Berlinale #6: Kirsten Stewart in "Love Lies Bleeding"

by Elisa Giudici

LOVE LIES BLEEDING © Anna Kooris

A young woman hitchhikes along the edge of an American road, wearing shorts, a T-shirt, and carrying a backpack with her belongings. Jackie or Nomi? It's just one of the passages in Love Lies Bleeding that brings to mind Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls. The two films have a lot in common, starting with a rare attitude in American cinema: looking at an "unpresentable" American reality from within, while completely abstaining from any kind of judgment, morality, or dramatic commentary. Other similarities include the dream of the Vegas show (Jackie wants to participate in a bodybuilding competition) and a constant male presence as a judge and dangerous force. Director Rose Glass demonstrates the same ability as Verhoeven to make such bold and decisive choices, with a certain taste for the quip, that the film will inevitably be divisive.

With this introduction, I don't mean to say that Love Lies Bleeding is looking to reference Showgirls...

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Hello, Gorgeous: Best Actress of 2021

A new series by Juan Carlos Ojano

From one nail-biter year to another, this year presents an interesting set of nominees with an interesting lead-up to Oscar night. Kristen Stewart racked up the majority of critics’ awards. Nicole Kidman won the not-televised Golden Globe. Olivia Colman was riding the waves of The Lost Daughter’s late-breaking hype. Speaking of late breakers, Penélope Cruz was another big critics’ push and enjoyed a last-minute surge for a win leading to Oscar night. Ultimately, Jessica Chastain - after winning SAG - squeaked out and won the award.

Another thing to note is the dominance of biopics in this category - three of the five nominees played real-life figures. However, that is where their similarities end. Their films could not be any further in terms of style and tone. Same goes with the other two remaining nominees - one originated from an acclaimed novel and one an original character from a formidable master of world cinema. But for now, we are going to explore how the five characters of the Best Actress nominees were introduced in their respective films. 

Are you ready? The year: 2021...

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Cannes Gowns, Round 8

Previous Cannes 2022 Fashion Polls: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7

Cannes closing ceremony hits this weekend and so many stars have already been strutting to the premieres and parties that we have to wonder who will stick around to the bitter end? Or, more excitingly, who might be called back to town for the closing ceremony. They don't tell people what they're winning, from what we've heard, but they do supposedly contact some filmmakers people to suggest that the team should be in town if you catch the drift. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. That's this weekend. In today's roundup, Sharon Stone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crimes of the Future's Kristen Stewart, and Zar Amir Ebrahimi who is the star of Ali Abassi's buzzy serial killer film Holy Spider. It's based on a true story though her reporter/protagonist role is an invention.

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YNMS: Crimes of the Future (New Trailer)

by Mark Brinkerhoff

NEON, the enfant terrible of indie film distributors (Parasite, Titane, The Worst Person in the World, etc.), has released a full trailer for the new David Cronenberg film, Crimes of the Future, so you know what that means! Let’s roll…

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What's next for this season's Oscar nominated actresses?

by Nathaniel R

Promotional image from The Good Nurse © Netflix

We already looked at what's next for 2021's most celebrated directors and actors so let's turn our attention to the actresses (our favourite topic on the regular). Whatever will they do for encores? Let's start with the winners...

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