She will be Princess Diana in a coming film. She has just been named by the New York Film Critics’ Circle as 2011’s Best Supporting Actress for her performances in not one, but three films: “The Help,” “The Tree of Life” and “Take Shelter.” Her name is likely to be heard at nominations announcements during this awards season. The Independent Spirit Award began the momentum by announcing her as a Best Supporting Actress nominee for “Take Shelter.”

Brad Pitt and Sean Penn held her hands on Cannes’ red carpet. She will costar with Tom Cruise in a sci-fi movie. Terrence Malick has cast her again in his next film, and she’ll be seen in several films by interesting directors.

“She” is Jessica Chastain, who gives credit to Al Pacino for all of these projects. Very fair, freckled and blessed with lovely green eyes, the actress has the kind of face that enables her to easily morph into different characters. Jessica as the social-climbing Celia Foote in “The Help” is completely different from her Texan wife and mother, Mrs. O’Brien, in “The Tree of Life,” which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes last May. (more…)

Referred to by actor/director Al Pacino as his most personal project ever, the unconventional feature documentary “Wilde Salome” invites audiences into Pacino’s private world, as he explores the complexities of Oscar Wilde’s acclaimed play “Salome,” Wilde himself and the birth of a rising star in actress Jessica Chastain.

The Bienale Channel has just posted the video from bits of “Wilde Salome” press conference in Venice. Check it:

Near 100+ HQ pictures of Jessica at Venice Festival was added to the gallery. Check it:

Venice ‘11 Review: Al Pacino’s ‘Wilde Salome’ An Oddity Dominated By Titanic Jessica Chastain Turn

But there’s one principle reason to see “Wilde Salome,” and the clue is in the second part of the title. Pacino (and, we assume, Parsons) can claim bragging rights on Jessica Chastain, who plays the title role in the production; she was cast in the stage version way back in 2006, long before her current omnipresence, when all she had to her name were a handful of TV credits on the likes of “E.R.” and

“Veronica Mars.” Not only does Chastain (only 25 at time of filming) exude star quality and a serious-minded work ethic in the behind-the-scenes footage, but she’s also sensationally, jaw-droppingly good as Salome. It’s a far cry from her ethereal turn in “The Tree of Life,” the actress moving effortlessly between the innocent, the seductress and the monster. It’s impossible to take your eyes off her when she’s on screen, and it firmly reinforces what’s become more and more clear over the course of 2011; that she’s a truly precious talent, and one that will only go on to do more and more impressive work over the years.

It remains to be seen if the film gets even the kind of limited release that “Looking for Richard” received—it’s a much more niche piece of work, and being much less well realized, is unlikely to attract even much of an arthouse crowd. But even if it ends up airing on PBS years from now, it’s worth checking out, if only for the acting fireworks. [C]

Read the full review here.

It was released today a sneak peek of “Wilde Salome”, because Venice Film Festival kicking off tomorrow – Wilde Salome will be marking its only fest appearance this fall.

Wilde Salome invites audiences into the world of Al Pacino as never before, offering a deeply intimate portrayal of the cinema’s greatest icon, playing his most demanding role: himself and King Herod. Brimming with shockingly candid moments, Wilde Salome ventures with Pacino all over the world, to London, Paris, Dublin, New York, Los Angeles and to his dressing room backstage; nothing is off limits as Al Pacino explores the complexities of the play, the trials and tribulations of Wilde’s life, and in the process offers an unprecedented look at his own. At once touching and deeply funny, Pacino’s journey in Wilde Salome is one of passion, determination and above all, obsession. Tom Stoppard, Gore Vidal, Bono, Tony Khusner, and Oscar Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland also appear in the film.

When Jessica Chastain left her theater training at Juilliard and started landing movie roles, she got a gift. None of the movies came out right away. It took a while before anyone saw her work in Al Pacino’s Wilde Salome (which finally debuts in Venice), or Terrence Malick’s mystical The Tree of Life (which Fox Searchlight premiered in Cannes before a summer opening), or John Madden’s Mossad thriller The Debt, which post-Disney Miramax finally sold to distributor Focus Features (August 31).

The delayed openings meant that Chastain remained a hot actress—and a blank slate. Nobody projected her last movie onto what they thought she could do. So she was able to be a chameleon, playing a dramatic actress, a sweetly luminous idealized 50s mother, and a tough-as-nails assassin. She also earned raves as brassy southern blonde Celia in summer lit hit The Help, and starred opposite Michael Shannon as his wife in the ominously atmospheric drama Take Shelter, which played Sundance and Cannes, and will show on the fest circuit before Sony Pictures Classics opens it September 30. Ralph Fiennes also cast her as his wife in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, where she stood her ground against both him and the magnificent Vanessa Redgrave as her mother-in-law. Weinstein Co. picked up the film after it earned raves in Berlin; it will play Toronto before its December release. And Chastain also landed a spot in another fall fest film, Texas Killing Fields, as well as TWC’s upcoming period gangster ensemble Wettest County. We talk about all these films below.

I added to our gallery some promotional stills, posters, behind the scenes and trailer screencapturs of Jessica’s films, including some Michelle was about to add. There’s more to be added, but it’s a start.

“Wilde Salome,” Al Pacino’s documentary that explores the complexities of the Oscar Wilde play Salome, will make its debut at the Venice Film Festival Sept. 4 following a ceremony that will present the Oscar-winning actor with the Jaeger-Le Coultre Glory to the Filmmaker award, according to Variety.

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The film, which is produced by Barry Navidi and Robert Fox, with Salome Productions and Tripod Entertainment, features Pacino with Jessica Chastain in the title role.

In a statement Pacino, who is a 2011 Tony nominee for his performance in the recent revival of The Merchant of Venice, said, “There is nowhere else I would rather debut ‘Wilde Salome’ than at Venice, because of its rich artistic history.” He described his documentary as “an exploration into the world of Oscar Wilde the artist and in ‘Salome,’ the emancipation of a work that lives on.”

The Venice Film Festival says “Wilde Salome” is “an unprecedented behind the scenes look at Pacino’s odyssey: a master class of insight into this cultural icon.”

Pacino’s Salome was developed at the Actor’s Studio and presented at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, NY (November 2002), then played the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, NY (February 2003) before playing on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (April 2003).

Academy Award winner Al Pacino, most recently on Broadway in the acclaimed Public Theater revival of The Merchant of Venice, made his Broadway debut in the 1969 production of Does a Tiger Wear Necktie?, earning a Tony Award for his performance. He scored another Tony for his role in the 1977 revival of The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. He also starred in 1996 in a revival of Hughie, which he also directed. Pacino’s other Broadway credits include Salome, Camino Real, King Richard III, American Buffalo and Chinese Coffee. He received the Academy Award for his work in the film “Scent of a Woman.”

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