ScreenCrave.com » hugh dancy

Sundance 2011: My Idiot Brother – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 04:05:00 +0000

There’s not other way of saying it, with My Idiot Brother mainstream Hollywood has officially hit the streets of Sundance. Despite the fact that I will see Paul Rudd (even when I’m supposed to be looking for the best unknown ____ who is soon to be amazing) in anything and enjoy the entire supporting cast, one can’t help but wonder what this film is doing at an Independent film festival — everything about it seems as mainstream as possible…

The Players:

Director: Jesse Peretz
Writers: Evgenia Peretz, David Schisgall
Cast: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Hugh Dancy, Kathryn Hahn, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott
Cinematography By: Yaron Orbach
Original Music By: Eric D. Johnson, Nathan Larson

Sundance Synopsis:

Despite looking for the good in every situation and the best in every person, Ned always seems to find himself holding the short end of the stick—being conned into selling pot to a uniformed cop, being dumped by his girlfriend, and worse yet, losing custody of his beloved dog, Willie Nelson. When he turns to family, he is passed from sister to sister while he gets back on his feet. Ned’s best intentions produce hilariously disastrous results, bringing the family to the cusp of chaos and ultimately the brink of clarity.

Review:

Well, it’s fun! I think my biggest problem with this film is that it was in no way a Sundance film…

Did it have new faces? Nope, it only had recognizable faces — even the extras were A-listers (really! Just look… reallllly hard.)
Did it push any boundaries? Do Steve Coogan’s cock and balls constitute as a boundary? We’ve seen Jason Segel’s, Ken Jeoung’s, Ashton Kutcher’s were referred to a lot by Natalie Portman in No Strings Attached and Ewan McGregor’s has made appearances loads of times in comedies and the like — I think we need more than just apenis, or some incredible penis feat to really get a laugh and/pr push any boundaries.
Did it have a small budget? For a mainstream film maybe, but not in the “I sold my last shoe to buy the tape to get the final shot” — not so much (hough I don’t know if that’s a realistic Sundance category anymore). Once a studio buys it (which was already done by the Weinsteins before any of us had time to form an opinion) so much money will be pushed into it, it won’t matter if they made the whole thing for a tissue, it will still be a multi-million dollar film.
Did it have a new director? Nope! But not a well-established one, one that is definitely trying to make his mark — that’s something.
The Shots/Camera Work: We’ve got no interesting colors, odd angles, wide ranges, extreme close-ups or anything to really differentiate this film from any other pretty and cleanly shot rom-com in theaters.
Did it embody the spirit of Independent film (whatever that means)? It’s as mainstream as all the other comedies in theaters, it was just took the Sundance route to get some buzz and possibly because John Cooper wanted Paul Rudd there (I have no idea if that’s true, but it might be!)

That all being said. It’s funny for a mainstream comedy, has a few very clever moments, is predictable but a fun ride none-the-less. Plus, check out how hairless Coogan is! Did he just get everything he could waxed before the shoot?

Rating: 5.5/10

Hugh Dancy Joins Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria

Krystal Clark — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:00:20 +0000

Earlier this week, we brought you an update on Maggie Gyllenhaal’s developing film Hysteria. The movie has an unconventional premise, which centers on the invention of the vibrator. As in the device you can find in your local sex shop (yep, they’re going there people). Apparently, there’s an interesting story to tell of how it came to be and according to Variety, Hugh Dancy has signed on to play the man who started it all.

Regarding the plot of Hysteria, Gyllenhall said:

I play a firecracker whose father is a doctor who is in the business of curing hysterical women. He cures them basically by getting them off and that actually happened. I end up having a sort of unexpected love affair with this guy who works for him, and who by mistake invents the vibrator.

According to the trade, Dancy will play the love interest and Jonathan Pryce will play Gyllenhaal’s father. The film will be directed by Tanya Wexler with a script written by Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer.

I can actually see Dancy in this part because he’s good at playing characters who have specific intentions that always go in another direction. He also has an innocent, slightly aloof look about him, which means he’s the last person you’d think would invent such a device — I like that.

What do you think of Dancy joining the cast of Hysteria?

Hugh Dancy Interview for Adam

Mali Elfman — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:29:41 +0000

This weekend you have the opportunity to see one of the most honest and endearing love stories of the year, Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. Dancy gives an award-winning performance as the character of Adam, in a story about a man with Asperges who falls in love with the girl next door (Byrne). The film is humorous and intelligent, and not to be missed.

