I don’t play it safe: Penelope Cruz

Cruz says violence in films should not be glamorised. PHOTO: FILE

LONDON: Penelope Cruz plays a barren wife in one of her new movies, and a doomed fiancée in another, but her own family life is strictly off limits.

The 39-year-old Spanish mother-of-two has worked with directors Pedro Almodovar and Woody Allen, toyed around with Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and engaged in intimate scenes with Michael Fassbender as his fiancée in this year’s Cormac McCarthy-scripted The Counselor.

When asked how she and husband Javier Bardem share child-minding chores, she said: “I don’t talk about them, in interviews, my kids. I don’t talk about them because I really try to protect them from that other part of the business.”

The Madrid native does talk about the roles she is taking now that she is approaching middle age (albeit still on the younger side of mature); roles that may surprise fans. “I love not feeling safe when I get to the set,” said Cruz, wearing a dark-coloured parka to counter the chilliness.

The “not safe” role she wants to discuss is her portrayal of Gemma, an infertile woman, inTwice Born. The film, set at the time of the 1990s Bosnia war, portrays a love affair between a daredevil American photographer, Diego, and Cruz’s academic researcher.

Here’s what else she had to say about what drew her to play Gemma, her experiences in Sarajevo and her views on movies that glamorize violence — though she says The Counselordoesn’t.

Q: This is the second film version of a Mazzantini novel, after Don’t Move in 2004, that you’ve appeared in. What drew you to Gemma and her growing awareness of her infertility?

A: She’s a complicated woman, not politically correct at all, and that’s what I love about her. I read this book and I was fascinated by the way she talks about motherhood or about the conflict that this woman goes through — knowing it is not possible for her to have children she becomes obsessed with it … when I closed the last page I was 100% sure I wanted to play this character.

Q: The film is set against the backdrop of the Bosnian war, the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Did that history have any resonance for you during the filming in Sarajevo, which was one of the worst killing fields of the war?

A: This story … describes a war that was complex, like anywhere, but even when you talk to a Bosnian and a Serbian and a Croatian they all tell you we wish we could explain to you how this got so out of control but even for them…it’s hard to explain how things got to be so atrocious.

Q: The ‘other’ Cruz movie, The Counselor, out now in the US and Europe, also is violent but in a different way.

A: I like the movie, it is really interesting and smart but I have doubts about the violence. There is one scene that I still have not seen, the one with Brad Pitt where he dies, the way he dies. I think violence should not be glamorised. It doesn’t make it cool, you know

Jackson’s family seeks new trial

From his signature moonwalk to Thriller, Michael Jackson’s work will never really die. PHOTO: FILE

LOS ANGELES: Michael Jackson’s memory lives on, but not in the way one would expect. While his music and killer dance moves are still very much alive, so is the mystery surrounding his death. The late singer’s family has filed court documents indicating they plan to seek a new trial in a wrongful death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG, after a Los Angeles jury cleared the company of liability in October. The wrongful death lawsuit claimed the concert promoter had acted negligently by hiring Murray as Jackson’s personal physician, but a jury concluded Conrad Murray was sufficiently qualified for his job.

Attorneys for Jackson’s mother Katherine, 83, and his three children filed court documents, citing misconduct of the jury and insufficient evidence among the reasons for the pending request for a new trial.

The two-page court filing, which was submitted on Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, also cited newly discovered evidence but did not go into detail.

Katherine Jackson and the singer’s three children Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket, sued AEG Live over Jackson’s 2009 death at age 50 in Los Angeles from an overdose of the powerful aesthetic propofol given to the pop star by his then doctor Murray.

The verdict came after a sensational five-month trial that offered a glimpse into the private life and final days of the King of Pop.

At the time, her attorneys promised to consider “all options” in response to the verdict.

Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011 for Jackson’s death and served half of his four-year sentence in a Los Angeles prison. He was released in October under a California state plan to reduce prison overcrowding.

Piggy Chops can box in heels!

Actor shows off new-found talent acquired for role in biopic of Manipur- based boxer.

