Episode 16 Film 2012

Hello, and welcome. We are live, if you want to get in touch, pleased

week or e-mail us, the details are on the screen now. Coming up

tonight. Martin Freeman in the Hobbit, an unexpected journey.

you promise that I will come back? No! Unleashing the dirt on working

with British actors. Be run around and argue a lot. And Mary Elizabeth

is sobering up. I stopped drinking. Are you pregnant? And we review a

documentary in Memphis, and the top five fan fatales. First tonight,

the Hobbit. The first part of the trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.

Who cannot just run off into the blue -- I cannot.

He is a home-loving and safe and quiet Hobbit and he goes on an

adventure where he helps towards to reclaim the land which has been

taken over by a dragon. Allow me to The novel was written for children

originally in the 1930s by talking and I wanted to maintain that

whimsical and comedic tone of the film and have one foot in the Lord

Of the Rings also. Why did we have a game? They will eat it! If I gins

losers, -- if he loses... Ferry north. Who he has found a window on

the floor and he keeps it -- he has found a wing. By the end, he

realises it means a great deal and he has changed the course of a

character's life. He is a genuinely brilliant character and I know why

people love him. As soon as they hear that noise, people love it.

And been on the receiving end of what Andy does as that character is

remarkable. We knew Martin was perfect before we met him looking

at other things he has been in films and on the television. There

is an aspect of that character who is a rather repressed little

English man who does not want to go on dangerous adventures, that is

the character talking wrote and there is something about Martin we

thought would be perfect. And it is his ability to do drama with

comedic timing which is rare and not many actors can do that. I need

air. Flash of white, some paint and then you are just ash. -- like,

some pain. No! And action. As a film maker, I want to play my part

in pushing the experience of cinema forward. Three or four years ago, I

shot a five-minute King Kong movie and I thought that immerse of

quality would be amazing been a feature film. -- in a feature film.

You are part of the action in the screen, it is like you have taken

it away and are looking through a hole in the cinema into the real

world. It is as if Pete grabs you and pulls you towards the film to

look at this. So it is very dynamic. Who did you tell about the quest?

Nobody? Who did you tell? Nobody, I swear! A guy who knows exactly what

he wants and tells you. It is up to you to slot in and if you cannot do

it, you do it again and again until you do it. Can I try something else,

Peter? You make your contribution, that is also welcome. And he is

good at reminding you weigh you are, that is what I used to informing

the. -- way you. Mack is he scared, how much does he like this? How

much of his courage has he found? And usually late in the day, he

says, good, got it! He says that and you can relax. You will have a

few tales to tell when you come back. Can you promise that I will

come back? At what do you think? A the Hobbit

is two hours and 49 minutes and at the end of the unexpected journey,

if you have got to the end of Chapter 6 in told him's novel. An

adaptation usually strips things down but here it is frantically

stretched out and you are waiting for Bilbo bargains to lose the

house keys and he will spend half an hour trying to find it. The

Hobbit is many things but it is a long and slow! Yes, I will read out

a couple of messages. It is an endurance test, unbearably long and

an emotionless finesse! Bullet but true. A let-down and much of the

magic has been sucked out, I read it and went in with low

expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Martins for it -- Martin

Freeman is the star for meat and he is excellent and underplays it.

Mack -- or for me. It is long and the first hour you understand that

the Hobbit is like blue cheese and wash-up. There are still wash-up

after an hour. Peter Jackson's has this innovative 48 per frames -- 48

frames per second going on. Does this draw you into the movie or

pull you out? Too often, I was pulled out with a talk to my face!

It is bright and cheap-looking. -- with a torch in my face. The look

of it does dominate and that is a problem. There is a difference with

a film that shows you things and a movie which you think you need an

eye test in. I agree about Martin Freeman. When Peter Jackson

remembers you can have fun with just some actors talking to each

other, this works. And Martin Freeman is understated, how he does

not get overwhelmed by this, I do not know, but it is an achievement.

And what about Andy circus? -- Serkis. It will make people pine

for Ward offerings. If you do not do this for a job, would you pay to

go to see this? I have no choice, my son would insist on this. He is

seven years old but as a cynical adult, the drama has been sucked

out of it because she knows it is a trilogy and no matter how good the

film has come and there were moments that it works, but you know

the real action will not start for another two years, six hours. Or

six hours would feel like two years! And next, the story of a

hard-drinking couple whose relationship is put to the test

when Kate decides to get sober. am Kate, I am an alcoholic. I am

sorry, a did not mean to laugh. Those words are weird. I do not

know if I am an alcoholic, I just think, a drink a lot. Everybody I

know drinks a lot. I never really thought it was a problem. But

lately, it kind of scenes light it is. -- it kind of seems like it is.

