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Slumming it He had cult hits with Trainspotting and 28 Days Later; now Danny Boyle is tipped for Oscar glory. Words: Anna Millar
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A dopted as one of our local heroes, Danny Boyle helped put Scotland on the Cool Britannia map with his witty, stark portrayal of heroin film, Trainspotting. Now, with such well- received silver screen successes as The Beach and 28 Days Later under his belt, Lancashire lad Boyle is set to go superstar-stellar with his latest outing, Slumdog Millionaire. Indeed, film pundits are all a-fluster that Boyle may be a hot contender at the upcoming Oscars.
Following it’s opening in North America, Slumdog slammed the box office, with numbers revealing it to have the highest opening numbers for a speciality picture of 2008, out-grossing Clint Eastwood’s Changeling in some theatres. Directed by Boyle and written by The Full Monty writer Simon Beaufoy, the film stars Skins actor Dev Patel as Jamal Malik, an 18 year-old orphan from the
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slums of Mumbai, who is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Initiated at Film4, who co-developed and co-financed the film with UK production company Celador Films, the film was acquired by Pathé at script stage. To date, the film has won the coveted audience award at the Toronto Film Festival in September and closed the London Film Festival in November with a standing ovation. More recently, it was named best film by the National Board of Review (the first major prize of the US film awards season), named best picture at the British Independent Film Awards as well as pocketing BIFA awards for best director, and most promising newcomer for Patel.
Slumdog Millionaire is out on general release from 9 Jan. See the next issue for an interview with Danny Boyle.
HANG 10 ■ As part of their birthday celebrations for Pressure, Slam and Soma have issued Pressure10, a movie on the decade of the flagship club night, showing some of the Glasgow night’s finest hours, with appearances from Richie Hawtin, Green Velvet, Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice, Laurent Garnier, Derrick May, DJ Sneak, Josh Wink, Felix Da Housecat, and of course, Slam. Check out www.pressure10.tv
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BRIEFS
LOCAL LASS, Eddi Reader, is releasing an album celebrating the 250th birthday of Robert Burns. The album will also showcase the award winning John McCusker, Ian Carr, Ewan Vernal and Phil Cunningham, who in turn will be joined by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the arrangements of the late Kevin McCrea. EWAN MCGREGOR has taken time out from shooting movies and starring in cheesy aftershave ads to do his bit for charity. The actor, who has been a UNICEF ambassador since 2004, has donated his white Moto Guzzi California Vintage cycle to the charity to raise money for projects helping children around the world. In other McGregor news, the actor will join Jim Carrey for the premiere of his new film, I Love You Phillip Morris, at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
SCOT’S SONG POLL IN Runrig’s ‘Loch Lomond’ has pocketed the title Scotland’s Greatest Song in a poll run by charity ScotsCare. The band secured 40% of the vote narrowly beating Big Country who scored 37% of the vote. Surprisingly, Dougie McLean’s stirring ‘Caledonia’ trailed into third with only 11% of the vote while Deacon Blue’s ‘Dignity’ and The Proclaimers’ ‘500 miles’ secured 4th and 5th places, each with 6% of the vote.
WHILE THE CONTROVERSIES rage on about the future of Scottish Screen and the Scottish Arts Council, the former has announced over a £200,000 investment in the film Wide Open Spaces. Written by Father Ted wordsmith Arthur Mathews the film will star Ewen Bremner and Ardal O’Hanlon. HITTING THE HIGH NOTE ■ The RSNO have reason for celebration after receiving their third GRAMMY nomination in three years in the category of Best Orchestral Performance. The nomination is for the RSNO’s recording of Russian composer Alexander Glazunov’s Symphony No6, La Mer and Introduction and Dance from Salome, conducted by José Serebrier and recorded on the Warner Classics and Jazz label. The RSNO is the only British orchestra to be nominated in an orchestral category this year.