Blunt Talk: How A Quiet Place actress Emily Blunt learnt to speak out

If you were going to cast the anti-Hollywood – an untinsely town that was the very antithesis of the world’s most high-profile movie production centre – a very good place to start would be Wandsworth. One of London’s least-distinguished boroughs, it is home to a number of neighbourhoods – notably Balham and Tooting Bec – that are all but shorthand for dull places to live among many metropolitan Brits.

Nevertheless, it was here, on 23 February 1983, that one of Hollywood’s currently most-bankable icons – Emily Olivia Leah Blunt – first put in an appearance. Born into a Britain where unemployment had just hit an all-time high and where the tabloids of the day were going to town on the recent discovery of the lair of a serial killer (just 14 miles from where baby Blunt lay cradled), few would have put money on the fact that, 37 years later, she would be one of the world’s most in-demand actresses.

Indeed, the current level of her commitments is dizzying. Not only is she returning to cinemas this month in A Quiet Place Part II (a sequel to the 2018 smash hit horror movie she starred in alongside her husband John “The Office US” Krasinski), she is also tipped to be starring in The English, a new TV Western series coming courtesy of the BBC and scheduled to hit small screens globally next year. As if that was not enough, she and Krasinski are also rumoured to be in talks to play, arguably, the most famous couple in the Marvel comics universe – Sue and Reed Richards, a duo that makes up 50 percent of the Fantastic Four and are better known as, respectively, the Invisible Girl and the modestly-monikered Mr Fantastic.

To be fair, this is not quite the rags to riches story so beloved of paid Hollywood legend-makers. In fact, it would be something of an understatement to say that the young Emily was born into a life of obscurity. The second of four children, her father, Oliver, was a high-profile barrister, while her mother, Joanna, was herself an actress. Nor do the family’s claims to fame end there – her grandfather was a Major General and one of her uncles was a local Member of Parliament. While such a lineage is clearly no guarantee of success, it was – at the very least – something of a door-opener for the aspiring young actress.

There was however one very literal impediment on her road to cinematic acclaim – from the age of seven, the young Blunt suffered from a debilitating stutter. Looking back on that difficult time, she now says: “Stutterers don’t feel understood. It’s not psychological. It’s not that you’re nervous, it’s not that you’re insecure, it’s not that you can’t read, it’s not that you don’t know what you want to say. It’s neurological, it’s genetic, it’s biological. It’s not your fault.”

It took her seven years to finally overcome the problem and only then with considerable counselling and therapy from the American Institute for Stuttering. Clearly a great believer in paying her dues, she is now one of the New York-headquartered charity’s most high-profile patrons.

With this key obstacle out of the way, it wasn’t long after that when her star quality was spotted during a performance at her thesp-friendly sixth form college in Surrey. It was enough to secure her an agent and her first professional work swiftly followed. Her stage debut, though, didn’t see her appearing in just any old play.

No, aged 18, she took to the boards in a production of The Royal Family, a satire on a US acting dynasty directed by Sir Peter Hall, the former head of the UK’s National Theatre. Not only did this see the young actress appearing alongside true acting royalty – in the form of leading lady Dame Judi Dench – it also saw her singled out as the year’s Best Newcomer in the London Evening Standard’s annual theatre awards.

A string of other stage appearances followed before she made her TV debut in 2003’s Boudica, the tale of an ancient Celtic warrior woman. The following year she arrived – apparently fully-formed – on the big screen, winning widespread acclaim for her role as a young woman with romantic aspirations in My Summer of Love. From there, she was set on the fast track to Hollywood success.

Naturally, her talent and looks also caught the attention of a host of would-be Hollywood beaux. It was, however, ultimately a Canadian – the multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Michael Bublé – who she embarked on her first high-profile relationship with. It was not long after the two went their separate way that she was introduced to Krasinski, who was then riding high as the audience touch-point in The Office US, a remake of a highly-successful BBC comedy series. The two got engaged the following year and married in July 2010 in Italy. Speaking at the time, a clearly smitten Blunt described the moment Krasinski proposed saying: “All I can tell you is that there were flutes playing in the background, butterflies, there were angels showering us with rainbow drops.”

Some 12 years later, with the angels still clearly on their side, the couple have two daughters – Hazel (five) and Violet (three) – with both their off-screen and onscreen partnership both seemingly still going strong. Neither does marriage or maternity appear to have diminished her allure, with FHM magazine recently designating her as one of the world’s 100 Sexiest Women. Next up, she’ll be hitting Hong Kong cinemas on March 19 in the long-awaited A Quiet Place Part II.

Text: William Elliott
Photos: AFP

POLYNOMORE

It’s on our shelves. It fills our oceans. It’s in our food. And, these days, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be inside you too. Based on the undeniable testimony of once beautiful beaches and starkly-compromised stretches of sea, one of mankind’s most ubiquitous creations has turned toxic and now threatens its very existence – plastic. Or so we have been led to believe.

Even should you have been resident in the depths of the Marianas Trench for the last year or so, it can’t have escaped your attention that the tide has turned against this most multi-purpose of polymers. In state rooms from Britain to Singapore as well as within the boardrooms of such behemoths as KFC or Coca-Cola, there is a sudden, almost startled, awareness that single-use plastic is the Fifth Horseman of the looming eco-apocalypse.

Even more surprising, in a world characterised by climate change cynicism and declining-glacier deniers, there seems to be a degree of consensus that tackling this particular problem is a genuine priority. Sadly, this is probably because even the least green-minded government official can see for themselves that the world is already drowning in plastic.

Though some plastic waste is either incinerated or ends up as landfill, only a small amount – perhaps 10 percent – gets recycled. The vast majority of all surplus-to-requirements plastics ends up being carried out to sea. Whether washed up on beaches or carried along on waves, it doesn’t so much find its way into the environment as, we are ominously informed, actually become part of it.

We are already apparently seeing its effects. At present, it is estimated that more than 100,000 sea creatures die every year either from consuming plastics or by getting enmeshed within them. In the case of coral, an entity that takes years or even decades to mature and grow, its numbers are said to have declined by more than 50 percent over the last 30 years, largely because of plastic contamination, although disease and global warming have also taken their toll.

