Soon after its release on the big screen, Goldfish opened to high critical acclaim from critics and viewers alike. Following its release on Friday, 1st September, a screening of the movie was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Films Division Auditorium in Delhi, on 3rd September 2023.
The film has received wide applause for being a heartfelt mother-daughter story and a tale that is “not-to-be-missed”. Its portrayal of raw and real emotions have tugged at the hearts of viewers worldwide.
For the uninitiated, Goldfish marks Kalki Koechlin returning to theatres after 4 years. Audiences can look forward to a soul-stirring story with refreshing performances.
Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter,...
The film has received wide applause for being a heartfelt mother-daughter story and a tale that is “not-to-be-missed”. Its portrayal of raw and real emotions have tugged at the hearts of viewers worldwide.
For the uninitiated, Goldfish marks Kalki Koechlin returning to theatres after 4 years. Audiences can look forward to a soul-stirring story with refreshing performances.
Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
New Delhi, Aug 28 (Ians) Known for her unconventional body of work, actress Kalki Koechlin, who skillfully portrayed the nuances of her character’s emotions in the movie ‘Goldfish’, said the colour of her skin limits her roles in Bollywood, and this role she knew it was cut out for her.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is presenting this stirring drama, which is directed by Pushan Kripalani and produced by Amit Saxena.
Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. This Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki said: “Goldfish was special because complex, layered, sensitive and funny scripts like that are rare to come by. Anyway there are few roles...
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is presenting this stirring drama, which is directed by Pushan Kripalani and produced by Amit Saxena.
Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. This Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki said: “Goldfish was special because complex, layered, sensitive and funny scripts like that are rare to come by. Anyway there are few roles...
- 8/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Splendid Films recently announced that in lieu of World Alzheimer’s Month, their upcoming movie Goldfish will now release on 1st September 2023. The film’s stellar star cast features Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur. Anurag Kashyap is presenting this stirring drama which is directed by Pushan Kripalani and produced by Amit Saxena.
This Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki, who skillfully portrays the nuances of her character’s emotions in the movie, shares, “Goldfish was special because complex, layered, sensitive and funny scripts like that are rare to come by. Anyway there are few roles for someone like me in the industry, since the color of my skin limits my roles in Bollywood, and this...
This Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki, who skillfully portrays the nuances of her character’s emotions in the movie, shares, “Goldfish was special because complex, layered, sensitive and funny scripts like that are rare to come by. Anyway there are few roles for someone like me in the industry, since the color of my skin limits my roles in Bollywood, and this...
- 8/28/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
After the emotional response from the trailer release of Goldfish, Splendid Films has now announced the release of the evocative soundtrack from the heart-warming film. The soulful music of the film adds to the overall aura created by the director amalgamating intense drama with profound emotions, syncing them seamlessly.
The soundtrack of Goldfish comprises five beautiful songs, namely, Bachpan Ki Galiyan, Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi, Chanda Se Chhup Ke, Piya Padh Lena and Rut Badle. The songs are sung by maestros such as Papon, Madhubani Bagchi, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pratibha Singh Baghel, and Om Bongane.
Bachpan Ki Galiyan is a beautifully written Thumri, Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi sung by Papon has lyrics that encapsulate the indecisive relationship between the characters of mother and daughter in the film. Chanda Se Chupke can be described as a light classical song. Pratibha Singh Baghel lends her beautiful voice for Piya Padh Lena – a...
The soundtrack of Goldfish comprises five beautiful songs, namely, Bachpan Ki Galiyan, Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi, Chanda Se Chhup Ke, Piya Padh Lena and Rut Badle. The songs are sung by maestros such as Papon, Madhubani Bagchi, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pratibha Singh Baghel, and Om Bongane.
Bachpan Ki Galiyan is a beautifully written Thumri, Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi sung by Papon has lyrics that encapsulate the indecisive relationship between the characters of mother and daughter in the film. Chanda Se Chupke can be described as a light classical song. Pratibha Singh Baghel lends her beautiful voice for Piya Padh Lena – a...
- 8/14/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
Mumbai, Aug 8 (Ians) A dark but heartfelt and emotional story, the trailer for ‘Goldfish’ is a tapestry of emotional conflict displaying a very sombre but real relationship between a mother and her daughter, who navigate the ups and downs of their relationship as they have to soon close the chapter due to the mother’s imminent demise.
The trailer offers a glimpse into the world of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin) and Sadhana (Deepti Naval) and how they discover a new side of their bitter-sweet relationship.
Addressing the core ethos of the film, which is about fostering a positive and supportive attitude for an individual or loved ones who are facing mental health challenges, ‘Goldfish’ aims to cover human psychology as well as the causes of mental deterioration and create awareness, advocate prevention and provide services with professional and holistic care.
Speaking about his directorial venture, Pushan Kripalani said, “’Goldfish’ began as a film about dementia,...
The trailer offers a glimpse into the world of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin) and Sadhana (Deepti Naval) and how they discover a new side of their bitter-sweet relationship.
Addressing the core ethos of the film, which is about fostering a positive and supportive attitude for an individual or loved ones who are facing mental health challenges, ‘Goldfish’ aims to cover human psychology as well as the causes of mental deterioration and create awareness, advocate prevention and provide services with professional and holistic care.
Speaking about his directorial venture, Pushan Kripalani said, “’Goldfish’ began as a film about dementia,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Splendid Films today released the trailer for Goldfish which will tug at your heart strings. At a first glance, the movie offers everything from drama and high intensity emotions, to sweet and warm moments. The trailer gives you a look into the world of Anamika (Kalki Koechlin) and Sadhana (Deepti Naval) and how they navigate through their bitter-sweet relationship. With ace actors such as Kalki Koechlin, Deepti Naval and Rajit Kapur gracing the screen, Goldfish promises to be a captivating watch.
Addressing the core ethos of the film which is about fostering a positive supportive while an individual or family faces mental health challenges. The cast of Goldfish including Deepti Naval, Rajit Kapur and Pushan Kripalani and Dilshad Khurana Psychologist and Head Mpower delved deeper into the importance, impact and nuances of mental health challenges and ways to cope.
