B1 ENTERTAINMENT B2 Travel B3 Living B4 Science & Technology B5 Art & Culture B6 Health B7, B8 Sport The Grapevine Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images 14 – 20 APRIL 2011 ISSUE 046 McConaughey and Phillippe lead strong ensemble cast Saeed Adyani/Lionsgate Singer Miley Cyrus speaks on stage during Nickelodeon’s 24th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards. Bieber, Depp, and Cyrus among Kids Choice Award winners BY MICHELE GONCALVES The pre-teen demographic made their voices and choices heard early April as the kid-focused cable network Nickelodeon held its 23rd Kids Choice Awards. Voting via Internet or text message in the genres of television, music and movies, the big winners of the night included The Karate Kid for favourite movie, iCarly for favourite television show, Johnny Depp and Miley Cyrus for favourite male and female movie actors, Selena Gomez and Dylan Sprouse for favourite television actors, and Justin Bieber and Katy Perry for favourite male and female singers. Highlights from the evening also included a musical performance by Willow Smith (actor Will Smith’s daughter), and those famous “dunks” with Nickelodeon’s notorious bright green slime, which hit host Jack Black, Josh Duhamel and Jim Carrey. LA LAW: Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei) and Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) in ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’. Movie Review: ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Director : Brad Furman Cast : Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillipe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña, Bob Gunton Runtime : 119 mins BY HELENA CHAO Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images The Lincoln Lawyer is best-selling author Michael Connelly’s 16th novel, and his first courtroom drama. It is successfully brought to the big screen with unexpectedly strong leading performances from protagonist Matthew McConaughey and foil Ryan Phillippe. Lawyer to the underbelly of Los Angeles—prostitutes and drug dealers—Mick Haller (McConaughey) is a slick, charismatic, “greasy angel” whose specialty is finding loopholes in the legal system to get his clients off. He operates from the back seat of his Lincoln Continental, cruising from courthouse to courthouse. What you see at the surface, however, isn’t necessarily the whole picture. As the story unfolds, the many layers of Mick are revealed, including his mostly noble code of ethics in helping those who would not otherwise be able to afford fair legal representation. While he can easily cater to wealthier clientele, Mick adamantly chooses to work with the downtrodden in LA’s seedier areas. We also come to realise his devotion to his daughter, whom he’s raising with his prosecutor ex-wife (played by Marisa Tomei), and he has a deep-rooted fear of putting an innocent man in jail. As the plot advances, Mick lands the case of a lifetime. His bail bondsman connection (John Leguizamo) introduces him to Beverly Hills socialite Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who has been accused of attempted rape and murder of a prostitute. As Mick delves deeper into the case, he realises that nothing is what it seems. Mick quickly discovers that he’s dueling with a mastermind who may have led him to put a previous client (Michael Pena) into jail for a crime he didn’t commit. How will Mick balance his own ethics and morals against the legal system to correct his mistake? The Lincoln Lawyer was highly entertaining, keeping the audience at the edge of their seats, almost as if we were all swerving across LA’s diverse neighbourhoods in the back of Mick’s Lincoln. The all-star ensemble cast also includes Josh Lucas, as the prosecuting attorney on the case, and William H. Macy, who plays Mick’s private investigator best friend. Matthew McConaughey was so comfortable and believable as Mick that you’d think the novel was originally written specifically with him in mind. This is his first dramatic role in years, and hopefully it will not be his last. His facility in handling both comedy and drama make him a true pleasure to watch on screen. While he may be pigeonholed into a rom-com leading man with a distaste for shirts, it’s important to recall his first major breakthrough starring role, playing a young lawyer in John Grisham’s court thriller A Time to Kill. Despite one romantic scene in which he does take off his shirt, McConaughey’s performance in The Lincoln Lawyer is redemptive, illuminating his depth and prowess as an actor who can be taken seriously. Also worthy of calling out, Ryan Phillippe’s nuanced performance as the anti-hero was a key element of the film’s success. Louis and Mick go head to head, battling out their moves as if on a life-sized chessboard. While certain parts of the film didn’t come together as cohesively as they could have, The Lincoln Lawyer is a highly entertaining courtroom thriller with an all-star cast. Matthew McConaughey’s performance alone is worth buying a ticket! The movie is now at the cinema in Hong Kong. Angelina Jolie launches a jewellery line for charitable cause GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images BY SUNATAYA YAO EPOCH TIMES STAFF Lily Collins at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in West Hollywood, California. Lily Collins in negotiation to play Snow White BY MICHELE GONCALVES British-American actress Lily Collins, 22, who is best known for playing opposite Sandra Bullock as her daughter in The Blind Side (and is the real-life daughter of singer Phil Collins), is reportedly in negotiations with Relativity Media to star as Snow White in its adaptation of the fairy tale, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is aimed for release in June 2012, no doubt trying to beat another Snow White movie to theatres from competitor Universal, which currently lists a release date of December 2012 for its Snow White and the Huntsman. American actress and humanitarian advocate, Angelina Jolie together with designer Robert Procop have just launched a jewellery line, Style of Jolie, in Hollywood California, said eonline.com. The collection is displaying at Juliens Gallery and Auction House in Beverly Hills, California. Darren Julien, CEO, and Martin Nolan, Executive Director of the gallery mentioned that they are very proud of the exhibition and excited to be associated with such a venture for charity. The items are for sale and displayed in high-end, museum quality exhibition style for invited guests only. The line is made of yellow and rose golds with gems as a centrepiece. The collection has been very well received from visitors and the designer hopes to facilitate everyone who is interested to experience the line. Procop mentioned on his website that in the range, each piece is unique and of high quality. The pair have been working together on vast charity work for children and now launch this collection in early April with proceeds to benefit children in need of Education. “What we’re showing here is a collection that Angelina and I have been working on for the last nine months,” said Procop in the VDO clip on the Gallery’s website. “This is a collaboration between Angelina Jolie and myself in designing beautiful jewels as a piece of an art form,” said the artist Robert, “... our This is a collaboration between Angelina Jolie and myself in designing beautiful jewels as a piece of an art form A Robert Procop necklace, part of the ‘Style of Jolie’ Exhibition is seen in Beverly Hills on April 6, 2011. The exhibition showcases the artistic jewellery collaboration between Robert Procop and actress Angelina Jolie with all proceeds from the collection benefiting children living in regions affected by conflict or the devastation of natural disasters. main mission is helping children in crisis by educating children around the world”. According to Robert Procop’s website, Robert Procop is a jewellery designer famous for his exclusive custom jewellery work among Hollywood A-listers and Royalty around the world. Procop has shops in Beverly Hills, Geneva and Hong Kong. He has been an active supporter of charities for underprivileged children including the ones impacted by domestic violence and Angelina Jolie’s global charitable efforts to help children in conflict. Angelina Jolie first became interested in worldwide humanitarian issues while filming Tomb Raider in Cambodia in 2001. She turned to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for more information and since then, became involved in promoting humanitarian causes. In recognition for her work, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the organisation in August 2001. Jolie continues her efforts and has received wide recognition. In 2003, she was the first recipient of the newly created Citizen of the World Award by the United Nations Correspondents Association, and in 2005, she was awarded the Global Humanitarian Award by the UNA-USA. Angelina Jolie is also known as one of the world’s most attractive women. In her acting career, she is very successful, proven by an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Jolie is married to Brad Pitt with six children.