Then there’s the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – set between Hawaii and California, at 1.6 million sq.km, it is the largest of the world’s super-huge floating trash sites. An established danger to marine life and a clear environment hazard, the Patch also continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Interestingly – and this is where things start to get a little less clear – the environmentally aware activities of most consumers won’t make any real difference to its expansion or dispersion. This is largely because, contrary to popular belief, coffee cups and the mesh that holds together six-packs of beer are not necessarily the Big Bads when it comes to oceanic contamination.

In reality, 46 percent of the waste plastic that constitutes the Pacific Garbage Patch was actually derived from the equipment used by industrial fishing fleets. Even the remaining 54 percent is not down to Starbucks or Stella Artois, with it largely comprising other professional angling gear – notably ropes, guides, crustacean traps, crates and a miscellany of other maritime paraphernalia. The balance is made up by debris from the 2011 tsunami that devastated Japan, which accounts for maybe 20 percent of the whole.

If the current welter of scientific research has proved anything, it’s shown that, while empty soda bottles and takeaway meal wrappers might mar beachscapes across the world, inadvertently choking a seagull or two along the way, everyday waste is not the biggest global danger. Indeed, it’s clear that certain supposed evidence of the peril it presents has been exaggerated if not wilfully distorted.

Take the oft-repeated statistic that 500 million plastic straws are used – and discarded – in America every single day. It’s a figure that’s so huge, so tailor-made to prompt behavioural change (with a number of companies having already banned their use) that the anti-straw movement has gone from being a quaint notion to becoming a seriously belligerent environmental force.

While compelling it might be, it’s a statistic that falls apart even under the most cursory of examinations. Firstly, even if the 500 million figure is true and even if all such straws are washed out to sea every day, on an annual basis, that’s still only 0.2 percent of global plastic wastage. Secondly – and even more fundamentally – the 500 million figure is based on the uncorroborated work of one individual – Milo Cress.

In 2011, Milo took it upon himself to estimate the scale of daily straw usage across the US. To this end, he called a number of local fast-food restaurants and straw manufacturers and then extrapolated his findings on a national basis. Unfortunately, at the time, Milo was not employed by a recognised scientific institution or government body. This was, in part, due to the fact that he was nine years old at the time. Nevertheless, this schoolboy’s apparent findings have been taken as fact by many environmentalists and now shape policies and help define priorities.

While such digressions have clearly clouded the issue, there is still enough proper science around to cause genuine concern, not least about the way that singleuse plastics enter the food chain. According to a study by the Scrippe Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, the fish population of the Pacific is ingesting plastic at a rate of between 12,000 to 24,000 tonnes per year. To put this into perspective, pretty much every time you tuck into a sushi roll or fillet of fish, you’re also treating yourself to a – probably unhealthy – dose of artificial polymers.

These come in the form of tiny plastic particles – known as microplastics and often less than a millimetre in length – which are now ubiquitous throughout the world’s oceans. Perhaps more worryingly, they also fairly ubiquitous in our own bodies.

Thankfully – while plastic isn’t likely to feature on any good diet guide any time soon – the jury is still out as to whether these minuscule particles are inherently harmful. While some polymer-derivatives – notably Bisophenal A (BPA), which can be absorbed through the skin and is utilised in everything from DVD cases to fruit-juice packets – have been tentatively linked to cancers, neurological issues and hormone imbalances, plastics are still seen as relatively low down on most respectable likely-to-kill-you lists. Indeed, mercury and a number of other naturally-occurring heavy metals are far more likely to see you off peremptorily.

To complicate matters still further, several scientists have claimed that seabird toxicity tests have shown that ingesting plastics may actually extend their lifespan. This is, supposedly, because potentially toxic materials (such as heavy metals and even radioactive particles) may bind to any such plastic and pass harmlessly through the bird. Of course, an equal number of scientists dispute this particular notion, finding it specious in the extreme.

As with many environmental issues then, the problem is knowing who and what to believe. With undisputed data hard to find and with many serious studies open to interpretation, it is clearly a challenge for the environmentally-minded citizen to know what to do for the best. The problem is of course compounded when fundamentally flawed – if well-meaning – pseudo-science, such as the 500 million straw myth, is accepted at face value and widely circulated.

While foregoing fast-food bendy straws and taking your own mug to Costa Coffee clearly isn’t going to harm the environment, it might be foolish to believe it’s actively going to improve the situation. Indeed, with just five countries creating more than half the world’s plastic waste and with industrial fishing fleets accounting for much of the oceanic contamination, it might be better for individuals to lobby for greater national and corporate responsibility rather than to berate any wayward straw wastrels.

Heir to the Clown

When the late, great Heath Ledger breathed life into the Joker, Gotham City’s most sinister villain, just over a decade ago, his depiction of the “agent of chaos” earned him universal acclaim and a posthumous Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. It also set the benchmark by which every subsequent iteration of the comedian-turned-master criminal would be measured. With those very big clown shoes needing be filled, it fell upon Joaquin Phoenix to take on Ledger’s legacy, while also facing the challenge of humanising the homicidal, ever-smiling sociopath.

When Puerto Rico-born Phoenix was first sounded about the role, he was understandably reluctant to sport the rictus grin, largely on account of Ledger’s performance being widely regarded as definitive. He was also a little deterred by the character’s grotesque comic book back-story, worrying that it lacked any real-life resonance.

Despite such concerns, Joker director to be, Todd Phillips, convinced him to don the mantle, reassuring the actor that his take on the character had been created with him specifically in mind. Ultimately, Phoenix – a 30-year stage and screen veteran – became convinced it was the right thing to do as he immersed himself in the role, even to the point where he suggested the possibility of a second cinematic outing for the character in the second or third week of shooting.

Recalling this, he says: “Very early on, I was like: ‘Todd, can you start working on a sequel? There’s way too much to explore.’ While it was kind of largely in jest, it wasn’t wholly so.”

Indeed, a sequel may now be just what Warner Brothers – the studio behind the movie – is now hoping for, given that the film took more than US$1.1 billion after opening to an eight-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. It’s only the 44th movie ever to achieve a nine figure gross, while also being the biggest hit of Phoenix’s career.

