No one changes anything by playing it safe. This quote definitely holds true for journalist Steve Lopez, an insightful columnist at the Los Angeles Times that was captivated by a homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers. Lopez was a disenchanted writer who stumbled upon Ayers as he was pouring his heart into playing a violin with two strings. He was in awe at the passion and talent of this man, and when he probed further, he discovered that Ayers was a gifted cellist who dropped out of Juilliard School due to schizophrenia. Determined to get Ayers off the street and back into the symphony hall, Lopez wrote a regular column about him. His regular columns inspired compassionate readers to donate their instruments to Ayers, to replace his two stringed violin.  As much as Lopez tried to get Ayers off the streets, he realized Ayer's schizophrenia would be a significant barrier to his leading a normal life. Actor Robert Downey Jr. plays the part of a scruffy journalist with ease, (except when dealing with different kinds of urine for some reason--too long to explain here lol) capturing the angst of this journalist. If there has ever been any doubt why directors continue to have faith in this actor despite his drug riddled past, this movie provides the answer. Downey Jr. is a remarkable actor who has experienced his own darkness, and seems to have channeled this dark past while playing this empathetic journalist. Ayers gives Lopez many reasons to give up on the friendship, but Lopez sees the gifted and goodhearted man within and prevails. Similarly you can see Downey Jr. persevering as the talented actor he is, and deep inside I was rooting for him as an actor as much as I was supporting Ayers the musician. Foxx is brilliant as Ayers, provoking sympathy even in the throes of violent outbursts. Just by looking at Foxx's eyes you can see passion,instability, vulnerability, and mania all at once. Foxx literally lost his mind on the set everyday to get into his role, pushing himself to the limit so much that he needed therapy after the project was over. The Foxx you see in this film is a far cry from his macho alter ego as a comedian and singer. Both of these actors give Oscar worthy performances.



The dramatic scenes throughout the film shot in the streets of Los Angeles are so gritty and real they might either compel you to volunteer at your local homeless shelter, or shudder in fear. Director Joe Wright hired hundreds of Ayers' friends and acquaintances from the L.A.M.P. homeless community center in Los Angeles to work on the movie. I love how this film raises as many questions as it answers. Mainly, how involved should a journalist be with the people they interview,and how rewarding is it to cross that line? How healing is music and friendship to a person suffering with mental illness? What can we do to help those suffering in the streets with debilitating illness? If you want to contribute to organizations that help the mentally ill and homeless click here. The Soloist will be released in theaters nationwide this Friday, April 24th

Let me tell you Tucker and Ratner are a fun and flirtatious couple of guys. The interviews were set up at the pent house floor of the St. Regis Hotel, with a beautiful view of sunny San Francisco. As I walked into the interview room, poor Ratner (the director) was sitting at the table, his head slumped over asleep. Upon waking up though, he was in a cheerful mood, as was Chris Tucker, who told me I looked like Queen Rania of Jordan(I wish!). We talked about how the pair met (during a Heavy D video waaaaaay back) and how much fun they had during the movie (too much for sure). You can tell these guys are great friends and work well together. Tucker is sharp as a tack—it was hard for me to keep a straight face during the interview because he made me laugh so much before the camera lights went on. Ratner let me know he is creating a documentary focusing on Helmut Newton to be released on HBO, and Tucker hopes to act in more indie films in the future. Towards the end of the interview, Ratner let me know he was single and available—as I am taken, this is a shout out to the ladies out there, if you're interested in this mega director, give him a buzz—hehe. Here he is on the red carpet with Jackie Chan.

Now let me tell you about the movie. Let me just say Rush Hour 3 represents Chris Tucker at his absolute finest—from his one liner deliveries, to his goofy faces, to his insane energy, the man had me in stitches for almost the entire movie. Tucker's talents open the film, as he croons Prince's "Do Me Baby" while directing traffic. This scene caused the audience, including me, to burst into uproarious laughter. It's the kind of scene that I would want to play over and over if it was on DVD. I got Tucker to do an impromptu riff of that song during the interview and he happily obliged—loved it! Even when my interivew time was over Tucker said,"Oh come on, give the girl at least two more questions!" Tucker's comedic prowess surfaces again and again throughout the film--the next time even funnier than the last. My favorite scene is when he takes on the ginormous Chinese mutant ninja basketball player Yao Ming. Now I know why he raked in a 20 million dollar paycheck this time around. And he not only has strong comedic chops, he is a formidable action hero as well, holding his own with the legendary Jackie Chan.

Basically LAPD Detective Carter and Chinese Inspector Lee are back to stop the most powerful and notorious crime syndicate in the world, the Triads, which are based in Paris. As a professed Francofile, I was salivating at the Parisian streets and architecture, as most of the film takes place on Parisian city streets. During their journey, they meet up with various transients, from a French cabbie (one of my favorite characters in the whole film) to French model Noemie Lenoir, arguably one of the most beautiful women on the planet.

The film is quick paced—with enough action to make you dizzy. Jackie Chan doesn't disappoint with his physical artistry. Although he still seems uncomfortable in delivering his lines in a meaningful way, that just adds to his charm and you can't imagine anyone taking his place. The film also plays off the racial differences between the pair. There is never a dull moment in the progression of Chan and Lee's relationship—as they go from partners in the first movie, to friends in the second movie, to brothers in the third. Whether they're dangling from the Eiffel Tower, getting a serious whiff of French sewage (giving new meaning to stinky French cheese) or dancing on a Parisian burlesque stage, you can see the respect they slowly gain for one another as characters.  If they have a fourth movie I can't imagine how much closer they can get…hmmm. Anyhoo, I am planning to stream the interview on my site soon before air—so you can check it all out! This film will be in theaters August 10.

Interview with Harry Connick Jr....(May 24)…





Alright folks, I had been trying for weeks to secure an interview with musician Harry Connick Jr. and just when I thought it wasn't going to happen, I got latenight--"Harry can do interviews tomorrow at 10:00 am." Needless to say I was thrilled.  This guy has it all-  a gifted musician and actor, a family man and humanitarian, I was so ready to interview this incredible artist and veritable icon. Not to mention I used to have a huge crush on him...hello people!








I arrived at the venue this morning and waited about 15 minutes…then Connick walked in, tall, about 6'1,radiant skin, wearing jeans, black t-shirt, a casual almost military style jacket, and a New Orleans Saints cap. I only wish he wasn't wearing that darn cap because I love his hair! He was mellow and charming, a southern gentleman. No pretension, no high maintenance behavior, he gave me the time I needed for the interview. And he even hung out for some additional shots we had to get before leaving. Once we finished and packed up up all our gear, we saw him outside in front of about five tour buses and he gave us one last goodbye. So refreshing to see someone like him be so down to earth.