Youth, Spotlight, The 33 Film 2016

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Everybody is going to be interested in this.

Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton star in Spotlight.

We need the full scope, that will put an end to this.

Antonio Banderas in the true story of The 33.

And Michael Caine in Youth and why he'll never direct.

The hours are too long! I like to go home early. Don't we all, Michael!

Joining me, as ever, is darling Danny Leigh,

is that cinematic siren of Fleet Street, Camilla Long.

In 2002, the Catholic Church was rocked by a Boston Globe expose

of widespread child abuse by its priests.

Journalists spent months investigating the abuse

Spotlight stars Mark Ruffalo and Michael Keaton.

I know there is then is you cannot tell me. But I also know there is a

story here. Do you think your paper has the resources to take them down?

I do. Do you? The film captures the secret

investigation we did at the Boston Globe in 2001, starting looking into

one priest who had abused 80 children, and in the process of

doing that investigation, the four of us and the investigative team,

Spotlight, uncovered the fact that there were many priests. 6% is 90,

90 priests. If there were 90 of these, people would know. Maybe they

do. There are, in certain cities that tends to be really Catholic,

Baltimore was one of them, Boston is not. What is unique about it there

is it is enmeshed in society. You want to sue the Catholic Church?

We're just filing a motion, but yes. The Church will fight is very hard,

which will not go unnoticed by our subscriber base. The power and the

culture of the Church in Boston, as a writer and director, it was an

entry point into the material. Understanding how important it is,

how important fate is in people's lives, how on the present the

Catholic Church is and was in Boston. It is certainly shifted

since this investigation. People need the Church more than ever right

now. The institution of the Catholic Church is a major problem on its

hands, it is a medieval, outdated institution that is betraying the

opinion who are still extremely grateful to the church. It is time!

They knew, and they let it happen to kids! OK?! It could have been you,

it could have been me, it could have been any adverse! We have got to

nail these scumbags, we have got to show people that nobody can get away

with this, not a priest, not a cardinal or a freaking Pope!

I hold journalism in high regard, I see its power, I know its place, but

working next to him and watching him work just elevated that. It is so

important that it stays independent, that it is fearless, that it ask the

hard questions, and that is when it works at its best. You have settled

several cases against the church. I cannot discuss that. There are no

records of the settlements. It is our responsibility to caution

authority, and it is not wise to take what powerful institutions

present at face value, pretty much at any time. I don't want you

recording this. You think he has got something? This is a celebration of

the craft of journalism at a time when I believe that it should be

celebrated, and remembered, as it is rapidly diminishing right in front

of our eyes. Two stories here, degenerative clergy and a bunch of

lawyers turning child abuse into a cottage industry. Which one do you

want us to right? Because we are writing one of them.

Why is this film just so brilliant? It is a good question, it is lean

and it is gripping, with great performances. It has been an Oscar

favourite, people will be wondering how good it is, it is exceptional,

and more than that, it treats us like adults, it never takes this

huge charm at its heart and artificially pumped it up with a

tear-jerking soundtrack. It treats us like adults, it needs to be

rewarded for that. You don't need to be a journalist or even like

journalists to admire this film, but it made me feel proud to be a

journalist, and I don't always feel proud to be a journalist. Speak for

yourself, I do! I have to be honest, I thought it was a little bit flat.

