Ewan McGregor was “very reluctant” to play Obi Wan-Kenobi in “Star Wars,” he admitted.
“It wasn’t a done deal for me. I didn’t think it was at all who I was. I believed, at that point, I was a Danny Boyle actor. ‘The Beach’ was more important and I meant it, it wasn’t flippant. I did ask a lot of people for advice.”
“I am happy that I am this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they were so disliked. That was hard. The first one was panned and we still had to make another two! It was weird to be in a film that was hammered.”
He enjoyed making ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,” though.
“I would love to do the second season, but there’s no talk of it yet. There is a lot going on at Disney.”
In Goteborg, he also...
“It wasn’t a done deal for me. I didn’t think it was at all who I was. I believed, at that point, I was a Danny Boyle actor. ‘The Beach’ was more important and I meant it, it wasn’t flippant. I did ask a lot of people for advice.”
“I am happy that I am this character for a lot of people, but when these films came out, they were so disliked. That was hard. The first one was panned and we still had to make another two! It was weird to be in a film that was hammered.”
He enjoyed making ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi,” though.
“I would love to do the second season, but there’s no talk of it yet. There is a lot going on at Disney.”
In Goteborg, he also...
- 1/31/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Cinematographer who brought his imaginative sensibilities to films such as Trainspotting, Billy Elliot and Quadrophenia
The cultural aesthetic of the Britpop and New Labour years was shaped partly by the cinematographer Brian Tufano, who has died aged 83. In films such as Trainspotting (1996), East Is East (1999) and Billy Elliot (2000), he combined social realism and absurdist fantasy, smudging the joins between the two. A typical Tufano production, said the film-maker Saul Metzstein, had “technical polish and a cinematic ambition at odds with its financially modest status”.
He worked for the BBC throughout the 1960s and 70s with directors including Lindsay Anderson, Ken Russell, Stephen Frears, Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. But it was in his work with a younger generation in the 90s that his imaginative cinematic sensibility was most strongly felt. For Danny Boyle, with whom he had already made the BBC period drama series Mr Wroe’s Virgins (1993), he shot the...
The cultural aesthetic of the Britpop and New Labour years was shaped partly by the cinematographer Brian Tufano, who has died aged 83. In films such as Trainspotting (1996), East Is East (1999) and Billy Elliot (2000), he combined social realism and absurdist fantasy, smudging the joins between the two. A typical Tufano production, said the film-maker Saul Metzstein, had “technical polish and a cinematic ambition at odds with its financially modest status”.
He worked for the BBC throughout the 1960s and 70s with directors including Lindsay Anderson, Ken Russell, Stephen Frears, Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. But it was in his work with a younger generation in the 90s that his imaginative cinematic sensibility was most strongly felt. For Danny Boyle, with whom he had already made the BBC period drama series Mr Wroe’s Virgins (1993), he shot the...
- 1/26/2023
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Jeff Shuter, the motion comics director and producer behind projects for Viacom and MTV whose credits include motion comics for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stan Lee’s Time Jumper and an adaptation of Invincible based on the comic book series, died in Chicago on Nov. 10 after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
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His family announced his death today ahead of a private memorial service in Los Angeles this Saturday.
After graduating from Northwestern University in 2003, Shuter moved to Los Angeles, where he co-founded Gain Enterprises, through which he and co-founder Dan Viney helped develop motion comics technology at a time when smartphones were becoming ubiquitous and studios began developing content for mobile devices.
Motion comics, also called animated comics,...
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery Related Story C.J. Harris Dies: 'American Idol' Contestant Was 31 Related Story Brian Tufano Dies: Veteran 'Trainspotting' & 'Billy Elliot' Cinematographer Was 83
His family announced his death today ahead of a private memorial service in Los Angeles this Saturday.
After graduating from Northwestern University in 2003, Shuter moved to Los Angeles, where he co-founded Gain Enterprises, through which he and co-founder Dan Viney helped develop motion comics technology at a time when smartphones were becoming ubiquitous and studios began developing content for mobile devices.
Motion comics, also called animated comics,...
- 1/17/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Cinematographer Brian Tufano, who shot British classics like "Trainspotting" and "Billy Elliot," has died at the age of 83. The news was announced by Jon Wardle, director of the UK's National Film and Television School, via his Twitter account, and confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Tufano had been semi-retired for the past 10 years, but he had an illustrious career that spanned decades and left his imprint on cinema forever. He was awarded with a special BAFTA in 2001 for his contributions to television craft, honoring the work he did with directors like Ken Russell, Stephen Frears, and Alan Parker.
