Weekly Winslet

 

Week of February 4 - 10

 

 

 

February 10:

 

'Quills' director Philip Kaufman and costar Geoffrey Rush with Kate in Berlin today:

 

 

Well, Geoffrey Rush has been asking for it! (See last line of story.) I'd love to see video of this press conference, LOL!

"Actress Kate Winslet Says Sex Scenes Tiring," By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN (Reuters) - Actress Kate Winslet said on Saturday she feels uncomfortable doing sex scenes - because they are awkward and leave her exhausted. "Love scenes are very hard and they never get any easier,'' Winslet, 24, told reporters at the Berlin Film Festival, where she was promoting her latest film "Quills.'' The British actress and "Titanic'' star co-stars alongside Geoffrey Rush in the film about the final months in 1794 of the Marquis de Sade - the notorious French nobleman who gave the world the word "sadism." Winslet, who also said she was growing tired of media interest in her weight, spoke of her awkwardness in filming sex scenes.

''I defy any actor to say it's easy because it's not,'' she said. ''It took all day to film (one love scene in ''Quills'') and we were all very exhausted.'' She said it was hard to be undressed in front of the cameras and crew. But at the end of the day, ''you all end up laughing about it and having a good time.''

Winslet said she didn't believe the enormous success of the 1997 film ''Titanic,'' in which she co-starred with Leonardo DiCaprio, had cast a shadow over her career. ''Titanic was never a burden,'' she said. ''I am amazed that I was involved in a movie of such epic proportions. It is wonderful to be in India, for example, in the foothills of the Himalayas, and to have an 80-year-old man come up to me and, through squinted eyes, say 'Titanic'.''

Winslet's fluctuating weight has been the subject of intense and sometimes unflattering coverage in the British press. A onetime vocal opponent of diets, which she described as ''rubbish,'' she recently surprised many fans by announcing her intention to go on diet to lose weight gained in her pregnancy. ''About the weight - yes, it's really a bore,'' she said when asked about the media interest in her size.

In ''Quills,'' Winslet plays a maid working in a mental asylum who is entranced by the asylum's most notorious inmate - the Marquis de Sade. De Sade's twisted world is marked by rape, menage a trois, gay undertones and betrayal. ''She was a girl who had grown up in the lunatic asylum and had spent every single day of her life working there and not really seeing the outside world, and yet she seemed to have so much fun among all this hell and disaster,'' Winslet said in an interview earlier with Reuters.

     Rush, the Oscar winner for ''Shine,'' said deciding to make the film had been easy once he heard Winslet would be co-starring. ''I was reading the screenplay and got to page 25 where it said I would get to tongue-kiss Kate Winslet,'' Rush said as his co-star laughed. "I said right then: 'Okay, I'll sign'.'' Without missing a beat, Winslet got up out of her chair at the news conference and moved down the table to where Rush was sitting and nearly knocked him to the ground with a deep kiss.

 

 

 

Kate certainly won over a reporter who interviewed her this morning in Berlin! I translated the following three items with help from an online translation engine - and then edited, LOL.

From AP Correspondent Wolfgang Huebner:

The beautiful Rose survived the cinematic sinking of the Titanic, and Kate Winslet is the natural rose in what is so far the largest film success of all time. But the 25-year-old Englishwoman enters her suite in the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel at the gendarme market in Berlin as no goddess, but a natural young woman. The nutty mother of a four-month-old daughter came with baby and husband Jim to the Berlinale in order to present her new film 'Quills' there. Winslet plays therein a servant who helps the Marquis de Sade, kept in a lunatic asylum, smuggle manuscripts of his notorious books to the external world. 'Quills' is the title of the film by Philip Kaufman, which does not have the mass success that 'Titanic' has. But the self-confident, always alert and discussion-happy working Briton became enthusiastic immediately for the material and film script. Sitting down with Kate Winslet, she is an extraordinarily beautiful young woman from this proximity, but somewhat too pale on this Saturday morning in the German capital. But as she speaks, fire is immediately seen in those eyes, which watched Leonardo diCaprio slip into the icy depths of the sea in the tragic ['Titanic']. The world star is a nutty mother and wife without 'airs'. She convincingly protests that she never expected early fame with 'Titanic'. She has modified nothing in her private life. And one indeed sees an obviously lucky young mother who travels on airliners and worries about her baby, in the other part of the hotel suite with her husband. Changed, however, are the career possibilities: 'I can now push difficult film projects with assured cooperation.' All three of her films after 'Titanic' were not hits. Winslet does not leave a doubt that she regards England, not Hollywood, as her home. She displays that noticeable energy, which so impressed in her cinematic debut in 'Heavenly Creatures' (1994) as a schoolgirl. Kate Winslet not only displays charisma on film, but also in a hotel suite on this cloudy day in February in Berlin.

