Je revais de l'Afrique opened in France today and the reviews are starting to come in. It appears that the film might be more successful abroad. This must be encouraging news for Vincent!

Le Nouvel Observateur
Le Parisien - "Both Vincent Perez and especially Kim Basinger are excellent."
CPlanete
Le Nouveau Cinema - "Hugh Hudson's direction is impeccable; actors, perfect."
Les Echoes

From the public:

"Kim Basinger is perfect in the role of this combative and passionate woman. As a couple, Vincent Perez and Kim Basinger are astonishing."

"The actors are marvellous."

The photo below comes from the Traverso Collection. It was taken at the showing of I Dreamed of Africa on Saturday at Cannes. Vincent is absolutely glowing here accompanied by his beautiful wife, Karine, and director Hugh Hudson.

If anybody finds more Cannes pics of Vincent in the days and weeks ahead, please email me below with the URL, so they can be shared by all his fans. Merci beacoup :)

Here's one more of Vincent and Karine at Cannes -

You can also view the Cannes TF1 interview via RealPlayer at another site if you want to listen to Vincent speaking French without the English translation overlay. It's at http://www.tf1.fr/vod/cinema.htm. Thanks to Ume Fusayoshi of Tokyo for finding this site.

I've recently acquired the pressbook to Shot Through the Heart. The production notes were previously posted to the film page, but I've added five B&W photos of Vincent. You may have seen some of them before in smaller color photos.

There's a Cannes interview with Vincent that was televised on TF1 on May 19th which you can view on the Internet via your Windows Media Player. What's unique about this interview is that there's an English translator talking over Vincent's french, so at least you know what he's saying. It looks like it was a gorgeous day with Vincent sitting outdoors with a view of Cannes, the sea and a spectacular blue sky in the background.

The French press has reported that Kim Basinger "evoked personal and family reasons in declining the invitation, spreading rumors that her refusal could be explained by the lack of success in the US of her last film, I Dreamed of Africa, which was selected for the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes."

Since Ms. Basinger has opted not to attend, Catherine Deneuve will now have the honor of presenting the Palme d'Or Award with Vincent presenting the Best Actress Award during the closing ceremonies, which will be broadcast live on IFC tomorrow afternoon. Repeats will be shown four more times through Monday morning, and Bravo will also cover it twice tomorrow evening. Check your local TV cable guides for exact times for all these programs. IFC will also feature "50 Years of Cannes" an hour before the live broadcast of the closing ceremonies.

Our Cannes scout on the French Riviera (Laure) reports that Vincent was on TV last night with director Hugh Hudson, and Hugh said he didn't know whether Kim would come or not. You'd think she would have made up her mind by now. Well, I guess all the attention will have to go to Vincent!

Are you tired of looking at I Dreamed of Africa photos? Sorry, here's a few more :)

The one below on the right must have been cut from the film. It shows Paolo recuperating from the buffalo attack - right thigh is bandaged.

Comment about IDOA from the review by Colleen Garvey of Icast:  "The push and pull between Basinger and Perez is superb, and their romantic and domestic exchanges work beautifully."

I've posted an interview from the Voila French web site in which Vincent discusses his experiences while making I Dreamed of Africa. And pictured below are some photos from the pressbook. The middle photo is of director Hugh Hudson discussing a scene with his stars. Be sure to click on them for larger images.

There seems to have been some confusion about the release date of IDOA in France. Most sites are now reporting a May 24th date. I just discovered that the folks in France won't be reading subtitles. They've already dubbed the film in French. I'm not sure if Vincent did his own dubbing. At times it sounds like him. You can check it out at the following site: http://revedafrique.voila.fr. They have the trailer and a couple other clips that you can view via RealPlayer.

There's a Le Libertin interview on the Net with Josiane Balasko and Vincent. It's in French, but some of you can enjoy it. Even if you can't understand French, it's very easy to pick up Vincent's laugh.

I Dreamed of Africa will be shown at the film festival on Saturday, May 20 at 2 pm and 10 pm. (8 am and 4 pm EST). Further comments by Vincent: "The role of Paolo offered a new experiment for me in interpreting a real and contemporary character. Kuki's book was a source of inspiration. In addition to her book, as a starting point, I used a man of great talent, an adventurous photographer named Peter Beard. His way of living and his work helped me enter the skin of Paolo."

Four new gorgeous photos found on the Net! The article that went with them is actually the old 1996 biography from Astrophile, which is already included in the Archives. Join me in thanking Elizabeth Payne of Louisiana for alerting us to these great pics. I'm very grateful for all contributions I receive. This communal effort on behalf of Vincent in order to establish a professional web site that's comprehensive and the definitive place to access the latest news on his career is becoming more of a reality these days with the help of dedicated fans and friends. And to Immo in Germany and all my Canadian friends, a million thanks for all those international magazines you keep finding!

