NataliePortman Tagged Articles at Cinematical

This week, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Leon: The Professional on Blu-ray, and because I have the best job in the world, I got to watch it for this column. The truth is that this was a formative movie for me, not only augmenting my budding cinephilia in terms of attention to and interest in strongly visual filmmakers, but in understanding the technical and artistic value of widescreen cinema. Before the film was released on widescreen VHS and later, DVD, I watched the pan-and-scan version when it was first released on video and almost got sick from the cropping and scanning of director Luc Besson's balletic camerawork.

Thankfully, I never have to watch it via that sort of butchered presentation again, and even if you don't think the movie is a masterpiece, at the very least, SPHE's new Blu-ray offers a gorgeously rich transfer that fully celebrates Besson's cinematography. But even though this is a film I've revisited several times since its original release in 1994, I was curious to see how well The Professional would hold up some 15 years later – which brings us to this week's "Shelf Life."

By Alison Nastasi

Darren Aronofsky's latest film is a thriller with a supernatural twist. Black Swan is currently in pre-production and Slashfilm recently revealed full casting details for the film. It was already announced that Natalie Portman will star as Nina, a veteran ballerina competing against a mysterious rival dancer, Lily, played by Mila Kunis. As the dancers approach an important performance, Nina starts to question if her rival is a supernatural apparition or if she's having delusions and her identity starts to blur with that of her eerily similar competitor. To the absolute joy of fanboys everywhere, the film includes an "ecstasy-induced hungry, aggressive, angry sex" scene between Portman and Kunis. Having flashbacks to Requiem for a Dream yet?

Joining the cast of Black Swan will be Vincent Cassel, Winona Ryder and Barbara Hershey. Ryder plays Beth, Nina's frenemie who used to be the star dancer but is nearing the end of her career. Hmm. Cassel is the "handsome but sinister" (love him but no shocker here) Yevna who is the stage director and Hershey is Nina's mother.

Read more at HorrorSquad!

The week has ended without Thor fans finding out who Stellan Skarsgard is playing, but we have a hint as to who else might be appearing in Kenneth Branagh's film. SpoilerTV, who have stumbled on many a casting hint lately, have posted an alleged casting call for "Warriors." The requirements are stern, as befits residents and foes of Asgard: "A fearless warrior race, where size, strength and ferocity define a member's rank in both the social and military hierarchy. Warriors born in this society face the harshest ecological conditions imaginable and thrive in environments where lesser creatures, including humans, quickly perishes. Theirs is a world created to cull weakness from the universe to ensure their supreme sovereignty spreads across the stars. MUST BE 6'2 OR TALLER sptv050769, NO BODYBUILDER TYPES. SAG ROLE BUT NO LINES. MUST BE COMFORTABLE WEARING PROSTHETICS."

At the word "Warriors" my brain stopped, and I thought it was a casting call for the Warriors Three. But those three badasses are quite distinct personalities, and none of them would need prosthetics other than the extremely large Volstagg. It's clearly not them.

The key phrase here would appear to be "their supreme sovereignty spreads across the stars." Is this a casting call for the Skrulls? You can't really get any more militaristic and conquest driven than these guys, and one definitely needs prosthetics to pull them off. But what the heck would Skrulls be doing in Thor? Even Loki hasn't had much to do with those creeps until recently. The obvious answer would be to have them come in and set up The Avengers, but with two villains and two love interests, you'd think there was enough crazy to go around. Anyone out there have a better guess as to who our prosthetic-heavy warriors might be?

[via Superhero Hype]

In this time of economic uncertainty and the potential evaporating of the old, reliable Hollywood star system, some math nerds may have saved the jobs of ten lucky actresses. Forbes Magazine has recently completed its annual list of female stars that provide the most bang for the buck. Their poll process is pretty complex. To qualify, actors must have appeared in at least three movies over the past five years that opened on 500 screens or more. Someone then adds up and averages the actors' salary on each film, each film's budget and each film's final gross. This year's winner: Naomi Watts, who earned $44 for each $1 she was paid. Despite starring in interesting movies like The Painted Veil, Funny Games and Eastern Promises, it looks as if Watts' place on the list was snagged mostly by King Kong, which earned $550 million worldwide.

We're entering into a frustrating trend with Thor news now. Excellent actors continue to sign on, but we have no idea who they are playing, which certainly keeps things interesting, but hurts when it comes to the geek discussions we could be having. The latest to reportedly join the cast is a Skarsgard, but not the one who you might expect.. According to Swedish news site Ystands Allehanda, Stellan Skarsgard has joined the cast of Thor in an unspecified role.

As you Thor fans undoubtedly remember, Stellan's son Alexander was in the running to play Thor. Skarsgard confirmed that he was so close as to have tried on the costume, and was one of the last contenders cut before Kenneth Branagh chose Chris Hemsworth. (Every episode of True Blood I see, I think Hemsworth has to be something really special if they cut Skarsgard, who would have been my pick.) If the elder Skarsgard is indeed part of the cast, I would like to be a fly on the wall for that family phone call.

Read the rest over at SciFi Squad

The gods of Asgard (or Marvel, if you prefer) have been largely deaf to the prayers of mere mortals, and refusing to reveal any deep dark secrets about Kenneth Branagh's Thor. But tonight, The Hollywood Reporter brings us some casting news that'll wind up the fans of the Thunder God. Colm Feore and Jaimie Alexander have signed on to join Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, and Natalie Portman.

