Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

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Movie Night: "Arbitrage"

September 15, 2012

I was really looking forward to this one for a few reasons. First, there was the cast; how can you go wrong with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling and Tim Roth? Then, there was the subject; no car chases, no vampires, no explosions but rather a morality play about a one-percenter whose manipulations are about to do him in. And finally, there was the producer, Laura Bickford, who has been my champion at Fox where “An Ex to Grind” is still in development; she loved the novel and has fought for it at the studio so it was only natural that I’d root for her newest project.

That said, I liked “Arbitrage” a lot. It’s not quite as riveting as “Wall Street,” maybe because we’re jaded by all the Bernie Madoff/Gordon Gekko-type swindlers at this point. But it’s a slick, sophisticated, grownup piece of entertainment that not only looks great but features a snappy script and wonderful performances, especially by Richard Gere.

http://youtu.be/9AUeXnFm_Xg

Gere manages to make us actually root for him, even though he’s a snake. He’s a snake who says “I’m sorry” to people. He shows remorse. But he’s motivated by money and power to the core, and those who love him have to play by his rules or else. He’s a handsome, silver-haired stud and you can’t look away whenever he’s in a scene, which is most of the time. He commands your attention the way true movie stars do. I don’t know if he’ll get an Oscar nod for Best Actor, because there are so many contenders this year, but he should certainly be in the mix.

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies Tagged With: An Ex to Grind, Arbitrage, Brit Marling, Laura Bickford, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tim Roth

Movie Day: "Another Earth"

July 30, 2011

Before I saw the film today, I’d been reading a lot about “Another Earth,” the indie movie that wowed audiences at Sundance and has made a star-in-waiting of Brit Marling.

The Daily Beast dubbed her Hollywood’s new Anti-It Girl, because she’s beautiful and smart and writes parts for herself instead of waiting to be hired to play “the girl.”

In “Another Earth,” which she co-wrote and in which she’s in nearly every frame, she plays a young woman about to go off to college – only to become involved in a terrible tragedy and spend the rest of the movie trying to make amends, forgive herself and move forward with her life. What’s unusual about the coming-of-age setup is that it takes place against a science fiction backdrop that asks the question: What if there were another earth populated by…us? As in, our duplicates?

Here’s the trailer.

Marling was enchanting when I met her after the screening at a party. (And trust me, I don’t use the word “enchanting” very often.) She not only has a young Julia Roberts look, but she’s gracious and funny and unspoiled by all the fuss she’s causing. I really hope she stays that way…somehow.

 

 

Filed Under: Mainly Jane, Movies, Popular culture Tagged With: Another Earth, Brit Marling, Cinema Society, Santa Barbara

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About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.

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