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The Adventures of Tintin – Movie Review

Damon Houx — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:00:22 +0000

With The Adventures of Tintin, Steven Spielberg has finally decided to play with some of the newest toys of cinema, and in his first motion capture film, he revolutionizes the format. Moreso than Avatar, here Spielberg is let loose to play with the camera as he sees fit, and you can see an invigorated director who’s able to stage sequences in ways that would be unimaginable in live action. And that’s enough to make it a must-see.

The Players:

Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Steven Moffatt, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish
Cast: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
Music: John Williams

The Plot:

After purchasing a antique minature ship, Tintin (Bell) is targeted by Ivanovich Sakharine (Craig) and his minions. The ship holds a secret and Tintin uncovers it with just enough time to be kidnapped and put to sea. There he meets Captain Haddock (Serkis) a drunk with a connection to that mystery. It seems if three pieces of a puzzle are put together, a treasure will be revealed. And it turns out that Ivanovich and Haddock’s family have a long standing grudge.

The Good:

Spielberg’s Camera: Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest working directors, and the man has always been one of the most technically proficient filmmakers in the history of cinema. Here, unmoored from having a practical camera, he’s able to do things that just aren’t humanly possible in live action. From a spectacular one-shot action sequence, to how he moves a camera on a boat, it’s like watching a maestro given everything he’s ever wanted. But even the introduction of Tintin via his famous hair is a delight. The man is just that good.
Andy Serkis: Though Jamie Bell’s Tintin is more avatar than action star, Serkis’s Captain Haddock is a delightful character who goes from fall down drunk to avenger of a family legacy. It’s a fun role, and he makes the best impression of the cast, though Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are charming as the bumbling Thompson twins (yes, the band was named after them).
That One Shot: Seriously, there is no better action sequence this or any other year than the one shot of Tintin and Haddock trying to get a scrap of paper as a broken dam sends water flooding down on them, and bad guys are chasing them. Spielberg’s sense of action in films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has never left the master, and it’s one of those shots that left me cackling in delight.
Sense of Adventure: It’s easy to say that this is better than the last Indiana Jones film. But it’s also fair to say that it’s better than the last two Indiana Jones films.

The Bad:

Tintin, Kinda Boring: If there’s a problem with the film it’s that as an adult this doesn’t have the sort of lead that’s exceptional. Tintin is a young reporter who’s not a total blank, but is meant to be an audience surrogate for the children in the audience. The script does what they can with the character, and it’s a fun movie and story regardless, but if the film has one drawback, it’s that the main character is a bit of a blank.
Sequels: The film treats a follow-up like a an afterthought, and though the film works on its own merits, it’s still the shortest theatrical film Spielberg has ever made. It’s nice that the film’s reasonably tight, but the ending undercuts some goodwill by insisting there will be more.

Overall:

Robert Zemeckis blanched at the idea that Motion-Capture movies are animated films, but if they are, then Tintin is easily the best animated film of the year. It’s a ridiculously entertaining film that never outstays its welcome.

Rating: 8.8/10

The Adventures of Tintin hits theaters December 21.

Photos:

Trailer:

Quick Look: The Adventures of Tintin

Damon Houx — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:09:40 +0000

Last night the AFI festival hosted the first public screening of director Steven Spielberg‘s The Adventures of Tintin. Or, that is to say, the first public screening in America – the film has been open outside of the U.S. for more than a month, and has already made over $100 Million internationally. Spielberg’s first animated/motion-captured film, it stars Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in an adventure story where Tintin comes across clues to pirate treasure. We’ll have a longer review when the film is released, but check out our quick thoughts…

Though much lighter and much more kid-centric than the Indiana Jones films, Tintin was approached by Spielberg from a child’s perspective, and so Tintin (played by Jamie Bell) is much gentler and far less quotable than Indy. That’s not a knock on the film, merely an acknowledgement that those looking for Raiders redux will be disappointed. That said, it’s also a better action movie than the last Indy adventure, and maybe a little better than Last Crusade. Untethered from cranes or having to worry about where the camera is, Spielberg’s visual panache is unmatched, and there is an extended one shot action set piece that validates his decision to do this animated. If W.C. Fields complained about working with children and animals (Tintin has a charming dog named Snowy), Spielberg’s found the best workaround.

