The Hottest Leading Ladies of 2014

James Brown told us "It's a man's world", but the ladies own us guys heart and soul. Every year I like to take a look back at some of the leading ladies who really got my engine going over the last twelve months, both with their stunning beauty and incredible performances. While I could easily just chart them based on who was sexy, that wold lead to Kate Upton being on here for The Other Woman, and that simply can not be allowed to happen. Are there some personal favorites on here who probably wouldn't turn up on other lists? Absolutely. You all know my thing for Zoe Bell. But can I also say that every woman on this list did tremendous work this year? Damn right...even if some of the movies they were in weren't so great. Frankly, I like the idea of any list that allows me to put Zoey Deutch alongside Jessica Chastain. Plus it's not completely lost on me that Rosario Dawson has now made the list two years in a row. Rosario Dawson is everything. Nor can I escape the fact that most of the roles these women played were either psychotic or incredibly violent.

So without further ado, here are my picks for the hottest leading ladies of 2014, and be sure to check out our other "End of the Year" lists!

Zoe Bell- Raze

Tessa Thompson- Dear White People

Stacy Martin- Nymphomaniac

Zoey Deutch- Vampire Academy

Eva Green- 300: Rise of an Empire and White Bird in a Blizzard

 

Shailene Woodley- White Bird in a Blizzard

Emily Blunt- Edge of Tomorrow

Emily Browning- God Help the Girl

Rosamund Pike- Gone Girl

Hana Selimović- The Disobedient

Gugu Mbatha-Raw- Beyond the Lights

Katherine Waterston- Inherent Vice

Evangeline Lilly- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Jessica Chastain- A Most Violent Year

Rosario Dawson- Top Five

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Review: Stuart Murdoch's 'God Help the Girl' Starring Emily Browning and Olly Alexander

"Just for this summer we were all in the right place and the possibilities were endless." The light and wistful pop music of Glasgow band Belle & Sebastian was tailor made for two things: coming-of-age stories and trendy art house movies. And that sound has been the soundtrack for plenty of both, but with God Help the Girl its frontman Stuart Murdoch who spins a wondrously surreal and intoxicating fairy tale for those who love and draw strength from the power of music. In essence, it's a movie Murdoch has made for people just like him, but those who perhaps aren't down with Belle & Sebastian will fall in love with it, too.

Murdoch named the band Belle & Sebastian based on a favorite fairy tale, and God Help the Girl has a similar storybook quality. But these are the hippest, best-dressed fairy tale characters you've ever seen, and at times it's easy to get lost in how stylish the film looks, almost like a sun-drenched feature-length music video. Murdoch weaves a series of original songs into the story of Eve (Emily Browning), a troubled girl in a hospital after a struggle with anorexia. Murdoch doesn't deal with her health troubles much at all to keep with the peppy vibe. Eve doesn't have much, but she has a love of music, and after escaping it isn't long before she's ensconced in the Glasgow scene. By chance she meets the dorky but quietly handsome James (Olly Alexander), a singer-guitarist struggling to make his mark. After Eve follows him home one night, they become the best of friends through their mutual desire to form a band. But they need one more, and that's when James calls upon the sophisticated and flirty Cassie (Hannah Murray) to round out their trio.

The plot Murdoch constructs is pretty weightless. Any problems that arise can be solved with the help of a well-timed musical number, performed live by the cast themselves. But it's also endearingly charming and hopeful, with Murdoch finding new ways to explore his pet themes of faith, spirituality, and the healing power of a good song. Of course, some troubles turn out to be bigger than others. James has fallen in love with the naturally gifted Eve, but due to a combination of mental instability and youthful hormones she's a bit all over the map. Much like the brilliant Lenny Abrahamson film, Frank, the film explores the impact of mental illness on artistic genius. Does Eve's situation make her a better musician or hold her back from greatness? And as James follows ably by her side, there's also a recognition that true talent isn't something that can be learned in a class. She has a knack for turning everything into a song he's never heard before, while he's comfortable covering the hits.

Some may find the casual way larger issues are dealt with frustrating but the music has so much spirit it's easy to forgive. Murdoch weaves the music in seamlessly, the band energetically recounting their actions (even minute details) in cheerful, earnest verse. While this is obviously a work of fiction, there are plenty of moments you know were pulled from Murdoch's experiences. In particular the moments where the trio discusses other bands and squabbles over their creative visions were clearly taken from Murdoch’s personal encounters. Murdoch keys in on the dynamics of a band where the members all have conflicting perspectives. Is it possible for a group such as that to flourish? Or are they destined for a break-up? While some of the editing needs some work and Murdoch needs to learn a thing or two about pacing, his directorial debut is an unqualified success. God Help the Girl is like a good song that stays with you long after it's over.

 Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Trailer for Stuart Murdoch's 'God Help the Girl' Starring Emily Browning

Whenever I hear the music of Belle & Sebastian (rare, but it happens) it reminds me of the scene in High Fidelity when Jack Black flipped out at the sound of it. Granted, their blissful sound isn't for everybody and those who aren't into it probably will stay away from God Help the Girl, the spirited directorial debut by the group's frontman, Stuart Murdoch.

Delightfully cheery with an upbeat, vintage tone that looks like a lot of fun, the film stars Emily Browning, Hannah Murray (Gilly on Game of Thrones), and Olly Alexander (Great Expectations) as a group of friends in Glasgow who form a band during one fanciful summer. It debuted at Sundance and word on the street wasn't terribly strong, but this trailer is unlike anything we've seen in a long time and that is reason enough for optimism.

God Help the Girl opens September 5th.


God Help The Girl Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2014) - Emily Browning Movie HD by itvhd3

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Amanda Seyfried Joins 'Pan'; 'Legend' Adds Emily Browning; Zooey Deschanel Boards 'Driftless Area'

* Filming on Joe Wright's Pan kicks off Monday, and so the cast has been firmed up. Amanda Seyfried will take on the role of Mary, joining Levi Miller as Peter Pan, Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard, Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily, Adeel Akhtar as Smee, and Garrett Hedlund as Captain Hook. Also coming aboard are Jack Charles, Kathy Burke, Taejoo Na, Nonso Anozie, Kurt Egyiawan, Lewis MacDougall, and newcomer Leni Zieglmeier as Wendy Darling.

* Emily Browning will get to star with not one but two Tom Hardys in the period crime thriller, Legend, in which he plays twin gangsters Ronny and Reginald Kray. Directed by Brian Helgeland, the film will chronicle the brothers' criminal exploits and celebrity hobsnobbing throughout the 1950s and '60s. Browning will play "a young woman who tragically falls for Reggie and marries him, hoping he will change his gangster ways." [THR]

* Zooey Deschanel, Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Ciaran Hinds, and John Hawkes will star in Zachary Sluser's directorial debut, Driftless Area. Adapted from Tom Drury's novel, the film has Deschanel as "an enigmatic woman while Yelchin portrays a bartender who returns to his hometown after the death of his parents. When he falls in love with her, he is unwittingly pitted against a volatile criminal played by Hawkes." [Variety]

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Review: 'Pompeii' Starring Kit Harington and Emily Browning

Knowing exactly how a disaster movie is going to end hasn't stopped Hollywood from making them. Pearl Harbor and most obviously Titanic are the clearest examples of films we know are going to end with practically none of the principle characters walking away, and yet some love these movies as inevitably tragic romances. And now you can throw Pompeii into the mix, a lava-filled historical action flick from Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson. Blending the swords 'n sandals combat of Gladiator with the doomed love affair of Titanic, we could probably fill the Roman Colosseum with all the corny clichés until the volcano erupts and destroys everything.

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington packs on some serious muscle as Milo, a Celtic slave held as a gladiatorial combatant by his Roman captors. Flashbacks take us back to Milo's childhood, when his family and entire village were wiped out by the evil senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland), filling the boy with a lust for revenge. Now an adult, he's been sent to Pompeii where he'll continue to serve and fight. But during the trek, he encounters the broken down carriage of Cassia (Emily Browning), the daughter of Pompeii's head family (Stephen Harris and Carrie-Anne Moss). Milo's soft features and humane treatment of her injured horse melts Cassia's heart, but obviously any love between them can never be due to their stations in life.

Just in time for Mt. Vesuvius to start rumbling, Corvus arrives in Pompeii as an emissary of Emperor Titus. Looking to strike some sort of business deal, he uses his position to try and worm his way back into Cassia's life after they shared some sort of history back in Rome. Meanwhile, Milo becomes reluctant friends with Atticus (Adewale Akkinnuoye-Agbaje), a champion gladiator one victory away from freedom. It's all very Gladiator-lite up to this point, but it's entertaining in a cheesy, predictable sort of way. And really, it would work perfectly fine as such without the intrusion of the erupting volcano, which arrives and renders literally everything we just watched as meaningless.