 

"I Hate Nude Scenes"

Kate Winslet, the 'Titanic' star, doesn't gladly undress before the camera. 'I hate nude scenes. It's a technical thing and doesn't have anything to do with intimacy,' said Winslet on Saturday during an interview in Berlin. 'I have seen so many unnecessary nude scenes in films already in the cinema. Sometimes the woman is only a victim,' said the British actress. Winslet is at the international film festival in Berlin for her new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession.' She plays the maid of the pornographic writer Marquis de Sade and lets her clothing fall in several scenes [not 'several']. After success with 'Titanic', Leonardo diCaprio was in the headlines, said Winslet. But actors should have the right to a normal life. 'I still go shopping and even to the local swimming pool,' said Winslet.

Winslet came to Germany with her daughter Mia, born in October, and her husband Jim Threapleton. 'Mia is magnificent, she looks exactly like her father, only she has my mouth.' She makes much time for her daughter, stressed the actress. 'She is the most important thing in our lives, and because I don't work much, I have a lot of time for her.' In the past year she worked, for example, only four weeks. 'I would never go somewhere and leave Mia in England.'

Winslet calls her new film project, 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' (directed by Philip Kaufman) with Geoffrey Rush in the role of the Marquis de Sade, a very risky project. 'I didn't know beforehand much about the life of de Sade. But I wanted to make this film, because it is important to tell of something which was so important in history," said Winslet. 'It is a very risky film, but if one does not take risks, then life is boring.'

 

Kate is also causing some excitement for her fans in Berlin:

'Titanic' actress Kate Winslet provided excitement for the fans waiting in front of numerous luxury hotels in the city. She traveled with husband and child for the opening of her new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' (director Philip Kaufman). The film, about writer Marquis de Sade, played by Geoffrey Rush, runs outside the competition. Rush has already celebrated at one of the numerous Berlinale parties.

 

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for sharing the Enigma Press Kit with me! Sylvia had advised me several months ago that Intermedia Vice-president Philip Rose had indicated he would send her a Press Kit, so I did not 'pester' him with a similar request. Mr. Rose has requested that the entire press kit not be published online. We are honoring his request by publishing only selected portions. Here's the section about Kate's casting:

Kate Winslet had been approached early on to play the role of Hester Wallace but originally it clashed with Therese Raquin in which she planned to star and take the role of executive producer. When Kate discovered she was pregnant, her own production was put on hold and Jagged Films was happy to fill the gap in her schedule. Jagger describes Winslet as "an actress who interprets Stoppard's script very well. Hester is an intelligent woman, who knows herself to be underused." Michael Apted explains, "The character of Hester has to be slightly anonymous at the beginning of the story, but her beauty, charm and sexiness creeps up on you. Kate is a brilliant chameleon - she can dazzle you or be quite ordinary, and the latter is a quality the audience can identify with - an ordinary girl who becomes heroic." He adds, "Kate makes intelligent choices in her acting roles, and I think she'll enjoy a long successful working life." says Apted.

Kate Winslet was attracted by the wartime setting of the story. "It's an adventure story set in such a sexy time - with young people determined to live for the moment. In some ways I compare my character Hester to George in Enid Blyton's The Famous Five - she enjoys adventure and won't stop till she gets a result and, in the end, she helps save the day." Winslet deliberately did not delve into understanding the mysteries of deciphering the enigma machine. "Although Hester works at Bletchley Park, her job is more administrative, and so she wouldn't have known all about the mysteries of code-breaking, so I didn't want to understand things that Hester wouldn't have known." As research, Winslet did meet a lot of the people who worked at Bletchley during the war. She says, "Most of them loved the work they were involved with then, and quite a few met their partners and married there. Incredibly, many of them didn't realise the importance of the work until long afterwards because of the code of secrecy in the Park. For instance, Hester and Claire worked in different Huts, so they never knew exactly what each other did."

 

"Sex, Lust Dominate Berlin Film Festival," By Adam Tanner

BERLIN (Reuters) - Lust and sexual fulfillment came into passionate focus on Saturday in several films playing at the Berlin film festival offering different takes on sexual gratification.