And when Spielberg removed guns from E.T. for the special edition, there was a worry that he had gotten a little soft. So when Tintin goes for a gun early on there’s a slight transgressive thrill – and Tintin uses that gun from time to time (that said, never at people). Though it takes a while to get going, once the adventure starts, the film becomes nearly non-stop action as Tintin is kidnapped and sent to the Middle East where the evil Sakharine (Daniel Craig) has both Tintin and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) held hostage in the hopes of uncovering pirate treasure. Tintin escapes with Haddock and they must figure out the secret of his lineage.

Though the script by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish is solid, the real delight here is watching Spielberg play, and though there were definite sequences in his Jurassic Park films that had Spielberg firing on all cylinders, this movie is more consistently entertaining, and Spielberg’s classic cleverness stamps the film repeatedly. A great sequence tends to make me cackle and there are a number here that are awe inspiring in his staging. Seeing Spielberg – one of the greatest living directors – have this much fun is infectious. The Adventures of Tintin opens December 21 stateside and it’s well worth checking out.

Are you excited for Tintin?

New Tintin Trailer Looks Like Old School Spielberg

Damon Houx — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 19:28:18 +0000

It’s still a bit shocking that there isn’t a steady drumbeat of geek excitement for a project that unites Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson and Edgar Wright together, but such is the case with The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. Perhaps it’s a general disappointment with non-James Cameron motion capture. Regardless, there’s a new trailer for Tintin, which stars Jamie Bell as the titular Tintin, and Daniel Craig as Red Haddock. Take a look…

Perhaps this project should have had a year long roll-out, but we’ve yet to see the marketing plans on this one. Since Tintin is a more beloved international character, there’s the question of selling it to Americans. Do you have to introduce the character to them, or do you let the film do the work? We’ve seen what a long gestation period did for Tron Legacy, and the answer was: not much.

But with this dream team of talent, the natural parallel would be to Raiders of the Lost Ark, which put Spielberg together with George Lucas, Lawrence Kasdan and Phillip Kaufman. The other fascinating thing is that Spielberg will have two films opening up against each other. Tintin is due December 23, while War Horse is scheduled for December 28 (likely the latter is a limited engagement). Spielberg has had two film years, in 1989 both Always and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade came out, in 1993 it was Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, in 1997 there was The Lost World and Amistad. In all previous cases those films were separated by months – not days. We shall see.

Did you ever read Tintin?

Jane Eyre: Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:00:20 +0000

Director Cary Fukunaga attempts to punch up the romantic, period piece genre with his latest film Jane Eyre. The drama is made with a bit of horror, not something you normally would equate with a Charlotte Brontë 19th century novel, but it definitely makes the film appealing to not only the romantic film-goers but to those looking for something more. Find out what gives Jane Eyre that air of sophistication and youth in our review below…

The Players:

Director: Cary Fukunaga (read interview)
Writer: Charlotte Brontë (novel) and Moira Buffini (screenplay)
Actors: Mia Wasikowska (read interview), Judi Dench, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Sally Hawkins, Holliday Grainger, Tamzin Merchant
Original Music by: Dario Marianelli
Cinematography by: Adriano Goldman

The Plot:

Jane Eyre is the story about a young, mousy governess who was orphaned and scolded for having a mind of her own. From a young age she had to learn to fight and yet she treats those around her with kindness. Over time she softens the heart of her rather rude and acerbic employer who is hiding a terrible secret.