Beyond its box office success, Phoenix’s performance as the damaged clown also sparked wide debate about both mental health and the roots of societal violence. Assessing the wider impact of the movie, the actor says: “It’s not the box office receipts, but the reception that’s been truly vindicating. I now get emails from people telling me that it made them look at their schizophrenic sister in a different way. Ultimately, the movie is about the power of kindness and the lack of empathy in the world, and the audience seems to have picked up on that.”

It is also fair to say that audiences worldwide have also picked up on just how compelling Phoenix can be on screen. Though his career stretches back some three decades, he has never been viewed as high in the Hollywood pantheon of all-time greats. Despite never being a darling of the media, though, he has actually appeared in some of the most critically acclaimed films of recent years, with his contribution frequently being viewed as crucial.

Something of a child protégé in acting terms, he and his four siblings were ‘discovered’ by Iris Burton, one of Hollywood’s leading agents. With his talents soon apparent to casting directors, he swiftly graduated to supporting roles, most notably in To Die For (1995), a Nicole Kidman vehicle where his performance as a lustful teenager proved a true scene-stealer.

His big breakthrough, however, came in 2000 when he took on the role of Commodus in Gladiator, Ridley Scott’s Roman epic. His first outing as a Big Bad also earned him his first Oscar nomination (as Best Supporting Actor). Since then, he has been nominated for two further Oscars – one for playing musician Johnny Cash in Walk the Line (2005) and one for his role as war veteran Freddie Quell in The Master (2012). So far, none of his nominations have converted into actual wins, but this may well change with his bravado performance as the Joker seen as sure to secure him the Best Actor award later this year.

His unusual film choices to date, however, can be better understood through the filter of his equally unconventional life. Born Joaquin Rafael Bottom in Puerto Rica in October 1974, his parents – John Lee and Arlyn – were American citizens and members of the Children of God, a controversial California-based extremist Christian cult. Ultimately rejecting the cult’s teachings, the family relocated to Los Angeles, where they reinvented themselves under a new surname – Phoenix, the bird that, in classical Greek mythology, rose from its own ashes.

With his mother working as a secretary for NBC, one of the biggest TV networks in the US, it wasn’t long before the junior members of the Phoenix family found themselves competing in a series of televised talent contests. It was then that young Joaquin adopted the stage name Leaf Phoenix, which he continued to be credited under until he was 15 and reverted to his true name.

In addition to his penchant for alternative names, he has also been widely seen as favouring an alternative lifestyle. A vegan from the age of three, he has also been an almost lifelong supporter of PETA, the anti-animal cruelty charity. Well before such concerns went mainstream, he was at the very forefront of the movement, frequently using his fame to raise awareness of such evils as dog leather and the poor treatment of circus animals.

Announcing him as PETA Person of the Year for 2019, Ingrid Newkirk, the organisation’s president, paid tribute to the actor, saying: “Joaquin Phoenix never misses an opportunity to turn the spotlight away from himself and onto the plight of animals, while setting a great example by truly walking the vegan walk.”

Clearly a performer bold enough to make unconventional career moves, he once went public with his determination to quit Tinseltown in favour of making it big in hip-hop. That, however, ultimately proved to be a role he was playing in I’m Still Here, a 2010 ‘mockumentary’ that purported to chronicle the actor’s spoof sabbatical, right from the announcement of his ‘retirement’ to his debut before a clearly bemused audience of hardcore hip-hop fans.

While the film got a decidedly mixed reactions, it also kept many guessing as to just which elements of it were heartfelt and which were merely scripted provocation. In many ways, it’s this very ambiguity that lies at the core of Phoenix’s best performances, with the will there / won’t there be a Joker 2 just the latest manifestation of his ability to ensure audiences never quite know what is coming next.

Rat’s Tale: With the rodent rampant for the coming year, what does destiny have in store for you?

Coming after a turbulent and difficult Year of the Pig, the incoming Year of the Rat marks the beginning of a more harmonious phase – both on an individual and a broader community level. While divisions will be healed, this won’t become apparent until we ascend into the second quarter, with the Pig’s more baleful inclinations likely to linger longer than some might prefer.

For many, though, it will be sunshine after dark, a time of new beginnings and fresh agendas. While some zodiac signs will inevitably prosper more than others, there is little likelihood of widespread discord and mayhem for any, regardless of birth date or temperament…

Rat – This is your year and, of course, it’s time to shine. Pretty much everything you do will have a little added lustre over the next 12 months, so it’s the perfect time to make some bold, life-affirming choices. For those who find themselves in a rut, whether in career or relationship terms, this is the optimum window for change. Discard the unwanted commitments that are holding you back and take a leap of faith. If you wait another 12 years it may be way too late.

Ox – Being strong is a way of life for you, something colleagues, companions and loved ones expect from you almost as a matter of course. This year, though, will see that particular quality tested, possibly more than it has ever been before. Tribulations and trepidations are massing on the horizon, seemingly queuing up to deliver blow after blow as the year progresses. Weather this, though, and your reputation will soar, with a much-needed reward clearly well-starred toward the year’s end.

Tiger – Like your namesake zodiac sign, you are something of a rare breed. Your blend of old school charm and early-adopter enthusiasm makes you a real asset to whichever business has you on board. This year, it’s time to reassess how valued you actually are by your colleagues. With one or two happy to ride on your coattails for some time now, asserting your preeminence – subtly yet firmly – is now less of an option and more of an obligation. You really do owe it to yourself.

Rabbit – Last year left you a bit shell-shocked. Certain events came to pass that you could never really have anticipated, with their longer-term repercussions as yet not wholly apparent. You can’t, however, play the victim of circumstance for very much longer. In the wake of any calamity, someone always emerges to lead those at its very epicentre back toward the light. This time, that someone is you. It’s not a role you get to opt into. It’s one you’ve been destined for.

Dragon – The board is surprisingly clear. A 2019 cull saw many of your competitors and rivals taken out of the game, leaving you triumphant, yet unsure. With the old certainties and antipathies banished, your 2020 is unclear, lacking both precedent and benchmarks. Resist the temptation to map out this new territory for yourself. Let others be the trailblazers and the pioneers, while you sit back and learn from their mistakes. While many may fumble and fail, your gradually emerging overview will give you the killer insights you will ultimately require.

