It’s been nearly a decade since director Lynne Ramsay delivered her last beautiful and terrifying film, Morvern Callar, to the world. Now, she’s back with We Need to Talk About Kevin, which is based upon the book by Lionel Shriver and stars Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly as the parents of the titular Kevin, who is played by Ezra Miller. The movie has received rave reviews already (especially for the performance of Swinton who probably has a lock on all of the best actress awards) and was nominated at Cannes for the Palme d’Or (which, obviously, it lost to The Tree of Life).

If you’re not already familiar with the film’s subject matter already, Tilda herself has said quite a few words about how violent and bloody that the reality of motherhood can be, and that notion becomes literal in this film when one happens to be the mother of a psychopathic teenage mass murderer. Tilda reportedly throws herself into the role of a less than perfect mother, and certainly, watching this movie will be a disturbing and intense experience but likely well worth the ride.

Now, the international trailer for We Need to Talk About Kevin has arrived; this trailer starts out with giggles and a happy love story but soon moves quickly into thriller territory and gives quite an indication of how horrifying a child that Kevin turns out to be from a very early age. Besides Swinton’s chilling performance, Ezra Miller’s terrifying gazes will soon haunt your dreams:

I have a feeling that this will be a movie that I’ll only be able to watch once, but it’s still going to be essential viewing for any Swinton fan. We Need to Talk About Kevin opens on December 2.

Movie stills courtesy of Digital Spy

Seriously: Tilda Swinton is an alien. She’s just in this world, not really “of” this world. She’s studying us, playing with us, attempting to blend. I can see the wheels turning in her magnificent alien brain… she’s processing, collecting data. Tilda is the August cover alien of W Magazine, to promote her film We Need To Talk About Kevin, a film which I previewed when Tilda was in Cannes – it’s the one where she plays the mother of a teenage boy who goes on a Columbine-style rampage. Tilda is pretty much a shoo-in for Best Actress nominations all over the place, so I guess her management team was like, “Eh, what could it hurt if we let this crazy alien talk to a fashion magazine?” I’m not sure they’re make this mistake again. Tilda is interviewed in two pieces – one about fashion (here), and one about acting and Kevin (here). Here are some highlights from both pieces:

The Alien on style: “I follow my nose,” she says. “It’s as simple as that.”

On the Lanvin dress she wore to the 2008 Oscars, when she won: She had advised Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz that she wanted “to attract as little attention as possible and to feel as comfortable as if I were wearing pajamas,” she recalls. “Little did I know that the really simple, chic dress one might have worn in Paris or Berlin would stick out like a sore thumb in Los Angeles.”

On androgyny: “People talk about androgyny in all sorts of dull ways,” says Swinton. Ultimately, though, her starting and ending points are always her own style icons: David Bowie—whom she says she’s been orbiting ever since she saw The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)—and her father, Maj. Gen. Sir John Swinton. “My aesthetic North Stars,” she calls them. “The individuals with whom I share the same planetary DNA.”

On her military father, and childhood memories: “From childhood, I remember more about his black patent, gold livery, scarlet-striped legs, and medal ribbons than I do of my mother’s evening dresses,” she says. “I would rather be handsome, as he is, for an hour than pretty for a week.”

On playing a less-than-perfect mother in Kevin: “I don’t think I’m courageous. One man’s courage is another man’s comfort zone. The movie, which is based on a novel by Lionel Shriver, explored a taboo subject: the idea of a less than perfect mother. I knew that, when an audience watched the film, there would be a gag reflex at some point. But I was fascinated by the subject—it scared me, and that interested me. When we were trying to finance this movie, we would reference Rosemary’s Baby. It’s every pregnant woman’s nightmare to give birth to the devil. And every mother worries that she won’t connect to her children. When I had my children, my manager asked me what project I wanted to work on next. I said, “Something Greek, perhaps Medea.” Nobody quite understood what I meant, what I was feeling.”