"Quills,'' starring "Titanic'' star Kate Winslet and Geoffrey Rush, Oscar winner for "Shine,'' tells the story of the last months of the Marquis de Sade -- the notorious French nobleman who gave the world the word "sadism'' -- in a Paris insane asylum in 1794. It is the erotic writing of de Sade -- portrayed in a strong performance by Rush that has sparked talk of another best actor Oscar for the 1997 winner -- which stirs the passions of the film's characters. "I liked how Gothic the script was and how lurid and shrill and 'B grade' it was,'' Rush told Reuters. "It's very melodramatic and heightened.''

De Sade's twisted world is marked by rape, menage a trois, gay undertones and betrayal in the asylum where Winslet's character works as a maid. "She was a girl who had grown up in the lunatic asylum and had spent every single day of her life working there and not really seeing the outside world, and yet she seemed to have so much fun among all this hell and disaster,'' Winslet told Reuters about her character.

One central relationship in the movie is consummated only after the death of one of the partners, and Rush appears in the final part of the movie naked. "It's one of my hallmarks now,'' Rush joked. "I put it into my contract: 'must jump naked on the trampoline'.'' (Rush did just that in "Shine.'')

 

"Jagger and Daughter Appear in New Movie"

Mick Jagger has returned to the big screen - by writing himself and teenage daughter Elizabeth into Enigma, the movie he's currently co-producing. The Rolling Stones rocker gave himself and Elizabeth, who he calls Libby, small roles in Enigma, the wartime thriller about the efforts of code-breakers to crack the Enigma cipher. But Mick denies he's doing anything wrong - it really is a very small role. He says, "It's only a tiny part; not even a cameo. The main action in the scene has people jitterbugging and Libby and I are going to have a few lessons, but I think it's going to end up with us sitting in the background." But Jagger does have some reservations about his role in the film, which stars Kate Winslet and Saffron Burrows. He adds, "I don't know about the jitterbugging, though. It's not like performing on a concert stage. I'm not a jitterbugger and Libby's even worse at it than I am!" Luckily by the time director Michael Apted had finished with it, all that was left of Jagger's cameo was a few seconds of him dressed in full RAF uniform, sitting with Elizabeth - and no dancing.

 

Thanks to my pal Sylvia of Dougray Scott in Focus for emailing me this item:

"US strike rules pave way for international bonanza," by Mike Goodridge in Los Angeles

International acting talent and non-US movie companies are set for a boom time later this year as The Screen Actors Guild guidelines to shooting outside the US should an actors strike take place in June became clear yesterday. The Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors issued the following position on work that may be performed by SAG members in the event of a SAG strike:

Members must provide that:

1) He or she is a foreign national

2) The film production is shot entirely overseas

3) The production is completely foreign financed

4) No domestic or foreign distribution rights are pre-sold to a US company

If these conditions are met, SAG members who commit to render these services prior to the strike may work on such productions after the strike commences. While this obviously precludes US actors from working overseas in the event of a strike, it does mean that international production featuring non-US acting talent is set to become the world's leading form of movie production should the strike begin in June. One Hollywood agent hinted that packages are already being put together which would fit these criteria and put particular emphasis on the American Film Market later this month as a hotbed of potential deal-making. Clearly US studios are forbidden from buying domestic or territory rights on these films, although there are no stipulations about them buying rights once the strike is over.

Cash-rich non-US companies such as Intermedia, StudioCanal, Film Four as well as all the other German entertainment companies and media funds or the UK film franchises suddenly become unprecedentedly significant. And bearing in mind that some of the hottest members of SAG right now are non-US nationals, from Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Jude Law to Kate Winslet, Colin Farrell, Javier Bardem, Heath Ledger, Frances O'Connor and Penelope Cruz, the potential for international movie production looks limitless.

Intermedia's Enigma, recently screened at Sundance, is a clear example of a film made within these parameters. The film was produced and financed by non-US companies (Intermedia, Jagged Films), starring British nationals (Winslet, Dougray Scott, Jeremy Northam et al) and with no US distribution attached.

 

From a Blockbuster press release:

"Romantic Movie Role Models"

London - A nationwide survey by video giant, Blockbuster, has revealed that men really are from fantasy land Mars while women are quite happy with genuine, funny Venus. When asked which movie stars they resemble, nearly a quarter of men questioned (23%) said 'the most romantic icon UK they resembled' was Sean Connery as James Bond. Female respondents were more realistic about the Hollywood heroine they resembled and 27% opted for Shirley Valentine as their romantic mentor.

The results indicated that men and women haven't changed that much over the years. Fantasy drives the male ego. Men need to aspire to unrealistic icons like Bond to reaffirm their role as the dominant partner and escape the reality of commitment. Women are driven by inner strength. Understanding that they don't need to dominate to enjoy a relationship, women are more realistic and relate to strong genuine characters like Shirley Valentine.

