Madonna's Guy exorcism

(China Daily) Madonna is removing all traces of Guy Ritchie from the couple's London home.

The US singer - who was granted a decree nisi in her divorce from Guy just over a week ago - has reportedly made plans to get rid of love tokens given to her by the film director and changed the answer phone message at the house they once shared.

A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "She's removed all photographs of the pair of them, leaving only the ones featuring Guy with the children. The joint answering machine message has been replaced with a neutral one.

"Many of the presents Guy gave her have been packed up, things are turning ugly."

Despite Madonna's purge, Guy, 40, has invited the singer to spend Christmas with him and sons Rocco, eight and adopted David, three, as well as her daughter Lourdes, 12.

A source said: "Guy will have the boys at Christmas time. He wants to treat them like kings and celebrate the old fashioned way. It's not something that's happened in the past because it's not in accordance with Madonna's Kabbalah faith.

"I believe he has asked his ex-wife and her daughter to join them. Even though she doesn't celebrate, Guy thinks it's a good way to try to move on in a civilised way."

Meanwhile, Madonna, 50, has been staying over with rumoured boyfriend, baseball star Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez.

The pair were seen together in Mexico City for the concluding North American dates of Madonna's 'Sticky and Sweet' tour on last Saturday. The tour will now head to South America and conclude on December 21.


Read more...

Britney Spears' UK shame

(China Daily) Britney Spears hid her face as she left the UK on Nov.11th, after fans blasted her "disastrous" performance on British television on last Saturday.

The 26-year-old singer donned a trilby, sunglasses and a hooded duffle coat in a bid to remain invisible as she returned to America after causing outrage by appearing to mime during her rendition of hit track 'Womanizer' on TV talent show 'The X Factor'.

Angry fans branded the appearance - which marked her first performance on British TV in five years - "an absolute disaster". Britney also reportedly angered show chief Simon Cowell by refusing to watch the contestants perform her songs on the programme, and banned show judges - Simon, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh and Cheryl Cole - from coming into her room to meet her.
A source said: "When the judges went to meet her, her security wouldn't let anyone past. You have never seen so many security guards. Even around the judges' dressing rooms was sealed off by Britney's security people."

Britney then further infuriated her British fans when she appeared at the G-A-Y nightclub in London to celebrate her 27th birthday but refused to take to the stage after being presented with a cake.

However, Britney's spokesperson Shoshanna Stone insists the singer had never agreed to perform at the club, adding: "Contrary to reports, Britney was never booked to perform or even appear at G-A-Y. She was invited to the evening but was never asked to perform.

"Following her incredible performance on 'The X Factor', Britney took up the invite and relaxed among friends."

The singer is expected to celebrate her birthday and the release of her new album 'Circus' with a performance on US TV show 'Good Morning America' today.


Read more...

Cameron Diaz dodges Jessica Biel

(China Daily) Cameron Diaz deliberately avoided Jessica Biel at the CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.

The 'What Happens in Vegas' star rushed through the back entrance of Los Angeles' Kodak Theatre on last Friday to prevent running into Jessica, who is currently dating Cameron's ex-boyfriend, singer Justin Timberlake.

A source said: "It was a careful tango to make sure they weren't backstage at the same time."

Jessica - who was accompanied by her father Jonathan - presented one of the prizes at the ceremony, which recognises people who have shown incredible bravery and dedication in the face of adversity.
Cameron also handed over an award to Marie Da Silva, who was praised for funding a school in her native Malawi.

Other stars taking part in the concert and ceremony included Christina Aguilera, Salma Hayek, Forrest Whitaker, Meg Ryan, Terrence Howard, Lucy Liu and Kate Beckinsale.

Cameron famously blew up at the 'Easy Virtue' actress at the 2007 Golden Globe Awards after she spotted her flirting with the 'SexyBack' star soon after they had split.

The 36-year-old star is now dating British model Paul Sculfor and is reportedly planning to fly out to the UK this month to spend Christmas with his family.


Read more...

Dunst gets order against alleged stalker

(China Daily) Kirsten Dunst doesn't need Spider-Man — she's got an assistant who recently proved capable of protecting the actress.

Dunst's assistant performed a citizen's arrest on a man who bypassed security and showed up at the actress' Hollywood home in November. Dunst was not home at the time.

