| | |  | Celebrity News & Gossip
|
|
| | ?Babygirl' director Halina Reijn: Age-gap relationships should be normalized | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
|
|
|
|
|
Babygirl came out on Christmas Day, which usually never happens. Christmas Day releases are saved for major studio movies, not art-house films where Nicole Kidman is having a kinky affair with a much-younger man. Babygirl was written and directed by Halina Reijn, a 49-year-old Dutch actress and filmmaker. Reijn previously directed Bodies Bodies Bodies, a new ?Gen Z? classic of sorts. Reijn recently chatted with W Magazine about what she?s learned from Gen Z, what she thinks of May-December romances and more. Some highlights:
The milk scene happened to Reijn in real life: The milk scene happened to her after one such theater performance in her 30s, when she went to a local bar to burn off her post-show adrenaline. A famous Belgian actor, ?way, way younger? than her, sent her a glass of milk from across the bar. ?I drank it, and he just walked out,? she tells W. ?I thought, ?How does this guy get the courage?? I did think it was a very sensual thing to do. And I thought it was very funny.??
?Babygirl? is a warning: ?My movie is a warning. What happens if you say, ?No, I am perfect. I don?t have any blemishes on my soul. I?m not even aging?I look fertile even though I?m 55?? I wanted to tell the story of a woman who suppresses the beast inside her?and then it wakes up.?
The age gap dynamic of an older woman & younger man: ?If we see a movie where the male actor is the same age as the female actor, we find that odd. Which is insane. It should completely be normalized that the age gaps switch and that women have different relationships. We?re not trapped in a box anymore. We internalize the male gaze, we internalize patriarchy, and we need to free ourselves from it. It?s really hard.
She hired an intimacy coordinator for the film: ?Because I was an actress, safety is my first priority at all times. I?ve experienced a lot of male directors sitting in a North Face jacket on a high chair while you?re crawling around on the floor. I?ve always felt very unsafe and just embarrassed, to be honest with you. I felt like an open wound. You can?t do a fight without a stunt coordinator. Your actors will get hurt, and it will look lame on camera. It?s the same with sex scenes. It?s very, very useful to have someone who knows all the little tricks and makes everyone feel safe. Within the structure of a choreographed plan, the actors can let go and be totally free. Funny enough, the days with intimacy scenes are often the most clear. There are still nerves, but everybody comes to set super prepared. I wanted those scenes to feel incredibly hot and steamy and fun, but I also wanted them to be real. Sexuality is stop-and-go. It?s never like a glamour scene from a Hollywood movie in the ?90s. That?s just not how it works.
How Gen Zers are prudes about seeing sex portrayed on screen: ?Since Bodies, I?ve been obsessed with younger generations. I used to think of myself as a hardcore feminist, but once I met these young actors, I learned so much more about what it means to be equal, to have body positivity, sex positivity, kink positivity, all those things. But, they all grew up with this device in their hand, with access to every single thing. I totally understand this reaction of, ?With one press of my finger, I can see everything. Now I don?t want to see anything.? I?m not afraid of what they?re saying. I agree with it, in a way. Sex isn?t about two bodies banging up against each other. That?s why Babygirl circles around it. There are only two quick flashes of sex acts in my movie. The rest?it might be shocking! I find it shocking, too, to go stand in a corner or eat this candy out of my hand. But it?s about the story, the imagination.
The human connection: ?It?s important for young people to keep shining light on sexuality and anything primal, though. There?s a danger in saying, ?It?s ugly. I don?t want to smell anything. I don?t want any body fluids. We survive on human contact. The more we sit on our devices, the more depression, the more suicide. We have a task as a society to keep connecting to each other, physically and mentally.