Not long ago we got to sit down with Dancy and talk to him about his amazing performance (Adam review). He is quite possibly one of the most charming and well spoken actors to interview.

Check out the interview below…

Well, first of all I’m going to say the O-word for you–Oscar. I thought it was an incredible performance and you really were convincing, I mean, where you familiar with Asperges?

HD: I actually was not– I mean, familiar– I wasn’t even on familiar with it, I was ignorant, you know, I was intrigued by the structure of the script and the clear intelligence and good writing in it, but as– I could say it was good framework, but all the other stuff I had to start from scratch, and it was a steep learning cove, because I didn’t have a great deal of time. What can I say… thanks for your kind words.

Adam seems to be rather removed from the real world, how were you able to connect with him, between the good guy and the guy who doesn’t seem to get everyday thing?

HD: I came to love the character a lot. I was determined, not just to play the pat — the beautiful thing about the script, I think, the first thing that struck me was that he waits– Max waited 30, 40 pages before having Adam say that that’s the condition that he has and I wanted to kind of do justice to that intelligence.

One of the biggest things in acting is being able to look at the other person and react, and of the things that I loved is that your eye contact was always slightly off. Is that something that was very difficult for you in scenes where you had to be reacting?

HD: It was, initially it was difficult, because actually what he is doing is listening in a very pure way, he’s just hearing the words. He’s not always hearing them the way they’re intended, but he’s very present– it’s a strange combination and it took me a while to arrive it there. Initially, I remember, day one or two, I remember Max coming up and very sweetly and saying, “You look a little but like you’re playing a blind person,” and all that is the being precise with that kind of back and forth non-focused eye movement and just getting it right. Sounds like– it was not a great moment, but it was actually very helpful kind of loving note.

Can you actually describe what the what the preparation process was because I heard that you had one day to rehearse and 20 days to shoot…

HD: Yeah, yeah, yeah, and actually that day at rehearsal was useful for a couple of scenes, I suppose, but I think it was a good thing that we didn’t have a great deal of time together because the experience wasn’t about us getting on to the same page and it was the opposite of that, it was really putting a few pages between us. So most of the work I did was sort of on my own or with Max or eventually, when I got comfortable enough with people who helped me, people who worked with Asperges or people who have Asperges themselves. You know, first of all there’s a huge amount of information that you have to process and you have to absorb and while doing that trying to figure out what of that information is going to be useful and what is going to be a hindrance. For example an enormous amount of controversy about why people get disorders is fascinating, but it was not my concern, and then you’re looking for things beyond the dater that will grab your imagination and will take you back to the script and layer it and layer it and layer it.

And how much actual time did you have?

HD: Max claims that I had a month– I remember it as being longer than that, but I think that was because I was, immersed.

Where you overwhelmed by it? Particularly you had to do an American accent, you know, as well as having the Asperges–aspect of it, and was there anybody that you met that you based any of of your characteristics on?

HD: Was I overwhelmed? I suppose by definition, overwhelmed means that you kind of, you give up. I wouldn’t say I felt like that all the time. After Max offered me the part, I went away, eventually came back to him with a bunch of spurious questions about the script, which he dealt with in about four minutes and we sat there, you know, “What are we going to talk about now?” And basically I had to be honest and said the reason I wanted to see him was just to say, “Help! Hey if we do this, you’ve really got to help me, and kind of protect me in a way,” which is stupid because that’s of course what he would do, but it’s somehow, I guess I needed to say, needed to know that it was being heard and it was. And he’s– I couldn’t have asked for a better support in that way, but you know the sense of the challenge– that’s kind of sometimes frightening is in another way that I was putting it that I was aware of the richness of the script and that I knew all the different things I would have to do to get it right and so, I also knew how many different ways I could screw everything up.

Is this the hardest thing you ever had to play? Is it the furthest you’ve every had to go away from yourself?

HD: Yes, I think it probably is because it’s not just a question of different life experience or a different era or something. This guy as well as having a very different life than me, really has different wiring and there was a sense in which I felt like I could just about make u that little bit of distance, but it was a constant effort to get myself there, a constant act of reminding myself. It was never just going to slip into fifth gear and come naturally to me because you’re asking for a new brain. But it was a fascinating challenge and it was something eccentrically paradoxical about trying to empathize your way into the mind of somebody you can’t empathize, and I felt like the whole process felt like trying to understand a paradox, you know.

