Go See: Lincoln

As you may have noticed, all of my postings lately are about what to see because, hey, I've been doing my homework.  Every year I have a contest with myself to see how many oscar-nominated films I can actually see before the bloody show and every year I fail miserably.  However, this year, it's looking good for me.  And yes, I do realize that I am speaking about myself as two people.  It's okay, I accept that about myself.  But enough about me...go see "Lincoln". It's Spielberg.  It's Daniel Day-Lewis and you will become transfixed with the transformed Day-Lewis who really, truly does look like President Lincoln.  You believe that this is truly how Lincoln was back in the day.  Wow, wow, wow. 

It was a great cast with amazing performances by Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens, Sally Field as Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln, David Straitharn as William Seward, James Spader who was freaking hilarious as W.N. Bilbo, John Hawkes as Robert Latham, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt as Robert Lincoln, Hal Holbrook as Preston Blair, Lee Pace as Fernando Wood (who might I say does a british accent quite well - remember him in "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day"?), and Jared Harris (another brit) playing Ulysses S. Grant. 

Here's a bit o' trivia (or I like to call it...gossip!), according to imdb.com:

-Once Daniel Day-Lewis decided on the voice that he would use to portray Lincoln, he sent an audiotape of it to Director Steven Spielberg in a box with a skull & crossbones on it so no one but he would hear it first.

-During the three and a half months of filming, Steven Spielberg addressed his actors in character: he called Daniel Day-Lewis "Mr. President," and Sally Field "Mrs. Lincoln," or "Molly." Additionally, he wore a suit every day on set: "I think I wanted to get into the role, more than anything else, of being part of that experience - because we were recreating a piece of history. And so I didn't want to look like the schlubby, baseball cap wearing 21st century guy; I wanted to be like the cast." 

-After Liam Neeson dropped out, Steven Spielberg returned to his original choice for the titular role, Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis declined because he didn't know if he could play such an iconic role. It was Leonardo DiCaprio who convinced him to take the role after Spielberg told him that Day-Lewis declined. It is unknown how DiCaprio convinced Day-Lewis to take the role.

Enjoy!

Go See: "Hope Springs"

I went to a screening tonight, thanks to LA Magazine.  I'm a sucker for entering any type of contest and LA Mag. constantly has them for screenings to luxurious trips.  As you can see, I'm the screenings girl, as I have yet to land that fabulous trip.  Now, I normally would not have opted to see this in the theatre and would have waited to watch it on cable.  But as I said, it was a screening and I love Meryl Streep so I thought - why not?  Plus the David Frankel directed "Hope Springs" and if you recall, he also directed Mrs. Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada".  It looks like Frankel also favors working with SJP as he directed "Miami Rhapsody" and quite a few episodes of "Sex and the City". 

This is a cute, charming film about a couple who has been together for over thirty years and seem to have lost that pizzazz in their relationship.  They go to a therapist played by Steve Carell and try to work things out.  It gives you hope for relationships and marriage and you definitely see a different side to Tommy Lee Jones.  He's still a mean bully but he also has some tender moments.  So, go see it and if all else fails, take your parents - they'll get a senior discount and have a laugh about it!