What?! A tiny bit flat and grey, to grave for my taste. What it is is a

bit by bit police procedural, which is very straightforward, but it is

the same headspace as being in a documentary. What you say is that it

is not pumped up, but what you get is something that sort of resembles

quite plodding real live. But the actual truth is that most of the

story was just there to be found, as they went along. That doesn't make a

really exciting movie. Par, my goodness! Archer! Anybody who did

not like it before... You are right, it is a grown-up, adult film. Those

are not bad things. I have heard gripes about how unflattering it can

be, but that is a strength, it is a film about a real investigation and

about real journalists. Journalism is about people in sensible footwear

and haircuts they have done themselves trying to make it to the

library. We have seen that before 100 million times. Because it is

real, you buy into the investigation, so when a character,

I am still talking! Still talking! When somebody says they are fighting

the system, you do not snigger and laugh, you do not wait for Aerosmith

to come onto the soundtrack, the film has that conviction and that

helped. Well, I thought another problem was it made you think

exactly what it wanted you to think right from the beginning. I felt

that the fact that there was very little detail about what actually

happened in need abuse cases... Oh, no! You had this amazing scene where

the Rachel McAdams character goes to speak to a priest, and he stands on

the doorstep and says, you know, I didn't Gregg these children, I know

what that is, I was raped myself. -- that is the best moment in the film,

you think, my God, there is another big story that is not covered. You

get 60 seconds of a cardinal grinning, that is not balanced. But

the film is about them, and I loved that it is not sentimental. The

horror of what they are reporting is enormous and horrific. They are

saying, trust us. I know they are not sensational in it, but it is a

disembodied voice trying to explain why these priest are there, trying

to explain why 6% of priest automatically molest minors. Apart

from that, there is no context. That is not part of the investigation.

That is not the actual investigation that the film is about. I am pretty

sure they covered it. That snippet, Stanley Tucci plays a lawyer, he

could have lean flamboyant and phoney, but it is perfectly

understated. Mark Ruffalo is talking to him, there are kids inside the

others who suffered abuse. 99 times out of 100, the film would follow

them inside the office, we would see the children crying, but the film

trusts us to know that child abuse is a bad thing without having to sit

a child actor weeping on camera. The film tries to think, maybe you are

grown ups, we don't need to tell you that already. But it also BGT cheesy

lines, how do you say no to God? -- it also feeds you. You say it is

restrained, but I think it is quite manipulative, and it is one-sided in

the sense that you don't get an idea of the context, they have to work

hard to give the context to the abuse. And I just felt, well, I have

been told exactly what to think in the first frame, and I'm going to

watch a lot of journalist doing their job, and admittedly brilliant

jobs. I work in a newsroom. In 2010, the world's media

was gripped by attempts to rescue 33 Chilean miners trapped underground

after a subterranean explosion. The 33 stars Antonio Banderas

and Juliette Binoche. Is that the only way in? The only

way in, the only way out. A serious accident has occurred at

the San Jose mine. Millions of people like me were watching

television with one idea in our minds, the supreme value of life.

The refuge is built for 30. So we are OK. Platforms are now in place a

specialised in deep drilling. A few dropped twice the size of the Empire

State Building shifted. I wanted to understand why 1 billion people were

so moved by the event when it happened, you know, because this is

a story that has captured more TV audience in the world. In fact, it

is three stories. There is the miners inside, trapped. It took 100

years for them to dig this deep! How long do you think that is going to

take?! There are the rescuers, which is the technical side. And the

families above ground that are fighting for the men that are

trapped. We want answers! I cannot give you answers unless you let me

in. The families never lost faith, never stopped believing that they

were alive, and they brought the news media, yelling and fighting at

the government. We all know is how this goes, the government shows up,

some good-looking guy in a suit tells us how much they care, how

much they will stop at nothing to save them, and they do nothing! If

it was not those women yelling and demanding justice, wanting to have

information, the story would never have happened that way, you know, we

never would have had a rescue mission, because nobody wanted to

spend money to save 33 men. They will close the mine and put up

the gravestones. And no, no, no! I don't believe that! They will dig us

out. And if they don't, our families will! With their bare hands if it is

necessary! What did you think of The 33? Part

of me loved this film, it is a Disney film made for a 12-year-old

audience, so I was very jolly and happy. You could almost feel the

Hollywood movie pitch as they came up out of the shaft, let's go! 33

adorable miners stuck in the ground, what could go wrong? It is kind of

epic in scale, you have the shifting mountain, which is quite

interesting, and the situation, it strikes in the middle a little bit,

but that is what it felt like down there as well. I should say to you

and... It is a terrible feel-good film. It does not set itself up as

anything more than a bit of a Disney 12-year-old film. It is something

that Simon Cowell would absolutely love, I think.

