The Honourable Woman - New Sundance Mini-Series is a Hit

Maggie Gyllenhaal Gives a Stellar Performance

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Nessa Stein

Did anyone catch The Honourable Woman starring Maggie Gyllenhaal on Sundance last night?  In keeping with the other great series that are on Sundance (Top of the Lake, Rectify, The Red Road and my personal favorite, The Returned), The Honourable Woman is a drama-thriller that is shaping up to be a hit with both viewers and critics.

 

Described by Sundance Channel as a "fast-paced, labyrinthine thriller," this mini-series deals with very current

Lubna Abazal as Atika Halibi

topics.  Set in the Middle East, expect to see espionage, kidnapping and even murder as this realistic story plays out.  Read below Sundance Channel's synopsis of The Honourable Woman:

As children, Nessa Stein (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her brother Ephra (Andrew Buchan) witnessed the assassination of their father, a well-known Israeli arms manufacturer. Now in her thirties, Nessa has taken control of the company and refocused its purpose on connecting Palestine and Israel to promote peace. Her efforts have resulted in an appointment from the House of Lords. Everything comes to a head when a secret from her past threatens to be exposed and those closest to her are potentially her most dangerous enemies. 

Gyllenhaal is an Academy Award nominated actress; she was nominated in 2009 for her role in Crazy Heart.  Gyllenhaal was also nominated for the Golden Globe in 2002 for Sherrybaby, and 2006 for Secretary, as well as the Saturn Award in 2006 for Stranger than Fiction and 2008 for The Dark Knight.  She has many other award nominations and  wins.  For more on Maggie Gyllenhaal's movie amazing movie career, take a look at her full filmography here: 
Maggie Gyllenhaal on IMDB

Gyllenhaal's portrayal of Nessa Stein is strong; I can already see a Best Actress in a Mini-Series nomination for her role as

Gyllenhaal is smooth & powerful as Nessa

Nessa if the series continues in this fashion.  Nessa has had to be an over-comer, and a leader.  Gyllenhaal is nailing it - not with overpowering acting, but with a smooth and powerful grace that will keep viewers watching.

Gyllenhaal (Nessa Stein) & Andrew Buchan (Ephra Stein)

Andrew Buchan plays the role of Gyllenhaal's brother in the mini-series.  You may recognize him from Nowhere Boy (2009), The Deaths of Ian Stone (2007) and Still Life (2013).  He gives a  quiet, yet compelling performance in the first episode that is very captivating, and I cannot wait to see more from him.

Overall, after watching episode one of this exciting drama-thriller, The Empty Chair, I give it ★★★★☆ and call this one a definite "To Watch."  I cannot wait to see the next episode!  The Honourable Woman airs on Sundance on Thursdays at 10:00pm EST.

NR/AO, TV-MA (V,L)   

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to comment.  Follow me here on G+, on Twitter at @FilmFashionista, and on Facebook .  Watch for a new giveaway soon on my FB page, so be sure to Like the Page to be eligible to win!


'Chele
The Film Fashionista


pictures courtesy of www.sundance.tv/series
series and actor information courtesy of IMDB.com


 

 

I Origins - A Thought Provoking Sci-Fi Drama

Opens July 18th in Theaters

Written and directed by the proven Mike Cahill, I Origins looks like it will be a satisfying bite of cinema for hungry movie-goers everywhere when released on July 18th nationwide in the U.S.  This work is Cahill's second film; his first was 2011's Another Earth, a sci-fi/drama/romance that did quite well with viewer ratings and critics, as well.  Excitement is building for the U.S. opening, which will be on July 18th.

Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at 2014's Sundance Film Festival, I Origins has created a lot of buzz from those who have had the opportunity to view it so far.  The film stars Michael Pitt (Seven Psychopaths), Brit Marling (Another Earth, The East), Astrid Bergés-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and Steven Yeun (of The Walking Dead fame, as Glenn).