The results did show a generation gap. 36% of 16-25 years men disagreed with the outdated Bond stereotype and opted for cult comedy icon, Austin Powers. The country's favourite English Rose, Kate Winslet in Titanic, proved the most popular romantic choice for 16-24 year old women (27%).

 

More commentary on the race for Oscar - From BBC News:

"Oscar Race Gains Clarity," by Tom Brook:

…The best supporting actress race also has four fairly certain nominees - Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand - both from Almost Famous, Julie Walters for being Billy Elliot's ballet teacher and Dame Judi Dench for a small, but strong role in Chocolat. The fifth spot is up for grabs and it's anyone's guess who will get it. It could go to a British actress, either Catherine Zeta Jones who was quite impressive as the scheming wife of a drugs kingpin in Traffic, or Kate Winslet for her role in Quills. There is also a strong American contender, Marcia Gay Harden, who plays opposite Ed Harris in his Jackson Pollock biographical picture Pollock…

Well, whether or not she receives a nomination this year, it's wonderful that so many critics and industry insiders feel her chances are so good!

 

Kate Winslet has received acclaim for her part in 'Quills'

 

February 9:

 

I have posted the (brief) transcript of the Feb 8 E! News Daily coverage of the Golden Camera awards, along with several screen captures of Kate arriving at the ceremony and accepting her award, and a link to a sound bite. Go here!

Update: I have added to that page the transcript that Moritz has done of Kate's entire acceptance speech.

 

Therese Raquin postponed - again. I found this item this morning from WENN; thanks also to George for sending it to me:

"Kate Winslet's Film Saved By Kind-hearted David Bowie"

Kate Winslet's pet film project has been saved from disaster by good Samaritan David Bowie. Kate has long wanted to make a movie of the classic novel Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. Filming was initially postponed while Kate gave birth to baby Mia last year, then a producer pulled out of the production, throwing Kate's plans into disarray. Luckily she and husband Jim Threapleton met with Bowie recently and thrashed out a plan to work on a script, with shooting hopefully starting later this year. Kate says, "I have this passion for the Therese Raquin story. It has everything and it's my intention to make it. It's the first project Jim and I have helped to produce and I would really like it to work." Intermedia Films will bankroll the picture, while Bowie and the team at his film company will work with Kate and Jim on the script, casting and production.

 

LOL at the 'Sex Poll' by Total Film magazine (February 2001 issue):

Run a brush through your barnet, slap some perfume behind your ears, pull on something saucy 'n revealing, and mosey on through to Total Film's Sex Poll. In Issue 47, we asked you, the readers of Total Film, what made you tick, in the trouser-tightening sense of the word. After ticking, listing and tabulating sackloads of returns, several things have become clear…

There were several categories, and Kate placed in the top 5 females in two:

1) 'My ideal partner for a desert island sex marathon is…' -- 1 Angelina Jolie; 2 Denise Richards; 3 Sarah Michelle Gellar; 4 Kate Winslet; 5 Salma Hayek.

2) 'Frankensexy' - The task? Judge the pecs, t**s and booty of Hollywood's glitterati, with no more consideration to their personality as you'd afford to a prize heifer at a country fair. Prime physical specimens we asked for - and prime physical specimens you gave us… Female - Eyes: Winona Ryder; Mouth: Angelina Jolie; Hair: Kate Winslet; Breasts: Denise Richards; Tummy: Salma Hayek; Legs: Cameron Diaz; Booty: Jennifer Lopez.

Total Film also has a brief review of Quills, giving it 4 out of 5 stars. (4 stars = 'hugely satisfying and entertaining.') Excerpts:

Winslet's down-to-earth approach shows how the straight forward Madeleine can be seduced by the Marquis' charisma... The mind games between these characters are as gripping as they are thematically important. --Alan Morrison

The poster photo was used in the article [Kate sitting on Rush's lap; Rush with lips pressed against her neck], and I was ROTFL at the pic's caption:

'A couple more puffs and my novelty Kate doll will be inflated!'

 

The Feb 12 issue of Us Weekly contains a couple of mentions of Kate:

1) 'Sundance Movies To Watch For - Our Critic Turns a Spotlight on the Best of the Best.' Andrew Johnston wrote, 'People usually associate Sundance with small movies, but two of this year's most notable entries featured blockbuster-quality visual effects. Enigma, a crisp World War II spy yarn directed by Michael Apted and starring Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet, was probably the first movie in the festival's history to climax with a naval battle, but the exploding torpedoes never drowned out Tom Stoppard's razor-sharp dialogue.'

