monoceros blogsThis is a quirky little movie with an unfortunate opening date of May 16th in the US, the very same weekend of the opening of The Matrix Reloaded. Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, both alumni of the reincarnated genre of movie musicals, star in Down With Love, which will open in Singapore on August 21st.
The movie pays tribute to the 1960s movies that starred Doris Day and Rock Hudson. These were filmed with eye-popping, brightly-colored sets and painstakingly-painted backdrops. The director of Down With Love wanted to create a movie that looked as if it were filmed in 1962, so backdrops were painted to achieve the same effect and everything is decked in color and that inimitable 60s style.
I've seen the trailer and both leads look passable for Doris and Rock. David Hyde Pierce, my favorite actor from Frasier, plays the boss of Catcher Block, Ewan's character. Pierce received good reviews for this role and a few critics thought Ewan should be in the supporting role and David in the lead. The tale is about Barbara Novack, a feminist writer, whose book ruins the lives of many men as wives rebel and finally begin making decisions that benefit themselves and not their husbands. Catcher is the fellow in the movie who must suppress and defeat Barbara. He's egged on by his boss to write a story on the lady who swears she's ousted love (but not sex) from her life and encourages women around the world to do the same. Apparently, there's supposed to be a unique twist at the end and that's enough to persuade me to go see the movie. Or at least rent it.
Ewan McGregor should certainly please female movie-goers and if Renee isn't your type, there's Jeri Ryan who plays Catcher's Swedish ex-girlfriend. I understand that she's got a significant part to play in the praised (but I shall judge for myself) twist.
If the movie bores you, well there's always the soundtrack, which features swinging music by Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto, who does a cover of Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words), and a newcomer called Michael Buble. Buble is a 25 year-old Canadian and the latest gem being touted by David Foster. Foster will make Buble big, the way he's made Josh Groban big, in the platinum sense. Michael Buble has a strong Sinatra quality, his voice is resonant and very, very seductive. (He also looks as good as he sounds.) He's jazzed up George Michael's Kissing A Fool and made it his own. Put the soundtrack into your PC and gain access to the music video of Kissing A Fool, it's a nice little animated video of Catcher wooing Barbara, with Michael appearing as a crooner in a bar.
Visit the movie's website here, and go listen to Michael Buble at his site here.
Posted by Monoceros at June 23, 2003 1:01 AMJust downloaded the song from kazaa. Yes, Buble does sound really nice! But if i had to choose, i would still go for George Michael. When done by him, it just kills me! ;p
Posted by: joan at June 30, 2003 7:55 PMjust surfed by Michael Buble's website. Oh man, is he gorgeous or is he gorgeous???? *swoon*
listened to a couple of his songs. i like it...it's a cheery kind of jazz.
Great! One more jazz artiste to look out for. I've been running out of singers to look out for. Sick of Diana Krall, Stacey Kent, Lisa Ekdahl, Michael Feinstein and the likes.
Posted by: joan at June 30, 2003 8:03 PMHey Joan, he's good, isn't he? I like Geroge Michael's version too, but there's something about young Michael's voice that gets to me. His songs are more swing than jazz, but I think there're a couple of jazz numbers, along with one or two pop covers.
Ha, yes he is rather attractive! I read about how he used to work as a cashier in the rock-clibing gym his dad owned and girls always begged him for a song. He obliged every time. Quite the charmer, I suppose.
Yes yes, that's the word - SWING. Well, i suppose swing can be considered a form of jazz, no?
Aww....how nice...serenading the girls. If i had a boyfriend who sings like that, i would be over the moon! haha!
Posted by: joan at June 30, 2003 11:08 PM