Jennifer Ehle at King's Speech screening

Out of the house after dark and wearing heels, Jennifer introduced a screening of The King's Speech at 57 Screening Room on December 20, 2010 in New York City.



[Photos By: Donald Bowers for Getty Images]

More photos at
Getty Images: Broadway Joins Jennifer Ehle And Eve Best For A Screening Of "The King's Speech"
and
Broadwayworld: Photo Coverage: Screening of The King's Speech in NYC

It’s Spreading

Contagion: Casting Update

Kevin Jagernauth at ThePlayList Blog reveals additions to the cast, including Jennifer Ehle’s participation reported here two days ago.

From his post: ”According to our sources, Demetri Martin, Jennifer Ehle, Bryan Cranston and Elliott Gould have joined the cast for the film”

and ”Contagion is a taut, thrilling and all-too-plausible and frightening screenplay that is a "Traffic"-like sprawling film about the ramifications of the spread of a global virus. We hear Burns continues to fine-tune the already strong draft we read earlier in the year. No word yet on what roles the new cast members will be playing.”

He adds that the film won't be in 3D (reports earlier this year had it being 3D).

Older “Contagion” entries at that blog cover details on the film discussing the script and who plays who.
and
Casting John Hawkes
and
Jude Law Talks

Mentioned above, the draft is being fine-tuned so it will be interesting to see how it varies from this downloadable version of the script as of January 14th.


A chance to test your supernumerary powers

Extras for the movie are being sought in Chicago soon.

The Tribune Leisureblog says ”Director Steven Soderbergh will film the virus outbreak thriller "Contagion," … in the Chicago area this fall. […] If you're interested in being an extra, Rich King Casting will hold open casting calls for the movie on September 25 at Lincoln Park Cultural Center (10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.) and September 26 at The Annoyance Theatre (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.). For more info, call 312-283-1061.”

Chicago casting call details are also available at this open-casting-calls link that reveals
"Shooting on Contagion will run from September 25, 2010 through January 11, 2010". That encompasses the filming dates for all locations, not just Chicago [although I’m pretty sure that should be January 2011!].

According to the article ”They are seeking adult men and women, ages 18 and above, all shapes, sizes, types and ethnicities**. Everyone is welcome. This is a paid gig and meals are included.”

**(Hey, that’s us; we all qualify!!)


An LA Examiner article about the open call for Elmers & Elsies notes ”It is rumored that Contagion won't be a sensationalist sci-fi movie, rather it will be more of a reality type situation”.

[I like that theater name, by the way, “The Annoyance” *smiley face here*]


Final note: I'll try to catch you up on The King's Speech news soon ...

Contagious! Hazmat Suit Required

NEWS!

Jennifer Ehle will have a part in the film Contagion to be filmed in Chicago, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles; with a scheduled release date of 21 October 2011 (USA)

According to an article at HeyUGuys there's a chance for some travel depending, I suppose, on how small the "small part" is.
"After shooting in Hong Kong, Contagion is also due to film in Minneapolis, Dubai, Japan, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, and Malaysia before its release in October 2011.

She is not yet listed as appearing at imdb but, wow, look at this cast:

Matt Damon
Marion Cotillard
Gwyneth Paltrow
Kate Winslet
Jude Law
Laurence Fishburne
John Hawkes
Josie Ho
Howie Johnson

Per imdb it's "An action-thriller centered on the threat posed by a deadly disease and an international team of doctors contracted by the CDC to deal with the outbreak."

While I was Sweeping

Random older stuff found while sweeping the internet

A review of Pride and Prejudice by marisacarpico at Tuna Quest blog from January 24 2010, with some comparison to the 2005 movie version. (Basically, she finds that the 1995 adaptation is ”far more faithful" to the novel.)


More commentary on Pride and Prejudice at JOURNEYS AND DESTINATIONS blog from February 23 2010, (also with some comparison to 2005).
”Ms. Ehle gave life to her character magnificently! She is so charming, beautiful and witty! I really love her face!”

BINGO!


A Mr. and Mrs. Fitch review at Theatre Geekery from March 17 2010, noting that ”Lithgow and Ehle are so funny”
and
”After seeing John Lithgow in his stunning role as the Trinity Killer of this past season of Dexter, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make the transition back to seeing him in comedy, where I am used to seeing him. It took me a couple minutes of convincing myself that he wasn’t going to kill Jennifer Ehle where she stood, but I managed to talk myself out of it. He was charming and funny, and she was wonderful as well. I am less familiar with her, but I am EXCITED (yes, all capitals) to see her as Cat Tully Stark in the Game of Thrones series by HBO. That aside, I have to say they were perfectly wonderful together. They had good chemistry, a natural rhythm in their banter, and I had no trouble seeing them as a married couple.”

Well, we know the Stark casting was later revised, though even now some news/blogs about the series continue to list her in the role. NewsBots, I guess.



Before the Rains was reviewed at Filmwallas' Blog on June 10 2010, noting:
”The white man is a spineless fellow, the white woman a large hearted up-standing woman”
and, especially that,
”Jennifer Ehle is wonderful in a small role as the woman full of empathy.”



Observations on Possession can be found in three entries at The Jer Blog

Possession Obsession posted on June 24 2010.
”… it does Byatt’s novel justice by focusing on the straight-forward aspects of the literary mystery and the romance. The latter should be an awkward business, with dialog culled from letters and poems, but Ehle and Northam pull it off beautifully.”
(That post includes several good photo stills from the film.)

and

what do you fancy? blogged on July 26 2010 (includes trailer video).
”Jeremy and Jennifer Ehle are wonderfully passionate and charismatic as the Victorians”

and

Prepare to be Possessed published on July 29 2010 (with more lovely pictures).



