AVATAR PLUMMER - Cineplex

DECEMBER 2009VOLUME 10NUMBER 12

SNAPS: JULIA ROBERTS, JAVIER BARDEM, SHIA LABEOUF, ELLEN PAGE, LEONARDO DICAPRIOPUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40708019

INSIDEAVATAR

WITH CAMERON &WORTHINGTON

PARNASSUS STAR

CHRISTOPHERPLUMMER

TALKS HEATH LEDGER

EMILY BLUNTSTORMS THE CASTLE

Cover_Dec09:Cover_Aprilfaris 11/19/09 4:36 PM Page 1

TAXI CANADA INC495 Wellington Street WestSuite 102, TorontoON M5V 1E9T: 416 979 7001F: 416 979 7626

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TELUS Corporation, used under licence. Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2009 TELUS.

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TEL101063TA_FamousMag.indd 1 11/3/09 4:34:17 PMProcess CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess Black

Your holiday favourites are here. Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread Your holiday favourites are hereLatte and introducing Caramel Brulée Latte. So, take a breatherLatte and intro

mad rush and stop in for a warm taste of the holidays.from the mad rush

IT’S NOT JUST COFFEE. IT’S STARBUCKS.

46cover story

6 FAMOUS DECEMBER 2009

42 40 14 36

regularsEDITOR’S NOTE�8CAUGHT ON FILM�10ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF�12SPOTLIGHT�14IN THEATRES�16STYLE�54HOT PLAY�56TRIVIA�59HOROSCOPE�60FAMOUS LAST WORDS�62

featuresLAST-MINUTE SHOPPING�24From tech to toys, check out the 30 inspired gift ideas in our Holiday Gift Guide• By Marni Weisz

ALIEN TERRITORY�36Director James Cameron andstar Sam Worthington team upto make the groundbreakingsci-fi spectacle Avatar — onlythe most expensive movie evermade. And they admit all thehype could kill their movie • By Kevin Williamson

ROYAL FLUSH�40Emily Blunt talks about playingthe smitten Queen Victoria indirector Jean-Marc Vallée’s The Young Victoria• By Mathieu Chantelois

THE DOCTOR IS IN�42The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus star Christopher Plummerreveals how Heath Ledger’stragic death led to the making of a better film • By Mathieu Chantelois

Famous

HOLMES IMPROVEMENT Sherlock Holmes stars Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian supersleuth,Jude Law as his handsome sidekick Watson and Rachel McAdams as his romantic foil. Add machodirector Guy Ritchie behind the camera and you've got a rabble-rousing, buddy-buddy-buddy picthat Downey says stays true to the source material, while still kicking ass • By Kevin Williamson

DECEMBER 2009�VOLUME 10•12

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Inside

Famous

Are you looking forward to this new Robert Downey Jr.movie, C.S.I: Victorian England?

Downey plays a hardened investigator piecing together cases by examining minute scraps offorensic evidence. Jude Law plays his partner Watson, and together they use the latest 19th-centuryscientific advances to examine miniscule clues other detectives overlook. In this episode they’retrying to track down a Satanist named Lord Blackwood, and they’ll need assistance from somequestionable acquaintances, like a “woman of the night” played by Rachel McAdams.

I never really got into the other versions of C.S.I.; maybe that’s because the locales never appealed— Miami, Las Vegas, New York. Bah.

But Victorian England is so hot right now. Last month we had Jim Carrey’s A Christmas Carol, amotion-capture, 3D take on the Dickens tale that, in many ways, defines the era. Next monthVictorian England is the backdrop for Creation, which stars Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin, the manbehind the most influential scientific discovery of that age. And this month the era’s namesake, thevivacious Queen Victoria, gets her own bio-pic, The Young Victoria.

So it was only a matter of time until some filmmaker thought to combine the trendy Victorian Erawith the profession we just can’t get enough of — forensic-based detective work. In all honesty, I’msurprised no one thought of it sooner.

In “Restoring Holmes,” page 46, Downey and McAdams discuss the making of that Victoriandetective movie, which also goes by the title Sherlock Holmes.

I wasn’t joking about that Queen Victoria bio-pic. The Young Victoria really does depict thetypically dour royal as a fun-loving babe. For proof, just looking at the casting — comely 26-year-oldEmily Blunt plays the title role. In “She Rules,” page 40, Blunt insists this film is no fiction.

While The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus takes place in modern-day England, the film certainlylooks like it’s set a few centuries back. That’s director Terry Gilliam’s influence. No matter whenhis movies take place, they always look like they belong to another era, another world even. In“The Show Must Go On,” page 42, Christopher Plummer, who plays the film’s titular doctor,discusses Gilliam’s world and carrying on after the death of his co-star Heath Ledger.

While we’re on the topic of obsessive directors… James Cameron’s long-in-the-works sci-fi Avatarfinally hits screens this month. But both he and star Sam Worthington wonder whether anythingthey release could possibly live up to the hype. Read “Feeling Blue?,” page 36.

As the end of the year approaches we wish you a happy whatever it is that you choose to celebrate.And if you have yet to finish your holiday shopping, check out our Gift Guide on page 24.

Of course, we’ll be spending the better part of our break at the theatre. See you there.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Marni Weisz, editor

EDITOR’S NOTE

PUBLISHER SALAH BACHIR

EDITOR MARNI WEISZDEPUTY EDITOR INGRID RANDOJAART DIRECTOR MATTHEW PICKETASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR ALIZA KLEINDIRECTOR, PRODUCTION SHEILA GREGORY

CONTRIBUTORS MATHIEU CHANTELOIS,SCOTT GARDNER, LIZA HERZ, DAN LIEBMAN,KEVIN WILLIAMSON

ADVERTISING SALES FOR FAMOUS, FAMOUS QUÉBEC AND FAMOUS KIDSIS HANDLED BY CINEPLEX MEDIA.

HEAD OFFICE 416.539.8800VICE PRESIDENT ROBERT BROWN (ext. 232)VICE PRESIDENT, SALESJOHN TSIRLIS (ext. 237)DIRECTOR OF SALES, FAMOUS MAGAZINESLORELEI VON HEYMANN (ext. 249)DIRECTOR, SALES CINDY FROST (ext. 254)DIRECTOR, SALES ZOLTAN TOTH (ext. 233)ACCOUNT MANAGERSJENNA PATERSON (ext. 243) CORY ATKINS (ext. 257)MICHAEL VAN ZON (ext. 241) VINCENT ALOI (ext. 235) ED VILLA (ext. 239)SHEREE MCKAVANAGH (ext. 245)DIRECTOR, MEDIA OPERATIONSCATHY PROWSE (ext. 223)

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SPECIAL THANKS VÉRONIQUE ALARIE,MATHIEU CHANTELOIS, JOAN GRANT, ELLIS JACOB, PAT MARSHALL, DAN MCGRATH, SUSAN REGINELLI

Famous™ magazine is published 12 times a year by Cineplex Entertainment. Subscriptions are $31.50 ($30 + GST) a year in Canada, $45 a year in the U.S. and $55 a year overseas. Single copies are $3. Back issues are $6. All subscription inquiries, back issue requests and letters to the editor should be directed to Famousmagazine at 102 Atlantic Ave., Ste. 100, Toronto, ON, M6K 1X9; or 416.539.8800; or [email protected]

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650,000 copies of Famous magazine are distributed through Cineplex Entertainment and Alliance cinemas, HMVand other outlets. Famous magazine is not responsible forthe return of unsolicited manuscripts, artwork or othermaterials. No material in this magazine may be reprintedwithout the express written consent of the publisher. © Cineplex Entertainment 2009.