Despite doing so much great work on television, Tufano became best known worldwide for his collaborations with director Danny Boyle, shooting four films together including Boyle's breakout hit "Trainspotting." The talented director of photography was especially skilled at filming movement, with his camera acting almost like a distinct character all of its own.
Tufano had been semi-retired for the past 10 years, but he had an illustrious career that spanned decades and left his imprint on cinema forever. He was awarded with a special BAFTA in 2001 for his contributions to television craft, honoring the work he did with directors like Ken Russell, Stephen Frears, and Alan Parker.
Despite doing so much great work on television, Tufano became best known worldwide for his collaborations with director Danny Boyle, shooting four films together including Boyle's breakout hit "Trainspotting." The talented director of photography was especially skilled at filming movement, with his camera acting almost like a distinct character all of its own.
- 1/16/2023
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Brian Tufano, the veteran, BAFTA-nominated cinematographer known for his collaborations with Danny Boyle, has died. He was 83.
The news was confirmed by Tufano’s agent at McKinney Macartney Management, with Jon Wardle, director of the U.K.’s National Film and Television School — where Tufano had previously worked as a department head — posting a tribute on Twitter.
“Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography legend and former @NFTSFilmTV Head of Department Brian Tufano has died,” Wardle wrote. “He shot so many amazing films and did so much to champion new talent, in particular female DPs. We loved him and will Really miss him.”
Beginning his career at the BBC as a projectionist, Tufano worked his way up to cameraman within the film department in 1963 and would work on small-screen features with directors including Stephen Frears, Ken Russell and Alan Parker while at the broadcaster. His first feature film, having...
The news was confirmed by Tufano’s agent at McKinney Macartney Management, with Jon Wardle, director of the U.K.’s National Film and Television School — where Tufano had previously worked as a department head — posting a tribute on Twitter.
“Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography legend and former @NFTSFilmTV Head of Department Brian Tufano has died,” Wardle wrote. “He shot so many amazing films and did so much to champion new talent, in particular female DPs. We loved him and will Really miss him.”
Beginning his career at the BBC as a projectionist, Tufano worked his way up to cameraman within the film department in 1963 and would work on small-screen features with directors including Stephen Frears, Ken Russell and Alan Parker while at the broadcaster. His first feature film, having...
- 1/16/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tufano’s credits include the seminal UK films ‘Trainspotting’, ‘Shallow Grave’ and ‘Billy Elliot’.
Brian Tufano, a legendary UK cinematographer whose works included Trainspotting and Billy Elliot, has died.
His career spanned over five decades, during which he nurtured the talents of numerous debut directors and was at the forefront of the boom of UK filmmaking of the 1990s.
Born in London in 1939, Tufano began working at the BBC’s Gainsborough Studios as a projectionist in 1956. He then worked as a projectionist at the BBC at Ealing Studios, where the film department was based, eventually working his way up from...
Brian Tufano, a legendary UK cinematographer whose works included Trainspotting and Billy Elliot, has died.
His career spanned over five decades, during which he nurtured the talents of numerous debut directors and was at the forefront of the boom of UK filmmaking of the 1990s.
Born in London in 1939, Tufano began working at the BBC’s Gainsborough Studios as a projectionist in 1956. He then worked as a projectionist at the BBC at Ealing Studios, where the film department was based, eventually working his way up from...
- 1/16/2023
- by Alex Rigotti
- ScreenDaily
Brian Tufano, the veteran British cinematographer who lensed films such as Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, and Billy Elliot, has died. He was 83.
Tufano’s agents at McKinney Macartney Management confirmed the news with Deadline. Jon Wardle, Director of the UK’s National Film and Television School, where Tufano was previously a department head, also shared a tribute to the cinematographer on Twitter.
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“Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography legend and former @NFTSFilmTV Head of Department Brian Tufano has died,” the Tweet read. “He shot so many amazing films and did so much to champion new talent, in particular female DPs. We loved him and will Really miss him.”
Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography...
Tufano’s agents at McKinney Macartney Management confirmed the news with Deadline. Jon Wardle, Director of the UK’s National Film and Television School, where Tufano was previously a department head, also shared a tribute to the cinematographer on Twitter.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Gina Lollobrigida Dies: Italian Cinema Diva Was 95 Related Story Al Brown Dies: Col. Stan Valchek On 'The Wire' Was 83
“Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography legend and former @NFTSFilmTV Head of Department Brian Tufano has died,” the Tweet read. “He shot so many amazing films and did so much to champion new talent, in particular female DPs. We loved him and will Really miss him.”
