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NEWS

Banderas 'hated' Hayek while on tour

The couple conducted 739 interviews in 11 days when the film came out last year (11), and movie bosses gave them diplomas for enduring the promotional commitments patiently - but inside both Banderas and Hayek were ready to "kill each other".

Banderas reveals, "We travelled to nine countries, nine premieres, three different continents... It was fun and difficult too. It's just weird when you're doing interviews. Basically, they (reporters and interviewers) ask you the same question again and again... and you answer the same thing... and when you're doing pair interviews - because Salma and I we were just doing interviews all the time together - it's just weird.

"By the time that we were in Rome, we started kind of hating each other. By the time we were in Sydney, we wanted to kill each other - because we knew exactly what the other (person) was going to answer (sic). We were just so tired.

"I remember that question they were making to Salma (sic), 'So your daughter saw the movie?' And she said always, 'Oh yeah, I took her to the movie theatre and she suddenly said, 'Oh mommy, that cat sounds just like you' again and again and you have to be kind of nice about it... and sometimes (when I answered questions) I was looking at her (Hayek) and she was just lip syncing me exactly."

But the movie star insists the pair is the best of friends again now the press tour is over: "I love her, she's great."

Ricky Gervais' Best and Worst Golden Globe Jabs

Salma Hayek's (Sort of) Double Date with Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith

Salma Hayek Will Be 'Knighted' in France

The Puss In Boots actress was among those named by President Nicolas Sarkozy to receive the Légion d'Honneur Sunday. Hayek, 45, will enter the five-tiered honor academy with the grade of Chevalier or "Knight."

Announced in the President's official New Year's list, Hayek will receive a formal induction, which involves a Presidential medal pinning. Her induction will likely occur at the Élysées Palace within the next two months, says a source.

Founded by Napoleon in 1802 as a merit award, the Legion of Honor is awarded to military personnel and civilians for service to France. It is not exclusively reserved for the French and is often awarded to figures of international standing.

Past recipients – who are entitled to wear a small rosette pin indicating their rank – include Jerry Lewis, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Robert De Niro.

In making the grade this year, Hayek's honor was also something of a unique family affair: her father-in-law, retired business magnate Francois Pinault, was promoted in the same list to the Legion's exalted rank of Grand Officer.

Aniston tops hottest woman poll

Editors at MensHealth.com polled members of the general public to determine the most desirable female - dead or alive - and the former Friends star has topped the list.

One Million Years B.C. beauty Raquel Welch was named second best, while blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe landed at three. Pop stars Madonna and Britney Spears round out the top five.

But Aniston insists she doesn't deserve the title and has instead offered up her own preferred picks.

She says, "It's a tie between (actress/model) Brigitte Bardot and (feminism activist) Gloria Steinem. But if I had to choose one, I'd say Gloria because, well, she's the full package. That's sexy."

Also making the cut were Angelina Jolie (10), Scarlett Johansson (12), Megan Fox (13), Colombian singer Shakira (18), supermodel Heidi Klum (20), Salma Hayek (22), Cameron Diaz (24) and Victoria's Secret beauty Gisele Bundchen (25).

'Rango,' 'Puss,' 'Tintin' earn Annie nominations

The 10 nominees announced Monday also include James McAvoy's "Arthur Christmas," Owen Wilson's "Cars 2," Jack Black's "Kung Fu Panda 2" and three overseas contenders: "A Cat in Paris," ''Arrugas" and "Chico & Rita."

Cast members earning voice-acting nominations for the Annie Awards include "Arthur Christmas" co-stars Bill Nighy and Ashley Jensen, "Kung Fu Panda 2" co-stars Gary Oldman and James Hong and "Puss in Boots" co-star Zach Galifianakis.

Presented by the International Animated Film Society, the Annie Awards will be handed out Feb. 4 at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

Salma Hayek's Daughter Holds on for Dear Life as Mom Slips in Paris

The actress took an unfortunate step in her sky-high heels yesterday in Paris and almost took the whole production down with her while exiting the Hôtel George-V with daughter Valentina, Puss in Boots costar Antonio Banderas and their entourage.

Hey, stars can be clumsy, just like us.

