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Tag: julianne-moore

  • Best Julianne Moore Movies

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Julianne Moore is one of the most talented and accomplished actresses of her generation.

    Moore has been nominated for five Academy Awards for her work in ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘The End of the Affair,’ ‘Far From Heaven,’ ‘The Hours‘ and ‘Still Alice,’ the last of which finally earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in 2015.

    The actress has also appeared in such popular movies as ‘The Fugitive,”The Lost World: Jurassic Park,’ ‘The Big Lebowski,’ ‘Magnolia,’ ‘Hannibal,’ ‘Children of Men,’ ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.,’ ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle,’ and ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2.’

    Her new movie, ‘The Room Next Door‘ which was directed by Pedro Almodóvar and also stars Tilda Swinton, will be released in theaters on January 17th.

    In honor of her latest film, Moviefone is counting down the 30 best movies of Julianne Moore’s impressive career, including ‘The Room Next Door.’

    Let’s begin!

    30. ‘Assassins‘ (1995)

    (L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Julianne Moore in 'Assassins'. Photo: Warner Bros.
    (L to R) Sylvester Stallone and Julianne Moore in ‘Assassins’. Photo: Warner Bros.

    Assassin Robert Rath (Sylvester Stallone) arrives at a funeral to kill a prominent mobster, only to witness a rival hired gun (Antonio Banderas) complete the job for him — with grisly results. Horrified by the murder of innocent bystanders, Rath decides to take one last job and then return to civilian life. But finding his way out of the world of contract killing grows ever more dangerous as Rath falls for his female target (Moore) and becomes a marked man himself.

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    29. ‘Psycho‘ (1998)

    A young female embezzler (Anne Heche) arrives at the Bates Motel, which has terrible secrets of its own. Although this version is in color, features a different cast, and is set in 1998, it is closer to a shot-for-shot remake than most remakes, Gus Van Sant often copying Alfred Hitchcock‘s camera movements and editing, and Joseph Stefano‘s script is mostly carried over. Bernard Herrmann‘s musical score is reused as well, though with a new arrangement by Danny Elfman and recorded in stereo.

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    28. ‘Evolution‘ (2001)

    A comedy that follows the chaos that ensues when a meteor hits the Earth carrying alien life forms that give new meaning to the term “survival of the fittest.” David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore are the only people standing between the aliens and world domination… which could be bad news for the Earth.

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    27. ‘Nine Months‘ (1995)

    When he finds out his longtime girlfriend (Moore) is pregnant, a commitment-phobe (Hugh Grant) realizes he might have to change his lifestyle for better or much, much worse.

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    26. ‘Next‘ (2007)

    Las Vegas showroom magician Cris Johnson (Nicolas Cage) has a secret which torments him: he can see a few minutes into the future. Sick of the examinations he underwent as a child and the interest of the government and medical establishment in his power, he lies low under an assumed name in Vegas, performing cheap tricks and living off small-time gambling “winnings.” But when a terrorist group threatens to detonate a nuclear device in Los Angeles, government agent Callie Ferris (Moore) must use all her wiles to capture Cris and convince him to help her stop the cataclysm.

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    25. ‘Carrie‘ (2013)

    (L to R) Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore in 2013's 'Carrie'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore in 2013’s ‘Carrie’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

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    24. ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1‘ (2014)

    Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) reluctantly becomes the symbol of a mass rebellion against the autocratic Capitol.

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    23. ‘The Hand that Rocks the Cradle‘ (1992)

    A suburban family chooses seemingly sweet Peyton Flanders (Rebecca De Mornay) as their newborn’s nanny. Only much later does the infant’s mother, Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra), realize Peyton’s true intentions — to destroy Claire and replace her in the family. The nail-biting suspense builds quickly in this chilling psychological thriller about deception and bitter revenge.

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    22. ‘Non-Stop‘ (2014)

    Bill Marks (Liam Neeson) is a burned-out veteran of the Air Marshals service. He views the assignment not as a life-saving duty, but as a desk job in the sky. However, today’s flight will be no routine trip. Shortly into the transatlantic journey from New York to London, he receives a series of mysterious text messages ordering him to have the government transfer $150 million into a secret account, or a passenger will die every 20 minutes.

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    21. ‘A Single Man‘ (2009)

    The life of George Falconer (Colin Firth), a British college professor, is reeling with the recent and sudden loss of his longtime partner. This traumatic event makes George challenge his own will to live as he seeks the console of his close girl friend Charley (Moore), who is struggling with her own questions about life.

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    20. ‘Maps to the Stars‘ (2014)

    Julianne Moore in 'Maps to the Stars'. Photo: Entertainment One Films.
    Julianne Moore in ‘Maps to the Stars’. Photo: Entertainment One Films.

    Driven by an intense need for fame and validation, members of a dysfunctional Hollywood family are chasing celebrity, one another and the relentless ghosts of their pasts.

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    19. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

    Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.

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    18. ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2‘ (2015)

    With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confronts President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – including Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) – Katniss goes off on a mission with the unit from District 13 as they risk their lives to stage an assassination attempt on President Snow who has become increasingly obsessed with destroying her. The mortal traps, enemies, and moral choices that await Katniss will challenge her more than any arena she faced in The Hunger Games.

