Latest news with #UncutGems
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Our Hero, Balthazar' Review: Asa Butterfield and Jaeden Martell in an Unnerving Dark Comedy About American Gun Culture
Social media identities, gun laws and the blue state/red state divide are but some of the issues touched on in Our Hero, Balthazar, the zeitgeist-tapping dark comedy receiving its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Alternately disturbing and brutally funny, and ending with the sort of capper that perfectly encapsulates its provocative ethos, this marks an auspicious directorial debut for Oscar Boyson. Not that it's particularly surprising, considering that the tyro director, who co-scripted with Ricky Camilleri, has previously produced such edgy films as Good Time and Uncut Gems. This effort, whose title is a sly riff on Robert Bresson's classic Au Hasard Balthazar, follows in the tradition of those Safdie brothers films that are designed to make you feel uncomfortable. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'State of Firsts' Review: Trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride Steps Into the Spotlight for a Doc That's More Than Your Average Political Puff Piece 'Andy Kaufman Is Me' Review: Solid but Unrevelatory Doc Uses Puppetry to Tackle the Iconic Comic 'Boy George & Culture Club' Review: An Affectionate Look at the '80s Band and Its Flamboyant Frontman That Entertains but Treads Too Carefully The title character, superbly played by Jaeden Martell (It, Knives Out), is the sort of rich Manhattan youngster with an indulgent mother (Jennifer Ehle), his own personal life coach (Noah Centineo), and a tony private school education. Social causes don't interest him, but a fellow classmate, Eleanor (Pippa Knowles), very much does. The two become friendly when they both play victims in a mass shooting simulation at their school, each covered in fake blood. Eleanor's pet cause is gun prevention, so to impress her, Balthazar, or Balthy for short, begins organizing protests and posting emotional videos on the subject online, his acting skills rising to the fore. But Eleanor quickly figures out that he's not really being sincere. 'Are you actually crying?' she asks him after watching one of his tearful videos. 'I think it's nice to be part of a community,' he says. Balthy's postings come to the attention of a young man in Texas, who taunts him and reveals his intention to commit a mass shooting at his school. In a daring stylistic move, the film then segues to introduce us to Balthy's online tormentor, Solomon, an aspiring 'supplement salesman' who doesn't even have any luck attempting to sell the guns his father gave him because they're lacking serial numbers. He's the sort of lost young man who angrily but unconvincingly denies that he's an incel. And he's brilliantly played by Asa Butterfield (Hugo, Sex Education), nearly unrecognizable with blond hair and goatee, in a revelatory performance. Convinced that Solomon will make good on his threat, Balthy impulsively travels to Texas and strikes up an IRL relationship with him, looking like a fish out of water. Despite their obvious differences, the two have a strange rapport, with Solomon teaching the urbanite how to shoot guns and telling him, 'You might be the first person I met who's weirder than me.' Balthy finds himself meeting Solomon's loving, invalid grandmother (the always good Becky Ann Baker) and abusive father (Chris Bauer). He also quickly figures out that Solomon is hardly the threat he claimed to be. 'I thought you were a school shooter!' he exclaims disgustedly. But things inevitably take a darker, violent turn that results in tragedy and a supremely ironic ending. Director Boyson expertly balances satirical social commentary with emotional truth and complex characterizations, infusing the proceedings with a Hal Ashby-style deadpan dark humor. Channeling the anxieties of a younger generation so infused by online culture that they have trouble separating fantasy and reality, Our Hero, Balthazar is very much a film of its moment. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Perth Now
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Julia Fox praises women who are open about cosmetic surgery
Julia Fox believes it is important for women to be open about any cosmetic procedures they undergo. The 35-year-old actress - who has spoken openly in the past about having liposuction and Botox - praised the "new wave of women" who have been candid about their treatments and thinks it is particularly helpful for "impressionable" girls to know when people have enhanced their appearance. She told People magazine: "I love it. I think we should be honest." "Women set the bar for each other and I feel like if you're setting an unrealistic bar [if you're not honest]. That's really great for you, but what about all the girls that are so impressionable and feeling like 'Wait, why don't I look like that and what's wrong with me?' "It's like, girl, none of us look like this, you know what I mean? Like we all look really different without the surgery and without the fillers and without the makeup and all the things we do and the face tapes and the wigs and the tanning creams. The list goes on. On and on and on." The Uncut Gems star stressed the importance of women knowing their self-worth. She added: "It's really important [to tell] girls there's nothing wrong with you, like you're perfect the way you are and this is all smoke and mirrors, sweetie, you know … it's such a beautiful message." Julia previously claimed she finds the word beauty "oppressive". She told Vogue magazine: 'I hate the term 'beauty'. I find it oppressive. I wish we could take that word out of cosmetics. Because, for me, when I'm using make-up, and when I'm doing my skincare routine or whatever it may be, I'm not aiming to look beautiful. 'It has more to do with self-care. The version of me that wanted to look hot for guys just does not exist anymore. Being attractive used to be a currency that I could use to get out of a situation, but I changed a lot after becoming a mum. I started to see the subtle ways in which women are oppressed. 'Which is why I don't subscribe to the patriarchal notion that women should try and look beautiful. Look how it affects women and young girls from a really early age: we see the lengths that women will go to, putting their lives at risk, even dying to be beautiful. So for me, make-up is about trying to express myself and be creative – it's another art form.'