The Good:

Judi Dench: Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender are both amazing and hold together the story you’re going to the theater for, but it’s Judi Dench that steals just about every scene with her keen and subtle sense of humor. Truly they’re all delightful, but it’s hard to top a Dame.
The Story: Even if you know the story of Jane Eyre you’ll find it difficult not to get caught up in the story and still find it emotionally involved enough to have to know what happens next.
The Cinematography: Absolutely stunning! From the wide shots of the garden to the dimly lit night scenes that invoke the senses of what it’s like living in a dreary old castle with only a candle to guide you. You could almost smell the stone walls and feel the tension while Jane has to find her way through them.

The Unsure:

The Horror Aspect: This isn’t really a horror story and I feel like if they wanted to do the whole “horror- romance” thing they needed to do it even more. Not just moments of it, but have it weave more heavily into the tale. It did help the pace along and add another layer to it, I just wished that it tied in more to the end instead of being explained so easily and then dismissed. Also, it didn’t help that the fear was so closely associated with Jane, who for the most part was fearless — perhaps that’s the point, you’ll have to decide.

The Bad:

Nope, nothing really worth mentioning here.

Overall:

Though I didn’t love the film, it was an extremely interesting watch and definitely worth experiencing. It’s different from many other period pieces in tone and the style of filmmaking. It’s a relevant tale which, though old, promotes positive female images — I know I sound dull but that’s quite rare in modern cinema!

Rating: 7.5

See Jane Eyre (instead of Red Riding Hood) in theaters March 11th!

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

The Eagle: Movie Review

Krystal Clark — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 02:00:36 +0000

Kevin Macdonald steps into Old World Britain for his latest film The Eagle, which stars Channing Tatum in his first real period piece. Tatum with an accent is a big deal. The actor plays a young Roman general who’s on a quest to restore honor to his family’s name after a horrific event that occurred decades earlier under his father’s leadership.

The Players:

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Screenwriters: Jeremy Brock, Rosemary Sutcliff (book)
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Tahar Rahim, Denis O’Hare
Cinematography By: Anthony Dod Mantle
Original Music By: Atli Örvarsson

The Plot:

The film is based on the book The Eagle of the Ninth, which was written by Rosemary Sutcliff and takes us into the dangerous world of second-century Britain. The premise of the film centers on a Roman officer, Marcus Flavius Aquila (Tatum), as he tries to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father’s ninth legion in Northern Britain.

The Good:

The Action: Kevin Macdonald did a great job of shooting the action in this film. In a lot of war movies, especially ones with sand and swords, it’s hard to see what’s happening in battle. Everything looks like a big cluster of metal and flesh. In The Eagle, everything is very clear and straight to the point.
Cinematography: This goes along with the direction, but the cinematography was stunning. Not only did the camera get into the nooks and crannies of the fight scenes, but it also highlighted the beautiful landscape of the country side.

The So-So:

Channing Tatum: Not great but not horrible either. Tatum isn’t known for his amazing acting skills but he pulled of a surprisingly mediocre performance, which for him is a step up. Get it, Step Up?

The Bad:

The Accents: In a recent interview, Tatum claimed that Macdonald made a conscious decision to have the Roman soldiers speak with American accents. Tatum initially fought against the idea but in the end, felt that it was the right decision. Unfortunately, I disagree. Romans with American accents is 10 times more annoying than Romans with British accents. During the time that this film takes place the New World hadn’t even been discovered.
Roman Soldiers: Speaking of the soldiers, they were terribly cast. There’s nothing wrong with the actor’s talent but none of them physically looked the part. They were all small and middle aged men. I’m not saying they should look like the cast of 300 but they shouldn’t look like stray cats either.

Overall:

The Eagle isn’t an epic Roman war film and it doesn’t try to be. It has some problems but if you’re into movies that add fantastical elements to historical events, you’ll like it.

Rating: 7/10

The Eagle opens in theaters on February 11th.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Will you be seeing The Eagle this weekend?