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    17. ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park‘ (1997)

    Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) by revealing that he has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove (Moore) and a wildlife videographer (Vince Vaughn) join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.

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    16. ‘The Fugitive‘ (1993)

    Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife (Sela Ward) and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.

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    15. ‘Hannibal‘ (2001)

    (L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore in 'Hannibal'. Photo: MGM Distribution Co.
    (L to R) Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore in ‘Hannibal’. Photo: MGM Distribution Co.

    After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he’s discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling (Moore), who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.

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    14. ‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle‘ (2017)

    When an attack on the Kingsman headquarters takes place and a new villain rises, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) are forced to work together with the American agency known as the Statesman to save the world.

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    13. ‘Safe‘ (1995)

    Carol (Moore), a typical upper middle-class housewife, begins to complain of vague symptoms of illness. She “doesn’t feel right,” has unexplained headaches, congestion, a dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Her family doctor treats her concerns dismissively and suggests a psychiatrist. Eventually, an allergist tells her that she has Environmental Illness.

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    12. ‘Short Cuts‘ (1993)

    Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy’s grandfather tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davidson), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy’s birthday cake.

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    11. ‘Far from Heaven‘ (2002)

    In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife (Moore) faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.

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    10. ‘The Room Next Door‘ (2025)

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

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    9. ‘May December‘ (2023)

    Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

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    8. ‘The Hours‘ (2002)

    “The Hours” is the story of three women (Nicole Kidman, Moore, and Meryl Streep) searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.

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    7. ‘Still Alice‘ (2014)

    Alice Howland (Moore), happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis, Alice and her family find their bonds tested.

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    6. ‘Magnolia‘ (1999)

    An epic mosaic of many interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.

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    5. ‘Children of Men‘ (2006)

    (L to R) Clive Owen and Julianne Moore in 'Children of Men'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Clive Owen and Julianne Moore in ‘Children of Men’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    In 2027, in a chaotic world in which humans can no longer procreate, a former activist (Clive Owen) agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman (Clare-Hope Ashitey) to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save the future of humankind.

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    4. ‘The Kids Are All Right‘ (2010)

    Two women, Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Moore), brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) go behind their mothers’ backs to meet with the donor (Mark Ruffalo). Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.

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    3. ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love.‘ (2011)

    Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily (Moore). Cal’s seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling), a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

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    2. ‘The Big Lebowski‘ (1998)

    Jeffrey ‘The Dude’ Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles slacker who only wants to bowl and drink White Russians, is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston), a wheelchair-bound millionaire, and finds himself dragged into a strange series of events involving nihilists, adult film producers, ferrets, errant toes, and large sums of money.

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    1. ‘Boogie Nights‘ (1997)

    Julianne Moore in 'Boogie Nights'. Photo: New Line Cinema.
    Julianne Moore in ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

    Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.

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  • Movie Review: ‘The Room Next Door’

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    ‘The Room Next Door’ receives 5.5 out of 10 stars.

    Opening in wide release in theaters on January 18th, ‘The Room Next Door’ represents something that would ordinarily be cause for celebration among cineastes –– it marks the English-language debut of accomplished and rightly celebrated writer/director Pedro Almodóvar working in the sort of low-key yet meaning-packed drama genre he has shone in in the past.

    And it also feature another key element of the filmmaker’s career –– superb female actors in the lead roles. The problem is that with this latest effort, the switch to entirely English has somehow resulted in the life of the piece getting lost in translation.

    Related Article: Oscar Winners Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore Talk ‘The Room Next Door’

    Does ‘The Room Next Door’ house quality filmmaking?

    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Perhaps the biggest issue with ‘The Room Next Door’ is quite how stilted and staid it all feels. While you don’t necessarily look to Almodóvar for genre-smashing fireworks, you might hope for some real level of passion, and that simply doesn’t really come through here.

    While the cast acquits themselves adequately, the dialogue they have to deliver sounds more like something out of a film school effort, with labored exposition in the early going (pity poor Tilda Swinton having to explain how she worked late nights and didn’t get to see much of her daughter to the very woman who worked the long shifts with her all those years ago), or Julianne Moore doing her best to breathe life into a sequence where the two women look around a rented house deciding which room to each take.

    The film is full of moments that feel like they were excised from other, better dramas and though the main pair are still at the top of their game, nothing in the script is worthy of their talents.

    Script and Direction

    Director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Almodóvar is here adapting Sigrid Nunez’ novel ‘What Are You Going Through’ and you do rather wonder whether the novel had deeper layers that Almodóvar somehow didn’t manage to transfer into his screenplay.

    While the early portions feature Moore’s Ingrid and Swinton’s Martha reminiscing about old times, the disjointed nature of Martha’s recollections in particular make the movie tough going. The story jumps around in time, but with little consequence or real impact, and editor Teresa Font doesn’t do too much to help, sequences ending abruptly or feeling choppy.

    Visually, the film has more to recommend it as Almodóvar floods the screen with color and keeps the locales beautiful –– it’s just a shame that the actual filmmaking is so timid and staid, cutting from one average, locked-down shot to another, and rarely finding much in the way of natural rhythm.

