Luise recently added more pics of Marion Cotillard and Clive Owen on the set of ‘Blood Ties‘ on June 20.

The movie will be distributed in France by Mars Distribution and they tweeted last week that ‘Blood Ties‘ will be released in French theatres on October 30, 2013.

I also added digital scans of the December/January edition of French Premiere magazine. Apart from a small preview of the James Gray movie ‘Lowlife‘ it features a lengthy interview with Guillaume Canet about the process of writing, casting and directing ‘Blood Ties‘, his first movie in English and shot in New York, US. There’s only one picture of Marion and little information but we learn that Guillaume is a fan of hers beyond what connects them in real life:

She is a great actress, capable of opening her guts without asking questions. She has an unusual generosity which for me is the mark of a great talent in an actor. Cluzet’s the same. They don’t care about their image and don’t hesitate to take risks. This whole story about the scene where Marion’s character dies in The Dark Knight Rises is absolutely not her fault. It’s Nolan’s, who should have used another take. She offered him a multitude of options, and this one is the one he chose… I find it super brave of an actor to offer as many different tracks to a director. After that, it’s his job to be vigilant when faced with his film at the editing stage.

Mila Kunis arrived last on the film. I wanted someone fragile, but with character. A tough woman. They are girls who are fully integrated into this environment and living as the character of Marion, who is a prostitute or young women who watch these gangsters with a mixture of fascination and fear. I also found that she had a resemblance to Marion, very interesting considering the dilemma Clive Owen’s character’s facing, who messed up a first life with the woman played by Marion and risks repeating the same pattern with another after his release from prison.

So Marion plays a prostitute in Blood Ties AND in the new film by James Gray. Did the two of you arrange this?
Not at all! We all laughed when we made ​​the connection. Marion also, who lanced a “Ok, I’ll play two hookers in a row” at me. Having said that, the 2 characters are really different.

Gallery:
014 Blood Ties – 2013 > On Set
009 Scans from 2012 > Premiere (France) – December/January

USA Today has some quotes from Marion Cotillard about her Golden Globe nomination and plans for the holidays – “My family. Home” – and about award season:

“I’m very happy. I’m very proud of this one. But above all, it’s the encounter with two amazing people and the crew we worked with to make this happen. I’m very happy for all of us. I want to celebrate the present time. I don’t want to think ahead. I want to enjoy what’s now and what’s here. I don’t get nervous at all. I’m just very happy about this movie’s journey so far.”

Read the full article here (small factual error in there, I semi-corrected it):
• Cotillard: ‘Very happy about this movie’s journey’, USA Today

The Hollywood Reporter says Marion Cotillard was in Paris, staying at a friend’s house, when she heard that she received a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a motion picture, drama, for Rust and Bone.

“I’m very happy for the movie, I’m very happy for French cinema. I’m very happy for French-language films,” says the actress, who mentions the nominations of Amour and The Intouchables for best foreign film as especially exciting. As for Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone, in which she plays a killer whale trainer who suffers a horrible accident, Cotillard says, “it’s really amazing to share a French movie with a U.S. audience. It’s a beautiful and very unconventional love story. It’s a movie that shows you can turn violence into power, and it’s a very beautiful and positive story.”

The Los Angeles Times has her official statement:

“Today makes for a really great day. The Hollywood Foreign Press, who reach so many readers across the globe, have greatly recognized French cinema this year, with the inclusion of nominations for “Rust and Bone.” Working with Jacques Audiard was an extraordinary experience, and the journey of the characters he creates and cinematically guides, is a special thing — as an actor and a moviegoer. This nomination is truly unique for me, because I also share it with Rachel Weisz, Jessica Chastain, Helen Mirren and Naomi Watts, women who I respect as people and as talents who provide great inspiration to other actresses.”

And here’s ‘Rust and Bone‘ director Jacques Audiard’s statement:

“We have been blessed with an impressive reception of the film in the US but this nomination comes as an unexpected honor. I am particularly happy for Marion. When you have shared a moment of pleasure with someone, it is always great to have the opportunity to extend it. This confirms the interest paid in recent years by the members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for French cinema. I am very happy to be part of this trend.”

The Playlist added the actual interview with James Gray they conducted at the Marrakech Film Festival. Read the ‘Lowlife‘ (The Nightingale) relevant bits below, for the rest click this link.

How did the idea for “Lowlife” germinate?
My brother and I found some old slide photos my father had taken from the mid-to-late 1970s. A few of them were photographs from a trip to Ellis Island. It has become a kind of museum now, but my father took us in 1976 right after it had reopened after closing decades before and the place was untouched to the point that there were half-filled out immigration forms on the floor. It was almost like ghosts had been there. And we took my grandfather who came to Ellis Island in 1923, and the second he walked into the building he burst into tears.

So then I started reading about it and I read a story that was extremely interesting to me about women who came in either solo or their families had been split up, and how they would get into New York and sometimes they had to resort to very sad ends to get there, and I’d never seen it done in a movie. 40% of the United States have relatives that came in through there and yet it’s only been in a handful of films — the opening scene from “The Godfather II,” and the end of Kazan’s “America, America” and that’s it.

