American Cinematographer - December 2004 - 10

ROCK
Brand ambitions are plainly evident in the films

we've covered this month - the kinds of ambi¬
tions that mysteriously seem to surface in
Hollywood as that trusty wall calendar begins running
out of pages. Yes, the holiday season is upon us, and
the major studios are ready with some of their most

prestigious projects.
Certainly, only ambitious people would have
undertaken a production as logistically complex as
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Based on the popular children's books by Daniel
Handler - who lends his tales a Grimm-like tone of
Gothic malevolence - director Brad Silberling's lavish

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adaptation boasts big-name stars, spectacular
settings and one secret weapon: cinematographer
Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, ASC, AMC, who knows a thing or two about shooting
larger-than-life stories. Having already wowed viewers with his work on fantasy films
such as A Little Princess and Sleepy Hollow, Lubezki sought to reach even deeper into
his Santa-bag of cinematic goodies. "I didn't want to let [Lemony Snicket\ look like
something I'd done before," he told contributing writer and former /ACstaffer David E.
Williams. To that end, the cinematographer sought to strike a balance between natu¬
ralism and, in his own words, "lighting that's completely insane." His candid analysis
of this adventurous approach ("A Darker Side of Fantasy," page 38) makes for excel¬
lent fireside reading - at least for those of you living somewhere colder than Los
Angeles.
Not to be outdone, Bruno Delbonnel, AFC reteamed with director Jean-Pierre
Jeunet (with whom he had crafted the charming international hit Amelie) on the oper¬
atic World War I epic A Very Long Engagement. Their challenges on the show included
re-creating the horrors of trench warfare, shooting at locations all over France, and
finding ways to coherently weave dozens of characters into a complex narrative tapes¬
try. AC's stalwart French correspondent, Benjamin Bergery, spoke at length to
Delbonnel and colorist Yvan Lucas about their work on the film ("Cinematic
Impressionism," page 58).
Having already earned his own war medals on The Pianist, Pawel Edelman,
PSC took a different path with Ray, which dramatizes the life and times of musical
legend Ray Charles ("Genius Hits the Road," page 70). The late, great Charles served
as a consultant to director Taylor Hackford on the show, and Edelman's camerawork
captures all of the highs and lows of a man who lived in the spotlight. New York corre¬
spondent John Calhoun interviewed not only Edelman and Hackford, but also colorist
Jill Bogdanowicz, who helped the filmmakers finesse their footage with a digital inter¬
mediate.
Another intriguing addition to the bio-pic genre is the HBO telefilm The Life and
Death of Peter Sellers, shot by Peter Levy, ASC, ACS. Levy faced the tricky task of

providing insights into the true character of an actor who famously hid behind the
personas of his characters. The show presented Levy with the opportunity to re-create
the look of several of Sellers' most famous projects, including Casino Royale and Dr.
Strangelove. Contributing writer and Stanley Kubrick aficionado Jon Silberg got the
inside skinny on how Levy did it ("Man of a Thousand Faces," page 80).
Production Slate (page 24) offers coverage of two more prestigious projects:
Closer, shot by Stephen Goldblatt, ASC, BSC, and the Bobby Darin bio-pic Beyond the
Sea, shot by Eduardo Serra, ASC, AFC.
Hopefully, by now I've persuaded you to gift-wrap a few holiday subscriptions
for friends
I won't be able to enjoy my eggnog until our circulation director, Saul
Molina, stops hovering near my desk....
-

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American Cinematographer - December 2004

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