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Geoffrey Rush was recently in Australia to promote Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and I was able to grab 10 minutes with him over the phone to talk about the film and few other things.  Here's what he had to say...

 

You can download an abbreviated podcast of this interview by clicking here.

Matt:  He’s in Sydney at the moment for the premiere of the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie and we’re lucky enough to be joined this morning by one of Australia’s finest actors.  Born in Toowoomba and raised in Brisbane, he’s won an Academy Award for movies, a Tony Award for theatre and an Emmy Award for television.  Before I get too jealous let me say good morning to Mr Geoffrey Rush.

 

Geoffrey:  Good morning sir, how are you?

 

Matt:  Very well thank you.  I’ve been following your movements over the past 10 days.  You were in Los Angeles, then London, then Cannes and then now in Sydney, is that right?

 

Geoffrey:  Yeah and you can throw in 10 hours in New York somewhere in there.

 

Matt:  How are you feeling?

 

Geoffrey:  I’m drinking something with “isotonic” written on the front of the bottle.  I hope that works.

 

Matt:  Where are you based at the moment?  Here in Australia or do you live over in the United States?

 

Geoffrey:  No, my home is in Melbourne.

 

Matt:  You’ve chalked up all these awards over the years – the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes.  Where do you keep them all?  Do you have a “pool room” somewhere in your home where you can show them off?

 

Geoffrey:  They’re on various ledges here and there.  Trying to look aesthetically indistinct and blending in with the furniture.

 

Matt:  You must be running out of room by now?

 

Geoffrey:  It’s been a wonderful ride that still looks as though it’s got legs.  They’re already talking about Pirates 5 so at least I’ve got a job.

 

Matt:  We’ve mentioned you’re from Queensland – born and raised here.  Do you get back up to Queensland very often?

 

Geoffrey:  Not as much as I’d like to.  My mum’s still living up on the Sunshine Coast with my sister so I’m hoping to get back up there as the weather gets colder in Melbourne, I’ll go up and have a visit.

 

Matt:  When Pirates 5 ever gets released, we’ll have to get you up here and try to lure the premiere to Queensland?

 

Geoffrey:  I’d really love to do that.  Johnny, Penelope, Will and director Rob Marshall and this wonderful bunch of young kids – Sam Claflin and Astrid Berges-Frisbey, this gorgeous French woman who plays a mermaid.  We were all on the road together for the premiere in Disneyland which was just insane.  25,000 people on the black carpet.

 

It’s a good way to get to know the fans and have a sense of the extraordinary energy and loyalty they’ve been showing to these films since 2003.  It’s like having all these people who you never get to see the film with come along on the one night and endorse what you’ve been doing with these storylines.

 

Matt:  Many of the original cast like Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy and Jonathan Pryce didn’t come back this time.  How did they lure you back into this pirate franchise?

 

Geoffrey:  The trilogy came to an end and all those storylines got tied up.  Their characters, Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner, went into a strange marriage and they’ve now got a 10 year old boy and they’re now living quietly up in the Daintree forest.  I’m not sure.

 

Everyone agreed it was an ideal time to bring in fresh ideas and go back to the initial excitement of creating this series in the first place.  It gave an opportunity to bring in some bold, fabulous, big new characters.  It’s a story that stands alone by itself.

 

Matt:  I know actors often go through a lot of preparation to get ready for a role but how does it work with a film like this.  Given you’ve played the character before, can you just rock up to the set on day 1 and say “let’s do it” or do you still need time to prepare?

 

Geoffrey:  I wish I could!  It’s a bit like that but there’s always been a monstrous sword fight that I’ve got to get my head around for the end of the movie.  I really quite like having to learn that and it does take a couple of months in preparation.

 

Matt:  How much training do you have to put in each day with those sword fights?

 

Geoffrey:  The stunt guys will come and grab you.  They show you the routine and it’s probably got about 80 moves in it and you think “my brain will never remember that”.  Also, I have a leg missing and I’ve got my crutch so I’m a multi-weaponed fighter.

 

After a while you get it down and they say “well that was about 30% of speed and now we want you to go 50%” and then by the day you’re shooting you’re up to 100% and you go “this is really cool, I’m not dead yet”.

 

Matt:  How does it work with the wooden leg?  Is that special effects or have you got the leg tied behind you?