The most exciting part of this news for me is Alexander, who gets to play the fierce warrior-goddess Sif. She was once a lass with golden hair (just like her "real" Norse counterpart) but Loki was jealous of her hair color, stole it, and replaced it with enchanted troll hair. Jerk. But Sif shrugged it off, picked up a big sword, and became one of the toughest warriors of Asgard. She also became Thor's lover, and while she accompanies other male Asgardians into battle, she also sticks by her Thunder Man. If you're wondering how he could leave such a kick-ass girl for a mortal like Jane Foster (who will be played by Portman), don't think too badly of Thor. Once he went mortal as Donald Blake, he became confused and convinced Jane was the reincarnation of Sif. Reportedly, Donald Blake isn't in the Thor movie, so perhaps they're just going with a standard love triangle, and Thor will have to chose between his mortal and (relatively) immortal girlfriends.

Feore's role is being kept a secret, and Marvel will only say that he's playing a villain. I'm going to just take a wild guess that he's going to play Mephisto, and that's just because of Sif and her love connection. But perhaps he's playing Surtur so they have someone to help Loki bring around Ragnarok. Your guess is as good as mine and since THR is reporting that not even the actors have seen the script, guesses are all we have to go on.

Darren Aronofsky's films -- Requiem for a Dream, Pi, The Fountain, The Wrestler -- have certainly not lacked strangeness or controversy, and it appears his next one, Black Swan, due in 2010, is no different. In a review of the screenplay, Carson Reeves at ScriptShadow reveals that the story includes a sex scene between the film's stars, Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. And as you may know, Portman and Kunis are both female lady girl women persons!! Obviously, this automatically means the scene is hawt.

Reeves' script review has some significant spoilers, and not just the Internet crybaby "Oh no, you revealed a character's name!" kind, so proceed with caution over there. But the movie's premise is that Portman plays a sweet, innocent ballerina taking the lead in Swan Lake, and Kunis plays another ballerina who looks a lot like Portman but is much more reckless and "dark." How or why they end up in bed together, I won't say, and it's probably irrelevant compared to the more important issue, i.e., OMG PORTMAN KUNIS SEX!!!1! Reeves says it's "ecstasy-induced hungry aggressive angry sex"; whether he means "ecstasy" in the sense of being ecstatic or "Ecstasy" in the sense of the drug you take at raves, I don't know. I would guess the latter.

Those worried that Marvel's upcoming live-action Thor movie wasn't exactly bringing the star power like some other related superhero films should look no further than today's announcement that, as previously rumored, Natalie Portman has been cast as Jane Foster in the film, due in theaters on May 20, 2011. In the comics, Foster was a nurse who later became Thor's first love, but her character will be updated for the movie. Chris Hemsworth is set to play the title character, while Tom Hiddleston will take on the role of the villainous Loki. Kenneth Branagh will direct with production slated to begin early next year.

Here's the synopsis that came with today's press release: Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of super hero: "Thor." This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

What do you think of Natalie Portman in the role of Jane Foster?

I am trying to keep my expectations very low for Your Highness, the medieval comedy headed by Danny McBride and James Franco, but it's so hard, especially since they keep adding such promising cast members. Now The Hollywood Reporter says they have added another fair maiden to keep the testosterone levels down: Zooey Deschanel.

To refresh your memory, Highness centers on a lazy, arrogant prince (played by McBride, naturally) who must go on a knightly quest to save his father's kingdom. Joining him is his heroic brother, played by James Franco. (And he's so perfect for this with those Pre-Raphaelite looks of his.) Natalie Portman plays a warrior princess, who wins the heart of McBride, while Deschanel plays Belladonna, Franco's virginal bride. It's not clear if she goes along on the quest, but something tells me she's probably left behind in a tower, and abandoning her chastity belt.

Directed by David Gordon Green, it's set to begin shooting this month in Northern Ireland. I'm keeping my expectations low because fantasy / medieval comedy is one of those things that sounds great in theory, but often comes off pretty lame. (Who has pulled it off besides Chaucer and Danny Kaye?) But McBride and Franco just keep hitting it out of the park, so bring on those hobbit weed jokes. And the photos. I can't wait to see the costumes.

View the full poster by clicking gallery below

Cinematical has just received this exclusive poster for Brothers, starring Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman and Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Jim Sheridan (In America, In the Name of the Father), Brothers is an English-language remake of Susanne Bier's 2004 film of the same name, and it follows the intricate relationships between a marine, his wife and his fresh-out-of-jail brother.

Maguire plays Sam, a marine who goes missing overseas during his fourth tour of duty. When Sam is assumed dead, his wife Grace (Portman) tries to pull her family back together with help from Sam's black-sheep brother Tommy (Gyllenhaal). One thing leads to another, lines are crossed, and when it's discovered that Sam is actually alive, our marine returns home to a very interesting (and uncomfortable) family dynamic. A very solid trailer for the film just debuted earlier this week and this three-way cast proves they're certainly capable of delivering the goods. I also like how the poster cuts off a quarter of Portman's body, as if that's the part that now belongs to her husband's brother. It's subtle and well done.

Brothers is due out in theaters on December 4. See the full poster by clicking below.