Speaking about his directorial venture, Pushan Kripalani said, “Goldfish began as a film about dementia,...
Addressing the core ethos of the film which is about fostering a positive supportive while an individual or family faces mental health challenges. The cast of Goldfish including Deepti Naval, Rajit Kapur and Pushan Kripalani and Dilshad Khurana Psychologist and Head Mpower delved deeper into the importance, impact and nuances of mental health challenges and ways to cope.
Speaking about his directorial venture, Pushan Kripalani said, “Goldfish began as a film about dementia,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
Actress Kalki Koechlin is ‘excited’ to mark her return to the theatres with ‘Goldfish’, after four years, saying it is an international movie with raw humour and heart warming emotions.
Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the UK – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki was last seen in 2019 Hindi movie ‘Gully Boy’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. She also starred in the 2020 Tamil anthology drama ‘Paava Kadhaigal’, in the segment ‘Love Panna Uttranum’ as Penelope.
On September 30, 2019, Kalki confirmed her pregnancy with her boyfriend, Guy Hershberg, an Israeli musician. Their daughter was born on February 7, 2020 through water birth.
Talking about her experience...
Set in London, ‘Goldfish’ deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur, with some actors from the UK – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter, and of community.
Kalki was last seen in 2019 Hindi movie ‘Gully Boy’, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. She also starred in the 2020 Tamil anthology drama ‘Paava Kadhaigal’, in the segment ‘Love Panna Uttranum’ as Penelope.
On September 30, 2019, Kalki confirmed her pregnancy with her boyfriend, Guy Hershberg, an Israeli musician. Their daughter was born on February 7, 2020 through water birth.
Talking about her experience...
- 7/26/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Splendid Films today announced the release of their critically acclaimed, heartwarming film Goldfish. The film will be released in theatres in multiple cities across India and USA on 25th August 2023. Set in London, Goldfish deals with memory, music, mental health and identity. Anamika (Kalki Koechlin), the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana (Deepti Naval) because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Ana returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.
Goldfish marks Kalki Koechlin returning to theatres after 4 years. Audiences can expect a soul-stirring story with refreshing performances. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter,...
Goldfish marks Kalki Koechlin returning to theatres after 4 years. Audiences can expect a soul-stirring story with refreshing performances. Directed by Pushan Kripalani, this Indian-British-American production brings together powerhouse talents Deepti Naval, Kalki Koechlin and Rajit Kapur with some extraordinary actors from the United Kingdom – Bharti Patel, Gordon Warnecke, Ravin Ganatra and Shanaya Rafaat – to tell a delicate, timeless story of a mother and a daughter,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
The My Beautiful Laundrette screenwriter tweets about accident from his hospital bed.
Hanif Kureishi, the Oscar-nominated writer of landmark British film My Beautiful Laundrette, has revealed that he has been left without the use of his arms and legs after a taking a fall in Rome on Boxing Day (December 26).
In a series of tweets from hospital on Friday (January 6), Kureishi reported that after the fall it is “unclear whether I will ever be able to walk again, or whether I’ll ever be able to hold a pen.”
London-born Kureishi asked his Twitter followers for assistance with “voice assisted hardware and software,...
Hanif Kureishi, the Oscar-nominated writer of landmark British film My Beautiful Laundrette, has revealed that he has been left without the use of his arms and legs after a taking a fall in Rome on Boxing Day (December 26).
In a series of tweets from hospital on Friday (January 6), Kureishi reported that after the fall it is “unclear whether I will ever be able to walk again, or whether I’ll ever be able to hold a pen.”
London-born Kureishi asked his Twitter followers for assistance with “voice assisted hardware and software,...
- 1/7/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
The My Beautiful Laundrette screenwriter tweets about accident from his hospital bed.
Hanif Kureishi, the Oscar-nominated writer of landmark British film My Beautiful Laundrette, has revealed that he has been left without the use of his arms and legs after a taking a fall in Rome on Boxing Day (December 26).
In a series of tweets from hospital on Friday (January 6), Kureishi reported that after the fall it is “unclear whether I will ever be able to walk again, or whether I’ll ever be able to hold a pen.”
London-born Kureishi asked his Twitter followers for assistance with “voice assisted hardware and software,...
Hanif Kureishi, the Oscar-nominated writer of landmark British film My Beautiful Laundrette, has revealed that he has been left without the use of his arms and legs after a taking a fall in Rome on Boxing Day (December 26).
In a series of tweets from hospital on Friday (January 6), Kureishi reported that after the fall it is “unclear whether I will ever be able to walk again, or whether I’ll ever be able to hold a pen.”
London-born Kureishi asked his Twitter followers for assistance with “voice assisted hardware and software,...
- 1/7/2023
- ScreenDaily
Goldfish, an English language feature film directed by Pushan Kripalani, starring Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin is making waves and lots of applause at many prestigious festivals. After its world premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival, the film will have its European Premiere at 30th Raindance Film Festival. A BAFTA and Oscar qualifying festival this year it is running from 26th October – 5th November 2022 in London.
Apart from Deepti Naval and Kalki who play the lead roles of mother and daughter, the film, also stars the prolific actors Rajit Kapur, Gordon Warnecke (lead in ‘My Beautiful Laundrette), and Bharti Patel (Featured in BBC series Doctors) in pivotal roles.
Goldfish deals with memory and identity. Anamika, the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Ana returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman...
Apart from Deepti Naval and Kalki who play the lead roles of mother and daughter, the film, also stars the prolific actors Rajit Kapur, Gordon Warnecke (lead in ‘My Beautiful Laundrette), and Bharti Patel (Featured in BBC series Doctors) in pivotal roles.
Goldfish deals with memory and identity. Anamika, the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Ana returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman...
- 10/21/2022
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
‘Goldfish’, an English-language-feature directed by Pushan Kripalani starring veteran actress Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin received a heartening response at its World Premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival held from 5th-14th October in South Korea. The director Pushan Kripalani, lead actress Kalki Koechlin and producer Amit Saxena were present at the premiere screening.
