Chris Evans, the star of The Winter Soldier is happy to be a cog in the machine, as

long as that machine isn’t a pasta restaurant. By Jonathan Bernstein

 

Chris Evans does not take umbrage when I tell him he has movie-star anonymity. By which I mean, he may be a leading man in a superhero franchise that generates vast mountain ranges of cash, but whatever innate charisma is beloved by the camera seems less obvious in person, where he comes across as a regular, affable guy albeit one who spends an inordinate amount of time in the gym.

“Good,” he says. “That’s the goal. You want to strike that happy medium: the balance of being able to find creative satisfaction in your profession, be able to afford a roof over your head but still have the freedom to live a relatively normal life.” But when the prospect of playing Captain America in Marvel’s huge interlocking movie universe became a possibility, Evans, 32, had qualms.

“There was big apprehension on my part whether or not to do the movie. It was a six-picture deal and the problem is, if one of these pictures is a big success and it changes your life, you may not cope with it as well as you expected. There certainly was some fear involved initially. But then you just think, ‘If that’s what I’m scared of, maybe that’s exactly what I should do’, and, in retrospect, God, I’d be kicking myself if I hadn’t done it.”

Although Boston-born Evans has played Captain America in both the character’s own film (retitled The First Avenger in some territories) and The Avengers, as well having a cameo in Thor: The Dark World, there was a sense that the earnest unfrozen super-soldier was portrayed as the butt of the joke. All that changes with Captain America: The Winter Solider. This is the most perfectly executed and purely entertaining Marvel production since the first Iron Man.

A big chunk of credit goes to the movie’s sibling director team, Joe and Anthony Russo, who seem like they’ve compiled a list of all the genres they ever wanted to tackle: conspiracy, martial arts, political thriller, buddy movie  and thrown them into one film.

Marvel’s sense of continuity, and the way each movie acts as a building block to set up the next, is a model that is becoming both an inspiration and a headache to rival studios with similar ambitions.  But that sort of success is not easily mimicked. It  takes patience to establish a distinct series of franchises that can ultimately commingle. It takes the pragmatism to abort a character that isn’t working: Mark Ruffalo was the third attempt at getting The Hulk right. And it takes time to establish a unifying tone.

Marvel specialises in high-stakes action movies that are grounded in a recognisable reality; they’re jokey but never camp. The entity most desperate to emulate that blueprint is long-time comic-book rival DC, which is reportedly trying to jump-start a Justice League movie by cramming loads of familiar faces into Superman Vs Batman.

Which is to say, it’s doing the exact opposite of what Marvel did. I invite Evans to mock this doomed effort. He laughs but chooses the diplomatic route. “Obviously, it’s an easy parallel to draw. It’s not that I’m glad to see a movie not succeed. I’m just honoured when ours do.”

So what’s it like working for Marvel? Is the company more than just another bunch of executive overlords? “Oh, it’s a cool corporation,” he says, eagerly. “It’s got the Midas touch. It would be one thing if they were kicking out crap but they’re just consistently making good movies that are consistent successes. And they’re people who really care about movies. I saw this great documentary about indie movies and they made this analogy to restaurants. You want to eat at a restaurant where the people who own it really enjoy good food, where they’re not just doing it for the money. You don’t want to go to the Olive Garden (US restaurant chain)  where the model is low cost/high income. Marvel, even though they’re these massive movies that should just be a money-making machine pumping out product, at their heart they’re comic-book fans.”

I bring up the blockbuster di tutti blockbusters, The Avengers, the billion-dollar-grossing amalgamation of all the previous movies. What kind of ego adjustment does an actor have to make when he transitions from his own vehicle to a set full of superheroes? “It’s so nice,” he says, sighing almost wistfully. “I love getting to be in The Avengers.  You just breathe a little bit. It’s not all about you. It’s so nice to have other people bearing the burden of responsibility.”

There’s no fighting over who gets the cool entrances or the big action set-pieces or the most hilarious one-liners? Evans regards with me derision. “That’s not coming from me. Anyone who knows me knows I’m perfectly happy with less is more. Whatever you want me to do. I’m happy to be here. I’m not trying to steal the show. I tend to shy away from  I don’t want to say the spotlight  how about responsibility? It’s just very daunting.  These movies are very intimidating. Captain America. This is the stuff I struggle with.” —  Guardian News & Media

 

 

Sheen, Richards to mediate over child-support issues

 

Actor Charlie Sheen and his ex-wife Denise Richards will enter private mediation next week to attempt resolving issues related to their child support. The Anger Management star, who has two daughters Sam, 10, and Lola, eight, with Richards, wants his monthly $55,000 child support payment to her reduced. Additionally, he wants her to be ousted from one of his houses.

According to a source, the actor’s lawyers have “formally notified Denise and her lawyers that they will be headed to private mediation next week to try and get the child support reduced”, reports RadarOnline.com.

“The mediation will be handled by a retired judge who has handled various issues for the former couple over the years since their divorce. It looks like this will go down early next week,” the source added.

It could be tricky. “Charlie could be taking a huge gamble by taking Denise to the mediator. There is a chance that the judge could actually increase the child support to Denise because of his lucrative Anger Management deal with FX. This could be a can of worms Charlie might wish he never opened,” said the source. Sheen, 48, and Richards were earlier close friends, but they fell out in December 2013 after he blasted her for not inviting him to spend Christmas with her and their daughters. — IANS

Theroux hijacks Aniston’s beauty products

Actress Jennifer Aniston says her fiancé Justin Theroux, who has got “gorgeous skin”, is always curious about her beauty products and even hijacks them. The former Friends star is known for quite a few of her physical attributes — her glowing skin and, of course, her hair. The 45-year-old gets by with a little help from her friends, ie some really good beauty products. In fact, they’re so good Theroux has trouble sticking to his side of the sink, reports Entertainment Weekly.

“It’s hysterical. What product doesn’t he try to hijack?” she told E! News. “He’s good to his skin, that’s for sure. It’s always, ‘what are you using, what is that?’ It’s cute.”

Theroux proposed to Aniston in the summer of 2012. — IANS

  

Kristen Stewart’s eating out soiree

 

Actress Kristen Stewart recently stepped out for fine dining and savoured grilled cheese, smoked turkey and tomato soup dumplings along with a peppery cocktail.

The actress, dressed casually in jeans and a tee, was spotted at Beauty & Essex, a popular restaurant on New York City’s Lower East Side with family, reports people.com. She ordered up house favourites like the grilled cheese and tomato soup dumplings, made with five different cheeses “for maximum melty cheese goodness,” chef Chris Santos told the magazine.

But the Twilight star didn’t eat alone. “It appeared to be a family night out as Kristen came in with her dad and another woman,” said a source. “She was very laid back and was especially nice and polite to their server.” — IANS