On being a mom to 13-year-old twins: “When I first saw the twins, I really liked them. And, at the same time, there was a ghost over my shoulder saying, What if I hadn’t liked them? Kevin spoke to that feeling. It is that nightmare scenario: What if you don’t feel that connection to your children? There’s no preparation for having children. In Kevin, the woman I play is in mourning for her past life, and yet she looks at this dark, nihilistic kid and knows exactly where he comes from. He isn’t foreign to her; she sees herself. And that is, quite literally, revolting to her.”

The story of mother and son in Kevin: “It is a love story: They understand each other. He doesn’t kill her, and in one version of the movie, she asks him, “Why didn’t you shoot me, too?” He says, “If you’re putting on a show, you don’t shoot the audience.” In that way, Kevin is a classic Oedipal drama—taboo, but not exotic. It’s just one of those things that’s never spoken about.”

On Michael Clayton, and winning an Oscar: “A “Hollywood” movie like Michael Clayton is a holiday for me. [Winning the Oscar] was lovely, but I have to admit that I’d never seen the Oscars on television and really had no idea that it was so important. It was a very long show, but it did move me up from the children’s table, professionally, in Hollywood.”

How her kids react to her career: “The only movie of mine that my children have seen is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where I played the evil White Witch. My daughter said it was too loud. They’re just not Disney kids: They live in Scotland and don’t have a television. When I brought my Oscar home and showed the children, nobody knew what it was. The thing sat on the kitchen table for two weeks. It was kind of meaningless to them.”

Does her Oscar mean anything to her? “Not really [Laughs]. After winning, I went straight to Milan and started I Am Love. Since then, I haven’t done another Hollywood film.”

[From W Magazine - two articles]

I’ll admit, the only reason I want to see We Need To Talk About Kevin is because of Tilda, and because of all of the remarkable things I’ve heard about her performance. As for the interview… my favorite quote: “I would rather be handsome, as he is, for an hour than pretty for a week.” OMG. Tilda is magnificently odd. I also enjoyed the part where she talks about Madea and how glad she was when she “liked” her babies. I wish more women would discuss motherhood and children like Tilda – which is to say, I wish there were a few more aliens around, failing to blend in successfully.

Photos courtesy of Tim Walker/W Magazine, slideshow here.

Yesterday, we unexpectedly had a little love-fest for our favorite alien, Tilda Swinton. Tilda is in Cannes, promoting her work in We Need To Talk About Kevin, which will likely be one of the most disturbing and award-winning films of the year. Tilda is probably going to be nominated for every award out there this year for her portrayal of the mother of teenage mass murderer. We already saw some photos of Tilda from the photo call – in which she looked ghostly and kind of rough (but fab!). Now here are some photos from the red carpet premiere last night.

Tilda is wearing Haider Ackermann two-piece – a navy silk skirt, and what seems like a (silk?) satin cowl-neck halter in a teal-ish color. I love the jewel tones on Tilda! I would have thought such strong colors would have overwhelmed her pale coloring, but it all looks really great, I think. She’s still not wearing any makeup… except maybe some lipstick…? I’m not usually the person who is encouraging women to wear more makeup, but Tilda would look world better with just a touch of mascara and a stronger lip color, I think. But other than that minor complaint, I think this might be one of my favorite looks ever on Tilda. The skirt and halter is cut beautifully, and I think she looks like a million bucks.

Meanwhile, Tilda had some comments at the Kevin press conference that are now being discussed. Tilda can’t just say “The way childbirth is shown in films is nothing like how it is in reality.” No, Tilda, with her lovely alien-brain, has to put it in graphic terms: “In the movies where people have babies and particularly [in] television films, they are sitting in a hospital bed with flowers everywhere, beautifully made up, they have a baby in their arms and it is all very lovely. Anyone who has been in that zone will know it’s a total fiction. It’s a truly, truly murderous business. Giving birth is a violent [thing to go through]. It is a bloody business having a family. It is a bloody business being in a family; a bloody business having a child and a really bloody business, as we know, being a child.” DAMN. We get it, Tilda. It’s BLOODY.

Photos courtesy of Fame & WENN.