YE OLDE FORENSICS UNIT

© 2009 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

DECEMBER 2009 FAMOUS 11

Yeah, we get it. He’s just aregular Joe. Actor

Ryan Gosling (right) helpsunload equipment for his band,Dead Man’s Bones, before a gigat Montreal’s Le National. � PHOTO BY SULTANA/SPLASH NEWS

Actors Ellen Page andLeonardo DiCaprio compete

to see who can seem more aloof on the L.A. set of directorChristopher Nolan’s next sci-fi,Inception. � PHOTO BY KEYSTONE PRESS

How cute is CareyMulligan? No wonder

Shia LaBeouf couldn’t resist the British pixie. The pair, nowdating, walk together to the New York City set of their movie Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.� PHOTO BY SPLASH NEWS

It’s bring your kids to workday! Will Ferrell (right)

gets a visit from sons Magnusand Mattias on the Manhattanset of The Other Guys. Co-starMark Wahlberg (left) must haveleft his three kids at home.� PHOTO BY JOSE PEREZ/SPLASH NEWS

Javier Bardem and Julia Roberts frolic in

the ocean as they shoot Eat, Pray, Love in Bali. In theadaptation of the bestseller,Roberts plays an Americandivorcee trying to find herselfduring a trip to Italy, India andIndonesia. Finding a shirtlessBardem has to be just as good.� PHOTO BY ANDY JOHNSTONE/SPLASH NEWS

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LEONARDO DICAPRIOELLEN PAGERYAN GOSLINGMARK WAHLBERGWILL FERRELLJAVIER BARDEMJULIA ROBERTSSHIA LABEOUFCAREY MULLIGAN

SNAPS

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CAUGHTONFILM

SHORTS

SPOTLIGHT

ROSSIFSUTHERLAND AND THE FAMILY BIZ

iefer Sutherland says it’s his half-brother, Rossif,who is probably the most talented performer inthe family — a better actor than himself, his otheracting brother, Angus, and even their father, theesteemed Donald.

“I didn’t want to be an actor at first, I wanted tobe a novelist, a poet,” says 31-year-old Rossif on his

cellphone while walking his dog on Toronto’s Queen Street West.“My parents, from a very young age, gave me permission to be anartist; that was the greatest gift they could give me. It took me awhile to figure out acting was going to be part of my journey.”

Rossif first made waves two years back starring in the Canadiandrama Poor Boy’s Game, and next month he plays the morphine-addicted Billy, one of four losers who royally botch up a heist in thetwist-filled drama High Life. “He wants to live every day as fully as

he can,” Sutherland says of his character, “which is also why heprobably takes drugs. But he was a real joy to play.”

Standing six-foot-five-inches — he’s an inch taller than his dad— and blessed with brooding good looks, Sutherland was born inVancouver, then moved between Hollywood and New York until ageeight when his mom, actor Francine Racette, took the family to France.

“I grew up in Paris and one of the reasons my mother took usthere was that she wanted us to live away from the many thingsthat had to do with my father’s fame,” says Sutherland. “She did itto protect us and sort of give us an environment where we’d havethe feeling of having a normal childhood.

“But I saw how passionate my parents were about their work,and I just felt it was something I wanted to do in my life.” ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Ingrid Randoja

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High Life hits theatres January 15th


© 2009 E1 FILMS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.©2009 IMAGINARIUM FILMS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©2009 PARNASSUS PRODUCTIONS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

INN THEATRES DECEMBEERR 255THH

SAMUEL HADIDA PRESENTS AN INFINITY FEATURES AND POO POO PICTURES PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH DAVIS FILMS A FILM BY TERRY GILLIAM HEATH LEDGER CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER VERNE TROYER ANDREW GARFIELD LILY COLE AND TOM WAITS WITH JOHNNY DEPP COLIN FARRELL AND JUDE LAW “THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS”

MUSIC BY MYCHAEL DANNA AND JEFF DANNA UK LINE PRODUCER ROB HOW CASTING IRENE LAMB ORIGINAL DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION BY DAVE WARREN AND TERRY GILLIAM PRODUCTION DESIGNER ANASTASIA MASARO COSTUME DESIGNER MONIQUE PRUDHOMME EDITED BY MICK AUDSLEY DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY NICOLA PECORINI EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS DAVE VALLEAU VICTOR HADIDA PRODUCED BY WILLIAM VINCE AMY GILLIAM SAMUEL HADIDA TERRY GILLIAM WRITTEN BY TERRY GILLIAM AND CHARLES MCKEOWN DIRECTED BY TERRY GILLIAM

PRODUCED WITH THE FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION OF TELEFILM CANADA, THE MOVIE NETWORK AN ASTRAL MEDIA NETWORK AND MOVIE CENTRAL A CORUS ENTERTAINMENT COMPANYA UNITED KINGDOM – CANADA CO-PRODUCTION

Red CliffJohn Woo directs the mostexpensive Asian-produced filmever made ($80-million), a four-hour epic that’s been trimmed totwo-plus hours for marketsoutside of Asia. The pic is set in208 A.D. China, where ImperialPrime Minister Cao Cao (ZhangFengyi ) tries to wipe out twowarlords and take over thesouthern part of the country. Thetitle refers to the massive Battleof the Red Cliffs, which usheredin the end of the Han Dynasty.

BrothersWhen soldier Sam (TobeyMaguire) heads to Afghanistan,his ne’er-do-well brother Tommy(Jake Gyllenhaal) moves in withhis wife, Grace (Natalie Portman),

and their kids. When Sam isreported killed, Tommy andGrace develop a deep bond that’stested when the not-so-deadSam returns home sufferingfrom post-traumatic stress.

Up in the AirWriter/director Jason Reitman’sfollow-up to Juno is a witty anddecidedly relevant dramedy

starring George Clooney asRyan Bingham, a man who firespeople for companies who don’t have to decency to do itthemselves. Ryan is addicted totravelling across America alone,but his solitary existence isshattered when he meets theseductive Alex (Vera Farmiga).

The Private Lives of Pippa LeeDirector Rebecca Miller adapts her own novel about one-time wild child Pippa Lee(Robin Wright Penn), whomarried an older man (Alan Arkin).Now, as her complacent husbandsettles into his senior years,Pippa reflects on her life andmeets a man from her past(Keanu Reeves).

ArmoredA group of armoured truckdrivers — Matt Dillon,Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich andAmaury Nolasco — convincea newbie driver (ColumbusShort) to join them in stealinga $42-million shipment. How many steamboats canyou count before the plangoes awry?

Everybody’s FineFrank’s (Robert De Niro) three kids (Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell and DrewBarrymore) decide not tocome home for the holidays,so he decides to pay each ofthem a visit to get to knowthem better.

INTHEATRES


ON SCREEN

YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO NEW RELEASES � BY INGRID RANDOJA

4december

Red Cliff’s Zhang Fengyi prepares for battle

continued �

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AvatarWith a reported price tag of$240-million, directorJames Cameron’sgroundbreaking 3D epicstars Sam Worthington as a paraplegic marinewho’s sent to makecontact with the nativesof the exotic world ofPandora. But theiratmosphere is toxic tohumans, so he’ll have touse a hybrid avatar —part human, partPandoran — to pave theway for mankind to minethe planet. See interviewwith James Cameron and Sam Worthington,page 36.

Young VictoriaQuebec director Jean-MarcVallée (C.R.A.Z.Y) chroniclesthe first two decades ofQueen Victoria’s (EmilyBlunt) life when she was ayoung woman learning theroyal ropes and falling inlove. See Emily Bluntinterview, page 40.

Did You Hear Aboutthe Morgans?The Morgans (Hugh Grantand Sarah Jessica Parker)are a Manhattan powercouple on the verge ofbreaking up when theywitness a murder and have toenter the witness protectionprogram.

