Uneven directorial effort from Angelina Jolie

Being an A-list movie star, Angelina Jolie is offered the best film projects, and the critical and commercial success of her most recent starrer, “Maleficent,” is proof positive of her gift for making the right film choices. However, when it comes to her incipient directing career, her vision isn’t 20-20, as her new directorial effort, “Unbroken,” has indicated.
On point of inspirational power, the project is top-of-the-line, because it shows how a young sports hero and soldier is able to survive years of cruel treatment in a Japanese concentration camp with his heart and soul intact.
The film’s protagonist, Louis Zamperini, overcomes a rebellious and lawbreaking childhood to become an Olympian runner—and the true grit he has gained from his training as a champion athlete enables him to first survive a plane crash and weeks adrift in the ocean, before he ends up in the concentration camp.

JOLIE. Her heart is in the right place.

Being a prisoner of war is tough enough, but Zamperini’s lot turns out to be even more daunting, because the camp’s commander is a psycho who makes it his personal objective to “break” the sports hero who is now his prisoner.
He never runs out of terrible punishments to inflict on his hapless victim of choice, including his order for Zamperini to be punched by each of the camp’s prisoners!
Heavy beam
Worst of all, he makes Zamperini lift a heavy wooden beam for a very long time—until his victim shows him who’s really in charge—by not just bearing his load, but even triumphantly lifting it over his head!
That truly inspiring and literally uplifting image is cause for cinematic celebration—but, the film as a whole is hampered by its uneven and episodic structure:
The first third of the film focuses on its hero’s back story as a child and young man; the second on his ordeal as a crash survivor, and the final third on his long incarceration.
Jolie isn’t able to fuse those three sections together into a thematically organic whole, so her film’s development feels occasionally choppy and episodic.
The storytelling’s “flow” of events is less than insightful, so by the time we get to the concentration camp, we’re a bit weary, and some of the incidents that are dramatized feel repetitive.
In addition, this final section requires Jolie to keep track of many other prisoners, resulting in a loss of focus on the film’s principal protagonist.
A more experienced and insightful director would have done better at this “multifocus” assignment, so perhaps Jolie chose too big a chunk of cinema to bite into at this early stage of her directorial career?
Still, her heart and talent are in the right place, so we trust that her next film will turn out to be a more focused, better-paced and more confident cinematic achievement!

Source: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/164388/uneven-directorial-effort-from-angelina-jolie#ixzz3T3DkOWVJ

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Fighting: Brad Wants Kids To Go To School and Be Normal, Angelina Won’t Allow It

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s six adorable tots are growing up right before our eyes, the youngest of their sizable brood are twins Vivienne and Knox – who are now five years old! It seems like just yesterday Angelina was walking the red carpet with her ginormous baby bump. Angelina and Brad’s kids are living the lifestyles of the rich and famous, jetsetting more in a month than we have in our entire lives – but according to new report the famous actors’ offspring are sick of being homeschooled and want to go to school like normal kids.

Angelina Jolie’s parenting has always been very strict – and the actress is constantly under fire for not allowing her six kids to partake in fun or traditional kids’ activities. According to the March 9th edition of OK! Magazine, “They may get to travel the world and attend Hollywood premieres, but sources say the Brangelina brood are begging for one thing that every normal kid gets to experience – going to school. Given their parents hectic schedules the six kids have been mostly homeschooled.”

OK! Magazine’s insider goes on to reveal that Brad and Angelina are actually feuding over whether or not their children should be allowed to attend school. The source snitched to the tabloid, “Brad thinks they are missing out on the social experience, he dreams of being able to take the kids to their sports games, like his dad did for him.”

We totally get where Brad is coming from, but for once we are going to have to agree with Angelina on this one. Even if they ship their six kids off to school, they’re not going to get the “normal social experience” just because their parents are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, regardless of what school they enroll them in. It’s not like their parents are reality TV stars or news anchors, they’re Brangelina! Do you think they should give their kids a shot at normalcy? 

