Patricia Clarkson -- chameleon.

Here's a nice piece on the multi-faceted actress via The New York Times:

"It’s a paradox in keeping with a career built on contradictions: over 25 years she has reserved the right to be both chameleonic outlier and known quantity, self-effacing artist and scene-stealing operative, consummate mother and quintessential dame, indie stalwart and A-list darling.

"But this perennial supporting player is now, finally, a leading lady, in the wistful romance 'Cairo Time,' opening Aug. 6.

"The contrast provided by her most recent role — that of a wiggy psychiatrist camped out in a cave in Martin Scorsese’s 'Shutter Island' — is both striking and typical. In a single, pivotal scene, she delivers a seething exhortation to Leonardo DiCaprio’s federal agent that mingles clear-eyed command and paranoiac reverie."

 

The great Martin Sheen turns 70-years-old today. I can run down so many of his fine performances, and perhaps his most iconic, in "Apocalypse Now," but here he is, so young and free and murderous, in Terrence Malick's masterpiece, "Badlands," co-starring an equally brilliant Sissy Spacek.

If you haven't seen the picture (and shame on you for not!), rent it. Now. It will never leave you.

A wonderful clip after the jump. And Happy Birthday Mr. Sheen!

 

MSN's Glenn Whipp covers some of the gleefully moronic characters in cinema. A nice read, though I'm no idiot for not only liking, but loving Jerry Lewis...

Every workplace has its own brand of office politics. In "Dinner for Schmucks," for instance, whoever brings the biggest idiot to the boss's regular dinner-for-dorks contest gets a coveted promotion.

Tim (Paul Rudd) wants that new job and he believes he has the perfect imbecile to help him win it: Barry (Steve Carell), a buck-toothed, terribly toupeed IRS accountant who wears a windbreaker indoors, sports a formaldehyde-and-aftershave personal odor and spends his downtime constructing intricate dioramas populated with adorably dead mice.

Barry's also a very nice guy, and "Schmucks" plays on our sympathies toward him in order to point a finger at the real idiots in the room. In that respect, Barry follows a long line of movie imbeciles -- not holy fools like Gump, or Chance from "Being There," but bumbling, stumbling, oblivious, infantile man-children -- who win our love by doing the dumbest things.

Here's our 10 favorite boneheads, counting down from dumb to dumber to dumbest:

Starting with..."The Waterboy":

 

I love these pictures of Lindsay Lohan. Sad, beautiful, scary, perfect.

She's in character for her upcoming role in Matthew Wilder's wonderfully written Linda Lovelace biopic, "Inferno" and as a person who witnessed this shoot and interviewed Lohan after, I can say she is not only a talented model, but a mega talented actress who is devoted to this character. And ready to do the work.

She was also charming, smart, and thoughtful. This young woman is an old soul -- a lover of old Hollywood (Lindsay adores Clara Bow) and funny.

When a "Butterfield 8" quip was made, and I said "Time to write 'No sale!' with lipstick on the mirror," Lohan got it. I loved her for that.

Don't listen to all the online B.S. and dime store anti L.L. commentary. Lohan is a great actress and will soar with this part.

 

Sandra Bullock makes a lot of money. In fact, and I don't know why this comes as any surprise, the recent Oscar winner has been deemed the highest earning actress currently working.

Scandal? Who cares. And good for it. Why any of her personal problems should matter when it comes to being an actress is ridiculous.

Again, good for Ms. Bullock.

According to Pop Eater, Bullock tops the Forbes list:

"For months and months, whenever Sandra Bullock's name was mentioned, folks would tilt their heads to one side with concern, sigh heavily, and say something like, 'Poor thing.' Mired in ex-husband Jesse James' infidelity scandal, it seems everyone forgot for a second that Bullock is also the most successful actress in the world -- one who raked in an estimated $56 million last year, according to Forbes, which just released its annual listing of the highest-earning actresses in film.

 

Above is the first poster for the upcoming film "The Romantics," a romantic comedy based on the novel of the same name by Galt Niederhoffer. Niederhoffer  also wrote the screenplay and directed the film.

The story? It sounds rather convoluted, as many a romantic comedy can be. It's been six years since they've seen each other when seven college friends reunite for the wedding of Lila (Anna Paquin) and Tom (Josh Duhamel). But when the maid of honor, Laura (Katie Holmes) begins fighting with the bride to be, over a past relationship with Tom, the groom to be, well, as they say, things go a little awry.

 

Here's something to look forward to. Two potentially great movies, coming soon -- "127 Days" and even more exciting, "Black Swan."

Via Dark Horizons:

"Fox Searchlight Pictures has announced platform expansion releases for two films expected to be major candidates in the awards race.

"The first is Danny Boyle's '127 Hours', the mountain climbing survival drama starring James Franco. It's scheduled to open in limited release on November 5th before expanding throughout the month.

 

The legend turns 78-years-old today. There are so many movies to watch in his honor, and obviously his most famous role as T.E. Lawrence, but right now, I'm feeling his effortless charm in "How to Steal a Million."

Happy Birthday. You are old school wit, charm, bad boy of the binges, and of course, fine, sometimes breathtaking acting.

Watch the man in action after the jump.