Movies

Who Is Shailene Woodley? The Descendants Star Brings Us To Tears For Breakout Actress Week

Awards season has long been the perfect time for the movie industry’s fresh faces to gain exposure at movie premieres, on red carpets and in a barrage of print and TV interviews. Often, it’s when we first become aware of young actresses, like Oscar nominees Hailee Steinfeld and Jennifer Lawrence last year. This year, it’s not just teenagers catching our eye; a few ladies who’ve been around for decades are finally getting their due as well. All week long, we at TheFablife are saluting these women and looking forward to what they’ll bring us after the last statuettes are handed out on Sunday. Berenice Bejo kicked things off yesterday, and now we turn to …

Who: Shailene Woodley

Age: 21

What she did before 2011: Shailene was a pro before she turned 10, landing a number of guest roles before playing Kaitlin Cooper in The O.C. (she was later replaced by Willa Holland because, in her words, she didn’t hit puberty soon enough). Since 2008 she’s been starring as the original Teen Mom, Amy Jeurgens in ABC Family’s The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Why we’re paying attention now: As George Clooney’s daughter Alex in The Descendants, she manages to be a smart-ass teen and a mature, relatable girl as she learns her mother isn’t going to come out of a coma. We dare you not to sob during her underwater scene.

“She’s not just a really great actress,” Clooney told VH1 at the CCMAs. “She’s like a really normal smart young woman. I’m really impressed with her.”
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The 30 Hottest Oscar Red-Carpet Styles Ever

Oscar season is in the air! Can’t you hear the limos purr, the paparazzos scream, and the wrap-it-up music swirl? That’s right, it’s nearly time for the biggest night in movies, when we see who is the fairest in all of Hollywoodland. But performances aren’t the only thing being judged at the Academy Awards. Fans and trend-spotters scrutinize every little thing that the stars wear, so A-listers make sure to don their most stylish and classy duds for their stroll across the ultimate red carpet. Some outfits are tasteless, but others are timeless. Check out the gallery below for the most fab styles to ever grace that crimson carpet. All your favorites are there, from classic silver-screen sirens like Audrey Hepburn to modern-day stunners like Charlize Theron and Sandra Bullock. Take a look!

[Photo: Getty Images]

Who Is Berenice Bejo? The Artist’s Charismatic Ingenue Kicks Off Breakout Actress Week

Who: Berenice Bejo

Age: 35

What she did before 2011: Born in Argentina and raised in France, Berenice started her acting career appearing in French television movies and series as well as films on the big screen. She made her American film debut in A Knight’s Tale (2001) and in 2006 met her husband, Artist director Michel Hazanavicius when she co-starred in his French spy parody OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (also starring The Artist’s Jean Dujardin.

Why we’re paying attention now: In 2011, Berenice starred in The Artist, which is not only a favorite with critics, but also a super entertaining movie, despite apparent strikes against its mass appeal — namely being silent, black-and-white and from France. While in London promoting the movie, Berenice revealed that she didn’t have to audition for the role of Peppy Miller because she inspired the character. And from what we’ve seen of her in interviews and on red carpets, she does seem very like the generous, optimistic young actress she plays in the movie. After picking up trophies left and right (from the Golden Globes to the Golden Collar), Berenice, Jean, Michel and the film itself are all nominated for Oscars.

What’s next? Berenice is starring in the upcoming French film Populaire set to release later this year.

This Means War: This Is Why Reese, Tom And Chris Look So Good

The ads for This Means War don’t really do it any favors, we know. Yes, it is the silly action-rom-com it appears to be. And yes, it does feature the problematic premise that CIA guys can totally stalk women for fun. And some of Chelsea Handler’s lines are kind of cheesy. BUT they actually make you laugh in the context of the movie. Also, after spending five minutes with Tom Hardy’s character, you will not want him ever, ever to leave the screen again in the entire future of all film. And you will want to have Reese Witherspoon’s life and Chris Pine’s apartment for your very own. Part of the credit for the surprising likability of this McG movie goes to the stars, of course. And another part goes to costume designer Sophie De Rakoff, who’s designed the costumes for a number of Reese’s other movies, including a little one you may have heard of called Legally Blonde.

“Reese doesn’t ask for me, that’s not what she does,” De Rakoff explained to us. “People know that we have a relationship and that we work well together, and she looks good when I work with her, so that if the right movie comes along, then they’ll bring me in.”

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Seth Rogen Gave His Oscar Vote To Ghost Protocol; What Else Got Snubbed?

Take that, Hugo! Not this year, The Descendants! If Seth Rogen could have his way, it would be Tom Cruise bounding up those steps to accept a Best Picture award at the Oscars this year. Or, well, we guess the producers are technically the ones who accept the award … the point is, Ghost Protocol was a great film! “I honestly thought that Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol was one of the best movies of the year,” the 50/50 actor admitted to The Huffington Post while promoting his hosting gig at the Independent Spirit Awards next Saturday. “It got no love from the awards whatsoever. I loved that f—ing movie. It was great … I’m an Oscar voter. I voted for it.” We couldn’t agree more; remember when Cruise is clinging to the side of the skyscraper? Ah-mazing. Which got us thinking: Which movies and actors were unjustly left out of the running merely because they didn’t feature a war horse or Jonah Hill? Our Oscar votes would definitely go to:

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Are We Crazy, Or Is This New Snow White Still Kind Of Romantic?