Jamie Bell Compares Tintin to Indiana Jones, Talks Motion Capture, and Steven Spielberg

Krystal Clark — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:48:32 +0000

Jamie Bell plays a very important role in the upcoming motion-capture, 3D epic, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. He’s the title character in the adaptation that’s helmed by the legendary Steven Spielberg. We recently spoke with Bell at the press junket for The Eagle and he talked about his love for Tintin but his initial reluctance to do motion capture because he had no idea what the technology entailed. He also spoke about the film’s story and whether or not he thinks it will appeal to American audiences.

When Bell was first approached to do Tintin, he was skeptical:

“What is it? That was my first thing initially. What is it? How do you do it? What does it require? How does it work? Does it even work? Let me see some evidence of it working. I watched some of those motion capture films, which were very early and primitive in terms of the technology. All props to Robert Zemeckis for kind of spearheading the industry in saying that this is something we need to take note of.”

On his first experience working with motion capture:

“I knew everything about Tintin. I was already a Tintinophile or Tintinologist. I was very into that so it was literally trying to understand the mechanics of the technology. You want me to stand in a gray room and act as though I’m in a sea plane in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of the Sahara desert with nothing around me that informs anything about this character’s journey? Anything about anything in the physical world? That’s great because it just means that I can make it all up!”

On whether or not the story of Tintin will attract American viewers:

“I think anyone who understands and appreciates Indiana Jones, understands Tintin and they don’t even know what it is yet. I feel like it’s not going to be difficult. I think the characters are great because they all have human flaws. The Tintin character is a very driven and ambitious guy. The structure of the story and the adventure is something we all know and love. There’s something at the end and they’ve got to get to it. There’s a very bizarre and quirky and exciting relationship in the center of it between these two guys. And there’s Steven Spielberg at the helm, who does this story incredibly well.”

On Spielberg’s first motion capture experience:

“For Steven, it’s new technology for him. I think before Jurassic Park CGI wasn’t a common word. We didn’t really understand what it meant so he kind of invented CGI. He put it into people’s living rooms and we kind of understood what it meant. In the similar way that James Cameron has kind of made motion capture understandable. Steven Spielberg is such a household name, and so linked to childhood and fantasy for children and dreams, I think he will make motion capture something that we understand and appreciate.”

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is scheduled to hit theaters on December 28, 2011.

Are you excited to see the film? Are you familiar with the original comic?

Trailer, Poster, and Synopsis for Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre

Krystal Clark — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 23:54:37 +0000

The theatrical trailer for Cary Fukanaga’s highly anticipated drama Jane Eyre has finally been released. Not only is it an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel of the same name, but it features an amazing cast that brings the story to life. The title character is played by Australian sensation Mia Wasikowska, who’s surrounded by UK vets including Michael Fassbender, Judi Dench, Jamie Bell, and Sally Hawkins. Check out the official synopsis, poster, and the trailer below…

Official Synopsis:

Based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel, the romantic drama stars Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland”) and Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”) in the lead roles. In the story, Jane Eyre flees Thornfield House, where she works as a governess for wealthy Edward Rochester. The isolated and imposing residence – and Mr. Rochester’s coldness – have sorely tested the young woman’s resilience, forged years earlier when she was orphaned. As Jane reflects upon her past and recovers her natural curiosity, she will return to Mr. Rochester – and the terrible secret that he is hiding…

Here’s the theatrical trailer:

Official Poster:

Jane Eyre is scheduled to hit theaters on March 11, 2011.

What do you think of the theatrical trailer for Jane Eyre?

Source: Yahoo Movies, Facebook,

Is Jamie Bell the New Spider-Man?

samuelpeppermint — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:41:50 +0000

After weeks of internet campaigning and wasting 140 characters or less, it looks like Donald Glover may finally stop annoying my eyeballs. Rumor has it that King Kong and Tintin star Jamie Bell is the front runner to play Spider-Man. As much as I would be intrigued to see Glover play the character, I effin’ hate “internet campaigns,” and with that being said bring on Bell! Out of the group of potential candidates, he’s the one name that could actually do the project some good…

Bleeding Cool is reporting that the Defiance actor has already been chosen to wear the tights in Marc Webb‘s new take on Spidey. When initially heard the news, the first thing that came to mind was: Who the hell is Jamie Bell? After a quick search and a light bulb being turned on in my tiny ape brain, the name matched the memory. The bit parts he played in those big movies (Kong, Defiance, and Jumper) were shining lights of hope in otherwise abysmal films.