NEW DELHI: Bollywood’s multi-talented diva Priyanka Chopra is a jack-of-all-trades. Whether it’s acting, singing or anything else, she never takes the backseat when it comes to trying her hand at something new. This is the reason why she’s not known for just one thing; we know Piggy Chops as a former Miss World, a leading actor in Bollywood and a singer collaborating with big names in global music. And with so much on her plate, she balances her personal and professional life beautifully.

The stunning 31-year-old is now trying her hand at boxing for an upcoming role. According to her, the training she is undergoing for her role as boxer Mary Kom, in an upcoming biopic on the Olympic medallist, is so thorough that she can now actually box while wearing high heels!

She gave a sneak-peek into her newly-acquired talent at an event on Thursday. Dressed in a chic lace dress, the former Miss World looked confident as she shared what she has learnt over the past few months. “I’ve learnt boxing very well. So much so that I can box a bit in high heels, too,” she said, while showing the right way to raise an arm to hit and the other arm for defence.

Kom is a Manipur-based, five-time world boxing champion and the only female boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships. Her most notable achievement to date was winning a bronze medal at the London Olympics. “Playing Mary’s character has been a wonderful experience. When people make biopics, they are mostly on deceased people or who have [already] lived a [large] chunk of their life. Mary is 33, and she is still a champion; so, it was a lot more difficult for me to play her.”

I am personally treating the film like the story of every girl who faces opposition to what she wants to do. Mary silenced every person who questioned her capability. So, it’s actually like a lot of girls’ story,” said Priyanka.

The biopic on Mary Kom is being directed by Omung Kumar and is produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The actress says the project has been especially challenging because she was never keen on sports during her school days.

“I was never sporty. The only sport I used to play was basketball and that because I was tall. I used to hate it. The Mary Kom film, in that sense, has been my most important film. It has been making my life upside down to play a character whose life is about sport. It’s tough to act like a sportsperson, and so you have to learn it to play it right,” added Priyanka.

“I don’t believe in dieting and [going to the] gym, I am blessed with a high metabolism. But for this particular film, I have done six hours of boxing each day, two hours of gym and eatenghaas phoos [vegetables and salads]. It’s very hard for a Chopra,” she quipped

Bruce Springsteen’s handwritten Born to Run draft fetches $197,000

The draft fetched more than double its estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. PHOTO: FILE

LOS ANGELES: Rocker Bruce Springsteen’s 1974 handwritten draft of his hit song Born to Run has sold for $197,000, auctioneer Sotheby’s said on Thursday.

Springsteen’s Born to Run, the title song from his 1975 album of the same name, has become a quintessential American anthem. The original draft of the song, which is written by the singer in cursive writing, fetched more than double its estimate of $70,000 -$100,000 at a New York sale.

The one notebook page of lyrics shows Springsteen’s creative process for the song. While many of the lyrics on the working draft were not recorded, his famous shout, “tramps like us, baby, we were born to run”, is included.

“This was done in 1974 when he was going through preparing for his third album,” Richard Austin, head of Sotheby’s books and manuscripts department, told Reuters ahead of the sale. “And there is a story he tells about sitting on the edge of his bed with his guitar and the phrase ‘born to run’ comes into his head. And what you are actually looking at is the process he goes through to get to the finished song.”

It took Springsteen six months to complete Born to Run, and when it was released, the song helped make the New Jersey singer ‘The Boss’, one of the greatest rock stars of all time.

The lyrics were sold as part of Sotheby’s fine books and manuscripts sale on Thursday, which brought in more than $3.7 million from 176 lots. The auction included a letter from John Lennon, a series of love letters from Mick Jagger, as well as works from William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Jefferson.

From Amitabh Bachchan To David Beckham To Katy Perry

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, English footballer David Beckham, American singerHarry Belafonte, actors Orlando Bloom, Jackie Chan, Mia Farrow, Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, Susan Sarandon and Argentine footballer Leo Messi are UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors. Now, popstar Katy Perry has been appointed as UNICEF’s newest Goodwill Ambassador.

