Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Ewan McGregor: Filthy and Gorgeous

"The far-flung legend of [Ewan] McGregor’s penis, casting its long shadow over the Hollywood Hills -- though accurate -- distracts from a quietly courageous and wildly varied acting career," writes Joshua David Stein. "He’s not just some one-trick cock-flashing pony."

"That the long-delayed and finally upon us I Love You Phillip Morris -- a very good, very, very gay film slated -- isn’t an aberration but one of McGregor’s more mainstream films testifies to his unusual oeuvre. Like many of McGregor’s choices, I Love You Phillip Morris is an uneasy film."

“I’m very keen that it’s a gay movie,” McGregor insists. “There was quite a lot of talk at Sundance that ‘Well, it’s not a gay movie. It’s a film about guys who happen to be gay.’ And I was thinking, it’s nothing but a gay movie. It’s about a gay couple, about a man’s sexuality, and he comes out. It’s not the point of the film, but let’s not pretend it’s not a gay film.”

"When it appears on American screens, I Love You Phillip Morris will be, to some extent, down-gayed," writes Joshua David Stein. "As part of a bid to find U.S. distribution, the film has been recut, leaving out some of the gayest moments. After a rather touching episode of Florida Key fellatio, for example, Morris [played by McGregor] spits over the side of the boat into the Atlantic Ocean."

“There were two alternatives,” explains McGregor. “There was the spit, and there was a really nice slow swallow, where I look at him [the character, Steven Russll, played by Jim Carrey] and just do a loud swallow. I really like that one, but I guess they went for the more obvious spit over the side.”

Read full interview here.