[From W Magazine]
The Puriteen phenomenon is so wild to me, still and now the Puriteens are in their 20s and still adverse to seeing sexuality or sex portrayed on screen. I think it?s like Reijn says, the younger people had access to such a wide variety of messages, images and videos from such a young age, and they?re rejecting the highly sexualized culture previous generations have just accepted or gotten used to. As for the May-December romance stuff? It should completely be normalized that the age gaps switch and that women have different relationships.? I agree. Whenever a woman dated someone much younger, I used to think it was somehow tragic or flawed or doomed. I still think ?what do they talk about, what do they have to say to each other?? But I feel more ?live and let live? these days. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn?t, just like any other relationship.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Angelina Jolie: 'Maria was the beginning of starting to come alive again' | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
|
|
|
|
|
Angelina Jolie finally did a Vanity Fair ?Awards Insider? interview. Every awards-season hopeful does these but she had been avoiding it for some reason. She ended up calling in from Paris, where she?s working on Alice Winocour?s film Stitches. She spoke about working on a French film, and she spoke a lot about Maria Callas and what this journey has been like, promoting Maria for months. VF also got her to talk about the 25th anniversary of Girl, Interrupted too. As a special treat. Some highlights:
Most of her dialogue in ?Stitches? is in French. ?I?m not fluent?I speak a bit, but?to mean every word and give a performance takes a different kind of understanding about what it is I?m saying, to be emotional and not think about the language. It?s a different challenge.?
Why ?Maria? felt like a homecoming for her as an actress & artist: ?I wasn?t myself for a while, so I wasn?t able to give as much to my work for a few years. To feel like I could work again and communicate and to be with nice people?so much of what I do is collaboration with other artists. When it goes well, you?re creating together. When you?re with nice people and creative people, you learn so much about yourself and about life. You?re in a safe place to play and stretch.?
It feels meaningful to be doing this kind of work again: ?It really does. Probably more than I can even express. If no one receives your piece, or if you don?t connect, then it?s like shouting in the dark. It means a lot that people have responded to Maria. I?ve always felt, ever since I was very young, that film has been a way to communicate with the world and not feel as alone. We?re all going through this human condition and this life. So it?s very, very healing to be able to be a part of these films and to talk to you about this and to live that way. And I missed it. I realized I did really miss it. I missed being an artist.
Going dark: ?I went very dark for reasons I?d rather not explain, but I didn?t have a lot of light and life within me. Your light?s dim. I also just needed to be home more, so I couldn?t commit large periods of time to pieces. The choice of what to work on and when was not a creative choice, often, the last few years, but sometimes the practical choice. Really, I think Maria was the beginning of starting to come alive again. I needed a lot of kind people around me to hold my hand. I know I say it too often, but our business can be a lot of things. At the end of the day, we?re very fortunate to do what we do, and we are spending a lot of time with big, deep, emotional feelings. If you don?t do that with people who you?re safe with, it can affect you in very bad ways.
Shooting ?Maria? was a heavy experience: ?It was heavy. Maria was a very full experience. I wasn?t able to leave her on set like you sometimes do. Part of that was because I was always doing training after [shooting] anyway; there was always a next aria. But it was all leading towards the death, and the death was the last thing we shot. I?m almost 50, and my mom had cancer when she was 48. You?re actually thinking about death, about things that cause you grief or that you have lost in your life.
25 years since Girl, Interrupted: ?I remember that I didn?t think of [Lisa] as crazy and that she was a real person. She needed to be loved, and she felt alone, and she wanted truth. I only saw it once?it?s hard for me to talk about it because I saw it once 25 years ago?but from my memory, she wanted someone to be honest with her and to connect, and somehow ended up feeling very, very alone in that way?not dissimilar to Maria. Not finding somebody who understood her enough, not finding a way forward where she was okay. Is this a theme? That I?m alone? What is this? [Laughs] There?s probably some very tragic thing that I don?t want to address right now, but?yeah.
How she
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez a signed Marlon Brando book for Christmas | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
|
|
|
|
|
For the past five months or so, Ben Affleck and his publicist give monthly updates on how well he?s doing. The updates always feel so utterly random too, they?re always variations of ?Ben Affleck is doing great these days, he?s looking forward to spending time with his kids for [insert holiday].? Well, People Magazine got another update just before Christmas Ben wants us to know that he is ?healthy, single and enjoying life,? according to a source, who also said that Ben ?is spending the holiday with his children and is excited to have Violet home for break.? Ben keeps insisting that he?s single and that he spends his free time with his kids, and I simply don?t believe it. I still wonder what went down with Kick Kennedy and whether they?re still dealing with each other, and whether that was one of the bigger reasons why Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce. Speaking of J.Lo, Ben apparently gave her a book for Christmas.
