St. John’s Caritas Gala To Honor Actor Pierce Brosnan, Surgeon Donald Morton

The trustees of St. John’s Health Center Foundation and the Irene Dunne Guild will host the 18th Caritas Gala, Saturday, Oct. 15 at The Beverly Wilshire.

Actor Pierce Brosnan will receive the Caritas award. The two-time Golden Globe nominee is internationally known for his work both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes as a producer. “The extraordinary passion Pierce Brosnan brings to his family, his profession and his community reflects the true spirit of Caritas. It is for this and his great friendship to St. John’s that he is being honored with the award,” said Donna Tuttle, foundation chair.

Dr. Donald Morton is being recognized with the Spirit of St. John’s award for his life-saving contributions to cancer research at John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) at St. John’s.

His pioneering innovations, such as the Sentinel Lymph Node Technique, have changed the way cancer is analyzed, detected and treated worldwide, and become the standard of care for melanoma and breast cancer.

As JWCI’s chief of the Melanoma Program and director of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program, Dr. Morton started the institute 30 years ago and made it a world-renowned cancer center. So far, JWCI has trained more than 120 young surgeons now serving as leaders at major cancer centers across the nation, providing specialized care and leading research teams.

Proceeds from the gala benefit the health center’s programs and services including the Child and Family Development Center, Women’s Health Services and the Irene Dunne Guild Gift Shop.

For more information or to buy tickets, contact Rosa Hernandez, director of special events, 310-829-8441 or rosa.hernandez@stjohns.org.

“Please join me in urging President Obama to impose tough trade sanctions on Iceland for its illegal slaughter of whales.”

Courtesy of The Natural Resources Defense Council:

“The time has come for Iceland to pay a steep price for its inhumane and illegal slaughter of whales.

But that may only happen if hundreds of thousands of us speak out now with one powerful voice that cannot be ignored.

Let me explain. The U.S. Commerce Secretary has just formally declared that Iceland is defying the international ban on commercial whaling.

That declaration starts the clock ticking on a 60-day period during which President Obama must decide whether or not to impose trade sanctions on Iceland.

Please join me in urging the President to impose tough sanctions and make Iceland pay a real, measurable price for its mass killing of whales.

Iceland has proven that it will thumb its nose at anything less — and will go right on slaughtering whales for profit. In 2004, the United States denounced Iceland in the same manner — but failed to impose sanctions — and Iceland proceeded to ramp up its awful slaughter.

Since 2006, Iceland has killed 280 endangered fin whales and more than 200 minke whales. In the last two years alone, it has exported millions of dollars worth of whale meat, blubber and oil to Japan, Norway, Latvia and Belarus.

Iceland is not only flouting the ban on whaling, it is depleting whale populations at an alarming rate. It’s practically begging to be sanctioned.

Please ask President Obama to make Iceland pay a price at long last — for the sake of whale survival. For starters, he could target imports by those Icelandic seafood companies directly tied to the whaling industry.

But do not assume for a second that such presidential action is a sure thing. In fact, the U.S. has never before imposed sanctions on another nation for whaling. That’s why it’s so important that President Obama feel a groundswell of public support if he is to take this next historic step.

Please make your own voice heard inside the White House.

You can be sure that Iceland will not end the abhorrent practice of whaling until it is forced to do so. Let’s fight ‘em. Again and again.

Sincerely,

Pierce Brosnan
Natural Resources Defense Council”

bag of bones...............

"Bag of Bones" (2011)

The main character, Mike Noonan, is an author living in Derry, Maine who suffers from severe writer's block after the death of his wife, Johanna (called Jo), from an undiagnosed brain aneurism. Particularly disquieting to Mike is that his wife had just bought a home pregnancy test, but never revealed the pregnancy to him. Mike languishes after his wife's death, and finds himself unable to write due to panic attacks. Fortunately, he has four unpublished manuscripts, and using them he keeps his agent and editor unaware of his problem.

Four years after Jo's death, Mike begins to experience nightmares set at his summer house in TR-90, an unregistered township in Maine. He decides to confront his fears and moves to the house, known to locals as "Sara Laughs". On his way to town, Mike encounters a small child, Kyra Devore, walking down the middle of the road. Mike worries that something might happen to the child if she continues walking like that, so he scoops her up and returns to his car with her. A moment later, Kyra's mother, Mattie Devore, comes flying up the road in her old jeep. Mike's initial reaction is that Mattie is a "white trash" mom who will yell at the child and possibly beat it due to her own inattentions, but he is pleasantly surprised when Mattie clutches the child for dear life and begs her never to run off again. The two talk for a few minutes and Mattie drives off.

Later, while in town, Mike learns from the locals that Mattie's late husband, Lance, was the son of Max Devore, a rich and influential man from the town who didn't approve of his son's marriage to Mattie. Max, now well into his 80's and bound to a wheelchair, wants custody of his granddaughter, and is using his money and influence to paint Mattie as an irresponsible mother. Through his caretaker, Bill, Mike learns of Mattie's past, her marriage, and her custody woes.

When Max finds out that Mike ran into Mattie and Kyra, he threatens him via telephone. Despite the threats, or perhaps because of them, Mike hires John Storrow, a custody lawyer, for Mattie as an act of kindness, and he gradually develops feelings for Mattie despite the almost twenty-year age difference between them. Through his various crooked connections, Max manages to drag Mike into the custody battle even further by forcing him to make a deposition for the impending custody hearing. Accompanied by a local lawyer, Romeo Bisonette, Mike makes the custody lawyer hired by Devore look foolish by beating him at his own game and calling his bluff.

Mike begins to write again, while both Kyra and Mike experience hauntings in their homes. The author realizes that the ghost of Jo is assisting him in solving the mystery of Sara Tidwell, a blues singer whose spirit is haunting Mike's house. Mike asks the locals about what happened to Sara Tidwell, and is warned to refrain from digging in old scandals. He also learns that Jo frequently returned to the town in the year before her death, without telling him.

Max Devore threatens Mike again, and in an encounter with Mike, Max and his personal assistant, Rogette, almost succeed in drowning him. It's only due to the help from his wife's spirit that he's able to survive the attack. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, Max Devore commits suicide, which seemingly leaves Mattie and Kyra free from his influence.

