Hee Hee … I can hear it now, But officer, I had no idea I was driving the wrong way … and by any chance have you seen Fantastic Four 2? Yeah, if I were her, I’d shy away from trying to get cops to recognize who she is … she’d prolly stand a better chance of not getting punished for her real crimes (ie. her movie career). Oh well … better luck next time, Jessica.

[Photo credit: X17]

At Alba’s last ELLE shoot, for the February 2008 cover, she had just reunited with her producer boyfriend, Cash Warren (after their bad breakup), and was hiding a surprise pregnancy. One year later, she’s a wife and mother. (And, it turns out, still keeping secrets: this time, the party she and Warren would throw two weeks after this interview, officially celebrating their eight-month-old marriage.) That would be a fast-forward for anyone; it’s an especially significant priority shift for someone who became a card-carrying SAG member at the age of 12 (for the kiddie comedy Camp Nowhere). By the time she landed the role of a genetically enhanced underworld avenger on the TV show Dark Angel at 14, the lithe, doe-eyed child actor had become a teen sex symbol in leather pants—an image that has rankled Alba ever since. Still, her next few films did little to reverse it. She played a bleached-blond scientist in navy neoprene—endowed, ironically, with the superpower of invisibility— in both Fantastic Four movies and a hip bone–shimmying dancer who teaches Missy Elliot moves in Honey. Then there was Sin City’s stripper with a heart of gold (in fringed chaps and a push-up bra). When none of these shook off her pretty-girl shackles, Alba dove into comedy, first opposite an extra-grating Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck and then in last year’s The Love Guru, a Deepak Chopra spoof that could have been Mike Myers’ next Austin Powers but, well, wasn’t—both movies might have been funnier if they had actually allowed their leading lady to crack a joke once in a while. And so, 15 years into a successful career, Alba’s looks are still hogging the spotlight. Rapturous fans idolize her pillowy lips, her gleaming skin—hell, even her nose was ranked by L.A. plastic surgeons as the most requested model of 2007. It stands to reason, then, that the film that finally obscures those heavenly features is the one of which she’s most proud. The upcoming indie An Invisible Sign of My Own employs the Halle-Nicole-Charlize highlight-talent-by-burying-looks strategy, but instead of adding a prosthetic nose or 35 extra pounds, Alba is shrouded in a mousy amalgam of pigtails, floppy hats, and schlumpy layers to achieve a look the actress calls “grandma meets 10-year-old.” Alba plays Mona Gray, a naive, reclusive woman whose obsession with numbers leads her to take a job as a math teacher; the film follows Mona as she breaks out of her childlike shell and learns to embrace the outside world. The role is, by all accounts, a more demanding, complex journey than any Alba has ever embodied on-screen. “I really did not picture her as the lead in this film,” says director Marilyn Agrelo, who is best known for the culty child-performer documentary Mad Hot Ballroom. “I knew her as a piece of pop culture, Fantastic Four, this sort of thing.” In a single meeting, Alba won Agrelo over. “I was so surprised by her intelligence, her thoughtfulness, her poise,” Agrelo says. “She’s a real, flesh-and-blood, fully realized woman.” Costar Chris Messina (the preppy fiancé from Vicky Cristina Barcelona), who plays a science teacher who becomes Mona’s love interest, describes Alba’s work in the film as “magnificent.” “Jessica’s a beautiful woman, so this business is going to want to put her in a bikini or put a gun in her hand, but she’s just more than that,” Messina says. “It seemed to me that she really seized this.” The result, according to Agrelo, is a performance that could change the course of Alba’s career. “I remember when Pulp Fiction opened, and people kind of laughed at the idea of John Travolta in that role. He blew everybody away,” she says. “When things like that happen, it’s wonderful. And it’s so rare that you get to be the one who pulls the surprise out of the hat.” Messina refers to the actress-mom-wife “Jessica” and pop culture property “Jessica Alba,” as if they were totally unrelated entities. The woman who shows up to brunch the morning after our shoot is a bit of both. She arrives early, dressed in Olsen-sister incognito (boyfriend jeans, mannish brogues, fingerless gloves), at the chaotic TriBeCa comfort food spot Bubby’s. It’s the kind of place where, on weekends at least, lines are nightmarish, children outnumber adults, and the surrounding sidewalk is a veritable Bugaboo parking lot—and that’s exactly what Alba likes about it. (“There aren’t that many places where you don’t have to feel bad when your kid has a meltdown,” she says. “Plus, there’s a changing table downstairs.”) Today, Jessica is friendly and warm, but make no mistake, Jessica Alba—the guarded professional who works hard to defend the boundaries between personal and private—is in the driver’s seat.