We know it’s Valentine’s Day and our skulls are currently filled with candy hearts and glitter paint, but doesn’t this new Snow White and The Huntsman still strike you as kind of romantical? We get to see Chris Hemsworth‘s protective side…while he’s wielding an ax. And seeing as how the movie stars Kristen Stewart, we can’t help but hope for a little unspoken sexual tension a-simmering between the main characters. Also, did we mention that ax?

“Chris is an amazing, nice guy and also [has] great instincts and he can roll with everything on set,” Kristen said of her costar in an interview with PopSugar this week. “He’s really relaxed, whereas I’m always like, ‘oh my god!’ I use my anxiety to do this and he’s always sort of like — he’s a good energy for me. I really like working with him.” On the other hand, is anything more romantic than rescuing yourself from an evil hot queen who looks like Charlize Theron while wearing chain mail? That’s like a Valentine you give yourself!

[Photo: Universal Pictures]

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Uggie’s Golden Collar Win Nudges The Artist Closer To Oscar Glory

After The Artist won seven of the top prizes at Sunday’s BAFTAs, we were pretty much ready to put all our money on the black-and-white silent French film to take home Oscar gold at the end of the month. But last night’s victory for the movie made our decision final: Uggie won the first ever Golden Collar Award for Best Dog in a Theatrical Film. Well, duh. We’re pretty sure that Dog News Daily came up with the idea for the awards show (held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Century City, California) when the 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier got onstage at the Golden Globes and stole the show.

Anyway, if the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards and the BAFTAs are well-known predictors for Oscar glory, then this new ceremony is surely nipping at their heels. And that apparently has Hugo director Martin Scorsese worried. He (jokingly, we think) launched a successful campaign to get his movie’s Doberman pincher Blackie a last-minute nomination.
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How Does Taylor Swift’s “Safe & Sound” Video Fit Into Hunger Games?

We totally get what Taylor Swift and the Civil Wars are going for in the “Safe & Sound” video that premiered on MTV and VH1 tonight. The song is the first single off the Hunger Games soundtrack, and its mournful, folk-country sound, produced by T-Bone Burnett, perfectly evokes District 12, which we assume was once West Virginia. There’s even coal smoke rising in the distance. But avid Hunger Games fans will easily realize one thing: Taylor Swift, while appearing to be the protagonist of her own film, is certainly no Katniss Everdeen.

Hear us out: In the video, Taylor wanders around the woods, barefoot, in a simple but pretty white dress, hugging her body and singing. Do you know who never sang after her father died? Katniss. And she knew the value of good shoes, too. She wouldn’t risk maybe stepping on some glass (or the rusty nails Taylor later steps around) and cutting her foot, which would leave her unable to hunt to feet her mom and Prim. Taylor also lies around on the ground and sits on a coffin — acting a lot like Katniss and Prim’s depressed mother. And toward the end of the video is the ultimate non-Katniss moment: She looks straight at a deer and doesn’t try to kill and eat it. Oh, man, that would piss off Gale!
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Saoirse Ronan Is Your Third Snow White In Disney’s The Order Of The Seven

Kristen Stewart and Lily Collins, looks like you’re going to have to share that apple once again, because you’ve got company. Oh wait…no, don’t eat any of it! It’s poison! According to TotalFilm, Saoirse Ronan is currently in negotiations to star in The Order Of The Seven, Disney’s long-awaited Snow White remake; the film joins Snow White and the Huntsman and Mirror, Mirror for a grand total of three adaptations of the classic fairytale. The Host actress will reportedly star in the action flick as Brit Olivia Sinclair; according to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is set in Hong Kong and follows a “a 19th century-set disparate band of international warriors belonging to a centuries-old order who have lost their way. Their meeting with an Englishwoman being chased by an ancient evil is the catalyst for their redemption.” Here’s hoping the birds still help Snow White get dressed in the morning. Dressed to kill…evil entities!

Now, we know Saoirse can deliver on the action; she stalked and sniped with the best of them as a teenage assassin in last year’s Hanna. But will we still want a bad-ass Snow White after we’ve seen an armor-clad Kristen ride that horse in slow motion down a beach this June? Or will Stewart’s warrior princess only fuel our desire for edgy fairytale adaptations? On a related note, is it too late to add Ariel to the Battleship movie? Maybe the sequel?

[Photo: Relativity Media/ Getty Images/ Universal Pictures]

BAFTA Awards: Hot Stuff And Hot Messes Across The Pond

The fact that the British Film and Television Awards took place on the same day as the Grammys probably only annoys folks like us, who would really like to be giving both events our full attention. And so it goes that we basically ignored the U.K.’s Oscars, missing adorable speeches from The Artist’s Jean Dujardin and Michel Hazanavicius (whose Best Actor and Best Director wins were two of seven awards for the film), and not catching that cute moment in which Best Actress winner Meryl Streep lost her shoe climbing the stairs to the stage and Colin Firth ran to get it for her and place it on her feet. Until now, of course. On the red carpet, there were a handful of A-listers, a few Mad Men and Downton Abbey faves, and a lot of Brits that haven’t fully crossed over to the states yet. To our slight disappointment, there weren’t too many total fashion fails, but we managed to find a few (Oh, Christina Hendricks, why must you do that to your body?). Mostly, though, we saw some sexy strutting from the likes of Viola Davis, Christina Ricci and Brad Pitt. See for yourself who was hot, and who was just a hot mess, in the gallery below.

[Photos: Getty Images]