What concerns me is the fact that he is tied up playing the title character in The Adventures of Tintin trilogy, which is jointly directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Does he have what it takes to manage two franchises at once? Has someone cloned Bell, creating a small army to take over the film industry? Will he star in every movie produced over the next 10 years?

Nah. Maybe just Spider-Man and Tintin if all goes well. Sorry, Donald Glover. Go tweet about something that someone cares about. Wait… did I go over 140 characters already? Damn.

What do you humans think about Jamie Bell playing Spidey?

New Eagle of the Ninth Photos

Krystal Clark — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:00:55 +0000

It’s been a while since we’ve seen or heard anything from the upcoming epic film, The Eagle of the Ninth. Perhaps it has something to do with Channing Tatum starring as the lead, but we can’t know for sure. The film also features a mature Jamie Bell and acting vet Donald Sutherland in a supporting role. Over at Yahoo, they’ve release six new photos from the film so lets take a look…

The Eagle of the Ninth is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Amongst all the drama, he meets and is accompanied by a British slave named Esca, who will be played by Bell, while Sutherland will come into the picture as Marcus’ uncle Aquila, who has retired in Britain.

I’m one of the many people who is weary of Tatum’s casting in this film due to his level of acting skill. He’s carrying a pretty large film that’s filled with a talented supporting cast. This isn’t Step it Up or G.I. Joe, these people are actually good. It also burns a bit to see Jamie Bell mutating into an adult before my eyes. Billy Elliot was a long time ago, but can any of us really think of him as anything else but that little guy?

Here are the latest photos from Eagle of the Ninth...

Does Tatum look the part? What about Bell’s character?

Eagle of the Ninth Begins Production

Mali Elfman — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:15:12 +0000

How did this little film starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, and Mark Strong, written by BAFTA Award-winning screenwriter Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) and directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald slip by us for so long? We didn’t even hear about them casting Eagle of the Ninth, but everything is set and the crew is currently on location in Hungary and Scotland, and they have begun filming!

The film was adapted for the screen by Brock, off of Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel of the same name. For more on the story keep reading…

The Eagle of the Ninth is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (played by Mr. Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth.

Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Mr. Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian’s Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia – to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father’s memory, and retrieve the lost legion’s golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. Mr. Sutherland portrays Marcus’ uncle Aquila, who has retired in Britain; Mr. Strong is cast as Guern, an ex-soldier who holds crucial information about the Ninth.

Sounds kind of Lord of the Rings-ish, but with it’s own twist. Personally, with all the impressive talent behind the film, I don’t need to know what it’s about, just when it will be in theaters.

How about you? Are you excited for Eagle of the Ninth?

Interview: Jamie Bell of ‘Defiance’

Mali Elfman — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:00:14 +0000

Many of us remember Jamie Bell from his amazing performance as Billy Elliot. The man can sing, dance, and now he shows us he can shoot a Nazi. In his upcoming role in Edward Zwick‘s new WWII film, Defiance, about the Bielski Brothers, Bell shares the screen with Daniel Craig (interview here) and Liev Schrieber. Although his character does not stand toe to toe with the other actors, he as an actor certainly does. Bell gives an honest performance, one which I think many people will be able to relate to, because he is the every man’s hero.

We were lucky enough to chat with Bell about preparing for his role in Defiance, having Craig teach him how to look good with a gun, some of the big problems A-list actors are having getting jobs, and more.

Check it out now…

It’s a long way from Billy Elliot.

