REVIEW: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt Do Their Best With Uneven Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Although its set in the present, the characters in Lasse Hallstrms Salmon Fishing in the Yemen seem to have been imported from a different time. The good ones behave in a courtly manner and speak in dignified tones and the rascals twinkle and flounce. Often the effect of Simon Beaufoys script (adapted from Paul Tordays 2007 novel) is refreshing, due in no small part to the congenital irresistibility of the actors speaking his lines -- Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas. Its when the adorably priggish Cary Grant type is accused of having Aspergers by his plucky but labile future love interest and the benevolent Sheik bankrolling the duos wacky experiment is nearly assassinated by Yemeni jihadists that things get to feel a little pear-shaped. Things open on a sprightly note: Harriet (Blunt), the attach to a wealthy Arab Sheik (Amr Waked), taps off an email to Dr. Alfred Jones (McGregor), a fisheries scientist with a government job, about the Sheiks desire to fill the Yemen River with North Atlantic salmon. Whatever the Sheik wants the Sheik gets, although his reasons are never really clear -- or convincing, anyway. Although all the salmon fishing any man could want is available at his English estate, we are supposed to believe the Sheik has a vision of bringing two worlds together. This is all British diplomatic relations guru Patricia Maxwell (Scott Thomas) needs to hear. After a decade of war in the Middle East, the Sheiks plan looks like a human interest oasis in a PR desert. Freds not having it, of course. Freds not having much of anything, including his awful wife (Rachel Stirling). Although McGregor is novel as the endearing but highly repressed nerd, his scenes with Stirling -- who treats Fred like a pet who has outlived his welcome -- are the only ones in which he feels a little miscast. Middle aged and stagnant is not a look McGregor can pull off quite yet; even his most consternated furrow feels a beat away from that wolfy grin. Hes more natural with a fellow ingnue like Blunt, and their scenes together are charming enough to give the story and its sleepy, slightly TV movie-ish pacing that something extra. Fifty million pounds and a weekend seduction at his sprawling estate convince Fred to help the Sheik with his idea, and the rest of the film involves the trio working together to stock a desert river with salmon and see if theyll swim upstream. Even if you dont think this seems like a horrible idea in every possible way, its tough to get too excited: Hallstrm is like a human shock absorber, and that smoothness is reflected in every emotionally airbrushed moment, whether Blunt is mourning for her new boyfriend (Tom Mison) -- who disappears mysteriously after being deployed to Afghanistan -- or those angry terrorists who seem to have escaped from another movie are trying to pop off our handsome Magic Arab. When the recessive style works with the characters and the kooky international-incident story, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen has an absorbing, old-fashioned sweetness. The crackle of Scott Thomass performance -- rarely has someone had more fun sayingahhhh-sss -- cuts the breathless tension developing between Fred and Mary, and the exotic settings are just fabulous enough to sweep you away. But when the blend of classic and hyper-contemporary are not working together they are working against each other, making for some pretty jarring tonal lurches. We see Muslim men praying several times throughout the film, and when the script finally pauses to address it, the general wistful tone feels disingenuous: I dont know anyone who goes to church anymore, Fred says in wonderment. On Sundays we go to Target. I imagine in the fullness of the novel a line like that has the resonance of context and perhaps even self-satire. In this often perilously simplistic film it just comes off as dopey. Its too bad Blunt and McGregor have to compete with the flimsy conceit holding the story together. They make a lovely couple, even buried behind a heightened writerly style and the awkward persistence of those cliff-scrambling extremists. Surely theres a sympathetic Sheik out there with fifty million to drop on a second go around? Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