Perhaps it was Valentina's firm grip on her mom's hand—not to mention their five-star hotel's sturdy 83-year-old door frame—that ultimately kept Salma upright after it appeared she was headed for a rough landing.

Banderas, whose swashbuckling cat romances Hayek's feline fatale in their new film, wasn't quick enough to grab Hayek beforehand, but he made sure to help her get resettled on her feet after the slip.

Despite losing her cool for the briefest of moments, Hayek appeared unfazed, although she made sure to stick close to her costar at their press call later in the day. But she bravely stuck with the same pair of treacherous shoes when she hit the red carpet at the Puss in Boots premiere at the Cinéma Gaumont Champs-Elysées Marignan last night!

Salma Hayek: I'm Crafty In the Kitchen

The catch? Valentina Paloma is completely clueless about her healthy habits.

“I camouflage them. They love pasta … [so] I put [them] in tomato sauce,” the Puss In Boots star, 45, reveals during a Friday appearance on the Rachael Ray Show.

“You know what you can hide really well? Aubergine [eggplant], roast carrots, roast bell peppers [and] you can put a little bit of greens if you put enough of the other stuff.”

However, Hayek has learned to cover her tricky tracks well because if Valentina were to find out, all bets would be off, the actress laughs.

“There’s got to be no clue that you lied because then she’ll find it, like, ‘Aha!’” she says. “You have to really puree [the vegetables]. It’s the way to do it.”

The hands-on mother’s tips don’t end in the kitchen; Hayek, who globetrots with her family, including husband François-Henri Pinault, understands children aren’t always the best travel companions.

“She’s on the plane a lot and in the car a lot and sometimes they get cranky. Really, you know what that is? They’re getting carsick,” Hayek explains.

“I have these bracelets that are for motion sickness that I used while I was pregnant — because I was carsick for 9 months nonstop! I put them on her and it’s made a huge difference.”

But whether they’re stateside or overseas, Hayek makes spending alone time with Valentina a priority.

“We have our dates that it’s just her and I, we have to have them,” she shares. ”They’re always at night, you know, we go to the movies or to dinner just her and I.”

Question: When Isn't Johnny Depp a Leading Man?

Johnny Depp took backseat at the box office to a kid, a cat and Justin Timberlake.

At least he fared better than his old Sleepy Hollow costar.

Depp's The Rum Diary bowed in fifth place in the weekend standings, and averaged just $2,205 at each of its theaters, Sunday estimates showed.

While the boozy R-rated travelogue predictably was outdone by the other two new wide releases, Puss in Boots and Timberlake's In Time, the Hunter S. Thompson tale surprisingly earned few fans from the art-house crowd, whose members overwhelmingly voted Anton Yelchin their leading man.

The 22-year-young Yelchin's visa love story Like Crazy grossed $30,000 at each of its four theaters, by far the weekend's most impressive per-screen average.

For Depp, The Rum Diary is his weakest-debuting film since 2005's The Libertine, and was less potent than his last Thompson-spawned film, 1998's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots, meanwhile, was no Shrek. While the CGI comedy opened No. 1, it performed more like Gnomeo & Juliet than the ogre's franchise-launching blockbuster.

In Time's debut was so-so, and definitely weaker than Timberlake's ultimately money-making summer comedy, Friends With Benefits.

Elsewhere, Depp's former cohort Christina Ricci could use some extra viewers for her struggling Pan-Am tonight, seeing as how her big-screen Renaissance festival comedy, All's Faire in Love, won't be paying the bills anytime soon. The romantic comedy grossed just $237 at each of its 75 theaters.

Roland Emmerich's heavily promoted Anonymous ($1 million at 265 theaters) was, theater for theater, bigger than most of the films in the Top 10, but didn't pack the punch of Shakespeare in Love, which unlike Anonymous, showed William Shakespeare, like, writing and stuff.

Here's a complete look at the weekend's top movies, as compiled from the studios' domestic estimates and Exhibitor Relations stats:

Puss in Boots, $34 million
Paranormal Activity 3, $18.5 million
In Time, $12 million
Footloose, $5.4 million
The Rum Diary, $5 million
Real Steel, $4.7 million
The Three Musketeers, $3.5 million
The Ides of March, $2.7 million
Moneyball, $2.4 million
Courageous, $1.8 million

'Puss in Boots' a fresh fairy tale

The film makes no reference to Shrek, where Antonio Banderas's arrogant swashbuckling cat has stolen three films. And indeed, despite the profoundly re-imagined presence of a few nursery rhyme characters -- Jack & Jill, (depicted as adipose adults and voiced with biker malevolence by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris), and a scheming Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) -- it doesn't seem to take place in the same universe as the ogre. Smart.

