Testing

Evelyn, I actually agree with you, although I'm trying to convince myself otherwise. I don't understand what has happened to MLSF in London, but in my region it will show in Bradford and York, June 9-15, and I hope that it will reach other independent cinemas nationally. Bradford booked it because the audience response forms from the Festival screening were very favourable. I sometimes wonder if it would have been better if MLSF had been left in its original form, without all the subsequent edits. CF himself said that it his view it wasn't broke and didn't need fixing...."what it suffers from is the randomness of true story, because that's what it is" Those who liked it would have liked it more, and those who disliked it would have disliked it more. I doubt if the severe editing made any converts. As to Box office success for British films, well, in the UK that would make Harry Enfield the greatest actor who ever lived, and Michael Gambon a non-starter. And we are a TV nation...a lot of British films are now been made for direct transmission to SKY. Colin's got some good things coming up that will be seen by millions. And BJD will be a major boost internationally (and a romantic hero role!). Swings and roundabouts!

According to The Sunday Times Culture magazine, it's not even playing at The Curzon, Mayfair, they have "Being John Malkovich" listed, I would have hoped it would have lasted two weeks as Sunshine did. BTW Bethan, the poster is different from the American one which I have, thanks to Evelyn, it has a picture of Frazer superimposed in the centre of the poster with CF & MEM to one side, sitting together with his arm around her and scenery in the background, very nice.

I don't know how I missed it...I glanced at the paper when I got up... but there's an extraordinary interview with Colin in today's Sunday Telegraph, in the Review section. Small picture on the front, huge pic inside. Too long to quote, but will do if it's not available online. But for once, he really shows emotion...the interviewer quotes some bad reviews of his performance in MLSF and he gets angry and reels off examples of critics who get their facts wrong... I just think "Do. Your. F...ing. Homework". The female interviewer doesn't find him all that attractive on screen ("as the camp nephew in RV he looks suave and clean cut, but not drop dead gorgeous").He asked to play the camp,wry, pithy role because he hadn't done it before. "But in the flesh he looks everything the most smitten Darcymaniac could hope for ..and more. He appears a younger slimmer version of Mr Darcy and is all good natured charm". All he seems to want is to be known as a good character actor. Comments on anarticle which says (re Mark Darcy role) "Thank God, he's finally smelling the coffee"..as though "I should own up to the fact that this is all my life will ever amount to." Interviwer said that judging fom the reactions of anyone (female) who heard that I was going to interview CF, "he still has their hearts", but men said he was a prat. He sounds quite emotional ...obviously wants to defend MLSF..it's not bland stuff.

Big full page article in the Sunday Telegraph review section. Fabulous photograph of Colin on that page and another smaller one on the front page of the review section. I am short of time today, so I shall try and scan the pictures though my scanner is playing up so may not succeed. Perhaps other UKers can go out and buy a few copies!

Oops Bethan we overlapped!

"Being John Malkovich" is showing in the evening. MLSF shows at the earlier times of 2.00 and 6.30. Judging from his reaction to some criticism in the Telegraph interview, he's already hurting over MLSF, and I guess (doing a Jasper Rees!) he'll be hurting more at the general response, or lack of it.

Allison re Sunday Telegraph - "Perhaps other UKers can go out and buy a few copies!" I am always impressed when people can tell me what's in the papers before I even get to the newsagent - I really have no excuse as I live next door to one (other than it's Sunday and I've had a v.v.v. long lie-in)! Thanks for the info - I'll be hot footing it to the shop shortly so I'll pick up a copy ..or two...or.........

BTW - Apparently (according to the Radio) today is the Feast Day of St. Colin Patron saint of.....?

Morning, ladies. Thanks for the tantalizing tidbits. We'd definitely like to read more of what appears to be a very strange interview and if there are extra copies...

If anyone wants to email me the article and/or scans, I can put it up at The Bucket, which isn't suffering from the Internal Server Error situation, and everyone will be able to read it. [Just go to the What's New button and down to articles]

Damn! I had various problems getting here today and just got the info about the Sunday Telegraph... DH is at the moment touring the region petrol stations hoping to find a copy, but it could be too late now... Why can't there be an early warning email system in operation among the UK Firthers on discovery of new material? As it happens, I don't have anyone to thank for it at the moment... am planning to rip off the modem and sell the computer... what's the bloody point...? ...Can you sense I'm seriously disappointed? :-(

I am copying and posting today's messages over at the Temporary Drool Board, where you can read and comment. Please do not post here anymore today. It is way too difficult to manage. Here's the url for the board: http://www.insidetheweb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb49898 Also remember we have the Springfolks mailing list for messages and/or updates.

Monday today... Was busy all weekend so am late with comments, please forgive me. (Evelyn)For those who don't know..the teen in the movie shags an apple pie.. I gathered as much from the trailer... definitely put me off seeing the movie, although not off eating apple pie :-P (Anne Hale)But it is so sad. As I said before it was on for 9 weeks in Perth, Australia (which is considered Philistine) and indeed was showing for some time longer in Adelaide Hummm... Methinks there's good reasons for one to emigrate to Australia...;-) And now must go read the emergency board and, hopefully, the Bucket :-)

Have just read the Sunday Telegraph article. Thanks Mari, Karen, Ann, et. al for supplying and posting so quickly. My first impression was, although there's new content, the author appears to have borrowed liberally from Jasper's recent article: born in Africa (?), Livia's a documentary maker, etc. Didn't the author do. her. effing. homework? ;-) I was glad to read CF's defense of MLSF--I was proud of his work in that film, too. IMO he was talking about Rafie in his reference to the unnamed character actor who's been taking leading man roles. As regards his parting comment "but I took it to mean that I should just go back to being Mr Darcy all the time for ever, that I should just own up to the fact that this is all my life will ever amount to"...wonder where he read that. I, for one, say bring on those stuttering masturbatory village pervert roles! ;-) Am glad to see this board up and running again. Hope I haven't spoken too soon. About to hit 'submit' button...here goes...

(Eileen)IMO he was talking about Rafie in his reference to the unnamed character actor who's been taking leading man roles. I was thinking the same thing. It has got to be RF.

I didn't think of Ralph at all. I thought of John Cusack. Think of it: the nose and the greasy hair he mentions--describes JC to a tee in Being John Malkovich. I think of JC as much more of a character actor than RF, and he's certainly done a lot more of the "odd and grotesque" stuff than RF.

Are we back up? I hope so. I was glad to read CF's defense of MLSF--I was proud of his work in that film, too. (Eileen) I felt really sorry for him when I read this. Did anyone else react this way, or am I being super-sensitive on his behalf? I'm not sure why he gave this interview (to promote MLSF? RV? BJD?)...he must have given it within the last couple of days, after the reviews for MLSF came out. He looks absolutely gorgeous in the pic BTW...must be the Mark Darcy look! But the interviewer has done MLSF and Colin absolutely no favours here. She's picked on probably the worst critical comment made about him, and given the impression that the reviews for MLSF were all bad. She's also put him in the humiliating position of having to say "well, I thought I was good". What struck me here was that, in his defence, the poor chap wouldn't have been able to quote a single UK review that said he gave a good performance. When he *was* singled out, it was only for criticism. The end product of the Sunday Telegraph interview as a public relations exercise is pretty disastrous..... another 2million people will think that Colin was stiff and miscast, and gave a poor performance. Sorry to sound stroppy about this, but I can see why he would be happy if five people said he was a good actor. And to be in the frame for leading roles, you do need critical recognition!! Back to tittle tattle...has he only had two girlfriends or two named girlfriends? :-)

(Bethan)Sorry to sound stroppy about this, but I can see why he would be happy if five people said he was a good actor. Shall we start counting to five? Evelyn, Karen, KJ, Bethan, Allison, AnnW, Winter, Esbee, Arami, Tracy, Tineke, CCherylB, AnneH, Marcia, Gi... Oops! What do you mean, I've exceeded my quota? ;-) You know I'd only started...

