AN A-Z OF HAPPINESS
Some people like fast cars / fast partners / fast food. Some get thrills from dangerous sports or taming wild animals.
I LOVE film. Of course there are too many too mention, but if I was forced to compile an A to Z these are some 35mm gems I would include:
• Annie Hall
• Belleville Rendez-vous
• Citizen Kane
• Dr. Zhivago
• Eat Drink Man Woman
• Le Fate Ignoranti
• The Great Escape
• Hero
• Infernal Affairs (HK)
• Japanese animé (Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Fist of the North Star etc.)
• Kill Bill
• Lost in Translation
• El Mar Adentro
• Naked
• O’ Brother Where Art Thou?
• The Postmen in the Mountains (China)
• Les Quatre Cent Coups
• Remains of the Day
• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Three Colors Trilogy
• The Usual Suspects
• Volver
• West Side Story
• X-Men
• Y Tu Mama Tambien
• Zorro (Douglas Fairbanks Jr. versions)
On a rainy weekend like this one in Londinium, I curl up in bed with a large cup of hot chocolate, snacks and simply watch old B+W movies like Bringing Up Baby, starring Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Some films are just …MAGIC.
The beauty of film as a creative medium is so complex I don’t know where to begin, middle or end the explanation. All I know is that every film-maker puts his or her unique signature on the 35mm canvas that’s as distinguishable as a Seurat from a Severini, a Van Eyck from a Rembrandt, a Magritte from a Dali and a Gris from a Rauschenburg.
What’s great is that film can provide a glimpse into any film-maker’s personal philosophies on life, politics, passions, hopes, fears and collaboration with other humans.
SCRIPTWRITING: IN SEARCH OF GOLD (WILLIAM GOLDMAN TO BE EXACT)
I feel really honored when another writer asks for my opinions on their scripts because there’s so much talent out there! Often, I give a page-by-page breakdown on:
• storyline + structure
• characters
• format
• style
• dialogue
There’s an adage in the film sector that’s attributed to Mr. Goldman: NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING.
For me, this wisdom can’t actually be true because if you read some of the scripts I have…writers know all sorts of obscurities about history, philosophy, politics, science, the construct of the CIA, how men and women are supposed to fall in love…
Following is an example of initial script development notes which I provided to a talented American Ph.D. who’s written a script about Hitler.
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These are some of the most analytical notes I am ever likely to write and for good reason. It’s just as well I’m educated because…
Any script that is about Hitler in 1923, has its German protagonist compared to Kant instead of Nietzsche and discourses Catholicism with such depth tells the reader it’s AMBITIOUS. This is an intelligent and well-paced drama with the potential to be great, but I have BIG BIG issues with it and it may be too philosophically clever and dialogue intense in parts to find an audience. Alas, I may be clever enough for the challenge…so here goes. I REALLY HOPE IT HELPS THE CLEVER CLOGS WRITER!
The premise is highly original: an examination of Hitler’s failed coup d’etat of 1923, its consequences and the seeding of his propaganda (against the Jewish Weimar Republic and Communists) long before WWII through the eyes of a newspaper editor, Dr Fritz Gerlich. By rooting the story in 1923 instead of the usual 1938-1945 period, the audience is privy to a previously unexamined aspect of Hitler’s life and lies, including the mysterious suicide of his half-niece. Gerlich’s characterisation is strong and distinct: the voice of Kantian reason. His personal campaign to mock Hitler and highlight his travesties is well-conceived and realised.
However, this otherwise solid script is let down by VERNACULAR, VERNACULAR, VERNACULAR and the misconceived portrayal of Hitler himself during the first 15 pages.
German patterns of speech are similar to English English rules, not American English, and although the dialogue is excellent in places (notably Putzi’s and the putsch speeches), it is sorely let down and under-developed in others. English journalists in the 1920s did not use “old boy”, they used “old chap”.
In particular, Hitler comes across as weak and inconsistent during his first meeting with Gerlich. He makes bold prejudicial statements about the Jewish race, but then uses words like “grace” and a deferential tone re Conrad the Second? SORRY, BUT NEIN NEIN NEIN! When he speaks of his mother’s dignified grace during cancer P24, fine but NOT HERE!