Less Outdated News: The King’s Speech

From 365 Cinema’s Fall/Holiday 2010 Preview
”THE KING’S SPEECH (Weinstein) chronicles the relationship between speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and King George VI (Colin Firth), whom Logue must help get past a terrible stammer so that he may lead his nation into World War II after the unexpected abdication of his brother Edward. The impressive cast includes Timothy Spall, Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon.”

[my note: evidently there are no women in this version!]


An article at NJ.com reports that The King’s Speech is under consideration for the Arthouse Film Festival that will run for 12 weeks beginning Sept. 20 at two New Jersey theatres: AMC Loews Mountainside and AMC Loews Monmouth Mall.


New Zealand release date reported in “Coming soon” at flicks co nz.
”OPENING IN CINEMAS: 26th Dec 2010 (NZ)
Starring Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Colin Firth, Michael Gambon, Geoffrey Rush, Timothy Spall, Jennifer Ehle, Derek Jacobi”

All astonishment! A rare actual mention of Ms Ehle in the cast! Very reassuring.


Oscar spec at KipMooney blog.

A list of actors/celebrity guests expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), September 9-19 at
Toronto Film Net.
Long, but does not include Hers.

Alex Carlson at Film Misery blog reports on the 25 Most Anticipated Films of the Third Trimester and writes,
“One of the most buzzed about films leading up to the Toronto International Film Festival, The King’s Speech has been predicted all year by awards prognosticators to be one of the major Oscar frontrunners.”


And last but not least

According to this at Shootonline, The King’s Speech is one of seven films to be announced for inclusion at the 32nd annual Aspen Filmfest.

”Aspen, CO, August 31, 2010 | SHOOT Publicity Wire | --- This Labor Day weekend, the 32nd annual Aspen Filmfest, a five-day feast of of film and fall color, is announcing seven films that will be screened during Filmfest 2010, held September 29 - October 3, 2010.
…
Films will be shown at the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and at the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale.”

Granted, it’s no South Park, but good news anyway.

This Edition Contains No Hazardous Materials

News about The King’s Speech (featuring Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Logue)

Coverage of the Toronto festival and more:

By Anne Thompson at indiwire with the comment ”TWC’s The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth, will play Venice, Telluride and Toronto.”
[Note: I haven’t been able to find supporting evidence for Venice or Telluride, but that would be stupendous if true!]

And Joshua Brunsting at Gordon and the Whale, who comments ”The latest film, Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH, looks amazing and has already garnered some pre-premiere Oscar love.” and ” Hooper, director of last year’s great film, THE DAMNED UNITED, brought together one hell of a cast for this thing, [...] it will see a release through Miramax, leaving many to believe that this may be their big Oscar baby come later this year.”

And, more bromatically, Shinan Govani, National Post reveals that ’ Tom Hooper, who directed the film -- one that includes a tea-party cast comprised also of Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter -- further tells EW it is, yes, a "bromance." Basically, he goes on, summing it up, "Boy meets therapist, boy loses therapist, boy gets therapist." ‘

Liam Lace in Saturday's Globe and Mail lists some of the films & mentions “The King’s Speech (Dec. 10)” [The Dec date might be the Canadian release perhaps?] and also says ”Very British acting excellence and a credible historic reconstruction, which should make this film (originally a play) like Masterpiece Theatre with a budget.”

And some blogging & Oscar speculation by
Scott Feinberg, Erik Childress, Edward Davis, Jon Lyus, Ashleigh Ryan, Murph, and Ryan Adams

Several of the blogs above include rosters of celebrities scheduled to attend Toronto and while the list is impressive, the name we’d most wish to see is unfortunately not there.


A bit of Pride and Prejudice

Some bits about the Austen Attired exhibit at Peckover House. And isn’t that a wonderful name for a place? In so many ways, including that it could be a Dickens title.

ANNABELLE DICKSON wrote ”An exhibition of costumes, worn in film and television adaptations of the Georgian novelist's books, including Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, has already brought many visitors to Peckover House, in Wisbech.”

Be sure to take a look at jfwakefield’s austenonly blog which not only reports on the exhibit but also includes great pictures of the costumes & venue.
[Austen lovers, check out other entries at this blog, they will not disappoint.]

And, to finish, a fresh in-depth review of P&P95 Posted at The Rush Blog

Hearing Voices

Simon & Schuster have a page with all sorts of goodies for the Clockwork Angel audiobook read by Jennifer Ehle.

There’s a video of Cassandra Clare talking about Jennifer Ehle narrating. She’s excited about the ”combination of strength and sweetness” she can bring to the character (well, yeah … ). Clare is a big fan, having watched the BBC Pride and Prejudice “… probably, I don’t know, 300 times, something really embarrassing like that”.

Best of all at this page, you can listen to an excerpt of Jennifer's recording from the audiobook. You’ll get a sample of both American and English accents (Yay!)


Oscar speculation for TKS continues

At Movie City News where David Poland says it’s Time To Start Thinking Oscar Again and writes that perhaps The Weinstein Company’s dark horse for their season is ”The King's Speech, a Brit tale of a stammering king, loaded with faves like Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gambon, Tim Spall, Derek Jacobi and so on.”
!!! *sigh*, relegated to AndSoOn … Well, she’s still the fave here.

and

at In Contention where Guy Lodge writes ”The King’s Speech? Well, it has corsets and cut-glass British accents a go-go […] But it’s also a small-scale story of one man overcoming a stutter: mightn’t that prove a little slight for voters who like their awards bait capital-I Important?”

and

at Award Contenders where Mark Johnson’s take is that ”There is a good chance he [Firth] returns to the Oscar field in this year’s The King’s Speech, as King George VI. The Academy loves a biopic, and the fact that his character will be working to overcome a nervous stammer leads me to believe their could be one hell of a performance coming from him. Throw in the fact that the film is backed by the Weinstein’s and you may consider Firth a near lock.”

