The Weinstein Co. debuted three stills from the eagerly anticipated film version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It contains what I believe is the best quote ever put down on paper (later appropriated by Faulkner – also used, alas, in Birdman last year):
She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
I really hope Justin Kurzel does not screw up what looks to be one of the best films we will see next year.
Gorgeous images.
Igor, you should watch A Very Long Engagement! Cotillard plays the opposite of a painful and sensitive character, in this movie she is a vengeful killer, her character in Love Me If You Dare was also manipulative, these and her role as Mal in Inception prove that she can pull off Lady Macbeth. It’s sad that people have only seen Cotillard’s recent films and think that she can’t play a different kind of role based on this, and is not that hard to find her earlier films on the internet…
Cannes has had a very strange history with Marian Cotillard. They’ve never really given her her due, like the rest of the world has. Maybe it’s just simply jealousy that she has become THEE most successful and visible French actress internationally…
This film should be opening the festival….but it’s not…hmmm
Next year? I’m pretty sure Weinstein’s gonna roll this out for awards season if it’s any good considering the Cannes premiere. Of course, he could “Immigrant” this one and completely fuck its chances, but we’ll see.
I’ve been anxiously awaiting this for so long it’s not even funny. Two actors that go that deep into their characters playing with the characters of MACBETH?? And with that director? Yes. I can’t wait to see what happens. Even if it ends up a mess, whatever. To be great there has to be risk. At least it won’t be safe.
Also, dudes,
Even though I like both; I’ll take Welle’s MACBETH over Olivier’s HAMLET any day of the week (that includes weekdays and weekend). What kind of drugs were critics and audiences on in ’48?
Charlie, thanks!
“Fair is foul, and foul is fair.” It is imperative that the young MacBeth couple be young and beautiful and sexy and intelligent. That’s what makes their deeds so despicable. How can such a great looking couple be so horribly ambitious and cruel to their fellow man? The timing for such a movie is more than appropriate, with blind ambition and greed running amuck in Hollywood. Fassbender and Cotillard are inspired casting for this new version. Besides the two leads, I’m also looking forward to seeing the unheralded and often overlooked Sean Harris as MacDuff and David Thewlis as Duncan! This is really a great cast.
Polanski’s 1971 version of MacBeth with Jon Finch and Francesca Annis remains one of my favorite moves of all time. Check it out sometime if you’re ever in the mood. It’s visually quite powerful, with great cinematography and inspired directing. It’s one of Roman Polanski’s best films I think, and was the first movie he made after his wife Sharon Tate was murdered.
Igor, her character in Inception (to me) had traces of Lady Macbeth so she an do a bit manipulation.
IGOR,
You’re totally right! It’s quite a challenge for her, more praise to her if she can pull it off!
CHRISTOPHE,
my point was not on the accent itself or the fact that she’s French, but that Lady Macbeth is a frightening, ruthless and ambitious character. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a character played by Cotillard like that. She plays painfull, too sensitive characters. However, as I said before, she is too good so I hope she can nail it.
I’ve been anticipating this film for over a year now. These stills gives us a glimpse into how sexy, beautiful, and ruthless Kurzel’s Macbeth will be. I have complete faith in the performances of Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. As to award chances, let’s just simply watch the film first and then decide. All films made don’t have to have be 110% Oscar cred.
I’m super excited about this movie. I love Shakespeare and I love Macbeth, so it’s one of the features I’m looking forward to seeing in Cannes.
In the meantime, Italian Online Movie Awards announced their winners. Movies were voted online by Italian cinephiles and moviegoers (and I voted too), even though this award isn’t as known as the David di Donatello.
BEST PICTURE: Mommy
BEST DIRECTOR: Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman
BEST ACTOR: Michael Keaton – Birdman
BEST ACTRESS: Anne Dorval – Mommy
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: JK Simmons – Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Suzanne Clément – Mommy
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Grand Budapest Hotel and Mommy (tie)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Winter Sleep
BEST ENSEMBLE: Birdman
BEST EDITING: Mommy
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Alexandre Desplat – The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST ART DIRECTION: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLE: Guardians of the Galaxy
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Interstellar
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
BEST EUROPEAN PICTURE: Nymphomaniac
BEST ITALIAN PICTURE: The Wonders
Maybe they’ll just let Michael Fassbender keep his accent if they let Marion Cotillard keep hers. They probably should tbh. Kinda tired of hearing him screw up almost every accent thrown his way.
