OlderBrad & Cate Do ‘EW’
Wahoo!! Oscars all around!! I present to you the inside photo spread of Babel’s Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett inside this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly November 3, 2006 issue. Here’s an excerpt from the article (full article after the jump):
Cate Blanchett was marinating in a puddle of blood on a dirt floor somewhere near the southern edge of the Sahara. Brad Pitt sat nearby, slumped over on a rock, sweat pouring off him. The temperature hovered near 112 degrees in the tiny Moroccan village that had become home to the cast and crew of Babel, the politically charged four-part epic from Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams). This place was seriously primitive, beyond the reach of electricity and, for the most part, running water. Air conditioning? Not a chance. Indoor toilet? There’s only one: See the village elder.
Lost in Translation
How the director of ”21 Grams” pushed Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and a multinational cast through ”Babel,” his epic four-sided saga of sex, drugs, guns, and terrorism spanning three continents and several gulfs of misunderstanding
Cate Blanchett was marinating in a puddle of blood on a dirt floor somewhere near the southern edge of the Sahara. Brad Pitt sat nearby, slumped over on a rock, sweat pouring off him. The temperature hovered near 112 degrees in the tiny Moroccan village that had become home to the cast and crew of Babel, the politically charged four-part epic from Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams). This place was seriously primitive, beyond the reach of electricity and, for the most part, running water. Air conditioning? Not a chance. Indoor toilet? There’s only one: See the village elder.
To make matters worse, González Iñárritu, in his quest for supreme naturalism, had just asked them to perform Cate’s near-death scene for the 73rd time that day. The pressure was off the charts and there was just one distraction powerful enough to keep the two actors from going completely bonkers¦
”It felt out of control,” Pitt says over a year later, in a luxurious, climate-controlled Los Angeles hotel suite, recounting the weeks he spent in a state of ”frenetic anxiety” on the Babel set. ”I thought it was going to push me over the edge.” Suddenly, the 42-year-old actor leaps to his feet to demonstrate that crucial survival tool. With a hint of dramatic flourish, he grabs hold of his belt loops and yanks his jeans up to his armpits, giving himself a deep-impact wedgie of what must have been the most painful sort. ”Throughout the movie, I’d walk around like this,” Pitt says, thrusting out his backside and waddling around like a duck. It must be said that watching Pitt transform himself into an Urkel-like superdork is a sight so perplexing, it could divert a person from just about anything. ”You’ve gotta find things to make you laugh during the shoot. Cate called it the Hungry Bum.” He pauses and chuckles to himself. ”When your bum’s so hungry it’s trying to eat your pants.”
González Iñárritu’s globe-trotting melodrama was shot in six languages and on three continents. As ambitious as it is intimate, the narrative interweaves a quartet of sorrow-soaked vignettes: An American couple vacationing in Morocco (Pitt and Blanchett) are forced to depend on the kindness of strangers when struck by catastrophe; a family of Berber goatherds unravels after buying their first gun; a nanny (Amores Perros‘ Adriana Barraza), torn between work in San Diego and family obligations in Mexico, is thrown into an immigration quagmire; and a deaf-mute Japanese girl (Rinko Kikuchi) tries to cure her loneliness by prematurely uncorking her sexuality.
Babel (see EW review here) takes its title from the biblical allegory, in which man’s hubristic attempt to build a tower to the heavens compels a vengeful God to create a cacophony of different languages that stymie communication and isolate people from one another. Using this as his metaphorical jumping-off point, González Iñárritu tackles some of the most provocative issues of our time post-9/11: globalization, immigration, the spectre of terrorism. ”The film is about prejudice,” the director says, ”and the dangerous borders and walls we build that affect [communication] personally. And on a global scale, between George Bush and the Muslim world.”
Mixing politics and moviemaking has always been a dangerous game. One false move can mean the difference between Traffic and All the King’s
Men. But González Iñárritu’s single-minded determination about the project persuaded some of Hollywood’s biggest power players — Pitt, Blanchett, and Paramount’s Brad Grey, who agreed to back the movie in his first week on the job as the studio’s new chairman — to take a risk. It’s a gamble that’s already begun paying off: González Iñárritu collected the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes film festival, and the movie drew a raft of raves at Toronto. Now Babel looks poised to be one of this year’s leading dark-horse Oscar contenders. And Pitt’s nakedly emotional performance has placed him in the Academy Awards running for the first time since being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1996 for 12 Monkeys.
All this comes at the end of a long, tough slog. The Pitt/Blanchett story line was just a quarter of the journey for González Iñárritu and the rest of the core crew, who crisscrossed the globe for more than a year, shooting under arduous circumstances.
Dehydrated crew members in Mexico, for example, had to be hospitalized. Appropriately enough, communication was particularly difficult: The young deaf actresses in the Japanese plotline required a series of translations, from González Iñárritu’s native Spanish to English, English to Japanese, Japanese to sign. ”I had three pains I thought were heart attacks during production,” recalls González Iñárritu. ”To make this film was to give birth to a boy with four heads. Painful.”
