Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Is She in Heaven?

Last week was a big week for me. Not only a bit of a big birthday but a big surprise in the letter box. I got a thank you from one of the wonderful stars of 'The TREE' after we had all been to see 'Toy Story'. I had never seen any of those films and it was fascinating. A big charge to go with a young man in a black leather jacket and his beautiful sister.

Gabriel is 5 now. He was four when I met him and the other members of the cast in Boonah, Queensland. All the four children where good actors and all got on with each other. The eldest, Christian Byers, is a young man and stood in for an elder brother. Both he and Tom Russel had both been in films before - the younger two had not.

Gabriel made friends with everyone on the set. He had an untarnished attitude to his performance which I found irresistible.

After several takes one day, his shoulders slumped and he quietly said 'It's boring now.' Oh how many of us have wanted to say that but not having a mop of golden hair and big blue eyes, have given the impulse a miss. Also the pleasure the children took in their food was wonderful. I have a photograph of Gabriel eating an ice cream with only his hair and eyes showing above the cloth.

Morgana had not acted either before and she is another Big Deal actress in the making. That's if she wants to be. At the Sydney film festival I tried to nod at her when she was asked if she wanted to act again and she wasn't having it. Morgana knows her mind and to see this film is to know she knows.

If you do it only for them...go and see 'The TREE'. It's out in September. Also to be hip. Charlotte Gainsbourg is a giant star in France. Those frenchies seek her everywhere!