A Single ManFashion designer Tom Fordmakes his directorialdebut with this adaptationof the ChristopherIsherwood novel about agay English professor(Colin Firth) living in ’60sL.A. whose long-timepartner (Matthew Goode)dies. Quietly distraught,he sets out to put hisaffairs in order beforetaking his own life. Theproduction team behindTV’s Mad Men created thefilm’s stylish ’60s sets.

The Princess and the FrogWalt Disney does it oldschool, employing 2Danimation for its 49thanimated feature. It’s 1920sNew Orleans and a voodoodoctor has turned PrinceNaveen into a bayou-dwelling frog, and onlykissing a princess will liftthe curse. But froggie boymakes things worse whenhe kisses Tiana — who hethinks is royalty but isactually a waitress — andturns her into an amphibian.

InvictusMorgan Freeman made surehis dream to play NelsonMandela would come truewhen he bought the rights toJohn Carlin’s book Playingthe Enemy: Nelson Mandelaand the Game that Changeda Nation, which focuses onMandela’s decision tosupport South Africa’s nearlyall-white rugby team duringthe 1995 World Cup inJohannesburg. As apartheidhad just been revoked,Mandela needed an ally tounite the divided nation, andfound one in the team’scaptain, Francois Pienaar(Matt Damon). Directed byClint Eastwood.

Me and Orson WellesHigh School Musical star Zac Efron is still a highschool student in this film,playing theatre-loving youthRichard Samuels, who, in1937, is plucked out of acrowd by Orson Welles(Christian McKay) and castin the director’s productionof Julius Caesar.

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ON SCREEN

11december

18december

continued �

Christian McKay (left) and Zac Efron in Me and Orson Welles

Did You Hear About the Morgans?’ Parker and Grant

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*Contest ends Jan 08/10. No purchase necessary TM & © 2009 SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT. LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.© 2009 E1 FILMS INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


ON SCREEN

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The Lovely Bones Peter Jackson’s first film since2005’s King Kong is thisadaptation of Alice Sebold’sheartbreaking novel about therape and murder of 14-year-oldSusie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan).Upon her death, Susie finds

herself in her own version ofheaven, where she watches her dad (Mark Wahlberg), mom (Rachel Weisz) andgrandmother (Susan Sarandon)deal with their grief, and followsthe long and difficult policesearch for her killer.

It’s Complicated Restaurateur Jane (Meryl Streep)begins an affair with her ex-husband Jake (Alec Baldwin),who left her for a bodacious babe(Lake Bell). But Jane’s also gother eye on architect Adam(Steve Martin). Who will she

choose, and who says shehas to choose either of them?

NineIt’s all about the ladies indirector Rob Marshall’s takeon the Tony Award-winningmusical. Sure,

23december

Alvin and theChipmunks: The SqueakquelThe singing chippies —Alvin (Justin Long),Simon (Matthew GrayGubler) and Theodore(Jesse McCartney) — areback in this sequel thatfinds the trio attending ahuman high school wherethey come snout-to-snoutwith the Chipettes, a trioof female singingchipmunks.

25december

From left: Simon, Alvin and Theodore

Ex Games: Divorced couple Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin reconnect in It’s Complicated

continued �


Daniel Day-Lewis plays thetormented Italian film directorsuffering a mid-life crisis, but it’s the bella donne whosurround him who make our heads spin: Sophia Loren,Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench,Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidmanand Kate Hudson.

Broken EmbracesPenélope Cruz teams up withdirector Pedro Almodóvar for the fourth time for thisdrama about a blindscreenwriter (Lluís Homar)

who looks back on his life 14years earlier when he was adirector working on his dreamproject with his lover (Cruz).

The Imaginarium ofDoctor Parnassus The death of star Heath Ledgerduring filming couldn’t stopdirector Terry Gilliam fromcompleting this fantasy filmabout Dr. Parnassus(Christopher Plummer), whohas the ability to transportpeople into different worlds.Tony, initially played by Ledger,

transforms on his journeys,which is how Jude Law, Johnny Depp and Colin Farrellwere able to take over his role.See Christopher Plummerinterview, page 42.

Sherlock HolmesIt’s been more than 20 yearssince the last Sherlock Holmesmovie (1988’s Without a Clue)hit screens, and director Guy Ritchie, along with starsRobert Downey Jr. (Holmes)and Jude Law (Watson), set outto make a rip-roaring action pic bubbling with bromanticovertones. Holmes, Watson andIrene Adler (Rachel McAdams)— the only woman Holmes everfancied — investigate thediabolical deeds of occultist Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong).See interview with Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams, page 46.

ON SCREEN

All release dates are subject to change.

[email protected]

SPECIAL EVENTS

on the BigScreen

METROPOLITANOPERA

TURANDOT (PUCCINI)Encore: Sat., Dec. 5

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN(OFFENBACH)

Live: Sat., Dec. 19

THE NUTCRACKERTHE ROYAL BALLET AT

COVENT GARDENSat., Dec. 12

Wed., Dec. 23

WWE-PAY-PER-VIEWTABLES, LADDERS

& CHAIRSSun., Dec. 13

GO TO CINEPLEX.COM FORPARTICIPATING THEATRES,TIMES AND TO BUY TICKETS

Nine’s Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard

HAULGIFT GUIDE

Holiday

HOST GIFTS30 sure-to-please gift ideas � BY MARNI WEISZ

Forgot to get a host gift? Pop into any Tim Hortons

and pick up this LimitedEdition 2009 China Mug ($8).

It even comes with a 2 oz.pouch of coffee.

This GoatCheese

Baker ($26,Indigo) is full ofcountry charm.

Now it’s your job tofill it with goat

cheese.

Parties are a lot of hardwork. Give your host a way to

unwind post-party with Philosophy’s“The Winter Escape” Gift Set ($33,

Sephora). It includes peppermint hotcocoa shampoo, shower gel and

bubble bath, and marshmallow body soufflé and lip shine.

An irresistible fragrance likeLancôme’s Hypnôse Senses($52 for 30 ml, Shoppers DrugMart) is a great way to saythanks. The patchouli andosmanthus flower scent willremind that friend of you everytime she puts it on.

continued �

Fresh from Sweden (or yournearest IKEA), a decorative tinof Ginger Snaps($5) is always a hit.


GIFT GUIDE

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continued �

STOCKING STUFFERS

Ah, the irony. This fire hydrant-inspired Portable

Doggie Bag Carrier ($8,Winners) is as cute

as it is functional.

Multifaceted DiscoBangles ($7 for two,H&M) add retro shine tothe simplest of outfits.

Start a new tradition with an adorable Ornament

from Gluckstein Home($3 to $8, The Bay).

Avril Lavigne’s signaturefragrance Black Star ($39 for

30 ml, drug stores) is energetic,lively, and best of all finishes with

a note of dark chocolate.

Warm and fuzzySleep Print

Slippers ($8,Joe Fresh)

come in avariety of festive

colours.

Clinique offers Happy-To-Go($37, The Bay), a set of threefragrance pencils based on itsHappy perfume. One featuresthe classic Happy scent, andthe other two break Happy’stwo main notes into individualfragrances — floral and citrus.

Purchase a$30 Cineplex Gift Cardand you’ll also receive a Holiday Gift Pack (while supplies last) with discounts for Indigo, Zellers and Cineplex concessions.These cards were designed bykids from the StarlightChildren’s Foundation,and a portion of saleswill be donatedto thecharity.

© 2009 BBC Video Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

AVA I L A B L E AT

Selection is subject to availability and will vary from store to store. HMV reserves the right to limit quantities.