Set in a dusty medieval Spain, Puss in Boots' story begins in a gritty saloon, where an outlaw feline sits grimly lapping up his leche (milk), wielding his sword menacingly when necessary to stave off unwelcome human intrusions, and overhearing of the acquisition by the aforementioned Jack & Jill of magic beans (once the property of that other Jack).

Trailer.

Thus is set in motion an aborted heist, in which Puss meets his match and rival, Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) a masked outlaw with acrobatic leaping and dancing skills. A sarcastic Catwoman to Puss's outlaw Batman, Kitty turns out to be an accomplice of the aforementioned Humpty, who, in turn, turns out to have a history of bad blood with our hero.

Said history is skillfully told -- prefaced as a long story that the easily bored Kitty doesn't want to hear -- and then rendered into an entire act of the movie, where the cat and the egg grow up as "brothers" in a Spanish orphanage.

It's a tale of thievery and betrayal, climaxed by the approach of, yes, the king's horses and the king's men, and a flight from injustice.

The story's pace sometimes seems impossibly fast, racing from the backstory to the bean heist, to the giant's castle and an unseen monster (reminiscent of Lost) that protects a golden-egg-laying gosling. What holds it together is a glib, improv-heavy approach to the dialogue, including every kind of cat joke, some delivered to adults with a wink (when Kitty admits she was declawed by her owners, Puss declares, "Cat people are weird," eliciting decidedly adult laughs.

Other elements that previously made Puss lovable have been amped up. His trademark moist-eyed cute look that disarms his foes, now fogs their minds on the level of Jedi mind control.

And the animation, which improved with each Shrek movie (even as the story quality declined) is on a whole new level, evidenced by the fact that there are more actual CG humans in this movie than in any of the Shreks, and the creepiness level may actually be declining. As for the 3D: Well, I still hate 3D, but if one definition of it working is that you eventually forget you're watching it, then bravo!

It isn't often an animated feature is actually informed by the personality of the celebrity who voices it. But Banderas' own gregarious charisma is constantly on the screen in Puss in Boots. And his real-life friendship with Hayek is practically palpable in the relationship between Puss and Kitty.

And Galifianakis as the egg? Fine. Just fine. If you think I'm going to end this with a wisecrack, think again.

'Puss in Boots' is knee-high in family fun

Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) stole the show from the titular ogre and his donkey pal in 2004's Shrek 2. So his solo foray is a welcome addition to animated family fare.

Here the dashing cat with the seductive purr meets his clever match and finds romance with the sassy Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and also embarks on an adventure with his old pal/nemesis Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis).

With his impeccable comic timing and lyrical Spanish accent, Banderas' swashbuckling charmer is an undeniable treat. There could be no more perfect voice to match the visual. The lively romp is well-acted, cleverly written and vividly rendered, despite an over-the-top finale. Even the 3-D elements dazzle during swooping chases.

An early sequence in a cat cantina features startlingly deft choreography as Puss flamencos his way into the path of the alluring pickpocket, Kitty Softpaws. Puss and Kitty's sultry paws-de-deux is one of the movie's most entertaining scenes. Puss always lands on his feet in the dance-off with the slinky Kitty, highlighted by a hilarious litter-box shuffle.

According to this yarn, Puss is a legendary outlaw. Inside, he's a softie — or at least he knows how to use his adorable big-eyed expression to soften the resistance of those around him. The tale explains how he came to be on the prowl. The events offer him a chance to redeem himself, something parents with impressionable children will appreciate.

The story has just the right blend of child-centered silliness and winking adult humor. When caught by the cops with catnip, Puss quips: "It's for my glaucoma."

Puss in Boots is blessedly not a sequel or a prequel. No Shrek stars pop by for cameos. Though he may be a spinoff, this Puss stands alone in his tall boots.