For those of you have not yet seen Le Bossu with English subtitles, there's a very humorous scene with Vincent and co-star Daniel Auteuil. Vincent, as the Duke of Nevers, has just received word from the beautiful Blanche de Caylus that she has borne him a daughter and awaits his arrival so they may be married. Lagardere (Auteuil) accompanies the Duke on his journey, and one evening they are shown getting ready to share a double bed. Their conversation is as follows:

Nevers: The old man... The King... wanted to marry me to a fat Flemish princess, Gertrud van den Bleucken. I can see his face when he hears! He thinks I only like boys! Ever dabbled in sodomy?"

Lagardere: Oh, no. No! (Carefully pulls the covers up high under his chin and gives this anxious look)

Nevers: Good, my friend, goodnight. (Lights out)

Our French contact, Laure Masseglia of Nice, reports that Studio magazine has announced that Vincent will appear in director Antoine de Caunes' next film, Les Morsures de l'aube, based on the novel of the same name by Tonino Benacquista. This role may possibly be just a cameo. More updates later.

More comments on Vincent's performance in I Dreamed of Africa:

Roughcut Reviews: "Perez is well cast for the women that will come to see this film, primarily in relation to his nomination as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People."

Thereelsite.com: " French actor Perez captures the essence of European nobility."

Mrshowbiz.com: "A terribly sexy Vincent Perez."

In almost all the reviews mentioning Vincent/Paolo, the following descriptions were used: handsome, charming, suave, debonair, charismatic, beautiful, dream date, babe husband, dashing, and exotic. Guess they've got the right man for the role!

I thought it was interesting that the French poster on the right shows the full view of Vincent's face, putting him on a par with Kim Basinger.

Yes, I've seen I Dreamed of Africa. No, I wouldn't give it thumbs up, though I am surprised that Roger Ebert gave it two out of four stars. (He'll be giving his review on TV tonight). I haven't yet read the book, (though I've packed it away for my Maine vacation), so it's hard to comment on its transfer to the screen. I agree with what many of the critics have said about the film being disjointed and characters not fully developed. I thought Kim Basinger's acting was right on target especially during the emotional scenes. There were a couple sequences that were filmed just beautifully - dialogue, music and cinematography all coming together. I don't want to spoil it for those of you who have yet to see the film, so I won't expand on that right now.

And now to Vincent - he had such a magnetic screen presence throughout the film. Director Hugh Hudson is so right when he says that the camera loves him. He can be photographed at any angle. He was so perfect as this passionate Italian, who relished adventure and lived for the moment as a free spirit. The "brief nudity" in the description of the film is Vincent's butt. Yes, girls, get ready for that.

Despite the lack of good reviews for the film, which is really based on poor direction, screenwriting and editing, I still believe that this role will advance his popularity in the US and abroad. The critics didn't fault his performance as they did Kim's. His acting was superb, and I especially loved him in all the scenes before they arrived in Africa. I just wish they had showed more of Venice and allowed screen time for their romance to bloom. It went much too quickly. Let me know what the rest of you think.

While surfing the Net for reviews, I came across a terrific wallpaper that you can use for your computer. It's one of the pics I've posted to the I Dreamed of Africa film page, except it's much larger and has been softened. After you've clicked on this "wallpaper" link and the image has fully downloaded, then click on your right mouse button and choose Set as Wallpaper.

Many thanks go to Ume Fusayoshi of Japan who wrote the other day giving me the URL for the web site where you can view the 5-minute film directed by Vincent called Hier, tu m'as dit demain. Visit: http://www.cine-courts.com/zone2courts/crips/hier.htm

Here are some excerpts about Vincent from reviews hot off the press!

San Jose Mercury News: "Perez, known mainly to art-house audiences, is more cosmopolitan and interesting than your average leading man."

Miami Herald: "As Paolo, the German-Spanish Perez (Indochine, Swept From The Sea), is all smolder and naked charm."

Hartford Courant: "Vincent Perez's darkly handsome Paolo, pulls Kuki from an idyllic life in Veneto to the rustic, even primitive hills of Kenya...There is not a trace of Italy in Basinger's playing of Kuki. Her acting contrasts glaringly with that of Perez, a Swiss-born Latin lover who has worked in France and Italy."

San Antonio Express-News: "Perez (The Crow: City of Angels) isn't always within camera view. He does, however, convince as a part-time husband filled with wanderlust."

Girlson.com: "The supporting players turn in fine performances–Perez is convincing as her roguish Italian husband."

If magazine: "Perez puts Paolo across with some ardor and the cinematography by Bernard Lutic is time-stoppingly beautiful."