Police and Dunst sought a restraining order against Christopher Smith after his Nov. 20 arrest. Documents show state police have found Smith at Dunst's home several times in recent weeks.

The actress wrote she is "quite frightened" of Smith, whom she has never met.

Records do not indicate whether Smith has an attorney. He is due in court later this month on a trespassing charge. Dunst's restraining order could be made extended on Dec. 22.



Read more...

Britney Spears tops Yahoo searches

Pop star Britney Spears leaves Fountain Studios in Wembley, London, after her X Factor performance on Saturday November 29, 2008.[Agencies]

(China Daily) She did it again: Britney Spears was the most popular search term on Yahoo for the fourth year in a row — her seventh time topping the list.

Spears bested World Wrestling Entertainment, Barack Obama, Miley Cyrus and the online game "RuneScape" as the five most-searched terms of 2008, the Web portal and search company announced Monday, a day before the singer released her new album "Circus."

Jessica Alba, the anime series "Naruto," Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie and "American Idol" rounded out the top 10 list. To compile their year-end review, Yahoo editors analyze search queries based on "absolute volume and growth versus previous periods, to see which themes and trends bubble to the surface." Users and their search queries remain anonymous.

Spears also continues to be a ratings draw on television, too. The Saturday episode of the British talent show "The X Factor," which featured an appearance by Spears, attracted 12.6 million viewers, the show's biggest audience, The Guardian reported Monday. Ratings for the Sunday premiere of Spears' MTV special, "Britney: For the Record," weren't yet available.

YAHOO TOP 10 OVERALL SEARCHES FOR 2008

• 1. Britney Spears

• 2. WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)

• 3. Barack Obama

• 4. Miley Cyrus

• 5. "RuneScape"

• 6. Jessica Alba

• 7. "Naruto"

• 8. Lindsay Lohan

• 9. Angelina Jolie

• 10. American Idol


Read more...

Sean Penn's gay sex request

Actor Sean Penn arrives at the British Academy of Film & Television Arts/Los Angeles 17th Annual Britannia Awards in Los Angeles, California November 6, 2008. Penn is being honored with BAFTA's 2008 Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film.[Agencies]

(China Daily) Sean Penn asked for more gay sex scenes to be written into new movie 'Milk'.

James Franco - who stars alongside Sean in the film, which tells the story of Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official - was surprised when he found the script had been rewritten to include more raunchy scenes.

He said: "In the original script I read, there was only one real kissing scene. A month after the director Gus Van Sant asked me to do it, they sent me another script, and on page five there was a full-on love scene. And I was like, 'Gus, what the heck?' He says, 'Well, it was Sean's idea.' "

James recently revealed Sean texted his ex-wife Madonna - who famously kissed Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - to boast about his first on screen gay kiss.

He said: "After our kiss, Sean texted Madonna and said, 'I just popped my cherry kissing a guy. I thought of you. I don't know why.' "



Read more...

Britney Spears on her 'crazy year'

Britney Spears is the first to admit she’s had a “crazy year” — and with her new album, “Circus,” due out on Tuesday, it’s hardly over yet.

In the January issue of Glamour hitting newsstands this week, the pop princess revealed how she’s tried to find some peace and quiet after quite a chaotic past couple of years.

“The whole year has been a hell of a year for me,” she said, adding that she “didn’t know exactly where” she stood with fans when it came time to return to the public eye.

“I have ‘come back’ so many times, people are just like, ‘Is this another one?’” she said. “It’s kind of like a joke to me now.”

But if her big night at the MTV Music Awards earlier this year was any indication, people are ready for more Britney.

“When I received the awards and [the audience] stood for me, it showed me how much love is out there,” she said.

She won three awards at the September ceremony, including Video of the Year for “Piece of Me,” from her last album, 2007’s “Blackout.”

Britney’s had no problem finding praise overseas this week, turning in hot performances on the U.K. show “The X Factor” and the German Bambi Awards, where she picked up the trophy for Best International Pop Star.

And fans flocked to her in London this past Saturday night as Britney celebrated her December 2 birthday a little early at the club G-A-Y. In a video on her Web site, BritneySpears.com, the crowd chants “Britney! Britney!” as she waves and blows out her candles.

