‘It didn’t hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story’ made, actor tells MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Red Tails” Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation The upcoming World War II drama “Red Tails” tells many stories. First and foremost, it’s the story of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen, the country’s first African American air regimen. Within that story are tales of social injustice and a historical wartime drama. It’s also a big-budget action movie produced by George Lucas. With so much to accomplish, “Red Tails” has a lot on its plate dramatically speaking. One of the stars of the film, Cuba Gooding Jr., told MTV News recently that the film manages to find the right balance. “I think it strikes it in the subject matter,” Gooding said. “It didn’t hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story onto the big screen. “The fact that you have the story of these warriors, whose story has been suppressed up until this date — except for smaller instances — are finally getting their due, educating the audience of what African Americans did in the war effort in World War II … told by George Lucas, Star Wars,” Gooding said. “You’re going to see an amusement park ride.” Gooding concluded that all of those elements came together for a proper telling of the story. “I think that’s how you get the balance,” he added. “You get a filmmaker who is so passionate he’s putting his own dough up to the tune of $100 million-plus. You see it on the screen.” Gooding’s co-star, Nate Parker, tried to chime in with a comment of his own, but the Academy Award-winning actor stopped Parker jokingly. “No, no, no, no. That was enough,” Gooding said. “I’m just kidding. Speak your mind, brother.” For Parker, the answer to the film’s success is simple. “Risk and reward,” he said. “He took a risk, and now I think he’s being rewarded in a major way because I think the film is fantastic.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Red Tails.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Red Tails
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts came out this morning with its 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards nominations, which — wait for it — look suspiciously like the rest of the worlds 2012 film awards nominations. In fairness, for every nod thrown in the direction of The Artist , we witnessed some refreshing recognition for the likes of Drive , Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy , We Need to Talk About Kevin and a few select others. But hoo boy — another Albert Brooks snub? This is getting a little weird. More analysis forthcoming Wednesday in Movieline’s Oscar Index; congrats to all the nominees, listed below. The Orange British Academy Film Award winners will be announced Feb. 12 in a ceremony in London. BEST FILM THE ARTIST Thomas Langmann THE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor DRIVE Marc Platt, Adam Siegel THE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER ATTACK THE BLOCK Joe Cornish (Director/Writer) BLACK POND Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer) CORIOLANUS Ralph Fiennes (Director) SUBMARINE Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer) TYRANNOSAUR Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer) FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INCENDIES Denis Villeneuve, Luc Déry, Kim McGraw PINA Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel POTICHE François Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer A SEPARATION Asghar Farhadi THE SKIN I LIVE IN Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar DOCUMENTARY GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD Martin Scorsese PROJECT NIM James Marsh, Simon Chinn SENNA Asif Kapadia ANIMATED FILM THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Steven Spielberg ARTHUR CHRISTMAS Sarah Smith RANGO Gore Verbinski DIRECTOR THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius DRIVE Nicolas Winding Refn HUGO Martin Scorsese TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY THE ARTIST Michel Hazanavicius BRIDESMAIDS Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig THE GUARD John Michael McDonagh THE IRON LADY Abi Morgan MIDNIGHT IN PARIS Woody Allen ADAPTED SCREENPLAY THE DESCENDANTS Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash THE HELP Tate Taylor THE IDES OF MARCH George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon MONEYBALL Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan LEADING ACTOR BRAD PITT Moneyball GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy GEORGE CLOONEY The Descendants JEAN DUJARDIN The Artist MICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame LEADING ACTRESS BÉRÉNICE BEJO The Artist MERYL STREEP The Iron Lady MICHELLE WILLIAMS My Week with Marilyn TILDA SWINTON We Need to Talk About Kevin VIOLA DAVIS The Help SUPPORTING ACTOR CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER Beginners JIM BROADBENT The Iron Lady JONAH HILL Moneyball KENNETH BRANAGH My Week with Marilyn PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Ides