Clive Owen Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Elizabeth: The Golden Age reunites director Shekhar Kapur and Cate Blanchett in the follow-up to the 1998 film Elizabeth, which told of the early years of Queen Elizabeth I. The earlier film deconstructed the earlier history of Elizabeth I, when she ascended to the throne following the death of her half-sister, Mary Tudor, aka Bloody Mary. The daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn (who was beheaded when Elizabeth was three), Elizabeth had been raised a Protestant in the Church of England. Mary Tudor, a devout Catholic, had been married to Philip II of Spain, which made him, until Mary's death, the Prince Consort of England.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age picks up some years after Elizabeth left off, with the Protestant Elizabeth now firmly in control of the British crown. Once again, Elizabeth faces enemies and insurgency, this time from her Catholic cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton), and her former brother-in-law Philip II (Jordi Molla), who comes at odds with his former sister-in-law over both religion and her approval of the capture of Spanish treasure ships. The Inquisition is in full force in Spain, and the Catholic Philip regards Elizabeth as a heretic and whore, believing that God wants him to bring her down and bring England under the firm hand of the Catholic Church and the Inquisition. Once again, Geoffrey Rush is by Blanchett's side as Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth's spymaster and adviser, whose intelligence about a plot against Elizabeth saves the queen's life, even as it sets in motion a war with Spain that could spell the end of her reign.

Shoot 'Em Up may not have been a smash at the box office (at this point it might struggle to match the gross of Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot), but it provided us plenty of laughs with last week's Insert Caption contest. Still, while the film may be cartoonishly violent and slightly satirical, there's a strong social message at the heart of it: Guns don't kill people, Clive Owen does. Hundreds, thousands, maybe even cajillions of them. Congrats to our winners below, you've got a hat, t-shirt and shot glass (get it?) on the way.

1. "What happened next was completely logical." -- Jordan M.

2. "Look... I'm hungry and you're hungry, it is an unfortunate situation. But there is no reason we can't share these baby bottles." -- Tom O.

3. "You know, if it weren't for those colored baby bottles over there, this would totally be a cliche." -- Bob M.

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This week we have a photo from another film with some stirring social commentary, Mr. Woodcock, which I believe was originally scheduled to release in 1993. Susan Sarandon flaunts her liberalism by playing a woman who marries a gym teacher (Billy Bob Thornton), much to the chagrin of her son Stifler (Seann William Scott). In the spirit of Fashion Week, writers of our three favorite captions will win various items from the limited edition Mr. Woodcock clothing line. Good luck!

UPDATE: WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Click Here

A scene near the beginning of Shoot 'Em Up features Clive Owen's character trying to find a way to kill as many people in the room as possible -- so he shoots a can of oil, which pools heavily on the concrete floor, then leaps into the pool of oil and sliiiiides across the room, gunning down bad guys all the way. The scene is representative of Shoot 'Em Up as a whole: improbable things, even dumb things occur, but the movie just glides along, moving quickly and almost effortlessly, going for the next target and the next, while keeping you occupied for 90 minutes. Writer-director Michael Davis has delivered the smartest stupid movie I've seen this year.

One thing you cannot deny about Shoot 'Em Up is that it lives up to its title. Watching this movie feels more like you're watching a beautifully rendered videogame played by a master. Owen stars as the enigmatic Mr. Smith, who is sitting at a bus stop when he notices a pregnant woman being pursued by a disreputable character or two. He reluctantly interferes, and ultimately finds himself saddled with a newborn baby that the nasty Mr. Hertz (Paul Giamatti) is determined to kill. He tries to persuade a lactating hooker (Monica Bellucci) to help care for the baby while he finds a safe place for them all, but Hertz is ruthless.

If there's still any doubt as to the lasting effect Brokeback Mountain has had on our collective image of the Western, look no further than the 69 captions we received for last week's 3:10 to Yuma contest. (Of course we also owe a great debt of gratitude to Jon Stewart for putting it all in historical context with that hilarious Oscars montage). Some moviegoers may be disappointed to hear that Russell Crowe and Christian Bale do not get... it... on... in Yuma, but I can tell you that they do seem to develop Jonah Hill-Michael Cera-style man-crushes on each other if that counts for anything. Congrats to our victors below, you win... his-and-hers Yuma t-shirts.

1. "Oh well, the 5:25 to Yuma it is." -- Kathi F.

2. "You're right. From way up here, your career does look much bigger than mine." -- Charles P.

3. "I TOLD you to get directions... now look where we are, EuroDisney." -- Josh S.