Still, she told Glamour, she’d rather spend her nights at home.
“I don’t like going out,” she said. “I hate clubs. I hate being around too many people. I love my home and staying in bed and watching ‘Dancing With the Stars’ or reading a Danielle Steel novel. I’m kind of boring.”

And although she sounded excited for her new album, it’s her children that keep her upbeat.

“You have to make sure you’re a happy mom so they can be happy,” she said, adding that she wants to find “a father figure” for sons Jayden James and Sean Preston.

“In five years I would like to be married and have a father figure for my kids,” she said. “It’s hard doing it on your own.”
Taken From : China Daily

Read more...

Keanu Reeves' 40 club

Actor Keanu Reeves poses during the 60th Bambi media awards ceremony in the southwestern German town of Offenburg November 27, 2008. [Agencies]

Keanu Reeves says turning 40 was like being "in a club with a secret handshake".

The 44-year-old actor - who can next be seen in sci-fi movie 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' alongside Jennifer Connelly - felt more included in his group of friends when he reached the landmark birthday.

He said: "It's funny - when you get to 40 it's like being in a club with a secret handshake! I remember my doctor telling me to enjoy my forties because I will still have my physical capabilities but also my life experiences.

"We should take advantage of that before the physical capabilities slip away."

Keanu - who has previously starred in movies including 'The Matrix' film franchise and 'Constantine' - also said he doesn't mind if he becomes known for starring in sci-fi movies because he enjoys the genre.

He added to Britain's The Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I grew up liking science fiction - it's almost like a Trojan horse. You can put any other genre inside. You can do a romance like 'Blade Runner', you can do an action romance like 'Star Wars' or a comedy like 'Spaceballs'. It really translates well into other genres.

"As to whether I get stereotyped for doing sci-fi, I don't know. For me, sci-fi is just one of the things I can do."

Taken From : China Daily

Read more...

Liam Gallagher's Coldplay hate

Liam Gallagher doesn't "give a s**t" about Coldplay.

Despite the worldwide popularity of Chris Martin's group, the rocker insists Oasis are still the best band on the planet and wipe the floor with their rivals.

He fumed: "I don't give a s**t about Coldplay. We are the coolest band and we are the best f***ing band. We are the most important band. We may not be the biggest band in America but who would want that?"

Liam admits he is confused as to why Oasis are not bigger in the US, because their Stateside tours sell-out in record time.

He added to Loaded magazine: "We aren't as big as we could be in America because of our attitudes. We're miserable. The main reason is they obviously don't like us. But a lot of people over there do like us. We sold out Madison Square Garden in a minute and we tour there for a long time. But they don't buy our records. But America is not the be all and end all for Oasis. America is a country in a f***ing very big world, so if they don't like us, somewhere else will."

Oasis' latest album, 'Dig Out Your Soul', reached number 5 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart when it was released in October.
Taken From : China Daily


Read more...

"Rome" might not be history, series creator says

The creator of CBS' red-hot police procedural "The Mentalist" has unfinished business in Italy.

Bruno Heller says he wants to produce a theatrical wrap-up to his critically beloved and prematurely canceled HBO drama "Rome."

"There is talk of doing a movie version," he said. "It's moving along. It's not there until it is there. I would love to round that show off."

The lavish period drama ran for two seasons on HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC. With the final season of "The Sopranos" as its lead-in, the first season was solidly rated, but high production costs presented the network with a tough call on the pickup. HBO opted for a second season to help get more value from its initial investment but not a third, effectively canceling the show in summer 2006 before the second season debuted the following January. The "Rome" sets were destroyed, and the actors were released from their contracts, making the decision all but irreversible.

Season 2 of "Rome" was a surprise. Although slightly lower-rated than the first, the show did remarkably well without a "Sopranos" lead-in. The first season received four Emmy Awards, and another seven Emmys were heaped upon the final season.

Suddenly "Rome" was a Greek tragedy: a hit show with no future. The broadcast networks quickly snatched up the show's leads for their top fall pilots.

HBO executives have since admitted that axing the show probably was a mistake.

One seeming drawback to revisiting the show after its wrap is the demise of a key lead character, Lucius (Kevin McKidd). Yet Heller reveals that the character's off-camera fate was far from fatal.

"It was very deliberate that we saw him drifting away but didn't see him atop a funeral pyre," Heller said.

