Javier Bardem

PENELOPE CRUZ KEEPS FAMILY UNDER WRAPS

No surprise that Penelope Cruz, 47, is looking adorable as usual- she’s in Madrid promoting her latest movie by Pedro Almodovar called Parallel Mothers. She was already named Best Actress for the movie at the Venice Film Festival so it looks like a hit. We didn’t realize that Penelope has two children with husband Javier BardemLeo, 10, and Luna, 8. The Bardems do a good job of keeping their family extremely private – there are no photos of the children floating around. Interesting fact: Penelope is the first Spanish actress to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar ( Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and her husband Javier is the first Spanish actor to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar!

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

CASTING CALL FOR FRED AND ETHEL MERTZ

Nice to hear that Aaron Sorkin has written and is directing a feature film about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz called Being the Ricardos and it looks like Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem will be starring. Lucy and Desi filmed 180 episodes (that’s a LOT!) of the hit show I Love Lucy for the six seasons it ran in the early 50’s. It was one of the all-time most successful series on TV, and Aaron’s script deals with one production week of the show in which two devastating events occurred threatening the couple’s careers and their marriage. Interesting that Nicole and Javier are neither American or Cuban. What we want to know is: Who will play Fred and Ethel Mertz? Any suggestions?

Photo: I Love Lucy

CATE BLANCHETT: THE PERFECT LUCILLE BALL

Looks like Cate Blanchett’s Amazon project about Lucille Ball is finally happening and not a minute too soon! Aaron Sorkin’s script was originally called “Lucy & Desi,” but it’s been changed to “Untitled Lucille Ball Project”– maybe Desi isn’t so important. At one time Javier Bardem was suggested to play Desi – THAT we would love to see! We can already picture him in those gabardine suits with slicked back hair. Keep in mind there will be funny “I Love Lucy” sequences in the film, but it IS a drama about the 20 -sometimes rocky- years Lucy and Desi were together!

PENELOPE CRUZ AND JAVIER BARDEM: WHAT EVERYBODY DOESN’T KNOW

Now that the Met Gala has past, we turn our attention to The Cannes Film Festival – the next major fashion event. Spain’s power couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem are as fabulous as anyone at the Met. They costarred in a new kidnapping thriller “Everybody Knows” that opened the festival, and the movie really looks interesting. Penelope’s character and her teen daughter fly to her family home for a large wedding. Her daughter disappears in the middle of the night and Javier’s character (an ex-boyfriend) steps in to help find her. All the family members are under suspicion and surprising things happen…

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

WOODY ALLEN DID SOMETHING RIGHT

Our favorite Spanish couple, Penelope Cruz, 43, and Javier Bardem, 49, introduced their new film Loving Pablo in Madrid. It’s the true story of Virginia Vallejo, a Spanish journalist who fell in love with notorious –and married- drug lord Pablo Escobar. She documented their volatile and dangerous romance in her memoir. We love that these two top actors from Spain actually met and fell for each other while filming Woody Allen’s movie Vicky Christina Barcelona in 2008. They married in 2010 and have two kids.

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

SEAN PENN’S MOVIE FLOPS AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL WHILE CHARLIZE SMILES

The minute we heard (well over a year ago) that Sean Penn was planning to direct his girlfriend Charlize Theron in a movie, we predicted the demise of the relationship. We figured Penn wouldn’t be able to control his impulses and temper under difficult circumstances and Charlize would be turned off. Whether it was his temper or his limited talent, Charlize ended the romance shortly after filming. Some critics imagined that it only took her one look at the rushes to cut all ties. The movie, The Last Face, was declared the worst at Cannes, with the audience alternately laughing out loud and booing. One critic called it “the pompous nadir of Sean Penn’s career” and and it was suggested he stop directing. To her credit, Charlize showed up for the premier and her reunion with Penn was described as “awkward.”
Above, Charlize is in the black tux (with heels) standing between Sean’s son Hopper (he’s in the movie) and Javier Bardem, who plays her love interest. Sean is not wearing the required black tie.

Photo Credit: AKM-GSI

JAVIER BARDEM HANGS WITH PENELOPE CRUZ ON THE “BOP DECAMERON” SET IN ROME

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

Javier Bardem spent a day with his wife Penelope Cruz on the set of her currently filming Woody Allen movie, “Bop Decameron” in Rome. Javier, Penelope and Woody worked together on his movie “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in 2008. The photographer reported Javier was by her side every minute of the day. A devoted husband. Bardem is playing a villain in the new Bond movie with Daniel Craig, so he’ll be leaving for South Africa soon.

PENELOPE CRUZ AND JAVIER BARDEM ARE NOT PARENTS YET

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem make a gorgeous couple in Cannes. Last year Penelope had to miss Cannes festivities and the premier of her movie “Nine” because she had food poisoning. In Touch magazine announced that her “food poisoning “ was actually morning sickness and she was pregnant with Javier’s baby. Apparently, they were wrong.