In the film, they are in full bloom and their youth is dazzling, but when we searched in reality, we found that life was easy, and they had passed half their lives...
The 44th Venice Film Festival Silver Lion Award, James Wilby and Hugh Grant both won the best actor, the following will focus on the inside and outside of the two male protagonists.
1. Hugh Grant
In the new poster and video of the 30th anniversary restoration, Hugh Grant has been placed in the main promotion position, although this is somewhat inconsistent with his role in the film.
In fact, Hugh Grant, who was born in a famous school, was also the first star to be locked in. Who would be more suitable to play a Cambridge top student than an Oxford top student?
At that time, Hugh Grant was in his prime. He had stepped out of his dream of being a star in "Oxford Love" and was ready to return to his alma mater to continue his studies in art history. So I don't want to take such same-sex themes, for fear of being laughed at by my classmates for a few years. Fortunately, his younger brother, who worked in the bank, finally persuaded him.
After reading Hugh Grant's works, it is not difficult to find that his acting skills are not stable when he is not a professional. Almost all of the popular classic works are from the team of Richard Curtis. In other words, he needs a director who can tune in to play better. No doubt James Ivory did it.
First of all, James Ivory's lens movement is excellent. Although Hugh Grant is in good condition and the works of the same period are also beautiful, they are not so beautiful to such a thrilling level.
The long mirror of the first hug, the close-up of the face occupying the screen for nearly two minutes, is suffocating. The bright eyes on the dining table, and the close-up of the open smile has also become a classic.
Over the years, Hugh Grant's images have been either cute, elegant, or sexy, but never so beautiful. Fortunately, God preserved it for a long time with the best lens at his most beautiful time.
In terms of acting, Hugh Grant is completely reborn in Maurice, compared to the bewilderment in "Oxford Love." With a frown and a smile, his gestures and gestures are simply Clive of noble birth, and there is no trace of performance at all.
From the seemingly careless dialogue when he appeared on the stage, the delicate face revealed a fatal seduction, and Morris was slowly indulged in the longing; the eager eyes during the confession were as deep and passionate as a flame; He is calm and restrained without losing his sweetness; the pain and entanglement when his feelings are lingering, there is nowhere to vent, until the decision to break up is indifferent, each stage is well-acted, it is easy to understand why Morris regarded him as a treasure and held it in the palm of his hand. .
In the end, he leaned against the window and looked at the figure of his former lover, and the audience's heart seemed to sink slowly with him. This is where the appeal of the performance lies.
Strictly speaking, Hugh Grant was only the second male actor in the film, but he shared the Venice Best Actor with James Wilby, which also impressed the judges of the year.
However, the title of the best actor in Venice has brought Hugh Grant a good way. Although he also starred in many movies after that, and played celebrities such as Chopin and Byron, but unfortunately, the response was mediocre. By the early 1990s, it was almost unsustainable. He was reduced to only charging 200 pounds to help American actress Juliet Binoche as an English accent guide, laughing at himself that his income was not as good as that of a plumber.
Just as Hugh Grant once again had to consider whether he should quit acting, the wheel of fortune finally began to turn. In 1994, he starred in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" with a meager salary of 15,000 pounds, which had a world-class response. This film, which only invested more than 2 million US dollars, finally made a global box office of 244 million, becoming the UK film with the highest net profit. It was a miracle in the 90s. At the age of 34, Hugh finally took off and gained global fame.
Since then, Hugh Grant's life has been smooth, playing his favorite and handy light comedy, and the box office is very popular. Although there was a sensational scandal in 1995, it was quickly understood by the public, and "Notting Hill" in 1999 was still very popular. In 2000, Hugh was among the tens of millions of dollars in salary, and the annual salary at the peak was as high as 25 million US dollars.
Today, Hugh Grant has gradually faded out, living a leisurely life of playing golf, getting married and having children. Occasionally, he will take up the filming when he encounters a script he likes, but it is no longer his main business. Net Worth shows that his net worth has exceeded 80 million US dollars (the same coffee Uncle Colin is 25 million).