Apart from Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin who play the lead roles of mother and daughter, the film also stars the prolific actors Rajit Kapur, Gordon Warnecke (lead in ‘My Beautiful Laundrette), and Bharti Patel (Featured in BBC series Doctors) in pivotal roles.
Goldfish deals with memory and identity. Anamika, the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Ana returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.
The film will have its...
Apart from Deepti Naval and Kalki Koechlin who play the lead roles of mother and daughter, the film also stars the prolific actors Rajit Kapur, Gordon Warnecke (lead in ‘My Beautiful Laundrette), and Bharti Patel (Featured in BBC series Doctors) in pivotal roles.
Goldfish deals with memory and identity. Anamika, the child of a mixed marriage, returns home to her estranged mother Sadhana because she is suffering from the onset of dementia. Ana returns to a neighbourhood she barely remembers, to a woman who sometimes doesn’t remember her.
The film will have its...
- 10/8/2022
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Indian actresses Kalki Koechlin and Deepti Naval will star in the upcoming film ‘Goldfish’ directed by cinematographer Pushan Kripalani. The film will explore the subject of dementia.
The film follows the story of Anamika, a half-Indian half-English woman, who returns home to the UK, to deal with her mother’s dementia and the scars of her childhood.
“It’s very difficult to make independent cinema, as it does not get funded easily and so it’s taken me this long to get to make this film. I feel that dealing with larger questions is only possible by examining the smaller parts of human relationships. I feel that my job is to further the human conversation and this was a wonderful way to attempt to do that, Kripalani told Variety.
Kripalani is returning to the director’s chair seven years after his acclaimed directorial debut ‘The Threshold’.
“Dementia is also going...
The film follows the story of Anamika, a half-Indian half-English woman, who returns home to the UK, to deal with her mother’s dementia and the scars of her childhood.
“It’s very difficult to make independent cinema, as it does not get funded easily and so it’s taken me this long to get to make this film. I feel that dealing with larger questions is only possible by examining the smaller parts of human relationships. I feel that my job is to further the human conversation and this was a wonderful way to attempt to do that, Kripalani told Variety.
Kripalani is returning to the director’s chair seven years after his acclaimed directorial debut ‘The Threshold’.
“Dementia is also going...
- 10/8/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Cinematographer Pushan Kripalani returns to the director’s chair with “Goldfish,” seven years after his acclaimed directorial debut “The Threshold.”
In the film, Anamika, a half-Indian half-English woman, returns home to the U.K. to deal with her mother’s dementia and the scars of her childhood. The cast includes Kalki Koechlin (“Sacred Games”), veteran Deepti Naval (“The Good Karma Hospital”), Gordon Warnecke (“Venus”), Rajit Kapur (“Rocket Boys”) and Bharti Patel (“The Undeclared War”).
“It’s very difficult to make independent cinema, as it does not get funded easily and so it’s taken me this long to get to make this film. I feel that dealing with larger questions is only possible by examining the smaller parts of human relationships. I feel that my job is to further the human conversation and this was a wonderful way to attempt to do that,” Kripalani told Variety.
“Dementia is also going...
In the film, Anamika, a half-Indian half-English woman, returns home to the U.K. to deal with her mother’s dementia and the scars of her childhood. The cast includes Kalki Koechlin (“Sacred Games”), veteran Deepti Naval (“The Good Karma Hospital”), Gordon Warnecke (“Venus”), Rajit Kapur (“Rocket Boys”) and Bharti Patel (“The Undeclared War”).
“It’s very difficult to make independent cinema, as it does not get funded easily and so it’s taken me this long to get to make this film. I feel that dealing with larger questions is only possible by examining the smaller parts of human relationships. I feel that my job is to further the human conversation and this was a wonderful way to attempt to do that,” Kripalani told Variety.
“Dementia is also going...
- 10/7/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The closing movie of the London Indian Film Festival (Liff) was Venus, the life-affirming story of a transitioning woman, named Sid, who suddenly discovers that she’s the father of a 14-year-old son from a previous relationship. We were fortunate enough to have Eisha Marjara (the director), Joe Balass (the producer), Jamie Mayers, and Gordon Warnecke in attendance after the screening to share insights into how the film was put together.
“I was obsessed with the idea of a transgender character finding a son,” explained Marjara. This was inspired by an earlier short film that the director made in 2012 called House for Sale. However, creating the final story for Venus was a long one. “In earlier drafts I showed more about the office and work, showing the challenges that she goes through there,” said Marjara, “I also showed more about Ralph and his friends, how he gets bullied.”
In the end,...
“I was obsessed with the idea of a transgender character finding a son,” explained Marjara. This was inspired by an earlier short film that the director made in 2012 called House for Sale. However, creating the final story for Venus was a long one. “In earlier drafts I showed more about the office and work, showing the challenges that she goes through there,” said Marjara, “I also showed more about Ralph and his friends, how he gets bullied.”
In the end,...
- 7/1/2018
- by Jonathan Howell
- Bollyspice
In the summer of 2017 Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis surprised Hollywood, London, and the entire entertainment world when he revealed that he is retiring from acting and would make no more films. His final performance in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s recently-released “Phantom Thread” has brought Day-Lewis his sixth Oscar nomination and his eighth Golden Globe nom (losing there to Gary Oldman for “Darkest Hour”).
One of the most respected actors of his generation, Day-Lewis is the only man who has won three Oscars for Best Actor. Those victories were for “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Lincoln” (2012). In fact he is one of only three men to win acting Oscars three times; the others are Walter Brennan and Jack Nicholson. In addition, he has won two Best Actor awards each from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
Most importantly (if retirement actually happens), he will have left...
One of the most respected actors of his generation, Day-Lewis is the only man who has won three Oscars for Best Actor. Those victories were for “My Left Foot” (1989), “There Will Be Blood” (2007), and “Lincoln” (2012). In fact he is one of only three men to win acting Oscars three times; the others are Walter Brennan and Jack Nicholson. In addition, he has won two Best Actor awards each from the Screen Actors Guild and the Golden Globes.