In my mind, I often compare Tilda Swinton to Cate Blanchett. It’s not really fair to either of them, because both are stand-alone talents and impressively capable women. Cate is “the beauty” and Cate’s got all of the interest in style and fashion and she gets more attention overall. Tilda’s a world-class actress who quietly does her work and doesn’t seem to understand the other “parts” of being an actress – wearing pretty clothes and looking great on red carpets and magazines. So why do I compare them? To me, they both seem like aliens. Cate is the alien who has come to earth to charm, to love and be loved. Tilda is the alien who has come to earth to study us and she often fails to “blend in.”

So these are photos of Tilda Swinton’s alien-brain trying to compute what’s happening at the Cannes Film Festival. She’s promoting We Need To Talk About Kevin, a story about… well, it’s based on the book by Lionel Shriver. It’s about…sigh… it’s difficult to put in non-controversial terms. It’s about a boy (Kevin) who kills his classmates and teachers in a Columbine-like massacre. Tilda plays Kevin’s mother. It’s about whether the Kevins of the world are born that way, or whether they are made by their environments. It’s supposed to be an intense movie, and Tilda is already under consideration, nay, a front-runner, for all of the Best Actress awards and nominations. Here are some early reviews of the film from Cannes – go here and here. Here are a couple of (very difficult) clips from the film:

Photos courtesy of WENN.

These are photos from the Hugo Boss show in Berlin, Germany yesterday. Chloe Sevigny, Tilda Swinton and Hayden Christensen were the big “gets” for the event. Hayden and Chloe I understand – they will promote stuff for a paycheck. But Tilda? What fresh hell is this if Tilda Swinton is doing paid promotional events? How does that even compute in her alien brain? You know what’s worse though? Tilda looks pretty good. Hugo Boss suits her. The cut of her suit is wonderful – she belongs in menswear or menswear-inspired pieces. In lieu of her normal alien skin, I guess. Because on her home planet Zaldorg, there is no need for clothes.

I have to say that Chloe doesn’t look half-bad either. Certainly better than she looked at her last big public appearance, where she was wearing an ill-fitting, belly-baring Rodarte that made her look ridiculous. She actually looks kind of cute in this little mini-suit. She also looks like Tilda’s bitch. TEAM ZALDORG.

Hayden Christensen is filling out… I hate this, but he looks better with some added weight. He doesn’t look like a 17-year-old rent boy/dealer.

Photos courtesy of Fame.

The Cannes Film Festival got off to a solid start Wednesday night with the premiere of Pixar’s Up. Tilda Swinton was one of the biggest names on the red carpet, and I think we can officially say that she’s now wearing make-up for her most of red carpet appearances. Hooray! Her outfit even looked amazing, some sort of layered maroon dress/cardigan thing that looked lovely. But her hair! Oh, God, that hair. Isn’t that the haircut Marines are given? The shaved bottom half and kept longish at the top? Perhaps I think that’s a Marine cut because I see it so often on NCIS.

From what I can tell, Bollywood goddess Aishwarya Rai just came to party, considering she’s not in any of the films premiering at Cannes and she’s not a judge. She’s still one of the best dressed women thus far.

The evening gowns glittered, the red carpet was unfurled _ and the 3-D glasses were at hand as the 62nd Cannes Film Festival opened Wednesday with the soaring animated adventure “Up.”

“Up’”s delighted filmmakers from Pixar Animation joined the crowd of stars and cineastes on the red carpet in this French Riviera resort and said being invited to Cannes was a dream come true.

“We’re just a bunch of animation geeks from northern California on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival,” said a beaming John Lasseter, Pixar’s creative maestro.

Edward Asner, who voices “Up’”s main character, did not come to Cannes. But his counterpart in the French-language version, crooner Charles Aznavour, was there.

Lacking star power from the “Up” voice cast, the biggest name on the red carpet was Academy Award-winning actress Tilda Swinton.

Inside, Roxy Music singer Bryan Ferry serenaded the crowd with a version of Aznavour’s “She,” before Aznavour declared the festival officially open.

Organizers were hoping “Up” would provide a buoyant start before the festival plunges into 12 days of movies that take in passion, murder, Korean vampires and a band of Nazi-hunters led by Brad Pitt.