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Thank God, Jared is back, or almost back. I really want to see Babel so much, but i don’t know when they show it in my country. Not in the near future, I’m sure, very frustrating. I’m really curious what will be the opinion of the Bamzsters here.
As for the Indian press, they are morons. They’ve missed a good opportunity, American or foreign film crews will avoid them again. It’s their loss, who cares. I hope B and A and the kids get home asap without a problem. I would like to see them at home in the US.
It really irritates me when Brad and Angelina are criticized unfairly.. which seems often. But, to be criticized about something(adopting an Indian child) that is only a tabloid speculation is really annoying. I will believe it only when either Brad or Angelina confirm it.
Benjamin Button starts filming November 6 according to movie extras posting on IMDB. So hopefully the family will be leaving India real soon.
Gal : October 29th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/189694.cms
alero : October 29th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Thanks so much! Even if Brad won’t be there until later, it still means they may be leaving India soon. Seems like they’ve been down there forever, and you better believe people won’t be acting like they have in NOLA.
I hope they are done soon too. Didn’t they say that the director, Winterbottom, is known for doing quick shoots?
Hiya Original jpf, I can’t wait for them to leave India as well, to much craziness over there, and you are right when Brad start filming in New Orleans it is going to be completely different. I think they should be leaving India soon, I know that BB starting filming 11/6 but PT said that Brad don’t have to be in New Orleans until December, I am thinking that when they finishing up shooting AMH, they might take a family vacation to just relax before Brad starting shooting BB
Original jpf: October 29th, 2006 at 5:40 pm :
thanks . Do you have the other one which was favorable . It states how Inida/Prune had a lesson to learn from Namibia - along the line that instead of trying to write about negativity ..they should try to project positive news and bring awareness using this media outlet to promote India/Prune, Tourism and Brollywood — just like how Namibia had benefited from BA being in their country .
The postiive article also written around the 1st week of their presence in India .. I believed it was around the wooha about Mikey vs papz(choking) incident.
I really think that article should be forwarded to the Inidan media to open and widen their minds of a “missed” opportunity to bring “good” into their country.
SIMPLY BRAD SITE- says filming of Benjamin Button does start in November but Brad will join them in December so he does get a little break after returning from India.
Is our Angel pregnant again?
http://s2.supload.com/image.php?get=00264_pp4_122_504lo.jpg
Gal: October 29th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
This one actually came from JJ’s the other day, but it seems there was a 3rd one, but I apparently didn’t save it and have no idea if it too was on JJ’s.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g119/originaljpf2_2006/india281020067rp1.jpg
jpf
African Girl Says:
October 29th, 2006 at 3:17 pm
Honestly, this new format is FREAKING me out. I miss the yellow and black of times past.
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I actually like this format better because it doesn’t take forever to download! I’ve got broadband but the regular format is just too loaded down with Javascripts and ads and stuff and it’s a bit## to load!
Martin Scorsese’s mob tale “The Departed” held strongly again, taking in $9.8 million to place second for the third-straight weekend. The Warner Bros. film lifted its total to $91.1 million.
Revenues for “The Departed” were down just 27 percent from the previous weekend, compared to 35 percent for “The Prestige” and 38 percent for Clint Eastwood’s World War II epic “Flags of Our Fathers,” which was No. 4 with $6.35 million.
Paramount’s “Flags of Our Fathers,” which cost $90 million to produce, has gotten off to a slow start, raising its 10-day total to $19.9 million. The acclaimed film still could follow the pattern of Eastwood’s last two movies, “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby,” which became hits on the strength of Academy Awards buzz.
Focus Features’ South African drama “Catch a Fire” premiered weakly with $2 million in 1,306 theaters, averaging $1,541, compared to $10,830 in 3,167 cinemas for “Saw III.”
“Catch a Fire” stars Derek Luke and Tim Robbins in the story of a black family man driven to rebel against South Africa’s apartheid system in the 1980s.
The far-flung drama “Babel,” whose ensemble cast includes Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, had a huge opening in limited release, grossing $365,801 in seven theaters. The film traces the consequences of a tragedy in the desert on families in Africa, Mexico and Japan.
Distributor Paramount Vantage plans to open “Babel” nationwide on Nov. 10.
The Dixie Chicks documentary “Shut Up & Sing” debuted solidly in limited release, taking in $50,798 in four theaters. Released by the Weinstein Co., the film explores the furor after lead singer, Natalie Maines, told a London concert crowd on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003 that the music trio was ashamed President Bush was from Texas, their home state.
1. “Saw III,” $34.3 million.
2. “The Departed,” $9.8 million.
3. “The Prestige,” $9.6 million.
4. “Flags of Our Fathers,” $6.35 million.
5. “Open Season,” $6.1 million.
6. “Flicka,” $5 million.
7. “Man of the Year,” $4.7 million.
8. “The Grudge 2,” $3.3 million.
9. “Marie Antoinette,” $2.85 million.
10. “Running With Scissors,” $2.55 million.
