I was just enjoying some lovely photos from yesterday's New York premiere of I Am Legend. Let's start with Jada Pinkett Smith, who is not in the movie but who, of course, has reason to be interested in its success.

Here's Salli Richardson, who plays Zoe in I Am Legend and has also had roles on Eureka, Bones, CSI: Miami and House. … continue reading

Filmmaker Tata Amaral named her musical drama Antônia in honor of her storytelling great-grandfather, but it makes me think of the two Antonias I already admire and adore: Willa Cather's My Ántonia and the matriarch of Dutch film Antonia's Line. If the four women at the center of the new Brazilian film possess the same strength as their real and fictional forebears, they'll do more than just survive — but survival comes first, and their fight for it is the subject of Antônia. The film is currently playing in New York, Newark and Los Angeles, with dates planned in additional cities soon.

As if positive name associations and a movie poster describing women on stage as glorious warriors aren't enough, the film is earning generally excellent reviews for its realistic depiction of the musical and personal challenges faced by São Paulo residents and aspiring rap artists Preta, Lena, Barbarah and Mayah (Negra Li, Cindy, Leilah Moreno and Quelynah respectively). All four stars are actual rap, hip-hop and pop musicians rather than professional actors; they wrote some of the music in the film and still perform together. It's no wonder they're each so natural with a mic. … continue reading

Twenty-five-year-old actress Alice Braga has just been cast as the female lead in a Universal sci-fi thriller, Repossession Mambo, initially planned for release in 2010. Haven't heard of Braga? You will, soon. And believe me, this Brazilian-born, tri-lingual talent is worth checking out.

Braga is probably best known in the U.S. for the 2002 Brazilian film Cidade de Deus (City of God), which received four Academy Award nominations. She's been working full-tilt in Brazilian cinema since, earning a couple of "Best Actress" awards (view an absolutely adorable clip of her at last year's Sundance here), and she's also made the jump to Hollywood. This year will see the release of several major films with her in the cast. In I Am Legend, set to hit cinemas on December 14, she'll be facing an apocalypse with Will Smith. Here's a shot from the set:

Another project is Crossing Over, in which she's working with Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd, and Sean Penn. Set in Los Angeles, this ensemble drama depicts immigration through the eyes of different immigrant groups as well as INS officers. Braga's also signed on for Blindness, starring Julianne Moore and Sandra Oh, among others. (She's in another film slated for 2008, Redbelt, but as it reportedly features Tim Allen as some sort of former martial arts action hero, I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist.) … continue reading