Puss in Boots * * * out of four
Voices: Antonio Banderas, Amy Sedaris, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Salma Hayek
Director: Chris Miller
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG for some adventure action and mild rude humor
Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Opens today nationwide

Box Office Preview: 'Puss' in Loot

The "Shrek 2" spinoff character was an obvious choice for his own movie, given the appeal and popularity of Puss as effectively voiced by actor Antonio Banderas. Also starring Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis, the PG-Rated film will be like catnip to family audiences looking for a fun romp at the multiplex.

"Paranormal Activity 3" from Paramount Pictures shocked everyone last weekend with its $52.57 million debut and it should scare up another $18 million to $20 million this Halloween weekend.

Fox's sci-fi thriller "In Time," starring newly-minted movie star Justin Timberlake, will likely open in third place with a gross in the low teens. Set in a world where people can pay to stop aging when they reach 25 years old, the film shows the unpleasant consequences of what happens when such an unnatural yet irresistible option is made available to the populace.

Debuting in fourth place with a likely $9 million to $12 million take will be a very inebriated Johnny Depp as Journalist Paul Kemp in Film District's adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel "The Rum Diary." Written in 1961 but not published until 1998, the book was shepherded to the big screen by Depp, who previously appeared in another Thompson screen adaptation, 1998's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

Paramount's "Footloose" will step into fifth place in its third weekend with a gross in the $7 million range after earning solid mid-week numbers.

Hayek on Banderas, new roles

That would be Antonio Banderas, her co-star in movies going back to Frida and Robert Rodriguez's Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

These days, they've been travelling the world together promoting their voice roles in Puss in Boots -- he as the sword-wielding title character of Shrek fame, and she as Kitty Softpaws, the Spanish cat-burglar who is both Puss' nemesis and love interest. That includes stops in Cannes, Moscow, Miami and Chicago (where, immediately after speaking with us, they paid a visit to the Oprah Winfrey Network studios for an interview with Rosie O'Donnell).

"We have intense times," Hayek says of their current duo-tour. "But then we'll get a week off from each other."

Her relationship with Banderas she describes as, "the case of that thing when you don't see someone for a long time, and then when you see them, it's as if you just saw them yesterday. In 18 years, it's like that, even if we don't see each other for chunks."

In her mellifluous accent, Hayek pronounces it "chonks" and refers to "our esposos" when she dismisses any suggestion of jealousy between the Banderases and Pinaults. "My husband just loves him," she says.

"But I tell you I'm always happy to see (Banderas), because every time I see him, somehow, he comes into my life, my life changes and it's for good. Desperado, my life changed. Frida, here again my life changes.

"And this movie (Puss in Boots), it's my first animation movie and the biggest film I've ever done. It's huge. So I'm always happy to see Antonio.

"And y'know what? When I was nominated for an Oscar for Frida, the first person that phoned me, it was him."

Hayek is motivated to expand as an actress these days. Long sought after for voice work for stereotypical Latina roles, she finally said yes to one that provided her with an action role. Kitty is Puss's equal at swordplay, a masked mystery who, when we meet her, is an accomplice of the scheming Humpty Dumpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis).

I compare Puss and Kitty's relationship to Batman and Catwoman. "You're the first person to say that," she says. "But I wonder if Batman and Catwoman can dance like we can." Indeed, the love-hate relationship plays out in flamenco moves that defy gravity (it is an animated movie after all).

"My character is really created based on his character, as a match, a counterpoint he has to contend with, who can fight with him. He has to learn to stand his ground against the challenge of this independent cat."

The counterpoint notion was taken seriously enough that the producers took the unusual step of allowing the two actors to record scenes together.

"I had been called to do an animated film, like, four times before, and I passed. I didn't like the ones they were offering. One was stereotypical (Latina), others I just didn't feel the character was interesting enough. I guess if you have an accent or a voice that's very identifiable it becomes interesting to them. But I'm so happy I saved myself for this one."

Her favourite positive review came from one of the harshest critics she knows -- her four-year-old daughter Valentina.

"My daughter loves it, which is so good because she doesn't like all the animated movies just because they're animated. I'm proud of her taste. She likes very much The Rescuers, and she likes Amadeus. I had to edit some parts, but it's her favourite film."

Still on the hunt for roles that "are not just the sexy girl," she just finished the Oliver Stone movie Savages, in which the brutal ruler of a drug cartel and gets to order assassinations and decapitations.

