alma
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Post by alma on Nov 1, 2013 19:02:19 GMT -5
 "I'm already carrying all your gear...if you also ask me to carry your fuschia backpack -- I am no superhero, you know!" - was this the dialog suggested by the above - LOL! Jo, that's the perfect quote! I think he really WAS complaining to Ava just how "heavy" all his load was! smiley-happy096 Alma |
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Post by njr on Nov 1, 2013 20:40:46 GMT -5
 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!I'd recognize those veins anywhere!  Nancy |
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Post by Jamie on Nov 1, 2013 21:44:37 GMT -5
"I'm already carrying all your gear...if you also ask me to carry your fuschia backpack -- I am no superhero, you know!" - was this the dialog suggested by the above - LOL! Jo, that's the perfect quote! I think he really WAS complaining to Ava just how "heavy" all his load was! smiley-happy096 Alma How do you spot a good man? His children hold his hand without complaining and totally enjoy playing with him. Then to top it off his wife actually likes him after almost 20 years of knowing him. He may not be a perfect human being, but he is a darn good one. |
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alma
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Post by alma on Nov 1, 2013 21:59:48 GMT -5
As you say, Jamie...
"He may not be a perfect human being" but he comes d*** close, doesn't he? smiley-love029
Alma
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Post by njr on Nov 2, 2013 11:46:48 GMT -5
As you say, Jamie... "He may not be a perfect human being" but he comes d*** close, doesn't he? smiley-love029 Alma Seriously, what are his flaws?! Nancy |
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Post by JH4HJ on Nov 2, 2013 13:16:46 GMT -5
As you say, Jamie... "He may not be a perfect human being" but he comes d*** close, doesn't he? smiley-love029 Alma Seriously, what are his flaws?! Nancy From the horse's mouth, as they say: I think I would argue the point about having a terrible memory. Actors, by necessity, have quite good memories (for "lines" etc.) but he's also proved he's very good (as some Regulars here can attest) with names and faces. Nothing really "new" - but more quotes here: 9 Hugh Jackman Quotes That Will Make You Believe In Love AgainIf he ever does, I hope he rethinks that one and changes "your" to "my" to avoid misinterpretation.  |
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alma
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Post by alma on Nov 2, 2013 20:27:41 GMT -5
As you say, Jamie... "He may not be a perfect human being" but he comes d*** close, doesn't he? smiley-love029 Alma Seriously, what are his flaws?! Nancy Well, Nancy, if we get REALLY picky... hmmm... maybe some of his role choices? I'm thinking 43. But then again, not everyone will agree with me, of that I'm sure. Alma |
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Post by Jamie on Nov 3, 2013 12:37:38 GMT -5
Seriously, what are his flaws?! Nancy Well, Nancy, if we get REALLY picky... hmmm... maybe some of his role choices? I'm thinking 43. But then again, not everyone will agree with me, of that I'm sure. Alma Oh he's got some major turkeys in that department: Movie 43, Scoop, Deception, Butter. Even the two rom coms are fairly lightweight. I do blame Australia on Baz not Hugh. That should have been his first Oscar nomination. Iconic characters such as Drover don't come along that often. That flaw of his mentioned before about "not saying no". I think he sometimes does things for friends or contracts that aren't in his best interests i.e. the Walmart appearance. He's at a stage in his career where it wouldn't hurt to throw his weight around a bit to be seen at his best. |
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jo
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Post by jo on Nov 3, 2013 13:12:32 GMT -5
Hugh seems like the type of person who will not always put his interest ahead, career-wise. That is not a bad thing, as far as I am concerned. I would not consider personal choices as faults. It is not necessarily bad if he is not always driven by career considerations all the time. Also, so long as it satisfies a personal goal for him and he seems to be happy about his decision, I would go along with him. He is not goal-oriented, he says, and maybe his career will not always reflect best-interest choices, but that is how and who he is. I think he has also said that the most important thing for him is that he tried! Some persons are like that and some may even have selfless motives for doing so.