Summit To Premiere Twilight Trailer In Theaters In Front Of Hunger Games

It’s another illustration of the synergy between Summit and Lionsgate following the two grew to become one out of The month of january. It merges certainly one of Hollywood’s greatest teen-centered movie franchises using what Lionsgate hopes is definitely an a great deal larger deal. Here’s today’s release: Santa Monica, CA, March 8, 2012 – Summit Entertainment’s long awaited THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING Beginning – PART 2 will debut a teaser trailer in theaters with Lionsgate’s THE HUNGER GAMES on March 23, 2012. The following and final chapter within the TWILIGHT SAGA, THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING Beginning – PART 2 will get to cinemas on November 16, 2012. Academy Award champion Bill Condon directed both the foremost and second area of the two-part finale starring Billy Burke, Taylor Lautner and Rachelle Lefervre. The project,in line with the 4th novel in author Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series, was compiled by Melissa Rosenberg with Wyck Godfrey, Karen Rosenfelt and Stephenie Meyer creating. Related: The Hunger Games Doing Twilight Saga-Large Online Advance Ticket Sales Sneak Look At ‘Twilight: Breaking Beginning Part 2′

Byrne, Faris join 'I Provide a Year' cast

Faris Byrne Top comediennes Rose Byrne ("Bridesmaids") and Anna Faris ("The Dictator") are going to join Rafe Spall and Simon Baker in Working Title's romantic comedy "I Provide annually.InchSerta Mazer is writing and pointing the pic, which follows a mismatched couple because they find it difficult to survive their newbie of marriage. Byrne and Spall ("Prometheus") will have the husband and wife in the centre from the story, while Faris and Baker ("Margin Call") will have strong supporting figures.Working Title principals Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce with Kris Thykier, while Liza Chasin and Debra Hayward will professional produce. Canal Plus is fully financing the film, that is skedded to begin shooting this spring working in london.Byrne is originating off key supporting roles in three of last year's greatest moneymakers -- Universal's comeyd "Bridesmaids," twentieth century Fox's super hero pic "X-Males: Top ClassInch and Film District's horror hit "Insidious." Aussie thesp next stars as Bradley Cooper's wife in Derek Cianfrance's crime drama "The Area Past the Pines."Faris is originating off starring roles in 2 2011 comedies "Take Me Home Tonight" and "What's Your Number?," the second which she also professional created. Thesp will quickly be viewed alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in Paramount's laffer "The Dictator," too as with Relativity Media's omnibus comedy "Movie 43."CAA reps both Byrne and Faris, who's also repped by Anonymous Content and attorney Robert Offer. Byrne is repped around australia by RGM Artist Group. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com

