Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Black Gold is a film I’ve been waiting for for a long time. As you probably know, I have a serious Mark Strong jones  and those of us that do are so used to only getting snippets of him in any given film. When he takes a starring role, we get understandably excited. It was way back in mid October that we finally got the first English language trailer (with the voice!) but then…pfffft…nothing. It was supposed to open in the US in December and obviously that didn’t happen. It is, however, set to open in the UK in February, so we now have a UK trailer to share.

 The film is set in what is now known as Saudi Arabia during the 1930's at the beginning of the oil boom. It centers on young Arab Prince Auda (Tahar Rahim, A Prophet) torn between his conservative father (Mark Strong) and his modern, liberal father-in-law (Antonio Banderas). Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes) costars as Auda's wife, Princess Lallah. 

 Synopsis: Under the unforgiving desert sky, two warring leaders come face to face. The bodies of their warriors litter the battlefield. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika (Banderas), lays down his peace terms to his rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah (Strong). The two men agree that neither may lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return and according to the tribal customs of the time, Nesib will “adopt”- or take hostage- Amar’s two boys Saleeh (Akin Gazi) and Auda (Rahim); a guarantee that neither man can invade the other. Years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American oil man from Texas (Corey Johnson). He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his imagination.

With a screenplay by Menno Meyjes (The Color Purple, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, A Matador's Mistress), Black Gold is based on Hans Ruesch's "The Great Thirst" (alternate title "The Arab") and is Annaud's (The Name of the Rose, Seven Years in Tibet, Enemy at the Gates) first film since 2007's His Majesty Minor with Vincent Cassel. Black Gold opened the Doha Tribeca Film Festival in Qatar and opens in the UK on 24^th February. Hopefully a US date will soon follow!

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Tarsem Singh’s Immortals premiered on Monday November 7 at LA’s Nokia Theater complete with red carpet and many pretty people. Stars Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Luke Evans, Frieda Pinto, Kellan Lutz and Isabel Lucas all turned out.

Henry Cavill’s got the patented "Fassbender Shark Smile" goin’ on in some of these pics. He definitely looks like he wants to devour me…what? Yeah I know. Wishful thinking. He’s also trying for the "Gerard Butler 'I’m-Gonna-Make-Your-Clothes-Fall-Off-And-Nail-You-To-The-Floor' Look" in some of these too.  Henry's not there yet, but you can tell he's working on it. (Only fitting since as Theseus in Immortals he’s doppleganging for both Stelios and Leonidas from 300.)

Frieda Pinto looked gorgeous as usual. Isabel Lucas looked like she was channeling her inner Lindsey Lohan. I don’t get her. Mickey Rourke brought the crazy as well as his Russian Barbie Doll…I mean girlfriend. Kellan Lutz…I don’t get him either.  Luke Evans…I don’t know. There’s just something snake charmer-esque about him that oddly enough, I like.  I don’t think there’s any question, however, that Henry was the star of the show last night, as well as the movie. Immortals opens this Friday 11-11-11.

Real life lovas Dev Patel and Freida Pinto strike a post on the red carpet of last night’s premiere of The Last Airbender which took place in New York. The show’s writer and director M. Night Shyamalan was also there along with Jackson Rathbone and Nicola Peltz.

The trailers look cool to me but the movie is not getting good reviews at all. However we can’t always go by that, can we? The plot of the movie as described by imdb:

The story follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.

Matt Goldberg at Collider.com really hate this moving stating:

I hate everything about M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender.  I hate that it’s racist.  I hate that it takes a great, easy-to-adapt show and completely disrespects the material.  I hate the performances.  I hate the special effects.  I hate the borderline non-existent 3D that serves only to jack up ticket prices.  I hate the lack of imagination.  I hate the embarrassingly bad script that would be laughed out of a Screenwriting 101 class. I hate the consequences if this movie is a success at the box office.  I hate the consequences if it fails at the box office.  I hate that this movie exists.  And “hate” isn’t a strong enough word.

Wow. Do you think Matt hates the movie? Will you be going to see it?

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Russell Brand meets some friends for lunch in Los Angeles and mommy likes his pipes

Samantha Ronson buys some party lites at Rite-Aid in Los Angeles

Freida Pinto and Dev Patel shop at Liberty in London, England and look adorable while doing so

Hugh Jackman and family spend some quality retail time in SoHo

Matthew McConaughey looks happy as he leaves a gym in Malibu

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Photos:  WENN.com

That’s a gorgeous shot of Liv Tyler as she attends the Burberry show at the London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

She’s in good company as Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham, Mary Kate Olsen, Alexa Chung, Agyness Deyn, Freida Pinto & Dev Patel were also in attendance.

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Freida Pinto and Dev Patel make such a cute couple and she looks over-the-moon happy.  They are attending the Liberty & Hermes scarf and tie launch in London, England.  Even though it says scarf and tie launch please tell me there are handbags.  Why attend if there aren’t purses?

I’m not sure if her happiness is because of Dev or from being at Hermes.  Personally the handbags would have me sweating in places I don’t want to think about and grinning like an idiot. 

Who needs a man when you have a Hermes?  Purses last foreva dahlinks.  You know I’m right.  I love you honey…your kitty kat’s coming to bed real soon. 

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Photos:  WENN.com