 

Geoffrey:  We tried the leg tied behind and putting on a prosthetic leg but I went to a professional amputee guy and said it takes 18 months to get your muscles to trained up to be able to handle this new situation for your body.  So I knew the CGI guy would do me proud.

 

I had a set of stockings – a blue stocking for when I’m in the jungle and a green stocking for when I’m at sea.  When you see the film, everyone’s absolutely convinced I did a Daniel Day Lewis and chopped my leg off for the character.

 

Matt:  These films are so fun to watch but is it really fun on the set with the gunfire and running all over the place or is it hard work?

 

Geoffrey:  It’s a bit of both.  Some days you go there and you think it’s insane.  Particularly when you get to something like the Fountain Of Youth and you have three major plot lines converging.  I think it took about 6 weeks to film that massive last scene.

 

You’re on an pretty dangerous worksite and there’s a lot of care and safety that goes on but it’s part of our job.  We’ve got to look like we’re making it up as we go along so yes, we are having some fun.  Hopefully whatever fun we do have making the film spills over into the audience.

 

Matt:  I have to mention the man himself – Johnny Depp and this iconic character that he’s created.  I’ve seen giant billboards around Brisbane and all they have is an image of Captain Jack Sparrow.  It doesn’t even have the title of the film because everyone knows exactly what we’re taking about.  Is all his crazy dialogue scripted or do you get to throw ideas back and forth between each other or is it pretty well scripted?

 

Geoffrey:  The scripting is very sharp.  Like most films, even for a pirate movie, you go into a hotel room somewhere before you start shooting and rehearse the scenes as much as you can.  It’s pretty hard to imagine that you’re in a bamboo forest in Hawaii when you’re in a Marriott suite.

 

Johnny is always very investigative and very improvisational.  Stuff comes out of the weird part in the back of his brain where Jack Sparrow lives.  He always manages on the day of shooting to keep a couple of wildcards up his sleeve and as an actor, it’s great to match wits with that because he keeps you on your toes.

 

Matt:  I can’t pass up the opportunity to say congratulations on the success of The King’s Speech.   $30m it made at the box-office here in Australia.  I almost got tired of people telling me how much they loved it.  I loved it too.  Did you meet anyone who didn’t like it?

 

Geoffrey:  Not personally but you never do.  No one ever comes up and says “that film sucks”.  We wait for some of the critics to say that and we say yeah, but how come so people seem so keen to see it.  Maybe you better take a look at it again.

 

Matt:  Did you have any that it was going to be that big when you were making it?

 

Geoffrey:  No.  Everyone liked the story and thought there was something really interesting going on in there but to have the idea of two middle aged men sitting around in a room together talking about their problems didn’t immediately scream blockbuster.

 

Matt:  I’ll let you get back to it and hopefully you can get some rest over the next few days after all your travel.  Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is out now and Geoffrey Rush, thank you for speaking with us this morning.

 

Geoffrey:  Thank you.

   

Review Embargoes

 

I’m a day late with this week’s Film Pie blog but for once, it isn’t due to my own laziness and/or busy schedule.

 

I was able to catch a sneak preview of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides on Sunday night but sadly, there was a review embargo in place until Tuesday 5pm.  This was to ensure that no reviews popped up in Australia prior to the Sydney premiere which Geoffrey Rush was attending.

 

The embargo has now passed and my review can be read.  I wish I could fill you with exciting news but I’m going with the majority consensus so far and giving Pirates 4 the thumbs down.

 

Embargoes are always interesting to talk about in the film world.  The reason they’re often in place is because studios don’t want to take a chance and run the risk of bad reviews ruining business.

 

When I saw Thor a few weeks back, I actually had to sign a declaration saying that I would release my review or saying anything about the film until a certain date.  You can see me signing my life away right here - http://twitpic.com/4kwydy.  Apparently whatever I was signing was governed by the laws of the State of California.

 

It feels somewhat contradictory because when a studio gets their hands on a smaller film that needs all the publicity it can get, they’re more than happy for you to see it weeks in advance and write glowing reviews (hopefully).

 

There isn’t much we can do however as critics.  I’m grateful for any preview invitation I can get my hands on and I’m not in much of a position to be able to complain.  I’ve mysteriously disappeared off invitation lists over the years (only to be added back on later) and the reality is the studios and distributors have the power.  If they don’t want you talking about a film before it’s release, they’ll make sure of it.

