Scarlett Johansson has been urged to quit making commercials and concentrate on movies.

Scarlett Johansson has been urged to quit making commercials and concentrate on movies.

The 'We Bought A Zoo' actress is the face of Moet Champagne and Dolce & Gabbana make-up but her 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' co-star Tom Wilkinson believes the actress is wasting her talents in promos.

He told BANG Showbiz: "There are times I want to say to actors, 'You shouldn't be doing this, this is the one thing you shouldn't be doing.'

"An actress I know quite well, who I haven't seen for a few years now, but I used to know quite well is Scarlett Johansson. I want to say to her enough is enough already with the ads for make-up, she is such a good actress she's probably making bundles and bundles of money being the face of whatever it is. But nevertheless I want to say she's such a good actress! I was watching her yesterday in something she did with Dennis Quaid 'In Good Company'. It's not necessarily a good movie but she is such a good actress, I want to say that's what you do best, the other stuff is secondary."

However, Scarlett may not appreciate the advice as Tom - who can next be seen in 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' with Dev Patel and Dame Judi Dench - admits most younger stars don't ask him for help when he works with them.

The 64-year-old actor said: "I've never been asked for advice, not quite in that sense, most actors just know what to do." - Bang Showbiz

Two years after its screening, a local film still questions the impact the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup had on SA.

As Johannesburg city fathers claim that they are winning the fight against the decay in the once vibrant city centre, the film: “The Battle for Johannesburg” by Rehad Desai has captured renewed interest at the inaugural Jozi Film Festival.

Organisers of the three-day festival which took place last week, said the support augured well for the planned annual event which aims to highlight films about and by the people of Johannesburg.

Desai’s production captured the changing face of Johannesburg as it prepared to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“It’s a tale of property developers vying for sections of the crumbling city with renewed excitement, of a city council determined to create a world class city and ultimately of how this affects the hundreds of thousands of people who have made the city slums their home,” he said.

“There is money to be spent, even more to be made and conflicting interests at stake. As whole areas around the stadium get a brush up and the middle classes, black and white, begin to move back in, beneath the scramble for property and space is a human story of survival.”

The film shows how foreign nationals from Africa and Asia appear to be exploited as they try to eke out a living from unscrupulous absentee landlords – their threatening agents on the one hand and the municipality.

But amid the squalor and suffering, there is also the odd positive story of tenants taking things into their own hands as they try to better their living conditions.

Two years after the film was first screened, the questions raised in it remain very valid as the Johannesburg city council relentlessly tries to take back buildings hijacked by gangsters and drug lords and hand them back to their rightful owners.

Desai said Battle for Johannesburg would be shown on SABC1 soon. - POST

Jennifer Aniston says she was friends with then-co-star Justin Theroux before they started dating.

Jennifer Aniston says she was friends with Justin Theroux before they started dating.

The 43-year-old actress has been romancing the actor for around 10 months but insists rumours they got together on the set of their new film 'Wanderlust' are false as they didn't become a couple until shooting had wrapped.

She said: "Nothing happened on that movie, it's the easy rumour. Nothing happened, we were just friends. I have known Justin a long time."

Jennifer admits she's smitten with Justin - who broke-up with his long-term girlfriend to start a relationship with the former 'Friends' star - as he's talented as well as a nice guy.

During an appearance on TV show 'Good Morning America', she said: "He is really cute. He is great - he's a great actor."

While she didn't find romance on the set of 'Wanderlust', Jennifer enjoyed every minute of filming because she could be anonymous as it was in Georgia.

The screen beauty - who was previously married to Brad Pitt - said: "The main thing that was so refreshing for me was being in Clarksville, Georgia. You felt this weight lifted off of your shoulders.

"No being on guard and looking over your shoulder - 'Who's that over there, who has a cell phone?' The anonymity was regained and I loved it." - Bang Showbiz

Acclaimed actor lets his wife decide who should win the Oscar

The Academy Award is Hollywood’s ultimate prize, not that Denzel Washington seems to care. The acclaimed actor has admitted that he lets his wife make the final decision on his Oscar vote because he could be bothered to watch all the movies.

Washington, a two-time Oscar recipient, says his ex-beauty queen spouse Pauletta is the real movie buff.

“Actually, my wife watches all of the movies. You know they send you the DVDs and she watches them all,” he said.

“So she actually does the voting, I'll be honest with you. I watch some of them but she watches them all. She's like, 'Oh no, no, no – you don't want to put that one down.”

