ROTTEN TOMATOES: Natalie Portman, Socially Relevant Filmmaker

Natalie Portman, Socially Relevant Filmmaker

Portman's Handsomecharlie Films inks production deal.

by Jeff Giles | November 02, 2007

She's been wowing critics (and attracting a fanboy army) with her work in front of the camera for half of her life. Now, what Natalie Portman really wants to do is direct.

As Variety reports, she's set to do just that, via her newly minted Handsomecharlie Films imprint, which has just signed a two-year production deal with Participant Productions. From the article:

Banner's first project is "A Tale of Love and Darkness," on which Portman plans to make her feature helming debut. Story is based on the bestselling memoir of Amos Oz, with Naomi Foner ("Running on Empty") in negotiations to adapt the screenplay.

Handsomecharlie's mission statement, according to the report, is to "develop socially relevant films," which fits right in with Participant's focus on, in Variety's words, "such forward-thinking projects as Syriana, Good Night, and Good Luck, and An Inconvenient Truth." Portman is quoted as saying:

"We all have the same desire to make meaningful and artistically fulfilling films and are committed to the idea of stories leading to greater empathy and action for world issues."

In addition to her work behind the scenes, Portman will surface repeatedly on theater screens in the near future -- the next few months will see her appearing in Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Other Boleyn Girl, and My Blueberry Nights.

Source: Variety

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(1-20 of 33 posts) | Reply

drtruebl writes:
on Nov 02 2007 06:16 AM

"socially relevant" (read: left wing)

I was just thinking Hollywood needed more of those types of films.

Also, while Portman is a decent actor and has had some good performances, to say she has been "wowing critics" is a little exaggeration I think.

(Reply to this)

Gimy writes:
on Nov 02 2007 07:17 AM

i agree docta true...i think she's a bit overrated. might have to do with her obsession with constantly saying, in every interview she does, how great of a chic she is for not doing nudity in movies. like she's so much better than other actresses that do it. she was god awful in star wars(all but 1 actor was though) and i think she could have done a lil' better in Closer(loved that movie). i just think she has this napoleon-esque type personality and everybody wants to bow down. she's good...just not the great thing everybody holds her up to be.

(Reply to this)

stevegilpin writes:
on Nov 02 2007 07:48 AM

Well, no actor should be treated like a God. But, I must say, Natalie Portman is really an awesome actor and I think critics generally are impressed with work, and for good reason.

(Reply to this)

therereturn writes:
on Nov 02 2007 08:10 AM

Damn, Natalie, you a crazy chick.

Natalie - "You shut da **** up and suck my ***k!"

That was the hardest I have ever laughed at an SNL digital short. She's brilliant, in my humble opinion.

(Reply to this)

Bane Of Anubis writes:
on Nov 02 2007 08:18 AM

In fairness, Hollywood probably has a good handle of social relavance -- unfortunately, they're living in L.A.-L.A. land where that social relevance usually gets distorted and alienates many.

As far as Ms. Portman goes, she seems like a pretentious twit... And she's not a good actor -- good actors really don't require good directors (see SW EPI - III -- where Ewan Macgregor shows some relatively good acting and Natalie Portman evinces why she is not a good actor).

Perhaps I'm the only one, but thank god (this coming from an athiest :)) this little bird with a giant head and awful smile has never done nudity.

(Reply to this)

GravitaZ writes:
on Nov 02 2007 08:28 AM

Too bad Syriana, Good Night, and Good Luck, and An Inconvenient Truth were all boring tripe. She should just do a "Monsters Ball" and everyone would shut-up.

(Reply to this)

fuj_ball writes:
on Nov 02 2007 08:39 AM

She should do a movie about how bad the new Star Wars movies were, now that would be "socially relevant"...

(Reply to this)

highdough writes:
on Nov 02 2007 09:55 AM

Portman was 18 when she made the first Star Wars, and I'd love to know how good any of you were at your job at 18. And not one actor escaped the latest Star wars trilogy looking good. Not Ewan McGregor, not Liam Neeson, not Samuel L. Jackson. And to say that a good actor does not need a good director is a little silly, especially for someone so young. Perhaps when she's hit her 30's (!!), she might not need a good director, but she has shown that a good director can get an excellent performance from her. Most people have seen her n only the Star Wars movies and V for Vendetta, none of which were closer to her best roles, in my opinion.

Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck and An Inconvenient Truth "boring tripe"? Well, I guess there's no accounting for taste.

(Reply to this)

moviemonkey2 writes:
on Nov 02 2007 10:12 AM

I'm so glad there's going to be another actor turned director making politically fueled propaganda films. Between Clint Eastwood, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Robert Redford, there just wasn't enough heavy handed political fare out there to inspire me to become politically active and change the world, but perhaps if a little shortie hottie makes the same movies it'll have an impact on me. One can only hope...

(Reply to this)

Silver Snake writes:
on Nov 02 2007 10:25 AM

I really never understood what Natalie's appeal was to drooling fanboys, and I still don't. She kind of bores me, but every overachiever I've ever met in my life has done that.

(Reply to this)

Gimy writes:
on Nov 02 2007 10:47 AM

highdough, saying mcgregor wasn't good in those movies is laughable. he was the only one who wasn't a complete joke and brought talent. seeing same jackson act that badly though...was sad. age has nothing to do with it. she was good, AND YOUNGER, in Beautiful Girls. and also had the SUPPOSED critical acclaim well BEFORE she did star wars. she simply is overrated. she isn't getting better, she's just good...NOT great.

(Reply to this)

nathanpoitras writes:
on Nov 02 2007 11:44 AM

Hollywoood is definitely in need of some talented women directors, we really only have Sofia Coppola, Julie Taymore and now maybe Sarah Polley. It's also in need of some talented male directors too, right Michael Bay and Brett Ratner?

(Reply to this)

Bane Of Anubis writes:
on Nov 02 2007 12:14 PM

In reply to this comment (#1242433)
Your points are specious at best. Acting is about imagination (something many 18 year olds excel at relative to us older folk) -- and if you can't imagine outside the box, or green screen, if you want, then your credibility as an actor is diminished.

(Reply to this)

Lux Obscura writes:
on Nov 02 2007 12:56 PM

I think she's a good actress, and I wouldn't call an inconvenient truth a 'heavy handed left wing film'-it's about the environment and a preservation of this planet and that spans your stupid left wing and right wing politics.

(Reply to this)

~*Admiral Snowstorm*~ writes:
on Nov 02 2007 02:55 PM

Natalie Portman is probably my favorite actress in Hollywood right now; glad to see she's attempting to direct. She is most certainly intelligent, and heavens know we need more intelligent directors right now.

(Reply to this)

The Arrow writes:
on Nov 02 2007 03:50 PM

She's hot and smart

That's why fanboys swoon

(Reply to this)

highdough writes:
on Nov 02 2007 03:51 PM

Acting is a craft that one gets better at with practice. Having `an imagination' is one very small part of it. It sounds to me like most of you have only seen her in a few movies, most of which were the Star Wars ones. Not really much to make a judgment on. And I found McGregor mediocre, at best, in the Star Wars movies. I think he would tend to agree. If you stuck Anthony Hopkins in those movies he would have looked bad. She came off no worse than Liam Neeson, and that's not bad.

Silver Snake, perhaps you'd rather drool over a plastic bimbo with a 75 IQ. Personally, I like women with brains.

(Reply to this)

killbill82 writes:
on Nov 02 2007 04:41 PM

highdough, think of yourself highly much!

(Reply to this)

mrdarklight writes:
on Nov 02 2007 05:16 PM

In Hollywoodese: "I want to make socially relevant films."

In English: "I want to make films that suck balls because they come with an agenda that is more important than the story."

(Reply to this)

Bane Of Anubis writes:
on Nov 02 2007 06:15 PM

In reply to this comment (#1243378)
Imagination is just a part of it, but not a very small part. She can't act outside the box... But I guess since we several who you criticized have only seen her in movies where she's acted poorly...well, I guess we haven't seen her real body of work, eh?

(Reply to this)

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