Make an offer no one can refuse

The ProposalAvailable now on Blu-ray™ & DVD

PROPOSAL: © Disney. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, ALL ABOUT STEVE, I LOVE YOU BETH COOPER, MY LIFE IN RUINS: © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. “Twentieth Century Fox,” “Fox” and their associated logos are property of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. MAMMA MIA: © 2009 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

watch

Mamma Mia – Gimme, Gimme, Gimme More Edition

Available now on Blu-ray™ & DVD

My Life In Ruins


I Love You, Beth Cooper


Say YES! and love these great titles today

(500) Days of Summer

Available December 22 on Blu-ray™ & DVD

All About Steve

Available December 22 on Blu-ray™ & DVD

GIFT GUIDE


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The latest,greatestBlackBerrysmartphone is theBlackBerry Bold9700 ($300, with aminimum monthlyplan of $45, Rogers).It comes with a 3.2mexapixel camera,built-in GPS, 256 MB ofFlash memory and a media player to enjoyvideos, pictures and music. Just remember tocome up for air every once in a while.

TECH

No wires, no clutter.The Toyota BLU Logic

Hands-Free PhoneSystem ($257, Toyota

dealerships) ishardwired into your

car, so with the touchof a button you can

talk safely and easily.

The Winter Olympics start in less than two months. Get ready for all the high-def action now with a super-

slim Sony Bravia XBR10 Series LCD HDTV ($4,000 for46”, $5,000 for 52”, electronics stores), featuring

Motionflow 240Hz technology for sharp images withnatural movement. And it’s wireless, so those ugly

source components can be hidden out of sight.

Ever try to take a self-portrait only to realize youhad three chins, a crooked

smile and drunk-eyeswhen the shutter

snapped? The SamsungST550 12.2 Megapixel

Camera ($400, electronicsstores) has finally solvedthat problem by placing a

second LCD view screen onthe front of the camera, so

you can make sure youlook fabulous.

PlayStation 3’sbrand new bigger,better hard drive (250GBvs. 120GB) means more space to store more music,more photos, more videos and, of course, more games($350, electronics stores).

8FOR BLOODY VIOLENCE AND PERVASIVE LANGUAGE © 2009 District 9 Ltd. All Rights Reserved.© 2009 Layout and Design Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc.

All Rights Reserved. Artwork and Special Features Subject to Change.SPECIAL FEATURES AND BD LIVE CONTENT ARE NOT RATED

AND MAY NOT BE SUBTITLED OR CLOSED CAPTIONED.

Gory Scenes,Extreme Violence

– Entertainment Weekly

Blu-ray™ Exclusive Content• Joburg from Above – Interactive Map:

Go deeper into the world of District 9.

•

Playable PlayStation®3 Game Demo andUnlock an Exclusive Making-of the Game!

• And more!

“A simply stunning, edge-of-the-seat, adrenaline-charged sci-fi action thriller that will leave you breathless.”

– Paul Fischer, DarkHorizons.com

“One of the best sci-fi films I’ve seen since The Matrix.”– Scott Chitwood, ComingSoon.net

www.SonyPictures.com

GIFT GUIDE

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Where better to spend Christmas than the Vatican? Angels & Demons,the second blockbuster from the otherHoly Trinity — Ron Howard, Tom Hanksand author Dan Brown — centres onthe murders of papal hopefuls, and it’sup to symbologist Robert Langdon(Hanks) to figure it out. A two-discextended edition ($40, video stores)includes the bonus features “HansZimmer Music Studio,” “Rome Was NotBuilt in a Day” and “CERN: Pushing theFrontiers of Knowledge.”

For us, “outtakes” are usually scenesthat weren’t good enough to get into afilm’s theatrical release. But if thereever were a film for which we wanted tosee the outtakes, it’s 2009’s surprisehit The Hangover ($40, video stores).And there are plenty on this two-discspecial edition DVD, including morephotos from the missing camera. Quitehonestly, it’s also the film we’d want tosee in an unrated version.

Stranded on Earth, a group ofextraterrestrials discover that humansaren’t the best hosts. District 9 ($40,video stores) comes to DVD in a two-disc edition that features a three-partdocumentary called “The Alien Agenda:A Filmmaker’s Log,” commentary track,deleted scenes and bonus materialabout visual effects, design, acting and improvisation.

WATCH, LISTEN, PLAY

If there’s a gamer on your list, chances are they fall into one of two categories — speed demon

or fantasy lover. For the former, we suggest Need for Speed SHIFT, the 13th edition

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Almost 40 yearsafter they broke

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If you’ve got a favouriteSinatra tune, it’s probably here.

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Whether it’s a kidwho’ll actually play with them, ateen who’ll give them a cherishedspot next to her bed, or an adult who’lllove them for the kitsch value, it’s hard tobelieve there isn’t someone on your list who’dappreciate Mattel’s Barbie Twilight Dolls($30, toy stores).

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DECEMBER 2009 FAMOUS 3736 FAMOUS DECEMBER 2009

welve years after Leonardo DiCaprio sank to the bot-tom of the Atlantic, is James Cameron still king of the world?

Moviegoers are about to find out as the 55-year-oldCanadian writer-director prepares to release Avatar, hisfirst feature since the staggeringly successful Titanic be-came the highest-grossing movie in box-office history — arecord that still stands — and swept the Academy Awards.

“In a way, I was building muscle to do this film,”Cameron says of his self-imposed hiatus.

And it’s true: while Avatar represents his return tothe kind of blue-chip filmmaking he is noted for — Aliens, True Lies andthe first two Terminators — he has hardly been idle, participating indeep-ocean expeditions, shooting such under-the-sea documentariesas Aliens of the Deep and Ghosts of the Abyss and developing the same 3Dtechnology that he promises will make Avatar an immersive, one-of-a-kind experience.

Whether the results can meet those stratospheric expectations isstill to be determined. But Cameron is no stranger to larger-than-lifepronouncements as when, while accepting the Best Director Oscar forTitanic, he crowed he was “king of the world.”

Even then, he says during interviews at this summer’s Comic-ConInternational, he wanted to tackle Avatar, a futuristic space adventureabout a soldier (Sam Worthington) sent to further the colonization of anewly discovered alien world coveted by a human race that has ravagedand polluted its own planet. In order to adapt to the hostile environ-ment, though, humans are psychically linked to “avatars” — creaturesbio-engineered from the DNA of the indigenous, blue-skinned felineNavi. Worthington’s loyalties are eventually torn, however, when herealizes the Navi are a far more peaceful, wise species than we self-destructive Homo sapiens.

Predictably, the plot has already led to the movie being labeled “DancesWith Aliens” — a reference to Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves,about a Civil War soldier who bonds with the Sioux. Zoe Saldana,Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang also star in the $240-millionproduction, which will open on both 2D and the preferred 3D screens.

The origins of Avatar date back 14 years, to shortly after Cameron —along with Terminator and Jurassic Park animatronics guru Stan Winston,who died in 2008 — formed the visual effects outfit Digital Domain.“I wanted to push out and do cool stuff and use the new technology tocreate CG characters,” Cameron says.

Problem was, his plans proved too ambitious to be satisfyingly ren-dered by that era’s still-nascent CGI. So Avatar was shelved and withTitanic, Cameron sailed into box-office history and then, seemingly, intothe sunset. It was only years later, after seeing Gollum in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Rings trilogy, that he became convinced Avatar was finallyfeasible. And since he had severed ties with Digital Domain in the late1990s, Cameron contracted Jackson’s New Zealand-based special effectshouse Weta to produce Avatar’s lavish visuals.

