Although London’s romantic side is often overshadowed by its bistro- and brasserie-filled Parisian neighbor, the British city is full of ways to woo a significant other. A walk along the Thames. Following in Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts’ footsteps in Notting Hill. Recreating the opening of Love, Actually as you land at Heathrow. But the restaurant scene, in particular, is replete with enticing romantic opportunities of all price points and cuisines. Whether you’re looking to wow someone with a Michelin-starred meal or to cuddle up in the corner of a neighborhood spot, London has a culinary offering for every type of date night.
Classics like Clos Maggiore and Andrew Edmunds draw crowds of two for good reason, thanks in part to their amorously inclined atmospheres. New London restaurants, like Noisy Oyster and One Club Row, are more contemporary and hip, but no less suited to a night out with your partner. Some places are best for first or second dates, while others are ideal for long-time lovers. And it doesn’t have to be Valentine’s Day or an anniversary to make these meals worthwhile—many are perfect for any random evening you happen to have free. Wherever you go, be sure to make plans in advance, as Londoners tend to book early and frantically.
Four Weddings and a Funeral was one of the biggest films of the 1990s – but where are the cast now?
Released in 1994, the romantic comedy follows commitment-phobic bachelor Charles, played by Hugh Grant, who ends up coming across an American woman called Carrie (Andie MacDowell) at numerous social occasions, including four weddings and one funeral.
The flick – which airs tonight (December 26) on BBC One – was an instant hit and garnered numerous awards, and went on to gross more than £200 million at the box office. So, over 30 years since its release, ED! is taking a look at where the beloved cast are now…
Hugh has gone on to have a stellar career (Credit: BBC)
Four Weddings and a Funeral cast now: Hugh Grant
Hugh cemented his fame playing Charles in Four Weddings and a Funeral. Since then, he’s become a bonafide romcom king, appearing in films such as Richard Curtis’ Bridget Jones’ Diary triolgy, Notting Hill and Love Actually.
The heart-throb, now 65, found himself in hot water in 1995 though, when he was arrested after being caught with sex worker, Divine Brown. At the time, he had been dating Elizabeth Hurley for more than a decade.
Hugh later claimed the scandal was down to his lack of confidence as an actor, and said he was “not in a good frame of mind” when he was caught in a compromising position with her in his car on Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard.
Speaking about Four Weddings, Hugh previously revealed that he thought the film would bomb. “It’s true that we were all sure we’d made a giant turkey till the film had its first previews. I was clearly wrong and the film changed my life,” he said.
He added: “It was the beginning of a happy friendship with Richard Curtis.”
Charlotte (right) sadly died following an asthma attack (Credit: Shutterstock)
Charlotte Coleman
Charlotte Coleman played the sister of Charles called Scarlett. For her role, Charlotte was nominated for the BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Tragically, in 2001, when she was just 33 years old, Charlotte died at her home in London after leaving her parents’ house due to her feeling ill. She died following an asthma attack.
Charlotte also had to deal with the death of her boyfriend, Jonathan Laycock, when she was just 19. He died in a cycling accident, and the ordeal had a huge impact on Charlotte. She went through periods of depression, and developed the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia.
Andie has continued to act (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Four Weddings and a Funeral cast: Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell, 67, was already an established actress before she appeared in Four Weddings and a Funeral as Carrie. She had roles in the likes of Green Card and Groundhog Day.
The actress has since continued to have an illustrious career, appearing in the likes of Footloose, Magic Mike XXL and Ready or Not?.
The star ended up quitting being an actor (Credit: YouTube video)
David Bower
Four Weddings and a Funeral was actor David Bower’s first film, in which he played David, the brother Hugh Grant’s Charles.
David – who is deaf and played a deaf character in the movie – had a brief career as an actor following Four Weddings and a Funeral’s release. However, by 2010, he was serving as creative director of the Signdance Collective.
Speaking to BBC that year, David, now 55-56, opened up about why he quit acting, and heartbreakingly revealed he “couldn’t find the parts”.
“People ask me why I gave up film acting. I didn’t give it up. I just couldn’t find the parts,” he candidly shared. David went on: “I’m hoping that one day deaf actors will be able to play all kinds of parts, not just deaf people.”
She played Henrietta (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Anna Chancellor
Anna Chancellor, now 60, was best known for playing Henrietta in Four Weddings and A Funeral. After the movie was released, Anna went on to have a successful career on both stage and screen.
Tragically, in September 2023, her daughter Poppy died aged 36. Her death followed a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia. Poppy was diagnosed just months earlier after she suffered with infections from having her wisdom teeth taken out.
Talking about her daughter in 2025, Anna told The Bath Magazine: “I was incredibly lucky to have had Poppy as my child. Our relationship was very unusual. We were always very, very close. I admired her even when she was very young. She was the naughtiest child. But she made me laugh. She was so funny, properly witty.”
James starred in the Vicar Of Dibley alongside Dawn French (Credit: BBC)
James Fleet
Now 73, James played Tom in Four Weddings and a Funeral and went on to portray the equally bumbling Hugo in The Vicar Of Dibley. He has also appeared in Grange Hill, The Bill and Coronation Street.
Most recently, he appeared in Netflix’s Queen Charlotte, a Bridgerton spin-off.
He played Gareth in the film (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Simon Callow
Simon Callow was a well-known theatre actor before taking on the role of Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral. He was one of the first actors at the time to come out as gay. And, in 2007, he was named the 28th most influential gay man in the UK by The Independent.
The actor previously told The Guardian: “I was grateful that Gareth, my character in Four Weddings and a Funeral, died of [a heart attack while] Scottish dancing. When it came out in 1994, Aids was rampant. We’d just had Philadelphia, an honourable film with noble intentions, but once again homosexuality was identified with disease. Disease and prison were the two ways most people thought about gay people. Gareth didn’t give a toss about any of that. He died from an excess of joy and generosity, which was a wonderful thing.”
Now aged 76, Simon was awarded a CBE in 1999 for his services to acting. He has continued his career too, appearing in the likes of Death in Paradise and Outlander.
John has gone on to have a successful career (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Four Weddings and a Funeral cast: John Hannah
Scottish actor John Hannah played Matthew in the romcom and bagged a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Now 63, John’s career has seen him go Stateside, bagging roles in films like the Blockbuster The Mummy trilogy, as well as stints on TV shows including Cold Blood and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Rowan is a comedy legend (Credit: BBC)
Rowan Atkinson
Before playing Father Gerald in Four Weddings, Rowan Atkinson was already well known to thanks to playing the iconic Mr Bean.
Since then the comedy legend, now 70, has appeared in a range of different films. These include Love Actually, Scooby-Doo, The Lion King and Wonka. He’s currently on TV in Netflix series Man Vs Baby, a follow-up to 2022’s Man Vs Bee.
