Showbiz news: Michael Caine to play great composer
mainThe film is called Youth. Mr Caine is 82.
Rachel Weisz plays his daughter.
Here’s some blurb:
Caine plays Fred Ballinger, whose annual spa stay begins as an emissary of Queen Elizabeth arrives to offer him a knighthood — if he would only conduct his most famous composition for Her Majesty.
Her Majesty is renowned for doing musical deals in exchange for state honours.
The make-or-break factor in the film will be who does the conducting for Michael Caine. (And who they get as concertmaster, of course.)
Michael Caine did all his own conducting in the movie, coached by the brilliant Terry Davies (who conducted the recording). David Lang wrote the music and it also features Viktoria Mullova and the BBC Concert Orchestra.
When I produced the ‘A Night Out With…Sir Michael Caine’ concert at the Royal Albert Hall last year, which was just after he’d finished filming ‘Youth’, Caine came onto the stage at the beginning of the rehearsal and said to the LSO “Watch out, I’m a conductor now – so I know what you’re up to!”
The film premiered at Cannes on 20 May 2015, so I don’t think there are any mysteries about the casting.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was asked a few years ago if he would like to play a great composer in a film and, if so, which…..
“I’ll be Bach”, he replied.
The film also includes Sumi Jo performing alongside Mullova.
By the way – a great film containing a number of subtleties. No doubt worth a second watching to ‘get’ more of them.