His decision to do THE BOY FROM OZ for a whole year was viewed by some as possibly a career-killer for his Hollywood career at that time. But it opened new doors for him! And he seemed to be very happy with that decision. It is interesting that some career choices led to other unrelated career triumphs ( Oklahoma! leading to XMEN, The Boy from Oz leading to THE FOUNTAIN and ultimately LES MISERABLES. Now, two new musicals are being written with Hugh in mind ( HOUDINI and GREATEST SHOWMAN ON EARTH)...Denis Villeneuve also said that the reason he chose Hugh for PRISONERS was because he was impressed with his work in THE PRESTIGE ( not exactly similar in terms of the roles he potrayed in each movie). And I wonder what particular aspect of Hugh's work influenced the choice of his name for A STEADY RAIN, a play which was initially intended for the London theatre at first. The play was a project by the same people who produce the Bond movies.
Re his choices of Scoop and Deception --
*The chance to work with Woody Allen who has had some commercial and artistic successes in the last decade despite his films being Europe-based ( MatchPoint, Vicky/Cristina/Barcelona) or more recently, Blue Jasmine, must have been too tempting for Hugh. Scoop was a project that came suddenly. If I remember it correctly, it had replaced the film project scheduled for that summer where he was supposed to have played a Nazi sympathiser, based on a successful play. I can't remember the name of the play/movie project anymore. Personally, I did enjoy SCOOP. I thought the trio of Hugh, Scarlett, Woody and even Romula Garai was interesting casting ...and I did like the Brit setting of the movie.
*DECEPTION was the first project that SEED had undertaken. Hugh had the business model of Disney's Buena Vista for the company and DECEPTION was the first project to test its viability as a production company. The script could have been better and the direction could have been more adept -- but I thought the basic storyline was interesting. It was all about a world of Manhattan that did not seem acceptable to many but probably exists. There was a film noir vibe to it...and had it been a better-financed movie ( they were able to get good actors despite the low budget -Ewan, Michelle Williams and the even the incomparable Charlotte Rampling for a cameo...but unfortunately, the script could have been more polished and a more experienced director taken in), it might have been better-received. But as a first creative and financial project - I thought it had some good potential.
He eventually closed SEED because he said he realized producing was not among his special skills set. But the venture satisfied his interest in looking at the business side of the film business. Perhaps he wanted to test his business nose ( he seems to have some keen interest in economics and other aspects of business). Plus he worked hard on producing the spinoff movies of the XMEN franchise, which had also given him a chance to work out the financial ( via tax breaks) and artistic/creative platforms to film the movies in his native Australia . It must have given him some dimension of the business that actors never gain simply by being performers.
And I think the project AUSTRALIA was something that gave him great satisfction. It was a tribute to his homeland and he has great respect for Baz Luhrmann. Perhaps if Baz had been given more time to edit the movie, it would have landed with a better critic and audience reaction. Except for some inconsistencies and too long a plot, I would count AUSTRALIA among my favorite Hugh movies. Plus I do like Nicole Kidman a lot, too.
In his career choices, I think a major influence could be his longtime agent, Patrick Whitesell. PW had gone along with TBFO, helped package some movies ( Deception, Prisoners), prodded Hugh about Back on Broadway, and had worked hard to help Hugh get the role in Les Miserables. I think the professional relationship has been very good for Hugh -- including his now getting sole above-the-title billing for a potential biggest commercial hit in Hugh's career, DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. On the artistic side, it is likely that the future may also hold other Oscar opportunities for Hugh.
Jo
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Post by Jamie on Nov 3, 2013 15:10:21 GMT -5
Have to admit that Australia is a pet peeve with me. I absolutely LOVE that movie except about once every ten minutes when I want to throw a brick through the screen. Bad match move, bad CGI, continuity errors as long as your arm, gross historical errors and a script that was probably never story boarded. It doesn't have a story arc, it has a story kangaroo and doesn't seem to make up its mind if it is an epic, a drama, a comedy, a western, or an adventure quest. and tries to do it all at once.
Given one of the greatest casts anyone could request, magnificent acting, the clash of four different cultures, a period in history that virtually no one outside of Australia has ever heard about, and a country so scenically dramatic that it darn near leaps off the screen to French kiss you, it really upsets me that it is so sloppy.