Very sorry to have to share that Cinematography...
- 1/16/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the better-remembered ’80s sci-fi horror thrillers is back in an improved Blu-ray, with a pile of extras. Dennis Quaid gets to act with Max von Sydow Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert and Kate Capshaw, as they deal with a Cronenberg-like device that can invade human dreams.
Dreamscape
Blu-ray
Scream Factory (Shout! Factory)
1984 / Color /1:85 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / 29.93
Starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert, Kate Capshaw, David Patrick Kelly, George Wendt.
Cinematography Brian Tufano
Film Editor Richard Halsey
Original Music Maurice Jarre
Written by David Loughery, Chuck Russell, Joseph Ruben
Produced by Bruce John Curtis
Directed by Joseph Ruben
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I have a previous Blu-ray of 1984’s Dreamscape but this edition is a big improvement, both in the transfer and its extras. Dreamscape is a commercially successful thriller that places a superior star cast in a science fantasy with plenty of potential.
Dreamscape
Blu-ray
Scream Factory (Shout! Factory)
1984 / Color /1:85 widescreen / 99 min. / Street Date December 13, 2016 / 29.93
Starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Eddie Albert, Kate Capshaw, David Patrick Kelly, George Wendt.
Cinematography Brian Tufano
Film Editor Richard Halsey
Original Music Maurice Jarre
Written by David Loughery, Chuck Russell, Joseph Ruben
Produced by Bruce John Curtis
Directed by Joseph Ruben
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I have a previous Blu-ray of 1984’s Dreamscape but this edition is a big improvement, both in the transfer and its extras. Dreamscape is a commercially successful thriller that places a superior star cast in a science fantasy with plenty of potential.
- 12/19/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress — at the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Kotchebi
Logline: “Kotchebi” is about a friendship between a mysterious young girl and a bereaved old man. On the surface they have nothing in common apart from inhabiting different sides of a semi-detached house on a very ordinary suburban street.
Elevator Pitch:
“Kotchebi” translates as “wandering swallow” – North Korean slang for the orphans who roam the streets searching for food.
The film follows an unlikely friendship between a mysterious young girl and a bereaved old man. On the surface, they have nothing in common, other than living on opposite sides of the same semi-detached house.
Mi Young is a North Korean refugee who doesn’t speak,...
In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.
Kotchebi
Logline: “Kotchebi” is about a friendship between a mysterious young girl and a bereaved old man. On the surface they have nothing in common apart from inhabiting different sides of a semi-detached house on a very ordinary suburban street.
Elevator Pitch:
“Kotchebi” translates as “wandering swallow” – North Korean slang for the orphans who roam the streets searching for food.
The film follows an unlikely friendship between a mysterious young girl and a bereaved old man. On the surface, they have nothing in common, other than living on opposite sides of the same semi-detached house.
Mi Young is a North Korean refugee who doesn’t speak,...
- 8/4/2016
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
When I got out of bed today, I moved a soundtrack from my computer to my iPod, and when I got in the car to drive to work, I cranked up Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" for the first time in a while. As soon as I did, I was hit with a flash of Ewan McGregor, tearing ass down the street, that smile on his face, and I got a full Proustian out-of-body flashback to being in the theater with my friends Pete and Scott and positively levitating out of my chair at the energy of the thing. We were all Danny Boyle fans already from Shallow Grave, but nothing prepared us for Trainspotting. It was one of those seismic movie moments, and it seems impossible to me that it's already been 20 years since it came out. There have been plenty of movies about addiction and drug abuse over the years,...
- 2/24/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
BBC Films falls in love with Matthias Schoenaerts, Danny Boyle reminisces with Philip French, and Olivia Colman seeks direction in the wrong quarter
Bulging Belgian
A year ago he was a little-known Belgian actor. Then, on the first Thursday of Cannes 2012, came Rust and Bone and Matthias Schoenaerts – playing a bare-knuckle boxer opposite Marion Cotillard – was suddenly the hottest discovery on the Croisette.
The British film industry in particular seems to have fallen for Schoenaert , and he'll be seen in three forthcoming BBC Films productions. First there's A Little Chaos (directed by Alan Rickman), in which he plays the head gardener at Versailles opposite Kate Winslet's headstrong landscaper. Then he'll go straight to the set of Saul Dibb's production of the second world war drama Suite française, some of which is being shot in his native Belgium. In that, he'll play a German officer opposite Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Bulging Belgian
A year ago he was a little-known Belgian actor. Then, on the first Thursday of Cannes 2012, came Rust and Bone and Matthias Schoenaerts – playing a bare-knuckle boxer opposite Marion Cotillard – was suddenly the hottest discovery on the Croisette.