    ‘The Room Next Door’: performances

    Beyond Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and later arrival John Turturro, there’s little to recommend on the performance front.

    Julianne Moore as Ingrid

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    A reporter-turned-novelist, Ingrid is our focal point, but despite Moore giving her some spirit, she’s honestly so bland and first base that it’s hard to argue she’s worth spending time with. Her exchanges with Swinton’s characters only ever work because of the two performers’ consummate skill.

    Tilda Swinton as Martha

    Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Swinton has more to play given that her character, who spent years reporting on conflicts, now finds herself at war with cancer. There are layers and depth to Martha and Swinton naturally finds them all, keeping her composure when necessary but hinting at darker depths.

    Yet, like Moore, she struggles to do much with the first-base scripting.

    John Turturro as Damian

    (L to R) Julianne Moore and John Turturro in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and John Turturro in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Memorably talked about before he ever arrives on screen (since he’s someone both women slept with and recall as an enthusiastic lover), Turturro’s Damian is possibly the only supporting cast member who really makes much of an impact.

    He fully commits to his quirky yet quiet character and his scenes are watchable.

    Alessandro Nivola as Policeman

    Alessandro Nivola in 'The Brutalist'. Photo: A24.
    Alessandro Nivola in ‘The Brutalist’. Photo: A24.

    Honestly, the less said about Nivola’s character the better, since he’s more of a stereotype than an actual functioning human being. A police officer who interrogates Ingrid over the circumstances of Martha’s self-administered euthanasia, he’s in one scene and comes across as a plot point –– a religious fanatic who has serious issues with what Martha has done and is threatening Ingrid with punishment for her part in supporting her friend.

    Between this and ‘Kraven the Hunter,’ Nivola isn’t having a great time of it lately, though he can thank a great performance in ‘The Brutalist’ for helping keep his cine-ledger balanced between disappointment and success.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    If this is what happens when the great Pedro Almodóvar switches to working entirely in English, he might be better served sticking to Spanish-language movies. He has nothing to prove given his hefty past of successful movies and full awards cabinet, but this feels like a stumble.

    If a movie with two of the best actors around and the seemingly compelling twin subjects of friendship and assisted suicide can’t bring the drama, you know something is very wrong.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    • Tilda Swinton as Martha / Michelle
    • Julianne Moore as Ingrid
    • John Turturro as Damian
    • Alessandro Nivola as Policeman
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Pedro Almodóvar Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Room Next Door’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pedro Almodóvar Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘The Room Next Door’ – Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore

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    Opening in theaters in wide release on January 17th is the new drama from acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar (‘Pain and Glory’) entitled ‘The Room Next Door’. The movie stars Oscar winners Tilda Swinton (‘Michael Clayton’) and Julianne Moore (‘May December’), as well as John Turturro (‘The Batman’) and Alessandro Nivola (‘Kraven the Hunter’).

    Related Article: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Talk Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star in 'The Room Next Door'.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore star in ‘The Room Next Door’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore about their work on ‘The Room Next Door’, their first reactions to the screenplay, working together to form their characters’ friendship, and collaborating on set with director Pedro Almodóvar.

    You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Julianne, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?

    Julianne Moore: Well, I think one of the things that was really thrilling about reading Pedro’s screenplay was that it was centered around this female friendship, and so that is something that I was anxious to bring to the screen. So often, women in films, when you see two women on screen, they’re a relationship that’s like a familiar relationship, their mother and daughter, or it’s a love story, or they’re antagonists, and those things have not been my experience. In my life, my female friendships have been incredibly important to me, and I think it’s such a profound honor to be able to witness another human being as they move through their life. So, the fact that that was what this screenplay was about was incredibly moving to me.

    Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Tilda, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and why did you want to play this character?

    Tilda Swinton: I was so grateful to Pedro for sending me this script. I mean, I was so grateful to him to know that he wanted to make a film about this subject, it’s a subject that’s extremely personal to me, and that he asked me to make it with him, it was a very happy day. I would say that he wanted me to play Martha because I’ve had the privilege, I would say in my life, to be in what I call the Ingrid position many times, the position of being in support to loved ones who are facing the end of their lives. So, to have the opportunity to download and step into the impulses of someone in the Martha position, I’ve learned so much from the Martha’s in my life, was an amazing gift, a highly personal gift. So, I was beyond thrilled, and its pure happiness for me. The film is all about happiness, and about life and the living of it.

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Julianne, can you talk about the process of creating this friendship on screen with Tilda?

    JM: We didn’t know each other, really, before we started this. She’s someone whose work I’d always admired tremendously, and I loved how she was in the world. We’d always say hi to each other when we were at a film festival, or a press event, or somewhere, or if I saw her in a restaurant, and I’d always wanted to work with her. Then, suddenly, we had this wonderful opportunity, and what was great for us is that is I think our friendship developed in real time. As we spent time together on the set, and talked about our lives, and talked about our work, and talked about our kids and our relationships, I think what you saw on screen was happening. We became real friends.

    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Tilda, Martha makes a big request of her friend Ingrid, can you talk about that and working with Julianne?