Snake – You’ve been on the lookout for something special for quite some time now, without really being all that sure what it might be. An opportunity? A possession? Or even a new person in your life? This year, the veil will be lifted and all will become much clearer. Only one thing is certain – it will be very different from what you expect. The challenge is to ensure you have the agility of response required to capitalise on what will be a surprising turn of events…

Horse – As the years roll on, your baggage seemingly only gets weightier. There are a lot of expectations on your shoulders, with every aspect of your life – work, family and personal – having the apparent capacity to supplement them with additional ones with every passing month. Contradictory, costly and, in some cases, all but impossible, you can’t satisfy them all. While you’ve become more than adept at keeping plates spinning, it’s time to choose just which crockery falls. Super-serve your true priorities and bid a polite adieu to any undue burden.

Goat – This is the year you get to show the true, unleashed you. Several of the constraints that have seen you suppress the more outré aspects of your personality have now faded into irrelevance, giving you carte blanche to turn things up a notch or two. Enjoy a bit of extravagance, immerse yourself in a little indulgence and let the hedonism happen. You only live once the say and, up until now, you’ve been barely living at all. It’s time to stop going with the flow.

Monkey – There’s one situation where you’ve long postponed your intervention, no matter how much it seemed required. Before the year is half-way done, though, your involvement will become mandatory. Use the next six months to weigh up the odds, calculate the consequences and consider strategies. While timeliness is important, preparation is all – especially as no-one is expecting you to swoop in at all. Make it decisive, make it comprehensive and – if you deem it absolutely necessary – make it brutal.

Rooster – The Rat Year is never kind to you. Look back in your journals at previous iterations and you will see the disappointments and minor tragedies that have befallen you in spans gone by. Sadly, it’s not a trend you can particularly buck. Fortunately, the last 12 months have left you well-positioned and strategically ahead. Be content to let this lie and enjoy the fruits of your earlier successes. Anything new and too ambitious is likely to be thwarted, while the waiting Ox will oversee a far more fulfilling year for you.

Dog – You are internalising too much of the insecurity that characterises many of those around you. In fact, the last 12 months have been almost wholly negatively transformative. When it comes to initiating action, you have become almost paralysed by the learnt neuroses of those in your immediate circle. With your logical side set to blossom this year, turn your analytical skills inwards and root out the unfound fears and excessive considerations. A little emotional detox is all you need to restore the balance, allowing you to return to the fray with a vigour not seen for several years.

Pig – While 2019 was a year for planning and laying the groundwork for various initiatives, 2020 will be the year for reaping benefits. While not every project is set to bear fruit, you might be surprised by just how many do. Although the first three months of the year may prove disconcertingly quiet, the spring will make the start of a series of triumphs – both minor and major – that will sputter into life intermittently as the Rat enters its more mature phase.

Guardian Angelina: Jolie’s transformation from Hollywood A-lister to humble humanitarian

As far as Hollywood A-listers go, few can match the long-lived success that Angelina Jolie has achieved. Having made her big screen debut at the tender age of seven and cast in her first leading role when just 20, the 44-year-old Tinseltown thespian has over 50 films and five directorial credits to her name. She’s also received countless accolades, including an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and three Golden Globes.

More than her numerous onscreen plaudits, though, Jolie seems to have found true fulfilment in an entirely different sphere of her life – humanitarianism. Indeed, few actresses have embraced charitable causes as wholeheartedly as the Maleficent star, with women’s rights, conservation, child immigration, education and human rights all falling under the purview of her philanthropic efforts since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2001. Speaking of her motive for joining the august body, she said: “We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering. I honestly want to help. I don’t believe I feel differently from other people. I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation, someone would help us.”

This drive to help others likely stems from Jolie’s own troubled upbringing. Born on 4 June 1975 to two thespian parents – US actor Jon Voight and French screen siren Marcheline Bertrand – she first debuted in a bit part alongside her father in the 1982 comedy, Lookin’ to Get Out. Yet, she was already estranged from Voight, who had abandoned the family when she was just one.

During her tumultuous childhood, she seldom showed any real inclination towards acting though. Something of a wilful child, she has said of her young self: “When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, I kind of wanted to be a vampire.”

“We cannot ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering. I honestly want to help”

Her teenage years turned out to be equally difficult. She attended Beverly Hills High School but felt isolated at the affluent school because her single mother had to make do on a more modest income. After repeated bullying, she dropped out at the age of 14, though she returned to finish her degree two years later. Jolie’s early attempts at modelling – at her mother’s urging – were also doomed to end in failure.

By the time she hit 20, Jolie had tried “just about every drug possible”, including heroin. She also confessed to suffering from depression, self-harming and having suicidal thoughts. Speaking of those difficult times, she reflected: “For some reason, the ritual of having cut myself and feeling the pain, maybe feeling alive, feeling some kind of release, it was somehow therapeutic to me.”

Despite these difficulties, Jolie still managed to get her fledgling onscreen career off the ground. After acting in her brother’s university movies and nailing a few big screen roles, she landed her first Hollywood starring role in 1995’s cult classic, Hackers. Two years later, she finally entered the big league with her Golden Globe Award-winning role in the TV biopic George Wallace (1997) and as supermodel Gia in the 1998 HBO movie by the same name. Her superb performance in the latter even had one renowned critic stating: “Jolie is fierce in her portrayal – filling the part with nerve, charm, and desperation – and her role in this film is quite possibly the most beautiful train wreck ever filmed.”

“I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity”

Yet even as her professional life soared to new heights, her personal life was anything but jubilant. Her first marriage to British actor and Hackers co-star Jonny Lee Miller lasted just three years. Her second marriage to actor Billy Bob Thornton (after a whirlwind romance in which she stole him away from his fiancé, actress Laura Dern, for whom the relationship’s demise came as a shock) was similarly short lived.

Despite the scandalous start to her next relationship with Brad Pitt (she was seen as the cause of death for the marriage of ‘America’s sweethearts’, Pitt and Jennifer Aniston), it seemed to have the makings of a true Hollywood happily-ever-after when she wed her Mr and Mrs Smith co-star in 2014. Sadly, after five years of marriage and six children together – including three biological offsprings and three adopted kids – the relationship once again ended in divorce.