Washington’s neglect of his duties as a member of the Academy isn’t very helpful considering that the awards ceremony has been criticised as elitist and out of touch. His admission coincides with a new study which revealed that the Academy Awards were overwhelmingly white, middle class, and older.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says it draws its membership from “the most accomplished men and women working in cinema”. It has never, however, revealed who it’s individual members are. The Los Angeles Times, however, confirmed that of the 5100 of the 5765 voting members, 94 per cent are white, 77 per cent are male and 54 per cent are over 60.

According to the Daily Mail, though the figures are representative of those who make movies, they are not representative of those who watch them.

The consensus among critics seems to be that this “white and old” voter bias means that little-watched, but critically acclaimed, movies are more likely to grab the coveted statuette than highly successful crowd-pleasers. - IOL

Actor Michael Douglas will be presenting an award at the Oscars on Sunday.

Michael Douglas will be a presenter at the Oscars on Sunday.

The veteran actor - recovering from throat cancer - is tipped to announce the Best Picture award, although organisers will not confirm this until the night of the ceremony.

Michael is no stranger to the Academy Awards, having won two himself:

Best Actor for his performance in Wall Street in 1987 and the Best Picture Award as a producer of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest in 1975.

The Haywire star will be in good company on the night, as he joins the likes of Halle Berry, Rose Byrne, Bradley Cooper, Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Tom Hanks, Angelina Jolie, and many others in presenting the awards.

Michael - who has children Dylan, 10 and Carys, 8, with Welsh actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as grown-up son Cameron with ex-wife Diandra - said last year he was starting to feel like his “old self” after successful treatment for his cancer.

He said: “I feel pretty good. After a rough treatment programme I'm getting back to feeling like my old self.

“I'm still working on regaining weight and improving my conditioning, but it's coming along well. The most important thing is the cancer is gone and hasn't come back - for the first year after my treatment I have to have it checked each month, but the doctors are very positive.”

The Oscars will take place on Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, hosted by Billy Crystal. - Bang Showbiz

Antonio Banderas will play surrealist painter Pablo Picasso in the new movie 33 Days.

Antonio Banderas will play Pablo Picasso in the new movie 33 Days.

The Desperado star will portray the surrealist painter in a biopic, which charts the artist's emotional struggle while working on his masterpiece mural Guernica.

The film will be directed by Carlos Saura and will also examine the relationship between Picasso and his French lover Dora Marr, who was with him at the time he made Guernica - his reaction to the destruction of the titular town during the Spanish civil war.

Picasso is a character who has long been close to Antonio, as they come from the same city, Malaga, on Spain's southern coast.

Antonio, 51, told El Pais newspaper: “He is a character that followed me for a long time. He deserves a lot of respect because I am Malagan.

“I was born four blocks from where he was born. It has always fascinated me.”

The film is slated to be shot in Paris and Guernica next summer. - Bang Showbiz

Minnie Driver has finally revealed the father of her son.

Minnie Driver has finally revealed the father of her son.

The 42-year-old actress has never disclosed the paternity of three-year-old Henry but now admits he was a writer on her former TV show 'The Riches'.

She added to The Observer magazine: "I don't need to protect him any more. He can fend for himself. He's a grown-up.

"We weren't together and he wasn't directly in the business so I chose to protect him and not have a rain of publicity. He's not famous. There's no big story."

Minnie also admitted that the mystery man has now increased his involvement in their son's life.

She added: "Is he a good dad? Sort of. He's figuring it out... I mean, he hasn't been that involved, his choice. But he is now."

The 'Conviction' star has previously admitted she would like to have more children, but doesn't think she could cope raising two kids on her own.

She has said: "Henry's dad and I probably wouldn't have any more together, but I would love to have more.

"But I couldn't do another one without a partner; I couldn't do two as a single mum, I really couldn't. It would be too much." - Bang Showbiz

Freida Pinto is grateful for Dev Patel's criticisms.

Freida Pinto is grateful for Dev Patel's criticisms.

The 'Trishna' actress - who has been dating her 'Slumdog Millionaire' co-star since they worked on the film in 2007 - likes discussing her work with her boyfriend because she knows he will always give her honest feedback, rather than just say what she wants to hear.

She said: "I like being able to ask Dev, 'What do you think of this?' He's very honest. He's not, 'You were wonderful darling.' He'll be like, 'Hmmm. The film's not really about you but be happy that you made it."