    TS: Well, their friendship is a very old one. They’ve known each other since they were very young, they were both writers, and they both still are writers. But originally, they were journalists working together at a magazine, in their 20s we assume. Then they drifted apart, mainly because Martha became a war correspondent, and Ingrid became a novelist. They haven’t seen each other in probably 20 maybe even longer years. They haven’t seen each other at all. I mean, they’re aware of what they’ve been doing because they’re both very celebrated and they have a kind of public profile, but they haven’t seen each other. So, this thing of coming back together, knowing someone so well for so long, not seeing them for maybe 20 years, coming back together in this very particular moment, a moment where truth draws on that ancient bond. I know this myself; I’ve had the experience of seeing people again that I hadn’t seen for years, and it’s such a wonderful thing because you just don’t sweat the small stuff. You sort of gloss over the details of the last couple of decades, and then you get down to having a good time again like you are in your 20s. Julianne and I, the great miracle is, we didn’t know each other at all. We’d met each other and we knew of each other, and we both liked the look of each other, but we became old friends within an afternoon, and we are now very old friends who’ve known each other for one year, we’ve been making up for lost time ever since. It was a huge blessing that she came on the film and that we really have that bond. So, there was no acting required, we were truly happy to be in each other’s presence.

    Julianne Moore in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Julianne Moore in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Julianne, can you talk about Ingrid’s reaction to Martha’s request, and how do you think you would react to something like that in your own life?

    JM: One of the wonderful ways that this is introduced, I think, is that initially, when Ingrid hears that Martha is sick, the first thing she does is rush to the hospital to see how she’s doing, and she’s the kind of person who shows up. She shows up day after day after day just to keep her company, to talk to her, to make her feel better. Certainly, Ingrid was not expecting this situation, but I think one of the reasons that Martha ends up relying on her is that she sees that Ingrid is reliable, that no matter what, she’s going to try to be there as a real friend and do what her friend needs. It’s painful. I think Ingrid is very honest about it and says that this is not something that she’s comfortable with, but she also realizes that Martha is in need, that this is what she needs at that moment, and she feels like that’s the right thing to do. So, yes, I’d like to think that I would be like Ingrid because I think that’s the kind of friend, we all want to be, and we all want to have.

    (L to R) Director Pedro Almodóvar, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Director Pedro Almodóvar, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    MF: Finally, Julianne, what was it like working with director Pedro Almodóvar and was it everything that you expected?

    JM: He’s a true artist. Everything that you see in his films is in him. The colors, and the composition, and the music, and the point of view. You walk into his apartment in Madrid, and you realize, “Oh my gosh, I’ve seen everything in this apartment on screen in his films.” That’s what’s so wonderful is that it’s intensely personal to him. It’s very meaningful. The books that he’s read and the films that he’s seen, the art that he’s loved, all of it is present there, the people that he’s cared about. After, I met a lot of the members of his crew, and I realized I had seen them in several of his movies before. I was like, “Oh my gosh, she played that part.” So, I love that about him. I love that his films are him. They’re him turned inside out on the screen.

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    What is the plot of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    Ingrid (Julianne Moore) and Martha (Tilda Swinton) were close friends in their youth, when they worked together at the same magazine. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter, and they were separated by the circumstances of life. After years of being out of touch, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Room Next Door’?

    • Tilda Swinton as Martha / Michelle
    • Julianne Moore as Ingrid
    • John Turturro as Damian
    • Alessandro Nivola as Policeman
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in 'The Room Next Door'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Director Pedro Almodóvar in ‘The Room Next Door’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Other Pedro Almodóvar Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘The Room Next Door’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Pedro Almodóvar Movies on Amazon

     

  • Julianne Moore and Milly Alcock Starring in ‘Sirens’

    (Left) Julianne Moore in Netflix's 'May December.' (Center) Milly Alcock. Photo: Emilia Staugaard. (Right) Meghann Fahy in 'The White Lotus'. Photo: Courtesy of HBO.
    (Left) Julianne Moore in Netflix’s ‘May December.’ (Center) Milly Alcock. Photo: Emilia Staugaard. (Right) Meghann Fahy in ‘The White Lotus’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO.

    Preview:

    • Julianne Moore, Milly Alcock and Meghann Fahy will star in ‘Sirens’.
    • Kevin Bacon and Glenn Howerton are also in the cast.
    • ‘Maid’ creator Molly Smith Metzler is behind the new show.

    We’ve seen a lot of examples of late of unsettling dynamics between colleagues recently, on screens big and small. Jake Gyllenhaal’s character got in trouble for an affair with one in ‘Presumed Innocent’. A promotion caused chaos for the personal relationship between colleagues in ‘Fair Play’. And let’s not even get into the craziness of Christoph Waltz in ‘The Consultant’.

    But that isn’t stopping Molly Smith Metzler from adapting her play Elemeno Pea into a new dark comedy thriller limited series for Netflix called ‘Sirens’, which has landed Julianne Moore, Milly Alcock and Meghann Fahy to star. From the sounds of it, this will be edging more into comedy territory than some of the examples we cited.

    What’s the story of ‘Sirens’?

    Meghann Fahy in 'The White Lotus'.
    Meghann Fahy in ‘The White Lotus’. Photo: Courtesy of HBO.

    Devon (Fahy) thinks her sister Simone (Alcock) has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell (Moore). Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention. When Devon tracks her sister down to say WTF, she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be.

