I love finding little gems in my search for things to write for AfterEllen.com. How About You is a perfect example. How did I miss advance notice of a Vanessa Redgrave film?

How About You is an Irish comedy set in an upscale retirement home. Four of the residents (played by Redgrave, Brenda Fricker, Imelda Staunton and Joss Ackland) are so grumpy and demanding that they are the lone residents stuck in the home for the Christmas holidays.

The owner of the facility leaves her younger sister Ellie (Hayley Atwell) in charge, much to the chagrin of all involved. … continue reading

I adore a woman who speaks her mind, so between a willingness to be unabashedly opinionated and superb acting talents, Vanessa Redgrave holds a spot high on my list of favorites. Last week she reached the top of a rather more important list when she received a career achievement award at the Hamptons International Film Festival, and during her appearance she assured the audience that her gift for opinion has lasted just as well as her artistic gift.

Apparently Redgrave didn't wax political for the entire hour-long, onstage conversation with Alec Baldwin, but nonetheless touched upon the prison-industrial complex and the failure of modern leadership, suggesting that "if every politician devoted their entire attention to the well-being of children, they'd change everything in ten years." Mild words, really, coming from the Year of Magical Thinking star and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who doesn't mind that openly leftist leanings have cost her roles in the past. "It's always worth it to stand by some basic principles," she explained in a recent CBS interview. Her rabble-rousing certainly hasn't cost her any beauty — she looked as stunning as ever during the event last week.

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I've been looking forward to Evening for months now. How can you really go wrong with a cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Toni Collette, Natasha Richardson and Claire Danes? I mean, why don't you just rifle through my memories and pull out every actress who has ever turned my head or moved me to tears?

Take a look at this poster for the movie Evening:

First, can you believe all of those women are in the same movie? It's like The Hours on crack. Several of those names would be impressive on their own, and in certain pairs (like Streep/Close, Collette/Redgrave) I'd be gape-mouthed. But six super lady stars in one film? (I'm counting Danes, Collette, Redgrave, Richardson, Streep, and Close as superstars.) I'm gobsmacked.

Once I get past the mind-blowing litany of names, though, I have to ask: What the hell kind of order are they in? … continue reading