In September 2016, the British Film Institute awarded him the highest honor award, calling him "a British actor who redefines an era." And highly praised: "Hugh is an outstanding British actor, his calm acting skills and screen His charisma made him loved by fans around the world. His success has helped break new ground around the world with excellent British films of a quality that rivals Hollywood and beyond. "
Although Hugh Grant spent most of his life uninhibited, he was also successful and famous, and he gained both fame and fortune.
two. James Wilby
Originally set to play Maurice is "A Room with a View" actor Julian Sands, James Wilby audition is just a Cambridge A, B, C role. Later, Julian suddenly resigned, and the director was in a hurry, only to think of this same blond-haired, tall and handsome James.
Speaking of Julian Sands, he was also unparalleled in beauty and potential at the time, but he was tough and strong, lacking the pure and warm feeling of James Wilby, and it was difficult to show Maurice's deep admiration for Clive and the infatuation he was willing to let him dominate. . Years later, Julian Sands and Hugh Grant collaborated on the "Spring Sonata". When Chopin and Liszt were sitting at the piano and playing with four hands and hugging intimately, it was hard to imagine that it was the ideal Maurice and Clive in the director's mind, but James Wilby was the choice. It was unintentional, but I believe it also brought a surprise to the director.
James Wilby and Hugh Grant also came from prestigious schools, with noble temperament and smart people.
When receiving the notice of the audition again, he immediately went to Hugh Grant who had already received the script, because he knew that, with Hugh's personality, he must hope to play this kind of same-sex drama with someone he knew.
His idea really got an eager response from Hugh Grant, and the two rehearsed most of the rehearsal at home that night, so James auditioned for the role easily the next day.
Although a fledgling, James Wilby also performed extremely well. As the male protagonist, Maurice's role runs throughout, and the performance is more difficult. From the simple and ignorant at the beginning, the enthusiasm after being ignited, the humbleness of fear of losing a lover, the collapse after being abandoned, the panic of self-doubt, the surprise of re-encountering passion, and the relief of saying goodbye to old love at the end, James The performance of Maurice's mental journey is very full, and the title of actor is well-deserved.
What is especially rare is the strong sense of CP between him and Hugh. Although Hugh was already brilliant at that time, James did not lose out at all. The two stood side by side, and they could be called a pair of beautiful people.
The rivalry between the two is also very feel. It is obvious that it is just a taste of it, but it is like a spark, and James himself said after many years: "We are not just invested, we are simply immersed in it." And when Hugh became popular, he was asked who was the best kisser he had ever met, and the answer was James Wilby.
The two are also very subtle in reality. More than ten years later, Hugh still clearly remembers the first time he saw James in "Oxford Love" and his lines at that time. James also recalled in an exclusive interview: "In Venice We drank almost an entire bottle of scotch on Hugh's balcony the night we got the award. We talked a lot about things we didn't talk about during the filming. I put myself too tight and Hugh was very relaxed."
This picture alone is enough to make up a hundred long articles in the minds of fellow women, but it is a pity that the two are not popular in the era when the Internet is popular.
However, like Hugh, the title of the best actor in Venice did not bring James both fame and fortune. From Hugh's small salary before he became popular in 1994, it is not difficult to speculate on James' plight.
Unfortunately, he did not wait for the opportunity to turn around like Hugh. The entertainment industry is a tomb of heroes who will succeed and die. Behind every bright star, there are countless talented actors like James who have been buried.
James admitted that "after my early fame, my career was stagnant for a while, and I was also depressed at that time", but he was still optimistic: "You have to accept difficulties in this business, acting is playing different roles, I can try various Character, I'm a fruit tart (meaning all-round), and I can play the main character, but if it's not the main character, what does it matter?"
Fortunately, his family has always been his strong backing. He and his wife Shana raised four children and spent 18 years in the mansion where he spent his childhood, which sold for £3.5 million in 2014.
In 2018, James saw a resurgence in his career following his role in the BBC drama Poldark, which was released on September 12 in director Maurice's stage play. Sincerely wish James all the best in his career and give us a chance to see more of him on screen.
View more about Maurice reviews