McKidd has a recurring role on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy." Fellow "Rome" star Ray Stevenson is in "The Punisher," and Polly Walker is cast in Sci Fi's "Caprica."

A feature revival of a defunct series always is considered difficult, though HBO succeeded with "Sex and the City," and Fox's "Arrested Development" is making progress toward the big screen. Heller would not discuss plot ideas, but the original series outline for "Rome" next called for the hedonistic Roman leaders to deal with the rise of a certain problematic rabbi -- a story line that would have put a whole new spin on the Greatest Story Ever Told and potentially bring "Rome" a larger audience.

"I discovered halfway through writing the second season the show was going to end," Heller said. "The second was going to end with the death of Brutus. Third and fourth season would be set in Egypt. Fifth was going to be the rise of the messiah in Palestine. But because we got the heads-up that the second season would be it, I telescoped the third and fourth season into the second one, which accounts for the blazing speed we go through history near the end. There's certainly more than enough history to go around."
Taken From : China Daily

Read more...

Tom Cruise adopts Beckhams

Tom Cruise is to merge his family with Victoria and David Beckham's in a special ceremony.

The 'Valkyrie' actor will hold the bizarre service - during which the families vow to be brothers and sisters and exchange heartfelt speeches - at his wife Katie Holmes' New York town house.

The gesture serves as a Thanksgiving present from Tom - who has two adopted teenage children, Isabella and Connor, with ex-wife Nicole Kidman and a two-year-old daughter, Suri, with Katie - to the showbiz couple.

A source said: "Tom and David have been friends for years and they and their families spend a lot of time together.

"This year Tom wanted to make a special gesture that would show how much he appreciates their friendship and he thought this would be the perfect way."

Tom, 46, is also building a replica of the LA Lakers' Staples Centre basketball court in the Beckhams' garden for the soccer ace and his sons Brooklyn, nine, Romeo, six, and Cruz, three.

Earlier this week, Victoria and David gave Katie a standing ovation when they joined Tom in the audience at a performance of her Broadway show 'All My Sons'.
Taken From : China Daily


Read more...

Beyonce says marriage is "more than a dress"

Singer Beyonce Knowles performs on NBC's "Today" show in New York November 26, 2008. [Agencies]

Beyonce Knowles has learnt marriage is "more than a dress".

The 'If I Were a Boy' singer, who tied the knot with rapper Jay-Z earlier this year, is inspired by her parents' happy marriage and is willing to work hard to ensure her relationship survives.



She said: "I learned that it's a lot of hard work, that it's more than a dress. My parents are tighter now than ever, but they've been through it all. There were times when they were together, times when they were apart."

The 27-year-old star recently insisted her feelings for the hip-hop mogul are "real" and they aren't interested in flaunting their love in public.

Beyonce, who has been pictured wearing a £2.5 million engagement ring, explained: "What Jay and I have is real. It's not about the interviews or getting the right photo op. It's real."

The couple dated for around five years before finally getting married.
Taken From : China Daily

Read more...

Madonna tour grosses $91.5 million

U.S. singer Madonna performs during her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at the Foro Sol stadium in Mexico City November 29, 2008. [Agencies]

(China Daily) The 28 dates on Madonna's just-concluded North American jaunt grossed about $91.5 million and moved about 550,000 tickets, according to tour producer Arthur Fogel, chairman of global music for Live Nation.

The venerable performer wrapped the North American leg of her Sticky & Sweet tour Wednesday in front of 50,000 people at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. She then headed to Mexico City for shows Saturday and Sunday.

Counting her European run, Madonna is at about $207.5 million in ticket sales and on a pace to hit about $282 million when the Mexico/South America leg of the tour wraps. That would make Sticky & Sweet the top-grossing tour ever by a female artist or solo artist.

The tour, supporting her album "Hard Candy," concludes with three nights December 18-21 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.



Read more...

'Four Christmases' finds $31.7M in holiday cheer

In this Nov. 20, 2008 file photo, Reese Witherspoon, a cast member in 'Four Christmases,' poses on the red carpet at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles. [Agencies]

Thanksgiving weekend movie crowds gobbled up the Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn holiday comedy "Four Christmases," which debuted at No. 1 with $31.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The Warner Bros. release, featuring Witherspoon and Vaughn as a couple suffering through four separate family holiday gatherings, raised its total to $46.7 million since opening Wednesday to get a head start on the long weekend.