Ben Affleck put some thought into his Christmas gift for Jennifer Lopez this year despite their ongoing divorce. The ?Batman? star, 52, ?purchased an autographed Marlon Brando book? for the ?Let?s Get Loud? singer, 55, before the estranged couple exchanged presents Sunday, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
Mystery Pier Books owner Louis Jason tells us Affleck bought ?a few books? from his West Hollywood, Calif., store located on Sunset Blvd. The Oscar winner picked up the meaningful item before heading to meet the ?Hustlers? actress for lunch at the members-only Soho House.
?Ben gifted Jennifer with the book because she?s a fan, plus her Super Bowl bodysuit was inspired by Marlon Brando,? a source tells Page Six. ?The gifts were mostly for each other?s kids, but they did exchange a few small things for each other as well. It was nothing over the top, but more so a gesture to celebrate the holidays. Ben and Jennifer have remained amicable despite the ongoing divorce proceedings.?
As we previously reported, Affleck and Lopez have every intention of continuing to be in each other?s lives despite not being romantically involved.
?Ben and Jennifer are still connected, and they do communicate when it involves their kids,? a source recently shared with us.
[From Page Six]
I actually looked up the Marlon Brando-inspired costume for her Halftime performance, and it?s real. Jennifer really did base one of her Halftime costumes on a 1991 Vogue photoshoot with Brando. The more you know! Yeah, I didn?t realize that J.Lo enjoys Brando that much. It feels a bit weird to me that Ben and J.Lo met one-on-one to exchange gifts, but he didn?t personally give his gifts to Emme & Max? He was their stepfather, he spent a lot of time with them and now he didn?t even see them for the holidays? Hm. Also: J.Lo and her kids were in Aspen for Christmas (photos below), so that explains why she and Ben met days before Christmas.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Princess Kate spent a lot of time greeting her biggest fans on Christmas morning | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
|
|
|
|
|
On Christmas Day, the Princess of Wales looked like she was feeding on the attention she got by being center stage on the church walk. Kate apparently lingered with the crowd, shaking hands and taking photos and accepting gifts. Prince William left her behind, taking the kids ahead and waiting a distance away. Kate was the last royal left on the ?walkabout.? I?m of two minds about that one, it?s telling that William and the kids weren?t also greeting people at the same time and the visual of William and the kids leaving her behind is pretty interesting. On the other side, it?s a sort of royal fan-service and more people in that family should chat longer with their fans. And the people who come out to see the Windsors on Christmas Day really are the biggest die-hard royalists out there. People Magazine had an exclusive with comments from some of the people who met Kate:
Her presence on Christmas Day, alongside Prince William and their children ? Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6 ? was both comforting and uplifting as she warmly interacted with well-wishers, receiving hugs, handshakes and heartfelt Christmas wishes. Kate?s connection with the public was palpable, as she engaged with each person. There was a clear sense of joy and relief in her demeanor ? her face lighting up as she smiled and chatted with the crowd.
?I think I?ve lost my family!? she quipped at one point to the crowd as she realized that she was the last royal family member left on the walkabout. William and their children were several yards away, waiting for Kate to finish so they could return to Sandringham for their Christmas lunch. It was a moment that harkened back to Kate?s signature style ? always happy to linger with the people who come out to see her, even when it means she?s the last to leave.
One of the many who benefitted from Kate?s personal touch on Christmas was Louis Beauchamp, a teacher from Paris who had traveled to Sandringham specifically to see Kate. Beauchamp had met Kate for the first time in May 2023 ahead of the King?s coronation, when she and Prince William visited a pub for a walkabout.
?I had an unforgettable interaction with Catherine, Beauchamp tells PEOPLE. She told me she was trying to get her kids to speak more French and urged me to keep up the hard work with my students. Unfortunately, when she announced she was suffering from cancer, I knew we would not be seeing her in public for a very long time,? he continues. ?Sandringham was the best opportunity for me. So, I booked a trip and went there to show I was still there to support her and always will.?
Beauchamp, who teaches English in France and has been inspired by the princess?s Early Years work, had a special gift for Kate ? a scarf he had made for in Morocco, along with a heartfelt letter about the positive impact she has had on my life over the years, he says. When he handed it to her, Kate thanked him for his kindness.
?She thanked me very much and said it was wonderful and so kind of me to have come again,? he shares. ?She was as genuine and close to people as I remembered. She seemed so happy to be with us again. You could tell she was truly touched.?