The British film industry in particular seems to have fallen for Schoenaert , and he'll be seen in three forthcoming BBC Films productions. First there's A Little Chaos (directed by Alan Rickman), in which he plays the head gardener at Versailles opposite Kate Winslet's headstrong landscaper. Then he'll go straight to the set of Saul Dibb's production of the second world war drama Suite française, some of which is being shot in his native Belgium. In that, he'll play a German officer opposite Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas.
- 5/11/2013
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
Deaffest | Lars von Trier | Holmfirth Film festival | Trainspotting: The Reunion
Deaffest, Wolverhampton
Sadly, the UK's premier festival for the deaf lost its patron this year, the estimable Richard Griffiths. But before he died, the actor recorded an onstage interview at London's Savoy Theatre (which premieres here), during which he spoke, and signed, about his career, growing up with deaf parents and the future possibilities for deaf film-making. Those possibilities are further revealed in the film programme, which brings together deafness-related films from the UK and around the world, with awards up for grabs as well. Many of the stories, factual and fictional, use deafness to offer a fresh insight into everything from Islam to cage fighting, to exploring aspects of deaf culture and to laugh at hearing society's stupidity.
Light House, Fri to 19 May
Lars von Trier, London
What a boring place the movies would be without Von Trier.
Deaffest, Wolverhampton
Sadly, the UK's premier festival for the deaf lost its patron this year, the estimable Richard Griffiths. But before he died, the actor recorded an onstage interview at London's Savoy Theatre (which premieres here), during which he spoke, and signed, about his career, growing up with deaf parents and the future possibilities for deaf film-making. Those possibilities are further revealed in the film programme, which brings together deafness-related films from the UK and around the world, with awards up for grabs as well. Many of the stories, factual and fictional, use deafness to offer a fresh insight into everything from Islam to cage fighting, to exploring aspects of deaf culture and to laugh at hearing society's stupidity.
Light House, Fri to 19 May
Lars von Trier, London
What a boring place the movies would be without Von Trier.
- 5/11/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
By Allen Gardner
Quadrophenia (Criterion) Franc Roddam’s 1979 film based on The Who’s classic rock opera tells the story of working class lad Jimmy (Phil Daniels) struggling to find his identity in a rapidly changing Britain, circa 1965. Jimmy is a “mod,” a youth movement dedicated to wearing snappy suits, driving Vespa motor scooters bedecked with side mirrors, popping amphetamines and obsessed with the new sound of bands like The Who and The Kinks. Their other pastime is engaging in bloody brawls with “rockers,” throwbacks to the 1950s, who listen to Elvis and Gene Vincent, wear leather biker gear, grease in their hair and drive massive motorcycles a la Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.” Often cited as a worthy successor to “Rebel Without a Cause” as the greatest angry youth picture ever made, it is that and more, including a first cousin to the “kitchen sink” dramas of scribes John Osborne,...
Quadrophenia (Criterion) Franc Roddam’s 1979 film based on The Who’s classic rock opera tells the story of working class lad Jimmy (Phil Daniels) struggling to find his identity in a rapidly changing Britain, circa 1965. Jimmy is a “mod,” a youth movement dedicated to wearing snappy suits, driving Vespa motor scooters bedecked with side mirrors, popping amphetamines and obsessed with the new sound of bands like The Who and The Kinks. Their other pastime is engaging in bloody brawls with “rockers,” throwbacks to the 1950s, who listen to Elvis and Gene Vincent, wear leather biker gear, grease in their hair and drive massive motorcycles a la Marlon Brando in “The Wild One.” Often cited as a worthy successor to “Rebel Without a Cause” as the greatest angry youth picture ever made, it is that and more, including a first cousin to the “kitchen sink” dramas of scribes John Osborne,...
- 9/4/2012
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Phil Daniels takes Leslie Ash for a spin in Quadrophenia.
The Who’s 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia, a follow-up to their 1969 ground-breaker Tommy (which was made into movie in 1972), goes cinematic in this 1979 British musical drama film by director Franc Roddam (The Bride).
In the defiant, drug-fueled London of the early 1960s. antihero Jimmy (Phil Daniels, Meantime) is a teenager who’s dissatisfied with family, work, and love. He mainly identifies with the fashionable, pill-popping, scooter-driving mods, a group whose opposition to the motorcycle-riding rockers. Jimmy’s feelings, coupled with the groups’ overpowering intentions, leads to a climactic riot in the streets of Brighton.