Kristin has been in numerous films since (Credit: SplashNews.com)
Dame Kristin Scott Thomas
Kristin Scott Thomas, 65, played Charles’ friend Fiona in Four Weddings and a Funeral. She went on to win a BAFTA for her performance. However, like Hugh, she thought it was “a bit of a dud at first”.
The actress told Graham Norton on his chat show: “The only time I saw it I was all by myself in a cinema in Paris where there wasn’t anyone to laugh with, and I didn’t find the jokes particularly funny.
“But then I was then on a plane in days when everyone watched the same film and people were laughing so I thought, maybe I am mistaken, maybe it’s quite good.”
She’s continued to have an incredible career both on the stage and on the screen. In 1996, she landed an Oscar nomination for her role in The English Patient and in 2019, she appeared on the iconic sitcom Fleabag. She was also made a Dame by the late Queen, and appears in Apple TV’s cracking Slow Horses. In the show she plays Diana Taverner, boss of MI5.
Watch Four Weddings and a Funeral on Friday (December 26) at 10:15pm on BBC One.
Sony Pictures has announced the Sense and Sensibility theatrical release date for the upcoming special screening of the classic romance period drama based on Jane Austen’s iconic 1811 novel of the same name. It was led by Academy Award winners Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet, along with Golden Globe winners Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. Since its debut in 1995, the movie has maintained its near-perfect Tomatometer rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 67 reviews.
“The film tells the story of the Dashwood sisters: pragmatic Elinor and passionate Marianne. When their father dies unexpectedly, his estate must pass by law to his son from his first marriage, leaving Mr. Dashwood’s current wife and daughters without a home and with barely enough money to live on,” reads the official synopsis. “As both sisters struggle to find romantic fulfillment in a society obsessed with financial and social status, Elinor with shy, charming Edward, and Marianne with either the dashing Willoughby or the haunted Colonel Brandon, they must learn to mix sense with sensibility in their dealings with both money and men.
When is the rerelease date for Hugh Grant’s Sense and Sensibility movie?
In celebration of its 30th anniversary and Austen’s 250th birthday, Sense and Sensibility is officially returning to select theaters in 4K for a limited engagement in North America on December 14, December 16, and December 17. In addition to its critical success, the movie was also a box office hit. During its original theatrical run, it earned a worldwide gross of $135 million against a reported budget of around $16 million.
The movie adaptation was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee, with Thompson writing the screenplay. The ensemble cast also included Greg Wise as John Willoughby, Gemma Jones as Mrs. Dashwood, Harriet Walter as Fanny Dashwood, James Fleet as John Dashwood, Imogen Stubbs as Lucy Steele, Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer, Imelda Staunton as Charlotte Palmer, and more. It was produced by Lindsay Doran, with Sydney Pollack serving as an executive producer.
Jason Kelce has apparently had it with Taylor Swift’s fans. The retired NFL player accused the billionaire singer’s fanbase of election interference this week, saying that they’re responsible for forcing him into an “agonizing review” of the 2005 coming-of-age film Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. But just a few days after Kelce’s grumpy announcement, his brother was spotted out with Blake Lively, one of the film’s stars. Coincidence? Perhaps!
The elder Kelce unleashed the allegation this week on the New Heights podcast, the Wondery-based audio product he co-hosts with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The younger Kelce is better known to the non-NFL-curious as Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, one of the reasons their goofy, loose, and football-centric podcast has become one of the most-listened in the US.
In addition to gridiron events, family reminiscences, and chatter about important matters such as chicken wings (boneless=bad) and doughnuts (the cake variety are “a waste of time”), the brothers have launched a “film club” for which subscribers vote in tiered polls to choose a movie the pair will watch and review. The first such movie to triumph in the poll was Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, the heartwarming drama that starredBlake Lively, Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn, and America Ferrera.
The elder Kelce wasted no time in expressing his disappointment. “You will hear the agonizing review of a movie about pants and sisterhood, two of my least favorite things,” Jason complained as his brother laughed. “The Swifties freakin’ dominated the poll.”
“I’m excited to watch this movie,” Travis said in response, a statement Jason met with disbelief. “You’re honestly excited to watch this movie,” he said flatly. “What in the title makes you excited to watch this movie?”
“Jason, I don’t let the title dictate what gets me excited about it,” Travis responded patiently. “Do you know anything about this movie? What is this movie about?” Jason continued to troll. “I don’t know,” Travis responded. “It has Blake Lively in it, and she’s cool.”
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively are seen on October 11, 2024 in New York City.
XNY/Star Max
It’s a good thing Travis responded so smoothly to his brother’s objections, as just a few days after the podcast dropped, he ended up on a dinner date with Swift, Lively, and Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds. The four were spotted Friday at The Corner Store, a recently-opened restaurant in New York’s SoHo neighborhood with a menu described as “kid food for adults.”
Its offerings likely appealed to Kelce, who also admitted on this week’s podcast that he is too squeamish to eat “anything with a casing,” Creole or Cajun foods including jambalaya, or thicker curries. “I have a mental block,” the 35-year-old said, about “food that looks like it came out of a butthole.” Does that mean The Corner Store’s filet mignon tartare was out, or its spinach artichoke dip? One can only assume so.
Hugh Grant is explaining why he has been skeptical to star in some big-budget fare.
In a Vanity Fair profile published Wednesday, the actor reflected on working more in indies and television and why he rejected a few roles in major Hollywood studio films.
“I’ve turned down a few that I thought were insufficient in quality or independence allowed to the filmmakers — you felt like a big corporation [was] breathing down the neck of these filmmakers, and I don’t want to make that decision,” he said.
As for how he could tell, Grant explained, “I asked them bluntly. I quizzed the directors. You can tell quite early on, since you might have a few ideas about the part before you’ve signed up — you suggest things, and you can tell if there’s a lot of pushback from noncreative executives.”
An exception was the film Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which Grant called “such a good film.” But in regards to the film’s box office — the film came in ahead of expectations at the time but not enough to launch a new film franchise for Paramount and eOne — he said that’s still the “biggest mystery.”
“Why didn’t anyone do market research before?” he said. “I think that’s what went wrong: Basically, people just thought, I don’t want to see a film about this game. Why had no one asked the public?”
As for another notable studio film, Grant is also set to reprise his role as Daniel Cleaver in the fourth Bridget Jones’ film Mad About the Boy. But before signing on, Grant said he originally wasn’t “crazy about” what they had in store for his character in the script. The actor had previously declined starring in 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby: “I really couldn’t fit my character in — he just didn’t belong, so I stepped aside.”
However, he connected to the fourth film’s story. “I loved the script — it made me cry, and I wanted to help with this one,” he said. “But really there’s no part for Daniel Cleaver in it at all. They wanted him in it, and in the end, they’d done something I wasn’t crazy about.”
