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Paddington 2

The Heart of Paddington: 1on1 with Simon Farnaby

January 12, 2018 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

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Written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby, Paddington 2 sees the return of everyone’s favourite bear as he settles into life with the Brown family in London. However, when a misunderstanding leads to Paddington’s arrest, he and the Browns set out to clear his name and prove his innocence.

After being offered the opportunity to develop the story with his good friend, Paul King, Farnaby was eager to participate. In fact, he feels that the two were a good match, given that they share many of the same ideas of how to construct a story.

“I’ve known Paul King for about 20 years… so we go way back…,” Farnaby states. “[He] wrote [the first one] but I helped out with some jokes, especially with my scene as Barry, the Security Guard… So then, on [the second film], Paul just asked if I’d like to write it with him. We’re friends, and I had a handle on the world. We have the same sort of sensibility of humour [by adding] a lot of warmth and a lot of heart in the story we want to tell. So, we were a good fit. Thankfully David Heyman (the producer),… allowed me to work with Paul. He trusted Paul’s instincts that we could do something special together and it looks like it’s doing okay.”

Created by author Michael Bond, the stories of Paddington Bear have continued to charm readers for decades. When asked why he thinks the books have maintained their importance, Farnaby states that he thinks it has to do with Paddington’s relatability and positive attitude.

“I think everyone sort of sees a little bit of themselves within Paddington. We’re all sort of fish out of water,” he reflects. “I remember starting school and feeling like I didn’t quite fit in. You know, I was always kind of making mistakes. Nobody likes to admit that. We’re all sort of trying to find our feet in the world. When I read Paddington, I found that he made mistakes like I did. Then, he kept trying and kept positive. No matter what kind of mistakes he made, whether it was knocking the house down or trying to bake a cake and setting the kitchen on fire, he never took it too badly. He always sort of brushed himself off and went on to the next thing. So, I think it’s that sort of mixture of comedy and his sort of haplessness and clumsiness but also there’s a sort of great warmth in his character that endears him to people.”

Although Farnaby never actually had the opportunity to connect with Bond before his death last summer, both he and King felt a deep responsibility that the film should live up to the quality of his legacy.

“Paul actually had a relationship with him from the first film and he was the one to go to see him,” he clarifies. “It was very important to Paul and myself that Michael Bond approved of what we were doing with his bear. Paul would go to see him and talk him through what we had in mind. Michael always read the scripts and read the drafts of Paddington 2. I think he saw some bits of it before he died and he was very happy with it. His daughter, Karen, carries the mantle and she saw Paddington 2, loved it and said her dad would have approved. That’s hugely important to us. He’s obviously a very important figure, not only in the books but we’re always aware of him and needing his approval. It’s a great shame that he couldn’t see it through to this one.”

When writing a sequel, the temptation is to always enlarge the scope of the original film. While Paddington 2 may contain more characters and a broader story, Farnaby believes that the heart of the film is very much in keeping with Paddington’s heart and legacy.

“From our earliest discussions as we started to write the story, we both liked the idea of meeting the neighbours in the street,” he begins. “We had an idea in the very beginning that it would be nice to have a sequence where we see what his life is like in London now. The last film was about him finding a family and a home but what is a home? A home is in a place and a community. Paddington would be a great community figure. He’d always be the neighbour who would help you out if you needed anything. His instinct is kindness, you know. He’d be very popular with his neighbours.”

“So, really, this film is about him finding a community in London. We really liked the idea of meeting his neighbours and then Phoenix Buchanan, a sort of celebrity in this neighbourhood. Paddington always does well up against celebrities because he sees everyone as the same, whether they’re a celebrity or a homeless guy. So, we had this really great idea for an opening and then, when we saw the prison, he gets into trouble even though he’s innocent but then he’s meeting even more people. It’s a new community of people, even though they’re criminals. We also thought that was sort of interesting comedicly as well as philosophically for him to come up with those sorts of people. But it’s really about him finding his place in the world and meeting more people. There’s a lot more characters in this film.”

What’s more, Farnaby also argues that his career as an actor has been an incredible blessing to his ability to write screenplays. With his experience in front of the camera, he feels strongly that his acting career has also allowed him to develop characters according to the strengths and needs of his cast.

“I think it helps hugely. Because I am an actor, I know how actors respond to parts when they get sent,” Farnaby replies. “When we were trying to get Hugh Grant to play Phoenix, I was constantly thinking that I know what he’s going to be thinking. I know what he’s going to respond to as an actor because very often actors, when they commit to a screenplay, they’re really not that interested in the whole story. They’re interested in the part they’re going to play. Whether you like it or not, an actor is really thinking ‘Am I going to score in this part?’ Really that’s how an actor thinks. They’re gonna put themselves up on screen so they want to know if they’re going to have fun or are people going to think they’re great in it. You’re always looking for that part that’s going to show off your talents very well. Being an actor, it helps because you want to make every single part juicy. You can’t send anything out that’s half-assed or that anyone can play. It needs to be something where they say ‘I know why they picked me for this part. It’s because I’m good at this…’ Even the tiny parts… so pandering to an actor’s ego, that should be good to for the script.”

