The Russell Crowe Gimmick: A HistoryAgain and again, Crowe plays tough guys — and tries to humanize them with some too poetic, too cute detail, to ridiculous, distracting effect.
Russell Crowe to Play Bill Hicks?Plus: The Coens cast some well-deserving character actors in ‘A Serious Man,” and Tom Cruise makes his superhero move.
Oscar Futures: ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ Stages a ComebackEvery week between now and January 22, Vulture’s Oscar Futures will listen to insider gossip, comb the Oscar blogs, and out-and-out guess when necessary to track who’s up, who’s down, and who’s currently leading the race for a coveted nomination.
Amy Winehouse Indulges in a Little ‘Fight Club’ Role PlayCrazy Brit headline-hogger Amy Winehouse finds herself in the spotlight again today, after engaging in a “bloody row” with her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, at a London hotel that spilled out on the streets.
the early-evening news
Russell Crowe to Rock Tights?While promoting his new movie 3:10 To Yuma, Christian Bale “let slip” that his co-star Russell Crowe would also be appearing with him in the forthcoming Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. We suspect he may have been joking.
the industry
Okay, Okay, Peter Jackson Has Excellent Taste in ActorsRyan Gosling Joins Lovely Bones: Ryan Gosling will play the murdered girl’s father in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones, joining the already-cast Rachel Weisz. We’re throwing up our hands; Jackson seems determined to make a really good movie and damn the box-office consequences. God bless him.