In terms of revenue, it was Hollywood's second-biggest Thanksgiving period ever. The top 12 movies took in $223.7 million from Wednesday to Sunday, trailing only the $232.2 million haul over Thanksgiving in 2000.

Summit Entertainment's vampire romance "Twilight," which had a huge No. 1 opening the previous weekend, took a steep 62 percent decline from its $69.6 million debut and was neck-and-neck for second place with Disney's animated family flick "Bolt."

Based on Sunday's estimates, "Bolt" had a slight lead with $26.6 million for the weekend, compared to $26.4 million for "Twilight." Their rankings could change once final numbers are released Monday.

"Twilight' is still a phenomenon, but you can't really maintain that level of intensity week after week," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

"Twilight" raised its 10-day total to $119.7 million, while "Bolt" lifted its sum to $66.9 million.

Hollywood typically releases a handful of holiday-themed movies starting in November, but "Four Christmases" has the market virtually to itself this season.

"It was the perfect time. It's the only movie out there that deals with Christmas," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros.

The only potential competition comes Dec. 12 with the John Leguizamo tale "Nothing Like the Holidays."

The weekend's other new wide release, the Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman epic "Australia," opened at No. 5 with $14.8 million for the weekend and $20 million since debuting Wednesday.

The 20th Century Fox film reunites Kidman with "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann for a World War II-era romance between an aristocratic British woman and an Australian ranch hand.

Sean Penn's drama "Milk" got off to a great start in limited release, coming in at No. 10 with $1.4 million in just 36 theaters. The film had a strong average of $38,375 a cinema, compared with $9,571 in 3,310 theaters for "Four Christmases."

"Milk," an Academy Awards contender released by Focus Features, stars Penn as gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor slain by a colleague who also killed the mayor. The film expands to more theaters Friday.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Four Christmases," $31.7 million.

2. "Bolt," $26.6 million.

3. "Twilight," $26.4 million.

4. "Quantum of Solace," $19.5 million.

5. "Australia," $14.8 million.

6. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," $14.5 million.

7. "Transporter 3," $12.3 million.

8. "Role Models," $5.3 million.

9. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," $1.7 million.

10. "Milk," $1.4 million.

Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Read more...

Brad Pitt's Orleans privacy

Brad Pitt loves living in New Orleans because it is the only place his "family can have a sense of privacy".

The 44-year-old actor - who raises six children with partner Angelina Jolie - can escape the intense interest in his personal life when he goes home to the US city.

He said: "Living in New Orleans means we can all escape to a sense of normalcy, if there's such a thing.

"It's the only place where my family can have a sense of privacy. People there have other things to worry about than all this silliness."

Brad also revealed he decided to star in new movie 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' - in which he has to wear layers of make-up as well as prosthetic noses and scalps - because he was so keen to work with director David Fincher, who helmed his movies 'Se7en' and 'Fight Club', again.

Recalling the first time he watched a Fincher film, Brad said: "It was after this night of utter debauchery in Mexico in 1992, I watched 'Alien 3'.

"I remember walking out of the theatre thinking, 'OK, that was not what I expected. That wasn't a Hollywood ending'. It really stuck with me."

Read more...

Beyonce Knowles' high heel addiction

Singer Beyonce Knowles performs on NBC's "Today" show in New York November 26, 2008. [Agencies]

Beyonce Knowles is "addicted" to wearing high heels.

The 'If I Were a Boy' singer admits she can't help splashing out on expensive stiletto shoes every time she sees a shop selling footwear.

She said: "I love those super-high shoes that are out at the moment. I'm addicted."

Beyonce, who is married to rapper Jay-Z, also revealed she loves going to photo shoots because she gets so many free pairs of shoes.

She added: "I have been doing loads of photo shoots and they have all this stuff straight off the runway and this past few weeks there have been loads. I love a high heel."

The 27-year-old star isn't the only celebrity to confess a love for towering heels.

Pamela Anderson recently revealed she insists on wearing her stilettos to bed, while Christina Aguilera is so addicted to high heels she continued wearing them while she was pregnant with son Max.

