PH BLOG ➹

C Carey Mulligan’s breakout performance as a teenage schoolgirl seduced by an older man in “An Education” earned her an Academy Award nomination and led to offers in a string of films most of which she turned down, but “ Never Let Me Go ” was an exception. It was, she says, simply too good an opportunity to pass up. “Never Let Me Go” is a beautiful, hauntingly sad and very faithful adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguru’s 2005 novel directed by Mark Romanek with a screenplay by Alex Garland (author of The Beach).

B orn from the creative vision of filmmaker Zack Snyder (“Watchmen,” “300”), Warner Bros. Pictures presents the action-adventure “Sucker Punch,” a mind-bending vision of reality that audiences will be unprepared to witness. The film features an ensemble cast of young stars, including Emily Browning (“A Series of Unfortunate Events”), Abbie Cornish (“A Good Year”), Jena Malone (“Into the Wild”), Vanessa Hudgens (the “High School Musical” films) and Jamie Chung (“Sorority Row”). The film’s main cast also includes Oscar Isaac (“Robin Hood”) and Carla Gugino (“Watchmen”), with Jon Hamm (“The Town,” TV’s “Mad Men”) and Scott Glenn (“The Bourne Ultimatum”).

O ne of contemporary cinema’s most successful actors, Owen Wilson has won great acclaim for his memorable turns in such films as “The Wedding Crashers” and “Marley & Me.” This year, he will star in three consecutive major studio releases – Columbia Pictures’ “How Do You Know,” Warner Bros.’ “Hall Pass” and Disney/Pixar’s “Cars 2.” In “How Do You Know” where he so-stars with Reese Witherspoon, Wilson plays Matty, major league baseball pitcher who, on the surface, is every girl’s dream. Handsome, charming, funny, athletic, famous, and rich, he doesn’t take anything too seriously – or even the least bit seriously. Especially his relationships – with his choice of women, why should he? And Lisa (Witherspoon) is just another girl he can have a good time with… until he starts to develop stronger feelings. “He starts to see what makes her unique, and he falls for her,” says Wilson.

S upermodel Brooklyn Decker – also known as wife of tennis player Andy Roddick – makes her big screen acting debut opposite Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in Columbia Pictures' new romantic comedy “Just Go With It.” The film tells the story of Danny (Sandler), as a plastic surgeon romancing Palmer (Decker), a much younger schoolteacher. He enlists his loyal assistant (Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.

D reamWorks Pictures takes a big gamble on young actor Alex Pettyfer and gives him a star-making lead role in the new sci-fi action-adventure “I Am Number Four.” Based on the best-selling book by Pittacus Lore, “I Am Number Four” revolves about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

D ianna Agron breaks from the “Glee” pack as she stars in one of the year's eagerly anticipated films – DreamWorks Pictures' sci-fi action-adventure “I Am Number Four.” Based on the best-selling book by Pittacus Lore, “I Am Number Four” revolves about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

W arner Bros. brings audiences a breathtaking vision of a 700-year-old legend in the new, romantic fantasy thriller “Red Riding Hood.” Directed by “Twilight's” Catherine Hardwicke, the film features an ensemble cast, led by Amanda Seyfried (“Mamma Mia!”), Gary Oldman (“The Dark Knight,” the “Harry Potter” films), Shiloh Fernandez (“Skateland”) and Max Irons (“Dorian Gray”). In “Red Riding Hood,” Seyfried plays Valerie, a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village.

P ursuing Dwayne Johnson's character in Columbia Pictures' new action-thriller “Faster” are Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and relative newcomer Oliver Jackson-Cohen who play nameless antagonists known only as `Cop' and `Killer,' respectively. After 10 years in prison, Driver (Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he’s finally on his mission…but with two men on his trail – a veteran cop just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent.

I f this movie is about one question, it’s ‘How do you know when you’re really in love?’” says Reese Witherspoon, the star of Columbia Pictures' “How Do You Know,” the new comedy from Oscar-winning writer-director James L. Brooks. Witherspoon plays Lisa Jorgenson, a woman who finds the entire life she knew slipping away. Lisa has a true love of her life: her sport, softball. She has dedicated herself to it and been celebrated as one of the world’s best. Like many athletes, she is highly competitive and driven. “Her whole life has been based on creating goals for herself and then exceeding them,” says Witherspoon. “When we meet her in the story, she’s at a crossroads, because she’s uncertain about the future of her career.”

J ennifer Aniston pretends to be Adam Sandler’s wife in Columbia Pictures’ new romantic comedy “Just Go With It.” In the film, Danny (Sandler) a plastic surgeon, romancing a much younger schoolteacher named Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), enlists his loyal assistant Katherine (Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives.

