Don’t we long for some hair pulling and cat fighting among the Oscar nominees? Well, with Meryl Streep and Viola Davis in the mix, it’s going to be very dullsville. First of all Streep–in the mix for “The Iron Lady”–has written a love letter to Davis in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly. Then, I’m told, that Davis is presenting to Streep on January 9th at the New York Film Critics Circle dinner. Davis, of course, is in the mix for “The Help” as lead actress. So much love! So little sniping! Actually none!
Last night I ran into Viola Davis and husband Julius at the premiere of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Again, she only had nice things to say about everyone. And Davis got to meet Joely Richardson, so outstanding as Harriet Vanger in “Tattoo.” Viola said: “I have to sit down and ask Meryl how she has managed to live her life normally all these years. This is what I want to learn from her. She doesn’t let anything get to her.”
Meanwhile, the whole “Tattoo” crowd was there including director David Fincher, producer Scott Rudin, snazzy Sony chief Amy Pascal, plus Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgard. Their movie has opened late in the awards season, so they’re hoping to still catch a Golden Globe or Oscar nod. (We’ll see this morning on the former.) Rooney Mara is eye popping sensational as Lisbeth Salander, the punk bi-sexual investigator who doesn’t take any you know what.
Plummer, meantime, is glowing. On Tuesday he turned 82. He’s in the Oscar mix for Best Supporting Actor in “Beginners.” He’s superb in “Tattoo.” He doesn’t stop. What a year, huh? “It’s not bad,” he said, with a Cheshire grin.
By the way, the excellent American version of “Tattoo” boasts a couple of cameos from actors we don’t see so often: Embeth Davidtz, who made her name in “Schindler’s List,” and Julian Sands. Plus Alan Dale, who played the evil Charles Widmore on “Lost” so memorably, is a police detective.