And the misfortunes kept on piling up. Her mother – perhaps the biggest influence in Jolie’s life – suffered from breast cancer and eventually succumbed to ovarian cancer in 2007. After learning that she too had an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene in her DNA, Jolie made the difficult choice to undergo a preventative double masectomy surgery in 2013 in a bid to avoid suffering the same fate as her mother. While her decision certainly caused consternation in many corners, she had no regrets. In fact, she even wrote: “On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.”

Thankfully, despite her lack of luck in love and her health concerns, motherhood seemed to provide the actress with the stability she craved. Indeed, her fortuitous decision to accept the role of Lara Croft in the 2001 film adaptation of the Tomb Raider game saw her journey to Cambodia for its shooting. It was there that the spark to adopt her very own child began, ultimately leading to her adoption of Maddox, a Cambodian orphan, later that year. Speaking of that life-changing experience, she said: “It’s the greatest responsibility. It’s another life and you have to make sure they’re okay and they’re ready. There is nothing else you’re doing that is more important.”

That very same experience also kick-started Jolie’s interest in humanitarian causes. At the time, Cambodia was still reeling from the effects of war, and the suffering that Jolie witnessed there led her to contact the UNHCR upon her return to the United States. She soon became an ambassador for the organisation, and shortly thereafter, she began to visit refugee camps across the world, using her celebrity status to draw attention to the plight of the people there.

Jolie continues to juggle her humanitarian concern and the care of her six children with the considerable demands of her cinematic career. She has even found a way to combine the two, having made her directorial debut with the 2018 historical thriller, First They Killed My Father, an adaptation of a memoir by Loung Ung, who witnessed firsthand the atrocities of the Pol Pot regime and the Khmer Rouge as a child.

That’s not to say that she’s abandoned her onscreen calling either. She most recently reprised her role of Maleficent in the sequel to Disney’s live-action adaptation of Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent 2). Next up, she’s set to star in another fantasy mash up – combining the worlds of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan – in Come Away. Then, of course, she will join the gigantic Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thena in The Eternals (November 2020).

Throughout her career, Jolie has taken on roles that have been as engaging as they are varied – from adventurer to disturbed psych patient (Girl, Interrupted) to the voice of Tigress in Kung Fu Panda. However, it seems to be in the pursuit of her humanitarian passions that the actress has found her true calling as a ‘Guardian Angelina’.

2020 in the Crystal Ball

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that 2019 may go down in the annals of history as one of the gloomiest years in Hong Kong. As the city’s denizens look to greet 2020, there may be a budding hope that things could take a turn for the better in the New Year. In preparation for the endless possibilities that might unfold, we at Gafencu have boarded the time machine and skipped a year ahead to a parallel, rose-tinted universe where all frowns have turned upside down. So, indulge us if you will, as we fast-forward to 1 December 2020, and dwell on the ‘what-could-be’s for the 12 months of 2020…

Universal Studios in Hong Kong

Get ready to be immersed in the wizarding world of Harry Potter or to shake a leg with King Julien from Madagascar, as Universal Studios has launched its much-anticipated Epic Universe theme park in Hong Kong. Having opened its doors just ahead of the Lunar New Year in January, it looks set to draw thousands of visitors, both locals and tourists alike. Word is, it’s even bigger than the one in Singapore.

Oscar win for Andy Lau

Hong Kong’s very own actor extraordinaire Andy Lau won one of the highest acting accolades in the world by bagging the coveted Oscars for the Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his stellar performance as a celebrated choir conductor in Cantonese drama Find Your Voice. The film hit a second jackpot the same evening when it won Best Film in a Foreign Language. According to film pundits, this double success is bound to give the local movie industry the leg up that it needs.

“We have boarded a time machine and skipped a year ahead to a rose-tinted universe”

Air Quality Index at 10pts

Move over Reykjavík, Wellington and Calgary… Hong Kong is here to grab a much-coveted spot on the list of the top 10 cleanest cities in the world. With the HKSAR government spending billions of dollars on the Care for Air initiative, the Fragrant Harbour’s air has remained consistently within the healthy 0-50 range in the global Air Quality Index (AQI) and even dropped down to 10pts in March. It looks like the city’s residents can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Inbound tourism soars

The Fragrant Harbour’s population almost doubled, at least temporarily, over the Chinese New Year, as seven million tourists trooped to the city both from the mainland and overseas, spending time and more than HK$5 billion to immerse in the best experiences the 852 has to offer. Needless to say, with hotels booked to maximum capacity and restaurants reserved in advance for weeks, the local F&B industry is laughing all the way to the bank.

New airport to open

Hong Kong’s existing Chek Lap Kok Airport (HKG) has been on the verge of buckling under the pressure of a ceaseless flow of inbound traffic. To ease its burden, the government announced in April that it will unveil a brand new 200,000sq.m airport facility at Discovery Bay by the end of 2021. Designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and filled to the brim with top notch amenities, this is one infrastructure that may even give Beijing’s newly-opened Daxing Airport a run for its money. Small wonder then that luxury brands are vying for space to open flagship stores at the new venue.

Anti-typhoon missile developed

T8s and T10s may soon be things of the past, with the scientists at Hong Kong University’s The Swire Institute of Marine Sciences developing a test missile that, if successfully launched, is said to have the ability to divert the path of typhoons. While it’s still in an experimental stage, it’s safe to say that if the project is a success, typhoon season will well and truly be over in the port city. Bye-bye, Mangkhut!

HKEX jumps 3,000pts

Hong Kong’s stock exchange bull is charging towards new heights with the city strengthening its position as a financial and technological hub in China’s Greater Bay Initiative. As the year steadily progresses towards the green’ zone, the HKEX is also looking to woo those companies that had, in the recent past, chosen to list in the US’s larger markets.

“Maybe sooner – rather than later – at least some of our wishful thinking may just come true”

Foreign investors queue up

With the city’s Closer Economic Partnership with mainland China (CEPA), the Fragrant Harbour is now the obvious first choice for companies looking to enter the China market. The city’s excellent infrastructure, business knowledge of China, as well as no additional levied taxes, all make it a very lucrative place for foreign investors. No doubt it’s a combination of these factors that has led Amazon, the US’s retail megastar, as well as tech giants such as Facebook and Google to look to get listed on HKEX.