To rectify his dissatisfaction with his part, Grant said he wrote some scenes that the filmmakers liked enough to infuse into the story. “It’s absolutely the best [Bridget Jones book], and I think it’s very funny and very, very moving. I’m not in a lot, I did a week’s work, that’s it … But when you see the film, you’ll be very moved.”
Grant will appear in the film alongside Renée Zellweger, Emma Thompson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Leo Woodall.
Edward Keplinger, we hardly knew ye. On the fourth episode of The Regime, “Midnight Feast,” Hugh Grant finally appears as the former chancellor, who resides in a prison underneath the palace. Yet Grant’s stay on The Regime was surprisingly short-lived. After befriending newly imprisoned Herbert Zuback (Matthias Schoenaerts), the Butcher murders Keplinger in a fit of rage—getting back into Chancellor Elena’s good graces as she continues to lose her grip on her country. Grant stops by a new episode of Still Watching to discuss his short but impactful stint on The Regime, reuniting with Kate Winslet after almost three decades, and dying on camera for the first time.
It surprised even Grant when he realized that over the course of his four-decade career, he’d never perished on camera before The Regime. “I had no idea how to do it,” Grant told Still Watching hosts Hillary Busis and Chris Murphy. Though the scene is gripping, the famously curmudgeonly actor was less convinced by his own performance. “I said, Stephen [Frears, the show’s director], I think I’m going to be shit. He said, ‘No, no, it’s wonderful.’ But I think it was shit, because I’ve noticed they put in an extra shot of someone’s hand. And it’s not even mine.”
Hand-double or no, Grant had a pleasant time shooting The Regime, particularly reuniting with Winslet 29 years after they costarred in Sense and Sensibility. “She had done Heavenly Creatures, but she was new enough for Ang Lee to say things to her,” Grant said. “He’s a lovely man, as you may know. But partly because of the language barrier, he came across as quite blunt. He said to Kate at the end of her first week, ‘You will get better.’” Grant also recalled Lee giving some tough constructive criticism to himself and costar Emma Thompson. “He also said to me and Emma Thompson after our first scene, ‘Very boring.’ So, he was quite blunt.”
Grant imagined that Keplinger and Elena had a complicated past together, perhaps even actual love lost between the two. “I always had as a back story that he’d probably had an affair with Elena years ago, at university or something, but that maybe he hasn’t been a great success in bed,” says Grant. “I think that Keplinger might be a bit lapsang souchong between the sheets, and was a bit jealous of Zubak, who probably isn’t.”
As for whether Keplinger was a better chancellor than Elena, Grant remains unconvinced. “I think he was stale buns,” said Grant. “I think he’d had his go at chancellor and there was probably about five minutes when the people thought he was the bee’s knees. And then I think they thought, ‘Uh, he’s a bit of a wanker, really. He’s not really one of us. He’s university educated and part of the liberal elite.’” The actor doesn’t necessarily disagree with this assessment either. “He’s a bit snobby and he kind of despises the uneducated, especially when they go populist and, and, you know, vote for an Elena or some bullshitter like that.”
Are Elena and Zuback officially back on? Has Chancellor Elena fully lost control of her regime? Only two episodes remain in this season of The Regime. As always, send any questions, comments, or thoughts about the series to Still Watching at stillwatchingpod@gmail.com.
Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Timothee Chalamet (from left) in Dune. Ryan Stetz/HBO
Whether you want surprisingly funny family dramas, international excellence, or a refresher on one of the decade’s biggest sci-fi franchises, you’re in luck. From indies to blockbusters, these are the titles you need to watch before they leave streaming this month.
What’s leaving Netflix
The Farewell
While Lulu Wang’s star-studded series Expatsis still unfurling, why not watch the movie that catapulted the director into the mainstream? The Farewell stars Awkwafina as Billi, an aspiring writer who’s struggling to find work and her place as a Chinese American woman. When she hears that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with cancer, though, she drops everything to go see her in China. However, there’s another issue: the family is keeping Nai Nai’s diagnosis a secret from her, and a reluctant Billi must do so too. The Farewellwill be available to stream until February 29th.
Dune
After a lengthy, strike-related delay, Dune: Part Two is finally on the horizon. The second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic (out March 1st) features a sprawling cast (with new additions Austin Butler and Florence Pugh) on top of a dense mythos, so there’s no time like the present to catch up by watching Dune. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul, heir to the House Atreides within the galactic empire, who must contend with political threats to his father (Oscar Isaac) and strange trials courtesy of his mother (Rebecca Ferguson). Along the way, he encounters friends and foes alike, played by Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, and Josh Brolin. Dunestreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Hulu
Paddington
As winter truly begins to wear on us all, it’s the perfect time to watch some of the coziest movies of the 21st century. Paddington and its sequel are the rare family movie franchise to truly appeal to all ages, from the title bear’s expertly animated cuddliness to the A-list actors who get to play cartoonish villains (Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, the latter in a BAFTA-nominated performance). Though sweet little Paddington gets himself into quite the precarious predicaments, his mantra of “if we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” always holds true. Paddingtonstreams until the end of the month, while Paddington 2is available through February 26th.
What’s leaving Max
Drive My Car
Layered, lengthy, and packed with a lot of languages, Drive My Car is one of the most daring dramas of the decade so far. The film follows a theater actor and director who discovers his wife’s infidelity before her untimely death. Bereft and unmoored, he decides to accept a theater residency that will have him directing a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya. Ultimately, it’s a movie about understanding, and how we may never be able to achieve it when it comes to those we love. Everything about the film is superb, and there’s a reason why the movie was nominated for four Oscars. Drive My Carstreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Peacock
Five Nights at Freddy’s
One of last year’s biggest horror hits is departing streaming later this month. Five Nights at Freddy’s became a smash success when it was released in theaters and on Peacock last October, bringing the thrills from the beloved video game to screens both big and small. Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike, a man so desperate for a job that he takes on a gig as a nighttime security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a family pizzeria-slash-arcade with plenty of skeletons in its supply closets. Before long, things begin to go bump in the night, leaving Mike to solve a decades-old mystery. Five Nights at Freddy’sstreams through February 25th.
The Descendants
While The Holdoverscurrently stands as a favorite at the Oscars, it’s far from the first time that filmmaker Alexander Payne has seen success with the Academy. In fact, he won his second Oscar in 2012 for The Descendants, a complex family dramedy. George Clooney stars as Matt, a man who’s inherited and attained great wealth (including a large swath of land in Hawaii), but all of that stability vanishes when his wife gets in an accident that leaves her comatose. He must grapple with his role as a cousin, a husband and a father to his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller). The Descendantsstreams through the end of the month.