Most importantly (if retirement actually happens), he will have left...
- 2/3/2018
- by Tom O'Brien and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A television adaptation of the celebrated indie film “My Beautiful Laundrette” is in the works, with “The Big Sick” star Kumail Nanjiani attached to co-wrote and star, according to Variety. “Traffic” scribe Stephen Gaghan is executive producing with Super Deluxe, a production company best known for making bizarre viral video content. No distribution deal has been set for the series. With themes touching on immigration and Lgbt issues, the adaptation couldn’t be more timely.
Read More:Viral Videos at Sundance: Why Super Deluxe Belongs At Film Festivals (And Watch Their Short, ‘Deer Squad’)
Directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi, “My Beautiful Laundrette” charts a British Pakistini man (Gordon Warnecke) who opens a laundromat in London with his white punk boyfriend, originally played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film was hailed for its complex and comical take on tensions between London’s Pakistani and English communities. The British Film Institute...
Read More:Viral Videos at Sundance: Why Super Deluxe Belongs At Film Festivals (And Watch Their Short, ‘Deer Squad’)
Directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi, “My Beautiful Laundrette” charts a British Pakistini man (Gordon Warnecke) who opens a laundromat in London with his white punk boyfriend, originally played by Daniel Day-Lewis. The film was hailed for its complex and comical take on tensions between London’s Pakistani and English communities. The British Film Institute...
- 1/10/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Daniel Day-Lewis dropped a bombshell on fans of his work worldwide when he announced that he would be retiring from acting, just a few months before the release of his purported last role, in Paul Thomas-Anderson’s upcoming “Phantom Thread.” One of the world’s most coveted actors has a surprisingly nimble filmography. Even as it stretches back to the early eighties, Day-Lewis didn’t become a big name until his breakout role in Stephen Frears’ 1985 “My Beautiful Laundrette,” followed by a series of acclaimed roles in “A Room With a View,” “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” and “My Left Foot,” which won him the first of three Academy Awards. The other Oscars arrived for back-to-back roles in “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln,” leaving no doubt that the versatile performer was still at the top of his game.
See MoreDaniel Day-Lewis Announces He Is Retiring From Acting
But these highlights are only a few of the astonishing achievements in the actor’s robust output. Here are the ones we’ll treasure for all time, while holding out hope that this legendary talent’s final performance will land a spot as well.
“A Room With a View”
It was one of his very last supporting roles, but Daniel Day-Lewis was the embodiment of Cecil Vyse in Merchant Ivory’s 1986 adaptation of E.M. Forster’s “A Room With a View.” In lesser hands, Lucy Honeychurch’s jilted suitor might have been little more than a prissy sad sack; Day-Lewis invested the character with empathy, as if Cecil knew his reach exceeded his grasp. While Lucy may have viewed their match as a prison narrowly escaped, Day-Lewis’ performance suggested a man who couldn’t get beyond his own pince-nez, but loved her so much that he let her go. —Dana Harris
“The Age of Innocence” The emotions in Day-Lewis’s character are often big and ever present. But the performances that best showcase his talent are when he plays a more genteel character – his manner poised, cadence deliberate, body at rest. Yet in playing Newland Archer in Edith Wharton’s rigid 19th Century high society, he is effortless in accessing the desperate yearning that lies beneath his impossibly calm demeanor. His ability to translate complex thoughts, burning emotions and his character’s interior life through a completely placid surface is a marvel. —Chris O’Falt “Gangs of New York”
There’s a titanic force lurking under each of Day-Lewis’ roles, but nowhere was that energy unleashed better than in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 city-spanning epic “Gangs of New York.” Bill the Butcher combined the actor’s ferocity with an unbridled villainous streak, an antagonist as evil as he is charming. Day-Lewis has always excelled in quiet roles, but Bill is a reminder that his flair for the theatrical is rarely equalled. Watching Bill play to an audience inside a rowdy theater or to a gathered crowd of terrified citizens, there’s a twisted thrill in seeing a true performer playing a true performer. —Steve Greene
“The Last of the Mohicans” Arguably the actor’s most dreamy, overtly romantic role, Day-Lewis’ turn in Michael Mann’s 1992 historical action-adventure is both totally swoon-worthy and emotionally satisfying. As the adopted son of the eponymous last of the Mohican tribe, Day-Lewis plays his Hawkeye as a hero in the most classic sense, but aided by the actor’s formidable chops, the role (and the film) take on added dimension and complexity. Mann’s film is a heart-pounding adventure that doesn’t skimp on the tough stuff (people are scalped and burnt alive and commit suicide in order to escape worse fates, and that’s just the wide strokes), and it’s grounded by Day-Lewis’ trademark dedication and sincerity to the essential beats of his characters. Slipping easily between breakneck adventure (few movies contain so many scenes of artful running through the woods as “Mohicans”) and dreamy leading man (his chemistry with Madeleine Stowe all but aches right off the screen), turning in one of his more overlooked performances in a long line of lauded roles. It’s a film, and a part, that satisfies even more than two decades later. —Kate Erbland “Lincoln”
Day-Lewis won this third Best Actor Oscar — more than any actor in history — for playing the title role in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” because the movie is unimaginable without him. It took years for Spielberg to convince the recalcitrant Brit to play the American icon. Always willing to wait years between cherry-picked roles, replenishing his batteries by reengaging with the world, Day-Lewis finally broke down after Tony Kushner’s sprawling script focused on January 1865, when Lincoln maneuvered Congress into passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery in America. “The important thing is they got Lincoln,” Lincoln biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin told me at the L.A. premiere, “his stooped walk, his high-pitched voice, his humor.”
