PROJECTOR

Colour to show colours

Isuru merges commercial cinema with art:

Ruwini Jayawardana

Many a dangerous temptation comes to us in gay, fine colours that are but skin-deep - Matthew Henry

Credits

* Cast: Kamal Addara Arachchi, Sandalie Sulakna Danapala, Udayanthi Kulathunga, Priyantha Mansilu, Angela Seneviratne, Srimal Wedisinghe, Jayani Senanayake and Aakshya Perera
* Script and direction: Isuru Weerasinghe Mudali
* Cinematographer: Priyantha Malavige
* Assistant director: Chalin Manuranga
* Art director: Aruna Dias
* Editor: Tissa Surendra
* Choreographer: Deepthi Piyasekara
* Make up: Imal Shanaka
* Music director: Sanka Dineth
* Production manager: Sujeewa Thalangama
* Production coordinator: Chaminda Meemanage
* Producers: Hiranthi Samarasinghe and Palitha Samarasinghe

Imagine a pallet full of colours. Each shade possesses its own unique beauty and vibrancy. It delivers a vast array of subtle messages to each of those who witness its shades. Each brushstroke from the painter derives a meaning and each selected shade is like a piece of his soul that had shifted onto the canvas.

This is the ideology that young film director Isuru Weerasinghe Mudali had tried to portray in his debut movie Colour. The film stars Kamal Addara Arachchi in the lead. Sandalie Sulakna Danapala enters cinema with the project.

“We have drawn a margin in our films as artistic films and commercial films. According to this belief there is no artistic taste in commercial films and artistic films do not bring bucks. However masses gathered to witness My Name is Khan, a commercially successful film with artistic values. This is a good example in proving that there is something lacking in our beliefs,” Isuru related.

His attempt was to make an artistic production of high quality. Thus Colour, a tale embodying the joy and sorrow of a painter’s youth, took shape.

“The characters do not necessarily have to have names because we all bear fragments of their soul. However I did import some of the best commercial advertising techniques in the business sector in making the film,” said the youth who had been playing a key role in the advertising field in the country for around five years. He had made commercials for some leading institutes including Bank of Ceylon, National Savings Bank, ITN, Lak Handa, Nipolac and National Lottery Board.

The commercial he made for Bank of Ceylon to commemorate Deepavali even won him the Reggie Candappa Creative Award. He also created six TV commercials for President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last election and directed the stills for the tribute song sung to mark the death of the late MP Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.

The leading lady of the movie Sandalie is a well known face on the mini screen.

She had acted in a number of tele projects like Duwili Suwanda, Tikiri Hapannu, Kula Kumariya, Santhuwarune, Sinina Kumari, Ayal, Sulang Kapolla and others. She had entered acting through the stage and had portrayed roles in stage dramas like Sudu Paraviyo and Hemamali. She also presents the Ira Madiyama program on Rupavahini. A talented violinist and vocalist, Sandali had launched her own CD Pini Kata Ahurak.

“Many believed that Sri Lankan cinema is on its last legs but recently many of our creations broke into the global scene. Our films and artistes gained international recognition for their talent and brought fame to our motherland,” Isuru said.

He had already tried his hand at short filmmaking and hopes to showcase his skills on a wider angle through Colour.

The film was shot mostly in areas in the city. It is produced by Hiranthi and Palitha Samarasinghe on behalf of Nethsuka Films. Colour is set to unspool at theatres in June.

Wilde on inspiration and empowerment

[ Credits]

*Directed by Joseph Kosinski

*Produced by Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver and Steven Lisberger

*Starring Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Bruce Boxleitner and Olivia Wilde

Before December 17, 2010, Tron was best known as an anachronistic science-fiction odyssey, and Olivia Wilde a budding starlet earning her career bona fides via supporting turns on TV and in smaller films. But after the release of Tron: Legacy, both preconceptions are destined to change; the film is a sequel, companion piece, and franchise-starter all in one, while Wilde is its biggest scene-stealer, playing an ass-kicking heroine named Quorra who seems as likely to kill opponents with kindness as with a weapon.

