Greta Gerwig to Play Dawn Wiener in Todd Solondz' 'Wiener-Dog'; Julie Delpy Eyes Role

Todd Solondz breakout film, 1995's Welcome to the Dollhouse, set the course for the dark, satirical character studies that would define his career. He seems to specialize in exploring taboo subject matter, as he would go on to do with Happiness, Storytelling, Palindromes, and Life During Wartime. And the characters he's created remain memorable, even as other actors have gone on to portray them. Without a doubt the one that stands out most is Dawn Wiener , who was mercilessly teased for being ugly in 'Dollhouse', played by a young Heather Matarrazzo in an Indie Spirit Award-winning performance. While that character supposedly committed suicide in Palindromes, Solondz has found a way to bring her back in his next film.

THR reports that Greta Gerwig will play the adult-aged Dawn Wiener in Wiener-Dog, which Solondz has quietly been developing for years. Julie Delpy is also in talks to join the ensemble which is tied together thematically by a dachshund hound inspiring and changing the lives of those it encounters. One of the stories being told will follow a grown-up Dawn Wiener, although that's all the detail we have on it. No word on who else could be involved but Matarrazzo will not be coming back. She hasn't had a major feature film role since 2007's Hostel II.

But really, Greta Gerwig as Dawn Wiener? That's an odd choice unless Solondz plans to completely ignore her fate in Palindromes when it was revealed she got pregnant, went to college, and killed herself. Plus, isn't Gerwig a little too pretty for the part, or is her transformation from ugly ducking to beauty what Solondz plans to cover? I'm very interested in seeing where this goes.

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New Trailer for Barry Levinson's 'The Humbling' starring Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig

If there's an actor due for a major comeback it's Al Pacino. After falling off with some, let's admit it, pretty awful roles in movies well beneath his legendary status, Pacino has been earning great reviews for his performance in David Gordon Green's Manglehorn, and for his starring turn opposite Greta Gerwig in The Humbling.

A new trailer for the adaptation of Philip Roth's novel has been released, and it shows Pacino looking in top form. Reteaming with Barry Levinson, his director on HBO's You Don't Know Jack, Pacino plays a declining Broadway actor who falls in love with a mercurial young lesbian played by Gerwig.  Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, Mandy Patinkin, and Kyra Sedgewick co-star in The Humbling, which Millennium Films will release on January 23rd 2015 theatrically and On Demand.


The Humbling TRAILER 1 (2014) - Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig Movie HD by MovieTampan

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Al Pacino Romances Greta Gerwig in Trailer for 'The Humbling'

Even the greatest actors can fall into a creative rut, and Al Pacino has been in desperate need of a meaty role to bounce back into for awhile. Fortunately, he was met with more than one opportunity to do just that, and he arrived at the Venice Film Festival with two dramatic projects. One was David Gordon Green's Manglehorn, which Pacino is already earning raves for, and the other was the romantic comedy The Humbling, a passion project he's been developing based on the Philip Roth novel.

Directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and co-starring Greta Gerwig, the slightly-meta film has Pacino as an aging Broadway star in the midst of a professional and personal crisis. After an accident puts him on the sidelines, he strikes up a romantic relationship with a much younger woman who turns out to be the daughter of a friend, and also a lesbian.

Roth received some of the harshest criticism of his career for The Humbling and early reviews of the film have been pretty unkind. The trailer does look a little uneven and talky, although it's good to see Pacino getting energized for a role again.  The Humbling also features a cast of stage and screen veterans including Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, Mandy Patinkin, Kyra Sedgewick, Nina Arianda, and Dan Hedaya. While it doesn't have a firm release date yet 2015 is likely when it will open.