Now, with the film finally in theatres this month, for Cameron, thepressure is understandably immense. Also feeling it? Worthington, the33-year-old Australian newcomer who Cameron hired

INTERVIEW CAMERON & WORTHINGTON

Feeling

BLUE?T

continued �

Just because James Cameron’s long-in-production special-effectsextravaganza Avatar looks cartoonish,doesn’t mean it’s going to be a barrelof laughs. The director, and his starSam Worthington, prepare you for a dark ride � BY KEVIN WILLIAMSON

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��

BODY DOUBLESWant to have an out-of-body experience? Apparently

Hollywood does. The last few months of 2009 haveseen the release of three dark, sci-fi flicks that

explore the concept of avoiding physical danger byliving through a proxy. We break ’em down. —MW

�SURROGATESProxy:

Robots designed to look like theirhuman masters

Year: 2017Situation: Crime has

forced humans tolive indoors. Theyleave their homes

only virtually viarobot versions ofthemselves that

they control withtheir minds. The ’botsare designed to looklike their operators,

only better. Bruce Willis’ robot,for example, has a

full head of hair. Theother advantage?

Complete safety. Nomatter what sort ofdamage is done to

your surrogate inthe real world, you

remain healthy andunharmed. Until,

of course, one day...

�GAMERProxy:

Criminals who act as physical

stand-ins forserious gamers

Year: 2034Situation: In a worldwhere mind-controltechnology is all the

rage, death-rowinmates, like

Gerard Butler’swrongfully

convicted Kable, canearn their parole by

agreeing to bepawns in a brutal,

real-world game. Thegamers control the

inmates via nanitesimplanted in the

inmates’ brains. Andby the time it’sgame over, our

criminals’ bodiesare usuallydestroyed.

�AVATARProxy:

Remote-controlled,genetic human/

alien hybridsYear: Unspecified

futureSituation: Humans

want to mine thefar-off planet of

Pandora for amineral that will

solve the energycrisis, never mind

that the nativePandorans don’t

want them there.But Pandora’s

atmosphere is toxicto Earthlings, sothey splice their

DNA with PandoranDNA to create

biological avatars —like our hero Jake

(Sam Worthington)— that have the

mind of a humanand the slick, bluebod of a Pandoran.

INTERVIEW CAMERON & WORTHINGTON

Jake (Sam Worthington) meets his avatar. Inset: Sigourney Weaverand the gang

out of obscurity. Based on the Avatar gig alone, Worthington hasalready been anointed one of Hollywood’s up-and-coming leadingmen. He starred in this summer’s Terminator: Salvation, has wrappedthe remake of the fantasy Clash of the Titans and will star withAngelina Jolie in The Tourist. Like the film itself, Worthington couldbecome a victim of his own hype if Avatar falls short.

“Jim said, ‘The hype is going to kill it,’” Worthington admits inan interview at a Beverly Hills hotel. “But Jim is not nervous. Hedoesn’t get nervous.”

Still, Worthington prudently cautions fans should keep theirexpectations in check.

“It’s not the be-all and end-all. Hopefully, what this does is openup a world of the possibilities of what motion-capture can do andthe possibilities of what this 3D technology can achieve. Hopefully,it starts that kind of revolution, and I think it will.”

Like Disney’s recent CG-remake of A Christmas Carol, Avatar wasshot on soundstages with the actors decked out in sensors andperforming against a backdrop of green screens. What moviegoerswill see — the environment of the moon Pandora and the Navithemselves — are entirely digitally generated.

“Jim is very clever in the sense that he tries to make it as real aspossible,” Worthington says, discussing the logistics of filming ina vacuum.

“Even though you’re in a big grey soundstage with nothingthere, he will try to give you as much as possible to make the ter-rain and the place real. There would be plants to walk through and,if there was an explosion, they’d throw sh-t at you, and things likethat. Acting is reacting. You can’t just react to nothing. You alwaysneed something tangible…. Everyone thinks that he’s technologydriven, but he’s the best acting director I’ve ever worked with. Hepicks up on subtleties and details that you wouldn’t believe.”

As for Cameron’s reputation, deserved or not, as a demandingtaskmaster, Worthington doesn’t hesitate to come to his director’sdefence. “Jim isn’t a dictator. He wants [the quality] high, but so doI. I’m not there to get pushed around. I’m there to work with theman. And that’s why I got the job. I don’t get pushed around. I’vedone 10 years [of acting] in Australia. I didn’t do that for nothing.We worked together. It’s a privilege to work with directors wholike pushing the boundaries and taking risks.”

Yet for all the talk of advances in technology, Cameron is quickto emphasize, not Avatar’s spectacle, but its story.

“I’m still the same down, twisted f--ker I was when I wroteTerminator,” he says. “And there’s a lot of dark stuff in this film.When you get deep into it, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. You’ve gotto earn the happiness in this movie. So far everyone’s talking aboutthe world and the designs and the critters, which is cool, but there’sa story and it will wring you out. Sigourney just saw the movie andshe was crying for 15 minutes at the end of the film.”/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kevin Williamson is a Calgary-based movie columnist for Sun Media.

F

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INTERVIEW EMILY BLUNT

mily Blunt is best known for playing servant to the iron-fisted queen of the fashion mags in The Devil Wears Prada. But it’s payback time. This month, she’s no longer wait-ing on hand and foot for a ruthless leader. She’s thequeen. Literally.

Quebec director Jean-Marc Vallée (C.R.A.Z.Y) makesBlunt his queen in The Young Victoria, a film pitched bySarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, to several produc-ers, including Martin Scorsese who jumped at thechance. The film focuses on the first 18 years of themonarch’s rule, painting a very different picture than

that which we usually have of Victoria, wearing only black and living a life of mournful seclusion. Here she’s a young woman juggling political advice and falling in love with her long-distance suitorPrince Albert (Rupert Friend). She loves to laugh, to dance and dress up.

Which is exactly what Blunt did during this past September’sToronto International Film Festival, where The Young Victoriascreened as the closing-night gala.

Q:Let’s talk about your director, Quebec native Jean-Marc Vallée.What was his approach to this film?A: “He had this kind of ferocious passion for this girl and for this loveshe had for Albert. And he had a real rock-star approach to her andwanted her to be the rebellious girl that nobody knew about. Every-one knew about the stuck-up, mourning, repressed old lady, but noone knew about this girl who used to dance all night and she used tohorse ride all day, she was incredibly, sort of, vivacious, and I think hewas really excited by that, that nobody knew that side of her. He hadthe most real approach and didn’t hold the period in too much rever-ence. And I think that’s really vital because period films can becomestuffy and they distance people, who think they can’t possible iden-tify with those persons.”

Q:I heard Vallée played a lot of music on set.A: “Big on music, creating a very atmospheric set…. He would playSigur Rós a lot. Have you heard of them? They’re an Icelandic bandand they have quite a haunting, beautiful...umm...it’s very hard, hard,hard to place. It’s sort of a modern classic music and it’s beautiful.”

Q:The film got some great reviews in Britain, and some not sogreat reviews. Do you think it’s always sensitive when you’reportraying the monarchy?A: “I think it’s a touchy subject for the British press. I think they arealways going to be a bit tougher on period films because it’s sort ofour ancestry in a way, so there’s more of an ownership of it. And Ithink they’ve all read up and they know their stuff and I think thatif you take a bit of poetic license with a film there’s a tendency tosort of hate that…. If you go too far one way and make it too con-temporary, people say, ‘Well, that’s not accurate.’ And if you go toofar the other way and make it too tame, then people are bored.”

Q:How did Vallée walk that line?A: “I think he found the love story rather than making it a histor-ical drama. And with a love story there will obviously be a bit ofpoetic license, which I’m sure some people won’t agree with. Iwasn’t surprised that there were going to be some people whowould have their say about why they think the film didn’t work,and everyone’s entitled to an opinion as well. I mean, it’s com-pletely subjective. When I go see a film there are things I love andmy friend will hate, and so it depends on how you respond to it.”