Does the Academy’s love of biopic trump lack of capital-I Important?


Gala in Toronto

Barbara Vancheri at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette posted about the Toronto fest filling out. ” The Sept. 9-19 event will offer 15 galas and 35 special presentations, with 25 world premieres”. One of the galas is The King’s Speech.


LONDON?

Per an article at TimeOut London the opening film has been announced for the October 2010 London Film Festival. The author goes on to ponder the possible closing film, including ”perhaps the impressive-looking historical drama ‘The King’s Speech’”.






Lizzy’s blue dress

Regency fashions can be seen this month at the Austen Attired exhibition in Wisbech, featuring eight costumes worn by stars from screen adaptations of Jane Austen’s classic stories and including ”… the blue dress worn by Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice”

More King’s Speech

Toronto

As reported earlier THE KING’S SPEECH, which features Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Logue, will have it’s North American premiere at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival taking place from September 9 to 19.

An overview Posted by Michelle McCue at
We Are Movie Geeks includes several photos and a don’t-miss YouTube video showing scenes of the filming and Colin Firth speaking about his role.

More coverage of the festival at

HULIQ by Candice Lucey

The Independent

Encore Magazine, which notes the Australian connection and announces a December release there. ”Transmission will release it in Australia/New Zealand on December 26.”

National Post by Brad Frenette


Oscar Buzz

The King’s Speech has frequently been mentioned as a possible Oscar Nominee, so fingers-Xd.
Tom O'Neil at the LA Times
“…the movie that the Weinstein Co. is pushing hard for the best picture Oscar is The King's Speech”

THR By Alex Ben Block ”The pics seen as worthy of Academy consideration are "The King's Speech," starring Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, which goes out limited Nov. 24”

Opposing Views "Tom Hooper's The King's Speech (which has a shot at a Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor nomination for Colin Firth)"


No Golden Lion?

Though the film had been touted as a candidate for the Venice Festival, sadly it is not on the Venice lineup as listed at
Indie Movies by Paul Martin


On The Horizon

Cassandra Clare’s audiobook Clockwork Angel read by Jennifer Ehle is due to be released this month on August 31, 2010 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon.

I wish there were more to report, but no new roles (that we know about) announced at this time. There’s hope, though, since Ms Ehle has sometimes stacked multiple projects in the autumn/winter. But her unpredictable side is one of her most beguiling features, so I’m sure she’ll manage to surprise us in one way or another.

And one...

The TIFF co-directors Cameron Bailey & Piers Handling announced yesterday that The King's Speech will have a gala screening in Toronto for its North American premiere.

Precise schedule is not available yet, nor informations about the director or the actors presence at the Festival.

From the continent precision above, ioncinema deduces that The King's Speech will make the Venice Festival too. More about that tomorrow...

Tiny tiny...

A tiny tiny piece of info for a very calm summer:

More release dates are to be found at imdb for The King's Speech:

Russia: 11 November 2010
USA: 26 November 2010
Canada: 10 December 2010
UK: 7 January 2011

Still no dates for France!

Two more months...

The Greatest is, at last, to be released in DVD and Blu-Ray on July 13, 2010.

Pre-order available at Amazon.

Trailer here to whet the appetite (no glimpse of Jennifer Ehle though).

A Royal interview

A very nice page about Rosemary Harris is to be found at bbbblogger, in expectation of the 2010 Tony Awards.

In particular, you might want to check and listen the "Leonard Lopate Show: The Royal Family on Broadway" interview, where Rosemary Harris speaks about her role - and, around 11-13 mins, how her daughter, Jennifer Ehle, told her at 15 that she wanted to be an actress as well, "because you have so much fun".

A very sweet discussion.

Festival Watch

ScreenDaily has speculated that The King’s Speech, in which Jennifer Ehle plays Myrtle Logue, might be screened at upcoming film festivals in Venice and/or Toronto.

Keep an eye on these sites and fingers crossed.

The 67th Venice Film Festival will run 1st to 11th September 2010 at Venice Lido. The official line-up of the 67th Festival will be announced during a press conference to be held in Rome at the end of July 2010.

The 35th Toronto International Film Festival will be held Thursday, September 9 and runs until Sunday, September 19, 2010.

Note to young film fans:
The Toronto event is looking for 12 film lovers to be the Next Wave Committee.

"We need brilliant young minds to plan film nights, workshops and fun events!
Applicants should:
Be between the ages of 15 – 18
Be interested in film and the arts
Love planning events
Enjoy making decisions and voicing their opinions”

Lend me your ears

Good News

Audio book: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare read by Jennifer Ehle is available for pre-order at Amazon.

Blurb: "Tessa Gray descends into Victorian London's dark underworld to search for her missing brother, with the mysterious Shadowhunters as her only allies." For ages 9-12, it will be released on August 31, 2010.

Cassandra Clare is pleased as well. "Just found out Jennifer Ehle will be reading audiobook for CA. So pleased, have liked her since she was Elizabeth with Colin Firth in Pride&Prejudice." This sounds as if the recording might not have taken place yet and if so, makes a nice gig for the spring/summer.

King's minor news

Late minor news concerning The King's speech include an interview with Colin Firth, where "he speaks enthusiastically about The King's speech, calling it "an extraordinary story" about George VI's struggles to overcome a bad stutter..." and a murmur of a test screening in NYC in April (see comments).

