Better late than never. Apparently.

Greetings all, former Blogger #2 here. Just popping back to give a somewhat later than planned final wave.

How on earth it is 2.5 years since I entered the world of Jerryatricism, I'll never know. However, I don't wish to cause any boredom-induced comas, so I'll skip the month-by-month analysis and simply ponder the first four words that come to my mind when I think of the whole experience.

Utopia.
Impact.
Squee.
Ahh.

Utopia, noun 1 Shortened name of the monumental trilogy by Sir Tom, featuring a bunch of characters ending in -ev and -sky. Performed to (mostly) critical acclaim in New York from 2006-7. 2 Shortened name of the first straight play I ever saw. The cause of a temporary case of impecuniousness and a permanent case of the theatre bug. Can, when uttered now, bring about lengthy bouts of New York-related daydreaming featuring a Place de la Concorde replica and a revolving chair.

Utopia is, undoubtedly, my salient memory of the blogging experience, a fact perhaps unsurprising given its glorious domination of the news arena, and the fact that my bedroom wall sits around a Utopia poster. I saw it six times, adored it, and always will adore it, as I'm sure all of us who had the privilege of seeing it will. Two years on, entirely random quotes such as 'Worms the philosopher?' 'No, just worms', still punctuate my days and I wonder how long my mind will continue to conjure up the image of a Utopian peasant on hearing the word 'surf'.

For introducing me to the phenomenal world of live theatre, and for providing me with some once in a lifetime memories (March 14 2007, cough cough), I would like to say a marathon-sized thank you to the Utopian collective. Their performances, and the theatre-related experiences they inspired, raised my little year abroad from the category of a B to that of an A+++, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Impact, noun 1 A strong effect or impression. 2 Pleasant and far-reaching shock waves that can pervade every facet of life after becoming a Jerryatric.

From taking a part-time job solely to fund Utopia trips, to giving me the passion and umph to have a shot at amateur theatre (whilst consenting to wear an - and I quote - 'unusual' costume), the personal ramifications of being involved in this little machine, both direct and indirect, have been surprising, delightful and seemingly endless.

It has improved my writing. It has taught me that you can't have too much news, but can have too many exclamation marks when reporting it. It has put phrases as simple as 'curtain call' and as woah-sounding as 'intelligentsia' into my previously pitiful vocabulary. It has put Isaiah Berlin on my bookshelf and Herzen on my to-read list. It has led to me spending six hours watching and rewatching The Real Thing in a New York library, and six months doing a study of a 1960s theatrical avant-gardist. It has acquainted me with the fabulous resources that are Charlie Rose interviews, Woman's Hour discussions and ATW seminars - all now cherished staples of my cultural diet. It has also dramatically expanded my knowledge of chickens and has brought the number of flowers I am safely able to identify in the garden up to a grand total of two (I already knew rose).

It has also given me a group of friends from all over the world. One of them, who stayed with me last year, was without a doubt one of the most impressive, inspirational and clued-up people I've ever met. Chelsea, I will never forget how terribly we navigated the Tower of London and how happily we discussed life over a curiously delicious walnut liqueur.

Another made me cry with laughter more than I ever thought possible and graciously put a roof over my head for Utopia trips among many other generosities. Kerry, I will never forget how you carried my luggage around most of Manhattan and how I sat on the floor of Grand Central for an hour longer than was necessary, simply because your stories were so side-splitting I didn't want to move.

Squee, noun 1 A noise and/or action, often manifested between two or more Jerryatrics as an expression of extreme Jerry-related excitement. verb 2 To perform this noise or action.

As the better half of Spheir has already mentioned, we were very fortunate to have so many sufficiently exciting moments to deal with in our time on the blog as to make squeeing a regular feature of these quarters. I want to thank the lady herself, and her brilliance, for being the cause of so many of these (Tony Tony, cough cough) as well as for the truckload of infinitely rewatchable gems that her awe-inspiring career has given relatively intelligent (albeit slightly insane) people like us.

Ahh, noise 1 A vocalised expression of either sadness and disappointment, or anger and frustration - in the latter case often followed by a profanity. Often aired as an instantaneous reaction to an unwelcome discovery.

Like when Blogger decides to undo all your sp aci ng correct ions. Or when you discover that the 'unusual' costume is a green, tassled monstrosity that claims to be a dress, but looks like it once adorned the windows of a dodgy bedsit.

It is also what the mother of this site must have articulated when she first saw the cringeworthy word-vomit I had inflicted on her beautiful creation during my first weeks as a blogger. Tina, a mahoosive thank you for taking me on, but more importantly, for keeping me on in spite of said word-vomit. You have been amazing and have redefined the concept of intelligence for me, taking it to a realm far above my head, although I hope one day to get a bit nearer to it. At least to be able to reach it with the aid of a large stick.

Referring to the first little bit of the definition, an ahh is also what I gave on realising it was my time at last to jump (safely) from the blogly ship. However, after three months of watching it from a passing canoe, I can say that retirement has been far more enjoyable than expected. This is not least due to the competency of the new captain. She has done a marvellous job when at the equivalent stage, I was still trying to turn on the computer. Janet, thank you for accepting the challenge all by yourself. Your posts - both Blogly and Forumly - are a joy to read and I can't deny it's a relief to know that we passed Tez's mind-boggling creation to someone who is able to tend it with the skill and devotion of a prize-winning apiarist.

Last but most definitely not least, for considerably reducing the number of stress-induced ahhs inherent in this little job, I want to thank my magnificent former partner. The staggering amount of donkey work she took on, combined with her unfailing support inside the job and out of it, made the good times the most wonderful hoots, while reducing the less good times to insignificant blips. Kate, thank you to infinity for two incredible years and for your life-enhancing friendship. Meeting you in person for the first time this week has been, to quote Richard Curtis, surreal but nice. Mind-bogglingly amazing in fact.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen...do svidaniya!

Exit, pursued by a bee

News and Miscellany

Excitingly, Moviefone.com has included Jennifer Ehle in the cast list of The Greatest, further corroborating what we learned from Entertainment Weekly and Variety this past week (see previous post). Though JE-centric information is still nearly impossible to come by, Femail has a nice interview with Pierce Brosnan about the film and The New York Daily News has interviewed Susan Sarandon. Also, here is a link to the May 18, 2008 article from Variety which first announced the movie and reported that filming would begin in the summer ('08) on the East Coast.

In other news, we are only days away from Pride and Glory's release on DVD. Blu-ray.com has a lengthy and detailed review from Kenneth Brown, part of which is definitely worth repeating here:

[...] Moreover, the actresses featured in the film -- Jennifer Ehle (playing Francis Jr's terminally-ill wife), Lake Bell (as Jimmy's suspicious wife and the Tierney's only daughter), Carmen Ejogo (as Ray's weary ex-wife), and Leslie Denniston (as the boys' faithful but knowing mother) -- that hold the film together and give the scenes that take place at their respective homes resonance and credibility. Sure, they only pop up for minutes at a time, but they give the male characters legitimate anchor points that define their every decision and motivation. In fact, anyone who wants to shrug off the film as entirely cumbersome or cliche need only refer to the heartbreaking scenes between Ehle and Emmerich to see exactly why this familial cop-drama is a substantial step above the average junk littering the genre. [...]

The article also includes this lovely screencap, much to our benefit. Somewhat echoing Brown's sentiments is Katherine Monk of the Calgary Herald, who declares:

[...] Despite being laden with cop movie cliches, this Gavin O'Connor drama is so earnest, and so desperate to be grounded in some believable reality, he finds traction on the shoulders of the supporting characters such as Jon Voight, who is brilliant as the alcoholic dad, as well as Jennifer Ehle, who draws the moral sword as a mother and wife dying of breast cancer. [...]

Another review at DVD Town includes a description of the special features, while the review at The Philadelphia Inquirer is very short and sweet:

Pride and Glory, which is due out Tuesday from Warner ($28.98 DVD, $35.99 Blu-ray, rated R), is arguably one of the best police thrillers of the decade. A tense, violent meditation on police corruption and brutality, it features scorching performances by Edward Norton and Colin Farrell.

Miscellaneous

• Interestingly, Roger Friedman of FoxNews recommends Jennifer Ehle for the part of Maid Marian in the upcoming film Nottingham. Filming will supposedly begin in March of this year. (Too bad Ms Ehle will be more happily engaged during that time.)
  
  
• Charles Isherwood's review of Oscar and the Pink Lady was published in The New York Times on Friday, and though he was not impressed by the play itself, he unsurprisingly found many things to commend about Rosemary Harris' standout performance:

  [...] An actor of formidable intelligence, refinement and warmth, Ms. Harris has a shelf of well-deserved awards and a long and distinguished history of stage work. She is among a small handful of performers who could induce me to endure a play about a dying child writing letters to God. (Did I mention the dying takes place during the Christmas season?) But I’m afraid even her imposing talent, indisputably on view in this solo show, in which she instills bright life into both the title characters — the ailing boy and an Irishwoman who befriends him — could not make endurance rise to the level of enjoyment. [...] Ms. Harris’s bravura performance might well be sufficient enticement to get you to pay Oscar and friends a visit. Under the direction of Frank Dunlop she impresses with her energy, the precision of her characterizations and the nimble shifts of voice, from the rough brogue of Granny Pink to the feisty piping of Oscar. She plays numerous other roles, too, including several more sick children with funny nicknames like Bacon and Einstein and Popcorn. Her acting always has a natural glow, and boy, does that glow get a workout here. [...]

• Someone get the smelling salts! Mr Darcy is worth even more than we thought. According to The First Post:

  A portrait of actor Colin Firth as Mr Darcy (left, with Firth and Jennifer Ehle, right), which was commissioned as a prop for the BBC's 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, has fetched £12,000 at Bonhams in London, double its estimated price. The painting was accompanied by a signed letter from Firth, in which the 48-year-old star claimed Mr Darcy "has weathered better than most of us."

• Were you among the happy few who got to see Jennifer Ehle in The Coast of Utopia two years ago? Then indulge in a trip down memory lane and describe your experience to the folks at Lincoln Center, who write:

  Please share one of your most memorable experiences seeing theater at Lincoln Center in 150 words or less. A selection of these remembrances will appear in the summer issue of the Lincoln Center Theater Review's Anniversary Issue and on our website.

  Visit the Lincoln Center Theater website for more information, and thanks to Jodes for drawing our attention to this.

Ah, the first post of 2009

I hope everyone had a good time ringing in the New Year!

"My Perfect Sunday"

Last November we posted a transcript of a magazine article that a fan kindly sent to us, but we weren't able to get the actual scan to work. Since then, we've figured it out and have added it to our photo album. It's Jennifer Ehle's eloquent description of what would constitute her perfect Sunday, published by the Telegraph's Seven magazine on November 9, 2008. Enjoy!

Continuing Reviewage

What would a post be without a review of Pride and Glory?! More praise is bestowed upon Jennifer Ehle for her portrayal of Abby Tierney, this time in Spanish. From El Confidencial:

[...] Es el caso de la parte dedicada a la enfermedad de Abby, la mujer de Emmerich (buena interpretación de Jennifer Ehle), que proporciona las secuencias con más fuerza de la película. [...]

My rough (aka gringa) translation: "The parts of the movie dedicated to Abby’s illness (great interpretation by Jennifer Ehle) are the most powerful scenes in the film."

Extras

For a great read about the Bridge Project, a new classical repertory theater company, check out this recent New York Times article, which includes quotage from participants Richard Easton and Rebecca Hall as well as instigators Kevin Spacey and Sam Mendes. Go rep! Here's a teaser:

[...] Mr. Easton, who at 75 remembers when repertory still thrived beyond the opera house, found that his recent experience in “The Coast of Utopia” — the trilogy of Tom Stoppard plays that ran in rep at Lincoln Center — reminded him why the system is worth the risk and expense. “You give a more total performance in each role,” he said, “because you don’t have to spend all your expertise in either one.” [...]

At Newsday, there is also an awesome interview with Martha Plimpton, who is currently starring in the musical Pal Joey on Broadway.

Here's to a great 2009!

Postpourri

That Fine Actress

• The Independent offers an interesting take on celebrity casting in an article about David Tennant, star of the RSC's Hamlet. Here is the relevant bit:

  [...] He is a tried and tested actor and was with the RSC before becoming a television star. But let's be honest. It's pretty unlikely that the RSC would have suddenly plucked him out of the ranks of the country's actors to play Hamlet if he had not acquired a national reputation as Doctor Who. TV stardom played a big part in this casting decision. These decisions can be slightly trickier than they seem. They don't always guarantee the packed houses that Tennant's Hamlet has achieved. In 1995, just after the BBC's massively popular Pride and Prejudice, the RSC brought the screen's Elizabeth Bennet, that fine actress Jennifer Ehle, also RSC-trained, back to Stratford to star in John Vanbrugh's Restoration comedy The Relapse. It most certainly did not sell out. [...]

"Into each life some Rain must fall"

• Two more "Reader Reviews" of Before the Rains have been posted at the New York Times. While one reviewer feels that "Merchant Ivory really struck out" with this movie, the other claims, "it's an excellent film for a discerning audience." This discerning reviewer further asserts:

  Bored by gratuitous violence, far-fetched stories and insulting comedy, I found it refreshing to find a film this week that focused on beautiful cinematography, breathless settings, moral conflict, and depth of character. The dilemma created by lust and lack of judgment was expertly portrayed by Linus Roache as Henry Moores, English spice grower. Mr. Roache's role was supplemented superbly by the performance of his assistant when inner conflict is thrust upon a man because of indiscretions carried out by his boss and role model in the midst of the strict moral code of his native culture. All actors did an excellent job of bringing life to the tragic characters struggling to resolve an unresolvable situation. This is a film for an aficionado of quality.