of March SUPPORTING ACTRESS CAREY MULLIGAN Drive JESSICA CHASTAIN The Help JUDI DENCH My Week with Marilyn MELISSA MCCARTHY Bridesmaids OCTAVIA SPENCER The Help ORIGINAL MUSIC THE ARTIST Ludovic Bource THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross HUGO Howard Shore TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Alberto Iglesias WAR HORSE John Williams CINEMATOGRAPHY THE ARTIST Guillaume Schiffman THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Jeff Cronenweth HUGO Robert Richardson TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Hoyte van Hoytema WAR HORSE Janusz Kaminski EDITING THE ARTIST Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius DRIVE Mat Newman HUGO Thelma Schoonmaker SENNA Gregers Sall, Chris King TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY Dino Jonsater PRODUCTION DESIGN THE ARTIST Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan HUGO Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald WAR HORSE Rick Carter, Lee Sandales COSTUME DESIGN THE ARTIST Mark Bridges HUGO Sandy Powell JANE EYRE Michael O’Connor MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jill Taylor TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Jacqueline Durran MAKE UP & HAIR THE ARTIST Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin HUGO Morag Ross, Jan Archibald THE IRON LADY Marese Langan MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Jenny Shircore SOUND THE ARTIST Nadine Muse, Gérard Lamps, Michael Krikorian HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener HUGO Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley WAR HORSE Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN Joe Letteri HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery HUGO Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White WAR HORSE Ben Morris, Neil Corbould SHORT ANIMATION ABUELAS Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner BOBBY YEAH Robert Morgan A MORNING STROLL Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe SHORT FILM CHALK Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini MWANSA THE GREAT Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet ONLY SOUND REMAINS Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar PITCH BLACK HEIST John Maclean, Gerardine O’Flynn TWO AND TWO Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen THE ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public) ADAM DEACON CHRIS HEMSWORTH CHRIS O’DOWD EDDIE REDMAYNE TOM HIDDLESTON
Today in the NY Times , David Carr has an intriguing look at the notorious 28-minute “documentary” When Mitt Romney Came to Town , a piece of presidential-campaign propaganda so slick and evocative that it brings to mind the work of contemporary Hollywood pros. Perhaps most notably, Carr writes, the film implicates Romney in a kind of “vampire capitalism” — which calls for some perspective from the Oscar-winning director of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn , Bill Condon. Naturally . It’s precisely the cheeky antidote the piece needs to counteract the sniffling stridency of Michael Moore (“Those in power will appropriate the counterculture to their own ends,” he tells Carr), but it’s also a concisely nifty illumination of how choices behind the camera affect perceptions of those in front of it: “From a technical perspective, they were very effective of taking the imagery of [the 1984 Ronald Reagan spot] Morning in America and gradually turning it into an episode of America’s Most Wanted ,” Mr. Condon said. “In the film, Romney literally blocks out the sun and the weather seems to turn. You are always looking down at Romney, while they shoot the people who lost their jobs from below. And there is a literal money shot, where Romney is posing with money, that looks like it was captured from a surveillance video.” “The title in particular is very good,” he said. “It sets it up right away that this is the mainstream versus Wall Street. The populism of that message took me by surprise and represents a calculation that the white working class, who are everywhere in this movie, are a big part of the Republican electorate.” Indeed. Now if only it were factual ! Can’t have it all, I suppose. Check the film out below, FWIW…
On Golden Globes red carpet, David Benioff promises, ‘A lot of bloodshed’ and ‘more romance.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz David Benioff Photo: Getty Images In its first season, “Game of Thrones” struck a chord not only with fans but with critics as well, and on the carpet at the 2012 Golden Globes , showrunner David Benioff shared some hints about season two with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz. “A lot of bloodshed, as they’re used to. More romance, I think, than season one. There are some great love stories starting up,” Benioff said about the next season, which premieres April 1 on HBO. The first season of “Game of Thrones” earned several nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, including Best Drama Series and Best Supporting Actor, which Peter Dinklage won. According to Benioff, season two will be about expanding the world of the