(Bethan) I felt really sorry for him when I read this. I don't share your reaction. In the past Colin's been quite critical of his performances; it was refreshing to see him happy with this one. The end product of the Sunday Telegraph interview as a public relations exercise is pretty disastrous..... another 2million people will think that Colin was stiff and miscast, and gave a poor performance. Now, now, stop the gloom and doom. Let's have the optimist back. C'mon, where's all your exclamation points? ;-)

I felt really sorry for him when I read this. Did anyone else react this way, or am I being super-sensitive on his behalf? I'm not sure why he gave this interview Oh, dear, oh, dear... ;-) the poor chap wouldn't have been able to quote a single UK review that said he gave a good performance. I think that most UK reviews praised all the cast, even though they didn't think much of the film as a whole. He was expressly (and undeservedly) criticized maybe in about two of them. another 2million people will think that Colin was stiff and miscast, and gave a poor performance. Assuming that Telegraph readers are all prats and unable to think for themselves... :-) has he only had two girlfriends or two named girlfriends? :-) The latter, I think. We know of at least one more: the one who took the TV set with her when she moved out and he didn't have TV at home for a long time as a result. :-)

Time to talk coffee... No where, no ways did anyone imply that Colin should be playing Mr Darcy for until the end of time. Here's the exact comment from #922: Definitely think Colin has woken up and smelled the coffee insofar as his career is concerned. *thank goodness* :-) Then in #962, the following was added: I just hope it isn't too late. I for one am not resigned to watch Colin move into roles usually associated with Robert Young yet! ;-) That last comment in the article was particularly painful:"Or you might have to change the character of the actor. Someone the Americans believe is a credible sex symbol."This tells me that Colin has heard this quite a bit in Hollywood from agents, casting directors, whoever. The word in Hollywood is that Colin is not a sex symbol. All we can hope for is that BJD reverses that impression. That Colin will be viewed as not only a viable English leading man (to compete for roles with the only other two - HG and RF). This role can get him the recognition for being both a sexy leading man type and more importantly a fine actor on a par with that other guy. ;-)

Think it's RF too. Yes, the greasy hair goes with Cusack, but I can't see Colin in most of Cusack's roles (character though they may be). Am positive there's a greasy-haired Fiennes movie out there... ;-) Hmmm, hair looked pretty yucky in Onegin.

Received my Donmar magazine in the post today. Double page spread on Gala 3DOR evening. Only one pic of ODB chatting to two ladies (sans volvos!), two pics of DM and my thoughts on E.MG's lipstick, in the informal shot might lead us all to the conclusion that her Act 2 painted lips was no act of a Southern Belle at all! Karen I wish you could see it teehee!! Maybe someone else (Luvvie?) will scan them.

Karen, you don't think CF could have played Rob in High Fidelity? (Not to mention Will in About A Boy, which went to Hugh Grant)--yeah, keep "haunting those margins", Colin :-( :-( Besides, the quote as I'm reading it is *not* about coveting this other actor's roles (in which case I too might think it's RF). It's about other character actors who sometimes play leading man type roles but whose talent lies more in the offbeat. Liked your coffee talk, Karen . . .you're a regular Linda Richman.:-) Bethan, it's too bad he didn't retort that his Edward Pettigrew reviews here were good, though I'm not sure how much sway that holds in Britain. Good that RV is coming out soon; that's one advantage of having work released back-to-back. If they don't like one, they might like the other, and the public has a short memory.

Now, now, stop the gloom and doom. Let's have the optimist back. C'mon, where's all your exclamation points? ;-) (Eileen) S-o-rry!!!!!!!! I think I'm a thwarted PR type...I'd love to be sitting in on these interviews, shoving my oar in! Have you noticed he's grown half an inch...six foot, one and a half! Definitely think Colin has woken up and smelled the coffee insofar as his career is concerned. *thank goodness* :-) Now, does he lurk? Or have we "smelling the coffee" articles in abundance? He's still missed the point though. Mr Darcy isn't a life-time sentence....we just need the occasional alpha male who kisses the girl and doesn't lose out to a Fiennes brother. More Cary Grant, not Charles Laughton! Good that RV is coming out soon; that's one advantage of having work released back-to-back. If they don't like one, they might like the other, and the public has a short memory. Very true....not every one's a winner.And I don't think the public has any memory. RV might be ideal lightweight summer entertainment. And we've got DQ in the wings. it's too bad he didn't retort that his Edward Pettigrew reviews here were good, though I'm not sure how much sway that at holds in Britain. Normally a lot. British movies that open first in the US and get good reviews are usually marketed on the basis ..."warmly received in the US" etc....which then pre-disposes our critics to be favourable. Seems they, like,er,forgot.

Think it's RF too. Me three. Ever since End of the Affair, a role he wanted. I think RFs hair was greasy in S. List. When he mentioned the greasy hair pervert role, Mr. Collins came to mind! Flash into the future older CF gets Mr. Cs role in another remake. ;-) About the coffee, how could he have misunderstood?

I hope CF was basing his desire for the role in "The End of the Affair" on the book, or even the old version of the film, and not the mess Neil Jordan made. I just caught it on video -- that movie was lousy. What's more, CF being in it wouldn't have made it a better film. It would have been the same rotten movie with a different good actor, that's all.

I agree with everything you've said, Cheryl. Now the role that Sean Penn had at "Up at the Villa", would have been great for Colin.

(Moon Dreams) I think RFs hair was greasy in S. List. Greasy and dirty as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights :-)

(Bethan) More Cary Grant, not Charles Laughton! Well put, Bethan! That would work for me. (Bethan) British movies that open first in the US and get good reviews are usually marketed on the basis ..."warmly received in the US" etc....which then pre-disposes our critics to be favourable. Seems they, like,er,forgot. I'm not surprised. They forgot to market it here, too--it seems they just absolutely gave up on it long before the reviews came out and then had no plan (or budget) in place to take any advantage of them. Very poor on Miramax's part. I'm glad CF didn't put his tail between his legs when the writer mentioned that one review. He should be proud of his work in this. He did seem pleased when people mentioned the film to him at the Donmar. ****** Looks like I'm in the minority, but I liked The End Of The Affair and thought Ralph and Julianne did a good job in it.:-)

Thanks, Lizza, for the info about the Donmar magazine. I'm sure the picture will be scanned in by one of our Donmar darlings. Might take awhile to get to this side of the Atlantic though. (have no doubt that little pouty, bee-stung lips are her own) (Mari) you don't think CF could have played Rob in High Fidelity? Of course, he could but only if they kept it set in London. (Same re: About a Boy.) And he needs to work on his American accent with a professional. (Donna) Greasy and dirty as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights :-) *hee hee* (Mari) He did seem pleased when people mentioned the film to him at the Donmar. What was he going to do? He does have manners and has shown himself to be courteous at all times. BTW, not having read TEOTA or seen the older version, I thought this was one was OK and made sense to me. So you're not alone. ;-)

(Mari) Liked your coffee talk, Karen *hee hee* You mean cawfee tawk, right? ;-D I am all curiosity about the article containing that coffee-smelling remark Colin references in his interview. How come we've never seen it? Was it published in some third world country? If it wasn't a published article at all, but a reference to or excerpt from our discussion, it's too bad that he misinterpreted the remark. I think it's fair to say that none of us want Mr. Darcy forever. (Mari) it seems they just absolutely gave up on it [MLSF] long before the reviews came out Yup. Miramax put their eggs in the Ideal Husband basket. I thought MLSF was more interesting and entertaining (but I'm biased ;-)).