The Humbling - Official Trailer (2014) Al Pacino by MovieSpawn

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Philip Noyce to Direct Ewan McGregor in 'American Pastoral'; First Look at Al Pacino in 'The Humbling'

In the works for more than a decade, an adaptation of Philip Roth's novel American Pastoral has seen Fisher Stevens attached as a director at one point, and briefly had Jennifer Connelly and husband Paul Bettany involved. But like other recent Roth adaptations, Elegy and The Human Stain, nailing down the right approach to the Pulitzer Prize-winning material has proven difficult, but Philip Noyce (Salt) has apparently figured it out.

According to Comingsoon and first reported some time ago by IF.com.au, Noyce will direct American Pastoral beginning early next year. Not only that, he's found a star in Ewan McGregor, who will play successful Jewish-American businessman Seymour "Swede" Levov, who sees his happy upper-middle class existence ruined by the turmoil of the 1960s under President Lyndon Johnson. John Romero (The Lincoln Lawyer) will write the screenplay.

And another of Philip Roth's novels is headed to the screen soon as Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig are starring in The Humbling, with the first image arriving via Chop Shop. This is another film that was kicking around for a lot of years before Pacino and director Barry Levinson (of HBO's You Don't Know Jack) decided to reteam on the story of a famed theater actor who begins having a sexual affair with a lesbian woman half his age. No word on a release date yet but the supporting cast is solid with Dianne Wiest, Mandy Patinkin, and Charles Grodin co-starring, and a script by The Graduate screenwriter Buck Henry.

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Greta Gerwig Cast in 'The Humbling'; Alexandra Daddario goes to 'San Andreas'; Kit Harington Leads 'Testament of Youth'

* Here's one that you may have forgotten. A few years ago, back before Al Pacino and director Barry Levinson were going to team for that Gotti film (Levinson dropped out of it), they were set to unite for The Humbling, an adaptation of Philip Roth's book about "an aging actor who has an affair with a lesbian woman half his age at a secluded country house in Connecticut". Not much was heard about it, but the movie is now in post-production and has been picked up by Millennium Films with Greta Gerwig and Dianne Wiest joining the cast.  Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgewick, Dan Hedaya, Nina Arianda, and Billy Porter co-star, and presumably we'll see this by the end of the year. [Variety]

* If you've been keeping up with True Detective (I'm still an episode behind, so sue me), then you've seen Alexandra Daddario having her way with one Mr. Woody Harrelson. Now she'll get to hang out with Dwayne Johnson in 3D disaster flick San Andreas, directed by Brad Peyton. Johnson plays a chopper pilot attempting to rescue his estranged daughter after California is devastated by a massive Earthquake. Daddario, who also starred in two Percy Jackson films, is apparently being sought for a role in the Entourage movie.  [Deadline]

* Pompeii and Game of Thrones star Kit Harington will join Alicia Vikander in Testament of Youth, an adaptation of Vera Brittain's WWI memoir. Published in 1933, the book recounted how Britain's world was thrown upside down when the war took the lives of her fiance and brother, forcing her to become a nurse on the sidelines. After the fighting stopped, she attempted to regain her life and became a prominent feminist and writer. Vikander will play Brittain, having replaced the previously-cast Saoirse Ronan, with Harington as her fiance. David Heyman (Harry Potter franchise) is producing with James Kent directing. [THR]

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Jeffrey Dean Morgan Joins 'Desierto'; Rebel Wilson Says 'He's F---ing Perfect'; Greta Gerwig in 'Maggie's Plan'

* Fresh off co-writing Gravity with his dad Alfonso Cuaron, and directing the tie-in short 'Aningaaq', Jonas Cuaron is moving on to a big screen feature, the thriller Desierto. Already set to star Gael Garcia Bernal, the latest to come aboard is Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) as the film's villain.The story “centers on a group of illegal immigrants who try to cross the border but run afoul of a man who has taken up border patrol duties in his own racist hands.”[THR]