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Post by birchie on Nov 3, 2013 17:42:02 GMT -5
Have to admit that Australia is a pet peeve with me. I absolutely LOVE that movie except about once every ten minutes when I want to throw a brick through the screen. Bad match move, bad CGI, continuity errors as long as your arm, gross historical errors and a script that was probably never story boarded. It doesn't have a story arc, it has a story kangaroo and doesn't seem to make up its mind if it is an epic, a drama, a comedy, a western, or an adventure quest. and tries to do it all at once. Given one of the greatest casts anyone could request, magnificent acting, the clash of four different cultures, a period in history that virtually no one outside of Australia has ever heard about, and a country so scenically dramatic that it darn near leaps off the screen to French kiss you, it really upsets me that it is so sloppy. Jamie, I have a lot of those same feelings towards Australia, although mostly I love it. I just have to grit my teeth or fast forward through a few parts. I don't have a problem with the genre or lack there-of. There are many movies that don't fit neatly into one genre and even Gone With The Wind could easily be said to have each of those same genre elements. I do agree wholeheartedly about the editing & cgi. One scene in particular drives me nuts...I don't know which category to blame but every time I see that paint splashed all over that horse that Nullah rides from the murder scene in the beginning I just want to scream! There should not be that much blood on the horse, if the husband was killed with a spear & fell off into the water. Even if he did bleed on the horse they show the animal coming out of the water so most of it would have been washed off, and indeed he doesn't have any paint on him when we see him emerge from the water. Finally, it looks so fake that it's just ridiculous. They should have just skipped the idea that there was any blood on the horse. That horse scene, the stampede scene and the dramatic scene near the end (ending #1) where someone is going to get shot (don't even get me started on that one!!), plus the final family scene (ending #2) which culminates with Nullah going off with the grandfather, all have serious editing &/or cgi flaws. I always think that Baz shot several versions of those 2 endings because he couldn't make up his mind how to end it. Then he cut & paste different parts of those versions together. Unfortunately, it's very obvious that those scenes are cobbled together! I think Baz should have let someone else edit the film because he was too close to it and too in love with all his ideas. Jo, I remember at the time that he was taking some flack for taking too long with the editing so I don't recall anything about him not having enough time. It may be that he wanted more time, but I don't think it would have helped. But in any case, Baz did a terrible job with what should have been an epic movie for the ages. The performances were so wonderful that they all deserved a movie that was put together with care. I think it's better than the sum of its parts, as they say, but I expected more. It's one of Hugh's best roles so I still love to watch it, but I fast forward through the parts I mentioned. Final note in keeping with the original comment...I don't consider it a flaw on Hugh's part at all. I think it was a great role choice and he was exceptional in it. It was just poorly executed by Baz. Sue |
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Post by caligirl on Nov 3, 2013 18:18:20 GMT -5
I have found great acting by Hugh in each of his movies. I love seeing his range. TBFO, Oklahoma, Australia, X-Men movies all, Deception, Prisoners, etc. Singing & dancing - yes! But oh when he shows his tough vulnerable side, i.e. Wace in Erskinville Kings this is where I see such depth. Keep doing dramas Hugh!
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Post by mamaleh on Nov 3, 2013 20:00:04 GMT -5
He has often said he doesn't have a career plan per se; he just does what appeals to him for whatever reason. He seems like a pretty happy person, so I'm guessing that tactic has worked out for him. (Jo, by the way, I think the film he almost did was THE GOOD GERMAN, but I could be mistaken.) As to films perceived as "clunkers," well, one person's clunker is another's favorite. Example: my hubby's favorite Hugh movie is DECEPTION. Chacun a son gout!