What to Watchis a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
It is said that one is supposed to get more jaded (read: wiser) with age.That’s obviously not so with director Paul King, best known to most as the writer-director of Paddington and Paddington 2. But to those who really know his style before it became obfuscated by the sugary sweet stylings of those two films, it was Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh that lifted King up the ranks of British pop culture. Indeed, those two works were undeniably his launching point for writing and directing his own full-length feature, Bunny and the Bull, released in 2009, two years after The Mighty Boosh ended (but that didn’t stop Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt from appearing in King’s debut).
By aligning himself with the “quirk” and “offbeat stylings” of these two series, perhaps it became too easy to forget that he didn’t write them. That his own sense of “quirk” and “offbeatness” was entirely different. Entirely more attuned to the, shall we say, saccharine. And while that trait worked quite well for Paddington and Paddington 2, when applied to Wonka, it’s liable to give anyone with working tastebuds a stomach ache. Alas, it appears as though few people have their sense of taste at all anymore, with critics largely praising the movie via such sentiments as “Chocolate Factory prequel is a superbly sweet treat.” Many also seem to think that eradicating all traces of Road Dahl’s signature brand of darkness and cynicism is just dandy. As many also thought the same about censoring his work and then reprinting it for the purposes of adhering to “sensitivity reading.” In fact, in the same review that calls Wonka a “superbly sweet treat,” it is also said, as though it’s a good thing, “Timothée Chalamet leads a beguiling cast in a backstory that rinses away all sourness from Roald Dahl’s embittered chocolatier.” Does anyone care that that’s actually the worst possible interpretation of Willy Wonka, “origin story” or not? And, if Wonka is the so-called origin story it claims to be, where exactly is the part that’s supposed to tell us how he eventually came to be the child-hating (though that’s just good sense) misanthrope that we see him as in Gene Wilder form? Or hell, even in Johnny Depp form (to be sure, it’s been a real surprise to find that Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is more redeemed now than ever as a result of Wonka‘s existence). What’s more, at least Depp’s Wonka had an actual origin story involving his father being an oppressive dentist who would never let him eat any candy, hence his adult enthusiasm for making it.
The absence of darkness (or what darkness there is being presented with a sense of “levity”) in Wonka begs the question: are people so starved for blind hope in the world that they can view the movie as a “much needed” beacon of light rather than taking note of how it not only eliminates the essence of Willy Wonka, but also inflicts a sort of terrified Pavlovian response every time one can feel another song coming on? Especially when it’s from Chalamet. To that point, there’s clearly a reason why the trailer for the movie did its best to conceal the fact that Wonka is a musical. Should viewers have expected that thanks to 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Perhaps. But one of many glaring differences between that version and this “companion piece,” as King calls it, is that the songs in the original film actually slap, while the ones in Wonka are either totally forgettable (save, of course, for the few they repurpose from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) or you wish they would please, god, please just end. This includes Calah Lane, who plays the “orphaned” Noodle, and Chalamet singing the ultra-cheeseball “For a Moment,” featuring such lyrics as, “For a moment/Life doesn’t seem quite so bad/For a moment/I kind of forgot to be sad.” Worse still are Wonka’s attempts at rhyming Noodle’s name with something, as he claims nothing rhymes with “Noodle” (clearly forgetting about “canoodle”), but, in truth, nothing rhymes with Wonka unless you turn “donkey” into “donka.” As in: Wonka sucks donka dick, and is a major insult to Dahl’s original character. One who would never, no matter how young and unjaded, sing, “Noodle, Noodle, apple strudel/Some people don’t and some people do-dle/Snakes, flamingos, bears and poodles/Singing this song will improve your moodle/Noodle-dee-dee, Noodle-dee-dum/We’re having oodles and oodles of fun.” If that doesn’t make one vomit into a bucket, it’s hard to know what will. Apart from King and his co-writer, Simon Farnaby (another The Mighty Boosh alum), incorporating a mama’s boy element into the script.
That’s right, of course Willy is suddenly a mother-obsessed man-boy who only dreams of making chocolate and selling it at the Galeries Gourmet because that’s what he told his mother (Sally Hawkins) he would do. She, in turn, promised she would be right at his side whenever he finally did. Unfortunately, her untimely death makes that all but impossible. That is, if this were a more realistic film. But again, as the critics have praised, Wonka utterly whitewashes and sanitizes everything for the sake of “effortless consumption.” Even the overt intermingling of Black and white characters at a time in history (“fantasy” or not) that wouldn’t have made it look so natural is yet another major signal of the movie’s overall sanitization. This being part of a larger trend in pop culture that might end up doing more harm than good in the long run as audiences are encouraged to pretend that racism never existed, and therefore doesn’t even exist now.
Nor does any trace of Dahl’s wryness. And sure, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory will always have the unbeatable benefit of being adapted for the screen by none other than Dahl himself (though he later disowned the script after it was given an uncredited rewrite by David Seltzer and then altered by director Mel Stuart). Not to mention the dark edge of Wilder portraying Wonka. In Paul King’s version, it isn’t just the unbearably corny nature of everything that makes it insufferable, but also the dreadful miscasting of Chalamet (and Hugh Grant as an Oompa Loompa, for that matter), who makes Wonka read like an impish, dick-gobbling (remember: Wonka sucks donka dick) twink. Really, it looks like he just ate a big mouthful of shit from someone’s arse every time you see him…which doesn’t do much to make the chocolate in the movie seem appetizing.
Beyond that issue, there’s the wielding of the town’s Chief of Police (Keegan-Michael Key) as a source of “comedy” for being fat. A big “no-no” in today’s world, and one of the many details that have actually been extracted from Dahl’s books (that is to say, even mere use of the word “fat”). Nonetheless, the Chief of Police is portrayed as a weak-willed fatso who becomes fat because he’s being paid off in chocolate bribes by the Chocolate Cartel (not exactly high praise or good PR for the candy biz). This group consists of Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas) and Felix Fickelgruber (Mathew Baynton), all clearly based off Boggis, Bunce and Bean, the greedy triumvirate from a different Dahl story, Fantastic Mr. Fox (which Wes Anderson did a far better job of adapting than King has done with Wonka). Another “nod” to a Dahl story is Noodle, so overtly the “Matilda figure” of this narrative. But rather than succeeding as a “heartfelt homage” to Dahl’s work, Wonka is more like a hodgepodge of saccharine candies you didn’t really want, but you guess you’ll gorge on them because they’re there.
In the years since Love Actually was released, it’s been analyzed in hundreds of different ways. Not least of which is the shudder-inducing, super creepy stalker elements of Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who obsesses over Juliet (Keira Knightley) by way of, among other things, filming only close-up shots of her face during her wedding to his best friend, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). But something few people seem to glean with hindsight is how desperate not to be alone everyone comes across in this film. And at the core of what springs from Mark’s obsession with Juliet is the same thing that’s at the center of everyone else’s lovelorn angst, ultimately begat by the crushing loneliness not just of existence in general, but existence in the proverbial big city (London being one of the OGs of that classification).