We all have handicaps that we have to deal with, whether it’s being emotional or physical, and we learn little tricks to get us through life and to. You did a great job with your character and what he has to cope with. What about you personally? What would be your handicap and what little tricks have you learned?

HD: Oh god, I don’t know.

Just one.

HD: That makes it even harder (laugh). I was talking to a friend about this the other day– the way that some people carry a sense of themselves which physically there’s no reaction to what they actually look like, you know, you meet really attractive people saying they don’t feel attractive and so long. I was speaking to my friend and we both said, “Oh yeah, well I’m quite a shy person,” and he looks at me and says, “What the hell are you talking about, you’re not shy at all,” you know, and I told him, “Well neither are you.” I mean, he’s one of the most outgoing people I know — those are things that you carry over with you from a totally inaccurate sense of self from usually from when you’re an adolescent and you’re painfully self-conscious. I suppose that’s just another way of saying, none of us know the gulf between who we are and who we think we are, you hope that it’s narrowing, but it may be getting wider.

Your quote was very interesting, you’re a handsome young man, you’re up on the screen larger than life. Do you not think you’re handsome?

HD: You know, I don’t– I think you become very aware of things– in this business for 10 years– of the way you’re perceived physically, it’s a factor from the minute you want to get into the business, so to speak, like it or not their it is — it’s not a subject I find particularly rewarding or comfortable, but to sit there and say, “No, I’m cursed physically,” would be silly, but I don’t think that’s my problem, I’m just not self-conscious in that way– either one way or the other, I’d like to think.

If this role put you in the spotlight with Asperges are you prepared to be a spokes person in that area because I think it’s going to be strong enough to do that.

HD: Yes, in a word I feel simultaneously quite well to talk about it and you know if an actor is going to espouse some kind of cause they really need to know what the fuck they’re talking about. On the other hand I have never walked in the shoes of, really, somebody with Asperges, and certainly not the people, you know, whose children have Asperges and have to work so so hard, but yeah, wearily. It’s a fascinating and rewarding and relatively misunderstood. I just mean people don’t know enough about it and I’ll be very happy that this movie maybe brings the opportunity to talk about it and open peoples eyes to it. It’s clearly not why I set out to make the film and I think if you carry that kind of thought too heavily in your mind, you know, “this is an important story,” you kind of loose track of the goal and forget ultimately your first priority has to be to tell the story and to entertain, very simply.

Well going off of that, the way I saw it wasn’t so much that it was a story about a disability, I mean, no offense, you’re a man, and it’s sometimes difficult to communicate period. The two things of the day have been how you perceive yourself and the fact that men and women can’t communicate.

HD: Yeah and you know, not just men and women, you should see two men together–

Well at any point because for me I walked out, I was saying to other people, “I’ve dated you,” I mean not you–

I don’t think you should go around spreading that (laughs). Another friend of mine said, “seriously thinking that somebody wants to sleep with me because I want to sleep with them, that means I have Asperges.” (laughs)

I just mean that it’s a very beautiful romance and–

I completely agree with you. If I’m describing this movie I start out by saying it’s about two young people in New York who kind of fall into each others lives and they to make a connection and then it complex to you is the Asperges, but it’s not the starting point for me. Like I said that’s why I liked the script so much in the first seating– the entry point.

Do you personally like how the movie ended?

HD: Well, you know, I mean, Max was saying this last night there’s a kind of, it’s like a rorsach test, if you ask an audience, who thinks they’re going to get back together, you get a 50/50 response, without wanting to give it away, people who haven’t seen it, you know, I would have been really disappointed by any ending kind of generally speaking that had suddenly attempted to tie everything up, or you know, worse than that suggest that somehow he was “cured,” all that solved for sure is the character, or her for that matter, so yeah I was very happy with the ending. I would have been horrified if I got to page like 119 and there was marriage.

My favorite line in the movie is, “Being loved is great, but loving is the most important thing.” Do you agree?

HD: Yes, I think I do. I don’t know that I would– I think, I don’t know that one is entirely possible without the other, I think sometimes people kind of lazily semi- fall in love with somebody because that other person loves them and it’s kind of convenient, but yeah, I’m fortunate, I don’t think I’ve ever fallen in love with somebody who hasn’t fallen in love with me, you know, and I actually think it’s quite rare that that happens in a true way, but you know, yeah I agree with the line.

Was it hard for you to drop this character, when you finished the movie and move on?

