madonnalicious - tour spoiler free edition

Guy Ritchie: Madonna changed my life

Director Guy Ritchie is convinced his relationship with Madonna completely changed his life - because it catapulted him into the public eye.
The moviemaker was relatively unknown when he began dating the superstar in 1998, shortly after the release of his first full-length film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
And Ritchie admits that he was only just starting to adjust to life as a celebrity when he embarked on his new relationship - and was unprepared for the level of attention that dating Madonna brought with it.
He says, 'I'd been with (Madonna) for two years before (we got married). That changed my life more than anything in my career because she is hugely famous. It has an enormous impact on the life of whoever she is with. Enormous. An unimaginable impact.'
'I had just had a hit movie, and then this other thing came along that completely trumped it.'

From contactmusic.com

'Yes, I love Madonna!' declares Guy

Guy Ritchie didn't have Madonna on his arm at the 'RocknRolla' after-party Thursday night but he made one thing explicitly clear: they're still very much together and very much in love.
'Yes, I love Madonna!' Ritchie declared in a let-me-spell-this-out-for-you moment as he raised both his index fingers in the air.
The 39-year-old writer-director, dogged by rumours that he and Madge have called it quits, seemed rather relaxed as he posed for photographers and chatted with reporters on the red carpet.
Maybe it's because Ritchie didn't have to wait an hour for his tardy wife like at the London premiere - when Madge rushed back from her tour to meet him.
Or maybe it's because the director's new gangster flick is getting some pretty decent reviews.
Either way, Ritchie knows he's back and he had the swagger to prove it.

From CTV.ca

Mr Ritchie talks to People.com

All's well with the marriage of Guy Ritchie and Madonna, the film director tells PEOPLE - 'as far as I'm aware of,' he added with a smile.
A relaxed and cheerful Ritchie, 39, joined the cast of his upcoming directorial effort RocknRolla on Thursday afternoon at the San Diego International Comic-Con. Joined by his film's costars Gerard Butler, Jeremy Piven and Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges to show scenes and sign autographs, Ritchie also spoke about how being married to the pop icon - whom he referenced only as 'my wife' - had allowed him to look at his hometown of London with fresh eyes.
'I was born there and I've seen it change and I know a great deal about it, I'm invested,' the director said. 'I live vicariously through my wife, so I was once a spy and now I've become a tourist, and it's much more fun to live in London as a tourist than it is as a spy'. He further observed, 'Someone told me the definition was a spy always looks for the bad stuff, and a tourist always looks for the good stuff. So that makes it easy, being married to an American.'
After spending time with Madonna, 49, in New York City - where the two faced intense speculation about the status of their marriage and she is rehearsing for her upcoming Sticky & Sweet tour - Ritchie headed to Los Angeles. There, he attended Kabbalah services and dined with Robert Downey Jr., who's set to star as Sherlock Holmes in a movie Ritchie will direct.

From People.com

Thandie Newton: The Ritchies Are Having Fun

At a screening of her new movie, Run Fat Boy Run, British beauty Thandie Newton was gushing about working with former Friend turned director David Schwimmer. But everyone really wanted to know what's going down with Madonna and her director hubby Guy Ritchie.
Thandie recently worked with Guy on the flick Rock and Roller. And she said, 'They’re having a good time, as far as I know! I went to their house in the country - it’s lovely. It’s all good! I just saw them the other day - they’re having a great time.'
She continued, 'Oh, he’s lovely! He’s a lovely, lovely, lovely man! Awesome - he’s just like - sort of perfect!'
Meanwhile, Thandie knows a thing or two about making a marriage work. She's been married to her writer husband, Ol Parker, for nearly a decade and the two have two kids together. 'He’s essential! They adore him. We love each other a lot and love being together. The key thing is that my kids don’t go to bed until 10 every night. From 7 at night until 10 – that’s when it rocks out in our house!' It’s terrible because they’re knackered.'

From OK! - thanks to Rach

Dinner at Locanda Locatelli

madonnalicious reader Shah sent in this report from London last night:

Madonna and Guy had dinner last night at Locanda Locatelli. They arrived for 9:00pm but their table was prepared 10 minutes before they arrived - the wine decanted and ready.
Madonna wore a black georgette dress and her fur coat. She looked exhausted - no make up. She still looked stunning though!

Malawi minister backs adoption

A Malawian minister on Monday praised Madonna's efforts to rally support for orphans in the southern African nation and said it would be wrong for the government to deny the pop star's adoption of a child there.
Madonna, who is in the process of adopting a Malawian boy, David Banda, hosted a New York event charity event last week that raised millions of dollars for the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the singer's orphan care projects in Malawi.
'This country owes her so much. Very few famous people would take their time off to rally other celebrities to raise money for a poor country like Malawi, which very few people know about,' Information Minister Patricia Kaliati told Reuters.
'It will be wrong for Malawi to even dare deny this wonderful woman all the rights to be a parent of David and many more Malawian children,' Kaliati said.
Madonna is due to appear before a Malawi court in April for a final hearing on Banda's adoption. She began the adoption proceedings in 2006 after meeting the boy in a local orphanage.
The toddler, now about two years old, is living with Madonna and her film director husband Guy Ritchie in London.
The adoption has been controversial, with critics accusing the government of skirting laws that ban non-residents from adopting children in Malawi, which has been badly hit by the AIDS epidemic and is one of the poorest in the world.
There are an estimated 1 million orphans in the country, many of whom are infected with the HIV virus.
Malawi's government is amending its adoption laws.

From Reuters Via Yahoo! News

Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary!