Source:http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2015/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-fighting-brad-wants-kids-school-normal-angelina-allow-photos/

Angelina Jolie Grabs World's Most Admired Woman Title

 anked first in a YouGov.com survey to determine the most admirable woman in the world, according to the news agency Al Arabiya.
Jolie is also noted for her extensive charity work; she is currently a Special Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. According to the organization's web site, she has donated over $5 million to the organization since 2001 and has personally visited with refugees and underprivileged children in Haiti, Namibia, Cambodia, Ethiopia and other places.
Almost 30,000 people from 23 countries took part in the poll, in which Jolie prevailed over human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II, who held second, third and fourth positions, respectively.
Apart from Jolie, the poll analysis specifically pointed to the success of Democratic Party politician Hillary Clinton.
"Though Hillary has not officially declared her candidacy for the 2016 presidential elections, she is widely considered a favorite to follow Barack Obama into the White House. As this year's Most Admired survey shows, she enjoys widespread public esteem, both here and abroad," the analysis said.
Separately, Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates secured the title of "the world's most admired man" in a poll that also gave kudos to Pope Francis, Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
President Barack Obama, who ranked first last year, ranked second.

Source: http://sputniknews.com/society/20150201/1017619591.html#ixzz3SIJLBXNt

Hollywood flashback: Angelina Jolie's first photoshoot aged 16 revealed

Using a metal chair as her prop, Angelina stared straight at the camera she worked the outfit.
The pictures of the star come just days after her father, Jon Voight, has demanded Angelina deserved to be nominated for an Oscar.
Unbroken, a highly anticipated Second World War epic, was seen as Ange's breakthrough movie as a director.
But while the film gained three Oscar nods, including for best cinematography, Angelina missed out on a chance to win the much coveted gong.

Pictures of the 39-year-old as a teenager have been released, showing her posing in a swimsuit wearing red lipstick.
Staring into the camera, Angelina is clearly recognisable despite the shoot taking place in 1991 - meaning the mother-of-six was 16 years old.
Her brunette hair tied up, the star looked confident and pouted for the camera as she posed wearing a black one-piece.
Practising many poses, Ange was sat on a black leather stool swivelling around as she changed position.
In a nod to her Tomb Raider days, the youngster then changed into a black PVC top and lace black leggings.

 

Sean McCall/Coleman-Rayner

The star was clearly a confident teenager

 

Sean McCall/Coleman-Rayner

Little did Angelina know she would go on to wear PVC again in Tomb Raider

Her father said: "I wish she had [been nominated] because I think she deserved it."
The 76-year-old added: "I think her direction is really astounding and if she wasn't my daughter I'd still say, 'I want to work for that one'."
He continued: "She's a great actor's director - the pace of the film, the size of the film. Unbelievably difficult stuff that she accomplished."
Father and daughter have both had previous Oscar success however: Jon won the best actor gong in 1978 for playing a paraplegic in Coming Home, while Angelina got 1999's best supporting actress for Girl, Interrupted.

Using a metal chair as her prop, Angelina stared straight at the camera she worked the outfit.
The pictures of the star come just days after her father, Jon Voight, has demanded Angelina deserved to be nominated for an Oscar.
Unbroken, a highly anticipated Second World War epic, was seen as Ange's breakthrough movie as a director.
But while the film gained three Oscar nods, including for best cinematography, Angelina missed out on a chance to win the much coveted gong.

 

Sean McCall/Coleman-Rayner

The star held up a piece of material as she posed in a bikini

 

Sean McCall/Coleman-Rayner

Angelina has gone on to be one of the world's most impressive Hollywood actresses

Her father said: "I wish she had [been nominated] because I think she deserved it."
The 76-year-old added: "I think her direction is really astounding and if she wasn't my daughter I'd still say, 'I want to work for that one'."
He continued: "She's a great actor's director - the pace of the film, the size of the film. Unbelievably difficult stuff that she accomplished."
Father and daughter have both had previous Oscar success however: Jon won the best actor gong in 1978 for playing a paraplegic in Coming Home, while Angelina got 1999's best supporting actress for Girl, Interrupted.