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http://sandiego.cox.net/cci/entertainmentnews/national?_mode=view&_state=maximized&view=article&id=D8L2I8080&_action=validatearticle
Amaya Says:
hey Amaya, i also want to join in and my youtube name is masy753….thanks
Re: Times of India editorial opinion, I also sent them deragatory comments….not those nasty words :lol: but told this person that s/he is a high falutin hypocritical one coz if s/he really cares about the orphans of india why s/he did not do anything about child trafficking….and comparing mia farrow to angeling is an insult to both coz they are both different people…the nerve of that dimwit so called editor….gggrrrrrrrr
Alexanderina: October 29th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
I don’t know how they do it. He’s going to be filming that, I thought JESSE JAMES was going to be ready to rollout, as is THE GOOD SHEPHERD and all the promo stuff for those. These are some busy folks.
jpf
jj, i like this format better…..hope that jj’s will soon run better and properly….coz i got seasick if i don’t visit jj’s at least 5 times a day….though i don’t post much i love reading the comments of the BAMZSVILLE ladies… :)
angelah: October 29th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
Thanks Angelah for posting that info, I am glad to see that The Departed is still doing great, loved that movie and RWS not bad at all
Alexanderina
I’m a lurker here but I was appalled by that article so I sent an email. This is what I sent.
Maybe you should check your facts before you criticize Ms.Jolie. Last I checked there wasn’t any legitimate news agency or Ms. Jolie herself saying that she plans to adopt an Indian child. Only Tabliods have been saying this. What’s more disturbing is to compare her adoptions as some sort of suvenior she picks up when she goes to other countries. It’s a complete insult to her and other adoptive families. I don’t know what you have against Ms. Jolie, but your article is just disgusting. Ms. Jolie has spent her time and money helping the less fortunate, and in doing that she has adopted 2 children and made their life better. And what have you done? Instead of sitting at your computer crticizing someone who’s actual done something.
Original jpf- a couple months ago I heard on entertainment tonight that Jesse James got switched to come out in 2007 cause he filmed Ocean 13 in September and Jesse James was suppost to come out around that time and it didn`t make sense for him to juggle promoting Jesse James and filming Ocean 13.
Original jpf : October 29th, 2006 at 6:27 pm
Me either jpf, they are so busy, but they will find ways to do what they have to do. BB is going to take a while to film I believe, I think I read somewhere about maybe 4-5 months()? to film, isn’t that way to long to file a movie and then we have O13 and then AOJJ, when exactly does AOJJ comes out? It is 2007 or 2008? and then we have TGS coming out in December, and I don’t know how much promoting Angie is going to do for it; my goodness, they really are going to be busy, that is why I think that they will take a mini-vacation after filming AMH
Alexanderina Says:
October 29th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
Hey PT, I posted another article from India here and I think that editor need to be pimp-slapped as well, I already sent my e-mail to that idiot
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Hey Alex - I just saw it…I fired them a little e-mail pointing out something this twit obviously fails to understand…Brad Pitt ain’t no Woody Allen! His wife is the hottest woman on the planet. He’s not going to be dumping her in 15 years for one of his adopted daughters! Morons. It was a stupid comparison when the only commonality is a multi-racial brood of kids! He made it sound like Mia Farrow’s busy life is what led WA to practically commit incest! Freaking idiot. However…I was only too happy to point out the error in their twisted logic.
Original jpf Says:
October 29th, 2006 at 4:03 pm
PT, the link didn’t work, but I think it’s the same one that’s floating around. It’s funny that not one, but two recent and positive Jolie-Pitt reports only seemed to end up here on JJ, Pittwatch and the like. If it ain’t ugly, it’s not wanted by the _itchBlogs.
jpf
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JPF - Just copy and paste the link. It doesn’t work because Jared’s server broke the link when it put part of it on a separate line.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-207232,curpg-2.cms
stardust Says:
October 29th, 2006 at 4:08 pm
PT- the reason I asked QQQ if the picnic article was from Times of India is because the same guy who is bashing Brad and Angelina in the article you posted, is the same guy who wrote the glowing article about them having a picnic. This guy can’t make up his mind. He’s got no credential as a journalist.
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Stardust - Yeah, I noticed that. Maybe he’s got a split-personality and his alter can’t stand them?
angelah Says:
October 29th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
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Thank you angelah! I’m sooooooooo happy for my Brad! All of his movies (both producing and staring in) are doing great!! I love it! I can’t wait to see all of them!!
Stardust has said before that Times of India have turn into a trashy tabloid and they are really showing their true colours lately. Through articles around without even checking the facts. Accusing others for their own stupidity and disability to handle some certain things properly. They are really causing a very bad impression about their country .And they can not even realize it. It’s really sad. BAMZS have at least one more week there (if not earlier). I wish this last week to pass in a blink of an eye and for them to return back in the states safe and sound.
Passing Through: October 29th, 2006 at 6:45 pm
Great job PT, I know you will set them straight, I am so proud of you :). I am so getting tired of India right now and especially their so-called news people, no offense to anybody from India, but I can’t wait for the BAMZS family to come home.
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