Day-Lewis is a draw for moviegoers because when the match is perfect between director and role, when it feels right, he gives his all. He embraces a role so totally that it consumes and overtakes him. He loses himself in the part throughout production. As usual, Day-Lewis’s preparation was intense. He worked in seclusion until he sent Spielberg tape recorder audio of his approximation of the 16h president’s reedy tenor. He nailed his first scene on-set, an eight-minute speech about the Emancipation Proclamation, on the first take with no on-set rehearsal. Day-Lewis stayed in character throughout the shoot, addressed by all as “Mr. President.” No socializing on set saves energy, Day-Lewis has said. It’s fair to say that Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln, and the people went to see it because the actor was in it. —Anne Thompson
“My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown”
Jim Sheridan’s period drama revolves about Christy Brown, the cerebral palsy-stricken painter who struggles to engage with the family around him until he discovers the one vocation he can control with his foot. However, that summary barely gets to the essence of the movie’s emotional core. It’s a naturally engaging story about perseverance against daunting physical challenges, made all the more heartbreaking by the intolerant times in which it takes place — but it would be nothing without the young Day-Lewis in the lead role, one that few actors could tackle without risking accusations of parody. Instead, he turns Brown into a vibrating, energetic creative figure battling to express his emotions and overcome the pity that surrounds him at every turn. It’s at once heartbreaking and hopeful, a testament to perseverance in which the performance embodies the themes to its core. Day-Lewis won his first Oscar for the role, and even as he continued to tackle new challenges, he already confirmed his mastery at this early stage. —Eric Kohn
“My Beautiful Laundrette”
From the start of his career Day-Lewis showed a penchant for muscular, angry and violent roles, starting with Stephen Frears’s searing 16 mm portrait of Margaret Thatcher’s London, “My Beautiful Laundrette,” which jumped from TV movie to arthouse phenomenon at the Edinburgh Film Festival. “I spent most of my time on the front line of London street life,” Day-Lewis said at the 2013 Santa Barbara Film Festival, “playing soccer, fighting on the school playground, and rebelling against authority and the British class system.” A controversial early exploration of sex, race and class, “My Beautiful Launderette” broke out Lewis, director Frears, rookie screenwriter Hanif Kureishi (who earned an Oscar nomination) and Working Title Films. With swaggering, sexy humor, Day-Lewis played Johnny, the street-tough ex-National Front boyfriend of Omar (Gordon Warnecke), the son of a Pakistani immigrant, who helps his childhood friend to renovate his uncle’s Battersea laundrette. Fears cast Day-Lewis after meeting him and asking him about his South London accent. Frears said: “‘You’re the son of a poet laureate, why are you speaking like that?’ He said he’d been to a comprehensive and had adopted it as a defence. Then he wrote me a letter saying he’d kill me if he wasn’t cast.” No one knew “My Beautiful Laundrette” would become an iconic film about the 1980s. —Anne Thompson
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” Day-Lewis was a perfect if unexpected choice to play Tomas, the detached lover at the center of this erotically charged adaptation of Czech novelist Milan Kundera’s most famous work. Disciplined in his practice surrounding sex and romantic attachments, Tomas bounces between Sabina (Lena Olin) and Tereza (Juliette Binoche) as both ravenous lover and aloof philosopher. Day-Lewis brings a perfect blend of lithe sexuality and mystery to Tomas, light on his feet and heavy in the head. He famously learned Czech for the part (a notoriously difficult language), and as a result his accent is spot on. What else would you expect from the man who made “method acting” a household term? —Jude Dry “There Will Be Blood”
His voice lowered to a rumbling baritone beneath a scruffy mustache, Daniel Plainview becomes an extraordinary figure of capitalist intensity within a matter of minutes. Paul Thomas-Anderson’s most audacious filmmaking feat was matched by Day-Lewis’ remarkable transformation into the scheming, relentless oil miner and the empire he cobbles together in the heat. From the virtuosic intensity of his early management of a drilling company to the psychotic extremes of his final stage, Plainview is emblematic of the darkness lurking at the center of the American dream — which is why it’s all the more extraordinary that he’s played by an Englishman.
But of course, he’s not just an Englishman, he’s Daniel Day-Lewis, an actor so capable of transforming himself that in “There Will Be Blood” he seems to be reborn before our very eyes. Hovering on the edge of camp, he manages to take a line that on paper sounds patently ridiculous — you know, something about drinking someone else’s milkshake — and turn it into an iconic moment in film history, one loaded with the rage of boundless American greed. He was a lock for Best Actor the moment the cameras stopped rolling.
Related storiesDaniel Day-Lewis Announces He Is Retiring From ActingIsabelle Huppert, Mariachi and a History Lesson: Cannes Celebrates Its 70th Year With a Lively NightMark Boal and Annapurna Pictures Are Getting Into the Documentary Business...
See MoreDaniel Day-Lewis Announces He Is Retiring From Acting
But these highlights are only a few of the astonishing achievements in the actor’s robust output. Here are the ones we’ll treasure for all time, while holding out hope that this legendary talent’s final performance will land a spot as well.