The desperation is palpable within mere minutes of the film’s commencement, with the perennially randy Colin (Kris Marshall) trying to hit on every woman he comes into contact with (behavior, by the way, that continues to age quite poorly) at Harry’s (Alan Rickman) office as he passes out the sandwiches he’s delivering. In only a few short seconds, we see Colin oozing the desperation of someone who will settle for being with whoever might reciprocate his “feelings” a.k.a. his rapidfire flirtations. Alas, there are no takers, and won’t be until the end of the film, when, again, out of desperation, he goes to America in search of pussy before he becomes a totally scary incel (like Mark sort of already is). As a matter of fact, this is why his seemingly only friend, Tony (Abdul Salis), tells him, “Colin, you’re a lonely, ugly asshole. And you must accept it.” “Fortunately” for those in need of a progressing movie plot, Colin does not accept it at all, nor does any other character in the story.
This doesn’t mean, however, that others in the film are quite so desperate (though that doesn’t mean they don’t still fall under the category). Indeed, some are too grief-stricken to bother with fretting over the search for sex and/or romance. Namely, Daniel (Liam Neeson), whose own desperation emanates through the phone when he calls Karen (Emma Thompson)—a name that was still permitted use back in 2003—for the umpteenth time in search of comfort. So it is that he opens the conversation with, “Karen, it’s me again. I’m sorry. I literally don’t have anyone else to talk to.” The patheticness of that statement doesn’t move Karen enough to stay on the phone. Instead, she promises to call him back later when she’s not so busy talking to her daughter about how she got cast as the lobster in the nativity play.
Writer-director Richard Curtis then shows us another example of desperate love in the form of Sarah (Laura Linney), who works for Harry at his Fair Trade office. It’s Harry that feels obliged to take her aside and tell her to confess her love for Karl (Rodrigo Santoro), their “enigmatic chief designer.” Because it’s clear to everyone in the office that she’s loved him for the two and a half years (or “two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, what? Two hours?”) she’s been working there. Their thinly-veiled romantic connection has that whiff of The Office (the real British one that begat the American one) in terms of the “sparks” that continuously fly between Tim and Dawn. Incidentally, Martin Freeman, who played Tim, appears as John in one of the less “meaty” plotlines about two body doubles a.k.a. nude stand-ins who fall in love while simulating sex on the set of a movie (long before the job of “intimacy coordinator” existed. Considering The Office ended in 2003, it’s telling that the office romance plotline of Love Actually would be so prominent, with everyone wanting things to pan out between Sarah and Karl the same way they wanted it to for Tim and Dawn (which it finally did after, what else, the Christmas special). Alas, the key difference between Dawn and Sarah is that the latter has a codependent, mentally ill brother that takes up all her time. Something that Karl very much realizes when he’s trying to, at last, consummate their simmering-turned-boiling attraction.
Some characters are, obviously, better at freely displaying their emotions (read: not repressing them like Sarah). Case in point, when Daniel starts openly sobbing, Karen says what everyone in the audience has been thinking about most of the characters: “Get a grip. People hate sissies.” She adds, “No one’s ever gonna shag you if you cry all the time.” Yet radiating sadness seems to be the key to “attracting a mate” in Love Actually, with one desperate person sensing the forlornness of another at every turn (in other words, “like attracts like”). This, of course, applies to the “love story” of Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz), as the former arrives at his French cottage to retreat from the city that reminds him only of how his wife cheated on him with his brother. After opening up the windows in the house to “air it out,” Jamie sits at his typewriter (where he’ll inevitably try to write a cringe-y white man’s novel) and laments, “Alone again.” As though being alone is a fate worse than death, especially during the holiday season. Conveniently, though, Jamie is “bequeathed” with Aurélia as his house cleaner, helping Curtis’ evident aim to speak to the master-slave dynamic in male-female relationships.
This is also the case with the new prime minister, David (Hugh Grant) and his “biscuit and tea fetcher,” if you will, Natalie (Martine McCutcheon). Their love, too, is a case of “affection via proximity.” With every single one of the characters (except for, incidentally, Colin) being too lazy to go much outside of their comfort zone to “find someone” to “love.” Or at least someone to nuzzle up against in time for Christmas. This appears to be slutty Mia’s (Heike Makatsch) goal as well, apparently unable to seek (unmarried) dick outside the office either. Her relentless and shameless pursuit of Harry is, indeed, the exemplar of the desperation that loneliness can invoke. For while some would like to believe she merely wants to prove to herself that her “hotness” can get her any man she wants (even a man as boo’d up as Harry), seeing her strip down alone in her sad little room—having hoped the red lingerie she wore would be seen by someone other than herself—is the greatest indication of her loneliness. And if ever there was a movie that spoke to the Henry David Thoreau aphorism, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” it’s surely this one.
Faded and aging rock star Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), the true thread that ties every narrative together by constantly appearing on the radio or TV to promote his atrocious Christmas single, “Christmas Is All Around,” is arguably the most openly desperate of all. With nothing to lose, he doesn’t care how he sounds when he tells a radio interviewer, “When I was young and successful, I was greedy and foolish. And now I’m left with no one, wrinkled and alone.” That descriptor “alone” being, once more, the worst thing a person can be according to Love Actually. Even if they still feel alone with the person they make a mad dash for like it’s a game of musical chairs. This negative connotation surrounding the “horror” of being without a “better half” is also very much a sign of the times. With 00s ideologies increasingly coming across as being almost as retro as 50s ones.
To that end, it used to be that Love Actually was viewed as the ultimate “feel-good” rom-com set during Christmas. But with further reflection, it’s apparent that the majority of the characters in the movie are grasping for someone, anyone to make them feel even slightly less alone and/or less aware of their mortality. That, in the end, is the true “Christmas message” it gives. For the desire not to feel alone in life is never more heightened than at this time of year, with few seeming to pay attention to the old adage, “We’re all alone in our own head” no matter what we do. Which is precisely why the people in Love Actually are going insane. They can’t live up to the Jean-Paul Sartre warning, “If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company.”
The Timothée Chalamet-led Wonka scored an opening day gross of $14.4 million from 4,203 theaters at the Friday box office, putting it on course to earn $38 million or more in its North American opening.