    Told over the course of one explosive weekend at The Kells’ lavish beach estate, ‘Sirens’ is described as an incisive, sexy, and darkly funny exploration of women, power, and class.

    Who else has been cast in ‘Sirens’?

    (Left) Kevin Bacon. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Glenn Howerton. Photo: Netflix.
    (Left) Kevin Bacon. Photo: Netflix. (Right) Glenn Howerton. Photo: Netflix.

    Kevin Bacon will play Michela’s husband Peter Kell. Peter comes from an old money family and is the highest-status person in every room he enters. He’s an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the occasional joint.

    Glenn Howerton is aboard as Ethan Corbin II. Ethan is a dear friend of the Kells and lifelong bachelor who lives next door. He’s a regular at the yacht club and he’s rapidly burning through his trust fund.

    Related Article: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Talk Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’

    Who else is part of the ‘Sirens’ creative team?

    The show represents Metzler reuniting with Netflix after ‘Maid’ and has sprouted from the creative partnership between the showrunner and the streaming service.

    ‘Watchmen’ director Nicole Kassell is involved as an executive producer, tackling the first two episodes.

    And the new series comes from LuckyChap, with Margot Robbie producing alongside her partners Dani Gorin and Tom Ackerley.

    When will ‘Sirens’ be on Netflix?

    Netflix has yet to confirm when the show will land on its servers, but we’d guess either later this year or early next.

    Julianne Moore attends Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Julianne Moore attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Meghann Fahy Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Meghann Fahy Movies On Amazon

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  • Movie Review: ‘May December’

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix.

    Premiering on Netflix December 1st, ‘May December’ is the new dramatic film from Todd Haynes, who reunites once again with Julianne Moore. This time, Natalie Portman joins for a complicated story of truth, reputation, perception and performance.

    Haynes, as ever, is a reliable filmmaker for a female-fronted story of controversial passion (he handled the subject delicately and winningly with ‘Carol’), but here it’s as if he also gives in to a notion of melodrama that doesn’t always work, and a distracting score choice doesn’t help that.

    Is ‘May December’ one to mark your calendar about?

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry with Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry with Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.

    With Haynes, Moore and Portman driving the film, there remains something watchable and compelling about the movie, with the leads (along with an impressive Charles Melton) keeping your attention as the story dives towards its conclusion.

    But a few off-putting elements ring somewhat false in the tale as a whole, and this is certainly a movie that will divide audiences. How you react may depend on your viewpoint on the subjects under Haynes’ microscope here, and how much sympathy you have for any of the characters.

    Related Article: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Talk Todd Haynes’ ‘May December’

    ‘May December’: Script and Direction

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

    The screenplay for ‘May December’ is by Samy Burch, working from a story she created with Alex Mechanik. Though the roots are found in the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a schoolteacher who was convicted of child sexual abuse of the 12-year-old (Vili Fualaau) who was among her students. Letourneau ended up having his child while awaiting sentencing and they married when she was released from prison.

    ‘May December’ is not a 1-1 adaptation of that story (it is, at best, “loosely based”) but Burch has certainly included plenty of elements, including a moment inspired by a controversial TV appearance of the couple where Fualaau is badgered into saying he initiated the relationship. Those power dynamics run through the script, though it also layers on plenty of emotional instability, particularly in the character of Gracie (Moore), who, it is slowly revealed to have some severe issues. Well, we say slowly, but the signs are there from the start, especially in an exclamation about hot dogs that has gone on to be much-quoted, with the story leaving such little clues in the open.

    Haynes, meanwhile, chooses some unusual ways of ramping up the drama, including the use of score cues from 1971 movie ‘The Go-Between’ (adapted by composer Marcelo Zarvos), which he employs effectively. Yet there remains a lingering issue with the tone of the movie, one that feels ill-fitting for the morally problematic story at its core. A story of child abuse isn’t perhaps the best foundation for a nudge-wink story of egos, deception and emotional breakdowns –– no matter how artistically used they might be.

    Also slightly awkward is the crammed-in metaphor of butterflies, which Gracie’s husband Joe (Charles Melton) nurtures –– they’re a decent character beat for him, but they feel like a giant neon sign pointing to the nature of his and Gracie’s relationship.

    ‘May December’: Performances

    Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo with Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo with Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

    Julianne Moore naturally shines when she’s working with Haynes, who directed her to an Oscar nomination via ‘Far From Heaven’. As Gracie, she’s a complicated mix of personalities, a seemingly together member of the community who hides a torrent of different feelings and could snap at any moment.

    Moore walks that line with aplomb, and if the script doesn’t always support her, she’s never less than committed.

    Portman, meanwhile, is also great, though she’s somewhat saddled with the vaguely cliched role of the actor searching for inspiration who pushes things too far in the name of research. Elizbeth has her own checkered past, and moral conflicts, and while some of her moves are predictable (a late turn liaison in particular), Portman rounds out the role.

    In a smaller but still important role, Charles Melton is impressive as Joe, who seems to have matured into a perfect husband, but is revealed to have a mountain of hang-ups and issues spawned from how their relationship began.