Roddam’s rough-edged visuals work and Pete Townshend’s brilliant songs (including “I’ve Had Enough,” “5:15,” and “Love, Reign O’er Me”) work smartly together in this chronicle of youthful rebellion and turmoil.
Co-starring Sting (Dune...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Phil Daniels takes Leslie Ash for a spin in Quadrophenia.
The Who’s 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia, a follow-up to their 1969 ground-breaker Tommy (which was made into movie in 1972), goes cinematic in this 1979 British musical drama film by director Franc Roddam (The Bride).
In the defiant, drug-fueled London of the early 1960s. antihero Jimmy (Phil Daniels, Meantime) is a teenager who’s dissatisfied with family, work, and love. He mainly identifies with the fashionable, pill-popping, scooter-driving mods, a group whose opposition to the motorcycle-riding rockers. Jimmy’s feelings, coupled with the groups’ overpowering intentions, leads to a climactic riot in the streets of Brighton.
Roddam’s rough-edged visuals work and Pete Townshend’s brilliant songs (including “I’ve Had Enough,” “5:15,” and “Love, Reign O’er Me”) work smartly together in this chronicle of youthful rebellion and turmoil.
Co-starring Sting (Dune...
- 6/18/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
It's the mid-way point of the month, and Cannes or no Cannes, the Criterion Collection will do their traditional unveiling of their releases for three months down the line. After a banner July line-up, which included Jim Jarmusch, Whit Stillman and Aki Kaurismaki, could the beloved specialty top themselves for August? Well, perhaps not, but there's a few very pleasant surprises in the latest batch of announcements.
Perhaps the biggest news for cinephiles is the Criterion debut of the Dardenne Brothers, hot off their critically acclaimed new film "The Kid With The Bike." The Belgian filmakers haven't yet had a film included in the selection, but that'll change on August 14th, when both 1996's "La promesse" and 1999's "Rosetta" are released. The films will be available on both DVD & Blu-Ray, and contain new interviews, and a conversation between the filmmakers and critic Scott Foundas, as well as the usual trailers and booklets.
Perhaps the biggest news for cinephiles is the Criterion debut of the Dardenne Brothers, hot off their critically acclaimed new film "The Kid With The Bike." The Belgian filmakers haven't yet had a film included in the selection, but that'll change on August 14th, when both 1996's "La promesse" and 1999's "Rosetta" are released. The films will be available on both DVD & Blu-Ray, and contain new interviews, and a conversation between the filmmakers and critic Scott Foundas, as well as the usual trailers and booklets.
- 5/15/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 12, 2012
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Ewan McGregor (l.), Kerry Fox and Christopher Eccleston must deal with a corpse and a suitcase filled with cash in Shallow Grave.
The 1994 dark comedy/thriller Shallow Grave was the first film from director Danny Boyle (127 Hours), producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (the team behind Boyle’s 1996 Trainspotting).
In the movie, three self-involved Edinburgh roommates—played by Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table), Christopher Eccleston (Lennon Naked), and Ewan McGregor (Beginners), in his first starring role—take in a brooding boarder. When he dies of an overdose, leaving a suitcase full of money, the trio embarks on a series of very bad decisions, with extraordinarily grim consequences for all.
Macabre but with a streak of offbeat humor, Shallow Grave is a real engagingly naughty piece that’s reminiscent of Hitchcock while offering the modern style that one...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Ewan McGregor (l.), Kerry Fox and Christopher Eccleston must deal with a corpse and a suitcase filled with cash in Shallow Grave.
The 1994 dark comedy/thriller Shallow Grave was the first film from director Danny Boyle (127 Hours), producer Andrew Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge (the team behind Boyle’s 1996 Trainspotting).
In the movie, three self-involved Edinburgh roommates—played by Kerry Fox (An Angel at My Table), Christopher Eccleston (Lennon Naked), and Ewan McGregor (Beginners), in his first starring role—take in a brooding boarder. When he dies of an overdose, leaving a suitcase full of money, the trio embarks on a series of very bad decisions, with extraordinarily grim consequences for all.
Macabre but with a streak of offbeat humor, Shallow Grave is a real engagingly naughty piece that’s reminiscent of Hitchcock while offering the modern style that one...
