Catch Me If You Can Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Cinematical Seven: Favorite Con Men (and Ladies)
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Romance », Thrillers », Mystery & Suspense », Steven Spielberg », Cinematical Seven »
There's a caveat or two with which I submit this list of our favorite con artists on film, to correspond with tomorrow's NY/LA bow of The Brothers Bloom (our review from Toronto is here; our interview with director Rian Johnson, there).
One: I have not seen the following -- David Mamet's House of Games, David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner, and
Two: I've seen but don't fully recollect either The Grifters or Nine Queens enough to feel comfortable including them as if I had (I also missed the English-language remake of the latter, Criminal, though I've been told that's for the best). If I were a slier man, then maybe I could fittingly deceive the lot of you, but I'm not, so I won't.
While I don't doubt that the characters in those films would be worthy of a slot on our list, there are still at least seven other con (wo)men in the movies worth shining the spotlight on, and I do hope that you do think that may make do when all's said and done.
Amy Adams To Star in 'Miss Pettigrew'
Filed under: Comedy », Drama », Independent », Music & Musicals », Romance », Casting », Focus Features »
I doubt if Amy Adams will get another shot at Oscar anytime soon, but two years after she wowed us in the otherwise forgettable Junebug she's at least on the right track toward becoming a respectable movie star. This year alone she will be covering the important territories of a mainstream starring role (Disney's Enchanted), a supporting role opposite bankable, award-winning bigwigs (Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in the Mike Nichols-directed Charlie Wilson's War) and a co-starring role in a highly-marketable indie (Sunshine Cleaning, with fellow newcomer/Oscar nom Emily Blunt). Now she's got another great role lined up for 2008. She will star alongside Frances McDormand in the pre-war odd-coupling Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.Though the film will be directed by Bharat Nalluri, whose last feature was The Crow: Salvation (he also helmed the recent TV-movie Tsunami: The Aftermath), with a script by The Full Monty's Simon Beaufoy and Finding Neverland's David Magee, and with two strong actresses, it will likely be a strong film. The plot centers on a dowdy governess (Dormand, as the Miss Pettigrew of the title) sent by mistake to the home of a nightclub singer (Adams) who could use a helping hand. The governess ends up helping the singer get better organized and the singer ends up helping the governess get a man -- you know, the old reciprocal back-scratching, life lesson learning, new buddy acquiring story we all love to see again and again. Hopefully it can extend to the real world and McDormand can help Adams score another Oscar nomination and Adams can help McDormand regain some wider appeal.
Girl You Know It's True: Milli Vanilli Movie Coming Soon
Filed under: Drama », Music & Musicals », Universal », Steven Spielberg »
Every great music group deserves its own biopic, and Milli Vanilli is no exception. Don't laugh, and don't try to deny you liked "Blame it on the Rain" and "Girl You Know It's True" before the duo was infamously outted as being fakes. I have no problem admitting to still owning the cassette and listening to it for novelty effect every so often. But if you somehow lost your copy, you may look forward to a possible soundtrack to the new film about the group coming soon from Universal.Jeff Nathanson, who previously wrote about a famous fraud for Catch Me If You Can, is working with Fabrice Morvan and the estate of Rob Pilatus in order to script the Milli Vanilli story from their point of view. He is also set to direct the movie. He has his work cut out for him, as it will be difficult to get audiences to accept the duo as a tragic pair and not the joke they still are thought of as. Especially out of respect to Pilatus, who committed suicide in 1998, the tale will have to be told as a serious drama. If it need mock anything, it would do fine to ridicule the pop music industry. But it shouldn't go so far as to treat the guys like victims.
It is hard to tell if Nathanson will pull it off, even with regular Spielberg producer Kathleen Kennedy overseeing things. Nathanson's directorial debut, The Last Shot, wasn't much of a success with critics or audiences, and even if he actually makes a great film about Milli Vanilli, the chances of it appealing to moviegoers might be probably pretty slim. Not everyone is as nostalgic as I am.
Catch Me If You Can: The Musical?
Filed under: Music & Musicals », Fandom », Steven Spielberg »
I don't greet this news with the jaw-dropping astonishment I felt when I reported on the pending musical version of Showgirls, but I am scratching my head a bit. Not that I think it's necessarily a bad idea either, but I just don't understand what there was about Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can that made somebody say: "This is great, but it would be even better if DiCaprio was leaping like a gazelle and Hanks was delivering his lines in a deep baritone. And maybe they could all dress like cats ..." This, of course, is one of the many reasons why I don't work on Broadway. Apparently someone has given this some serious thought because, according to fansite Spielbergfilms.com, the staged musical version of Catch Me If You Can may finally have an opening date. The production has been in development for several years, but the show is likely to debut in the Spring of 2008. Written by Terrence McNally, Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, the show will be directed by Jack O'Brien with choreography by Jerry Mitchell. Casting has not been completed, but names like Nathan Lane, Christine Ebersole, Tom Wopat and Matthew Morrison have been connected to the project during its pre-production phase in 2005-2006.
Amy Adams to Clean Crime Scenes
Filed under: Independent », Casting », Cinematical Indie »
Hoping to cash in on the current fascination with crime scenes and the CSI onslaught, Amy Adams will appear in Sunshine Cleaning, an indie film about two sisters who decide to open a crime scene cleaning business and manage to find themselves in the process. Directing duties will be shared by Karen Moncrieff and Christine Jeffs based on a script by Megan Holley. Still no official word on whether Emily Blunt will join Adams, but we're certainly keeping our eyes open.Adams is best known as the braces-wearing redhead who starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can, managing to steal every scene she was in. If you were lucky enough to catch her Oscar-nominated role in Junebug, you'd see her doing that same thing in that film, minus the braces. She has an infectious spirit and smile, and has most recently appeared in Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby and The Office.
It has to be slightly intimidating trying to chew up scenery while sharing screen space with Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio as Spielberg puts you through the paces, but she makes it look easy. It's only been six short years since she first appeared in Psycho Beach Party (yes, we ain't lying about that one), but she has come a long way since. Adams will appear in three films in 2007, including a voice role in Underdog, where she'll be playing Polly Purebred, Underdog's true love. Oh, and if they decide to make a twenty-something sequel to Annie, someone had better call Amy Adams.
'Entourage' Movie in the Works?
Spielberg Backs Out of 'Harvey'
Discuss: Should Gay Actors Stay in the Closet?
Sundance '10 Announces Non-Competing Film Premieres
'Up in the Air' Named Best Film of the Year by NBR
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