It felt like there was a cloud hanging over Cannes today. Not the rain kind, although there were those hovering about too. Waking up to the news that Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul, the man who gave Detroit singer Rodriguez’ a second lease on life, took his own, cast a shadow over the excitement of the start of a festival. He was only 36 years old. Malik had become a fixture on the film festival circuit, tirelessly promoting his documentary, in the days and months before it won the highest of prizes, an Oscar for Best Documentary. I felt like I’d lost someone I knew. Interviewing him at Sundance in 2011 has always…
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Entertainment Express: Hugh Jackman, NY Film Critics Circle Awards, Jane Campion, Queen Latifah, Ellie Goulding
Hello from deep inside the polar vortex, the North Pole’s late Christmas gift to the US. No really, you shouldn’t have… * After a good ol’ safari, Hugh Jackman has gone back to work and has begun shooting his first day of Chappie, District 9 director Neill Blomkamp’s latest movie, in which he plays a mullet-brandishing character named Vincent. * The NY Film Critics Circle handed out its prizes for the top films and performances of the past year on Monday night. It was meant to be a fairly breezy night for the previously-announced winners – among them Robert Redford (best actor), Cate Blanchett (best actress), American Hustle (best film),…