Yes, I was trying to convince Ed to try and slip in a dance sequence somewhere, but it just really didn’t work out. Yeah, almost ten years, I feel like a veteran. Back then I really didn’t expect to be doing this as a job really, so I’m very lucky in that regard I guess.

How much research did you for this film? Did you get a chance to speak with any survivors?

I mean, initially the first kind of research was obviously reading the Nechama Tec’s book, which is incredibly informative. I felt like I knew a lot about this time in history but I was embarrassed to find out that I actually knew nothing about the Bielski brothers. I knew very little of Jewish resistance and resilience. So upon kind of digging deeper you realize that actually Jewish resistance happened across the board, they are an incredibly resilient people, every possible moment they were fighting for their freedoms.

In the script Asael is not quite portrayed the way he actually [was], Asael was actually much older, he was thirty years old, he was actually the second eldest brother, he was the guy who first created a small fighting unit, which then Tuvia then took command of that [later Liev Schreiber says this isn't correct - you decide]. So in actual fact Asael was actually the hero of the story, it should really be all about me [laughter]. In that regard I did find it important to understand the history of it, but because we had a little bit of freedom with the character, I felt it wasn’t that necessary to go to family members, which we later met. They actually came out to Lithuania, that was pretty crazy. I think more crazy for Daniel and Liev to kind of sit and look at their ‘son,’ their off-spring was kind of weird, I think it was for all of the filmmakers, the crew members and the cast, them coming out that was [an] incredibly valuable experience for sure.

Do you have any theories on why this is a story that we don’t know?

I do, I think it’s because – it is a story of heroism, but the things that they had to do to get there are pretty brutal, and I think we find it hard to accept. We have no idea of the circumstances back then, we can’t really comprehend what it must have been like, and to survive you have to do some pretty brutal things – whether it’s murdering your neighbor for food, or murdering another guy for some medicine so that people can stay alive. The conditions were incredibly brutal. And I think that’s why Tuvia Bielski did not want this story to be told, purely because it was too hard for him to explain why he had to do certain things. He’s a hero because he saved lives, and that’s why the story should be told, and I think that Ed wanted to blend the fact that they did have to do some pretty brutal things, but also in the act of heroism.

The other thing I thought was kind of interesting about this was the different classes of people, and it was kind of a class conflict within that little group, was there some kind of research that you did for that, were you aware that there were these different classes?

Oh absolutely, the Nechama Tec book is actually so informative, when I read the book I was like, there’s so much in the book that didn’t actually then make it to the script, some of the stories that she would tell… [She told] this one [about] an older woman who escaped the ghetto with someone else’s child, and then she got there she realized that she’d forgotten her brassiere and then decided to go back. She took the kid with her, and they never came back. There are these very bizarre stories, just little stories of people. But, what she did illustrate is that all of these people came from many different walks of life. They came from rich backgrounds or incredibly poor backgrounds, or they were doctors or intellectuals in their previous lives, and what’s great about the story I think and why overall I think the film really should be a celebration of the human spirit is because they come together and they survive for each other, and they pull each other through it.

You actually shot the entire film on location in the freezing snow, what were some challenges of filming under those types of conditions?

Upon arrival in Vilnius, you realize the history around June ’41 when the Germans started going east. Then they entered Vilnius and they had a Jewish population of about 60,000 and within days 21,000 of those people were dead, the rest of them were herded into the Jewish court and then eventually those ghettos were liquidated. We were making this film about an hour outside of that city, so it really felt like that’s how it would have been, that’s exactly the Bielski situation, they had to survive in rural areas, they had to get out of the urban environment, and they had to flee to these forests. So actually being there was just incredibly valuable to all of us. I think the first day we got to the set we’d seen what our production designer had done, and I think for me I was like, this is ridiculous, are you trying to tell me that people actually built these things, they built schools, they built theatres and kitchens, like this is ridiculous. But then you see the reference photographs, and if read Nechama Tec’s book you see that they lives in an incredibly civilized way. But it was cold there, it was hard work for the crew, for everyone. What we were experiencing was purely a minutia of what these people went through.

