Thursday 17 April 2008

Even more Ridley

I've been a Ridley Scott fan ever since I was at school and first saw Alien (on laserdisc at a friend's house but that's another story). And while there are movies of his over the years that haven't connected with me, his hit rate is incredible. He's one of the filmmakers of my generation, a supreme stylist sure, but more than that, Scott creates onscreen worlds that totally envelope the audience in a way that few directors can. Scott's in his sixties now, but he seems to be working hard than ever. He's the kind of filmmaker who simply can't sit still. He's wrapping up Body Of Lies starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe for release this autumn, and has both Blood Meridian and Nottingham in development. And now he's added The Kind One to his busy slate. A period noir drama set to star the great Casey Affleck who was in the Scott-produced The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, the film is based on a novel by Tom Epperson, who will also pen the screenplay. According to Variety, the story, set in 1930s Los Angeles, "centres on an amnesiac who finds himself working for a mobster — a killer nicknamed "the Kind One" — and falling in love with the thug's girlfriend". It's an era Scott's not tackled before. And having produced the definitive future LA on film, I'm excited to see his period version.

6 comments:

Gerard said...

Tommy Lee Jones mentioned his recent efforts to aquire the priveleges to helm Blood Meridian around the release of No Country, and as much respect as I have for Scott, I have to say, for me, Jones is by far the more interesting choice...

Matt Jones said...

I agree in part-Jones' 'Three Burials...' was exquisite & he could no doubt bring a lot to Blood Meridian, however I'd LOVE to see Scott tackle a Western. I'm a huge fan of Scott also-the DVD releases of his films are some of the best & his commentaries have been like film school for me.
He's actually 70 now & I'm glad he's knocking out a picture a year. The 90s were a fallow period for him. Just this week I watched WHITE SQUALL for the first time & it ain' too shabby although GI JANE remains the nadir of his career.
The Director's cut of KINGDOM OF HEAVEN was a vast improvement on the theatrical release. I'm really looking forward to seeing the world he creates for Nottingham-(catchy title, let's be thankful Robin Hood didn't come from Hull or Bognor Regis!)

Mark Salisbury said...

For me, the biggest difference between the KOH theatrical release and the director's cut was the performance of Orlando Bloom. I'm no fan but I thought he was much better served by the longer version. Then again, so was Eva Green. The DC actually gave her a character, so you at least knew why she went mad.

70, eh? See, that'll teach me to rely on my memory rather than check. But I agree Jones would be a tremendous choice for BM. I thought Three Burials was an excellent piece of work.

For me, the most underrated Ridley is Someone To Watch Over Me. Granted I haven't seen it since it came out, but I remember really liking it. Then again, it could be my dodgy memory playing tricks on me...

Unknown said...

I dunno, Orlando Bloom was still very weak in the DC of KOH. He just wasn't believable as a leader of men. I just did not buy it and I don't think many others did. What I did like about the DC is that filled in more gaps plot-wise and let the story breathe.

Mark Salisbury said...

I agree, he's hardly convincing, but he's less weak in the DC because his character is more fleshed out.

Unknown said...

just wanted to add my 2 cents to this, as i just posted a link a/b Scott and i'm reading Blood Meridian...

Blood Meridian is... crazy violent. i don't even know how to begin to describe it. i picked it up after i finished reading "The Road" and i have NO idea how they could make this book work as a movie and if they DID if they would be able to turn a profit. for a good two-thirds of the book, the posse murder and scalp Mexican Indians (women and children too).

protest much? idk. would love to see the script on this one.