News for
Jena Malone More at IMDbPro »

2009 | 2008 | 2003 | 2002

1-20 of 136 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---

The Messenger Review

23 December 2009 12:12 AM, PST | FilmJunk | See recent FilmJunk news »

The Messenger Review Directed by: Oren Moverman Written by: Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Steve Buscemi After a few years of movies about the war in Iraq that were both commercial and critical failures, it seems that American filmmakers are finally learning to tackle the subject without trying so hard to make a statement. Most notably, Kathryn Bigelow's action thriller The Hurt Locker has been hailed by many as one of the best films of the year, and is currently riding a huge wave of Oscar buzz. On the other side of the spectrum, we have Oren Moverman's quiet yet powerful indie drama The Messenger (not to be confused with Luc Besson's Joan of Arc biopic of the same name). The tale is a simple one with no immediate hook. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is a soldier who »

- Sean

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch to Feature Song and Dance Numbers?

14 December 2009 9:30 PM, PST | Slash Film | See recent Slash Film news »

I'm wildly curious to see what's going on in Sucker Punch. Zack Snyder's follow-up to Watchmen features a wild cast (Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone and Abbie Cornish, with Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Scott Glenn and Oscar Isaac) with the first five names as a group of girls locked in an unsavory mental institution, from which they escape through fantasy. It is said to be violent and weird and full of monsters. And now Abbie Cornish says there is...singing and dancing? Rad, count me in.  Anyone who says you can't just throw a dance number in a genre film needs to re-familiarize themselves with The Happiness of the Katakuris (Takashi Miike) and/or Zatoichi (Takeshi Kitano) or just go back to (500) Days of Summer, though the latter obviously isn't a genre flick. But it's not as easy as just dropping in a number here and there. »

- Russ Fischer

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Q&A: Bright Star's Abbie Cornish

11 December 2009 8:33 AM, PST | Vanity Fair | See recent Vanity Fair news »

This is a busy time for Abbie Cornish. Between traveling and doing physical training for her upcoming Zack Snyder film—if you’ve seen 300 you know how grueling that can be—she also has the Oscar buzz around Bright Star to fret about. Yet in our interview, she managed to mask her exhaustion with good, old-fashioned Aussie energy, and summon a passion for her work worthy of Fanny Brawne, the character she plays in Jane Campion’s film, about John Keats’s greatest love.   In our interview, Cornish dished about everything from her new film to the Academy awards, to her love-hate relationship with hair-and-makeup. Plus: watch our video Q&A with director Jane Campion. So you’re currently filming the new Zack Snyder movie, Sucker Punch. That seems to be a largely female cast. Pretty much is. We have Oscar Isaac, Jon Hamm, and Scott Glenn, but they kind of come in and out, »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Zac Efron & Vanessa Hudgens Throw a Dinner Party

8 December 2009 11:31 AM, PST | E! Online | See recent E! Online news »

Although Zac Efron has been hitting the Hollywood scene solo lately, he and Vanessa Hudgens are still very much on. Here's the proof: Zac went to visit Vanessa in Vancouver this weekend, where the Disney duo hosted a dinner party together. How very grown-up! V called Joe Fortes' Seafood and Chop House herself to make reservations for 16 people. "It was a party for her Sucker Punch castmates and her makeup artists," a source tells E! News of the occasion. Jena Malone and Carla Gugino were among the guests who dined on family-style seafood platters. But let's get to the details you really care about. How were Zac and Vanessa interacting? "They were »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Review: The Messenger

27 November 2009 4:05 AM, PST | WeAreMovieGeeks.com | See recent WeAreMovieGeeks.com news »

If you have a husband or son fighting in Iraq, the last people you want to see knocking at your door are those played by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in the new film The Messenger. Filmed around Fort Dix, New Jersey, The Messenger is about two Army officers assigned by the military’s Casualty Notification Office to show up at the doorsteps of next of kin and recite a scripted dispatch breaking the bad news about the death of a loved one in combat. From first-time director Oren Moverman, The Messenger is a very emotional, if simple drama with strong performances that thankfully does not take a political attitude about the war itself. It works best in the scenes illustrating the grief and anger the two men encounter, and not so well in a half-baked romance that develops between one of them and a bereaved widow.

