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      Rami Malek, Professional Outcast, Becomes ‘The Amateur’

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      The first time the world got a good look at Rami Malek, computer screens were reflected more often than not in his distinctive peepers. As the star of “Mr. Robot,” Sam Esmail’s zeitgeisty TV series about a psychologically damaged hacker’s fight against the billionaire class, Malek seemed a creature of zeros and ones, shrinking into the omnipresent black hoodie of the show’s protagonist, Elliot Alderson, even as his actions as a keyboard warrior shook the globe.But in his most famous role to date, Malek rocked the world in a very different way. He earned an Oscar for his performance as the Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the blockbuster rock-star biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.” But underneath the glitz, the glamour and the mustache, Freddie was much like Elliot: an underestimated outsider who thrust himself into the spotlight through sheer force of will.“I know I’m a very unique individual,” Malek said. “My mannerisms are unique. My speech is unique. There’s a certain flicker behind my eyes that you can’t necessarily compare to anyone else — that’s what I’ve been told, at least. The camera has an ability to capture every essence of that.”Thea Traff for The New York TimesAt first glance, Malek’s new film, “The Amateur,” feels like a return to the world of digital skulduggery he inhabited in “Mr. Robot.” In this action thriller adapted from Robert Littell’s novel and directed by James Hawes, Malek stars as Charlie Heller, a C.I.A. cryptographer who takes matters into his own hands when his compromised superiors refuse to arrest the mercenaries who murdered his wife. Lacking the killer instinct to get up close and personal with his targets, he instead uses his intellectual know-how to devise a series of elaborate booby traps that take them down one by one.But Malek sees a through line that connects all three characters: They’re outsiders who prove their doubters, including themselves, wrong. “It may be an action movie, but one of the themes is personal transformation,” Malek said. “Sometimes we go to the cinema to see someone race to a telephone booth and don a cape in order to do so. Freddie put on his own cloak onstage. Elliot famously had a hoodie. I’ve had moments of personal transformation throughout my life — we all have. For Charlie, it’s a willingness to take matters into his own hands.”In a video call from New York, Malek talked about putting his own inimitable spin on the action hero. The following are edited excerpts from that conversation.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Stunt Design Becomes a New Oscars Award Category

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      Movies that are released in 2027 will be the first ones eligible for the new category honoring the people who make some of the most audience-pleasing moments.There will soon be a new category at the Oscars: achievement in stunt design.Starting with movies released in 2027, for the ceremony the following year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will honor the people who make some of the most memorable and audience-pleasing moments.It is recognition that to many people is a long time coming.Jack Gill, a stuntman turned second unit director, joined the academy in 1991 with the hopes of getting himself and his colleagues recognized. He was told then it would take three to five years to make that happen.More than 30 years later, the director and former stunt man David Leitch took up the mantle, making several presentations to the academy and centering his 2024 movie, “The Fall Guy,” on the unsung heroes of the stunt community. During its Hollywood premiere, the movie’s star, Ryan Gosling, told the audience, “This movie is just a giant campaign to get stunts an Oscar.”“It finally happened,” Gill said in a text on Thursday after the academy announced the new category.Category rules for eligibility and voting for the inaugural award will be announced in 2027. More than 100 stunt professionals are members of the academy’s production and technology branch.“We are proud to honor the innovative work of these technical and creative artists, and we congratulate them for their commitment and dedication in reaching this momentous occasion,” Bill Kramer, the academy’s chief executive, and Janet Yang, the academy’s president, said in a statement.Last year, the academy added achievement in casting to its list of awards. The category’s inaugural prize will be handed out in 2026 for films released this year. More

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      James Toback Is Ordered to Pay $1.7 Billion in Sexual Assault Case

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      After the former Hollywood director stopped participating in the civil case against him, a jury awarded 40 accusers $42 million each.A jury in New York awarded $1.7 billion in damages to 40 women who sued the former movie director and writer James Toback over allegations of sexual assault, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.Mr. Toback, once a Hollywood fixture known for writing “Bugsy” and directing “The Pick-up Artist,” had been defending himself against the lawsuit for a couple of years but more recently had stopped participating in the case. He has denied the allegations against him.A judge entered a default judgment against him in January and a jury trial was held to determine how much money Mr. Toback would owe each plaintiff. On Wednesday, the jurors arrived at $42 million each, said Brad Beckworth, one of the lawyers who represents the women.Mr. Toback, 80, has described himself in court papers as being “financially destitute,” and it is unclear how much of the judgment he will be able to pay.The women’s allegations span from the late 1970s to the mid-2000s. Many of their accounts involve Mr. Toback approaching them in public, setting up meetings to discuss potential acting roles and then assaulting them at the meetings.Mr. Toback, who was accused in a Los Angeles Times article of being a serial harasser toward the start of the #MeToo movement in 2017, declined to comment in a text message on Thursday. He had been representing himself in court, including taking depositions of accusers himself. But he wrote in court papers last year that persistent health problems had made it difficult for him to keep up with the case.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup, Including Scarlett Johansson and Wes Anderson