“A Room With a View”
It was one of his very last supporting roles, but Daniel Day-Lewis was the embodiment of Cecil Vyse in Merchant Ivory’s 1986 adaptation of E.M. Forster’s “A Room With a View.” In lesser hands, Lucy Honeychurch’s jilted suitor might have been little more than a prissy sad sack; Day-Lewis invested the character with empathy, as if Cecil knew his reach exceeded his grasp. While Lucy may have viewed their match as a prison narrowly escaped, Day-Lewis’ performance suggested a man who couldn’t get beyond his own pince-nez, but loved her so much that he let her go. —Dana Harris
“The Age of Innocence” The emotions in Day-Lewis’s character are often big and ever present. But the performances that best showcase his talent are when he plays a more genteel character – his manner poised, cadence deliberate, body at rest. Yet in playing Newland Archer in Edith Wharton’s rigid 19th Century high society, he is effortless in accessing the desperate yearning that lies beneath his impossibly calm demeanor. His ability to translate complex thoughts, burning emotions and his character’s interior life through a completely placid surface is a marvel. —Chris O’Falt “Gangs of New York”
There’s a titanic force lurking under each of Day-Lewis’ roles, but nowhere was that energy unleashed better than in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 city-spanning epic “Gangs of New York.” Bill the Butcher combined the actor’s ferocity with an unbridled villainous streak, an antagonist as evil as he is charming. Day-Lewis has always excelled in quiet roles, but Bill is a reminder that his flair for the theatrical is rarely equalled. Watching Bill play to an audience inside a rowdy theater or to a gathered crowd of terrified citizens, there’s a twisted thrill in seeing a true performer playing a true performer. —Steve Greene
“The Last of the Mohicans” Arguably the actor’s most dreamy, overtly romantic role, Day-Lewis’ turn in Michael Mann’s 1992 historical action-adventure is both totally swoon-worthy and emotionally satisfying. As the adopted son of the eponymous last of the Mohican tribe, Day-Lewis plays his Hawkeye as a hero in the most classic sense, but aided by the actor’s formidable chops, the role (and the film) take on added dimension and complexity. Mann’s film is a heart-pounding adventure that doesn’t skimp on the tough stuff (people are scalped and burnt alive and commit suicide in order to escape worse fates, and that’s just the wide strokes), and it’s grounded by Day-Lewis’ trademark dedication and sincerity to the essential beats of his characters. Slipping easily between breakneck adventure (few movies contain so many scenes of artful running through the woods as “Mohicans”) and dreamy leading man (his chemistry with Madeleine Stowe all but aches right off the screen), turning in one of his more overlooked performances in a long line of lauded roles. It’s a film, and a part, that satisfies even more than two decades later. —Kate Erbland “Lincoln”
Day-Lewis won this third Best Actor Oscar — more than any actor in history — for playing the title role in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” because the movie is unimaginable without him. It took years for Spielberg to convince the recalcitrant Brit to play the American icon. Always willing to wait years between cherry-picked roles, replenishing his batteries by reengaging with the world, Day-Lewis finally broke down after Tony Kushner’s sprawling script focused on January 1865, when Lincoln maneuvered Congress into passing the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which ended slavery in America. “The important thing is they got Lincoln,” Lincoln biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin told me at the L.A. premiere, “his stooped walk, his high-pitched voice, his humor.”
Day-Lewis is a draw for moviegoers because when the match is perfect between director and role, when it feels right, he gives his all. He embraces a role so totally that it consumes and overtakes him. He loses himself in the part throughout production. As usual, Day-Lewis’s preparation was intense. He worked in seclusion until he sent Spielberg tape recorder audio of his approximation of the 16h president’s reedy tenor. He nailed his first scene on-set, an eight-minute speech about the Emancipation Proclamation, on the first take with no on-set rehearsal. Day-Lewis stayed in character throughout the shoot, addressed by all as “Mr. President.” No socializing on set saves energy, Day-Lewis has said. It’s fair to say that Day-Lewis is Abraham Lincoln, and the people went to see it because the actor was in it. —Anne Thompson
“My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown”
Jim Sheridan’s period drama revolves about Christy Brown, the cerebral palsy-stricken painter who struggles to engage with the family around him until he discovers the one vocation he can control with his foot. However, that summary barely gets to the essence of the movie’s emotional core. It’s a naturally engaging story about perseverance against daunting physical challenges, made all the more heartbreaking by the intolerant times in which it takes place — but it would be nothing without the young Day-Lewis in the lead role, one that few actors could tackle without risking accusations of parody. Instead, he turns Brown into a vibrating, energetic creative figure battling to express his emotions and overcome the pity that surrounds him at every turn. It’s at once heartbreaking and hopeful, a testament to perseverance in which the performance embodies the themes to its core. Day-Lewis won his first Oscar for the role, and even as he continued to tackle new challenges, he already confirmed his mastery at this early stage. —Eric Kohn
“My Beautiful Laundrette”
From the start of his career Day-Lewis showed a penchant for muscular, angry and violent roles, starting with Stephen Frears’s searing 16 mm portrait of Margaret Thatcher’s London, “My Beautiful Laundrette,” which jumped from TV movie to arthouse phenomenon at the Edinburgh Film Festival. “I spent most of my time on the front line of London street life,” Day-Lewis said at the 2013 Santa Barbara Film Festival, “playing soccer, fighting on the school playground, and rebelling against authority and the British class system.” A controversial early exploration of sex, race and class, “My Beautiful Launderette” broke out Lewis, director Frears, rookie screenwriter Hanif Kureishi (who earned an Oscar nomination) and Working Title Films. With swaggering, sexy humor, Day-Lewis played Johnny, the street-tough ex-National Front boyfriend of Omar (Gordon Warnecke), the son of a Pakistani immigrant, who helps his childhood friend to renovate his uncle’s Battersea laundrette. Fears cast Day-Lewis after meeting him and asking him about his South London accent. Frears said: “‘You’re the son of a poet laureate, why are you speaking like that?’ He said he’d been to a comprehensive and had adopted it as a defence. Then he wrote me a letter saying he’d kill me if he wasn’t cast.” No one knew “My Beautiful Laundrette” would become an iconic film about the 1980s. —Anne Thompson
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” Day-Lewis was a perfect if unexpected choice to play Tomas, the detached lover at the center of this erotically charged adaptation of Czech novelist Milan Kundera’s most famous work. Disciplined in his practice surrounding sex and romantic attachments, Tomas bounces between Sabina (Lena Olin) and Tereza (Juliette Binoche) as both ravenous lover and aloof philosopher. Day-Lewis brings a perfect blend of lithe sexuality and mystery to Tomas, light on his feet and heavy in the head. He famously learned Czech for the part (a notoriously difficult language), and as a result his accent is spot on. What else would you expect from the man who made “method acting” a household term? —Jude Dry “There Will Be Blood”
His voice lowered to a rumbling baritone beneath a scruffy mustache, Daniel Plainview becomes an extraordinary figure of capitalist intensity within a matter of minutes. Paul Thomas-Anderson’s most audacious filmmaking feat was matched by Day-Lewis’ remarkable transformation into the scheming, relentless oil miner and the empire he cobbles together in the heat. From the virtuosic intensity of his early management of a drilling company to the psychotic extremes of his final stage, Plainview is emblematic of the darkness lurking at the center of the American dream — which is why it’s all the more extraordinary that he’s played by an Englishman.