Firstly, I think it would’ve been wiser to totally disregard Alba’s co-starring role in The Love Guru — the more we try to forget that horrendousness, the better for mankind. After the jump, check out a couple more photos of Jessica from this issue of Elle magazine …

I have to say that I’m very suspicious of this “career-changing” role that is coming up for Alba. Let’s face it, judging by some of the movies she’s appeared in (F4, F4:2, The Eye, etc.) I haven’t really seen anything that might hint at stunning acting prowess … but, I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. There are a lot of Jessica Alba haters out there — and truth be told, I can understand why — but I’ve got a soft spot for her, dunno why. Personally, I think she looks amazing in this photospread and, as I said, I’m willing to give her a few more chances to impress me in the movie theater. I guess we’ll see … but what do y’all think? Does Jessica Alba have the chops to silence her critics and turn in an amazing acting performance?

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Awww … she sure can rock that fauxhawk, can’t she? This little girl is just too cute for words. If she thinks her mom is embarrassing her with the PDA now, just wait ’til she gets older. Latina mothers are NOTORIOUS for heaping lurve and affection on their kid when in public. They’re also notorious for having no problem whatsoever disciplining their children in plain sight of any and everyone no matter where you are (trust me, I speak from experience) so I hope the little doll behaves herself when she gets older. OY! So cute!!

[Photo credit: Splash News]

OMG, cute … this little girl is going to be walking on her own soon, you just watch. She’s such a doll … and quite a fashion maven with those little hats. Honor Marie is going to be trouble one day, a stunning beauty … I have no doubt. We should deffo enjoy seeing her as a tiny baby while we still can tho … she’s gonna be a little kid sooner than we realize.

[Photo credit: Splash News, X17]

Darion and I were lucky enough to attend the LA premiere screening of this movie 3D last night and had an amazing time … but I’ll have to save my review for a little later … I will say that this move is NOT to be missed! The 3D elements of this film make it so freakin’ awesome, make your plans to see it in 3D now — I promise you won’t be disappointed. Jaime King looked utterly amazing on the red carpet … and completely different than she looks in the film. You Twilighters may recognize Edi Gathegi as Laurent from the Twilight movie … he plays a deputy in the flick. Man, you’re gonna have to check out my review of the film a little later on … D and I loved it so much — all movies should be in 3D! More soon …

[Photo credit: Wireimage]

Okay … for those of you who didn’t keel over dead from the adorableness, let’s continue … it looks as if Honor isn’t quite able to walk all on her own just yet but she’ll prolly be able to do so very soon. Seriously, those cheeks, that smile, that hat — isn’t she the cutest little darling ever? I hope that she and Harlow Winter become BFFs soon cuz they have to be the cutest little girls in Hollywood. Can you imagine the trubs these two would get into if left to their own devices? Lordy … one can only imagine.

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren were taking parenthood in their stride yesterday as they took baby Honor on yet another trip to the park. The couple, who married in a quiet ceremony in May, enjoyed the short walk to their local park as a family, before Cash left Jessica with their baby daughter and a friend to enjoy a picnic … Make-up free Jessica, 27, made for an effortless yummy mummy, dressed down in a tracksuit and trainers as she fed six-month-old Honor. The actress looked relaxed as her friend played with the baby, who was warmly wrapped up in a cosy white jacket and tiny Ugg boots.

Aww … I can’t believe how big little Honor Marie is getting … and I really can’t believe that she was born back in June … it seems like she was just born yesterday. There were a lot of celeb babies born in 2008, which may go down as THE biggest year for celeb babies to be born. I’m telling you … these babies are going to be kids very soon, then they’ll be teenagers and then grown adults trying to make it big in showbiz, just like their famous parents. It never seems like they stay babies for long. At least little Honor is still tiny enough that she kinda looks like a baby … a darling one, too!

[Photo credit: X17; Source]

