News: Gael Garcia Bernal

Rising star Garcia Bernal is currently in two films on general release – the Oscar-tipped Babel being joined this week by The Science of Sleep. Having done a couple of English language flicks (he was trained in London, after all), it’s back to Spanish and boosting the Latin American film industry, with two Mexican flicks and one from Argentina for the star of the hit Mexican flick Y tu mamá también.

Argentinian flick El Pasado will see Bernal play a man who, on splitting from his wife and hooking up with another woman, can’t seem to shake off his ex, while Mexican movie Rudo y Cursi, his latest team up with the director of Y tu mamá también, Alfonso Cuarón, looks set to revolve around the world of football, giving Garcia Bernal a chance to go a bit more physical than his usually philosophical roles allow. After that, it’s time for the young actor to make his directorial debut, in which he will also star, with Déficit, revolving around a family reunion in Mexico in which the two family branches are of decidedly different social backgrounds. He’s certainly on the up, this chap.

News: Charlotte Gainsbourg

The actress probably still best known for her controversial duet with her father Serge Gainsbourg, “Lemon Incest”, recorded when she was just thirteen, is on good form in this week’s the Science of Sleep, and has a fair few more projects lined up that make the best of her multilingual talents.

First up is Nuovomondo (known as The Golden Door in English), which won a bunch of awards at last year’s prestigious Venice Film Festival. Gainsbourg takes the lead in this tale of Italian immigration to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, and has received much praise – but whether this will be enough for this little Franco-Italian-German production to get a proper release is anyone’s guess. After that there’s more foreign language frolics in the French farcical comedy Prête-moi ta main (or I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single in English), where Gainsbourg plays a woman called in to pretend to be a friend’s girlfriend to stop his family from forcing him into marriage.

Then it’s back to English language roles in cult director Todd Haynes’ intriguing and much-anticipated experimental Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There (alongside the likes of Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Julianne Moore and Adrien Brody), before cropping up in City of Your Final Destination for director James Ivory (of Merchant Ivory fame), alongside Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney. She’s doing well.

Review: Charlotte’s Web

UK release date: 9th February

Author EB White’s classic animal fable gets the full Babe treatment in this warm, live-action family fantasy. Gently introducing younger viewers to the natural cycle of life, it explores how a clever spider called Charlotte (tenderly voiced by Julia Roberts) ingeniously uses her web-spinning talents to save a small pig from the chop.

While originally filmed as an animated feature in 1973, here the tale combines genuine critters and CGI effects, with delightful visual results. Like Charlotte herself, piglet Wilbur is so endearing that you can understand farmer’s daughter Fern (a likeable Dakota Fanning) begging for the runty porker’s life — though sadly the other crass creatures that inhabit Wilbur’s barnyard home don’t share this charm. Voiced by the likes of Robert Redford and Steve Buscemi, their tone-lowering flatulence and constant wisecracking dilutes the story’s central magic, making the finale less poignant than it should have been.

Radio Times rating:

***

UK cinema certificate U

Review by Sloan Freer

News: Julia Roberts

We haven’t seen much of Julia Roberts since 2004’s disappointing Ocean’s Twelve, with this week’s Charlotte’s Web featuring merely her voice as the titular spider, following her earlier voice work on the animated The Ant Bully last year. If you’re a fan of the tabloids you’ll doubtless know why – she gave birth to twins in November 2004, and is currently expecting another child, due in the summer.

Nonetheless, she found time amidst all the pregnancies and childcare to star alongside Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman in what looks set to be a pretty major movie (as if the three stars – with nine Oscar nominations between them – aren’t indication enough…). Charlie Wilson’s War is due out in December in the States, just in time to qualify for the 2008 Oscars, and it’s a pretty likely contender for a slew of big nominations. Directed by the rather good Mike Nichols (with five Oscar nominations under his belt), who directed Roberts in 2004’s Closer, it is based on the true story of Texas Congressman Charles Wilson (Hanks) who, soon after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, was the man who realised that the United States needed to get subtly involved in the conflict. The upshot? The funding of covert CIA operations and training of local tribesmen – including a number of Islamic fundamentalists who would go on to form a little group by the name of Al-Qaeda. Topical, political, and plenty of scope for epic storytelling. It has Oscar written all over it.