 

Cannes Film Festival Update

 

The Cannes Film Festival is now in full swing and the big talking point over the last 24 hours has been the premiere of Terrence Malick’s The Tree Of Life (which I blogged about last week).  The reclusive Malick didn't show up for the press conference but he did sneak into the official premiere.  The film has been slated for a release on June 30 in Australia and the early reviews suggest it’ll be one of the strangest film-going experiences of the year.  Here’s a quick sample of what’s been posted on Rotten Tomatoes so far…

 

An impressionistic metaphysical inquiry into mankind's place in the grand scheme of things.” – Todd McCarthy (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Metaphysical in narrative, ambitious in goal, and gorgeous in visual style, this is Malick's career-summation work, one that he has been preparing himself to make for decades.” – Emanuel Levy

 

There are times when the film seems more like a religious experience than narrative cinema” – Derek Malcolm (This Is London)

 

Few American filmmakers are as alive to the splendor of the natural world as Terrence Malick, but even by his standards, The Tree of Life represents something extraordinary.” – Justin Chang (Variety)

 

It's a cosmic-interior epic of vainglorious proportions, a rebuke to realism, a disavowal of irony and comedy, a meditation on memory, and a gasp of horror and awe at the mysterious inevitability of loving, and losing those we love.” – Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian)

 

Also gathering attention at Cannes is the Australian film Sleeping Beauty (starring Emily Browning).  It’s a film that seems to have divided most critics so far but it’s certainly sounds like it’s not afraid to take a few chances.  Blogger Jeffrey Wells described it as “a highly refined, carefully poised erotic mood piece with oodles and oodles of milky nudity.”  It’ll be interesting to see what the Australian public makes of it when released here on 23 June 2011.

 

Spanish Film Festival

 

Most of us can’t make it to Cannes but it doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy our own slice of international cinema in Brisbane.  The Spanish Film Festival kicks off in Brisbane on May 18 and runs for 12 days.  There are 36 films being screening in total and they were shot in countries including Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Spain and Venezuela.

 

I didn’t realise it until I read through the press notes but apparently Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world (behind Mandarin).

 

You can check out the full program on the Spanish Film Festival website by clicking here and I hope to get along to the Palace Barracks and Centro to see a few of the films.  Tickets are $17 for most sessions.

    

Snowtown

 

There’s a very interesting Australian film being released on May 19.  It’s called Snowtown and having now seen it twice, I should have a full review up on my site by the weekend.

 

I don’t want to say too much just yet but it’s one of the most unsettling films that I’ve seen in a long time.  I was lucky enough to host a Q&A last night with the director, Justin Kurzel.  You can check out a photo of us here... 

Snowtown Director Justin Kurzel with Matthew Toomey

Justin was great to speak with and offered much insight into the film and what he was trying to achieve.  Snowtown has been selected for Critic’s Week at the Cannes Film Festival too which is a great honour.  Justin flies out tomorrow and I’ll be curious to see what kind of reception it gets at Cannes.

 

Despite the fact that a Q&A would be hosted afterwards, it didn’t stop 25 people in total from leaving before the film finished.  It’s a very tough film to watch at times and some people just couldn’t take it.  One member in the audience, Sarah Moran, wrote a great piece on her experience which you can read by clicking here.

 

I may sound strange but I think this film’s selling point is its hard-hitting nature.  When I tweeted that a number of people had walked out last night, I received a few comments like this on Twitter – “I want watch it now!”, “I kind of want to see this now. Didn't know about it but sounds like an interesting watch” and “I'll have to check it out - sounds really interesting”.

 

It’s kind of like reverse psychology.  If you tell people not to go see a film because it’s going to be “too hard to watch”, then it’s going to get people’s attention.  They’ll want to see the film themselves to find out what all the fuss is about.

 

The film isn’t perfect but I do hope a lot of people take the time to see it.  It’ll open their eyes to a dark part of Australian culture that is often unspoken about.  Whether you like it or not, it’s a film that will generate discussion.  I certainly won’t forget it in a hurry.

 

Toronto Film Festival

 

I’ve been planning this over the past couple of months but everything looks locked in for my trip to the Toronto Film Festival.  It’s been a new years resolution of mine for a while and I’ve finally found the time and energy to organise it.

 

Applications for press accreditation open in June and hopefully I’ll be able to get some decent.  Would love to be able to attend press screenings with some of my favourite US critics and then have access to a few of the stars.  Worst case scenario, I’ll go along to the screenings with the general public.