From the press release: Campari® unveils today its 2009 worldwide multimedia campaign and Campari Calendar: “Club Campari”— set in a distinctive oceanside destination, where sensuality and temptation prevail in a sophisticated, but playful atmosphere. The “Club Campari” initiative features world-renowned actress Jessica Alba and her interpretation of “Red Passion,” captured by the lens of acclaimed photographer Mario Testino and legendary director Jean Paul Goude. The brilliant collaboration of these three notable talents resulted in seventeen snapshots, one international television commercial and a unique online experience. In addition, thirteen of Mario Testino’s shots will appear in a limited edition calendar, of which only 9,999 copies are printed and distributed internationally. “Mario’s and Jean-Paul Goude’s visions made it very easy to embody the Club Campari femme fatale,” said Jessica Alba. “It was the first time I have ever worked with Campari, Mario and Jean Paul: they make you look like you can only imagine in your wildest dreams, I am a huge fan of their work and I look forward to working with them again.” In this exciting and alluring atmosphere, Jessica Alba, as the centrepiece of the campaign, provides a provocative look into a world of sophisticated beauty. Mario Testino was selected as photographer for the Campari Calendar and print campaign for the second time, after the tremendous success of the 2007 initiative “Hotel Campari,” starring Salma Hayek. Testino masterfully found a new way to evoke Red Passion through Jessica Alba’s explosive mix of beauty, sophistication and joie de vivre. Club Campari is also interpreted through Jean Paul Goude’s dramatic creativity and imagination, which are evident in the core of the campaign and the filmed commercial. “I like to suggest desire and it is essential to me that actors perform naturally, like in real life,” said Goude. “Spontaneity is everything. The spontaneity of a speech, the right gesture, the right glance, the right movement, all add depth to the story to be told,” he explains. The Club Campari concept draws its inspiration from the most exclusive clubs on the planet: fun, cosmopolitan and social. Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Gruppo Campari, stated that, “The style, elegance and class, which differentiate Campari’s communication, focus on three fundamental themes brought to life in Club Campari: passion, sophistication and cosmopolitanism.” “Red Passion” is the “fil rouge;” the shared attribute linking each different edition of the Campari Calendar, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Since the first Calendar came out in 2000, Campari has collaborated with internationally renowned photographers. Through their creative art, they have rendered the brand’s innate sensuality and passion, unique and palpable. Each Calendar star, including Salma Hayek and Eva Mendes, has succeeded in capturing Campari’s characteristics distinctively through her fascinating allure and beauty.

She looks pretty saucy in these pics … Jessica really only has a few sexy poses but Mario Testino really knows how to capture her hawtness. The pics are fun and I think Jessica makes a very great spokesmodel for the new 2009 Campari Calendar campaign. After the jump, check out a few more photos from the 2009 calendar and read a new Q&A with Jessica about this Campari campaign …

What sparked your interest to appear in the Club Campari Campaign?
I was excited to do the Club Campari campaign because I think it’s a great drink and a such a classy brand to be associated with. I had seen Salma’s [editor’s note: Hayek] collaboration with Campari and I thought it was really stunning. Mario shot it, and he is by far one of the best photographers in the world. I just thought it would be a lot of fun!

Do you support any charity projects?
I support quite a few charities. One of them is Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues, which raises awareness for domestic violence and cruelty towards women. Another is Keep a Child Alive. Alicia Keys is the ambassador and it’s based out of Africa. They provide anti retro viral medicines to women and children with AIDS. These are two charities that I feel very strongly about.

I gotta say, this has to be the most interesting interview that Jessica Alba has ever done … she never gets these deep when she talks to magazines. In any event, Jessica looks pretty smokin’ in these pics … I like the Malibu feel of the photos … there’s an old school Hollywood glam feel to them. What do y’all think … is Jessica the right person for the new Campri campaign? Do y’all like these pics?

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It’s a rare sight to see Jessica not scowling with misery and actually looking happy and contented with life. I guess even the usually glower-faced Jessica can’t hide the happiness brought into her life by her new husband and her baby girl all the time. These three really make a pretty family … and Honor Marie is already growing so big! Glad to see them lookin’ so happy … hopefully we’ll get to see more of it.

[Photo credit: INFdaily]

When Filth & Wisdom was screened in Berlin earlier this year it was reported that the film would not be released in traditional movie theaters and would, instead, be released via “new media” (ie. online only). I’m not sure if that is still the plan but it might be the wiser course of action should Madonna want to avoid getting skewered by the traditional movie review press … or by the movie-going audience as a whole (the film has not been getting good reviews from the handful of folks who have seen it already). Why Madonna continues to make movies is beyond me … at least she doesn’t star in this one, that should be a plus, yes?

On the fashion tip, Madge gets points for her interesting footwear. I’m not a gun fan but her heels are kinda hot. Lindsay loses major points for going out in public with her un-spray-tanned feet. If you’re gonna fake your tan, Linds, you should make sure that you fake tan your whole entire body in order to avoid embarrassing moments like this one. Jessica Alba, Cash Warren and Marc Jacobs looked pretty standard and Chace Crawford looked pretty dressed up at last night’s event. I much prefer his boyish casual dress to this overly primped look. Oh, who am I kidding … the guy is a stunner no matter how he’s dressed. Soo … having heard all the buzz about Filth & Wisdom — any takers?

[Photo credit: Bauer-Griffin]