Eva Mendes has admitted she is a fan of stilettos but can't walk in heels higher than 5ins.

She said: "I absolutely love shoes. I can never have too many pairs. I especially love ones with huge stiletto heels - but it's always a circus act when I walk in them. I am all over the place."
Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Read more...

Meryl Streep's Mamma sequel

Actress Meryl Streep poses at a screening of her film "Doubt" during the opening night of the AFI Fest 2008 in Hollywood, California October 30, 2008.[Agencies]

Meryl Streep would love to star in a 'Mamma Mia!' sequel.

The Oscar-winning actress - who won legions of new fans with her all-singing, all-dancing role in this year's hit movie - is keen to don flares again for a follow-up to the film, which is based on the songs of Swedish band ABBA.

She said: "Grand Mamma Mia! I like it! I'm up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys - Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard and Dominic Cooper - back!

"It's so gratifying that it has been this phenomenon around the world. It says there's an audience for something that appeals to a lot of women - something that might make them some money too!"

Meryl - who plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier in new movie 'Doubt', which tells the story of the principal of a Catholic grammar school who reports a priest for sexually abusing a black student - also revealed her teachers at school helped her get in touch with her strict side for the film.

She added to Britain's The Daily Mail newspaper: "My toughest teacher was a maths teacher. He was so scary, never cracked a smile. We ran roughshod over our favourite teachers - we loved them. I don't remember anything from those classes, but the one this guy ran, oh, I remember everything!"
Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn


Read more...

"Reader" delves into complexities of postwar guilt

Actress and honoree Kate Winslet poses at the 16th annual BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia awards in Los Angeles November 1, 2007.[Agencies]

"The Reader" is the last project of producers Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, both of whom passed away during the film's making. It's a testament to the kind of productions each was associated with -- films of entertainment, often with stars, that also reach out in terms of situations, themes and settings to embrace larger issues that confront society.

"The Reader" is a well-told coming-of-age yarn about a young boy growing up in postwar West Germany and experiencing his first love affair. But the outreach is to an issue crucial in that country and genuinely disturbing to any viewer. This is the troubling dilemma of Germany's so-called "second generation," which had to come to terms with the Nazi era and a Holocaust perpetuated by parents, teachers and even lovers.

Certainly "The Reader," for all its erotic scenes involving Kate Winslet, presents a difficult marketing challenge. The lively, nonlinear structure imposed by screenwriter David Hare and tight, focused direction from Stephen Daldry make this an engaging period drama. But German postwar guilt is not the most winning subject matter for the holiday season. The Weinstein Co. release opens December 10, expands Christmas Day and goes national January 9.

"The Reader," based on Bernhard Schlink's controversial German novel, deliberately places a Holocaust perpetrator at the story's focal point. But since we first meet her in an entirely different light, as a kind, loving and passionate woman, it explores the challenges of this second generation in navigating a welter of deeply psychological and morally complex issues.

The film opens in 1995 Berlin, where Ralph Fiennes plays aloof, emotionally numb attorney Michael Berg. We're swiftly conveyed back to 1958, when his younger self (very well played by David Kross) has a chance encounter that will forever affect him. Coming down with what he later learns is scarlet fever, he is helped home by a stranger, Hanna (Winslet). Upon recovering, he looks her up to thank her and finds himself losing his virginity to her. They embark on an affair with its own kind of feverish urgency.

As part of their bedroom rituals, he starts to read to her from books by Mark Twain, Homer and Anton Chekhov. She calls him "Kid," and clearly an "oldness" afflicts her beyond her years. Yet there is a kind of role reversal in his reading to her that allows him to expose her to worlds she never knew.

Then she disappears. Eight years later, as Michael attends a war crimes trial as a law student in Heidelberg, she makes a startling reappearance as a defendant. Michael is shaken to his core by growing evidence that his first love is, by any standard, a monster. But how does one deal with a monster who is a lover? One can only condemn her; but in that condemnation, where lies the process of understanding?

The film makes no attempt to answer this question, if indeed there is an answer. There is an explanation, not immediately apparent, for why Hanna found herself in a position to dictate life or death. But there is neither an excuse nor an offer of atonement for her.

Neither Hare nor Daldry shows us any easy way to look at this character. They muddy the waters and complicate the emotions, but the facts of her actions smother any possible empathy.