ATCA's Steinberg New Play Award Final contestants Introduced

ATCA's Steinberg New Play Award Final contestants Created By Daniel Lehman February 29, 2012 The American Theatre Experts Association (ATCA) has selected six final contestants for your Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Experts Association New Play Award, which recognizes the most effective scripts that opened up properly outdoors NY City this season. The honours is going to be provided on Saturday, March 31 at Stars Theatre of Louisville through the Humana Festival of latest American Plays.The six final contestants are "Annapurna" by Sharr White-colored, which opened up in November within the Miracle Theatre in San Francisco Bay Area "Edith Can Shoot Things striking Them" having a. Rey Pamatmat, which opened up within the Humana Festival last spring "Round the Spectrum" by Ken LaZebnik, which opened up November 12 at Mixed Blood stream Theatre in Ontario "Pilgrims Musa and Sheri inside the " " New World " "" by Yussef El Guindi, which opened up in June at ACT Repertory in Dallas "A Twist waterInch by Caitlin Montanye Parrish, which opened up in February within the Route 66 Theatre in Chicago and "Water with the Spoonful" by Quiara Alegria Hudes, which was first produced in October by Hartford Stage.The most effective award can be a $25,000 prize. Two runners-up can get citations of $7,500 each, plus commemorative plaques. This really is really the greatest national new play award available, with honours gathering $40,000.All six of those final contestants were selected from 27 qualified scripts published by ATCA people. They were examined having a committee of 12 theater experts, chaired by Wm. F. Hirschman, FloridaTheaterOnStage.com, and including David Sheward, special sections editor and theater critic for Back Stage. Other committee people include Misha Berson, Dallas Occasions Bruce Burgun, Bloomington Herald Occasions (Ind.) Michael Elkin, Jewish Exponent (Pa.) Pam Harbaugh, Florida Today (Melbourne) Elizabeth Keill, Independent Press (Morristown, N.J.) Jerry Kraft, aislesay.com (Port Angeles, Clean.) Julius Novick, freelance writer (NY City) Wendy Parker, The Village Mill (Midlothian, Virtual assistant.) Plant Simpson, totaltheater.com and capitalcriticscircle.com (Geneseo, N.Y.) and Tim Treanor, Electricity Theater Scene (Washington, D.C.)."Despite vanishing government support and decreasing donations, America's regional theaters have persevered and won as this country's prominent crucible for vibrant and important new works," Hirschman mentioned. "The recommended plays encompass a dizzyingly wide array of styles and designs, produced having a cadre of experienced and novice playwrights that are inarguable proof that theater remains an important and relevant talent nowadays.InchBecause 1977, ATCA has honored new plays produced at regional theaters outdoors NY City. No play is qualified whether or not this went onto a NY production within the award year. Since 2000, the award remains funded with the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, which was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg regarding themselves and also the late wife to assist American theater.Past honorees of ATCA's New Play Award have incorporated Lanford Wilson, August Wilson, Arthur Burns, Jesse Margulies, Lynn Nottage, and Moises Kaufman. ATCA is also certainly the M. Elizabeth Osborn Award, adoring emerging playwrights, that is because of the completely new Play Award on March 31. To find out more in regards to the American Theatre Experts Association, visit internet.americantheatrecritics.org. ATCA's Steinberg New Play Award Final contestants Created By Daniel Lehman February 29, 2012 The American Theatre Experts Association (ATCA) has selected six final contestants for your Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Experts Association New Play Award, which recognizes the most effective scripts that opened up properly outdoors NY City this season. The honours is going to be provided on Saturday, March 31 at Stars Theatre of Louisville through the Humana Festival of latest American Plays.The six final contestants are "Annapurna" by Sharr White-colored, which opened up in November within the Miracle Theatre in San Francisco Bay Area "Edith Can Shoot Things striking Them" having a. Rey Pamatmat, which opened up within the Humana Festival last spring "Round the Spectrum" by Ken LaZebnik, which opened up November 12 at Mixed Blood stream Theatre in Ontario "Pilgrims Musa and Sheri inside the " " New World " "" by Yussef El Guindi, which opened up in June at ACT Repertory in Dallas "A Twist waterInch by Caitlin Montanye Parrish, which opened up in February within the Route 66 Theatre in Chicago and "Water with the Spoonful" by Quiara Alegria Hudes, which was first produced in October by Hartford Stage.The most effective award can be a $25,000 prize. Two runners-up can get citations of $7,500 each, plus commemorative plaques. This really is really the greatest national new play award available, with honours gathering $40,000.All six of those final contestants were selected from 27 qualified scripts published by ATCA people. They were examined having a committee of 12 theater experts, chaired by Wm. F. Hirschman, FloridaTheaterOnStage.com, and including David Sheward, special sections editor and theater critic for Back Stage. Other committee people include Misha Berson, Dallas Occasions Bruce Burgun, Bloomington Herald Occasions (Ind.) Michael Elkin, Jewish Exponent (Pa.) Pam Harbaugh, Florida Today (Melbourne) Elizabeth Keill, Independent Press (Morristown, N.J.) Jerry Kraft, aislesay.com (Port Angeles, Clean.) Julius Novick, freelance writer (NY City) Wendy Parker, The Village Mill (Midlothian, Virtual assistant.) Plant Simpson, totaltheater.com and capitalcriticscircle.com (Geneseo, N.Y.) and Tim Treanor, Electricity Theater Scene (Washington, D.C.)."Despite vanishing government support and decreasing donations, America's regional theaters have persevered and won as this country's prominent crucible for vibrant and important new works," Hirschman mentioned. "The recommended plays encompass a dizzyingly quantity of styles and designs, produced having a cadre of experienced and novice playwrights that are inarguable proof that theater remains an essential and relevant talent nowadays.InchBecause 1977, ATCA has honored new plays produced at regional theaters outdoors NY City. No play is qualified whether or not this went onto a NY production within the award year. Since 2000, the award remains funded with the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, which was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg regarding themselves and also the late wife to assist American theater.Past honorees of ATCA's New Play Award have incorporated Lanford Wilson, August Wilson, Arthur Burns, Jesse Margulies, Lynn Nottage, and Moises Kaufman. ATCA is also certainly the M. Elizabeth Osborn Award, adoring emerging playwrights, that is because of the completely new Play Award on March 31. To find out more in regards to the American Theatre Experts Association, visit internet.americantheatrecritics.org.

