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Melanie Lynskey
Melanie Jayne Lynskey ( ; born 16 May 1977) is a New Zealand actress widely known for her portrayals of complex women in several independent films and television shows and also known for her command of American dialects. Lynskey is the recipient of two Critics' Choice Awards, a New Zealand Film Award, and a Hollywood Film Award including nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. She started her career with the fim ''Heavenly Creatures'' (1994), earning a New Zealand Film Award for her portrayal of teenage murderess Pauline Parker. She later appeared in various international productions, including ''Ever After'' (1998), ''Detroit Rock City'', '' But I'm a Cheerleader'', ''The Cherry Orchard'' (all 1999), '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''Snakeskin'' (2001), '' Shooters'', '' Abandon'', and ''Sweet Home Alabama'' (all 2002). After moving to the United States, Lynskey became known as a character actor, gaining recognition for a mix of big-budget and sma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2015 Toronto International Film Festival
The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's ''Demolition'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts was the opening night film; '' Mr. Right'' by Paco Cabezas was the closing night film. The year's edition included two new sections called Platform and Primetime. At Platform, twelve films will be screened in front of a jury, with the best film of the program winning the C$25,000 Platform Prize. Film directors Claire Denis, Jia Zhangke, and Agnieszka Holland were selected as the jurors for this section. At Primetime, six high-quality television programs will be presented at public screenings with Question and Answer sessions with show creators. The lineups for the TIFF Docs, Vanguard, Midnight Madness, and Masters sections were announced on 11 August 2015. More than 100 films were added to the festival's programme on 18 August. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Detroit Rock City (film)
''Detroit Rock City'' is a 1999 American teen comedy film directed by Adam Rifkin and written by Carl V. Dupré. It tells of four teenage boys in a Kiss tribute band who try to see their idols in a concert in Detroit in 1978. Comparable with other rock films such as ''Rock 'n' Roll High School'', '' Dazed and Confused'', and ''I Wanna Hold Your Hand'', it tells a coming-of-age story through a filter of 1970s music and culture in the United States. It took its title from the Kiss song of the same name. The film was shot at Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Toronto and other Ontario locations including Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed approximately $6 million against a $17 million budget. Plot In 1978 Cleveland, Ohio, four rebellious teenage boys – Hawk, Lex, Trip Verudie, and Jeremiah "Jam" Bruce – play in a Kiss tribute band called "Mystery" and prepare to see their idols in concert in Detroit, Michigan the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Informant!
''The Informant!'' is a 2009 American biographical-crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns, the film stars Matt Damon as the titular informant named Mark Whitacre, as well as Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey. It depicts Whitacre's involvement as a whistleblower in the lysine price-fixing conspiracy of the mid-1990s, based on the 2000 nonfiction book '' The Informant'', by journalist Kurt Eichenwald. Released on September 18, 2009, ''The Informant!'' received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Matt Damon's performance and the film's comedic yet ironic tone, although the latter has also been a point of criticism from other critics. The film was also a commercial success, grossing $41.8 million on a $22 million budget. Plot Mark Whitacre, a rising star at the Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) office in Decatur, Illinois, during the early 1990s, blows the whistle on the company’s price-fixing tactics at the urgi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Up In The Air (2009 Film)
''Up in the Air'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama film directed by Jason Reitman. It was written by Reitman and Sheldon Turner, based on the 2001 novel '' Up in the Air'' by Walter Kirn. The story is centered on traveling corporate " downsizer" Ryan Bingham (George Clooney). Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Bateman also star. ''Up in the Air'' was primarily filmed in St. Louis with additional scenes shot in Detroit, Omaha, Las Vegas, and Miami. Reitman promoted ''Up in the Air'' with personal appearances at film festivals, starting with Telluride on September 5, 2009. Following a Los Angeles premiere at the Mann Village Theater in November, Paramount Pictures gave ''Up in the Air'' a wide release on December 23, 2009. ''Up in the Air'' was met with critical acclaim, for Reitman's screenplay and direction, and the performances by Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick. The film received several accolades, including six nominations each at the Oscars and the Golden Globes, winning ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Away We Go
''Away We Go'' is a 2009 American comedy-drama directed by Sam Mendes and written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. The film's two leads are John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph. It is Mendes's first film without Thomas Newman's collaboration. Plot Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski), are in their early thirties in the Denver area and struggling to meet daily needs and build fulfilling lives. Learning they will soon become parents, they are confronted with the challenge of how – and where – to raise a child and build a happy family. Six months into Verona's pregnancy, they visit their only family in the area, Burt's parents, Gloria and Jerry (Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels), only to find that they have decided to move to Antwerp, Belgium, a month before the baby is due. They will be gone for two years and they have already rented their place to another couple, despite Burt's and Verona's situation. Frustrated with their selfishness and careless at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flags Of Our Fathers (film)