I want to have a beer without it turning into 20 or wetting the bed.

It seems like every time I drink, something awful happens! It used to

be funny and things like there are not funny any more, things have

gone up from embarrassing to scary. So yes, I am kind of scared.

I love her in that scene. As a film about alcohol, it is in good

company. The character of Kate is different because she is coping.

She may be throwing up occasionally in front of children and smoking

crack with strangers in a car but she is generally enjoying her

drinking and that is interesting and quite chilling because anybody

who has been about a drink -- he has been around drinking will see a

lot of truth and could observations. As a portrait of alcoholism, it is

great, but the film is more interested in the condition than

the character and because of that it sometimes feels that at any

moment, somebody will hit pause and the lights will come on and the

teacher will step forward and talk to the class about their feelings

on what they have seen and asked if they have questions. I admire a lot

but it has a slight smell of citizenship GCSE about it.

thought she was brilliant and I liked the whole think. I wanted

more about their relationship and what happens when somebody carries

on doing something and the other person stops doing it. She is

extraordinary, she falls off the wagon in one scene and that is

excellent. I just wanted a bit more character, where the Hobbit spent

an hour saying, this is the spoon again like, be loved this kind. And

wanted a bit more of that. It is very fast. But it never becomes

quirky, it is on the brink of being cute and adorable. It does not go

down the road. The lead character is fantastic. Paul is in a tricky

situation because he has been brought in and he is playing

essentially the same character as in his last film and that does not

work for him. It did not work 10 years ago in the sopranos and the

lead character was cast in similar characters. Now time for the top

They huge hello and welcome to you. This might be my favourite top five.

It has been tough. The top femmes fatales five. The cinema has many.

There were two great eras and one was in the 1930s and 1940s. Barbara

Stanwick, Rita Hayworth. My favourite is Lana Turner in the

Postman Always Rings twice. This is a terrific performance. You can see

her trying to persuade John Garfield to murder her husband.

There is one thing we could do. Pray for something to happen?

Something like that. You suggested it yourself once. I am so pleased

to see John Garfield. What you must remember is this is the movie that

changed her career. Before this she was known as the sweater Girl. This

changed people's perceptions of her. In real life, she was incredible.

She married eight times. What is so interesting is that all the way

through the movie, you think if she could? Is she bad? As you see, she

is reasonable, she is evil, she is every colour of the rainbow and

terrific. I am reminding myself of your next choice. All the time, we

know this one is bad. Juliette Binoche in Damage. She plays a

mysterious woman who decimate so a family. She has an affair with her

boyfriend's father. This is the moment she meets the father.

give her her due, it is Jeremy Irons!

You are Martin's father? I felt I ought to introduce myself. How do

you do? How long have you known him? Not very long. I see. We have

been closed just for a few months. Yes, I... I have heard about you.

It is preposterous. An incredible performance. This is what she has

been doing for her entire career, this weird, mysterious mask, a

vortex of a girl, sucking the energy out of the screen towards

her. She does the same thing in Three colours Blue. This type of

woman is very interesting because they let everyone else do their

dirty work. There is something Anglo-French going on.

In Twitter, are they happy? They are happy. There is voting for

Kathleen Turner. She is fantastic. There are many films. The remake of

the Postman Always Rings twice. I would vote for higher in the man

With Two brains in 1983. It is a different take. I remember Kathleen

Turner in this film, I was 11 years old and never the same again.

A lot of people would say about the next one this is for the boys. I do

not know a man who does not come out in beads of sweat at the

mention of this woman. It is the casting conundrum of all time. Not

just the face that launched a 1,000 ships, but the sexiest being in the

history of the universe. And here she is.

Gently, darling. It is extremely sensitive. Like me. Why it is that?

That is the planet aquaria. Take a left turn. The next new rising.

Every Moon is a kingdom. My father keeps fighting -- keeps them

fighting each other constantly. It is a brilliant strategy. Hilarious.

Ornetta Muti. Now we can talk about a real woman in -- mentioning a

category of actress who has exerted control over their director in real

life. The most luminous example is Marlene Dietrich, who was working

in nightclubs in Berlin in an late 1920s and early Thirties. Josef von

Sternberg found her and put her on the screen. He made have an

enormous staff. Anybody who says she did not need him, they have to

look at these films. They made seven movies, they were lovers.

This is her in ash tree. And a I expected you to pop-ups Sunday.

Let me come backstage. -- Sunday. I remember you came backstage once

before. That is such a rude line. After seven movies, she moved on

and he was never the same personally or professionally again.

Who is number one? My number one, from the 1980s and

1990s. You mentioned Kathleen Turner. Pastiches of people like

Lana Turner, but one woman stance head and shoulders above them.