IMDB describes the sci-fi/drama this way:  "A molecular biologist and his laboratory partner uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it."  Expect

Romance and intimacy run deep in this sci-fi drama

brilliant cinematography, great editing and a layered look at the sci-fi theme of reincarnation, with large doses of passion and tenderness involved in the love story that is intertwined throughout the film.  People may walk away asking how they would deal with questions about their faith, the afterlife and God if it were proven true that reincarnation exists.  For more information on the film, check out the IMDB page for I Origins.

Faith and Beliefs

Unwavering faith in God and Heaven.  That is a Christian viewpoint that must be maintained when watching science fiction films that delve into scientific notions about subject matter such as this; I, for one, would stand firm in my beliefs even if faced with "proof" of the existence of such phenomenon.  Your core beliefs and opinions, no matter what your religious affiliation or faith, will not be changed by a movie, and sci-fi is fiction (not true), to be viewed as a "what if" and not taken as something that is fact.  The film can be enjoyed as fiction and an escape into a good movie with a really cool concept, however thought provoking.  Those who have seen and rated the movie so far have really liked it.  Currently, it has a 7.4 rating on IMDB by viewers.

The Eyes are the Keys to the Soul

"Every person on this planet has their own unique pair of eyes."  This quote from the film seems to take on new meaning after watching the trailer.  See for yourself (no pun intended, of course): 

I Origins Official Theatrical Trailer

"I'd like to tell you the story of the eyes that changed this world." 

~ Ian Gray, I Origins 

I Origins is rated R for some sexuality/nudity and language, and is 113 minutes in length.

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Non-Stop: Thrills & Adventure on a Transatlantic Flight

Liam Neeson as a Federal Air Marshal

Non-Stop, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Michelle Dockery and Scoot McNairy, is playing in theaters now.  While this won’t be an award-winning role for Neeson, this action/drama/thriller does keep you involved and paying attention from beginning to end, and certainly doesn’t lack surprises.   

Neeson always does a great job playing the action hero in a thriller, and collaborating with Collet-Serra again, as he did in 2011 in the mystery/thriller Unknown, it's no different in this film.  Collet-Serra also directed Orphan (2009) and House of Wax (2005).  Watch the Official Trailer to get a glimpse of how much action is packed into the 106 minute film:

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Neeson is a gifted actor and he does an excellent job of carrying this movie with intensity, even during the scenes that seem very unrealistic.  Here are just a few of the unrealistic points from the film: 1.) Some of the technology that's used at very high altitudes very easily seems unlikely to work in a real-world situation,  2.) There are crazy plot twists that occur and then seem to smooth out just a bit too quickly and easily and 3.) Neeson is a Federal Air Marshal that recruits fellow passengers to help him in his quest to find the bad guy(s), not knowing ANYTHING about who he is getting this help from.  Hmmmm……

Julianne Moore plays a passenger

Lupita Nyong'o as a Flight Attendant

 Moore does her  
 usual superb acting
 job in this one, but 
 the best I can really say about Michelle Dockery's performance (of Downton Abbey fame) was she was merely good in her role as a flight attendant.  I found it interesting that Lupita Nyong’o, recent Oscar winner, also has a small role as a flight attendant in Non-Stop.  Nyong'o glammed up that plane just walking down the aisle in what I would call a very "futuristic" flight attendant outfit; she truly is dazzling.  I loved her flight attendant uniform, and Michelle Dockery looked amazing in hers, too.

Michelle Dockery as a flight attendant

In fact, the most glamorous outfits in this film were the flight attendant's uniforms.  They were navy blue and a deep red, as well as sleeveless with leather trim.  Did I mention I loved them? ♥

Somehow, Neeson makes this movie work.  Unknown is still better, but Neeson is just so talented, that viewing this film I found myself not caring that the movie I was sitting there watching was hoping for me to be naïve.  Instead, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy Non-Stop for what it was; pure entertainment, action, who-done-it, adventure, and thrills.  After all, someone is killing people on a plane on a transatlantic flight, there is a $150 million in money being wire transferred (who is behind this? I must figure this out!), there are so many suspects, and will the plane even be able to land?  You will have to see Non-Stop to find out.

