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« Linkages | Main | Open Thread: what's the last thing you instant watched? »
Sunday
Aug102014

Son of a Gun. Brenton Thwaites, Anyone?

Here's a new movie poster for Son of a Gun (which will be released by A24 at some point) starring our beloved Ewan McGregor as a notorious criminal and rising star Brenton Thwaites as his young protege.

The protege is expected to help his mentor escape from prison.

A happy belated to Brenton who turned 25 yesterday! He leads The Giver next weekend (albeit with ample support from not one but two legends: Bridges & Streep) which is his fourth release already this year... so basically he's this year's version of Male Australian Hollywood is Trying To Make Happen. Australia is just relentless at hogging the male starring roles, yes?  I have the sneaking suspicion he's going to be like the boy version of Alison Lohman and his age will be impossible to pin down onscreen for decades to come and maybe he'll play teenagers when he's 40? You'd think it would be creepy for a 25 year old to play 16 year old Elle Fanning's love interest in Maleficent but he didn't look a day over his 16th birthday in that, right? I once saw an interview with him where he claimed that The Blue Lagoon (1980), a movie he was then remaking, was "a hundred years old" which annoyed me in the highly specific way only smug teenage  'I know nothing of the past and I'm proud of it!' comments can. That movie is only 9 years older than he is so I guess he's 91.

But that's quite a tangent.

What I meant to say was that I find it interesting that young male stars often rise up through this movie phase of being "mentored" in one way or another onscreen by an older famous star  (Cruise and DiCaprio did that, Brad Pitt did that spiritually with Robert Redford directing him who he was then often compared to, Jai Courtney is in the process of doing that with Bruce Willis and Russell Crowe, etcetera) like a sort of box office insurance policy in case they can't cut it since the older star will still draw crowds. Young female stars don't regularly have that phase usually just leading movies straightaway or co-starring with men instead of other women. Anne Hathaway is a notable exception given that her Princess Diaries and Prada film-carrying/star-making gigs would fit perfectly within this typically male star-building formula. Except that her vehicles were about make-overs... but let's not split hairs. 

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Reader Comments (10)

Are they attempting some sort of sly blackface here? Is this their attempt to make him look "tough"? Does not bode well...

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered Commentercatbaskets

catbaskets - oh god i hope not. i assume it's just the lighting and the dirty sweatiness.

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterNATHANIEL R

Anne Hathaway is so lovely, it makes me smile to remember that her career was rubber stamped by Julie Andrews from its delightful beginning. I hope the public turns around on her with time; talk about an extraordinary woman who has nothing to prove to anyone. We are all so lucky to have her.

God, I need to watch Rachel Getting Married this afternoon. Hatha-feelings.

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterHayden W

Did Brenton Thwaites specifically say that the movie "The Blue Lagoon" was "a hundred years old"?

Because, if he didn't, he's right. "The Blue Lagoon" was a novel by Henry De Vere Stacpoole, first published in 1908, more than 100 years ago. The movies are based on the book.

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered Commenterbcarter3

Well, I just finished watching Oculus so this is weirdly appropriate timing! I agree about how young Brenton Thwaites looks, I expected him to be a few years younger than he was and he's actually only a year younger than me. I'm guessing his Maleficent role is pretty thankless? He's having quite a year so hopefully he'll be able to prove that he's more than a pretty face. I thought he gave a solid performance in Oculus, but it's the only thing I've seen him in.

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered Commenterthefilmjunkie

Poor Ewan!! Even when he's the 80% of the poster and even in a place like this, where he has a lot of fans, you end up talking about the other 20% of the poster and Anne Hathaway (wtf?). No wonder AMPAS never notices him...

#chooseewan

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered Commenteriggy

I though it was a black actor as well and didn't recognize Ewan.

Lot of problems with the art direction of that poster. The lighting is different for both of them and they over did the eye enhancement. It also looks like they flattened both their noses and darkened Brenton's lips. I like the concept however.

August 10, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterHenry

Wait, Tom Cruise mentored Leonardo DiCaprio? Really?

August 11, 2014 | Unregistered CommenterSuzanne
February 6, 2018 | Unregistered Commentergames
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