HD: You know, it’s funny, it was Christmas, we finished like December 22, or something, and immediately left from New York, obviously, and I left from New York and went back to Europe to spend Christmas with my family and I think that actually prevented me from going into kind of going cold turkey. It was quite a strong intense experience, not just the character, but working with these people and working hard, and the other thing that helped was that the ending to the movie, actually we re-shot the ending subsequently and expanded it a bit, but it was the same ending essentially– the end of the movie we hadn’t yet shot, and we shot it in January the following year, in LA, so I had that kind of– I had dessert to come, you know, it was really a very nice way to make a movie. If I got to that every time I’ve very happy.

What would you say, you admired most from the character?

HD: His bravery, I think. I was going to say his honesty– I think the honesty is involuntary on his part, which almost makes it hard to admire per-say, but I mean, I guess we all like to think we were more honest, could be more honest. But his honesty is incredibly difficult and it’s what makes his life so hard and I think his persistence, his kind of– okay I’ve been knocked, get up and carry on , and again and again and again– although sometimes he doesn’t know that the example of Beth really is not interested in seeing him, but his kind of bravery must have been a really bloody hard life, I found quite conspiring, but of course, you don’t think lie that, you know what I mean.

Check out the movie in theaters now.

Adam: Movie Review

Liana Aghajanian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:35:59 +0000

Though Adam will probably fly under the radar this summer, overshadowed by the likes of more publicized films such as 500 Days of Summer and Away We Go, this quirky romantic comedy is one that is worth seeking out, with its tackling of a disorder that affects as many as three out of 1,000 people, reports a 2005 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and evolution of Hugh Dancy, whose time in Confessions of a Shopaholic almost completely fades away after his performance as Adam.

Check out our review below…

The Plot:

With all its heartbreak, awkward moments and miscommunication, love is simply put, hard. Throw Asperger Syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism that is characterized by an inability to read what other people are thinking and feeling in the mix, and things get elevated to an entirely new level, and that’s exactly what happens when Adam, a shy, socially sheltered, yet extremely bright and enthusiastic man meets his new neighbor Beth (Rose Byrne) a young, aspiring children’s book author who moves in next door.

Though Adam, with his personality quirks and odd behavior that Beth can’t seem to figure out is world away from the men she’s known before, a chemistry between the two begins brewing. Adam somehow charms her with his fascination of a family of raccoons in Central Park and makes a virtual solar system in his apartment for her, while Beth begins to teach Adam the ways of the world. Though whether the relationship survives through the course of the film remains to be seen, the result is a humorous and unconventional relationship that breaks the mold of cliched and cookie cutter romantic comedies.

The Good:

Spotlight on Asperger Syndrome – Adam puts a disorder on the map that not only many may not know about, but at a convenient time, as Asperger Syndrome sufferer Gary McKinnon is facing extradition to the U.S on computer hacking charges. Asperger Syndrome, which is on the autism spectrum, has seen a rise in diagnosis in recent years, although very few films have addressed the disorder, excluding Mozart and the Whale, starring Josh Hartnett, which had a limited release.
Hugh Dancy – Though it might be premature to say Dancy’s performance as Adam is award worthy, especially coming after such an airy film as Confessions of a Shopaholic, his versatility shines when he portrays all the characteristics of Asperger’s in relation to Adam and those around him. His mannerisms and dialogue delivery draw you in to the point where you feel Adam’s pain and share his laughter – this is one of the many mark’s of great acting, and Dancy accomplishes it this round.
Plot line – This is one fine romantic comedy that does not by any means fall under the curse of its genre – it’s original, funny and doesn’t rely on gimmicks, crass humor or a rehashing of the tired and tested plot lines of its predecessors. From Adam trying to clean Beth’s windows in a NASA space suit, to Beth’s introduction of Adam to her parents, where he subsequently rattles off the entire history of the Cherry Lane Theatre in NYC from memory, Adam will make you laugh, smirk and exercise your strength to control heavier emotions. It’s the type of romantic comedy you can appreciate, without it leaving a bad aftertaste in your mouth.

The Bad:

Peter Gallagher – Listen, I like Peter Gallagher, I truly do, especially when he flashes those Groucho Marx eyebrows at me, but in all honesty I’m a bit sick of him playing the never ending supporting role of the suave dad/business man with tricks up his sleeve, although he plays it well. Gallagher’s portrayal as Beth’s patriarch dad, while believable, just reminds me in his previous similar roles (The O.C, How to Deal) and takes the focus away from the story.
Script: Slight tweaking required – Though the script is well written and not particularly overwhelming (pauses and subtle body language is always better than having the characters unrealistically speak at every turn) a few minor adjustments should have been made to smooth out the kinks, such as both Adam and Beth repeating statements as questions.