Q:What do you think Victoria would think of the film?A: [Laughing.] “It’s such a weird question. I hope she would haveloved it. I think it must be strange for anyone watching a filmthat’s been made about them. I have no idea what that’s like. Ithink that must be a strange thing to see an actor play you.”/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Mathieu Chantelois is the editor of Famous Québec.

F

The Young Victoria’s Emily Blunt on playing a

softer, gentler — and muchyounger — Queen Victoria

� BY MATHIEU CHANTELOIS

SheRULES

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Motion Picture Artwork and Photography © 2009 Warner Bros. Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.


INTERVIEW CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER

n the hallway of the Intercontinental Hotel during theToronto International Film Festival the publicist forlegendary actor Christopher Plummer is begging meto finish my interview as quickly as I can because“Mr. Plummer is exhausted and really wants to get outof here as soon as possible.”

I’m expecting the worst from the actor who has areputation for being a bit brusk.

A few minutes later Plummer, who turns 80 thismonth, opens the door of his suite. With a huge smileand a velvet voice, the native Montrealer (his great-grandfather Sir John Abbott was Canada’s third prime minister) who is best known as Julie Andrews’baron in The Sound of Music graciously welcomes me

into his hotel room. Strangely, he doesn’t seem worn out at all. For his latest film, Plummer reunites with his Twelve Monkeys

director Terry Gilliam for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, thefilm Heath Ledger was making when he died suddenly in Januaryof 2008. The film ends with the credit: “A Film From Heath Ledgerand Friends,” since Ledger’s buddies Johnny Depp, Jude Law andColin Farrell pitched in to finish the actor’s role.

The story opens in contemporary London, where Plummer’sself-proclaimed doctor — or “old drunken magician,” as the actordescribes his character — is putting on a pathetic slideshow forthe inebriated folk pouring out of the bars. Run by Doctor Parnassusand a few other eccentrics (later joined by Ledger’s mysteriousTony), the travelling show does, however, boast a few impressivetricks, including a magic mirror that allows one to pass into an-other dimension — which is the plot device that allows Depp, Lawand Farrell to play Ledger’s alter egos on the other side.

Q:What was your reaction when you read Terry Gilliam’s script?A: “I know him a little bit, and [his scripts] always need work be-cause he’s painted a marvellous character — he’s painted him andsketched him, even in the writing, you know, [but] it isn’t finished....What is finished, however, are his wonderful drawings…which hesent me in a wonderful bound book. I just looked at continued �

Christopher Plummer talks about how Heath Ledger’s death affected The Imaginarium of DoctorParnassus, and why the late starisn’t really dead, anyway� BY MATHIEU CHANTELOIS

THE SHOW MUST GOON

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INTERVIEW CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER

�� them and thought, that’s it, I don’t care what the script is, I’ll do it.That’s how he seduces you into doing his pictures.”

Q:How do you help Gilliam make those characters work?A: “When we read the piece — all of us, the whole cast read the pieceout loud — we got to a certain point and I found myself saying, ‘Ican’t go on because this is not going to work,’ and Terry would say,‘Yeah, let’s go work on it.’”

Q:Does everybody talk to him like that, or do you have a special relationship with him?A: “I guess not the young guys. Heath would’ve spoken to him like that.”

Q:Was it hard for you to watch the film? A: “No, no, no. Why?”

Q:Heath Ledger, for one thing.A: “But we’d already got over that. You have to get over it. That hadhappened, there were several months before we were back at itagain, [Gilliam] was trying to get the money, and the insurance com-panies were all going crazy. So there was time to get over Heath’sdeath and we had to, we had to go on. And the idea that the threeguys [Depp, Law and Farrell] came in and did it was absolutely bril-liant because it was better than the original script…. And I thinkHeath would agree with that. But he’s on the screen anyway, so he’snot dead, he’s with us. He’s going to live on celluloid forever.”

Q:When you saw the final version, was it what you expected?A: “I was pleasantly surprised. I’m never afraid of Terry’s wonderfulcinematic touch that he has. I was just worried, slightly, about thestoryline because we always were. But that was cleared up, it wasmuch clearer. It was beautifully edited so that it made it clear.”

Q:What’s the biggest change in the way we make films todaycompared to the way that you made films in the beginning?A: “Oh my God, it’s a totally different world. Independent moviesare terrific yet they’re having a terrible time raising money. I’mgoing to do three now, three little ones, that could be, one of themin particular, could be an award-winning kind of movie. But toraise the money in this market for an independent film...”

Q:Are you a nostalgic person?A: “Yeah, I’m nostalgic about things that we will never see again,that I saw, like good manners, grace, nuance, subtlety, we don’thave it anymore, most people don’t know what it is. So I’m gladthat I lived through that period because that was another world,totally, and of course it reflects the cinema, it reflects the arts, andnow it’s just a bulldozer, so there’s a sadness about it. But I love mywork, and the work goes on and there’s always somebody whowill appreciate what you’re trying to do.”/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Mathieu Chantelois is the editor of Famous Québec.

F

Left: Heath Ledger and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor ParnassusBelow: The Doctor’s travelling sideshow

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COVER STORY ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

or Hollywood, it’s elementary. Take a culturalicon, pump him up with flash, action and starpower, and before you can say “sequel” anew franchise is branded.

Cynical? Maybe. But given the eagernessof studios to exploit recognizable characters,it’s no wonder Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s loy-alists are cautious at best, skeptical at worst,about the latest film based on the author’sindomitable supersleuth: the simply titled,elaborately staged Sherlock Holmes.

Set in Victorian England, but otherwise a world apart from thestuffy, droll setting we usually associate with Holmes, this newaction-adventure stars Robert Downey Jr. — a quippy Americanactor with an ironic modernistic streak the size of the Thames — asDoyle’s dry master of deduction and Jude Law as an uncommonly

comely Dr. Watson (or as Downey dubbed him during filming“Hotson — the hot Watson”).

Further adding to the fretting of devotees? That this Holmes ishelmed by Guy Ritchie — a director known for such rabble-rousingcrime yarns as Snatch, as well as for marrying (and divorcing)Madonna — and produced by Joel Silver, whose less-than-delicatecredits include The Matrix, Lethal Weapon and Predator. And sureenough, so far the trailers have courted the youth vote, under-scoring the movie’s explosions, fist fights, narrow escapes and afetchingly outfitted Rachel McAdams. Moreover, the same mar-keting campaign has also made clear that this Holmes is a grungy,rough-hewn man of action.

Blasphemous? Not at all, insists Downey, who believes hisHolmes is actually truer to Doyle’s original intention than theversion to which audiences have become accustomed over thepast century. continued �

HOLMES

FThink Guy Ritchie’s take on Sherlock Holmespushes the boundaries? Star Robert Downey Jr.says no way. In fact, he and Ritchie combed thesource material looking for clues about thesupersleuth’s true nature � BY KEVIN WILLIAMSON

Let your senses guide you.© R&A Bailey & Co. 2009

Baileys® with a Hint of Coffee.



“My take is what the puritans would expect if the puritans knowwhat they’re talking about, that is,” says 44-year-old Downey duringan interview at San Diego’s Comic-Con. “Several of the most surprisingthings right off the bat are that many of the oft-associated props havenever appeared in the novels or short stories. He never wore a deer-stalker cap, except maybe once for a minute. But even then it wasdescribed differently. And even the long pipe was something [actor

William] Gillette used to obscure his face on stage…. So we justwent back as much as we could, without being reverent beyondrepair, to how Doyle explained the characters.”