Popstar Katy Perry said that becoming a goodwill ambassador for the UN children’s agency has made her realize there’s more to happiness than material possessions and social status.

Katy Perry went to the impoverished Indian Ocean Island Nation of Madagascar in April 2013 to see how the agency worked before agreeing to be a goodwill ambassador and was moved by the incredible joy among the children despite the difficulties many faced.

“It changed my life. It really kind of re-prioritized my thinking, and my whole approach on life, and how to find my own joy and my own happiness that isn’t being from material possessions and social status,” Perry said post her trip.

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake officially appointed her a Goodwill Ambassador to focus especially on children and adolescents who are most vulnerable as a result of severe poverty, violence, abuse and neglect. He also mentioned that UNICEF’s newest Goodwill Ambassador, Perry would be lending her voice to amplify the voices of children and young people around the world.

“I am honored to join UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador, and committed to doing everything I can to help children and adolescents who come from such different backgrounds but want the same thing: a brighter future,” said a very excited Perry.

Katy Perry said, it also inspired her to write Unconditionally, her favorite song on her new album Prism.

Grammy nominations are coming up this Friday and there’s been speculation that Katy Perry’s hitRoar could be up for some awards.

Kate Moss To Be Honored At The British Fashion Awards

On December 02, 2013 Kate Moss will be honored with a special recognition award at the British Fashion awards.

Kate will receive the award in recognition of her twenty five year career as a model, as well as her status as a style icon for young women. This news came as a breath of fresh air and was welcomed with open arms by the fashion industry.

Photographer Mario Testino, a longtime collaborator with Moss, paid tribute to Kate and said that her appeal lies in the ability to add personality to fashion. Designer Donatella Versace stated that from the very onset of her career Kate was iconic; she never had to become a model.

Kate Moss is the model with the most influence over what women wear. Kate’s influence can be quantified as she sells magazines as Vogue’s most popular model, appearing on thirty four covers of British Vogue alone, and is consistently on the annual Forbes list of highest paid models. In 2013, she has modeled for brands from Stuart Weitzman to Rag & Bone, Versaceand St Tropez. Forbes put her fourth on this year’s list, with an estimated income of £3.49m.

Moss has turned this mass appeal to her advantage, with projects outside modeling turning her into a brand. Her first go at designing for Topshop in 2007 saw fans queue overnight to buy the range. She is set to revisit the Topshop collaboration next year, and her first story as contributing fashion editor for British Vogue will also be published in 2014. Other recent projects include a range of makeup with Rimmel, bags with Longchamp and phone covers for Carphone Warehouse.

The model was first discovered in New York at the age of fourteen by Storm Models founder Sarah Doukas in 1988. Her look – which contrasted with the ideal of Amazonian beauty of the 1980s – broke the mould. A fresh-faced black-and-white shoot by Corinne Day for The Face magazine in 1990 went on to shape the grunge aesthetic of the decade, with a teenage Moss as its poster girl.

Did You Know? : Rahat Fateh Ali Khan all set to launch RFAK International

Vocal maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will soon be launching his music-centric event management company, RFAK International. Good news for Rahat-lovers in Lahore! The singer will mark the launch of his company be performing a concert on December 8, 2013 at Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore.

RFAK International will be organising musical performances and concerts in Pakistan. In addition to promoting local artistes, the company aims at giving internationally acclaimed musicians the platform to perform live in Pakistan at concerts, cultural festivals and musical evenings. Speaking of his upcoming venture, Rahat said, “I look forward to collaborating with local and international musicians through this new initiative and hope my fans will appreciate our efforts.”

With the culture of concerts and live music performances in doldrums due to political and social instability in the country, Rahat aims at organising performances that he said will “refresh the soul and spirit.” He thinks that Pakistan is “full of individuals who appreciate music.”

RFAK International will also be providing a multitude of musical event services including sound engineering and acoustics management, among others. We wish Rahat all the best for his corporate initiative!