But of course, he’s not just an Englishman, he’s Daniel Day-Lewis, an actor so capable of transforming himself that in “There Will Be Blood” he seems to be reborn before our very eyes. Hovering on the edge of camp, he manages to take a line that on paper sounds patently ridiculous — you know, something about drinking someone else’s milkshake — and turn it into an iconic moment in film history, one loaded with the rage of boundless American greed. He was a lock for Best Actor the moment the cameras stopped rolling.
Related storiesDaniel Day-Lewis Announces He Is Retiring From ActingIsabelle Huppert, Mariachi and a History Lesson: Cannes Celebrates Its 70th Year With a Lively NightMark Boal and Annapurna Pictures Are Getting Into the Documentary Business...
- 6/20/2017
- by Eric Kohn, Dana Harris, Kate Erbland, Steve Greene and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Totally relaxed in his Ritz-Carleton suite on Central Park South, his arms spread wide on a rather tasteful couch, Stephen Frears held court not at all like the monarch in his biggest success, The Queen, (2006). His press conference for his latest effort, Florence Foster Jenkins, will take place one hour later with about 40 journalists in attendance. His stars -- Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, and The Big Bang Theory’s Simon Helberg -- would then be asked 95% of the questions. Not surprising. Directors, for the most, part do not drive traffic to web sites, sadly, even ones as near legendary as Frears.
Besides helming six of his past female leads to Academy-Award-nominated performances (Michelle Pfeiffer and Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening in The Grifters, plus Judi Dench in both Philomena and Mrs. Henderson Presents) and one Oscar win (Helen Mirren as the aforementioned queen), Frears has...
Besides helming six of his past female leads to Academy-Award-nominated performances (Michelle Pfeiffer and Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons, Anjelica Huston and Annette Bening in The Grifters, plus Judi Dench in both Philomena and Mrs. Henderson Presents) and one Oscar win (Helen Mirren as the aforementioned queen), Frears has...
- 8/19/2016
- by Brandon Judell
- www.culturecatch.com
Gordon Warnecke: ‘Daniel Day-Lewis and I were forever kissing people. We were constantly tipping back Listerine’
When Hanif Kureishi’s script arrived through my letterbox, I wanted to shoot it right away. I’d made Walter, the film that was screened on the first night of Channel 4, and was all in favour of the fact that it was originally to be made for TV. Who in their right mind was going to go to the cinema to see a film about a gay Pakistani running a launderette?
Continue reading...
When Hanif Kureishi’s script arrived through my letterbox, I wanted to shoot it right away. I’d made Walter, the film that was screened on the first night of Channel 4, and was all in favour of the fact that it was originally to be made for TV. Who in their right mind was going to go to the cinema to see a film about a gay Pakistani running a launderette?
Continue reading...
- 12/1/2015
- by Interviews by Jack Watkins
- The Guardian - Film News
From "Milk" to "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, of which I'm a proud voting member, has released the Top 10 Best Lgbtqa movies every non-lgbtqa must and should see! And I agree with all the selections. Some are brutally and politically honest, some are just fun but all speak volumes about the history of Lgbtqa in and around the world of cinema!
Here's the complete press release with the aforementioned list! Do you agree?
November 24, 2015 . Hollywood, Ca.: Just in time for the holidays, as they say . . . the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (galeca.org) today announced its membership.s picks for their second .Galeca Ten Best. list: The 10 Best Lbgtqa Films Galeca Every Non-lgbtqa Person Should See!
Oscar winners to community classics to modern independent discoveries . there.s a movie for every persuasion here.
Critics from the 120-member organization...
Here's the complete press release with the aforementioned list! Do you agree?
November 24, 2015 . Hollywood, Ca.: Just in time for the holidays, as they say . . . the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (galeca.org) today announced its membership.s picks for their second .Galeca Ten Best. list: The 10 Best Lbgtqa Films Galeca Every Non-lgbtqa Person Should See!
Oscar winners to community classics to modern independent discoveries . there.s a movie for every persuasion here.
Critics from the 120-member organization...
- 11/24/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Just 20 movies.
First starting in the brilliant John Schlesinger film Sunday Bloody Sunday, Daniel Day-Lewis has become arguably one of the greatest and most highly regarded thespians in the history of cinema. And yet he has only 20 credits to his name. For a craft that sees even the biggest of Hollywood stars sign on for just about any project that comes their way, Daniel Day-Lewis has become a genre defining actor on almost a part-time like schedule.
It’s not something new for the actor either.
Look at one of his greatest achievements, Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette. 14 years after his debut, this marked his first performance of any real note, taking secondary billing in what would become one of the definitive cinematic achievements of 1980s British cinema.
Penned by Hanif Kureishi, My Beautiful Laundrette stars Gordon Warnecke as Omar, a young man who convinces his uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey...
First starting in the brilliant John Schlesinger film Sunday Bloody Sunday, Daniel Day-Lewis has become arguably one of the greatest and most highly regarded thespians in the history of cinema. And yet he has only 20 credits to his name. For a craft that sees even the biggest of Hollywood stars sign on for just about any project that comes their way, Daniel Day-Lewis has become a genre defining actor on almost a part-time like schedule.
It’s not something new for the actor either.
Look at one of his greatest achievements, Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette. 14 years after his debut, this marked his first performance of any real note, taking secondary billing in what would become one of the definitive cinematic achievements of 1980s British cinema.
Penned by Hanif Kureishi, My Beautiful Laundrette stars Gordon Warnecke as Omar, a young man who convinces his uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey...
- 7/24/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
[With Gay Pride festivities happening in various cities in June, we'll take a look back at a few gay classics. Here's Matthew Eng (who you'll remember from a couple of American Hustle pieces) on an Oscar nominated 80s classic - Editor]
Initially envisioned as a low-budget, Channel 4 telefilm, My Beautiful Laundrette cheekily challenged the Western moviegoing market upon its U.K. and U.S. releases in, respectively, 1985 and ’86. It became an out-of-nowhere arthouse hit, all while ironically embracing and blending a distinctive, regional-specific grouping of Thatcher-era South Londoners who fall under social categorizations normally left discrete or disregarded in modern-day moviemaking, both then and now. In the film, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young, business-minded Pakistani-Brit, sets out to renovate his uncle’s dreary laundrette into a clothes-cleaning arcade, a luxury laundrette “as big as the Ritz.” To do this, Omar recruits Johnny, his white former classmate and one-time lover, resulting in all the charged, complicated power shifts that would inevitably stem from a South Asian British man employing his former skinhead ex-boyfriend in Thatcherite England.