Ellen
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jo
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Post by jo on Nov 3, 2013 20:18:38 GMT -5
The prints were practically and almost literally taken away from Baz's hands the week prior to the film premiere. He was still working on it - and did not seem ready to release them. It was a very stressful time, but Fox had commitments and must have felt it could not wait any longer ( and maybe rightfully so). We followed the developments on the movie ( as closely as we followed Les Miserables on IMDB) on a special site for the movie created by Baz fans ( excellent site!) who also created a site for Moulin Rouge... and we knew that the movie could have been better had it been allowed more time for editing. That is how Baz works - meticulously, but with his creative mind always at the forefront of everything ( he was in the editing room all the time - my impression was that he had to have a hand in everything)! If you saw the 6 semi-documentary clips that were part of the blu-ray ( not sure if they were in the DVD) and which were released ahead of the movie - they were excellent expositions on film-making, using Australia as the example -- it showed great promise for the movie. Very educational and showed a really creative aspect of Baz's talents! Sadly, the could-have-been did not happen. Or maybe Baz's cinematic vision is sometimes too far out to be actualized in a pragmatic way. My main complaints of the movie was the way the personality of Lady Ashley was portrayed at the beginning, I liked her much better when the serious side emerged after the stampede. I also did not like the protracted treatment of the war ( it could have been another movie altogether, with its almost epic proportions, although there were some outstanding scenes such as the bar scene with the Drover and Mugarri as well as the island rescue)... and the ending scenes with the villain. The war scenes could have been used simply for its background impact and the latter showed too much melodramatic villainy. Because of the length of the movie and perhaps due to budget limitations, the CGIs did not blend too well with real scenes shot. Maybe the project could have been given more of an epic filmmaking privileges than it was allowed to be. But of course, it was made under the reign of Tom Rothman In the case of Great Gatsby, the same delays occured. But the producers decided to give him more leeway and withdrew it from its Christmas Day release. That paved the way for the new release date for Les Miserables, otherwise, Les Miserables would have been forced to open at around the same time as The Hobbit. Great Gatsby was released the following late spring/early summer -- it also received mixed reviews ( which Baz movie is not divisive smiley-rolleyes010) but it was a commercial hit ( $ 349 milion overall, with the domestic take at $ 145 million and the foreign markets contributing $ 204 million)! Interestingly, Hugh had asked Baz to help create the movie musicals sequence ( with Beyonce, Amanda, Dominic Cooper, Vanessa H and Zac Efron) for the 2009 Oscars, a few months after Australia was released. Again, the production number seemed almost unwieldy but in all the chaos, you could sense the spectacular way musicals had evolved as a revived genre. Jo |
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Post by Jamie on Nov 3, 2013 21:05:37 GMT -5
This was one of mine as well. The Lady of the Manor capable of running a huge property, travels 10,000 which if done by aircraft of the day took a minimum of three days at least the last leg of which is without bathroom facilities and she steps out looking as if she has been shopping at Harrods and proceeds to have a Victorian snit fit because her panties land in the dust. I don't think so. You know someone who has probably ridden in a fox hunt isn't going to freak over shooting a Kangaroo. It's almost as if there are two different scripts for two different women. Nicole really did get the worst of the script until the latter half and even there where was she packing that gown and tuxedo on the trek across the desert? You know they probably weren't at a local Darwin dress shop in 1939.
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Post by jo on Nov 3, 2013 21:08:40 GMT -5
It's true - he has never said that his career is at the forefront of what makes him truly happy as a person. I think he is a person who has a set of values that many can emulate! Thanks - it was THE GOOD GERMAN, which I remember you and a few had reservations about because it would be hard to be sympathetic with the character he would play, even if it was to supposed to be excellent material. I did get a copy of the material and it would have probably worked better as a play. LOL- tell your hubby that DECEPTION is one of my guilty pleasures, too. Although I think I have too many of them - I think so long as Hugh is in it, it qualifies as such in most cases ...More seriously, I think it was just the movie denouement which seemed too machinated to have truly happened. It could have been rewritten and could have come out as a successful film noir for current tastes. Can't complain about the acting though - I almost hated the Hugh character at some points. Strange indeed for this Hugh fan Jo |
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Post by birchie on Nov 4, 2013 12:32:12 GMT -5
Another interview from the Angel Ball. Celebs being asked Angel questions and Hugh answers a few...he had to have a hint on the It's A Wonderful Life question LOL!
Sue
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alma
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Post by alma on Nov 4, 2013 13:32:55 GMT -5
Reading all the different opinions, I was just thinking... this felt just like a bunch of great friends sitting around a table at our favorite restaurant, chatting about our favorite subject. Don't I wish... I guess the only advantage of having our chats HERE, is that we can relive them again and again... Oh, yeah: and we can make sure we didn't miss a word of what anyone had to say, haha, unlike in a real group get-together... Hugs, FRIENDS! Alma
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Post by jo on Nov 4, 2013 22:36:40 GMT -5
Prompting from the wing(s) - LOL!