"It was the most disturbing character of my career," she says. "I wouldn't even let my daughter on the set."

Review: 'Puss in Boots' a lively spin-off

This spin-off is actually a prequel, providing the origin story of the diminutive, swashbuckling kitty voiced with great charisma, as always, by Antonio Banderas. The role has been an ideal showcase for Banderas to have a little fun with his suave, sophisticated image; he revels in Puss' playfulness and faux bravado as well as his genuine courage and heart.

At the film's start, Puss is an outlaw in his own small, Spanish hometown. Flashbacks take us to his childhood at an orphanage, where he was best friends with a brainy, ambitious Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Together, the two dreamed of stealing the magic beans, climbing the beanstalk and getting rich off some golden eggs. Now, that crime has become Humpty's obsession; he tries to enlist Puss as the brawn of the operation, which would allow both to enjoy some redemption.

Humpty's partner in this caper is the dangerous master thief Kitty Softpaws, voiced with slinky seduction by Banderas' frequent co-star, Salma Hayek. It's a clever collaboration that doesn't feel like stunt casting, as is the case with many animated films; they're so good together after so long, it just makes sense.

But since Puss is a lover as much as he's a fighter, you know he'll find a way to win her over — and there is definitely a Pepe LePew vibe to the way they flirt with each other. A dance-off between the two characters early on, when Kitty is still disguised and Puss is unaware she's a woman, is both exquisitely choreographed and hilariously funny.

The Puss in Boots character eventually felt like the best part of the "Shrek" movies, but a little of him goes a long way. Giving him an entire movie of his own would seem like a stretch, and really, he has trouble sustaining his shtick for the film's 90-minute running time. But for quick, lively, family friendly entertainment, "Puss in Boots" works just fine, even in 3-D, which is integrated thoughtfully into the narrative and doesn't just feel like a gimmick. Through chases, swordfights, dance sequences and even a flight into the clouds, the 3-D consistently provides a feeling of propulsive motion. (The glasses are still clunky and uncomfortable, but that's another conversation for another time.)

Puss looks so soft and fluffy and tactile in his little, leather boots, his jaunty, feathered hat and his shiny sword, you'll want to reach out and pet him — especially when he's a tiny kitten working those big, green eyes for maximum manipulative effect. But just as impressive is the way the film from director Chris Miller ("Shrek the Third") gives detailed expression and personality to a talking egg. Merely the idea that Humpty Dumpty might be a criminal mastermind is good for a laugh, but Galifianakis infuses the character with a healthy mix of neediness and megalomania. He gets so into the character, you might not even realize it's him under that shell until the credits roll.

The same is true of Jack and Jill, who are depicted as greedy and fearsome and are voiced with complexity (and perfect Southern twangs, naturally) by Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. Their relationship reflects the best of what the "Shrek" movies have offered over the years: an unexpected twist on the fairy tales you know and love.

Thankfully there's a lot more of that kind of inspired writing — and not nearly so many pop-culture references and Hollywood in-jokes — this time around. Puss likes to dance, but he never does the Macarena.

"Puss in Boots," a DreamWorks Animation release, is rated PG for some adventure action and mild rude humor. Running time: 90 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Hayek, Banderas catch cat fever at premiere

Where: Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif.

When: Sunday morning.

Guest list: Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots), Melanie Griffith, Salma Hayek (Kitty Softpaws), Zach Galifianakis (Humpty Alexander Dumpty), Billy Bob Thornton (Jack), Amy Sedaris (Jill), director Chris Miller.

Kitty litter power: Rather than red, organizers went with a beautiful tan carpet for the event, giving the very distinct impression that one was standing amid a kitty litter box. Hayek promised there was not going to be any problems with the cat-friendly crowd. "There will be no accidents," she said. "It's OK, we have it under control."

In fact, there were no real animals at the premiere. Hayek says that her 4-year-old daughter Valentina found out the hard way.

"Valentina wanted to bring one dog. I said 'No, never to premiere,'" said Hayek. "This one especially it was a 'no.'"

The carpet stayed spotless throughout the event.

Tag team: Hayek and Banderas took the unusual step of doing their voice work together for the animated film so that the Latin sparks could fly on film. And they carried the magic over to the premiere carpet, laughing it up as they did all their talking together.

