One thing I've noticed about most epic sci-fi/fantasy stories is that they're essentially about war, albeit disguised and softened with weird monsters, robots and other creatures with funny names. There's usually a bad guy (with a really sinister sounding name) who wants to take over the world or something similar, and a reluctant hero -- plucked from his comfortable, yet mundane home -- who has to stop him. The trick is to make it all fun. Because let's face it, we humans love war. If we didn't there wouldn't be so many movies and books about war, as well as -- you know -- real wars. (More specifically, I think, we love watching them, rather than fighting in them.) The Lord of the Rings trilogy worked so well because Peter Jackson projected his own twisted glee into every frame; he loved making those movies and it showed. The characters felt an anxious anticipation toward the battle, like a buildup, and the battles themselves were explosive releases. The new film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, the second in an unfortunately ongoing series, treats war as if it were already played out, rather than happening before our eyes. It's a dead dog dull bore of a movie, but that won't stop it from making a fortune. (See also Jette's review.)

After the gut-wrenching terror of No Country for Old Men (I haven't been that tense in a movie theater since, well, ever), I can safely say that I am incredibly relieved that the Coens' next film, Burn After Reading, looks like it is going to be a lot more fun. First Showing now has some stills from the Coens' black comedy, and it would appear that the brothers are returning to what I like to call their 'Raising Arizona roots.'

Burn is the story of a CIA agent (played by George Clooney) who is assigned to investigate the case of a former agent named Ozzie Cox (John Malkovich) who has taken his revenge on the agency by writing a tell-all memoir. When Cox's ex-wife (played by Tilda Swinton) steals the only copy and leaves it behind at her gym, the gym's owner (Frances McDormand) and star personal trainer (Brad Pitt) see an opportunity to engage in a little blackmail.

The Coen flick just got the nod to open the Venice Film Festival this year, but Burn will not be making an appearance at Cannes this year (which is a little strange considering the luck they had at the French festival last year). This makes it zero for two for Pitt now that his other high-profile film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, also failed to make the list for Cannes. Burn After Reading is scheduled for wide release on September 12th, 2008.

I really like Tilda Swinton, and I think she's a great actress. That being said, I think that her Oscar win this year was just a little silly. While it was, by no means, a bad performance, it didn't seem like the sort that would ever be considered the best there was last year, especially over Amy Ryan or even Cate's Bob Dylan. Was the win due to Tilda getting all pit-sweaty? Whatever the case, I'd like to see her acting chops praised for a wow performance rather than a normal good one. She has a whole ton of projects on the way, and has just added another, so maybe it will be one of these.

Variety reports that Swinton will once again team up with Italian director Luca Guadagnino (The Protagonists) to star in his new romantic drama, I Am Love (lo sono l'amore). She will play "a foreign society matron in Milan who falls for a young chef," and Variety says the film focuses on "the irreparable consequences brought about by love in a high-bourgeois family." Italian actress Alba Rohrwacher also has a role, but the rest of the cast hasn't been set yet.

I imagine this will be mostly romance with a wee little bit of food while the chef is at work, but the foodie in me hopes that we can get a good dose of Italian delicacies to feast on as well.

Even though a lot of fans of The Coen Brothers haven't been all that happy with the results of their collaborations with George Clooney (I think I was one of the eight people in the world who actually enjoyed Intolerable Cruelty.), I've still got a good feeling about their CIA comedy, Burn After Reading. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Focus Features will release the dark comedy on September 12th of this year.

Burn has an all-star cast including Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, and Tilda Swinton. I would guess that it's been like 'old home week' on set; we all know that Clooney and Pitt are buddies, and Swinton could be an honorary member of the boys club after her Oscar winning performance in Michael Clayton (and judging by her acceptance speech, she seems comfortable with a little verbal rough-housing).

The comedy stars Malkovich as Ozzie Cox, a CIA vet who gets fired for being an alcoholic, and writes out his revenge in a memoir. His soon-to-be ex-wife (Swinton) accidentally leaves the memoir at a gym, where it falls into the hands of a trainer, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), and the gym's owner Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), who want to exploit the discovery. It sounds like a pretty 'fluffy' flick, but I think we could all use a break from the Coens' more "intense" point of view, wouldn't you agree, friendo?

I have such a huge Oscars hangover this morning. Did anyone theme it for the night? I cooked some mean-ass burgers in honor of Juno, then attempted to make a few milkshakes (in honor of There Will be Blood) before realizing I had no ice cream. Anyone get nutty and make Ratatouille? Anyway, when it comes to the day after the Oscars, talk usually surrounds the big surprises. What were the shockers? Personally, I totally thought Transformers would walk away with at least one Oscar for special effects or sound, and Marion Cotillard winning best actress came somewhat as a surprise. I mean, a French actress winning best actress for a foreign language film that practically NO ONE saw?