* After a relatively quiet 2013 on the big screen, Rebel Wilson is looking to keep herself busy this year. She recently signed on for Night at the Museum 3, and has now joined Amanda Seyfried in He's F---ing Perfect, a comedy from producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Directed by Jane Szymanski, the film has Seyfried as a girl so pessimistic about love she uses social media to vet all of her friends' boyfriends. When one starts dating the perfect guy, she forces their break-up, then uses her web skills to mold herself into his ideal match. Wilson will play Seyfried's "carefree best friend and roommate who tries to make her understand that finding out everything about a boy before meeting them isn’t always a good thing." [TheWrap]

* We may be talking about Greta Gerwig as a Golden Globes award-winner after tomorrow night, but whether she walks away victorious for Frances Ha or not, she still had one heck of a year. Next up for her is Maggie's Plan, which director Rebecca Miller (The Ballad of Jack and Rose) describes to Deadline as "the story of a young woman and the joys and pitfalls of trying to make your own way in New York City." So......Frances Ha? Here's hoping Gerwig isn't letting herself get pigeonholed into playing aimless wanderers.

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

I'm bored of the old guard of actresses ruling the Best Actress field every year, and this Oscar season doesn't look to be any different. In fact, most of the main Best Actress contenders skew a little bit older, and of course Meryl Streep is there for August: Osage County, apparently because she wore a lot of make-up and didn't wear out her throat screaming for two hours. Good for her. Her place in the race is assured no matter what, but this year in particular there were a wealth of great performances by women who will probably be ignored by the Academy, even though they have as much right to be there as anybody.

So what I recognized, and this will be the case for male performances too, is that most of the performances that had the greatest impact on me probably have no shot at receiving a golden statue. What they all share in common for the most part are two things: youth and opportunity. The oldest actress on my list is veteran scene-stealer Kristin Scott Thomas who gives bad mothers an even worse name in Only God Forgives. Right next to her is TV vet Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who displays in Enough Said a wit and dramatic range could have made her a big screen star. Others, like Brie Larson for Short Term 12, are under 25 and taking advantage of their first chance to play truly complex, lived-in characters. And then there are those in-between like Gaby Hoffmann, who has been acting steadily for 25 years and is only now just starting to come into her own as a blissful hippie traveler in Crystal Fairy. And yeah, a few were just extremely hot, like the crimson-haired Christa Theret in Renoir as the woman who reignited the legendary artist's passion.

What I've tried to do in each case is provide a clip to show off why these extremely talented ladies were so unforgettable. As always, feel free to weigh in with your own picks!

Waad Mohammed- Wadjda



Melonie Diaz- Fruitvale Station



 Christa Theret- Renoir



Rosario Dawson- Trance



Kristin Scott Thomas- Only God Forgives



 Veerle Baetens- The Broken Circle Breakdown




Amy Acker- Much Ado About Nothing



Berenice Bejo- The Past



Gaby Hoffmann- Crystal Fairy



 Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha



Julie Delpy- Before Midnight




Lake Bell- In a World....



Shailene Woodley- The Spectacular Now



Julia Louis Dreyfus- Enough Said



Brie Larson- Short Term 12

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The Hottest Leading Ladies of 2013

When the guys and gals of Punch Drunk Critics are sitting around the fictional water cooler (where our Rocky Hadadi always forgets to buy paper cups), our chats often turn to how hot this actress is, or how hot this actor was in some random movie. It's what we do, and I'd be lying if I said a good chunk of our readership wasn't folks coming to check out whatever hot pics we put up every chance we get. But now we're at the end of the year, my favorite time of year as a movie geek, and while the coming days will be filled with lists of our top films (like my best overlooked movies of 2013), it's also a good time to reflect on the sexiest leading ladies.

To that end, this list isn't just who was hottest in general. These are the leading ladies who really got my engine revving in a starring role. If I didn't do that then my list would be topped by Ali Larter every single year, but she didn't do jack sh*t in 2013 so she ain't here. But is Cameron Diaz for The Counselor? Yeah, definitely. Would she ever be one of my top draft picks normally? Hell no.