The Messenger is »

- Tom

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Birthday Suits, That Girl Those Girls

21 November 2009 7:00 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

1694 Voltaire, Enlightment philosopher, writer, progressive. Candide is his work that's most familiar to modern audiences having been filmed, adapted, and put on lists like this one as well as being adapted into a popular and oft-revived comic operetta. Kristin Chenoweth doing "Glitter and Be Gay" is theater heaven.

1912 Eleanor Powell, queen of tap. Broadway Rhythm it's got me Everybody...

1938 Marlo Thomas, That Girl. Yes, that one.

1941 Juliet Mills, Globe nominated film actress (Avanti!) best known for TV roles. She was a cougar before they had a word for it, marrying hunky Maxwell Caulfield when she was 39 and he was 21, before he'd even made Grease 2. They're still married, going on thirty years now. Today's generation might know her best as witchy Tabitha from her long campy run on daytime soap Passions.

1943 Brigitte Broch, favored production designer of both Baz Luhrmann (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!) and Alejandro González Iñárritu (Powder Keg, »

- NATHANIEL R

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Lukas Moodysson's Mammoth Undertaking

20 November 2009 9:24 AM, PST | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »

Sweden's Lukas Moodysson burst onto the international film scene with 1998's "Fucking Åmål" (or, as it was cowardly renamed in English-speaking countries, "Show Me Love"), a carefree, naturalistic drama about a reluctant romance between two small-town teenage girls. Just as ebullient is his 2000 period satire and popular favorite "Together," which focuses on the dysfunctional relationships and values of '70s left-wingers living in a commune, after which Moodysson began pursuing darker, moodier fare. 2002's critical darling "Lilya 4-ever" couldn't get much bleaker, tracing a Russian girl's journey from drop-out to prostitute to kidnapped sex slave. Following that were two avant-garde experiments: 2004's shockingly explicit take on amateur porn, "A Hole in My Heart," and his 2006 stream-of-consciousness curiosity, "Container."

Though American actress Jena Malone provided narration to that last film, Moodysson's new drama is also his first English-language production, mostly. "Mammoth" splits between three related storylines in New York, the Philippines and Thailand. »

- Aaron Hillis

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Interview: Ben Foster Brings Humanity to ‘The Messenger’

19 November 2009 12:40 PM, PST | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – Ben Foster has stolen scenes in works as diverse as “Six Feet Under,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “3:10 to Yuma,” and “Alpha Dog,” but he truly shines in the spotlight of the lead role in “The Messenger,” giving the best performance of his career to date. The young actor was in town for the Chicago International Film Festival and took some time to speak to us about his research for the film, how one leaves such a dramatic work behind, and his love for co-star Woody Harrelson.

Foster stars in “The Messenger” as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, a young man returned home from his tour but with a few months of service left. To fill out his time, Will is assigned to the Casualty Notification Office (and partnered with Woody Harrelson’s Captain Tony Stone), the men who inform “Nok” (next of kin) when their loved one has been killed in the line of duty. »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Messenger, The | Review

16 November 2009 11:02 AM, PST | SmellsLikeScreenSpirit | See recent SmellsLikeScreenSpirit news »

Director: Oren Moverman Writer(s): Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone After recovering from wounds inflicted during a tour of duty in Iraq, the heroically decorated Will (Ben Foster) is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification Office in the drab environs of suburban New Jersey. Upon his return stateside, Will is greeted with some flowers and a shag by Kelly (Jena Malone) – the girl he left behind. Unfortunately, this hello is also goodbye as Kelly is engaged to another man. Despite his cool expression we know that Will is emotionally devastated. Will’s superior officer, Tony (Woody Harrelson), is a recovering alcoholic carrying other apparent psychological baggage as well. Tony catholically abides by the casualty notification manual – meaning that he avoids any gestures of sympathy (most importantly he does not touch the next of kin) – and his goal is to get »

- Don Simpson

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Multiple Personality Disorder report

13 November 2009 3:49 PM, PST | QuietEarth.us | See recent QuietEarth news »

[Editor's Note: Multiple Personality Disorder Reports are short news blasts meant to let you know about the stuff that didn't make it to the news page but still had us talking behind the scenes]

#1 "Acolytes" director Jon Hewitt prepping “X”

Jon Hewitt is preparing to shoot a follow up his teen serial killer film. X will take a trip into the underbelly of Australia’s sex trade. Shooting is slated to start in early 2010.