Many whispers can on the other hand be heard on the Internet about possible BAFTA/Oscar nomination for Colin Firth in 2011, regarding his stately role.

Finally, Steven from the British Stammering Association announced on Twitter that King's release was delayed to January 2011, but no official confirmation was made, so we'll stay alert.

Last but not least, an article from the Los Angeles Times about Tony actresses, and among them of course, our special mother/daughter couple Rosemary Harris/Jennifer Ehle.

(Photo from the article, Rosemary Harris and Jan Maxwell in The Royal Family).

Family Ties!!!

Rosemary Harris Nomimated for Tony

Playbill
and from
Broadwayword

"I’m thrilled to bits and so delighted for Jan, Cathy, John Lee and the entire ‘Royal Family.’ At the same time, I’m deeply saddened by the death of Lynn Redgrave. We’ve been friends since working together in the Royal National Theatre’s inaugural production of HAMLET in 1963. My heart goes out to her family."
Rosemary Harris, nominee for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for The Royal Family

Congratulations to Rosemary Harris!

The 2010 Tony Awards Are On Sunday, June 13 2010 at 8pm. This is her 9th nomination (and the second time for The Royal Family!) She won a Tony in 1966 for The Lion in Winter.

And, as we know, her daughter has been nominated twice and won twice (2000 and 2007), seemingly in a 7-year pattern, so C'mon 2014!! (Though we'd happily take sooner).

On this day

May 3rd: birthday of Niccolo Machiavelli, Bing Crosby and this here blog.

 Five years, people. Love to all who've kept it alive.

Revisiting garments

Remember how Jennifer Ehle told her fans in the 2005 interview that her favorite P&P dress was the red one?

Well, as mentioned by the Jane Austen Today Follow Friday post, there is now a website supplying comprehensive informations about gowns in Jane Austen movie adaptations...The Jane Austen (and friends) movie gowns.

Check out the Lizzie section of the website. Will you be able to recognize the "very soft, over-washed, faded cream print one" that Ms Ehle used to call "Lizzie's Levi's" ?

Speaking of which, a Restored Pride & Prejudice DVD Set will be available in 2 days (27 april, 2010) for Zone 1 viewers.

Bonus features mentioned in the site:

- Completely Digitally Remastered for the Ultimate in Picture and Sound Quality
- Anamorphic Widescreen Presentation
- Featurettes "Lasting Impressions", "An Impromptu Walkabout with Adrian Lukis and Lucy Briers", "Turning Point"
- Uncovering the Technical Restoration Process
- The Making-of
- English subtitles

Also at Amazon.com. Let's hope that a Zone 2 restored DVD will follow soon!

Playing mobile...

For absolutely innocent, sheer fun:




And another slightly older one:




Thank you Missfilmnut, we want more !

News with old...

You thought you saw everything about Pride and Prejudice by now?

Here's a funny P&P video you might have missed:




Newest info about The King's speech early screenings, given by Jennifer Ehle herself on Twitter:

Heard v early screening of 'Kings Speech' was "incredible".(I assume as in 'gr8' not 'hard 2 believe';) I do know Tom Hooper's amazing...

Now the wait shall be even harder!

For more infos about chickens, turtles, homeschooling or the meaning of life (yes, yes!), we strongly recommend you follow her and join the fun!

Back to movies

The Greatest is now released in theaters in the United States.

According to the 2 New York Times and LA Times reviews of the film, we won't see much of Jennifer Ehle though:

Math professor Allen's recent affair with a lovely colleague (Jennifer Ehle) provides a potential key to the marital problem between Allen and Grace that clearly predated their son's death. But, like much else here, it goes underexplored. (LA Times)

The film squanders valuable time on several undeveloped subplots. One involves Allen's recent affair with a colleague (Jennifer Ehle), who tries to offer solace. (NY Times)

Colin Firth talks about his role as King George VI in The King's speech :



I finally fall on this very funny article, Postsecret and embarassing Pride and Prejudice confessions, in which the author archly asks : what hidden secrets do we have about Pride and Prejudice? I let you look at the post and meditate on that...

Go, run, fly

Great news for all of Jennifer Ehle's admirers:

She has now opened a public twitter account! You can follow Ms Ehle at http://twitter.com/jenniferehle , or click directly from this blog on the @jenniferehle sign (Right column, "The essentials").

She presents herself as "Mama, wife, home educating, sometimes actress". Let's hope that the last part of her bio will give way to exciting and interesting thoughts!

New to Twitter and already panicking at the idea of making a fool of yourself amongst the birds community ? Check this good article on 12 Common and Frequent Mistakes Made by Users on Twitter (and How to Avoid Them). In French too (thanks YC!).

Last week for Mr & Mrs Fitch

Now is time to hurry and book your seat at Second Stage Theatre to see the last performances of Mr & Mrs Fitch.

Latest favourable reviews include the Bestofoffbroadway one, in which Colleen Verbus acknowledges that:

John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle's portrayal of these characters is hilarious and fun. Ehle plays Mrs Fitch as the instigator of their scheming, while Mr Fitch furthers their ploy. (...) Lithgow and Ehle perform well with the script they have and make it a fun performance to watch.

"What is present are two very good actors at the top of their game", follows on The Epoch Times:

Director Scott Ellis, whose prior productions have won many theatrical organization nominations and awards (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle), has kept the piece moving lightly and swiftly. Therefore, what one views is light, attractive and sophisticated.

Blogger's reactions include Candia's one, entitled "Run to see this play...the run is short and the laughs are long!", or Life upon the sacred stage's one:

I was so sleepy as I settled in for this world premiere of Douglas Carter Beane's Mr & Mrs Fitch that I wondered how I'd make it through the next two hours. Not to worry. I perked up the moment John lithgow and Jennifer Ehle entered, laughing as they stumble into their colourful Mahattan loft in the wee hours of the morning after a night on the town. And I stayed engaged as their glitzy world unfold in this cocktail of a show (...).

Don't hesitate to give your own thoughts on the play in the forum.

The King's Speech release

The King's Speech will be released on November 26th, 2010 in the USA. No dates available yet for other countries.

Thumbs down

Ehle out, Fairley in, according to Winter is Coming.

Last reviews before taking off

Paul Hansen at the NewYorkGrapevine is extremely positive about Mr & Mrs Fitch, and its author Douglas Carter Beane - so positive that I can not resist the pleasure to give you a great part of the article to read:

It is a testament to the writing ability of Beane that tremendous humor is generated in references to Edith Wharton, Virginia Wolf and Evelyn Waugh, to name but a few authors in the Fitchs' lettered galaxy. It would probably take at least three or four viewings of the play for even the most sophisticated audience-goer to catch all of the humorous cultural allusions.

Although the comedy can be very erudite, the humor in Mr. and Mrs. Fitch is never dry or sterile. Those who are not as literary-minded as the Fitch's need not be intimidated as the infectious exuberance and virtual musicality of the actors' performances creates genuine dramatic excitement. It is also wonderful to listen to a script in which the author challenges the audience instead of pandering to it. The tenor and the delivery of the dialogue in the play remind a viewer of the rapid-fire dialogue in the 1930's screwball Hollywood comedies featuring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, or Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Mr. Lithgow sings several excerpts from Cole Porter and George Gershwin to highlight the play's cultural connection to 1930's sophistication.

The comedy offers an interesting snapshot of how information is transmitted in the early 21th century. The irony is that the very explosion of methods of communication through the internet, blogs, twitter, etc. can make it more difficult to determine what the truth actually is. Facts may be circulated before being checked. Fame and celebrity can be manufactured virtually overnight to masses that enjoy being titillated, even if those same masses suspect in the back of their minds that they are being manipulated. The play humorously examines the superficiality of much of popular culture and the danger of having a relative approach to reality.

Like their cinematic counterparts referred to above, John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle have tremendous synergy and charisma as a couple. Like any true duo, each derives inspiration and energy from their partner. It is a great challenge for two actors to carry a full length play and one can only admire the sparkle and zest that Lithgow and Ehle bring to their roles.

(...) Visiting Mr. and Mrs. Fitch in their dapper digs can make for a very rewarding evening.

Other late reviews include the more mixed ones at Wolfentertainmentguide, the hofstrachronicle or the villagevoice.

Pros-cons discussions and comments about reviews to be found at Broadwayworld.com, while playwright Carter Beane will discuss his comedy on Cuny TV on Monday, March the 15th.

News about Game of Thrones include an impressive list of crew members needed for the forthcoming filming of the series (info reported by Winter is Coming). Lucky readers from Belfast!

No updates from me next week, as I'll be in New York City judging for myself what to think of the Fitches! I'll be back soon, though...

"The effortlessly charming Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow"

On the Fitch front



New critics have flourished all over the net, some of which much nicer than the first ones.



Entertainment Weekly has given a B+ to Mr & Mrs Fitch, stating that:

The media-urbanite will savor every crazy morsel of Mr & Mrs Fitch (...) That's mostly because the characters, the minutiae they talk about, and, natch, where they live, are just so neurotically New York. Tony winners John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle smashingly portray a married couple who write a gossip column (hello, Daily's News' rumor patrol Rush & Malloy!).

The banter-filled dialogue is so rapid-fire that it can get a tad exhausting. But overall, Mr & Mrs Fitch is the work of a fine writer.

One of the play's major strengths lies in its meta-awareness. "Yes, you know, theater", Lithgow intones during one of his many linguistic sword fight with Ehle. "That thing that movie people do when they want to announce they're available for television." It's that heightened, self-conscious cleverness that makes Mr & Mrs Fitch a riotous deep dive into the shallow waters of gossip.

Another (short) positive review to be found at flavorpill:

Douglas Carter Beane tackles the growing blur of journalism and fiction in his new acerbically funny play. The title characters, played with amazing acuity by the effortlessly charming Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow, are a gossip columnist couple who live a vampiric lifestyle (...)

Hilarity and madness ensue as they try to stop the monster they've created in this savvy comment on our celebrity-obsessed culture.

Witty Sandy MacDonald at Theatermania has a lot of good words for Fitch too:

The script for Douglas Carter Beane's latest comedy (...) consists mostly of a warp-speed badinage. But the words are of so entertaining a caliber - and so gloriously delivered by stars Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow - that audiences likely won't mind the play's lack of forward motion. (...)

Hints are dropped early and often that Mr Fitch is predominantly gay. (Bisexuality makes women appear "adventurous", whereas men simply seem "indecisive", quips Mrs F.) Still, the couple's own rapport is as fond and fizzy as a teenage romance (...) And yes, it's sexual. Dinosaurs though they be, the Fitches' blood runs hot. Love comes in all shapes, sizes, and configurations, suggests Beane. And most of all, certain accomodations ought to be made to ensure the survival of the wittiest.

Other less enthusiastic and/or less original reviews can be found at TheVillageVoice, the WallStreetJournal or NY1. A quite complete review of reviews (!) at StageGrade. Reviews from the audience include the positive one of freakgirl.com, and the very negative one of Broadway & me.