Carrie Lam wins Nobel Prize

The year was turning out to be peachy so far, but the feather in the cap came in October when it was announced that HKSAR’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam will receive the Nobel Prize for Peace for being instrumental in fostering a feeling of fraternity and harmony between China and Hong Kong. Come 10 December, all Hongkongers will be waiting with bated breath to hear her acceptance speech as she collects the prestigious prize in Sweden.

Most Instagrammed city

As of December 2020, Guinness World Records has confirmed that Hong Kong is the most Instagrammed city in the world based on the number of geotags used by the platform’s users. This is the first year that an Asian city has nudged New York, the consecutive winner for two years, out of the top spot. With gourmet food choices, landmark locations and a vibrant, upbeat ambience, it’s easy to understand why the 852 bagged the top spot. Way to go, Hong Kong…

Ah well, it’s time to break out of the reverie and come back to reality. But who knows, maybe sooner rather than later, at least some of our wishful thinking may yet come true. Fingers crossed.

2019 Power List 300: Gafencu unveils HK’s most powerful movers and shakers

Hong Kong has earned itself a name for being one of the most competitive cities on Earth. In a dog-eat-dog world, only the strong prevail. Gafencu’s 2019 Power List 300 showcases just that: a run-down of the most influential, dynamic and entrepreneurial minds of our time. Check out just who among the crème de la crème of HKSAR society made our 2019 Power List 300 and who has fallen from grace here.

Reel Deel: Reliving highlights from Hong Kong’s cinematic Golden Age

When the Cannes Film Festival, the behemoth movie-screening competition held annually in Cannes, France, announced that it would be joining forces with Hong Kong’s K11 Group to present six of this year’s film selections for a very special Festival de Cannes Film Week, the city’s cinephiles knew they were in for something of a treat. To say the selection of the Fragrant Harbour as the location for the festival’s first-ever international iteration came as a surprise is putting things mildly. After all, the days of Hong Kong’s cinematic Golden Age seemed all but behind it, shattered by the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 and the subsequent rise of China’s own film entertainment industry, causing what was once dubbed the “Hollywood of the Far East” to sink into a sharp decline.

For three decades from the ’70s to the ’90s, however, Hong Kong was the world’s largest film exporter after Tinseltown and the darling of theatre-going audiences the world over. Not only did it produce some 400 movies each year, it spawned critically-acclaimed box-office hits – Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express and Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master to name but two – that remain beloved to this day. It could be precisely this illustrious history that prompted the people at Cannes to select the city for its upcoming film week. In a nostalgic tribute to this storied legacy, we revisit some of the most memorable Hong Kong movies ever made.

Way of the Dragon (1972) / Enter the Dragon (1973)

The history of Hong Kong’s filmmaking industry and the inexorable rise of kung fu movies are inextricably linked. After all, it was this very segment that catapulted the city to worldwide fame, enchanting theatre-goers in both the East and West with its blink-and- you’ll-miss-it action sequences and slapstick humour. Perhaps the most iconic of these is 1972’s Way of the Dragon, the only film to both star and be directed by legendary martial arts actor Bruce Lee. Produced by Raymond Chow, the movie was a box-office triumph, grossing HK$211 million worldwide, compared to a production budget of just HK$130,000. Its 1973 sequel, Enter the Dragon, performed even more admirably, netting a profit of US$90 million (or roughly US$508 million today).

Not only did these Lee-Chow collaborations spark an international interest in Chinese martial arts, it also engendered great pride for the ethnic Chinese globally, who had long been denied leading and heroic roles in Western cinema. Meanwhile, Lee’s portrayal revolutionised how American audiences would perceive Chinese up until the present day, redefining what it meant to be a hero who fights for justice.

A Better Tomorrow (1986)

The genre of heroic bloodshed, typified by stylised action scenes and dramatic themes of honour, duty, violence and redemption, was actually a Hong Kong cinematic invention. Perhaps the benchmark film of this category is the 1986 John Woo-directed A Better Tomorrow, which follows the harrowing journey of its Triad-member protagonist as he struggles to leave his life of crime behind in order to reconcile with his younger brother, an aspiring police officer. Showcasing a violence-ruled Hong Kong and complex characters on both sides of the law, this Triad-related feature was the breakthrough film that propelled its actors, Chow Yun-fat and Leslie Cheung, to superstardom.

The otherworldly portrayals of violence and intensified emotional power of the picture struck a chord with international audiences, even leading it to be remade for Indian and Korean audiences. Meanwhile, the style of Chow Yun-fat in the film saw teenagers across the city stocking up on Ray-Ban sunglasses and trench coats to replicate the now iconic look of his character, “Mark Gor”.

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Internationally acclaimed auteur Wong Kar Wai has built a storied career in creating films where Hong Kong is just as much a story’s central character as its protagonists. His art-house films enact stories of tragedy, alienation and angst-ridden individuals otherwise hidden within the metropolis. Known for his emotionally intense style, it’s Wong’s seventh film, In the Mood For Love (2000), however, that is arguably the most significant contribution to the genre of wenyi pai (romantic melodrama).

In the Mood for Love is a profoundly lush romantic drama set in Hong Kong that follows the tale of two neighbours seeking solace in one another as they discover their respective spouses are having an affair. Thanks to Wong’s long-established approach of mixing Eastern ‘practicality’ with Western motifs, the film resonated with Western audiences and critics alike, taking home the coveted Grand Prix de la Commission Supérieure Technique award, as well as the Best Actor accolade for Tony Leung. at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. It remains one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated cinematic achievements, having earned over 49 nominations and 44 wins to date.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

It’s no secret that comedies are often overlooked by critics for more dramatic fare, despite being arguably the most beloved by audiences. On rare occasions, however, comic effect is recognised and lauded in its own right, as demonstrated by Stephen Chow’s wildly successful martial arts comedy, Kung Fu Hustle (2004). Centring on two hapless martial artists who inadvertently become entangled with the notorious “Axe Gang” in the slums of ’30s Shanghai, it has been universally praised for its unique blend of cartoon special effects and CGI, a traditional Chinese soundtrack and high-quality wuxia fight sequences.

With this formula for success, the universally-appealing film yielded lucrative results, leading it to gross HK$61 million within the city and a total of US$102 million worldwide. It even went on to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at that year’s BAFTAs and Golden Globes, while also sweeping up six Hong Kong Film Awards and five Golden Horse Awards at the same time. Today, it still remains the third highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong’s history.