Linda Fiorentino. Look at this. Would you leave? Please? I have not

finish charming you. The you have not started. Give me a chance.

yourself a nice little cowgirl and make cow babies and leave me alone.

I am hunt like a horse -- hung. Normally this sort of woman, they

always end up paying in some way, dying, having to fall in love. Here,

she is pure evil. You hate her by the end of the film. Every gesture,

every line, it is a lie, she is extraordinary. You rarely see that.

The performance deserved an Oscar. This was originally made for

television, this film. If you look up her name, it comes up saying

that she was difficult to work with. She was a great actress. Next week,

we are going to be reviewing Life Of Pi. There is some strong

language. How important is the idea of the culture clash in your films?

Very much, it reflects my life. I grew up in Taiwan, and my parents

were from China. When I was 23 I went to the States. All my life,

feeding many things at the same time. I wanted to embrace the world

and be identified as a mixture of many things. How do you enjoy

London? And not at all. We sense and sensibility, set in the 19th

century, -- with. How did you adapt to working with these actors?

Prince Charles asked me at the premiere how I kept English actors

in order! It was a struggle. They run around and they argue a lot. I

think I came in with three Chinese films under my belt and I was a

respected film-maker, but a novice to English culture. You reside in

Devonshire? I linguistically, it is hard to come back in conversation

let alone argument with that sort of actress. It was daunting. He has

broken a vow. He made us believe he loved you. He did, he loved me.

want to talk about catching Tiger hidden dragon, a ground-breaking

movie. When you made the film, were you aware it would be a trial

process? -- trailblazer? Not at all. After making an English movie I was

a big shot! I wanted to do something that I had dreamt of sins

child put. Martial-arts -- childhood. I wanted to bring

quality to a B-movie. Hulk. Did it feel like the end of your career?

was fearless because of the encouragement of crouching tiger. I

got ambitious. I tried to have the same thing with American pop

culture, instead of Chinese pop culture. I think I gave it too much

thought. I treated it like a psychodrama. I thought about

retirement. I did not want to retire on a movie about anger, so I

went to make another small movie. I wanted to do, no ambition, just to

secure the story and performances. The camera stays close to the

actors. Me and my brother, we got work on a ranch. Until I was 19. He

got married. No more room for me. That is how I ended up here. What?

Those are more words then you have spoken in the past two weeks.

hell, that is the most I have spoken in a year. I did not know I

would bring the audience back. I thought it was a small art-house

movie, with a limited audience. I got nervous when the movie broke

out into the shopping centre. I thought I might be lynched.

American gay cowboys! How day you?! What are your memories of working

with Heath Ledger? He was a serious actor, sometimes nervous. I think

he was intense. He would clench his fists. When I remember him, I want

to remember him creating that character. It has a mortal quality.

I think that is precious. Why do you not let me be? Because of you,

I am like this. I am nothing, I am nowhere.

We also want to mention a documentary about the infamous case

of three teenagers who were wrongly imprisoned for the murder of 38-

year-old boys and their 18 year fight to free them. As I say that I

thought I was getting worthy, but this is magnificent.

In it is an incredible piece of film-making. Western Memphis. There

is a clip from a training film. It is the most ridiculous thing you

have seen in your life and you do not laugh because you remember

there were enough people taking it seriously to make sure, as we said,

318 year old boys were sent away for the best part of 20 years for

tragic murders they did not commit. Peter Jackson has produced this

film and taken the investigation, he has taken charge of that. The

film is interesting in the way it tells the story of the case with

new investigative material. Because of Western Memphis, they got out of

prison in the end. It is beautifully directed. The

director made another extraordinary work. The way she pieces it

together. You are watching a thriller. It would be interesting

anyway, but the characters, Damien Eccles, who you will become

obsessed by, take your breath away. You will be livid. You will also be

amazed. This film will send a chill down

the spine of anybody who was a teenager, listening to noisy music

and wearing strange clothes. In certain communities in the Deep

South, what becomes of view because of that. If people are interested

in the case, there is another documentary, Paradise Lost.

Western end this is properly brilliant and is out on 21st

December. Next week we are back at 20 2:45pm. We will review Life Of

Pi, Midnight's Children, and Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. Playing us

out tonight, Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren.

Thanks for watching. Good night. All of us harbour dark recesses of

violence and horror. I am a man hiding in the corner with a camera,

watching. How are you going to shoot the shower scene? Is there

any improper suggestion of nudity? She will not been used. She will be

wearing a shower cap. Show me footage now. I am under pressure

and the least you can do is to give me support. I've and your wife. I

have put up with those people who look through me as if I am

invisible because all they can see is the great and glorious Alfred