  Note that the average Reader Rating is still 4/5 stars = woot!
  
  
• I think it's safe to say that it wasn't love at first sight for the Irish Times and Before the Rains, but on the bright side, you can read an enthusiastic account of the movie from a member of our very own fan community by visiting the Chat Extension.
  
  
• Musically speaking, there is a somewhat mixed review of the film's soundtrack at Popmatters. It starts off nicely:

  [...] With its exotic mix of ethnic sounds, tone poem pieces, and standard symphonics, what could be a tired bit of traditionalism actually comes across as exciting and quite evocative. [...]

  But ends with this assessment:

  [...] Where once we had music that dared to combine the elements of all environs, the finish (except for tracks “Coming for TK” and “End Credits") is devoid of such out of the ordinary flourishes.

Directors and Co-stars

• According to Buzz18, Santosh Sivan's latest film, the interestingly titled Tahaan - A Boy with a Grenade, starring Rahul Bose, is slated to be released in September.
  
  
• There's also an article about Linus Roache in the Knoxville News Sentinel that includes some quotage about Before the Rains:

  [...] " 'Before the Rains' was, I think, the most unique and creative experience I've ever had making a movie," says Roache, 44. "That was a small-budget movie, but it was such an extraordinary situation and circumstance with a creative-genius director and being in Kerala, India."

  . . .

  "Henry was … a pioneering spirit," says Roach by phone from New York. "He wanted it all and didn't think of the consequences and created a huge mess. That's where the drama lay.

  "I didn't realize what a great role it was till I started playing it. He's not a hero character at all. Part of the challenge was to make him human and accessible without watering him down." [...]

Reflecting on P&P

• For an engaging read on the meaning and use of mirrors in several Jane Austen movies, visit Ellen Moody's website.

Happy Olympics, everyone!

The Ides of March

Photos:

• Playbill has posted this adorable photo of Ms Ehle with Richard Easton at the unveiling of Jack O'Brien's caricature at Sardi's Restaurant. There is also a photo of Amy Irving with Tom Stoppard. (Must have been a fun mini-Utopian reunion!)
• You can also see larger versions of the photos we posted last time (courtesy of Wire Image) by going to Getty Images (search "Jennifer Ehle").

News:

• This is just hearsay at the moment, but the folks at silksoundbooks have told us that they hope to record more audiobooks with Jennifer Ehle later in the year. That would be fabulous! (If you've listened to Washington Square, pray tell us your thoughts at the forum).

Before the Rains:

• The sad news is that yesterday would have been the release date for Pride and Glory had it not been postponed until 2009. The good news is that Before the Rains is scheduled to be released in the US in May. According to Screen India:

  [...] Films with Indian themes shot on Indian locations and tinged with an international flavour are gaining cross-over acceptance. Taking the lead here is top-rated cinematographer turned director Santosh Sivan’s fifth film, Before The Rains . . . Roadside Attractions will release Before The Rains on May 9th in New York and Los Angeles and then expand over the subsequent two weeks into over twenty US cities. [...]

• India Glitz reports more of the same. Let's hope that it makes it to a theater near you and me!
• Also, there is an interview clip with director Santosh Sivan at Film Catcher (from when Before the Rains was being shown at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September '07). Apologies if this has already been posted.

DVD:

• Just a reminder that Alpha Male will be released on DVD in Region 1 format on March 18. It is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.com.
• Mole Underfield, from the livejournal realm, watched Jennifer Ehle's deleted scene on the Michael Clayton DVD:

  [...] Basically, the scene depicts the two talking shop in her apartment (apres liaison) while she prepares dinner . Although the scene is about ten minutes, Jennifer's acting is, again, top notch . . . Though it was unnecessary for the movie, the deletion of that scene was a pity. To have kept it in would have added a pinch more spice. [...]

Miscellaneous:

• NPR dedicated a piece to A Streetcar Named Desire's tragic heroine, Blanche DuBois, and there is insightful quotage from Rosemary Harris about what it is like to play the character on stage:

[...] Actress Rosemary Harris remembers one thing in particular about Blanche DuBois.

"It's the loneliest part to live through that I've ever played on the stage," she says.

Harris played Ophelia opposite Peter O'Toole in the Hamlet that inaugurated the Royal National Theatre in 1964. Summer-blockbuster fans know her as Peter Parker's Aunt May in the Spider-Man movies. She starred as Blanche in the 1973 Lincoln Center production of A Streetcar Named Desire.

"Most people, even if they're unsympathetic characters like Lady Macbeth or somebody, at least she has ... Macbeth rooting for her," Harris says. "But there is nobody rooting for Blanche. And you go through that night after night, and it begins to get to you. It's very, very lonely up there."

What saves Blanche, and makes her tragedy more bearable, says Harris, is her humor. Harris says too many people fail to see that parts of the play — especially some of the exchanges between Blanche and Stanley — are meant to be funny.

"They're very witty," she points out. "They're very funny with each other; they spar. They strike sparks off each other. And it's obviously sexual — right from the beginning, too. But it's a sexual thing with wit." [...]

• Remember that Jennifer Ehle made her theatrical debut in this production of Streetcar. See El Interview Part 1, Question 6:

My first public performance was as part of the ‘birthday party’ that passes-by in A Streetcar Named Desire. I was less than 2 years-old, but remember it —remember going across the back of the stage during one of the performances and seeing Mum in the quick-change room (that was supposed to be the bathroom where Blanche was having her bath) and her waving and smiling and putting her finger to her lips to remind me not to say her name aloud.

And I remember the feeling of all those hundreds of people sitting out there in the dark on the other side of the set. It was an awesome feeling but not a scary one; oddly comforting. [...]

• The Independent has a nice article about Tom Stoppard.
• And finally, I couldn't resist posting these worshipful words about Jennifer Ehle from a livejournaler's review of Possession:

  [...] Jennifer is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful, talented women on the face of the Earth. Her portrayal of the fictional poetess Christabel LaMotte was so surreal. It was almost if she were not made up at all! I half expected to be able to find books about her, biographies, when I searched for her name on Amazon.com. [...]

The Sugarplum Fairy

Hello everyone! If you celebrate it, Happy Christmas, if you don't, happy holidays, and if you're not on holiday...happiness I guess!

In Santa's sack of news today...

• Regarding the BC/EFA Fundraiser, the total has recently shot up, so well done! But, let's see if we can get it any higher in the three-ish days remaining - we entreat you to have a good rummage under that sofa for any loose roubles!


