EugeneByrd Tagged Articles at Cinematical

If an alcoholic wreck ever looks you in the eye and says, "Trust me," one word of advice: Don't, especially if her name is Julia Harris. Even if that clear-eyed glint appears genuinely sincere, and a wave of empathy impulsively washes over you for the magnificent woman who may still be residing deep within her soul, try to resist, because Julia will let you down every single time, the same way she's let herself down for her entire life.

Of course, when Julia is careening out of control in the person of Tilda Swinton, it's a much dicier proposition to turn your back on her. Swinton gives another odd, strangely magnetic performance in Julia, directed by Erick Zonca (The Dreamlife of Angels), which opened yesterday in New York. She's alternately a repulsive leech and a charming sexual creature, driven by her primal desires. She resembles a giant bug with corrosive acid running through her veins, like the Queen in Aliens; instead of defending her young, she's defending herself and her own warped view of priorities.

"Wreck" is an apt description for her character: her physical appearance is ravaged by neglect and alcoholism; her mental capacity is damaged to the point she can barely think straight; and her emotional stability is fried as though she were in a high-speed collision, bleeding out on the highway with all her parts scattered to the wind.

So why does she inspire such a strong impulse to embrace her warmly?

Remember that conversation in Chasing Amy between Alyssa and Banky? "So for you, to f--k means to penetrate. You're used to the more traditional definition. You, inside some girl you duped, jackhammering away, not noticing the bored look in her eyes." "Hey, I always notice that bored look in her eyes." Methinks Banky might have benefited from this new indie flick on the way, from Scott Culver, called How to Make Love to a Woman (written by Dennis Kao).

With the help of Jenna Jameson, The Hollywood Reporter posts that Josh Meyers, Krysten Ritter, Ian Somerhalder, Eugene Byrd, and Lindsay Richards will learn a little of that lovin' style. The film will focus on Meyers, who plays a "music executive with no idea how to satisfy his girlfriend (Ritter)." He goes to his musician friends for advice (bands like Red Jumpsuit and Hellogoodbye appear in the film), and somehow is lucky enough to get advice from Jameson as well, but there's a problem in all this: his girlfriend's hot, childhood friend (Somerhalder) pops up. Byrd, meanwhile, will play Meyers' best friend.

Now the question becomes: Will the film just be funny, or will the real-life, unsatisfying lovers learn a thing or two?