Mike, Mattie, John, and Romeo Bissonette, the lawyer that assisted Mike during his deposition and a detective are having a party when a gunman shows up and shoots everyone in sight, Mattie fatally. Mike, the only adult not hit, takes Kyra back to Sara Laughs as a huge storm breaks. He is acting under the influence of the ghost of Sara Tidwell and finds himself preparing to drown Kyra and commit suicide himself, going so far as to give Kyra cocoa and Benadryl to make her sleep, and drawing the bath. But there are still pieces to the mystery that Mike doesn't understand, and the ghost of Jo is trying to prevent him from doing what he is doing.

As Kyra sleeps, Mike goes to Jo's studio to search for answers. He discovers documents that Jo had hidden away before her death, and among the papers is a genealogy showing Mike's blood relationship to one of the town families. Several had firstborn children with "K" names who had been murdered or died under suspicious circumstances. The genealogy shows that Mike and Jo's child (who was going to be named Kia) would have been the next firstborn child with a "K" name in the family line, had she been born.

Mike realizes this must be Sara Tidwell's curse for something that had been done to her. He returns to the house, checks on the still-sleeping Kyra, and drains the bath meant for her drowning. He can feel Sara's influence to take Kyra to the lake, but he fights it off. He leaves the house once more with a shovel and a bottle of lye to search for Sara's grave, knowing that the only way to break the curse and keep Kyra safe will be to destroy Sara's bones. On his way to where Mike suspects Sara is buried, the ghosts of Max Devore's grandfather and several other town men appear to him and try to block him from getting to the grave. Mike learns through a vision that these men had viciously raped and killed Sara, and drowned her son Kito in the lake. Furthermore, all the "K" children who had died were descendants of those men. Mike makes it to the grave site, but Sara's ghost doesn't want the curse ended prematurely. She tries to stop Mike, and attempts to assume corporeal form to do so. Jo appears in corporeal form herself and tells Mike he must hurry as Sara has enlisted the help of "The Outsider" to harm Mike and prevent him from reaching Sara's bones. Jo struggles to fight off The Outsider while Mike digs up and destroys Sara's bones with the lye, ending the curse.

Returning to the house, Mike discovers that Max Devore's assistant Rogette has kidnapped Kyra. Mike follows Kyra and Rogette to a neighboring property, arriving just as Kyra bites Rogette and attempts to escape onto a dock heaving in the waves from the storm. Mike tries to hit Rogette and keep her away from Kyra when Mattie's ghost appears and knocks Rogette into the Lake. Rogette attempts to pull Mike into the lake with her, but she is impaled by wreckage from the dock. Mattie's ghost says her goodbyes to Mike and Kyra, and she tells Kyra that she is now Mike's daughter.

The story ends with an epilogue in which Mike has retired from writing, and is attempting to adopt Kyra. His status as a single, unrelated male complicates things, and the adoption has taken longer than Mike anticipated. Still, the state has allowed Mike to visit Kyra, and she has been allowed overnight stays with him. The outcome of the adoption is left unresolved at the end, but there is hope that it will be a positive outcome.

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pierce brosnan Bag of Bones (TV Series 2011)

Brosnan, 58, will play the role of Mike Noonan, a novelist mourning the death of his wife. In King's horror story, her spirit returns to help Noonan uncover dark secrets hidden in the quiet Maine community where the couple owned a summer home.

Actress Annabeth Gish, known for playing Special Agent Monica Reyes on "The X-Files" TV show, will also star in the series, which premieres in late 2011.

Director Mick Garris, who has worked on several King projects including "The Shining," "Riding the Bullet" and "Sleepwalkers," will direct the TV movie that will be filmed in Nova Scotia, Canada.

First Look At Susanne Bier’s ‘The Bald Hairdresser,’ Set For August 2012 Release

While Susanne Bier is best known for her tough dramas like “Open Hearts,” “After The Wedding,” “Brothers” and most recently, the Oscar winning “In A Better World,” the director is using her Academy Award to go and do something completely different. Make a romantic comedy.

First announced earlier in the year under the title “All You Need Is Love” with Pierce Brosnan set to star, production company Zentropa have revealed some (admittedly microscopic) first look photos, a new title for the film as well as the cast. First up, the movie is now being titled “The Bald Hairdresser” (uh, not so hot) and in addition to Brosnan, the cast is rounded out by Sebastian Jessen, Molly Egelind, Paprika Steen, Kim Bodnia, Line Kruse and Trine Dyrholm (who also starred in “In A Better World”).

Details on the actual story are being kept close to the chest, but filming on the Amalfi coast in Italy, and centered around a Danish family, Brosnan described it earlier in the year as a “delightful love story….which has punch and deals with loss and a great love.” We also chatted with Bier back in March, and while she was reluctant to say too much about it, she did reveal the movie would be “bilingual, partly Danish and partly English.”

Zentropa is readying the film for an August 2012 release (likely in Europe), so expect it to hit our shores sometime after that. And this can move way up the list of potential Cannes 2012 films. We’d imagine they will want to premiere the film there—surprisingly, Bier has never unspooled a film in the main selection—and they might be eager for a Danish helmer who isn’t Lars Von Trier for a change. And yeah, we’ll update the photos once some higher res versions come in.

Kevin Jagernauth posted to Actors, Pierce Brosnan, Directors, Foreign Directors, Susanne Bier, Foreign Films, All You Need Is Love, The Bald Hairdresser at 10:09 am on June 9, 2011 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Susanne Bier Set to Direct Pierce Brosnan for 'All You Need is Love'

After taking home the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film last weekend for her Danish film In a Better World, director Susanne Bier is venturing into the world of romantic comedy. 24 Frames reports the filmmaker will collaborate with actor Pierce Brosnan on All You Need is Love, a romance that will apparently be lighter fare than her previous work on films like Things We Lost in the Fire. The filmmaker says, "It’s a tender story with a much lighter atmosphere than my previous works: Enough with conflicts." Little is know about the story, but it follows a Danish family and was written with Pierce Brosnan in mind.

Brosnan has been no stranger to romantic comedies recently with a turn in Mamma Mia!, and I'm looking forward to seeing him do anything to help wash the terrible taste out of my mouth after seeing him in the wretched religious comedy Salvation Boulevard at Sundance (read my mini-review here). As for the film's focus on a Danish family, it's not clear if the film will still be in English (apparently Brosnan doesn't speak Danish), but it may just be a bilingual film. Either way, the actor is definitely excited about the film saying it's a "delightful love story which has punch and deals with loss and a great love." Anyone interested?

Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood 2011 - Artists For Peace & Justice Fundraiser With Brioni & Hosts Paul Haggis And Pierce Brosnan - Chrysler Arrivals (

Actor Pierce Brosnan signs the Chrysler 300 at Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood 2011 with Chrysler celebrating Artists for Peace and Justice presented by Brioni held at Eveleigh on February 22, 2011 in West Hollywood, California.

Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood 2011 - Artists For Peace & Justice Fundraiser With Brioni & Hosts Paul Haggis And Pierce Brosnan - Chrysler Arrivals

Pierce Brosnan and Cinemagic come to Pepperdine

Pierce Brosnan will be at Pepperdine on Wednesday to help educate and motivate Los Angeles high school students to pursue careers in film and television.
Pepperdine has partnered with the Cinemagic International Film & Television Festival, a Belfast-based film charity. The organization uses film to teach, encourage and inspire young people through annual youth-produced film festivals, screenings, workshops and other events. It is the largest youth film event in Ireland and the UK.
There will be nearly 100 students from three Los Angeles schools attending the event. Special guest Pierce Brosnan and his wife will address the students in the afternoon about their experiences in the filmmaking industry.
Pepperine and CIFTF will be hosting a program of educational and entertaining film screenings, workshops and Q&A sessions. Among the clips shown will be a short film produced at CIFTF's first international film camp held in Belfast last year, entitled "Gone." The film was made by young people from Belfast, Donegal, Dublin, New York, and Los Angeles.

Brosnan And Ronan Big Winners At Irish Film & Television Awards

Irish stars PIERCE BROSNAN and SAOIRSE RONAN took home top acting prizes at the Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTAs) in Dublin on Saturday (12Feb11).

The former James Bond won Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Ghost, while the 16-year-old actress' turn in The Way Back earned her the supporting actress honour.

Martin MCCann was named Best Actor for Swansong - Story of Occi Byrn, while Amy Huberman was crowned Best Actress for Rewind at the ceremony celebrating the Irish film and television industry.

Bosnian war drama As If I Am Not There received three trophies, including the IFTA for Best Film, Director and Script for the film's Irish writer/director Juanita Wilson.

In the international categories, The Social Network won the top film prize, with its star Jesse Eisenberg winning Best Actor. Annette Bening took Best Actress for The Kids Are All Right.

In the TV categories, the fourth and final series of The Tudors was named Best Drama Series, while the show's producer Morgan O'Sullivan received the Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award.

Pierce Brosnan, Kelsey Grammer Will Join Sarah Jessica Parker Film

SJP starts shooting “I Don’t Know How She Does It” in mid January, with Douglas McGrath directing. McGrath is the congenial man behind the “other” Truman Capote movie, called “Infamous” (well worth renting), “Nicholas Nickelby,” and “Emma” with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Now I’m told that Pierce Brosnan has signed on to the Weinstein Company feature as SJP’s love interest. Also being made an offer this week–and likely to accept–Kelsey Grammer. Kelsey is wrapping up a long run on Broadway in “La Cage Aux Folles,” and ready for a new challenge. I’m told that TWC’s Donna Gigliotti ran into him in the last few days and literally told him he was coming to work. She wants him!

For Parker, this film will set the tone for her post- “Sex and the City” career. Her past tries–”Family Stone,” “Failure to Launch”– fell a little short, But there’s no reason why she’s not a movie star of smart romantic comedies.

Salvation Boulevard” Goes to IFC and Sony Pictures by Nigel M Smith

IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions have partnered to acquire North American rights to George Ratliff’s religious comedy “Salvation Boulevard,” which had its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival earlier this week in the Premieres section.

“George Ratliff takes a big leap forward with this film which, aside from featuring a powerhouse cast in Pierce Brosnan, Marisa Tomei, Greg Kinnear, Ed Harris, Jim Gaffigan and Jennifer Connelly, is a clever and sharp comedy that delivers,” said Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films.

Cathy Schulman, President, Mandalay Pictures and “Salvation Boulevard” producer added, “This unique alliance between IFC Films and Sony will enable ‘Salvation Boulevard’ to take advantage of the most cutting edge distribution strategies. Mandalay strives to realize the vision of each of our filmmakers, and this distribution partnership will further that goal.”

FC FILMS AND SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE ACQUISITIONS JOIN TO TAKE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO GEORGE RATLIFF’S SALVATION BOULEVARD

Park City, UT (January 27, 2011) – IFC Films and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions (SPWA) announced today from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival that the companies are partnering to acquire North American rights to George Ratliff’s SALVATION BOULEVARD, which premiered this week in the festival’s Premieres section. The film, with a screenplay by Ratliff (whose previous films include Hell House and Joshua) and Doug Max Stone, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart, stars Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Jim Gaffigan and Marisa Tomei. The film, a Mandalay Vision production of a Mandalay Pictures film, was produced by Cathy Schulman, Celine Rattray and Peter Fruchtman, and will be released theatrically via IFC Films.

In the film, Pastor Dan (Brosnan) is a charismatic preacher who has captivated a city with his charm. Ex-deadhead and recovering hippie Carl (Kinnear) is one of the loyal sheep in his flock. When Dan finds himself in a compromising situation, Carl is called into service in a most unconventional way. The megachurch is cast into shadow, and a hellish storm begins brewing that could jeopardize its entire existence. The road to hell—in this case, SALVATION BOULEVARD—is paved with good intentions—gone hysterically wrong.

Jonathan Sehring, President of Sundance Selects/IFC Films, said: “George Ratliff takes a big leap forward with this film which, aside from featuring a powerhouse cast in Pierce Brosnan, Marisa Tomei, Greg Kinnear, Ed Harris, Jim Gaffigan and Jennifer Connelly, is a clever and sharp comedy that delivers.”

“This unique alliance between IFC Films and Sony will enable SALVATION BOULEVARD to take advantage of the most cutting edge distribution strategies. Mandalay strives to realize the vision of each of our filmmakers, and this distribution partnership will further that goal,” says Cathy Schulman, President, Mandalay Pictures and SALVATION BOULEVARD producer.

The deal for the film was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Productions for Sundance Selects/IFC Films and Betsy Rodgers, Vice President of Business and Legal Afffairs for Sundance Selects/IFC Films with Scott Shooman, SPWA Vice President of Acquisitions and Productions, and Michael Helfand, SPWA SVP of Business Affairs, and Rena Ronson and Richard Klubeck at UTA on behalf of the filmmakers.