television show. For production, that meant traveling all over the world. “The worlds just keep getting bigger and bigger,” Benioff said. “We traveled to Croatia and Iceland and again to Northern Ireland this year. I think it looks even better than last season.” The prospect of a new season is a nerve-racking one for Benioff, but the showrunner said that the series’ work behind the camera ensures a great second season. “Obviously, I’m biased, but you’re always nervous going into a new season,” he said. “Can you match what happened before? I think our directors and our cinematographers took it to a whole different place.” Benioff ended his tease for season two with a hint that is sure to make any fan giddy with excitement. “It looks absolutely gorgeous,” he said. “And the dragons are getting bigger.” Check out the 2012 Golden Globes winners , and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties Golden Globes 2012 Press Room
‘Luther’ star talks to MTV News about upcoming ‘Pacific Rim,’ ‘Thor 2’ and ‘Avengers.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Idris Elba Photo: MTV News Idris Elba might have been celebrating at the 2012 Golden Globes for his “Luther” win, but he has a number of high-profile projects coming up also worth cheering over. MTV News’ Josh Horowitz caught up with the British actor to get an update on Elba’s role in several of 2013’s biggest movies. Next year, Elba will star in Guillermo del Toro’s big, ambitious, monster versus robot movie “Pacific Rim.” The actor has been in Toronto filming del Toro’s first film since 2008’s “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” and he said he can’t wait to get back. “I’m going back tomorrow morning. I’ve been there for five months,” Elba said. “I love it. Guillermo’s a genius, and the film we’re making is a huge film, bad monster movie and robots and me.” If starring in del Toro’s next film wasn’t enough, Elba also has his own spot in the Marvel universe to worry about. The actor confirmed that his character, Heimdall, would be making another appearance soon. ” ‘Thor 2’ for sure,” Elba said. ” ‘Avengers,’ we’re not sure about, but ‘Thor 2’ we’re going at it again.” Elba won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for “Luther,” a BBC series about a troubled detective. He shared his excitement about winning for a smaller show. “This is great. We made our little show in London, and now we’re getting this worldwide recognition of it,” Elba said. “Love it.” Check out the 2012 Golden Globes winners , and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Check out everything we’ve got on “Pacific Rim.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room
‘I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress],’ Paul Feig tells us on the Golden Globes red carpet. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Joshua Horowitz Paul Feig Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images “Bridesmaids” might have walked away from the Golden Globes empty-handed , but the raunchy comedy is still considered a dark horse for the upcoming Oscar race. Nominees won’t be announced until January 24, and many experts are guessing that the film might sneak into the pool of Best Picture nominees. Director Paul Feig is similarly optimistic. MTV News caught up with him on the red carpet before the Globes where he chatted about his predictions for “Bridesmaids'” Oscar chances. “I’m really pulling for Melissa [McCarthy]. I think we got a good shot with Melissa [for Best Supporting Actress],” he said. “I think the girls have a good shot for the screenplay.” But what about their Best Picture odds? Feig isn’t holding his breath. “Look, nothing would make me happier,” he said. “I think that’s a real tough one because the way the voting for the Academy is set up for Best Pictures this year is tough. We have to get a lot of, like, ‘best movie of the year’ votes, which, like, we’re good, but we’re not the best movie of the year. I’d like to say we were, but what an ass I would sound like if I did say that.” That lends itself to a different argument that says the Academy Awards should follow the Globes’ model and separate the drama and comedy categories. As a comedic director and producer for over a decade, Feig said he sees the upside in that split. His argument is that it’s easier to create a showy drama that appeals to critics than a showy comedy that does the same. In his experience, showy comedies typically distance the intended audience, though that isn’t always the case. “I thought ‘The Hangover’ was very showy in that way, filmmaking-wise. But it’s hard because most comedy needs to be very relatable. Like, if I were to do ‘Bridesmaids’ kind of very stylistic, I think I would alienate the audience, you know,” he said. “As a filmmaker, my theory is always, ‘Take the backseat. Don’t show off. Let the girls be the focus.’ ” Check out everything we’ve got on “Bridesmaids.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties Golden Globes 2012 Press Room MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
