Rev Stan's film blog

Ralph Fiennes talks acting and directing Coriolanus

Looking the most relaxed and displaying a warmth rarely seen in the public eye Ralph Fiennes talked to Radio 4's Mark Lawson about his directorial film debut Coriolanus during a National Theatre platform event this evening.

Before opening up the questions to the audience Lawson talked to actor about the challenges of not only making and starring in a film but turning Shakespeare play into a film - not immediately a concept that gets film studios salivating. Three clips, chosen by Fiennes were also shown all of which gave a tantalising taster of what audiences can expect when the film opens in cinemas on January 20.

This is a slightly abridged version of the interview:

On his approach to the film:

Wanted to approach the text in a filmic manor making the dialogue conversational dialogue rather than keeping it in verse which is very theatrical and can be alienating.

With everything that has been going on around the world, Arab Spring etc felt the play had many parallels and therefore wanted to give it a modern setting.

Felt strongly that the world of Coriolanus should be multicultural and cast actors from different cultural backgrounds with a variety of accents.

On working as an actor/director

Had people around to give him an honest opinion on his own performance and because the filming process is such a whirlwind didn't get too much time to think about watching himself on the monitor. But it was tougher during the editing process "everything felt very exposed and I thought everything was shit, especially my own stuff".

Says the acting/directing roles are less defined than people imagine "The geography of where you are in a scene is defined by the camera." 

Had a dialect coach who gave a critical view of his performance but if he felt something was right in a scene would encourage it.

"Often it is collaborative between actors and director and the collaborative experiences are the best. For example working with Anthony Minghella never felt a strong finger suggesting what you'd done was wrong. Directing is about managing."

First trailer for Benedict Cumberbatch's Wreckers

Saw this brilliant film at the London Film Festival a couple a weeks ago and couldn't put the trailer at the end of my review, as I normally do, because, we were told at the screening, it was still being put together. Well it's finished now ahead of it's December release. It looks like it will be select cinemas only, which is a shame although I doubt it is going to appeal to the average multiplex visitor (that makes me sound snobby, I know).

Go and see it when it's out in December it's a great film about a newly married couple (Cumberbatch and Claire Foy) realising that they don't actually know each other quite as well as they first thought.

 

Ben Whishaw reveals his Cloud Atlas characters - was I right?

A great little interview with Mr W surfaced today in which he gave details of the three characters he'll be playing in the Cloud Atlas film adaptation and more besides.

Apparently the actors will be gender swapping as well as playing multiple roles.

Not long ago I wrote a post about which characters I thought he might play and I'm pleased to announced that I got, er, one correct but then the gender swapping wasn't something I'd factored in.

He is indeed playing Robert Frobisher but he's also playing a woman in the Luisa Rey story which is set in the 1970s. Now there are numerous characters that he could be. There is a youngish PR woman at the nuclear plant and I'm sure one of Luisa's fellow journalists is a woman. There is an older woman who is a protester at the nuclear plant too.

It will be really interesting to see him play a woman and the interview seems to imply that the gender swap is something he is relishing. I bet he'll get the physical performance down pat and he has a not wholly masculine face.

I'm really pleased he's getting to play Frobisher as that was the character I immediately could see him playing - he's witty, intelligent, talented and roguish. He's also bisexual and *spoiler alert* has quite a tragic ending to his story, so plenty for Mr W to get his acting teeth into.

Am a bit disappointing he's not going to be playing Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess surely?) or Zachary, although the latter was a long shot.

Filming begins mid-September and hopefully news of the other actors characters will start to float out now. I'm just trying to imagine Tom Hanks as a woman...

 

Couple of Colin Morgan related vids: Parked Trailer and Island interview

A trailer has appeared for Colin's new film Parked which is released in the UK on October 14. Looks like another interesting choice from Mr M but I'm starting to think I'd really like to see him play something a little more edgy, a character with less of a smile.

Can I also just say what a master of accents he's becoming.