Source:http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/559384/Angelina-Jolie-first-photoshoot-aged-16

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Accused Of Not Being Good Parents To Shiloh For Supporting Their Daughter's Gender Preference

While many praised Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for supporting Shiloh's supposed gender preference, some are not impressed with the Hollywood star's parenting style.
It's been made known that the A-list couple is a devoted HRC and LGBT group supporter and their principle is not only paraded in public but inside their family as well.
None supporters of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's parenting style condemned the couple by expressing their disappointment with the Hollywood couple.
Hollywood Life released an article in 2010 accusing the couple of cross-dressing their daughter, Shiloh.
"So Brad and so Angelina-what's up with the cross-gender dressing for Shiloh? Did YOU both want another boy, not a girl? Maddox and Pax weren't enough? Aren't you worried that you're going to confuse little Shiloh? Give her gender identity issues? Isn't it hard enough to grow up without your parents dressing you like the opposite sex?" The publication stated.
A Facebook user named Tina, on the other hand, blamed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's lack of maturity in raising their child.
"I find it hilarious that Pitt and Jolie are up in arms about this, since they them selves lack the maturity to help their confused child, duo to them letting their kids do what ever they want, like Shiloh dressing like a boy because she wants to be a boy, and be called John or Pete, really, if you two idiots were half the parents you could be, how about guiding your kids in life instead of letting them wander," she said.
Daily Mail previously reported that Angelina Jolie thinks nothing of her daughter's desire to be called John instead of her given name.
"I don't think it's for the world to interpret anything. She likes to dress like a boy and wants her hair cut like a boy and she wanted to be called 'John' for a while," the "Unbroken" director told the publication.
"Some kids wear capes and want to be Superman and she wants to be like her brothers. It's who she is. It's been a surprise to us and it's really interesting, but she's so much more than that - she's funny and sweet and pretty," the 39-year-old Hollywood superstar explained.
Brad Pitt on the other hand, expressed his support for Shiloh in an interview with Oprah.
"She only wants to be called John. John or Peter, so it's a Peter Pan thing. So we've got to call her John," he said, adding that when he starts to call her by her given name, she corrects him.
"So you know, it's just that kind of stuff that's cute to parents, and it's probably really obnoxious to other people."

Source:http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/176808/20150219/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-shiloh.htm

Angelina Jolie urges sex attacks crackdown

Angelina Jolie has said “there is no stable future for a world in which crimes committed against women go unpunished” as she opened the UK’s first academic centre on women, peace and security.
The Oscar-winning actress and special envoy for the UN high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) believes the centre at the London School of Economics (LSE) will help to boost the global campaign for women’s rights and stamp out the use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon.
She said: “I am excited at the thought of all the students in years to come who will study in this new centre. There is no stable future for a world in which crimes committed against women go unpunished.

We need the next generation of educated youth with inquisitive minds and fresh energy, who are willing not only to sit in the classroom but to go out into the field and the courtrooms and to make a decisive difference.”
She joined former foreign secretary and Cabinet minister William Hague at the launch.
The pair co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in 2012 to bring academic expertise to focus on preventing crimes of sexual violence, holding perpetrators to account and protecting the rights of survivors.

Study towards an MSc degree in Women, Peace and Security will be available at the centre from 2016.
Mr Hague said: “By founding this centre LSE is setting an impressive example to other universities in the UK and around the world.
“I’m delighted that as we take forward the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative we’ll be able to work with the UK’s first academic centre on Women, Peace and Security at the LSE, providing the ideas and rigorous academic understanding needed to expand equal rights, equal freedom and equal opportunity for women everywhere.”
LSE director Professor Craig Calhoun and Professor Christine Chinkin, are heading up the new centre.
Prof Calhoun said it as “a remarkable opportunity for us to bring together academic and policy experts and those in the front line of tackling violence against women” while Prof Chinkin described it as “a ground-breaking initiative” .
Messages of support were read from US Secretary of State John Kerry and Hillary Clinton.
She said the LSE centre would help give women “the tools and resources to break the barriers that keep them from contributing and participating fully in their governments, economies and societies”.
Mr Kerry, wrote: “This initiative would be welcome at any moment but it is especially timely now as we strike to prevent further atrocities, by Daesh, al Qaida, Boko Haram, al Shabab and other terrorist groups that are kidnapping and abusing women and girls and are consigning thousands into slavery.”