• Secondly, Downstage Center's interview with Jack O'Brien is now available for listening! The Utopia director talks repeatedly about his links to both Rosemary Harris and her first husband, Ellis Rabb, while Utopia discussion takes place in the last ten-ish minutes. Here are some snippets from the latter:

On the background behind his involvement in Utopia:

[...] First of all, I met with Tom Stoppard and Stockard Channing over a piece called Hapgood at Lincoln Center in the Mitzi [Newhouse Theatre]...that's when I met the great Bob Crowley and that was the first of that association between Crowley and Tom and myself...so it was assumed, when The Coast of Utopia happened, that Crowley and I would be engaged to do it - assumed by Tom and assumed by everybody except Crowley and me [...]

On the time between the two productions:

[...] Don't forget I had almost four years from the moment I saw Trevor Nunn's production at the National [Theatre] to when I went into rehearsal a year ago...it was four years of thinking, of sorting through, of meeting with Tom, of concerns, of evolving of approach, of denial, of panic, of fear, of frustration, of inadequacy...before the penny dropped [...]

On the National production and the evolving of the LCT production:

[...] Tom was writing it while Trevor was already directing it...in all deference to everyone, including Tom, I don't think they knew what the hell they had - I don't think they could; it was so big, it took the better part of three years of prep before I thought 'Oh, wait a minute - this isn't three plays, it's one three-act play, that is spread over a huge canvas; I've got to stop thinking about it in terms of its component parts and have to wrap my mind around all of it' [...]

On understanding 'difficult' plays and his slant on the 'homework beforehand' argument:

[...] I'm on the side of the audience. ... I'm not that smart. ... I'm serious. ... I don't have an a priori immediate intellectual grasp of these things... I went to see Rock 'n' Roll as an audience member...I purposely wanted to see, [could I] understand Tom's work if I don't study it? Can I do that? And you know what? Yes you can, because Tom's a great writer and he gives you what you need [...]

Like we believe that second comment Jack!

• In the auction world, eBay has a copy of Utopia signed by Tom Stoppard with a starting bid of $150. There is no picture, but the details given by the seller are as follows: 'The Coast of Utopia, Tom Stoppard, Grove Press, 2007, limited edition, one of 250 signed and numbered. Hardcover in slipcase. Still in shrink wrap. Very fine condition'. The auction ends on the 27th.


• Last but not least, JournalNow, of the Winston-Salem Journal, have surmised that 'when Santa does his thing, he’ll have lumps of coal for the naughty and sugarplums for the nice.' So they have written a piece listing all the people they think are deserving of each this year. Guess who was one of their 17 sugarplum recipients? This is what they had to say:

[A sugarplum]...to Jennifer Ehle, who grew up in Winston-Salem and is an alumna of the N.C. School of the Arts, for carrying on a family tradition by winning a Tony for her acting - and shining light on The City of the Arts in the process. [...]

Happy Christmas!

Last week for BC/EFA fundraiser!

Okay everyone, there are only SEVEN days until Ms Ehle's birthday AND our BC/EFA fundraiser comes to an end. Please think about donating in honor of Jennifer Ehle. It would be a great way to remember her birthday, and after all, 'tis the season of giving. *major guilt trip* It doesn't have to be a big donation. Every single kopeck counts!!

• Lookie, here is a poster for Pride and Glory.



• In an interview with Maura Reilly at Movies and Critics, Jon Voight had a chance to discuss Pride and Glory, however briefly:

  [...] Jon got to speak a bit about where his career path has taken him and where he’s going. His next project is Pride and Glory with Ed Norton and Colin Farrell. It is a New York City story written by Gavin O’Connor: powerful gritty police story filled with New York actors: “Took me right back to when I was in class and working in ‘A View from the Bridge’ off-Broadway and I felt back home in some sense doing that kind of stuff.” [...]

• There is more quotage from Jon Voight at ReelzChannel:

  While some dads might cringe at the prospect of having hard-partying Colin Farrell (Miami Vice, Various sex tapes) for a son-in-law, Oscar winner Jon Voight jumped at the chance. In Gavin O'Connor's (Miracle) upcoming crime drama Pride and Glory, the Midnight Cowboy star plays a New York City police chief whose daughter weds a corrupt cop played by Farrell.

  In an interview last week with ReelzChannel.com, Voight described Pride and Glory as "a morality piece" and raved about the film's all-star ensemble, which includes Edward Norton and Noah Emmerich.

  "It's got a lot of great acting performances, just wonderful performances from wall-to-wall," said Voight. "It reminded me of my days as a New York actor. I felt like I was going home in a sense, to my roots as a New York actor, playing a New York character."

  Pride and Glory opens March 14, 2008. Voight can next be seen alongside Nicolas Cage in National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which opens nationwide this Friday.

• Variety mentions Before the Rains' inclusion at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, but doesn't report anything new. But, you can visit the PSIFF site for information on how to purchase tickets. The schedule should be announced any day now.



• Here's an interesting tidbit: The Coast of Utopia director Jack O'Brien is slated to direct the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera...once it has been written. Read more about it at Playbill.



• Playbill also announces that Tom Stoppard will be speaking at an event at the San Fransisco American Conservatory Theater on January 5, 2008.

  [...] Part of the Koret Visiting Artists Series, the one-hour conversation will take place at 10 AM. Limited tickets will go on sale to the public Dec. 31 at noon.

  "I have been an A.C.T. playwright (as I like to think of it) for over three decades," said Stoppard in a release. The company has a long history with the playwright, having produced six productions (directed by artistic director Carey Perloff), including last season's Travesties and the American premieres of Indian Ink and The Invention of Love. [...]

Happy Holidays everyone!

From North Carolina to Indiana

• The above, from the NC Department of Cultural Resources, is a line-up of the aforementioned North Carolina Award recipients. I am sure you know that Ms Harris is 4th from the right. (You may also recognise 4th from the left; to see him interviewing the daughter of 4th from the right, click here and search 'Jennifer Ehle'. This interview is also available on DVD).
  
• Secondly. the Star Wars Community announce that the second volume of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones will be available on DVD from December 18. On sale in the Star Wars Shop, the $75.99 package consists of 'a nine-disc boxed set that includes eight chapters of the digitally remastered television series, plus over 25 all-new documentaries.'

Ms Ehle appeared as Empress Zita in Adventures in the Secret Service, which is the sixth disc. A trimmed-down recap of the hour and a half long disc is as follows:

[...] Indy's duties for French Intelligence continue, and now he is teamed up with the brothers Prince Sixtus and Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma. At first, Jones thinks them nothing but puffed up royalty, but they may hold the key to ending the war. In their possession is a letter from the French government, which they must get to their sister, Empress Zita. Her husband, Emperor Karl I of Austria, wishes to negotiate a peace settlement separate from Germany. If that happens, Germany would lose its major ally. So Jones must escort them into Vienna, under the careful watch of the Austrian secret police...but it turns out navigating past them might be easier then braving the treacherous waters of international diplomacy. [...]

