Tag Archives: Edward Norton

STARS LAUNCH SAVE THE ARCTIC CAMPAIGN

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Greenpeace to plant a million names on seabed beneath the pole

Stars from the worlds of music, film, TV and business are today launching a campaign to save the Arctic.

Sir Paul McCartney, Penelope Cruz, Robert Redford, One Direction, Alexandra Burke, Jarvis Cocker and Sir Richard Branson are among dozens of famous names who are asking for a global sanctuary in the Arctic. They have joined forces with Greenpeace to demand that oil drilling and unsustainable fishing are banned in Arctic waters.

Others demanding that the uninhabited area around the North Pole is legally protected and made off-limits to polluters include Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, Jude Law, John Hurt, Rita Ora, Thom Yorke, Tim Roth, Thandie Newton, Bruce Parry, Lawrence Dallaglio, explorer David de Rothschild and Cilla Black. (Full list below.)

They are among the first one hundred names to be written on an Arctic Scroll, which is launched by Greenpeace today at the Rio Earth Summit. When a million others add their own names Greenpeace will embark on an expedition to plant it on the seabed at the North Pole, four kilometres beneath the ice. The spot will be marked by a Flag for the Future designed by the youth of the world.

Anybody in the world can add their name to the Arctic Scroll and have their name planted beneath the pole by visiting www.SaveTheArctic.org

The huge expanse around the pole belongs to all of us because it is defined in international law as the high seas. But as temperatures rise and the ice melts the Arctic states – Russia, Canada, the US, Norway and Denmark – are making territorial claims on the seabed so they can open the door to oil companies. Arctic sea ice has retreated dramatically in recent years and scientists say the North Pole could soon be ice free.

The campaign is formally launched today at the Rio Earth Summit at a press conference (details below) hosted by Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo, Sir Richard Branson and actress Lucy Lawless, star of Battlestar Galactica and Xena: Warrior Princess. Lucy will be sentenced in September after scaling oil company Shell’s Arctic drilling rig and blocking its operations for 72 hours in New Zealand in February.

Sir Paul McCartney said: “The Arctic is one of the most beautiful and last untouched regions on our planet, but now it’s under threat. Some countries and companies want to open it up to oil drilling and industrial fishing and do to the Arctic what they’ve done to the rest of our fragile planet. It seems madness that we are willing to go to the ends of the Earth to find the last drops of oil when our best scientific minds are telling us we need to get off fossil fuels to give our children a future. At some time, in some place, we need to take a stand. I believe that time is now and that place is the Arctic.”

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said: “The Arctic is coming under assault and needs people from around the world to stand up and demand action to protect it. A ban on offshore oil drilling and unsustainable fishing would be a huge victory against the forces ranged against this precious region and the four million people who live there. And a sanctuary in the uninhabited area around the pole would in a stroke stop the polluters colonising the top of the world without infringing on the rights of Indigenous communities.”

As part of today’s launch, polar bears have been appearing in cities around the world.

Shell is due to begin exploratory drilling at two offshore sites in the Alaskan Arctic in the coming weeks. If Shell is successful this summer, an Arctic oil rush will be sparked and the push to carve up the region will accelerate. Russian oil giant Gazprom is also pushing into the offshore Arctic this year.

In 2007 Russian explorer Artur Chilingarov planted a Russian flag on the seabed beneath the pole and ‘claimed’ it for Moscow. Wikileaks documents later revealed he was acting on the instructions of the Russian Government. Now Greenpeace is planting the names of a million global citizens beneath the pole and marking the spot with a Flag for the Future designed by children in a global competition organised by the ten million-strong Girl Guide movement.

The campaign will initially focus on pushing for a UN resolution demanding a global sanctuary around the pole and a ban on oil drilling and unsustainable fishing in the wider Arctic. The campaign was launched today because the Arctic Circle is defined as the area of the globe which on the longest day – 21 June – experiences 24 hours of sunlight. On 21 June the sun never sets on the Arctic.

Rodion Sulyandziga from the Udega People and First Vice President of RAIPON (Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North) said:

“At present, the Arctic – one of the last unique and intact places on Earth – is facing a real threat from active oil drilling. A large scale oil exploration ‘development’ can irreversibly destroy the virgin purity of the Arctic region, putting at stake the physical existence and survival of Indigenous Peoples who, without their traditional living patterns, without their eternal habitat, will have no future.”