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Post by jo on Nov 13, 2013 14:59:13 GMT -5
 Lovely photo! |
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Post by JH4HJ on Nov 16, 2013 12:12:57 GMT -5
I do blame Australia on Baz not Hugh. That should have been his first Oscar nomination. Iconic characters such as Drover don't come along that often. I totally agree. I was really looking forward to this but found myself sadly disappointed. A bit of hyperbole, but I think Baz filmed a fabulous 8-10-12 hour mini-series, then they gave all the raw footage to a deaf/dumb/blind man who edited it down to a 2+ hour movie. This should/would/could have been better as another Thorn Birds. The movie went in too many directions too quickly. I wanted to know more about so many things/people. I know it was a long movie, but it wasn't nearly long enough IMHO. (Though I could probably say that any time Hugh is on the stage/screen. ) This epic story (multiple stories, actually) would have fared better as a series; there was far too much going on to squeeze it all into single film. Definitely the fault of the director, not the actors. |
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Post by carouselkathy on Nov 16, 2013 19:05:58 GMT -5
I do blame Australia on Baz not Hugh. That should have been his first Oscar nomination. Iconic characters such as Drover don't come along that often. I totally agree. I was really looking forward to this but found myself sadly disappointed. A bit of hyperbole, but I think Baz filmed a fabulous 8-10-12 hour mini-series, then they gave all the raw footage to a deaf/dumb/blind man who edited it down to a 2+ hour movie. This should/would/could have been better as another Thorn Birds. The movie went in too many directions too quickly. I wanted to know more about so many things/people. I know it was a long movie, but it wasn't nearly long enough IMHO. (Though I could probably say that any time Hugh is on the stage/screen. ) This epic story (multiple stories, actually) would have fared better as a series; there was far too much going on to squeeze it all into single film. Definitely the fault of the director, not the actors. I agree! There were continuity problems that the script supervisor should have caught. Remember the scene on the dock when the Drover has just had the tearful reunion with "Mrs. Boss"? When they cut to the officer, Hugh is standing next to Nicole. On the next cut, he's behind her, and on the 3rd, he's next to her again. It was an obvious error, and typical of Lurhman's work. I hated TITANIC too...lots of flaws and a stupid screenplay, but nobody cared because of the special effects and the tragic love story. |
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Post by jo on Nov 17, 2013 17:01:07 GMT -5
Hugh was interviewed for a radio show ( I suspect re publicity for the release of the home video - BluRay/DVD- for The Wolverine) -- One of my favorite duets ever! CHESS is so rich in lovely music ( written by ABBA) such as ANTHEM, I KNOW HIM SO WELL, ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK, etc., -- if you can get a copy of the album, it is well worth the listen! I first heard YOU AND I sung so well by Michael Ball and Elaine Paige and I fell in love with it! It is such a dramatic love duet ( the lyrics tell such a story), as CHESS includes the story of a Russian grandmaster and the woman ( who was assisting his American opponent) he fell in love with. He was involved in a chess exhibition in Italy with an American grandmaster who was a close match to Bobby Fischer...and he was thinking of defecting to the West ( the time was at the height of the Cold War). Did they have a happy ending? The background story gives the song You And I extra meaning. I found a clip on YT of Michael and Elaine's performance for a TV series of Michael in 1993 ( 20 years ago!) -- www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxNtEHlPUasBegging your indulgence -- but I can't help but share my favorite song from CHESS called ANTHEM. In this open-air concert at Hyde Park, Michael Ball sings it also. I wonder if Hugh and Deb also love this song? www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTZ4Wwz1-EISorry - if my love for CHESS is showing Jo |
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Post by jo on Nov 17, 2013 18:47:09 GMT -5
K&J is an Australian radio show - I was too late to catch it online. But here are some tweets on some of the questions re Hugh. Maybe they also interviewed Deb?
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Post by mamaleh on Nov 18, 2013 0:23:40 GMT -5
Kyle and Jackie O compared Hugh's and Deb's responses to the same questions in separate interviews. I think they agreed on only one answer, LOL. Hugh also revealed that he borrowed the Minecraft head-box Halloween costume from the principal of Ava's school. Fun interview.
Ellen
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