Ratliff grew up in Amarillo, Texas, and went to film school at the University of Texas in Austin. His first feature film, Plutonium Circus (1995), a documentary about the extremely secretive Pantex Nuclear Weapons Plant in Amarillo, won the award for best feature documentary at the SXSW Film Festival and started his career. His next documentary, Hell House (2001), tracked a megachurch’s annual Halloween ritual of staging a haunted house to scare kids into Christianity. His thriller Joshua screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was released through Fox Searchlight. Ratliff lives with his wife and three sons in Santa Monica.

pierce brosnan

Ronan & Brosnan Make Critics’ Circle Shortlist 21 Dec 2010 :

Both Saoirse Ronan and Pierce Brosnan have received Critics’ Circle Film Award nominations. Pierce has been nominated in the category of British Actor in a Supporting Role for ‘The Ghost’ whilst Saoirse has been shortlisted in the category of Young British Performer of the Year for ‘The Way Back’.

Though both actors are Irish, a note on the Critics’ Circle Film Awards website explains that the word ‘British’ in the title of the awards is simply to distinguish them from the general best actor/director/film awards. Irish citizens are eligible for these awards but the awards organisers are of the opinion that many Irish actors and directors work on what are technically British films. ”There is no intention to suggest that Irish talent is British should an Irish citizen be nominated in the "British" categories and all Irish nominees know this. It simply recognises the complex nature of film making, a collaborative affair often crossing national boundaries,”it concludes.

Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan has been shortlisted in the category of British Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in Roman Polanski’s thriller, ‘The Ghost’. His fellow nominees include David Bradley for ‘Another Year’; Andrew Garfield for ‘The Social Network’; Tom Hardy for ‘Inception’ and Peter Wight for ‘Another Year’.

IFTA winner Saoirse Ronan is one of five nominees in the group of Young British Performer of the Year for her role in Peter Weir’s ‘The Way Back’. The other young performers shortlisted in the category include Jessica Barden for ‘Tamara Drewe’; Conor McCarron for ‘NEDs’; Will Poulter for ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ and Thomas Turgoose for ‘The Scouting Book for Boys’.

The 31st Critics’ Circle Film Awards will be held for the first time at BFI Southbank on February 10th, to benefit the group’s new charity partner, the BFI Archive. For a full list of nominees visit www.criticscircle.org.uk/film

SALVATION BOULEVARD First Movie Photos with Greg Kinnear

Check out the first photos from SALVATION BOULEVARD starring Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei, and directed by George Ratliff. You can read all our coverage of Salvation Boulevard here.

Salvation Boulevard Synopsis: An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit.

Salvation Boulevard will have its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Check out the photos below.

Roman Polanski wins best European picture award

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer," a story of a journalist hired to write the memoirs of a British prime minister, has won the prize for best film at the European Film Awards.

Polanski, who was awarded the Silver Bear for best director at the Berlin Film Festival, also took five other key prizes at the ceremony held in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, late Saturday.

Nominated in seven categories, the movie won the best director prize, best actor for Ewan McGregor, and best screenwriter went jointly to Robert Harris and Polanski.

"You have awarded a truly European venture. This is too much ... thank you very much," Polanski said in an acceptance speech through a Skype connection from an unknown location. "I wish to thank — before anything — this wonderful crew I had, a truly European crew."

It was not the first time that the Polish-born director has received recognition from the European Film Academy.

The 77-year-old Oscar winning director of movies like "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown" was honored with a lifetime achievement award in 2006 in Warsaw, Poland.

In Tallinn, French composer Alexandre Desplat was awarded for best composer while his compatriot film editor Herve de Luze won the production designer prize for Polanski's movie, which was mainly shot in Germany.

"The Ghost Writer," about the memoirs of a politician, played by Pierce Brosnan, is loosely based on former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Its production was a tangled tale for Polanski.

As he was finishing the movie in September 2009 Polanski was taken into custody at Zurich airport by Swiss police at the request of U.S. authorities to face prosecution in a 1977 child sex case. He had to finish editing the film while in Swiss prison before being released on house arrest.

In July, Polanski was freed after the Swiss government declined to deport him to the United States. But he still faces an Interpol warrant in 188 countries. Most European nations, including Estonia, have an extradition treaty with the United States.

McGregor, who played the ghostwriter, said he had a "fantastic time" while making the film.

"More than any other part I've played I feel like the director Roman Polanski had his hands really on my performance and is as worthy of this award as I am," McGregor told the audience through a video message from Thailand, where he is currently shooting a film.

Among other prizes at the academy's 23rd annual awards ceremony, Swiss actor Bruno Ganz was honored with a lifetime achievement prize handed out by German director Wim Wenders.

Ganz, 69, with a screen career that spans five decades with memorable performances in Wenders' "Wings of Desire" and "The American Friend," in which he costarred with Dennis Hopper. He is also remembered from his acclaimed performance as Adolf Hitler in the 2004 German drama "Downfall" that portrays the last days of the Third Reich.

French actress Juliette Binoche presented the European achievement in world cinema award to Lebanese composer and musician Gabriel Yared, who has written scores for "The English Patient" and "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

The prizes — the European equivalent of the U.S. Academy Awards — have been presented since 1988 by the European academy to celebrate the continent's film industry as a European counterweight to the Oscars.

The Big Names Return for Sundance’s Unofficial Section

LOS ANGELES— Here come the stars: the Sundance Film Festival announced its roster of films playing out of competition on Thursday and the selections – unlike those in the competitive slate – include marquee names on both sides of the camera.

Among the films sure to be catnip for audiences and the remaining indie distributors in this less-highbrow section of the Sundance Film Festival, which will take place Jan. 20 to 30 in Park City, Utah, are several from well-known filmmakers. Tom McCarthy, the director and screenwriter behind “The Visitor” and “The Station Agent,” returns with “Win Win,” the tale of a disheartened lawyer (Paul Giamatti) moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach. Kevin Smith (“Clerks,” “Dogma”) pops up with “Red State,” about a group of misfits that encounter extreme fundamentalism in America’s heartland. And among documentarians, Morgan Spurlock (“Super Size Me”) is back with “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” described as a look at branding, advertising and product placement in Hollywood.

Bigwig actors and actresses are also sprinkled throughout the selections. Tobey Maguire stars in “The Details.” Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes (“Mean Creek”), that film has one of the more bizarre descriptions in the entire festival: hungry racoons discover worms living under sod in a couple’s backyard, leading to a wild and absurd chain reaction that includes organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow.