• In other bits and bobs, Screen India have an article on the DIFF, and the George Street Playhouse Blogspot mention the January arrival of Oscar and the Pink Lady, although neither have new information. Sign on SanDiego meanwhile announce Jack O'Brien's departure from his post as Artistic Director at The Old Globe, after twenty six years. Lastly, another blogger passes comment on Possession, noting that Ms Ehle 'had this sort of ethereal, luminous quality about her' while Jeremy Northam 'was his usual hot self'. No comment!

Taking peripheral to a new level

• Firstly, the lovely Martha Plimpton is this week's Q&A subject for Broadway.com.

There is some mention of Utopia for comparative purposes:

Imogen is a big role, and The Coast of Utopia was gigantic. Is memorization of all that text an issue?

It wasn't so bad for me in Coast of Utopia. The guys had it much worse in terms of having to memorize long speeches and tons of history, much of it very abstract. There's a lot in Cymbeline to memorize, so you do your best to excavate the text so that it has internal meaning for you. It's important to have a sense of the architecture not just of the play but of the person you're playing and the individual scenes. It's much harder to learn if it isn't tied to internal meaning.

On your MySpace page, you talk about how close everyone in The Coast of Utopia grew due to the scope of the plays and the length of the run.

Utopia was special and different. That would go without saying. There was nothing like it and probably won't be again for many years. We were all extremely lucky to be a part of it. It was one of those rare instances in which the circumstances of your life get to meet up with the circumstances of your art. That never happens, believe me. And when it does, it can really be life-changing.

On awards and whether they matter:

They certainly mattered in the case of Utopia. But in another sense, they were just the cherry on top of the experience. Still, it's lovely to feel like you're being appreciated. ... All the attendant stuff around the Tonys in terms of Utopia was nice on a lot of levels—historically, and for a straight play to be recognized in such a way. The awards also meant that the cast could spend more time together.

And lastly:

During Coast of Utopia's run, you and Jennifer Ehle were hilarious together. You guys are buddies?

Yes. You thought that was calculated?

See the rest of the article for lots of other interesting questions about her current role as Imogen in Cymbeline as well as an in-costume photo.

• Ethan Hawke talks to The Independent (Eastern US, not British!) about his and Rosemary Harris' latest film, Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.

There is a slight expansion on previous info in terms of plot:

[...] As financially strapped brothers, the two plot to rob their parents' Queens, N.Y. jewelry store. ... Hoffman's overbearing character Andy can replace the embezzled funds from his employer before a scheduled audit. Hawke's weak-willed Hank can play catch-up on those late child-support payments, while mom and dad get reimbursed for their losses from the insurance company. Exacerbating the siblings' love-hate relationship is Hank's clandestine affair with Andy's trophy wife (Marisa Tomei).The perfect crime quickly turns into a colossal screw-up. The body count mounts as the vengeful family patriarch (Albert Finney) pursues justice. He's unaware the real culprits are his own sons. [...]

About the character of Hank, Hawke says:

[...] "I've never played a character that was so dumb," Ethan Hawke laughed."That's assuming that I'm smart. I'm not, but it's hard to play someone that hates himself that much. It's like a classic Greek tragedy where the protagonists always do these horrible things, unforgivable actions, but it's interesting." [...]

Lastly, the 'Actor' blog argues that mainstream theater is too intellectualised, and briefly mentions Utopia in its discussion. Gulfnews meanwhile has an article we seem to have missed regarding the DIFF and Before the Rains' involvement in it, but gives no new information.

Another peripheral post

• First, check out the slideshow of pictures of Jennifer Ehle at the Library Lions benefit at Mascha's Jennifer Ehle fansite.


• "The Other Pride and Prejudice" has just been released as a Deluxe Two-Disc DVD Gift Set (Region 1). It reportedly includes both the widescreen and full screen versions of the film as well as extras that were formerly only available on the Region 2 edition. The film has also been released as an HD DVD.


• Have you heard about the Broadway stagehands' strike, which began on November 10? Keep track of the latest developments at Playbill and BroadwayWorld. The strike has had a huge impact on NYC's economy. As Playbill explains, "Hotels, restaurants, gift shops, bars, taxis, pedicabs, even charitable organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS all depend on the lights going up eight times a week." The BC/EFA, which solicits contributions from theatergoers at this time of year, has made an official statement:
  

  Of course, the strike has had a huge affect on BC/EFA's current fundraising and grant making efforts. But we are not privy to the specifics of the negotiations between the members of The League and Local One. BC/EFA's only hope is that an agreement that is fair to the concerns of both parties is struck as soon as possible so that the members of the entire industry can get back to work as quickly as possible and audiences can fill the Broadway theatres again. With that accomplished, BC/EFA can continue to work with the entire community in its annual fundraising efforts at this most important time of the year for us, the industry and indeed all of New York City. The good fortune of Broadway Cares is tied directly to the robust artistic and commercial health of all of Broadway.

  In other words, now would be a great time to lend your support to the BC/EFA! *hint hint Every Kopeck Counts hint hint*


• For video coverage of the opening night of Rock 'n' Roll, visit BroadwayWorld and Broadway.com. There are great clips from the play as well as interviews with Tom Stoppard, Trevor Nunn, and members of the cast.


• Lastly, if you have $47 to spare and are in the market for bookends, take a look at eBay.

Randomness indeed

First, Wire Image has three super cute pictures of 3.5-year-old Jennifer Ehle with her mum, Rosemary Harris, at the after party for the Sol Hurok Gala (1973). Thank you LTC for letting us know!

For all of you who enjoy creating icons, the Janites on the James blog is currently holding an icon contest:

Send in your icons to win a copy of Lori Smith's A Walk With Jane Austen! The contest will be open until Sunday, November 4th at midnight EST USA. The rules are simple: Just send me a copy of your favorite icon/s of a Jane Austen movie hero or heroine. I will choose the top icons, from which you will get to vote for your favorite. Tell me the name of the actor or actress, and the movie. If you did not create the icon, please include the attribution.

Visit the blog for more details and see the icons that have been entered thus far.

Are you looking for the perfect Lizzy Bennet Halloween costume? Complete your ensemble with a bonnet from Austentation Regency Accessories. "Charlotte" was based on a bonnet worn by Jennifer Ehle in Pride and Prejudice.

If you're interested in learning more about the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where Jennifer Ehle attended school between 1985 and 1987, read this interview at Actors Life with David Montee, Interlochen's current Director of Theatre.

There is also an interesting interview with Tom Stoppard at Time, in which the playwright discusses his latest play, Rock 'n' Roll.

According to Playbill, Rosemary Harris' play, Oscar and the Pink Lady, resumed performances on October 25th after being cancelled on the 23rd and 24th due to the raging wildfires in California. Performances will continue through November 4th.