The 27-year-old actress also admitted she wishes directors would see past her beauty and offer her more challenging movie roles.

She added in an interview with Culture magazine: "I wish people would think outside the box when it comes to casting me.

"There's this ultimate satisfaction an actor gets from the effort invested in a part where the transformation takes you as far from yourself as it's possible to go.

"I hope that sort of work comes my way because I feel I can do it.

"I don't think 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' or 'Immortals' had space for that kind of involvement. They want you to give 100 per cent, but the characters don't allow that room for manoeuvre.

"I'm happy I did those films. You realise though, that it's all about getting on set, waiting around doing your job and getting out." - Bang Showbiz

Angelina Jolie wishes she could still speak to her late mother.

Angelina Jolie wishes she could still speak to her late mother.

The actress misses her mum Marcheline Bertrand - who died in January 2007 aged 56 after an eight-year battle with ovarian cancer - and often wants to tell things about her six children, Maddox, 10, Pax, eight, Zahara, seven, Shiloh, five, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

Angelina said: "There are times when I want to talk to my mother about something the children do, and then I realise she is not there."

The 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' director credits her late mother, who was an actress and producer, with instilling a loving nature within her which has never deserted her even when she went through a wild and rebellious stage in her 20s.

In an interview with The Times newspaper, the 36-year-old star - whose father is actor Jon Voight - revealed: "She gave me a great sense of love. I might have been nutty (in my youth) but I was always loving."

Just as Marcheline inspires her as a parent, Angelina says her partner Brad Pitt inspires her everyday and is the rock in her life.

She said: "He is my family ... Brad always says I'm so strong when I'm in the world. But then when I am asleep in my nightgown I'm just like everyone else. I'm not so strong." - Bang Showbiz

Coming on the back of Hollywood's Golden Globes is our controversial awards ceremony - the SA Film and Television Awards. Debashine Thangevelo offers her take on several of the categories…

It's that time of the year when award ceremonies rule the roost. Coming on the back of Hollywood's |Golden Globes is our controversial awards ceremony - the SA Film and Television Awards (Saftas). Debashine Thangevelo offers her take on several of the categories as unveiled by the National Film |and Video Foundation…

Another year, another perplexing selection of Safta nominees... While I fully comprehend that it is a laborious process, as has been outlined by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) in the past - I struggle to find it reflective of an industry as a whole.

Especially when certain channels go largely ignored. A case in point would be Mzansi Magic, which produces a plethora of local shows.

If we were to go on the shows |that got the nod, we would led to |the erroneous belief that the TV industry isn't producing shows. |But maybe that's just me.

And rather than bog myself down with the so-called red tape around the process and the fact that certain channels/producers/ production houses don't submit as they refuse to acknowledge the awards ceremony - a debate for another place and time - I'm going to focus on the 2012 nominees…

DRAMA

One of the most talked-about |drama series of 2011 was SABC1's Intersexions, which had social networks Twitter and Facebook abuzz with comment about the HIV/Aids-centred storylines.

The 26-part series by Curious Pictures curried favour because it mirrored society and was anchored by truthful and intimate story-telling about people from all walks of life.

Unsurprisingly, this series dominates 13 categories: Best TV Drama Series, Best Director on a TV Drama Series, Best Actor in a TV Drama Series, Best Actress in a TV Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a TV Drama Series, Best Writing Team in a TV Drama Series, Best DOP/ Cinemato-grapher in a TV Drama Series, Best Editor on a TV Drama Series, Best Production Design in a TV Drama Series, Best Music Composition in a TV Drama Series, Best Costume Design in a TV Drama Series, Best Make-up & Hair in a TV Drama Series and Best Sound Design in a TV Drama Series.

Although Sokhulu and Partners and Zone 14 are the other contenders, there are no prizes for guessing which show will be cleaning up in this category, eh?

COMEDY

As with drama, there is a firm favourite in this category too. And SABC2's Ga Re Dumele clearly made a big impression on the judging panel.

The series revolved around a couple struggling to let go of their 28 year daughter - their sixth child and the last born.

Ga Re Dumele is up for Best Directors on a TV Comedy, Best Actors in a TV Comedy, Best Actress in a TV Comedy, Best Ensemble, Best Art Director on a TV Comedy and Best TV Comedy.

