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Recently Released In Theaters Reviews
2008 FALL MOVIE PREVIEW Blindness How to Lose Friends & Alienate People Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Flash of Genius Beverly Hills Chihuahua Forever Strong Eagle Eye Miracle at St. Anna Choke Nights in Rodanthe My Best Friends Girl Lakeview Terrace Battle in Seattle Igor Recently Added Spotlights Clark Gregg Sean Faris Charlize Theron Stuart Townsend Justin Hartley Samuel L. Jackson Patrick Wilson Kerry Washington Meg Ryan Jada Pinkett Smith Eva Mendes Debi Mazar Alan Ball Nicolas Cage Anna Faris |
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 Jennifer Connelly
Spotlight By: Benjamin Lee Jennifer Connelly has never taken the easy route to stardom. Best known for her skillful portrayals of damaged women, her films have been a world away from the typical chick flicks many of her peers find themselves in. From her harrowing portrayal of a drug addict forced into extreme situations in Requiem for A Dream to her unflinching performance as a recovering alcoholic hurtling towards tragedy in House of Sand and Fog, she’s no stranger to the dark side. For her new film Blood Diamond, Connelly stars as an American journalist who is intent of exposing the illegal diamond trafficking crisis which tore apart Sierra Leone in the early 90s. It’s a controversial topic, one which has already caused worry from US government officials who fear the movie may effect the legitimate African diamond business. Connelly believes the diamond trafficking which persisted in Africa is ‘one of the great tragedies of our time’ Despite this, Connelly relished the chance to play a character who isn’t all doom and gloom. ‘I had a fantastic time playing this woman who is out to experience all she can’ she admits, ‘I loved her spirit and her enthusiasm, her dedication, her unflinching commitment to her work and to accomplishing something good but also her absolute zest and love of life and adventure.’ In order to understand her character fully, Connelly was keen to do as much research as she possibly could. ‘I met with a number of women who were in Sierra Leone at that time writing about the diamond conflict’ she recalls, ‘I got a lot of practical everyday information - what kind of notebook did she use, what kind of shoes did she wear so I could make some specific character choices. A lot of the information was very harrowing and I think the film gives a good glimpse of what I heard from these women.’ While many of her counterparts, Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman for example seem to be starring in every other film released these days, Jennifer Connelly seems much more precise over which roles she wants to play. Since 2001, Connelly has only made 6 movies, compared to 13 for Nicole Kidman. For her, it’s all about the script. ‘I thought it was a very powerful script and a very powerful story’ she expresses, ‘I thought it would make a very moving and exciting film. I thought how fantastic to make a good solid action drama that is at the same time able to raise questions and talk about some important issues that are still relevant today’ The issue of diamond-trafficking is one which has been reintroduced recently into news publications with the release of the movie. It’s something which Connelly herself believes shouldn’t be ignored by Western consumers. ‘I’m wearing diamond earrings right now that are from Bvlgari’ she states, ‘I’ve done research into retailers that can certify that their diamonds are conflict-free. I don’t think that the film suggests a boycott on ... |
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