The underground disaster and the men trapped down there - you are with

them, you know each of these characters very well. Antonio

Banderas is this beacon of charisma. For once(!) It is good casting.

There are problems - this film is half fine. Once you go up top, there

are problems, there is a lot of malarkey going on. We saw Juliette

Binoche playing a poor Chilean street vendor. That is an odd piece

of casting. My eyebrows were raised when I saw her. It was supposed to

be Jennifer Lopez. A couple of days before the shoot... She said no! I

don't know if the same excuse covers Gabriel Byrne. From vowel to vowel,

you are swinging between Santiago and Dublin! You have Juliette, you

have Gabriel and his odd dialogue, the men are probably better off down

where they are! This is not a film for people going for the acting. Or

the excellent accents. The film is better when you are trapped

underground. Anybody who remembers watching it live, you just want to

watch that bit when you watch the film. The live footage is much more

dramatic. It is an odd thing to turn it into a film. You could have done

a grown-up documentary about what happened to their lives afterwards.

It was an extraordinary thing to happen. You have this peculiar

Disney film with food fantasy sequences and things. Antonio

Banderas, who is, who has come off a commercial where he talks to a

doughnut! We have all talked to doughnuts! You don't like grown-up

films, though! It is never-ending. Michael Caine has played more

than 160 movie roles but he's never conducted a symphony

orchestra - 'til now. Danny went to see him

about his latest film Youth - a bittersweet comedy

from Paolo Sorrentino - and delved back in time

to talk class, charisma, singing with Kermit and why he's

never directed a movie. How's it going Mr Ballinger? It is

going. I don't know where. But it's going! Did you take a kiss today?

Four drops. Youth was a film that was written

for you. I'm assuming that must be flattering but also a bit unnerving?

Absolutely right, it is very flattening, somebody like Paulo

Sorrentino. I was amazed that he had ever heard of me let alone write a

script to play a character who writes classical music and conducts

classical orchestras. So, it was an incredible challenge for me and

something that I loved because I spent all my life challenging

myself, which is my sense of competition, not other actors. Me,

I'm my own critic, I'm a much worse critic than a critic has ever been

about me. It is the location, the soprano... Please don't insist,

personal reasons. What are these bloody personal reasons? YELLOW I

compose the simple songs for my life. Only she has ever recorded

them. And as long as I live, she will be the only one to sing them.

