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The Painted Veil - A Work of Art

June 22nd 2008 18:33
An exquisite film of visual splendour, with a finely worked narrative and striking score, John Curran’s The Painted Veil, the most recent adaptation of W. Somerset Maugham’s 1925 novel, is a pleasure to behold.

The Painted Veil
Watts and Norton as Kitty and Walter - Image courtesy of reelzchannel.com


Kitty Garstin (Naomi Watts), a shallow woman who chooses to see both herself and others through only the most superficial gaze, marries Walter Fane (Edward Norton), an earnest, socially awkward man she has just met, after she has an argument with her mother. Walter, who fell for Kitty the moment he saw her, is a bacteriologist on leave from his work in China. Kitty accompanies him back to Shanghai, where she soon becomes bored with her hardworking husband and a life lacking in frivolity.

When Walter suggests a night out with Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber), a British diplomat and his wife, in an effort to please Kitty, she is at first reluctant, claiming that Mrs Townsend ‘puts on airs’. She comes around to the idea though, and after an evening of banter with Charlie, ends up having an affair with him.

Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber as the womanising Charlie Townsend - Image courtesy of about.com


Soon after, Walter informs Kitty that he has volunteered to take charge of relief efforts in an inland village experiencing a cholera epidemic, and that she is coming with him. When she refuses, he reveals that he knows all about her affair, and her only other option is divorce. If, as Kitty insists, she and Charlie and really in love, and he leaves his wife for her, Walter will divorce her quietly; if not, and she still refuses to accompany him, he will create a scandal. Kitty tells Charlie about the ultimatum. She quickly realises Walter was right about him, and agrees to go inland.

China
Making the big journey - Image courtesy of usatoday.com

Kitty is at first miserable, living in rustic quarters compared to their Shanghai apartments, with her brooding husband, a man whose astuteness and tenacity she has grossly underestimated. No willing cuckold, Walter has hardened his heart to his wife, paying no heed to her melancholy and treating her coldly in order to punish her for her adulterous betrayal.

Naomi Watts
Kitty in the sedan chair - Image courtesy of telegraph.co.uk


Things begin to change when Walter comes across his wife in the local orphanage. Sick of being idle and ignored, Kitty volunteers her services to the French nuns who run it, and through them, learns about a different side to her husband. She discovers that when Walter isn’t trying to ease the epidemic on the larger scale, he is at the orphanage, helping babies left alone in the wake of the disease. Walter in turn finds that there is more to his wife than a love of dancing and tennis. He starts to open up to her again, cautiously, and although it took treachery, relocation, and immersion in the darkest hours of human suffering, they find that, at last, they understand one another.

The Painted Veil
Walter sees the effects of the epidemic - Image courtesy of hinet.net

Alas, Walter and Kitty have more to worry about than the tenuous rebuilding of their relationship, as they struggle to make a difference to those stricken and suffering in a land of political unrest. As foreigners trying to combat an epidemic, they are in a precarious position, and not only due to their exposure to a savage and degrading disease.

Shot primarily on the Lijiang River, the cinematography is simply stunning, and is only enhanced by the unique coalescence of sound by Alexandre Desplat. But most importantly, this film has converted me into a bona fide Edward Norton fan. I knew he was talented, but in my mind, he has just achieved a whole new dimension. Norton appears to have matured beyond his almost boyish demeanour of the Fight Club decade, while having more depth and accessibility than his bearded self in The Illusionist. The strength of his portrayal of determination and refusal to be helpless in the face of insurmountable odds, coupled with the vulnerability of his feelings for his initially capricious wife, grant great complexity to the character of Walter, and imbue him with a fierce but quiet magnetism.

Edward Norton
Walter hard at work - Image courtesy of examiner.com

For Norton alone, this production is worth a couple of hours out of anyone’s day; when combined with the aforementioned elements of beauty, The Painted Veil becomes one of the best films I have seen this year.