It’s this pastiche of accomplishments (by the film and the actress herself) that seems likely to catapult Wilde’s visibility squarely into the mainstream, where she can continue kicking ass in an increasingly wider variety of roles. Here are excerpts from an interview with the actress.

This film is obviously intended to be self-contained, but all things being equal, what if anything was a point of inspiration from the original?

Well, I think it was Flynn. I think it was Jeff’s way of bringing a certain humanity to this non-human character, to this alternate world - never losing his sense of warmth and vulnerability and humanity and sense of humor, really. I think that was something that was very inspiring as we were shooting this film to think back to how they still had so much life to them despite the fact that they were inside the computer.

It was not like they turned into robots, it was a really interesting way of perceiving what would happen when a body is transformed. You don’t lose the things that make you an interesting character..

In other interviews you talked about Joan of Arc being the inspiration for Quorra. How difficult was it to maintain the balance between her physical dexterity and her naivete?

That came from our discussions of who Quorra was. It was a really interesting process of discovery, because we realized, oh my God – she is this child who has this passion for history and for literature and fantasy, and we’ve got to find places to let that show. But thinking back to Joan of Arc, there were times when Joan of Arc could allow herself, one assumes, to be a child, because she was a 14-year-old girl, and times when she couldn’t – when she was riding into battle, holding her giant heavy sword and white chain mail leading the French army.

When the first Tron came out Yori was sort of emblematic of many of the female characters in Disney movies. Do you feel like Quorra fits into that lineage?

I think she’s an interesting evolution for Disney, for these characters. I think she’s a move in the right direction.

Belle from Beauty and the Beast was sort of the start of a movement towards a more independent Disney heroine. Do you think she’s part of that evolution?

Yes, but I think she’s also an evolution from that – I think it’s also a step further than that. I think she is a character that both men and women enjoy watching; she’s not just there for the girls. I really like that, that she’s got strength and wit and capability that both sexes can enjoy equally. I think that’s something that as women have more and more opportunities in this world and this society becomes a tad more equal, then people are going to expect that in their stories. I think that young girls today are very mature and much empowered; although I don’t think they have enough of these types of characters to look up to.

Tron: Legacy will begin screening at Majestic cinema from February 23.

Speakeasy

Barriers masking the art

Amalshan Gunerathne

Sri Lanka is no longer the war torn country that it used to be. No more we have to present ourselves as the wretched, hapless and battered nation that it once was. It is time to build a new image, a new identity for our own self.

“Our land is a pot of plenty and we too have a legacy to share with the world. The language of the moving image is ideal to showcase our own unique identity to the world.” Taya Diaz, the well known local documentary film maker expressed these passionate views at a panel discussion which was held recently at the British Council premises in parallel to the ‘International Wildlife and Environment Film Festival’.

International documentary film producers Dominic Weston and Amanda Theunissen joined with the local movie makers Anoma Rajakaruna, Delon Weerasinge and Taya Diaz to share their professional expertise on the difficulties and hardships that they have to face while making documentary movies.

The panel identified and highlighted three universal challenges that documentary film makers face when making their movies. The panelist recognized the funding as the crucial factor which prevents filmmakers from expressing themselves to the full.

“Money is crucial. It seems as if the Indian model is different to the European one. People here sometimes make movies without even a good commission. But there are very few people in European film industry who make movies without a commission. It all comes down to money eventually,” Amanda Theunissen shared her honest thoughts with the panel.

The panel also identified the story telling factor and the distribution challenge as the other impediments that the movie makers have to cross in order to effectively get through to the viewer. Even with all the funding, without a good story to grasp the viewer’s attention, the film won’t make a lasting impact. Shying away from the financial problem Delon went on to say, “It is not that we don’t have money. The money is there, it is just that we don’t have the technological or the equipment capacity to make use of those funds. We don’t have a film school.

We lack people who can make artistic films that can grasp the viewer’s emotional senses.” The distributing and launching their movie on to television has also become a major problem. With growing popularity of the modern pop-culture, the place for programs that can address the intellect of the viewer has become very less.