"We're not doing everything together," Hayek purred.

"Yes, just these interviews," agreed Banderas.

Amongst the laughs, there were serious, happy moments.

When Hayek ran into director Miller on the carpet, they embraced as he repeated "We made it, we made it." Miller said the trek from the beginning of the project to the actual premiere was so long that the group had to take in the moment.

Later, Miller beamed: "Antonio just said to me, 'No matter what happens, they cannot take this moment away from us.'"

Banderas seemed especially reflective about the moment, saying that he was looking forward to hearing an audience filled with children watch the 3-D film. "To hear all these kids laughing with the character I have been traveling with for 10 years, it pays off for everything," he said.

Not so egg-cited: Maybe the Sunday morning event was too early for Galifianakis, who voices Humpty Alexander Dumpty in the film. In fact, when asked if Humpty would have his own movie and premiere in the future, he shot down the idea.

"Oh God, selling that by having a premiere does not sweeten the deal for me," he said. "This is not my scene. I would rather be trampled by 16 horses than be here."

Galifianakis did perk up when posing for pictures with Hayek. As camera bugs shot them together, Hayek began tickling him with her hand behind his back. That brought out some smiles.

Regally named: Galifianakis had no explanation for why his famous character now has the middle name Alexander. It is never explained in the film.

"I kind of like it," he said. "They wanted a legitimate name between Humpty and Dumpty. It's very regal."

Cardinals fever: Cardinals fan Thornton was still beaming about his favorite team's stunning World Series victory on Saturday night, with slugger Albert Pujols hitting three home runs, tying a World Series record.

"I was so nervous going into that game and just astounded by what Pujols did, " said Thornton.

But he knew that joy wouldn't last. "I'm already nervous about tonight (Sunday)," he said. "Real sports fan, we never get OK."

Suited and booted: Thornton did not follow the trend of wearing boots on the Puss in Boots red carpet. "I'm wearing some shoes from the '60s," he said. "I decided to be different today."

However, his partner Connie Angland showed off some platform boots on the carpet that brought her to Thorton's eye level.

"I have no idea where she got them" he laughed, getting used to her new height. "But she's actually only about 4 feet tall."

Angland made it down the carpet without boot wardrobe malfunction.

Short on boots: Amy Sedaris was another one shunning the boot attire, claiming it was due to height issues of her own. "I'm not a big boot person," she admitted. "I'm just too short. They cut me in half. It's like, there go my legs."

Salma Hayek: 'I'm Nobody's Barbie'

"I work hard, I make my own living and I love it. I like having financial independence," Hayek says in the November issue of Redbook. "I don't ever want to have to depend on anyone completely. But when I have troubles sometimes, it's nice to have someone there to help."

Luckily, Hayek can rely on her husband, French billionaire François-Henri Pinault, if need be. Has being married to the CEO of luxury goods firm PPR (which owns Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent) influenced her style?

"I like to play fashion with him, but I'm nobody's Barbie," Hayek, 45, says.

One huge influence in her life has been her 4-year-old daughter Valentina Paloma. The actress says she chose to star in the upcoming animated feature Puss in Boots because she wanted to make a movie her daughter could see. While motherhood has had an impact on her career choices, Hayek isn't shying away from provocative roles.

"I'm playing the queen of a drug cartel in an Oliver Stone film," says Hayek. "He asked if I'd gone 'all soft' because I'm a mother. I said, 'Yes, but I can be the devil if I need to, because after all, I'm an actress.' "

Clooney, Hayek, Pitt TIFF-bound

Also confirmed are the charismatic homegrown actors Ryan Gosling, who is in the midst of his breakout year as a potential Hollywood superstar; Jay Baruchel, Canada’s most enthusiastic fan-boy; and Seth Rogen, who mines his Vancouver childhood for unique and twisted laughs in American comedies. A classy Canadian institution, Christopher Plummer, will also be featured on screen in the documentary Barrymore and live on stage for a conversation about his extraordinary career.

Another component of the guest list will transform TIFF from an Oscar-like party into a rock legends showcase. The members of both U2 and Pearl Jam are set to be here for films featuring their bands. So is Neil Young, the Toronto-born singer-songwriter who was twice inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame, once as a solo artist and a second time as a co-founder of 1960s ensemble Buffalo Springfield.