2) A brief item about Mick Jagger's attendance at the Sundance Film Festival to promote 'Enigma, a spy movie starring Kate Winslet that Jagger coproduced.'

3) A letter to the editor from Yvonne Koslowsky - 'I really loved your article on Kate Winslet and how much emphasis Hollywood places on weight. It's time that the movie industry paid more attention to this serious matter. What happened to the days of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, when a woman looked like a woman?'

 

Entertainment Weekly Online calls the Oscar race for Best Supporting Actress this way:

Along with supporting actor, this race also has four sure things and one open slot. With nods from the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild, 'Almost Famous' costars Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand will face off against each other as well as previous nominee Julie Walters (for 'Billy Elliot') and previous winner Judi Dench (for 'Chocolat'). 'Traffic' wife Catherine Zeta-Jones landed the fifth Globe slot while 'Quills' Kate Winslet scored a SAG nomination, so they, along with 'Pollock's Marcia Gay Harden, will duke it out for the final spot.

 

The Feb 9 issue of EW has a couple of mentions of Enigma:

1) 'Buzz-O-Meter [at Sundance] Enigma - Kate Winslet's $20 million code-cracker movie looks intriguing, but about as indie as Battlefield Earth. After premiere party, producer Mick Jagger leaves town. Takes buzz with him.'

2) Critic Lisa Schwarzbaum didn't like the film. In her report on the Sundance FF she describes the film as 'a sodden, heavily-acted drama about British code-breakers during WWII.' The article included the photo of Kate and Dougray standing next to the Enigma machine.

February 8:

 

E! News Daily showed clips of Kate at the 'Golden Camera' ceremony held earlier this week! I hope to have a few captures up Friday morning. (Watch for repeats of the program Friday - Kate is on in the first couple of minutes.)

 

Update on Enigma - There evidently is still no U.S. distribution deal, as the film will be screened at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, California on February 21st at 1PM and on the 22nd at 11AM. Unfortunately, a one-day pass (for industry professionals) is $250.00.

 

Site News - I have 'revamped' the 'Rewind II page' to lessen download time. It now has links to separate pages that feature transcripts and captures of some of Kate's television appearances.

 

Thanks to Celine for the following: She saw Kate on 'Exclusiv' ('ET' news in Germany). Kate answered questions about the 'Golden Cameras' and said that she found it as exciting as the Academy Awards and was very happy to be there. Also, Celine saw an item about Kate in the publication 'Gala'. She was mentioned in an article about beauty for her perfume being 'SO de la Renta'.

 

David Germain of the Associated Press feels that Kate is 'in contention' for another Oscar nom:

Besides Dench, supporting-actress contenders likely will include Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson for 'Almost Famous,' along with her co-star and past Oscar winner Frances McDormand. Also in contention are Julie Walters for 'Billy Elliot,' Kate Winslet for 'Quills' and Catherine Zeta-Jones for 'Traffic.'

 

More on Kate in Berlin to promote Quills at the Berlinale Film Festival:

From MSNBC:

Last year, the festival drew 390,000 visitors, a Berlinale record. It is valued by industry insiders for its compact nature. "The Berlinale, because of the weather and the location, is a working festival," in contrast to Cannes and Venice, [Susanne] Reinker [of the German Film Export Union] said. Some organizers were concerned, however, that Hollywood stars would be too preoccupied by contract negotiations to make it to the festival. A guest list that includes Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Juliette Binoche and Pierce Brosnan remains fluid.

From an article in a German publication:

Also in the Oscar discussion is the film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' with the British actress Kate Winslet, who had already come [to Berlin] on Tuesday to receive the film and telelvision award 'Golden Camera'. There, Winslet was distinguished in the category 'film international'.

Here's a version of the article in an Italian publication (oops, they got Mia's age wrong; my, she's growing up fast, LOL):

The pop star Ricky Martin and Kate Winslet, who are already in Berlin, received a prize for their successes collected on the small screen in Germany. The British actress - accompanied by her little three-year-old daughter - is in the film of 'Quills' (outside competition) about the marquis de Sade directed from Philip Kaufman, for which Geoffrey Rush and Joaquin Phoenix will also be in Berlin.

 

The San Francisco Gate has an article today about campaigning for Oscars, with prominent mention of Quills:

Fingernails are bitten to the quick, Maalox is purchased by the case and the entertainment trade newspapers each weigh about three pounds.

Yep, it's that time of year again, Academy Awards season, when the studios spend millions of dollars promoting their movies through advertisements in the trades…

Nancy Utley, president of marketing for Fox Searchlight, started campaigning early for 'Quills,' which got a jump on the end-of-the-year competition by opening in November. Utley aims to earn 'Quills,' directed by San Francisco's Philip

 Kaufman, Oscar nominations in technical categories as well as best picture, screenwriter, director and acting nods for Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix and Kate Winslet.