Members of the jury, led by French actress Isabelle Huppert will be wrangling over which auteurs _ from a slate that includes Pedro Almodovar, Ang Lee, Quentin Tarantino and Ken Loach _ should receive Cannes’ coveted prizes. But on Wednesday, Huppert was in a gentle mood.

“I don’t think we are here to judge,” she said. “I think we are here to love films _ and to see what we love more than others.”

Huppert is one of only a handful of women ever to head the jury at the world’s most prestigious film festival. She said the numbers didn’t bother her: her predecessors _ who include Sophia Loren and Liv Ullmann _ were “women who count for a lot.”

Fellow juror Hanif Kureishi, the British screenwriter of “My Beautiful Laundrette” and “The Mother,” was more concerned with another omission.

“I’m not aware we’ve ever had a black or Asian president of the jury,” he said. “It will be interesting to see when that will occur.”

Scores of celeb-watchers waited patiently outside Cannes’ waterside film complex Wednesday, hoping for a glimpse of the stars _ any stars. Few knew who was due to arrive, but most didn’t seem to mind.

“I want to see Angelina Jolie on the red carpet,” said Corinne Besnier, who traveled hundreds of miles (kilometers) from Reims in northern France. “And Johnny Hallyday” _ the French rock star who plays a killer in Hong Kong’s director Johnnie To’s “Vengeance.”

Hundreds of brightly colored helium balloons festooned the building in honor of “Up,” the story of an old man and a young boy who float off to South America in an airborne house.

There’s weightier fare among the 20 films in competition, including Tarantino’s World War II epic “Inglourious Basterds,” with Pitt as leader of a group of Jewish soldiers hunting down Nazis.

The lineup looks strong, but festival organizers and industry attendees are apprehensive about how the global recession will affect the event. Festival director Thierry Fremaux said he expects attendance to be up slightly from last year, but Vanity Fair magazine has canceled its annual Cannes party, and some soirees are rumored to have swapped champagne for sparkling wine.

[From Huffington Post]

As HuffPo mentioned, French actress Isabelle Huppert is the jury’s president this year, taking over from last year’s president Sean Penn. In a weird twist, Robin Wright Penn is on the jury this year too. Last year, Sean said publicly that his goal was to reward and recognize political films, but Huppert has already stated her difference in opinion. She told the media that her number one rule for recognizing a film was “the importance of the humanist ambitions and esthetic intentions of movies.” So, it looks like the Nazi bloodfest of Inglourious Basterds isn’t going to make the cut!

Shown are Tilda Swinton, Elizabeth Banks, Aishwarya Rai, Robin Wright Penn, Asia Argento, and Shu Qi of “UP.” Credit: WENN.com

Oscar winning actress Tilda Swinton talked to Hello! Magazine about her career and nontraditional living arrangement. Swinton, 48, lives in a resort town in northeast Scotland with her 11 year-old boy and girl twins, Xavier and Honor, and their father, John Byrne, 68. Swinton is outspoken about the fact that she also has a younger boyfriend she travels with, Sandro Kopp, 30, a German artist.

She says that despite the media’s attempt to sensationalize her life, she’s friendly with her ex and there’s nothing scandalous about the fact that they’re living together as friends and raising their children. Byrne even has a new girlfriend, and Swinton jokes that they’re “a foursome”:

Although she and John “haven’t been sweethearts for a while”, they live together amiably – while this year Tilda revealed she has a new romantic partner, German artist Sandro Kopp, 30.

The couple met in 2004 on the set of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, on which Sandro was an illustrator. “Our situation’s must more ordinary than the papers would like to think,” she said. “Often people have children with people who’re no longer their sweetheart then have a relationship with someone new. What rarely happens is they’re still good friends and continue to live in the same house.”

Sandro now accompanies the actress on her travels and to red carpet events – and John has a new romantic partner, too. “He has a ladyfriend. A friendly lady! A sweetheart! I think it’s a foursome now,” she jokes.