Among the celebrity filmmakers coming are Francis Ford Coppola, comic Bobcat Goldthwait, Davis Guggenheim, Gus Van Sant and William Friedkin, along with Canadian icons Sarah Polley, David Cronenberg, Jean-Marc Vallee and Jason Reitman. Hugh Dillon, a Canadian musician turned actor turned short film director, will be in focus with his directorial debut.

The elusive Indo-British author Salman Rushdie — who is still living under a fatwa proclaimed in 1989 by then Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — will defy his absurd death sentence to appear with Toronto filmmaker Deepa Mehta. She is currently adapting his second novel, Midnight’s Children, into a film.

Another unique visitor will be Mohamed Nasheed. He is the sitting president of the island country the Republic of Maldives, which is slowly sinking into the Indian Ocean. Nasheed is the focus of a documentary film, The Island President.

The eccentrics list is headed by Woody Harrelson while Jason Statham is the most famous genre action star coming. James Gandolfini arrives with his Sopranos menace still intact while Sarah Silverman remains one of comedy’s most caustic performers.

There will be plenty of former Oscar nominees (many of whom ended up winning the golden guy for their work). In addition to some of those already named, including Pitt and Clooney, that illustrious Oscar-nominated group boasts Philip Seymour Hoffman, Geoffrey Rush, Mira Sorvino, Tilda Swinton, Nicolas Cage, Terrence Howard, Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Jane Fonda, Marisa Tomei, Willem Dafoe, Albert Brooks, Catherine Keener, Carey Mulligan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and Glenn Close (who has been nominated five times, although she has never won an Oscar).

A triplet of Jennifers is gracing TIFF 2011: Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Lawrence. Emerging star Jessica Chastain is festival-bound, too.

Jon Hamm (of Mad Men fame) is TIFFing, as are Jonah Hill, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Antonio Banderas and Ethan Hawke. Kirsten Dunst will represent Danish director Lars von Trier’s Melancholia but won’t have to put up with von Trier’s madman outbursts. After scandalizing the Cannes Film Festival with pro-Nazi babblegab and sexually inappropriate comments about his actresses — to Dunst’s obvious embarrassment — von Trier is not coming to Toronto. He never does anyway, even when not suffering foot-in-mouth disease, because he hates being in airplanes and has not come up with an alternative for the Atlantic crossing.

As for eye candy at TIFF, Megan Fox, Evan Rachel Wood, Alison Pill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) should both get fan-boys’ blood boiling while Emily Blunt (last seen at the filmfest in The Young Victoria) returns with her touch of class. Robin Wright shows up Penn-free, now that her marriage to Sean is over and she has dropped her double last name from her official credits.

Salma Hayek on Plastic Surgery: 'It's Not Beautiful'

"I believe that every woman is entitled to fight to preserve her youth," the actress, 44, tells Allure in its September issue, on newsstands Aug. 23.

Just not through plastic surgery. "It's like the uniform of a generation," she says. "And it's not necessarily beautiful. It's not wrinkled-looking, but it's not beautiful."

The Oscar nominee freely admits that she's showing signs of aging. Asked whether any part of her body looked better 10 years ago, she replies with a laugh: "My boobs. They're not bad, by the way. I'm not complaining about them."

Yet she radiates youth, partly because she's been applying "creams" her whole life, she says. This summer, she even launched a beauty line, Nuance, which in many ways is a tribute to her grandmother, who studied to be a beautician.

"She started working on my skin when I was 12 or 13," Hayek says. "I never used soap on my face. Once, she shaved our heads and put egg on it and all these things. But I have to give her credit – my hair is great."

The philosophy behind the new products, sold at CVS, is that "within you there is beauty, and you have to learn how to find it and enhance it in a natural way," Hayek adds. "One thing that is exciting about being a woman is that you can rediscover your beauty over and over and over."

One other advantage, she says, for women as they get older: They can get sexier.

"As a woman, you should be more at ease with your sexuality when you are in your 40s," she says. "You are more self-assured about that part. And that's the way it should be. If you are a girl who cannot walk in heels, it doesn't matter how beautiful you are. If you look like a chicken that's been spiked in the feet, it's not going to be sexy."

