When someone borrows something from you, the underlying premise is that it (eventually) will be returned to you. But that’s not always the case. I know I’ve spotted books on my friends’ bookshelves that used to reside on my own bookshelves. (Anyone else had that happen, or is it just me?)

In terms of weddings, it’s brides who do the borrowing. According to legend, brides should have something borrowed with them as they walk down the aisle. Nowhere in the legend are maids-of-honor mentioned, and neither is the borrowing of the groom. But (spoiler alert from here on out) that’s exactly what happens in Something Borrowed.

Anyone I’ve discussed books with recently knows of my love for Emily Griffin’s novels Something Borrowed and Something Blue. The reason I love the books (and subsequently the movie) so much is the complex questions it raises.

Is there ever an acceptable time to loosen your morals?

Is it OK to treat someone badly when they do the same to you?

Is all fair and love and war?

The scenario goes something like this … Rachel White and Darcy Rhone have been BFFs for most of their lives. It is an uneasy friendship from Rachel’s perspective, but she loves her best friend despite her faults. Darcy frequently takes advantage of Rachel while claiming she’s the sister she never had.

They moved to New York City after college; Rachel started law school at NYU while Darcy embarked on a career in public relations. Rachel strikes up a friendship with fellow law school student Dexter Thayer. They are interested in each other as more than friends, but both are to shy to acknowledge their attraction. Eventually, Darcy and Dex meet. Despite his interest in Rachel, he ends up dating Darcy – with Rachel’s approval – and proposing to her.

On Rachel’s 30^th birthday, Darcy throws a party. Dex takes Darcy home when he sees she’s drunk. He returns to retrieve Darcy’s forgotten purse and decides to have one more drink with Rachel. I’ll let you imagine what happens next …

Rachel and Dex continue to see each other behind Darcy’s back during the next few months. But that’s not the only secret being kept. Darcy continues her own affair with Dex’s friend Marcus.

The drama continues. Eventually, Darcy and Dex call off their wedding. Darcy confides in Rachel that she’s pregnant with Marcus’ baby in a conversation Dex inadvertently hears. That leads to a huge argument and to Darcy finding out about Dex and Rachel’s affair. In the end, Dex and Rachel are free to be together, but it’s come at a price.

See what I mean? This story is complicated and raises a lot of questions.

By all rights, the audience should be siding with Darcy. After all, her fiancé cheated on her with her best friend. That kind of betrayal should never be tolerated. Yet I found myself empathizing with and rooting for Rachel. She and Dex are supposed to be together. It’s almost difficult for the romantic in me to fault there cheating when – as it’s written and portrayed on screen – these two characters are clearly “meant to be.” It doesn’t excuse their betrayal, and they both know that, but it does, in a way, explain it. Does that make it OK? I don’t know. But I do know that I appreciate a book/movie that makes me think about philosophical questions like that long after it’s over.

So, here’s my question to you. Is all really and truly fair in love and war? Let me know what you think.

The cast includes Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, Ned Beatty and Tom Bower. IFC Films is set to release The Killer Inside Me in theaters this June 18th.:

New Trailer for The Killer Inside Me

The story centers on Rachel White (Goodwin), a thirty-year-old single woman who is a consummate good-girl. She and Darcy Rhone (Hudson) have been best friends since childhood, and hard-working Rachel is often in the shadow of flashy, sometimes selfish Darcy. Then, after a night of drinking on Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, she sleeps with Darcy’s fiance, Dex (Egglesfield). After this turns into an affair, Rachel explores the meanings friendship, true love, and ethics.

Principal photography is already expected to start up later on this month in The Hamptons, says Production Weekly. No word on when the release will be for this picture. Farrell recently appeared in the Scott Cooper directed film Crazy Heart, the feature that gave actor Jeff Bridges the proper attention to finally bag an Academy Award.

Twilight

Those already part of the cast for this comedy include Rob Corddry, Kate Hudson and Jim Carrey. Principal photography is ready to start up next week in Louisiana with a 2012 release date already stamped onto the picture. If you want to see Greene in non-Twilight flicks, keep an eye out for her in several films this year which include Skateland, Warrior and Radio Free Albemuth whenever they finally get a solid release here in the states. If you’d rather see her as Alice Cullen, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse comes out in theaters and IMAX on June 30th.