That’s a promising start for a musical, a genre that has struggled in recent times. From Warner Bros. and Harry Potter franchise producer David Heyman, Wonka is a whimsical origin tale about the magical candyman Willy Wonka, who was played by Gene Wilder in the classic movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Audiences bestowed Wonka with an A- CinemaScore, while 60 percent of Friday ticket buyers were between the ages of 18 and 34. The largest quad was 18 to 24 at 33 percent, while another 10 percent of ticket buyers were between 13 and 17, underscoring Chalamet’s star status with younger moviegoers. Wonka is skewing slightly female so far, or 54 percent.
Directed by Paul King of Paddington fame and starring Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, the movie features a star-studded ensemble cast also including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Mathew Baynton, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Natasha Rothwell, Rich Fulcher, Rakhee Thakrar, Tom Davis and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith.
Wonka hopes to sing loudly throughout the holidays. This weekend always poses a challenge for moviegoing in that many consumers are occupied with gift-buying and other preparations, but traffic at the multiplex picks up in earnest once presents are unwrapped on Dec. 25.
Warners is dominating the year-end marquee. DC superhero pic Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens Dec. 22, followed on Christmas Day by The Color Purple, which is also a musical. On the family front, Universal and Illumination the original animated event pic Migration comes out on Dec. 22.
The musical genre has a checkered history of late, but Wonka (and Color Purple) hopes to reverse this curse and match the success of films including the Hugh Jackman-led The Greatest Showman, which debuted to dismal numbers over Christmas in 2017 but then took hold and amassed a fortune.
Wonka is one of the first Hollywood pics to unspool since the SAG-AFTRA strike ended. Warners and the filmmakers breathed a huge sigh of relief at being able to dispatch Chalamet to promote and publicize the PG-rated film. Young girls are particularly taken with the young actor, who next stars in Dune: Part Two, which Warners and Legendary delayed until next March so that Chalamet and co-star Zendaya would be able to do press.
LONDON (AP) — A London court on Friday rejected an attempt by the publisher of The Sun tabloid to throw out a lawsuit by actor Hugh Grant alleging that journalists and investigators it hired illegally snooped on him.
Justice Timothy Fancourt said a trial will have to determine whether Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers carried out unlawful information gathering that included tapping Grant’s home phone, bugging his car and breaking into his home.
“If true — which will be a matter for the trial due to take place in January 2024 — these allegations would establish very serious, deliberate wrongdoing at NGN, conducted on an institutional basis on a huge scale,” Fancourt wrote. “Of particular relevance …, they would also establish a concerted effort to conceal the wrongdoing by hiding and destroying relevant documentary evidence, repeated public denials, lies to regulators and authorities, and unwarranted threats to those who dared to make allegations or notify intended claims against The Sun.”
During a hearing last month, News Group argued that claims of unlawful information gathering by Grant and Prince Harry should be thrown out because they weren’t brought within a six-year time limit.
The ruling didn’t address the Duke of Sussex’s case because the judge wants to hear more at a hearing in July about Harry’s allegations that he was prevented from bringing his phone hacking claims much sooner because of a “secret agreement” between Buckingham Palace and News Group executives.
The judge dismissed Grant’s phone hacking claims on time limitation grounds, saying the actor, who has played a key role in the Hacked Off press reform group, was well aware of the voicemail interception scandal and could have brought such a claim much sooner.
Grant previously settled a phone hacking case with News Group’s former publication News of the World. That paper was closed in 2011 at the height of the hacking scandal after it was revealed that the tabloid had intercepted voicemails of a murdered girl, in addition to those of celebrities, athletes, politicians and members of the royal family.
News Group has asserted no unlawful information gathering occurred at The Sun.
But the judge said the case could proceed on other allegations the actor said he only became aware of in 2021 after private investigator Gavin Burrows began disclosing alleged acts of phone tapping, bugging and burglary on behalf of the paper.
“In addition to hacking my phone and tapping my landline, (Burrows) was aware that my premises had been burgled by people working for The Sun and that a tracking device had been placed in my car,” Grant said in a witness statement. “I found this astonishing.”
Grant said he could never piece together who had broken into his fourth-floor apartment in 2011. The door had been pried off its hinges and the interior looked like there had been a fight but nothing was missing. Two days later, The Sun had a story detailing the interior and “signs of a domestic row.”
Prince Harry alleged last month that the royal family had agreed to settle their cases with News Group out of court after phone hacking litigation against News of the World had wrapped up. He said the deal — allegedly agreed to by his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II — was intended to keep the royals from testifying in court. He said the deal called for an apology.
In court papers, Harry said he brought his lawsuit in 2019 — against the wishes of his father, now King Charles III — when he became frustrated the settlement wasn’t happening. He said his brother, Prince William, heir to the throne, subsequently received a “huge” settlement over phone hacking allegations against News Group.
NGN has denied there was a “secret agreement.” The palace hasn’t responded to messages seeking comment on that or William’s alleged settlement.
A spokesperson for News Group issued a statement Friday saying it was pleased that the court threw out Grant’s phone hacking allegations.
“NGN strongly denies the various historical allegations of unlawful information-gathering contained in what remains of Mr. Grant’s claim,” the statement said.
Harry’s case against News Group is one of three phone hacking suits he has brought against British tabloid publishers.
Fancourt is currently hearing evidence by a lawyer for Harry and three others against the publisher of the Daily Mirror for alleged acts of unlawful information gathering dating to the 1990s. Harry is due to testify in the case next month.
A different judge is currently reviewing whether cases brought by the duke, Elton John, actor and model Elizabeth Hurley, and others against the publisher of the Daily Mail should go to trial.
Whenever I watch an awards ceremony for the “biggest names in Hollywood,” I regret tuning in about 30 minutes in. It sounds like a great idea to watch The Oscars in theory, but in practice, it’s more agonizing than a low-scoring football game. Last night’s 95th Annual Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel held us hostage and threatened to go on for almost four hours.
This year, we were faced with the cold, hard truth: every celeb we know and love is on Ozempic. And Nicole Kidman will forever give us a meme even if she doesn’t speak.
The Winners
The worst part about these award shows is that you know who’s going to win. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once was going for a sweep of their 11 Oscar nominations, so why do I have to watch everyone, everywhere, all at once make a five minute speech? Seems borderline criminal.
The first award of the night was given to Best Supporting Actress, with EEAO having two nominees in Jamie Lee Curtis and Stephanie Hsu, alongside a roster of talent in Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin). Controversially, or maybe not, Jamie Lee won.
A24’s multiverse EEAO became the most awarded filem of all time, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Leading Actress with Michelle Yeoh becoming the first Asian actress to win. I was on the edge of my seat for one of the closer races of the night, Best Leading Actor. With names like Austin Butler (Elvis), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Colin Farrell (Banshees), Paul Mescal (Aftersun), and Bill Nighy (Living), Fraser ended up taking home the Best Leading Actor award.
Believe me, between Ke Huy Quan and Brendan Fraser’s speeches, not a dry eye was in the house.