Encouragement has arrived in the form of other awards: The National Board of Review honored 'Quills' as best picture and Phoenix as best supporting actor, and the Screen Actors Guild tapped Rush and Winslet for nominations.

So far, 'Quills,' which is still in theaters, has pulled in $5.7 million in the United States. "I think it's reached the level of gross that it's going to reach without nominations," says Utley, who also worked on last year's campaign for 'Boys Don't Cry,' which helped Hilary Swank take home an Oscar. "We're counting on the Oscar nominations" to get more people to see it, she said.

 

The Writers Guild of America nominees were announced yesterday, and to the surprise of many, Doug Wright was not nominated for his adaption of Quills. Films nominated in this category were: Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, High Fidelity, Traffic, Wonder Boys.

 

February 7:

 

Site News -- I have added an 'Audio Clips' page on which you'll find links to a few sound bites I have made, including comments by Kate from the March 2000 'Parkinson' show. New audio clips will be added every few days. Enjoy!

 

Yahoo! News has two photos of Kate accepting the 'Golden Camera' award in Berlin last night:

  

Kate Winslet poses with her 'Golden Camera' awards from a German TV magazine after a ceremony at Berlin's 'Schauspielhaus' theatre February 6, 2001. The 51st annual Berlin Film Festival will start on February 7, where 16 international feature films make their world premiere and Oscar-hopefuls seek attention vying for the 12-day event's top award, the 'Berlin Lion'. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters) [The award is for 'Titanic', which aired on German TV with great success last year.]

From a German news site (I used an online translation engine and then re-worded, LOL):

'Titanic' star Kate Winslet, who appeared in a black mini dress, asked young actors to engage themselves fully in their occupation during her 'thank you' speech. The 'Darstellerin' will be in Berlin for several days, in order to present her new film 'Quills-Power of the Obsession' at the Berlinale [Film Festival].

 

Watch video of the event (including a few clips of Kate arriving and on stage) on Windows Media! (The voice-over is in German, LOL.) -- Goldene Kamera

 

February 7:

 

Here's another 'Oscar predictor' who feels Kate will be nominated:

Shhhhhhhh! MYSTERY MAN's identity must be kept secret! He's a Hollywood insider who can only speak freely if he remains anonymous. Admittedly, he has ties to the film studios, but that's never clouded his uncanny Golden Globes/Oscars crystal ball in the past. Follow his amazing predix this year and see for yourself! … SUPPORTING ACTRESS -- Judi Dench, Chocolat; Kate Winslet, Quills; Kate Hudson, Almost Famous; Frances McDormand, Almost Famous; Julie Walters, Billy Elliot.

I sure hope his prediction is correct!

 

Can women have it all? From a UK paper:

The sight of the ITV Popstars winner Kym Marsh breaking down in tears as she admitted that she had kept a secret from the organisers was the perfect cliffhanger to ensure that the 10m viewers who tuned in on Saturday night would come back for more. The secret that 24-year-old Marsh is a mother of two is a shock because an ambitious, attractive, young would-be pop starlet is not supposed to have a couple of kids in tow. That she assumed her children had to be tucked away illustrates how incompatible being a mother and being an aspiringly successful young woman are perceived to be. The reality is that having children closes doors. When asked why she had not been honest, Marsh said that in the past it had stood in her way. But why should it be so terrible to have children?

In showbiz, it is almost de rigueur for women already established in the public eye to have kids. From Zoe Ball and Kate Winslet to the All Saints mums and Madonna, the message is that a woman really can 'have it all'. But these mothers have almost always achieved success before having a family. Marsh has broken the unwritten rules by being an ordinary girl who wants to live her dreams after having children.

 

The UK Telegraph has a story about British day spas that includes a mention of Kate. The article also has tips on making a home spa:

"The aromas of the East" - The latest destination on spa fanatics' lips is the new Elemis day spa in Mayfair, which opens its doors today. Everything about Elemis's flagship spa is designed to reflect the British beauty company's holistic philosophy. The company bases all of its "aromapure" products and professional beauty treatments on the benefits of essential oils. Fans include Kate Winslet, who used the Japanese Camellia Oil (£21) during her pregnancy to combat stretch marks.

 

Several publications have picked up the news of the opening of the Berlin Film Festival - most mention Kate's appearance to promote Quills. As I posted Jan 31, the film will be screened Saturday and Sunday evenings, Feb 10 & 11.