On the Thrones front

A lot has happened during the week following the HBO greenlight announcement of Game of Thrones, including reactions from Northern Ireland Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and Culture and Arts Minister, Nelson McCausland:

This is extremely positive news for Northern Ireland (...) At this stage, it is estimated that £20M will be delivered into the local economy though the production of the nine-part series.

Filming is due to begin in Belfast in June, for a release in spring 2011.

You'll find extremely good recaps of the events of the week at Game of Thrones news and Winter is coming - the latter has even decided to reinforce his contributors team to stay "on top of the latest news" !

For French and francophile readers, more about Thrones at lagardedenuit.com, a French site dedicated to the Game of Thrones.

Read on

Finally figured out how you can read the interview here on the blog, instead of having to download it separately. Enjoy.

Green's the colour !

Green is definitely the colour for March, and it's now official.

Winter is, indeed, coming.

HBO has greenlighted highly anticipated fantasy series "Games of Thrones"

The Hollywood Reporter also notices that this great news is partly due to the "enormous, perhaps unprecedented, online interest (...) at such an early stage".

The picture on the right is from the opening scenes of the pilot.

10 episodes ordered (pilot + nine), so you can actually let your imagination go a long way through the woods, imagine the mighty Starks, the opponents Catelyn and Cersei, Eddard, Robert and Jaime...No limits now!

More later, to be sure.

Are you anxious ?

You should be.

I found one !

Yes, after two tiresome hours of net hunting, I found a newspaper review in which the author seemed to have actually enjoyed Mr & Mrs Fitch:

In "John Lithgow, Jennifer Ehle star in wickedly funny "Mr & Mrs Fitch" off broadway", the author Robert Feldberg tells us that

Played with great panache by John Lithgow (which you might expect) and Jennifer Ehle (a fine dramatic actress unveiling a shining talent for comedy) [...] what makes the play such fun is the seamless collaboration among writer, actors and director Scott Ellis, who never let's the evening momentum flag.

The Fitches' great shared joy is their love of language. They never use one word when 10 will do; they don't speak plainly when it's so much more satisfying to be clever.

Second good news is that we have a video of Mr & Mrs Fitch premiere party which took place on Monday, February 22, in which Jennifer Ehle gets to speak about her role, and some nice pictures of it.

(Director Scott Ellis, Actors Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow, playwright Douglas Carter Beane)

The other reviews...well, it's really a simple story - they all seem to have been built on the same pattern (it's quite impressive - and always disconcerting - to see such unanimity...) - a pattern which can be summarized as : Laughs are there but a plot is missing (The Washington examiner)

First part of the reviews: the set is great, the actors are good...

Romping about designer Allen Moyer's ultra-glam setting, complete with a spiral staircase and a grand piano, an aristocratic Lithgow and a bewitching Ehle do their considerable best to evoke Scott and Zelda, Noel and Gertie and the Lunts are rolled into one. (newjerseynewsroom.com)

John Lithgow, an actor who can play comedy with a heavy hand and make it seem
extraordinarily right, is the former [Mr Fitch]; a lower-tier newspaper gossiper feeling pangs of frustration for wasting his life on a trashy column instead of
writing that novel lingering in his imagination. Jennifer Ehle has an endearing quality as the Jersey girl who fell in love with Manhattan, and conveniently, with one who makes his living surveying its nightlife. (broadwayworld.com)

Lithgow and Ehle are working hard to be amusing. (curtainup.com)

...But, second part of the reviews, the play, stuffed with bons mots, epigrams, inside jokes, social and intellectual references and arch put-downs, falls to rise interest during two hours:

It doesn't take long before their repartee sounds more like a debate in which the content is only as good as the speed with which it is delivered. (curtainup.com)

What might have been mildly amusing as a one-act eventually gets strained to the breaking point, and a plot element involving the pair's making up a fictional character who suddenly takes on a life of his own is far too silly to make its intended satirical point (reuters.com)

Quantity has taken over quality in Beane's latest play...(...) The barrage of
self-satisfied quips is so relentless that the show quickly becomes numbing (...) It doesn't make sense, like anything else in this bewildering, sloppily plotted comedy. (nypost.com)

I certainly forgot other reviews of this type - sorry for their authors, but they're all quite the same! - the meanest one being Joe Dziemianowicz's at NY Daily News.

More original ones includes Cindy Adams review with 10 reasons why the Fitches' are not real journalists - I thought that was obvious, given it's theatre...- and, more funny, how it could be fixed.

An article well informed on all the references (87 !!) mentioned in the play. You can complete it if they are some missing.

Before the rush

In a few hours opens the official premiere of Mr & Mrs Fitch at the Second Stage Theatre, and Playbill.com gives us three first pictures of Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow on stage:

(Photos by Joan Marcus)

Before the rush of critics that will flow then, two early and mixed reviews:

- one from the Opinionist, who underlines that

If it were possible to assemble a substantial evening of theater out of clever one-liners, gifted actors and crackling chemistry, Douglas Carter Beane's Mr & Mrs Fitch would be a smashing success. Starring the equally adept John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle, the story (which is the weak link here) concerns two married Manhattan gossip columnists ....

Naturally, complications arise, but unfortunately they don't pile up quickly enough to sustain the insubstantial plot of this full-length play. By the start of act two, the effervescence turns a little flat...

But, in the end, "it's hard not to enjoy yourself when these two are savoring such saw one-liners as "Gossip is just news that's interesting" (...) "Theater, you know, that thing movie people do when they want to announce they're available for television".