(Bethan) I felt really sorry for him when I read this. Did anyone else react this way, or am I being super-sensitive on his behalf? I felt this way too, Bethan. The comment from the unnamed former co-worker about "totally transparent mock modesty" and the quoting of the one negative criticism about his performance in MLSF seemed to me to be unfair and unnecessary. I mean, there are so many actors out there with totally overinflated egos who really deserve to be taken down a peg in this fashion, but Colin is not one of them.

Just back after the long weekend, and reading over the MLSF discussion. Very disappointing! (The events, not the discussion!) Despite my criticisms of the film, it was still a good film, and deserved a chance to be seen! I think there aren't enough independent film houses. The larger problem is the cultural invasion of Hollywood. Same in Canada -- not much pride in Canadian talent (unless Hollywood sanctions it first). But I had heard that Britain had an impressive media studies program in their schools, a la Noam Chompsky. So, greater mental resistance might be hoped for! Difficult though, when they yank a film before you can say popcorn. Oh dear, nothing as likely to strike up the political ire as a disappointed affectionado :-) Does anyone understand why some 'independent'films get as much backing as a regular formula film, and others get zilch? Just how independent ARE films like Being John Malkovich? And how does MLSF fit into this scenario? I read the Telegraph article. I'm annoyed. Ironic statement to make on Drool Board maybe, but, she totally focused on his portrayal of Darcy, mentioned some other films in passing, and for the most part, ignored his entire body of work. "Shades of an angry Mr. Darcy here" --- give me a break, and they say fans engage in projection! Sure doesn't help his career to have a 'journalist' imposing the identity on him. Sad to read him saying "my type" as though he is a 'type'. I've always thought that his acting defied being a 'type' and that's what makes him so interesting. The media/political cr*p in the business must be wearing him down. I really hope he gets to play MORE "odd and grotesque stuff" because he's good at it. Surely his career cannot honestly be reduced to a repetition of "handsome hero" roles! This is a long post, but I feel much better now!

(Liz) I think there aren't enough independent film houses. Wasn't it the Odeon chain that committed to showing more art house films? Just how independent ARE films like Being John Malkovich? The one you mentioned WAS an indie. Had financial backing by Michael Stipe's production company and was then picked up by October Films, shown at the NYC FF and Venice. Just remember that Indie and Art House are not synonymous.

(Karen) Just remember that Indie and Art House are not synonymous. True, except to extent that they both often get ignored. But the whole behind- the-scenes of film-financing makes me dizzy with confusion. I'm a little suspicious of Odeon's commitment, because they're in it for $$ and I doubt art house films will ever bring big $$. We're worried here (where I live) about our local independent theatre being pushed out by the chains mega-theatres soon to be built right next to it. Kind of like the way big box bookstores have pushed out the little ones, only to have the public's range of available material greatly reduced in the long run. Well, not exactly like that, but there's a point in this fuzzy analogy somewhere.

Actually, we're having growth in art house theaters here. Big fantastic one (7 screens, I think) built by Landmark chain and another will be in a suburb later this year. They have shown smaller mainstream films like High Fidelity, but mainly films without big-time distributors. Even showed one from Phaedra!! Also heard that Redford's Sundance group is going to build here too.

(LizG)Surely his career cannot honestly be reduced to a repetition of "handsome hero" roles! In fact, haven't we been complaining of a dearth of such roles?

(Susan)The comment from the unnamed former co-worker about "totally transparent mock modesty" and the quoting of the one negative criticism about his performance in MLSF seemed to me to be unfair and unnecessary Hi guys, I�ve been a bit unwell and still am but of course I can�t keep off from Drool for too long :-) Just want to say that I don�t think there�s really nothing to worry about in the style of that Telegraph interview. Only the existence of a big story like this about him conveys the essential message to the readers which is: here is an actor who is worth making a large article about. Most people won�t read it anyway but they see who it is about and see the gorgeous picture, and that�s all in his favour (ah, that pic!!!). I personally like a bit biting style when it�s not openly mean, it simply makes the subject person more plausible and interesting. Too much praise and sweetness is a much bigger turn-off.

Hurrah, at last a good UK review for MLSF and they have singled CF out for particular praise at http//:www.whsmith.co.uk go to entertainment, films and then what's showing, also a good review for Sunshine. "Firth's expert protrayal..." and "Excepting Firth the performances are average at best particularly MMcD..." Sorry to hear you have not been well Elena, hope you will soon feel better.

http://www.whsmith.co.uk

Bethan - Now, does he lurk? Or have we "smelling the coffee" articles in abundance? I'm not a Firthian of longstanding but I've never seen any coffee references in any articles ..ever! Does he lurk?.....an interesting thought indeed. Elena - I�ve been a bit unwell and still am but of course I can�t keep off from Drool It works wonders for an ailing body all this happy banter. Sorry to hear you're under the weather.

As regards his parting comment "but I took it to mean that I should just go back to being Mr Darcy all the time for ever, that I should just own up to the fact that this is all my life will ever amount to"...wonder where he read that. I, for one, say bring on those stuttering masturbatory village pervert roles! ;-) (Eileen) Reminds me that one of my favourite CF roles, despite the flaws in the script (aren't there always? :-))was in "Master of the Moor" where he lived in a village, was a lonely social misfit, strode over the moors in the rain, clad in anorak and baggy corduroy trousers, couldn't make love to women, retreated to subterranean caves, strangled his wife, and shot himself....and still managed to be terribly attractive. Stuttered slightly. Can only guess at the other aspect! :-)

"Master of the Moor" where he lived in a village, was a lonely social misfit, strode over the moors in the rain, clad in anorak and baggy corduroy trousers, couldn't make love to women, retreated to subterranean caves, strangled his wife, and shot himself....and still managed to be terribly attractive. Heh heh. The guy can't win for losing. He could have played one of the hillbillies in Deliverance and still be attractive. ;-) Considering how nasty some of the articles we've read have been about otehr actors, I'm pleased with the Telegraph. And as Elena points out from her sickbed, it's publicity. Two major articles in one month. Amazing. (LizG)Surely his career cannot honestly be reduced to a repetition of "handsome hero" roles! (Gi) In fact, haven't we been complaining of a dearth of such roles? Yes because it's been so long since he's had such a role. Donovan Quick applies. Look at his roles would see how many of those heroic roles he's actually had. Sorry, he can't help the handsome. ;-) Will Armadillo be one? (Tracy) I'm not a Firthian of longstanding but I've never seen any coffee references in any articles ..ever! Does he lurk?.....an interesting thought indeed. IMO, more likely Helen has returned to lurking at BJD.

