Russell Crowe is the iconic antagonist Javert in Les Miserables

Russell Crowe, an Academy winner for his brilliant performance in Gladiator, is known for his total commitment to a role, whether it’s playing a boxer (Cinderella Man), a Roman general/ slave (Gladiator) or a tortured mathematics genius (A Beautiful Mind). Les Misérables was no different. He threw himself into the project with typical gusto.

Photo courtesy of UIP

Crowe was born in New Zealand and raised, mostly, in Australia. He first acted as a child, appearing in an episode of the Australian TV show Spyforce when he was 6 years old. His first musical was Grease at the Independent theatre in Auckland and he won various acting awards in Australia before making his first Hollywood film, The Quick and the Dead, with Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman and Leonardo DiCaprio in 1995.

In 2000 he received the first of three consecutive Oscar nominations for playing tobacco industry whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand in Michael Mann’s The Insider, his second came for Gladiator and the following year he was nominated again for his portrayal of troubled mathematics genius John Nash in A Beautiful Mind.

His forthcoming films include Man of Steel, Broken City and Noah.

Q and A follows:

You’ve been a musician and singer all of your adult life. But was Les Miserables different?

Yes, it was. It wasn’t something that I knew. I knew of the show but I had never seen the show. The type of singing style was just not in my field of experience. This isn’t at all about being a bloke who sings songs.

Did you see the show?

I went to see the show in London and what struck me was that it was a really stirring performance and an inspiring evening in the theatre. It's an unusual piece because it’s not broken down into hit songs, it’s a series of beautiful melodies that evolve into and out of songs and those songs became standards immediately as opposed to having radio success or chart success.  In a way part of it is because it’s operatic, it’s like one piece -Les Miserables, as epic and heart breaking as it is, it’s a beautiful long breath. People that tend to like Les Miserables like it from start to finish, you know, and they love the experience of it. And you find people who are obsessed with this musical in a way that I’ve never known people be obsessed by a musical before.

Had you met Cameron Mackintosh before this project?

Sometime over the years I must have met Cameron. When I was doing musical theatre in Australia we had a number of friends in common and stuff but the first serious conversations I had with Cameron about work was last year when we started talking about Les Mis. I had a friend from primary school, Matthew Dalco and he was just one of those kids I was very close with and he always believed in me, we were just mates. His Mum worked for the Australian opera, and he ended up working for Cameron and becoming very successful in Australia and then went to London to work for Cameron. And Matthew was just one of those guys who believed in me and he would contact me about the possibility of me doing one of their shows – usually entirely unsuitable (laughs), but he was always thinking of me when auditions came around. And tragically, Matthew died very young. Very sad. He was a lovely guy. So there has been a connection with me and Cameron going back a long way, a kind of back of the mind thing.

Cameron said that at one point he thought you would have been a great Valjean and Hugh Jackman would have been a perfect Javert. What do you think?

I don’t think that would have worked. I’m a natural bass baritone with a couple of extra notes on top but I don’t think I could do Valjean the service he requires. Hugh has a different voice. He has a beautiful voice - so expressive and controlled. This way round is the right way. This is the way it should be. Hugh is going to be magnificent in this role. I was constantly impressed with him every day – his level of preparation, his concentration, his commitment, what he did physically to transform himself. It was a very pleasant experience for me and I was so impressed with the way that Hugh led the actors and set the right tone and example. I was proud to be on the same set with him because he was doing the job and doing it very, very well.

So when they first approached you for the role of Javert what did you think?

After I had seen the show I sat down with Tom and to be honest, I was thinking, ‘it’s not for me..’ And I was thinking of the politest way to bow out. As much as I loved it, it wasn’t for me. And Tom and I went for a walk in Hyde Park and we started breaking the character down and talking about the limitations of the theatre in terms of the characters’ journey. And we talked in some depth about how he would approach the film. You have to find a basis for the way in which the character makes decisions. And I was really impressed with Tom - he didn’t have all the answers but he had a determination and a clear commitment.

And you know, it’s a massive ask because this much loved musical is so successful and the transition to a completely different medium requires complexity and vision. He had that. He was really open too, and I liked the guy.

 He threw me into the deep end and I was engaged intellectually and it became important to me. And it’s funny, because it switches then, from them pursuing you for the role and you are now pursuing the part. I really wanted to do it.

How did you prepare?

I started working with singing teachers – in Sydney, LA, Illinois, Vancouver wherever I was, I aimed to sing every day. Singing teachers are a breed unto themselves and each one has a different way of working. They have a language of their own - a shorthand you need to learn. One of them was Roberta and we just clicked. Roberta Duchak has a long career as a performer and she is a gifted teacher. Hugh started working with her too when we started shooting, so we shared her, she worked like a Trojan and never complained. I was really lucky to find Roberta - she just made it all seem possible.

And then you met up with Tom and Cameron for the audition in New York. What was that like?

