RISING SUN... CANADIAN STYLE

La Gazette du doublage, the most important website about French-speaking dubbing, has an interesting and most intriguing story this sunday about the recent rerun of Rising Sun (1993) on French cable channel Paris Premiere (a subsidiary of national private channel M6).

On november 30th, Paris Premiere aired the movie adaptation of the excellent Michael Crichton best-seller, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. What is intriguing with what is after all another rerun of this enjoyable film is that Paris Premiere aired a French-speaking dubbing done in Quebec and not the usual French dubbing made in Paris.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this dubbing from Quebec. Sean Connery is dubbed by Ronald France and Wesley Snipes by Jean-Luc Montminy - the voice of Bruce Willis in Quebec (http://www.doublage.qc.ca/showMovie.php?id=1551). Most important, the dubbing artistic director and author of the French dialogues for this version is Vincent Davy, one of the most respected dubbing director, dubbing author and artist of the Province. He's the voice of Jack Nicholson, Anthony Hopkins or Martin Landau and his impressive resume has the length of the Great Wall of China.

In fact, French-speaking dubbing from Quebec is quite familiar for French viewers since the 70s-80s. Mainly because such shows like the original Star Trek, Space: 1999 or The Six million dollar man (except for some episodes dubbed in France) have been dubbed there. But for legal reasons movies shown in French theaters are dubbed in France or sometimes in Belgium and Montreal is excluded, so of course 99% of the movies later seen on TV are dubbed in Paris.

There is a "Parisian" dubbing for Rising Sun, with the voice of Jean-Claude Michel for Sean Connery. Jean-Claude Michel is a legend for dubbing aficionados, he was the voice of Clint Eastwood, Sean Connery or Peter Graves. François Justamand, chief editor of La Gazette du doublage, points out that some years ago private channel TF1 aired this dubbing from Quebec just once and asks the following questions: why does the TV distributor of Rising Sun proposes this version to French channels? Is it an issue about rights or only a mistake of this distributor?

Oddly enough, the last time TF1 aired the movie it was with the dubbing from France but the promos were with the dubbing from Quebec.

http://www.objectif-cinema.com/blog-doublage/index.php/2009/12/06/214-nouvelles-en-vrac (In French)

LADY PENELOPE SPEAKS FRENCH (LA GAZETTE DU DOUBLAGE)

French cinema journalist François Justamand, chief editor of La Gazette du doublage - the most important website about French-speaking dubbing, publishes this week on the blog of La Gazette an interesting piece about the dubbing of Gerry Anderson's cult classic Thunderbirds (1965-1966) and particularly of its two spin-off United Artists feature films: Thunderbirds are go! (1966) and Thunderbirds 6 (1968).

The series was dubbed by a company called SOFI. SOFI was the quasi-exclusive dubbing contractor of ITC, only The Baron was dubbed by Jean-Paul Blondeau and some titles like Space 1999 were dubbed in Montreal. Lady Penelope had of course the voice of Sylvia Anderson in English but was dubbed in French by Lily Baron, French voice of Tara King in The Avengers (excepted in The Forget-Me-Knot episode).

In the first feature film, dubbed at SPS, Penelope had the voice of Sylviane Mathieu (Faye Dunaway in The Thomas Crown Affair and Jill St John in Diamonds are Forever). But the movie has been re-dubbed in 2004 for a DVD release in a box set including Thunderbirds 6, never dubbed in the sixties because not released in France at the time.

Details on the blog of La Gazette (in French): http://www.objectif-cinema.com/blog-doublage/index.php/2009/09/25/199-les-differentes-voix-de-lady-penelope

AVENUES AND ALLEYWAYS

If Is this way to Amarillo? is probably the most remembered hit from iconic singer Tony Christie, thanks to the great comedian Peter Kay - who used it in his wonderful monument of comedy and poetry called Phoenix Nights (2001-2002), and his cult 2005 video for Comic Relief (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW5eUA0I938), Avenues and Alleyways comes certainly in second position for many fans of Christie. Avenues was written by Mitch Murray and Pete Callender and performed by Tony Christie as an end title song for The Protectors (1972-1973), the ITC television series starring Robert Vaughn.

This week, François Justamand - cinema journalist and chief editor of website La Gazette du doublage (the most important website about French-speaking dubbing), writes about the dubbing of The Protectors on the blog of La Gazette in a brilliant article called Dans les rues et dans les avenues (http://www.objectif-cinema.com/blog-doublage/index.php/2009/05/15/170-dans-les-rues-et-dans-les-avenues - In French). Dans les rues et dans les avenues is actually the title of the French version of the title song, recorded by Christie for the French dubbing of The Protectors (Poigne de fer et séduction in French) - made by a company called SOFI (quasi-exclusive dubbing contractor of ITC at the time).

The most interesting part of François Justamand's piece comes at the end as we learn that there's a litigation over the rights of the French lyrics of the song, written by Marcel Stellman. And according to La Gazette du doublage this is probably why there's no rerun of The Protectors on French television since many years.