In “Lowlife” you work with Marion Cotillard for the first time. Tell us how that came about.
I had no idea who Marion Cotillard was. When I was in Paris for “Two Lovers,” a publicist told me, “A guy named Guillaume Canet wants to have lunch with you.” So we met and had lunch, I found him incredibly funny — I didn’t know anything he had done at that stage, but we sort of bonded because a rat ran across the floor of the restaurant. And then he said, “Come meet my girlfriend” and I met this woman who looked like a silent film actress like Pola Negri or something. And I said, “Who’s your girlfriend?” and he said [French accent] ”You don’t know my girlfriend? She won an Oscar, are you stupide?”

And my wife and I became very friendly with them. One night at dinner we went to a restaurant and I told her I didn’t like some actor that she thought was great and she threw a piece of bread at my head, and I thought, “Well, you’re interesting.” So I wrote the movie ["Lowlife"] for her, having never seen her in a movie. Because she has this face, you know? She doesn’t even have to say anything, and that’s rare.

Also French Allocine got to talk to the writer/director about ‘Lowlife‘ (The Nightingale) at the festival:

We confirmed that his fifth feature film will be in line Two Lovers (2008), but less thriller, more drama. “There is no aspect of thriller to it, more of an opera dimension (…) I approached it like a Puccini opera that has never been staged.”

At the center of what we will therefore call an “opera drama” set in the 1920s, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner will fight to gain favour in the beautiful eyes of a Marion Cotillard provided with very little dialogue – when she does speak, it will be “some English but also in Polish.”

Congratulations to Marion Cotillard for receiving a SAG nomination for her performance in ‘Rust and Bone‘! This is her second nomination in this category after ‘La Vie en Rose‘ and fourth overall (she was also nominated twice for best ensemble cast in ‘Nine‘ and ‘Midnight in Paris‘).

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
JESSICA CHASTAIN / Maya – “ZERO DARK THIRTY” (Columbia Pictures)
MARION COTILLARD / Stephanie – “RUST AND BONE” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Tiffany – “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
HELEN MIRREN / Alma Reville – “HITCHCOCK” (Fox Searchlight)
NAOMI WATTS / Maria – “THE IMPOSSIBLE” (Summit Entertainment)

The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 27 at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

EDIT: Marion released statements to give her reaction to the nomination:

“Thank you so much to the Screen Actors Guild, it’s an enormous honor as an actor to be recognized by your peers. I’m thrilled to share this nomination with the incredible Jacques Audiard and Matthias Schoenaerts and the entire “Rust and Bone” team, and especially Tom Bernard and Michael Barker at Sony Pictures Classics for bringing the film to US audiences.”
• E! Online

“My publicist called me to tell me the news. I’m in Paris and was on my way to see a children’s play, Pinocchio, with my son! I’m super happy, and it’s really something I share with people who worked on that movie, especially our director Jacques Audiard and my amazing costar Mattias Schoenaerts. Recognition by SAG is really important for an actor; it’s really one of the greatest nominations an actor can receive. I’m very very happy. And the play was good too! Though I spent most of the time watching the little kids in the audience. They were so cute.”
• The Hollywood Reporter

“It’s more than joy. It’s one of the most important nominations because of course as an actor being nominated by actors it’s something I really, really enjoy. I’m very happy. Of course getting a nomination for a movie and for my work is something I really enjoy because I do that job to give something to people and to share something with people. But the actors know what you go through when you make a movie. They know what you go through when you take a character to create someone. So, this is a very special connection we have with actors so it means a lot.”
• HitFix.com

Yesterday, Marion Cotillard, together with co-star Matthias Schoenaerts, first attended a ‘Rust and Bone‘ lunch at Brasserie Ruhlmann in New York organized by Peggy Siegal. You may want to read this article by Word and Film about the lunch. New York Post quotes her as saying:

The Oscar-winning beauty, who plays an orca trainer who loses her legs in “Rust and Bone,” said she can understand her character’s sense of feeling lost. “She doesn’t feel life, so she is pretty violent and cold and tough because she protects herself from being empty in a way. I know that feeling to be lost . . . Not now, but a few years ago when I was lost and didn’t know the purpose of life. You know, when you start asking questions to yourself and you don’t have any answers and you’re just lost? It happens to many people.”

Marion Cotillard then headed to TheTimesCenter for the TimesTalk, which was also live-streamed, and gave a really interesting interview about her career, mostly since ‘La Vie en Rose‘ and the process of acting, preparing for a role and leaving a character behind. It’s definitely worth watching!

For both events she was wearing an elegant Azzedine Alaia pleated dress with black court shoes. I added some pictures – and again, thank you so much Luciana for helping with many of the pictures!

