Rosario Dawson

5 Young Actresses Who Don’t Annoy Me 9

by Sinoun • Favorites, Lists • Tags: , , , ,

I’m not a hater, really I’m not.

But the implicit message is clear: Young Hollywood annoys me! Maybe it’s overexposure (in the tabloids, blogs, and bad movies). Maybe there’s little variation in levels of talent, or (although unlikely) maybe I’m just jealous.

But there are still some famous female faces who don’t trigger the ‘hater!’ alert, who don’t grind my gears and most importantly, who have no effect on my flimsy ego.

Here they are:

1. Kristin Kreuk

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I will always love Kristin! Even if she keeps limiting her potential by picking the worst projects, such as Street Fighter which I hated, or Partition, which was so low-key I’m not sure if anyone’s seen it. She’s still the classic A-girl for her work in Edgemont and Smallville – in fact she was my main reason for watching them (this had nothing to do with her being one of the most surreally beautiful people on the planet). Not sure how much longer she’ll stay in the acting game though, as she’s currently devoted to Girls By Design, a project for young female empowerment, as well other humanitarian causes as seen through her youtube vids. That might be good for me, as it would bring her down to the level of “normal” people, and maybe increase my chances of actually meeting her!

2. Kat Dennings

The entries on her blog seem to be self-written, her candor is unexpected, there’s no snobbery of any sort, no entourage or drunken party pics, just the musings of a quirky, imaginative and personable girl who makes Youtube videos and rambles on Twitter – it’s like you kind of know her! (Yeah, riiight…) She’s had some prominent roles (Charlie Bartlett, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) but none that have thrusted her too starkly into superstardom. But with her talent and appeal, I predict some mightier scripts coming her way – so appreciate her now while she’s still approachable, and low on the ego.

3. Kristen Bell

My boyfriend loves her, but so do I. Because although she is beautiful, she’s not perfect and thus, non-threatening. Apart from that useless tidbit of info, she was first-rate in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, for her comical cuteness which really made her endearing despite playing the antagonist. Guest appearances on Heroes also found her extremely likable for being a bad-ass who was really just vulnerable underneath it all. Plus, she teamed up with Sylar which made her extra cool by association (at least until he… you know).

4. Rosario Dawson

Seeing her in Seven Pounds put her firmly on my radar and I’ve since declared her under-rated. Sure I’ve never really seen any of her other movies, but that doesn’t mean I won’t watch her future films. Wait, actually I have seen Sin City, so there you go, I do have a basis upon which to judge her talent. Interviews and photos demonstrate her down-to-earthness and a natural affinity for being herself – which is always a welcome change in a world of superficial clones.

5. Hayden Panettiere

She plays a beautiful blond cheerleader and she’s dating Heroes superstar Milo Ventimiglia. Logic dictates I should be oozing envy – but I’m not (I’m not like that!) Truth is, she’s  a great actress – when Claire Bennet cries, so do I. Plus, I do give her props for snagging Peter Petrelli – he is the hottest cast member after all! She’s making the big-screen leap later this year in I Love You, Beth Cooper, but this isn’t her first major film role. Go back and watch Remember the Titans and you’ll see why she’s a big timer. (Update: I just found out her and Milo split up 3 months ago. As you can see, I don’t follow celebrity gossip!)

Underrated 2008 – Seven Pounds 0

by Sinoun • Reviews • Tags: , ,

I haven’t seen any new movies lately, so I’ll review one I saw a while ago that I just never got around to writing about. And since this movie didn’t fare as well as expected at the box office, chances are many of you have been missing out.

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Seven Pounds is a film unlike any I’ve seen in a long time. It follows the journey of a man named Ben Thomas (Will Smith) who’s on a mission to change the lives of seven strangers. But not just any group of seven; he’s interested only in those truly in need, are noble and not likely to take his gifts for granted. Because you see, he isn’t on a mission to dole out donations, but to drastically alter the circumstances of these individuals.

Ben’s existence is seeped in mystery and the questions dart forth from the very beginning. For example, why is he trying to change lives? Why does he hole himself up in a lowly motel room? Why is he avoiding his brother? And what deal did he make with his best friend? His character is a complex one; serious, mysterious, strange and saintly. Smith skillfully plays his part – a man troubled by personal demons, whose emotional inferno is carefully concealed by a placid exterior.  His motives are initially unclear and figuring him out is like solving a Sudoku puzzle, on level hard.

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That difficult task is left up to Rosario Dawson, whose stunning presence is a seduction of the senses. She glows with an angelic radiance that highlights an otherwise morose and gloomy film. The chemistry between Smith and Dawson entirely anchors the film’s emotional angle, lending reasonable credibility to the movie’s central conflicts. Credible, however unrealistic. If it seems I’m being overly vague about the important details, there’s a reason for it.

will-and-rosario6I read in another review that this movie is best viewed without prior knowledge of the film, and I completely agree. It’s better to go in knowing as little as possible so you can submit yourself to the films surprises. Mind you, these “surprises” may be predictable to saavier viewers. Admittedly, I was able to guess the ending halfway through the film. (Ok, so being saavy has nothing to do with it!) But even as the climax approaches the viewer’s line of vision long before it arrives, the emotional impact is still unexpected. And that’s the strength of this movie.

But it is far from perfect. Employing a slow place, somber mood and non-linear trajectory, the film draws us in, while keeping us at a safe distance – like a magician urging us to stay back while insisting we pay close attention. That divide between viewer and viewed may induce restlessness and even frustration because we don’t feel truly involved; we’re merely spectators blindly navigating an aimless maze.

In the end however, there lies a greater message. And if you can forgive the preachiness, sometimes tediousness and even – dare I say – weirdness of the whole film, there’s a powerful commentary on the gift of life, of selflessness and sacrifice. If you think too hard about the small details you’ll invariably get confused – but if you let yourself feel the emotional weight of the film, your heart will thank you for it.