By the way, please have a look to this fantastic video of Avenues and Alleyways mentioned to me by François Justamand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z-4IGSk9k0. A classy tribute to Maurice Binder's work for James Bond and to shows like The Professionals. And Tony Christie rules!

QUANTUM OF SOLACE... LITERALLY?

Quantum of Solace, the new 007 installment directed by Marc Forster, arrives in France and in the United Kingdom on October 31, and has been shown to the Press. This direct follow-up to 2006 commercially succesful « James Bourne » reboot, Casino Royale, has inspired mixed first reactions from critics who bona fide enjoyed the first entry with Daniel Craig as James Bond.

DIE ANOTHER DAY

Lizo Mzimba, of BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7676637.stm), appreciates the characterization of Bond, as « the real interest lies in how Bond deals with the individuals and situations he meets along the way », and also the intentions of the helmers of the 007 franchise: « it's a brave step to push even further a lot of the themes developed in Casino Royale, especially the rediscovery of who Bond is, and why he is the way he is ». Two years after Casino he warns Bond rebooted adversaries that « The raw nature of the film may put off some who yearn for the days of gizmos, gadgets and Bond quips as he dispenses with faceless opponents ».

Kim Newman, of Empire (http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=134523), praises « a pacy, visually imaginative follow-up to the series relaunch » [...] « In an era marked by franchise bloat, it’s entirely admirable that Quantum of Solace is the shortest Bond movie to date – it drops a great many of the long-running series mannerisms (callous quips, expository lectures, travelogue padding, Q and Moneypenny) ».

David Edwards, film critic of The Daily Mirror (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/18/first-review-of-new-james-bond-movie-007-115875-20815336/): is not disappointed but « just don't expect the brilliance of Casino Royale ». An opinion shared by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/18/jamesbond1): « Quantum of Solace isn't as good as Casino Royale: the smart elegance of Craig's Bond debut has been toned down in favour of conventional action ». Bradshaw is impressed by Craig: « he carries the film: it's an indefinably difficult task for an actor. Craig measures up ».

Mark Monahan in The Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/10/18/bfquantum118.xml) wonders « if director Marc Forster and screenwriters Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis haven't tried a little too hard to distance the film from traditional Bond plots » but agrees that « Craig inhabits the character with a ruthless charisma that never lets up. And he, above all, keeps you watching ».

LICENCE TO KILL

Daniel Craig is the subject of a quasi-consensus: « Craig, it must be said, is excellent », writes Ali for The Shiznit (http://www.theshiznit.co.uk/review/quantum-of-solace.php), on the contrary of Marc Forster as director, « completely out of his depth handling a franchise this large. High-tempo sequences, like the opening car chase and an extremely Bournian rooftop pursuit, are disorientating in the extreme: too fast, too sloppy and too ruthlessly edited ». Obvious reference of the producers since Casino Royale, Jason Bourne becomes a problem... « perhaps former Paul Greengrass protege Dan Bradley (1) should be held responsible... »

Richard Brooks, Arts Editor of The Sunday Times, does his own Gunbarrel sequence (« It’s the audience who will need solace, 007 »): « It's James Bond, licence to bore. Quantum of Solace may be a sequel to Casino Royale but it lacks that movie’s panache and brio » (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4969426.ece).
The movie « lacks any wit, ironic or otherwise, which has been a strength of so many 007 films » and the title song by Alicia Keys and Jack White is « tuneless ». « At around one hour 40 minutes, this Bond is shorter than most. Somehow it felt longer ».

BONS BAISERS DE PARIS

Two years ago, Casino Royale, left traces amongst French 007 aficionados after a raging debate between advocates of the relaunch and the fans of « Old School Bond ». François Justamand, editor of website La Gazette du doublage (http://www.objectif-cinema.com/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=0168), contributor for http://www.jamesbond-fr.com/ (2), and one of the top experts about James Bond in France gives us his first impressions: « Action sequences suffer from an editing too rough, the movie lacks of familiars Bond "trademarks", some characters are not sufficiently developed (Fields, Greene), idem for the Quantum organization (perhaps further developed on next movies?), a bleak script, and an expeditive ending ». On the Plus side, François Justamand admits some intimate scenes, good dialogue from time to time, and some good ideas from the writers, like the coded conference of Quantum during La Tosca.

La Tosca retains the attention of Kevin Collette, journalist and Bond specialist, who considers the whole sequence is wasted by its « speedy editing a la Jason Bourne » (http://www.jamesbond-fr.com/news-1224530966-36-Un-Bond-post-moderne-.html). Bourne again, shall we like it or not we always go back to Bourne...

Update: Please have a look at this interesting and sometimes harsh discussion in the Comments section of a post on Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily where Nikki develops on the Opening Box Office weekend of Quantum of Solace in Europe: http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/bond-shatters-uk-box-office-record/.

(1) Stunt coordinator on the Bourne movies, second unit director on Quantum of Solace.

(2) François Justamand is also an eminent member of Sérialement Vôtre (http://www.serialement-votre.fr/).