Overall:

Adam is a breath of fresh air not in its typically unoriginal genre. Its focus on a disorder that many suffer from, coupled with an amazing performance by Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne is film making you can appreciate and savor, long after you’ve stepped out the theater and thrown away your popcorn.

Rating: 9/10

Opens July 29 with limited release. Directed and written by Max Mayer; Producers, Miranda De Pencier, Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech; Music, Christopher Lennertz; Cinematography, Seamus Tierney

Review of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Mali Elfman — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:00:18 +0000

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a surprisingly poignant film mixed in with a lot of estrogen. That being said, yes it is a “chick flick” but, men, if you find yourselves being dragged into this movie, know that it’s really a funny film with more depth than you would expect. This film has two sides in it. It’s really great female, shopping movie and yet it also deals with addiction and digging yourself into a finical whole (something many of us can relate to). Although the latter is fluffed up so that a teenage audience can relate to it, the first part is not as cliche as it could have been due to the unique performance by Isla Fisher. No matter what the subject matter, she’s really great in this film and makes it worth watching.

What I like about Isla Fisher is that she’s not as “safe” as a Sandra Bullock type actress. This is her first starring role and she’s really rather wonderfully odd. Not in the “I’m in a romantic movie trying to play the odd character” she is just really zany. You can see moments where they really let her lose and the results are magical and one of a kind. The “fan dance” scene is a perfect example of how she is able to bring something completely new to the screen. She dances around like a peacock in season and seduces a man with a completely revolting dance. The scene felt so free as opposed to many other comedies. You could tell she wasn’t trying to be funny, she was just strutting her stuff and the results are hilarious.

When I think of other movies in this genre, this one is definitely at the top. I know a lot of people are calling it the next Sex in the City, but it’s really not because it has a sense of humor about itself and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Sex in the City tried to make it seem like there was more to shopping than their really is. This movie realizes how ridiculous it is to speed your like drooling over Prada. If anything I would compare this movie to Legally Blonde, because there are some solid life lessons in it. I for one was shocked when I heard them talking about the current budget deficit. That’s a big thing for a “shopping” movie. Could that have been Jerry Bruckheimer‘s influence? Or just a freak accident seeing this was based off the novels and written years ago?

Although this film was not without it’s faults. My biggest issue is at the end of the second act when everything has to fall apart in order to come back together again. I didn’t buy their dramatic device of “she’s in debt and now everyone hates her,” because I don’t see why a financing magazine would care if she was in debt. If she was selling as many stories as they said, they wouldn’t care about her personal life, they would care about the numbers. Hell, they are a financing magazine! They need to make money. So why the big secret? And why the big “I can’t believe you lied to me speech” when Hugh Dancy’s character finds out about it? You’ve been only somewhat dating this girl for a few weeks. I don’t reveal my credit card receipts on the first date, so I don’t know why she would. To me it seemed like a bit of a shoe-horned effect. Although, I do like a sweet somewhat cheesy happy ending, so I let them force feed me a little bit.

That being said, Isla Fisher is truly amazing and she is supported by a strong cast of John Goodman, Joan Cusack, Hugh Dancy, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Lithgow and more, which is quite an impressive list.

Confessions of a Shpaholic is in theaters starting today February 13, 2009. Let us know what you think of it!

Interview with Isla Fisher

Mali Elfman — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:15:11 +0000

The best thing about this movie, is the main thing in this movie, Isla Fisher. She’s a true comedian that moves and acts in ways that most woman would be too embarrassed to do by themselves, let alone on camera. Maybe some of her husband is washing off on her. This is Fisher’s first big starring role in a huge Jerry Bruckheimer film, and she does not disappoint. She’s vivacious, funny, and really carries you along for the ride.

Confessions of a Shopaholic, is a chick flick. There are no two ways around it. Straight men will not walk into this theater alone. That being said, it’s great for what it is and men if you are dragged to the theater, it’s okay to laugh, it’s funny!

We were lucky enough to sit down and have a chat with Fisher (who shocked me with her thick Australian accent) and talk about her lack of shopping knowledge, leading her first big film, and much more…

What was the most fun fashion discovery you made making this film?

