I’m back with pics from the London side of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences big extravaganza weekend!  Vanessa Redgrave, who still looks nothing but luminous at 74, was feted this evening by her daughter Joely Richardson, Meryl Streep (her costar in Julia), Dame Eileen Atkins, her “Driving Miss Daisy” costar and last night’s honoree, James Earl Jones  (who looks incredible for 80) and her Coriolanus director, Ralph Fiennes.

Ralph may well have directed her to a seventh Oscar nomination for her role as Volumnia, the title character’s mother. Ralph, of course, plays that character, Coriolanus. Gerard Butler plays his arch-enemy Tullus Aufidius. (See what I did there? What?! It’s his birthday!)

At Redgrave’s side was her husband of fifteen years, the dashing Italian actor, Franco Nero. Redgrave and Nero met and fell in love in 1966 on the set of Camelot. She was playing Guinevere and he was playing Lancelot.

They had a son, Carlo, now a director, in 1969. Though they went their separate ways, they always remained close. In 1996, the two rekindled their love affair and married later that year.  Now, that is a wonderful love story.

Enjoy the pics!

Like an official with a starter’s pistol, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences kicked off the awards season in earnest last night by holding the Academy’s 3^rd Annual Governor’s Award Dinner in the Grand Ballroom at the Hollywood & Highland Center.  Admittedly it's a rather slow start as the event is generally for *ahem* "old school" Hollywood and those hoping to make an impression with Oscar voters. Potential nominees Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson, Gary Oldman, Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were all there. Academy President Tom Sherak took the podium in a Darth Vader costume (in tribute to Jones) and opened with “How was your week?” 

And the first Oscar goes to…James Earl Jones.

Jones received an honorary Oscar from Sir Ben Kingsley for his long career in film. He accepted his Oscar via satellite because he’s in London starring in “Driving Miss Daisy” opposite Vanessa Redgrave at London’s Wyndham Theatre. Sir Ben Kingsley presented him the award for which Jones said he was “deeply honored” and “mighty grateful”.

In LA Oprah Winfrey and famed makeup man Dick Smith were given awards at the dinner; Smith for his long career spanning sixty five films including Little Big Man, The Godfather & The Godfather II, The Exorcist and Amadeus. Oprah was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. (Despite the fact that she earned three standing 'O's to close the night, I'm pretty sure she'll still make a speech during February's three plus hour long telecast). Apparently there were a lot of heartfelt speeches for all of the recipients, attendees calling this year's gala the most emotional yet.

Part two of the event will be held tonight in London as Meryl Streep, Ralph Fiennes and James Earl Jones are scheduled to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tribute to Jones’ costar Vanessa Redgrave’s 50-year career. (I hope they don’t think this is in place of giving her a nomination for Fiennes’ Coriolanus! She’s been nominated six times, but has only won once: Best Supporting Actress for Julia in 1978) 

Enjoy the pics of the arrivals at last night’s event! (Is it me or did John Travolta look more vampire-y than Edward?) They're just starting to roll in so I may be back with more goodies!!

Doesn’t that sound salacious? Like it belongs on a calendar full of cheesecake photos? Well, that’s not quite what we have here. The American Film Institute has been holding its annual AFI Festival and so there have been quite a few red carpets spread out upon which some very nice gentleman have stepped in the past few nights.

Leonardo Di Caprio, Armie Hammer (doesn’t he just look like he’d make the perfect Prince Charming? His movie now has a title, by the way. Tarsem Singh’s unnamed Snow White Project is now called Mirror, Mirror) as well as director Clint Eastwood all showed up for the premiere of J. Edgar.

Antonio Banderas appeared at the tribute to his friend and frequent director Pedro Almodovar. Not crazy about the haircut, but those eyes still get me.

Jeremy Piven, Thomas Jane and Rob Lowe (who must have a slowly degrading portrait locked in his attic) turned up for a screening of I Melt With You. And Dominic Cooper represented the Y chromosomes for My Week with Marilyn.

Saving the best for last, we have Michael Fassbender and Ewan McGregor who brought the sexy to the stage and sat for a Q & A with director Steven Soderbergh and costar Gina Carrano after the “sneak” screening of Haywire. And then Ralph Fiennes (sadly sans Gerard Butler) showed them both what they have to look forward to in a few years, at the AFI screening of his directorial debut, Coriolanus. (Call me crazy but I love that he was having a bad hair day. Those eyes!)

Enjoy the pics!

I have had a girl crush on Helena Bonham Carter since Lady Jane.  I’m a complete anglophile and go stupid for British costume dramas and she, like Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, is to me one the epitomes of all things British and female.  I’m also a fan of Dickens and I can think of few literary characters that Bonham Carter would be more perfect for than Miss Havisham from Great Expectations. Why it took so long to put these two together is beyond me.

Director Mike Newell’s adaptation of Dickens’ novel has, fortunately, done just that. What’s more, Bonham Carter is playing her at the age Havisham is in the novel, not the aged, withered old crone that has appeared in previous incarnations. Add to that Ralph Fiennes is playing Magwitch. Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) is Pip. The rest of the cast includes Robbie Coltraine, Sally Hawkins, David Walliams, Holliday Grainger, Ewen Bremner and Jason Flemyng. 

