The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews
The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews |
| Posted: Gerard Depardieu returns to Paris for Fifa film after fallout with the French. VETERAN French actor Gerard Depardieu is shooting a film in Paris for the first time since he sparked a huge outcry by leaving France for tax reasons and taking Russian nationality. In an exclusive interview with AFP, the 64-year-old film star said he did not move out of the country to escape the taxman but to flee "the way governments use the money they take". The award-winning performer made global headlines late last year when he decided to move to Belgium after the Socialist government sought to impose a 75% tax rate on annual incomes over one million euros (RM4.29mil). He was subsequently granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin. The decision stirred up controversy, as have his friendships with Putin and Chechnya's strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov – both accused of human rights violations. "It's the first time that I'm shooting again in France (since the controversy)," he told AFP on Sunday of his new film about the history of the Fifa World Cup, in which he plays the competition's creator Jules Rimet. "I had refused all French films as people could not understand. I am Russian and a Belgian resident. I live in Russia, where I spent three-and-a-half months. I have firms in the countries in which I live because it's more advantageous. "In 15 years, I have spent maybe only five months in France. Since December 2012, a month-and-a-half ... I am not escaping the taxman but the way governments use the money they take," he said by phone. The film shoot in Paris will only last around 20 days, and Depardieu will be acting in English alongside "an international cast" of British, Australian and American actors including Tim Roth, he said, without giving more details. Under the helm of French director Frederic Auburtin, the actors will also work on location in Brazil, Switzerland and Spain, and the film is due to come out in time for the 2014 World Cup. "The film was planned a long time ago but it proved difficult to set up," Depardieu said. "It's the history of football as told by four men of incredible power," including Rimet, the co-founder of Fifa, the world football governing body. Known as much for his acting skills as for his erratic off-screen behaviour, Depardieu was recently fined 4,000 euros (RM17,150) and had his licence suspended for driving his scooter in Paris while drunk in November. But according to a person close to the actor, who refused to be named, he is now "on top form and has stopped all excesses". Depardieu will play Dominique Strauss-Kahn in an upcoming film inspired by the spectacular fall from grace of the French former IMF chief, who was accused of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid. He is also due to star in a historic serial penned by Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's leader, with whom he has also released a pop duet. – AFP Relaxnews |
| Posted: Sacré bleu! More trouble awaits Smurfs in Paris. HAVE you ever wondered why Smurfette is the lone female Smurf amongst 99 males? Well, if you are a true blue Smurf fan (pun intended!), you will know that it is because Smurfette was actually created by the Smurfs' nemesis, the evil wizard Gargamel. He intended for pretty Smurfette to use her feminine charms to distract and trap the male Smurfs for his nefarious purposes. Fortunately, with love, kindness and a specially-created magic potion, Papa Smurf was able to help transform her into the sweet Smurf we know and love today. But is that inner naughtiness still hiding inside Smurfette? That is exactly what The Smurfs 2, sequel to the 2011 hybrid live action and animation effort that first brought the Smurfs to the silver screen, explores. Singer Katy Perry, who voices Smurfette, says: "Although I (Smurfette) was created in an evil atmosphere, everybody has the opportunity to change whatever they were born into, if they want to. "Yes, the yin and yang do exist, but the good trumps the bad with Smurfette." Perry was speaking to reporters from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia in a video press conference call from Cancun, Mexico, earlier this year, along with castmates Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria, as well as director Raja Gosnell. Now, the first movie involved some of the Smurfs being accidentally sucked through an interdimensional portal and marooned in New York City, along with Gargamel and his sidekick cat, Azrael. There, they meet expecting couple Patrick and Grace Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays respectively), who, after getting over their disbelief of the existence of little blue creatures, help them to both evade Gargamel and find their way home. In this second movie, Gargamel, who was left stranded in New York with Azrael, has established himself as a celebrity magician in Paris. However, he is running low on the Smurf essence that powers his magic. So, he decides to create the Naughties – Vexy and Hackus (voiced by Christina Ricci and J.B. Smoove respectively) – using the same technique that made Smurfette. But, in order to get the magical Smurf essence that he needs, Gargamel has to get hold of Smurfette, who holds the key to transforming the Naughties into Smurfs. The decision to film in Paris was a homage of sorts to the creator of the Smurfs, Peyo, the Belgian comic artist who wrote in his mother tongue – French. Says Gosnell: "Paris seemed like a great second city to go to after New York, and we captured some beautiful moments there, and we're all really excited about it." The cast and crew got to film amongst the buttresses of Notre Dame, as well as the home of the Paris Opera – the historic Palais Garnier, which ranked among the most memorable moments of the process for Harris and Gosnell. Says Harris: "Because it (the Palais Garnier) was a tourist spot, we only filmed after it closed and all night long, so it was very memorable to be in that specific landmark with the freedom to roam and see all of these amazing hallways and backstage areas, and film sort of all night long in this super-classic opera house. I really enjoyed doing that." Gosnell adds: "There's hundreds of years of history in that building, and we are the first film that's been allowed to shoot inside and on the stage to the extent that we did, and it was just... standing under that Chagall ceiling, and looking up and thinking of the history of the performances that have been there – it was kind of overwhelming." Tribute to Papa Smurf The quartet also shared their thoughts on comedian Jonathan Winters, the voice of Papa Smurf, who had passed away recently. Although neither Azaria nor Harris had the opportunity to work with the renowned comic due to the isolated nature of voice work, they both shared a deep respect for his legacy. Azaria, who is well-known for his diverse voice work, especially on The Simpsons, says: "I can tell you that, growing up, watching his comedy was definitely inspirational, especially to somebody who wanted to do voices and mimic and do accents. "He was one of the first guys who did that, so I was really sad to hear of his passing." Harris adds that they were literally just talking about Winters before the video press conference started. "We were talking about his amazing abilities, and I was thinking about the Johnny Carson Show and all of the amazing voices and energy and improv(isation) ability that he had. "He just had a remarkable energy, and yet, still a great voice, so it's nice to know that that crazy energy plays into, and allowed for, a very calm, wise, deep-voiced Papa Smurf. We were lucky to have him." Gosnell shares that Winters' health was such that they had to record his voice work at his home in California. "The last session we did was two weeks before he passed. "We drove to Santa Barbara, because he was no longer able to travel. He worked hard to do it. "He was in and out a bit, so we had a sense that we may not see him again, but I have to tell you, being Papa Smurf was the single best thing for him at the end of his life. "It gave him something to be proud of, something to do, and sort of reintroduced him to an entirely new generation of fans. "So I feel very lucky for us that we had him, and lucky for him that he had Papa Smurf to make his own." The Smurfs 2 is dedicated in memory of Winters. The Smurfs 2 opens in cinemas nationwide Thursday. |
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