I just home from the advance screening of I AM NUMBER FOUR at Cinema 6 of SM Megamall. Before I start, let me say that this kind of movies really tickle my fancy. I love fantasy films with great CGI and all that stuff, so when I received an invite for this movie, I immediately said yes. For your reference here's a short synopsis of the film: Extraordinary teen John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. The film is based on the New York Times best selling novel I Am Number Four , written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey (with the pen name of Pittacus Lore). I forgot to check out...

T rue Grit is the first movie invite I got from Solar-UIP. They're the one who distribute United International Pictures, Dreamworks and Paramount Pictures' movies here in the Philippines. The screening took place in the Solar Preview Room in that posh Solar-Century Building in Makati City. Their screening room has the capacity of approximately 60 people, it actually resemble the MyCinema at Greenbelt3. Anyway before I head on to the venue, I already read the synopsis so I know what to expect on the actual screening. Here's a quick synopsis of " TRUE GRIT ," Following the murder of her father by hired hand Tom Chaney, 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross sets out to capture the killer. To aid her, she hires the toughest U.S. marshal she can find, a man with "true grit," Reuben J. "Rooster" Cogburn. Mattie insists on accompanying Cogburn, whose drinking, sloth, and generally reprobate character do not augment her faith in him. Against his wishes...

S he has earned Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations in the category of Best Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Betty Draper, the wife of high-powered, philandering advertising executive in the acclaimed series “Mad Men.” Now, January Jones plays another strong wife role, this time to Liam Neeson's character, in Warner Bros.' new riveting action-thriller “Unknown.” In the film, Dr. Martin Harris (Neeson) awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife, Liz (Jones) suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man (Aidan Quinn) has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired, and on the run.

D o we control our destiny, or do unseen forces manipulate us? Matt Damon stars in the thriller The Adjustment Bureau as a man who glimpses the future Fate has planned for him and realizes he wants something else. To get it, he must pursue the only woman he's ever loved across, under and through the streets of modern-day New York. On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris (Damon) meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas (Emily Blunt)-a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself-the men of The Adjustment Bureau-who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together.

J eff Bridges, who was cast in the role of Cogburn, says it was the idea of mixing the book’s authentic cadence and rollicking yet moving tone with the Coens’ cinematic approach that got him so excited to tackle an iconic character in a fresh way. “When the Coens first mentioned the idea of making True Grit, I said ‘Gee, didn’t they make that movie? Why do you want to do it again?’ and they said, ‘We’re not remaking the film, we’re making a version of the original book by Charles Portis’. So I read the book and I immediately saw what they were talking about. It seemed like the perfect story for the Coens to make into a movie. And since they have never made an actual Western adventure before, it was going to be a surprise.”

F or years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces, in Columbia Pictures' new sci-fi action-thriller “World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles.” As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, “World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles” stars Aaron Eckhart (“The Dark Knight”), Michelle Rodriguez (“The Fast and the Furious”) and Bridget Moynahan (“The Recruit”).

F rom the director of the No. 1 box-office hit “Eagle Eye” and the producer of the blockbuster “Transformers” series comes DreamWorks Pictures' “I Am Number Four,” a suspense-filled action-thriller featuring relatable, engaging characters grounded in the familiar realm of high school but caught up in a deadly manhunt. Based on the best-selling book by Pittacus Lore, “I Am Number Four” revolves about an extraordinary young man, John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), who is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events—his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

C olumbia Pictures gathers a powerhouse cast for its new action-thriller “Faster” lead by Dwayne Johnson (“The Rundown,” “The Scorpion King”), Billy Bob Thornton (“Eagle Eye”) and newcomer Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Carla Gugino (“Watchmen”), Maggie Grace (“Taken”) and Moon Bloodgood (“Terminator Salvation”). After 10 years in prison, Driver (Johnson) has a singular focus - to avenge the murder of his brother during the botched bank robbery that led to his imprisonment. Now a free man with a deadly to-do list in hand, he’s finally on his mission…but with two men on his trail – a veteran cop (Thornton) just days from retirement, and a young egocentric hitman (Jackson-Cohen) with a flair for the art of killing and a newfound worthy opponent. The hunter is also the hunted. It’s a do or die race to the list’s finish as the mystery surrounding his brother’s murder deepens, and new details emerge along the way hinting that Driver’s list may be incomplete.

