NEWS: SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2007 |
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11 October 2007 | |||
I find it ironic that other reviewers have faulted him for his sentimentality. There is a more positive review by Hélène Grumbach of France 3 in which she says, "Vincent Perez succeeds in making everything very clear and credible." Guillemette Odicino-Olivier of Telerama writes, "After Peau d'ange, Vincent Perez continues to intrigue with this drama... He treats the phenomenon with a realism and almost without special effects." Film critic Rob Gordon honors Vincent by his talent in choosing Olivia Thirlby. He also believes Vincent is very gifted behind the camera and his direction of his actors rather remarkable. And in the only English critique of the film thus far, Bernard Besserglik of The Hollywood Reporter, writes, "Duchovny's playing of Ben is too wooden, the screenplay's handling of the life-and-death issues too prosaic and the ending too contrived and sentimental for the movie to be truly affecting. On the plus side, Thirlby does an excellent job in the mother-daughter role, one minute a graceless schoolgirl, the next a mature, married woman stuck inside a teenager's body. Cinematographer Paul Sarossy adds the requisite sheen, while Perez, an actor making his second feature, knows enough not to overdo the sugar coating." Here are more photos from the premiere of Apocalypse Code: You can also check out the video coverage, which has some film clips from the movie as well as clips from co-star Anastasia Zavorotnuyk's TV series "My Beautiful Nanny". In an interview relating to the premiere, Vincent explained how Moscow had changed since last working there. He described the city-lit streets and beautiful restaurants. In fact, he is presently in negotiations to star in a film about the Russian pianist Rachmaninov. When asked what language he and Anastasia and his director spoke on the set, he responded, "English" but usually with an interpreter. When asked about his former girlfriend, Italian model Carla Bruni, he explained that despite the fact that they're both married, they remain very close and now that Carla is producing albums, she will call on his help. He also admits to being Catholic. However, he's not a zealous believer, nor does he attend church or consider himself Catholic spiritually, but he has a very strong faith in God. Director Vadim Shmelev was asked about working with Vincent - "He is incredibly nice. Very cool. A decent guy. We are close friends. He's a busy actor. Professional, tough, strong. I am simply delighted with him." Co-star Anastasia called Vincent "a huge star, but a humble man." She described him as having a wealth of projects and ongoing talks on the phone. He apparently was pleasantly surprised that the film production crew worked so quickly. Check out this link to watch a video interview with Vincent from last May. And read the new interview about the making of his latest film, Si j'étais toi. |
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8 October 2007 | |||
On a rainy October 5th evening, Vincent attended the premiere of his film Apocalypse Code. It was held at the Pushkinsky Cinema Hall in Moscow. As you can see, our Swiss star was surrounded by a bevy of lovely girls at the film's MTV party. It is Russia's most ambitious domestic film, shot in France, Italy, Norway, Malaysia, Russia and Ukraine. Check out the new publicity photos. In accepting this role, Vincent said, "The decisive factor for me was a good script and the multifaceted nature of my character." He added, "For a long time I had dreamed of playing such a character - complex and demonic... My character has ever-changing masks. I don't play predators very often, so it would be foolish of me not to use this opportunity to enhance my creative range." At an earlier press conference in June he admitted that he had his doubts that his co-star Anastasia Zavorotnuyk could play this heroic character since she's such a small woman. However, he says he can guarantee you that the strikes he received from her were very serious! He adds that they worked 12-hour days and Anastasia had great strength, both physical and emotional. As usual, Vincent did much of his own stunt work, once falling off a two-deck yacht, and in one scene, he falls down nine times in a row. He says he was satisfied with his work in the film and happy that he and his co-star became good friends. Anastasia told the press that Vincent and "evil" are almost mutually exclusive concepts because his charisma is so great. She kiddingly related her fear that women will hate her by the end of the film.
There's a video interview with Vincent regarding his upcoming film, Si j'étais toi, at the Allocine web site. The film opens in France on Wednesday. |
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3 October 2007 | |||
Vincent and his Si j'étais toi star, Olivia Thirlby, were presenters on Monday night at the NRJ Cine Awards, held at the Grand Rex in Paris. I've posted some photos below from that evening. I've read two reviews on the film and neither one was positive. Film critic Kevin Dutot faults David Duchovny for his lack of screen presence with the only glimmer of hope in the film being the young Olivia Thirlby, who manages to remain credible, bringing a sensitivity and softness to her role. He describes the story, caught between a family drama and fantasy, as having a number of incredible sequences giving minimum consistency. Thus, Duvot calls the screenplay "particularly bad". Cirtic Frédéric Mignard writes that unfortunately all the good intentions of the screenwriter are not enough to give consistency to the script. He believes as director, Vincent was too impersonal and too careful, dragging the film into a naive sentimentality. All three of the film's actors speak very highly of their director. Apparently, Vincent's career as an actor was of primary importance. Lili Taylor thinks, "the fact that he is an actor gives him a sensitivity which explains why he is so good. He is a true director. I think that during his career, he was already a director, but without the knowledge." Duchovny recognizes that "Vincent always listened to our ideas and instilled confidence. Olivia Thirlby declares that "words are not enough to give him justice"! Vincent admitted that he felt freer the second time around, "trusting my instincts, while seeking to avoid many traps." The film will premiere one week from today before French audiences. Before being interested in the cinema, Vincent had wanted to be a photographer, which is evident in the cinematography of his films. To obtain the visuals he wanted, he collaborated with the famous Canadian director of photography, Paul Sarossy. As a starting point, Vincent focused on the art of American painter Edward Hopper. His young star was personally chosen by him. The New York actress had only worked on the stage, but Vincent didn't hestitate for a second, admitting, "I was ready to give up the film if she wasn't in it, but Luc (Besson) immediately found her perfect". And he didn't regret his decision because directing his young starlet was a true revelation. Vincent describes her as "brilliant, invested, intelligent and generous." Olivia has since made ten films in the past two years. |
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25 September 2007 | |||
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