A word from Marisa: “I don’t prefer much of film over stage… The only thing I prefer is the paycheck.”

Currently called More As This Story Develops, the show takes place behind the scenes – all the scenes – at a cable news show. Alison Pill (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) may play an associate producer, while Marisa Tomei has gotten even closer to the role of executive producer. She’s so close, you guys. Meanwhile, Olivia Munn “The Daily Show“… but really, G4‘s”Attack of the Show“) is in talks to play the sexy host of a financial show host on the same network. Olivia Munn as a sexy cable TV host? Yeah, that’s gonna be a major stretch for her.

Jeff Daniels stars as show host Will McCallister. (Deadline)

“ageless and beautiful … funny, silly, even sheepish, right up until the moment she wallops you in the kneecaps.”

Yeah, that sounds about right. And after that Mickey Rourke and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeff Daniels is practically out of Tomei’s league. (NY Post)

The new ensemble romantic comedy Crazy Stupid Love has a shiny new trailer, and it looks better than the usual crop of mid-to-upper level romcoms. Steve Carell heads a top notch cast including Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon, and Marisa Tomei. The film appears to be about a recently divorced/separated man (Carrel) who gets a bit of a “Hitch” treatment from younger, suaver, and all around alpha-er male Ryan Gosling. Oh, and then Emma Stone shows up and I got all distracted and couldn’t focus on anything else that happens. It’s directed by Bad Santa duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa and comes out July 29th.

Co-written by the awesomely-named Huck Botko and the normally-named Emily Wachtel, the story follows a rock journalist assigned to track down her ex-boyfriend. Botko is also on directing duties and Joanne Woodward is attached to executive produce in lieu on Paul Newman. Botko’s previous works The Last Exorcism and The Virginity Hit didn’t really catch on with audiences. I guess that’s why Kate Hudson isn’t attached to this. It’s clearly a Kate Hudson plot, yet no Kate Hudson. (Variety)

“[I]t follows three couples as they navigate the ups and downs of their lives and deal with the ramifications of their decisions.”

With Parker and Tomei being courted for the movie, that leaves 4 more main characters to be cast, if my analytical supercomputer is to be believed. B.R.U.C.E doesn’t have any idea who they might be though, so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. (via CinemaBlend)

The Lincoln Lawyer is a perfectly average legal drama. I trust that the book is exactly like this, totally programmed to hit standard beats in the plot. It’ll serve its purpose in theaters just like a paperback novel does.

Michael Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a lawyer working out of his car, a Lincoln Continental. He’s so slick and smooth talking, he gets a judge to give him an extension while he waits for a client to extend his retainer. Then he goads the client for money for an expert witness, when he really already has the witness in hand.

You learn just enough about Haller to like him, which is the standard cliché. He takes care of his chauffeur, keeping him employed even after he got his own driver’s license back. He has a daughter with prosecutor Maggie (Marisa Tomei), and the only reason they broke up is because they’re on different sides of the court.

The real case is Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillipe), a rich boy accused of beating lady of the night Reggie Campo (Margarita Levieva). Louis is hard to like because he’s so privileged and frequently uses an ignorant epithet for gays. Of course, the case isn’t simply he said/she said so Haller’s values are tested.

The point of the movie is to take Haller from a guy so smooth he doesn’t even need an office to a haggard, disheveled wreck. In the beginning, he manipulates the media and the D.A. but Louis really turns the tables on Haller. If you want to see McConaughey sweat, this is the movie for you.

Haller still does a good job for Louis. He baits prosecutor Ted Minton (Josh Lucas) into revealing an attack on Louis’ mother, so the jury ends up sympathizing. We knew about the attack but how it comes up in trial is skillful lawyering. Also Lucas and McConaughey engage in a drawl off.

The plot is smug and contrived. Everything works out neatly but the film moves through the plot briskly. The courtroom scenes really have no personality. There’s no political agenda or flair like on “Boston Legal.” Even the one-liners like Corliss the snitch’s (Shea Whigham) comments on the stand or Val Valenzuela’s (John Leguizamo) research comments are not funny. The audience sort of laughs because it’s the right time, but they’re not funny.

I thin The Lincoln Lawyer should represent the Fast and the Furious gang. He’s on the road, they’re on the run, can he get them out of trouble? That’s a movie I would see.

Director: Brad Furman

Cast: Matthew McConauhghey, Marisa Tomei

Synopsis: A lawyer conducts business from the back of his Lincoln town car while representing a high-profile client in Beverly Hills.

Release Date: March 18, 2011

Clooney co-wrote, directs and stars in – get ready to use your “shocked” face for a moment – a politically themed movie based loosely on Howard Dean. Originally a play by Beau Willimon, Ides of March is about an idealistic press secretary (Ryan Gosling) who falls victim to the big, bad Washington machine. At one point, Gosling is literally captured and eaten by a giant machine wearing an Uncle Sam hat. But not really.