“With all the mega series and reality shows around, we don’t get enough space to telecast our documentaries in local channels,” Anoma Rajakaruna said. However moving on from there, the panel discussed various issues which hamper the growth of the documentary film industry. Taya was very passionate in expressing his thoughts on the censoring process. The panel was very much against the red-tape mafia which hampers their artistic prowess.

“With the red tape around to constrict us, we can’t tell the real story,” Taya said.

The discussion ended with the note of British Council Director Tony Riley suggesting that Sri Lanka should probably set up a film school to address these issues.

Name change for Channa

Channa Perera’s second cinema creation which was previously titled Miringu Yathra, had been renamed as Kalpanthaye Sihinayak. This movie too stars a new arrival to Sinhala cinema: Indian actress Chaitra Chandranath.

Shooting progressed in Dambulla and Matale amid rain for the past couple of months and the team is back in Colombo after completing part of the work. Apart from Chaitra, Sanath Gunatileke, Irangani Serasinghe, Hemasiri Liyanage, Nihal Fernando, Gunadasa Madurasinghe, Saman Almedia, Sandun Wijesiri, T M Abyeratne and W B Godathenna also star in the movie. Channa will be taking on the lead male role as well as directing. Donald Jayantha is the assistant director. Prabath Roshan is the cinematographer and Rohana Weerasinghe is the music director. The producers are Sunethra Balasuriya, Perly Wijesinghe and Harsha Gamathige.

RJ

Lawrence talking Big Mommas

[ Credits ]

*Directed by John Whitesell

*Produced by David T. Friendly

*Starring Martin Lawrence and Brandon T. Jackson

Martin Lawrence has starred in big-budget action flicks like Bad Boys and motorcycle riding comedy Wild Hogs, but his most famous role may be one in which he portrays a woman in his Big Momma movies.

Martin portrays an FBI agent who dresses as a no-nonsense female who goes by Big Momma in order to catch the crooks. He reprises that role in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son which debuts will begin screening at Liberty cinema from February 25. Here is what Lawrence has to say about his new movie and role.

Why reprise this character for the third time?

I enjoy playing her. Big Momma is an endearing character, she’s lovable, smart, funny, spicy, in your face attitude, she can kick some butt.

Which of her traits do you like best?

It’s her humor, her mannerisms, the way she says things, the funny things she says.

What’s the most challenging part of playing Big Momma?

Getting into the make-up. It’s so tedious, there’s nothing like that. To go through that process every day, it used to be three hours. Now, we got it down to an hour and a half. Glue every day, behind your ears and in your eyelashes and eyebrows.

It’s not normal having another face glued to your face.

Do you have a favourite scene or moment in the film that, when you look back, you’re like ‘oh yeah, that’s it.’

I enjoy the twister scene because it was funny. Faizon Love was so good in the movie. And, telling my son that he, you know, signing his papers for him to rap and him telling me that he wanted to go off to college, there’s no rush to greatness. That was a favorite scene.

Reuters

Valentine gift for all ages

Credits

* Directed by Kelly Asbury

* Produced by Baker Bloodworth, David Furnish and Steve Hamilton Shaw

* Starring James McAvoy and Emily Blunt

You might think it tough to root out a fresh scent from Gnomeo and Juliet, particularly if the tale of the lovestruck couple was reinvented amid a world of backyard garden ornaments. Kids’ stuff, at best, and only for those unlikely to soak up the Bard’s words at a more mature age.

Not so, fair lads and ladies. The nine writers receiving screen credit (including that chap from Stratford-upon-Avon, of course) have spun a crafty variation to the Montague v. Capulet feud, grumpily waged in public by elderly singles living in opposite sides of a London townhouse. It’s amid the rear greenery, though, that more secret and stringent battle lines are drawn between the Reds, whose spirited Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt) is the lady in waiting, and the Blues, who have the brash but bright Gnomeo (James McAvoy) out front. Occasional prankish acts of vandalism fuel a shaky détente along their demilitarized alley.

Gnomeo and Juliet will be hitting Majestic cinema soon.