I give Non-Stop ★★★☆☆

MPAA Rating:  PG-13 

(intense sequences of action and violence, some language, sensuality and drug references)

Running Time: 106 Mins.

Sex           ★☆☆☆☆

Nudity      ☆☆☆☆☆
Language      ★★☆☆☆
Violence     ★★★☆☆
Alcohol/Drugs     ★★☆☆☆

Please take the poll at the top right of my blog: Which movie are you most excited ab0ut seeing that is being release in March or April?  

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(Pictures courtesy of nydailynews.com and flickr.com)

Winter's Tale - A Valentine's Day Fantasy

Valentine's Day brings Winter's Tale, starring Colin Farrell and Jessica Brown Findlay (of Downton Abbey fame), to the big screen.  It is a film based on Mark Helprin's 1983 novel of the same name.  The film also stars Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly.  A unique love story with a prologue set in 1895, Winter's Tale utilizes a decades-jumping effect to tell the story, bringing the viewer all the way to present day New York City.  

Farrell & Findlay in a love that won't die

The movie seems to have a lot to offer: fantasy, romance, mystery, and drama - if you like that kind of movie, that is.  My feeling is a lot of women will love it, and a lot of men may sit through it on Valentine's Day weekend and kind of wonder what it's all about (just a hunch).  

Colin Farrell plays Peter Lake, a middle- aged burglar who falls in love with a young heiress as she dies in his arms.  When Peter learns he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save his young love, Beverly Penn, played by the magnificent Jessica Brown Findlay.  Sound crazy?  Well...the plot is a bit out there.  If you have read the book and loved it, see this movie.  If you didn't read the book, see this movie anyway and be prepared for ups and downs, many plot twists and more than a few tears.

The Beauty & Fashion in Winter's Tale

 

The costumes for Winter's Tale were created by Michael Kaplan. You have seen his creations in such films as Fight Club (1999), Pearl Harbor (2001) ), Burlesque (2010), and Star Trek: Into Darkness (2011), to name a few.  He is sure to really bring it with the costume design to this movie, as there are so many different periods of time for him to work with.  

Findlay in gorgeous period style fashion

Expect to see Jessica Brown Findlay in some stunning looks, as the movie spans more than a century.  This is not only a love story, but also a classic story of good vs. evil.  Here is a one of the trailers for this fantastical film, found on screenrant.com:  Winter's Tale Trailer

Jessica Brown Findlay as the beautiful Beverly Penn

Anna Moeslien (Assistant Editor and Entertainment Editor of glamour.com) in an online column wrote that she cannot wait to see Winter's Tale, could literally be felt glowing from the pages as she the following:

Move over, Rachel McAdams.  There's a new time-traveling obsessed woman on the scene: Downton Abbey's Lady Sybil. Wait, I meant, Jessica Brown Findlay. Well, she is drinking tea, wearing enviable period-piece dresses, and falling in love with old-timey bad boys—it's easy to assume this is just alternate-universe Lady Sybil.

In related news, I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE. It has all the things I love: an adorable kid, epic time-traveling romance, sepia-toned lace dresses and undergarments. And this time Russell Crowe is playing the funny-hat-wearing bad guy in a movie and not singing, so everyone wins.

I don't know about everyone else, but she had me at "sepia-toned" and "lace dresses."  MAJOR fan of Russell Crowe, and as a bad guy?  Yes!!  The word on the street is Colin Farrell is sensational in this film, so it's a win-win in the male acting category for me. 

Russell Crowe as Pearly Soames

Love in sepia tone. Oh, yeah!

Love Story + Fantasy + Valentine's Day = Perfect!

 

 Do you believe in miracles?

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