The cast is impressive. Besides Clooney and Gosling, the film also stars Paul Giamatti, Jeffrey Wright, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood. They’re eyeing/idesing a December 2011 – January 2012 release. (/Film)

McConaughey gets the case of his career when he’s hired to clear Ryan Phillippe after he’s been accused of imitating Charlie Sheen. However, as McConaughey learns, the golden boy isn’t as innocent as he seems. I love how the courtroom scene will undoubtedly play out.

McConaughey: “You need to confess.”

Phillippe: “No.”

McConaughey: “It would be a lot cooler if you did.”

Judge: “Case closed.”

Bailiff cues up Rupert Holmes song and everyone parties in the court room.

FADE TO CREDITS

The film has a pretty diverse cast: McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Michael Pena, Margarita Levieva, and most notably Josh Lucas. What was Brad Furman thinking when he cast McConaughey and Lucas against each other? Doesn’t he know that they can’t be in the same place at the same time? A) it confuses the baby, and B) if they touch, the universe will fold in on itself.

Marisa Tomei is an actress we all know and want, despite those never ending Academy Award rumors. During her more than 30 year span as an actress of the stage and screen, she has aged like a fine wine in hotness. Both Before The Devil Knows Your Dead and The Wrestler can a test to that (nakey scenes). With this week’s Cyrus opening up, she puts her smokin’ hot talents to good use by playing the ultimate MILF role to Jonah Hill and John C. Reily.

A word from Marisa: “I’m not that big a fan of marriage as an institution, and I don’t know why women need to have children to be seen as complete human beings.”

It’s like she was sculpted and programmed by a man and then sent out into the world to enchant us. Whoever is responsible deserves The Noble Peace Prize.

See more pics of perfect Tomei after the jump.

This Thanksgiving weekend, television is thankful for strippers.

CHECK OUT WHAT TO WATCH AFTER THE JUMP

NOTE: ALL TIMES EASTERN & PACIFIC!!!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25th, 2009

CRIMINAL MINDS
Network: CBS
Time: 9 – 10PM

Reasons to watch: Master of Disguise C. Thomas Howell returns as The Reaper to terrorize Hotch and his family. He could be anyone at anytime. Even a black dude. 

SOUTH PARK
Network: COMEDY CENTRAL
Time: 10 – 10:30PM

Reasons to watch: The annual Thanksgiving showing of Helen Keller: The Musical! This is my second favorite holiday tradition. My favorite is listening to That Woman Who Was Attacked By A Chimp’s Christmas Album.

WHO’S ON LATE

LENO
Paula Patton

LETTERMAN
Natalie Portman; Adam Lambert performs

CONAN
Norm MacDonald; Gretchen Bleiler; Dan Cummings

KIMMEL
Charles Barkley; Peter Facinelli; Leona Lewis performs

FERGUSON
Robin Wright Penn; Wolfgang Puck

FALLON
Seth Green; Padma Lakshi; Mos Def and Talib Kweli perform

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26th, 2009

CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING
Network: CBS
Time: 8 – 9PM

Reasons to watch: The Peanuts Gang warp back to 1620 to portray the Mayflower’s original settlers. Unfortunately Linus’s small pox blanket wipes out the lot of them.

CHARLIE ROSE
Network: PBS
Time: 11PM – MIDNIGHT

Reasons to watch: Kooky nutbar Tim Burton is the guest. Make a drinking game out of it. Shots everytime he says "corpse" or bashfully hides behind his Dracula cowl.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27th, 2009

MONK
Network: USA
Time: 9 – 10PM

Reasons to watch: In the penultimate episode of the series, Monk pieces together clues about his wife’s murder. It only took eight years. Adrien Monk, man of action. 

THE SOUP
Network: E!
Time: 11 – 11:30PM

Reasons to watch: Joel McHale takes a swing at daytime and reality television‘s low hanging fruit.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28th, 2009

THE INCREDIBLES
Network: NBC
Time: 8:30 – 11PM

Reasons to watch: Disney stops just short of fulfilling every girl’s dream of seeing Craig T. Nelson in a spandex bodysuit. 

THE WRESTLER
Network: HBO
Time: 8 – 10PM

Reasons to watch: Mickey Rourke rises back to prominence in his career-reviving role of Mickey Rourke With Long Hair.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30th, 2009

A DOG NAMED CHRISTMAS
Network: CBS
Time: 9 – 11PM

Reasons to watch: A developmentally-disabled boy advocates that everyone in his town adopts a dog for Christmas. Even though his own father is against it. I can’t believe somebody actually had this idea and was moved to write it down. And then Hollywood was compelled to make it. 

CALIFORNICATION
Network: SHOWTIME
Time: 10 – 10:30PM

Reasons to watch: Hank and Charlie get caught up in the middle of a convenience store robbery. How will Hank f*ck his way out of this one?