However, during exam time I came across this hilarious article. (I should probably give credit to the boyfriend who linked me to it.)
It is terrible. And it saddens me that it actually got published in the Guardian. In fact, it was the front page story in the Film & Music supplement. Just read through the article please, I hope you agree with me.
Basically, what annoys me in this one is that the interviewer is just not acting professionally. I strongly believe that a good journalist will be able to set their own emotions aside and despite their own opinion can conduct a balanced interview with someone. I also believe that respect (even if it is faked respect) is important when interviewing someone.
In a way I can respect Simon Hattenstone's honesty as he wants to tell Ewan that he doesn't like the film. However, it seems pretty obvious that he did not give enough thought to how he would tell him that. Also, would it not have been better to wait until the end of the interview to say that? There's no need to write up all the awkwardness that follows from the confession. The worst part is that he doesn't just say, 'sorry, this movie didn't really appeal to me' but he goes on and on about it.
At the end of the movie, I tell him, we had to rewind to the opening credits to make sure it really was a Woody Allen film and that we hadn't been taken for a ride. "Right, right, right," he says again, like a psychiatrist listening to a particularly disturbed patient. I say it's not your fault - it was the direction and the script. "Is it because of the dialogue? Or the heaviness of the film? Or the tragedy of the film?" No, I say, it's because it seems like a terrible stage production of a terrible film that never belonged to a time or place.
What happens then is that he seems to realise his stupidity - Oops. Time to change the subject. I ask about his family. He tries to ask Ewan about his personal life?! That is simply IDIOTIC. You'd think that any self-respecting journalist would know that Ewan likes to keep his private life PRIVATE. I mean, I knew it and I really don't know much about Ewan McGregor. So what is Ewan's reply?
"I won't discuss that with you, so you could ask me another question." Why won't he discuss it? "I've never discussed it with a journalist and I'm not about to change that."
Well done Ewan! What annoys me most about the article is, that Mr. Hattenstone screws up the interview by seemingly not being well prepared and then tries to turn it around by hinting that Ewan McGregor is a bad person because he doesn't want to talk about his private life. From the headline ('Oh dear, Ewan...') onwards it's trying to make us believe that it is EWAN MGGREGOR's fault that the interview was a total disaster.
I'm wondering how on earth I'm supposed to get to the bottom of McGregor when he is prepared to reveal so little of himself. But in a strange way, I think, perhaps he has shown more than he intended to.
UGH. I just want to say this: I'm sorry Ewan. I hope The Guardian at least sent you a letter of apology. I still can't believe they actually printed it too. Oh dear, Simon...
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All paragraphs in italics are taken from the article linked to at the beginning of the post.
1 comment:
You're right: that really is one of the most terrible and vapid interviews I've ever read. Simon Hattenstone seems more interested in himself than actually saying anything with the slightest hint of intelligence or worth provoking interest.
The questions he sets are completely empty, it's almost as if The Guardian picked any old person off the street, gave them a clipboard and sent them into a room in which Ewan McGregor just happens to be in.
Even if he didn't like the film he could have come at it with a critical but constructive angle even if had to shoot his mouth off as he did.
As you say, it is seemingly just one big go at Ewan McGregor making him sound like an idiot. Though I am no expert on McGregor, through what I have seen of him, he comes across as a rather intelligent character, nothing like the air-headed one portrayed in this article.
I think The Guardian need to have a good old-fashioned purge.
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