Entertainment | Film & Cinema
Inside Danny's head
Danny Glover has been there and done that in Hollywood, and is one of many who believes it's time for something new.
- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:30 December 16, 2008
- Legendary actor and activist Danny Glover
- Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News
The proverb "a hungry man is an angry man" rings true for the legendary actor and activist Danny Glover.
But no sooner had a plate of sandwiches and French fries materialised in front of him on his coffee table late Monday afternoon, than Glover dropped his lethal weapons - his mutinous stare at the PR executive and a testy "where are the sandwiches?" query - and warmed up to the conversation considerably.
Needless to say, the first few questions before his hunger was satiated were met with disjointed responses.
"I made a list, but I failed to adhere to it. I haven't seen any movie yet. It's a little weird at [film] festivals. If you don't have anything to do at all then I would go catch a movie," says Glover distractedly.
"Like at a recent festival in Turkey, I caught more than four movies… I really waned to see some Turkish movies. Actually, I am here for another three days, so maybe I will see some later…" he tapers off.
But a few bites later, it was interesting to see the on-screen LA police sergeant in the hit Lethal Weapon series squeezing the wake-up trigger. Defining his life as a series of poignant moments strung together, Glover looks back on his days as the cautious cop Roger Murtaug as one such point.
"I think what got me to the point of doing Lethal Weapon was to find something that I can hold onto for the rest of my life. At that point, I wanted to do something that made me feel as if I was worthy of what was happening to me.
"I wanted every moment in my life to provide some kind of revelation... Through that role I had also found a way to expend the fear and anxiety within me… you know what I mean," he adds.
This constant need for validation, to an extent also led him on a path of doing the right thing. A celebrity who has repeatedly used his clout and star power to champion several human rights issues, such as pushing for the abolition of capital punishment and racial discrimination, Glover is as much an activist as an actor.
Service
"I come from a period where men and woman used to talk about service. When I feel that education is not on a level it should be or that a person is a grade lower in education then I want to know why. Or when health care is not up to the mark, I am conditioned to question it," explains the UN goodwill ambassador.
Even his decision to co-produce the acclaimed film Mil Hadha Al Bahr (The Salt Of The Sea), which screened yesterday at the 5th Dubai International Film Festival, borders on the same principle.
"My idea is to avoid stereotypes. When I look at a picture, it should tell me something about the culture and the identity of the people. I should be able to connect to the joys and relate to it on a personal level.
"For instance, I saw this beautiful Iranian film in Turkey about a man working in an ostrich farm and whose trip to the city made him realise there was a life beyond [the farm]. Movies should have the same effect and mirror our own existence," he says.
Panning some of the films that are being churned out as exaggerated and celebrated versions of reality, the action hero who has dabbled in theatre, commercial and art-house films voices his disgruntlement haltingly.
"I don't want to sound esoteric. But movies have become an escape as opposed to being vehicles in which we can learn about people in other parts of the world," he adds.
Increasingly didactic in his lilt, Glover becomes emotional.
"Aren't we all emotional? The real Danny Glover is a person who tries to understand a little bit more. He tries to understand a little bit more when he is interacting with his grandson… or he wants to understand a little bit more when his nephew is lying on my chest and he wonders what he would look like a few years down the line, or what he would be when he grows up or how he would think," says Glover.
Glover, who has worked with some of the best actors and directors in Hollywood, says he prefers not to play favourites.
"I have worked with some of the best actors, including Kevin Costner, Kevin Cline, Angela Bassett… the list is endless. They have all been absolutely wonderful.
"But at the end of the day, we all realise that we have a responsibility as actors and we are all there to create something big."
But his definition of creating something big does not extend to being a part of Lethal Weapon 5 or reuniting with Mel Gibson to kick some serious ass or to recreate the '90s action magic. He shot down collective expectations with a succinct:
"No way, I am done with Lethal Weapon." He stops short of mouthing his "I am too old for this s***" one-liner from the movie, but Glover sure seems to have moved on.
"I would love to be a part of an Arabic movie or even an Indian one. I would love to work with actors from those parts of the world."
On Dubai:
"I find the people fascinating and I have never been in any place like this. The city is growing fast and it is happening in such a short period of time. Dubai is a testament that technology can make things really happen
| Film listings: Tuesday, 16 December | ||
| Time | Cinema | Film |
| 20:00 | Madinat Arena | Avaze Gonjeshk-Ha (The Song of Sparrows) |
| 18:15 | Souk Madinat Theatre | Casanegra (18+) |
| 21:30 | Geninat Al Asmak (The Aquarium) | |
| 18:00 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 2 | Valu, The Bull (15+) |
| 21:30 | The Hurt Locker (15+) | |
| 12:30 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 4 | Mascarades |
| (Masquerades) | ||
| 16:00 | Apres La Guerre, C'est Toujours La Guerre (After The War...) | |
| 18:45 | Gitmek (My Marlon And Brando) (15+) | |
| 21:45 | Ramchand Pakistani (12+) | |
| 12:15 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 5 | Dibawah Pohon |
| (Under The Tree) (15+) | ||
| 15:15 | Ayyam El Dajar (Days Of Boredom) | |
| 18:30 | Une Chanson Dans La Tete (Melodrama Habibi) | |
| 21:30 | Tokyo Sonata (15+) | |
| 13:45 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 6 | More Than Just A Game |
| 16:30 | Hey! Don't Forget The Cumin/Samia | |
| 19:30 | Zimbabwe (15+) | |
| 22:00 | Muhr AsiaAfrica Shorts2 | |
| 12:30 | Cnestar, Mall of the Emirates 7 | Ore Kadal (The Sea Within) |
| 16:00 | Yasam Arsizi (Sidewalk Sisters) (15+) | |
| 19:00 | Un Novio Para Yasmina (A Fiance For Yasmina) (15+) | |
| 22:15 | Khamsa (18+) | |
| 13:00 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 8 | Milh Hadha Al-bahr (Salt Of This Sea) (15+) |
| 16:00 | Adhen - Dernier Maquis (15+) | |
| 18:45 | El Sistema (15+) | |
| 21:45 | Dada (Dada's Dance) (15+) | |
| 12:00 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 9 | Samaan Bildayaa (The One Man Village) |
| 14:30 | Francaise | |
| 16:45 | Halmae Kkot (Grandmother's Flower) (15+) | |
| 19:30 | Kabuli Kid (15+) | |
| 22:15 | Marrakech Inshallah | |
| 12:15 | Cinestar, Mall of the Emirates 12 | Yes Madam Sir |
| 15:30 | Heaven On Earth (15+) | |
| 18:45 | Black Nation | |
| 21:45 | Choo Gyeok Ja (The Chaser) (18+) | |
| 18:30 | Grand Cinemas, Festival City 3 | Valentino: The Last Emperor |
| 21:45 | Das Herz Von Jenin (The Heart Of Jenin) (15+) | |
| 16:30 | Grand Cinemas, Festival City 8 | UC Maymun (Three Monkeys) 18+ |
| 19:00 | Peace Mission | |
| 21:45 | Gulf Voices | |
| 16:15 | Grand Cinemas , Festival City9 | Niloofar |
| 18:45 | Son Of A Lion (12+) | |
| 21:30 | Entre Les Murs (The Class) | |
| 20:00 | DMC Amphiteatre | Hitte Harara (Heat Harara) (15+) |
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