Jason Statham : The Right Face For The Job

Discovered by film director Guy Ritchie, Jason Statham, 47, has made a name of himself in action films. His latest film is “Wild Card” by Simon West who directed The Expendables 2.

From cockney actor to star of action films such as Wild Card, has your career gone the way you wanted?

The change came with the first Transporter by Luc Besson. I’ve always been quite sporty and kept in shape through competitive diving and martial arts. I was delighted when I was asked to do my first action scenes-all those years of training finally paid off! I really enjoyed it and the films went down well, so I thought it was worthwhile nurturing this talent. In England there aren’t that many ‘physical’ actors.

It’s true that your films are far cry from James Ivory’s productions…

(Laughs) Yes. Not many wigs or cups of tea.

Who were your favourite figures in cinema as a teenager?

Sylvester Stallone, with whom I’ve had the great honour of acting. And Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins in England. Have you seen Get Carter and The Long Good Friday? They’re real men’s films; today it’s difficult to find scripts of this quality. I don’t always appear in great films, but you’ve got to eat. It wasn’t really my idea to do action films; it was a lucky break and it doesn’t stop me acting in more scripted films like Snatch and The Bank Job.

At 47, are you now looking for roles in drama films?

In 2013 I played a complex character who emerged from the pits of London in Crazy Joe [Hummingbird aka Redemption] and I prepared the role by having contact with homeless guys and veterans from the Iraqi war. I wanted to have more heavyweight projects, but the phone went one morning and my agent said “I have a role for you in a Hollywood action movie” and I naturally replied “Fine!”

During the making of Expendables 3 you had a near-fatal accident. Are you now much more careful?

It was stupid. Basically I was driving a lorry and swerved to avoid another vehicle and the lorry fell into the sea. I couldn’t get out of the cockpit and up to the surface because I had so much heavy gear on – guns, jacket and boots. I nearly drowned! But these are the hazards of the business; there are always times when things can go wrong. Acting is a combat sport!

“WILDCARD” is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei get romantic and comic in The Rewrite.

Once upon a time, screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) was on top of the world – a Golden Globe Award and a hit movie to his name, a beautiful wife and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of wit and charm. But that was fifteen years ago: now, he’s divorced, broke, approaching fifty and hasn’t written a hit film in years.

Luckily, his agent has a job for him – a university in the quiet town of Binghamton is looking for someone to teach a course in screenwriting, and with an empty wallet as his motivation, Keith can’t say no. Hoping to give minimal attention to his duties and focus on writing a new script, his attitude slowly begins to turn when he meets Holly (Marisa Tomei). A single mum working two jobs to earn her degree, the pair find themselves connected by their mutual need for a second chance.

Directed by Marc Lawrence and also starring Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons, Bella Heathcote, and Annie Q.

“THE REWRITE” is released and distributed CAPTIVE CINEMA

Rom-Com King Hugh Grant returns to the screen in ‘The Rewrite’

Do you remember that scene in Notting Hill, where Hugh Grant’s character goes to see Julia Roberts at her swanky London hotel, not realising she’s in the middle of doing interviews promoting her new film? Embarrassed, he poses as a journalist for Horse And Hound magazine and a series of torturously awkward questions ensue.

In The Rewrite, Grant plays Keith Michaels, a once successful Hollywood scriptwriter forced to take a job lecturing at a university to make ends meet.

“He loves screenwriting, he loves films, he’s desperate to get back into the business,” explains the London-born actor, who has a house in Stinchcombe and famously dated Cotswolds model Liz Hurley before that very public indiscretion with prostitute Divine Brown.

“But he’s just so out of fashion. He’s so ‘cold’ in Hollywood terms, he just can’t get a job. So he has to take this undignified position of teaching screenwriting to a lot of second-rate students in a third-rate university.”

Grant, of course, had his big break in Four Weddings And A Funeral 20 years ago, and has gone on to star in numerous romantic comedies. But he hasn’t become jaded by Hollywood – he claims he always was.

“I’ve always played that... affected that pose anyway. Maybe it’s not a pose,” he says. “There are people who really love showbiz. They get up every morning and they just want to make a film, read a script. I’ve never been that person, I confess.”