So what is the source of this coffee quote? And how did he know about it if it's not from a paper? Or is it? (I seem to have fallen asleep at some point... Familiarity and all that thing, you know... :-))

(Arami), I seem to have fallen asleep at some point... How about a cup of that coffee? ;-) The source of the quote seems to be right here, Arami. Whether it was a PR person gathering news for him, or ODB lurking we do not know.

So what is the source of this coffee quote? And how did he know about it if it's not from a paper? Or is it? If you don't know, then it doesn't exist. Correct? ;-)

From the Evening Standard's site, an article on Denis Forman from 5/22 (a definite read for all those who want to know about MLSF's origins): Forman: It's my life and I like it by Trevor Grove What exactly is a clear water worm? Sir Denis Forman leant forward in his red braces and raised a glittering eye. "Now that," he said, "is a really interesting question." Abandoning a lukewarm discussion of Scottish devolution, he took a pensive puff at his pipe. "Around this time of year, all the water in the streams and rivers of Scotland is as clear as gin. It is exceedingly difficult to entice a trout because he can see everything. So, what you do is, you take a worm ..." he began to explain. Sir Denis has been many things in his long life, among them director of the British Film Institute, deputy-chairman of the Royal Opera House and, most famously, chairman of Granada Television during its glory days. He is revered in the ratings-wary, accountancy-minded, post-Birtian broadcasting world as the man who presided over the creation of The Jewel in the Crown, World in Action and Coronation Street. Now he has notched up another singular achievement: his own boyhood has become the subject of a full-length feature film. Imagine being able to trot around the corner to your local cinema and watch yourself winningly depicted catching your first trout in a movie directed by Hugh Hudson, produced by David Puttnam and starring Colin Firth as your father. Sir Denis seems modestly delighted that with My Life So Far playing at the Hampstead ABC, only a few steps away from his garden flat, he can do just that. Well, not trot, exactly: he lost a leg at the battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, which ended his days as a tireless Scottish reeler. But he remains a remarkably hale-looking 82 and still goes loch fishing every year. He has been to see the film twice, applying a professional eye. He finds it "highly agreeable", graciously passing over the implausible fictional embellishments. My Life So Far is based on Sir Denis's funny, touching and evocative memoir of his childhood in the Dumfries countryside in the 1920s, when farms were still run on horsepower and before the scythe gave way to the combine harvester. The title of the book, published 10 years ago, was Son of Adam, and the author rather wishes the film-makers hadn't changed it. "I think mine was better." Adam was the name of his father, the decent, God-fearing but deeply eccentric figure who became the focus of Denis's pubescent rebelliousness. The Rev Adam Forman, head boy of Loretto and later its chaplain, never shed his bracing, public-school attitude to manliness and godliness, even after he married and became the factor, or agent, on his mother-in-law's estate, Craigielands. When he wasn't holding Presbyterian discourse at the dinner table or herding his large family off to St Mary's United Free Church for their spiritual improvement, he was seeing to their physical cleanliness with year-round bathing in the loch, except when the ice was too thick. His small sons were intrigued to discover he kept a morsel of cotton wool "about the size of a pea" inside his foreskin for purposes of personal hygiene. It was in keeping that Adam's most notable achievement was the harvesting of quantities of sphagnum moss during the First World War, to be processed into field dressings for the wounded. He claimed its properties far exceeded those of cotton wool. For this unusual wartime initiative he was awarded the CBE. The smell of moss was not the only one to imprint itself on Denis's young memory. He and his five brothers and sisters (Denis, the chief mischiefmaker, was number four) were horribly perceptive in the olfactory department. The visiting seamstress smelt of exhaust fumes combined with "the inside of a spaniel's ear and dead rat". Marnie the housekeeper ponged of unwashed underparts and embrocation, with overtones from her wig of "dead mouse blended with nutmeg". Much of this comically perceptive writing is lost in the film, so we never properly encounter the highly strung cook, Mrs Henderson, who "at times of great stress became hysterical, throwing her apron over her head and making noises like a railway engine taking in water". "But we were not a posh household, with liveried foot-men," Sir Denis insists. Passage through the green baize door was free and easy. His intimacy with the servants, his liking for working in the fields alongside the farm men at harvest time and the camaraderie of the great curling contests on the frozen loch form a key theme in the book, leading the little boy to think that "perhaps I preferred the likes of them to the likes of us". Even before he is sent away to boarding school he is kicking against the pricks of class and religion, spending furtive hours reading up the entry under "Prostitution" in the Encyclopaedia of Ethics. Wasn't it odd that those early seeds of rebellion should have led to a career spent entirely among the officer class, from being head boy of Loretto onwards? Not at all, says Sir Denis. "I was always subversive." Even in the army he "aided and abetted" the shift of thinking that led to so many servicemen voting Labour after the war. In his television years he was a determined advocate of investigative journalism. Today he deplores TV's lack of will to explore a controversial subject in depth. The Zimbabwe Test match was under way. "Who's going to do corruption in cricket?" he asked rhetorically, knowing the moment has passed. Campaigning for women to be let into his clubs, the Garrick and the Savile, has proved a lost cause (he finds his opponents' behaviour "weird"), but one knows he is not done yet. His independence of spirit is manifest in the great clouds of Players Medium Navy Cut fumes wreathing his head. After 20 years of abstinence he defied doctor's orders and took up his pipe again at the age of 80. But we haven't finished with the clear water worm - brandling worms, to be precise, dug out of dung-heaps then fattened on brick dust and moss to make their skins tough enough to stay on the hook. "So what you do is, you walk up the bed of the burn or the stream and where there is broken water, over a slight fall, you drop the worm in at the top and lead it down to where you think the trout lie might be. The trout is looking at fizzy water instead of clear water. Therefore he doesn't see the cast on the worm - and he takes it. It's even more skilful, I think, than dry fly fishing." As the pipe is refilled, one cannot escape the impression that there is an even more enchanting version of My Life So Far winning top ratings in Sir Denis Forman's head.

Colin - lurking HERE????????????????????????????????????? Well, hallloooooooooooo there, dear boy....we meet at last... ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-D *** Oh, btw, I've just read somewhere that Paul Lyon Maris (or is it Maris Lyon? I can never remember) was also the late Sir John Gielgud's agent. So there.

Paul Lyon Maris (or is it Maris Lyon? I can never remember) was also the late Sir John Gielgud's agent. So there. How old could he be? Sounds like retirement is in order. ;-)

Now who thought that Julie Andrews didn't have a devoted following? This was posted at the RV site: Is there a press release available on the release yet?. Can you please give us some more information on the premiere. I know that there are fans out there that have already booked flights and hotels for these dates, are you 100% sure that it will be the 21st?. Do you have any info on Julie A. being present at the 21st?. Would you be so kind as top give us this info asap, so the rest us us can start booking flights etc. too. Thank you. Iris

Colin - lurking HERE????????????????????????????????????? Very much doubt it. Livia, perhaps?

