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The Amateur movie review: Rami Malek, Michael starrer is a woebegone thriller
Cast: Rami Malek, Michael Stuhlbarg, Laurence Fishburne, Rachel Brosnahan, Jon Bernthal, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, Evan MiltonDirector: James HawesRating: 2/5Runtime: 123 min. “The Amateur” has an ordinary man doing extraordinary things. It’s a spy thriller but the character in the center of it all, Charles (played by Rami Malek) doesn’t have the personality to make it believable. The narrative here merely goes through the motions of trying to make things believable but the story is so outlandish that its hard to suspend your disbelief even for a short while. He works for the CIA but as a lowly decoder(akin to a desk job), is nerdy and has little time for fun and games. Then his life gets turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack. The grief stricken guy wants revenge but his top bosses are not obliging, so he has to find a way to do the deed himself. It’s a far-fetched cock and bull story that we’ve seen umpteen times and in a far more believable fashion. This one fails to work up any conviction or steam as it chalks up its kills en route to achieving Charles goals. Rami Malek looks far too puny and ineffective as a CIA data analyst turned assassin Charles Heller, whose wife Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan) is taken hostage and murdered while on a trip to London. Even though the narrative tries hard to convince us about the legitimacy of his sudden new found abilities it’s an impossible ask. Heller knows about behind the scenes shenanigans regarding international incidents and has recently discovered that a U.S.-led drone attack was changed into a suicide bombing to sell it to the world. He uses this knowledge to blackmail his superiors, the CIA Deputy Director (Holt McCallany) and the top-boss played by Julianne Nicholson. He demands to be trained as a CIA field operative, is assigned Robert Henderson (Laurence Fishburne) as his mentor and then heads overseas in his quest for vigilante justice. But the CIA realizes he’s gone rogue and chases him themselves. How he outsmarts them thereafter and wreaks his revenge, forms the crux of this story. Rachel Brosnahan,Caitriona Balfe, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jon Bernthal are wasted in forgettable roles. The worst thing is we just don’t identify with Malek’s Heller. How he gets the money and the skills to criss-cross the world and wreak havoc, the way he does, is up in the air. The narrative throws up questions that we don’t find answers to. Will an ordinary man really go far out to avenge his wife’s murder ? Could you suddenly become skilled to be able to take lives? This spy thriller is neither stylish nor does it have any substance that thrills. There’s tension skimming along the surface but it doesn’t sustain for long. The plot is hare brained, there’s no strong foundation for the action that takes place and there’s no real action set-piece to take your mind off the deficiencies thereof. Shallow characters and ludicrous plotting hamper the enjoyment here.
11 April,2025 03:15 PM IST | Mumbai | Johnson Thomas
Dog Man movie review: Right on target for kids
Film: Dog ManCast: Peter Hastings, Pete Davidson, Lucas Hopkins Calderon, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Stephen Root, Poppy Liu, Ricky GervaisDirector: Peter HastingsRating: 3/5Runtime: 89 min. Downright silly and toonish, this animation adventure is targeted at the kids and it works. Delicate humor, fancifully random and outrageously unbelievable, this film could be a fun outing even for the morose and humorless. The silly humor is a joy to behold and there’s no two ways about that. “Dog Man,” based on Dav Pilkey’s popular series of graphic novels for kids, has comedy, action, and a strong dose of heart. Peter Hastings, a past expert at unrestrained silliness, directed and co-wrote the screenplay which is outrageously fanciful and harebrained. When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a life-saving surgery fuses the two of them together and Dog Man is born. Officer Knight and his trusty canine sidekick Greg were fighting crime and saving lives until a bomb went off, critically injuring them both. In the operating room, a nurse (Maggie Wheeler) presents the life saving solution of attaching the dog’s head to the man’s body. In the goofy world of this story this idea doesn’t seem implausible at all. Obviously, with the head of a dog and body of a man, Dog Man performs both his animalistic and human duties - sworn to protect and serve, fetch, sit, roll over and lick those he adores. Dog Man, after resuming his duties, in an effort to impress his Chief, must stop the pretty evil plots of feline super villain Petey the Cat. Dog Man tries to enter the house via the dog door and is unable to resist chasing and retrieving a ball. The police chief (Lil Rel Howery), who has a crush on the local television news reporter Sarah(Isla Fisher), is jealous of the attention Dog Man receives but the need to stop Petey (Pete Davidson), “the world’s most evilest cat,” supersedes everything. The Chief reluctantly assigns the task of capturing Petey to Dog Man. Thereafter there’s a surfeit of montage with Dog Man capturing Petey and Petey escaping, time and again. The tone is sprightly and engaging and the visual style is bright, lively and appealing. The facial expressions match the toonish nature of this telling. The humor is both child and adult friendly. There is goofy, slapstick engagement for kids and references to movies for adults. The animation is consistently delightful. The visual gags and wildly imaginative elements keep you entertained. Voice talents like Isla Fisher, Stephen Root, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Melissa Villaseñor, and Kate Micucci lend energy and verve to the by play. This is a fun ride, well worth the price of a pricey ticket.