Three Arctic states, the US, Canada and Russia were responsible for sinking an Oceans Rescue Plan in Rio which would protect the vulnerable marine life of the Arctic’s international waters and enable the establishment of a sanctuary in the area around the pole.

Kumi Naidoo added: “We’re drawing a line in the ice and saying to polluters ‘you come no further.’ People ask me why I, as an African, care so deeply about the Arctic, but the answer is simple. The Arctic is the world’s refrigerator, it keeps us cool by reflecting the sun’s energy off its icy surface, but as the ice melts it’s accelerating global warming, threatening lives and livelihoods on every continent. Wherever we come from, the Arctic is our destiny.”

A new short film written and produced by advertising legend Trevor Beattie and released today uses stunning Arctic footage shot by world-renowned ‘Earth from the Air’ photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is narrated by Golden Globe-winning actor John Hurt and can be viewed at www.savethearctic.org

Moonrise Kingdom | Film Review

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It’s 1965, and we’re on New Penzance Island off the cost of New England. The turbulence of the nation is far away, there’s a storm on the horizon and young love is in the air which has the adults in a fit. This island is the latest whimsical destination of Wes Anderson, the pin up director of commercially successful American independent cinema who has built a loyal fan base since the late 1990s with one of the most unique and recognisable styles in mainstream cinema today.

On said island Anderson introduces us to young Khaki scout Sam and intelligent yet isolated Suzy (newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Haywood), two twelve year olds who meet by chance and instantly fall for one another. Hated by his fellow scouts, Sam has no hesitation in stealing several camping supplies, quitting the troop and absconding with Suzy who insists on bringing a record player, a Francoise Hardy LP and her collection of science fiction novels. Suzy’s unhappily married parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) are furious and join in the search party led by sad sack Police Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) and Scout leader Randy Ward (Edward Norton). Time may not be on their side however as the ominous shadows of a hurricane and ‘Social Services’ () bare down upon New Penzance…

From the very opening we clearly are in ‘Wes World’. A gorgeous tracking shot through the elaborate set of Suzy and her family’s home highlights many if not all of Anderson’s directorial flourishes. The very particular framing of the camera and its movement, the positioning of actors and their props, the autumnal colour scheme and frequent overhead shots of hands and key items have defined his style over seven films. I also really admired the incredibly retro titles which even have the traditional serial number beneath the title. His understanding of mise-en-scene (‘what’s in the frame’ for the film buffs) is immediately recognisable and marks him out as one of the few directors working today whom you could instantly recognise from a single frame and Moonrise Kingdom is no exception. His critics accuse him of being to forced in his style and becoming an obstruction to the narrative yet I personally applaud a director who is able to make a film that is clearly their own and can be recognised as a true auteur in the industry.

Anderson is also highly regarded for his skill at marshalling ensemble casts and here he has amassed yet another fine one. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton have a lot of fun subverting their typical ‘dark’ image with fine take on desperate, straight man against the world vibe and it is the former who has the most fun in the role. It could be seen that Willis is deliberately referencing to his back catalogue since he is playing a police officer yet he seems to be playing more to his skills as a comedic actor in the days before Die Hard. The sight of him roaming around the landscape in a beat up station wagon with a bad toupee and Hank Williams crooning away on the soundtrack makes it hard to suppress a chuckle. Previous Anderson stalwarts Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman tackle their material well and prove further to be the perfect foil for the dry, witty humour. I wish the same could be said for the female performers of the story. Frances McDormand is a brilliant actress and always a joy to watch yet here the role of Suzy’s mother she is not given enough material to form a satisfactory character arc; a sub plot involving an extramarital affair is wrapped up with a mere shrug. Also the magnificent Tilda Swinton is introduced a bit too late into the story to create a fully convincing antagonistic force though I couldn’t help but giggle every time she referred to herself in the third person as ‘Social Services’.

Thankfully it is in its key casting that Moonrise Kingdom truly scores. As the young couple, Gilman and Haywood are simply fantastic and carry the entire film effortlessly. At first their actions appear hopelessly naive yet this is undercut with genuine pathos of young love. There is a deliberate attempt on behalf of the writers to juxtapose the simplicity of their courtship against the dour complexity of the adults of the island. The films setting at a time when this part of America had not yet experienced the turbulent times that would reverberate through the nation’s history is offset with quaint and quiet charm that is genuinely beguiling and in the case of the young love story, quite moving. There is a yearning for a way of American life that simply does not exist today and there is a constant air of slight melancholy running throughout. As the social outcasts discover surprising truths about one another, Anderson focuses on the minuet details of their romance that steadily grow on you and pay off very well indeed.