Did the 2012 Golden Globe winners go according to plan? Or were there any big surprises? Are the Oscar favorites more or less cemented right now? The Help, The Artist, The Descendants and Hugo proved they are early Oscar leaders, with each film taking home some hardware Sunday evening. The Artist ’s wins for Best Score and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin kept the critical favorite squarely in the driver’s seat as an early Oscar favorite. After winning Best Actor for The Descendants , George Clooney is the man to beat for the honor at the Oscars. That film was also the best drama. Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical went to The Artist , while Meryl Streep won Best Actress (shocker) as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady . The Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement went to Morgan Freeman (above), who received the honor from Sidney Poitier and Helen Mirren. On the TV side, Homeland, Modern Family and Downton Abbey were the big winners. Kicking off the night was a Ricky Gervais monologue that went after stars such as Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian this year. So … there’s that. Here’s the list of Golden Globe winners for 2012: FILM Best Motion Picture, Drama The Descendants Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical The Artist Best Actress, Motion Picture Drama Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Best Actor, Motion Picture Drama George Clooney, The Descendants Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Christopher Plummer, Beginners Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn Best Animated Film The Adventures of Tintin Best Screenplay Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Octavia Spencer, The Help Best Director Martin Scorsese, Hugo Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical Jean Dujardin, The Artist Best Foreign Film A Separation Best Song Masterpiece, W.E. Best Score Ludovic Bource, The Artist TELEVISION TV Series, Drama Homeland TV Series, Comedy Modern Family TV Movie or Miniseries Downton Abbey Actor in a TV Series, Drama Kelsey Grammer, Boss Actress in a TV Series, Drama Claire Danes, Homeland Actor, TV Series Comedy Matt LeBlanc, Episodes Actress in a TV Series, Comedy Laura Dern, Enlightened Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie Idris Elba, Luther Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie Jessica Lange, American Horror Story Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Madeleine Stowe says she may consider altering role to make it more age-appropriate for ‘Twilight’ star. By Terri Schwartz, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Madeleine Stowe Photo: Steve Granitz/ Getty Images Robert Pattinson is so beloved by “Unbound Captives” producer Madeleine Stowe that she may consider altering a character in the film’s script so that the “Twilight Saga” star can take the role. MTV News caught up with Stowe on the Golden Globes red carpet and asked her whether there is any chance of RPattz being in the upcoming film. After all, when we last talked to Pattinson , he suggested that he might now be too old for the role. “The character was conceptualized as an 18-year-old,” Stowe acknowledged. When asked if she would be willing to age up the role so he could still take the part, she said with a laugh, “We might. We might just do that. We’ll see how it all falls.” It wasn’t just the “Twilight” phenomenon that is causing Stowe to be willing to jump through hoops for Pattinson. She explained that she met him before he joined the first “Twilight” film and “fell deeply in love with him” then. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz are also currently attached to the project. In fact, Jackman recently told MTV News that it’s “one of the best scripts I’ve read in a long time.” With Pattinson’s commitment to “Cosmopolis” over with, he seemingly has an open slate ahead of him. Stowe said that Pattinson’s decision to come onboard “Unbound Captives” is strictly in his camp. “It’s going to be sort of up to Robert. We’re looking at 2013 [for a release date] right now,” Stowe said. Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Golden Globes winners, and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room
We’re keeping an eye on Teresa’s three upcoming projects: ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘AWOL’ and ‘Warm Bodies.’ By Kara Warner Teresa Palmer in “Wish You Were Here” Photo: Hopscotch Films Amazingly enough, our week of Ones to Watch in 2012 profiles is coming to an end. Over the past few days, we’ve highlighted a few of the stars who we feel will make the biggest impact in Hollywood this year. They are the rising stars of action, drama and blockbusters, who have the potential to be future award winners. The latest One to Watch is Aussie-born beauty Teresa Palmer, who fits into all of those categories and has not one, but three movies in which audiences can see her this year: the Australian indie and official Sundance Film Festival selection “Wish You Were Here” opposite Joel Edgerton, ’60s-set war drama “AWOL” with fellow Aussie and One to Watch Liam Hemsworth and “Warm Bodies,” a zombie romance based on Isaac