Some are smokin', some are quirky, some are a little dangerous, but these are my picks for the sexiest leading ladies of 2013. Enjoy! (Note: Meagan Good would have made this list for Anchorman 2 but there are no good photos! Come on, man! She had Ron Burgundy actin' a fool! More than usual.)

Gemma Arterton- Byzantium 

Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Benson- Spring Breakers

Rosario Dawson- Trance

Juno Temple- The Brass Teapot

Adrianne Palick- G.I. Joe: Retaliation

Greta Gerwig- Frances Ha

Gwyneth Paltrow- Iron Man 3

Isla Fisher- Now You See Me

Emma Watson- The Bling Ring

Antje Traue- Man of Steel

Jennifer Aniston- We're the Millers

Alexa Vega- Machete Kills

Adele Exarchopoulos- Blue is the Warmest Color

Melissa De Sousa- The Best Man Holiday

Jena Malone- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Jennifer Lawrence- American Hustle

Amy Adams- American Hustle

Veerle Baetens- The Broken Circle Breakdown

Manuela Martelli- Il Futuro

Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz- The Counselor

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Trailer Time: 'Lola Versus', starring Greta Gerwig and Joel Kinnaman

The ever luminous and always charming Greta Gerwig can normally be found making bad movies better than they have any right to be. The Arthur remake? Intolerable without her presence. Greenberg? Probably unwatchable if it wasn't for her light opposite Ben Stiller's gloom. So it's great to see her finally getting the opportunity to be the the show stopper fans like me have always known her to be ever since her "mumblecore" roots.

The trailer for Lola Versus has been released, a film which sees her as the titular character, a New York woman thrust back into the shark infested dating scene when she's suddenly dumped by her fiance(Joel Kinnaman). With the help of her best friends, including Hamish Linklater(Groove) and co-writer Zoe Lister-Jones, she tries to cope with the potential disaster that is being single at the age of 30. Oh my God! Debra Winger and Bill Pullman co-star, with Daryl Wein(Breaking Upwards) co-writing and directing.

Let's see...how do I describe my feelings towards Gerwig in this trailer? Ummm...if I could jump through the screen and give her a hug I would. That's how much. The material seems overly familiar, but she absolutely sparkles.  Lola Versus is set to open on June 8th.....

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1st look photos of Greta Gerwig and Joel Kinnaman in 'Lola Versus'

As I begin to set my schedule for next month's Tribeca Film Festival, one of the movies I'm most looking forward to is Lola Versus. Mainly because it features probably my favorite actress working right now in Greta Gerwig, and an actor who is well on his way to being Hollywood's next big thing, Joel Kinnaman. Directed and co-written by Daryl Wein along with Zoe Lister-Jones, the film looks to be another thoughtful relationship comedy similar to Wein's Breaking Upwards.

The first couple of images have been unearthed of Gerwig and Kinnaman as Lola and her fiance, who break up mere weeks before they are due to be married. The film follows Lola as she attempts to find her way as a single woman rapidly approaching her 30s. The premise sounds kinda bland, but Gerwig rarely(Arthur being the exception) takes on anything simple, and frankly her presence makes every film a little bit brighter. She looks ravishing in these pics, and so does New York City which looks like it may be a character unto itself. Hamish Linklater(Groove) and Lister-Jones co-star as Lola's best friends. Debra Winger, Bill Pullman, and Jay Pharoah also make appearances.

Lola Versus will premier at Tribeca before opening on June 8th. [ThePlaylist/EW]

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Rose Byrne replaces Greta Gerwig in The Place Beyond the Pines

A little bit of mixed emotions on this story. One of the best looking movies we'll likely be seeing next year is The Place Beyond the Pines, Derek Cianfrance's much anticipated follow-up to Blue Valentine. The star-studded film covers a multi-generational feud between a motorcycle stunt rider who robs banks to support his son, and a cop turned politician. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, and Ray Liotta make up just a portion of a fantastic cast.