Michael De Luca and Jennifer Garner are producing with principal photography ready to start up on April 17th in Shreveport, Louisiana. You can still see Corddry on the big screen co-starring along with John Cusack, Craig Robinson and Clark Duke in MGM’s Hot Tub Time Machine.

Hudson will portray Darcy, best friend of Goodwin’s Manhattan attorney who becomes involved with Darcy’s fiance following her 30th birthday (Variety). Principal photography is set to begin sometime next month with a yet to be announced release date. Hudson was last seen in the Rob Marshall musical Nine and has The Killer Inside Me coming up soon for a release, though it is not specified as to when exactly that will be.

The film is a comedy set in the Midwest U.S., where an adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their town’s annual contest. Michael De Luca is producing under his Michael De Luca Productions label. The Mandate Pictures feature has yet to announce it’s release date but is rumored to come out sometime in 2012, possibly earlier. Principal photography is already expected to start on April 17th in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Earthbound

EARTHBOUND, the major motion picture starring Kate Hudson, Gael Garcia Bernal, & Kathy Bates is holding an Open Casting Call for Principal & Background Actors.

Saturday January 9, 2010
10:00AM – 1:00PM
Robert E. Nims Center
800 Distributors Row
Harahan, LA 70123

We are seeking the following types:

Major Speaking Role: Principal

Cammie – Seeking Identical Twins or Triplets, Caucasian female, 3-5 years of age. Blonde, brown or red hair ok; to play the child of one of our stars. Happy, energetic and not afraid of people. No previous experience necessary!

Background Talent:

Hospital Fundraising Gala: Society Types – MUST arrive in sophisticated cocktail attire (Suits, Sport Coats, Dress Shirts, Ties, Cocktail dresses)

EVERYONE MUST arrive in “costume” or appropriate attire for the role. Casting decisions will be made that day!

Local Bar Patrons: Performance Artists, Mimes, and Dancers – MUST arrive in full costume

For more information or questions please email or call Robin or Jason: info@bathersoncasting.com or 504.733.8901 or tara@fincannoncasting.com.

Wells is co-producing the drama along with producers Mark Gill, Robert Katz, John Davis and Neil Sacker. Punch was recently seen in the independent film called (Untitled) and can be seen in Young Americans.

Source: YouTube

An Education: Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, An Education is the one of the biggest front runners in this year’s Oscar race, with across the board praise for its female lead Carey Mulligan, and raves for lead actor Peter Sarsgaard, and supporting performance by the under appreciated Alfred Molina. At this point, Carey Mulligan is the biggest front runner in all the races combined with an assured nomination and possible victory.

The Lovely Bones:  Peter Jackson‘s highly anticipated return comes in the adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones.  The film tells the story of a young woman who is brutally raped and murdered and watches from heaven, as her family tries to cope with the loss, and try to solve what or why it happened.  One of the biggest front runners in this year’s Oscar race has already been screened  a  few times, and is slowly loosing steam as reviews come in saying the film is magnificent, but plays more as a thriller, rather than solid drama.  Keep a look out for technical nominations, as well as nominations in lead for past Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan of Atonement, and supporting nominations for Rachel Weisz, as with as the big ones for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

Avatar:  To put this film, as being highly anticipated would not do the film justice with fans and fanboys, to see what the master filmmaker has conjured up with his first feature length film since 1997′s record breaking phenomenon Titanic.  Oscar prognosticators seem to be at odds whether the film will be a Best Picture nominee, with the Academy changing to 10 films, but those  who have seen cuts or scenes from the film overwhelmingly believe it can.  Expect the film to sweep the technical categories.

Precious: Based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire :  Already the front runner for a Supporting Actress win, Mo’Nique seems to be on every one’s radar at the moment, since the film’s reception at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where the film went on to win the coveted Grand Jury Prize, along with the Audience Award.  The film has been slowly gaining steam towards a Best Picture nomination, as well as, a nom for Gabourey Sidibe as the film’s lead playing an overweight black woman who is pregnant with her second child, and under pressure from her cruel mother (Mo’Nique), while seeking guidance from a social worker (Mariah Carey).

