Richard Curtis is making a new film. Not everybody is impressed:
http://www.therakeandherald.tv/society/societystory.php?id=149
Edit 27/9/12
Sorry, we've had a rejig and the link has now changed to this: http://www.therakeandherald.tv/culture/culturestory.php?id=149
Ha.
To be fair, we have directors who make gritty, realistic films about the shitty parts of England (Mike Leigh, etc). So I rather like that there are one or two who only shoot the nice parts, or make England look nice and pretty and glamorous and yes, even unrealistic.
Is nice to have both!
Fair point.
but Cornwall... England? Don't say that round St Austell way or you'll wake up inside a pasty!
On that note I'd better log off and get back to work...
Ha, oh yes. Maybe he'll have a grumpy old man character who carries around the Cornish flag all the time and shouts at outsiders. (He'll probably eat a lot of pasties too.)
do you know if they're auditioning? I'm free on wednesday.
Cornwall is in England though, no matter what a handful of mental cases may claim.
Not sure about this time-travel nonsense, but I agree with zooo. It's nice to have some productions that aren't relentlessly dreary, pseudo-realist, depressing and/or actually-far-too-close-to-home guff.
Quote: zooo @ July 5 2012, 1:56 PM BSTHa.
To be fair, we have directors who make gritty, realistic films about the shitty parts of England (Mike Leigh, etc). So I rather like that there are one or two who only shoot the nice parts, or make England look nice and pretty and glamorous and yes, even unrealistic.
Is nice to have both!
I'd say that was more Ken Loach, who does like to depress us all, Mike Leigh makes uplifting and optimistic films about small everyday people, I thought. Leigh and Loach should not be compared, but are for some reason! I put Leigh way above Loach although the latter has made a good film or two.
But Curtis does indeed live in some kind of unreal chocolate box world which is ripe for slagging off. It's part of his ultra successful formula - put pretty ribbons on a piece of England that isn't really that great to live in and sell it to the unknowing Americans, result, huge box office and more millions for Curtis to spend on nice things. It's more opportunistic commerce than real art and I too think he sucks big.
Quote: Aaron @ July 5 2012, 3:45 PM BSTIt's nice to have some productions that aren't relentlessly dreary, pseudo-realist, depressing and/or actually-far-too-close-to-home guff.
Yes, they're called romcoms Aaron, and I think you'll find they outnumber the Loach type realism wallow by several to one, so you're okay there. I think Curtis and Loach should make a movie together, I'd like to see the result, if either manage to survive the ordeal.
How many British romcoms are there? Especially ones that get a reasonable sized budget. Almost none.
Quote: Aaron @ July 5 2012, 3:45 PM BSTCornwall is in England though, no matter what a handful of mental cases may claim.
That made me do a laugh.
Quote: zooo @ July 6 2012, 10:37 AM BSTHow many British romcoms are there? Especially ones that get a reasonable sized budget. Almost none.
Uh uh, there's a fair few, I'd guess at about almost as many as British 'realism' films out there. (If a film is made and set in Britain with mainly British actors then it is British, I think the hard line categorisation some bodies use based purely on where the funding comes from is distorting and barmy!) Notting Hill, Wimbledon, 4 Weddings, Love Actually, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare In Love, Bridget Jones etc. all Brit romcoms and all of them awful. >_<
It may just come down to personal taste for sure, but for me, there aren't many Brit realism type pics that are rank bad. Done with real British money on tight budgets, they say something meaty about aspects of British life and tell good stories, however dour or grimy or overdone some can be. Some I don't like at all, Nill By Mouth and that type, but are still a bit more interesting and involving than 'Posh English twat meets American bird and falls in love'. Curtis is an opportunistic 'creator' of glossy dross using Britain as his all in one chocolate box base. He's appalling! (And not even British.)
And Leigh's films are mainly comedies, which are in a different category (and class) from the gritty realism film makers altogether.
It is definitely just personal taste.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ July 7 2012, 10:27 AM BSTUh uh, there's a fair few, I'd guess at about almost as many as British 'realism' films out there. (If a film is made and set in Britain with mainly British actors then it is British, I think the hard line categorisation some bodies use based purely on where the funding comes from is distorting and barmy!) Notting Hill, Wimbledon, 4 Weddings, Love Actually, Sliding Doors, Shakespeare In Love, Bridget Jones etc. all Brit romcoms and all of them awful. >_<
Seven films over the last 18 years! Wow, tons.
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ July 6 2012, 6:53 AM BSTBut Curtis does indeed live in some kind of unreal chocolate box world which is ripe for slagging off. It's part of his ultra successful formula - put pretty ribbons on a piece of England that isn't really that great to live in and sell it to the unknowing Americans, result, huge box office and more millions for Curtis to spend on nice things. It's more opportunistic commerce than real art and I too think he sucks big.
Well put exactly, Mr Kipper!
Quote: Aaron @ July 7 2012, 10:36 AM BSTIt is definitely just personal taste.
Yes, can't argue with that. Some people like to watch flies buzzing round a dog dirt.
Quote: zooo @ July 7 2012, 11:10 AM BSTSeven films over the last 18 years! Wow, tons.
Seven films too many.
Quote: Ignatius Rake @ July 10 2012, 12:30 PM BSTSome people like to watch flies buzzing round a dog dirt.
What've Ant and Dec got to do with Richard Curtis films?