Gallery:
025 Events in 2012 > ‘Rust And Bone’ Luncheon
017 Events in 2012 > TimesTalk Presents An Evening With Marion Cotillard

As previously announced, Marion Cotillard attended the Unveiling of the Dior Christmas Window Displays at the Parisian department store Printemps Haussmann yesterday early evening.

At the event she also talked about Christmas and travelling:

It was a bit of a battle for my mother. I didn’t really like Christmas when I was little, so I didn’t want any gifts, so the tradition was my mother figuring out how she was going to get me to pick something. Gifts are something I prefer to give. It’s always nice to get one, but I like searching for a present, I like thinking of a person and finding that special something that they are going to like.

Well, you know, you sleep, you rest. People live in terrible situations. Traveling is not that terrible.

Read the full article:
• Marion Cotillard: From New York to Paris, WWD, November 9, 2012

Dior Magazine has some videos of the actual window & store decorations as well as how the dolls were made: Exclusively Dior & Doll Delight.

Gallery:
060 100 Events in 2012 > Printemps Haussmann Christmas Illuminations Launch
027 Award Shows & Premieres etc > Printemps Haussmann Christmas Illuminations Launch – 2012

Video:
002 Other Public Appearances > Printemps Christmas Illuminations

As mentioned in the last update Harper’s Bazaar held their Women of the Year awards at Claridge’s Hotel in London last night. Marion Cotillard was named ‘International Actor of the Year’ for her critically acclaimed performance in Rust and Bone. Congratulations!

The award was presented to her by Ralph Fiennes who said Marion Cotillard broke his heart in La Vie En Rose (source). ‘British Actor of the Year’ Emily Blunt – who was photographed with Marion – declared stalker tendancies towards her girl crush Marion Cotillard (source).

Marion Cotillard was wearing a Spring 2013 Dior dress with a navy silk panel and a broad black tulle skirt, white Dior heels and a diamond necklace. I simply love her makeup & dreamy, somewhat messy hairdo. It’s flawless! I will add pictures as soon as I have time!

Here are all the winners:

Stella McCartney – British Designer of the Year
Marion Cotillard – International Actor of the Year
The Queen – Icon of the Year
Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Ellie Simmonds – British Ambassadors of the Year
Dame Vivienne Westwood – Inspiration of the Year
Raf Simons – Man in a Woman’s World
Anya Hindmarch – Businesswoman of the Year
Ruth Wilson – Breakthrough of the Year
Cindy Sherman – Artist of the Year
Emily Blunt – British Actor of the Year
Emeli Sande – Musician of the Year
Marie Colvin – In Memoriam

Clive Owen quickly left the set of Blood Ties earlier this week to promote his movie ‘Hemingway & Gellhorn‘ at Cannes. PurePeople took the opportunity to ask him about Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard:

Unfortunately, I have no time for anything apart from promotion. I flight arrived only a few hours ago and I’m already giving interviews. I’m only here for 48 hours and I have no time to watch movies or to enjoy myself. Anyway, I’m not in the mood: my head is elsewhere. I’m currently filming a film by Guillaume Canet and I can think of nothing else. I leave on Saturday for New York to join the team. I am a big fan of ‘Ne le dis à personne‘ and ‘Les Petits Mouchoirs‘. I was so proud when Guillaume offered me the role. This is a great artist who knows what he wants, and not to spoil anything but he’s a nice person. As is Marion Cotillard, for that matter. When you have the chance to film with her, you understand why she is now a star in the whole world.

Mexican media reported that Marion Cotillard will bring the story of Florence Cassez, who’s serving a 60 year sentence in Mexico for kidnapping but is claiming her innocence, to the big screen. Florence Cassez herself confirmed to AFP that Marion Cotillard has indeed visited her at the prison in Tepepan (Mexico) on April 7 for over 3 hours – flying in especially from New York for the day. However, the visit wasn’t about a movie project:

Between Marion and me there has never been any talk of a movie project.

We’ve been in touch over the phone for months. She joined my support committee in France. I then contacted her over the phone for the first time on January 25 to thank her. And then I called her regularly because this great friendship sprang up between us.

It was a very good meeting between friends and we did not want to publicize it. We’re just two women of the same age, we share the same values, the same desires, we have much in common.

[edit:] Florence’s mother, Charlotte Cassez, confirms all of the above in an interview with Le Figaro.

SAG Preview 2011: Actors on Actors

“Michelle Williams’ portrayal of Marilyn is not an impersonation, she eloquently depicts the all-encompassing layers of the woman who has captivated the world even 50 years after her death. Michelle embodies this challenge with a mysterious attraction all her own and yet still so Marilyn in complexity and depth. Rather than further push Marilyn’s sexual aura, Michelle captures the very essence of the life we missed — the life we can’t see in pictures. Michelle’s representation of Marilyn’s vulnerability, allure, humor and often childish demeanor reveals the inner struggles and the reality of the icon’s multi-layers as Marilyn Monroe and Norma Jean. I admire Michelle’s ability to give life to each aspect of this faceted character, while embracing the confidence and whimsy of an actress who left such an indelible impression in cinema.”

• Source: Variety