In the end, as families leave the theatre after seeing the film, he hopes that they may begin to see the world a little bit more through the innocent eyes of Paddington himself.

Says Farnaby, “We started thinking about Paddington and his values, given to him by Aunt Lucy. Things like being polite and if you look for the good in others, you’ll find it. We really wanted to make a film that said that really is the best way. Paddington gets into trusted and his values are tested. In the long run, if you have those values of kindness and courtesy instead of always looking for the bad in people and the worst in people, if you assume the best in people and look for the good in them, eventually that will prove to make the community and the world a better place. What do we value in society? We have Phoenix Buchanan who’s this big celebrity but he never does anything for himself. People sort of love him. He’s sort of idolized. And then there’s Paddington who comes along and he’s kind so maybe we value the wrong people in society.”

 

Paddington 2 is in theatres now.

Filed Under: Film, Interviews, Podcast Tagged With: Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Paddington, Paddington 2, Peter Capaldi, Sally Hawkins, Simon Farnaby

Paddington 2: Lessons From A Bear

January 12, 2018 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

We all know life can be difficult and challenging—sometimes before 8:30 in the morning. Drivers treat the commute like a game of Pole Position. Co-workers spray mean-spirited comments around the office like they’re watering a garden.  Social media serves as a hub for negativity to fester among friends both real and virtual.  Hectic schedules cause unrelenting stress. Homework is a horror for kids and a never-ending nightmare for adults. And then there’s the news . . .

Though life does not consist solely of de-thorned roses, we can still make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in. That is one of the main messages of Paddington 2, the latest movie by Studio Canal and director Paul King. Following on the footsteps of the highly successful first film, the second iteration continues the adventures of the charming bear with the red hat and bright blue peacoat. Touching in some areas, laugh-out loud funny in others, it’s an irresistibly charming addition to the series.

Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) has settled down with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens but wants to get Aunt Lucy a present for her 100th birthday. Passing by an antique shop one day, he spots a pop-up book of London that would be perfect. However, the book is quite expensive so he decides to get a job to pay for it.  His role as a barber doesn’t quite go as intended, so he reverts to a window washer—a task he’s uniquely made for.  Before he can get his paws on the book though, it’s stolen by a burglar. Paddington sees the break-in and attempts to catch the culprit, only to be arrested erroneously by the police and sentenced to twelve years in prison.

Life in jail is quite different for Paddington, but the bear, with his usual hopefulness and positivity taught to him by his Aunt Lucy, attempts to make the most of his situation.  However, Paddington learns a lesson anyone who’s ever washed clothes will attest to: a red sock in a bunch of white prison outfits equals a bunch of unhappy prisoners.  Maybe he can make it up to everyone by getting Knuckles the cook (Brendan Gleeson) to serve something remotely appetizing . . .

Meanwhile, the Browns realize Paddington is innocent and start an investigation into who stole the pop-up book.  They put up flyers, snoop around houses, and scour the community for clues while doing their best to let Paddington know.  When they forget to show up one day, Paddington begins to think they’ve moved on without him.

But there is a break in the case when Mrs. Brown discovers the culprit is a neighbor and former actor—Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant).  But why does he want the pop-up book?  Is there something special about it?  Will Paddington serve the entire prison sentence, or will his motto of “If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” live up to its billing?  It’s worth finding out.

As in the first film, the acting is top notch, with Grant enjoyably smarmy yet flamboyant as the former actor turned thief.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins) provide just the right amount of levity in a family where everyone has big ambitions (it’s ironic that Hawkins, recently honored with a Golden Globe nomination for the film The Shape of Water, plays a character whose goal is to swim the English Channel). Of course, Paddington is just as you’d expect—a lovable bear who sometimes makes mistakes but always follows the mantra of his Aunt Lucy: “If you look for the good in people, you’ll find it.” To that end, he’s the hero we need right now.

What do we do when times get tough?  Do we run away or are we brave, jumping headlong into the fray?  I think about Joshua in the Old Testament as he prepared to lead an entire nation into a new land—one they were promised by God.  It must have felt like a daunting task he was incapable of accomplishing—after all, he was a slave while in Egypt. God gave Joshua a healthy shot of courage when he told him to “be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NLT). He took that advice, just like Paddington did with Aunt Lucy’s words, and moved forward to make things better for others.

What can happen in our world if we just attempt to look for the best in others and simply be nice?  Perhaps we should strive to find out.  I think Paddington and Aunt Lucy would agree.

Filed Under: Film, Reviews Tagged With: Bear, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Joshua, Lessons, London, Paddington 2, Paul King, Sally Hawkins

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