Jude Law Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Click image below to view full poster

Cinematical has just received this exclusive new poster for Sherlock Holmes, due in theaters on Christmas Day. No more reserved stuffiness for this detective -- there's not a magnifying glass and classic hat in sight! Talk about a poster that boils the feel of a film down to one snazzy collection of images. Color us not surprised -- Robert Downey Jr.'s confident smirk alone is enough to tantalize, but there's also Jude Law with the campy and inquisitive Watson brow and a background of images ranging from a bottle of poison (cyanide, not any sort of booze) to faded glimpses of Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong. As the trailer and now this poster attest, Downey Jr. and Law are itching for roguish fun of a whole new flavor.

Set in 1891, Guy Ritchie's take on the famous detective finds Holmes and Watson battling an evil cult leader named Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), whose devilish schemes could give the crime-fighting duo their toughest challenge yet. "Revealing fighting skills as lethal as his legendary intellect, Holmes will battle as never before to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy the country" (read the full synopsis after the jump). Of course, with a depravity that knows no bounds as he brawls and flirts his way to the truth.

Sounds like the perfect roguish antidote to sappy holiday fare, doesn't it? Click on the image below to view the full poster.

Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, or at least that's what the good folks over at Gawker seem to think when it comes to Gerard Butler. In the wake of a number two movie at the box office and some not-so-great reviews of his hosting gig last weekend for SNL, Gawker has issued the Scottish actor the following decree: Gerard Butler, You Are Officially on Movie Star Probation. According to them, it's time we all intervened to save him from himself. But if he doesn't shape up, Gawker has decided the only option is that the actor will be "banned from all movies, tabloids, red carpet affairs, awards ceremonies, and celebrity relationships. If he can stay out of the press for three years, he may be rewarded with the starring role on a CBS procedural." Tough, but fair.

Sure, it's all in good fun, but I'll admit they have a point. I haven't seen Law Abiding Citizen, but even I've been questioning some of the choices on Butler's resume since his break-out turn as the tighty-whitey wearing Spartan in Snyder's 300 (and yes, I'm talking about P.S. I Love You and The Ugly Truth). So even though his celebrity quotient is rising, the quality of his movies isn't and that's a dangerous combination. Butler has a natural charm (and even a damn fine singing voice) which should make him the perfect specimen for leading man status, but you wouldn't know it from his career choices. He isn't the first (or the last) to fall victim to overexposure and bad decisions, but audiences are a fickle sort who can turn on you at the drop of a dime. So let's just hope we can scare him straight.

After the jump: a few more examples of celebrities who have fallen prey to bad career choices and the PR monster known as 'over-hyping'...

The casting twists and turns of the Marvel Universe are nearly as interesting as the movies themselves -- ok, not quite, but you have to let me run with a little hyperbole. The casting for Kenneth Branagh's Thor has been top notch so far, but the latest casting rumors might just take the film into the realm of unbelievable. According to Ain't It Cool News, German actor Matthias Schweighöfer revealed in German GQ that not only was he up for a role in Thor, but that Jude Law and Robert DeNiro were part of the cast.

Obviously, this is coming from a magazine and through a bit of translation, so we'll have to see if its officially confirmed. But running on the big assumption that this is a done deal, Thor has managed to land the biggest and most illustrious cast of Marvel yet -- and after Iron Man 1 and 2, that's saying a lot.

But who on earth could they be playing? I had Stellan Skarsgard pegged as Odin, but could it actually be DeNiro? Law actually fits the profile of a few Asgardians. I could easily see him as Balder, half brother of Thor. As for Schweighofer, there's a dozen Asgardians I could see him as. I can't wait to see the pieces come together on this intruging rumor.

Earlier this summer, reshoot rumors were thick around Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes. One of the more believable ones was that Brad Pitt was stepping in to make an appearance as Moriarty, though it was clouded in so much "Pitt must save Ritchie!" hyperbole that it was almost impossible to believe. As always, there seems to have been some truth to the tabloid rumors, because The Hollywood Reporter says Warner Bros is already prepping more Holmes, and Pitt is in talks to play the detective's legendary adversary, Moriarty.

While neither Ritchie, Pitt, or producer Joel Silver will comment on whether Pitt already makes a shadowy appearance in the upcoming film. Those who have read the script say that Moriarty does appear, but is all mysterious and silhouetted, and it's impossible to see who he really is.

As Pitt debates whether or not he wants to pit brainpower and martial arts against the elementary Robert Downey Jr., the studio has brought on Kieran and Michele Mulroney, the team behind their Justice League: Mortal project to pen the script. Though nothing is official yet, THR notes "much of the talent," notably Downey, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, and Ritchie are expected to return. (Mark Strong isn't mentioned. Spoiler or no surprise?) It's worth noting that if Pitt signs on and the line-up remains as is, there's only one native Brit in the entire cast of this very English classic.

Once in a very blue moon, a trailer comes that's so fantastic, so rife with fantastical eye candy, that even in its abbreviated form it's a million times better than a lot of feature films. After the teaser that popped up last September, a full trailer for The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus has finally arrived over at Yahoo (watch it after the jump).