- the ShoNuff Lives begins with

The talent is outstanding: Douglas Carter Beane, John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle. The barbs are vicious, pernicious and delicious. The play, however, is a disappointment.

The part on Jennifer Ehle is particularly laudatory though:

Ehle, who's somewhat less known outside the theater community, is a marvel. Having seen her in the Coast of Utopia trilogy (not to mention her rocketing to fame in the BBC's Pride and Prejudice), I know what she's capable of. Here, her mannered accent warbles a bit, but she smiles deliciously with every witticism launched. She hobbles around on unseemly heels, but does it with grace and elegance. I'd watch her read from the phone book, but she has about as much to do here. The play is very much centered around Mr Fitch, and Mrs Fitch is basically a compliment to him, another gorgeous object that helps him operate his world.

Overall, it's not a bad night in the theatre, but it's essentially disappointing because it could be a great one given the talent involved.

You can see a tiny second of Ms Ehle and Mr Lithgow in the play at this View video or here (thanks Tez!), while John Lithgow is eagerly answering his fan questions (maybe yours?) in this one.

Finally, for those of you unlucky readers who can not make the trip to NYC to see Fitch with your own eyes and make your playbill signed by the actors, you can always write to the Second Stage Theater to ask for a signed playbill. It seems to have worked pretty well for a couple of fans.

Like we were on stage!

So, better late than never, right ?

I've just discovered Meredith blog, and she happens to work on Mr & Mrs Fitch props!

In her recent fascinating post [where you can find really nice photos of the set] she reveals details about the dreamy apartment in which Jennifer Ehle and John Lithgow make their show every night, and why it all looks so real:

The set for Mr & Mrs Fitch holds the distinction of being the first set I've worked on where someone has asked to purchase almost every single item on the set after the production. Why ? Because its set in a totally baller apartment. [...]

What we ended up doing was having two artists: Ryan Ketchum and Pete Sarafin loan works to the show. [...] The paintings on the wall give a huge amount of depth and range to the set: they make it feel like a real place because they are real things.

Read an older post of hers with two more photos where she explains how they had to borrow dozens of books to fill in the giant bookcase you see on the picture above.

Thank you very much Meredith for your explanations and pictures, it sounds like you're doing a great job!

The author of Mr & Mrs Fitch himself, Douglas Carter Beane, will be discussing his new comedy and talking about his fascination for New York City on Thirteen this Friday 19th of February at 1 am. Watch and tell us !

[EDIT : After an exchange with Meredith, I had to take down the photos - as they represent not only her work but the work of the designers and the theatre, she has only permission to post them on her blog - I should have known better ! I apologize sincerely to Meredith and you readers, and encourage you to go and see the pictures on her blog...]

The Misters

This week on the net seems to be all about men...

1. Mister Fitch

(Picture of the Fitch billboard in Manhattan on the right from R.Borucki blog, thanks for this photo!)

Two of John Lithgow's latest tweets (from the 4th and the 15th of February)

FITCH gets better with every tweak, love those previews...

Working furiously on FITCH (wonderful) but neglecting tweets...

give us an insight into the fascinating work-in-progress that must still be Mr & Mrs Fitch, where he plays alongside Jennifer Ehle.

The man seems indeed tireless. After an interesting interview in the New York magazine where he reveals one or two juicy details about his life and admits, laughing, to be "a gossip whore like anyone else", John Lithgow was on the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, showing another of his (numerous) talents with a napkin! For you lucky American readers, he will be making an appearance to talk about Fitch on The View's 2nd Annual Mutt Show on abc this Friday night...

Meanwhile, more reviews on the play are being shared :

• at Broadwayworld, where a few people disagree on the witticism vs shallowness of the play
• at The New York Times theater section, where critics go from "What a waste of 2 hours" to "To see Lithgow and Ehle up close (the theatre is intimate) and doing their thing is a wonder to behold" or "Fascinating to watch these two great actors in an intimate theatre, tearing into a very witty and playful script" - pick your one!
• at AllThatChat, where the casting relevance is discussed

2. Mister Firth

As much in Oscar daze as Colin Firth seems to be right now, he still has some time to speak to the Belfast Telegraph about his role as King George VI, the Queen's father, in the King's speech, where he'll be playing alongside Jennifer Ehle for the first time in 15 years. The actor confesses his apprehension on knowing that some living Royal family would see the film, and that he tried to put his political view on monarchy out of his work:

I know they [the Royal family] don't comment on such things but I was very aware
that not only would his daughter (Queen Elizabeth II) see it, but the characters
played by Geoffrey Rush had living family as well.

I think he [George VI] was enormously admirable and I had overwhelming
affection for the characters, so I hope that affection and respect came across.
I think there's something quietly heroic about him. We'll leave my own
political view out of this.

Who would want to bet that Mr Firth will be getting a second Oscar nomination next year ?

Bits of hope

Winter's nearly coming!

Yes, I know, for lots of you, readers from the North continents, winter's already there and very annoying! (The other lucky ones will have to imagine: cold, snow and chilling wind...).

But I'm talking about a very different kind of winter, a kind that includes the beautiful Jennifer Ehle wearing an auburn wig and playing the icy Catelyn Stark, lady of Winterfell and loving mother of five children.

For the past few weeks, the net has indeed rustled with some very promising signs that A Game of Thrones will soon be picked as a new HBO series. The more exciting one is an interwiew with HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo from The Hollywood Reporter, in which Lombardo tells us that

Everything looks fantastic [...] The director got great performances [...] I would be surprised if it doesn't [get green lit]. It has everything going for it.