From the get-go, the character development of Hitler SHOULD indicate his dismissiveness of his predecessors and his forthright nature. He is directive, never reactive because already he’s a man possessed by absolute conviction in his beliefs and actions.
He could also be charming. That’s what made him a powerful orator. This could be demonstrated when he’s introduced by saying Dr Gerlich’s doctoral thesis was “excellent” or “superior” (This then hints at Hitler’s obsession with superiority – of literature, art and race).
There are also MANY typos, missing conjunctions and absent words throughout, e.g. P 1 THE mail wrapper and GoEring (e is needed unless you use umlaut on the o). Instead of fine-combing all 110+ pages, I will make broad improvement suggestions on the first 10 pages and some glaring mistakes as a guide for the next draft. I hope this helps.
Detailed page-by-page breakdown follows.
Now…onto the tone and emotional content of this GARGANTUAN! Firstly, the speeches by Hitler and his henchmen hit the emotional nail. They do incite the passions of Hitler believers.
There are also nice touches between Gerlich-Oliver, especially the exchange about Catholicism P48 but MUCH MUCH MORE emotion needs to be injected in Gerlich’s relationship with his wife. Otherwise, how can the audience understand her despair when his eyeglasses appear in the post? Also, as a husband who knows she cannot conceive he would surely be more sympathetic and gentle towards her? Even Kant ADORED his wife!
FEMALES IN THE AUDIENCE WILL FALL ASLEEP OR LEAVE IF ALL THEY HAVE ARE KEYNOTE NAZI SPEECHES AND NO AFFECTION!
Next…The Theresa strand is a good way of exploring Gerlich’s concept of belief (religious as opposed to political). In the eyes of some Germans, Hitler was regarded as messianic and it is interesting to have Gerlich think about the real Messiah via this story conduit. Also allows revelations about how he draws on his renewed faith to write the truth about Hitler.
FINALLY…The denouement of Gerlich being found guilty of high treason and beaten to death whereas earlier Hitler, convicted of the same accusation, is only imprisoned (where ironically he writes ‘Mein Kampf’) is simply tragic. WE NEED MORE GRIEF FROM SOPHIE. HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN IN DACHAU FOR OVER A YEAR…HOW IS SHE COPING? WHAT DOES HER TORMENT FEEL LIKE? WHAT NEWS DOES SHE RECEIVE?
All in all, this is one of the most intelligent and demanding scripts I’ve read so far and I hope my suggestions will make it an even stronger script. Best of luck with it!
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It’s always more advisable to be positive and helpful and to highlight improvement possibilities than to be completely negative about a script. There are usually redeeming factors — whether in the plotline or character development or simply originality of concept.
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SHANGHAI SOJOURN
Between 18-27 February, the National Film Theater at the South Bank, London will be showing a series of shorts made by the Shanghai Animation Studios.
Show schedules and ticket prices can be found here:
There is one whose title makes it a “must-see” for me: UPROAR IN HEAVEN.
The Chinese have an acerbic sense of humor and in this tale of Ma Lao Jing (Sun Wu Kong in pingyin, the Monkey King), he disrupts the Celestials by becoming riotously drunk on immortality potions and causing mischief and mayhem at their banquet.
As a character he’s as famous as Mickey Mouse in the States, albeit his character is much more mischievous and more daring for young audiences.
The Monkey King is the protagonist in one of the four Chinese literary pillars: JOURNEY TO THE WEST, written in the 1590s during the Ming dynasty and widely attributed to Wu Chengen. In the book he agrees to accompany the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang’s pilgrimage to India to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures (sutras). His cohorts on the journey are Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) and Sha Wujing (Sandy) who are atoning for their mortal crimes.
I saw the Shanghai Animation of ‘Uproar in Heaven’ as a child and I’ve also seen the hand-painted panels depicting the Journey West in Beijing Summer Palace’s Green Corridor.
ENRON: THE MOVIE
Warner Brothers and Leonardo di Caprio’s Appian Way production company are co-producing a feature based on the Houston energy company’s collapse, from US$90 per share to US$0.50, arising from a series of questionable Special Purpose Vehicles such as Chewco, Jedi I and II, LJM1, LJM2, the Raptors, and Braveheart set up by Andrew Fastow, then CFO of the company.