You have to get yourself in the right sort of Zen place for an audition like that – you have to channel your nerves and your adrenaline and it’s kind of like you have to meditate to the point of clarity. You have to use it. And it had been a long time since I had faced that kind of auditioning process where there was a lot on the line for something that I had really engaged with. I went into the audition having worked for months on two songs, The Confrontation which comes at the end of Fantine’s death, and is a duet with Valjean, and Stars, the principle ballad of the Javert character and I had never, ever sung Stars properly. So I was walking into that room knowing that I hadn't yet sung that song properly.

How did it go?

You know, all those months of preparation, the belief that Tom had in me, it all paid off. And the song came out exactly as I hoped it would. I got all the notes down and I was flying. And then they said, ‘OK, let’s do it again..’ And I did. I sang it a third time, a fourth time and it was there every time. Tom was making me use my voice over and over again and although I’m not sure that the others knew at the time, stamina was part of what he was looking for. Not only did he want to know that I had the ability to sing it, he wanted to know that I could sing it over and over again.

Because he knew you would have to sing it live on set?

Yes and it’s not like doing a Broadway show. You do a Broadway show and you might sing seven minutes, you might sing 21 minutes if you are a leading character, and you’ll sing your song and you’ll hit your notes once, but on a film set, we’re talking about being on a film set singing a very challenging song 23 times from beginning to end - or a group of us sing Fantine's Arrest 40 something times. It was rock n roll kind of stamina, where you are singing the full concert everyday. At odd times too, sometimes you'd be singing at 7am at the beginning of a day, or 2am at the end of a day.

And what was it like when you all gathered at Pinewood to start filming?

There was uniformity to the way people approached this as they arrived on set – everybody was terrified but everybody was prepared to claim it. We had an unusually long rehearsal time and that gave us opportunity to get to know each other, to chill out in the environment and understand what was required. What Tom is doing with this is engaging the heart, not just engaging the mind. There is no way in the world that anything I say will prepare you for what Anne and Hugh are doing in this movie. They will blow you away.

It sounds like a great experience?

I have to say it was the most fully absorbing experience right from the time of the auditions, working with the voice coach, rehearsals, doing the movie, and there’s part of me that in the future whenever I’m starting a movie I’ll wish that I was starting Les Mis again. That’s how big that experience was.

“Les Miserables”  Now Showing Nationwide released and distributed by United International Pictures through Solar Entertainment Corp.

Gangster Squad movie review

Story: Post-World War II Los Angeles is getting another war:  On crime.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

Review: My first impression on the movie was it is like a periodical movie following suit after The Untouchables. It is similar because it is on the same period in time and has gangster theme but in another city.

If you are not familiar with the post-war situation in U.S., here's some background.After the war, almost all countries suffered regardless on which side a nation was on. U.S. was not spared. It was also called the Depression era. It was also the time that the gangs took advantage of the situation that the law enforcement cannot handle the mob because they don't want to start a war.

Unlike the Untouchables, the story can also be passed as a drama with style. You can see the humanistic side of this action story. What I didn't realize that this periodical story can also be sexy meaning that the characters are also sensual even with their suits and Thompson sub-machine guns.

It was during this period in history that the law enforcement is trying out new ways to fight crime. It also give birth to the FBI. Josh Brolin is ideal for the role in this movie. He has this authoritative manner. Sean Penn is a great actor. It is not the first time I saw playing the part of an antagonist. Despite some prosthetics, it didn't limit him to act well in this movie.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone added the sexy factor of the story. Didn't realize Gosling can get rough like this. As for Ms. Stone, this movie is quite different from her usual roles. I usually see her in comical roles but is is good she is trying out new roles.

Robert Patrick may got older but he still got some tricks doing action films. The story maybe serious but it still has share of comic in some scenes. Gangster Squad opens in cinemas January 30, 2013. Gangster Squad is distributed by Warner Bros.

“PARENTAL GUIDANCE” FROM BILLY CRYSTAL

In the family comedy “Parental Guidance,” Artie Decker (Billy Crystal), who is accustomed to calling the shots, meets his match when he and his eager-to-please wife Diane (Bette Midler) agree to babysit their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents (Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott) go away for work.

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

Inevitably things go haywire as soon as they arrive. The kids are not happy to see their grandparents, who have a very different approach to parenting and family life from their mother and father.

Artie’s has mixed feelings about this which is partly due to his recent professional setbacks.   A minor league baseball announcer for over 30 years, Artie has just been fired, losing his dream to work in the major leagues.  Still reeling from that disappointment, the last thing he wants is to look after his grandchildren.  But Artie will ultimately discover that there’s more to life than announcing ball games.  “He’s been fired from a job he loves, but then finds himself kind of falling in love with his grandkids,” says Crystal.

                “Parental Guidance” combines comedy and pathos in the best way,” affirms Billy Crystal, who portrays Artie Decker.  “It’s what life is about.  This film has something for everyone.”

                Crystal further elaborates on the following q&a the joys of growing up, being a grandparent and producing “Parental Guidance.”

Q:           Can you describe Artie and Diane’s marriage?

A:            “They are not typical grandparents in that they don’t see the kids a lot and live on the other side of the United States. He and Diane are very devoted to each other; it's an old-school, traditional kind of relationship in that his wife has supported him throughout the marriage.  When our daughter calls and says, ‘I need you to take care of the kids’, Bette says ‘yes’ but I don't want to go. Bette Midler is fantastic as Diane. We were so privileged that she agreed to play the role with me.”