So, disillusioned Keith picks all the prettiest young girls to be in his class, indulges in some extra-curricular fun and aims to get away with doing as little work as possible. But in true romcom style, that all changes when single mum Holly, played by Marisa Tomei, signs up as a mature student. She’s determined to have a second chance at life, and convince Keith he can have one too.

“She’s very positive, and my character is very cynical about that,” says Grant. “It’s great that someone like that goes back to university, but can anyone learn to do something that requires talent? No, probably not.

“I do think if you’ve got a little bit of talent, you can learn to make it much better,” he adds.

Following the success of Four Weddings..., Grant went on to play the earnest, bumbling hero several times over, including in the even more successful Notting Hill.

He was a box office hit, the ‘romcom king’, and studios were throwing money at him to do it all over again.

Then in 2002, he played the lead in About A Boy, chopping off his floppy hair to expose a roguish twinkle in his blue eyes. Since then, he’s been the go-to guy for romcoms about a charming but cold-hearted cad.

The Rewrite is his fourth collaboration with writer and director Marc Lawrence, following Two Weeks Notice, Music And Lyrics and Did You Hear About The Morgans?

He insists he’s too old for romantic comedy, but enjoys his collaborations with Lawrence because they don’t require much effort.

“He really is very clever at writing dialogue that’s good for me. The part was written for me, so it wasn’t much of a stretch,” he concedes wryly.

The Rewrite is a reflective film, with Keith looking back to the peak of his success. In one scene, he watches an old video clip of himself making an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony. The footage is doctored from a real speech given by a fresh-faced Grant at the Golden Globes at the beginning of his career. But watching it didn’t stir any sense of nostalgia in the self-confessed “ultra cynic”. “That scene was slightly annoying; they always wanted to use that old footage of me and I didn’t want to do that. For a start, I convinced myself that I was playing a part in this film, and therefore if you see ME with a completely different voice, 20 years ago, it would bring you out of the film,” Grant reveals.

So what has he got out of his 20 year career as a romantic hero?

“I don’t think I’ve learned any particular lesson,” he says, shrugging.

“Except...”, and finally he appears frank, “it certainly always helps if you don’t just go for the money. Especially certain parts in Hollywood, they’re always trying to draw you in just for the money.

“And the other thing is, the more you work at something - even if it’s quite good material already – keep working at it. It can always be better.” Grant’s mistrust of the media is not without reason.

In 1995, he was caught in flagrante with Brown in downtown Hollywood, and the story was splashed all over the tabloids. Broken-hearted Liz Hurley retreated to Sudeley Castle to get over it, but the couple split soon afterwards. His colourful love life – he has reportedly fathered three love children – has since been under constant scrutiny. If Grant was reluctant to become an actor, he was even more reluctant to become a celebrity. Over his two decades in the spotlight, the gossip and intrigue surrounding stars’ lives has intensified. In The Rewrite, one of Keith’s students declares celebrities “the Gods of our time”.

“She might be right that some people think that,” observes Grant, shuddering.

“I don’t share that. I’m a little disturbed by celebrity obsession.”

And how does he feel, thinking some people might worship him as a God?

“They would have to be psychotic.”

‘’THE REWRITE’’ is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA.

Viber Welcomes The Year of the Goat with a New Sticker Pack

Users Can Now Share Fun Chinese New Year Stickers with Family and Friends to Celebrate the Spring Festival

Viber, the leading OTT communications app offering free messaging and HD-quality calls, is joining in the festivities of the Lunar New Year. A specially designed sticker pack is now available to download, featuring a brand new sticker character as we enter the Year of the Goat. Considered the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar because of its rich cultural heritage and history, the Lunar New Year is centuries old and celebrated by over a billion of people worldwide.

The ‘Happy 羊 Year’ pack - Happy Goat Year - features 16 vibrant stickers which celebrate everything about Chinese New Year and the festive season. Each sticker reflects key celebrations and traditions observed by Chinese communities during the Spring Festival. This pack is for Chinese communities around the world as well as anyone (or Nationality - eg Thais - to be inserted per market) who wants to wish their (Chinese - to be inserted per market) friends a marvelous new year. From special greetings and hong bao giving (and receiving!) to sharing messages of prosperity, there is something for everyone – the perfect way to spread the Lunar New Year vibes.