And Tilda Swinton? Really? Do cracked-out single mothers not mean anything to the Academy voters? Amy Ryan definitely should've won in that category. Other surprises -- who the hell let Gary Busey onto the red carpet? Did you see him lick Jennifer Garner's neck? Poor girl. Unfortunately, her husband was f**king Jimmy Kimmel at the time and couldn't be there to rescue her. But anyway, last night's biggest upset? In your opinion, who was it? (And is it okay to say that my new crush is Marion Cotillard. Holy crap did she look fantastic!)

The firestorm sparked by Lindsay Lohan's decision to pose naked for a photo spread in New York Magazine is fascinating. The comments in response to Erik Davis' post were mostly negative, either disparaging Lohan's looks or her reputation as a "bad girl." I'm sure her age (21) also affected how people felt about the pictures and her exposure in them. Would the reaction have been the same if she had appeared naked in I Know Who Killed Me, in which she played a stripper who kept most of her clothes on?

We'll never know, but we do know that not every actress who doffs her duds provokes such a heated reaction. And, sometimes, it's not even the actress' body parts on display. For example, initial reports were that Cate Blanchett appeared nude in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, but that proved to be false. The actress didn't feel the nudity was required, and so a "bum double" was called in. None of the other women nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category appear naked in their nominated films, though three of them have done so in the past. In the Best Supporting Actress category, we find only Tilda Swinton has bared all before. Therefore, we'll cheat a little and add screenwriter Diablo Cody, who worked as a professional unclad dancer for a brief period in her life.

We've listed four nominated actresses and a nominated writer, all good women of distinguished accomplishment who, at one time or another, have appeared naked in public, all but one on the big screen. Who's Your Favorite Good Girl Gone Nude? And don't worry, the boys get their turn tomorrow.

When news broke about Jim Jarmusch's next film back in November, The Limits of Control, it was said that JJ regular Isaach De Bankolé would star, along with "an international collection of bankable stars." Well, they're certainly living up to the promise so far. Reuters reports that the filmmaker has once again grabbed Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton for roles, both of whom appeared in Broken Flowers, as well as Gael Garcia Bernal. That fills the old comedy contingent, the drama power, and the young Mexican boy-crazy crowd.

It turns out that this will be a road movie of sorts -- how, they're not saying. We know that De Bankolé will play an outlaw doing some sort of job in Spain, and Reuters adds that he's a loner, but that's it. Since the road comes into play, I imagine either he'll try to hook on to some innocent roadtrippers to escape the area, or maybe they'll be his accomplices -- but that latter doesn't work with the loner deal. The film shoots this month in Spanish cities like Seville, Madrid, and Almeria, so hopefully we'll hear more soon.

Meanwhile: Swinton has been busy all over the literary world, from filming Burn After Reading, to some Narnia, to Lewis Carroll and a stint as Lady Macbeth, Bill's spent some time getting Smart and leading the City of Ember, and Bernal has been busy with a number of foreign projects from Mammoth to Pedro Paramo.

Described in the Sundance program notes as "the single most crucial figure in British independent cinema through the seventies, eighties, and nineties," Derek Jarman is barely known today in North America, except perhaps as the director of music videos for the Pet Shop Boys and The Smiths. Beyond Jubilee and The Tempest, his feature work is not readily available on home video here. So Isaac Julien's new documentary on the artist, Derek, sounds like an ideal way to learn more about "the magic of a great creative mind."

More good news: indieWIRE reports that The Film Sales Company has acquired US distribution rights and worldwide sales rights (except the UK) to the doc. A specialized theatrical release is planned for later this year. It will also be playing at the Berlin film festival next month.

Director Isaac Julien's official site has more information about his many artistic endeavors. His film projects include the narrative feature Young Soul Rebels and the excellent "history of blaxpoitation" doc Baadasssss Cinema.

Derek features narration by Tilda Swinton, who both scripted and served as one of the film's producers. According to her IMDb biography page, Swinton began a profession association with Derek Jarman in 1985, considered him a mentor, and acted in his films until the director succumbed to complications from AIDS in 1993 at the age of 52. This week, Swinton was nominated for an Academy Award for her work in Michael Clayton, but I imagine having more people see Derek is closer to her heart than any award.

