‘I WAS AMAZED HOW SHY KENNEDY WAS'
Lovand bullet
The legendary actor Martin Sheen talks exclusively about his son Emilio’s new film Bobby, about the last day in the life of US Senator Robert F Kennedy.
‘ miIio told mc thc conccpt that he wantcd to Etakc fictional charactcrs and mix thcm with
the rcality oi Bobby Kcnncdy's campaign I'ootagc. I thought it was a brilliant idca. I cncouragcd him as tnuch as I could. It was a long journcy. IIc starch it in I999 and hc kncw hc was on a difficult journcy. IIc could not gct anyonc intcrcstcd. IIc had writtcn 30 or 40 pagcs and his brothcr (‘harlic askcd him one day what he was working on and Iimilio told him. and ('harIic said. “(‘an I rcad it?" (‘harlic was ycry. ycry imprcsscd and said you inust liniin this for yourscll‘ and IimiIio didn’t quitc know how to bcgin again.
‘So hc Icf't town and wont to this IittIc lioth ncar Santa Barbara and thc woman chccking him in rccogniscd him and said. “What arc you doing hcrc‘.” Iimilio said. "I’m trying to writc this script about the day Bobby K dicd." and thc woman says. “I was tItcrc at thc hoth."
"I‘hc first charactcr that hc startcd with was a young black man who. on thc night al‘tcr Bobby K was shot. was sccn raging in thc lobby of' thc hotcl carrying a chair which Iic I’Iung into a fountain and hc scrcamcd "'I‘hat’s what you gct!" Iimilio tricd to find out who that man was. thrc did hc comc I‘rom‘.’ What was his namc'.’ Who was Itc'.’ .Many pcoplc saw this man and it was rcportcd in thc press but no onc kncw who
hc was. IIc bcgan to build a Iil'c for this charactcr: hc was from Watts: he was a Kcnncdy supportcr: he would ban: bccn a Martin Luthcr King supportci: he would hayc rcaliscd that Bobby was thc last grcat hopc in Amcrica at thc timc. thn I rcad that I was intrigucd and I said. “Kecp going. start building on that."
‘I rcmcmbcr in 2()()l The Hits! ll'iiig was honourcd by thc Robcrt I" Kcnncdy I’oundation as thc show which most cxcmplilicd Bobby's idcals. The award was this bcautil‘ul bust of him and I gayc it to Iimilio and said. "Let this bc an inspiration to you.” He put it on his dcsk and it is thcrc to this day. So in the last Iiyc ycars hc’s bccn in Bobby's prcscncc.
‘I mct Kcnncdy for his campaign in New York back in 1905. I spent about thrcc hours with him during a rally at thc oId Madison Squarc (iardcn. 'I‘Iic rally was to saw thc old Brooklyn .\'a\‘al Yard. which was going to bc torn down. I was ama/cd at how shy hc was. Iiycry now and thcn hc would signal an aidc and hc would writc somcthing and thc aidc would go off. IIc spokc for live minule if not Icss. IIc said. "Somc mcn scc things and ask why. I drcam things that ncycr wcrc and ask why not.” (Intcryicw by Kalccm Al‘tab)
Bobby is on general release from Fri 26 Jan. See review, page 38.
llit >I<
THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
Black Book The mighty Paul Basic Instinct Verhoeven returns to his homeland. Holland, and comes up with the best film he has made for years. This WWII thriller is a dirty, filthy rush from beginning to end. See interview, page 40 and review. page 38. Selected release from Fri 79 Jan.
=2: The Fountain Darren Aronofsky‘s troubled and long gestating film project turns out to be a rather fine meditative sci-fl epic. See review, page 39 and feature in Books. page 26. General release from Fri 79 Jan. >i= Ghosts Filmmaker Nick Broomfield’s compassionate and compelling pseudo documentary look at the life of one of the Chinese cockle pickers who died on Morecambe Bay in 2004. See review, page 38 and profile in listings. GFT, Glasgow and Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh.
Rocky Balboa Sylvester Stallone gives everyone’s favourite boxer a fitting send off. See review. page 39 and Big Picture. page 11. General release from Fri 79 Jan.
=t< The Last King of Scotland Kevin MacDonald's enjoyable interpretation of Giles Foden's novel about ldi Amin and a young Scottish doctor who befriends him. Selected release until 25 Jan. Breathless Jean Luc Godard's still fresh and flirty 1959 feature debut gets an outing on both sides of the central belt. GFT, Glasgow on Wed 37 Jan only and Fi/mhouse, Edinburgh on Tue 23 Jan only. >i< Luis Bufiuel Box Set Eight of the Andalucian master‘s best on DVD in one juicy set. We should be so lucky. See DVD Round-Up, page 41. Out Mon 79 Jan (Optimum).
lB .I;i!‘- I Fol) 2007' THE LIST 37