- 3/30/2012
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
- Sam Riley and Anton Corbijn should pack lite on November 28th as Control, by far the best Brit indie film of the year, leads the way in terms of noms for the 10th at the British Independent Film Awards. And When Did You Last See Your Father? has also received a fair share of noms with 7, followed by Hallam Foe with six and Eastern Promises with five. Newcomer Sam Riley is a shoe-in for the acting and most promising newcomer awards, although it would be a treat to see Kierston Wareing take something home for her bit in Ken Loach's It's a Free World.... The jury comprises actors Hayley Atwell, Archie Panjabi, Kathy Burke, Tony Curran, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Matthew Macfadyen; directors Annie Griffin, Menhaj Huda, Neil Marshall and Peter Webber; London Film Festival artistic director Sandra Hebron; producer Mark Herbert; cinematographer Brian Tufano; distributor Will Clarke; and musician Nitin Sawhney.
- 10/24/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
An early front-runner for the Camera D'Or, "East Is East" (Directors Fortnight) is a wonderfully funny and moving directorial debut from Damien O'Donnell. Set in a London suburb in 1971, it stars the marvelous Om Puri and Linda Bassett as the Pakistani-Anglo parents of seven children, six of whom are sons. This Miramax release in the United States was greeted enthusiastically at its initial screening and should win hefty critical support on its way to finding a respectable audience.
O'Donnell garnered awards and many international festival screenings for his short "Thirty Five Aside" a few years back. In "East Is East" he shows fully developed skills in guiding the cast through many subtle and fairly intricate comic situations, parceling out the truly hilarious bits with a keenness that eludes many veterans. Added to this he finds just the right compositions with cinematographer Brian Tufano ("Trainspotting") to keep things interesting.
Based on the play by Ayub Khan-Din, who also wrote the adaptation, "East Is East" has a decidedly intense undercurrent of protracted familial conflict resulting from the siblings and English wife Ella (Bassett) of Pakistani immigrant George (Puri) who resent and finally resist his authoritarian rule over them, particularly his desire to live according to the customs of his native country and the Islamic religion.
A devote Muslim who has run a chip shop for decades with the help of Ella and the now mostly grown-up children, George Khan believes he knows what's best, including arranged, blind marriages for his sons. But in the first few minutes we see his oldest, Nazir (Ian Aspinall), bolt from the altar and "dishonor" the family so deeply he's not allowed to be contacted or talked about as a living person. Typifying the film's adept way of changing tones, his eventual return is a crowd-delighting surprise.
George is a gentle, thoughtful man, but he's blind to the wants and needs of his brood and amusingly tolerates Ella's occasional challenges to his ego. When he discovers that youngest son Sajid (Jordan Routledge) is uncircumcised, he wastes no time in putting the poor lad through an ordeal that gives older sister Meenah (Archie Panjabi) a chance to hilariously tease the victim, while Ella protests George's harsh attitude.
The older sons have more volatile conflicts for the family to endure but are also the source of many humorous subplots. Tariq (Jimi Mistry) is a budding ladies' man who has his first romance with the screechy Mod daughter, Stella (Emma Rydal), of a racist neighbor. Stella's juvenile- delinquent brother (Gary Damer), chubby friend Peggy (Ruth Jones) and Ella's sister Auntie Annie (Lesley Nicol) all have great comic scenes and lines as the other major English characters.
The most self-assured and secretive of the Khans, art student Saleem (Chris Bisson) sculpts a portion of Peggy's anatomy that is tossed around in the wild climax, which features the first meeting between the eligible but unbearably ugly daughters of another "Paki", whom George has chosen as wives for bitterly unaccepting Tariq and agreeably resigned Abdul (Raji James).
Although by the end he has his eyes opened and life for the Khans will never be the same, George grows angry and even violent, lashing out at loved ones as the family veers toward disaster. It's a credit to Puri and Bassett (who created her role in the original stage production) that as George hits his wife and beats up a religiously devout son (Emil Marwa), we understand the ties that bind them all together won't break despite the unpleasantness and uncertain future.
EAST IS EAST
Miramax Films
Assassin Films, FilmFour
Director:Damien O'Donnell
Screenwriter:Ayub Khan-Din
Producer:Leslee Udwin
Director of photography:Brian Tufano
Production designer:Tom Conroy
Editor:Michael Parker
Music:Deborah Mollison
Costume designer:Lorna Marie Mugan
Color/stereo
Cast:
George Khan:Om Puri
Ella:Linda Bassett
Tariq:Jimi Mistry
Abdul:Raji James
Sajid:Jordan Routledge
Auntie Annie:Lesley Nicol
Meenah:Archie Panjabi
Running time -- 116 minutes...
