Citing an unnamed source -- you know, one of those reliable anonymous types -- Showbiz Spy is reporting that Michelle Williams plans to make a movie about her late ex, Heath Ledger, in order to provide a record of him for the former couple's toddler, Matilda. No details have been released yet, which leaves a lot of questions up in the air. Is it going to be a straightforward documentary? A biopic? Some mixture of both? If this source is to be trusted, it seems unlikely that Williams simply wants to assemble family footage to screen privately for her daughter when she gets older. A Ledger film made for general audiences would probably reveal his unrealized career intentions and help solidify his posthumous James Dean-like reputation, but it's hard to say what approach Williams would want to take, since we don't even know what role she'll have in the production (producer? director? consultant?).

Based on the skimpy information provided by Showbiz Spy, Williams' idea sounds somewhat similar to a recent documentary project that's been riding the festival to great acclaim in recent months: Kurt Kuenne's devastating Dear Zachary: A Letter to his Son About His Father, which begins with the documentarian planning to collect the memories of his murdered friend for the departed man's young child (the story takes a shocking turn after the first hour or so). Whatever the final product, surely Williams wants to avoid letting E! True Hollywood Story have the final say on Ledger's myth. Who can blame her?

Just over a week ago, Jessica shared a few far-off, behind-the-fence pics of Ashecliffe, the project formerly known as Shutter Island. There was a shot of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, and now, over at Just Jared, there are close-up peeks of Leo, plus cast members Michelle Williams and Mark Ruffalo. If you remember, this is the 1950s drama about a US Marshal who investigates the disappearance of a murderess from a hospital for the criminally insane, a woman who might be hiding on Shutter Island.

JJ pointed out that it looks like Ms. Williams could be pregnant in this picture, which would put a whole sadder spin on her character's story arc. As Patrick pointed out when the actress signed up for the role -- Leo's character (the US Marshal) "is grieving over the recent death of his wife, who was killed in a fire by one of the inhabitants of the facility."

Between this and Incendiary, Williams has a lot of familial death on the way, which is even eerier considering the events of this year. But luckily, she's also got films like Synecdoche, New York to balance things out.

I'll always remember reading a review of Casino where a reviewer said that even a mediocre Martin Scorsese movie is better than the 'best' movie made by any other director. That particular piece of wisdom has always stuck with me whenever I was plunking down my hard earned dollars on a Scorsese film that wasn't necessarily 'my thing' -- cough, Kundun, cough. So with that in mind, you can be sure that I'll be there on opening day for his new thriller, Ashecliffe (formerly Shutter Island). The Boston Herald recently scored some pictures of star Leonardo DiCaprio and Scorsese on the set of the period thriller, with the added bonus of getting to see DiCaprio brandishing some firearms (thankfully, it was for the movie).

The film is based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River), and centers on two U.S. marshals who are sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane. Things start to go downhill when a riot on the island has them trapped, and not to mention some events that are outside of the realm of the everyday. Mark Ruffalo joins the cast as DiCaprio's partner, and Michelle Williams also stars as DiCaprio's wife. The film immediately brings Spellbound to mind, and knowing what a Hitchcock fan Scorsese is, I will look forward to seeing Scorsese work in a few of those 'master of suspense' touches.

Ashcliffe is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 2nd, 2009.

Synecdoche: n. A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword). -- American Heritage Dictionary

The directorial debut of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation), Synecdoche, New York is a sprawling, messy work of inspired brilliance and real humanity, a film that enthralls and affects even as it infuriates and confounds. Kaufman gives us parts, and the whole; he gives us the general and the specific. The plot is, on the surface, about a theater director, Caden (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), whose work, and life, in upstate New York have both fallen into a state of stasis relieved only by hints of slow decay. His marriage to Adele (Catherine Keener) is a qualified success: somewhat supportive, somewhat loving, somewhat successful, sustained in part by their daughter Olive (Sadie Goldstein). And just as Caden's life falls apart personally -- Adele, a painter, takes Olive to Berlin for a gallery showing and never comes back -- he also earns a "Genius" grant, and embarks on an ambitious, immersive theater piece that'll be his masterwork.

But that meat-and-potatoes synopsis does not, and can not, fully explain what Kaufman covers and examines and explores and offers in the film -- partially because of the fluidity of time and space and art and reality in the story, and partially because of how Kaufman wedges every frame full of set design, side notes, visual tricks, subtext, , deadpan jokes, prosthetic makeup, voice-over, post-modern inventions and old-fashioned melodrama. Synecdoche, New York veers away from reality fairly early in its journey; indeed, there's a question of if it even starts anywhere near there to begin with. Caden's obsessed with the decline of his physical body as he ages, poking at bumps, examining anomalies, concerned with disease.

Deception, starring Hugh Jackman and Ewan McGregor, is being sold as an "erotic thriller." Any experienced cinemagoer knows that this phrase, which promises two things, usually indicates a film that will fail to deliver either. American studio films either tiptoe around sex or stomp on it with clown shoes, and the modern thriller often relies on activities that are not, and cannot ever be, thrilling -- electronic funds transfers, typing, mouse-clicking. Deception, directed by Marcel Lanegger from a script by Mark Bomback, begins as Ewan McGregor's lonely auditor Jonathan McQuarry labors late into the night in a huge conference room, vast windows looking out over the lights of the city. Shut in, walled-away, cut-off, Jonathan is worse than miserable; he's invisible. But then Hugh Jackman's brash, blunt Wyatt Bose waltzes in, makes some small talk, sparks up a joint. It's not what Jonathan's used to. Then again, he hates what he's used to.