Michaelie Clark
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I don’t know much about this film, due for release in 2009 – but I do know this: Public Enemies is off to a mighty fine start. The cast: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, David Wenham, Giovanni Ribisi, Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, Billy Crudup, John Ortiz and Leelee Sobieski.

Johnny Depp
Depp on set, sans stubble - Image courtesy of ninemsn.com.au

Although not the biggest fan of director Michael Mann – could have lived without most of his films, not that they were bad, per se, rather that they tend to generate ambivalence within me, and at times, boredom – am keen to see what he makes of this adaptation, (based on Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43 by Bryan Burrough) admittedly, largely due to his leading lads.

Public Enemies
Scene from the 'Public Enemies' set - Image courtesy of dotspotter.com

The film is set at the time of The Great Depression, and follows the FBI’s pursuit of John Dillinger (Depp) and his gang of nefarious bank robbers. Burrough has said that while the screenplay does not observe complete historical accuracy, he believes it’s about as close as Hollywood has ever tried to get.

Michaelie Clark
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Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. There’s a lot to like about Sidney Lumet’s latest release, but the real kudos has to go to Kelly Masterson, for using such a perfectly apt Irish saying in the title to his screenplay. I knew nothing of the film before I saw it, but that title drew me right on in.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, Marisa Tomei and Albert Finney in a story of desperation and betrayal, all within the confines of one ostensibly loving family.

Finding himself in trouble after embezzling from his employer to finance his drug habit, Andy Hanson (Hoffman) devises a scheme that will solve all his problems. He convinces his brother, Hank (Hawke) to rob a jewellery store, fully insured, a family business – which belongs to their family. Hank, weak-willed, and facing debt after an acrimonious divorce, eventually agrees, but makes the ultimately fatal decision to involve a friend who doesn’t play by the brothers’ rules…

Hoffman and Hawke
Amoral or unfortunate? Image courtesy of startribune.com

What follows is a downward spiral, as tragedy strikes and deceptions are uncovered. The Hanson brothers make a bad situation worse as they attempt to cover up their crimes.

Andy’s wife, Gina (Tomei), tries to understand her husband and his demons as best she can, between her scheduled Thursday afternoon rendezvous with his brother.

Hank and Andy’s father, Charles (Finney), questions the capriciousness of fate and the errors of his past, before exacting his revenge.

Albert Finney
Albert Finney as Charles Hanson - Image courtesy of screenrush.co.uk

Together they are a band of imperfect beings, who fall prey to the follies of human nature, taking one side-step too many in the quest for something more, or less, or just something else.

Hoffman is almost menacing as Andy, hiding his vulnerability under a façade of cold conviction, his designer life-style and slicked-backed hair a convincing cover for the indignity of his reality. Hawke on the other hand, unkempt and pathetic in the role of Hank, is almost slack-jawed in his inability to cope with the situation he was equally unable to stay away from.

Finney, with his gruff drawl, plays Charles with a single-mindedness which is most credible in giving the impression that his supposedly lesser-loved son, Andy, resembles him closest. Tomei shines in her portrayal of Gina, showing off her sexuality as a successful modern day Qetesh.

Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei in one of her more modest scenes - Image courtesy of popentertainment.com

Though the film has moments of repetition, as the scenes partially replay from each character’s perspective, it is far from tedious. Instead, it is an effective and unsentimental tale chronicling the decline of a dysfunctional family, in circumstances only the devil himself could have foreseen.

Michaelie Clark
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Yearning To 'Enter the Void'

May 25th 2008 18:33
At long last, inimitable French director Gaspar Noé has begun production of Enter the Void, his first feature production since his exigent, riveting Irréversible in 2002.

According to Variety, Noé has commenced filming in Tokyo on this, a film he describes as 'psychedelic', which is the most expensive work he has ever undertaken. The German-French Film Funding Commission has reportedly granted $700, 000 for Noé to execute the long-awaited, self-penned tale


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Movie Mamas

May 9th 2008 12:54
What are you planning to do with your mother this Mother’s Day (Sunday, 11th May)? Take her to a spa? Out for lunch? Shopping? To a shooting range? May I suggest: a bottle of wine, petit fours and a DVD or two? You can’t go wrong, especially with my carefully prepared selection guide. Simply find the category that best fits your mum, select one of the movies listed below, and give thanks for her maternal blessing.