''Flags of Our Fathers'' is a 2006 American war film directed, co-produced, and scored by Clint Eastwood and written by William Broyles Jr. and Paul Haggis. It is based on the 2000 book of the same name written by James Bradley and Ron Powers about the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima, the five Marines and one Navy corpsman who were involved in raising the flag on Iwo Jima, and the after effects of that event on their lives. The film is taken from the American viewpoint of the Battle of Iwo Jima, while its companion film, '' Letters from Iwo Jima'', which Eastwood also directed, is from the Japanese viewpoint of the battle. Although it was a box office failure, only grossing $65.9 million against a $90 million budget, the film received favorable reviews from critics. The companion film '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' was released in Japan on December 9, 2006, and in the United States on December 20, 2006, two months after the release of ''Flags of Our Fathers'' on October 20, 2006. Until ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shattered Glass (film)
''Shattered Glass'' is a 2003 biographical drama film about journalist Stephen Glass and his scandal at ''The New Republic''. Written and directed by Billy Ray, the film is based on a 1998 '' Vanity Fair'' article of the same name by H. G. Bissinger and chronicles Glass's fall from grace when his stories were discovered to be fabricated. It stars Hayden Christensen as Glass, alongside Peter Sarsgaard, Chloë Sevigny, and Steve Zahn. The film premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2003, and received a North American limited release on November 26, 2003. Although a commercial failure, ''Shattered Glass'' received acclaim from critics, with particular praise for Christensen and Sarsgaard's performances. Plot In 1998, Stephen Glass is an associate editor at ''The New Republic''. Among the youngest of the magazine's staff, Glass enjoys popularity with his colleagues for his entertaining stories. Glass serves under editor Michael Kelly, who holds l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Character Actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to be almost unrecognizable from part to part, and yet play many, many roles convincingly and memorably. .." The term, often contrasted with that of leading actor, is somewhat abstract and open to interpretation. In a literal sense, all actors can be considered character actors since they all play "characters", but the term more commonly refers to an actor who frequently plays a distinctive and important supporting role. Character actors are generally well-known and recognizable by the audience (by appearance if not by name), even if they play different types of roles in different movies. A character actor may play characters who are very different from the actor's off-screen real-life personality, while in another sense a character actor may ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Home Alabama (film)
''Sweet Home Alabama'' is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Andy Tennant. Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. It was released in the United States on September 27, 2002, by Buena Vista Pictures. The film takes its title from the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. It received a mixed critical reception but was a success at the box office. Plot On a beach in the fictional town of Pigeon Creek, Alabama, 10-year-olds Jake Perry and Melanie Smooter inspect the result of lightning striking sand. Jake asserts that they will be married one day. In the present day, Melanie is a successful New York fashion designer who has adopted the surname "Carmichael" to hide her poor Southern roots. After wealthy Andrew Hennings proposes, Melanie returns to Alabama to announce her engagement to her parents and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abandon (film)
''Abandon'' is a 2002 American psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan in his directorial debut. It stars Katie Holmes as a college student whose boyfriend ( Charlie Hunnam) disappeared two years previously. Despite being set at an American university, much of the movie was filmed in Canada at McGill University's McConnell Hall. It is based on the book '' Adams Fall'' by Sean Desmond. The book was re-titled ''Abandon'' for the movie tie-in paperback printing. The film co-stars Zooey Deschanel, Gabrielle Union and Melanie Lynskey, with Benjamin Bratt playing the detective investigating the boyfriend's disappearance. It received generally negative reviews. Plot Senior college student Katie Burke is struggling to deal with the stress of completing her thesis and succeeding in an upcoming rigorous interview process. To make matters even more complicated, Detective Wade Handler, a recovering alcoholic, reopens the two-year-old police investigation into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shooters (2002 Film)
''Shooters'' is a 2002 British gangster drama film directed by Colin Teague and Glenn Durfort. It was filmed in London in 1999 and released theatrically in the UK on 25 January 2002. In addition to co-writing the screenplay, Andrew Howard and Louis Dempsey play the lead characters. Adrian Dunbar, Gerard Butler, Ioan Gruffudd, and Melanie Lynskey co-star. ''Shooters'' received mixed reviews from critics, but was praised for its gritty authenticity. Plot synopsis After six years behind bars, Gilly (Dempsey) wants to settle down and live a quiet life. But it is not to be. He is released from prison only to find that his crime partner, "J" ( Howard), has invested all their money in a massive array of submachine guns, forcing Gilly back into a life of crime. Their last deal goes down in seven days, but the way things are going, Gilly is not sure he can hold out that long. Cast * Adrian Dunbar as Max Bell * Andrew Howard as "J"/Justin * Louis Dempsey as Gilly * Gerard Butler as Ja ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snakeskin (film)
''Snakeskin'' is a 2001 New Zealand road thriller film directed by Gillian Ashurst. The story focuses on Alice (Melanie Lynskey) and her best friend Johnny (Dean O'Gorman), who embark on a road trip across New Zealand. Along the way they pick up an American hitchhiker named Seth (Boyd Kestner), who is on the run from a gang of skinheads (led by Oliver Driver) and a group of drug dealers. ''Snakeskin'' screened at the 54th Cannes Film Festival, before opening in New Zealand cinemas on 11 October 2001. Critics praised its production values and acting, with ''Variety'' calling Lynskey's performance "excellent". The film won six New Zealand Film Awards in 2001. It has never had an official release in the US or the UK, but has played on television in both territories. Cast * Melanie Lynskey – Alice * Boyd Kestner – Seth * Dean O'Gorman – Johnny * Oliver Driver – Speed * Paul Glover – Terry * Charlie Bleakley – Owen * Gordon Hatfield – Tama * Taika Waititi – Nel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