Sacramento Bee: "Paolo Gallman (A perfectly cast Vincent Perez)."

Palo Alto Weekly: "Perez is easy on the eyes and the ideal physical representation of an exotic lover."

Spliced Online: "Vincent Perez -- a very versatile actor and the film's best asset."

Charlotte Observer: "Paolo (vivid Vincent Perez)."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "I Dreamed of Africa boasts a heartfelt, convincing performance by Basinger, her first since her Oscar-winning turn in L.A. Confidential and a charismatic Perez."

San Diego Union Tribune: "The French actor Vincent Perez, as Paolo, could get some of the impact juice from this film that Klaus Maria Brandauer did from Out of Africa."

San Francisco Chronicle: "Perez is likable as the macho Paolo."

Boston Herald: "Perez (Indochine,' Queen Margot,), often the passionate romantic, makes some sense of a man who leaves this beautiful woman on so many nights to hunt boar."

Box Office Magazine: "Vincent Perez is so personable as Paolo, it's easy to understand how he earns forgiveness for his constant emotional sins, and the two young actors who portray Kuki's son Emanuele as first a boy (Liam Aiken) and then a youth (Garrett Strommen) have equal charm."

Rocky Mountains News: "The charming Perez, most familiar from French movies, shows an engaging smile."

Toronto Star: "Vincent Perez, who plays Basinger's safari-happy husband, is almost as gorgeous as she, which possibly explains why he is banished to the family jeep for such long stretches at a time."

*****

The photos below are featured on the French Premiere web site announcing the news of Vincent's role in Bride of the Wind.

Allocine published the following article yesterday, again in regard to his new role. It's so complimentary and reflects exactly what we admire about him.

"Vincent Perez is an astonishing actor. The variety of his roles forces respect and admiration. Nothing indeed seems to quench his thirst to play and to invest in all projects that are different from one another.

Thus, he has just been allotted one of the principal roles in Bruce Beresford's new movie, Bride of the Wind. The film recalls the life of Alma Schindler (Sarah Wynter), a talented composer and musician, who gives up her dreams to marry Gustav Mahler (Jonathan Pryce). Finally, Vincent will manage to open out sexually and artistically. He will interpret the German expressionnist  painter, Oskar Kokoschka, once again pressing the ground of US cinema.

He has been admired in the very dark The Crow II, and he can be currently seen on the poster of I Dreamed of Africa in the US with Kim Basinger. And now this project arrives, proof that this French star can be separated from our borders.

Finally, no one can deny the obvious. Rare are actors able to pride themselves in playing such diametrically opposite roles and also export themselves abroad regularly like Vincent Perez.

Find an actor who can be incarnated as Diderot in Le Libertin and then play the role of a German expressionnist painter. Eclecticism is definitely the Master word of his career. For our greater pleasure."

Scripted by Marilyn Levy, Bride will concentrate on Alma Mahler's life in Vienna during the early 1900s and leading up to World War I. She lived from 1879-1964 and was considered a muse to some of the great minds of the 20th century. In 1902 she married Mahler, but ten years later, had a passionate affair with Kokoschka that lasted three years. In the cultural environment of Vienna at that time, he aroused a furious sensation both through his painting and as the author of two theatre plays about sex and violence. The two lived and travelled together, and when they were not making love, Kokoschka painted her.

In 1913, he created an allegorical representation of their love affair called "The Bride of the Wind", a vivid image in which the two lovers are whirling around the space. Even on Alma's 70th birthday, Oskar referred to his immortal loved one as a "wild creature" and was convinced that they were "united in the 'Bride of the Wind' forever."

"Bride of the Wind"

The $10 million-plus budgeted project will be headed by Australian director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies) and is expected to be released next year. The film will use Alma's music for the soundtrack. Shooting locations will include Vienna, Prague and possibly Germany.

Many thanks to Jennifer Bauer for sending this news update! It sounds like a great role for Vincent, who knows how to play passion so well. It's probably going to have limited release though being shown at arthouses, since the subject matter will not have widespread appeal. Gustav Mahler has been one of my favorite composers ever since Death in Venice, a beautiful film based on Thomas Mann's 1911 tragic novella. Perhaps they'll include some of his music in the film as well. Such good news to know there's something else very exciting to look forward to!

Here's a blurb about I Dreamed of Africa (two more days!!) from the Boston Globe: "Says costar Perez, 'Kim really threw herself into the role. She was working every single day for four months, and doing some really tough scenes. She was quite nervous at the beginning, but at the same time very passionate. She was carrying so much emotion in herself, so to see her deliver that in front of the camera, it was quite something.' Perez adds with a grin, 'It was also quite something to see Kim chase away that elephant that got into her garden in the movie, and to see her touch and handle those snakes.'"