More from TIFF--
Watched the North Country press conference, and while it cut out suddenly at the end, it was an enjoyable viewing. I don't know why I didn't know that Niki Caro directed Whale Rider, which was absolutely stunning. I'm suddenly much more excited about North Country than I was previously. Plus, this was the first time I'd seen the trailer.
I normally hate Woody Harrelson, but I may be able to stomach him this time around. *G* I really enjoyed listening to Caro and Michael Seitzman (writer), and while Charlize Theron did do most of the talking and did call The Bean "baby" at one point (WTF?), she is the focal point of the movie, so you can understand why people want to talk to her.
I was immediately in love with the moderator, because he laid down the law early on, telling the reporters they had to sit down and stop taking pictures, and then went on to introduce the cast, writer and director. When he introduced Sean he said that while having the likes of Viggo and Elijah in town makes this seem like a LotR reunion, Sean Bean has had a long career before LotR and will continue to have a long (and excellent?) career for many years. Sean spent the intro not looking at anyone in particular in that way you do when people are saying nice things about you to others. *G* He also slouched a lot during the conference -- when he wasn't leaning forward, forearms on the table, fingers laced together -- which made him seem smaller than the people around him. He's certainly gone back to lean, however. Mmm.
If you haven't seen the pictures yet, he was wearing the same shirt and chain from the HoV party. When he wasn't answering questions, he had that sort of not-quite-blank look one gets when one is on a panel -- you're trying to listen to your fellow panellists, but at the same time you're racking your brains for what you could possibly say, and considering the time.
Sean answered a couple questions, the first about how he came to the project. He said he met and talked with Caro in San Antonio, I think? Had great chemistry with her, thinks that's very important, knew it was good writing and a solid caliber of cast and was very interested in being involved.
The next question was about his character, IIRC, and he talked a lot about how his character is very much in love with Theron's McDormand's, how he doesn't hold the same views as the male miners, how he's becoming a more "evolved" level of man, but also how difficult it is to take care of someone who is going through this situation. From an academic POV, I was once again captivated by how Sean (and other actors) blur the lines between their characters and themselves. Sometimes he talked about himself as if he was the character, and sometimes he delineated the distance.
The last question they asked him was about working with Charlize, I believe, and he spent some time praising her acting talent in a rather gracious manner, but other than that, there wasn't a lot of content to that particular question or answer. Each time they did closeups of him while he was answering questions they had a random fact about his career on the bottom of the screen. The two I remember were that he made his film debut in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio, and that he made his stage debut in RADA's 1983 version of Romeo and Juliet. (I think I've got the facts right there, yes?)
What I loved, though, was that right at the beginning of the conference, after all the reporters finally sat down, Sean took something out of his pocket (phone, maybe?) checked it, grinned, showed it to the guy beside him who also smiled, then folded it back up and put it away. *G*
And of course, the Bean tongue was in evidence, along with that lovely way he talks with his hands. All very nice to watch, and then the voice, oh, the voice. *happysigh*
Oh! Almost forgot. I caught him on the Rushes again, on the NC carpet this time, and essentially he talked about his character, about how he's a good guy who genuinely loves women, and how he's a bit more evolved than the people his wife has to deal with. It was a very short clip.
More TIFF photos--
Apparently it was excruciatingly hot and muggy at the North Country screening, which meant Sean sweated all over a lovely pinstripe suit (w/lavender shirt and coordinating [...looks like silk] striped tie). Pictures of him doing exactly that and from the NC conference are here.
And nieninque121, lovely person that she is, has uploaded and allowed me to link to some pictures of Sean from the screening that a friend of hers took here. They're quite nice, and have less of a media-staged feel to them, if that makes sense. He looks quite dashing.
I normally hate Woody Harrelson, but I may be able to stomach him this time around. *G* I really enjoyed listening to Caro and Michael Seitzman (writer), and while Charlize Theron did do most of the talking and did call The Bean "baby" at one point (WTF?), she is the focal point of the movie, so you can understand why people want to talk to her.
I was immediately in love with the moderator, because he laid down the law early on, telling the reporters they had to sit down and stop taking pictures, and then went on to introduce the cast, writer and director. When he introduced Sean he said that while having the likes of Viggo and Elijah in town makes this seem like a LotR reunion, Sean Bean has had a long career before LotR and will continue to have a long (and excellent?) career for many years. Sean spent the intro not looking at anyone in particular in that way you do when people are saying nice things about you to others. *G* He also slouched a lot during the conference -- when he wasn't leaning forward, forearms on the table, fingers laced together -- which made him seem smaller than the people around him. He's certainly gone back to lean, however. Mmm.
If you haven't seen the pictures yet, he was wearing the same shirt and chain from the HoV party. When he wasn't answering questions, he had that sort of not-quite-blank look one gets when one is on a panel -- you're trying to listen to your fellow panellists, but at the same time you're racking your brains for what you could possibly say, and considering the time.
Sean answered a couple questions, the first about how he came to the project. He said he met and talked with Caro in San Antonio, I think? Had great chemistry with her, thinks that's very important, knew it was good writing and a solid caliber of cast and was very interested in being involved.
The next question was about his character, IIRC, and he talked a lot about how his character is very much in love with Theron's McDormand's, how he doesn't hold the same views as the male miners, how he's becoming a more "evolved" level of man, but also how difficult it is to take care of someone who is going through this situation. From an academic POV, I was once again captivated by how Sean (and other actors) blur the lines between their characters and themselves. Sometimes he talked about himself as if he was the character, and sometimes he delineated the distance.
The last question they asked him was about working with Charlize, I believe, and he spent some time praising her acting talent in a rather gracious manner, but other than that, there wasn't a lot of content to that particular question or answer. Each time they did closeups of him while he was answering questions they had a random fact about his career on the bottom of the screen. The two I remember were that he made his film debut in Derek Jarman's Caravaggio, and that he made his stage debut in RADA's 1983 version of Romeo and Juliet. (I think I've got the facts right there, yes?)
What I loved, though, was that right at the beginning of the conference, after all the reporters finally sat down, Sean took something out of his pocket (phone, maybe?) checked it, grinned, showed it to the guy beside him who also smiled, then folded it back up and put it away. *G*
And of course, the Bean tongue was in evidence, along with that lovely way he talks with his hands. All very nice to watch, and then the voice, oh, the voice. *happysigh*
Oh! Almost forgot. I caught him on the Rushes again, on the NC carpet this time, and essentially he talked about his character, about how he's a good guy who genuinely loves women, and how he's a bit more evolved than the people his wife has to deal with. It was a very short clip.
More TIFF photos--
Apparently it was excruciatingly hot and muggy at the North Country screening, which meant Sean sweated all over a lovely pinstripe suit (w/lavender shirt and coordinating [...looks like silk] striped tie). Pictures of him doing exactly that and from the NC conference are here.
And nieninque121, lovely person that she is, has uploaded and allowed me to link to some pictures of Sean from the screening that a friend of hers took here. They're quite nice, and have less of a media-staged feel to them, if that makes sense. He looks quite dashing.