11 April,2025 02:29 PM IST | Mumbai | Johnson Thomas
"What am I doing here?": Orlando Bloom shooting for the 'The Lord of the Rings'
Actor Orlando Bloom recalled shooting for the trilogy of epic fantasy adventure films, 'The Lord of the Rings', directed by Peter Jackson, based on the novel The Lord of the Rings by English author JRR Tolkien. "For me, as a young actor, I remember sitting there coming out of drama school with all of these legends," said Bloom during a 'Lord of the Rings' panel at Awesome Con in Washington, D.C., adding, "And thinking, 'What am I doing here? How did this happen? This is unbelievable'," reported People. "It was a feeling of excitement," he added while talking about filming the first of the movies, which was released in 2001. "I mean, I was 20. We'd read the books and had a sort of understanding of what this could possibly be, but not really knowing anything because it was my first movie experience. I was just like an open vessel, and it's about that sort of anticipation, that excitement, that sort of sense of possibility, that feeling that your whole life is beginning and you're beginning this remarkable journey. If I could bottle that feeling and give it to you all... I think we also never could've known -- I don't think any of us really knew what we were stepping into." Bloom, who played elf Legolas in the films, was joined by costars Liv Tyler, Sean Astin and Jonathan Rhys-Davies at the panel. Tyler shared that "the whole experience was so exciting and terrifying just to be a part of the whole world, the vastness of the material. I felt so much responsibility and I still do. I get nervous when I talk about it. There was just so much that we had to learn," as per the outlet. Talking about her character, Arwen, she said, "is a beautiful character who's a little bit mysterious because there's not as much of her in the books. So we were sort of figuring out how to communicate into the films and create her story, which took a few turns over the years. I guess I'm still sort of in awe and inspired by her today," she said. "We were so young. It was hard to fully understand everything as it was happening," reported People. 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy ultimately grossed a historic 2.9 billion dollars worldwide. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 11:27 AM IST | Washington | ANI
Ed Sheeran wants to buy George Clooney's Batman costume
English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, has plans to take over Gotham city. The ‘Perfect’ hitmaker has shared that he wants to splash out thousands to snap up George Clooney’s original Batman costume. The 34-year-old singer treats himself to a piece of movie memorabilia every birthday and after previously buying Alicia Silverstone's Batgirl outfit from 1997's 'Batman and Robin', he's hoping to land her co-star's costume from his only outing as the Caped Crusader, reports ‘Female First UK’. The singer said on Alex Cooper's 'Call her Daddy' podcast, "I'm trying to get the George Clooney Batman costume. I bought the Alicia Silverstone Batwoman (outfit), so it would be matching (sic)”. As per ‘Female First UK’, the singer, who celebrated his birthday in February, previously splurged a huge amount on a 'Star Wars' replica. He said, "I bought C-3PO. That was not cheap. I do it every birthday. I just buy one prop a year. It's the thing I look forward to. I think all year, 'What am I going to get?'”. Ed Sheeran’s lavish estate features a lake, a chapel, and a pub, and a tunnel connecting his private boozer to his main home is where his movie memorabilia is housed. He said, "In the tunnel, I built a listening room, and there's a cinema - it's less of a man cave and more of a man catacomb. I collect movie props, too, so I've got all of that there. I'm a huge 'Hook' fan, so I bought Robin Williams' Pan costume and Julia Roberts' Tinker Bell costume”. He has daughters Lyra, four, and Jupiter, two, with wife Cherry, and admitted parenthood prompted him to "dramatically" change his life. He said, "Just not being a f****** maniac with drink and drugs or smoking. I exercise now, and I never exercised before. I get up in the morning, whereas I used to sleep until, like 4pm. It really has changed dramatically. I'm home more, and my work schedule is based around them, and not around me”. He hailed Cherry "the biggest grounding force" in his life because she refuses to let him become "too Hollywood". This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 11:22 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANS
Zendaya's stylist Law Roach spills the beans on her wedding with Tom Holland