“Margin Call,” directed by the newcomer J.C. Chandor, is a thriller set against the backdrop of the financial crisis that stars Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci and others recognizable names. Directed by George Ratliff (“Joshua”), “Salvation Boulevard” focuses on an evangelical preacher – one of several films at the 2011 festival that will deal with faith and religion – and stars Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear and Marisa Tomei.

John Cooper, Sundance’s director, said hopes are high that this section of films, which includes subsections for horror and avant garde pictures, will yeild brisk sales to distributors – something that would mark a change from recent years when turmoil in the film industry and the recession held back buyers. While Sundance does not make selections based on what it thinks is commercial, Mr. Cooper said the festival pays close attention to sales because filmmakers need all the financial backing they can get.

“Last year we were completely nervous about whether anything would sell,” Mr. Cooper said. “I think people are more optimistic this year.”

Below is a list of the entire out-of-competition slate:

FEATURES
Cedar Rapids/U.S.A. (Director: Miguel Arteta; Screenwriter: Phil Johnston) — A wholesome and naive small-town Wisconsin man travels to big city Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at a regional insurance conference. Cast: Ed Helms, John C Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Alia Shawkat, Sigourney Weaver.

The Convincer/U.S.A. (Director: Jill Sprecher; Screenwriters: Jill Sprecher & Karen Sprecher) — An insurance salesman, caught in a caper involving a rare musical instrument, sets off a series of dramatic consequences. Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour.

The Details/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jacob Aaron Estes) — When hungry raccoons discover worms living under the sod in a young couple’s backyard, the pest problem sets off a wild and absurd chain reaction of domestic tension, infidelity, organ donation and murder by way of bow and arrow. Cast: Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Laura Linney, Ray Liotta, Dennis Haysbert.

The Devil’s Double/Belgium (Director: Lee Tamahori; Screenwriter: Michael Thomas) — An extraordinary chapter in recent history providing a chilling vision of the House of Saddam comes to life through the eyes of the man who knew too much. Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ludivine Sagnier, Mimoun Oaissa, Raad Rawi, Philip Quast.

I Melt with You/Canada, U.S.A. (Director: Mark Pellington; Screenwriter: Glenn Porter, based on the story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington) — Four friends gather every year to celebrate their friendship. This year they are unexpectedly forced to confront a forgotten promise they made 25 years earlier. As they examine choices they’ve made, they realize that what they said they would do with their lives and what they have done are entirely different. Cast: Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino.

Life in a Day/United Kingdom (Director: Kevin Macdonald) — Life in a Day is a historic global experiment to create the world’s largest user-generated feature film. On July 24, 2010, professional and amateur filmmakers captured a glimpse of their lives on camera and uploaded the footage to YouTube, serving as a time capsule for future generations.

Margin Call/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: JC Chandor) — Over a 24-hour period during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis, the key people at a investment bank struggle to decide how to handle an emergency business situation while examining the personal and moral implications of every action they take. Cast: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci.

The Music Never Stopped/U.S.A. (Director: Jim Kohlberg; Screenwriters: Gwyn Lurie and Gary Marks, based on the story “The Last Hippie” by Oliver Sacks) — A father struggles to bond with his estranged son who suffers a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. He learns to embrace his son’s choices and to try to connect with him through the power of music. Cast: J.K. Simmons, Julia Ormond, Cara Seymour, Lou Taylor Pucci, Mia Maestro.

My Idiot Brother/U.S.A. (Director: Jesse Peretz; Screenwriters: Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall) — After serving time for selling pot, Ned successively moves in with each of his three sisters as he tries to get back on his feet. His best intentions quickly bring the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity. Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer.

Perfect Sense/United Kingdom (Director: David Mackenzie; Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson) — A poetic and magnetic love story about two people who start to fall in love just as the world begins to fall apart. Cast: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Dillane, Denis Lawson and Connie Nielsen.

Red State/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kevin Smith) — A group of misfits encounter extreme fundamentalism in Middle America. Cast: Michael Parks, Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, John Goodman, Melissa Leo.

Salvation Boulevard/U.S.A. (Director: George Ratliff; Screenwriters: Doug Max Stone and George Ratliff, based on the novel by Larry Beinhart) — An evangelical preacher who has captivated a city with his charm frames an ex-hippie for a crime he did not commit. Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei.

The Son of No One/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dito Montiel) — Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets. Cast: Channing Tatum, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Tracy Morgan, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche.

Win Win/U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Tom McCarthy, based on the story by Tom McCarthy and Joe Tiboni) — When a disheartened attorney moonlighting as a high school wrestling coach stumbles across a star athlete, things seem to be looking up. That is, until the boy’s mother shows up fresh from rehab and flat broke, threatening to derail everything. Cast: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor.

DOCUMENTARY PREMIERES
With the expanding impact and popularity of documentaries in our world today, Documentary Premieres is a new section for 2011 that furthers the Institute’s commitment to this important form of storytelling by showcasing films on big subjects and new works by master filmmakers.

Becoming Chaz/U.S.A. (Directors: Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato) — Born biologically female, Chastity Bono invites the viewer into a deeply personal journey as he transitions from female to male, embracing his true self, which is Chaz.

Bobby Fischer Against the World/U.S.A. (Director: Liz Garbus) — The drama of late chess-master Bobby Fischer’s career was undeniable,as he careened from troubled childhood, to World Champion and Cold War icon, to a fugitive on the run.

Granito/U.S.A. (Director: Pamela Yates) — A documentary film intertwines with Guatemala’s turbulent history and emerges as an active player in a nation’s struggle to heal itself and serve up justice.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold/U.S.A. (Director: Morgan Spurlock) — A documentary about branding, advertising and product placement is financed and made possible by branding, advertising and product placement.

The Interrupters/U.S.A. (Director: Steve James) — From the Academy Award-winning director of Hoop Dreams comes a story of ex-gang members who are now protecting their communities from the violence they themselves once employed.

Reagan/U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — Reagan examines the enigmatic career of one of the revered architects of the modern world – icon, screen star, and two-term president Ronald Reagan.

Rebirth/U.S.A. (Director: Jim Whitaker) — Weaving together five stories of individuals whose lives were profoundly altered by the 9/11 attack with unprecedented time-lapse footage of Ground Zero composed over ten years, what emerges is a chronicle of grief’s evolution and a nation healing.

