After bursting onto TV screens on Ally McBeal and later kicking butt in Kill Bill and the Charlie's Angels films, LUCY LIU was anxious to tackle something new - a romantic comedy. The fruits of her labor are on view in the two-part LIFETIME movie event - Marry Me.  In describing her attraction to the role of Rae, an unlucky-in-love single woman who suddenly finds herself with three proposals, the actress told Tasty Clips that "It was pretty simple.  They said it was a four hours long and originally written for some southern blonde type so it was interesting for me to be drawn into this world.  To have a minority in a cross-cultural situation, I'm always attracted to be thought of doing something like that."

"I'm not really an active dater," she said. "[A wedding?] To be honest, I never pictured any of that stuff.  Never had those images in my mind for the present. It was so different." She later described herself as "definitely the hopeless romantic" ... "always looking for someone who is the perfect match for me."

Liu thinks that reason many marriages fail is due to impatience. "People think that they should get married by a certain age," she said.  "I think people have a drive...a biological drive to do it.  There's a certain social norm.  I think it takes time to learn about yourself.  If you wait a little bit longer you might meet someone you'll spend the rest of your life with.  A lot of people don't know themselves before getting married."

She laughed when asked what songs she'd want played at her reception: "Definitely some Michael Jackson.  Some old school. Prince. We were going to use a Marvin Gaye song for the film. I love him. We ended up using something else.  Whatever I pick it has to be danceable.  [Currently] I'm actually listening to The Bullets."

The Atlanta shoot for the film left a positive impression on the Queens, NY native. "I visited an incredible museum (The HIGH) where the Dali exhibit was unbelievable." She adds, "I wanted to go but never got to this restaurant I heard of that only serves 50 of the best hamburgers a night (Holeman & Finch). So many things in Atlanta I love. Everyone there was so friendly. What they say about southern hospitality does ring true."

Liu's voice is prominent in a couple of animated projects (the Tinker Bell DVDs and the Kung Fu Panda movies).  A long gestating art book may be released next year.  She's also interested in doing a comedy. "When I was growing up I'd watch sitcoms all the time," she explained. "The Jeffersons.  Get Smart.  There's not too many of them now.  I love sort of the dry comedy shows.  I know this is terrible but I just end up buying the series sets and watching the whole thing.  I just started with Modern Family and I love 30 Rock.  I [also] got caught up with Dexter."  And there's one more challenge she'd like to take on: "I would love to do a musical," she said, "but I'd have to learn how to sing first!"

VIVIAN GREEN

TC FILM: Actor Michael Rapaport is making his debut as a documentary director at Sundance with Beats, Rhymes and Life, a look at hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, though Q-Tip thinks its not ready ... Tower Heist, the long planned Brett Ratner project once described as "a black Ocean's 11," is finally a go with an ensemble featuring Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe, Charlie Murphy and the return of DAVE CHAPPELLE ... Hugh Jackman is trying to add 25 pounds of muscle for The Wolverine with help from "The Rock" ... Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington & David Alan Grier are set for the comedy We The Peeples ... RZA (Wu Tang) is starring and making his directorial debut in The Man With The Iron Fists with Russell Crowe ... Mary J. Blige will play Nina Simone in a new biopic.  We always felt Nikki Micheaux (Lincoln Heights) was perfect for that role ... While we're casting, there seems to us to be one "natural" to play Aretha Franklin and it ain't her choice of Halle Berry or the media's choice of Jennifer Hudson. The one who should do this is singer Jazmine Sullivan.

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FILM BUZZ/THE HARDLINE ACCORDING TO VBM: BLACK SWAN Darren Aronofsky (USA)**** In this beautiful yet disturbing, behind the scenes depiction of one young ballerina's struggle to embrace her role as both the white and black swan queens in Tchaikovsky's famous ballet Swan Lake, while not so slowly losing her grasp on reality, Aronofsky once again delivers a mesmerizing glimpse into the frailty of the human mind. Much like Ellen Burstyn in her portrayal of Sara Goldfarb's descent into drug addiction in Aronofsky's brilliant, Requiem For A Dream, Natalie Portman is absolutely captivating in her turn as the troubled Nina, a role in which she'll probably be nominated for an Oscar. She convincingly manages to convey the precarious emotional nature artists of true genius sometimes inhabit in the pursuit of perfection, and the cost of seemingly achieving it. With excellent support from Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, and Winona Ryder, and of course, a glorious soundtrack, this film quite possibly could capture the best film of the year honors at the Academy Awards.  Stunning! ... Victor Bains Marshall, host of The Middle Passage (Wed., 5-7 p.m. - ckln.fm), takes a look back at this year's Toronto International Film Festival and [P]reviews some strange cinema including State of Violence; Viva Riva! and more at Tasty Clips Today.  

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TC SPORTS: Former Knicks star CHARLES OAKLEY has jumped into the now popular and competitive food truck business touting the best turkey burgers on wheels. This new venture isbeing documented in a series being pitched called Oak in the Kitchen. Rose Gilliam-Skeete spied the big man working the grill non-stop in NYC's Financial District and reported that he looked like he could still step on a court and play competitvely.  So did the burger live up to the hype? "I had the black angus burger with brie, lettuce and ketchup on a sesame seed bun with fries," she said. "The burger was really good. Smelled even better. The fries were excellent. Crisp on the outside and tender inside. My co-worker ordered the #34 turkey burger special for $12. He was highly disappointed though because we got back to the office and he got the bun and the turkey patty with no trimmings! He did enjoy his fries as well." You can keep up with Oak's stops at