After Zendaya and Tom Holland confirmed their engagement in January following Zendaya sporting her ring at the Golden Globes, her stylist Law Roach revealed he will be involved in the wedding. "It's far away," said Law at the Fashion Trust Awards in Los Angeles. "They're both doing a bunch of movies this year and there's a lot of premieres next year so you'll see a lot of red carpets, " reported E! News. Law shared that the wedding is not near. "I'm resting up for 2026." The stylist's update comes months after Zendaya and Tom's engagement. Tom Holland's father, Dominic Holland, has shared exclusive details about his son's engagement to Zendaya, which the couple has kept largely private. In a January post on Patreon, Dominic confirmed that Tom had indeed proposed to Zendaya in a carefully planned and intimate moment, as per E! News. Days after Zendaya subtly hinted at her engagement by sporting a stunning 5-carat ring at the 2025 Golden Globes, Tom's father revealed the heartfelt preparation behind the proposal. "He had purchased a ring," Dominic wrote in the January 10 post, adding, "he had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter. Tom had everything planned out... When, where, how, what to say, what to wear," as per E! News. The couple's engagement comes after Zendaya made waves at the Golden Globes on January 5, where her sparkling ring caught the attention of both fans and the media. The excitement surrounding the couple's status grew further when Zendaya was spotted subtly flaunting her ring while responding with a simple shrug and smile when directly asked about her engagement. While Tom and Zendaya have otherwise kept their engagement details low-key, they'll be working side-by-side on two upcoming projects: Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, as per E! News. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 11:15 AM IST | Washington | ANI
‘Euphoria’ star Eric Dane diagnosed with a nervous system disease
‘Euphoria’ star Eric Dane has revealed that he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nervous system disease. "I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” Dane told people.com. The actor, 52, is married to Rebecca Gayheart and the couple share two children, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.” Dane, who stars as the Jacobs family patriarch on Euphoria, is set to begin production of season 3 of the hit show on April 14. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It is a rare degenerative disease that causes progressive paralysis of the muscles. Patients first experience twitching or weakness in a limb, often followed by slurred speech. According to the Mayo Clinic, because the disease affects the nerve cells in the brain and spine that control muscle movement, patients slowly lose their ability to speak, eat, walk, and breathe independently, reports people.com. In addition to Dane, other notable stars who have been diagnosed with ALS include Aaron Lazar, John Driskell Hopkins, Eric Stevens, Joe Bonsall, Roberta Flack, Kenneth Mitchell and Stephen Hawking. Dane did multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in Charmed, Dane was cast as Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy. He made appearances in films such as Marley & Me, Valentine's Day and Burlesque. The actor has since played Captain Tom Chandler in The Last Ship and currently stars as Cal Jacobs in Euphoria. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 11:03 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANS
Rami Malek reveals a major advice which he received from Tom Cruise
The Oscar-winning actor, who is receiving a lot of positive response to his work in the recently released spy action-thriller ‘The Amateur’, has shed light on the weapons training advice which he received from Hollywood megastar Tom Cruise. Rami Malek recently appeared on chat show ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ wherein he shared the story of a candid interaction with the ‘Mission Impossible’ star, Tom Cruise. Rami Malek shared a funny encounter with Tom Cruise, who insisted on taking weapons training for ‘The Amateur’. “If anyone knows action, it’s Tom Cruise,” Malek said. When Cruise found out Malek was doing an action film, he immediately asked, “Well, You’re going to need weapons training!” Malek replied, “It’s called ‘The Amateur’, he doesn’t do any of that”. But Cruise doubled down, “I promise you, you’re going to need weapons training”. Days later, Malek got an email titled “Weapons Training”. Malek’s response? “I was like, ‘Done. I’m doing it’”, he said. Directed by James Hawes, ‘The Amateur’ follows the story of Charles Heller, a CIA Cryptographer who seeks out to avenge the murder of his wife who loses her life in a terrorist attack. The film also features Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne, Caitriona Balfe and Holt McCallany in pivotal roles. The film released in India on Thursday. Meanwhile, Tom Cruise is regarded as a Hollywood icon, and boasts of multiple accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $12 billion worldwide, placing him among the highest-grossing actors of all time. He is one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and has consistently been one of the world's highest-paid actors. He began acting in the early 1980s and made his breakthrough with leading roles in ‘Risky Business’ and ‘Top Gun’. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 10:38 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANS
Colin Farrell’s father dies at 83
Hollywood actor Colin Farrell’s father, former footballer Eamon Farrell died at the age of 83. It comes after Eamon had been dealing with a long illness. His death notice, which confirmed his death, said the former Shamrock Rovers player "passed peacefully, after a long illness bravely borne, in the loving care of his family and the excellent staff of the Whitworth Ward. Beloved husband of Eileen, loving father of Eamon, Catherine, Claudine and Colin and beloved brother of the late Tommy, Maureen and Sean”, reports ‘Mirror.co.uk’. It further mentioned, "Sadly missed by Rita, step-children William, Keith, Sandra, Aidan, Deborah, Karl, Ciarán and Gary, grandchildren James, Ellen, Henry, Stella and Oscar, in-laws and partners, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and friends”. As per ‘Mirror.co.uk’, the ‘Banshees of Inisherin’ star Colin previously opened up about life with his dad. Speaking of growing up, Colin said, "I was the baby, so I got away with more. My parents weren't as hawkeyed with me and I think my older brother got the brunt of it and my sisters a little less. They will all tell you I had the easiest time, but I don't think it was because I was the favourite, I think just as a result of my parents' fatigue”. He also spoke of his dad's football career in the sixties before moving on to other ventures. "Dad played football till he was 26 or 27", he said. "After that he owned a fish-and-chip shop by a golf course, The Little Chip Inn. Honest to God. He never let us forget the wit of that. Then he had a restaurant. He has a health-food store in Dublin called Down To Earth”. Colin also referred to his family during his winners speech at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in February. The star won the Best Male Actor gone for his role in ‘The Penguin’, and said on stage, "Thanks to my mum, Rita, my dad, Eamon, and the two people in my life who have made my life so much more special and so much more meaningful, so much more joyful than I ever truly thought possible, my son James and my son, Henry”. Shamrock Rovers' official Instagram account was among those paying tribute to Eamon following the sad news. They shared a black-and-white image of him in their strip alongside the words: "The death has occurred of former Rovers player Eamon Farrell. Eamon joined Rovers in 1960 at 18 years of age from the famous schoolboy nursery club Home Farm”. “A half back who was a minor and schoolboy Ireland international, Eamonn played alongside his older brother Tommy (sic)”, they added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2025 10:35 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANS
Ed Sheeran doesn't want his kids to have a 'Richie Rich' life
Grammy winning pop star Ed Sheeran has talked about his approach to parenting and said he doesn't want his kids to grow up in a "Richie Rich house" despite him being one of the best-selling musicians in the world. During an appearance on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, Sheera, who has daughters Lyra and Jupiter with wife Cherry Seaborn, said: "Cherry is the biggest grounding force." The 'Shape of You' hitmaker doesn't want his children growing up like Richie Rich, the fictional character played by Macaulay Culkin in the 1994 comedy film. The 34-year-old pop star, who has been married to Cherry since 2019, said: "Anytime there is something a little bit too Hollywood, she'll be like, 'Bro, come on'. Especially because I grew up with her, there's always just a lens of Suffolk over it. I wanted to build a bowling alley in our back garden, but Cherry said no. "She knew we didn't need that. She doesn't want our kids growing up in the Richie Rich house where there's literally McDonald's in our back garden." Sheeran already has a pub, a cinema and a recording studio at home. But the pop star doesn't want to over-indulge his kids, reports femalefirst.co.uk. He shared: "I built a pub in my garden because there used to be this pub I would go to, where I'd go to blow off steam. And it got