These Amazing Shadows/U.S.A. (Directors: Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton) — The history and importance of the National Film Registry unfolds in a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.

NEXT (< =>)
Eight American films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking.

Bellflower/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Evan Glodell) — A ballad for every person who has ever loved and lost – with enough violence, weapons, action and sex to tell a love story with apocalyptic stakes. Cast: Evan Glodell, Jessie Wiseman, Tyler Dawson, Rebekah Brandes.

The Lie/ U.S.A. (Director: Joshua Leonard; Screenwriters: Jeff Feuerzeig, Joshua Leonard, Mark Webber and Jess Weixler, based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle) — A man overwhelmed and disappointed with life tells a lie to avoid going to work… what could possibly go wrong? Cast: Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler, Mark Webber, Alia Shawkat, Jane Adams and Kelli Garner.

Lord Byron/ U.S.A. (Director: Zack Godshall; Screenwriters: Zack Godshall and Ross Brupbacher) — When he’s not pursuing women, Byron is smoking weed and loafing around. But he’s grown restless in his middle-age and feels the need to escape – he just doesn’t know where to go. Cast: Paul Batiste, Gwendolyn Spradling, Kayla Lemaire.

The Off Hours/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Megan Griffiths) — A passing truck driver brings an unfamiliar sense of optimism to a woman working the night shift at a quiet diner, reminding her it’s never too late to become the person you always wanted to be. Cast: Amy Seimetz, Ross Partridge, Scoot McNairy, Lynn Shelton, Bret Roberts, Tony Doupe.

Prairie Love/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dusty Bias) — When a mysterious vagrant living out of his car among the snowy plains discovers a nearly-frozen local with a pen-pal girlfriend, he sees an opportunity to change his lonely existence. Cast: Jeremy Clark, Holly Lynn Ellis, Garth Blomberg.

Restless City/ U.S.A. (Director: Andrew Dosunmu; Screenwriter: Eugene M. Gussenhoven) — An African immigrant survives on the fringes of New York City. Music is his passion, life is a hustle and falling in love is his greatest risk. Cast: Danai Gurira, Anthony Okungbowa, Babs Olusanmokun.

sound of my voice/ U.S.A. (Director: Zal Batmanglij; Screenwriters: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling) — A young couple infiltrates a cult that meets in a basement in the San Fernando Valley. Cast: Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius, Brit Marling.

to.get.her/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Erica Dunton) — Five girls come together for one fateful night where anything goes. They all had secrets, but their friendship was the only thing they knew to be true. Cast: Jazzy De Lisser, Chelsea Logan, Adwoa Aboah, Jami Eaton, Audrey Speicher.

SPOTLIGHT
Cinema we love.

Attenberg/ Greece (Director and screenwriter: Athina Rachel Tsangari) — Marina, a young woman living with her father in a decaying, seaside factory town, acquires a new perspective on the mysteries of human nature after she meets a stranger. Cast: Ariane Labed, Yorgos Lanthimos, Vangelis Mourikis, Evangelia Randou.

Elite Squad 2 (Tropa de Elite 2)/ Brazil (Director: José Padilha; Screenwrtiers: Bráulio Mantovani, José Padilha and Rodrigo Pimentel) — Captain Nascimento of Rio de Janeiro’s special operations police unit has a new enemy: widespread corruption within the city. Cast: Wagner Moura, Seu Jorge, Tainá Müller, André Ramiro, Milhem Cortaz.

I Saw the Devil (Akma-reul bo-attda)/ South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Kim Jee-woon) — A young secret agent tracks a brutal serial killer who murdered his fiancée. Cast: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi.

In a Better World (Hævnen)/ Denmark (Director: Susanne Bier; Story: Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen, Screenplay: Anders Thomas Jensen) — The lives of two Danish families become intertwined as an extraordinary but risky friendship develops. Cast: Mikael Persbrandt, Trine Dyrholm, Ulrich Thomsen, Markus Rygaard and William Jøhnk Nielsen. U.S. Premiere

Incendies/ Canada, France (Director: Denis Villeneuve, Screenwriters: Denis Villeneuve with the collaboration of Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne, based on a stage play Incendies by: Wajdi Mouawad)— A mother’s last wish sends Jeanne and Simon, twins living in Canada, on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Cast: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Maxim Gaudette, Rémy Girard.

Kaboom/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki) — A science fiction story centered on the sexual awakening of a group of college students. Cast: Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida, Juno Temple.

Letters From the Big Man/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christopher Munch) — An artist and government hydrologist surveying a remote part of southwestern Oregon befriends a sasquatch man and must take bold steps to protect his privacy, as well as her own. Cast: Lily Rabe, Jason Butler Harner, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., Jim Cody Williams, Fiona Dourif.
Meek’s Cutoff/ U.S.A. (Director: Kelly Reichardt; Screenwriter: Jon Raymond) — In 1845, three families who have hired mountaineer Stephen Meek to guide their wagons over the Cascade Mountains get lost and face hunger, thirst and a lack of faith in their instincts for survival. Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Zoe Kaza, Bruce Greenwood, Shirley Henderson.

Old Cats (Gatos Viejos)/ Chile (Directors and screenwriters: Pedro Peirano and Sebastián Silva) — An old woman who realizes that her mind is quickly deteriorating desperately tries to hide this condition from her daughter, who waits keenly for any sign of senility in order to take her apartment. Cast: Bélgica Castro, Claudia Celedón, Catalina Saavedra, Alejandro Sieveking.

Submarine/ United Kingdom, U.S.A. (Director: Richard Ayoade; Screenwriter: Richard Ayoade from the novel by Joe Dunthorne) — Fifteen-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents’ marriage and to lose his virginity before his next birthday. Cast: Craig Roberts, Paddy Considine, Sally Hawkins, Yasmin Paige.

Uncle Kent/ U.S.A. (Director: Joe Swanberg; Screenwriters: Joe Swanberg and Kent Osborne) — A pothead cartoonist in Los Angeles spends a weekend trying to sleep with his visiting house guest – a woman from New York he met on Chatroulette. Cast: Kent Osborne.

PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Home to horror films and extreme comedies. “Black Dynamite” “The Blair Witch Project” and “Saw” are among the films that have screened here.