The problem is, dear Sir, my wife can't sing anymore. Fred in Youth is

a composer. You have got a musical interest, you have released a

chill-out album. I love that. I love all music, including classical music

so, I was very happy with doing the music. It took me a bit of a while

to learn to conduct the 120-piece orchestra, but it was so fantastic

to do. That is one of the best things I ever did in a movie. You

have sung on-screen before, people will remember that? I sung in The

Christmas Carol, I sang with Kermit. # With an open smile

# I will bid you welcome # What is mine is yours

# With a glass raised to toast your health... #

# With a glass raised to toast your health... # hash

I don't sing that badly. I thought I sang badly. I had pt seen the movie

for ages. Do you still relish that feeling of being the star? I relish

it in every credit because you are there every day, it's a tremendous

responsibility and I have just had a wonderful time with Chris Nolan, I

have been in six pictures where I had great parts, but I never had the

responsibility of carrying the movie. I wouldn't presume to tell

you what to do with your past, Sir, just know there are those of us who

care about what you do with your future. You haven't given up on me

yet? Never. When did you realise that you were someone with charisma,

that you had presence? I know when! I was a stage actor in rep for a

long time, very young, and I went to Theatre Workshop with Joan

Littlewood, and it was group theatre. I'm a method actor. Then

one day I was rehearsing, I just started to speak and Joan said,

"Wait a minute, Michael, go off and come on again." I said, "What did I

do wrong?" You are not a bloody star, who do you think you are? I

said, "I didn't do anything." She said, "Don't do it again." We did

the play and we finished and she said, "You are fired!" She said, you

are not a group actor. Did you take that as a compliment? Yes, a tough

one, but I was broke! And out of work, you know. No-one told

Shaftsbury Avenue that I was a star! I got a big part in a play at the

Arts Theatre. I played a Cockney part. Si Enfield, he was making a

film called Zulu. He said, "Wait a minute, you don't look like a

Cockney tough guy to me." So I said, "I know." He said, "You look more

like the officer type." And he cast me as the officer. Fire! With the

class system in England at that time, I swear to you that no English

director would have cast me as a posh officer. It is only because of

Si Enfield was an American and he didn't understand the English class

system and that picture was my start, Zulu. I feel ashamed. Was

that how it was for you? The first time? First time? You think I could

stand this butcher's yard more than once? I didn't know. The first time

I ever watched myself was on Zulu. I went through the rushes and I threw

up on the floor, I was so disgusted, I wasn't as good looking as I

thought, I wasn't as good an actor as I thought, and I thought I was

terrible. I have never been back to rushes once. Do you ever dig out

your old films, or do you stumble across them? I come across them all

the time on television. I mean, Alfie is always on, Dirty Rotten

Scoundrels, Zulu, the Italian Job. Five, four, three, two, one... Go!

You are only supposed to blow the bloody doors off! You have to sit

back and do it. Not try and do anything. The camera is right there,

it can see everything. I always remember my first big lesson, which

is a fabulous lesson, I was playing a scene where I was drunk and we

were rehearsing. I came on drunk, started, he said, "Cut, what are you

doing?" I said, "I'm drunk in this scene, Sir." He said, no, you are

not. You are an actor who is trying to talk slurred and walk crooked. A

drunk is a man who is trying to speak properly and walk straight.

That's the art of film acting. The difference between the tragic and

tragedy is inevitability. Do you not want to direct? The hours are too

long! I want to go home early! You were right, music is all I

understand. You know why? You don't need words to understand it.

It just is. What did you think? I'm very fond of

it. People will have seen a film which is very elegant and sombre,

but it is a high-wire act and Youth is filled with risks. It feels like

Paulo Sorrentino would wake up every morning, have a bath and then summon

his assistant today, "What are we doing today?" We will have Maradona

playing keepy-uppies on a tennis court and Paloma Faith will play

Paloma Faith and Michael Caine will be directing a field of cows, why

don't we do that? There are times when it doesn't work. There are a

lot of times when it does work. It is crackers and impressively

crackers. Its sheer one-offness is there to be applauded. I do feel

having read what everybody else thinks that I'm all alone in this.

This is quite a pretentious film. Danny says I don't like grown-up

films. I don't like pretension films. I thought - you would get

Paulo Sorrentino waking up, deciding to do whatever you want and we are

on the receiving end of this, not dreary, but certainly incredibly

self-indulgent, dreamy, that feels like a spa stay in heaven, but ends

up feeling like a terrible enema treatment in hell! I thought it was

self-indulgent and apart from the beauty of the images, and I don't

think that is quite enough to get a film going, sorry, it was - they had

storylines that went nowhere. You would be introduced to this Maradona

character and this amazing bloated footballer type... He is a real

person. Exactly, with a tattoo on his back. All it is is a single

punchline, two-thirds of the way through the film, that is it. He

sort of then is shuffled off. No-one is likeable. Michael Caine is moany

and sour. No! I have been polite! I have. But, no, I found it - and this

might make me a total tool. I found it incredibly moving. I was lost. I

love Rachel Weisz. Jane Fonda smashes it! OK, this is - I also

thought it was a bit stagey the way they shouted at each other. I didn't

believe she would be going into television and abandoning the films.

Harvey Keitel was there... We are out of time. Danny, don't be grumpy!

What is your film of the week? Spotlight! The newsroom is a bit of

a stretch. Go on? Reluctantly Spotlight! But also see Youth!

Playing us out tonight on Holocaust Memorial Day

is the Oscar-nominated Hungarian movie Son of Saul.