Arguably the film’s greatest claim to fame is that the smirking, blonde-streaked, and neck-licking...
Initially envisioned as a low-budget, Channel 4 telefilm, My Beautiful Laundrette cheekily challenged the Western moviegoing market upon its U.K. and U.S. releases in, respectively, 1985 and ’86. It became an out-of-nowhere arthouse hit, all while ironically embracing and blending a distinctive, regional-specific grouping of Thatcher-era South Londoners who fall under social categorizations normally left discrete or disregarded in modern-day moviemaking, both then and now. In the film, Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a young, business-minded Pakistani-Brit, sets out to renovate his uncle’s dreary laundrette into a clothes-cleaning arcade, a luxury laundrette “as big as the Ritz.” To do this, Omar recruits Johnny, his white former classmate and one-time lover, resulting in all the charged, complicated power shifts that would inevitably stem from a South Asian British man employing his former skinhead ex-boyfriend in Thatcherite England.
Arguably the film’s greatest claim to fame is that the smirking, blonde-streaked, and neck-licking...
- 6/20/2014
- by Matthew Eng
- FilmExperience
The quality of films at the Festival dipped for me somewhat today; combined with overcast skies and oppressive warmth in Edinburgh part of me wished I was at home in a bath of ice water. Things started fairly strong, with an interesting movie from Iceland called Jitters. Its unfortunate tagline is ‘Life is happening right here, right now.’ Thanks for that. I honestly couldn’t remember what the film was about when it started, having ticked it off as one to see weeks ago. Based on the title, I thought it might be a horror movie.
About halfway through I remembered that it has been widely described as ‘the Icelandic Skins.’ For me this isn’t a compliment. The movie is nowhere near as bad as that TV series is, but the description does underline part of the problem with the film: after a certain point, it feels like a soap opera.
About halfway through I remembered that it has been widely described as ‘the Icelandic Skins.’ For me this isn’t a compliment. The movie is nowhere near as bad as that TV series is, but the description does underline part of the problem with the film: after a certain point, it feels like a soap opera.
- 6/21/2011
- by Adam Whyte
- Obsessed with Film
The mood of south London in the 1980s - oppressively grey but shot through with racial and political tensions - is vividly captured by Stephen Frears in his breakthrough film, made for Channel 4 but promoted to the big screen and subsequent international success.
Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is a young British-Pakistani torn between his alcoholic father (Roshan Seth), a disillusioned socialist intent on sending his son to university, and rich uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), who wants Omar to follow his entrepreneurial lead. Nasser's gift to his nephew is a run-down south London laundrette, which by dubious means Omar transforms into a gleaming temple to the cleansed garment. He is helped by a boyhood friend, the leather-jacketed, peroxide-quiffed Johnny. This young man adrift in the dog-eat-dog years of Thatcher and squatting in filthy tenements gave Daniel Day-Lewis his first substantial role. Johnny's National Front sympathies are challenged when he reconnects with Omar and the pair embark, unexpectedly, on a passionate love affair - but Johnny's redemption is riddled with moral compromises. The Oscar-nominated screenplay was written by a young Hanif Kureishi, who casts a sharp eye on the complexities of race relations at a time of economic and social upheaval.
Continue reading...
Omar (Gordon Warnecke) is a young British-Pakistani torn between his alcoholic father (Roshan Seth), a disillusioned socialist intent on sending his son to university, and rich uncle Nasser (Saeed Jaffrey), who wants Omar to follow his entrepreneurial lead. Nasser's gift to his nephew is a run-down south London laundrette, which by dubious means Omar transforms into a gleaming temple to the cleansed garment. He is helped by a boyhood friend, the leather-jacketed, peroxide-quiffed Johnny. This young man adrift in the dog-eat-dog years of Thatcher and squatting in filthy tenements gave Daniel Day-Lewis his first substantial role. Johnny's National Front sympathies are challenged when he reconnects with Omar and the pair embark, unexpectedly, on a passionate love affair - but Johnny's redemption is riddled with moral compromises. The Oscar-nominated screenplay was written by a young Hanif Kureishi, who casts a sharp eye on the complexities of race relations at a time of economic and social upheaval.
Continue reading...
- 8/29/2009
- by Guardian Staff
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s not exactly news that as a mass medium, cinema has the power to dramatically influence and change public attitudes toward minority groups, often making them accessible and relatable to the mainstream.
Unfortunately, that power works the opposite way as well and the movie industry, under a strict legion of ‘so-called’ decency laws commonly referred to as the Hays Code enacted in the 1930s, tended to frown upon positive representations of the gay community up until the 1960s. Gays were still present on screen, but more often than not, they were limited to stereotypes such as the drag queen/transvestite, the degenerate, the depraved killer and so forth.
As The Celluloid Closet (1995) brilliantly revealed, many gay and bisexual men had their motivations buried in subtext – virile characters like Ben Hur, for instance, were blatantly bisexual, but had to be inconspicuous about their love for the boys.
As the years rolled on,...
Unfortunately, that power works the opposite way as well and the movie industry, under a strict legion of ‘so-called’ decency laws commonly referred to as the Hays Code enacted in the 1930s, tended to frown upon positive representations of the gay community up until the 1960s. Gays were still present on screen, but more often than not, they were limited to stereotypes such as the drag queen/transvestite, the degenerate, the depraved killer and so forth.
As The Celluloid Closet (1995) brilliantly revealed, many gay and bisexual men had their motivations buried in subtext – virile characters like Ben Hur, for instance, were blatantly bisexual, but had to be inconspicuous about their love for the boys.
As the years rolled on,...
- 8/19/2009
- by mohassan
- The Backlot
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