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This week we move on to a movie that sounds like a Western, Shoot 'Em Up, but is actually far "manlier": An action film in which Clive Owen kills men with carrots, beds Monica Belluccci while simultaneously shooting a flurry of henchmen, and counts a newborn baby as his sidekick. That's -- how do you say? -- gangsta. Unfortunately we don't have any carrots to give away (we have a strict no-weapons policy here), but our three winners will get a Shoot 'Em Up t-shirt, hat and shot glass. Cheers.

UPDATE: WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Click Here

In about an hour, I'll be writing another post regarding a new Moviefone gallery featuring the 25 Best Sex Scenes of All Time. One movie that will not be on that list (mainly because it hasn't come out yet) is Shoot 'Em Up, which arrives in theaters this Friday. Now before I go on, I must warn you that the clip we'll be linking to features both nudity and violence -- so those of you at work or around children might want to wait until the coast is clear. That said, New Line never even needed to market this film at all. All they could've done was show people this clip -- make it their trailer -- and folks would've flocked in masses. For the women, you have Clive Owen. For the men, you have Monica Bellucci. And for the people who couldn't care less about the sex, you have tons and tons of gun play. Need I say more?

The folks over at IESB are currently housing this clip, although no one seems to know where it came from. They claim it sort of landed in their laps, and so they put it up. Was it leaked on purpose? Was it not supposed to be leaked at all? We don't know. But what we do know is that the clip itself is flippin' fantastic -- and if I could simultaneously be typing this post and be on line waiting to buy tickets for this flick, you bet your ass I'd be in both places at the same time. (Actually, when you think about it, technically I could buy tickets online while I write this post. Thus, it is possible. So there ya go.) Parts of this clip were briefly shown in that last R-rated clip, but there's nothing like the whole scene to get you in the mood, so to speak. Here's a brief description to whet your appetite: While Clive and Monica get down to some between-the-sheets business, guys in ski masks burst into the room, bullets go flying, a baby begins crying and, well, the sex couldn't get any better. And Clive's final line -- classic! Check out the clip and let us know what you think -- Shoot 'Em Up hits theaters this weekend.

I cannot remember the last time I was so excited for an action flick as I am for Clive Owen's new gun-crazy movie Shoot 'Em Up, which relies on the premise: "Violence is one of the most fun things to watch." As you might remember from our previous coverage, Owen plays a guy who helps keep Monica Bellucci and her baby safe from the maniacal Paul Giamatti. As Owen describes it in the first trailer: "I'm a British nanny, and I'm dangerous." Now, the film's official website has got a new rated-R trailer for the movie, which you have to enter your name, birth date and zip code to check out. Don't we all hate that part?

It's worth it. Where the first spent a bunch of time on flashy introductions and transitions, this lets the over-the-top and wonderfully unbelievable action speak for itself. Since it's R, we also get to see the action when it hits the bedroom -- and I mean both sexually and with a shower of bullets. Remember that scene in Spider-Man 2 where Peter rolls on the floor with Mary Jane to keep her safe when the cafe is under attack? Imagine that, but with a naked Owen and almost-bare Bellucci upping the ante. This time around, you can also see the many Bugs Bunny references as Owen chews on carrots and gets called a bunny. You wouldn't think someone could make Bugs impressions and carrot-eating look tough, but Clive pulls it off. Luckily, the wait to see it is almost over -- the movie finally hits theaters on September 7.

If you're a DVD junkie like me, then you'll end up buying a new Special Platinum Holographic Limited Master Ultra Five Disc Edition of a DVD you already own, just to get some paltry extras, like interviews with the gaffer. I'll admit, it's a sickness, and once Blu-ray and HD-DVD were introduced, it got that much worse for me.

Likewise, if you're a hardcore DVDer, then you probably visit DVD news sites like The Digital Bits and DVD File for the latest news about anything DVD related, no more how trivial, and no matter how much Peter Jackson continues to hammer you over the head with new versions of The Lord of the Rings DVDs.

To that end, our first early morning early morning panel was the DVD Sneak Peeks for 2007. Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan from Bits introduced Charles de Lauzirika, who works on a lot of Ridley Scott's DVD releases ... he has the lucky distinction of working on the Blade Runner: The Final Cut DVD, Javier Soto, who works with Guillermo del Toro, and Robert Meyer Burnett, who directed Free Enterprise and is working on the DVD releases of Shoot 'Em Up and Valkyrie.

This summer has brought us a string of what are being called "threequels:" Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Pirates of the Caribbean: Is This Movie Seriously Still Going On? One would expect those big special effect-laden movies to spawn franchises, but now a highly unlikely candidate may be headed for trilogy status -- Elizabeth. Director Shekhar Kapur tells Entertainment Weekly in this week's issue that he always envisioned the series as a threesome. Kapur and his Queen, Cate Blanchett, have already completed work on Part 2 -- Elizabeth: The Golden Age -- and it will be in theaters on October 12th. The new film (which Monika told you is already being blasted for its historical accuracy) will focus on the Queen and her adviser (played by Geoffrey Rush) during the time leading up to the Spanish Armada. Clive Owen will play Walter Raleigh, Samantha Morton plays Mary, Queen of Scots, and up-and-comer Abbie Cornish plays Elizabeth Throckmorton.