There’s rly no discernible reason imo for all the negativity toward this project. Maybe it’s in competition because it’s good enough? It may be yet another English-language film in the selection this year, but at least Justin Kurzel represents some new blood for Cannes. If only they’d left out Moretti, Nicloux, Sorrentino and Audiard and not Kawase, Noe and Weerasethakul…
@Bryce
this short film by Laszlo Nemes surely will get you intrigued for his directorial debut feature:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g1FIkw9CYM
Igor,
There have been many Scottish queens of French extraction in history, so Marion Cotillard is not out of place. In fact the various French and British royal families kept marrying into each other during the Middle Ages. I will try to write a note on this subject so I can post it when the inevitable shitstorm hits: “OMG! Marion Cotillard is so miscast: she can’t pull out the Scottish accent.” Or “a Scottish queen with a French accent, how original? Not, that’s totally weird!” (Insert finger into nose).
I don’t know about German Fassbender but since he doesn’t seem to have a thick native accent, he’ll probably avoid criticism.
Still excited for this! Though I def need to watch Polanski’s version, which looks awesome and creepy as usual with Roman.
Life is nothing but God experiencing himself, Dali would say “God masturbating”, though I can’t seem to find the quote.
Wait, you extrapolate this from a handful of stills or know more details about the guy’s take?
I admit I’m making assumptions, I just figure if there were anything substantially more noteworthy about this film besides “Macbeth ft. Fassy and Marion” we’d already have heard about it. Willing to be proven otherwise.
Also, keep recommending movies from the competition slate directors. After Lucia was enjoyable (well, maybe that’s the wrong word).
Here’s my expectation power ranking two weeks out:
1. Hou
2. Haynes
3. Trier
4. Jia
5. Lanthimos
6. Koreeda
7. Audiard
8. Kurzel
9. Sorrentino
10. Villeneuve
11. Garrone
12. Franco
13. Donzelli
14. Van Sant
15. Nicloux
16. Maiwenn
18. Nemes
18. Brize
19. Moretti
I adore Marion Cotillard but I just can’t see ver as Lady Macbeth. Hopefully she’ll surprise me
“Kurzel doesn’t really seem to be taking any daring steps in this production”
Wait, you extrapolate this from a handful of stills or know more details about the guy’s take?
THE SNOWTOWN MURDERS is on Netflix. Y’all should check it out. My high (though far from prohibitive) expectations are rooted almost exclusively on that picture’s virtues — and the leads, surely.
Shakespeare can be done interpreted dozens of times dozens of ways. Every vision has it own merits and failures. That Macbeth is considered jinxed makes it all the more fascinating that anybody would want to make another run at it in the age of superheroes – there are no heroes here.
This version will obviously focus on the vitality and skills of two of our greatest contemporary actors. It’s a desperate love story crippled by ambition, co-dependency, fear of failure and, of course – lust. Plus, the woman is the driving force, frustrated by her inferior position but knowing exactly which buttons to push on her adored but feckless husband.
With Cotillard and Fassbender, this is one of 2015’s dreams come true. Just make sure everybody else on the production stays out of the way. They can handle it just fine, no help necessary.
I mean, nothing will ever probably top Polanski’s and Kurosawa’s takes on the play, and Kurzel doesn’t really seem to be taking any daring steps in this production, so my expectations are a bit tempered, but that’s just how it is with Shakespeare adaptations, isn’t it? Only so much you can do anymore that’s going to pop off the screen. Fassbender and Cotillard are sure to be excellent, though, and the film’s success will ride almost entirely on them, I’m guessing.
(tbh, I’m not sure, at this juncture, that this film necessarily belongs in Competition, especially given all the surprising omissions this year. Would’ve made a great festival opener, though, missed chance on that.)
Whilst Macbeth isn’t exactly the most beloved Shakespeare, particularly in terms of its film adaptation track record, I generally have a lot of faith in whatever See-Saw Productions are doing, not to mention that Michael and Marion have been my favourite leads for a few years now, so seeing them together will be interesting.
Still, there are some things working against its BP prospects, as Macbeth already has a rich film history (and a generally agreed standard for the time being in Polanski’s version). That lack of newness will work against it, as it has for many other BP contenders in the last couple decades. It will really have to feel very different to have a chance of winning, and that is where the make-or-break factor of Kurzel comes in. The only situation in which it may win is if it rides on the coattails of multiple acting Oscar wins.
But before all that Oscar hoopla sinks its claws into the film, we can just enjoy its showing at Cannes. Yippee!
Both of them ooze charisma, passion and sex. My #1 anticipated this year!
I’m staying optimistic about this one. It could be another Nine-type of a situation for Cotillard: she’s great, and everything around her appears to be great, but in the end it just never quite adds up for most people. I hope it’s not, though.
This is an awfully negative post! “Alas, Birdman” “…does not screw up.” Let’s just be excited that freaking Fassbender and Cotillard are doing this and hope for the best! I know that I am.