Psycho
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Ever want to step outside yourself, into another person’s flip-flops? Ugg boots? Stilettos? Loafers with fringing? Possibly even Reebok Pumps, which I hear are making a comeback?

Maybe you do already. Maybe you’ve tripped over your own feet. Maybe you’ve stepped on everyone’s toes, or kicked them in the teeth. Maybe you’ve developed corns or contracted athlete’s foot. It seems the shoe won’t always fit, even if you fashion it yourself


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'Little Britain' Film A Big Rumour?

April 10th 2008 18:33
Word is that David Walliams and Matt Lucas will have Little Britain USA up and filming within the week – but what of the once planned Little Britain movie? Since 2006, there has been talk of film interest from the US, with the possibility of a TV series thrown in for good measure, but while it seems the American version of the show has come to fruition, the feature length production has not.

Little Britain Village Gay
Matt Lucas as Daffydd Thomas: I'm the only gay in this village! Image courtesy of brightlightsfilm.com

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The Stunt Butt

April 1st 2008 17:33
Would you put your bum on the big screen? Would you voluntarily show millions of people your buttocks, at thirty times their actual size? If not, don’t worry: Brad Pitt won’t either. If so, have your derriere assume an attitude! There are opportunities aplenty for arse roles. With the right direction and some natural flair, your very own rear could have an illustrious career – as a stunt butt!

Bum
What stunts can this butt do? Image courtesy of rooshv.com

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Curious About 'Benjamin Button'

March 29th 2008 06:33
David Fincher’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ is intriguing me already. Due for release at the end of the year, the film stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a dark and unconventional love story.

Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt on the set - Image courtesy of worstpreviews.com

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Do You Swear By The 'F' Word?

March 10th 2008 18:33
I am a fan of the ‘F’ word. I’ll use it as a verb, a noun, or even as an adjective. It’s such a useful word, so simple yet so versatile, often even cathartic. Surprise, pain, sorrow, joy, anger – so many emotions can be expressed in that one utterance.

The F Word
Bad language, or all to the good? Image courtesy of wordpress.com

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Big Screen Bling

February 28th 2008 19:33
Whether it’s the dazzling star of the show or giving a glittering supporting performance, one thing is for sure – bling has character all of its own.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Image courtesy of lovefromme.co.uk

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From The Page To The Screen

February 20th 2008 08:51
Making a book into a movie can be a funny business. While some film adaptations are spectacular, with a few even managing to surpass the original text, many are a disappointment and plenty completely lose sight of the work from which they are derived.

Below, in alphabetical order, are the top fifty film adaptations as judged by The Guardian. Which do you think made the transition safely? Which arrived the worse for wear? And which got hopelessly lost along the way


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I'm Not Scared... I'm Impressed

February 4th 2008 18:33
When trust and betrayal, survival and greed, courage and recklessness exist in the shadows of one another, how do you know whether you are trapped in the dark? Do you fear the consequences of your actions, or inactions? Do you cover your own eyes? Do you cut out another’s? Or do you wait, powerless, fearing the blinding salvation of light?

I'm Not Scared
Giuseppe Cristiano as Michele - Image courtesy of abc.net.au

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The Real Deal

January 27th 2008 18:33
There are so many films based on actual events, inspired by true stories, etc, etc, ad nauseum, etc. Often it’s a load of bollocks – creative licence is used a smidge too creatively, events are ‘enhanced’ slightly for the sake of drama and happy endings, or history is just totally rewritten by Hollywood. But what sets quite a few of these films apart, whatever the take on the tale, is an utterly stunning portrayal of someone we all know.

Here are some of the instances where actors are truly keeping it real


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