DOUBLE THREAT WITH BEAUTY AND TALENT ON DISPLAY IN 'MELINDA AND MELINDA,' RADHA MITCHELL HAS HOLLYWOOD BUZZING.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Writer You've seen Radha Mitchell Radha Rani Amber Indigo Anunda Mitchell (born November 12, 1973) is an Australian actress. Biography Personal life Mitchell was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and had a "hippie-ish" upbringing by her parents, who divorced during her childhood. , even if the name doesn't ring a bell. She was The Wife (variety: distraught) opposite Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is a two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor and director. He has garnered much critical acclaim for his portrayals of several real-life figures, such as Steve Biko, Malcolm X, Rubin "Hurricane" in ``Man on Fire'' and played The Wife (variety: disapproving dis·ap·prove v. dis·ap·proved, dis·ap·prov·ing, dis·ap·proves v.tr. 1. To have an unfavorable opinion of; condemn. 2. To refuse to approve; reject. v.intr. ) opposite Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II[1] (born June 9 1963) is an American actor. Biography Early life Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, to John Christopher Depp Sr., a city engineer, and Betty Sue (Wells), a waitress. in ``Finding Neverland.'' (``It's funny because they never talk about The Husband, do they?'' Mitchell asks, laughing.) Now Mitchell has a movie where she plays two parts, neither of them wives, and she couldn't be happier. In Woody Allen's latest film, ``Melinda and Melinda,'' Mitchell, 31, plays two versions of the same woman in a movie that spins one story into alternating tragic and comic versions. The idea at work: There's a thin line between despair and delight. The Australian-born Mitchell is nothing but a delight, an unpretentious young woman who seems almost wholesome even when she's wearing form-fitting black leather pants. Maybe it was that yin-yang thing that attracted Allen in the first place. Says Allen: ``She was great, absolutely great, and I thought, 'Why not?' Nobody knows her. She's beautiful. She's talented. It's hard to find someone who can play light romantically and suddenly get heavy. This was not an easy role to cast.'' ``Melinda and Melinda'' has won Mitchell rave reviews and a lot of interest from directors. She arrives at a dinner interview fresh from a meeting, so fresh, in fact, that she hasn't had time to eat since breakfast. While wolfing down a plate of pasta and bread (no Atkins girl, she), Mitchell talks about Woody, neuroses and mind games. Q: Had you ever met Woody Allen Noun 1. Woody Allen - United States filmmaker and comic actor (1935-) Allen Stewart Konigsberg, Allen before this movie? A: Never. He called me on my cell phone, completely out of the blue, and offered me the part. That's pretty out-there. Later, somebody dropped off the script and I had an hour to decide whether or not I wanted to do it. Q: Are you a fast reader? A: The main factors were that it's a great character and it's a Woody Allen movie. Whaddya think? It's not a difficult decision to make, really. Q: Had you seen his last three movies? That would give me pause for thought. A: That's a matter of opinion, isn't it? Q: Well, the critical consensus amounted to blanket hatred, and nobody went to see them. Again: pause for thought. A: I liked ``The Curse of the Jade Scorpion scorpion, any arachnid of the order Scorpionida with a hollow poisonous stinger at the tip of the tail. Scorpions vary from about 1/2 in. to about 6 in. (1–15 cm) long; most are from 1 to 3 in. (2.5–7.6 cm) long. .'' I like to ring up a friend and say, ``Constantinople.'' It depends what mood you're in when you watch them. I think there's something about them that's reassuringly consistent. It's always a Woody Allen movie. Q: That part is consistent. The credit. A: And I liked him in ``Anything Else.'' I liked watching him play the mentor character. Q: Let's just agree to disagree Agree to disagree or "agreeing to disagree" describes or refers to a situation where two or more people or groups of people resolve conflict by reaching an agreement whereby both sides tolerate but do not accept the views, opinions or position of the other side. . I heard you were afraid he was going to fire you ... A: For about a week, I thought that. You hear stories about turning up on the set the next day and there's someone else wearing your costume. Q: You do? I've never heard those stories. Who told you that? A: A friend. Right before I started working on the movie. Q: A real confidence-builder, that friend. But you made it. Did you and Woody ever break the ice? A: He's quite happy to watch and, in doing that, he creates this atmosphere of apprehension that I think is good for the characters. The characters are nervous, neurotic neurotic /neu·rot·ic/ (ndbobr-rot´ik) 1. pertaining to or characterized by a neurosis. 2. a person affected with a neurosis. neu·rot·ic adj. . He fosters that. Q: The tragic Melinda is a real piece of work. She takes her neuroses to places that are pretty out-there. A: Yeah, you want to shake her and say, ``Get over yourself.'' There are a lot of women who are like that. Contemporary culture isn't nurturing enough. It's easy to freak out freak out Substance abuse A verb, popularized in the US in the '60s–to experience nightmarish hallucinations including by LSD or a similar drug. See 'Bad trip.', Flashback. . Q: Do you think she could ever be happy? A: Her idea is that something outside of herself will make her happy. A man, cigarettes, pills. Q: Which sets her up for failure ... A: Life is about relating, I guess. You are dependent, in some respects, on other people. But I think the whole thing is a mind game that you engage in until you're dead. Q: Will you please hand me that knife you're holding? Right now. A: (Laughs) No, what I'm saying is that when you base your happiness on other people, it's bound to be tenuous. They could die, they could disappear, they could leave you. What's your idea of fate? If you think things are all good, then you'll probably get through the rough bits. If you think things are all bad, then things will probably get worse. Q: And where do you fall in that spectrum? A: I'm into that painting where you put the ink on the page and fold it and you look at it. It's whatever that's in your head. But actually, it's nothing. It's just a blotch. That's what I think. Q: I still want you to give me that knife. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com Deconstructing Woodys: Who plays Allen best? Will Ferrell John William "Will" Ferrell (born July 16, 1967[1]) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated American comedian, impressionist, writer and actor who first established himself as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, knows well the traps of playing the Woody Allen surrogate. The job has toppled actors both great and small. ``The writing is so strong and the voice so distinctive,'' Ferrell says. ``If you don't bring something of yourself to it, you wind up being a carbon copy of Woody. And for a guy that looks like me, that would seem a little silly, wouldn't it?'' Yes, it would. But that hasn't stopped Ferrell's predecessors. Here's the scorecard: SETH Seth, in the Bible Seth, in the Bible, son of Adam and Eve, father of Enosh. In the chronology in the Gospel of St. Luke, Seth is an ancestor of Jesus. The Nag Hammadi codices preserve revelatory discourses ascribed to or allegedly emanating from Seth. GREEN Movie: ``Radio Days'' (1987) Character: Little Joe, a young Jewish boy growing up in a family of eccentrics. Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. Believes he can unlock the keys to the universe by obtaining a secret decoder ring A secret decoder was an inexpensive toy popular among young children from the 1930s through the rest of the 20th century. It was occasionally included as a toy prize in boxes of breakfast cereal and snack foods, such as Cracker Jack. . Physical resemblance to Woody: Like looking at a picture in Woody's family photo album. Verdict: Spot-on. Small wonder Green has gone on to a fine career. JOHN CUSACK Movie: ``Bullets Over Broadway'' (1994) Character: David Shayne, earnest Broadway playwright. Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. More than happy to compromise his work to achieve success. Physical resemblance to Woody: None. Verdict: The best of the bunch. EDWARD NORTON Movie: ``Everyone Says I Love You'' (1996) Character: Holden Spence, mild-mannered Drew Barrymore suitor SUITOR. One who is a party to a suit or action in court. One who is a party to an action. In its ancient sense, suitor meant one Who was bound to attend the county court, also, one who formed part of the secta. (q.v.) whose name suggests a nod to J.D. Salinger anti-hero anti-hero, principal character of a modern literary or dramatic work who lacks the attributes of the traditional protagonist or hero. The anti-hero's lack of courage, honesty, or grace, his weaknesses and confusion, often reflect modern man's ambivalence toward Holden Caulfield Holden Caulfield is a fictional character, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger's 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye. Appearance and personality Physically, Holden is six feet, three inches tall, gangly, and has grey hair. . Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. Sings. Physical resemblance to Woody: Scrawny to a T. Verdict: Not bad, but we're not breaking out in song, either. KENNETH BRANAGH Movie: ``Celebrity'' (1998) Character: Lee Simon, middle-age journalist on the make. Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. Wearisome. Physical resemblance to Woody: Not much. Verdict: Branagh channels Woody to such an extent that Allen might as well have played the role himself. JASON Jason, in Greek mythology Jason, in Greek mythology, son of Aeson. When Pelias usurped the throne of Iolcus and killed (or imprisoned) Aeson and most of his descendants, Jason was smuggled off to the centaur Chiron, who reared him secretly on Mt. Pelion. BIGGS Movie: ``Anything Else'' (2003) Character: Comedy writer Jerry Falk. Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. Therapist won't talk to him. Physical resemblance to Woody: Short. Check. Nebbish neb·bish n. A person regarded as weak-willed or timid. [Yiddish nebekh, poor, unfortunate, of Slavic origin; see bhag- in Indo-European roots. . Check. Yup, that's Woody. Verdict: Biggs gives it his best shot, but this is Allen recycling past triumphs. WILL FERRELL Movie: ``Melinda and Melinda'' (2005) Character: Out-of-work actor Hobie. Personality: Neurotic, perpetually perplexed, afraid of women. Has a great recipe for Chilean sea The Chilean Sea was defined on 1974-05-30 when the Diario oficial de la Republica de Chile published Supreme Decree #346, which declared that "the waters surrounding or touching the shores of the national territory shall be known as Mar Chileno. bass. Physical resemblance to Woody: Big and burly bur·ly adj. bur·li·er, bur·li·est Heavy, strong, and muscular; husky. See Synonyms at muscular. [Middle English burlich, from Old English *borlic, excellent; see , Ferrell is the anti-Woody. Verdict: Great melding of Ferrell's physical comedy with Allen's neuroses. A pure joy to watch. - G.W. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) no caption (Radha Mitchell) (2 -- color) Of Woody Allen's methods as a director, Mitchell says, ``He creates this atmosphere of apprehension that I think is good for the characters. The characters are nervous, neurotic. He fosters that.'' John Lazar/Staff Photographer Box: Deconstruction deconstruction, in linguistics, philosophy, and literary theory, the exposure and undermining of the metaphysical assumptions involved in systematic attempts to ground knowledge, especially in academic disciplines such as structuralism and semiotics. Woodys: Who plays Allen best? (see text) |
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