    Around the leads, the various children of the main couple are all believable, while special mention must go to Cory Michael Smith as Georgie, Gracie’s first born, who is now a cynical musician. As he starts to lobby for a role in the movie that Elizabeth will star in about Gracie and Joe’s story, he becomes more and more manipulative.

    ‘May December’: Final Thoughts

    Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo and Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo and Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in ‘May December.’ Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix.

    ‘May December’ will certainly not be for everyone. Haynes has delivered a typically well-crafted drama here, but the subject matter sometimes slips from his fingers despite solid performances from the cast.

    It just feels like the tone is misjudged in places; the heightened dramatic aspect ill-suited to such a difficult story. Still, expect it to be in contention as awards season progresses.

    ‘May December’ receives 6.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What’s the story of ‘May December’?

    After their relationship ignited a tabloid saga two decades ago, Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton) now lead a seemingly perfect suburban life. Their domestic bliss is disrupted when Elizabeth (Natalie Portman), a famous television actress, arrives in their tight-knit community to research her upcoming role as Gracie.

    As Elizabeth ingratiates herself into the everyday lives of Gracie and Joe, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing long-dormant emotions to resurface.

    Who else is in ‘May December’?

    In addition to the three leads, the ensemble also includes Cory Michael Smith, Elizabeth Yu, Gabriel Chung, Piper Curda and D.W. Moffett.

    Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman attend Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman attend Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Other Todd Haynes Movies:

    Buy Julianne Moore Movies on Amazon

    Buy Natalie Portman Movies on Amazon

    Please click on the video player below to watch our interviews with director Todd Haynes and the cast of ‘May December.’

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  • Best Natalie Portman Movies

    Natalie Portman attends Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Natalie Portman attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Natalie Portman has been acting professionally for over 30 years and has appeared in some of the biggest franchises and most beloved films of all time.

    Portman, who won an Oscar for ‘Black Swan,’ has appeared in such popular movies as ‘Leon: The Professional,’ ‘Heat, ‘V for Vendetta,’ ‘Garden State,’ and ‘Closer,’ as well as playing Padmé Amidala in the ‘Star Wars‘ prequel series, and as Jane Foster in three out of four of the ‘Thor‘ movies.

    Her new movie, ‘May December,’ which was directed by Todd Haynes and also stars Julianne Moore, was released in theaters on November 17th before premiering on Netflix December 1st.

    In honor of her latest film, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best film’s of Natalie Portman’s career, including ‘May December.’

    Let’s begin!

    20. ‘Thor: The Dark World‘ (2013)

    Chris Hemsworth in 'Thor: The Dark World'
    Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’

    Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fights to restore order across the cosmos… but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith (Christopher Eccleston) returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster (Portman) and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

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    19. ‘Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones‘ (2002)

    Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala (Portman), Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) investigate a mysterious plot that could change the galaxy forever.

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    18. ‘Cold Mountain‘ (2003)

    In this classic story of love and devotion set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, a wounded Confederate soldier named W.P. Inman (Jude Law) deserts his unit and travels across the South, aiming to return to his young wife, Ada (Nicole Kidman), who he left behind to tend their farm. As Inman makes his perilous journey home, Ada struggles to keep their home intact with the assistance of Ruby (Renee Zellweger), a mysterious drifter sent to help her by a kindly neighbor.

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    17. ‘Thor‘ (2011)

    Against his father Odin’s will, The Mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth) – a powerful but arrogant warrior god – recklessly reignites an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth.

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    16. ‘Hesher‘ (2010)

    A young boy (Devin Brochu) has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who manages to make his life even more chaotic.

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    15. ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace‘ (1999)

    Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in 'Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.'
    (L to R) Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.’

    Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.

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    14. ‘Everyone Says I Love You‘ (1996)

    A New York girl (Natasha Lyonne) sets her father up (Woody Allen) with a beautiful woman (Julia Roberts) in a shaky marriage while her half sister (Drew Barrymore) gets engaged.

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    13. ‘Mars Attacks!‘ (1996)

    A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world’s major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, “come in peace.” U.S. President James Dale (Jack Nicholson) receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler (Pierce Brosnan) that the Martians’ mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

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    12. ‘Annihilation‘ (2018)

    A biologist (Portman) signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don’t apply.

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    11. ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith‘ (2005)

    The evil Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) enacts his final plan for unlimited power — and the heroic Jedi Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) must choose a side.

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    10. ‘Thor: Love and Thunder‘ (2022)

    Natalie Portman in Marvel's 'Thor: Love and Thunder.'
    Natalie Portman in Marvel’s ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ Photo courtesy of Disney Studios.

    After his retirement is interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a galactic killer who seeks the extinction of the gods, Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Portman), who now wields Mjolnir as the Mighty Thor. Together they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.

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    9. ‘Beautiful Girls‘ (1996)

    During a snowy winter in the small fictional town of Knight’s Ridge, Massachusetts, a group of lifelong buddies hang out, drink and struggle to connect with the women who affect their decisions, dreams and desires.

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    8. ‘Closer‘ (2004)

    Two couples (Jude Law and Julia Roberts, Clive Owen and Portman) disintegrate when they begin destructive adulterous affairs with each other.

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    7. ‘Jackie‘ (2016)

    An account of the days of First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy (Portman), in the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

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    6. ‘Heat‘ (1995)

    Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.