O'Donnell garnered awards and many international festival screenings for his short "Thirty Five Aside" a few years back. In "East Is East" he shows fully developed skills in guiding the cast through many subtle and fairly intricate comic situations, parceling out the truly hilarious bits with a keenness that eludes many veterans. Added to this he finds just the right compositions with cinematographer Brian Tufano ("Trainspotting") to keep things interesting.
Based on the play by Ayub Khan-Din, who also wrote the adaptation, "East Is East" has a decidedly intense undercurrent of protracted familial conflict resulting from the siblings and English wife Ella (Bassett) of Pakistani immigrant George (Puri) who resent and finally resist his authoritarian rule over them, particularly his desire to live according to the customs of his native country and the Islamic religion.
A devote Muslim who has run a chip shop for decades with the help of Ella and the now mostly grown-up children, George Khan believes he knows what's best, including arranged, blind marriages for his sons. But in the first few minutes we see his oldest, Nazir (Ian Aspinall), bolt from the altar and "dishonor" the family so deeply he's not allowed to be contacted or talked about as a living person. Typifying the film's adept way of changing tones, his eventual return is a crowd-delighting surprise.
George is a gentle, thoughtful man, but he's blind to the wants and needs of his brood and amusingly tolerates Ella's occasional challenges to his ego. When he discovers that youngest son Sajid (Jordan Routledge) is uncircumcised, he wastes no time in putting the poor lad through an ordeal that gives older sister Meenah (Archie Panjabi) a chance to hilariously tease the victim, while Ella protests George's harsh attitude.
The older sons have more volatile conflicts for the family to endure but are also the source of many humorous subplots. Tariq (Jimi Mistry) is a budding ladies' man who has his first romance with the screechy Mod daughter, Stella (Emma Rydal), of a racist neighbor. Stella's juvenile- delinquent brother (Gary Damer), chubby friend Peggy (Ruth Jones) and Ella's sister Auntie Annie (Lesley Nicol) all have great comic scenes and lines as the other major English characters.
The most self-assured and secretive of the Khans, art student Saleem (Chris Bisson) sculpts a portion of Peggy's anatomy that is tossed around in the wild climax, which features the first meeting between the eligible but unbearably ugly daughters of another "Paki", whom George has chosen as wives for bitterly unaccepting Tariq and agreeably resigned Abdul (Raji James).
Although by the end he has his eyes opened and life for the Khans will never be the same, George grows angry and even violent, lashing out at loved ones as the family veers toward disaster. It's a credit to Puri and Bassett (who created her role in the original stage production) that as George hits his wife and beats up a religiously devout son (Emil Marwa), we understand the ties that bind them all together won't break despite the unpleasantness and uncertain future.
EAST IS EAST
Miramax Films
Assassin Films, FilmFour
Director:Damien O'Donnell
Screenwriter:Ayub Khan-Din
Producer:Leslee Udwin
Director of photography:Brian Tufano
Production designer:Tom Conroy
Editor:Michael Parker
Music:Deborah Mollison
Costume designer:Lorna Marie Mugan
Color/stereo
Cast:
George Khan:Om Puri
Ella:Linda Bassett
Tariq:Jimi Mistry
Abdul:Raji James
Sajid:Jordan Routledge
Auntie Annie:Lesley Nicol
Meenah:Archie Panjabi
Running time -- 116 minutes...
- 5/17/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Intending to do for matters of the heart what their "Trainspotting" did for drug addiction, "A Life Less Ordinary" from director Danny Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge employs the same audacious, jittery, in-your-face technique that brought the pair deserved attention.
But while there are no hard, fast rules for making romantic comedies, their version is so intent on breaking the mold that all the frantic business ultimately smothers the offbeat love story at its core despite the winning efforts of Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz as the potential couple in question.
Given the fresh, undeniable talents of all concerned, "A Life Less Ordinary", despite inspired sequences, is something of a disappointment -- an annoyingly hyper take on a Preston Sturges screwball comedy that doesn't know when to sit still.
Fidgety viewers will likely react in kind, giving the picture just moderate art house hopes.
McGregor, in a change of pace from his "Trainspotting" character, is Robert, a wimpy dreamer of a janitor who aspires to write the Great American Trash Novel.
Diaz, meanwhile, is Celine, the sassy, pampered but no-nonsense daughter of the man (Ian Holm) who runs the corporation where Robert works.
While the two wouldn't appear to be a match made in heaven, the Big Man upstairs (we're talking way upstairs) believes otherwise and dispatches a couple of wayward angels (Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo) to Earth to earn their wings by bringing the pair together by any means necessary.