Elena, i hope you get well soon :-)

Do hope you are feeling somewhat better now Elena. Re running your favourite CF vid works wonders! Take care

Thanks for all your good wishes Lizza, Gi and Ann :-) (Arami)Colin - lurking HERE????????????????????????????????????? (Ming)Very much doubt it. Livia, perhaps? I very much doubt it too, especially now that he�s busy working and probably has other things to do than to visit fan sites. The coffee-smelling must be a coincidence of some kind. (Colin, please tell me I�m wrong!! ;-);-) If he really was interested in the thoughts of his fans enough to lurk here I think he would also be slightly more active in reading and answering his fan mail ;-). But I also think it would be very strange if he had NOT visited the Spring once or twice this year after 3DOR. (Karen)Now who thought that Julie Andrews didn't have a devoted following? Not me. The Sound Of Music was the first film I ever saw in a cinema and I watched it at least five or six times. I loved her voice. I still have the soundtrack somewhere, I think. Maybe I should book a flight too? :-D

Hope you're feeling better, Elena! I got my latest copy of the ChoicesDirect catalogue today...the major supplier of videos for sale in the UK. Out of interest I just rang up to see if SLOW was going to be available soon. I expected the usual hesitation..."sorry, can you repeat that for me so I can check it" ...but I got an instant response "Oh, we've been inundated with requests for this, but unfortunately we don't have a date". So, there is a hidden army out there (we just don't always make it to the movies!)

Hi Bethan I brought a PAL copy of SLOW from http://www.kvs.co.uk back in April. It was about 41 pound.

The coffee-smelling must be a coincidence of some kind. (Colin, please tell me I�m wrong!! ;-);-) Elena, I can see you are much better. :-) I have looked again at the whole quote and Colin actually mentions an article... Unfortunately I haven't got the time to get to the bottom of this at the moment... Unless Colin can be so kind and help? Please, Colin? Or even Livia will do... ;-)

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4022031,00.html

Can someone in the U.K. complain that this man doesn't know what he's talking about. Jealous again I suppose. I loved Fever Pitch, so did my husband and for that matter my son. There's a wonderful book out there called "The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis (Another name for it is "Men without chests" i.e. he warned that in the future in the U.K. due to the educational system, we would lack imagination, a sense of beauty using a description of a waterfall as an example. One man would see water pouring off a ledge a hundred feet above, another would see the lovliness of it all, the mist from the water, the greenery, the sound etc. I know this doesn't seem relevant but the very system he abhored was indeed brought into the British educational system. I am not saying the poetry has gone out of all Brits. of course it hasn't but it certainly has affected the reviewers and critics out there. Colin has certainly seen it and not just for himself. Sorry I have gone on. But I was angry with the idiocy of it al . They can't discern between good and bad, evil or good it seems to me. Anne despairing in Oz.

Hmm...Thanks for the above article, Karen! I dipped into it, and dipped out again. It's so easy to criticise, so difficult to create. The British film industry isn't perfect, but our critics are like leaches, sucking out the life blood. Give me some old-fashioned, if misplaced, enthusiasm anyday!

This genre is also known as the Colin Firth movie. What is that about? CF is not that well known to be a genre of any kind! Why pick on him? Thanks for posting, Karen. Apart from the CF comments, I happen to agree with the reviewer. The film industry is in crisis. What ever happened to intelligent, witty dialog? Enough with the depressing-vulgar-shock films. Give me some old-fashioned, if misplaced, enthusiasm anyday! My thoughts exactly!

I, too, agree that "Fever Pitch" does not belong in a list that includes "Rancid Aluminium" and "Mad Cows" (two of the most appalling movies I've had the misfortune to sit through). But the article is bang on target in most areas, and a damned funny read, too. I'm mean, really, have any of you ever watched "Absolute Beginners"? All of it? I haven't. I haven't been able to get past the first half hour. So don't take this as a critique of Colin Firth or Rufus Sewell or Joe Fiennes or Jude Law (all of whom get blasted indirectly). It is, imho however, a legitimate blast at the incredible amount of money that has been wasted by the current Brit film mess.

Thanks for the url, Karen. V. funny article. I hated Absolute Beginners too. Interesting about the "CF genre". Ummm... Guess it's better to be talked about than not be talked about, right? :-)

I have to agree with Chris--that article is hysterically funny. Yes, it's too bad that CF was mentioned but at least he didn't come off nearly as poorly as Jude Law and the rest of the Natural Nylon mafia.:-) Don't mean to pile on, but here's a similar article from today's Telegraph, which raises some questions I've always had about the disingenuousness of some of the British press concerning American films: British isn't always best Hollywood scores with a chiller but the All Saints' heist movie is a botched job, says David Gritten THE perception of Hollywood in large sections of our press is no longer merely amusing, or even irritating - it is now almost wilfully misleading. We constantly hear of British film talents "selling out" or being "lost" to Hollywood, as if this were some cultural kiss of death. Only this week, a broadsheet newspaper ran an article on the excellent English actor Adrian Lester's "escape" from Hollywood. To what, one wonders? Essentially, Hollywood is a massive factory, producing its share of disposable, unmemorable fare just to keep its assembly lines constantly moving. But in any given month it also offers a wide range of films more skilfully written, carefully considered and expertly executed than the cinematic output of any other country. So much for Hollywood, then, as a repository of all that is trash. This British perception is especially grotesque given our film industry's woeful current state: in percentage terms we produce more movie garbage than the US, with the savage twist that this garbage isn't even very popular here. All the Lottery money and grants in Britain, it seems, cannot change this. To judge by our films, Britain is a country overawed by violent minor-league gangsters, an island noisily off its communal face on lager every night. Two new films perfectly illustrate this schism. Stir of Echoes, from 20th Century Fox, is a workmanlike, unspectacular thriller with a supernatural theme. It will appear on few year-end best-film lists. Hollywood makes movies like this in its sleep, yet it's a creditable, satisfying piece of work. Kevin Bacon plays a telephone lineman living in blue-collar Chicago. His six-year-old son talks to ghosts, but Stir of Echoes is no Sixth Sense clone: this is Bacon's story. He agrees to be hypnotised by his flaky sister-in-law (Illeana Douglas) and finds to his horror that he is a "receiver", open to images and sensations from a supernatural world. He starts hallucinating about a slow-witted teenage girl who has mysteriously gone missing, and becomes increasingly withdrawn and obsessed as events progress towards a grisly climax. Sardonic and sympathetic by turns, Bacon gives his character his usual shrewd reading. But the real star here is writer-director David Koepp (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), who has painstakingly fashioned a script that is logical and intelligently thought out, and then filmed a story that never relaxes its grip. Stir of Echoes may not change your life, but nor is it an insult to the intelligence, or indeed a waste of money. Which brings us neatly to the British film Honest, featuring three members of the female pop group All Saints, and set in the Swinging London of 1968. Throughout the film, I recalled a recent rebuke by director Alan Parker, the new boss of the Film Council, that too many British films are rushed into production before their scripts are ready. One doubts if the script for this depressing, feeble film could ever be ready - it's surprising to see old comedy pros Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais among the writing credits. What's it about? One character conveniently tells us: "Three girls from the East End who dress up like men and rob the rich? That's pretty intense, man!" That gives you a whiff of the plot - and, I fear, the putrid dialogue. Yes, Natalie and Nicole Appleton and Melanie Blatt don men's suits and fake moustaches and beards to stage jewellery heists. In this guise, they alarmingly resemble the tiny pop star Prince. Natalie, the only All Saint with any acting aptitude, plays the sister who has a romance with a young American Rhodes scholar (Peter Facinelli, a puppyish junior Tom Cruise type). He works on an underground newspaper, and tries to write the sisters' story. His first paragraph: "It's only a �2 cab ride from Carnaby Street to Bethnal Green, but it's another world." But why single out one line? Much of Honest is worthy of derisive sniggers. Characters constantly tell each other what they already know. "We're in the middle of Mayfair," one sister confides to another. "It's full of toffs and nobs." And poor Natalie has to say, "Nothing's free in this world. Things have to be earned." An unlikely remark from a character making a living from theft. This fiasco was directed - if that's the word - by Dave Stewart, the less winning half of another pop group, the Eurythmics. Stewart may have a sure touch with three-minute pop videos, but a full-length feature film seems beyond him. And unforgivably for someone steeped in pop culture, he can't even make the era authentic. This is 1968, and yet there's a glimpse of the cover of Abbey Road (released in 1969), and a reference to one of the album's songs, She Came in Through the Bathroom Window. You could dismiss this as pedantry - or agree that it's symptomatic of how this shoddy enterprise was thrown together. One last objection to Honest: its brutish sexual content (quite inappropriate to its overall tone) has condemned it to an 18 certificate, which prevents younger All Saints fans from seeing it. In terms of commerce and common sense, it's an ill-judged decision. And, whatever we in this country may say, it's a blunder that Hollywood would never have made.