Nine : On the Oscar train since the film’s announcement; Nine marks the return to the musical for Chicago director Rob Marshall in an adaptation of the Broadway play of the same name.  The film stars a virtual roster of Oscar winners and nominees, with Judy Dench, Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman and in the singing and dancing lead, Daniel Day Lewis.  Early buzz has been mixed, but likely to take a Best Picture nomination, as well as, acting categories going either way for Judy Dench and Marion Cotillard.

Bright Star: Still the only female to every win the best director award at the Cannes film festival, Jane Campion returns with Bright Star, an original screenplay of her own that tells  of poet John Keats and his lover Fanny Brawne, played by Abbie Cornish in a star making performance, whose previous work in Candy and Stop-Loss first put the talented actress on the Hollywood map.  Though the film’s reception has considerably cooled since it’s Cannes premiere, the film is growing a strong following hoping to muster up some Oscar attention, with its best chances in the lead actress and original screenplay categories.

The Road: Loved by many, and indifferent to others, the film tells the incredibly bleak story of a father and son on their trek to to the coast in a post apocalyptic America.  Viggo Mortenson returns in top form as the father protecting his son, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee.  Both actors are looking to earn Oscar nominations for their respective performances, but with Mortenson and the film’s cinematography so far the one’s up ahead.

The Hurt Locker:   One of the summer’s breakout films The Hurt Locker has been receiving raves since its premier at the Venice Film Festival last year and has not slowed down since.  The Hurt Locker is primed for Oscar gold with enough love for the film to earn its slot in the Oscar top 10 list, as well as, nomination love for Best Director Kathryn Bigelow, and possible nomination for lead actor Jeremy Renner and supporting actor Anthony Mackie.

UP:  With Oscar prognosticators still reeling over last year’s omission of Wall*E in the Best Picture category, UP seems to have all the right marks to fit the bill, and give Pixar its coveted Best Picture nomination, a first for an animated film since 1991′s Beauty and the Beast.

Amelia: Beloved director Mira Nair returns with the ambitious biopic of legendary pilot Amelia Earhart played by Oscar winner Hilary Swank in an attempt to get Oscar number 3.  Don’t expect Ms. Swank to obtain the win, but a nomination is very likely for the film, along with coveted Best Picture nomination and long shot nominations for Richard Gere and Ewen McGregor, to have the next possible acting nominations outside of the film’s technical nominations.

Invictus:  In the most obvious Oscar film out there, the secretive Invictus tells pseudo biopic of famed civil rights activist Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan Freeman and his hosting of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, in hopes to unify his country with Matt Damon, as one of the film’s rugby players.  With the film directed by Oscar winner Clint Eastwood and previous Oscar track record look for Invictus to do well at the big show.

A Prophet: France’s official entry into the Best Foreign Film race, as well as hopes to crack the Best Picture race, A Prophet has earned nothing but raves, with many calling the film the best prison film ever made, with comparisons to last year’s Gomorrah.

Up In The Air: Jason Reitman returns again from the Toronto International Film Festival, after his success last year with Juno, with his new dramedy Up In The Air starring a never better George Clooney, in what folks are describing as the best film of the year so far (up till September). It’s a story of a lonely businessman working up to 10 million frequent flyer miles, who falls for a similar woman on the way played by Vera Farmiga.  Look for the film to aim toward nominations for lead George Clooney, supporting noms for Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga, as well as luck for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

The Informant! : Based on the book by Kurt Eichenwald, Warner Bros. is looking to gain some serious momentum towards getting the Steven Soderbergh dark comedy nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as a Best Actor for Matt Damon as the corporate whistle blower.

A Single Man: After earning raves at this year’s Venice Film Festival and winning the fest’s Golden Lion Award, along with Best Actor Colin Firth, A Single Man is shaping up to be this year’s dark horse. The film tells the story of  a gay college professor, who learns his lover has died. It has just been purchased by The Weinstein Company, and we all know how  well they do come Oscar time.

