Playing dead
Kaleem
'HE DIDN'T REALLY NOTICE ME BUT I WAS DRESSED AS AN APE'
ab meets mother, muse, eccentric actress and voice—over queen
HELENA BONHAM CARTER, Tim Burton’s very own Corpse Bride.
elena Bonham Carter is sitting in a burgundy
Moschino dress in the Venice sunshine. The
outlit is a vintage copy and the same could be said of the British actress whose looks and brassy charm come straight out of cinema‘s golden age. The granddaughter of British prime minister llll Asquith rose to fame in Merchant Ivory productions and by playing goths in I’runkwislvin and Fight (Yul). She‘s in Venice to talk about Corpse Bride. the stop-motion animation in which she donates her vocal chords to the puppet ol‘ the eponymous heroine. As the lilm is from the mind of the mercurial Tim Burton. with whom she has a two-year-old child. talk soon turns to parenthood and the relationship ol‘ director and star who met making I’lum't oft/w Apes.
‘lt took us about a year to get together.‘ says Bonham Carter. ‘Possibly because I was dressed as an ape. he didn‘t really notice me and I can understand why. I would have been more worried it. he had. or I‘d have an ape costume in my cupboard at home now. Tim is very private. very shy. so I didn‘t really get into conversation with him on the film. Months later we were promoting the film and it was then that we got to know each other. It was very sudden. cataclysmic. a thunderbolt and all the friends that had known us on the film were like. “Duh. when were you two going to
notice? It‘s so obvious." We were both in other
relationships at the time. but when it did happen. it was all very swil‘t.‘
38 THE LIST 20 Oct (3 Nov 2005)
Bonham (‘arter had come out til a five year
relationship with Kenneth Branagh in NW) and Burton had just ended his with model and actress Lisa Marie. 'l‘he romance blossomed and just over two years later they were celebrating the birth of their son. Billy Raymond. ‘lt's as wonderl'ul as everyone says it‘s going to be and yet you think you are the only person that has done it. and that yours is the best child ever. which he is ol'course.‘ says Bonham (‘arterx
Motherhood has changed the way she views her career. making her liar more choosey about roles. She was happy" to work for Burton on both ('lmr/ir' um/ l/n' ('Iim'u/ulv l’ui‘lm'y‘ and (‘m‘pxr' Ifrir/r'. hut with the latter she was only interested in one role not the one she was offered. "l‘im wanted me to play Victoria at first and I said no because I thought it was like another part that I‘d played 2() years ago. Some ol‘ those lines Victoria has I think Lucy lloncychurch said in Rim/ll with a View. I told him that I‘d done that type of role to death. so don’t make me do it as a puppet.' Burton chose not to argue with the mother oi his child.
Bonham (‘arter signs off by taking oil a pendant with a picture ol' her son in it and showing it to the world. before quipping: ‘i\'ow. l‘d quite like a daughter too.‘
Corpse Bride is on general release from Fri 21 Oct. See review, page 40.
Hit >l<
THE BEST FILM & DVD RELEASES
* Broken Flowers Jim Jarmusch’s latest is a big red rose. See feature, page 20, and review, page 41. Selected release (from Fri 21 Oct).
Sit Corpse Bride Tim Burton's obscenely enjoyable romantic, macabre stop motion animation is a joy. See preview, left and review, page 40. General release (from Fn‘ 21 Oct).
3|: Battle in Heaven Carlos Japén Reygadas‘ compelling metaphysical drama illuminates on themes of abduction. sex, death and faith in surprising and disturbing ways. See interview, page 42 and review page 39. GFT Glasgow and Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 28 Oct.
* The Intruder Esoteric French filmmaker Claire Denis hits the road. One (quite literally) from the heart. See interview, page 39 and review, page 40. Fi/mhouse. Edinburgh from Fri 21—Thu 25 Oct only.
it Pusher 2: With Blood on My Hands Superb Dutch hoodlum sequel. See review. page 42. GFlj Glasgow (Tue 25-7’hu 27 Oct), Filmhouse, Edinburgh (Fri 2 7 —Thu 27 Oct). * Serenity Epic sci-fl as it should be. General release.
ii! Document 3 Now in its third year, this is one of the very best International Human Rights Documentary Film Festivals in the world and it’s on your doorstep. Go on — have a little heart. Go to www.docfilmfest.org.uk for more information. CCA and GFl' and Gilmorehi/l G72, Glasgow, Fn‘ 27 —Mon 24 Oct only).
* A History of Violence Classic Cronenberg. General release.
5|! Flowers Don’t Brow Here Searingly disturbing documentary portrait of the lives of a group of modern day Kiev street children. Out now on DVD (Clan'ty Productions).