Clive Owen: From Croupier to Hemingway
On the
way to Clive Owen's Q&A session at the Abu Dhabi Theater, the
present writer boarded the Festival shuttle along with a host of
teenage volunteers. The youngsters in question were
pondering among themselves who the actor in question was, and
whether any of them had seen his films. After a few seconds of
heated deliberation, one answer prevailed: Sin City. I wonder
whether Owen would have been befuddled had he witnessed this
exchange. Sin City is
for all intents and purposes a brilliant adaptation of Frank
Miller's graphic novel by the same name, but still… Here is an
actor who spent his formative years training with the illustrious
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and acting with some veteran British
directors (such as Mike Hodges and Mike Nichols). He made a move to
Hollywood (Spike Lee), and lately collaborated with a host of
European movie-makers (Alfonso Cuarón and Tom Tykwer).
The
National's Ed
Lake led the Q&A session with the famed British "heartthrob",
starting off with an enquiry into Owen's recent projects. These
include Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's Intruders, described by
the actor as a "low-budget, psychological science-fiction
thriller," as well as Hemingway & Gellhorn,
a drama centered on the romance between Ernest Hemingway and WWII
correspondent Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway's inspiration for For Whom the Bell
Tolls.
The
discussion then shifted towards Owen's predilection for theater,
where he spent his formative years training and acting. When asked
whether he would like to return to performing onstage on a regular
basis, Owen admitted to being more comfortable nowadays on a movie
set; this being due first and foremost to the specific
collaboration between the film's director and the actors, a
relationship seldom found in the realm of theater, and one for
which Owen feels great affinity.
The
actor gave an example from the filming of Gosford Park, by American
director Robert Altman. Shot in 2001 in England, the film assembled
an impressive cast of famed British actors and actresses, including
Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Alan Bates and Michael Gambon, among
others. Owen remembered how Altman requested the entirety of the
stellar cast to be present on set every day in full costume,
whether they had scenes or not, so they would be integrated into
the happenings of the film. Owen marveled at both the seasoned
director's ability to hold such an impressive cast in check, and
his desire to improvise outside of the boundaries of the written
script.
Lake
asked the actor about the key moments of his acting career. These
included TV series Chancellor, as well as
his starring roles in Croupier and Closer, from British
directors Mike Hodges and Mike Nichols, respectively. Closer holds a special
place in Owen's heart, due to the fact that he acted in both the
theater production of Patrick Marber's play and its cinematic
adaptation. Referring to his Hollywood experience, Owen mentioned
that upon arriving there, he was often asked to play the parts of
villains, something which he frowned upon, as he does not conceive
of himself as a "good guy" or a "bad guy", but prefers roles that
allow for the characters' inner conflict(s) to come
forth.
The
interview was followed by a round of questions from the audience;
these ranged from Owen's taste in clothes and music (a definite
liking for David Bowie), to his favorite movie picks of the last
few months (Jacques Audiard's Le Prophète). When asked
if he envisaged becoming the next James Bond, the actor evaded the
question with subtlety, and insisted on Daniel Craig doing a great
job in the much-coveted role!
Ziad Nawfal