Month: September 2022

Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Silent Storm

Today we travel back to Damian Lewis in The Silent Storm. I wrote about Norman Harris, probably the most romantic Damian Lewis character here. And as I was thinking about kind and caring Norman, I was also thinking about Damian’s versatility that he does not have a “screen persona” and he can play any character that comes his way. And I asked myself a question: What Damian Lewis character is the anti-thesis of Norman Harris? Well, the answer came to me in the form of the stern Presbyterian minister Balor McNeil.

source: The Times

Have you seen The Silent Storm yet?

The Silent Storm is slow. It is heavy. It is intense. And, lucky me, that is exactly how I like my movies. So the movie, with powerful performances by two seasoned actors (Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough) and a brilliant new comer (Ross Anderson) coupled with the stunning island scenery and psalms sung a capella speaks to me just right. And here is my take on the movie, without any major spoilers, studying Damian’s character more than anything else. Continue reading “Fan Fun Movie of the Month: The Silent Storm”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis at Band of Brothers Boot Camp

‘It’s very authentic, dripping in sincerity, there’s nothing sensational about it. It had a docu-drama feel to it which people responded to. –Damian Lewis on Band of Brothers

bandofbrothers

We blogged earlier about how a 29-year old British actor Damian Lewis got cast to play all-American WWII hero Dick Winters as well as the deft and the charisma with which Damian Lewis came to immortalize Dick Winters on small screen. However, we still have a black box between the casting and the shoot: How did Damian Lewis TRANSFORM into Dick Winters?

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Well… Once he gets the part, the two Hollywood giants Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks leave the room and Tony To, the executive producer, asks: “Hey Damian, how’d you like to go to boot camp in March?”

Ha! The boot camp… It is, in fact, what FILLS the black box I’ve been talking about… The Transformation, quoting Damian himself, from “a rice pudding” to a “celery stalk” 🙂

Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis at Band of Brothers Boot Camp”

Damian Lewis and The Queen: A Tribute

When he was asked about how his favorite member of the Royal Family was a few years ago, Damian did not even hesitate for a moment:

Queen Elizabeth II, the second longest reigning monarch in history, passed away last week. Even if you are not a student of history, just knowing that her first Prime Minister was born in 1874 (Winston Churcill) and her last was born in 1975 (Liz Truss) is quite enough to recognize what a remarkable life and reign she had. I understand that emotions are still high about her passing, but the Queen’s life is certainly one to celebrate. And Damian has paid a tribute to the late Monarch on Twitter sharing a sweet moment he had with her once.

Continue reading “Damian Lewis and The Queen: A Tribute”

Remembrance 2022

Band of Brothers is a masterful series that taps into every possible emotion that you can feel and it pulls absolutely no punches when trying to display and emphasise the horrors the men and woman fighting in World War II faced.

Band of Brothers sets out to remember those who served in World War II and show us what they had to endure. There is so much for each of us to take from the series, but my own impressions are that the intention was not to glorify war or to paint these men as superhuman.

There is a touching moment (among many) in the extras when Major Dick Winters quotes a passage from a letter he received from Sergeant Mike Ranney, “I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, ‘Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’ Grandpa said ‘No…but I served in a company of heroes’.” Continue reading “Remembrance 2022”

Band of Brothers at 21: Revisiting Dick Winters

Band of Brothers is 21 years old. Currahee!

As one of the most iconic mini-series of all times, Band of Brothers may have turned 21 but it has never got old. People are still in love with Damian Lewis’ Major Winters and his Easy Company and thousands of families and friends enjoy a Band of Brothers marathon (multiple times!) every year.

To celebrate the 21th anniversary of the mini-series, HBO had Roger Bennett host an official Band of Brothers 12-episode podcast that followed the Easy Company’s footsteps from Normandy to the Eagle’s Nest, episode by episode, with insight from Tom Hanks as well as actors who brought the members of Easy Company to life  – including Ron Livingston, Donny Wahlberg, Matthews Settle, Scott Grimes and our beloved Damian Lewis. Continue reading “Band of Brothers at 21: Revisiting Dick Winters”