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      A sidebar to the competition will feature Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut.Movies directed by Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater and Ari Aster are among 19 films that will compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event’s organizers announced at a news conference on Thursday.The festival’s 78th edition, which opens May 13 and runs through May 24, will also feature the premiere of “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning,” the eighth movie in the action series starring Tom Cruise, playing in an out-of-competition spot.Linklater’s movie, “Nouvelle Vague,” is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 classic “Breathless,” a seminal picture in the French New Wave film movement.Richard Linklater at the Berlin Film Festival in February. His “Nouvelle Vague,” playing in competition at Cannes, is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 classic “Breathless.”Christopher Neundorf/EPA, via ShutterstockOther movies by American directors appearing in competition are Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” starring Benicio Del Toro as an eccentric businessman; Aster’s “Eddington,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, and focused on a small-town election; and Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind,” about an art heist.Julia Ducournau, whose movie “Titane” won the Palme d’Or in 2021, will return to the competition with “Alpha”; and Joachim Trier, who directed “The Worst Person in the World,” a breakout hit that same year, will present a new film, “Sentimental Value.”In recent years, the Cannes competition has premiered a host of movies that have gone on to dominate award season. Last year’s lineup included Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” and Sean Baker’s “Anora” — the last of which won the Palme d’Or and this year’s Academy Award for best picture.A jury led by the French actor Juliette Binoche will announce the winner at a ceremony on May 24.Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, which will feature in the competition’s sidebar, is called “Eleanor the Great.”Mario Anzuoni/ReutersOutside the main competition, the sidebar section, known as Un Certain Regard, features the directorial debuts of two prominent actors: Scarlett Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” in which a woman in her 90s moves to New York and tries to start life afresh; and Harris Dickinson’s “Urchin,” a drama about a homeless person.Aside from the main competition and Un Certain Regard, the festival also has special screenings, out-of-competition slots and a section called Cannes Premiere. Some notable movies playing in those categories include “Private View,” directed by Rebecca Zlotowski and starring Jodie Foster in her first French-language role for over two decades; “Stories of Surrender,” based on Bono’s acclaimed one-man stage show; and “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,” by the Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov.The honorary Palme d’Or, given each year to acknowledge a contribution to cinema, will go to Robert De Niro. The actor performed the lead in two past Palme d’Or winners: Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which won the main prize in 1976; and Roland Joffé’s “The Mission,” which triumphed in 1986. More

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      Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater to Compete at Cannes Film Festival

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      A sidebar to the competition will feature Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut.Movies directed by Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater and Ari Aster are among 19 films that will compete for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the event’s organizers announced at a news conference on Thursday.The festival’s 78th edition, which opens May 13 and runs through May 24, will also feature the premiere of “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning,” the eighth movie in the action series starring Tom Cruise, playing in an out-of-competition spot.Linklater’s movie, “Nouvelle Vague,” is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 classic “Breathless,” a seminal picture in the French New Wave film movement.Richard Linklater at the Berlin Film Festival in February. His “Nouvelle Vague,” playing in competition at Cannes, is about the making of Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 classic “Breathless.”Christopher Neundorf/EPA, via ShutterstockOther movies by American directors appearing in competition are Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” starring Benicio Del Toro as an eccentric businessman; Aster’s “Eddington,” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, and focused on a small-town election; and Kelly Reichardt’s “The Mastermind,” about an art heist.Julia Ducournau, whose movie “Titane” won the Palme d’Or in 2021, will return to the competition with “Alpha”; and Joachim Trier, who directed “The Worst Person in the World,” a breakout hit that same year, will present a new film, “Sentimental Value.”In recent years, the Cannes competition has premiered a host of movies that have gone on to dominate award season. Last year’s lineup included Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” and Sean Baker’s “Anora” — the last of which won the Palme d’Or and this year’s Academy Award for best picture.A jury led by the French actor Juliette Binoche will announce the winner at a ceremony on May 24.Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, which will feature in the competition’s sidebar, is called “Eleanor the Great.”Mario Anzuoni/ReutersOutside the main competition, the sidebar section, known as Un Certain Regard, features the directorial debuts of two prominent actors: Scarlett Johansson’s “Eleanor the Great,” in which a woman in her 90s moves to New York and tries to start life afresh; and Harris Dickinson’s “Urchin,” a drama about a homeless person.Aside from the main competition and Un Certain Regard, the festival also has special screenings, out-of-competition slots and a section called Cannes Premiere. Some notable movies playing in those categories include “Private View,” directed by Rebecca Zlotowski and starring Jodie Foster in her first French-language role for over two decades; “Stories of Surrender,” based on Bono’s acclaimed one-man stage show; and “The Disappearance of Josef Mengele,” by the Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov.The honorary Palme d’Or, given each year to acknowledge a contribution to cinema, will go to Robert De Niro. The actor performed the lead in two past Palme d’Or winners: Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver,” which won the main prize in 1976; and Roland Joffé’s “The Mission,” which triumphed in 1986. More

