Posts tagged Interviews
Guy Ritchie Interview For ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’
Dec 16th
Robert Downey Jr reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in Guy Ritchie’s ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.’ Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder–a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty.
Mixing business with pleasure, Holmes tracks the clues to an underground gentlemen’s club, where he and his brother, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry) are toasting Dr. Watson on his last night of bachelorhood. It is there that Holmes encounters Sim (Noomi Rapace), a Gypsy fortune teller, who sees more than she is telling and whose unwitting involvement in the prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target. Holmes barely manages to save her life and, in return, she reluctantly agrees to help him. The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction–all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ is set for release December 16th 2011.
How do you come up with the ideas? From speaking to the actors they often talked about this being an extremely collaborative film.
Guy Ritchie: As a creative team, it’s just that. Lionel Wigram (producer) came up with the idea, he started the whole thing running. Everyone has an equal part in creating what we think an audience will like, and what we think is exciting, creatively. This might be overstating it, but it’s a powerhouse of creativity. I don’t think anyone trumps another individual in this mix. I’m not sure any one of us can take the credit for any one idea. Someone would come up with a bad idea that would get ridiculed, and then you realise it’s the bad idea that led to a good idea, so there’s no such thing as a bad idea. I very much like being a part of that. I feel like if any one of us take ownership of a concept, they become alienated by the group. It happens organically, because we’ve all got egos, but then when you get excited by the creative process, everyone gets excited, as no one is trying to own anything – five or six brains think as one. Joel Silver (producer) and Lionel got the momentum going to make the films, then thereafter it became a living organism. We just tap into that. The script was so rough, which some of us found frustrating at times, as we felt it wasn’t the film we really wanted to make. Then it got broken down and rebuilt by the organic mind.
In-Depth Noomi Rapace Interview For ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’
Dec 13th
Filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns to direct ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,’ the follow-up to the smash hit ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ The sequel also reunites Robert Downey Jr as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson. Jared Harris (TV’s ‘Mad Men,’ ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button‘) joins the cast as the notorious Professor Moriarty. Also joining the film, in her first English-speaking role, is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who gained international attention in the Swedish film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Stephen Fry (‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire‘) plays Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother. ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ is set for release December 16th 2011.
Joining this huge movie in your first English-speaking role, what was the biggest challenge for you?
Noomi Rapace: The language thing, definitely the language thing (laughs). Because I didn’t speak English 3 years ago, and for me to find a way to be free and to be able to live in this language, instead of pretending or feeling like your stuck in this sort of prison of control…you can do perfect lines, but you can’t improvise and you can’t ad-lib, that was my biggest concern before we started. And then just after a week I forgot about it, it was incredible. It was the way they worked, those boys are fantastic. They were so funny and easy and they just grabbed me, hugged me, supported me – I kind of forgot I was nervous. In the end I had so much fun.
Max von Sydow Interview For ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’
Dec 13th
Oskar (Thomas Horn) is convinced that his father (Tom Hanks), who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can’t be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father’s closet. His journey through the five boroughs takes him beyond his own loss to a greater understanding of the observable world around him. Directed by Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours), ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ opens in limited release December 25th, then expands nationwide January 20th in the US. It’s set for release Febuary 3rd in the UK.
What was your initial reaction to the script for ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’?
Max von Sydow: I was extremely, profoundly moved. Then when I heard that Stephen Daldry was going to direct it, whom I had admired, I was very pleased and said yes immediately. Also, the fact that The Renter is a silent character, that made it even more interesting to me. He’s an enigmatic person. It is a story about 9/11, and it is an important story about somebody who chooses a sort of therapy to get over the trauma and shock – and does it without knowing that it is a therapy, but it works. It’s also a wonderful story about the relationship between a father and a son.
In-Depth Robert Downey Jr Interview For ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’
Dec 13th
Robert Downey Jr reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.’ Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large – Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) – and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder–a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty.
Mixing business with pleasure, Holmes tracks the clues to an underground gentlemen’s club, where he and his brother, Mycroft Holmes (Stephen Fry) are toasting Dr. Watson on his last night of bachelorhood. It is there that Holmes encounters Sim (Noomi Rapace), a Gypsy fortune teller, who sees more than she is telling and whose unwitting involvement in the prince’s murder makes her the killer’s next target. Holmes barely manages to save her life and, in return, she reluctantly agrees to help him. The investigation becomes ever more dangerous as it leads Holmes, Watson and Sim across the continent, from England to France to Germany and finally to Switzerland. But the cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead as he spins a web of death and destruction–all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ is set for release December 16th 2011.