But the celestial matchmakers hadn't counted on a chain of events that has resulted in Robert kidnapping Celine, and while she doesn't exactly mind the prospect of adventure in her uneventful life, Robert isn't her idea of Mr. Right.
While the film certainly has a driving energy, timing hasn't been kind. Plot-wise, it shares more than just a little with the inferior but recently released "Excess Baggage", and a whimsically choreographed karaoke bar number is unfortunately a little too reminiscent of Diaz's turn in "My Best Friend's Wedding". Her management would be wise to include an anti-karaoke clause in future contracts.
That the picture works as well as it does has much to do with the presence of Diaz (a firecracker who gets better all the time) and intriguing chameleon McGregor, who brings a charismatic sincerity to every part he plays. You want so much to see them succeed that you're willing to hold out hope for the picture to come around long after all signs would indicate otherwise.
Among the other performances, Hunter and Lindo are more odd than effective as unorthodox angels, but they aren't completely to blame. The concept has already been done to death.
Doing their usual technical best are Boyle's "Shallow Grave" and "Trainspotting" collaborators -- DP Brian Tufano, editor Masahiro Hirakubo and production designer Kave Quinn.
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY
20th Century Fox
A Figment film
Director Danny Boyle
Producer Andrew MacDonald
Screenwriter John Hodge
Director of photography Brian Tufano
Production designer Kave Quinn
Editor Masahiro Hirakubo
Costume designer Rachael Fleming
Music supervisor Randall Poster
Casting Donna Isaacson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Robert Ewan McGregor
Celine Cameron Diaz
O'Reilly Holly Hunter
Jackson Delroy Lindo
Mr. Naville Ian Holm
Mayhew Ian McNeice
Elliott Stanley Tucci
Al Tony Shalhoub
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
But while there are no hard, fast rules for making romantic comedies, their version is so intent on breaking the mold that all the frantic business ultimately smothers the offbeat love story at its core despite the winning efforts of Ewan McGregor and Cameron Diaz as the potential couple in question.
Given the fresh, undeniable talents of all concerned, "A Life Less Ordinary", despite inspired sequences, is something of a disappointment -- an annoyingly hyper take on a Preston Sturges screwball comedy that doesn't know when to sit still.
Fidgety viewers will likely react in kind, giving the picture just moderate art house hopes.
McGregor, in a change of pace from his "Trainspotting" character, is Robert, a wimpy dreamer of a janitor who aspires to write the Great American Trash Novel.
Diaz, meanwhile, is Celine, the sassy, pampered but no-nonsense daughter of the man (Ian Holm) who runs the corporation where Robert works.
While the two wouldn't appear to be a match made in heaven, the Big Man upstairs (we're talking way upstairs) believes otherwise and dispatches a couple of wayward angels (Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo) to Earth to earn their wings by bringing the pair together by any means necessary.
But the celestial matchmakers hadn't counted on a chain of events that has resulted in Robert kidnapping Celine, and while she doesn't exactly mind the prospect of adventure in her uneventful life, Robert isn't her idea of Mr. Right.
While the film certainly has a driving energy, timing hasn't been kind. Plot-wise, it shares more than just a little with the inferior but recently released "Excess Baggage", and a whimsically choreographed karaoke bar number is unfortunately a little too reminiscent of Diaz's turn in "My Best Friend's Wedding". Her management would be wise to include an anti-karaoke clause in future contracts.
That the picture works as well as it does has much to do with the presence of Diaz (a firecracker who gets better all the time) and intriguing chameleon McGregor, who brings a charismatic sincerity to every part he plays. You want so much to see them succeed that you're willing to hold out hope for the picture to come around long after all signs would indicate otherwise.
Among the other performances, Hunter and Lindo are more odd than effective as unorthodox angels, but they aren't completely to blame. The concept has already been done to death.
Doing their usual technical best are Boyle's "Shallow Grave" and "Trainspotting" collaborators -- DP Brian Tufano, editor Masahiro Hirakubo and production designer Kave Quinn.
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY
20th Century Fox
A Figment film
Director Danny Boyle
Producer Andrew MacDonald
Screenwriter John Hodge
Director of photography Brian Tufano
Production designer Kave Quinn
Editor Masahiro Hirakubo
Costume designer Rachael Fleming
Music supervisor Randall Poster
Casting Donna Isaacson
Color/stereo
Cast:
Robert Ewan McGregor
Celine Cameron Diaz
O'Reilly Holly Hunter
Jackson Delroy Lindo
Mr. Naville Ian Holm
Mayhew Ian McNeice
Elliott Stanley Tucci
Al Tony Shalhoub
Running time -- 104 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/13/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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