CNN
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Adam Sandler to cast Ravens RB Derrick Henry in movie if he rushes for 2,000 yards in 2025
We've seen plenty of sports stars make movie cameos throughout the years, from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 'Airplane!' to Dan Marino in 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' and finally Michael Jordan and a plethora of NBA stars in the iconic 'Space Jam.' And we could see another one soon thanks to a bet between Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and actor Adam Sandler. Henry, who is a self-professed superfan of Sandler's work, agreed to a wager during an appearance on 'The Dan Patrick Show' where if he reaches 2,000 rushing yards in the 2025 season, Patrick would get the running back in a film alongside Sandler. Henry agreed to the proposal and the veteran sportscaster reached out to his friend Sandler. In response, the 'Uncut Gems' and 'Happy Gilmore' star sent a personal video for Henry which was shown to the 31-year-old at practice. 'Yo, Derrick, I just woke up. You know that, that's why I look disgusting, on top of the fact that I am disgusting, but I love ya. Congrats on everything, baby,' Sandler said to Henry. '2,000-plus (yards) this year not only gets you in a movie, but we'll have a nice dinner together and talk about Dan Patrick's facial hair and how hard it is for him to grow it.I love ya and keep it up.' Henry replied to the video on social media afterwards, saying: 'Dan you're a real one! Adam Sandler is da (GOAT)!! I appreciate the extra motivation!' Henry has already surpassed the 2,000 rushing yards mark in a season before, doing so in 2020 when he ran for 2,027 yards while with the Tennessee Titans. Last season, Henry finished just 79 yards short of 2,000 yards, finishing with 1,921 in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens. He is one of just nine running backs ever to reach the milestone and would become the first ever player to do it twice if he was to do it again. Earlier this offseason, Henry signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension with the Ravens. And despite being one of the older running backs in the league, he says he's not concerned about his age. 'I want to be great,' Henry told. 'No matter how good it is or how bad it is, I'm always focused on me trying to get better each and every day and each and every way I can. I think, for you to be great, you have to focus on being consistent. You got to outwork everybody and that's the approach I have to take. 'I love football. I love playing. I know people look at the age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on: how can Derrick Henry be better? How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to?'
CNN
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Adam Sandler to cast Ravens RB Derrick Henry in movie if he rushes for 2,000 yards in 2025
We've seen plenty of sports stars make movie cameos throughout the years, from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 'Airplane!' to Dan Marino in 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' and finally Michael Jordan and a plethora of NBA stars in the iconic 'Space Jam.' And we could see another one soon thanks to a bet between Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and actor Adam Sandler. Henry, who is a self-professed superfan of Sandler's work, agreed to a wager during an appearance on 'The Dan Patrick Show' where if he reaches 2,000 rushing yards in the 2025 season, Patrick would get the running back in a film alongside Sandler. Henry agreed to the proposal and the veteran sportscaster reached out to his friend Sandler. In response, the 'Uncut Gems' and 'Happy Gilmore' star sent a personal video for Henry which was shown to the 31-year-old at practice. 'Yo, Derrick, I just woke up. You know that, that's why I look disgusting, on top of the fact that I am disgusting, but I love ya. Congrats on everything, baby,' Sandler said to Henry. '2,000-plus (yards) this year not only gets you in a movie, but we'll have a nice dinner together and talk about Dan Patrick's facial hair and how hard it is for him to grow it.I love ya and keep it up.' Henry replied to the video on social media afterwards, saying: 'Dan you're a real one! Adam Sandler is da (GOAT)!! I appreciate the extra motivation!' Henry has already surpassed the 2,000 rushing yards mark in a season before, doing so in 2020 when he ran for 2,027 yards while with the Tennessee Titans. Last season, Henry finished just 79 yards short of 2,000 yards, finishing with 1,921 in his first season with the Baltimore Ravens. He is one of just nine running backs ever to reach the milestone and would become the first ever player to do it twice if he was to do it again. Earlier this offseason, Henry signed a two-year, $30 million contract extension with the Ravens. And despite being one of the older running backs in the league, he says he's not concerned about his age. 'I want to be great,' Henry told. 'No matter how good it is or how bad it is, I'm always focused on me trying to get better each and every day and each and every way I can. I think, for you to be great, you have to focus on being consistent. You got to outwork everybody and that's the approach I have to take. 'I love football. I love playing. I know people look at the age, but I don't really try to focus on that. I just focus on: how can Derrick Henry be better? How can Derrick Henry help the Ravens get to where they want to get to?'
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Adam Sandler's next film could feature Derrick Henry if he hits 2,000 yards
Adam Sandler's next movie featuring a prominent athlete could star Derrick Henry, but there's one thing that needs to happen to get the ball rolling on that film: Henry has to run for 2,000-plus yards in the 2025-26 NFL season. The Baltimore Ravens' running back has never reached that mark in his nine-year career — coming within 79 yards of it last season — but now he has extra incentive. That's because Henry has an affinity for Sandler's films. "You know, Adam Sandler is my favorite actor," Henry said on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Wednesday when the host showed him his "Happy Gilmore" hoodie. Then, the Ravens' running back doubled down, asking Patrick for a favor. "If you ever see (Sandler) again, tell him I'm a really big fan. I would really love to meet him one day." Henry displayed genuine glee when making the request, exemplifying his true adoration for Sandler. Patrick saw it, too, confirming he would fulfill that request. "I'm going to text him today," Patrick said. "And, if you get to 2,000 yards, I'll get you in a Sandler movie." That's when Henry really lit up. When he had been asked earlier about his goal of running for 2,000 yards in a single season, he hadn't expressed much motivation, but that guarantee to be in the next Sandler film changed his outlook. "Say no more," Henry said. "Bet is on!" So, there it is. If Henry can usurp 2,000 yards, he could follow in the footsteps of other superstar athletes, such as Kevin Garnett, who acted alongside Sandler in "Uncut Gems", and Anthony Edwards, who was a key supporting character in "Hustle". It may seem like a tall task, or a "Longest Yard," if you will, as Henry has yet to reach that mark and is heading into his 10th NFL season — but don't bet against him with a date on the big screen next to Sandler on the line. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