Source:http://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/leisure/national/11783858.Angelina_Jolie_urges_sex_attacks_crackdown/

Angelina Jolie Reveals Her Decision To Quit Acting Influenced By The Death Of Her Mother

The actress has lately been focussing on directing and her humanitarian work.

Angelina Jolie has revealed that she took the decision to turn away from acting following the death of her mother.
In an interview with French magazine Dandy, the 39 year old actress admitted that her real interests laid elsewhere after her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, passed away from ovarian cancer in 2007.

Angelina Jolie spoke to Dandy magazine about her plans for the future

When she was asked about the motivation behind her decision to leave the big screen altogether, Jolie replied “It's somewhat personal. When my mother died, I realized how much my being an actress was linked to her desire to be an actress herself, and especially what satisfaction it brought her when she saw me onscreen. Once she was gone, I didn't feel the same attraction for it.”
She continued: “What I really like is to be behind the camera, to put others into the light. Being in the spotlight's shine doesn't interest me. I prefer to have my head almost underwater.”

Recently, Jolie has spoken of her desire to direct films – she directed and produced the acclaimed Unbroken last year - and focus on her humanitarian work. In January she visited Iraqi refugees and met victims of ISIS, and in February she launched an agency which aims to prevent violence against women in warzones.
Jolie last appeared on the silver screen in 2014’s Maleficent, and is due to star in the upcoming drama By The Sea alongside husband Brad Pitt, which she wrote and is directing.
She’s not confirmed if this appearance will be her last, but a glance at her filmography certainly shows a dip in her output since 2007. Since the turn of the decade, she has only been credited in three movies – starring in Salt and the aforementioned Maleficent, and a voice credit for Kung Fu Panda 2.

Source:http://www.contactmusic.com/angelina-jolie/news/angelina-jolie-decision-quit-acting-influenced-death-mother_4584611

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Marriage: Actress Says 'It Took Me Time To Find A Real Man' In New Interview

On Friday, Dandy Magazine shared an interview with Angelina Jolie that explored how she is handling married life with husband Brad Pitt.
"At 20, we're all looking for Prince Charming, the big handsome hunk, only we're generally disappointed because of his instability. At 40, you know what you want: a real man," she said of her husband.

ADVERTISEMENT

When probed about her wedding and how the experience was, she said:
"It wasn't a wedding in grand style, but we were all very at ease, very cool. It was absolutely adorable to see how excited [our children] were by the idea, and how much they were all involved.For example, we told Knox and Shiloh they'd carry the rings without specifying they'd have a cushion to carry them. On the day, they arrived with two matched cushions on their own. I imagine they'd seen it in a movie. In short, they were so cute!"
The magazine also tried to get a straightforward answer from the star on why she is choosing to put acting on hold for a while.
"It's somewhat personal. When my mother died, I realized how much my being an actress was linked to her desire to be an actress herself, and especially what satisfaction it brought her when she saw me onscreen. Once she was gone, I didn't feel the same attraction for it," she said.
But that doesn't mean she doesn't desire to be in the entertainment industry at all.
"What I really like is to be behind the camera, to put others into the light. Being in the spotlight's shine doesn't interest me. I prefer to have my head almost underwater ... than be dainty in front of the cameras."

Source:http://www.enstarz.com/articles/67065/20150214/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-marriage-actress-took-time-find-real.htm

Angelina Jolie explains why she lost her drive for acting

Angelina Jolie has revealed the "personal" reason behind falling out of love with acting. The 39-year-old star, who recently revealed she wants to focus on directing and her humanitarian work in the future, said that she only realised her passions lay elsewhere after losing her mum Marcheline Bertrand to ovarian cancer in 2007, the Mirror reported.
The Unbroken director added that when her mother died, she realised how much her being an actress was linked to her mom's desire to be an actress herself, and especially what satisfaction it brought her when she saw Jolie onscreen.
Jolie added that once her mum was gone, she didn't feel the same attraction for it, adding that what she really likes is to be behind the camera, to put others into the light. The Maleficent star said that being in the spotlight's shine doesn't interest her as she prefers to have her head almost underwater.