Anderson shows surprising restraint for a good deal of the film, holding off on many of the big set pieces until the lava starts flowing. There are a number of solid sword clashes, in which Harington gets to show off his well-versed combat skills from Game of Thrones, and despite the PG-13 rating they are sufficiently brutal and bloody. Harington gets plenty of opportunity to show off his glistening abs and glistening locks, although his romance with Browning lacks any true spark. Once Vesuvius blows, Anderson gets to show off the talent for visual effects spectacles he's always been known for. More than lava threatens to destroy the city as Anderson hurls giant fireballs, rains burning ash, and unleashes a deadly tsunami that would have Noah racing to build another ark. These are captured in epic fashion, seen from up close and afar to encapsulate the entirety of the devastation.

If looked at merely as an action film, Pompeii has all the technical merits, rippling muscles, and chariot battles one could ask for, but as a romance it's something of a disaster itself.

Trav's Tip: For more on Pompeii, check out my interview with star Kit Harington.

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Review: 'Summer in February' Starring Emily Browning and Dominic Cooper

One can usually count on movies about artists, in particular the great painters of our time, to fall into one of two categories. Either they focus on the craft itself, which can be a rather flat, dull experience nobody would pay to see. Or they center on an especially fertile part of the artist's life, inspired by a newfound love that ignites the creative passions. Summer in February leans heavily towards the latter, detailing a real-life love triangle with renowned painter Alfred Munnings at the center. While the film is gorgeously-shot and features a trio of sincere performances, there's a stunning lack of detail on the story's most notable historical figure.

Alas, this story isn't so much about Munnings (Dominic Cooper), the WWI artist best known for his dynamic equine images, but about his lover Florence Carter-Wood, played by Emily Browning. Her porcelain doll features make a perfect match for the fragile Florence, who arrives in the small Cornish colony of Lamorna where Munnings is the constant center of attention. He's best friends with Gilbert (Dan Stevens), a local land agent whose straight-arrow personality stands in stark contrast to Munnings' egotistical nature. The artists there, part of the Newlyn School, practice en plein air, a style that requires them to ply their trade under the open sky and as part of nature. Director Christopher Menaul, along with The Perks of Being a Wallflower DP Andrew Dunn relishes in the picturesque  locale, in particular the crashing waves over the Cornish coastline, and the film is often as beautiful as a painting itself.

Initially attracted to the even-tempered Gilbert, Florence is quickly smitten by the charismatic, poetry-reading Munnings, who asks her to pose for one of his paintings, which turns out to be his famous The Morning Ride. It's pretty much all we see of his work, and we hear even less of his philosophy which didn't hold artists like Picasso in the highest regard. Cooper portrays Munnings as a likable blowhard, the life of the party and a man who recognized his superior talent. Florence, on the other hand, is a bit of a mess. The story mostly centers on her and what appears to be a case of severe depression caused by a string of bad choices. Stifled by a society where opportunities for women are few, she marries Munnings on a whim then instantly comes to regret it. Eventually she drifts back into the arms of Gilbert, causing friction between the two friends and sending Florence on an extremely dark path that may shock those who don't bother to read the Wikipedia entry.

Jason Smith adapted his own novel, showing a clear affection for the time period and this particular story of broken loyalties and inevitable heartbreak. While competently made and gorgeously shot, we are never privy to the inner life of any of these people. What drives Florence to take the drastic, deadly steps she takes repeatedly, including once on the night of her wedding? Is it her flightiness that drives Munnings over the edge? Or was her depression simply too much for him to overcome? We know next to nothing about Gilbert, other than he's a soldier and decent enough guy, if a little boring.

Cooper displays a powerful presence as Munnings, standing out amongst a cast that is excellent all around. Summer in February is a well-made costume drama that fans of Downton Abbey will probably appreciate, while those hoping to learn about Munnings will be better off hitting the nearest museum.

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Fiery New Trailer for 'Pompeii' Starring Kit Harington and Emily Browning

Between 300: Rise of an Empire and Pompeii, there are going to be a lot of muscle-bound gladiators in loincloths and armor on the big screen. But unlike the former, Pompeii doesn't have the benefit of a hit film to springboard off of. All it has is Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson; the name of a city city everyone remembers from history class; and at least judging by this new trailer, an awful lot of CGI lava.