The Drama
It wouldn’t be The Oscars without drama. So let’s dig in. Starting with the red carpet – which was actually champagne colored and very ugly this year – we had Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Graham doing interviews. There was a very clear opportunity for millions of TikTok clips if you would have let Baby V interview ex-boyfriend and permanent Elvis stand-in, Austin Butler, but no. Of course not.
Ashley Graham instead interviewed Hugh Grant for quite possibly the most awkward interview of all time. Hugh Grant all but refused to answer questions, even calling The Oscars “Vanity Fair,” to which Graham responds “Vanity Fair is where you’ll be letting loose later.” The whole thing made me sick to my stomach.
And does anyone else feel bad that we keep inviting Rihanna to perform “Lift Me Up” at these shows and then she doesn’t win the award? I think adding her and A$AP Rocky to the audience brings added style and attractiveness that would otherwise lack without them – so maybe give her an award to keep her coming back?
We also have Jamie Lee Curtis’s controversial win as one of the only white women nominated in her category. And while I agree Angela Bassett did the thing both in her performance in Black Panther and her outfit last night, it’s hard to get mad at an actress for winning an award the Academy designated for her. Blame The Academy, not the women.
This year’s major cringe wasn’t a slap, but rather Jimmy Kimmel asking activist Malala Yousafzai if she thought Harry Styles really spit on Chris Pine. After she proceeds to say she only talks about peace, Kimmel nicknamed her Malala-land. Again, just gauge my eyes out at this point.
And for those wondering about hookups, Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner were seen together at Jay-Z and Beyonce’s afterparty. Also in attendance? Gigi Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio. Do with that information what you will.
The Style
Perhaps my favorite part of the night: the clothes. Some of my favorite looks of the night were as follows:
Celebs gathered at the Dolby Theatre in California on Sunday night to celebrate the best of films at the 95th Academy Awards.
The Oscars, hosted by Jimmey Kimmel went (incident-less, as Kimmel highlighted at the end of the show) with strong punchlines, emotional performances, tear-jerking speeches by winners and foot-tapping dance performance.
Here are some top moments from the Oscars, this year:
Jimmy Kimmel Jokes About The Will Smith Slap (Of Course)
Host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Will Smith’s actions last year in his opening monologue.
“We want you to have fun, we want you to feel safe, and most importantly, we want me to feel safe,” he began. “So we have strict policies in place. If anyone in this theatre commits an act of violence at any point in this show, you will be awarded the Oscar for Best Actor and permitted to give a 19-minute long speech.”
Pregnant Rihanna Stuns On The Red Carpet & Performs “Lift Me Up”
Rihanna turned heads and dropped jaws as she elegantly walked the red carpet in a stunning sheer black Alaïa gown while pregnant with her second child. She later performed “Lift Me Up” in the night during the ceremony as A$AP Rocky adorably lifted his glass in support.
Rihanna at the 95th Annual Academy Awards held at Ovation Hollywood on March 12, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)
— Photo: Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images
Hugh Grant’s Awkward Moment
Grant’s excruciatingly awkward interview on the champagne carpet went viral as he seemed less than enthusiastic about attending this year’s awards show. When asked who he was most excited to see tonight the actor responded: “No one in particular.”
“Creed III” co-stars Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors were presenting the Best Cinematography award when they gave a brief shout-out to Angela Bassett. “Hey Auntie, we love you,” they said, paying respects to the Oscar-nominated actress.
Jimmy Kimmel & The Donkey
Jenny, who played the donkey in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” graced the Oscars stage wearing a bedazzled emotional support animal vest. “Not only is Jenny an actor, she’s a certified emotional support donkey,” host Jimmy Kimmel said. “At least that’s what we told the airline to get her on the plane from Ireland.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. ()
Cocaine Bear’s Oscar Moment
Elizabeth Banks brought the titular creature from her “Cocaine Bear” to present — but unlike the movie, which featured an entirely CGI bear, this was clearly some guy in a suit.
Elizabeth Banks and Cocaine Bear speak onstage during the 95th Annual Academy Awards.
— Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lady Gaga’s Last Minute Performance
After initially planning not to attend this year’s ceremony, Lady Gaga made a last-minute switch and decided to perform the Oscar-nominated “Take My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”. The performance was stripped back than what Lady Gaga typically sports, with the actress and musician wearing little to no makeup and a black T-shirt and jeans.
Lady Gaga
— Photo: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“Naatu Naatu” Performance
Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone introduced the performance of Best Original Song nominee “Naatu Naatu” from the Telegu-language “RRR.” The performance was extremely high energy and featured dozens of dancers and vocals from Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
Happy Birthday At Oscars
An impromptu performance of “Happy Birthday” was conducted on the Oscar stage on Sunday night to celebrate the 31st birthday of “Irish Goodbye” actor James Martin. Martin has Down syndrome, and his awe-inspiring story from Starbucks barista to the Oscars has warmed the hearts of many.
Brendan Fraser Gets Emotional Winning Best Actor
Brendon Fraser took home the big win in the Best Actor category for his riveting performance in “The Whale”. During his acceptance speech, the 54-year-old actor became notably teary-eyed as he thanked the studio A24 and the director Darren Aronofsky for “throwing him a creative lifeline.”
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Brendan Fraser, winner of the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for “The Whale,” poses in the press room during the 95th Annual Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
— Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Michelle Yeoh Becomes First Asian To Win Best Actress
Michelle Yeoh makes Oscar history as the first Asian to win in the Best Actress category. Yeoh said the award was for “all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight.” “This is the beacon of hope and possibility. Dreams do come true,” she added. “And ladies: don’t let anybody ever tell you, you are past your prime.”
Michelle Yeoh
— Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Wins Best Picture
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” took home a whopping 7 out of their 11 nominations, proclaiming the film as the big winner of the night. Ultimately the cast and crew took home the coveted Best Picture category at the end of Hollywood’s biggest night.
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ cast and directors. Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
— Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images
Hugh Grant didn’t seem happy about being at the Oscars.
On Sunday night, the “Notting Hill” star walked the red carpet and stopped for an interview with “Countdown” co-host Ashley Graham, but things got pretty awkward.
Grant generally appeared disengaged, responding to a question about who he is most excited to see win with, “No one in particular.”
Asked what he was wearing, Grant said, “Just my suit,” and as for who designed it? “My tailor.”
Grant appears in the Oscar-nominated “Glass Onion”, but asked how fun it was to shoot the film, the actor said, “Well, I’m barely in it. I’m in for about three seconds.”
Graham asks if he at least had fun filming the the movie, to which he responded, “Almost.”