Says screenwriter Lionel Wigram, “Typically, everybody looksperfect [in previous Holmes films]. Everybody looks like theystepped out of a tableau. And what we tried to do was make itmore real. Sherlock Holmes has stubble. He’s a character whospends two weeks lying on his couch between cases so probablyhe hasn’t had a bath and he hasn’t shaved.”

Although this may not be the typical Holmes, fans should takesome comfort in producer Silver’s assurance that “it’s not WildWild West.” He’s speaking, of course, of the notorious Will Smithbomb that badly blended futuristic effects into a period setting.Instead, Silver says, Ritchie and Downey went back to the books ina search for authenticity.

“They’re the best lines you’d ever want to say,” says Downey,confirming that he combed Doyle’s text for inspiration. “There’s amillion of them. I always thought Doyle was an amazing, amazingwriter and storyteller, but I didn’t know how great he was until Iwas reaching out to find quotes and things he had said or descrip-tions he’d said.”

In the movie, Holmes — who bare-knuckle boxes when notfoiling criminal masterminds — must unravel a conspiracy by anoccultist named Blackwood (Mark Strong) even as he contendswith his combative romantic foil Irene Adler (McAdams), and acontentious partnership with Watson. “It’s when continued �

��

From left: Jude Law, Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. on the set of Sherlock Holmes. Below: Downey and Rachel McAdams

SHERLOCK HOLMESHITS THEATRES DECEMBER 25th



people are so close they almost can’t stand each other, but they can’tstand on their own two feet without each other,” Downey says of theHolmes/Watson dynamic. “That’s what we really felt.”

So it’s fitting that it was Downey who courted Law, the British starof The Talented Mr. Ripley and Alfie. And it turned out that no hard sellwas necessary.

“We just started talking as two serious actors about what wouldneed to happen to make this work as a piece of straight drama…. Webecame really close really quick because we just rolled up our sleevesand started working…. Jude is so the right arm of this movie.”

So much so that McAdams has joked that the film’s love story isactually between its two male leads. Not that she’s complaining. For the London, Ontario, native best-known for such estrogen-driven romantic dramas as The Notebook and The Time Traveller’s Wife, Sherlock Holmes gives her a chance to show she can be one of the boys.

“She’s a really fun character because she’s quite different from alot of women at that time,” McAdams, also at Comic-Con, says ofAdler. “She’s really her own person. She’s a free spirit and she’s awoman of the night and the underworld, so she’s very acrobatic andshe’s travelled all over the world, so there’s lots to play there.”

Even if, McAdams confesses, “I’m a total girly-girl. I was in heavenbeing dressed from the head down. The costumes are incredible —real corsets, totally cinched in. I’d try to push my belly out when they’dcome in the morning to strap me in. It was really out of Gone With theWind, with me holding on to the trailer door and just trying to eekout a little bit of space so I can speak properly. But they’d manage tosqueeze me in everyday. They’d try to get me to laugh and on thelaugh, they’d yank. But it was fun to be that authentic, to be reallydropped right into the period.”

For all involved, though, there is much at stake. For Downey, ifSherlock Holmes is a hit, he will find himself anchoring two lucrativeseries: this and the ongoing Iron Man saga (the second installment ofwhich arrives in May). For Ritchie, it’s an opportunity to be ushered

into Hollywood’s upper echelon of blockbuster directors; thereis already talk a second Holmes outing may star Ritchie’s Snatchcohort Brad Pitt as nemesis Moriarty.

Yet Downey expresses no symptoms of franchise fatigue. “Sherlock Holmes, in particular, has been such a life-changing

experience — the act of researching it, making it,” he says. “I’mdown for the cause.”////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Kevin Williamson is a Calgary-based movie columnist for Sun Media.

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��

• In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’sbooks, Sherlock Holmes is astudent of “baritsu” fighting.Popular in England in the late19th-century, the Japanesefighting style uses objects athand to fend off attackers and put them to sleep. Robert Downey Jr. holds aBlack Sash in Wing Chun KungFu, a type of street-fightingmartial arts, which he took upto help him overcome his addiction problems.

• Downey went to London’sfamous hat shop, Lock & Co.,to pick out the fedora he wears in the film.

• The set of Sirius Black’s home from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixserves as Sherlock Holmes’abode in this film.

• One of Jude Law’s earliest on-screen acting gigs was as a bit player in a 1991 episodeof the acclaimed BBC TV seriesThe Case-Book of SherlockHolmes, starring Jeremy Brettas Holmes.

• More than 50 actors haveplayed Holmes in films, on TV,stage and radio. Some of themore interesting actors to playthe detective: John Cleese,Rupert Everett, CharltonHeston, Leonard Nimoy and Peter O’Toole. —IR

Did YaKNOW?

Jude Law’s Watson (left) andRobert Downey Jr.’s Holmes enjoya spot of tea. Inset: The fightingdetective

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STYLE


Silver

ho doesn’t love a good makeover? We know Tyracertainly does. Every new cycle ofAmerica’s Next Top Model brings theinfamous makeover episode (still missing your eyebrows, Erin?).As much fun as it is to watch, suchextreme transformations are bestleft to Tyra’s sweet TV guinea pigs.

We prefer the sort of dramaticchange that can be washed offbefore bed. Which is why we loveholiday party season. When else is such over-the-top sparkleencouraged? In fact you can lookdownright Scrooge-like if you refuseto get your glitter on at this festivetime of year.

For an inspirational fantasy look, take your cues from our ShuUemura model who pulls off greatdrama (those lashes!) but still lookssoftly romantic. How? With glowyskin, shiny, not too “done” hair andone carefully chosen, eye-catchingflourish. These custom Shu UemuraSnow Twist Lashes feature frostedpink teardrop crystals ($95, Holt Renfrew) if you’re feelingparticularly dramatic and are handy with eyelash glue.

If not, get some impact withsilver eye pencil (the Joe FreshBeauty eye crayon is only $6). A touch of silver makeup is easy to use and wearable, but remember— apply highlights sparingly toavoid looking like the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz.

Silver accessories are the fastestway to round out your party-readyensemble. A pair of silver flats, atriple-layer snowflake necklace,crystal-tipped bobby pins nestled inyour hair — instant oomph.

Now tuck a sparkly lip gloss intoa shiny evening bag and turn theseason into the costume drama itwas meant to be. Happy Holidays.

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THE GOODS

HOTPLAY

The Saboteur PC, PS3, XBOX

The Inglourious Basterds of World War II games� BY SCOTT GARDNER

here have always been World War II-themed videogames.A lot of them. And there are certain rules that MUSTbe observed. Games must star either a lone-wolfcommando single-handedly winning the war, or agrizzled sergeant leading a baby-faced band ofbrothers to hell and back. More importantly, theexperience must pay homage to the sacrifices of theGreatest Generation, with corn-fed American boysfighting for duty, honour, God, mom and apple pie.

The Saboteur gets it all wrong. Thank goodness. Trapped in Paris when the Germans arrive, beefy Irish racecar driver

Sean Devlin is mostly ignoring the war in favour of booze, fast cars andfaster women. But after a wrenching personal loss, our tough street-smart vows to do whatever he can to aggravate the Third Reich.Undertaking a campaign of sabotage, his missions blend stealth with over-the-top action: hijacking vehicles, imploding bridges,assassination and even blowing up a zeppelin.

One of the very few open-world, go-anywhere WW II games, the cobbledstreets and gothic spires of 1940s Paris are faithfully recreated, butwith a twist: as Devlin’s quest begins, the city is rendered in stylizedblack and white. But as he commits ever greater acts of defiance,resistance to the Nazis grows, and vibrant colours return to the city.

