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Catherine Keener

Film

Flavorwire’s Guide to Indie Flicks to See in November

By Jason Bailey on

We’re getting into serious Oscar-bidding season, and the month of November is chock full of movies we’re excited about: Skyfall, Lincoln, Life of Pi, Hitchcock, Anna Karenina, Silver Linings Playbook, Killing Them Softly, and on and on. But the majors aren’t the only ones trotting out smarter-than-average fare; as usual, the indies have got a full slate of strong stuff this month as well. After the jump, we’ve got a few that are worth checking out in the weeks ahead. … Read More

Film

Flavorwire’s Guide to Indie Flicks to See in October

By Jason Bailey on

It’s October, which means that prestige movie season is in full swing, and there are plenty of big, potential Oscar contenders slated for release this month: Argo, Cloud Atlas, um, Here Comes the Boom, maybe? Point is, the art houses are all but overflowing with terrific offerings this month, from dramas and documentaries to comedy and horror; our picks for the month’s dozen best bets are after the jump. … Read More

Film

This Week in Trailers: ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Cloud Atlas,’ ‘Bachelorette,’ and More!

By Jason Bailey on

Every Friday here at Flavorwire, we like to gather up the week’s new movie trailers, give them a look-see, and rank them from worst to best — while taking a guess or two about what they might tell us (or hide from us) about the movies they’re promoting. This week’s nine new trailers include new films from Ang Lee, Tom Tykwer, and the Wachowskis, and feature the likes of Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Halle Berry, Hugh Laurie, Catherine Keener, Isla Fisher, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, Gerald Butler, and Juno Temple. Check ‘em all out after the jump, and share your thoughts in the comments. … Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. The Daily News is reporting that Jason Sudeikis was upset that Lorne Michaels singled out Kristen Wiig for a big SNL send-off; meanwhile, it still hasn’t been confirmed that he’s leaving the show. [via Pop Culture Brain]

2. A new HBO series starring Catherine Keener that will be written and directed by… Read More

Film

Our All-Time Favorite Actor/Director Movie Teams

By Jason Bailey on

Dark Shadows opens this week, whether we like it or not, but it does give us cause to pause for numerical consideration. No, we’re not talking about the amount of time since Tim Burton’s last film that was based on an original idea — that would be seven years, since Corpse Bride. Before that, you have to go clear back to 1990′s Edward Scissorhands, which was also (coincidentally enough) his first time working with Dark Shadows star Johnny Depp. Dark Shadows marks their eighth collaboration, which got us thinking about some of our favorite (and most productive, with a minimum of four pairings) actor/director teams. After the jump, we’ve compiled a dozen of the best from movie history; add your own in the comments, won’t you? … Read More

Film

2011′s Most Underrated Films and Performances

By Jason Bailey on

As the year winds to a close, you’ve seen plenty of “best of 2011″ lists — and we’ve certainly contributed a few of our own to the mix. Wading through them can lead to a sense of fatigue; yes, we liked The Artist and Hugo and The Descendants and The Tree of Life just fine too, but it feels like we’re reading praise for all the same movies and performances, everywhere we look. So, late in the “best of” season, we wanted to take a moment to spotlight a few films and actors who, we feel, are getting overlooked in the year-end shuffle. Our picks are after the jump; yours (we hope) will join in the comments. … Read More

Film

10 Memorable Cinematic Alter Egos

By Jason Bailey on

This week Bruce Robinson’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s novel The Rum Diary opens across the country. Based on an early novel by the good doctor of gonzo journalism, the role of Thompson’s stand-in, journalist “Paul Kemp,” is being played by Johnny Depp — who has, with this film, pretty much planted is flag for good on the island of “cinematic portrayals of Hunter S. Thompson.” After the jump, we’ll take a closer look at Depp’s ongoing onscreen personification of the late Thompson, and nine more actors who became the cinematic avatars for distinctive writers and filmmakers. … Read More

Film

Rate-a-Trailer: Trust

By Caroline Stanley on

David Schwimmer’s drama about an online predator centers on Annie (Liana Liberato), a girl who falls in love with a boy she meets on the internet who turns out to be a much older man. Clive Owen and Catherine Keener play her parents, while Viola Davis is the therapist that she starts seeing after she is sexually assaulted. For such an interesting cast, this looks a little too Lifetime Original movie in our opinion. What do you think? … Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. Organizers have finally confirmed that Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle will helm the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, and he’s promising to provide  a “thrilling welcome” for athletes and the world. [via WaPo]
2. A new finished print of director Nicholas Ray‘s final project — an experimental film called We Can’t Go Home… Read More

Daily Dose

Daily Dose Pick: Please Give

By Chris Kompanek on

Starring Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, and Oliver Platt, Walking and Talking director Nicole Holofcener’s latest work, Please Give, is an unflinching look at liberal guilt delivered with the fiery bite of early Neil LaBute.

A couple eagerly but reluctantly awaits an elderly neighbor’s death so they can expand their apartment into a dream house. The neighbor’s granddaughters (Peet as the snarky and ill-named Mary, and Rebecca Hall as her saintly sister who desperately needs to get into a little trouble) have an uneasy relationship with the pair, but form an unlikely bond with their wise-beyond-her-years 15-year-old daughter. … Read More