REEL DEAL: This Means War - Chelsea Handler SPOTLIGHT

CHELSEA HANDLER: REESE’S BFF IN THE MIDST OF WAR

Currently invading the international mainstream audience and slowly carving her way as a household name is Chelsea Handler who plays the no-holds barred best friend of Reese Witherspoon in “This Means War.”

So far this year’s most enjoyable and hilarious romantic-action comedy to beat, “This Means War” is about two best friends, the best CIA agents use their incredible skills against each other in order to win a woman’s love.   Playing the trio trapped in the riotous fray of friendship and love are Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy. 

Injecting an outsider’s view of the trio’s fray is Chelsea Handler whose character Trish is Lauren’s (Witherspoon) best friend.   The inimitable talk show host, comedienne actor and author Handler intimates on her role as herself except that she’s single in real life.  “Trish is basically me, but married,” says Handler.  “Trish is not the best advisor, but Lauren needs her to provide a jolt of energy. Trish is a wife and mother whose mission in life is to offer frank and explicit opinions on her single friend’s love life.”

REEL DEAL: This Means War - Chris Pine SPOTLIGHT

CHRIS PINE ON BEING A SPY AND BEING STUCK IN A LOVE TRIANGLE

 IN “THIS MEANS WAR”

After a career that began with romantic comedies like “Princess Diaries 2” and “Just My Luck,” roles in Tony Scott’s “Unstoppable” and JJ Abrams’ re-boot of “Star Trek” as Captain Kirk have seen Chris Pine move into more action roles. With McG’s “This Means War,” he gets to combine both comedy and action as FDR, a CIA operative using all of his agency’s resources to fight a fellow agent, Tuck (Tom Hardy), over the love of a woman (Reese Witherspoon).

“This Means War” is about two of the world’s top spies who’ve been partners and best friends for many years. Through a series of circumstances even they couldn’t anticipate, they fall in love with the same woman,” says producer-screenwriter Simon Kinberg.  “FDR and Tuck decide they’re both going to date Lauren and see which one she chooses.  As each begins to fall for Lauren, they get increasingly competitive and employ their spy tactics and techniques to sabotage each other.  Lauren, who just wanted to find the right guy, has no idea that FDR and Tuck are waging war for her love.” 

For the character of FDR, the filmmakers were looking for what McG calls a “rogue – somebody who was lovable, even while possessing supreme self-confidence. And when it comes to that kind of energy, someone who embodies that magical mix, Chris Pine is the heavyweight champ.”

“I play a guy named FDR, a spy who, with every ounce of his being, enjoys being a spy.  He is living the Connery-Bond version of a spy’s life until he meets Lauren Scott and his world is turned upside down. Everything he thought was important—namely guns, women, fast cars and good times with no strings attached—are maybe not so important after all. What becomes important to him is winning the love of this woman,” Pine shares of his character.       

REEL DEAL: This Means War - Writer Marcus Gautesen SPOTLIGHT

“THIS MEANS WAR” BASED ON PERSONAL ACCOUNT OF WRITER MARCUS GAUTESEN

At the heels of the most unforgettable and most action-packed films “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: The Last Stand” comes “This Means War” - the latest romantic-action comedy making hilarious waves screening after screening starring Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy and Chris Pine. 

Recent (and all) screenings of “This Means War” yielded outstanding scores, which revealed that it plays to men, women, singles, and couples.

Collaborated by filmdom’s most creative talents, director McG, scribes Simon Kinberg and Timothy Dowling and producers Will Smith, Robert Simonds and James Lassiter – “This Means War” is an original story by Marcus Gautesen based on his personal experience.  While attending Putney School in Vermont, Marcus was living with his best friend in a two-bedroom apartment in New York City’s Little Italy.  Both unemployed, they decided to move into one bedroom and rent out the other.  A beautiful French woman took the second room, and the guy’s friendship quickly went south as they repeatedly submarined each other’s attempts to win her over – it was war.