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    5. ‘May December‘ (2023)

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix.

    Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

    6r5BmolYgY3BZjq9D8XRC3 InkKJyeq

    4. ‘Black Swan‘ (2010)

    A journey through the psyche of a young ballerina (Portman) whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect.

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    3. ‘V for Vendetta‘ (2005)

    In a world in which Great Britain has become a fascist state, a masked vigilante known only as “V” (Hugo Weaving) conducts guerrilla warfare against the oppressive British government. When V rescues a young woman (Portman) from the secret police, he finds in her an ally with whom he can continue his fight to free the people of Britain.

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    2. ‘Léon: The Professional‘ (1994)

    Léon (Jean Reno), the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective “cleaner”. But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda (Portman). Before long, Mathilda’s thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon’s footsteps.

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    1. ‘Garden State‘ (2004)

    Natalie Portman and Zach Braff in 'Garden State.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman and Zach Braff in ‘Garden State.’ Photo: Searchlight Pictures.

    Andrew (Zach Braff) returns to his hometown for the funeral of his mother, a journey that reconnects him with past friends. The trip coincides with his decision to stop taking his powerful antidepressants. A chance meeting with Sam (Portman) – a girl also suffering from various maladies – opens up the possibility of rekindling emotional attachments, confronting his psychologist father (Ian Holm), and perhaps beginning a new life.

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  • ‘May December’ Interview: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman

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    Opening in theaters in limited release on November 17th before streaming on Netflix December 1st is ‘May December,’ which was directed by Todd Haynes (‘I’m Not There’), and stars Academy Award-winners Natalie Portman (‘Black Swan’) and Julianne Moore (‘Still Alice’).

    Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman attend Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman attend Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking in-person with Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman about their work on ‘May December,’ preparing to play their complex characters, why Portman sent the script to Haynes, and what Moore loves about working with the acclaimed director.

    Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman star in Netflix's 'May December.'
    (L to R) Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman star in Netflix’s ‘May December.’

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Moore and Portman, as well as Charles Melton and director Todd Haynes.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Julianne, can you talk about the challenges of playing a character like Gracie, finding a way to empathize with her and really see the world from her point of view?

    Julianne Moore: That’s always the challenge, every time you do anything. Point of view is so important, because you realize that’s where stories are told. As an actor, you’re coming from the inside, but you also must be aware of what story the director is telling. So, there’s this dual focus. But to me, she was fascinating, because she is somebody who swallowed feminine culture whole, however she was raised, and she talks about her father, her brothers, the things that she pursued and what her expectations were. So, she’s learned to navigate the world from that vantage point, from this idea that this hyper-femininity and this almost less-than adult quality, like a childlike quality, that’s her best defense in the world. But then she’s done this truly transgressive thing, and she’s crossed a boundary. Her story about how that happened and who she was exists up here. That’s what she wants Elizabeth to follow. But maybe what really happened is here somewhere. So, there’s a tremendous amount of tension in her own personhood.

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix.

    MF: Natalie, Elizabeth is an actress and obviously you’re an actress as well. How did your own life experience as an actress help inform the character and give you a way into understanding her intentions?

    Natalie Portman: Well, I was lucky that I had 30 years of research for the part. So, I think it gives you an awareness of the layers of performance. Who you are in real life, who you are to other people, how people see you, your awareness of how they see you, how you want them to see you, and how you want them to see your character. Then there’s all these levels of how you perform for other people, even more so than the average woman who also is performing on multiple levels, and the average person who is also performing on multiple levels. So, exploring that and the contradictions between all of those was really fun.

    Related Article: Oscar Winner Natalie Portman Talks Returning to the MCU with ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

    MF: Julianne, you’ve worked with Todd Haynes in the past. What was it like working with him again, particularly on this project, and what do you love about working with him?

    JM: I love everything about him. I really do. I think that he gives you so much shape when you’re working. There’s so much construction around everything. You always know what the context is. He tells a story with the way that he shoots you, with the way you’re framed, and with all his references, and how he casts around you. He does a lot of the work for you. In this case, I think we were both excited to tell this story about these very strong women in this intimate relationship that was admiring, combative, compelling and unusual. You never, ever get to see that on screen. Generally, you see a love story or a familial relationship, but not where these two women are so equally matched where they go head-to-head like this.

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry with Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry with Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in ‘May December.’ Photo: Courtesy of Netflix.

    MF: Finally, Natalie, I understand that you first sent the screenplay to Todd Haynes. Why did you feel that he was the right director for this project?

    NP: Well, I had dreamed of working with Todd. I’ve admired his films for so long, and particularly his collaborations with Julie. I mean, ‘Safe’ is one of the all-time greatest movies for me and all-time greatest performances. So, I had sent him a few things over the years that he wasn’t interested in doing. When I got this, I was like, “Let me try again.” This was just the lucky one that he liked. I mean, this was a big win. I felt very lucky, and then he brought Julie, which was even greater. So, it was the joy of life.

    MF: Were you hoping that Todd would cast Julianne as well?

    NP: You know, I don’t think I even dared to dream that that would happen. I was really blown away when it did.

