“Cowgirl Interrupted”? No thanks. That’s the theme of Elle UK’s April cover shoot with Alicia Vikander. Maybe I would feel differently about a cowgirl theme if she was promoting a movie about the Wild West, or some frontier, somewhere, anything like that. But she’s promoting Tomb Raider! And this is the second sh-tty cover editorial in a row (the first was the horrendous American Vogue shoot). It really shouldn’t be this hard! Anyway, Alicia is here and she’s talking about when she first met Michael Fassbender, and how Brexit made her want to move out of Britain. Some highlights from the cover interview:
She first met Fassbender at TIFF party: “The first two times we met, we didn’t chat, we only danced.”
Moving to Lisbon: “When I met my husband three and a half years ago, he had mentioned he’d been to Lisbon and loved it, and I knew friends who were moving out there. And that was a time when I was just starting to feel really at home in London, but after Brexit I think I was like, ‘Meh, you know what, I want to stay in Europe’.”
What makes someone attractive: “What makes a woman or a man attractive is someone who dares to speak up, who dares to show their personality. It’s tough being a young girl at this time, you know? I’m now working in an industry which lives on creating an image, a fantasy and I feel like I need to show younger women that is what it is.”
She has never been sexually harassed on set: “I’ve been very fortunate that I haven’t had any sexual harassment on set. But I’ve been in situations where people in power have put me on the spot, or made me feel stupid and young when I wasn’t able to express myself publicly. Once, an older female co-star actually said on my behalf, ‘That’s not OK.’ I can now speak up and say that is not fine, and I’ve been given the fortunate position now of not being, in the same way, afraid of losing my job, which was deep down the reason you don’t want to be trouble. You don’t want to be difficult…”
[From The Daily Mail & The Evening Standard]
I’ve seen some clips of Fassbender’s dance skills and… um, he’s not very impressive. He’s enthusiastic though, but really, he dances like a million frat bros. It’s strange that they met on the dance floor and never really spoke to each other? As for the move to Lisbon following Brexit… I sort of feel like “good for them.” Michael had/has an apartment in London too, but I guess they’re making their home in Lisbon now. Which seems random, but I bet it’s quite nice, and just as convenient, location-wise, for traveling for work.
Covers courtesy of Elle UK.
I guess I don’t really understand what editors are trying to accomplish with cover photos these days. It used to be that the covers were so striking and interesting. Anymore it feels like they pick a random photo from the set that wouldn’t have even made the cut for the editorial ten years ago.
What’s the goal?
See I LOVE the first cover photo. She looks sexy and I love the composition. The title is stupid though.
On another note, Lisbon is a fantastic city. Beautiful, fun, good food, nice climate.
I kind of concur with @onerous: there is no wow factor this is not spectacular, looks like any other girl
And yes Lisbon is amazing … so are a lot of cities in Europe… but Lisbon is also the choice of so many because it’s a tax haven for europeans (no taxes for your first 10 years if you establish yourself there)
So there is some particular reason to this choice…
I like these photos. Reminds me of Kate Moss, in a good way.
LOL
Lisbon is hands-down the best place I’ve ever been in the world, and I’ve traveled quite a bit. I would definitely move there if I were in Europe and it was as simple as that! Good for them.
Madonna moved to Lisbon too…there must be something happening there for artists.
Anyway, I’m kind of impressed how well Tomb Raider did, especially globally. I didn’t think she could open a movie, but it was a great showing for her.
Madonna moved there for her son. I think she misses NYC by something she posted one day, lonely or missed her friends, or something.
@Jayna, I’m Portuguese born in Lisbon so I know the team he’s playing with very well, Benfica (it’s the team my family supports). As much as I love them, there are loads of teams in loads of countries where she could have taken her son. Benfica has indeed an excellent academy that provides players to all kinds of international teams but I am sure there is something else to it 😉
That woman couldn’t sell me bread with that ridiculous pose on the cover.
23mil on a 90-100 mil budget impressive. LMAO. I knew that TR film is going to sell that well. 1. Video games suck at the box office and 2. Alicia Vikander has no charisma what so ever.
At this point, I literally don’t care about Michael Fassbender anymore. He us a has been. Therefore, AV and MF should just cut their loses and live in Lisbon for the rest if their lives.
The OP was clearly referring to the film’s global box office. It made $126 mil and is the no. 1 film in the world.
@Goats on the Roof, it was the number one film in China, but I think Black Panther is still kicking butt everywhere else. Apparently from exit interviews, the Chinese audience isn’t understanding BP the way other countries have taken to it. Which means lower box office in China, a huge market.
I think rebooted Tomb Raider will tank second week. I’m taking girl child to see Love, Simon today. We loved A Wrinkle in Time, but are uninterested in TR.
I wouldn’t call it impressive but decent. The budget is 95mil (the official one, experts say it was probably more), promotion about the same – they need at least 200-250k to break even. I am not talking about profit here. And it already dropped 34% on its third day of screening, on Sunday! It won’t go past 200k. From now ticket sales will go down not up.
