SAM NEILL, 76, is speaking to me via Zoom from Vancouver, where he is filming Untamed, a new Netflix series. We're here, though, to discuss the new season of The Twelve, a pacy Australian courtroom drama in which Neill plays barrister Brett Colby SC. It's a heightened murder mystery and subtle social commentary, and "the second series is considerably stronger than the first", he says, rightly and also surprisingly, because it's a little bit like saying the first season wasn't very good. But then, he's done enough time in this business that he's allowed to say what he likes, within reason.
For instance, he doesn't especially like the modern blockbuster: "Now we're in the age of Marvel action films, people destroying entire cities on a whim, they're not particularly interesting to me." Or that "the great years of cinema were the 50s through to the 70s", which is, again, surprising, since in a career spanning 45 years, the golden age tapped out (according to him) after his fourth film in 1979, My Brilliant Career. This was an absolutely epochal feminist masterpiece, which anyone of a certain vintage - 50 - will remember because of how many times their mum made them watch it. "It was a film about women, made by women, and that was almost unheard of then. And rare enough today," he says. If you run the numbers, how many female antipodean directors made it big in the 20th century, and how many cast Neill as their leading man, you come back with "both of them" (Gillian Armstrong and, of course, Jane Campion with The Piano, in 1993). When feminists all (both) like the same guy, it's usually because he's not a dick.
Denne historien er fra August 16, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra August 16, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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When it comes to a good savoury crumble it's all down to the detail
\"Savoury crumbles are a really good idea, so I don't get why we don't make them more often,\" says Esther Clark, who writes The Good Home Cook Substack. As Clark notes: \"Crumbles are incredibly forgiving: they go into one tin, there's barely any washing-up, and they freeze well, making them a good weeknight number.\"
Generation game An American's view of life in China during the turbulent Covid years, through the eyes of his curious, jaded students
When Peter Hessler, the celebrated chronicler of Chinese society, arrived at Sichuan University in the autumn of 2019, he was expecting to take a break from writing. Hessler made his name as a journalist documenting the lives of everyday people during China's boom years in the early 2000s.
Claims to fame Will this sympathetic biography of a failed pop star help its enigmatic protagonist find the status his stoicism deserves?
In 2004, the British journalist Chris Heath spent more than a year shadowing Robbie Williams's every movement for his book on the singer, Feel. If this was above and beyond the usual requirements of a biographer, you could see why he thought it might pay off. We tend to be fascinated by success, and the cost that fame can exact upon the individual. And so who better to take such an approach with than both the biggest pop star of his generation and the most self-critical?
Heartfelt home truth An extraordinary portrait of a 1950s American housewife, based on the diaries of Will Self's mother in an act of filial generosity
Will Self has a history of gonzo premises. He has written novels set in the afterlife, in a world ruled by chimpanzees, in a post-apocalyptic society based on the misogynist rantings of a London cabby.
'My dance is a kind of prayer'
After success in France, choreographer Qudus Onikeku has returned to Nigeria to bring new life to Lagos's dance scene and to mastermind a pan-African creative awakening
The lighter side of grief A romcom where love never dies
Marrying your dead fiance may be taboo, but Colin Hanks and director Daniel Reisinger hope their new film will help those coming to terms with their own loss
Look who's back in anger
Will an Oasis reunion be a success? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Maybe, say Guardian arts writers
Voters rejected Macron. Why is he still trying to dictate who governs us?
After the electoral turbulence of June and July, few in France imagined that we would be heading into September without a new prime minister appointed to reflect the results of July's parliamentary elections.
Forget the clothes-eating critters-we should love moths in all their beauty
Let me start with a confession: I love moths. If your instant reaction to that statement is a shudder and expression of dislike (or worse), be assured that you're not alone. It is the commonest response I get. But moths are extremely important and beautiful creatures, and we should all love them.
Is Starmer's 'reset' with Europe enough to undo Brexit damage?
Every prime minister has their verbal tell-tales. \"Reset\" is a favourite Starmerism. When he visited Berlin last week to pave the way to a bilateral co-operation treaty, the prime minister said he was there as part of a \"wider reset\" in Britain's relations with Europe. There was the same message when he journeyed on to Paris for a grip, grin and chat with Emmanuel Macron. I see why he's fond of the word. \"Reset\" conveys new thinking, a fresh start and altered priorities, while being conveniently vague about the direction of travel or the ultimate destination.