No.7 Cherry Lane (2019)

Perhaps just when Hong Kong needs more love than ever before, Wuhan-born, Hong Kong-based director Yonfan emerged from the shadows of his 10-year filmmaking hiatus to release his first-ever animated feature this year, a self-proclaimed love letter to Hong Kong titled No.7 Cherry Lane. Putting paid to the notion that the city’s best cinematic days are behind it, the movie premiered to much acclaim at the prestigious 76th Venice Film Festival, where it went on to win the Best Screenplay accolade, before making its North America debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Utilising an animation style traditionally attributed to countries like Japan, No.7 Cherry Lane transports viewers back to the turbulent year of 1967 in Hong Kong. Amid the clashes between the government and pro-Communists, the story follows a young Hong Kong University graduate, Ziming, who finds himself trapped within a love triangle between a wealthy divorcee and her teenage daughter. Exploring such themes as nostalgia, social mobility and heartache, this dreamy animation film stands not only as a tribute to Hong Kong cinema but also as a beacon of artistic creativity to reinvigorate local directors and push them to new heights.

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Photos: AFP, Jet Tone Films, Yon Fan Studio

Dermix-n-match: Off-the-shelf’s over with the rise of bespoke beauty

Imagine a lady with shining hair, fair skin, doe eyes and full lips, and you instantly know that she’s pretty. Indeed, with every imaginable form of art and culture consistently inculcating us with one uniform idea of beauty, the popular notion of what constitutes being ‘beautiful’ has remained pretty much constant – even stagnant – across countries and cultures for a few centuries at least.

However, in a heartening paradigm shift, for some years now, the fashion and beauty industries have started to embrace a far more diverse and inclusive concept of beauty. In line with this, plus-size clothing lines have become more readily available and a much wider range of make-up and skincare products have been launched, all acknowledging that our bodies are very, very different from one another, and that one size does not fit all. It is this thrust towards personalisation that has given rise to one of the biggest trends in the last decade – bespoke beauty.

Accepting diversity and celebrating uniqueness, this trend recognises that every individual has a different biochemistry, which implies that what may work for one person may not work for the next because of inherent genetic differences. Market research company Mintel’s 2018 Global Beauty & Personal Care Trends report reveals that 40 percent of US make-up users aged 25 to 34 are still unable to find products that exactly match their skin tones. Add to this the fact that a person’s skin and hair alter with age, passing seasons, lifestyle changes and so on, and a one-for-all beauty strategy seems hardly viable. Hence, a lotion that suits a skin type during summer may not work so well during winter. So, even a customised skincare routine needs to be tweaked from time to time based on circumstances.

Alongside this increased understanding of individuality is also a growing awareness of how exactly skincare products work. As creams, lotions, serums and oils bypass the digestive system altogether and enter into our blood streams directly, users have finally become cognisant of the fact that skincare products are more akin to food than cosmetics. This knowledge, too, has contributed to the increasing need for customisation for individual purposes.

Of course, the advancement of technology has played a key part in this revised stance. AI-enabled understanding of ingredient effectiveness, increased user input and modern manufacturing technologies have already contributed to a large extent to the popularisation of bespoke beauty. Embracing this data-meets-derma approach, several brands have come up with virtual reality and augmented reality solutions to enhance a customer’s interaction with a beauty product in every possible way. Even the more economical and off-the-shelf brands are joining the bandwagon, including Neutrogena, that has launched MaskiD – a 3D-printed face mask tailored to your skin, based on data collected from a selfie – and L’ Oréal’s La Roche-Posay, that together with Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group, has unveiled the world’s first AI-powered acne testing application. Debuting on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms, the Effaclar Spotscan app diagnoses the kind of acne a person may be suffering from by analysing selfies. Thousands of images of men and women with different skin types and spots are stored in the app’s database to ensure precision-testing.

Moving up the pyramid, luxury brands are also raising the stakes in the bespoke beauty business. Take, for instance, German skincare specialist Dr. Barbara Sturm’s intriguing Blood Cream, which, at £1,200, sees platelet-rich plasma extracted from a client’s blood and then applied on their skin to yield incredible youth-boosting results. In this ‘vampire facial’ – as it’s colloquially called – a vial of the user’s blood is mixed with glass beads that trick your cells into thinking they’re covering a wound. This leads your blood to produce healing proteins that are then added to your skincare products. With Victoria Beckham herself being an advocate of this treatment, those wondering at the effectiveness of it all needn’t look further than her glass-smooth skin.

Another marque utilising our skin’s own restorative properties for skincare is biomedical range Allél, which uses DNA to determine what ingredients work best on your skin type. Taking a mouth swab during an in-clinic evaluation, everything from pigmentation to collagen levels are measured, and an immersive skincare and oral treatment regime is prescribed.

Also offering personalised in-store consultation is Kiehl’s with its #AfternoonwithKiehls, a programme that provides skin consultations and samples based on individual concerns. Meanwhile, another skincare brand, Clinique, allows customers to make their own bespoke moisturisers by providing them with a choice of three different hydrating bases, and then mixing it with one of five different active cartridge concentrates, each of which is formulated to address a specific skin problem.

Realising that the DIY approach is fast gaining traction, Parisian cosmetics brand By Terry, which is now available at Lane Crawford, has also set up a Palette Factory, where customers can not only select their preferred colours but also build their own eye and rouge palettes from scratch. In this counter-meets-lab approach, one can choose from an endless array of colours, rare pigments and refined powders, and can then measure and machine-press their own palettes right there and walk away with a unique product in just 10 minutes.

Even perfumers like British fragrance brand Penhaligon’s are encouraging customers to be directly involved in choosing the specific ingredients that go into their scents. Described as the “olfactory equivalent of couture”, Penhaligon’s Bespoke by Alberto Morillas will see you create your unique fragrance – one that can’t be replicated for anyone else – with the help of master perfumer Alberto Morillas, all for the price of £35,000.

