Creating believable characters isn’t really that hard. For me, the characters are the easy part because they exist from the beginning, and my job is to simply shape the novel around them.
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Creating believable characters isn’t really that hard. For me, the characters are the easy part because they exist from the beginning, and my job is to simply shape the novel around them.
(more…)
Denise Newman made her big screen debut in 1982 in City Lovers directed by Barney Simon. She has since gone on to carve a successful career for herself in the film industry acting opposite such acclaimed performers as Arnold Vosloo (Forgiveness) and John Malkovich (Disgrace). In Shirley Adams Denise plays a mother caring for a tetraplegic son. Denise won the Best Actress Award at the Durban International Film Festival, where the film also won Best South African Feature and Best First Feature.
Denise says, “As an actor you play a part because you are drawn to the character, and for others to acknowledge your work is the cherry on the top – you are not expecting it but it is always great to get it.” Denise prepared for the role by spending time at the Western Cape Rehab Centre to experience what it would be like to care for someone who is totally dependent on their caregiver. Denise says all the actors had to develop a relationship with the DOP (Jamie Ramsay) as his role in telling the intimate story is crucial. “Then I spent some quiet time just with Shirley, trying to make this fictional character real, finding her inside me. What do we have in common? Where do we differ? How can I allow her to have a voice through me? Hopefully that is what I achieved.”
Denise says that 20-something director Oliver Hermanus is ‘gifted’ and has all the qualities of a great filmmaker. She says, “He did not choose an easy film as his first, yet he was so clear in what he wanted. It was ultimately a very rewarding experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.” 2009 has been a busy year for Denise. She is currently working on a sitcom, Deeltitel Dames, for Penguin Films; a new South African play, Sister Breyani for Baxter Theatre/KKNK; and a drama series, Erfsondes 3, for Imani Media.
Shirley Adams screened in the International Competition at the recent Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and Denise says the invitations for festivals are rolling in. “Audiences have responded well to the intimacy of the style and so totally get the underlying themes of single parenting, violence and poverty.”
Sally Fink
This article first appeared in the Callsheet.
© The Callsheet
Jessica Haines is making a name for herself internationally as a break-through South African talent. An accomplished theatre and television actress, Jessica has been universally praised for her role as Lucy in Steve Jacobs’ Disgrace, opposite John Malkovich (Burn After Reading).
Jessica has a BA in Theatre and Performance from the University of Cape Town, as well as experience in classical ballet. After leaving university, she worked with a children’s theatre company that travelled across South Africa in a beat-up old VW, an experience she remembers fondly.
“We broke down somewhere between Kokstad and Matatilela. It was snowing so we all got out and had a snow ball fight and then made some very random, obscure movement piece with Jamiroquai playing on the radio, until eventually the head master of the school came to rescue us.” She insists that the struggles you experience early in your career are essential stepping stones, and shouldn’t be forgotten.
She cut her acting teeth on roles in local television productions Gaz’Lam, Isidingo and Home Affairs and has acted in a string of theatre productions, including Macbeth, Sleeping Beauty, Matilda, African Folk Tales and Scratch among others. With a leading role in Disgrace and supporting roles in The Bang Bang Club and The Prisoner, she is well on her way to international stardom.
Jessica says Disgrace director Steve Jacobs knew what he wanted from his characters and pushed until he got it, a method that made the experience all the more worthwhile. “Having been an actor before, Steve focused a lot of his attention on the characters of the film, their different journeys, their relationships with each other and the real truth of our performances. I’d much rather be told by a director that I can do better than complimented. I loved working with him because of this very reason.”
Brigid Olen, the South African producer on the film, said that when Steve saw Jessica for the first time he knew she was perfect for the role of Lucy.
The South African actress thought differently, believing she didn’t stand a chance after her audition. “My initial reaction was that I was completely different to the character, but on closer inspection of Lucy and looking at the finer detail I actually had more in common with her than I thought. I definitely had to work hard at certain aspects of the role, and some parts were easier than others.”
John Malkovitch (Burn After Reading) plays her father, David Laurie, in the film. Among other things, Jessica says he taught her how to step into the life of a character and how to make the perfect parmesan soufflé. She says, “He gave me a copy of William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech and said it brought him to tears every time he read it. He often played music and related the song to the ease in which a character should come to you. He played various forms of music like Jim Morrison,classical and 50 Cent.”
In Steven Silver’s 2010 release, The Bang Bang Club, Jessica plays the love interest of Kevin Carter (Taylor Kitsch). “My character, Allie, was more like a foil to soften the severe and self destructive character of Kevin,” she says of the part. The film, which details the true-life experiences of four combat photographers capturing the final days of Apartheid, also stars Ryan Phillippe, Malin Akerman and South African actors Neels van Jaarsveld and Frank Rautenbach.
