The Libertine and me...

Yesterday was the shoot for the UTS student's assessment. It went about as well as an inexperienced, shy student director's shoot can go. We spent almost an hour rehearsing and setting up, and then when I finally said I had to leave in 15 minutes they got around to being ready enough to do a take. They were required to film the scene in one shot only so it was pretty simple, we just did three takes and that was it. The director gave a little bit of direction and the camera and sound people (other students) did everything else. The other actress was great, turns out she lives about 15 minutes from me. When I asked where she was from she said the name of our suburb and was all ready to explain where it is (city people don't tend to have heard of it) when I said "No way! You are not!" And then we found out that one of the other students (she was doing the boom) went to my high school. And there we all were, working on some random student assessment shoot in UTS. Small world.

Everyone else there was 19 so I felt like a real old fart. But they were all surprised to find out how old I was so at least they didn't think I was too old-fogie-ish. I'm really enjoying that I apparently look about 5 years younger than I am. :)

After that was done I took the opportunity to go see The Libertine, which is only showing at one cinema in the whole city. I guess it's too arty-farty for the general pleb population. (joking! I'm not a snob really, I promise!). I loved the beginning and the ending (and I DID like John Wilmot whether he likes it or not!), but the in-between was, I think, missing a lot. I have heard talk that a lot of the vital elements of the story were edited out or vetoed by the Weinsteins... and you can tell. There's a fair bit of random weirdness that just isn't explained. But then on the other hand, that doesn't let the film down all that much because it kind of fits in with the random weirdness of Rochester himself.

Anyway, it was definitely worth seeing - especially for nine bucks on Cheap Tuesday. :)

And last night Noel and I sat up late and he was quoting Plunkett & MacLeane (one of his favourite movies) while I quoted The Libertine - we could almost have a conversation! (not a very savoury conversation, mind you, what with all the buggery and swinging both ways and whores and such...) Lots of fun. :)