What remains unclear, in the film at least, is why Michael has seemingly never thought about any of this before 1966. Did he never question his father -- depicted here as a stern, unsympathetic man -- about what he did during the war?

To Winslet and Kross belong the gutsy, intense performances of the film. Lena Olin, as an unyielding camp survivor, and Bruno Ganz, as a sagacious law professor, put in memorable appearances. Fiennes is solid as the elder Berg, but by this stage of life the "oldness" Hanna once exhibited has caught up with him too, making his a somewhat listless role.

Superior production work in Germany by top professionals -- led by two of the world's finest cinematographers, Chris Menges and Roger Deakins -- gives what is a very tough story a fine professional polish.
Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Read more...

Music : Beyonce 'I Am...Sasha Fierce'

Album Info :


Artist : Beyonce
Album : I Am...Sasha Fierce
Release Date: November 18, 2008
Number of Discs: 2
Label: Sony
ASIN: B001GQACGE
Genre : R&B > Contemporary R&B, Soul, Pop > Adult Contemporary

Description :

Standard two CD pressing. One of 2008's most hotly anticipated album releases, I Am..Sasha Fierce marks the artist's first new studio collection since the Grammy-winning multi-platinum-selling B'Day debuted at #1 on charts around the world shortly after its international release on September 4, 2006. With all songs co-written and co-produced by Beyonc‚, the artist's third studio album is her most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date. 11 tracks.

Album Review :

By. Alexis Petridis, guardian.co.uk
Beyoncé Knowles' third solo album has a pretty enticing pitch. Short enough to fit on one CD, it's nevertheless split over two. The second, ... Sasha Fierce, contains the usual pop-R&B, but the first is being sold as offering a rare insight into Knowles' real psyche: "I Am ... is about who I am underneath all the makeup, underneath the lights, underneath all the exciting star drama." It sounds intriguing. In interviews, Knowles is guarded to the point of banality. Were she any nicer, she'd have to dole out Gaviscon during interviews to stop journalists bringing up their lunch. Just occasionally, however, her music has given a glimpse of something rather more torrid, tough and interesting lurking behind the public image - not least Survivor, a good-riddance message to departed Destiny's Child members LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett so livid that it occasioned a lawsuit from the duo.
Alas, there is nothing remotely like it on I Am ... Its currency is strictly self-help slowies that could have sprung from the dread pen of Linda Perry, purveyor of platitudinal power ballads to Pink. Everything here resembles something you might hear in the background when rejected X Factor contestants sob on Dermot O'Leary's shoulder, which seems appropriate, because as the realisation dawns that it's all going to sound like that, you feel ready to have a little cry yourself.

It's not just that the music on I Am ... is boring - although, aside from the growling guitars and tumbling drums of That's Why You're Beautiful, it is. It's that there is something underwhelming about the whole project. Last time around, on the sanitaryware-themed concept album B'Day, Knowles set Rodney Jerkins, Rich Harrison and Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean to work in adjacent studios, effectively pitting three of the world's biggest urban producers against each other. Here, she seems to have picked collaborators on the basis of their startling names rather than their CVs. (In fairness, who wouldn't want to work with people called E Kidd Bogart, Hugo Chakrabongse and James Fauntleroy II?) The I Am ... team's past form includes songs for Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield, James Blunt and Shayne Ward. One of them co-wrote Ian Brown's Dolphins Were Monkeys; another was the guitarist in EMF. It's hard not to wonder who she's going to team up with next. The bassist from the Seahorses? Dermo out of Northside?

You have to be impressed by the ruthlessness with which If I Were a Boy homes in on its target market: it does everything to get the recently chucked member of the girls'-night-out party standing on the pub table and singing tearfully along, short of spiking her Bacardi Breezer. Elsewhere, though, they've come up with stuff such as Halo, a pallid rewrite of Rihanna's Umbrella - same icy synths, same drivetime rock dynamic, same repetitive chorus - which certainly raises some questions: is this any way for the queen of R&B to be carrying on? Making do with a lesser artist's sloppy seconds? And is this really what lurks behind Beyoncé's flawless carapace - a burning desire to add to the global oversupply of MOR rock? A load of guff about how you can't live if you don't change and love can pass you by if you're busy making plans? Surely not.