The story is simple: A humble orphan suddenly becomes a gentleman with the help of an unknown benefactor.  I cannot wait to see what this director and this cast does with this classic.

According to Deadline, Lionsgate is handling UK distribution for a fall 2012 release. Hanway Films will showcase it at the Berlinale hoping to be picked up in other markets. No US release information for Great Expectations is currently available. We'll keep you posted.

It  seemed for the longest time, that it would never get off the ground at all, but finally, after all of the rumors, it’s now official! James Bond 23 will be called Skyfall (a very badly kept secret since it had been leaked online a month ago) and both Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes have signed on, along with Albert Finney!  Dame Judi Dench returns as M, and French actress Berenice Marlohe is the new “Bond Girl” (Bond Woman?). Naomie Harris will play an agent called Eve. Woot! This is exciting news. The cameras are set to roll in a matter of days on Sam Mendes’ take on the 007 mythology, with Daniel Craig, of course, once again playing the world’s sexiest, suavest, best-dressed secret (by Tom Ford, of course) agent, James Bond. The film will be shot in London, Turkey, China and Scotland.

A press conference was held in London today to officially announce the title and the casting decisions, as well as reveal the plot of what is being called a “stand-alone” storyline. The movie will not relate to an original Fleming story, but the title "has some emotional context which will be revealed in the film," according to producer Barbara Broccoli. Skyfall will see Bond at odds with M as a figure from her past emerges.

"Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her," the official plot synopsis reads. "As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost."  Skyfall will be released 26 October 2012 in the UK and November 9 in the US and Canada.

Ralph Fiennes has been nominated for the Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director for his film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Coriolanus. This award is given out as part of the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)

BIFAs are the harbingers of awards season, because they’re first and they very often reflect, in a manner similar to the Independent Spirit Awards given out the day before the Oscars in LA, which way the wind is blowing at least in terms of the more mainstream independent awards bait. Last year, The King’s Speech started it’s awards run here. (Which makes festival season the harbinger of the harbinger.) Most of the notable acting nominees come from films we’ve been talking about, including Michael Fassbender (Shame), Brendan Glesson (The Guard), Rebecca Hall (The Awakening), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin), Neil Maskell (Kill List) and Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre). The best supporting actor and actress shortlists include Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus), Carey Mulligan (Shame), Kathy Burke, Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch (all for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).

Three films including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Shame and Tyrannosaur have tied for the most nods with seven nominations each.

70 members viewed nearly 200 films, out of which they selected the nominations, which were decided by ballot. The winners are decided by an independent jury includes writer/directors Josh Appignanesi, and Debs Paterson, actor David Thewlis, actress Ruth Wilson and producer Charles Steel. Awards will be handed out in London on December 4.

Good enough reason to post some Coriolanus pics to celebrate, yes? I knew you’d see it my way.

A new, slightly longer version of the first trailer has been released for Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut, Coriolanus, with slightly more emphasis on the action sequences. The biggest difference, in my opinion, is that the Lionsgate logo has been replaced by that of The Weinstein Company (yay!).

The official poster for Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, Coriolanus, has at last been revealed. (There had been early versions all the way back to May of 2010.) This one comes from The Weinstein Company. Now that’s a freakin’ poster! Fiennes as Coriolanus in a face off with arch enemy Tullus Aufidius played by Gerard Butler.

The full synopsis (taken from the play): The people of Rome are hungry-they can’t afford to eat and there is widespread rioting. Their anger and resentment turns on Caius Martius, Rome’s most powerful general, who despises the people he serves.

At the same time, Rome is at war with Volsces, a neighboring state, and led by Caius Martius’ sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius. When Caius captures the Volscian city of Corioles  and the Volscian army is defeated, he is named Coriolanus in honor of his victory and given a hero’s welcome back in Rome.

Coriolanus’ mother Volumnia, who has instilled in him a strict martial code of honor wants him to become a Consul of Rome-an elected post in the Senate. In order to secure the election, Coriolanus must win the support of the people. Though a great warrior, he is loathe to engage in the politicking and currying of favor that he sees as artificial and a complete contradiction of his personal code. The Tribunes, the elected representatives of the people, persuade the masses that they should renege on their votes and refuse Coriolanus the office of Consul. Coriolanus is enraged and his vocal aggression leads to a major riot after which he is banished from Rome.

He ends up in the Volscian capital, Antium and seeks out Aufidius and offers either his life or his services against Rome. Aufidius must choose between the chance to use Coriolanus and become his comrade-in-arms to defeat Rome or kill his life-long rival .

Written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator, The Last Samurai, Rango, Hugo and Bond 23) Coriolanus boasts, in addition to Fiennes and Butler, the uber-talented Vanessa Redgrave as Volumni, Jessica Chastain as Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia, Brian Cox as Menenius and James Nesbitt as Sicinius.

Coriolanus will get an awards hungry  limited U.S. release on December 2nd. the U.K. release is set for 20 January, 2012.