I n Columbia Pictures' new romantic comedy “ Just Go With It ,” a plastic surgeon ( Adam Sandler ), romancing a much younger schoolteacher, enlists his loyal assistant ( Jennifer Aniston ) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie. When more lies backfire, the assistant's kids become involved, and everyone heads off for a weekend in Hawaii that will change all their lives. At the center of “Just Go With It” is an everyday guy who has let a careless lie get away from him. “At the beginning of the movie, my character, Danny, was going to get married, but he gets his heart broken,” says Adam Sandler. “The night of his heartbreak he happens to have the ring on and a young lady is nice to him, because she thinks he’s married and thinks he’s harmless and won’t do anything that other guys were trying to do. A light goes off in his head.”

W hat if you knew, deep down, who you really were, but couldn’t prove it? And what if someone else—someone you didn’t know—claimed to be you, and everyone believed him? That is the dilemma at the center of Warner Bros.' new suspense-thriller “ Unknown .” Who or what determines who we are? Is it our friends…our memories…where we come from…a piece of paper…? Where is the proof? Based on the novel by Didier van Cauwelaert, “Unknown” explores exactly that as Dr. Martin Harris, played by Liam Neeson , races through the cold streets of Berlin in order to take back his life, while dodging the men who are hot on his trail and trying to kill him. Though he has no idea why.

T he title question in Columbia Pictures' new romantic comedy “ How Do You Know ” is the most important one most of us will ever face, and as the world gets more complicated and disconnected, it’s harder to answer than ever. “We all have, at some point, a feeling that everything we’ve depended on we can’t depend on anymore. And when that happens, the only thing we have left is love,” says Oscar-winning director James L. Brooks. “You can think your life is terrible, and then he or she walks in and it’s not terrible anymore. That’s it – love is our saving grace.”

D isney/Pixar unveils the second batch of returning characters in the upcoming animated adventure “ Cars 2 ,” the highly anticipated sequel to 2006’s blockbuster “Cars.” Below are the new images and the individual character descriptions. “Cars 2” hits the track on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.

W henInManila.com is bringing back the 2009 movie, "I Love You, Beth Cooper" topbilled by Hayden Panettiere and Paul Rust, via the Week 5 of Groovy Movie Wednesday ! I just read the plot of this movie, and it sure looks exciting! I'm really looking forward in watching this  :) "I Love You, Beth Cooper" is directed by Chris Columbus , the same man who helm Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002). This movie has a domestic total gross of $14,800,725, distributed by 20th Century Fox and has a running time of 102 minutes.

M att Damon likes to joke that it’s taken the Coen Brothers sixteen long years to offer him a job. “Yeah, and then along came True Grit,” he smiles. “So it was worth the wait…” Joel and Ethan Coen are extraordinary filmmakers, he says, and when they first approached him to ask if he’d be interested in working together there wasn’t a moment’s hesitation – even though, at that point, he hadn’t seen a script. The fact that it was a Coen Brothers movie was enough. “If the Coen Brothers ask you to work with Jeff Bridges on True Grit , that’s easy,” he says. “I was in before I knew what the movie was. And then I looked at it and the script is great and unlike anything I’ve had the chance to do before so it was a really easy decision.” Damon first met the Coens back in 1994 when, as a young actor still making his name, he was cast alongside Frances McDormand – Joel’s wife – in a Tommy Lee Jones’ directed made-for-TV western called The Good Old Boys.

G erman-born actress Diane Kruger stars as a Bosnian refugee cab driver who becomes embroiled in intrigue when her cab plunges off a bridge and she saves the life of Liam Neeson’s character, in Warner Bros.’ new mystery thriller “Unknown.” Kruger, first brought to international attention in her role as the ravishing Helen in Wolfgang Peterson’s “Troy,” and more recently as the cinematic diva Bridget von Hammersmark in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” was the ideal screen partner for Neeson. “We were very fortunate to get Diane, who gave such a brave performance in `Inglorious Basterds,’” says director Jaume Collet-Serra. “Diane is beautiful, sexy, stylish, a great actress. She worked very hard to create a compelling and realistic character. She had a lot of physical stuff to do, keeping up with Liam through all of the action, and she certainly kept up her end. She’s been a pleasure to work with throughout, really a team player.”

S ince his days in the long-running “Saturday Night Live,” Adam Sandler has been cracking up audiences with his goofball comedy shtick. The Brooklyn-born comedian/actor/writer has appeared in more than 30 films over the course of his 20-year career. His latest, “Just Go With It” – in which he plays a plastic surgeon who enlists his loyal assistant (Jennifer Aniston) to pretend to be his soon to be ex-wife, in order to cover up a careless lie – opens across the Philippines on Feb. 16. And since “Just Go With It” is a romantic comedy and Valentine's Day is just around the corner, it would be an appropriate time to take a look back at some of the comic actor's best-loved rom coms.