 

Toronto has always been my favourite film festival to follow on the web given it’s the launching platform for so many Oscar contenders.  It’ll be exciting to get a heads up on many from the 2011 crop and I’ll be trying to blog / tweet continually while there.

 

The plan is to also spend some time in New York and Washington DC (two places on my bucket list) and I’ll hopefully be able to sneak in a few Broadway shows.  Can’t wait!

 

Cannes Film Festival

 

If I could pick another film festival to attend, it’d be the one and only Cannes Film Festival.  It kicks off tomorrow with the premiere of Woody Allen’s new film, Midnight In Paris.  This year’s jury is headed by Robert DeNiro and many well known filmmakers have their latest works in contention.

 

The film everyone is waiting for is Terrence Malick’s Tree Of Life.  Malick is a gifted filmmaker (The Thin Red Line, Badlands) but perhaps he is more widely known for being a recluse.  He hasn’t given an interview since 1973 and you’d be hard-pressed to find many photos of him on the internet.  I don’t know how he manages to keep such a low profile.  It’ll be interesting to see if he shows up in Cannes.

 

Also adding to the mystique of the film is the fact it is was shot so long ago.  It was originally going to be released in December 2009 but Malick decided it wasn’t ready yet.  There have been a few other hiccups along the way but the good news is that it will finally see the light of day at Cannes.  The trailer looks fantastic and I hope it lives up to the hype.

 

Also screening at Cannes are The Skin I Live In (the latest from two time Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar), Melancholia (from Lars Von Trier), Sleeping Beauty (directed by Australian novelist Julia Leigh) and The Beaver (directed by Jodie Foster).

 

What I’d give to be in Cannes over the next two weeks!

 

 

 

I’ve spent the last week on holidays and competing in the Queensland Men’s Amateur Championship (aka the Queensland golf titles).  I was asked a couple of times about what movies would be worth seeing over the next few months.  I couldn’t run through a list off the top of my head and so in this week’s blog, I thought I’d preview the summer blockbuster season.

 

It effectively kicked off last weekend in the US with the release of Fast Five (which raked in a huge $83.6m in its first 3 days) and continues this week with Thor.  Over the next three months, all the major studios will be working overtime to promote their big budget films.  Their goal is simple – to pull in as much money as they can from the American public.

 

As has become the norm in recent years, these studios have become very conservative with their offerings.  They’re sticking to remakes and sequels because they know an audience already exists.  It’s nice to see something original (like Inception last year) but these seem to be the exception rather than the rule.

 

On that note, here’s the list of the major releases over the next few months.  I’ve included the current Australian release date and a brief plot overview as per the wonderful IMDB.  You’ll be bombarded with advertising about these movies in the coming weeks but this list might help put a few of them on your radar…

 

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 19)

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

 

The Hangover: Part II (May 26)

Phil, Stu, and Alan travel to Bangkok for Stu's wedding only to find themselves in another post-blackout misadventure.

 

X-Men: First Class (June 2)

In 1963, Charles Xavier starts up a school and later a team, for humans with superhuman abilities. Among them is Erik Lensherr, his best friend... and future archenemy.

 

Super 8 (June 9)

After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the strange phenomenon.

 

Green Lantern (June 16)

A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe.

 

Bridesmaids (June 16)

Picked as her best friend's maid of honor, lovelorn and broke Annie looks to bluff her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals with an oddball group of bridesmaids.

 

Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom Of Doom (June 23)

Po joins forces with a group of new kung-fu masters to take on an old enemy with a deadly new weapon.

 

Cars 2 (June 23)

Racing star Lightning McQueen teams up with his best friend Mater for an international adventure as they go up against the world's fastest cars.

 

Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (June 30)

The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.

 

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (July 13)

The end begins as Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back to Hogwarts to find and destroy Voldemort's final horcruxes.

 

Bad Teacher (July 21)

A comedy centered around a foul-mouthed, junior high teacher who, after being dumped by her sugar daddy, begins to woo a colleague -- a move that pits her against a well-loved teacher.

 

The Beaver (July 21)

A troubled husband and executive adopts a beaver hand-puppet as his sole means of communicating.

 

Captain America: The First Avenger (July 28)

After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.

 

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (August 4)

An story set in present day San Francisco, where man's own experiments with genetic engineering lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for supremacy.

 

Cowboys & Aliens (August 11)

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys are all that stand in their way.