Russell Crowe’s Good Year

September 11, 2006 by Erin
Filed under: Movie News

Let me share a secret with you. Contrary to popular belief, Russell Crowe is actually a very nice guy.

The past few years have not always been kind to Russell Crowe. After a series of well-publicized outbursts, he has come to be labelled by the media as a nasty, brooding ogre. Somewhere along the way, people forgot that he is one of the most gifted actors of his generation.

Last year was particularly difficult for Crowe. While in New York to promote Cinderella Man, he found himself at the centre of a scandal when he decided to voice his concerns about his hotel’s inadequate service by striking a front desk clerk with a telephone. That outburst translated into lacklustre ticket sales and a bleak awards season for Cinderella Man, a disappointment for a film that was lauded by the critics.

Since the New York incident, Crowe has drastically reduced his public appearance schedule, a hiatus which has allowed him to distance himself from the scandal. He recently re-emerged at the Toronto Film Festival to promote his new film, A Good Year. I was there, and I had an opportunity to meet a very different Russell Crowe.

Now, let me be clear. Crowe is not a warm and fuzzy guy. During our press interview, he was clearly uncomfortable being placed in the media spotlight. He slouched in his seat like a teenager who was being forced by his parents to sit with their boring guests. His language was peppered with the occasional nasty word. He was abrupt when posed questions that he regarded as irrelevant.

But I also saw another side of Russell Crowe. He had a great sense of humour. He spoke articulately and passionately. He was gracious and patient with the public at the premiere of his movie, stopping for photographs and autographs long after many other celebrities would have walked away. He was genuine, a description all too infrequently attributable to people in the entertainment business.

Crowe’s affability extended beyond his public appearances. During our interview, he shared an amusing anecdote about his efforts to make his young co-star, Freddie Highmore, comfortable during filming.

“I went up to see Freddie when I arrived on the set. I introduced myself and said, ’Hello, I’m Russell. If you want to, you know, hang around and stuff like that, get to know each other a little bit better, maybe we could go for a bike ride together or a walk or watch a movie together.’

“He said, ’No, thank you, I don’t think I’ll have time for that.’ That was the sum total of our conversation… So I just tried to stay out of Freddie’s way, because he was obviously very intent upon getting his work done.”

It was clear that Crowe values his friendships. He related that he decided to become involved in A Good Year as a result of his friendship with the film’s director, Ridley Scott.

“I noticed that I had gotten out of whack with Ridley’s schedule. That was weighing on my mind, because there were things which he was doing that I wanted to do. So we sat down and we discussed seventeen different projects and this was the one that caught my imagination. I liked the idea, I liked the idea of shooting in France, I liked the idea of being in Provence… I just wanted to explore different things with my friend.”

Surrounded by friends, Crowe was able to relax in France and to concentrate on his acting.

“It was a fabulous time. It was just a beautiful area. I lived in a magnificent house and I could ride my bicycle to work. There was a lot of socializing on Friday nights and playing ball. It was wonderful.”

The product of that relaxed, affable atmosphere is A Good Year, a film which is being released in North America on November 10th. It is a light, romantic film – definitely a departure for both Crowe and Ridley Scott, whose last project together was Gladiator.

For his part, Russell Crowe enjoyed creating a different type of film with his friend.

“I enjoyed doing it. Tell all of your friends to go and see the film so we can do another Good Year.”

So I am here to tell you. Go to see A Good Year. It is a warm, delightful film. And with any luck, Crowe’s return to the public eye is the start of a good year for him as well.