The last few months have seen Jessica travelling the world to promote Disgrace. She has also been hard at work on a theatre piece for the Carthage Theatre Festival in Tunisia where she is based.
Next up, Jessica can be seen in AMCtv’s The Prisoner where she plays 554 opposite Sir Ian McKellan (Lord of the Rings).
Sally Fink
This article first appeared in the Callsheet
© The Callsheet
I am so over vampires.
New Moon follows from where Twilight left off. Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) are dating, but it’s a relationship balanced on a knife-edge. He’s a vampire and she’s human and her scent is simply irresistible. They can only kiss for the a few seconds before he has to break apart from her to stop himself from losing control. Despite this deadly obstacle, the couple are desperately in love, as only teenagers can be. The movie begins with Bella turning eighteen, which in her mind, makes her one year older than Edward (even though he is technically 107.) She tries to hide the fact that its her birthday from her friends, but the all-knowing Alice (Ashley Greene) throws a party. It’s here that the first turning point occurs. As Bella is unwrapping a gift she cuts herself, which unleashes the newborn vampire Jasper’s (Jackson Rathbone) thirst. A fight occurs which results in Bella becoming seriously injured. But worse than this, Edward believes he can no longer protect Bella. From his family, or from himself.
The Cullens leave Forks and Bella plunges into a depression that lasts three months. She begins a cycle of reckless behaviour which ultimately brings her closer to Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner), who slowly, and unknowingly, brings her back into the world. Friendship and ultimately romance blooms and Bella learns the secret of the Quileutes.
The romantic bubble is burst by the re-appearance of one the Cullens, who brings some very distressing news. Bella is left with the question? Who will she choose?
To be honest New Moon was my least favourite of the Twilight saga. Twilight was more than absorbing. It was a black hole that sucked you in and left you reeling afterwards. With Twilight, Meyer had re-written Romeo and Juliet and instead of the tragic final death, she ended the novel with the star-crossed Bella and Edward declaring their undying love for each for each other. I reached for New Moon expecting exactly that, the moon, but instead I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth. Where was Edward? I’m a creature of habit, and can’t read a book without finishing it, and it was only the thought that he might come back that got me through it. The book was too long, and not what I was expecting. But being part of the saga it was a bestseller anyway. Stephanie Meyer has mastered the young adult genre. By the time Eclipse hit the shelves I was hooked again.
Despite my gripes about the book the film was outstanding. It was taut, constantly moving and brilliantly weaved together. The scenes between Bella and Jacob are so intimate that you almost wish that Edward doesn’t come back. I usually see film adaptations as visual companions to the novels, but this was just lovely, and far more enjoyable than the book. The movie was directed by Chris Weitz who also directed The Golden Compass. There is certainly more weight to this film, which is noticeable by the impressive special effects, the appearance of more than one heavyweight actor and a high-speed car sequence with a Ferrari, but the it retains the same moodiness of Twilight. The scenes in Forks are just as lovely, if not more so.
And Dakota Fanning shone as Jane.
To be fair I don’t think I should have written this review just after seeing the film. I am still feeling that heady afterglow and wanting to discuss it every five minutes with every person I see. Of course it wasn’t a perfect film. Jasper’s sudden impulse to charge was just too contrived, Jamie Campbell Bower’s role of Caius seemed rather pointless and everyone in the film other than Bella, Edward and Jacob seemed to only have one line. Despite these teething problems I thoroughly enjoyed it. I mean, lets be fair, no film is faultless. I can’t watch the trailer of Invictus without bursting at the seams at Matt Damon’s accent. And that might be an Oscar contender.
Read my Twilight review here.
Halloween has come and gone and I, like many did I’m sure, made the most of it. I consumed a bucket of sweets, watched scary movies (closing my eyes during the scary bits), went to a costume party. The usual. But this year the festivities started early; by a whole week.
I was fortunate enough to visit Dr. Adriaan Landman today, who is the Programme Manager of the Art and Design Department at the College of Cape Town. He was also the genius behind the costumes that appeared in the play Gif, directed by Andre Bester, that was based on my novel, The Goblet Club.
Dr. Landman took these stunning pictures from the play which I think captures the mood beautifully.
You can see the rest of the set here.
Reviewer Jane Holiday reviews Fuse in the latest edition of Wordsetc, exploring the story in vivid detail, and describing the journey of Justin and Kendall with much gusto. Anyone who hasn’t read the book yet beware, there are spoilers aplenty, which is why I won’t post the entire review here.
Some people doodle. Others sit on Facebook. When I’ve got nothing better to do I attempt poetry. The following was inspired by someone who I’m sure is actually a pixie in disguise.
This weekend was dominated by the 31st annual Loerie Awards, making it a working weekend but also mad fun.
Thank you so much to BookSA’s Karina Brink who wrote this thoughtful review of Fuse for Itch, the online creative writing magazine. It’s an awesome and very humbling carrot.