I can't seem to find an RV Drool, so I am posting this here. It is from the official site mailing list. Release Information Midsummer Films are pleased to announce that Relative Values has been sold in the following territories:- Distributor - Global Media Distribution Inc. Territories - LATIN AMERICA (Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Ecudador, El Salvador, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Urguay & Venezuela) & PUERTO RICO, PORTUGAL, TURKEY, GREECE, ESTONIA, LATVIA & LITHUANIA Distributor - Europa Filmes Territories - BRAZIL Distributor - Compagnia Distribuzione Europea Territories - ITALY, SAN MARINO & VATICAN CITY Distributor - WMS Film Consultants Territories - POLAND Distributor - Manga Territories - SPAIN & ANDORRA Distributor - Encore Media Group LLC Territories - USA Distributor - Alliance Atlantis Territories - UNITED KINGDOM, ISLE OF MAN, CHANNEL ISLANDS & GIBRALTAR

That article Karen posted would have been funnier if it weren't so damn boring. Ho hum, more clever writers sharpening their knives on the British film industry. (also Mari's post above.) The theory is made, let's contort as many facts as we can to support it. the big Hollywood adaptation of High Fidelity, starring John Cusack and completely junking any Hornby element False. Wake me up when someone dares to write an opposing viewpoint. Glad you posted it anyway, Karen, simply because DB was mentioned. As Gi says, Guess it's better to be talked about than not be talked about, right? :-) Thanks for posting the distribution info, Mary. Fingers crossed we can see this film by autumn.

Naughty me..italics are fixed.

Don't worry, from now on I'll only post boring stuff if it has Colin's name in it. Murph, thanks for the distribution info--though I have no idea who Encore Media Group is.

Oops, sorry Mari. It's not your posting that I find boring. It's the repetitious theme the journalists keep harping on. Post as many articles as you like 'cause it stirs up conversation. There's no need for me to state my opinion again on why these writers continue beating this poor horse.

I'm not disagreeing with the claim that the British film industry is in a crisis --- I'll take the word of fellow Droolers. I thought the Guardian article (response #1260) was incredibly cynical. Someone else has of course, already expressed a suitable summary --- I couldn't have said it better: "It is such a spur to one's genius, such an opening for wit to have a dislike of that kind. One may be continually abusive without saying any[thing] just; but one cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty." With reference to the Telegraph article (response #1266)there are some wonderful American films, but the success of the formulaic in $$ terms is never proof in my mind that America is better at making films than anyone else. I saw Stir of Echoes and found it neither "creditable" nor "satisfying". I think the best American films can't be described as formula films. In relation to the debate of good film/bad film, is another important point that both writers ignore. We're not all Americans and each culture needs an opportunity to express itself in it's own terms, even if we make bad films while trying to do that. If the British film industry is in a crisis, surely the solution is to be more authentic, not less. Perhaps part of the problem is that British filmmakers are trying to be American filmmakers. The most they could ever hope to achieve then, is what David Gritten (response #1266) seems to suggest Britain should aspire to: A so-so British-pretending-to-be-American formula flick.

Mari says: Murph, thanks for the distribution info--though I have no idea who Encore Media Group is. ******** We have an Encore cable station here. It shows older films usually. Perhaps it is the one distributing RV. I'll check and see if they have a web site. Murph

Yep: Here is the web site for Encore Media Group. Starz is once of theirs too. Murph

Thanks again, Murph. Don't mean to spread panic but . . .it sure sounds like "straight-to-cable TV" to me.:-( Really hope I'm wrong, but I don't see anything to indicate that Encore does theatrical releases.

Aha! So this is where everyone is hanging out. Murph! Mari! Good to see you here, guys :-) Geez...I *have* been away too long. Now, before I comment on things I know nothing about I have to back up and read this topic :-/ Oh, and Mari...I'm sure you join me in wishing the Devils godspeed on their road to ruin. I can't find your email, so send me a note and we'll give them the double malocchio (nan@ntr.net)

Hi there Nan! Welcome! Couple of snippets from today's Telegraph which vaguely impinge on CF. BBC1 are going to turn a new novel about "multicultural Britain" into a �5million 6 part series. It's the first project approved under Alan Yentob's regime and will be one of the highlights of the BBC's programme schedule next year. Filming is to start later this year. They are busy looking for a scriptwriter, cast , director etc. On this basis, I would assume that if "Armadillo" has already been given the greenlight, has a producer and lead actor in place, and if it is being adapted by the author, then there's no reason why fiming shouldn't start very soon. The article also mentions that the BBC's last "classic" adaptation "Gormenghast" was a flop in terms of viewing figures. I think that the emphasis under the new BBC/Greg Dyke regime will definitely be on "relevant" contemporary drama. No more bonnets! Fortunately "Armadillo" *is* New Britain, but a more humane, humorous interpretation which cuts across the so-called socal divide! BTW...I hope the the new BBC wakes up and does something with DQ as a highlight for this year's drama.....it's socially relevant, multi-cultural, regional, unglamorous and very, very good! Also, there's an article about how the release of all the chickflicks has been delayed to coincide with Soccer Euro 2000 in the UK (3 weeks from the second week of June), to catch the honey-I'm bored-with-the game female audience. Mentions of movies starring Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett, Matthew Perry etc. No mention of RV (would not like to see it branded as a chickflick!) but it is certainly coming out during the alternative soccer season. Nor a blockbuster in sight.

I found this place today and now have been reading these Firth-sections. Chats about if Firth can`t kiss and so on...this is so the right place for me! Because I live in Finland I haven`t seen many of his films (only P&P of course, Shakespeare in love and the English patient) and I was happily suprised that there was darcymania in UK.