What was the challenge, in taking Sherlock Holmes to another level for the sequel?
Robert Downey Jr: After the first one worked out pretty good, we were doing the press tour and talking about things that we would like to improve and other directions we could go. And then, there was the reality of doing it. Anybody who’s ever been involved in making the second part to a first thing that worked, there should be a whole online support team – we happened through it (laughs). There’s so much to learn, and the greatest disguise was us disguising ourselves as consummate, by the numbers professionals, when in fact, we’re all incredibly eccentric. And Warner Bros has given us the opportunity to try to do something that’s complicated and needs to tick a bunch of boxes. The great thing was that this time we also had Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris.
Sandra Bullock Interview For ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’
Dec 12th
Oskar (Thomas Horn) is convinced that his father (Tom Hanks), who died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, has left a final message for him hidden somewhere in the city. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) and driven by a relentlessly active mind that refuses to believe in things that can’t be observed, Oskar begins searching New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father’s closet. His journey through the five boroughs takes him beyond his own loss to a greater understanding of the observable world around him. Directed by Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours), ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ opens in limited release December 25th, then expands nationwide January 20th in the US. It’s set for release Febuary 3rd in the UK. Look out for a more in-depth interview with Sandra Bullock and the rest of the cast closer to the films release date.
What was it about this story that got you interested?
Sandra Bullock: You watch this child struggle to find a meaning and an understanding, with logic, with science, the idea of, “There has to be an answer?” Which, as you get older, we learn that there’s not always a “Why?” Or a “Because” to a situation. Sometimes there’s just not an answer, and yes, it breaks your heart. Then to see this child want to have an understanding, or a gift at the other end of this key, once the key opens up the lock. What he finds is a gift, but not the gift that he expected. It was a story that I feel is relatable to a lot of people, all around the world. Dealing with grief.
Jared Harris Interview For ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’
Dec 9th
Filmmaker Guy Ritchie returns to direct ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,’ the follow-up to the smash hit ‘Sherlock Holmes.’ The sequel also reunites Robert Downey Jr as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson. Jared Harris (TV’s ‘Mad Men,’ ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button‘) joins the cast as the notorious Professor Moriarty. Also joining the film, in her first English-speaking role, is Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who gained international attention in the Swedish film ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Stephen Fry (‘Alice in Wonderland,’ ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire‘) plays Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother. ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ is set for release December 16th 2011.
Professor Moriarty is only in a few of the Sherlock Holmes books, what is it like when you get a role like this, people have such a perceived conception of him, how do you make him your own?
Jared Harris: At first, the career part of your brain goes, “Wow! This is a fantastic opportunity.” Then the guy who actually has to deliver, that part of your brain goes, “Are you crazy?! How are you gonna do this?” But you know, you have to leap at the opportunity and just hope you land somewhere. Actually, the stuff I looked at in the books, the representation of him in those two stories, I didn’t find a lot in there that was useful. I tried some things, there’s a thing where Conan Doyle describes him as having this strange head movement, he shakes his head from side to side. I tried that but it just seemed mannered and ridiculous. I just didn’t think that Robert’s Sherlock Holmes would let that pass, it just seemed like it was going to get in the way. Then with the physicality, he was 6 ft 3, and he was kind of stooped and hung-over, I didn’t think that would work really. I also wanted to see the Professor, which we’d never seen, because I thought that his job at the University is a legitimate job but it’s a cover story. And it’s successful enough that it has got him into all different areas of society – including being friends with the British Prime Minister and all these kinds of things. I hadn’t seen that, so I thought it would be interesting to see this evolution of this person. Who when you finally see that sort of traditional Moriarty outline with the hat and coat, it’s almost like the donning of that persona, you finally get that revealed. The Professor is kind of a disguise he has, that was interesting. In a way he’s similar to Holmes because Sherlock Holmes dons all these disguises, and has a slightly similar….not personality, but they are cut from a similar clothe, they are very very different though at the same time.