TR is first in almost every international market and it’s impressive because the reboot was successful but the popularity of the game isn’t the same as in 2001.
I doubt it will break even though…which will put at risk the franchise.
It did poorly here in the states, she’ll never get a sequel most likely. The Intl take probably had some residual, ‘let’s see how this woman they want to replace Angelina with, does.’ So even in that regard it’s not abt her it may still be about Angelina.
It was Tomb Raider. Not sure if she has proven she can open a movie yet. And that cover tag – Hollywood Renegade? Since when? And what has she done to be considered a renegade. The bar is non-existent these days.
Casting Daniel Wu and marketing it well in China probably helped with international BO. Glad it’s an action film about a non-super-sexual woman that’s doing well BO-wise.
I guess this is what happens when you are the face of an Angelina Jolie movie reboot – they make you ride the coattails of everything Jolie. Ugh, can she be her own person? It is really not necessary to invoke the ghost of 90s Angelina. Just let this woman be!
The cover is awful.
Boy…that open mouth pose is not for everyone.
I would go so far as to say it’s not for anyone.
I think magazine covers are deliberately styled to look weird or off kilter in some way, as opposed to capturing beauty, these days to make you pay attention. Too much stuff competing for eyeballs.
I really hope Alicia Vikander does well. She needs to be a breadwinner for her and her husband. Wait is he an actor??? What does he do now??? What is his profession???? Is he a C-list celebrity??? I don’t know except Michael Fassbender will be Micheal Vikander at this point…. He better be carrying Spray Tan along with her purse…
Lol. I think they are about equal on the stardom stakes. Actually, he probably has an edge because X Men made him recognisable to a larger audience. Dont you worry about her spray tan game.His preference for melanated sistas is well known, never shall the pale skin of her childhood be seen again…unless they breakup ofcourse.
He’s already rich enough to retire comfortably for several lifestyles as long as he doesn’t live like a Kardashian.
What is happening with her pose in the cover with the pink pajama shorts? Is she sitting, or leaning? My eyes aren’t seeing it clearly. Is her hand down her pants? Strange choice.
She seems so flat. I find it so interesting that attractive for her is someone who speaks up and shows their true self because it’s the opposite of what she presents. I feel like this woman hides or has nothing there. I’ll never understand her appeal.
@Pix. I 100% agree with you
The year of Ex Machina and her other award contenders she did an early interview where she was openly ambitious and the response, from what I remember, was really negative. I’m guessing she got advice before having to sell those movies in the fall and took it to heart.
Why not move to Ireland? Or Germany? Or Sweden?
I mean, obviously they can live wherever they want and Lisabon is amazing, but if they’re not chosing their home because of work it would make sense to live in their homeland. To me at least
fiscal reasons. Also, great weather.
Exactly: European from other countries who establish themselves in Portugal have a 10 year period of grace in taxes (… meaning absolutely no taxes for a whole offing decade!!)
Don’t move to Germany if you like good weather. If I had my random pick as a non-German, I would visit in the summer but live in another European city full-time. Also, high taxes (not bad in general but these two don’t need the services that come with higher taxes). I’ve never been to Lisbon but I have friend who’s from there and everyone else who’s visited said it was one of the most amazing trips.
Well I love bad weather. And the language. I’d move to Germany just for the language.
🙂 I do love my home country, don’t get me wrong. And the language is lovely.
Don’t move to Canada for the weather, unless you’re from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota etc. Germany is probably still a little better.
The taxes are amazing forma foreigners, but even excluding that, Lisbon is an amazing cultural capital, full of life and beautiful. There is so much more in Europe than Berlin París and London. Especially when you are rich enough that travelling is not an issue.
Yes Lisbon is beautiful and fantastic, and yes there is more to Berlin, Paris or London (living in one of these three)
the endless list includes: Barcelona, Madrid, Napoli, Roma, Athens, Sevilla, Malaga…all of these are as beautiful and amazing than Lisbon… and way much more sunnier (and some livelier:Barcelona, buzzier:: Madrid… both having a way much bigger cultural life than Lisbon)
so there is maybe more (fiscal) reason for this not random at all choice…
ps: and I love Lisbon its a wonderful city
Nicer weather, better food, also I think a flight from Portugal to the US is probably shorter. Plus it’s not known as a celebrity city so there less chance of paparazzi.
better food from London not so much (London is an incredible foodie scene)
For Lisbon, there are also some fiscal advantages for artists to live there. They don’t have to pay taxes on some of their earnings (I’m not an expert so I don’t really the specifics). That’s, partly, why Madonna got there and why some French singers live there, too.
I’m from Lisbon and there is certainly some shady golden visa’s being attributed to Chinese millionaires and such. It’s also a new trend in the art world now. At some point everybody went to New York, then Berlin and now Lisbon.
It’s not so great for the locals I can tell you that because traffic has become a b*tch and the public transports are not widespread and intense enough for this. Hence what took 20mns by car can now go up to an hour. Also, the rents are going up the roof and many Portuguese born and bread in Lisbon cannot afford to live there. In the “old” Lisbon, where all the tourists want to live, they moved out the elderly to build sophisitcated and luxurious appartments. It’s not a great situation in that sense but it’s good for the economy overall.
