Author: JaniaJania

A Horse by any other Name …

damian lewis charles doughty wylie queen of the desert nicole kidman gertrude bell
source: QueenFilmFan and koenigin-der-wueste.de

In light of upcoming international releases for Queen of the Desert, allow me to take you on a visual trip into some screenshots from German clips and “fotos” released from the official German site for the film. No word yet on when we can see this large-scale saga on our screens in the U.S. Reviews abroad, so far, have been mixed, some going so far as to say that with such a conventional romantic epic, Herzog has stepped perilously far from the avant-garde aesthetic which has defined his work to date. Needless to say, one of the preeminent directors of our time certainly took a chance with this enterprise. But, what’s the value of achieving preeminence if not to be given a license to take chances every now and then? One thing is certain from the trailers and clips we’ve seen: the actors involved in this project have given it their all. I’ll, of course, focus here on Damian’s work in this film, picking apart the few glimpses we’ve seen so far.

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Revisiting Dick Winters

A week or so short of the 14 year anniversary of the airing of the first episode of Band of Brothers, let’s revisit my second post on this blog, “Before Nicholas Brody, there was Dick Winters”. Seems the love for this series has never abated and in the months since I published this post, the remembrances of Damian Lewis as Dick Winters are still steady and strong. Enjoy!

Damian Lewis’ first role as an American was in the role of Dick Winters in Spielberg/Hanks’ Band of Brothers. (Fun fact: the title Band of Brothers is taken from Shakespeare, from Henry V’s speech to his troops: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother”)

Source: HBO
Source: HBO

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Four Corners Make a Quadrangle, Right?

You know, friends, we walk a thin precarious line as fans of a real life man. Of course, there is the contingent of fans who send this real life man all kinds of nice things in the mail (start the vid at about 3:00 to see what I’m talking about). And there is the contingent of fans, particularly on this blog, who can’t stop talking about Damian’s projects, imagining new projects for him, postulating character development, the way he has developed the characters given to him, the way we can develop character in our own writing, not to mention forensically examining the positioning of his feet dependent on the role (but, I know, that last one is just me…)

The thin line comes in when we start to talk about him as a romantic lead. Because, squee, it’s all too much, isn’t it?  Seeing him in certain cable-ready circumstances: a bucolic cabin in the woods, a seedy hotel room, drunken parking lot, codpieces un-retouched by Puritanism, etc. etc.  We have the utmost respect for him as an actor and as a man.  So, when we enter a certain territory, there is an..ahem…danger of going too far, no?  All of this to say: we are all anxiously awaiting Damian’s return to cable.  Billions, a show airing on Showtime? Our imagination is aflutter.  The fantasy lives large, friends, and it burns vivid.

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Highlights from Billions at TCA15

“It’s like Highlander, there’s only One.”  – Bobby Axelrod

The Television Critics Association gave the stage this morning to the show runners and talent behind Billions at TCA15, and, boy, did they give us a lot to take in. Foremost is the news that Billions is set to premier on Showtime on Sunday, January 17 at 10pm! And here’s a new extended trailer:

We already know the premise and players, so let’s get to the highlights from TCA15.

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Actors and Hope for Humankind: Damian Lewis and Nicole Kidman

Damianista and I are always batting around the idea of serendipity: Our mutual love of finding gems in places where we weren’t looking for them, and then making luck where we find it. We also have a way of finishing each other’s thoughts or typing the same ideas or observations at the same time. That’s probably more happy coincidence than serendipity, but, in either case, it’s a welcome sign of working with someone who is sympatico: that not exactly rare but always welcome thing of having a working relationship with a kindred spirit.

Whether it’s serendipity or a happy coincidence or good old fashioned brilliance in casting that Nicole Kidman and Damian Lewis got to work together in Queen of the Desert, the more revealed about this film and this team of actors, the more anxious we become to see it all played out on screen. Reading Vogue’s article on Nicole Kidman revealed bits about her approach to her art that bear an uncanny resemblance to another fine actor we all know and love, Damian Lewis. Nicole Kidman’s spread in Vogue replete with pics from Queen of the Desert whets my appetite even more.

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