#2 "Deadgirl" writer to step behind the camera for "Chop"

Deadgirl caught a lot of heat for its controversial subject matter and now writer Trent Haaga is preparing to step behind the camera for Chop. The new project is being toted as a "revenge thriller with a comedic edge in the tradition of "Fargo" and "Oldboy"." The time may be ripe to finally catch up with Deadgil.

#3 "Submarine" adds great cast

Richard Ayoade's adaptation of Joe Dunthorne's coming of age story Submarine had previously cast Craig Roberts and Yasmin Paige but it's the addition of the great Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins that has us excited. If the comparisons »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

The Messenger

13 November 2009 2:30 AM, PST | Pastemagazine.com | See recent PasteMagazine news »

Release Date: Nov. 13 Director: Oren Moverman Writers: Moverman and Alessandro Camon Cinematographer: Bobby Bukowski Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, Samantha Morton Studio/Run Time: Oscilloscope Laboratories, 105 mins. War film well acted and fittingly bleak It’s unfortunate for this film that we’re experiencing a collective case of war-movie fatigue; when we’re still dealing with these wars on television and in our own communities, it’s hard to drag ourselves to the movies to be reminded of how awful it all is. The Messenger starts with an interesting premise: A war hero (Ben Foster) sent home to recuperate from injuries »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Exclusive: Message of 'The Messenger' Hits Home

9 November 2009 9:10 PM, PST | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »

If you've been paying any attention to the news this past few days, then you know that last Thursday an Army psychiatrist fatally shot 12 people and wounded 31 at Fort Hood in Texas. Since the beginning of the Iraq invasion in 2003, 75 Fort Hood soldiers have killed themselves. Nine of them committed suicide this year. Moreover, Army suicides have increased by 37% since 2006. In light of recent events, the release of the film The Messenger, starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson, on November 13, could not be more timely.

The Messenger opens with Ben Foster (Pandorum, X-Men: The Last Stand, Alpha Dog) applying medicinal drops to one of his eyes. His character, Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery, has recently returned home from a tour of duty and one of his eyes was damaged during combat in Iraq. Other than a small scar beneath the eye, he shows no other outward physical injuries but, sullen and quick-tempered, »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Exclusive Video: The Messenger Cast Interviews!

9 November 2009 12:12 PM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

Ever since the country went to war in Iraq over six years ago, movies about the war have not been received well by audiences. This is in direct contrast to the 1940s when films about World War II, the current war of the time, were extremely popular. However, with the new administration in office the winds of change might be in the air as The Hurt Locker, a film about the current war, was released earlier this year to excellent reviews. Now, another film about the war is getting attention but it's not the kind of war movie that you might think. The Messenger, opening in theaters on November 13th, is a film about the repercussions of war and doesn't take place on the battlefield but instead on the home front. We recently had a chance to speak with the stars of the film, Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton, »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Spotlight Review: The Messenger

3 November 2009 9:37 PM, PST | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

Director: Oren Moverman

Release Date: November 13, 2009

Running Time: 113 mins.

MPAA Rating: R

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboritories

- - -

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

There’s something slightly odd about a former Israeli army officer making a movie about broken American veterans of the war in Iraq. But that’s just what The Messenger is.  The film is Oren Moverman’s directorial debut and is currently in competition at Sundance.

The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service.  His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event. »

- blakecgriffin@gmail.com (Blake Griffin)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Spotlight Review: The Messenger

3 November 2009 9:37 PM, PST | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

Director: Oren Moverman

Release Date: November 13, 2009

Running Time: 113 mins.