That’s an epidemic everywhere. Makes me so sad when people who have lived in a place for generations have to relocate because of money, power and lack f intervention by local government.
I visited family in Vancouver last year and they were 3 generations living in one house because it’s just so expensive to rent or buy there.
It’s such a big problem for those cities, you’re right. It becomes some paradises for the rich but for the locals, it’s a living nightmare : they can’t afford to live in the old city/center of the city, the prices gets really high etc etc.
Those people only think about them and their own money when they do those kind of moves. They do not understand that it’s not ideal for the locals. It’s the same here in Paris, even if there are no fiscal advantages whatsoever. It’s almot impossible to live in Paris if you’re not rich (and i’m not telling you to buy a flat, you can’t do it anymore). The prices have gone so high ! One square meter is almot 10K€ everywhere in the capital. Such a shame.
The Lisbon move is interesting. For lots of actors not seeking superstardom living away from Los Angeles, New York, London, works incredibly well. They do interesting projects and keep a healthy perspective. However, I’m not sure you reboot Tomb Raider unless you are looking for a certain level of stardom. And I’m not sure she’s there yet…or even close. I just can’t help but wonder if this will be a bit like Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johannessen moving to Paris for the culture and to read books and blah blah blah…and both were back in NYC/LA within what? Two years. Goop managed a lot of years in London but even she headed back to LA. Lisbon is a long way to get to LA for meetings. I guess my point is…we will see.
I think the idea sounds great for many but reality is different. Well she’s only a 2 hr flight away from Lisbon now anyway and if you have money it’s easy to live anywhere you like. When we were there a few years ago many apartment buildings have done where they have run out of money we even thought of buying an apartment there. We found it good value vs Barcelona/Madrid and def. Stockholm..
But Alicia has never lived in NYC or LA neither has Fassbender to my knowledge. Both are European actors who used to live in London. So the move to Lisbon isn’t that much of a stretch. As neither are British I understand the inclination to live in the European Union following brexit, and why not Lisbon?
Saw Tom Raider last night, had low expectations but was very pleasantly surprised. She may come off flat in photos but she’s great on screen. I loved it. A throw-back adventure movie that was definitely more suspenseful that some of the Avengers movies. And Dominic West is a treasure.
I’m starting to think that photo editors hate her. She always looks either bland or downright bad on every magazine cover I see of her.
Cute girl but horrendous poser, she looks bored, sleepy, elsewhere…
Lisbon is a fiscal paradise of sorts that’s the reason they’ve moved. Nobody really cares how long they actually live there to benefit so that’s even more of an incentive. Is a lovely city but they won’t live there all year. If Brexit was the reason then why not Ireland? or her home country? I hate when celebs think they can outsmart people and common sense and at the same time get a good PR headline in the process.
Well … I’m Brazilian and so far I know there’s some good tax subsidies for rich Brazilians who wish to move there. There is probably something even better for fellow Europeans.
Lisbon is the new capital of cool in Europe, it’s cheap, great weather and it’s had an influx of artists and musicians moving there in the last few years.
Yes, it’s the new Berlin.
yes to both of you.
Yep. Lovely city but I hope the hipster brigade doesn’t ruin it and rob it of the things that give it vibrancy and character.
She’s pretty and does okay in certain roles, but she doesn’t emote enough with her eyes.
Lisbon is not random at all. It is one of the nicest cities in Europe. Good Choice, I think.
… also one city where one have not to pay taxes… not really random indeed
Her fake tan is pretty good, doesn’t look
orange to me like the Kardashians.
I wonder what she is using.
I enjoyed Ex-Machina.
She is certainly attractive in my opinion, but she seems to be missing the “It factor”.
I’m fairly confident that unless there is some splitting of tectonic plates, that the UK will remain in Europe after Brexit, it just won’t be part of the EU, alongside Albania, Armenia. Belarus, Gibraltar, Iceland, Kosovo, Lechtenstein, Macedonia, Norway, Russian Federation, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vatican City State.
YES. THIS. I get so mad about this idiocy.
Idiocy, really? She’s using Europe to mean a cultural and political concept here, not a geographic one – the value of European solidarity etc, which Brexit was rejecting. Also many Brits refer to European – as opposed to British – all the time, even though they are technically European themselves.
She wants to be someone who speaks up? Why not start by speaking up about Michael Fassbender’s domestic violence allegations, then? Why has he been given a pass when they resurface every few years? I’m guessing either because he isn’t known enough for the public to care, or because he is white?
Europe is not the same as the EU. Britain is still in Europe. FACEPALM.
as an European myself I’m pretty sure when “Europe” is mentioned in anything related Brexit it sure means the EU and not the geographic term .No reason to be specific and precise and nobody waste any time in pointing it out as a mistake or ignorance. Take it as short for EU, if you want.
I know enough Brits who don’t think it is. Don’t get Alicia, never will, but I concur on that part.