Wednesday 28 October 2009

Justine Waddell 2002 magazine article

I was going through some old magazines in the attic at the weekend and I discovered a Justine Waddell article in the 27 October 2002 issue of The Mail on Sunday's You magazine. I don't see very much material on Justine online so I thought I would share it with you...

Friday 16 October 2009

Emily Blunt in Philip K Dick adaptation

Another piece of news caught my eye on the Daily Mail site today:

Emily Blunt has had her pins en pointe preparing to play a ballerina who catches Matt Damon's eye.

The two star in The Adjustment Bureau, a movie based on a short story by Philip K. Dick. The London-born actress studied with the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, based down in the Chelsea district of Manhattan, and worked on several pieces of choreography to prepare for the part.

In the movie, Damon plays a politician who falls in love with the dancer. However, he gets the feeling that his romantic liaison is somehow being 'controlled' by otherworldly forces.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk

I must dig out my PKD books and read that story again.

Felicity Jones in Albatross

Just seen this on the Daily Mail webpage:

Watch out for... Julia Ormond, Sebastian Koch and Felicity Jones, who are in negotiations to star in a movie called Albatross, which will be directed by Niall MacCormick, who made the TV drama about young Mrs Thatcher, The Long Walk To Finchley, with Andrea Riseborough. Albatross is about a failed writer, a beach house and a young woman. Filming will take place on the Isle of Man. Mr Koch was in the award-winning film The Lives Of Others.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk

Sunday 11 October 2009

Ruth Wilson in Sunday Telegraph magazine

I'm in the habit of checking the magazines that are included with newspapers on Saturdays and Sundays. Sometimes it pays off as it did this morning. Today's Sunday Telegraph magazine came with a Ruth Wilson cover and four page article.

Here are the inevitable scans:



The article covers most of Ruth's work paying special attention to Capturing Mary and A Real Summer. The Prisoner's "difficult" shoot and Small Island also get name-checked as does Ruth's continuing theater work.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Emma episode 1


The first episode of Emma aired on Sunday night and I finally have the time to write down a few thoughts. I won't give a plot summary as you've either seen it or an earlier version or read the book.

The episode did leave me feeling a bit "meh". It wasn't bad by any means. I just think it was very much a scene setting exercise. (I wonder if a three part adaptation might have been better...)

Romola did a good job playing Emma as a little unlikable. She's being selfish and mean but doesn't realise it. We don't hate her but we hate what she is doing. At the end of the episode Knightley gives her a good talking to and she perhaps starts to realise that somewhere along the way she has done something wrong.

(Actually I was waiting for him to say "it was badly done, Emma" but he never did. Mark Strong got to say that line twice in the Kate Beckinsale version. Hopefully we will hear it after the picnic scene.)

Jonny Lee Miller was fine but I thought he lacked the gravitas I think the character needs. I was thinking Toby Jones would slot in well, but then you may as well go the whole way and cast the wonderful Ruth Wilson as Emma!

Michael Gambon was brilliant with what little he had to do as her father.

Tamsin Greig was very good as Miss Bates. There was a little moment where she is about to read Jane's latest letter to her invalid mother. Her constant effort to fill the room with talk falters and a look of despair crosses her face as if she realises how empty her life is. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Jane Fairfax and the mysterious Frank Churchill were not in this episode.

I knew I had seen the actor who plays Mr Elton before, but I had no idea it was the guy who played Edmund in Mansfield Park 2007.

All in all, it gets a solid "not bad". Hopefully things will pick up next week.

Lucy Brown in Midsomer Murders and The Philanthropist

Arg! I missed seeing the lovely Lucy Brown (formerly of Primeval) in Midsomer Murders last week. I don't watch that show at all but I would make an effort for Lucy.

George sent in some photos of her in an American show called The Philanthropist.





George also sent me the youtube link to a bit of her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing: www.youtube.com

Saturday 3 October 2009

Romola Garai in Playlist - Emma scans

Right. I can't pretend I'm a Romola Garai fan. I'm not. Really.

But see, she's on the cover of today's Playlist magazine in the Times newspaper and it's a nice photo. She looks pretty in it. So I scanned it. But I'm not a fan. Really.

Here's the scan.

Emma is on BBC1 tomorrow night. I'll watch it. Because I like classic dramas. Not because I'm a fan. Really.

She looks pretty.

Update. I've added two more scans from the same magazine.