Blanchett apparently needed a bit of coaxing to return to her Oscar-nominated role for The Golden Age. Kapur says, "It's sometimes difficult for an actor when you're so appreciated for a part, you're just afraid that you may not find the same passion the second time. But as I assured Cate: I've never seen her do anything without passion." Will he have to twist her arm for the third chapter? Depends on if it happens. The Golden Age is being released by Working Title Films, and the studio won't greenlight a third installment until they find out how Age performs at the box office. "Talk to me in November," says Working Title co-chair Tim Bevan. The original Elizabeth grossed a very respectable $30 million, and was a critical smash, nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture (It won only one, for Best Makeup). Kapur feels confident he'll get his chance to bring his saga to a close. In fact, he's already hammering out the story. Says Kapur, "I want to make a film about the absolute loneliness of power. She (Elizabeth) was left with no one at the end. She outlasted everybody." Sounds pretty interesting, but if he really wants to make some cash, he should have Venom and The Sandman swing by 16th century England.

Back in 2000, Michael Douglas was making news for teaming with MGM to bring the story of famous art frauds John Myatt and John Drewe to the big screen. The production deal, however, was never closed. Years later, producers Jay Weston and Fred Levinson have picked up Genuine Fakes, and according to The Guardian, they've asked international baby saver Clive Owen to play Myatt and retired killer tomato fighter George Clooney to take on Drewe -- the role originally set for Douglas. The screenplay is almost finished for the project, and is being written by the British duo responsible for Flushed Away and Excess Baggage -- scribes Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais.

The film is said to be a cross between a thriller and crime comedy, as Weston describes: "Ian and Dick have created the most amazing outline for the screenplay. The film will be set in London, and they have come up with something that is a thrilling combination of The Thomas Crown Affair and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels." I'm thinking an Ocean's sort of story, with a little spin on the crime. If they do nab the pair, I imagine it will be a good, long while until we hear more about this project. While Owen has a few upcoming projects to complete, Clooney has a number of actor, producer and director projects on the go. That being said, I hope they find the time -- they'd make a great pair of funny fraud-committers.

As the story goes, Myatt was an artist who was advertising painting copying, and Drewe convinced him to recreate some more famous works by artists like Paul Klee, Marc Chagall and Henri Matisse. Then, Drewe made false records for the paintings, and they were then sold at auction. In 1998, the pair was convicted of fraud and sent to prison; however, while Myatt admitted his guilt and got out after a brief 4-month stay, Drewe maintains his innocence and served a 6-year sentence. The latter still claims he is the victim of a conspiracy, while Myatt has gone on to work with the producers on this film, as well as creating a living out of his fakes.

It is inevitable that if a film comes out that is based on real people, civilizations or events, historians will be there to cry foul when a filmmaker mucks it up. Many times I agree with them -- not so much because I think films should be perfect historical documents, but because a lot of changes are just rude liberties, complete and utter fallacies or really unnecessary. Is that the case with the new Queen Elizabeth movie -- The Golden Age? I'm not so sure. Historians aren't too happy with the sequel, claiming that the artistic license taken in the film is interfering with historical evidence. The movie shows the Queen (Cate Blanchett) longing for a relationship with Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). However, since she fears losing her crown, she pushes her confidant Elizabeth Throckmorton at him -- so she can live vicariously through the other woman.

Screenwriter William Nicholson says it's a "relationship by proxy," because she's "a sexual being who is in love with Raleigh and who wants intimacy. But she knows a full-blown relationship with Raleigh would be political dynamite." The truth behind the story is that Raleigh and Throckmorton were secretly married and imprisoned for the marriage. While some, like lecturer Anna Beer say: "There may be an emotional truth in these claims, but there is no physical or historical evidence to support them," that's a bit different than an all-out change in history. This could have possibly happened, or not, but either way, the scenario fits into the history of the real players. And really, it's tame license compared to other Tudor liberties out there.

Have any of you been watching that show based on good on Liz's dad, The Tudors? (Spoiler Alert for TV Fans) Don't pay any attention to this run-down, which says that it's pretty accurate aside from some physical attributes. Ignoring smaller points like age and looks, the show has had fun with the royal family's past. Just one of the liberties revolved around wiping the real Margaret Tudor from the historical map, changing her sister Mary's name to Margaret and then, killing her off for extra drama points. In reality, she had three children with Brandon and was most definitely around for Henry's annulment. Now that is taking dramatic license too far.