Julie Christie thinks she has never been that pretty or clever. And, I must say, I’m inclined to agree with her. It’s true: Julie Christie isn’t pretty or clever. No, Julie Christie is beautiful and brilliant.

The Oscar-nominated actress recently gave a fascinating and free-flowing interview with the U.K. Telegraph. She discussed everything from her phenomenal performance in Away From Her to her aversion to celebrity and her passion for social activism. Though, if Christie had her way, she wouldn’t be in the news at all: “All these paragraphs about stupid old me — when there’s a war going on!”

In Away From Her, Christie gave a singular performance, rare both in its quality and its very existence. Since becoming the iconic face of the '60s, Christie retired herself from the Hollywood scene in the late '70s. While she still acted, she reemerged mostly in smaller roles by design. “It’s not my taste, being a film star,” she said. “It’s nothing I’ve ever longed for or admired.” … continue reading

Over the weekend, the National Society of Film Critics announced its 2007 honorees. Here are some of the winners:

• Best picture: There Will Be Blood
• Best director: Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
• Best actress: Julie Christie, Away From Her
• Best supporting actress: Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
• Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
• Best supporting actor: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
• Best foreign-language film: Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days
• Best nonfiction film: No End in Sight
• Best screenplay: Tamara Jenkins, The Savages

These aren't exactly blockbusters. (Not a peep from Sweeney Todd, and no awards for Old Men either.) In fact, I've seen exactly one of these films: Away From Her. I'm glad Christie won for her mesmerizing performance.

And even though I'm not sure about I'm Not There, I do want to see Blanchett as Dylan: … continue reading

Sarah Polley, one of the most gifted actors and filmmakers of her generation, just began filming in Brussels for Mr. Nobody, an intriguing sci-fi fantasy by Belgian filmmaker Jaco van Dormael and co-starring Jared Leto.

The plot is described as having something to do with chaos theory, the "butterfly effect" and the exigencies of existence, and the last mortal man contemplating his past life and lost marriage. Whatever. We'll go with anything if it turns out well, which is always a long shot, if I'm up on my latest chaos film theory. … continue reading

I just watched the trailer for Away From Her, the new film starring Julie Christie and Olympia Dukakis and directed by Sarah Polley. It's based on the short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" by Alice Munro.

… continue reading

It looks like the film just might live up to the expectations fostered by those big names.