to that point where people knew I went there, so I couldn't go as much and get as drunk as I'd like. And there an old barn on my land, so I bought the counter and the pub off of eBay, and all of the plumbing and wiring in. "There's now a tunnel to it from the house and in there I have also built a listening room and a cinema. And that's my man catacombs." Meanwhile, Sheeran previously shared that fatherhood has given him a "purpose". The chart-topping star said on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show': "I just found that I really didn't have purpose outside of (music) because when I was giving myself fixed time of no work, I wasn't doing anything I enjoyed because I love doing music. And (being a dad) has actually given me purpose and something in life that's actually more important than my job." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 April,2025 11:35 AM IST | Los Angeles | IANS
'I'm not a bad actress' says Alexandra Daddario as Mayfair Witches gets Season 3
Alexandra Daddario's supernatural horror thriller Mayfair Witches has been renewed for Season 3 by AMC Networks, reported Deadline. According to the outlet, the series will be shot in Salem, Massachusetts. Thomas Schnauz (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) has joined as co-showrunner alongside series co-creator Esta Spalding as part of a two-year overall deal with AMC Studios. Starring Alexandra Daddario in the lead role, the third part of the series aims to delve deeper into the mythology of witchcraft, introduce new 'spellbound' families and feature some of the historical happenings of Salem, the infamous town of witch trials and folklore, reported Deadline. It follows the first two seasons, which were set in New Orleans, the most recent of them ending its run on March 2. "I am thrilled to welcome Tom Schnauz to our team for the third season of Mayfair Witches," said Spalding, who served as showrunner on Seasons 1 and 2 and is also under an overall deal at AMC Studios as quoted by Deadline. "A contemporary twist on the Salem story, it promises to be our most delicious yet." added Spalding. Mayfair Witches Season 3 is executive produced by Mark Johnson, who oversees the Anne Rice Immortal Universe for AMC, co-showrunners Spalding and Schnauz, and Michelle Ashford and Tom Williams for AMC Studios. The series is based on 'The Lives of Mayfair Witches' novel written by Anne Rice. Actress Daddario recently clapped back at the critics for calling her a bad actress after she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the satirical series 'The White Lotus'. "That I'm a bad actress. I'm not a bad actress," she said adding, "I've just done some projects that don't showcase me in the way that I should be showcased. Okay? Director and the writing is everything, and sometime's I'm lit poorly, but I'm not a bad actress. I got an Emmy nomination. How do you think I did that?" reported Deadline. Daddario is known for portraying key roles in the Percy Jackson film franchise, Hall Pass, Texas Chainsaw and Baywatch. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 April,2025 11:23 AM IST | Washington | ANI
Aimee Lou Wood doesn’t like people discussing her teeth
Actor Aimee Lou Wood feels “sad” when her teeth get more attention than her acting work. The actor, 31, is happy that the prominent gap in her smile is “symbolising rebellion and freedom”. However, she feels annoyed that people are constantly talking about “a woman’s appearance” instead of her career. (From left) Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in The White Lotus In an interview with GQ Hype magazine, she said, “It makes me happy that it’s symbolising rebellion and freedom, but there’s a limit. The whole conversation is just about my teeth, and it makes me a bit sad because I’m not getting to talk about my work. They think it’s nice because they’re not criticising. If it was a man, would we be talking about it this much? It’s still going on about a woman’s appearance”. As per reports, The White Lotus 3 star was told by a producer at the end of the first week of filming in Thailand for the hit HBO dark comedy-drama that the show’s creator Mike White had fought for Wood to play Chelsea. However, she worried that “HBO didn’t want me” because of her “ugly” looks. She explained, “Someone told me how much Mike had fought for me. They said, ‘It had to be you, no matter what HBO said’. It was honestly from the nicest place, but my little head goes, ‘HBO didn’t want me. And I know why HBO didn’t want me, it’s because I’m ugly’. Mike had to say ‘Please let me have the ugly girl.’ That was the thing that was in my head”. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 April,2025 07:20 AM IST | Los Angeles | Agencies