IF: The most fun fashion discovery was to use a lot of color in my wardrobe. I’m fairly conservative normally and I just feel like Patricia Fields brought out the color in me. I now love to wear color.

Did you work with Patricia Field on choosing the outfits?

IF: I did, Patricia was extremely collaborative. I only had one request which is that I wanted Becky to wear extremely high heels so she could totter. I think there’s nothing funnier than a comedic character tottering and the impracticality of wearing something that clearly doesn’t fit her but she’s a shopaholic so she has to have it. And Patricia really is so creative and she clearly knows what she’s talking about. She did the costumes for Sex and the City, Devil Wears Prada so I kind of let go and let her guide me and I really enjoyed the process. At the beginning, I couldn’t believe we were spending 40 minutes discussing a belt. I was so frustrated but halfway through, I just felt like I began to understand that there really is sort of a science to it and there’s this incredible world and people try really hard.

On a completely different topic, where did the fan dance come from?

The fan dance! It’s always been a comic dream of mine to attempt to seduce a man doing a dance that’s actually repulsive. So the opportunity of doing that arose during this movie and I embraced it and I really enjoyed every minute of it.

Did you do any choreography or was it all done for you?

No, no, they’re all, I’m embarrassed to admit, my own moves.

Is Hugh Dancy a good dancer?

I think Hugh’s a wonderful dancer and what I really loved about Hugh is that he came to the movie and took it seriously as if he was in a dramatic movie, which was so important. As a result, he played the greatest straight man and it gave me, playing Becky Bloomwood, somewhere to go and to be more outrageous and the comedy was grounded in reality because of him. He brought so much integrity and heart to the film and yeah, he was a fabulous dancer actually. He remembered the moves, the traditional moves, far better than me and guided me through that scene.

During the sample sale mayhem you get pretty aggressive, was that something that something you were able to improv with as well.?

IF: We had to choreograph that. With all physical comedy, you have to know where you’re going to put cameras and ensure that no one’s trampled to death so we took it fairly seriously. There were a lot of heels on a very shiny surface. But we just had a lot of fun with it and we actually went a lot further. Ultimately, we shot, we took it further but we like what we kept in the movie which is just ending on her straddling the girl, rather than pulling down a rack and being removed by a security guard.

You’ve been in a number of ensemble casts, what’s it like moving to lead of such a huge film?

IF: Yeah, obviously I’m very surprised, eternally grateful to Jerry Bruckheimer and completely bewildered as to how I was lucky enough to be chosen to head my own movie. I definitely felt far more responsible for the tone of the movie as a lead than you do as a supporting cast member where you can sort of come in and muck about. On top of that, playing a beloved character from a book that’s extraordinarily successful and knowing that she was now going to be American and wanting to just capture the essence of her as properly as I could added more pressure, but ultimately, when you have an incredible producer like Jerry Bruckheimer behind you and a really amazing cast, it was just an amazing, rewarding creative experience for me.

How was it working with working with Krysten Ritter for the first time?

IF: I remember on day one, I looked over at Krysten’s page and she’d written all these notes, like alternative lines and I’m the only actor that does that and I thought straight away that she was a soul sister, because she was already trying to improvise funny comedic stuff.

How did you develop your talent for physical comedy?

IF: Well, actually, I trained at a theater school called Jacques Lecoq in Paris where Simon McBurney who’s a very famous French clown, well he’s English actually, but where a lot of the Theatre’ Complicite troupe train. We focus on comedy dell’arte and bouffant and mime. So technically, I definitely learned the skill set but just personally, I’ve always been someone who loves to tap into their inner idiot. I’ve always been the clown of my family and I’ve always just enjoyed mucking about and I’m just fortunate that I get paid to do that now.

With the facial reactions, do you plan those, practice, or what is your process?

No, no, I just try to keep really loose and stay in the moment and not have any sort of hope for what I’m going to do. I just, I’m not a method actress but I prepare at home and then I let, I just try not to be self-conscious. I think a lot of people ask how come I got the role or I got into comedy and I just think it’s because I’m willing and a lot of actors and actresses aren’t willing to pull faces.

You’re very reminiscent of Lucille Ball.

IF: Oh, thank you. That’s a huge compliment.

Do you plan on sticking to comedies or exploring drama?

IF: You know, I have to say I love comedy. I love, just love the freedom that comedy brings but I’m open to working with any filmmakers. It’s all about the story and the character for me rather than the genre.