You know that feeling you get when something looks so familiar but you just can't put your finger on it? Well, that's how I felt after I saw the latest poster release for Marcel Langenegger's, Deception (see to the right, and click to enlarge). After a furious search to try and figure out just what it was about the poster that was so familiar, I came up empty. Luckily, the sharp eyes over at the Ropes of Silicon boards noticed the poster was almost identical to The Prestige.

Ewan McGregor stars as Jonathan, a buttoned down accountant who is swept up in a mysterious sex club called 'The List'. Hugh Jackman plays his lawyer friend who leads Jonathan down the 'rabbit hole' involving a missing girl and a million dollar fraud. There aren't that many differences between this latest poster release and the previous release -- in fact, there are only a few minor differences. The most noticeable being that Jackman had a lot more real estate on the first poster than he does now. On the upside, we actually get to see McGregor's face this time around.

After watching the trailer, I'll admit that there is no way I would see this film if Jackman and McGregor were not starring (it just has a late night, skinemax vibe). Plus, the film bears a striking resemblance to the 1990 thriller Bad Influence (it even looks like McGregor borrowed James Spader's glasses). Deception is set for release on April 25th, and I can't help but wonder if Fox released this poster in hopes of drumming up some much-needed business.

"Okay, we have Michelle Williams back on set today -- so should we go ahead and shoot that scene with her next to a skeleton, three blocks away from where her old flame was found dead a couple weeks ago?" I imagine a conversation like this had to occur prior to shooting scenes for Williams' new film Mammoth in New York City the other day. Photos of the poor gal standing next to a skeleton on set were splashed across the pages of the New York Post today, and one can't help but look at her and say, "Really? These were the scenes that needed to be shot right now? And the skeleton comes into play ... how, exactly?"

Mammoth stars Williams and Gael García Bernal as a married couple living in New York with their daughter and Filipina nanny whose lives drastically change when the husband takes a business trip to the Philippines. Williams was back in New York only two days after attending a funeral service for Heath Ledger in Australia. Here's hoping the girl stays strong ... and that the Mammoth filmmakers will try to next shoot a scene that doesn't involve a dead body in SoHo.

Like most people, I'll go see a Martin Scorsese movie no matter what they call it. Empire reports (via The Boston Herald) that Scorsese's latest, Shutter Island, will now be known as Ashecliffe -- and while I wasn't all that attached to the first title, it's not like this one is a vast improvement. The film is based on Dennis Lehane's novel about an investigation at an asylum for the criminally insane. The new title is taken from the name of the mental institution.

DiCaprio stars as Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall sent to investigate the disappearance of a multiple murderer on the remote and fictional location of Shutter Island. Michelle Williams also stars as Dolores Chanal, the wife of DiCaprio's character who is communing with him from beyond the grave (it sounds weird, I know, but the book was pretty 'Gothic' to begin with). Williams has recently halted production on her latest film Blue Valentine due to Heath Ledger's sudden and tragic death. However, there was no mention of whether she is still planning on staying on for Ashecliffe.

Shutter ... I mean Ashcliffe, also stars Mark Ruffalo as DiCaprio's partner, Ben Kingsley, and Patricia Clarkson. Clarkson has always had the uncanny knack of portraying either the kindest or most hateful person you have ever met, so my money is on her portraying the murderess, Rachel Solando. Production is set to begin this March, and Scorsese has already been scouting locations in Nova Scotia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut as the stand in for the island. Ashecliffe is scheduled for release in 2009.

It is heartbreaking enough when we lose a great actor like Heath Ledger. When the news comes through as chaotically as it did yesterday, though, it heightens the tragedy. We all heard speculation, rumors and inconclusive reports about Ledger's death Tuesday, and while some of it was true, most of it was not. On the morning after, things don't feel any more concrete, but we at Cinematical would like to keep you updated on what is confirmed and what is still not definitively known. Also, we'd like to share the statements made by family and friends, all of whom are in our hearts today.

The only bit of information that could really be corroborated last evening was the time of Ledger's death and that he was discovered in his bedroom (in his apartment, not Mary Kate Olsen's) by his massage therapist. Anything else you heard, whether it had to do with scattered pills or type of pills, may have been exaggerated. And until a medical examiner issues a certain cause-of-death statement, we can't even be sure if any pills were involved in the incident. So far this morning, we have learned that an autopsy performed on Ledger has been ruled inconclusive. The medical examiner's office also told reporters that the investigation into the death will take about ten days.

The casting news just keeps piling up for Shutter Island, Martin Scorsese's upcoming adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel. (Films of Lehane's books have a pretty damn good track record -- see Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone.) Scott told you that Scorsese will be teaming (yet again) with Leonardo DiCaprio, who will play the lead role of U.S. Marshall Teddy Daniels. I told you that Mark Ruffalo signed on to play DiCaprio's partner, U.S. Marshall Chuck Aule. Christopher told you that Ben Kingsley is on board as Dr. Cawley, "the chief physician at a Massachusetts hospital for the criminally insane." And now I shall tell you that Michelle Williams is playing DiCaprio's wife in the film.

Variety reports that the drama "revolves around the trip made by Daniels to a remote New England island in 1954 to figure out how a multiple murderess escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. He is grieving over the recent death of his wife, who was killed in a fire by one of the inhabitants of the facility." I'm about a hundred pages into Shutter Island, and have not yet been made aware of this wife/patient connection, but I do wonder how large a role Williams will have in the film. The only involvement her character has had in the novel so far has been brief flashbacks. I realize I'm setting myself up for meanie readers to spoil the book's secrets in the comments, but please don't! I'm just speculating. Regardless, I'm loving the novel and can't wait for the film...