Best Supporting Actress

Nominees:

Cate Blanchett -- I'm Not There

Julia Roberts -- Charlie Wilson's War

Saoirse Ronan -- Atonement

Amy Ryan -- Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton -- Michael Clayton

Predicted Winner: Amy Ryan

Gone Baby Gone had surprise written all over it. The first surprise was that Ben Affleck could direct. The second surprise is that Ryan's edgy, emotional performance as a morally mushy mom actually got noticed at the end of the year. The third surprise is that she could actually win. But it's no surprise that Ryan ("The Wire," Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) has been a rising star for some time.

Now it's your turn to vote ...

The best movie year since 1999, 2007 offered a staggering bounty of cinematic delights. I keep track of all the movies I see in a given year and give each a letter grade, "A" through "F". Usually my Top Ten list consists of all of the "A's" and a few "B's." This year, "A" pictures made up my top twenty. With so many great films, I won't wallow through a "Worst of the Year" list, I'll simply present you with a few that didn't fully satisfy:

The Biggest Disappointment: The Darjeeling Limited -- A Louis Vuitton commercial stretched to feature length. The Darjeeling Limited is a perfect title for the film because it makes plain what a limited filmmaker the once great Wes Anderson has become. Hey Wes, people running in slow-motion while a Kinks song plays is always going to look pretty neat. But if there's absolutely nothing else going on in the scene, then that's all it is -- people running in slow-motion while a Kinks song plays. We all think it's really cool that you like The Kinks. Hell, I love those guys! The Rolling Stones are awesome, too! But I wouldn't ask them to do my job for me.

and...

The Biggest Question Mark: There Will Be Blood

Undoubtedly one of the year's most impressive technical achievements, There Will Be Blood is frequently stunning. It's so stunning, in fact, that it's easy to overlook how infuriatingly empty it all is. The film focuses on two main characters, and neither one changes a lick in thirty years and 158 minutes. How did Paul Thomas Anderson, creator of such deeply emotional rides as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love come up with a movie completely devoid of human emotion? (I'm not counting greed.) Beautiful, brilliant, and boring in equal doses, I've seen Blood twice, and I still don't know if it's a masterpiece or a mess. I just know I felt...nothing watching it. It's as hollow, as frustrating, as difficult to know as its "hero," Daniel Plainview.

On to my list. First, ten that didn't quite make the cut. Here's #20 through #11: (#20) Breach, (#19) Once, (#18) The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, (#17) Sicko, (#16) Sweeney Todd, (#15) The Lives of Others, (#14) Eastern Promises, (#13) Zodiac, (#12) Atonement, (#11) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

And my Top Ten is after the jump...

George Clooney is one of the busiest men in Hollywood. He's currently promoting his excellent new legal drama Michael Clayton. He's wrapping up acting and directing duties on Leatherheads, a 1920's football romantic comedy with John Krasinski and Renee Zelwegger. He's shooting the Coen Brothers' Burn After Reading, a CIA comedy co-starring Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton (so great in Clayton), John Malkovich, and Frances McDormand. In addition to all that, he's got to fly around the world in a jet made of gold and make the women of the world swoon 24/7. So yeah, the guy's got a lot going on. In fact, he's just decided that he has too much going on.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Clooney has just dropped out of Joe Carnahan's White Jazz, a gritty tale of police corruption set in 1950s Los Angeles. Clooney was set to star in the independent film, which is based on the James Ellroy (L.A. Confidential) novel. White Jazz was expected to begin filming early next year, and was scheduled for a 2009 release date. Grant Heslov, Clooney's producing partner, says "It just simply came down to scheduling. George continues to believe in the project and in Joe." Clooney was set to be a producer on the film, and whether he'll remain involved in that capacity has not been announced. And those of you excited about the film, myself included, might not be too happy with this last sentence. According to a spokesperson at Warner Independent, where the film was set up -- White Jazz has dropped off its slate. Currently, there's no word from Carnahan, who, as of a couple days ago, was pretty pumped about starting production in January.

I walked out of Michael Clayton feeling something like 'let down,' although a brief examination of my expectations got to the root of the matter. Walking into Michael Clayton, I was hoping for a film along the lines of classic '70s Sidney Lumet or Alan J. Pakula; what I got was something more along the lines of an above-average '90s John Grisham adaptation.

And even that's not necessarily dismissing Michael Clayton; when you realize that it's gone off track from the destination it tried to reach, you're still gladly along for the ride. George Clooney plays the title character -- a New York lawyer with a fairly specific brief. Clayton's been at the big-time firm of Kenner, Back and Ledeen for years, but he's not a partner, and he hasn't set foot in a courtroom in a long time. He's a troubleshooter, a fixer; when a client's in the glue, Clayton's the guy with enough grease to just maybe get him unstuck. That's how we first meet him -- driving in the middle of the night to the house of a client who's gotten in trouble. Clayton can brace the man for what's coming, and guide him through it, but he can't make it go away: "I'm not a miracle worker; I'm a janitor."