One name you'll note that I left off is my indie darling, Greta Gerwig(Greenberg), who has long been linked to the role of Cooper's wife. Unfortunately, her hectic schedule has forced her to pull out, and while I'm disappointed in that, her replacement is more than adequate. Rose Byrne, already seen this year in Insidious and Bridesmaids, has stepped in to take her place.

This is a lateral move, in my opinion. Both actresses have proven they can handle the dramatic just as easily as comedy, although by the sounds of it the latter won't be called for so much in this film.  Shooting is already underway, so expect to see The Place Beyond the Pines on the festival circuit next year. [Vulture]

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Noah Baumbach snags Ben Stiller, James Franco for 'While We're Young'

I wasn't the biggest fan of the last collaboration between Noah Baumbach and Ben Stiller. That would be Greenberg, which had Stiller starring as an angry, uptight dude with some serious mid-life crisis issues goin' on. It had it's good qualities, in particular an eye opening performance by Greta Gerwig. She's definitely on my radar now. Stiller was in rare form as well. My biggest problem with it was script related.

Baumbach and Stiller must've had a heck of a time workin' together because they've been rumored to be workin' together on other upcoming projects, but now there's one that appears to be next on the list and right up their respective alleys.  Vulture reports that Baumbach and Stiller will be collaborating on While We're Young, a story about how a documentary filmmaker and his wife are inspired to loosen up by a hip, young couple.  James Franco is on board already, likely as one of the hip cats. There's a possibility that Cate Blanchett and Greta Gerwig(yay!!) could come aboard as well, but that's yet to be confirmed.

Other than The Squid and the Whale and Fantastic Mr. Fox, Greenberg was my favorite Baumbach film. He and Stiller seem to have a rapport that works out well for both of them, so I'm curious to see where this goes.

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The Sunday Drive: 4/4/10

It's Easter sunday, which for most folks is some sort of deeply religious holiday. For me it just means Cadbury creme eggs and hard boiled eggs galore. For a second, I considered a relgious themed Sunday Drive, until I realized I'm about as qualified to talk about those movies as Jesse James is about monogomy.

3. Greenberg
Noah Baumbach's latest film drags Ben Stiller kicking and screaming into the mumblecore genre, starring as a deeply self centered intellectual looking for some sort of meaning in his life. He finds love, or something close to it, with Florence, a beautiful but flighty college grad looking for a direction of her own. This one almost made the list last week, but lost out to Atom Egoyan's Chloe. With no real stand out films this week, I think Greenberg is one that is insightful and often very funny, propped up by a charming performance by Greta Gerwig.

2. Mother
Kim Hye Ja brings pure intensity to director Bong Joon-Ho's(The Host) unorthodox mystery, surrounding a mother's devotion to proving her slow-witted son's innocence from a murder charge. Standing in her way are the cops who just want to see the case closed; her son's best friend who might be more involved than he's letting on; and even her own son, who's poor memory and violent outbursts cast a fog over the truth.

1. How to Train Your Dragon
Dreamworks' superb animated feature is a visual feast, capturing the awe-inspiring feel of flight discovery. Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup, a runt of a Viking who wishes to impress his dragon-killing father, but once Hiccup becomes friends with the dragons he realizes that they are not the evil monsters he's been led to believe. HTTYD is perfect for both kids and adults, not too deep emotionally but packed with tons of light-hearted humor and even an exciting action packed finale that looks like it was ripped straight from Star Wars.

DVD Pick of the Week: An Education
More than your typical coming of age story, An Education is a well refined, elegant story about an intelligent girl named Jenny(Best Actress nominee Carey Mulligan), on the cusp of womanhood with plans that stretch far beyond the expectations society has laid upon her gender. Those goals are thrown into question, however, when she meets the slick and mysterious David(Peter Sarsgaard), who introduces her to the shady side of high society. Full of remarkable performances by all involved, it's Mulligan who stands out, providing a maturity and depth that goes well beyond her years.  One of the best films of 2009 and a must see.

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