BBC Films falls in love with Matthias Schoenaerts, Danny Boyle reminisces with Philip French, and Olivia Colman seeks direction in the wrong quarter
**Bulging Belgian**
A year ago he was a little-known Belgian actor. Then, on the first Thursday of Cannes 2012, came Rust and Bone and Matthias Schoenaerts – playing a bare-knuckle boxer opposite Marion Cotillard – was suddenly the hottest discovery on the Croisette.
The British film industry in particular seems to have fallen for Schoenaert , and he'll be seen in three forthcoming BBC Films productions. First there's A Little Chaos (directed by Alan Rickman), in which he plays the head gardener at Versailles opposite Kate Winslet's headstrong landscaper. Then he'll go straight to the set of Saul Dibb's production of the second world war drama Suite française, some of which is being shot in his native Belgium. In that, he'll play a German officer opposite Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas. I hear Harvey Weinstein is already sniffing around that one, scenting classy Oscar material. Schoenaerts will also be taking on Carey Mulligan's Bathsheba in a new adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd, to be directed by Festen creator Thomas Vinterberg when the Dane returns from jury duty as head of this year's Un Certain Regard section in Cannes.
Vinterberg was in London last week finalising casting and he told me his new film would have very little to do with John Schlesinger's 1967 adaptation, which famously starred Terence Stamp and Julie Christie. "I'm finding out just how much British people seem to love that movie," he said. "I'm surprised because as a Dane, I can't watch it. It's just a typical British period movie, with nice clothes and locations." I know Vinterberg was part of Dogma, with its unadorned rules of no lighting and all that, but I hardly think he's earned the right to disrespect Terry and Julie and Nic Roeg's cinematography. Still, I wish him luck in his bid to subvert the British obsession with period, even if it's from within the confines of costume.
**Trainspotters**
* *
Danny Boyle graciously accepted his special award from the film section at the Critics' Circle centenary celebrations at the Barbican last week. In his speech he made special mention of our own Philip French, who he said had a "pitiless mind but a kind eye". Surprisingly, the director and the critic had never met, so it was my pleasure to introduce them, and Boyle and French reminisced about the 1994 Dinard film festival where French was on the jury and where Bertrand Tavernier had championed Boyle's Shallow Grave. Boyle came away bewildered. He told me: "Philip remembers everything, doesn't he? He was coming up with stuff about that time and that movie that I'd totally forgotten."
I hope Boyle freshens the memory banks for tomorrow night, when he's attending a special screening of Trainspotting at London's Cine Lumiere, to raise funds for the new London Film School in the first of series of classic film reunions. The film will be followed by a Q&A about the making of the film, in which Boyle will be joined by a panel including Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, the film's influential cinematographer, Brian Tufano, and writer John Hodge. I hear Ewan McGregor has agreed to appear remotely via Skype. Expect questions to include the inevitable one about Trainspotting 2.
**Tables turned* *
Also attending the Critics' Circle celebrations was actor Olivia Colman, who's been dominating the telly recently in Broadchurch and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. In the latter she appeared opposite Paddy Considine, who of course directed her in her breakthrough drama performance in the tough Tyrannosaur. Was it odd acting with Paddy after working so closely with him as director? "It shouldn't have been, but it was, actually," she confessed. "I couldn't get used to it at all. I'd keep turning to him after takes and waiting for a comment or notes, and he'd just look at me blankly and say 'Dude, I'm not directing this one, we're in the same boat this time'." Olivia is doing more telly soon, having just joined the cast of a new comedy series Mr Sloane, to be directed here in the UK by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Bob Weide (who also made that great Woody Allen doc last year). The six-part, 60s-set series also stars Nick Frost, Peter Serafinowicz and Ophelia Lovibond and will air on Sky Atlantic. Reported by guardian.co.uk 17 hours ago.
**Bulging Belgian**
A year ago he was a little-known Belgian actor. Then, on the first Thursday of Cannes 2012, came Rust and Bone and Matthias Schoenaerts – playing a bare-knuckle boxer opposite Marion Cotillard – was suddenly the hottest discovery on the Croisette.
The British film industry in particular seems to have fallen for Schoenaert , and he'll be seen in three forthcoming BBC Films productions. First there's A Little Chaos (directed by Alan Rickman), in which he plays the head gardener at Versailles opposite Kate Winslet's headstrong landscaper. Then he'll go straight to the set of Saul Dibb's production of the second world war drama Suite française, some of which is being shot in his native Belgium. In that, he'll play a German officer opposite Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas. I hear Harvey Weinstein is already sniffing around that one, scenting classy Oscar material. Schoenaerts will also be taking on Carey Mulligan's Bathsheba in a new adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd, to be directed by Festen creator Thomas Vinterberg when the Dane returns from jury duty as head of this year's Un Certain Regard section in Cannes.
Vinterberg was in London last week finalising casting and he told me his new film would have very little to do with John Schlesinger's 1967 adaptation, which famously starred Terence Stamp and Julie Christie. "I'm finding out just how much British people seem to love that movie," he said. "I'm surprised because as a Dane, I can't watch it. It's just a typical British period movie, with nice clothes and locations." I know Vinterberg was part of Dogma, with its unadorned rules of no lighting and all that, but I hardly think he's earned the right to disrespect Terry and Julie and Nic Roeg's cinematography. Still, I wish him luck in his bid to subvert the British obsession with period, even if it's from within the confines of costume.
**Trainspotters**
* *
Danny Boyle graciously accepted his special award from the film section at the Critics' Circle centenary celebrations at the Barbican last week. In his speech he made special mention of our own Philip French, who he said had a "pitiless mind but a kind eye". Surprisingly, the director and the critic had never met, so it was my pleasure to introduce them, and Boyle and French reminisced about the 1994 Dinard film festival where French was on the jury and where Bertrand Tavernier had championed Boyle's Shallow Grave. Boyle came away bewildered. He told me: "Philip remembers everything, doesn't he? He was coming up with stuff about that time and that movie that I'd totally forgotten."
I hope Boyle freshens the memory banks for tomorrow night, when he's attending a special screening of Trainspotting at London's Cine Lumiere, to raise funds for the new London Film School in the first of series of classic film reunions. The film will be followed by a Q&A about the making of the film, in which Boyle will be joined by a panel including Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner, the film's influential cinematographer, Brian Tufano, and writer John Hodge. I hear Ewan McGregor has agreed to appear remotely via Skype. Expect questions to include the inevitable one about Trainspotting 2.
**Tables turned* *
Also attending the Critics' Circle celebrations was actor Olivia Colman, who's been dominating the telly recently in Broadchurch and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. In the latter she appeared opposite Paddy Considine, who of course directed her in her breakthrough drama performance in the tough Tyrannosaur. Was it odd acting with Paddy after working so closely with him as director? "It shouldn't have been, but it was, actually," she confessed. "I couldn't get used to it at all. I'd keep turning to him after takes and waiting for a comment or notes, and he'd just look at me blankly and say 'Dude, I'm not directing this one, we're in the same boat this time'." Olivia is doing more telly soon, having just joined the cast of a new comedy series Mr Sloane, to be directed here in the UK by Curb Your Enthusiasm's Bob Weide (who also made that great Woody Allen doc last year). The six-part, 60s-set series also stars Nick Frost, Peter Serafinowicz and Ophelia Lovibond and will air on Sky Atlantic. Reported by guardian.co.uk 17 hours ago.