So does our reluctant hero ever warm to his patriotic duty? Hardly.Through it all, Devlin’s only true loyalty is to his beloved base ofoperations: the Belle de Nuit cabaret and brothel, and he never losessight of the small picture: bloody revenge. �RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 8

Rogue Warrior PC, XBOX, PS3Here’s a rarity — a first-personshooter based on a living,breathing person: legendaryAmerican badass Richard “DemoDick” Marcinko, counterterrorismspecialist, founder of the US Navy’s SEAL Team Six and abest-selling author. Set in 1986,Demo Dick (voiced by MickeyRourke) is alone behind enemylines, foiling a nuclear plot byNorth Korea and the USSR.�RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 1

The Legend of Zelda: SpiritTracks DSZelda hero Link returns in this highly anticipatedadventure. This time hevoyages from dungeon todungeon by train, and his new weapons include theWhirlwind, activated byblowing into the DS’smicrophone. But please —don’t do it on the bus during flu season. �RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 7

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FUN

YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF MOVIE TRIVIA

1.Peter Sarsgaard 2. fashion designer 3.Justin Long

4.Juno5. Morgan Freeman 6.a white suit 7. Cuba Gooding Jr. ANSWERS

Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaalplay siblings in the war dramaBrothers. Which actor isGyllenhaal’s real-life brother-in-law?

Tom Ford makes his directing debutwith this month’s A Single Man,which has already earned ravereviews on the festival circuit. What is Ford’s other profession?

Which well-known actor once again voices the rodent Alvin in thismonth’s Alvin and the Chipmunks:The Squeakquel?

Canadian director Jason Reitmanhelms the new George Clooney picUp in the Air. What was Reitman’slast feature film to hit theatres?

In the Nelson Mandela bio-picInvictus, Mandela is played by anactor you might not associate withsoap operas; but in the 1980s hehad roles on both Another Worldand Ryan’s Hope. Name that actor.

Steve Martin plays Meryl Streep’ssuitor in It’s Complicated. In the1970s and ’80s, when Martin wasknown more for his stand-up thanhis acting, he wore the same outfitwhenever he was on stage.Describe that outfit.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grantplay a married couple on the outs inDid You Hear About the Morgans? Inreal-life SJP has had several high-profile relationships. With which ofthe following men has she not beeninvolved — Robert Downey Jr.,Cuba Gooding Jr., John Kennedy Jr.?

7

6

4321

5

SCREENTEST

Brothers stars Tobey Maguire (left) and Jake Gyllenhaal

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel

Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant in Did You Hear About the Morgans?


SagittariusNovember 22 � December 22You start to see the results of aplan you launched early in theyear. A friend introduces you to a new interest that will proveprofitable over the comingmonths. For a harmoniousholiday season, mediate feudsas early in the month as possible.

CapricornDecember 23 � January 20There are two full moons thismonth — the 2nd and the 31stso it’s not surprising that youencounter more than your shareof odd behaviour. But you alsomeet some one who’s highlysophisti cated. It’s important toreflect on the past 12 months.

AquariusJanuary 21 � February 19 You receive overdue recognitionfor a job done earlier in the year.After a lengthy search, you find aninterest you’re passionate about.Avoid playing the blame game.It’s time to mend a break with afriend or relative, even if it meansmaking the first two moves.

PiscesFebruary 20 � March 20Think things through beforecontacting someone from yourpast. Do you really want thatperson back in your life? You’re finally able to get out of an awkward arrangement. The holiday rush gives you good energy.

AriesMarch 21 � April 20A recent gesture — perhapssomething as modest as athank-you note — puts you in aVIP’s good books. You’re morecertain about where a newrelationship is headed, but don’t rush into any decisions.

TaurusApril 21 � May 22 You can be taken advantage ofearly in the month. Be cautiousaround the 10th, when someonetries to talk you into working forfree. Things change after the15th, when you’re the recipientof other people’s generosity.

GeminiMay 23 � June 21 The first two weeks of the monthare professionally rewarding.Then, between the 17th and24th, you can be easilyinfatuated or manipulated.

CancerJune 22 � July 22 Your early-month report cardcould read, “Does not play wellwith others.” As Decemberprogresses, however, youbecome less competitive and much more popular.

LeoJuly 23 � August 22You come to the rescue thismonth, and in one case save a loved one from a majorembarrassment. Be cautiousabout discussing finances,especially after the 21st.

VirgoAugust 23 � September 22The only thing worse than beingtalked about is not being talkedabout. That’s not your worry.Expect to soon hear about apromotion, a reunion and a newproject — all involving you andbeing chatted about now. Arelationship is less tense afterthe 21st.

LibraSeptember 23 � October 22A contrary streak surfaces. Iftold to lose weight, for example,you run out and buy an éclair.An acquaintance shifts gearsaround the 21st, moving fromattentive to clingy. You have an outstanding opportunity to learn a new skill.

ScorpioOctober 23 � November 21 Read the writing on the wall and ask tough questions. Ifsomeone’s in trouble —financially or emotionally — it could affect you. Pausing totake inventory of all the goodthings in your life will help tostart 2010 on a positive note.

FUN

STARGAZING

Amanda SeyfriedSIGN: SagittariusBORN: December 3, 1985WHERE: Allentown, Pennsylvania

1st: Bette Midler2nd: Lucy Liu3rd: Amanda Seyfried4th: Marisa Tomei5th: Margaret Cho6th: Tom Hulce7th: Ellen Burstyn8th: Kim Basinger9th: John Malkovich10th: Kenneth Branagh11th: Mo’Nique12th: Jennifer Connelly13th: Jamie Foxx14th: Patty Duke15th: Adam Brody16th: Liv Ullmann17th: Bill Pullman18th: Brad Pitt19th: Jake Gyllenhaal20th: Jonah Hill21st: Kiefer Sutherland22nd: Ralph Fiennes23rd: Corey Haim24th: Ryan Seacrest25th: Sissy Spacek26th: Jared Leto27th: Gérard Depardieu28th: Maggie Smith29th: Jude Law30th: Tracey Ullman31st: Ben Kingsley

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

HOROSCOPE FOR DECEMBER 2009 � BY DAN LIEBMAN


FUN

ANSWER ONLINE at Cineplex.com/famouslastwordsAll responses must be entered by December 31st. Look for the answers to this question in the February issue. Responses may be edited for length and clarity.

We asked you…Which movie’s endingdisappointed you the most?

LASTWORDSOUR READERS HAVE THEIR SAY

You told us…

NEXT QUESTION: What’s your choice for 2009’s best picture?

Sweeney Todd. Sweeney + Lovett issupposed to equal truelove and sexytimes, not a throat-slittingfest/human barbecue.—Louise Macmillan, Toronto, Ont.

“”

Dare I say Casablanca? I think everyone

wishes Bogie never put Ingrid Bergman on that plane.Couldn’t he and Louis have shared a beautiful friendship had shestayed? I think so!—Sabrina Lemire-Rodger,Kitchener, Ont.

Julie & Julia. I so wantedJulie to meet Julia or at

least be acknowledged in apositive way by Julia for allthe hard work she had done. I walked out of there feeling cheated and let down.—Diane Francis, New Sarepta, Alta.

Signs. Aliens who areallergic to water fly 100

million light years to a planetthat is made up of 70 percentwater and attempt a hostiletakeover. Gimme a break!‘STOP SPLASHING ME, IT HURTS!’—Kevin Thomas, Montreal, Que.

The Proposal. The whole movie

was against them beingengaged, and in the endthey suddenly fall for eachother. So unoriginal! [Ryan Reynolds] shouldhave ended up with his ex, not Sandra Bullock!—Tracy Perkston, Hamilton, Ont.

“”

“ “ “” ” ”

FAMOUS

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