HEART-THROB HARRY HAS THE FILM FACTOR ...
Christopher Nolan said he cast harry styles in his stirring Dunkirk epic because the former one Direction singer has an ‘old-fashioned face’.
the film-maker observed that styles, who was making his debut in the movie, has ‘the kind of face that makes you believe he could have been alive in that period’.
‘harry’s character’s very unglamorous,’ he said. ‘it’s not a showboating role. And harry shied away from being a “star” in it. he’s a humble guy who didn’t want attention.
‘he enjoyed the idea of not carrying it; that he was part of an ensemble. Like the soldiers they played, the actors were all in it together and supported each other very well,’ said Nolan, who was in London, from his home in the U.s., visiting friends.
he said Dunkirk was all about survival: the mass exodus ‘speaks to the whole nature of heroism, and getting home to fight another day’. Nolan’s film captures the essence of the British spirit (though the director prefers to call it ‘the human spirit’).
it has been hailed as one of the year’s best movies, topping several critics’ polls, and is seen as a major contender in the Golden Globe, Bafta and oscar awards.
Nolan, who also made the Dark Knight trilogy and inception, stressed that he and his casting directors had been looking for unknowns for the ‘land’ part of the film. ‘harry sent in a tape, and we liked the tape. And he joined the workshop, and that was that. it was a really oldfashioned process — and harry’s features, ability and demeanour fitted right in.’
Nolan added he’d love to work with the 23-year-old singer again. ‘he’s very talented. i’ve no idea whether he wants to pursue acting, but he’s a natural.’
he said he got lucky with his cast that, in addition to Mr styles, included other relative newcomers Fionn Whitehead, tom Glynn-Carney, Barry Keoghan; the next ranks such as Billy howle, Jack Lowden and Aneurin Barnard; and veterans Mark rylance, Kenneth Branagh and tom hardy.
i was lucky enough to get the chance to watch Dunkirk and the Working title-Joe Wright film Darkest hour, starring a magnificent Gary oldman as Winston Churchill, on the same day, and found them to be an almost perfect double bill, examining the same events, from very different angles.