(t o)Because I live in Finland I haven`t seen many of his films (...) and I was happily suprised that there was darcymania in UK. Welcome t o! We are happy to count another drooler from Finland in our midst. (Mari)Don't worry, from now on I'll only post boring stuff if it has Colin's name in it. LOL! No offense to anybody, but this sounds like a worthy resolution :-P (Mary Murphy)... Relative Values has been sold in the following territories:- Distributor - Global Media Distribution Inc. Territories - ... PORTUGAL... Great! Thanks Murph. I hope to see this one at least :-)

(t o) I found this place today and now have been reading these Firth-sections. Chats about if Firth can`t kiss and so on...this is so the right place for me! Yes! It's always exciting when someone new finds their way here and takes teh first plunge by posting. Now and then we have some serious discussions but eventually we get around to talking about the really important issues. ;-) Kissing fits right in. Not quite what I had in mind since I personally prefer the left shoulder grinding method ala Fever Pitch. :-x0x0x0 Hoorah! Gi won't have to fly to London again to see a Colin film. Not that you'd mind.

Welcome Odessa!

Just spotted what must be the first review of RV....and it's a good one! Was shopping for Soccer magazines (not for me!) and I noticed a new movie mag (June issue) "Hotdog" which is priced (initially, I think) at �1.50, which doesn't break the bank. There's an interesting rating system: 5 stars (equates with Goodfellas), 4 stars (Heat), 3 stars (Cape Fear), 2 stars (Analyse this), 1 star (New York, New York) and no stars (We're no angels). To show the relative ratings, no 5 stars, Woody Allen's "Sweet and Lowdown" gets 4 stars, "Return to me" (Minnie Driver, David Duchovny) gets no stars, and "The Next Best thing" (Madonna, RE) is relegated to "also released" and classed as "one to take your walkman to". "The Ninth Gate" (Johnny Depp) gets 3 stars as does the DVD of "The Full Monty". So it's quite severe rating. RV gets 3 stars. CF seems to have 2nd billing. PG certificate. Full review... "Based on a Noel Coward stage play, RV is a very British "comedy of manners" that may be deeply unfashionable but benefits from perfect casting and great performances. Set in the fifties, it plays on the class culture clash between two Hollywood stars and an uptight aristocratic family, to create, as Coward would no doubt have put it, " a positive feast of hilarity". Balwin is superb as the bigscreen boozehound Don Lucas, Jule Andrews' cool calculating Countess is remarkable and Stephen Fry almost steals the show with his Jeeves-like butler. But it is Sophie Thompson's Moxie who blows them all away as the below stairs maid pretending to be the newly monied lady. It's no "American Pie", but if you like your comedy stylish, sophisticated and as dry as good Martini, then look no further". As ever, no mention of CF, but I guess he's used to it, poor guy, from British reviewers. :-( But it's a good review....especially compared with the drubbing given to some of the other offerings. "The Next Best Thing" apparently opens the same week, and Buena Vista (who did absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing, for MLSF...not even a miserly arthouse distribution) are apparently spending a huge amount to promote it. All out talented webmistresses...please feel free to use the review...it's good to promote RV!

I found this place today and now have been reading these Firth-sections. Terve teeoo! Please post often and tell us more about what makes you Drool ;-) Encountering another Finn here (for the first time ever!) seems to coincide with the fact that P&P is having a rerun in the tv over here. It will probably give many people a fresh need to look for more information about you know who.

Thanks for the RV review, Bethan. I have it up. Film sounds like fun. Welcome, Odessa, to the original "firthamanic" (and best) site on the planet. Murph Nan -- How lovely to see your name. Tell us how school has been.

(Bethan), As ever, no mention of CF, but I guess he's used to it, poor guy, from British reviewers. :-( This is especially cruel because we know from his interview that he asked to play this part. I hope they were not making a statement by omiting his name as well as JS. Balwin as superb I have got to see. :-/ Keeping fingers crossed for the other reviews.

I wrote this earlier today in response to a little dicussion on Burt Lancaster: I think the biggest difference between Burt and Colin is that Burt had the power to do mostly what he wanted to do thanks to his clout in Hollywood as one of the heads of a major independent company. Having said that, he also had the guts -- and that is the best way I can describe it -- all his acting life to choose roles that were "heavyweight," and that challenged him as an actor. He did do some silly ones too, but he did them with Errol Flynn-like �lan. On of my biggest disappointments with CF's career is that he has chosen not only much lighter weight films since P&P, but also ones that are easy roles for an actor. I have not seen him on the stage, but having read comments on Caretaker, and on 3 DOR, it seems that is the place where he is most willing to take a chance. I have said before that IMO as Robert Lawrence he reached a pinnacle of daring and great acting that he has not scaled since. Donovan Quick comes the closest in recent years. I am following closely the career of Russell Crowe. I have compared him to Lancaster (physical daring and chance-taking), and I think my comparison has merit. His next film after he plays a Circus freak in Flora Plum may be "A Brilliant Mind," the biography of John Nash, the brilliant Nobel Prize winner and schizophrenic. Nash was a man who roamed the Princeton campus in his bad years, dirty and disheveled, mumbling to himself. He is much improved now and teaching again, and his story is one that touches the heart. Colin could do this kind of thing too, I know he could. I wish I knew why he makes the choices he does. What does everyone think?

Trouble is Murph. I am not sure he is motivated too. I have a feeling he is happy just to be working - doing a good job of it, wipe his shoes on the door mat and leave and get on with his life, working with refugees etc. and avoiding publicity as much as possible.

Also, Murph, he must choose among the parts he is offered. He can apply to others, but maybe he is not given them.

He's just not in the "Burt Lancaster/Russell Crowe" league (in terms of clout). Hollywood doesn't seem to have knocked on his door, his movie performances receive very little recognition from most reviewers in the UK. I just don't think he's offered the parts he's capable of doing. He said somewhere that Darcy didn't open any doors for him...infact, I suspect some doors have closed. That's why he says he wants interesting roles and to be seen as a character actor!! "Maid of Buttermere" (although change the title please!) would stretch him, and "Armadillo" will give him a lot of screen time and the opportunity for a range of more subtle acting. But I honestly believe that it's very difficult for most British actors to fulfil their potential....that's why most of them give their best performances on stage (and radio!).

RELATIVE VALUES PREMIERE UPDATE - Relative Values Premiere is on the 21st June, and is in aid of the NSPCC. Tickets are available by telephoning the NSPCC regional office 02075963700 for application form/Invitation. Ticets for Premiere only are �25. each

http://www.classicfm.co.uk/pages/OutAbout/FreeTickets/relative.htm

June 21st is his 3rd wedding anniversary. Will he attend? (Bethan), That's why he says he wants interesting roles and to be seen as a character actor!! That struck me as rather odd when I read it. Being cast as a character actor is not something many actors aspire to. Especially ambitious ones. (Murph), I have said before that IMO as Robert Lawrence he reached a pinnacle of daring and great acting that he has not scaled since. Donovan Quick comes the closest in recent years. Sadly, I do not agree on DQ. In Tumbledown, AZ and Valmont I saw his best acting skills. I also loved what he did in TEP, but that was a supporting role. Of course, we can not forget that his Mr. Darcy started this CF admiration. And because of it, HF has written his role into BJD, which may turn out to be his "break-out" film.

Moon. June21st is his 3rd wedding anniversay. Will he attend? I jolly well hope so, I have read somewhere that CF, JA & SF were to attend, as I have just posted my cheque!!

