Probably everyone had a film recommended to them by a friend, or perhaps watched something for experiment's sake. And yet there are films you'd prefer not to get involved with - and many more you're indifferent to. Chiclit wonders this week about some of the films she'd seen that have the only thing in common - they star Chris Eccleston.
"I know that I never would have sought out 'Anchoress', but loved its starkness and thought about it for days. I would never have discovered 'Death and the Compass', but I found the final scenes thrilling and fun - and am convinced Chris Nolan had them in mind when he developed the recent Batman. 'Othello' was great, watching a Shakespeare drama re-purposed as a modern treatise on friendship and race (timely in the middle of our recent Presidential campaign) - but not sure I would have seen it if I hadn't been following the Eccleston filmography."
So, what movie (or television show) has Christopher Eccleston led you to that normally you would never have watched? How did it affect you? Did it convert you into a fan of a certain genre? Encouraged to learn more about one director or other? Made you see Eccleston's other films in different light?
"I know that I never would have sought out 'Anchoress', but loved its starkness and thought about it for days. I would never have discovered 'Death and the Compass', but I found the final scenes thrilling and fun - and am convinced Chris Nolan had them in mind when he developed the recent Batman. 'Othello' was great, watching a Shakespeare drama re-purposed as a modern treatise on friendship and race (timely in the middle of our recent Presidential campaign) - but not sure I would have seen it if I hadn't been following the Eccleston filmography."
So, what movie (or television show) has Christopher Eccleston led you to that normally you would never have watched? How did it affect you? Did it convert you into a fan of a certain genre? Encouraged to learn more about one director or other? Made you see Eccleston's other films in different light?
2009-07-28
6 comments:
This one's easy-- for me, it would be the films of Danny Boyle. I'm extremely squeamish by nature, easily disturbed by the things I see onscreen. So without the participation of Chris Eccleston, I'd have lots of reasons to avoid Boyle's films, and no reasons to give them a try. What a shame that would have been! Of course Boyle's films turned out, generally, to be less gross than I'd feared (imagination sometimes being one's worst enemy)-- and more funny, tender, and intelligent than most other recent movies. Through one actor whose work I'd come to trust, I found a challenging director to follow as well. A lovely bonus.
I think Death & the Compass is the one film I wouldn't have watched if Eccleston wasn't in it. Glad I watched it though - it's a bit demanding, but the last few of his scenes are absolutely brilliant. Glad I took a chance on it!
And I probably would have passed over Seeker: The Dark is Rising, but the combination of Eccleston McShane was too fabulous to pass up.
That being said, not even the lovely Chris Eccleston is enough to get me to watch "The Fast & the Furious" or "G.I. Joe"....
Joanr16> Then this was a very apt illustration.
I think that Boyle's reputation is quite misleading. In his films I find the realism in form of the balance between the gory (but not crass), the ugliness that life is, and the fantasy (but not delusion), the dreams people dare dream despite everything.
And what a mad range - have you seen 'Millions'?
KarenP>I think you meant 'Gone in 60 Seconds'? Unless Nicholas Cage scares you and/or motors bore you, it's better than 'The Seeker'. There are worse works with bigger pretensions.
I'm certain I'd never have watched any of Alex Cox's films without following Eccleston (of non-CE features 'Walker' is awesome), and it would have taken much longer to explore Danny Boyle's work.
I would've lived happily without some of the single episodes in certain series, but overall I'm thankful for loads of quality contemporary British TV dramas I watched, also with other actors I came to know in CE films.
I think that Christopher takes on his "jobs" carefully considering how to flesh out the character us the fans would love to see him in.
Sure there have been roles I have cringed too but these are few and far between the pleasure he has given me. He has never shyed away from diversifying these roles either.
I've always enjoyed the fact he challenges us from the different genres he has done over the years.
From the most popular to the damn right obscure Christopher has made me realise what a talent he is and what people he will go back to, i.e. Jimmy McGovern, Russell T Davies, Michael Winterbottom and Alex Cox.
I did mean "Gone in 60 Seconds", Alex - thanks for the correction! And I am SERIOUSLY bored by motors and pretty lukewarm on Nic Cage, so I might still forego the movie :-)
KarenP> Well, I suppose I shan't persuade you further... I saw the film aeons before I knew who Eccleston was - probably the first one I saw with him.
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