The only other film Roberts has in the works is The Friday Night Knitting Club, a rather more low-key affair, based on the novel by Katie Jacobs about a group of women who make friends in a knitting shop in New York. Roberts is the only name currently attached – though whether it will happen now she’s pregnant again is anyone’s guess.

News: Robert Redford

Veteran screen icon Redford hasn’t been showing so much of his usual good taste in picking his roles of late, with his turn as a horse in this week’s Charlotte’s Web not quite what you’d expect from the Sundance Kid.

Next up he’ll be returning to directing for the first time since 2000’s cheesy disappointment that was The Legend of Bagger Vance with another typically Redford schmaltz-fest along the lines of his earlier The Horse Whisperer and The River Runs Through It, in which he’ll also star. Aloft follows a couple of men who track a peregrine falcon across America, so looks to be more of the same.

This is the man who’s pretty much single-handedly responsible for the success of the Sundance Film Festival, for God’s sake, and so in turn for the careers of the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Jim Jarmusch and Kevin Smith – he should know quality when he sees it, so why hasn’t he directed a decent film since 1994’s excellent Quiz Show?

Well, with any luck, his other upcoming directorial project, Lions For Lambs, could finally indicate that he’s got his film sense back. He’ll again star – alongside Tom Cruise (in his comeback flick after the world decided he was certifiably potty) and Meryl Streep – though this time the material looks both far more interesting andfar more promising, set as it is around the events in modern day Afghanistan, and how they have impacted on United States society. It could well prove to be the first major War on Terror-era movie to join the “Vietnam Vet” genre, of which the impressive likes of The Deer Hunter and Tom Cruise’s best film Born On The Fourth Of July are but two of the most well-known. It’d be nice to see Redford do well again at any rate – even if a side-effect would be the revival of Cruise’s career…

News: Dakota Fanning

The Shirley Temple of the early 21st century continues to ascend as the main human character in this week’s Charlotte’s Web. It’s an instantly recognisable name even if you can’t place her typically cutesy child star face – she was Tom Cruise’s daughter in War of the Worlds, and has also starred alongside Denzel Washington in Man On Fire since her breakthrough role as Sean Penn’s daughter in 2001’s I Am Sam. Not a bad list of co-stars for a twelve-year-old…

Next up she’ll be going dramatic again, taking the lead in Hounddog as a troubled teenager who escapes from the world via the music of Elvis Presley – and featuring one particular scene that has been the cause of much tabloid outrage and controversy, considering Fanning’s age.

After that she’ll lend her voice talents to the lead character in Coraline, based on the children’s novel by cult comic book writer Neil Gaiman, about a girl who discovers a portal to another world. Teri Hatcher, Ian McShane and Jennifer Saunders fill out the cast.

Finally it’s back to yet more deep drama with The Secret Life of Bees, exploring racism and bereavement in the 1960s Deep South. She looks to be going for an Oscar, this one. But does she have the talent? Unsurprisingly, at her age it’s rather too early to tell…

News: Steve Buscemi

Everyone loves Steve Buscemi, one of the oddest-looking and quirkiest character actors in Hollywood, and he’s ideally cast as the voice of a rat in this week’s Charlotte’s Web. Hey, everyone’s got to pay the bills, right?

Next up it’s a return to directing for Buscemi – who’s put in some impressive, low-key efforts with his directorial efforts to date – for Interview. This time he actually could have hit on something that’s not only interesting for its own sake, as his indy-tinged outings have all been to date, but could also have the potential to make some money. Buscemi himself stars as a fading political journalist, forced to go and interview the hottest soap star of the moment – played by our very own rising starlet Sienna Miller (who looks all set to do a post-Tom Cruise Nicole Kidman and prove amply to the world that she’s not just the bit of stuff on the arm of a pretty-boy actor). It’s just played at Sundance, and is getting rave reviews so far.