Source:http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-angelina-jolie-explains-why-she-lost-her-drive-for-acting-2061180

Marvel may have offered Angelina Jolie $20 million to direct 'Captain Marvel'

Angelina Jolie wants to quit acting.
Last year she told Entertainment Weekly, "I see myself moving into directing more and doing much less as an actor. I have a few more [roles] in me, ones I have been developing for some time, so I will do those before I step away."
Jolie's next role will be in "By the Sea," a 1970s Euro-romance that she wrote and directed. And it costars her husband, Brad Pitt. Pretty cozy.
Jolie is also set to direct Pitt again in the horribly titled "Africa," about ivory poaching in 1980s Kenya.
As a director Jolie is working her way up through decades and continents. But could she be working her way up to a whole new universe? The Marvel Cinematic Universe?
According to non-nerd magazine "OK!" Marvel has offered Jolie a cool $20 million to direct its first female-led superhero movie, "Captain Marvel."

"Captain Marvel," centering on super-heroine Carol Danvers, is set to become the first female-centric film from the comic studio, so it makes sense that execs want a woman behind the camera too: Angelina Jolie! An insider reveals that bosses at Disney-owned Marvel were so impressed with "Unbroken" that they're offering Angie $20 million for the gig. "Having a female director is a priority for them," explains the source, adding that Angie is thrilled by the offer. "She never thought she'd be in such huge demand as a director, and to be courted by Marvel after the Sony fiasco is a huge pat on the back."

Take the source with a grain of salt. Last year, Marvel parted ways with its best-known potential director, preferring Peyton Reed of "Bring it On" to the standalone ideas (i.e., not Marvel Universe-connecting) of Edgar Wright.
We don't see Jolie as a "yes" woman. The Sony email hack revealed that mega-producer Scott Rudin viewed the actress-director as "spoiled." And if she wants to quit acting for directing, we assume she'll want to provide immense input on every project.
But with DC and Marvel competing for stake-raising in the comic book universe, maybe Marvel would splurge for a splashy name behind the camera for "Captain Marvel," as DC's "Wonder Woman" will get out of the gate first (Gal Gadot will star in her own standalone film, directed by Michelle MacLaren of "Breaking Bad"; due in 2017). And names don't get much splashier than Angelina Jolie.
Bonus: The war scene was the best-directed section in "Unbroken," and the flashback scenes to Louis Zamperini's Olympic days were very "Captain America"-like.
What we do know is that Marvel has slated its first female-led comic book movie for July 6, 2018. And it will be an origin story, of a "human woman who receives powers from an encounter with the alien Kree Empire."

Source: http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2015/02/marvel-angelina-jolie-captain-marvel#ixzz3RMLlAdlI

Angelina Jolie Opens Center to Combat War Zone Violence

Angelina Jolie and England’s First Secretary of State William Hague have just opened the fist-ever academic center to combat violence against women in war zones across Europe.
The center will be based at the London School of Economics in England, and will primarily focus on women in conflict-related issues and on broadening accountability to end rape and sex crimes in relation to war.
“I am excited at the thought of all the students in years to come who will study in this new Centre. There is no stable future for a world in which crimes committed against women go unpunished,” Angelina said in a statement. “We need the next generation of educated youth with inquisitive minds and fresh energy, who are willing not only to sit in the classroom but to go out into the field and the courtrooms and to make a decisive difference.”
 
Source:http://www.justjared.com/2015/02/10/angelina-jolie-opens-center-to-combat-war-zone-violence/

Angelina Jolie protests child marriage: Ms. magazine

Superstar and human rights activist Angelina Jolie speaks against child marriage in the new issue of Ms. magazine, editors said Friday.
Miss Jolie has taken a stand against the “child bride” practice, citing data that finds as many as one-third of girls in developing countries are forced to marry before age 18.