Salma Hayek Talks Plastic Surgery-Has She Nipped and Tucked?

Luckily, Salma Hayek has no such qualms about coming clean, and took to the pages of Allure to let the world know exactly what on her gorgeous visage and bod have had a little nip/tuck action…

Absolutely nothing! And not only is she against the practice when it comes to her own skin, but she's not such a fan of its pervasiveness throughout Hollywood, either.

"I believe that every woman is entitled to fight to preserve her youth," the covergirl told the mag. "I've never had anything done on my face—I've never had dermabrasion or peels or injections of any kind, nothing."

As for those who have, well, she's not keen on that whole one-procedure-fits-all look that's starting to prevail among famous faces.

"It's like the uniform of a generation," she said. "And it's not necessarily beautiful. It's not wrinkled-looking, but it's not beautiful."

So what's an aging actress to do? Well, Salma seems to have just the ticket, as she's just released her own beauty line, Nuance, at CVS stores nationwide.

But hey, don't hate her because she's (naturally) beautiful. Hate her because she figured out how to capitalize on it (Video).

Couple Watch

Salma Hayek, François-Henri Pinault Step Out at the Beach

The actress, 44, and husband François-Henri Pinault, 49, held on tight to their daughter Valentina's hand as they capped off the holiday weekend with a walk on the beach.

The 3-year-old seemed in the spirit of the holiday, enjoying the beach with her parents, who wore black.

The family outing comes on the heels of news Pinault fathered a child with supermodel Linda Evangelista, who recently filed a petition in New York court seeking support from the French businessman.

Salma Hayek's Husband Fathered a Baby With Supermodel Linda Evangelista

Salma Hayek, arguably one of the most beautiful women on the planet, is now married to her very wealthy husband of two years, François-Henri Pinault. But around the time they met in 2006, Pinault was making sweet love to another one of the world's most beautiful women, Linda Evangelista. Hey, it helps to have all that cash.

Nothing out of the ordinary for a man like him to have some gorgeous arm-candy attached to him. Thing is, he got both women pregnant that same year, resulting in the two sex sirens now having 4-year-olds by the French luxury brand owner—except that Evangelista had kept her baby daddy's name secret this whole time.

Until, that is, she was spotted in a New York court arguing over a child support agreement she made with Pinault. According to public records at the court, there are ongoing proceedings between her and Pinault.

So what's happening now? And did Salma know?

Evangelista played the January Jones game, keeping her baby daddy's name mum, then even lying to protect Pinault when she claimed in interviews the father was a "New York architect." New York architect, French luxury brand owner, potato, potahto.

There had been previous murmurs of Pinault being the father of her son, Augustin James Evangelista. Page Six fingered the businessman in 2007, though Evangelista's rep denied it. But the leggy beauty's longstanding cover was blown yesterday when she appeared in Manhattan Family Court to hash out a custody agreement with Pinault.

The 46-year-old supermodel has been to the court at least three times now, with no agreement being reached on their custody plans, which means a support trial is likely. Pinault was not present yesterday at the hearing, but the Manhattan magistrate's court action confirms to the New York Post that he is in fact the father.

According to Evangelista and Hayek's pregnancy timelines, Evangelista conceived their baby boy in early 2006, during the time he was reportedly separated from then-girlfriend Hayek.

Hayek, 44, became pregnant in late 2006, giving birth to Valentina Paloma Pinault in September 2007.

Which means both ladies had his buns baking in their ovens that year.

No word on whether Hayek knew that Pinault, 49, was Evangelista's baby daddy, but the actress repeatedly insisted in interviews that her husband has just three children, their girl and two kids from a previous marriage that ended in 2004.

Pinault can certainly afford to care for his offspring—he owns Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci and other luxury brands and jets from New York to Los Angeles to Paris on a regular basis.

Before he married the Frida star, the duo had called off their engagement in July 2008 but reconciled shortly thereafter. They married on Valentine's Day in 2009 in a small town hall ceremony in Paris. Months later, the couple threw a celeb-filled bash in Venice to celebrate.

Pinault's attorney David Aronson declined to discuss his client's case with E!, saying it is a private matter between private poeple. Evangelista's attorney has not yet responded for comment.

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