Viber provides a new way to enjoy the celebrations with loved ones far and near. The Chinese New Year pack offers greetings in multiple languages including Mandarin, Cantonese and English. The red and gold pack has plenty of stickers embodying some of the key customs. Send greetings with red lanterns, fireworks and dragon dances to ward off evil at the start of the Lunar New Year. Wish prosperity and abundance by sharing gold, red envelopes and money trees with your loved ones. Finally, as the family gathers for New Year’s Eve dinner, why not send stickers to tell absent friends that you miss them – choose from the famous new year cake, oranges for prosperity, or dumplings representing the full moon and symbolizing the family unit and perfection.

The Chinese New Year sticker pack is now available to download from the Viber sticker market for free.

For more updates on Viber, visit www.facebook.com/viberph, www.twitter.com/viberph, and www.instagram.com/viberph.

Let's all join Engr. Grace Nicolas and Marketing Director of Victoria Court, Ms. Tanya Llana this Saturday, February 7, 2015, 4PM to 5PM for DZME 1530 'Let's Talk About Career' segment as they talk about the booming hotel industry.

 

Tim Burton discusses a larger than life film ‘Big Eyes’

 

Tim Burton is a bit like the character he creates in his movies—whimsical, highly animated, and quite appealing in a quirky kind of way and larger- than- life.

His latest movie ‘Big Eyes’, opens on February 25, across the Philippines!

In Manhattan, Burton’s hair and beard were a bit scraggly, and he spoke with his hands waving in the air. It is clear: he is passionate about three aspects of his life: his films, his art and his family.

Among his unique movies, most with a strong cult following, are, Batman, Batman Returns, Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, Big Fish and Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Burton has creatively directed from his vivid imagination numerous darkly-themed children’s movies, including: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Frankenweenie, and Alice in Wonderland.

Big Eyes, from The Weinstein Company, is the biographical drama film directed by Tim Burton.

The film focuses on Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), an artist known in the 1950s and 60s for his kitsch paintings of large-eyed waifs and his then-wife Margaret Keane, (Amy Adams).

The film tells the outrageous true story of their heated divorce battle wherein Margaret accused her husband, Walter, of stealing her paintings. The bazaar and shocking truth would later be discovered: Walter did not create any of the art work, but instead his wife did, and the Keane’s had been living a colossal lie that had fooled the entire world.

The movie is too incredible to be fiction, and focuses on Margaret’s awakening as an artist, the success of her paintings and her tumultuous relationship with her husband , who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work.

The script was written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the screenwriters behind Ed Wood, and is based in Los Angeles. In 2003, they began researching the story that would take 10 years to become a film.

“There were a lot of reasons why we wanted to make this movie,” Karaszewski explained. “We thought that Margaret was a great female character that embodied the beginning of the Women’s Movement. It stars with her as a 1950s housewife, who does everything for her husband. Through the course of the story, she learns to stand up for herself.”

Burton has long been involved with Helena Bonham Carter, and they have two children: a son Billy Raymond, 11, and a daughter, Nell,7.

Please talk about approaching this story of Big Eyes as a parent?

I don’t know if that has everything to do with it for me. I mean, I came at strangely, from growing up in that era. Because growing up in that era and understanding the cultures that I grew up in, it was sort of the end of the American Dream. And that kind of idea.

How so?

The sort of the idea of this dysfunctional couple coming together. And ..creating these mutant children! It just felt like my family! You know, it just felt like of like this sort of…So it had this strange, so I sort of came at it in this strange way. But you know..I’ll never show this film to my children! I’ll show ém Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd. But not this one!

What grabbed your attention about these actors [Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz] you chose for your new Tim Burton universe, Big Eyes?

It was just fresh energy for me to work with these new people. And uh, because you know

everybody’s been getting sick of the people I was working with! And, I know. It’s sad, isn’t! And I showed up occasionally, yes!

I am sure you were there more than that. Please talk about your attention to those Keane paintings?

I found them fascinating, but quite disturbing, actually! Like Big Brother watching you –those big eyes. And the sort of polarized responses to it. Some people love it, obviously. And some people just wanted to…rip it off the walls! So that kind of response is what I found quite fascinating.

How did this project come about, between you and the writers –Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski?