These child marriages not only force girls to give up on their dreams and drop out of school, but endanger their very lives when they’re expected to become young mothers,” said Ms. magazine’s editors.The new article will also profile Miss Jolie’s partnership with Ethiopian filmmakers to raise awareness of child marriage in a 2014 film, “DIFRET.”
The movie title has multiple meanings, including “courage.”A woman in Lagos, Nigeria protests the practice of marrying girls when
The film recounts the horrifying 1996 story of a 14-year-old Ethiopian teen who spurned a man seeking to marry her; he retaliated by kidnapping and raping her. She escaped with the man’s gun and used it to kill him when he came for her again.

Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/6/angelina-jolie-protests-child-marriage-ms-magazine/#ixzz3R3ojAS9o

Angelina Jolie Brad Pitt Marriage Headed To Splitsville? 'Unbroken' Director Demanding Husband To Go To Rehab?

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are again being rumored to having trouble with their marriage.
This time around, Brad's alleged love of alcohol is reportedly taking a toll at the "Unbroken" director. Angelina has reportedly given her husband an ultimatum; "stop drinking" or "go to rehab."
Reportedly, the "Fury" star loss $25,000 in a poker game after drinking too much.
"After Angie heard about Brad's hard partying, she really laid into him," an alleged source of The National Enquirer claimed. "She told him to start acting like a father of six, or else he was off to rehab."
Furthermore, the gossip publication is claiming that Angelina Jolie is so pissed off at Brad Pitt that she warns him of his not so father-like behavior.
"She told Brad to straighten up his act and get off the sauce - or else she was sending him off to clean up his act!" the alleged insider said.
In addition another insider has claimed that Brad's unwillingness to stop drinking alcohol could possibly lead to the end of his marriage with the "Unbroken" director.
"Brad's promised to rein in the boozing for years, but he hasn't followed through. If Brad doesn't stop his constant partying, their relationship may not last," the alleged source claimed.
However, such claims are said to be all lies. According to Gossip Cop, the tabloid has been constantly making up stories about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie for years.
"The Enquirer is grasping at straws," a reliable source reportedly told Gossip Cop.

Source:http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/172386/20150206/angelina-jolie-unbroken-brad-pitt.htm

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Kids: Is The Couple Planning To Adopt Another Child?

On Tuesday, International Business Times mentioned that the couple is looking into adopting a Syrian orphan to add to their growing family.
The parents are already parents of: Maddox, 13, Pax, 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, 8, Knox, 6, and Vivienne, 6.

The two have not publicly announced that they are going to adopt another child, but a rumor that they will is currently circulating.
A source told U.K. news site, the Sun, that the two want to have a biological baby together and adopt another child.
"Angie and Brad's attitude toward kids is the more the better -- and that once you have several a few more makes no difference. The publicity would help draw the world's attention to what's going on there. The twins are now 4 and Angie and Brad have agreed it's time for more kids. They're crossing their fingers that they'll bring their next child home soon."
Three of their children are biological and the other children were adopted from varying countries.
Maddox was born in Cambodia, Zahara is from Ethiopia and Pax is from Vietnam.
Jolie reportedly recently visited Iraq and discussed her travel to the country with The New York TImes.
"I have visited Iraq five times since 2007, and I have seen nothing like the suffering I'm witnessing now," she said. "For many years I have visited camps, and every time, I sit in a tent and hear stories. I try my best to give support. To say something that will show solidarity and give some kind of thoughtful guidance. On this trip I was speechless."