The only bad thing I can think to say is that the trailer makes me wish even more that Heath Ledger never passed away, and that he could have had the chance to finish his role. While Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell look fine (Depp being the closest resemblance), it's the Ledger moments that shine. But there's so many levels -- a wildly original story (something so rare these days), great actors (Christopher Plummer and the devilish Tom Waits, too), and jaw-dropping visuals ranging from wild parties and ruins to rolling seas and candyish lands. Even if you're not a Gilliam fan, you should at least check out the trailer and get a peek at the effects and artistry. (The film may or may not live up to this wonder.)

But I'm also irked. Here we have a film that gives Christopher Plummer a lot to do (not to mention Waits), and Yahoo only mentions Ledger and his replacements in the little blurb to the right. Hell, it doesn't even mention Terry Gilliam.

Nevertheless, are you charmed by Parnassus?

Yesterday at the press conference for Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey Jr. recalled that Rachel McAdams had called Sherlock Holmes "a love story between Watson and Holmes." Downey explained, "Well, actually what it is ... it's circumstantial homosexuality." So, in case you were wondering if they'd played up the banter between the duo from the books, there you go. Fairly elementary.

Actually, that quote aside, Downey says the adaptation is extremely true to the source material. "My take is what the puritans would expect ... if the puritans know what they're talking about. He never wore a deerstalker cap, except like maybe once, for a second, except even then it was described differently. The long pipe was something that Gillette used so he didn't obscure his face on the stage. So we're not using any of those and we're staying true to the Doyle material."

That's not to say that Sherlock doesn't have his vices. In the books he would turn to cocaine when he was bored between cases. We asked producer Joel Silver if they were including that, given Downey's history, and he said, "Not really. But I mean, he does have ... issues." Then he gave us a wry smile and a wink. So who knows. Maybe he's addicted to something innocuous now. Like toffee.

You'll never hear me say a nasty thing about Robert Downey Jr., as I have a lot of respect for the man and a lot of appreciation for the films he's done ... but having said that, I cannot help but express the following opinion: The trailer for his new movie looks like, well, like no Sherlock Holmes story I've ever seen. Obviously one can never judge an unfinished film by the quality of its promotional materials, but if this clip is what we can expect from the whole of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, I'm ... well, I'm still interested. But now highly skeptical. And a little shocked.

I guess my main question is this: If your goal is to make a Victorian-era action comedy, and that sounds good to me, why must it be called Sherlock Holmes? (I'd suggest Sherlock Holmes and the Deluge of Weird Changes.) I'll leave it to the experts to pick the specific nits, but I'm betting the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories didn't have quite so many gunfights, boxing matches, explosions, and crotch jokes. At this point the thing looks like Young Sherlock Holmes meets The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen vs. Van Helsing: At World's End ... which, I'll admit, could still be a lot of fun.

The first trailer will be attached to Terminator: Salvation. Will we all start drooling like they did after ShoWest? I hope so. I really want this film to meet my expectations.

As we wait for an American studio to break down, and cough up the money to buy and distribute Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, some new stills have leaked out that give a hint as to why it's being labeled "too arthouse." (Not that we agree with such things here at Cinematical, obviously. There's no such thing as too arthouse in our books.)

The photos are watermarked Quick Stop Entertainment but I snagged them from the obliging CHUD, who snagged them from a Johnny Depp blog, and no one seems to know quite where they originated. (How appropriate.) The Depp blog also managed to produce a photo that includes Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law, and a not-as-scary Christopher Plummer. I would almost suspect it of being fan made except that the costumes Depp & Co are sporting look right for the film.

So, as you await news of a buyer and a release date, gaze at the gallery below and wonder if you should travel to Europe where it's promised a release date. You have to hand it to Hollywood though -- you'd think every studio would be chomping at the bit to get Heath Ledger's last performance, but clearly decency (and squeamishness at the idea of "arthouse cinema") still has some sway in Tinseltown.

I know, she looks like a cross between the woman who cut your hair when you were seven and that weird chick from Taxicab Confessions, but believe it or not -- that's Jude Law, the actor, in character for the new film Rage. According to director Sally Potter, Law took on the role of Minx -- "a "celebrity super-model" [who] took on a kind of hyper-beauty for this persona... a 'female' beauty which gradually unravels as the story unfolds." Potter adds, "Strangely, the more he became a 'she', coiffed and made-up - the more naked was his performance. There was great strength in his willingness to make himself vulnerable. It was an extraordinarily intense part of the shoot."

Rage was chosen to premiere at this year's Berlin Film Festival (which is just about to start), so I'm sure we'll hear more about it real soon. Described as "a bitterly funny exposé of the inner lives of individuals working at a New York fashion house – as if shot by a schoolboy on his cellphone camera - over seven days in which an accident on the runway becomes a murder investigation.," Rage also stars Judi Dench, Steve Buscemi, Eddie Izzard, John Leguizamo and Dianne Wiest. Check out more character photos from Rage in the gallery below.



[via Filmonic via SallyPotter.com]