We were actually working in parallel! universes! Because I didn’t know that the screenwriters were writing a script! And I knew Keane’s work, because I grew up with it. But I didn’t know the real story. And a friend of mine told me the story. And went to San Francisco and met Margaret Keane. And I commissioned a painting from her. Then I don’t know how long after that, but we had done Ed Wood together. And they approached me about doing this movie.

Were you drawn at all to Margaret Keane because of your own personal experiences, in a Hollywood movie industry dominated by business interest over art?

Well, yes. I mean; that’s why I enjoyed Ed Wood, because to me, there’s a fine line. Or it’s perceived as good and bad. And you know; I’ve been through that myself. You know, when they had that MOMA [The Museum of Metropolitan Art in New York] show her, the critics… It was

about 100 times worse than Keane! You know what I mean?

Then what happened?

It got so lambasted. And at the same time …it had a high attendance rate! So I’ve experienced that kind of thing, of like good and bad. Because when you do something, you’re very passionate about it. Whether it’s Ed Wood or the Keane’s , you know, there’s just such enthusiasm. And they thought they were making probably like..Michelangelo! As Ed Wood thought he was making Star Wars. You know, when he was making Plan 9 From Outer Space! So you understand that kind of misguided enthusiasm. And then you sort of understanding the polarization of people’s response to things.

Why do you think the Keane art was not embraced by the psychedelic world by then?

But it was very druggie! You know, big eyes, large pupils. I mean, It’s somehow weirdly fit into that scene! And I always admired Margaret’s high-waisted look!

Why do you think that this film isn’t as dark as your other movie?

For me. you have the time, the era, and you have the paintings. Which suggest something, strange color schemes that are those paintings; part of the vibe of it. And then, just the story. I mean, the relationship between Margaret and Walter and the other characters, in my own mind, it started to feel like a weird sixties, kind of slightly Hitchcock.

Please elaborate—what do you mean by this?

Well, I found myself strangely drawn. I mean; the color scheme just fit the era and the paintings, and the kind of psychological relationship, and feel of the movie. So you know whether it’s black or white or color, you try to support that. And make it a character, in a way.

So just all of those elements made it…what it turned out to be!

The movie is in large part struggle between abstract and popular art, Where do you stand in that struggle personally?

Again, it’s a fascinating thing about people’s perception of art. And you see it today. Either it speaks to you, or it doesn’t. And I think the reason the story really sort of flew under the radar, is that most critics, most people, didn’t really consider it art. So it didn’t hit the major headlines.

Please, tell me more?

You know; it was sort of on the back pages. Whatever. But like I said. I myself have experienced from the very beginning of my career, people loving and hating me. And also, people would say about my movies, ‘Oh it’s so much lighter.’ And at the same time, it’s so much darker. So I found that a sort of juxtaposition. How could something be light, and then other people see it as completely dark. So people’s perceptions of things fascinate me, you know?

Is that how you see the film Big Eyes?

Yes, in that way I think this is perfect story , and an example of that sort of question. And it’s kind of an unanswerable question! It’s just sort of a presentation of that dynamic. But I loved it, because I also hated it! You know what I mean ? There’s something about it like, why would grown people have…images of children hanging in their living room!

It seems like people do that.

I do too!

If you put yourself in Walter Keane’s shoes for minute, what do you think was going on inside his crazy head?

In his version, he was Henry Higgins! She was ElizaDoolittle, and, it was a failed experiment!

“BIG EYES” is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA!

‘Paddington’ Takes Off Casting iconic characters

The cast of PADDINGTON reads as a roll-call of the finest in acting talent, spanning film, television and theatre. Each of the principal cast are recognizable as many an iconic character, to generations both young and old.

Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Brown) is perhaps best known as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, in the multi-award winning TV drama, “Downton Abbey”. Taking on the role of a father once again in PADDINGTON appealed to Bonneville on several levels. “I remember having the books read to me and then reading them myself and falling in love with them. Paddington is a part of British culture, part of our DNA really. I read the script and saw how much of that DNA is preserved, even though it’s set in a contemporary world”. He continues, “It still has the flavor of the original books, which is so beautifully captured in Paul’s script. There’s also a great deal of humor running though the story – innocent, uproarious slapstick as well as clever wit – which will resonate with everyone, whether you are coming to the story with fresh eyes or as an unashamedly nostalgic parent, like myself.”