Source:http://www.enstarz.com/articles/63898/20150131/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-kids-couple-planning-adopt-another-child.htm

Alvaston star brings Angelina Jolie to Derby to meet his mum

Jack O'Connell: Alvaston star brings Angelina Jolie to Derby to meet his mum By ktyler_dt | Posted: February 01, 2015 Jack O'Connell appeared in Angelina Jolie's film, Unbroken. Jack appeared on The Graham Norton Show alongside Dame Judi Dench. Jack O'Connell appeared in Angelina Jolie's film, Unbroken. Previous Next Comments (1) RISING star Jack O’Connell brought Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to Derby to meet his mum. He revealed the visit had taken place last year during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show on BBC television. Ms Jolie directed Alvaston-born Jack’s latest film Unbroken, which tells the story of Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini, and for which he has been nominated for a publicly-voted BAFTA. He told Graham that Ms Jolie has asked to meet his family which led to Graham quipping that he bet it left his mother “cleaning for a month”, when it would have been “easier to meet in a restaurant”. To which Jack seemed to indicate the meeting had been in a restaurant but did not reveal any further details. Related content Jack O'Connell: Derby star to appear on The Graham Norton Show tonight OSCARS: Derby actor Jack O'Connell 100/1 for nomination for Best Actor in Unbroken Derby County: Hollywood star Jack O'Connell tells of his support for the Rams - with video Jack O'Connell: "I don't shut up about Derby when I'm away from home" VIDEO: You show Angelina Jolie how the Derby accent is REALLY done! ANGELINA JOLIE VIDEO: Hollywood megastar greets Derby actor Jack O'Connell with "Ay Up Me Duck" at glittering awards ceremony Instead he said: “She didn’t need to. But she came and connected with the most important people in my life in what was a really personal affair.” A mention of Derby brought a rousing cheer from the studio audience and led Jack to say: “That’s my lift home there.” Jack was the final guest on the programme, which also featured actress Dame Judi Dench and Dev Patel Judi Dench and Dev Patel, who started his career in teen drama Skins - which Jack also appeared in – to talk about their new film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Sitting next to Dame Judi, Jack paid tribute to her acting career and said he had been privileged to work with her last year on a 17th-century big-screen love story called Tulip Fever due out later this year. He also said he had been privileged to work with Sir Michael Caine and that the experiences had helped him moving forward in his career. He admitted he would like to win a Bafta but said it was very competitive. He encourage dpeople to vote for him by giving out the online voting website address. Bringing up the subject of tattoos gave Graham Norton the chance to show a picture of Jack with a fake tattoo of a pair of hands grasping his bottom, to which Dame Judi feigned a swoon. Ms Jolie hit the headlines last autumn when she presented the 24-year-old with a New Hollywood Award and made him feel right at home with an “Ay up me duck” greeting. She said: “It’s hard to find a young man today with more fight, more fire. “It is my privilege to present the New Hollywood Award to the least Hollywood person I know ... straight from Derby.” After sharing a hug with her, Jack quipped “Ay up me ducks” into the microphone before giving his speech.


Source: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Jack-O-Connell-Alvaston-star-brings-Angelina/story-25953756-detail/story.html#ixzz3QVCXv2yE Follow us: @DerbyTelegraph on Twitter | derbytelegraph on Facebook

Angelina Jolie On The Syrians And Iraqis Who Can’t Go Home

 I HAVE visited Iraq five times since 2007, and I have seen nothing like the suffering I’m witnessing now.

I came to visit the camps and informal settlements where displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees are desperately seeking shelter from the fighting that has convulsed their region.

In almost four years of war, nearly half of Syria’s population of 23 million people has been uprooted. Within Iraq itself, more than two million people have fled conflict and the terror unleashed by extremist groups. These refugees and displaced people have witnessed unspeakable brutality. Their children are out of school, they are struggling to survive, and they are surrounded on all sides by violence.

For many years I have visited camps, and every time, I sit in a tent and hear stories. I try my best to give support. To say something that will show solidarity and give some kind of thoughtful guidance. On this trip I was speechless.

What do you say to a mother with tears streaming down her face who says her daughter is in the hands of the Islamic State, or ISIS, and that she wishes she were there, too? Even if she had to be raped and tortured, she says, it would be better than not being with her daughter.

Source:http://www.malaysiandigest.com/world/540214-angelina-jolie-on-the-syrians-and-iraqis-who-can-t-go-home.html