Marion’s acclaimed novel. MTV News was lucky enough to catch up with Palmer recently to talk about her expectations for the year and what she loves most about her upcoming films, as well as the status on Six and that “I Am Number Four” sequel. MTV News : With the new year just getting started, do you have any specific goals or expectations for yourself? Teresa Palmer : Every year, I write a very elaborate journal, which I find to be very therapeutic and such a nice tool to have. This year, my New Year’s resolutions and goals, I had eight pages worth of stuff. Mainly it was goals that I’ve set for myself, and I know it’s going to be a busy year. I’m sure it’s going to be full of peaks and valleys, but I tend to do that every year and stick to what those goals are. MTV : We’ve seen you in plenty of films before this year, but how is 2012 different from other years? Palmer : This is the first time I’ve had three films come out in a year. I’m really excited because I’ve balanced between doing a big studio film, which I’ve been doing a lot in the last few years, with a cool independent. I have a cool independent film coming out called “Wish You Were Here” with Joel Edgerton and it’s Australian, which is super exciting for me because I haven’t been back to Australia to work in a few years. And then of course I have “Warm Bodies” coming out in August and then I have a period piece which is a much smaller movie again, set in the 1960s around the Vietnam war, called “AWOL,” and that’s with Liam Hemsworth. They’re just very different characters. I couldn’t really draw any similarities between the three girls that I play, and that’s certainly a draw card for me when I select the project. It’s just exciting, the diversity in the roles this year. It’s great. MTV : We’ve been following “Warm Bodies” for a while now. It’s a very different film from what people think. How do you describe it? Palmer : “Warm Bodies” is a truly unique zombie film. Yes, it has those elements of a zombie movie, and for those who embrace that genre, they’re not going to be disappointed because we have a lot of those typical action sequences in zombie films, but really, at the heart of the story is this relationship between R and Julie, and it’s unlike anything I think you’ve seen on film before. It’s so sweet, and there’s a lot humor. It really is, believe it or not, grounded in a reality. I think people can absolutely relate to R, who plays our lovable zombie. He’s an outsider, and it’s very much an “Edward Scissorhands”-type story and it’s really beautiful how this romance blossoms. It was such a strong script and truly very special, and that’s what drew me to the project in the first place. It’s just exceeded my expectations throughout filming, and the little of what I’ve seen I’m really excited about, I think more so than any other film I’ve been in, which is a great step for me. And I get to see a lot more when we start doing in a few weeks. MTV : How would you describe the look of the film? Palmer : It’s a dark, bleak world. There are 400 humans left in society, so it’s very much that postapocalyptic world. Empty streets, a huge deserted airport, which always makes for an interesting backdrop. There’s a lot of beauty, though, and it surrounds. I think another character in the film really is the music; it’s celebrated in our movie. It’s just a very eclectic film in the way that we have eccentric pieces and really interesting graffiti that maybe not everyone will notice, but so much effort was put into the look of the film, the backdrops and sets and just the feel of it, that I think it’s going to be really interesting on film. We have the production designer who did “Super 8,” among a bunch of other films, and it is really epic. MTV : Is there room for a sequel, or do you feel it’s a standalone film? Palmer : I would love, love to go back and play Julie. I certainly already miss R, and I said to [director] Jonathan Levine just recently “I miss them both so much.” I miss R’s sweetness and how beautiful he is to Julie and how much he takes care of her. He’s struggling so much with being bottled up in a zombie, he doesn’t like his existence in that way, and we sort of help each other to grow. I love that. I would be so excited to do another film. At the moment, it lends itself to the one film, but we all sat around drawing up possible ideas in the air, and Isaac Marion was on set with us, and he said he has a couple of ideas. If anything, there might be a prequel, but right now, it’s a standalone film. I guess it just depends. MTV : Have you had any more discussion on the character of Six and a sequel to “I Am Number Four”? Palmer : I have been poking around asking about that a little bit. I think of all the films I’ve done so far, that’s the character who is most celebrated to me. I meet people who come up to me on the street and say all my lines from “I Am Number Four” and they really loved Six, which is exciting. I’ve been asked that question a lot recently; I really don’t know. I think at the moment, there are no plans to make a sequel, which is a bummer, but you never know. It really depends on how all those sales go, the DVDs and those numbers. It’s a money game, I guess, so we will see, but I would love to play her again. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos 2012 Ones To Watch