(Murph)I think the biggest difference between Burt and Colin is that Burt had the power to do mostly what he wanted to do thanks to his clout in Hollywood as one of the heads of a major independent company. I can argue both sides of the fence here because, as a Colin fan, I want so much to see him in roles worthy of his ability. I want the rest of the world to catch on to our little secret (or do I? ;-p). I want to see him on the cover of People magazine and say, "I knew him when..." ;-p Well, maybe not People magazine, but you get the gist... On the other hand, I don't think he'd be happy as part of the Hollywood machine. He seems fairly content with his life. He earns a very respectable living doing something he loves and does well (how many people can say that?). He has enough fame to get the best seats in a theatre but not enough to prevent him from walking down the street or taking his son to a movie. It could certainly be the kind of roles he's offered, but most of the really good roles go to those who have "star" power. Of course, you can only be a "star" if you are willing to become a product and sacrifice your privacy. Perhaps the enormous success of P&P gave him a glimpse of what his life would be if his career really took off...and maybe he didn't like it. Anyway, I prefer to think of it as Colin's choice rather than a lack of interest on the part of casting directors ;-) I try to think of him in a sort of Michael Caine way. Sometimes he does movies because he needs money (and I would do the same--gotta eat ;-p) and sometimes he takes supporting roles in fine films where he gets to show his stuff and be proud. If it's okay with him, then it's okay with me. I'll watch anyway and I'm sure you will too ;-) BTW, we are doing a Virtual View of An Ideal Husband over at Pemberley and I was thinking Colin would have made an excellent Sir Chiltern, don't you think? No offense to Jeremy Northam, of course...

http://www.classicfm.co.uk/pages/OutAbout/FreeTickets/relative.htm Hello everybody, just popping in from lurkdom. Sorry I posted that link without comment, but I did it from work, and just when I was about to write a word, everybody wanted to talk to me ;-)), and I just hit the submit button. So, this is something for our UK folks, a link to a page where you can get free tickets for private previews of RV on June 11, in London and elsewhere in the UK. They give June 23 as opening date.

(Nan) I'll watch anyway and I'm sure you will too ;-) You can bet on that! :-)

Hi everybody...I am just back from NY and I only have one thing to say... I want Colin on Broadway SD is getting the biggest reception imaginable...At the end of TRT the audience went wild.After reading the depressing Telegraph interview, and having his two films tank (who cares if they buy SLOW, Bethan...Those turkeys stayed home and didn't support it in the theatres), Colin could use some good reviews and audience enthusiasm . The Brit audiences pale in comparison to Broadway. (And so does the compensation) He needs a project with critical and commercial success that catapults him to center court.A Tony would do it. A & DQ isn't going to do it in the US. And we all know no one goes to his films in the UK.Now they're even going back three years and picking on FP...I don't know why he doesn't defect. I sat in the NY theatre and so wished Colin was on that stage taking bows to the tumultuous response. He deserves it. I don't think he's so happy in his professional career...I think he's sadly resigned to the current state of affairs. But he wants more.

Hello and welcome Odessa. Murph, about that Burt Lancaster/Colin Firth comparision and the Burt Lancaster/Russell Crowe comparision. It is true Russell Crowe is currently an incredibly hot property. Regardless of what you think about "Gladiator", it is Crowe's movie and it is making him an international film star. The thing RC shares with CF is that is a fine actor, something which not all movie stars can claim. It should also be noted that it took Crowe years to get to this point. It was supposed to have happened for him about 1994/1995 due to the movies "The Quick and the Dead" and "Virtuosity". Both underperformed, and Crowe went back to Australia to work, later snagging roles in the "LA Confidential" and "The Insider". He has always been a critical favorite, and "The Insider" got him an Oscar nomination. So what are the differences between CF and RC? No one has really ever noted any problems in working with CF. By all accounts he is professional and personable. He does what he needs to do with a minimum of fuss. RC by contrast can be difficult. Directors have praised his work, but it can be an ordeal coping with him. By all accounts he can be an absoulute jerk, while at the same time being very generous and charming. Difficult, but worth it. The second difference is that men are more likely to have a better opinion of RC than they do CF. Lastly, and this is a biggie, RC plays the game. He is countlessly interviewed, photographed, and plugs away relentlessly at the publicity for his projects. I really don't fault CF for not doing that. I don't think he likes doing that sort of thing, nor is he comfortable with it. I think he feels himself successful. He has worked as an actor for almost twenty years, not having to augment his income with other jobs. Acting has afforded him the opportunity to support himself n financial comfort. I don't know that CF necessarily wants to be a film star, while I'm pretty sure RC very much does want it. Yes, either of them could play John Nash in "A Brilliant Mind". I don't, however, think CF has ever even been in consideration for the part. I hope RC gets the part, as the other name in contention is Tom Cruise. Don't get me wrong; Cruise is a good actor, but he's not in same league as Russell Crowe or Colin Firth. Either of them would be superb in the part, while Cruise would do a commendable job. Crowe is hot right now, so he probably gets it. "A Brilliant Mind" is also the kind of role that wins Oscars. So RC may well get his first American Academy Award as well. As for Colin Firth -- I would love to see him in something intense and dramatic. I think those are the parts in which he is his best.

while Cruise would do a commendable job. Crowe is hot right now, so he probably gets it. "A Brilliant Mind" is also the kind of role that wins Oscars. And that is why TC is going to fight all the way for this part. His MI2 just landed the #2 spot for all time high gross during the Memorial weekend. TC is just as hot now and it will be interesting to see who gets it. I don't know that CF necessarily wants to be a film star, He is happy as a character actor. That I do not understand.

Empire's review of RV by Patrick Peters (thanks to Martine for sharing). RELATIVE VALUES Such was the surefire nature of a Noel Coward play in the salad days of the "talkies" that his sophisticated comedies were snapped up for adaptation even before the first night's greasepaint had dried. However, Relative Values has taken nigh-on half a century to reach the screen, which tends to suggest that it's not on par with its peers. Those still scarred from Eric Styles's previous directorial outing, last year's Dreaming of Joseph Lees, could be forgiven for approaching this with trepidation. But, the opening segment, which establishes both the period and central characters Miranda's and Don's superstar credentials, is done with a brilliantined control that recalls the montage sequences that no selfrespecting 1930s movie was without. Natually things slow down once we reach Blighty, although the action is still taken at a decently farcical clip. Returning to the big screen for the first time since Tchin Tchin (1990), Julie Andrews remains as poised as ever. But she's spent so much time in the oh-so-clever angst-ridden chatfests of her husband, Blake Edwards, that she tends to deliver her lines like an LA luvvie. She banters effectively with man-about-town Colin Firth, but comes off second best to Sophie Thompson, who twitters beautifully as Moxie, the devoted domestic rendered distinctly uncomfortable by her sudden elevation to the peerage. With Stephen Fry and Edward Atterton contributing a second-division Jeeves and Wooster act, the film reaches its quotient of gentle smiles. But such is the precision and polish of the performances that it's obvious everyone is acting, instead of inhabiting their long-gone world. ANY GOOD? Rigidly adhering to the comedy of manners formula, this is inescapably a filmed play. Quips are tossed off and insults exchanged impeccably. But, with the cast performing like an amateur dramatic troupe, there's far more starch than sparkle on show. * * (fair)