The Catechism Cataclysm/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Rohal) — After becoming disinterested with the church, a priest tracks down his old classmate, a former metalhead whom he idolized in high school. When the two embark on a canoeing trip together, all hell breaks loose. Cast: Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, Walter Dalton, Miki Ann Maddox, Koko Lanham.

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Madeleine Olnek) — A shy greeting card store employee unknowingly falls for a lesbian space alien while two government agents closely track their romance. Cast: Lisa Haas, Susan Ziegler, Jackie Monahan, Cynthia Kaplan, Dennis Davis, Alex Karpovsky, Rae C Wright.

Hobo with A Shotgun/ Canada (Director: Jason Eisener; Screenwriter: Johnathan Davies) — A hobo hops from a train with dreams of a fresh life in a new city, but instead finds himself trapped in an urban hell. When he witnesses a brutal robbery, he realizes the only way to deliver justice is with a shotgun in his hands and two shells in the chamber. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Molly Dunsworth, Gregory Smith, Brian Downey.

The Oregonian/ U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Calvin Lee Reeder) — After surviving a brutal car accident, a simple farm woman limps down the road into the nightmarish unknown. Cast: Lindsay Pulsipher, Robert Longstreet, Matt Olsen, Lynne Compton, Barlow Jacobs, Chadwick Brown, Jed Maheu, Roger M. Mayer.

Septien/ U.S.A. (Director: Michael Tully) — A reclusive sports hustler returns home to his family farm after years of absence to reunite with his two eccentric, unhinged and emotionally damaged brothers. Cast: Robert Longstreet, Onur Tukel, Michael Tully, Rachel Korine, Mark Robinson, John Maringouin.

Troll Hunter (Trolljegeren)/ Norway (Director: Andre Ovredal) — A group of student filmmakers get more than they bargained for when tangling with a man tasked with protecting Norway from giant trolls. Cast: Otto Jespersen, Glenn Erland Tosterud, Hans Morten Hansen, Johanna Mørch, Tomas Alf Larsen.

Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel / U.S.A. (Director: Alex Stapleton) — Tracks the triumphant rise of Hollywood’s most prolific writer-director-producer, the true godfather of independent filmmaking. Cast: Jack Nicholson, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, James Cameron, Roger Corman.

The Woman/ U.S.A. (Director: Lucky McKee; Screenwriters: Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee) — When a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to “civilize” the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy. Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Sean Bridgers, Angela Bettis, Lauren Ashley Carter, Zach Rand.

NATIVE SHOWCASE
Following President and Founder Robert Redford’s original vision, Sundance Institute has remained committed to supporting indigenous filmmaking. This showcase highlights new work that contributes to a worldwide understanding of and appreciation for these artists.

Grab / U.S.A. (Director: Billy Luther) — Three families in the Laguna Pueblo tribe prepare for Grab Day, when they throw groceries from a rooftop to the community waiting below – an annual community-wide prayer of abundance, thanks and renewal. Documentary, narrated by Parker Posey. World Premiere.

NEW FRONTIER
Works that push the limits of traditional cinema aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking.

Jess + Moss/ U.S.A. (Director: Clay Jeter; Screenwriters: Clay Jeter and Debra Jeter) — Without immediate families that they can relate to, and lacking friends their own age, second cousins Jess and Moss only have each other. A series of visceral vignettes conjure memories of companionship and sexual awakening during a summer shared together on their Kentucky farm. Cast: Sarah Hagan, Austin Vickers.

The Mill & the Cross/ Poland, Sweden (Director: Lech Majewski; Screenwriters: Michael Francis Gibson and Lech Majewski) — A visually vibrant and masterful work that seamlessly fortifies rich painterly compositions with digital effects, bringing Peter Brugel’s 1564 painting, The Way to Calvary, to real life. Cast: Rutger Hauer, Michael York, Charlotte Rampling, Joanna Litwin.

The Nine Muses/ United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: John Akomfrah) — An allegorical fable divided into overlapping musical chapters, this film retells the history of mass migration to post-war Britain through the suggestive lens of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey.

!Women Art Revolution/ U.S.A. (Director: Lynn Hershman Leeson) — One part of a transmedia project that includes the interactive video installation RAW WAR presented at New Frontier, this seminal documentary depicts the history of women artists who have used art as an activist practice to fight oppression and protest gender and racial exclusion – creating what many historians feel is the most significant art movement of the late-20th century.

The Woods/ U.S.A. (Director and Screenwriter: Matthew Lessner) — A satirical nod to ethnographic film fashions a critique on media technology dependence, when eight young Americans move deep into to the woods to start their own utopia. Cast: Justin Phillips, Toby David, Adam Mortemore, Nicola Persky, Chris Edley.

pierce brosnan out with a friend and having a ball newyork on november 23....

James Bond Comes Back To Television

Unless your name is Sean Connery, the career gods don’t seem to be that kind to former James Bonds; Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore both pretty much retreated into the background, and don’t get me started on George Lazenby. But Pierce Brosnan? He’s headed back to television with a show about the man to make everything alright…

Deadline reports that Sony Pictures Television has greenlit a pilot for a show co-created by er vet Jack Orman and Brosnan about a “fixer,” a specially trained private investigator with a specialty for solving difficult crimes and situations internationally. Brosnan will produce and star in the show, but not as the lead; that role will go to someone younger and more willing to do the stuntwork required.

The series is being offered to international broadcasters first, with the hope that pre-sales will make it more attractive to American networks.

the ghost writer...oscar for best director-or best actress

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/r....r-actress-45451

Should Polanski Get an Oscar for Best Director -- or Best Actress?

11/15/2010

by Tim Appelo

At Sunday's Q&A after the DGA screening of Summit Entertainment's The Ghost Writer, Olivia Williams, who plays the knife-sharp wife of ex-British Prime Minister Pierce Brosnan, said director Roman Polanski's involvement with actors is so deep, he deserves more glory than we know. "He acts the scene for you," said Williams. "And if you don't copy what he does, he goes, 'No! Like this,' -- pause, movement, intonation, the works. So the prize for any performance really does go to Roman."

Polanski shot Brosnan's toughest scene first, a seven-page rant reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's "You can't handle the truth!" soliloquy. "Your heart's pounding on the first day," says Brosnan, whose character hires a hack (Ewan McGregor) to rewrite his memoir. Polanski made Brosnan wait six hours or so ("I went back to my trailer and paced back and forth"), then finally shot a take, and said, "That's very good, yes, but when you laugh you gotta laugh from the top of your cock." "This is really doing my head in," said Brosnan. But Polanski's odd advice did make Brosnan's laugh resonate onscreen.

