Screen Legend, Greta Garbo to be Portrayed By Carice van Houten!

Greta Garbo, left and Carice van Houten, right

Amsterdam, NL—Let me begin by confessing my fascination for beautiful elegant European women.  They know how just to dress, walk, talk, flirt and dazzle my imagination.   I was first exposed to them when I was drafted into the Army and sent to Germany long ago.  They still ring my bell today more than ever.

Legendary Swedish film siren Greta Garbo was the epitome of glamour, grace and sexy hot.  She was a natural for films that are still shown today.  A few years ago I discovered a woman with all of Garbo’s attributes when I saw Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film Black Book.  The female lead was Dutch actress, Carice van Houten.  In Black Book she sang, danced, swam, and acted in four languages in the World War Two thriller. 

I instantly fell in love with van Houten’s talent.  I also know that van Houten is destined to begin gathering Academy Awards as she has scooped up five of Holland’s coveted Golden Calf statutes.  She needs to be cast in more American films.

Van Houten has Garbo’s magnetism, charm and an amazing resemblance too.  That mixed with incredible acting chops and a gift for emulating several dialects makes van Houten perfect for being cast as the film icon. 

Screen International broke the story that van Houten is set to play Garbo in a biopic that she will also co-produce.   I don’t know enough about the film and the others being cast yet but know the bar will be set high.  I only wish I could land even a small a role in the film myself.  I know this will be a box office smash and bring van Houten to Hollywood’s most special red carpet.

I will borrow a published quote from van Houten; “I was raised with silent films. I have always maintained an endless fascination for that era,’ Van Houten told the magazine. ‘I am strongly drawn to her story, her art, her loneliness and her beautiful complex structure.’

Van Houten is best known in the USA for her roles in Valkyrie, Repo Men and Black Book and can currently be seen as Melisandre in HBO television series Game of Thrones.   

Les Miserables Will Own The Oscars!

Los Angeles, CA—Okay, I’m a fan of the musical play having seen it three times and because I own the original London and Broadway cast CDs.  I’m jaded and skeptical that a filmmaker could do justice this this project.

I saw it yesterday and I have one word to describe the singing, acting, costumes, set, direction and cinematography.  Wow is that word!

Victor Hugo wrote about the plight of his rich characters during the period of an insurrection preceding the French Revolution.   The French Government back then was oppressive, out-of-control and conditions were harsh.   Hugo’s novel became so popular during our own Civil War  an incredible amount of Confederate troops carried copies of the best seller in their saddlebags and the the Union troops called them Lee’s Miserables.

The storyline is about so many heartbreaking events with conflicts everywhere.  Cameron Macintosh and Alain Boublil along with their talented associates have been making an absolute well earned fortune with the play and merchandising for over a quarter of a century.  The movie will be the undisputed King of all Plays brought to the silver screen.

If you plan on attending, bring a big box of tissues.  I saw plenty of men sniffling in the theater.  

The trailer below cannot convey what the film will do to your soul.

Les Miserables, the Musical is coming to the Big Screen!

Los Angeles, CA—Les Miserables is a book written by the late Victor Hugo. This classic novel was published during our own Civil War.  It’s about 19 years of events and a political climate that ended in an insurrection in in France in 1832.   The story unfolds around, a man Jean Valjean who burglarized a bakery for a loaf of bread.
Times were tough for this man who was arrested and imprisoned at hard labor.  His five-year sentence was lengthened considerably after numerous failed escape attempts. Valjean is finally released and briefly returns to crime breaking parole.

Soon Valjean sees the error of his ways and established a new identity and undergoes a dramatic change for the better managing to become a wealthy manufacturer and benevolent town mayor. 

Along the way Valjean winds up with a victimized and orphaned little girl, Cozette to care for and to raise as his own.  In the middle of this mess a revolution is going on and all Hell breaks loose.

All the while, the dedicated policeman, Javert, is relentlessly hunting down Valjean like a rat.  Valjean is discovered after an accident. 

There is a cast of rich characters with their own tragic tales that all unfold in this sad story.  It is a literary masterpiece that has been retold many times in film and in the theater.

In 1985, producer Cameron Mackintosh along with director Trevor Nunn and John Caird adapted the story into a terrific and wildly successful musical.  Claude-Michel Schönberg composed the music, and Alain Boublil wrote the libretto.

Now this musical has been adapted for the silver screen.  Okay, they now managed to have me spellbound and waiting with major excitement to see the film that is set for release this Christmas.  Needless to say they have an all-star cast.   Now, if I can only manage to get invited to the premier of the film…

The cast:

Les Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean

Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert

Anne Hathaway as Fantine

Amanda Seyfried as Cosette

Eddie Medmayne as Marius Pontmercy

Samantha Banks as Eponine

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter, as Monsieur and Madame Thendardier!