    JM: He slipped me the script. He was like, “Just heads up. There’s this thing that Natalie Portman just sent me.” I was like, “Oh my God, this is amazing.” Then I think he went back to Natalie and was like, “I think this could be something for Julie.” But it was very strange. It all happened like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. We were lucky.

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    What is the plot of ‘May December’?

    Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) with a large age gap buckles under the pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

    Who is in the cast of ‘May December’?

    Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo with Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in 'May December.'
    (L to R) Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo with Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

    Other Todd Haynes Movies:

    Buy Julianne Moore Movies on Amazon

    Buy Natalie Portman Movies on Amazon

     

  • Julianne Moore to Star in Jill Soloway Film ‘Mothertrucker’

    Julianne Moore to Star in Jill Soloway Film ‘Mothertrucker’

    Julianne Moore in After the Wedding
    Sony Pictures Classics

    The upcoming film “Mothertrucker” is rolling forward with some big talent. Julianne Moore is set to star, and the movie will be written and directed by Jill Soloway, Deadline reports. It comes from the studio Makeready, with Focus Features set to distribute.

    The project is an adaptation of a memoir by essayist Amy Butcher that is due out in 2022. It centers on Butcher’s friendship with Joy Wiebe, once the sole female ice road trucker in the United States as well as an Instagram celebrity. Butcher met Wiebe by chance and joined her on a journey that took them on the deadliest road in America. Sadly, Wiebe died in a tanker accident in 2018, as the Anchorage Daily News reported at the time.

    Moore will play Wiebe in the film, and the studio is still looking for the actress who will star as Butcher. Makeready reportedly plans to land another well-known star. The pick will have to hold her own against Moore, an Academy Award winner for her role in “Still Alice.” More recently, Moore has starred in “After the Wedding” and “Bel Canto.”

    Meanwhile, Soloway has been tasked with writing the script, in addition to directing and producing. The “Transparent” creator is “honored to tell this deeply resonant story about two women finding meaning and strength as they face an epic challenge in one of the most punishing and beautiful landscapes on the planet.”

    Soloway and Andrea Sperling will produce via Topple Productions, and Moore serves as a producer through Fortysix Productions. Additionally, Bart Freundlich and Makeready’s Pam Abdy and Natalie Williams will serve as executive producers.

    [via: Deadline]

  • Julianne Moore Joins Stephen King’s ‘Lisey’s Story’

    Julianne Moore Joins Stephen King’s ‘Lisey’s Story’

    Julianne Moore in Kingsman
    20th Century Fox

    Apple has snatched up a new Stephen King adaptation, and it’s a project with several big names attached.

    Julianne Moore is set to star “Lisey’s Storey,” which just got an eight-episode, straight-to-series order, THR reports. It’s based on the King novel of the same name, and the bestselling author is on board to write the episodes himself. He, Moore, and Bad Robot’s J.J. Abrams and Ben Stephenson will serve as executive producers.

    The story is in part a romance, but it also weaves in psychological horror elements. (King is the author, after all.) It centers on Lisey Landon in the aftermath of her author husband’s death. When she becomes the target of one of his fans, she revisits her memories of her husband’s life and his demons.

    Moore’s participation in the upcoming series is uncommon. She typically sticks to movies, and in fact, her longest-running TV role in the past three decades is guest starring in six episodes of “30 Rock” between 2009 and 2013. The Academy Award winner is much better known for being in films like “Still Alice” and “The Hours.”

    King’s work, on the other hand, has been brought to both TV and movies many times over the years. Most recently, fans got the current series “Castle Rock” and “Mr. Mercedes,” which debuted in 2018 and 2017, respectively. “Lisey’s Story” will be in good company.

    [via: THR]

  • Julianne Moore: ‘I Was Fired’ From Melissa McCarthy’s Role in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’

    Julianne Moore: ‘I Was Fired’ From Melissa McCarthy’s Role in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’

    20th Century Fox

    Julianne Moore is spilling all the tea about her one-time involvement with the acclaimed film “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

    In 2015, the Oscar winner was all set to play the lead in the movie, the role of writer/forger Lee Israel, under the direction of Nicole Holofcener, the co-writer of the script. Then, six days before production, Moore and Holofcener left the project over “creative differences.”

    But as Moore explained Thursday night on Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live,” those creative differences amounted to Holofcener disliking Moore’s performance in rehearsals.

    “I didn’t leave that movie, I was fired,” the actress said. “Yeah, yeah, Nicole fired me.”

    She added, ““I think she didn’t like what I was doing. I think that her idea of where the character was was different from my idea of where the character was, and so she fired me.”

    After the project almost fell apart, Melissa McCarthy stepped into Moore’s shoes and Marielle Heller took over directing duties. The movie opened to critical raves and earned three Academy Award nominations for Holofcener and Jeff Whitty’s adapted screenplay, McCarthy as lead actress, and co-star Richard E. Grant as as supporting actor.

    It seems Moore hasn’t forgiven yet, since she hasn’t seen the finished movie.

    “I haven’t yet, ’cause it’s still kind of painful,” she said. “I love Melissa McCarthy, I worship her, I think she’s fantastic, so I’m sure she’s great.”

    Just goes to show, even Oscar winners don’t have total job security.

    The only other time I was fired was when I was working at a yogurt stand when I was 15,” Moore said. “So yeah, it felt bad.”