Speaking of Rosemary Harris, her latest movie Before the Devil Knows You're Dead opened in the US (limited release) yesterday. (See IMDB for international release dates). Screener has this to say about the film:

The film has been earning raves since its debut at the New York Film Festival, with critics crediting it for erasing the memory of Lumet's cinematic sins of the last few decades: "His touch in Before the Devil is so sure, so perfectly weighted, that it’s hard to imagine him capable of making a bad movies," writes David Edelstein. Our Rex Roberts notes the film's "unrelenting perversity" but praises Hawke and Hoffman's "mesmerizing" performances that "reinforce the filmmaker’s reputation as an actors’ director." The New Yorker's David Denby chimes in on the acting as well: "While shooting his movies, Lumet grabs his actors and shakes them into giving more and more [...] In this case, his bullying panache feels right." J. Hoberman at The Village Voice sums it up neatly: "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is less Sidney Lumet's comeback than his resurrection."

A myriad of reviews (mostly positive) can be found at Time, the International Herald Tribune, Courier Post Online, PopMatters, Film Critics Blog, Film Web Blog, and MSNBC.

Also, according to Variety.com, the nominees for the 17th Annual Gotham Awards were announced on Tuesday, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was nominated for Best Ensemble Cast. The awards will be presented at Steiner Studios in New York on Tuesday, November 27, 2007. For the official press release and a list of all the nominees, visit Variety.com.

Lizzy the cross-country runner

• YahooTV now does list Ms Ehle among the cast of The Russell Girl and lists this brief synopsis:

A woman returns to her small home town to deal with the news that she has leukemia. Once home, she literally comes face-to-face with a unresolved trauma from her past in the form of her old neighbor. Together the two women must finally confront each other and face the tragedy from years ago in order to forge a healthy future.

• David Hinkley of the New York Daily News considers Jane Austen's appeal in the twenty-first century, praising the ability of her 'chaste' and 'proper' characters to "make Dora the Explorer look like Paris Hilton." Pride and Prejudice's Andrew Davies meanwhile emphasises the physical aspect of Austen:

These are stories about young men and women at a very crucial time in their lives, when they're boiling over with hormones ...[Elizabeth Bennet] runs everywhere... And I think that running everywhere in Jane Austen is a key for being highly sexed, not having enough to do with your body.

Hinkley also mentions that more than one Pride and Prejudice musical is in the works. Slightly worrying thought indeed!

• If you are in the vicinity of NYC, Playbill announces that Tom Stoppard will be taking part in a Times Talks event on October 26. The talk is entitled Can Art Change the World? and is coinciding with Rock 'n' Roll which is on its way to Broadway. The event is taking place at TheTimesCenter, 242 West 41st Street, Friday 26 October at 6pm. Go to ticketweb.com for tickets. Variety lists the play as one of four 'tentpoles' that it thinks will hold up Broadway's 'tent' this season. Lastly on the subject of Sir Tom, Variety's Sam Thielman reviews the three-in-one show Stoppard Goes Electric, the opening of which was so packed "that the house crew had to bring in extra folding chairs." This fact prompted Mr Thielman to advise 'genius Mad Tom' that if he "has written something that he doesn't want staged - a loan application, a grocery list - he should set fire to it, and soon." Sound advice.

• BroadwayWorld announces that casting for Cymbeline at Lincoln Center is now complete. The project is involving three ex-Utopians - Martha Plimpton, Brian MacDevitt and Adam Dannheisser. Previews begin November 1 at the Vivian Beaumont theater.



• Mr Crudup meanwhile will be taking part in 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, a benefit performance to be held on October 22 at the American Airlines Theater. See Broadway.com for fascinating details of the mammoth schedule. It sounds unbelievably daunting, although Utopia marathons were surely apt preparations!

Pixie-like Plimpton and pals in the Park

• It's party time! Last Thursday was the opening night of the Delacorte's A Midsummer Night's Dream, starring ex-Utopian Martha Plimpton as Helena. Jennifer Ehle went along, and BroadwayWorld has some gorgeous photos of Ms Ehle, Ms Plimpton and an almost unrecognisably clean-shaven - and dashing, if I may say so - Jason Butler Harner! Scroll down the page and the pics are the 7th-13th ones in the list. (Thanks to the anonymous reader for the link).
  

Regarding the performance itself, Philly.com describes Ms Plimpton as 'superb', while the New York Magazine has a lovely photo of Ms Plimpton at the curtain call, plus some brief quotage relating to the apt Belvedere Castle setting:

"It's beautiful the way they've lit it up like this," Plimpton gushed, all pixielike. "It's a magical fairyland."

Journalist Justin Ravitz adds that "the misty, late-summer fête was the perfect setting to drunkenly talk about fairies, Central Park memories, romantic obsessions, performing en plein air, and iambic pentameter."

Jeremy McCarter of the same publication meanwhile argues that Helena is a part Plimpton has "long been fated to play":

[...] Plimpton gets Helena’s desperation as she chases after her beloved Demetrius, who goes to the woods seeking only Hermia. “Use me but as your spaniel,” she pleads, lovesick and funny. She also has a nice way with Helena’s speeches—the soliloquies which prove her to be more observant, more articulate, and just plain more interesting than the other lovers. [...]

Ben Brantley's opening night thoughts for the New York Times meanwhile can be found here.

• The other ex-Utopian in the news this week is the fantastic Billy Crudup, who - as Playbill announces - will be starring in the forthcoming film, Dedication:

Crudup — Tony winner of The Coast of Utopia — stars as Henry Roth, a New York children's book author who tells kids that Santa doesn't exist, and hates sleeping with anyone, including his girlfriend. He must lay on the floor, usually with heavy objects on top of him just to feel safe. His motto is, "Life is nothing but the occasional burst of laughter rising above the interminable wail of grief," according to a synopsis.

I don't know about you, but Shakespeare in Love's 'the natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster' came to my mind when I read that!

• Aside from the previously discussed relevance of the Toronto International Film Festival, The Envelope briefly discusses another Austen film that is among the TIFF's selection - The Jane Austen Book Club - starring Marc Blucas and Emily Blunt. Before you get too excited by the title however, this piece of cinema seems, according to its synopsis, much less Austen-related than the recent Becoming Jane:
  

Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

Time will tell. In the meantime, release dates can be found here.

• For our Stoppard fans and followers, here is a little discussion of the forthcoming Broadway production of Rock 'n' Roll in Newsweek:
  

No contemporary playwright riffs on history like Tom Stoppard—and the journey from the 19th-century Russian revolutionaries of "The Coast of Utopia" to "Rock 'n' Roll" has a certain logic. Set in Prague and Cambridge University, from 1968 to the Velvet Revolution 30 years later, the "Rock" characters—dissidents, protesters and professors—debate communism and the transformative power of music. Rufus Sewell, Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox from the original London cast will star in the Broadway premiere.