So, with brands at every spectrum of the market offering personalised skincare and beauty products, the burning question is: will this trend last? The answer so far seems to be a firm ‘yes’. With both brands and buyers seeing it as adding value – whether it’s building relationships from a brand’s point of view or zeroing in on the exact fit from the buyer’s – bespoke beauty seems to be more than just the Next Big Thing in the industry, and one that can make a real difference, as long as brands continue to think out of the box on how to make the little bottle worth it.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

High Bourne: Matt Damon has taken his acting career to stellar heights

Imagine missing out on earning a cool US$250 million. That’s the nightmare that actor Matt Damon recently revealed to be his biggest career regret. The sizeable amount would have been his payout had he accepted the starring role in director James Cameron’s smash sci-fi hit, Avatar (2009), which held the record for being the highest-grossing film of all time for nearly a decade until it was dethroned by Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame earlier this year.

Speaking on this missed opportunity, Damon said: “Jim Cameron offered me Avatar. And when he offered it to me, he goes, ‘Now, listen. I don’t need anybody. I don’t need a name for this, a named actor. If you don’t take this, I’m going to find an unknown actor and give it to him, because the movie doesn’t really need you. But if you take the part, I’ll give you 10 percent…’”

Given that Avatar would go on to rake in a staggering US$2.7 billion, that 10 percent would have equated to a quarter of a billion dollars in the actor’s pocket. As fate would have it, though, he ultimately turned down this golden goose opportunity due to scheduling conflicts. However, massive payday aside, he had a bigger regret: “In having to say no, I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and that’s still brutal.”

While he may have missed out on this hugely-lucrative role, that’s not to say that Matt Damon is destitute by a long shot. In fact, as of 2019, his current wealth is valued at a respectable US$160 million, according to Forbes, which ranks him as one of Tinseltown’s highest-earning leading men. What’s more, the experienced 49-year-old thespian has enjoyed what few other of his ilk have managed – the perfect balancing act between Hollywood longevity and personal happiness.

But it seems big screen success was always in the cards for him. Matthew Paige Damon – as his birth certificate reads – was born on 8 October 1970 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the second son of Kent Telfer Damon, a stockbroker, and Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education. With his parents divorcing when he was just two and his subsequent inability to embrace his mother’s “by the book” child-rearing approach, the lonely youth saw acting as his sole reprieve. It was through his high school theatre productions that Damon finally found his true calling, while also meeting fellow thespian and life-long friend Ben Affleck in the process.

Soon thereafter, his scholastic aptitude saw him enroll at the prestigious Harvard University where, during his freshman year, the aspiring actor made his big screen debut with a bit part in the 1988 rom-com Mystic Pizza. When he was subsequently cast as Lieutenant Britton Davis in the 1993 Western Geronimo: An American Legend, Damon chose to drop out of university to pursue the role, deeming it a career-maker. Sadly, the film flopped at the box office, and it wasn’t until 1997 that he finally caught the attention of the world’s cinemagoers.

That was the year that Good Will Hunting – penned by Matt Damon and his childhood pal Affleck – hit the silver screen. The tale, which follows the journey of an MIT janitor-cum-mathematics savant (Damon) as he finds his place in the world, was to be his first taste of cinematic success, with the then-27-year-old receiving his first nominations for Best Actor, while also winning the accolades for Best Original Screenplay at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes that year.

After that, his star was unquestionably on the rise, as he set about solidifying his reputation as a true Hollywood A-lister through a series of critically-acclaimed performances such as the eponymous protagonist in Saving Private Ryan (1998), a fallen angel in Dogma (1999) and the antihero in The Talented Mr Ripley (1999).

It was during the following decade, though, that he truly entered the big league, thanks largely to his participation in several big budget franchises. His first franchise role was in the heist movie, Ocean’s Eleven (2001), where he starred alongside such Hollywood luminaries as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. The movie’s blend of fast-paced action and charismatic dialogue was such a success that it spawned three more sequels.

But it was another franchise-starter that transformed the actor into a bona fide action star – The Bourne Identity (2001), the spy action film that saw Damon take on the mantle of Jason Bourne, a superspy suffering from amnesia who has to avoid assassins on his journey to regaining his identity. Another box-office hit, it spawned four sequels that collectively grossed US$1.6 billion worldwide.

Soon thereafter, following a series of high-profile romances with actresses like Minnie Driver, Winona Ryder and Rhona Mitra, Matt Damon finally found true love away from the limelight with Luciana Barroso, a bartender he had met while filming Stuck on You in Miami in 2003. The couple wed in 2005, and are now the proud parents of four daughters, including Barroso’s child from a previous relationship.

With the new insight gained from becoming a father, the actor discovered a passion for humanitarian work, particularly in the field of clean water initiatives. To combat this crisis, Damon co-founded H20 Africa Foundation, an NGO dedicated to providing clean water to the needy in Africa. The organisation eventually merged with another charitable body, WaterPartners, to form what is now known as Water.org in 2009, whose mission statement is to “pioneer market-driven financial solutions to end the global water crisis”. The big-hearted actor is also a keen supporter of other causes, including combating AIDS, poverty and war atrocities through a number of other organisations.

But that’s not to say that he’s allowed his onscreen career to languish. In the last decade alone, he’s garnered praise for such diverse roles as that of South African rugby team captain Francois Pienaar in 2009’s Invictus (which saw him nominated for Best Supporting Actor at both the Golden Globes and the Oscars), a Texas Ranger in the Coen Brothers’ 2010 Western True Grit, and a castaway astronaut in not one, but two sci-fi hits – Interstellar (2014) and The Martian (2015).

Next up, though, Damon will have his feet back on terra firma, appearing in the historic biopic Ford v Ferrari in the role of Carroll Shelby, the famed US car designer who, together with Henry Ford II of Ford Motors, aims for an underdog victory against Italian motoring marque Scuderia Ferrari at the prestigious Le Mans race.

After that, the A-lister looks set to reunite with his old pal Affleck to co-write a script 22 years after their previous effort, the afore-mentioned Good Will Hunting, catapulted both actors to superstardom. Their upcoming collaboration with producer-director Ridley Scott and Oscar-nominated writer-director Nicole Holofcener, tentatively titled The Last Duel, will see Damon travel not to the stars, but to the distant past this time – the 14th century to be exact – in a story of a ‘duel to end all duels’ between a knight and a courtier.

While there’s little concrete information on that particular project, the all-star power behind it suggests that something truly special could be in the making – one that will allow audiences worldwide to remember just what makes Matt Damon such a Bourne star.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: AFP