Were you a fan of the Shopaholic books?

I was a huge fan of the books. I read them all long before I heard about the project and when I heard about the project and that Jerry Bruckheimer was producing, obviously who I was a huge fan of, I didn’t think in my wildest dreams that I would even get a meeting, let alone get the role. I literally still cannot believe I got the role. It’s very exciting for me.

Did you do any research for Shopaholics Anonymous?

I did actually. I went to Spenders Anonymous groups and Underearners and Overspenders groups and it was fascinating. There are all different styles and types of shopping. There’s trophy shopping, image shopping, collecting, bulimic shopping. As funny as it sounds, it’s obviously also pretty sad too, but I definitely learned a lot and just that it affects men as often as women. It was a fascinating experience.

Which item of clothing can you not pass by?

IF: Oh, there’s nothing really material that I can’t pass by. Maybe underwear. Just out of necessity, just in general, underwear. It’s not such a good look, not having underwear.

Have you ever had the experience of getting a bill you didn’t expect?

IF: Actually, recently I did, apparently someone had been buying petrol in Texas on my credit card and I wasn’t there. So I did have that experience but not through any fault of my own.

Did you get to keep any of the cloths?

IF: No, I didn’t get to keep it. Maybe you should ask Jerry about that.

Do you agree with the film that shopping is better than men?

No. No. I shop rarely and poorly. I definitely appreciate men more than stores.

Who are your favorite fashion designers?

IF: Oh wow. A part of this business obviously is the pageantry of red carpet and you get dressed by incredible designers, so I’d have to say I love Stella McCartney. I love Vivian Westwood. I love Zac Pozen. I tend to go for more kind of classic. I love Prada. I feel very blessed to wear any of those dresses.

If you shop “rarely and poorly” as you put it, how do you fill your closet?

You know, I do shop when I need to and I’m fortunate in that I’ve sort of maintained my same size, except obviously when I was pregnant. So I just tend to wear stuff that I have around and when I shop I just get in and out. I have a mission and I fulfill it.

Anything in your closet you wonder why you ever bought it?

IF: Oh gosh, absolutely. I try to remove those items and give them to friends but yeah, several times I’ve been suckered into a fashion that wasn’t very flattering on a small frame.

Although this movie is about shopping, there’s also a very strong warning in it about the dangers of spending which are extremely relevant in today’s finical crisis. How do you think this movie effects the average person current spending situation?

IF: Well, obviously this movie was conceived during a different economic period and the lessons that Rebecca Bloomwood learns in the movie, we have all been learning recently. So it feels very topical. I’m really proud of the responsible way that we handle it at the end of the movie, that issue.

Confession of a Shopaholic is in theaters this Friday February 13th.

Sundance Round-Up: 500 Days of Summer, Moon, Christopher Guest

Krystal Clark — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:00:34 +0000

Sundance is sadly over which means now it’s time for everyone else to find all the amazing films that had their chance to shine at the festival. Check out many of the highlights from the Festival below…

Find out what Sundance debuts were the most marketable, what shouldn’t have gone, and what should have but didn’t sell! [/Film]
Satirical genius Christopher Guest, announced that he may be leaving the film industry and taking one of his most popular characters to Broadway instead. [MTVMoviesBlog]
Check out an interview with Duncan Jones, the writer and director of the sci-fi film Moon, which stars Iron Man 2 co-star Sam Rockwell. [FirstShowing]
View the trailer for 500 Days of Summer. The film has been picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight, and stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Zooey Deschanel. [ScreenCrave]

Read a review for Adam, the movie about a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism.The film stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, and Peter Gallagher. [Cinematical]
Read the review for Mary and Max the opening night animated film, a farewell to Sundance, and the Sundance Award Winners here. [ScreenCrave]

ScreenCrave.com » hugh dancy

Sundance 2011: My Idiot Brother – Movie Review

The Players:

Sundance Synopsis:

Review:

Rating: 5.5/10

Related Posts

Hugh Dancy Joins Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria

Related Posts

Hugh Dancy Interview for Adam

Related Posts

Adam: Movie Review

The Plot:

The Good:

Overall:

Rating: 9/10

Related Posts

Review of Confessions of a Shopaholic

Related Posts

Interview with Isla Fisher

Related Posts

Sundance Round-Up: 500 Days of Summer, Moon, Christopher Guest

Related Posts