Does any of the original settlement remain?

No, no, I’m sure that’s gone.

Did the Nazi’s take it down?

Well, they had to leave within a heartbeat often, death was always a day away, whether it came through disease or malnutrition or the Germans were hiding behind the next tree, they were constantly moving, I don’t think that any of that stuff actually survived. But where we were shooting geographically is only about 100 kilometers away from actually where these guys were hiding out, and where they were moving around.

How big was the forest that they were hiding in, did you get to see any of that?

Yeah, I would say the scale of it was pretty, and I would imagine for those people, was pretty disorientating. You suddenly find yourself in one long collage of green and brown, and suddenly all the forest starts to look the same. I remember I went to use the bathroom in the forest, because conveniently they placed the trailers about 30 minutes away from the set so that we wouldn’t go back there, and I remember coming back and I was like, ‘Where the fuck has the set gone? Where the fuck has it gone? I’m totally fucking lost.’ And then imagine what it must have been like, because they were exhausted these people trying to move 1200 people across forests, these people were just absolutely exhausted, and I would imagine if someone sat down to take a rest and they just saw them disappearing they’d be fucked, because you can’t figure out where you are.

But if you talk to any surviving partisans the way they talk about forests is so different from the way that I think we see forests. The forests and the trees were their savior in a big way. But the forests of Lithuania were vast, endless, we would drive for 40 minutes, nothing but forests on the side of the road, just pine, and also there are these weird settlements within that, you would see people now, still today, walking into the forest with their shopping bags, it’s bizarre. You can’t imagine the way these people still live their lives, and it’s incredibly quaint, it’s like a time capsule, it really is, and we’re very thankful of that.

What’s the accent you have in the movie?

Well, it’s a Russian/Belarusian, almost Polish accent that we did. But our dialect coach, Neil Swain, manage to somehow create a nuance with – just how different everyone sounded, many of these people who joined them in the forest came from very different geographical areas, so you wanted to make sure that lots of different places were being represented.

You’ve done accent work before, is that something that comes relevantly naturally for you at this point?

You have to. Being a Brit it’s like you have to get rid of the accent quickly. Pretty much everything I’ve ever done there’s always an accent and it becomes the same ritual, just the different sound in the end.

Are any easier or harder at this point?

Generic American is like you can just click your brain and you start doing it, it’s pretty good. But I did Scottish recently which was a challenge. Liev and Daniel had to learn another language, which is a little different.

How were they as your siblings, did you guys form a bond out there in the woods?

Very much so. I have a big admiration for these guys as actors, even more so now as men. With Daniel, he’s obviously a fellow Brit, so that comes with the territory, but then I’ve been a massive fan of his for a very, very long time. I remember a TV show he did in England, he probably hates me for talking about this, but it’s a show called “Our Friends in the North,” and it was an absolutely fantastic show. And I saw him on stage, a friend of mine directed him in a play, so I think our knowledge of this guy seems to fall to one name, and that’s James Bond, but for me that isn’t the case at all, I know Daniel Craig the very fine versatile actor. So getting to work with him and then translating that admiration that I have for him into this brother who basically idolized this guy was actually very easy.

Did you ever talk to him about his success with James Bond?

I never talked about James Bond. I never questioned him. The only thing I actually did question him on was action sequences, because I don’t really know how to do it. What I usually do in those kind of situations, and I’ve done other films with action in them, is that I click to honesty, I go to truth. I go ‘Well, what would Jamie do in this situation?’ And, of course, Jamie would go, ‘Oh, f***ing, f*** f***.’ Of course, that doesn’t look incredibly good for the camera. It’s not incredibly heroic. So, just seeing the way Daniel does it, because obviously he’s had to learn it, and it really becomes more like a dance rather than anything else. It’s a number of choreographed movements that are sharp and effective and you want to make it look good for the camera. So, in that regard it was just more of a technique, learning that technique from him, which I thought was important, because Ed Zwick really focuses on that. He really likes the action. He likes heroes and the likes these kinds of big stories.