Another well-wisher, 73-year-old Karen Maclean, who has endured cancer for over 20 years, shared a heartfelt exchange with both Kate and King Charles.
We just had a little talk about cancer, she told Sky News, noting the warm connection she shared with the Princess of Wales. Kate gave Maclean a hug as she learned the woman had traveled all the way from North Lincolnshire for the occasion. She noted that both Kate and King Charles, who was also diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, appeared very well actually, considering what theyre going through. As for her embrace from the princess, she added, ?What a privilege.?
[From People]
I honestly can?t imagine doing this much to see any royal. It?s very much a dedicated fanbase, like Taylor Swift?s Swifties or Beyonce?s Beyhive. Kate is their ?queen? and they?ll book their trip from France to Norfolk on Christmas Day just for a glimpse of Kate. Anyway, Kate?s appearance and demeanor in Sandringham this year sort of made me believe that the Windsors are actively benching her, as opposed to ?Kate doesn?t WANT to do anything, so she isn?t.? Kate probably wanted to go to those tiara-events but she was told to stay home. She was probably also told she could only go to Wimbledon for one day. And Buckingham Palace probably didn?t know anything about that fakakta ?cancer-free? video before it dropped.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Princess Margaret's grandson Samuel Chatto was allowed to bring his girlfriend to Norfolk | | Added 4 days ago | Source: CeleBitchy |
|
|
|
|
|
As I looked through the ?royal Christmas? photos of the Windsors? walk to church, I was slightly surprised to see the Snowdons and Chattos included. The current Earl of Snowdon, David Armstrong-Jones, went to Sandringham for Christmas, as did Samuel Chatto, the 28-year-old grandson of the late Princess Margaret. While King Charles is reportedly close to his first cousins (David Armstrong-Jones and Sarah Chatto), I didn?t realize that he was close enough to their children to extend invitations to Sandringham. Not only that, but Samuel Chatto was ?allowed? to bring his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to royal Christmas as well. It?s the first time a girlfriend/partner has been included since? Meghan Markle in 2017.
The Duchess of Sussex was missing from Sandringham, but there was one member of the Royal Family who benefited from a tradition that was broken for the American former actress. Princess Margaret?s grandson Samuel Chatto was allowed to invite his girlfriend, Eleanor Ekserdjian, to stay at the Norfolk retreat.
She was able to do so after King Charles followed the example of his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, who permitted Meghan Markle to join the festive gathering in 2017, five months before she exchanged vows with Prince Harry at St George?s Chapel, Windsor. Meghan was the first person to be allowed to spend Christmas at Sandringham before marrying into the Royal Family.
Kate Middleton, for example, had to wait until after she became the Duchess of Cambridge and Sophie Rhys-Jones did not stay before she married Prince Edward and received the Countess of Wessex title.
?This is a clear sign that there will be a royal wedding in the new year,? remarks an excited observer of the Windsors.
I disclosed in 2021 that Sam, 28, had started going out with Eleanor, who?s an artist and also 28.
Not only had Edinburgh University graduate Sam struck up a romance with the London-based painter, but he had also become her muse. Eleanor told me at the time: ?We are a couple.?
Inspired by her new love, the arts professor?s daughter had started depicting Sam in her work. Eton-educated ceramicist Sam comes from an arty family himself: his mother, the King?s cousin Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, often submits her artworks for the Royal Academy?s summer exhibition, and his father is the actor-turned-artist Daniel Chatto.
[From The Daily Mail]
It?s interesting that the extended Armstrong-Jones clan is so artsy! Tony Armstrong-Jones, the first Earl of Snowdon, was a famous and talented photographer. Princess Margaret was very musical too, and she had the dramatic flair of an actress. Their children got involved in the art world, and their children are artsy too. That being said, Samuel?s younger brother Arthur is in the Royal Marines. Maybe he paints or sculpts though, you never know. As for a potential engagement in the new year? it?s likely, given the girlfriend?s inclusion at Sandringham. The Windsors need those kinds of events too, family weddings and youth.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
| | | 5.527.123
Photos Online+ 10.758 past week
1.701
Users Online | | |
| | | | | | | | We Salute
Victoria Justice
Photos of Victoria Justice will not count in your daily view limit, if you are a registered member
Tribute ends in
41 hours | | |
| | |
|