Then its back to his usual small part in Adam Sandler’s latest, I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry (Buscemi’s been in six Sandler films to date, and has generally been the best thing in all of them), before getting to take the lead for a change in stoner comedy We’re The Millers, as an aging pot dealer who decides that all he needs for his last big score is a pretend wife and kids and a motor home. Finally, he’ll be once again lending his distinctive voice to a somewhat ugly character in the animation Igor – although oddly not the hunchback assistant to John Cleese’s mad professor of the title, as that part’s being taken on by the somewhat less vocally dextrous Christian Slater. But still, might be fun, and is due at some point in 2008.

News: John Cleese

The former Python seems to be steering clear of the camera lense for the next couple of years, with this week’s Charlotte’s Web the first of three films in which only his distinctive voice, rather than his equally-recognisable face, will appear.

Next up he’ll reprise his role as the pompous King Harold in the much-anticipated Shrek the Third (due 29th June in the UK), alongside pretty much all the cast of the last two. Then he’ll be re-teaming with his Charlotte’s Web co-star Steve Buscemi to voice the potty professor Dr Glinkenstein in animated comedy Igor, due 2008.

Also coming up is a writing project, with Cleese co-scripting the prehistoric comedy Crood Awakening, all revolving around the discovery of fire. It was originally planned to be produced as a stop-motion effort by Wallace & Grommit’s Aardman Animations but, since Aardman and US animation studio Dreamworks parted company after the release of the collaborative effort Flushed Away, it looks rather like it might end up being CGI instead. Either way, it’s not expected until at least 2010, by which time Cleese will be happily in to his seventies.

News: Kathy Bates

Bates may still be best known for her Oscar-winning turn as a raving spycho in 1990’s Misery, but she crops up in all kinds of films, as her outing as Bitsy the Cow in this week’s Charlotte’s Web demonstrates amply.

Come the end of the year she’ll be cropping up in two more movies where voice work’s all important, with Jerry Seinfeld’s much-anticipated The Bee Movie being followed by the decidedly less anticipated “musical family adventure comedy” Christmas Is Here Again. But – just to make sure no one thinks she’s getting lazy – she’s also going to be cropping up in the decidedly less cheesy Vince Vaughn / Paul Giamatti comedy Fred Claus around the same time.

Then its a switch back away from comedy for P.S. I Love You, with Hilary Swank as a young widow whose husband has left her messages to help her cope with his death, before some heavy-duty drama in First Comes Love, set amidst the 1980s AIDS epidemic. But still, that’s not due until late 2008 – a long time to wait for a dramatic performance from one of the most subtle dramatic actresses currently working. Nonetheless, considering Hollywood’s sexist ageism, the fact that an actress in her fifties can manage to have so many films on the go is pretty impressive…

News; Oprah Winfrey

It’s been pretty easy to forget that chat show queen Oprah is an actress – not least because this week’s Charlotte’s Web is her first big screen outing since 1998’s Beloved, and her first acting turn full stop since 1999’s direct to video Our Friend, Martin. It always takes a few seconds to remember that she received an Oscar nomination for her acting debut in 1986’s harrowing The Color Purple.

Still, although she may have another film in the works, it doesn’t look like fans of daytime TV need worry that she’s going to abandon them just yet. It looks to be merely a small voice cameo in Jerry Seinfeld’s upcoming animated comedy The Bee Movie – and I doubt yet get odds worth bothering with if you were to bet that she’ll be playing herself.

Still no sign of her running for President, though…

News: Cedric the Entertainer

Comedian Cedric hasn’t especially lived up to his self-adopted title in most of his cinematic outings to date, and this week’s Charlotte’s Web is hardly an exception – though considering the calibre of the rest of the cast this is hardly surprising.

Should it ever get a release on this side of the pond, his next outing will be the apparently dire Code Name: The Cleaner, where he plays a man with amnesia who ends up thinking he’s a spy. Then he’ll crop up in a smallish role in the decidedly more promising Talk To Me, alonside Martin Sheen, Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor, based on the life of 1960s radio and TV personality Ralph “Petey” Greene (Cheadle), before reprising his voice role as Maurice the Lemur in Madigascar 2, before heading off for the famly musical Caught On Tape, about a boy with a video camera who starts spying on his mother’s dodgy boyfriend.