"It's so bewildering," said Williams. Eight hours into a 22-hour scene with Jim Belushi, "he decided Belushi should not have any hair. They shaved his head." On the Chinatown DVD commentary, she had just watched Polanski boast of yanking a hair off Faye Dunaway's head. "To me he said, 'Your ear is bizarre!' So I thought, is it going to get the Faye Dunaway treatment?"

"Once you're on the set, you're in his domain," said Brosnan. "His life is a constant, I dunno, investigation of his own weird shape of heart and mind. You feel it when you're on the set." "He creates incredible parameters," said Williams. "You're really no more important nor less important than a beam of light."

Williams got an illuminating glimpse of Polanski's mind when he closed his eyes during her tough bedroom scene. "Roman had his head in his hands, and I said, 'Roman, as a woman crying, shagging, naked, when you've got your head in your hands it's a bit disappointing. Can you give me some feedback here?' He didn't at the time. Later, he said, 'When I've got my head in my hands, I'm closing my eyes trying to see the original model I had in my head before all this -- he waved at all of us, cameras, equipment -- arrives."

"In the dinner scene," said Williams, "Roman had chosen the food, eaten the meal, said the lines, to see how many mouthfuls we were gonna get. I had some quibble. Roman said, 'What do you think? I wrote this script in front of the fucking football?' [The great Robert Harris, who wrote the Ghost Writer novel, shares screenwriting credit.] Ewan said to me, 'It's actually insulting.' So I backed down most of the time." Even though Brosnan said Polanski didn't shoot lots of takes, he made Williams do one scene 25 times, so the trousers she carried precisely caught the light, got set on the bed with no crease, and Williams still managed to seem effortlessly lifelike.

Polanski wasn't inflexible. He let Williams make her character a lowborn intellectual snob instead of an aristocrat, and Brosnan based his role partly on Tony Blair "even though Roman was saying, 'No no no! You're not playing Tony!' " Asked if Polanski gave equal praise and criticism, both Williams and Brosnan said, "I wouldn't say equal."

Williams thinks Polanski "honors actors," evident in his hiring Kim Cattrall for an utterly un-Samantha-like Ghost Writer role. "One advantage of his extraordinary isolation is he doesn't engage in the pigeonholing that popular culture does." Polanski is now the poet of isolation, the vital ghost in his own machine. In exile, his vibe has become more like D.H. Lawrence's line: "The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer."

If the directing Oscar should go to the most totally controlling auteur, maybe it should go to Polanski.

the ghost writer leads european film award nominations

the Ghost Writer Leads European Film Award Nominations

Monday 8th November 2010 - 09:51:31

The Ghost Writer, which is directed by Roman Polanski, has joined the Oscar race in spectacular fashion after landing a string of top nominations for the upcoming European Film Awards.

Members of the European Film Academy have singled out the movie for potential Best Film and Best Director (Polanski) honors, while star Ewan McGregor is up for a Best Actor prize.

In the Best Film category, the movie, which also features Pierce Brosnan, will compete with Turkish film Honey, France's Gods & Monsters, Lebanon, Soul Kitchen and Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language Film The Secret in their Eyes.

The winners of this year's EFAs will be announced on 4 December (10).

European Film Awards Nominations

European Film:
Bal (Honey)
Des Hommes et Des Dieux (Of Gods and Men)
The Ghost Writer
Lebanon
El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes)
Soul Kitchen

European Director
Olivier Assayas, Carlos
Semih Kaplanoglu, Bal (Honey)
Samuel Maoz, Lebanon
Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer
Paolo Virzi, The First Beautiful Thing

European Actress:
Zrinka Cvitesic, Na Putu
Sibel Kekilli, When We Leave
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Sylvie Testud, Lourdes
Lotte Verbeek, Nothing Personal

European Actor:
Jakob Cedergren, Submarino
Elio Germano, La Nostra Vita
Ewan McGregor, The Ghost Writer
George Pistereanu, If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle
Luis Tosar, Cell 211

European Screenwriter:
Jorge Guerricaechevarria & Daniel Monzon, Cell 211
Robert Harris & Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer
Samuel Maoz, Lebanon
Radu Mihaileanu, The Concert

Carlo di Palma European Cinematographer Award:
Giora Bejach, Lebanon
Caroline Champetier, Of Gods and Men
Pavel Kostomarov, How I Ended this Summer
Baris Oezbicer, Honey

Comment on this Article

European Editor:
Luc Barnier & Marion Monnier, Carlos
Arik Lahav-Leibovich, Lebanon
Herve de Luze, The Ghost Writer

European Production Designer:
Paola Bizzarri & Luis Ramirez, I, Don Giovanni
Albrecht Konrad, The Ghost Writer
Markku Paetilae & Jaagup Roomer, The Temptation of St Tony

European Composer:
Ales Brezina, Kawasaki’s Rose
Pasquale Catalano, Loose Cannons
Alexandre Desplat, The Ghost Writer
Gary Yershon, Another Year

European Discovery (FIPRESCI Prize):
The Double Hour
If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle
Lebanon
Nothing Personal
When We Leave

European Film Academy Animated Feature Film:
The Illusionist
Planet 51
Sammy’s Adventures: The Secret Passage

European Film Academy Documentary:
Armadillo
Nostalgia for the Light
Steam of Life

European Film Academy Short Film:
Amor
Diarch
The External World
Hanoi Warsaw
Here I Am
Joseph’s Snails
Lights
The Little Snow Animal
Maria’s Way
Out of Love
Rendez-Vous in Stella-Plage
Stay, Away
Talleres Clandestinos
Tussilago
Venus vs Me

SHEFFIELD INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL AWARDS

The Special Jury Award: Pink Saris, Kim Longionotto
Special mention: Nostalgia for the Light, Patricio Guzman
The Sheffield Inspiration Award: Kim Longionotto
The BT Vision Sheffield Innovation Award: The Arbor, Clio Barnard
The Sheffield Green Doc Award: Rainmakers, Floris-Jan Luyn
The Sheffield Student Doc Award: No Easy Time, Will Woodward
The Sheffield Youth Jury Award: The Battle for Barking, Laura Fairrie
BCS Digital Revolutions Award, Amateur Category: This Chair Is Not Me, Andy Taylor-Smith
BSC Digital Revolutions Award, Professional Category: The Scanner, Edward McGown

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