....
I am feeling overwhelmed by complex emotions at the news of this most astounding development. I'm at turns awed and repelled by various details of this speculative CLEOPATRA film, but first let me address the fact that Elisabeth Rappe has mentioned ROME in two articles in one week. That's awesome. The clip she included is a fantastic scene too!*
OK, with that out of the way, I guess I should discuss the subject of Comrade Cameron's potential involvement in the unparalled cinematic spectacle being proposed in the article. IMHO, Cameron is the single most signifigant individual currently involved in the film industry. I know others may disagree, but that's just where I stand. Every film he makes is not only thrilling, but is important to the history of the medium of film. There exists no period in the whole of human history (or heck, galactic history!) that holds as special a place in my heart as does ancient Rome and Greece and that he would consider setting his sights on that point in the timeline of human events leaves me choked up. It's a pairing of artist and subject so perfect as to come along perhaps only once every few decades
The idea of Cameron bringing the 3D Revolution to the House of Ptolomy gets me giddy in a way that few announcesment could, and there is almost literally nothing that could make me question my excitement for this project
Almost nothing.. except the person the article says is being slated to star
Angelina Jolie is one of my least favorite people in Hollywood. She's been alright in a few roles over the years (WALLACE?), but quite honestly at this point she's someone whose acting I can no longer enjoy on any level. Her constant media presence is partly at fault; I no longer believe her in the roles she takes, she doesn't disappear into them, she's just Angelina Jolie in a new wig. She's not talentless.. but she's not a master thespian either. However, that alone could not explain the vast reserves of loathing I have for her. No, the reason I no longer watch many movies simply beause of her involvement (I have not and will never see A MIGHTY HEART) is because of the infamnia she commited against ALEXANDER with her absurdly cartoonish** portrayal of Glorious King Alexander III of Macedon's mother and fourth wife of King Philip of Macedon; Olympias.
Ms Rappe, I don't know if you've seen Alexander, but her work in that film is abominable and she manages to sabatage every scene in which she takes part (with the possible exception of the execution of Philip, where all that Stone required of her for that sequence was to sit silently and look menacing. And in fairness, on that day she rose to the occasion). ALEXANDER is one of my favorite films ever, and is perhaps one of the best films I've ever seen. In my humble opinion, it sits poised on the precipice of being one of the very best films Oliver Stone ever committed to celluloid (lofty praise, in my book). Unfortunately it has a fatal flaw -- an 'Achilles Heel', if you will; that flaw is the fact that every scene involving Alexander's mother (who looms large over the narative and is the motivation for many of her son's actions) plays out as farce due to Ms Jolie's utter incompetence. She was hired because she was a "name" and because she has alot of male fans. Alexander was financed by European investors, and I'm sure she made Stone's vision of a "gay" Alexander (he wasn't, not in the way most people think) look like a safer investment. Unfortunately, that business decision turned out to be a disaster creatively, and in the name of Zeus I've held a powerful grudge ever since
In all the years since 2004 and the release of ALEXANDER, ROME alone has managed to sate my deep thirst classics based entertainment.
Now out of no where (I'd thought Cameron was going to do A2?) this news item appears and I suddenly have something to get hyped up about. This movie sounds so to being essentially my "dream movie" (if that movie were not the ROME movie..) that even her involvement couldn't *necessarily* sink my enjoyment of the film. Cameron can get a good performance out of nearly any actor alive, so I'm sure she wouldn't misjudge her performance quite so precariously in his film as she did in ALEXANDER, and heck, maybe she'd even be alright. Still, I have a personal grudge and I can't help but wish it was someone else, anyone else but her that was being mentioned in connection with this story. Rachel Weisz was just in Agora, a big budget film set in Alexandria. IMHO she is the most qualified human actress alive for this role and should be cast post haste!
Anyway, assuming Jolie is the one they settle on..
This isn't just about disliking her on a personal level.. it's that we're talking about her portraying Cleopatra VII Philopator; the last pharaoh of egypt and the final ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty.. It's a film about the great great great ETC grand daughter of one of Alexander III of Macedon's closest cavalry companions, and it's set in Alexandria Egypt, the first Alexandria founded by Sekander! Ptolemy took Sekander's body to egypt and ruled as pharaoh of egypt, with his children following him on the thrown. At the time of Cleopatra's death, Alexander's body was still on public display in the city in a glass sarcophagus filled with honey. Even the name "Cleopatra" is the name of Alexander's own sister, and was taken by the Ptolemies to boost their "connection" to that sacred blood line. So now, after three centuries of ancient history and six years of movie making, Angelina Jolie once again threatens to mess with the legacy of Alexander. It's incalculably infuriating to me, but I know I'm just going to do my best to let bygones be bygones and give her a chance to do her own thing in the role should this movie come to pass
On to various other production details..
As for your contention that you'd need alot of money to do Actium, well, sure, but I'm not certain you really need to spend much time on it. ROME had the end of the battle take place out of focus over Antony's shoulder as he sat stunned, his soldiers desperately rowing him to safety, the unfamiliar taste of defeat fresh in his mouth. That's all you need, really. Sure, spectacle is cool, but HBO made the otherworldly sets for ROME on a budget of 100 million dollars, and created "Egypt" out of back alleys and unused portions of the existing 'Market' environment. It would have been great if the palace scenes had felt larger, but that's about the only thing I'd have changed if HBO had had another 100 million to spend on the Egypt business (OK, I'd have set a scene in Pharos as well!). It IS Cameron though, so you're probably right there will be naval warfare mayhem. I don't see how he could resist
While we're on the subject of ROME, it makes my heart swell to see other Chewers also pine for Bruno Heller's original vision for Rome, which would have had an entire season of Antony going native (as others have put it), and a final season five in Palestine. Had that come to pass, ROME might very well have become my favorite *thing* of any kind, ever. As it is, it's still darn close to that lofty pedestal already.
James Purefoy as Antony is... indescribable. Or at least, I can't describe in words how magnetic Mr Purefoy managed to be in the role. Ms Rappe did it better than I. I can only say that it's one of my favorite performances in any "movie" ever, nearly up there with Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Daniel Craig as James Bond, or Ray Stevenson as Titus Pullo. By the time he gets the giant snake tattoo, I challenge any ROME viewer not to think of Purefoy's as the definitive portrayal of Marc Antony on screen. "Lions.. that run!!"
He has so many amazing moments that it's hard to pick my favorite. Like others have suggested, I wish Cameron would ditch the Brad Pitt idea and just go ahead and bring Purefoy back for more. Were that improbable event come to pass, it would soon become difficult to contain my excitement
I don't want to get caught up fan casting though, it would just make me feel sad when it does not come to pass
Even if Purefoy doesn't get the nod, I don't think Pitt is right for the part. I'm not anti Pitt, just don't like him for this job. Just throwing it out there, but Daniel Craig might be able to do something interesting
Anyway, can't wait to read more. This suddenly became the number one most important movie on my radar
*Great clip, I love the pounding egyptian version of the ROME theme that kicks in after the screen cuts to black! Also, Purefoy's sleazy gilded voice just sells the moment perfectly
**literally cartoonish, as in 'Moose and Squirrel' level accent work
EDIT: BTW, I am truly jealous of that autograph thing, that is incredible
This movie was pretty awsome if u like the 80's B horror. Its on Netflix
Where the hell are u gonna find gravey flavored condoms in any other movie ...........huh............... I LOVE U TURKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was very excited to see the American Reunion movie. I saw American Pie just after college and remembered it was quite funny. Jim, Michelle, Oz, Heather, Stifler reunite for their high school...
this is the song to have fun on.