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      ‘Chicken Jockey!’ What to Know About the ‘Minecraft’ Catchphrase

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      When Jack Black yells that in “A Minecraft Movie,” young audiences respond raucously. The director approves, but some theaters don’t. Here’s what to know.For most, “chicken jockey” seems like a random pair of words, almost poetic in how nonsensical they sound together. But the phrase is creating absolute pandemonium at showings of “A Minecraft Movie,” turning the film into a viral phenomenon in addition to a box office smash.Essentially, the movie, based on the popular video game, has quickly become something akin to a new generation’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” In videos posted on social media, the mayhem begins when one star, Jack Black, exuberantly proclaims, “Chicken jockey!” to announce the appearance of that creature from the video game. Young audience members go nuts, jumping up and down, screaming, even throwing popcorn at the screen in some cases.Warner Bros. sees the reaction as “a testament to the game’s loyal fan base,” as the marketing executive vice president Dana Nussbaum put it in a statement. The film’s director, Jared Hess, approves of the trend.“It’s way too funny,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s been a total blast. I’m just laughing my brains out every time someone sends me a new video.”But why exactly is this happening? Let’s unpack it as best we can.What is a chicken jockey?It’s a baby zombie that rides a chicken. (Don’t worry. Nothing about this makes any logical sense. Just go with it.) Encountering a chicken jockey during gameplay is pretty rare, but Hess was intent on filling the movie with his favorite characters from the vast Minecraft universe.“It’s not something you see all the time, but I think it’s adorable, and ridiculous and can murder you, and that’s something that makes it special,” Hess said.

      @matthewvietzke Minecraft movie was peak cinema #chickenjockey #minecraftmovie ♬ original sound – Matthew We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      ‘G20’ Review: Madam President or Rambo?

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      Viola Davis raises the bar on sheer brawniness in this action film where an American president has to fight Australian crypto-terrorists.The action spectacle “G20” offers up an absurd fantasy: What if the President of the United States were a gunslinging, martial-arts hero? “Air Force One” (1997) may be the ur-text of this shamelessly jingoistic subgenre, but Viola Davis’s President Danielle Sutton raises the bar on sheer brawniness.The script, in any case, aims for relevance. The bulk of the story takes place in a digitally-enhanced hillside hotel in Cape Town, where President Sutton and her family — including her doting husband, Derek (Anthony Anderson), teenage daughter, Serena (Marsai Martin), and son, Demetrius (Christopher Farrar) — have arrived for the Group of 20 economic summit.Chaos ensues when Rutledge (Antony Starr), a jacked crypto-terrorist from Australia, infiltrates the hotel with a group of military-trained lackeys with extremist right-wing views. Rutledge and his crew take most of the attending world leaders hostage, forcing them to record videos of themselves that he uses to create deepfakes meant to cause global stock markets to plunge.This master plan hinges on discrediting Sutton — though as a female politician, she’s used to the scrutiny.The film, directed by Patricia Riggen, clicks into place when Sutton and her top bodyguard Manny (Ramón Rodríguez) evade capture, navigating the hotel complex in search of her escape vehicle while knocking out Rutledge’s minions in cramped set pieces (like an elevator and a kitchen). Additional plot twists and cutesy comic touches come courtesy of the elderly South Korean first lady (Han Min-seo), the chauvinistic British Prime Minister (Douglas Hodge), and a top Italian delegate in high heels (Sabrina Impacciatore, who played the prickly hotel manager in the second season of “The White Lotus,” gets a fine spotlight moment during a missile-heavy getaway scene). This group latches onto Sutton for protection, while elsewhere Derek, Demetrius, and Serena play their own cat-and-mouse games.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More