 

And then there is this wee interview he did at the Glasgow Film Festival where Island premiered earlier this year. Interesting to hear him talking about how, as a drama student, he used to work at the very same cinema his film was being shown.

Glasgow Film Festival 2011 Colin Morgan on Island by justcolinmorgan 

Ben Whishaw in the new Bond film?

This story started circulating an hour ago about rumours that Stan fav Ben Whishaw is going to be in the new James Bond film, directed by Sam Mendes.

If it is true I really hope he plays a villain. I've bored anyone who cares to listen, and probably even written about it on this blog before too, about how I'd love to see him play a baddie. I think he would have a lot of fun with it, and after all he likes cats which is kind of essential for a Bond villain ;0)

The filming is set to begin in November which would fit in with his current known work schedule ie Cloud Atlas which is due to start filming next month.

Naturally I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for news

RUMOUR: Benedict Cumberbatch Up For A Role In A Marvel Studios Movie?

Love the thought of Benedict Cumberbatch in a Comic Book movie.

RUMOUR: Benedict Cumberbatch Up For A Role In A Marvel Studios Movie?.

The guessing which characters Ben Whishaw is playing in Cloud Atlas post

Been meaning to write this post about the casting for Tom Twyker Cloud Atlas film for a while, almost entirely for my own enjoyment but also to put my marker in the sand before full casting details are finally revealed (which can't be long now as filming starts in September).

Among the titbits that have been made public is that Hugo Weaving is playing seven characters and Mr W is playing more than one. What that means for the other actors and whether they will all have multiple roles, I don't know. And if they do have more than one part, will they have one major character and others minor or more than one biggie? Lots of questions. But anyway, this is what I reckon for the moment.

For Ben Whishaw in order of likelihood:

Robert Frobisher - the bi-sexual musician. When I was reading the book it's the first character that screamed Mr W at me. Adding further evidence to the case is this recent interview in which he says he's learning to play the piano for the film.

Adam Ewing - the young solicitor on a voyage with Henry Goose in the first story.

Archivist - a bit of a curve ball because that story is set in a futuristic Korea and we know that Somni 451 is being played by Doona Bae, although Natalie Portman was originally cast before dropping out when she got pregnant.

Daniel Day Lewis or Ben Whishaw: Who should play Charles Dickens?

Keen-eyed Ben Whishaw fans, among whom I count myself, will have seen a story circulating this week that Daniel Day Lewis and the man himself are both being considered to play literary giant Charles Dickens in a biopic about his secret affair with a young woman, Nelly Ternan, called The Invisible Woman.

Naturally I'm excited about any potential new project for Mr W and this one has the makings of a corker not only because it has the expert hands of Abi Morgan writing but also thesp Ralph Fiennes directing.

But I'm curious as to why our Ben would be up against Daniel Day Lewis. While similar in their approaches to acting - Day Lewis is very picky about projects - they are both very different in age: 30 and 54.

According to the fount of all knowledge that is Wikipedia, Charles Dickens was 45 when he met the 18-year-old Nelly so neither is a perfect fit age-wise and either choice is going to bring a very different dynamic to the story.

Dickens was a fascinating man, extraordinarily talented, hard-working and successful. He was also intensely romantic but got frustrated with his marriage and wasn't particularly nice to his wife, with whom he had 10 children. His relationship with Nelly only came to light after his death.

Fiennes has apparently met with Imogen Poot, Felicity Jones and Abbie Cornish as potential Nelly's. Mr W has of course worked with the latter two (The Tempest and Bright Star), he has also worked with Abi Morgan too (The Hour). So there is already a bit of chemistry there which might put him in a good position.

Is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy the best cast film to be released this year?

Well I can't think of another film I'm quite as excited about because of the calibre of talent on show:

 

First War Horse trailer

As a big fan of the play, the jury is still out on whether the film will be quite as good for reasons I've mentioned before.

Of course I'll be going to see it when it's released at Christmas, it's got the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch in it after all - no glimpses of him in this first trailer though.