Just to reiterate, previews begin on October 19 at the Bernard B Jacobs Theater and the official website can be found here. Cymbeline meanwhile, starring Martha Plimpton as Imogen, starts November 1st at the Vivian Beaumont, Lincoln Center. A piece relating to the aforementioned Stoppard Goes Electric can be found here. The piece is being shown Off-Off Broadway this September, and the article includes some quotage from Sir Tom.

• The Guardian meanwhile has a loosely-related piece on the storming of a theatre in Belarus last week, in which police arrested fifty people. Tom Stoppard is mentioned due to his links with the theatre and - as CBC.ca Arts report - the fact that he was due to attend that night.
  

The British playwright Tom Stoppard, who has supported the Free Theatre for several years, told the Guardian he learned of the raid through a text message sent by one of the theatre's directors, who was detained in the Belarussian capital, Minsk. Stoppard accused the authorities of a "grotesque" attack on civil rights.

"One had hoped that the days when artists were arrested for free expression were buried with totalitarian states, but Belarus is as close to a totalitarian state as you can get in Europe," he said.

Stoppard said the performers were "unaggressive young people who just feel that the official art available to them [in Belarus] is very limited".

• Last but not least, and on a lighter note, a scandalous comment to the New York Magazine by the phenomenal Trevor Nunn, who directed the London Coast of Utopia and is also Rock 'n' Roll-ing with Sir Tom this Fall:

On not catching The Coast of Utopia here after having directed it in England:

Having seen the play about 25 times in London, I didn’t feel that I was missing out on anything—especially since Tom told me he cut it quite a bit.

One begs to differ! Although I think Sir Trevor is so utterly brilliant that we may forgive him! Just!

Film updates

A mention in an Entertainment Weekly article about Hollywood vs women, by Christine Spines.

6 Studio executives, please clip and save: Eileen Atkins. Maria Bello. Jennifer Coolidge. Frances Conroy. Penélope Cruz. Zooey Deschanel. Jennifer Ehle. Vera Farmiga. Maggie Gyllenhaal. Bryce Dallas Howard. Ashley Judd. Regina King. Lisa Kudrow. Rachel McAdams. Catherine O'Hara. Lupe Ontiveros. Tilda Swinton. Evan Rachel Wood. Michelle Yeoh.

There's not an Oscar nominee on the above list. In other words, the talent pool is deep, diverse, and appallingly underused. So stretch your imaginations, lengthen your casting lists, and, unless you're looking for red-carpet arm candy, stop worrying so much about who looks ''hot.''

A rather belated review of Macbeth at The Komisar Scoop:

The set at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park is filled with debris and metal, the detritus of destruction, a junkyard. Soldiers are in camouflage; officers show bloody wounds. The weird sisters are in modern dress and do not seem crazy.

In this Public Theater version, directed by Moises Kaufman, Liev Schreiber as Macbeth and Jennifer Ehle as his wife are more richly nuanced than the traditional cardboard power couple. Indeed, they are very sexual beings, a fact emphasized by Ehle in her slinky gowns. Lady Macbeth is manipulative, but no more neurotic than your normal wife-on-the-make, till the final breakdown.

Macbeth seems less a tyrant than a man who fervently believes in his own right and destiny to rule. Not very different from others who share that sense of their “vocation.” Of course, he’s a stand-in for Bush. The couple’s plotting to take power appears cool and calculated and could have been organized by Carl Rove.

When murdered King Malcolm’s son declares that he thinks his country is struggling “beneath a yoke,” there’s no doubt which country is meant. And when the troops pass through the real trees in Central Park to come onto the stage, it’s not hard to imagine a metaphor for a modern populace rising against repressive rule. (Or didn’t you know that the Bush administration and Congress have repealed habeas corpus?)

The Clooney Project has collated all of actor Jason Strong's blog posts about his experience shooting Michael Clayton. Here's a taste:

we were shooting the deposition scene with tom wilkinson. as we wait another ad takes our breakfast order. soon after we're called in for hair and make-up, they didn't have to do much with my hair, go figure....then back to holding for coffee, food and hanging out with the director, tony. he tells us what sparked his interest in writing this story.

the long and short of it: a huge company is fughting this civil suit for years, case is about to end when some rookie lawyer finds this document as they clean out one of the storage rooms. this document, if it becomes known, will destory the company and the firm. document never sees the light of day, and that was the first time in the history of the firm that a second-year associate ever made partner. true story.

Plus there are some positive but undetailed reports from Ferreson and Chelsea Spaulding, who got to see preview screenings of the movie.

Bollywood Online interviews Rahul Bose about Road to the Sky.

Rahul Bose who also dabbles in films like 15 Park Avenue and a fun film like Pyar Ke Side Effects is now working on an American film which is being directed by Santosh Sivan.

The film is called Road to the Sky and being produced by an American company called Echo Lake Productions along with Adirondack Pictures and Santosh Sivan Productions of India. An Israeli story has been painted in Indian colours and presented. The film is based in the pre-independence days in Kerala. “It is the story of a British planter (Linus Roache) and a Malayali boy.” The foreign producers were keen on the film being shot in South Africa or Brazil but Santosh insisted on Munnar as he felt it was one of those hill stations in Kerala that retain an old-world charm.

Bose further tells the story. “This British planter has a tea plant and he thinks of an idea by which he wants to export all the spices abroad. The idea he has is to start a spice route. I belong to the same district and am the son of the Sarpanch of a village. I am a villager, but can speak English well,” says Bose. The film also co-stars British actors Linus Roache and Jennifer Ehle. The film explores the relationship between the planter, his wife (Jennifer Ehle), his lover (Nandita Das) and his aide. Finally, Rahul’s character understands that he has to make a choice and that it is not quite possible to live in two worlds.

But Sivan was the inspiration for Bose to sign the film. “I like working with Sivan because he is a very instinctive artiste. If you get into things like rationalisation with him like asking him why a particular shot is being taken or why a particular scene is being shot, he is at a loss of words. But at the same time if you can tune into the fact that his thoughts are lateral then it’s a huge pleasure working with him,” says Bose.

Though the film is based in 1937, Rahul does not prefer calling the movie as a period film. The film has been shot in picturesque Munnar and has reached the post production stages.

The Road to Sky will premiere at film festivals and will hit the Indian marquee after a while.

Spiderman's uncle

There's a full feature on John Ehle at Journal Now about the republication of The Land Breakers and its selection for On the Page. Interesting overview of his career. Among his many claims to fame: "...Ehle enjoyed saying that he was married to Spider-Man's aunt and was Lady Macbeth's father." There's quotage from the folks at Press 53, who have a PDF of the book's first chapter and are auctioning off signed copies. There's also a $1000 essay contest for high schoolers.