[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, December 9, 2008]

Those quotes from Swinton might not be directly from Hello! and it sounds as if she may have said that earlier this month. They do have a unique interview with her, though, and she expands on her situation and is matter of fact about it. She also gives kind of whimsical, off-the-cuff responses, and sounds as if she really is having fun with the interview and doesn’t care how she comes across. Swinton describes herself as lazy and says the only reasons she gets out of bed are for movies and her kids:

On her living arrangement
“I spend most of my time in Scotland with John and our children. I’ve known John since I was 24 – half of my life…

“There’s no need to have secrets about this – when I’m at home there’s John and when I travel I’m with Sandro. Sometimes, we’re all together.”

On preferring to stay in bed
“Most of all I like being at home, in bed. I’m terribly lazy.

“The things that get me out of bed are my children, shooting a film and a film I want to see in the cinema.”

On happiness
“I like silence a lot. Once it’s silent you have the possibility of finding yourself and can be along with yourself. That feeling comes very close to happiness.”

On how she would describe herself
“I feel like a rocket that’s getting rid of the fuel tanks – and even the basic rocket. Only the space capsule is flying towards a new goal, which I can’t see.”

[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, December 9, 2008, subheaders added]

Swinton usually doesn’t wear makeup and her fashion can be described as eccentric. She told Hello! that she’s often mistaken for a man and that “People call me ‘Sir’ in American hotels.”

Ever since I watched Swinton’s very funny and inventive Oscar acceptance speech, where she won best supporting actress for Michael Clayton, I’ve been a fan. I didn’t really “get” her just seeing photos at events. She’s a unique personality and is unapologetic and open about her life without seeming to have an agenda. I hope to see her in a lot more films, but if I don’t, I doubt it will affect her either way. Maybe she’ll get out of bed a little more though, if she’s to be believed.

Tilda Swinton is shown in a rare occasion wearing makeup at the BAFTA awards on 11/6/08. Credit: Juan Rico/Fame. She is also shown with Sandro Kopp at the airport on 3/12/08. Credit: Fame

Actress Tilda Swinton, 47, has a very amusing interview with Newsweek in which she kind of jokes around with the journalist, telling him she’s naked and acknowledging the rumors that she’s really a guy in disguise. She says that after she won the Oscar for best supporting actress for last year’s Michael Clayton she decided to give it to her agent. An Oscar isn’t that big of a deal in her household, she explains:

One of your fans writes about you online, “This dude is my favorite actor.”
Really? It’s a very nice compliment to be called a dude.

Is it true you don’t like wearing makeup?
Well, I mean, I love wearing makeup. But if you want to look like yourself, it’s not such a good plan. You end up looking like someone else.

Are you wearing makeup now?
Right now? Not a stitch. I’m not actually wearing any clothes right now. The man who’s driving the car is enjoying this very much. No, he’s enjoying the joke. There isn’t time. Think how much time it takes people to get made up.

I wouldn’t know. I’m a guy.
Well, so am I, then. And there are people who think I am.

Where’s your Oscar?
I gave it away to my agent.

Did you even keep it for a night?
I took it to Scotland, as some kind of proof mechanism, and everybody got bored with it after four or five hours.

Why?
Believe it or not, I feel it’s almost sacrilegious to say this, it really doesn’t mean that much to people where I live. In my house, they don’t even recognize the shape of it. We don’t even have a television. They were kind of intrigued with it, like they’d be intrigued if you had come in with a cucumber and put it on the table, and say, “This is interesting.”

[From Newsweek via Huffington Post]

Swinton definitely is a character and you can tell she doesn’t take herself too seriously – kind of like George Clooney. No wonder those two get along so well.

Earlier this year there were stories about Swinton’s relationship with a 29 year-old German artist who has been photographed accompanying her on the red carpet and at events. She still lives with the father of her 10 year old twins, a 48 68 year-old painter named John Byrne. Byrne is said to be ok with the situation, and Swinton’s younger lover has even been seen visiting the family home in Scotland. No wonder people joke that she’s a dude. There are plenty of men who would love to get away with Swinton’s arrangement.

Swinton stars with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand in Burn After Reading, which is currently number one at the US box office after its opening weekend.