Mickey (Michael Biehn), the paranoid building superintendent unwillingly responsible for allowing the characters in The Divide to survive the apocalypse, didn’t plan for or want company. And who can blame him? These people are awful . Like so many groups left in a survival situations (at least in movies, books and MTV reality shows), they shed their veneer of civilization with alarming rapidity as their lives take a turn for the worse. Written by Karl Mueller and Eron Sheean and directed by Xavier Gens, who earned a place for himself in the New French Extreme movement with his 2007 Frontier(s) before heading to Hollywood to make Hitman , The Divide is a stylish and would-be shocking variation on a familiar scenario, in which the horrors isolated survivors inflict on each other turn out to be worse than those lurking outside. Gens has talent, if also tendencies to steer the visuals into the music video realm, but he treats the characters here like mobile props and nothing more — the curve of a shaved skull or a tear trickling down a cheek just another bit of nice art direction on the gradual path toward the inevitable destruction of everyone on screen. What happened to the outside world is left to speculation — what looks like a bomb hits the city in the first scene, sending the inhabitants of a New York apartment building scrambling downstairs in search of shelter. Eight people force their way into Mickey’s shelter in the basement before he locks the door. There’s angular heroine Eva (Lauren German), her whiny French fiancé Sam (Iván González), Delvin (Courtney B. Vance), Bobby (Michael Eklund), brothers Josh (Milo Ventimiglia) and Adrien (Ashton Holmes), and Marilyn (Rosanna Arquette) and her daughter Wendy (Abbey Thickson). Mickey has food and water saved up, though not enough — at least not after strange men in hazmat suits barge into the underground shelter, kidnap the little girl, and weld the door shut on the remaining inhabitants. Hell may be other people, but it can also be scenarios in which people endlessly bicker their way to certain doom (this is why I find The Walking Dead so hard to watch). Power games, alliances and divisions break out as time passes with no hope of rescue or an end, and as the characters grow more unstable and unhealthy, teeth falling out, hair growing patchy as they sit in the dark. Josh establishes himself as the alpha male, sharing Marilyn with Bobby in a scenario that degrades into violent sexual slavery — Arquette deserves either kudos or condolences for the degree to which she surrenders to a role that finds her being chained up, continually degraded and humiliated, treated like a dog, and smearing makeup on her face like some kind of crazed goth dolly. Eva is forced to protect Sam, who’s at the bottom of the totem pole, though she’s drawn to Adrien, who holds on to his sanity as the situation falls apart. These characters are at best doodles, and none of the performances are able to tease more depth out of them — the hints at history between them, like how Sam and Eva met, or the strained relationship between Josh and Adrien, are so sparse that when they’re thrown in they confuse more than they illuminate. The sprinkles of political relevance are clunkier and more problematic. Any film these days that includes the destruction of the New York skyline is going to calls up echoes of 9/11, but The Divide strongly suggests that Mickey was a firefighter working that day whose issues and isolation are all related to that trauma, from his convictions that “the ragheads” are responsible for bombing the city to his creation of the underground bunker, decorated with an American flag. (Admittedly, Gens makes the Frenchman the least likable character — if the film’s a rough metaphor for a world in decline, the U.S. isn’t alone in taking on the chin.) At two hours, with its elegiac tone and deliberate pacing, The Divide may lose gorehounds before it gets around to the finger chopping and corpse dismemberment. While there certainly are moments that will have the sensitive covering their eyes, the film’s most disturbing imagery isn’t actually related to carnage. A segment in which Josh heads outside to attempt to figure out what the suited-up soldiers are up to has a hallucinatory, medical nightmare feel to it, rich with the promise of terrible things going on just beyond our comprehension. Later, two characters shave their heads and eyebrows and transform themselves into near-alien figures out of a Matthew Barney video. Gens’s deftness with these visuals, and with the claustrophobic glide of his camera through the dim warrens of the underground space in which The Divide is almost exclusively set, is undeniable. It’s his apparent disinterest in the people filling it that makes the film such an uphill battle, in which the world ends and you can’t wait for the survivors just kill each other off already. Follow Alison Wilmore on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