As one of the first actors to come on board the project and highly aware of the public's love of the source material, Hugh felt very strongly the need to do justice to Bond's stories - but any initial concerns were very quickly forgotten: “Within about five seconds of meeting Paul and David about PADDINGTON, I was on board. I was struck by how much Paul understood Paddington - he IS Paddington! He is as innocent, wide-eyed and as delightful as our furry friend!”

As Mrs. Brown, the wonderful Sally Hawkins, who was recently nominated for an Academy Award® for her role in Woody Allen’s BLUE JASMINE, effortlessly captures her character’s good nature and inability to resist a cry for help. Being the first to engage with the little bear all alone on the platform of Paddington Station, Mrs. Brown’s family is swept along by her well-meaning actions, regardless of the consequences. Says Rosie Alison of the casting of Sally, “What we love about Sally is that she gives this very grounded performance. She talks to the bear just beautifully, as if he is a living, breathing creature. One believes in her and in turn, in Paddington.”

Says Paul, “Hugh and Sally were a joy to work with. They are both tremendously accomplished writers as well as performers. For someone like me with a background in improvised comedy, it was hugely reassuring to know they wouldn’t feel straight-jacketed by the dialogue, and that together we could breathe life into the characters.” He continues, “Their performances are the bedrock of the film: comic but touching, real yet existing in a world where a talking animal can be accepted. It’s a delicate balance, and they hold it beautifully.”

It’s perhaps every child’s dream to appear in a movie and newcomers Madeleine Harris and Samuel Joslin, cast as sparring siblings Judy and Jonathan Brown, took the experience in their stride. Through a long winter shoot in and around London, often on location and frequently filming through the night, Maddie and Sam more than matched the stamina of their seasoned co-stars. The strong connection that developed quickly between the fictional family members is evident on screen, as is the fun they clearly had working together.

Bonneville is quick to praise his young co-stars “Maddie and Sam have got fantastic energy and real focus - they’re really on the button.” And he continues, “There is that famous phrase, ‘Never work with children or animals’. Well, I can make an exception in this case.”

With regards to portraying one of the most famous families in British literary history, Bonneville adds, “We had the luxury of three weeks of rehearsal in which Paul was determined that we should not only finesse the script but work on the characters and explore the relationships of the Brown family - which was invaluable. You rarely get to have that. So we had a lot of fun, playing around with the scenes, building up a strong family dynamic, which I hope comes across. The little ebbs and flows of family life are all there.”

Rounding out the Brown household is the eccentric Mrs. Bird, played by Julie Walters. A distant relative who lives with the Browns and runs the household as a very tight ship, Mrs. Bird is strict, but also compassionate - when she needs to be! Worldly-wise, she thinks nothing of a walking, talking bear crossing the threshold of 32 Windsor Garden and turning all of their lives upside down.

Julie confesses to loving the prospect of working on another film which appeals whole-heartedly to the young - and to the young at heart. Certainly, knowing that David Heyman would once again be behind this adaptation must have been reassuring for Julie? “It was lovely to be asked back by David Heyman, because I had such a wonderful time on HARRY POTTER, you know, so it’s a real thrill to work with him again - and he’s a really nice bloke, apart from anything else!”

Along with Mr. Gruber, played by the prolific British actor Jim Broadbent (another HARRY POTTER alumnus) and nosey next door neighbor, Mr. Curry (Peter Capaldi), the Browns are characters as familiar as Paddington himself to the generations of children that have grown up with these stories. However, a 21st century PADDINGTON required a villain that could challenge the most savvy of young audiences. Enter stage left Millicent, the evil taxidermist.

Explains King, "Where Oliver Twist has to survive Fagin and Bill Sykes before he can find peace with Mr. Brownlow, so I wanted an opposition for Paddington, someone who didn’t respond to ‘Please Look After This Bear.’ It struck me that for a young bear, the greatest opposition wasn’t someone who didn’t want him in the house, or even the street, but who felt that a bear only belonged in one place in London – the Natural History Museum!”

From the outset, the desire of all involved was to deliver a PADDINGTON to the big screen for a whole new generation of fans, whilst remaining loyal to Bond's wonderful world.

“PADDINGTON” is released and distributed by CAPTIVE CINEMA SHOWING ON FEBRUARY 11. NATIONWIDE!!!!