Swinton is shown outside The Late Show on 9/3/08. Credit: Patricia Schlein/WENN

Last night Brad Pitt was given the trophy he won last year from the Venice Film Festival for best actor in 2007′s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The awards at the festival are handed out on the last night, at which point a lot of stars have gone home. Pitt had a run-in with a crazed fan at last year’s Venice Film Festival, which gave him even more reason to hightail it home. Usually the trophies are mailed to the stars, but it seems they held on to Pitt’s in order to make a big deal out of handing it to him:

Now back as star of the Coen brothers’ “Burn After Reading,” which opened the festival, Brad Pitt was handed the prize at last.

“I guess you forgot something here years ago,” said the mistress of ceremonies, handing him the gold cup.

“You can run but you can’t hide,” Pitt said accepting it. “It was an honor to receive this last year and it’s an honor to receive it this year. Thank you very much.”

It’s common for stars not to be present to accept the Venice Film Festival awards. The prizes are bestowed on the fest’s final night at which point most celebs have gone home. Sometimes winners turn around and hurry back to reap the honor, but often they can’t. That’s what happened to Ben Affleck. Two years ago he found out that he won best actor for “Hollywoodland” soon after he landed in Los Angeles after returning from Venice. Affleck scrambled to try to arrange flights to get back before the fest officially closed, but without success.

Last year Brad Pitt attended the Venice Film Festival to promote “Jesse James,” but left before awards night after being jumped by a crazed fan who pushed past his bodyguards and threw her arms around the heartthrob star. Pitt was obviously shaken by the ambush and said afterward, “I haven’t been jumped like that in a while. It tells me that we’re vulnerable. It’s something I have been thinking about, but I don’t want to change my life to avoid those kind of things. I’ve had break-ins in the house and I’m dealing with a recent one now. You also develop a radar. You feel it when you are approached by unbalanced people.”

It’s strange, however, that the Venice Film Festival didn’t ship the award to Pitt after he won. That’s how Affleck eventually caught up with his golden cup.

[From The LA Times]

The mistress of ceremonies also congratulated Pitt on his twins and handed him a yellow flower – saying it was for his “friend George.”

Some reviews are in for Burn After Reading and they’re disappointing. Variety trashes it, calling it “sophomoric,” “immature” and “silly.” The Hollywood Reporter says it’s a “minor piece of silliness” full of idiotic characters and that some may love it and others will want to leave it.

Here is some footage for a press conference for “Burn After Reading” in which Brad and George get asked those stupid questions that they joke about. It’s not as funny when you see it. You can tell Brad’s “two more kids by next year” was just a throwaway comment.

And here are pictures from the premiere at the film festival last night as well as the opening night party. Thanks to WENN.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney have brought their hotness, and in Brad’s case his two older sons, to the Venice Film Festival to promote their Coen brothers film Burn After Reading, which premieres tomorrow. Last night they attended a gala for their charity Not on Our Watch, which has raised millions for people in war torn Sudan and cyclone-striken Myanmar. The charity’s director explained their reasoning for having a fundraising event there, saying that it was hard to coordinate schedules and they may as well do something while the two were both at the same place.

Pitt and Clooney also had a photocall for Burn After Reading today, where they gave glib responses to reporters asking the same old questions. You can see how they encourage each other to joke around when they’re together.

Clooney on whether he’s ever going to get married
“I am so surprised to hear that question. This honestly is the first time I’ve ever been asked that question. I’m getting married and having children today.”

Pitt: “And until then, I’ll be sharing mine with him.”

Pitt on how many kids is enough
[joking] “I’ll have two more by next year.”

He also said “The twins are fine.”

Clooney and Pitt on politics and the DNC
Clooney: “I’m happy to be here. This is one of my favorite places in the world to be. I like to watch the conventions on TV. I think the stars of the convention should be the people who are being elected.”

I’m pessimistic, but I’m optimistic. I think it’s a very exciting time in American politics.”

Pitt: “I’m optimistic, too. It’s a vital time. It’s a defining time. I’m excited about where things are going.” [People]

There’s a palpable excitement when these two get together, and I love seeing the photos. Someone should make a comedy that has a solid plot and stick all the Oceans men together again. Oh wait – there’s Burn After Reading coming. Can’t wait for that movie.

Thanks to WENN for these photos from the photocall today. Also shown are Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand – love her!, Joel Coen, and Ethan Coen.