And so, we get a fast understanding of Clayton: He knows how the law works -- even if he may not necessarily like it. He can fix anything -- except, it seems, his own life. He's not crazy about his work -- but it pays the bills, and he's got plenty of them. The film (after an unexpected development) flashes back a few days, to show just how Clayton got to where he is right at the moment ...

While all you women out there might be a bit miffed over the fact that red lettering is taking away from a crystal clear picture of the overly hunk-ish George Clooney, I happen to think it looks great. Warner Bros. has supplied Cinematical with the first and final one-sheet for Clooney's upcoming drama/thriller Michael Clayton (click on the poster for a larger version), and I certainly dig it. In the film, Clooney plays Michael Clayton; an in-house "fixer" at a major law firm. Basically, when someone screws up, they send this guy in to, well, fix it. Problem is, Clayton has issues of his own to deal with (a divorce, a failed business, lots of debt -- essentially, it appears his entire life is out of focus; hence the image), and when a lawyer at his firm sabotages a multi-million dollar class action suit, guess who's job it is to clean up the mess? And what a mess it is ...

Michael Clayton also marks the directorial debut of writer Tony Gilroy, who previously penned all three Bourne films, as well as another great law flick, The Devil's Advocate ("Free will, right?"). Joining Clooney in the film (which debuted a trailer back in May) are Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton and the great Sydney Pollack. Is it just me, or do I smell Oscar season on the horizon? Michael Clayton arrives in theaters on October 5th.

All next week, I'll be bringing you reviews from the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, going on in Manhattan from June 14 to the 28th. One of the first films I've seen is Strange Culture, a weird and unique documentary from Lynn Hershman-Leeson that tells the story of Steve Kurtz, a professor at the University of Buffalo whose life was turned upside one morning in 2004 when he awoke to find his wife Hope lying dead of a heart attack in bed beside him. The police and medical responders who came to the scene were more than a little alarmed to find that Kurtz's home was a sort of armamentarium of biochemical and DNA-extraction equipment, specimens of things as exotic as E. coli and other stuff you wouldn't expect to find in the home of an art professor. Before Kurtz could convince the authorities that he was involved in a unique art movement known as Bio-art, that exhibits real equipment for presentations on topics ranging from terrorism to genetically modified food, his entire block was being sealed off and invaded by men in hazmat suits.

There's a fictional thread to Strange Culture, in which Kurtz and his wife are played by Thomas Jay Ryan (Henry Fool) and Tilda Swinton, but to say that the wall between drama and documentary is broken would be an understatement. As much as we see them acting, we see the actors speaking as themselves about Kurtz's situation. Sometimes we even see the real Kurtz commenting on their performances, as the movie is going on. We're told that the main reason for a fictional component is that Kurtz, who is embroiled in the legal system to this day because of his ordeal, is constrained from talking about certain topics on camera. The feds were never able to make any terrorism-related charge stick to Kurtz, since he's not a terrorist, but they were able to catch him on mail fraud since he and a colleague at another university allegedly broke some laws by mailing biochemical samples back and forth without following proper notification procedures. Kurtz and the colleague are currently awaiting trial sometime in 2007 on those charges.

You know the summer blockbuster season has begun when Hollywood is already looking ahead to their serious Fall fare. First Showing.net is now hosting the first trailer for the legal thriller Michael Clayton, written and directed by Tony Gilroy (The Bourne Ultimatum). The film stars George Clooney as a mysterious employee of a high-powered law firm sent to clean up a scandal left in the wake of a lawyer's breakdown. For once the trailer actually leaves some things to the imagination; there are some inklings of a deadly corporate conspiracy and maybe just a dash of politics -- but would you expect any less from Clooney? The film also stars Tom Wilkinson (who looks to be just a tad loony here), Tilda Swinton, and Sydney Pollack -- whose scenes in this trailer look almost identical to his other legal drama Changing Lanes, but I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

This is the first of many projects for Clooney this year. On top of the imminent release of the latest installment of the Ocean's franchise, the actor/director has already signed for the Coen brothers CIA film Burn after Reading alongside fellow "rat packer" Brad Pitt, and the dark comedy remake of Our Brand Is Crisis. Just recently word came that Clooney was also planning a film version of the strange true-life story of a FBI sting operation that posed as a film production to free hostages in Tehran. Oh, and we should also mention his football flick Leatherheads (which he directed) and the much-talked about White Jazz. But first up is Clayton, which is set for release September 28. Well, he might not be the next Cary Grant, but he certainly seems to have a similar work ethic.