Get Low: In the dark dramedy starring  Robert DuVall in a performance earning him raves surpassing his work in The Apostle, Get Low tells the folk fairy tale of a man about a 1930′s recluse who goes as far as throwing his funeral party while still alive.

And if the film gets released this year, look for Terrence Malick to score well with his highly secretive film starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in The Tree of Life, but seeing as the man takes around 2 years per film and takes even longer in between, we can never count him in the race until  his film is completed.  The film’s plot has been keptsecret by the studio, but is known to be a 1950′s period peace telling  a multi-generational family story, with information leaked that Malick is indeed working with CGI for the first time including pre-historic dinosaurs.

If you haven’t already seen the fabulous trailer, check out Daniel’s previous post.

Nine opens in theaters November 25, 2009.

SOURCES: Cinema Blend & IMDB

THE FILM:

“True or false:  All’s fair in love and war?”  The big question is answered in this hilarious battle of the sexes, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

On a mission to get her more serious writing published at her fluff magazine job, Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) takes on an assignment she hopes will guarantee some creative freedom in her “How To…” column.  The topic is “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” and her research requires her to make a man fall hard for her, only to drive him away within ten days by committing classic mistakes women make in relationships.  Little does she know that the man she has picked to perform this experiment on, Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), is also out to further his career.  If he can get a woman to fall in love with him in ten days, he gets to pitch his campaign to the biggest client his advertising firm has ever had.  The two take a chaotic romp through romance, all the while staging scenarios to further their cause.  Special appearances include conniving co-workers (Michael Michele, Shalom Harlow), frantic friends (Kathryn Hahn, Annie Parisse, Adam Goldberg), a prissy pup, pushy bosses (Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Klein), Marvin Hamlisch, and Princess Sophia, royalty of a whole new dynasty.

Hudson and McConaughey have great chemistry and keep a steady pace with the humor through the whole movie.  The supporting cast never skips a beat, playing up the jokes without overdoing the drama.  I’m not one to enjoy the predictable romantic comedy. I guess How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days isn’t a cliché because this chick flick gives me the giggles every time!

THE BLU-RAY:

AUDIO/VISUAL: The audio is crisp, especially interesting on the streets of New York when hearing the sounds of the city.  The score is a perfect set-up for each scene and the clear sound goes along with the playful vibe of the movie.  The visuals are nothing extraordinary.

COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR DONALD PETRIE: Petrie points out some interesting facts about the movie, some little details that affect the outcome more than viewers initially realize; however, he also points out the obvious… like, the SUPER obvious.  There are even times where he kind of ruins the moment by trying to explain a joke until he obliterates it.    This was nothing special.

HOW TO MAKE A MOVIE IN 2 YEARS: This is too funny!  So many characters coming together to talk about the making of the movie is definitely a must-see!

WHY THE SEXES BATTLE: This is a psychological analysis of why this movie makes sense.  It’s such a girly thing to watch—don’t we always over-analyze and claim emotional attachment to everything?  I enjoyed it!

GIRLS NIGHT OUT: “Girls Night Out” features the authors of the book, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Jeannie Long and Michele Alexander.  Their personalities are just as funny as the book and movie that was inspired by it.  They share their inspiration for the book and funny stories about their previous experiences committing the relationship crimes they wrote about.

MUSIC VIDEO—“SOMEBODY LIKE YOU” BY KEITH URBAN: I will always love this song.  The music video is nothing superb, unless you’re into the whole Keith-Urban-shirt-unbuttoned-scruffy-rugged-man-guitar-player thing.  Then I guess you’d like it…

DELETED SCENES WITH OPTIONAL DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY: It’s a shame these scenes had to be cut.  They add character definition and humor to the story.  There is a great alternate opening for the movie, as well.

The Film: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Don’t forget to support Killer Film by clicking on the DVD covers of any of the above DVDs to purchase them from Amazon, because every DVD sold from this site sends a little coin our way and that coin helps us stay online.

Aside from the enormous star power in the film and the fantastic trailer below, is it now worth price of admission alone to see Daniel Day Lewis singing and Sophia Loren’s return to film?

….and yes that was the Black Eyed Peas Fergie in the mix gyrating on the chair.

Source: Trailer Addict