Universal Stays With 28-Day Delay In New Disc Rental Deal With Redbox

Seems like Warner Bros lost a potential ally within the effort to double waiting period for Redbox to secure Digital video disks and Blu-ray dvd disks. Universal Art galleries Home Cinema and Redbox mentioned today they’ve made the decision to carry on their current sales arrangement — which requires Redbox to attend 4 days after Universal’s new releases continue purchase elsewhere — through August 2014. Incorporated within the agreement, Redbox’s parent, Coinstar, has guaranteed around $10M of the revenue talking about persistence for Universal, the business mentioned inside an SEC filing.The completely new agreement “represents victory for clients, Universal and Redbox,” the kiosk company’s SVP Galen Cruz states. It takes some pressure from his company: It's begunto buy Warner Bros dvd disks from retailers, instead of in the studio, following a entertainment company was adament that Redbox wait 56 days to secure new releases. Redbox saidit was ready to undergo the identical pricey and sophisticated process for Universal’s videos if itmade the identical demand. Nevertheless the workaround may have become “far harder to deal with” for multiple art galleries, Wedbush Securites analyst Michael Pachter mentioned yesterday in the report. Within The month of the month of january, Netflix recognized Warner Bros’ terms while using 56-day delay.

PHOTO GALLERY: Oscars Red-colored-colored Carpet

Duncan Stewart, director of casting at National Artists Management Company, talks about opening every submission and what he desires to see in the headshot. casting Duncan Stewart headshot NY city open distribution Duncan Steward, director of casting, talks about what he wants from an actress in the general meeting, mainly truth, likability, and inadequate ego. advice casting Duncan Stewart NY city tips Duncan Stewart, director of casting, talks about what he needs from an audition and customary mistakes stars make. advice auditions casting Duncan Stewart NY city Alaine Alldaffer reduces the particular role from the casting direcor. Alaine Alldaffer casting casting director Grey Gardens play stage theater Casting director Alaine Alldaffer talks about casting "Saved" and many types of misconceptions about just as one actor in NY City. Alaine Alldaffer casting director New you are able to city theatre play saved NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes what stars need to know before walking into an audition. (Part a few) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about concentrating on cleaning cleaning soap operas. (Part 1 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning cleaning soap opera NY casting director Bernie Telsey describes the best way to give your better audition. (Part 2 of two) Bernie Telsey casting director We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about concentrating on cleaning cleaning soap operas. Just have beautiful people apply? (Part 2 of three) General Hospital Mark Teshner cleaning cleaning soap opera We spoken with casting director Mark Teschner about who audition to clean cleaning soap operas. (Part 3 of three) General Hospital Mark Teschner cleaning cleaning soap opera Videos for your Back Stage News & Features section.

Excitement Over Precision = Answer to Oscar-Nommed Seem of Drive

Drive seem editor Lon Bender, up for that Oscar from the Girl using the Dragon Tattoo, Hugo, Transformers: Dark from the Moon, and War Equine, on director Nicolas Refn's unusual seem demands: Within the seem world, there frequently is really a tendency to wish, a minimum of for such things as vehicle chases, guns or weapons, to make use of sounds from the real weapons or even the real cars. However when I visited Nic to discuss vehicle engines and also the specificity from the type of cars these were, he stated, I dont actually have a motorists license and Ive never driven a vehicle. I dont care the things they seem like! They have to seem exciting. [NYT]