More encouraging signs at the vital Winter is Coming blog where an extra in the pilot reveals that the agency that hired him in Belfast asked AGOT-related questions in their 2010 registration form (eg questions on skills in "horse riding, combat training and historical re-enactments"). Let's hope they're preparing for more Thrones!

While waiting for the big announcement (coming in March if all goes well), you can always participate to casting conjectures about Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, Catelyn's childhood friend, at Westeros forum - having in mind that the actor should be a smidgeon younger and shorter than Ms Ehle; or you can watch a video of the confirmed cast so far, to help visualize...

Aren't you feeling a lot warmer now ?

First's

"Il faut un début à tout!"



"There's a beginning to everything", that's what we say in France to give courage to someone new to something...so here I am, Ceci, a French girl who'll assist Janet in pleasing every fan of the great actress we all love. Please accept all my apologies in advance if some language mistakes should worm their way into my posts, for English is not my native language...but I'll try and be alert!



Back to the essentials, this week is a particular one for Jennifer Ehle as well, for the previews of Mr & Mrs Fitch have started and, with them, the first reactions of the audience. Readers, prepare yourselves for some controversy, for, if the general impression is so far favourable - especially concerning the two actors performance - the play in itself arouses more contrasted opinions.



Rachel from the Opiniatedbitch offers us an extensive and interesting review, and reckons that:

In a play that only features two characters, it's imperative that the
two actors cast are able to carry the entire performance. Luckily for Mr
& Mrs Fitch, John Lithgow and Jennifer Ehle are. [...] While the
set and the actors are stellar, Mr & Mrs Fitch falls a little
flat with the play itself...

Read the entire review if you want to know more about the reasons for this judgement, but be aware of the many spoilers it contains.



Shorter reviews and opinions will be found at Goldstar and BroadwayWorld, where pros-cons discussions go on nicely. I particularly liked Paul's one, who mentioned that, given the nature of the play - two arrogant gossip columnists threatened in their jobs and willing to do anything to stay in the game - "if you disliked the characters, it's all the more reason the play was brilliant". Indeed !



In occasions such as these, the only sound advice to give would be to go see the play and judge by yourselves - good news is that NYC & Company offers on the house 2 tickets for 1, and that Mr and Mrs Fitch is on the programme! The offer is valid from the 8th to the 28th of February, so don't wait too much! As Director Scott Ellis said himself in an AmericanTheatreWing interview, it's a rare opportunity to see Jennifer Ehle's great skills in comedy...



Last but not least, congratulations to John Lithgow for his Golden Globe won thanks to his performance in Dexter. The great man has accepted to answer fan questions, but you have until tomorrow (8th of February) to submit yours, so don't take too much time...



Another congratulation to Colin Firth for his nomination to the Oscar 2010 as best actor for his performance in A Single Man. The least we can say is that Ms Ehle knows how to choose her co-workers!

Curtain up!

Today is January 26, 2010 and the time in New York City is 6:03 p.m. as I type this. In 57 minutes, the first preview performance of MR. & MRS. FITCH is due to begin. John Lithgow and our own beautiful and talented JENNIFER EHLE make up the two-person cast. It marks her return to live theater since her Tony award-winning performance in The Coast of Utopia nearly three years ago.


More about the Fitches, the Starks, and the Logues to follow since I now trust I can get my letterbetweenEandG'd up and twisted self back in line.



Lordy, Lordy
A (Very) Belated Birthday Wish for Ms Ehle.!



The X-zero ones are memorable and I hope she enjoyed hers.

Etc

• BroadwayWorld roundup of John Lithgow's tweets about Mr & Mrs Fitch. Particularly friendly:

  1/3 of FITCH staged in a 5 hour rehearsal. Jennifer E. is fast, smart, and fabulous, Scott Ellis terrific. This is going to be some fun.

• Follow Mr Lithgow and Second Stage (also on Facebook).
  

• Previews start Jan 26th. BWW readers note that there's a discount available from Theatermania, at $49. There are $30 tix for youth (under 30s) and $15 student rush tix.
• There was a YouTube video of the photo shoot for Mr & Mrs Fitch, now deleted. The pic below is from the Second Stage site.
  
• A few screenshots I don't recognise on Flickr. Probably The Russell Girl?
• Also at Flickr are two batches of set photos from The King's Speech at the Pullens Estate. There are even a couple of videos, one of a Geoff Rush scene. More photos seen at Facebook.
  
• The movie is said to be in post-production, according to IMDB. There are a couple of posts on the message boards about filming at Buckingham Palace and Ely Cathedral. An extra posts a few shots of costumes and such on her blog, The Virtue of Style.
• Never too soon for the O-bomb...
  

  Analysis: The most obvious chance for Oscar glory next year for the Weinstein Company, this British/Australian co-production has a simply superb pedigree of talent involved combined with a story rarely heard about that should ensure something hopefully remarkable.

  The teaming of Rush and Firth in any film is exciting enough, but with supporting talent in historical roles like Guy Pearce as the abdicating Edward VIII, Helena Bonham Carter as a young Elizabeth II, Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill, not to mention greats like Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon - it's downright pants-wetting.

• And seconded:

  Colin Firth is so hot right now — and Oscar bound — in “A Single Man.” Add all that to Geoffrey Rush and very hot HBO director Tom Hooper (”John Adams”) and we may have a new “Shakespeare in Love” next fall. Woefully underused Jennifer Ehle, plus Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, and Michael Gambon round out this cast. If this isn’t an Oscar nominee, I don’t know what it is.

• For a great collection of news and photos, check out Firth.com's page on King's Speech. Some quotage from The Man. Example.
• Some pro-con discussion of Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn at the ASOIAF forums.
  

Thanks for tagboard tips. & belatedly...