Best wishes from all at madonnalicious to Madonna and Guy who celebrate their 7th wedding anniversary today.

Pictured below is the only photograph ever to emerge from their wedding day - as featured in Madonna's documentary I'm Going To Tell You A Secret.

Guy Ritchie: What can you do? She's Madonna

Director Guy Ritchie seems comfortable in his own skin as he sits in a pricey hotel suite in Beverly Hills, full of boyish enthusiasm about his latest film 'Revolver,' which debuts in U.S. cities on Friday.
He has been married to Madonna, one of the world's leading pop singers and trendsetters, for over two decades, but Ritchie, wearing a nondescript blue shirt and dark pants, seems unimpressed by designer labels.
In an accent that still sounds more working-class London than elite private school he talked about life at home with an icon and 'Revolver,' an existential gangster tale starring Jason Statham and Ray Liotta:

Q: So, how's married life these days?
A: 'I enjoy it enormously. Wish I'd done it sooner.'
Q: Many people said it would never last, so what's the secret to a happy showbiz marriage?
A: 'Pretty much ignore all the stuff they say and write about you.'
Q: But Madonna just signed this huge deal reportedly worth $120 million over 10 years with concert company Live Nation. Do you ever feel your career gets overshadowed by hers?
A: 'Don't know what you mean! She's got her career and I've got mine. What can you do? She's Madonna.'
Q: The critics were pretty unkind when you remade 'Swept Away' with her.
A: 'Were they? I thought our remake was fine It's a funny thing, as once we made the movie, I went, 'Oh yeah, that's the movie we wanted to make.' It wasn't supposed to be a big deal. It was just supposed to be a pleasant remake. And she was good in it. That's what I couldn't understand, because she was conspicuously good in it. But what can you do?'
Q: So would you work with Madonna again?
A: 'I don't know. We don't want to stick our chins out again.'
Q: Then, who's in charge at home?
A: 'I've got to tell you, we're just like any other married couple.'
Q: So she's in charge?
A: 'Yes!'
Q: Any plans to adopt more kids?
A: 'Listen, you've got to speak to the boss about that.'

From Reuters

Guy: Madonna knows best

British director Guy Ritchie is happy to let his wife Madonna give him career advice - because she always knows best.
The 39-year-old filmmaker has re-edited his 2005 movie Revolver after reviews in the U.K. criticised it as overly long and complicated. And Ritchie insists the singer - whom he married in 2000 - knew exactly how to improve the film.
He tells New York Daily News, 'We made it shorter and tried to make it simpler. Funnily enough, we took out the bits that my wife recommended we take out the first time she saw it.' Revolver was released in the U.K. in 2005 and the new edited version of the movie - which stars Jason Statham and Ray Liotta - can be seen in the U.S. from 7 December.

From contactmusic.com

Madonna and Guy's 'date night'

Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie heated up with New York night at the premiere of his crime drama 'Revolver,' and 'Extra' was along for their big date.
'We haven't been away from the kids in a while,' Guy confessed to 'Extra.'
Added Madonna, 'Yeah, so it’s a date.'
Madonna joined Guy for his big premiere, but when Guy tried to explain the title, Madonna had a little fun with him.
'It’s the revolving door – of your ego!' she joked. 'Sorry, I’ll shut up now.'
Glammed out in Dolce & Gabbana, Madonna also revealed she and Guy might expand their family of five.
'Maybe,' she said. 'You never know.'
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ritchie is bugging her husband to make a family movie for once. Guy has made action-packed thrillers 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Snatch.'
'My kids really want to go to one of his movies,' she said, turning to Guy. 'Can you hurry up please? Rocco complained that you don't make movies that kids can watch!'
But Madonna loves 'Revolver,' which hits theaters Friday, and even visited Guy on set.
'I did. He doesn’t invite me very often, you know why? Because during the lunch hour they always wrestle!' she said. 'It’s a gentleman’s club, the set of Guy’s movies.'
Madge also filled 'Extra' in on her holiday plans.
'We’re going far, far away,' she winked. 'It’s the only hint I’m giving you.'

You can view Madonna and Guy's interview at www.extratv.warnerbros.com

Q&A With The Ritchies

When Madonna and Guy Ritchie walk down a red carpet, there’s almost nothing people don’t ask.
What did she first notice about Guy?
'I found him very sexy because he looked like he’d just gotten into a fist fight.'
What has she taught him about fashion?
'Not to wear the same dresses as her,' deadpanned her husband.
What books have they been reading?
'The Year of Magical Thinking,' by Joan Didion,' said the wife.
What’s their son David doing now?
'Eating,' said the husband.
Is marriage difficult?
'It’s a juggling act. A true juggling act' she said.
Hillary or Obama?
'Hillary,' said his wife.
Because?
'Because I’ve gotta support the girls,' she said. 'And because I’m a big fan of the Clintons.'

At a certain point, the questions seemed mainly to be hitting Madonna, even if it was the U.S. premiere of his movie, 'Revolver.'
Had she watched lots of gangster movies before she shacked up with the man who’s sometimes been described as the British version of Quentin Tarantino?
'Well, I worship 'The Godfather' Pt. I and II,' she said. 'And we watched a lot of gangster movies together. But none were as good as his.'
After the Cinema Society and Piaget’s screening of the film at the Tribeca Grand, guests like Sarah Jessica Parker, Steven Klein, Ingrid Casares, Alex Rodriguez and Donna Karan headed out to The Gramercy Park Hotel, where the party went 'til around midnight.

From WWD.com - thanks to Jacob