Starring Game of Thrones' Kit Harington, the film centers on Milo, a slave in the titular doomed city who must rescue the woman he loves (Emily Browning) and his best friend (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbage) when Mt. Vesuvius erupts. Jared Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, Paz Vega, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jessica Lucas co-star with a script by Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes, so perhaps there's more to it than the trailer suggests?

Pompeii burns down theaters on February 21st 2014.


Pompeii trailer by FilmBoy-gr

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Emily Browning joins Kit Harington in Paul W.S. Anderson's 'Pompeii'

Sometimes it seems like things are conspiring against making Emily Browning the star she deserves to be. She's a terrific young actress, but her films either don't measure up or are largely ignored. Her most high-profile role to date was in last year's Sucker Punch, which critics went overboard in bashing. She was very good in Julia Leigh's Sleeping Beauty, which nobody saw.

Browning has a chance to turn it around as she's just joined Paul W. S. Anderson's upcoming historical disaster flick, Pompeii. She'll play the love interest to Game of Thrones star, Kit Harington, in the film which takes the city's famous destruction by volcano and turns it into an action-romance. Harington will play Milo, a slave in love with a rich senator's daughter (Browning), and must come to her rescue her and his gladiator friend when Mt. Vesuvius erupts. The script was recently given a fresh rewrite by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey), so maybe it'll be better than Anderson's usual stuff.

Browning has another potential blockbuster on the way, appearing in a small but pivotal role in Andrew Niccol's The Host. I won't give her role away, but it in a film I found to be hard to follow her appearance is definitely a surprise. She also stars opposite Michael Cera and Juno Temple in the psycho-thriller, Magic Magic, which you can check out my early review of here. [The Toronto Star via Bleeding Cool]

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Emily Browning replaces Evan Rachel Wood in Catherine Hardwicke's 'Plush'

Catherine Hardwicke has been pretty good at shepherding the careers of young, up 'n coming actresses. Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed both have her to thank for much of their early success after the intense 2003 drama, Thirteen. And while I think Kristen Stewart would have ended up a star on her own easily enough, it was Hardwicke behind the camera for the first Twilight film. We know how that turned out. Granted, that was also the point where Hardwicke seemed to veer wildly off course. Attaching her name to a number of potential films, possibly in hopes that we'd forget about Red Riding Hood, Hardwicke had been hoping to reteam with Wood on an erotic thriller titled Plush.


Turns out that's not going to happen for whatever reason, as Variety reports that Emily Browning(The Uninvited) has stepped into the lead. The story follows a psychic psychologist who digs into the memories of his patients in order to help them unleash past demons. That is until Browning shows up and is more than a match for him as she shares the same power. Hardwicke will not only direct, but produce and co-write the script with Artie Nelson.

Browning is a solid actress who I think was beat up a little unfairly after Sucker Punch. She was pretty good in the recent festival indie, Sleeping Beauty, and Hardwicke seems like the perfect director for her. As for Hardwicke, she's got a ton on her plate right now so it's unclear when this would roll. She's got adaptations of The Maze Runner and The Bitch Posse on the way at some point, along with a boxing drama featuring Noomi Rapace.

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Emily Browning and Juno Temple join Michael Cera in Magic, Magic

Two of my favorite actresses and one I don't see nearly enough have joined the cast of Sebastian Silva's(The Maid) indie thriller Magic, Magic. Michael Cera is already attached for a role in the film, about a girl who goes on vacation in Chile with her friends and begins to lose her mind. Now Variety reports that Emily Browning(Sucker Punch), Juno Temple(Kaboom), and Catalina Sandino Moreno(Fast Food Nation) are all signed on for unspecified roles, but I'm betting that either Temple or Browning will be the crazy chick. Here's hoping it's Temple.


Temple has been a constant presence on the indie scene ever since her first major mainstream role in Year One opposite Jack Black and Cera. Maybe it was an attempt to wash away the bad memories of that turd nugget. She was most recently seen in Gregg Araki's Kaboom, and will have an unspecified role in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.

After a few years away, Browning came back in 2009 in the remake of The Uninvited, opposite Elizabeth Banks. She most recently geared up for action in Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch, and will be seen next in Julia Leigh's controversial Sleeping Beauty.

Moreno was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar back in 2004 for her remarkable debut in the drug mule flick, Maria Full of Grace, and was seen briefly last year in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. As strange as it may seem, Moreno is the old dog out of this bunch. She's 30, where everybody else hovers around 21-22 years of age. Leads me to believe she's not going to be part of the group of vacationers, but perhaps somebody they run into along the way.

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