Either way, when the carapace is reinstated on disc two, things get better. The handclap-assisted playground chant of opener Put a Ring On It is lent an improbable sense of threat by the doomy minor chords amassing behind it. It's really exciting, as is Hello, a ballad denied a place on I Am ... presumably on grounds of being insufficiently dreary. The 80s synthpop mode of Radio may be less suited to Knowles than the old soul samples that powered Crazy in Love and B'Day's Suga Mama, and underlined the link between her vocal style and the visceral female singers of the 60s, but there's no denying it's an irresistible pop song.

Not everything on ... Sasha Fierce works. The sonic trickery on the most experimental track, Diva, isn't interesting enough to distract you from the absence of a tune. Almost equally weird, but much better, is Video Phone, which introduces us to the unlikely figure of Beyoncé Knowles, amateur pornographer: "You want me naked? If you like this position you can tape it." She doesn't make for the world's most believable Reader's Wife, but it doesn't matter, because the spare, eerie backdrop of groans and echoing electronics is so thrilling. There's a lesson in there you wish she had heeded while making the ostensibly soul-baring I Am ...: in pop, honesty isn't always the best policy.


Track Listing :

Disc 1: I Am…

1. "If I Were a Boy" (BC Jean, Toby Gad) – 4:09
2. "Halo" (Knowles, Tedder, Evan "Kidd" Bogart) – 4:21
3. "Disappear" (Knowles, Ghost, Dave McCracken, Dench) – 4:27
4. "Broken-Hearted Girl" (Knowles, Eriksen, Hermansen, Babyface) – 4:37
5. "Ave Maria" (Knowles, Eriksen, Hermansen) – 3:41
6. "Satellites" (Knowles, Ghost, McCracken, Dench) – 3:06
7. "Save the Hero" (iTunes bonus Track) – 4:33

Disc 2: Sasha Fierce

1. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (Knowles, Stewart, Nash, Harrell) – 3:13
2. "Radio" (Knowles, Jonsin, Love, D-Town) – 3:38
3. "Diva" (Knowles, Crawford, Garrett) – 3:20
4. "Sweet Dreams" (Knowles, Jonsin, Love, Wilkins) – 3:28
5. "Video Phone" (Knowles, Crawford & Garrett) – 3:35
6. "Why Don't You Love Me" (B. Knowles, S. Knowles, Bama Boyz) (iTunes International Bonus Track) – 3:23

Beyonce - Ave Maria (I Am Sasha Fierce)



Beyonce - Ave Maria Lyrics

She was lost in so many different ways
Out in the darkness with no guide
I know the cost of a losing hand
Never thought the grace of god go high

I found heaven on earth
You were my last, my first
And then here this voice inside
Ave maria

I've been alone
When i'm surrounded by friends
How could the silence be so loud
But i still go home knowing that i've got you
There's us when the lights go down

You are my heaven on earth
You are my hunger, my thirst
I always hear this voice inside
Singing ave maria

Sometimes love can come and pass you by
While your busy making plans
Suddenly hit you and then you realize
It's out of your hands, baby you got to understand

You are my heaven on earth
You are my last, my first
And then i hear this voice inside
Ave maria
Ave maria
Ave maria


Read more...

Jude Law's ex reunion

Jude Law and Sadie Frost have sparked rumours of a reconciliation after going house-hunting together.

The former couple - who divorced in 2003 after six years of marriage - are said to be getting their relationship back on track and have decided to purchase a property to give the four children they raise together a family home in the countryside.

A source said: "Jude and Sadie have been getting on fantastically in the past six months. When her business FrostFrench went bust, Jude offered his support in any way.

"He decided to help her buy some where in Hampshire, in the countryside, a real family place. They plan to invest together and give their children a truly loving home."

Jude, 35, and Sadie, 43, have also booked a vacation to South America with their kids so they can all spend Christmas together.

The source added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "They have always tried to stay on good terms for the sake of their kids and Christmas is important to both of them.

So this year they're splashing out on a luxury break to Brazil to spend the festive break as a family.

"Pals are desperately hoping a romantic reunion is on the cards." The pair were photographed laughing and looking cosy at an event in London's Royal Opera House earlier this week, leading to suggestions they have already rekindled their romance.

Taken From : http://www.chinadaily.com.cn

Read more...