His critics may complain, but Wes Anderson fans will be on cloud nine with this one and with good reason. With his typically assured style and charm and wit to spare, this easily stands amongst his best work. I personally cannot wait to see what he does next and will always be first in line to enter ‘Wes World’…

CANNES 2012 PREVIEW

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The most prestigious and coveted film festival on the planet is upon us as filmmakers, stars and journalists descend on the southern French seaside resort to view and critique some of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course I cannot be going myself; the rigour of the festival is said to drive even the most dedicated of film journalists to the edge let alone a beginner. But I can definitely cast my eye over the selection and pick ten of them that have caught my and other cinefiles eyes. Some of these have confirmed UK release dates, others do not. Either way the calibre of these titles should see them generating plenty of buzz before their arrival on these shores.

MOONRISE KINGDOM

The seventh feature from the king of idiosyncratic American indie cinema Wes Anderson is a period piece set in the mid sixties following two runaway teenagers in love and the haphazard search party that sets out after them. Anderson stalwarts Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman are joined by newcomers Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand to name a few. Anderson’s exceptionally detailed, designed and witty directorial style may not be to all tastes but for fans of his work this is set to tick all the boxes.

LOVE

Austrian master of discomfort Michael Haneke returns to France for a tale of a couple who must care for the wife’s elderly parents. French acting legend Isabelle Huppert appears alongside William Shimmel of the magnificent Certified Copy in what would appear to be a more gentle approach for Haneke. Those familiar with his work however, will be prepared for terrible things to happen.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

The Assassination of Jesse James was one of the most criminally underrated films of recent years so hopes are high for director Andrew Dominik and star Brad Pitt’s reunion in this gritty crime thriller about an underworld investigation into a card game heist co starring Sam Shepard, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta. Pitt appeared in last year’s big Cannes winner The Tree Of Life. Can he make it two in a row?

COSMOPOLIS

Robert Pattinson has the hearts of millions of Twilight fans and now we find out if he can win critical acclaim in Canadian maestro David Cronenberg’s twisted thriller about a young elitist yuppie travelling across New York City for a designer haircut and getting caught up in a dystopian, cultural revolution. Imagine a science-fiction take on American Psycho.

GRANDMASTERS

Wong Kar- wai has had glory at Cannes before with his visually lush and unconventional takes on traditional genre features with In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. Now he turns his fine eye to a classic martial arts tale (based on the Ip Man series) with Asian superstar Tony Leung pulling all the moves.

RUST AND BONE

Jacques Audiard is known for his poetic yet brutal dramas such as A Prophet and The Beat My Heart Skipped. Hopes are high for this dramatic tale of a marine park worker crippled in an accident who finds solace with an immigrant bouncer. The magnificent Marion Cotillard plays the lead and after being sadly relegated in recent American roles she may have to clear space next to her first Oscar for La Vie En Rose…

LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE

Abbas Kiarostami is a master of blurring the line between fiction and cinematic construct and recently had glory at Cannes with Certified Copy. Here he heads to Japan, focusing on the relationship between an aging academic and a student side-lining as a prostitute. Whatever the context of their relationship the director’s previous work dictates that appearances can be deceiving.

ON THE ROAD

Jack Kerouac’s seminal road journey novel has been rolling around studios for years and now Walter Salles of the excellent road movie The Motorcycle Diaries turns his attention to the tale of two young men making their way across fifties America. Sam Riley of the the brilliant Control appears alongside Kirsten Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss and Steve Buscemi. For the cast alone this is a must see.

LAWLESS

Reminiscent of his gritty western The Proposition, Australian director John Hillcot’s latest is another tale of outlaw brothers (here in prohibition era America) whose familial bonds are pushed to the limit by the pursuing lawmen and each other. Again this is a stellar cast; Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Gary Oldman to name just a few.

THE ANGEL’S SHARE

Britain’s poet of the people Ken Loach is another Cannes stalwart and this appears to balance the mix between gentle humour and gritty realism of his previous work and concerns a young tearaway who finds a chance at redemption and success in the surprisingly sophisticated world of whisky brewing and selling.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from 16 May to 27 May.