Q:           Artie is a bit old-fashioned in that way?

A:            “Artie is not tech savvy at all. He is not kid savvy either and that's part of the charm of the movie. He tries to find himself again and get out of his malaise about losing his job.  He starts to realize that  what's really important is being a loving grandfather and the fact that the kids love him.”

Q:           What is your relationship like with your kids now?

A:            “We hate each other; we don't speak! (laughs). No, now it's even better. It is great seeing the fruits of your labor. The joy I have in watching my daughters with their kids is great, because they're doing a wonderful job and the kids are fantastic. Recently we were all together in one house for ten days and it was lovely. I think it's  profound to watch the legacy go on. My parents did a good job, we did a good job, they're doing a good job and that's all you can ask for.” 

Q:           It's still hard to think of you as a grandfather.  

A:            “It is amazing to me too.  But I've settled into being a grandfather. I love being around the kids. They’re starting to understand what I do now for a living and they're starting to see me in movies. They have an entirely different view of me now they know that I act and that I was Mike Wazowski in MONSTERS INC.  I had to talk like him for six months. Then they saw THE PRINCESS BRIDE and I had to be Miracle Max (his character from the movie) for six months. And now they get to see me in this film.  So it's a really nice time in my life.” 

                “Parental Guidance” is released in theaters from 20^th Century Fox and distributed by Warner Bros.

SHOCKING BIOPIC “HITCHCOCK” EXCLUSIVE AT AYALA CINEMAS NATIONWIDE

             Lurking behind Alfred Hitchcock, cinema's "master of suspense" -- the extraordinary film icon known for orchestrating some of the most intense experiences of menace and intrigue audiences have ever seen, was a hidden side: his creatively explosive romance with his steadfast wife and filmmaking collaborator, Alma Reville.

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

             Now, for the first time, Fox Searchlight's searing drama “Hitchcock” lays bare their captivating and complex love story. It does so through the sly, shadowy lens of their most daring filmmaking adventure: the making of the spine-tingling 1960 thriller, “Psycho,” which would become the director's most controversial and legendary film. When the tumultuous, against-the-odds production was over, nothing about movies would ever be the same - but few realized that it took two to pull it off.

             Starring Oscar-winners Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren as Alfred and Alma, respectively, “Hitchcock” will be shown starting Feb. 6 exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide. Moviegoers can catch the film at Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, Alabang Town Center, Market! Market!, Ayala Center Cebu, Marquee (Central Luzon), Abreeza (Davao), Harbor Point (Subic) and Centrio (Cagayan de Oro).

             The film also stars Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and James D'Arcy.

             In the world of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, chaos, danger and sinister evil hide in the shadows of his characters' ordinary lives. But what about Hitchcock's own everyday life? The consummately skilled director carefully cultivated a public persona - constructed out of his portly silhouette and macabre wit - that managed to keep his inner psyche tightly under wraps. But for decades the question has lingered: might there be a way to get inside Hitchcock not as an icon but as a person? 

            For “Hitchcock” director Sacha Gervasi, the answer lay in a woman. Not one of the notorious "Hitchcock Blondes" whose cool, aloof beauty and power graced and haunted his films, but a woman who has been largely unknown to the world: his talented wife, Alma, who from behind the scenes deeply influenced Hitchcock's work, penetrated his defenses and became his silent modest co-creator. 

             "I always felt the core of `Hitchcock' had to be the love story between Alfred and Alma," Gervasi comments. "They had this dynamic, complex, contradictory, beautiful, painful relationship that was not just a marriage but a real creative collaboration. I was really interested in how these two very strong-minded people lived with each other and created together and that brought a whole new perspective to the story of how `Psycho' was made. Without Alma at his side, Hitchcock would not have been as brilliant, or would not have pulled off `Psycho.'" 

             On paper, Gervasi might have seemed an unusual choice to take on the inner sanctum of the "Master of Suspense." A journalist who made his screenwriting debut with Steven Spielberg's “The Terminal,” he is best known for directing the acclaimed documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” the funny, raucous, bittersweet account of an aging metal band's refusal to give up their rock n' roll dreams.

             Gervasi's take was that the drama in Alfred and Alma's marriage - the real-life union between an imperious director known for his dark obsessions and a ferociously intelligent woman who was a pioneer at a time when women had almost no visible power in Hollywood - would be as suspenseful, entertaining and raw as many of Hitchcock's best films.

             Producer Tom Pollock admits there were a lot of other directors interested in the job who had far more experience, but Gervasi's take was hard to resist. "Sacha had a real vision of the film as a distinctive kind of love story and he also understood that the story had to have a lot of humor," says Pollock. 

             Adds producer Tom Thayer: "Sacha found a contemporary relevance in the Hitchcock story that resonates for an audience. He made it the story of a marriage, framing their relationship against the gauntlet Hitch encountered developing `Psycho': an artist trying to reinvent himself in an industry that wanted more of the same. It was Sacha mining the complexities of Hitch and Alma's relationship through this lens that brought so much to the surface."