Hugh Grant just gave the most dismissive interview I’ve ever seen, it was amazing. I’m paraphrasing but: “I LOVED Glass Onion, didn’t you love being in that?” “Well I was in it for about three seconds.” “But you showed up and had fun!” “Yeah, not really.” pic.twitter.com/uMRrkNk1qQ
Hugh Grant giving Ashley Graham such a hard time in this #Oscars pre-show interview:
“Are you pulling for anyone tonight?” “No, not particularly 😐” “Did you enjoy shooting Glass Onion” “I was barely in it so…not really,” [awkward silence]
Among the most talked-about “moments” from Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion, the latest edition to the Knives Out “saga,” isn’t so much a moment as a revelation toward the midpoint of the film. One spurred by the sight of Phillip (Hugh Grant) answering the door to Benoit Blanc’s (Daniel Craig) abode wearing an apron and with his face covered in flour. It can only confirm one thing, of course: Blanc is gay. Gay! (as Brittany Murphy would say in Drop Dead Gorgeous). And that his domestic partner is the reluctant cook between the two of them. Or maybe he’s only taking on that role at present while Blanc endures a lockdown depression that finds him spending most of his time in the bath (a piece of intelligence Phillip gives to Blanc’s quartet of Zoom-relegated friends, Angela Lansbury, Stephen Sondheim, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Natasha Lyonne). Whatever the case may be, Phillip answering the door to Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe) in an apron is enough of a “subtle implication” to cement Blanc’s sexuality in the viewer’s mind.
Less subtle, many have argued, was a scene at the beginning of Glass Onion, when those invited to Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) private island, including Andi (also Janelle Monáe), Claire (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), Birdie (Kate Hudson) and Duke (Dave Bautista), have an instant gagging reaction to getting a mysterious spray spritzed into their mouth after being told by Miles’ stoic assistant (Ethan Hawke), “Remove your masks and extend your tongue. This will only be momentarily uncomfortable.” Suggestive, to be sure. And it is uncomfortable for everyone. Everyone, that is, except Benoit. Who is only too ready to receive with aplomb after the others choke on whatever the hell was in that spray gun (an exclusive batch of the vaccine just for rich people, one imagines). This, along with his “fabulous” wardrobe (seemingly inspired by Fred Jones from Scooby-Doo) and immunity to over-the-top flirtations from Birdie, are the stereotypical aspects of Being Gay that we’re meant to note in Benoit. And while they might be more “humorous” in the hands of an actually gay actor, with Craig embodying the “trait,” more sensitive viewers will likely be asking themselves the question that’s been posed repeatedly over the past several years: is it ever really “okay” for a straight to play gay? The answer varies depending on who one talks to, and has become a great source of contention vis-à-vis the very Art of Acting.
In recent years, it’s found the likes of Darren Criss and even bisexual Kristen Stewart (who defended Mackenzie Davis’ portrayal of her lesbian girlfriend in Happiest Season) in hot water. Indeed, Criss announced in 2018 that he would no longer take on gay roles, despite Ryan Murphy clearly having no problem with casting him in them (along with Evan Peters). Of his decision, he specifically noted, “I want to make sure I won’t be another straight boy taking a gay man’s role.” Craig and Grant (who noticeably have first names as last names), in contrast, don’t seem to take issue with such a thing. Both British men, perhaps their inherent “flair” for the twee and fey is something they consider a “natural fit” for possessing homo cachet. The same method of “thinking” appeared to take hold of fellow Brit James Corden when he played a gay role in The Prom, a performance that was branded as being “gayface.” Those who offer the “an actor can play any role if they’re good enough” defense aren’t open to considering that it’s not about “good enough,” so much as it is about representation. That one simple yet long word that has become politicized to the nth degree in the era that has followed the post-#MeToo reckoning in Hollywood.
Johnson himself being a straight man might also have something to do with the lack of consideration, for, as noted in an article from Refinery29, “Representation and authenticity are inherently impacted by… off-camera positions. The people in higher positions are the ones who can enact actual change.” Johnson, ostensibly, didn’t want to enact that change by casting a bona fide gay man in Benoit’s role. Although it’s not totally clear if Johnson always had this aspect of Benoit’s character “sorted” from the get-go, based on the fact that there was no attempt on his part to be a sleazeball in Knives Out in terms of trying to “romance” Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), one can buy that the “gay streak” was there all along. It just got ramped up in Glass Onion (particularly with Benoit’s flamboyant manner of dressing, another gay cliché). Blame Covid causing everyone to let their guard down, do away with airs, etc. Of course, if this were a Bond movie, he would be trying to get Andi/Helen’s knickers off within the first ten minutes of her introduction. And maybe even would have surrendered to Birdie’s “charms,” to boot.
Instead, he seems more engaged by the sight of Duke’s very large pistol, especially when he sees that he even wears it while swimming, lasciviously commenting, “That is quite a piece.” Another innuendo occurs when Phillip remarks of Helen showing up at the door, “Blanc, there’s someone here for you. With a box”—the word “box” said with a mix of incredulity and slight disgust, as we all know gay men are more scandalized by pussy than even straight ones.
Though straight men playing homo characters is nothing new, it’s become less and less “brushed aside” by viewers, even hetero ones. Which is why it’s somewhat surprising to find that little backlash has come to roost for Craig, Grant or Johnson regarding Benoit’s unveiled sexuality (of which Johnson noted that he “obviously is” gay). With some even going so far as to write, “Benoit Blanc is definitely obviously gay. And we love that for us.” Do we, though? Because the word “obviously” connotes that a straight portrayal of gay often tends to veer toward too obvious a.k.a. parody.
Another prime example of two straights playing it gay came in the form of 2017’s Call Me By Your Name. With Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer (before his cannibal fetish came to light and he was banished) as Elio and Oliver, respectively, the movie was praised to the extent of being Academy Award-nominated. The same went for another earlier mainstream example of forbidden gay boy love: 2005’s Brokeback Mountain. But these were both films that arrived in theaters before Hollywood was officially supposed to “know better” (2017 truly being the last cutoff point for anything non-politically correct flying past the proverbial censors, though Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci didn’t get the message, as evidenced by 2020’s Supernova).
While Benoit’s sexuality is presented more as a “comical footnote” in Glass Onion, that’s part of what makes it all the more problematic. And begs the question: how have Craig and Grant managed to slip past the Representation Patrol, while others, such as Scarlett Johansson, have been venomously condemned for even thinking of playing an LGBTQIA+ role? What’s more, it rarely seems to cut both ways with regard to a gay actor’s chance of playing a straight role. As Jasmine Johnson, an SVP of Development at Crypt TV said, “I do not feel like queer actors are given the same opportunity to play roles outside of their queerness that straight actors are given. I don’t want someone to tell me that I can only write stories that are whatever they have deemed my signifiers are… [but] we are not in the sort of world or society yet where there is equal representation, where there is equal opportunity, where all people understand what it’s like to struggle with your gender identity or sexuality.”