Offering the series a bit of competition are SABC2's Stokvel with six nominations, SABC1's Gauteng Maboneng with seven nominations, kykNET's Proesstraat with three nominations and SABC2's Rasdien with two nominations.

Personally, it is nice to finally |see a pay channel show given the green light at the Saftas, which was previously mockingly referred to as the SABC awards by the industry.

SOAPS

Interestingly enough, even before the NFVF announced the nominees on Thursday night, SABC2's 7de Laan issued a press release on their conspicuous absence this year.

Colin Howard, 7de Laan line producer, said: "The exclusion of |7de Laan from the Best Soap Award confirms our reservations with the Saftas election process for soaps. Most soaps produce 260 episodes a year and consist of strong ensemble casts and carry four to five storylines per episode.

"To insist that performance awards should be judged on a maximum of three episodes makes no sense for the soaps.

"No single episode could effectively showcase the work of any single cast member - especially when many on the judging panel do not necessarily watch the programme regularly."

The soap is also aghast that all the local soaps weren't in the running for the public vote.

Then again, SABC2's Venda daily drama, Muvhango, didn't make the cut either.

Meanwhile, M-Net's fledgling soap, The Wild, yet to celebrate |its first anniversary, bagged an impressive five nominations for Best Director on a TV Soap, Best Actors in a TV Soap, Best Actress in a TV Soap, Best Ensemble in a TV Soap, Best Technical Team on a TV Soap and Best Art Direction on a TV Soap.

e.tv's Scandal and Rhythm City seem to be going head to head in most of the categories with six and seven nominations respectively.

SA's leading soap, SABC1's Generations, ironically only got two nods (Best Writing Team on a TV Soap and Best Post Production |Team on a TV Soap) while SABC3's Isidingo is in the running for Best Actress in a TV Soap, Best Ensemble on a TV Soap, Best Art Direction on a TV Soap.

My top vote goes to: Tumisho Masha (The Wild) for Best Actor in a TV Soap, Louise Barnes (Scandal) for Best Actress in a TV Soap and The Wild for Best Ensemble on a |TV Soap.

And so the off-screen drama continues to plague the Saftas…

But does anyone care anymore?

• Factual Educational Entertainment

In this category, where curious minds flock for knowledge, four shows were selected.

The Secret to Survival, made by Tin Rage TV, may garnered many fans, but it will have to prove its worth against other equally strong contenders that include Made in China, Media Matters and Groen.

My money is on Media Matters, as it comes across as a well-researched and well-presented show.

• News and Actuality

There are only three nominees in this category. This is also the genre in which factual shows bring viewers closer to the truth on any given subject.

The nominated shows are No Place Like Home: A Brazilian Story, Carte Blanche and the notorious Speak Out. Carte Blanche has a reputation of breaking stories on sensitive subjects and will probably win.

We can’t underestimate Speak Out though, for its in-your-face approach to sensitive subjects. Customers who get a raw deal from service providers know that when they approach this show, they will receive help in exerci-sing their consumer rights. It sometimes feels like Cheaters, but it clearly brings results.

• Best Magazine

Things get interesting when we get to this category. This is where we have a variety of entertain-ment-related content. Carte Blanche returns to contest against the posh show All Access, the colourful Pasella and the amazing Headline.

Without doubt Headline deserves this one, because since it started even the Sunday papers do not come close when it comes to covering entertainment news this fearlessly. If not Headline, then Carte Blanche could get it.

• Variety Show

In this segment three nomina-tions were made and these are Studio 1, Mzansi Magic First Birthday Special and The Masters of Rhythm.

If you forget that The Masters of Rhythm is a lot like Randy Jackson Presents: America’s Best Dance Crew, you will appreciate how the show unravels the hip hop dance culture in SA.

• Best Music Show

This, perhaps, might be the most interesting category of the night for many. Afro Café, Club 808 and Jam Alley Crew vs Crew are competing for the top spot. Your first question must be: where is SABC1’s Live? Jam Alley hasn’t been the same without Twasa and Afro Café is a bit of a dud.

• Game Show

In this category the nominated shows are Jam Alley, Noot Vir Noot and Kom Ons Karaoke. However, the 35-year-old Noot Vir Noot is a hot favourite, as always.

• Best Talk Show

My Top 10 at 10: My Life in Music, Redi and Tonight With Trevor Noah all battle for the top spot. It is hard to decide which one is the best here as they are all good in their own respects. – Munyaradzi Vomo