Not much chance of any real entertainment from Cedric any time soon, in other words…

Review: Music and Lyrics

UK release date: 9th February

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore fail to hit any high notes in this humdrum romantic comedy from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice).

Grant plays washed-up 1980s pop idol Alex Fletcher, who’s competing for the chance to contribute a song to hot young star Cora Corman’s (Haley Bennett) new album. Sadly, lyrics aren’t his forte, but his “plant carer” Sophie (Barrymore) proves to have a way with words.

After a chucklesome opening that sees Grant doing polite pelvic thrusts à la George Michael in his Wham! heyday, Lawrence runs out of funny ideas. Grant gets his share of snappy one-liners, but his incessant glibness becomes so tiresome that you’ll begin to tune him out. His budding relationship with Barrymore is largely unconvincing and it doesn’t help matters that she’s in constant danger of being upstaged by the vegetation surrounding her. And frankly, the less said about the Stock Aitken Waterman-inspired soundtrack, the better.

Radio Times rating:

**

UK cinema certificate PG

Review by Stella Papamichael

New: Drew Barrymore

Former wildcat Barrymore seems only to crop up in romantic comedies these days, and this week’s Music and Lyrics is no exception. Her next two movies, however, are an overdue shift back to drama.

First up is the latest from L.A. Confidential director Curtis Hanson, with Barrymore the love interest to Eric Bana’s troubled professional poker player in Lucky You. It’s due out in the UK on 27th April – unusually for an American film a week before it hits cinemas in the States. It was originally meant to be out last year, so make of that what you will…

After that she’ll be staring alongside Jessica Lange in Grey Gardens, based on the lives of the dotty aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy, both named Edith Bouvier Beale and both one time society beaus, but who ended up living together as oddball recluses before a major tabloid scandal forced their First Lady relative to come to their aid. Could be good, but it’s from a first time writer/director whose only previous cinematic experience was as production assistant on the rather poor Deep Impact and The Seige, so don’t hold out too much hope.

Poor Drew. Where did it all go wrong? Oh yes… The drugs – that’d be it…

News: Hugh Grant

This week’s Music and Lyrics could be the last time we see our man Grant on the big screen for a while – which is a shame, considering how well he seemed to have shaken off his early bumbling posh boy persona in recent outings.

He currently appears to have no film projects definitely on the go, seemingly being too busy appearing in gossip rags with his new girlfriend Jemima Kahn. He is, however, apparently in talks to lend his voice talents to the forthcoming Disney animation American Dog, alongside John Travolta, Bernie Mac and Woody Harrelson, though nothing is certain as yet.

Review: Dreamgirls

UK release date: 2nd February

Showered with Oscar nominations and winner of the best musical Golden Globe, this backstage drama from Chicago screenwriter Bill Condon fulfils the glamour and glitz expectations in spades.

Jennifer Hudson excels as the lead singer of 1960s backing group the Dreamettes, who is sidelined by their new manager, Jamie Foxx, when he decides to promote Beyoncé Knowles to head up the trio.

Plot sound familiar? It is, of course, the thinly disguised story of the rise to fame and fortune of Motown supergroup Diana Ross and the Supremes, with Beyoncé as “Deena Jones”, the statuesquely striking backing singer who catches Foxx’s eye, and American Idol contestant Hudson, a deserved winner of the Golden Globe for best supporting actress, as the rejected and dejected Effie White (think Florence Ballard).

Although uplifting and moving by turns, the tale — based on the hit Broadway musical — too closely follows its real-life equivalent to make any sense as fiction. And, for fans of the Supremes, the admittedly rousing score is simply a frustration and even slows the action in places. However, keeping pace with Hudson, Eddie Murphy (the other Golden Globe winner) is a revelation as a James Brown-style showman, revealing a dramatic depth and maturity previously only hinted at.

Radio Times rating:

***

UK cinema certificate 12A
Running time 130mins

Review by Sue Oates