Apparently, WB has paid a seven-figure sum for the rights to New York journalist Kurt Eichenwald’s ‘Conspiracy of Fools’ and appointed Sheldon Turner to pen the script.
The story of Enron is interesting to me because I worked in the bank which acquired the online trading arm of Enron, without assuming any debts or liabilities, and has turned it around. I remember a number of banks were invited to go into the data rooms prior to any formal bids and many banks did send their best people to have a look at the numbers.
If di Caprio plays Fastow, it will be interesting to see his interpretation of a man who knows he’s committing a crime.
BAFTA 2007: THE RESULTS
Well, the results are in. The last time I was in the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden was for the production of ‘La Cerendola’ and tonight its interior looked as divine as ever. I feel this is a much better setting than the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square for an award ceremony like the BAFTA Awards.
And now…to the winners (and you can compare them with my predictions — I really overlooked ‘The Last King of Scotland’, but will take it into consideration when I do my Oscar predictions!). In brackets is whether I got the call right or wrong.
FILM: The Queen (right)
THE ALEXANDER KORDA AWARD for the Outstanding British Film of the Year: Last King of Scotland (wrong)
THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film: Andrea Arnold (right)
THE DAVID LEAN AWARD for Achievement in Direction: Paul Greengrass (right)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Little Miss Sunshine (wrong)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Last King of Scotland (wrong)
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Pan’s Labyrinth (right)
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Happy Feet (right)
ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE: Forrest Whittaker (wrong)
ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE: Helen Mirren (right)
THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD: Eva Green (wrong)
Ironically, I actually voted for Eva Green but at the last minute I thought the Academy might award it to another young actor like they did last year with James McAvoy.
There are some years in which one film obviously sweeps the board, but it’s actually more interesting when every contender has an equal chance of winning.
Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees!
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BAFTA 2007: MY PREDICTIONS
This is a post from 11 February 2007.
BEST FILM: The Queen – Andy Harries/Christine Langan/Tracey Seaward
THE ALEXANDER KORDA AWARD for the Outstanding British Film of the Year: Casino Royale – Michael G Wilson/Barbara Broccoli/Martin Campbell/Neal Purvis/Robert Wade/Paul Haggis
THE CARL FOREMAN AWARD for Special Achievement by a British Director, Writer or Producer in their First Feature Film: Andrea Arnold (Director) – Red Road
THE DAVID LEAN AWARD for Achievement in Direction: United 93 – Paul Greengrass
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Pan’s Labyrinth – Guillermo del Toro
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Casino Royal – Neal Purvis/Robert Wade/Paul Haggis
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Pan’s Labyrinth- Alfonso Cuarón/Alvaro Augustin/Guillermo del Toro
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Happy Feet – George Miller
ACTOR in a LEADING ROLE: Peter O’Toole – Venus
ACTRESS in a LEADING ROLE: Helen Mirren – The Queen
THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD: Ben Whishaw
THE DEPARTED: IS SCORCESE LOST IN TRANSLATION?
This was my blog about this BAFTA 2007 Nominee back in 01 October 2006:
Whenever I hear Hollywood is remaking a Hong Kong movie, my instinct is to go, “Ai-ya! Oh no! They’re going to ruin it!” When that movie is one of my favorite police vs. Triad masterpieces of all time, ‘Infernal Affairs’, I start getting really worried. For those who don’t know, the film stars Hong Kong’s acting elite and is about moles, double-crosses and mobile telephony. It broke box office records in Asia Pac.
I remember watching it in a cinema in London and being the only person who reacted in all the right places (laughed, gasped, got scared etc.). Although the subtitles appeared, the gweilo audience (Westerners) missed all the nuances and colloquialisms which I understood — Cantonese is my mother tongue — so their reactions to the film were affected.
How movies are remade from HK / China to a Western audience always interests me because of potential “lost in translation” issues.
Surprisingly, Scorcese has conjured up a strong piece that stands up in its own rights. The film’s called The Departed and its cast is incredible: Leonardo di Caprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg and Ray Winstone. di Caprio gives arguably his best performance since ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ (disclosure — I HATED ‘Titanic’. Soppy sentimental nonsense with a tiresome song). Nicholson is even more menacing in ‘The Departed’ than when he starred in ‘The Shining’.
The biggest surprise of all is a certain producer by the name of………Brad Pitt!
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