shelter to experience what these girls were going through. How has this film been an emotional journey for you?

It's been a hell of a journey. And it's still continuing. I feel like the movie came to me at the time of my life where I myself was going through a transformation. So it was kind of like I was stepping into the world and seeing things in a different light and trying to figure myself out. I think that's what kind of drew me to the characters because she starts off one way and ends up this other way. It's kind of like her turning into a butterfly. And I just got a butterfly tattoo before the film, which was annoying because I had to cover it up the entire time. So it came to me at a brilliant time. 

Vanessa Hudgens as Apple in Gimme Shelter

Going through it, I pushed myself harder than I ever have and I surprised myself. And I feel like it was a big touchstone for me. And then afterwards, it really affected me because I looked in the mirror and all I could see was Apple. I didn't know who Vanessa was anymore. I didn't feel comfortable in my skin and I was kind of a disaster. So that was probably the lowest part for me was just trying to find myself again. And after that, I got back on my feet and continued to work. And now that it's relevant in my life again, the journey is still continuing. I see this movie as a such a god-driven movie and see these signs everywhere I go and has taken on a life so much bigger than a movie and is connecting with women in a way that I never thought it would. And I feel like it's bringing healing and transcended into such a beautiful thing that's been giving wings and it's a gift. 

You brought up the butterfly tattoo and I wanted to bring up Apple's tattoo in the movie. I've seen the movie twice now, so I had a chance to think about extra details. What was she thinking about that image? A very hopeful image and an aspirational image for her to put on her neck. Did you work with the makeup people on it?

Actually, that was all Ron. He just had that image of that tattoo from the very beginning. And me being the way that I was when I came into it, all I saw were stars, which I remembered Rihanna had [laughs]. And I never really got too deep in it. It was just another thing that allowed me to look into the mirror and not see myself. And because it was such a hassle to put on, I would try to not wash it. Which also added to the griminess and the dirtiness I felt on myself in the conditions that my character was in. Just not feeling clean. It just added to the un-comfort-ability of Apple. 

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Rosario Dawson to Return for 'Clerks III'

If you bother to look for her there are plenty of chances to see Rosario Dawson this month. This week she'll be appearing with Vanessa Hudgens in the indie drama, Gimme Shelter, a film that is receiving some solid buzz. And if you check out fight flick Raze (review of that here), she can be seen in a rather brutal cameo alongside a couple of her Death Proof co-stars. With Kevin Smith rounding up the returning cast for Clerks III, one who will definitely be coming back is Dawson as Becky Scott, the fiancé of lead slacker Dante Hicks.

When asked by Den of Geek about a Clerks III update, Dawson replied "He just confirmed that I'm in it!". When last we saw her character, she had just become engaged to Dante (Brian O'Halloran), but as of now we don't know where that relationships stands as details on the film are few. Jeff Anderson will definitely return as his pal and fellow underachiever, Randall, and there's sure to be room for Jay and Silent Bob. I remember thinking back then that she was too big of a star for Clerks II, but she ended up fitting right in.

Smith hopes to have the film ready by the Clerks 20th anniversary in 2014, and is aiming for a May start date.

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