Showing posts with label ben whishaw. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ben whishaw. Show all posts

Ben Whishaw

>> Sunday, January 25, 2009



Read more...

Ben Whishaw

>> Saturday, January 24, 2009


Benjamin "Ben" Whishaw (born 14 October 1980) is an English actor who trained at RADA. Whishaw is perhaps best known for his breakthrough role as Hamlet, and his role as the lead character in Tom Tykwer's film Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.

Whishaw grew up in Bedfordshire, with his twin brother, James, and was a member of the Bancroft Players Youth Theatre at Hitchin's Queen Mother Theatre. He attended Samuel Whitbread Community College in Clifton, Bedfordshire. During his time with the group, he first rose to prominence during collaborations with their offshoot theatre company, Big Spirit. He was involved in many productions - perhaps most notably, If This Is A Man (also performed as The Drowned & The Saved). This was a piece devised by the company based on the book of the same name by Primo Levi, a survivor of a Nazi World War II prisoner of war camp. This harrowing and moving book was adapted into a physical theatre piece by the group and taken to the 1995 Edinburgh Festival where it garnered five-star reviews and great critical acclaim. Whishaw played the character of Levi in this and subsequent productions of the show.

As the lead in Trevor Nunn's 2004 young-cast production of Hamlet at the Old Vic, he received highly favourable reviews. The role was shared with Al Weaver in an unusual arrangement that saw Whishaw playing all nights except for Mondays and matinées. Nunn is reported to have made this arrangement due to the youth of the two actors playing the lead, to relieve some of the pressure on each. It was Whishaw, however, who featured most prominently in the marketing materials and in the majority of reviews.

Whishaw's film and TV credits include Layer Cake and Chris Morris's 2005 sitcom Nathan Barley, in which he played a character called Pingu. He was named 'Most Promising Newcomer' at the 2001 British Independent Film Awards (for My Brother Tom) and, in 2005, nominated as best actor in four award ceremonies for his Hamlet. He also played Keith Richards in the Brian Jones biopic Stoned. In the spring of 2005, Whishaw received lots of press for his turn as a drug dealer, acting alongside Robert Boulter and Fraser Ayres in Philip Ridley's post-apocalyptic fringe play Mercury Fur.

In Perfume, Whishaw plays Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a perfume maker whose craft turns deadly. The film was released in Germany in September 2006 and in the U.S. in December 2006. In the same year Whishaw worked on Pawel Pawlikowski's abandoned The Restraint of Beasts.

Whishaw appears in 2007's I'm Not There as one of the Bob Dylan reincarnations and in 2008 in Criminal Justice, a Tiger Aspect series for the BBC, a new adaptation of Brideshead Revisited and ...some trace of her, an adaptation of The Idiot at the National Theatre.

He appears in the forthcoming films The International, and Bright Star.

Read more...

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer


"Perfume" is a terrifying story of murder and obsession set in 18th-century France. Jean-Baptiste Grenouille has a unique talent for discerning the scents and smells that swirl around him, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. Strangely lacking any scent of his own, he becomes obsessed with capturing the irresistible but elusive aroma of young womanhood. As Grenouille's obsession turns deadly, 12 young girls are found murdered. Panic breaks out as people rush to protect their daughters, while an unrepentant and unrelenting Grenouille still lacks the final ingredient to complete his quest.

The tale of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille was considered unfilmable, untill now. Tom Tykwer brings the serial killer to life in such a gorgeous and stylish fashion. Wonderfully dark and at 140 minutes, surprisingly captivating. The support cast of Hoffman and Rickman are at their usual greatness, but it's Whishaw's performance that gives you the willies.







Read more...

Brideshead Revisited

>> Sunday, January 18, 2009


"Brideshead Revisited" tells an evocative story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in the pre-WWII era. In the film, Charles Ryder becomes entranced with the noble Marchmain family, first through the charming and provocative Sebastian Flyte, and then his sophisticated sister, Julia. The rise and fall of Charles' infatuations reflect the decline of a decadent era in England between the wars.

''You don't care about me, all you ever wanted was my sister!''

Based on Evelyn Waugh's 1945 classic British novel, Brideshead Revisited is a poignant story of forbidden love and the loss of innocence set in England prior to the Second World War.

Brideshead Revisited is another period drama offering, this time from Director Julian Jarrold. I have watched the 1981's Brideshead Revisited British TV series, therefore I was curious of the film. The film trailers were very interesting. I finally watched it when it came out on DVD.
I wasn't disappointed by the film, however, I wasn't that impressed either. However, the film is a bit gayer version, it still held back to explore the relationships further. Both TV series and the film are missing something, even though they both were good, perhaps it's hard to bring the famous novel into a total brilliance and impress every fan.

Wonderfully it begins where it ends and we experience this wonderful life of a certain man, Charles Ryder and his entanglement with the Flyte Family.
The times and era is displayed perfectively throughout the film and it provides bedazzlement and awe throughout.

''I want to look back and say that I didn't turn my back, that I was happy.''

There are some beautiful locations and costumes on offer in Brideshead, not to mention stunning locations which include Morocco and Venice. In fact the only thing that matches the quality of the scenery is the music and respective array of casting.

We have some fine performances on offer here.
Matthew Goode is Charles Ryder, and he's a handsome, artistic, talented young man who wants to become a painter. Goode's acting is a bold effort that succeeds in being both believable and effective. With more power comes the lust for more and this is conveyed wonderfully as the drama unfolds.
Hayley Atwell as Julia Flyte again shows a penchant for Period films since her recent Duchess days and shows us a new and intriguing period.
Ben Whishaw as Sebastian Flyte also shows he's got a knack for Period dramas, I loved him in Perfume and he was reasonably good in Layer Cake etc...
Whishaw single-handedly kills two birds in one stone, acting as a fresh character who's both homosexual and an alcoholic. A very impressive feat, yet he's not the biggest chain of the story just a vital part of it to begin with.
Other old hands like Emma Thompson & Michael Gambon give quality solid acting performances as you'd expect from these veterans of the screen.

''You banish me from your house, you poison my friendship with both your children...''

There's some nice twists and turns here on offer and some fine complex relationship triangles on display. Ryder's lust for more and what he wants inevitably always ends up backfiring thus leaving us enthralled by the nature of his ambitions and greed.
From an artists opinion there's alot of eye candy here that's equally jaw dropping. Ranging from statues, windows to mosaics and church implements that beg to be drawn and studied.

Overall, Brideshead Revisited is one of those films you may ask at the end of it what the point is, So I will ask that. What was the point? Well to me the point is this, and thats the wonderful journey and experience we the audience have just witnessed. It's a blessing to see such characters being brought to life, and it gives me an incentive to read Evelyn Waugh's 1945 Novel.

''What does Charles Ryder really want?''

Read more...

  © Blogger templates Romantico by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP