German 'The Counselor' Character Poster for Javier Bardem -- More Funny Hair

 The guy plays characters with funny hair. Just saying.

A Sean Penn Action Movie?

You bet. That's Sean Penn in 'The Gunman'.

Not that I have anything against the idea. I can't wait to see Penn in action mode. It's just disorienting to look at this picture. Is there really enough political gravitas in 'The Gunman' for Penn to chew on?

Script is by Pete Travis who has only done TV and the plot is fairly stock. From IMDb: "An international spy must clear his name in order to save himself from the organization that he used to work for."

However plain and direct the story may sound though, Travis apparently infused the screenplay with something good enough to entice Idris Elba, Javier Bardem, and Ray Winstone to join Penn.

Directed by Pierre Morel (Taken, District B13) who has a way with the camera, lighting, and editing.

At this point, just based on the above, 'The Gunman' looks must-see, can't-miss. Due 2014.






















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As If We Needed Pursuading

A few seconds new footage but, really, is there anyone who isn't going to see 'Skyfall'.






















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Javier Bardem: Gets The Worst Hair But Plays The Best Bad Guys

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Still from 'Skyfall'

Javier Bardem in full Chigurh as Silva.

As we know, the protagonist can only be as good as the antagonist is bad. Weak bad guy, lame good guy. As such, if they can sell Silva as someone so dangerous he has to be held in a special cell, well, Bond will have to rise to the occasion, and we'll have a story we can sink our teeth into.

'No Country for Old Men' proved how intense a portrayal Bardem is capable of. The guy brings it. So, I have high hopes for his turn as Silva. I mean, why would an actor with that kind of track record accept a role as a half-assed politically correct bad guy?

It follows that Daniel Craig's Bond will be swinging for the fences.

The writers certainly have pedigree. Patrick Marber (Notes on a Scandal, Closer). John Logan (Hugo, Rango, Gladiator, The Last Samurai). Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale, Die Another Day).

Then, of course, there's the direction by Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and the transcendental cinematography by Roger Deakins.

'Skyfall' is looking like the best Bond yet.

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Glorious Trailer for 'Skyfall'

Glorious? Yeah. Every bit. And, I hate Bond.

A blond Javier Bardem -- devastating. Daniel Craig looking sharp. And, that picture courtesy Roger Deakins -- just plain beautiful.

Oh, by the way...this looks close to redefining the franchise. 

Check the wink at 2:20.

















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Javier Bardem

Lynn Hirschberg talks with Javier Bardem

The Crew From No Country For Old Men

Joel and Ethan Coen, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin with Charlie Rose

Best Character Of 2007

'No Country for Old Men', based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, will certainly be one of the best movies of the year. I've watched every scrap of footage from this movie I've been able to get my eyes on and I get the feeling this piece is cut with the same precision as the Coen Brothers' earlier gems 'Fargo', and 'Blood Simple' -- cinematically secure with lean dialogue that breathes on its own and characters that can't be taken lightly.

The character I like the best is the killer -- Anton Chigurh, portrayed beautifully by Javier Bardem. He reminds me of the shark in 'Jaws' except he is far more compelling. That shark simply killed whoever had the bad luck to be in the vicinity, while Chigurh hunts a specific target (and ignores bystanders). It's this application of intellect that makes him so frightening -- he has a motive, while a shark does not.

Chigurh engages victims in a game of chance, flipping a coin and asking them to 'call it'. He kills with an especially brutal weapon, a gun which fires compressed air, which is both gruesome and intimate -- one must be quite close to their target to kill with such a device. Bardem convinces. Chigurh's voice is flat and lifeless but his eyes betray roiling emotions that must be controlled (he is not crazy after all, simply a man on a quest to satisfy a vendetta, and to lose control of his emotions wouldn't do). Let's be clear: Chigurh is sociopathic, not psychopathic.

The Coens and Bardem have brought this character to life, made him a very real thing. They've done so well I fully expect to turn a corner and see Chigurh walking up the street toward me, his eyes fixed and flat like a shark's. He deserves his own award. I propose a 'Best Character' statuette for Anton Chigurh -- although I wouldn't want to be the one that hands it to him.