 

February 6:

 

Layla reported on the kwfc mb that the photo of Kate with Mia at the airport is in the latest issue of 'Heat' magazine (UK).

 

I found more bits about Kate's attendance at the Berlin Film Festival this week and the 'Golden Cameras':

From Yahoo! News:

"Berlin Rolls Out Red Carpet For Film Festival," by Emma Thomasson

BERLIN (Reuters) - Actors, directors and critics descend on Berlin Wednesday for the opening of Europe's first major film showcase of the year, where 16 international movies make their world premiere and Oscar-hopefuls seek the limelight. The Berlinale, considered one of the world's top film festivals after Cannes and alongside Venice, is expected to attract 14,000 viewers to 300 films over 12 days. Stars including Kate Winslet, the British star of blockbuster 'Titanic', Latin pop singer Ricky Martin and British actor Peter Ustinov were due in Berlin Tuesday evening to receive German television awards. Winslet, who is expected to bring her three-month-old daughter Mia, will also be promoting her latest film, Philip Kaufman's 'Quills,' a potential Oscar contender built around the French writer the Marquis de Sade.

From CNN.com Entertainment:

The Berlinale, considered one of the world's top film festivals after Cannes, is expected to attract 14,000 viewers to 300 films over 12 days. Kate Winslet, the British star of blockbuster 'Titanic,' Latin pop singer Ricky Martin and British actor Peter Ustinov were due in Berlin on Tuesday evening to receive German television awards. Winslet will be promoting her latest film, Philip Kaufman's 'Quills,' about the French writer the Marquis de Sade.

From a Spanish language publication:

The Berlin festival is one in which many things turn around the kings of cinematography. In fact, it is considered like the great airdrop platform of North American openings in Europe. For that reason the star presence expected are participates in films of the United States, like Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Anthony Hopkins, Sean Connery, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, who will support their productions.

From Bloomberg.com:

Berlin -- When Leonardo DiCaprio and other stars gathered in Berlin a year ago for the 50th Berlinale festival, German movie companies were on top of the world. Constantin Film AG, Das Werk AG and rivals listed on the Neuer Markt had a combined value of 27 billion euros ($25.3 billion). Executives were exploring their next expansion steps.

This year, Kate Winslet, DiCaprio's partner in 'Titanic,' will be among the guests at the Berlin film festival. While her character survived in the top-selling movie of all time, analysts wonder whether German entertainment companies can stay afloat.

'Production companies are having trouble competing with the power houses and licensing companies spent too much on their rights,' said Christian Tilmann, an analyst at Sal. Oppenheim & jr. Cie. Some film companies are 'basically dead,' he said.

 

From today's Los Angeles Times:

"It's Pruning Season for the Oscar Field" - With the Academy Award nominations a week away Oscar handicapping is in full throttle, and based on the decisions of the various critical organizations and guilds, certain patterns have emerged, narrowing the contest in several key categories… Besides Crowe and Hanks, former Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush seems to have an inside track in the best actor category for his performance as the Marquis de Sade in 'Quills'... there are not likely to be many surprises in the best supporting actress category. In addition to Hudson and McDormand, Julie Walters ('Billy Elliot') and Judi Dench ('Chocolat') are on most people's lists. SAG included Kate Winslet ('Quills') among its five nominees while the Golden Globes cited Catherine Zeta-Jones ('Traffic'). Either could take the fifth slot.

 

I find mentions of Kate in all sorts of articles, LOL! I don't always post them here because they're not about Kate, but here's a mention of her in a feature about night-time radio DJ Rachel Hopper:

She loves talking to people. This is what drives her. She's never stuck for something to say. But the night-time atmosphere, the sense of loneliness and desperation, is impossible to escape. She needs to tell people things which contain the perfect note, things which are trivial and uplifting. 'I'm probably going to talk about the weather in a minute,' Hopper tells me, 'and the fact that I still stink of chlorine five hours after going swimming.' Soon, she will explain to her listeners that her friend Simon 'said that there are two things that he admires about Kate Winslet, and I won't repeat them'. As the night wears on, she settles into a winning rhythm of gentle mania.

