Quick Cuts

Triggering Confusion

The verdict is in. Many people love the offbeat DreamWorks film “American Beauty”; moviegoers and critics alike have praised the screenplay, direction and acting, but there’s one thing that some people can’t agree on . . . whodunit! (For those who haven’t yet seen the film, we’re not going to spoil anything here--the first line in the movie informs the audience that one of the main characters will die.) The audience sees the murder but not the killer’s face, and more than one character has a motive, opportunity and means. But by the closing credits, the audience is supposed to know who pulled the trigger. A studio spokesman’s take on the unexpected confusion? “Frankly, it baffles me that anyone leaves the theater with any doubt about who the killer is, but maybe if people are not quite sure, they’ll want to see the movie again.”

Epic Struggle

In movie marketing, every decision is a big decision, be it the timing of a TV spot, which plot points to reveal in the theatrical trailer, or the look of a newspaper ad. It can be a complicated balancing act to appease the many heavyweights involved (studio execs, producers, the director and stars) while trying to appeal to the ever-fickle consumer. So imagine marketing a big-budget epic during the prestigious fall movie season while dancing around the fact that the director and star are in the process of divorcing each other. That’s the predicament Columbia Pictures is facing with director Luc Besson’s “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc,” which stars his erstwhile other half, Milla Jovovich. Besson’s insistence that the poster and print ads feature the back of Jovovich’s head, rather than her face, raises the question: Was this a creative or emotional decision? Strictly creative, a studio spokesman insisted: “The image used for our movie poster is both striking and mysterious. We made a creative decision to support the element of our campaign that reflects the mystery that surrounds this historical figure. We are pleased with the result and will continue to build on what we feel is a provocative campaign.”

Haloed Ground

Thandie Newton, who played Oprah Winfrey’s ghostly daughter in last year’s “Beloved,” will now play a heavenly creature of another variety. Newton joins Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz as the third angel in first-time feature film director McG’s update of the popular ‘70s television series “Charlie’s Angels.” The search for the third angel had taken on a Scarlett O’Hara-like vibe, with everyone from Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta-Jones to Grammy winner Lauryn Hill rumored to be interested in the part. “Charlie’s Angels: The Movie” begins shooting in December.