MPAA Rating: R

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboritories

- - -

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

There’s something slightly odd about a former Israeli army officer making a movie about broken American veterans of the war in Iraq. But that’s just what The Messenger is.  The film is Oren Moverman’s directorial debut and is currently in competition at Sundance.

The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service.  His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event. »

- blakecgriffin@gmail.com (Blake Griffin)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Spotlight Review: The Messenger

3 November 2009 9:37 PM, PST | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

Director: Oren Moverman

Release Date: November 13, 2009

Running Time: 113 mins.

MPAA Rating: R

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboritories

- - -

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

There’s something slightly odd about a former Israeli army officer making a movie about broken American veterans of the war in Iraq. But that’s just what The Messenger is.  The film is Oren Moverman’s directorial debut and is currently in competition at Sundance.

The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service.  His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event. »

- blakecgriffin@gmail.com (Blake Griffin)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Spotlight Review: The Messenger

3 November 2009 9:37 PM, PST | The Movie Fanatic | See recent The Movie Fanatic news »

Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone

Director: Oren Moverman

Release Date: November 13, 2009

Running Time: 113 mins.

MPAA Rating: R

Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboritories

- - -

Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

There’s something slightly odd about a former Israeli army officer making a movie about broken American veterans of the war in Iraq. But that’s just what The Messenger is.  The film is Oren Moverman’s directorial debut and is currently in competition at Sundance.

The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service.  His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event. »

- blakecgriffin@gmail.com (Blake Griffin)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Mvff '09: The Messenger

13 October 2009 2:48 PM, PDT | JustPressPlay.net | See recent JustPressPlay news »

There aren’t many good movies involving the Iraq war. Though most are well-intentioned, The Messenger is only the second well-made one. Having death messengers as its characters, it powerfully deals with loss, grief and the disillusionment of patriotism.

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson are perfect in their roles. Presenting scene after scene of wailing parents, the film helps us understand how one eventually get used to war casualty, and how maddening that is.

This is a capsule review from the film festival. We will have a full review when the film opens on November 13.

• • •

Mvff Page

Running time: 112

Country: Us

Category: Us Cinema

Directed by: Oren Moverman

Producers: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller, Ben Goldhirsh

Screenwriters: Oren Moverman, Alessandro Camon

Cinematographer: Bobby Bukowski

Editor: Alex Hall

Cast: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker

{youtube}8MEApxjYncI{/youtube}

»

- Arya Ponto

Permalink | Report a problem

---

Blu-Ray Review: ‘Ghost House Underground Four Film Collection’ Offers Few Chills

12 October 2009 8:07 PM, PDT | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – It’s always nice to see world-famous filmmakers raising awareness about work from their lesser known peers. Where would Eli Roth be without Quentin Tarantino, or Neill Blomkamp be without Peter Jackson, or Danny McBride and Jody Hill be without the better half of Hollywood’s comedy titans? That’s why it’s nice to see “Evil Dead” creators Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert “hand pick” the indie horror films they admire, and then assist in their distribution.

Overall Blu-Ray Rating: 2.5/5.0

Raimi and Tapert’s “Ghost House Underground” series began last year with a collection of eight features that included the exuberant zombie satire “Dance of the Dead.” This year’s collection has shrunk to four features, none of which are as fun or memorable as last year’s “Dance.” Only one film manages to satisfy, while the other three vary in their degrees of mediocrity and failure. Let »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

Permalink | Report a problem

---

The Messengers - Trailer for the drama starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton

7 October 2009 4:13 AM, PDT | Movie Jungle | See recent Movie Jungle news »

See the trailer for "The Messenger," starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, J.D. Daniels, Peter Friedman, Lindsay Michelle Nader, Jeremy Strong and Armand Schultz. Oren Moverman directs as well as writing the screenplay with Alessandro Camon. Producing are Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee, Zach Miller and Ben Goldhirsh. In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers »

Permalink | Report a problem

---

2009 | 2008 | 2003 | 2002

1-20 of 136 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

---