 

February 5:

 

There's an article on the German language Yahoo! news site today about Kate's appearance in Berlin at the 'Golden Camera' awards (mentioned here Sunday). Thanks to Moritz for turning me on to that site. I've used an online translator for the article, which came up with the following, LOL:

"Ricky Martin, Sasha and Kate Winslet on the gendarme market in Berlin / Live transfer of the Golden Camera of Hoerzu"

Berlin (ots) - The award of the 'Golden Camera of Hoerzu' will be broadcast live on Tuesday evening, 6 February 2001, on the gendarme market. Starting from 18.30 o'clock the winners and approximately 1000 guests arrive and will walk across the 536 square meters large carpet, across the 39 levels to the concert hall. Starting from 19.30 o'clock fans of the award the 'Golden Camera', which is moderated by Désirée Nosbusch this year, can watch live on an enormous canvas on the gendarme market. Latin Lover Ricky Martin will appear with his newest hit... Also the fan municipality of Sasha, the German Pop star, may look forward to the current hit "Owner of my Heart ". This year the following stars are distinguished with the Golden Camera: Citizen of the world Sir Peter Ustinov, the actresses Suzanne of Borsody and Christiane Hoerbiger, the actor and comedy star Dirk Brook, actor and director Dieter Pfaff… the pop stars Ricky Martin and Sasha, US film star Kate Winslet, as well as the producer Arthur Cohn… The ZDF broadcasts the Golden Camera from Hoerzu on Friday, 9 February 2001, starting from 21.15 o'clock.

 

Enigma scored a mention on the 'Ebert and Roeper at the Movies' program that was broadcast last night. During a review of the Sundance Film Festival, a brief clip of Kate and Dougray Scott was shown (with audio!), along with an interview Ebert did with 'Enigma' Producer Mick Jagger. I made a sound file of the segment (plays on Real Player) - go here to listen!

[Clip from 'Enigma' - Hester and Jericho attempt decoding a message using the Enigma machine] Kate (Hester): F… Dougray (Jericho): D… Kate: Is it German? Come on, genius!

 

Ebert (voice over): You're looking at a scene from Michael Apted's 'Enigma', a British thriller that was one of countless movies that played over ten days in Park City, Utah at the Sundance Film Festival. Sundance is America's most important film festival, a celebration of independent films that ranges from zero budget digital dramas to more commercial productions like 'Enigma'. [Another brief clip of Jericho and Hester sitting in a car. They share a tender moment, as Jericho brushes her hair away from her face. Kate's reaction as she pushes her glasses back into place is great. Jeremy Northam as Wigram is also seen in this scene.]

 

The movie stars Dougray Scott as a code-breaker recovering from a breakdown, Kate Winslet as the plucky brunette who puts him back together again, and Jeremy Northam as a suspicious security man. The movie was co-produced by Mick Jagger, who called it his own declaration of independence.

Ebert with Jagger: Why do you have an eagerness to get into film production, which is such a...?

Jagger: Well, you know, I got rather bored with people trying to involve me in their projects, and then the projects fell to pieces. And, you know, I thought, 'well, wait a minute, if I'm at all interested in this, I should start doing things that I'm interested in.'

Ebert: I read the book when it came out and it has a lot of interesting stuff in it, not only about the science, but also about the love story.

Jagger: That's the whole thing. I mean, it's got these different… It's not just about code-breaking, which could have been a bit dull. So, it's got code-breaking, the love story, it's got some underlying moral questions, also.

 

Thanks to Garth of Dark Horizons for publishing the 'Florence' casting rumor today:

Florence Nightingale Biopic: Both Ananova.com and ICShowbiz report that Kate Winslet is the favourite to play the Crimean War's most famous nurse Florence Nightingale. The biopic tells of her affair with a solider she attended to after the Battle of Inkerman in the 1850s, trouble is he's engaged and her heart is broken by "the affair that never was". Joaquin Phoenix is trying to be wooed for the role of the soldier, Columbia Pictures will distribute, whilst the film's budget is tipped at £40 million. Oliver Parker ("An Ideal Husband") directs. Thanks to Filmlover2.

 

Thanks to George for sending me the news this morning that Jacqueline West, the costume designer for Quills, has been nominated for 'Best Costume Design' in the category of 'Feature Film-Period/Fantasy' by the Costume Designers Guild. (The other nominees in this category are: Betsey Heimann, Almost Famous; Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, Chocolat; Rita Ryack, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.)

 

February 4:

 

Thanks to Andy for translating the following item I found recently in a Spanish language publication:

"Ricky prepares himself to receive the Golden Camera" -- BERLIN - Ricky Martin needs his staff of hair dressers and make-up artists to travel, while Kate Winslet prefers to do it [traveling] in family, as it was declared today by people in charge of the Golden Cameras gala.

 

Nice words for Kate's performance in Quills from Jeff Vice, Deseret News Movie Critic:

Rush does manage to make the film watchable with a daring performance that's probably funnier and certainly more thrilling than it deserves to be. Some of that may be due to Winslet, whose scenes with Rush are the film's best. In fact, her feisty performance is surely the best given by the supporting cast.

 

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