Over at IMDB, a couple people reckon they spotted Jennifer Ehle in some mini-series with Celia Imrie and Steven Mackintosh and as an extra in Howard's End. Does this ring any bells? Oh, mini mention of Michael Clayton in this Scotsman interview with Tilda Swinton.

In case anyone's freaking out about not receiving all their Utopia tickets at once, word at All That Chat is that tix for each play are being mailed separately.

To round off, another Alpha Male review, by Variety's Leslie Felperin:

A rich, dysfunctional English family is torn apart when the patriarch dies suddenly and the mother remarries in the sturdy but so-so "Alpha Male." Part of a newly reinvigorated fascination in Brit drama with the lives and loves of the idle posh ( "Separate Lies," "Gosford Park," and the recent TV adaptation of "The Line of Beauty"), pic demonstrates tyro helmer Dan Wilde's skill with thesps, especially leads Danny Huston and Jennifer Ehle, but also Wilde's taste for the overwrought as a screenwriter. "Alpha" found low spot in the B.O. pecking order on its opening in Blighty on Aug. 11.

Confusingly constructed as a series of switchbacks between a contempo time frame and about 10 years ago and almost entirely set at a spacious manse and its extensive gardens somewhere in the Home Counties (the wealthy burbs bordering London), pic focuses on the Ferris family. Dad Jim (Huston) has made millions manufacturing paper cartons, and seems happily spliced to Alice (Ehle, from the 1995 BBC version of "Pride and Prejudice") although minor chords on the soundtrack suggest tensions lurking.

When home on the weekends from the city, Jim alternates between explosive bouts of temper and dramatic gestures of affection for his children, such as building a tree house for his daughter Elyssa (played first by Katie Knight as a 10-year-old and when grown up by upcomer Amelia Warner from "Aeon Flux").

Son Jack (first young Arthur Duncan, then Mark Wells from "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe") seems to have inherited his dad's temperament. When Jim dies of cancer, Jack assumes the role of the man of the family, and so takes badly to the notion of Alice remarrying gentle, bearded painter Clive (Patrick Baladi), whom she meets in a bereavement support group.

Withdrawn loner Elyssa vents her own hostility at Alice's sister Brede (Trudie Styler, also pic's producer), whom Elyssa once saw making a pass at her father.

Present-day section revolves around a lavish 21st birthday party Alice throws for Jack. At the bash, assorted home truths are uttered and betrayals come tumbling out in a rush. Even Jim puts in an appearance from beyond the grave for a mawkish moment of closure.

Dialogue shows fair grasp for the nuances of this upper-class milieu, with its frigid politesse masking roiling resentments under the surface. Dramatic balance, however, remains a problem with some character psychologies appearing too belabored (particularly Jack's) while the behavior of other characters (particularly Elyssa and Jim) remains frustratingly opaque.

Still, ensemble members make the most of what they've got, with the redoubtable Huston and Ehle, who's been seen too little recently onscreen, holding up their ends especially well. Styler too does good work here as Alice's sister.

Tech package is competent, with all departments executing pro job, although wintry, minimalist piano score by Stephern Warbeck ("Shakespeare in Love") grows increasingly tedious over the long haul.

(Variety slanguage guide)

Hold on. One more, in the Catholic Herald. You can read a snippet of it in Google Cache:

Alpha Male is the Sloaniest film I’ve seen in years. I use the word very specifically, not as a general catch-all for public-school educated Brits or toffs rampaging drunkenly around Sloane Square, but rather a particular type of attitude that still personifies Middle England. Modern Sloaniness is about the struggle between a desire to be trendy and a strong awareness of class; it is sensitivity and ambition scuppered endearingly by slight embarrassment and trying ever so slightly too hard. ...

Odds and ends

The Pittsburg Post-Gazette says that The River King will be showing on "SHO" at 7.15pm Wednesday.

Youtube music videos of Pride and Prejudice to "Nothing else matters" (Apocalyptica strings version), "She" (ta, E) and "Sacrifice".

An astrological profile- apparently she's got the same personality and character as Harry Potter.

Coast of Utopia member tix are available from 10am on Monday.

In the print edition of Total Film magazine out today there should be an Alpha Male review. The Barbican has a snippet of the 4-star review, already posted before.

A brief review of Alpha Male in the Sunday Mail:

This rather dull domestic tale follows the moody lives of a pair of spoiled little rich kids resenting their mother (Jennifer Ehle) for remarrying quickly after father Danny Huston dies. It's told in flashbacks from a 21st birthday party but the childhood sequences are cleverly done and get the mood of the bitter kids just right.

And an even briefer preview in the Guardian.

An interesting essay on The Coast of Utopia in the Oxonian Review by Brad Henderson. There's some quotage from the plays.

62% bint

That's Jennifer Ehle's rating in Bint Magazine, ahead of Cate Blanchett though Liz Taylor reigns supreme.

Best Known For:
A legion of bosoms heaved and hearts fluttered as we all wanted to be Ehle in her role as Elizabeth Bennet in Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She went on to win a BAFTA for her performance
8/10

Most bintish achievement:
She was plucked from obscurity to star in TV mini-series The Camomile Lawn and immediately got her kit off for the part
7/10

Least bintish achievement:
She was raised in America but adopted a British accent, Madonna-style
3/10

Bridget Jones quote

I'd heard that there was some reference to Jennifer Ehle in Bridget Jones' Diary but never saw it quoted until now, in this analysis by Cecilia Salber.

The difficulty in separating the real, that is, the Austenian prototype, from the imagined appears again when Bridget confronts the real life affair between the Pride and Prejudice costars Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle:

"I stumbled upon a photograph in the Standard of Darcy and Elizabeth, hideous, dressed as modern-day luvvies, draped all over each other in a meadow: she with blond Sloane hair, and linen trouser suit, he in striped polo neck and leather jacket with a rather unconvincing moustache. Apparently they are already sleeping together. That is absolutely disgusting. Feel disoriented and worried, for surely Mr. Darcy would never do anything so vain and frivolous as to be an actor and yet Mr. Darcy is an actor. Hmmm. All v. confusing."

The photo at the bottom of this page sort of fits the description.

Blog barrel

Of which we are scraping the bottom.

Random, a smidgen disrespectful.

Wilde review

Bedrooms and Hallways review

Funny freak-out about her blondeness. Read the comments too. Perhaps our subtitle should be "A fan blog with daily news and links about blondeish, Americanish, actress Jennifer Ehle." Just to warn people.

Random bits

Longbourn, Sims-style. This speaks for itself.

Autograph on eBay. "British actress" again.

This blogger would vote Ms Ehle for an Oscar. Cool.

And this French one reckons Keira Knightley was "super as Elizabeth even though nothing could make [her] forget the delicate lips of Jennifer Ehle" (translate it for yourself).