You have a big action scene toward the end…

That’s exactly what I needed help with. Because I was like, ‘Dude, if it’s just me with a gun for five minutes, I’m gonna need to not be like [makes some sort of high pitched squeal]’ And it wasn’t like he sat me down and said, ‘Right, this is what you’ve got to do.’ He was never a mentor to me, which is what I loved about him, because I think it’s very easy when younger actors look up to older actors that they then become the mentor and he wasn’t that. He was just a nice, generous person with his knowledge and with his experiences. And Liev was the same. Liev is a much different kind of guy. He’s also a filmmaker in his own right, so as an actor he approaches things in a much different way than most of the actors you work with. His intellect is fierce. He acts and his presence on set has a kind of visceral immediacy about what he wants to do and he elevates your performance by being in front of him, so I was in really good hands with these two guys.

Were you surprised by the worldwide success of Jumper?

I don’t know, because that was a little bit of a departure for me. I had a lot of fun doing it. Doug Liman is a fantastic, bizarre mad-scientist filmmaker person. So that was a lot of fun. I did have a lot of fun with him. I haven’t really seen much else from Fox this year. I guess nothing else has been of interest to me. I really want to see Australia because I’m a massive fan of Baz Luhrman. But it did do incredibly well internationally.

Here in the states as well.

Moderately, I’d say. It wasn’t “Dark Knight,” but you know.

How was it going from the crazy working experience with Doug Liman to anything else?

It was a really different experience for me. That took a year to make. It was a year of my life which I’ll never get back. But I can’t complain. We went to nine different countries for that movie. It was a great experience in terms of traveling the world in a certain fashion. That’s never gonna happen again. But also it was an exercise on discipline as an actor and discipline at trying to understand why so many people have their hands in the pot all at once. It was a real lesson in Hollywood filmmaking for me and it was very difficult. Everyone had a really hard time on that movie, but also it was a lot of fun. It’s always kind of balanced with a lot of fun.

Has seeing that sort of filmmaking impacted the kinds of choices you’ve made subsequently?

Definitely. I don’t know. I just think that the script has to be solid. I learnt that pretty quick. Because no matter how much you put your energy into it, no matter how much you think you can change something, you have what you have. If you start with an OK script, you’re probably gonna end up with a kind of OK movie. So I feel like learning and understanding the script and understanding how much you can put into it has definitely changed my choices, for sure. Because I put a lot of energy into that movie and a lot of energy into that performance and a lot of energy into that character. I think it worked. I watched it on an airplane recently just because you can’t escape it. You know those domestic flights where they put it on and you’re like [He mimes trying to avoid himself]. And I was like, actually, I kind of enjoyed myself in it, which is rare for me. It’s really rare, because I’m a really harsh critic of myself, my own worst critic and I was actually like, ‘Ah, that’s a lot of fun.’ Getting to flip off Sam Jackson is not bad role at all.

What do you have coming up?

There’s a lot of things that were supposed to go this year, especially early this year and then late this year. And then we all kind of found ourselves in a global economic downturn and now nothing’s being made. Everything is on the runway waiting for the tower to clear it and as usual they’ll all get cleared at the same time and then we’ll end up doing absolutely nothing.

What do you think about the possibility of the actors going on strike?

It’s ridiculous.

Do you think once that’s resolved the floodgates will open?

I hope so. I really do. I don’t know what my position is on any of that, really. I just know it’s a pretty bad time right now for a lot of people and a lot of people don’t have any jobs and a lot of people are running out of money and people need to get back to work. Across the board. Everywhere. All over the world, not just the entertainment industry. But a strike right now seems utter lunacy to me.

Defiance will be have a limited released December 31st and will be widely released January 16th.

ScreenCrave.com » jamie bell

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