Saturday, September 30 2000
Here an new article from the Toronto Film Festival at nationalpost-online. It is called "It`s never too early for a mic-life crisis - James Gray and Joaquin Phoenix take to the couch".

... Suddenly, the hotel room door bursts open, making Gray jump up. The dark-haired Joaquin Phoenix is now literally lying on top of him, giving Gray a huge hug. "Great to see you man," says Phoenix, dressed in a wrinkly white dress shirt, black suit jacket, baggy black pants and Nike sneakers. (Phoenix will later say, in a private interview, that, "You don't want to know what I've been through this last few days ... that's why I look like this. So don't judge me.")...

...Shortly after, I catch up with Phoenix, who is a tad (and this is understatement) upset, peeved even, as he looks at the huge movie poster for The Yards, set up in the hotel room. "See this jacket I'm wearing in this picture? Well, they airbrushed that on me after. I was
never wearing that shiny leather thing. It's a lie. It just shows they have no understanding of the character."So what is his character in the movie about, then?"I don't know."...

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And here a transcription of a tv interview Joaquin did in Toronto (thanks to Lisa!)

Joaquin Phoenix (in Toronto for "The Yards"-Premiere) interviewed by Christopher Heard on 'Real to Reel', Rogers Cable Channel 10, Toronto, September 14, 2000

Christopher Heard: Joaquin Phoenix was also here.... Now, I must admit he was a bit of a handful at first. It looked like trouble. He was tired and he was -- 'running on empty' was his quote. But you go with that and you let him come to you. By the end, we were conversing quite voluminously about the movie [The Yards]...right out the door and he's still taking as we're walking down the hall!

Start of interview.
CH: The street fight that you have with Mark Wahlberg --

Joaquin: Mmmm (nodding)

CH: I spent a lot of years in the martial arts and that's what it looks like. It doesn't look like you see in a lot of films. And that sort of defines the movie when you're watching -- you think, OK, this feels real to me.

Joaquin: It certainly has an authentic feel and it is authentic. It's really a lot of James Gray's [the director's] experiences growing up and people that he knew. That was really important to us as actors, something that we just developed in rehearsal. It was a really amazing, somewhat unconventional rehearsal process because normally you go in, you kind of get to know each other, you read through the script a lot. And we didn't read from the script that much, which was surprising to me. And we started -- James would sit with me, Mark, Charlize. And he would just bring up a topic that seemed to come out of left field and just kind of rope us into a conversation. And the second day, I realized that we were discussing a lot of themes of the film. And it was brilliant, because what I realized in retrospect was that what he was doing was creating this atmosphere of total honesty, which is kind of a given, you know, something you need. You love to have that relationship with the director, with the other actors and feel secure. But particularly in a film like this, which is very emotional -- to feel that kind of safety. You know, James was 29 when we made the movie. And he seemed so together and confident. And, you know, I'd say, "God, James, I don't know...I'm so nervous. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. They're gonna think I'm a fraud. I'm not from New York. I'm not this guy." He says, "Don't worry. I won't let you be bad." And no one had ever really said that to me. You know, I've kind of had directors laugh me off...But, you know, he seemed so certain and so secure in his ability that of course it filled me with a great sense of confidence.

CH: This guy that you play in The Yards. Do you decide going in if you like him or not? Or does it matter?

Joaquin: Doesn't matter.

CH: Did you?

Joaquin: It's not about liking. It's about understanding.

CH: Is he a good guy who's wired a little wrong or is he a bad guy that's trying to find some goodness?

Joaquin: I don't think he's either. I don't think he's wired wrong. I think, you know, he's misguided. It's very sad to me. What really drew me to this film and to this character -- I thought it really spoke about my generation and this generation of broken families, broken
homes, raised by single parents or virtually no parents. And we have -- basically, we have misguided youth who develop their own moral sense.

CH: Which is pretty much a lack of morals?

Joaquin: Right.

End of interview. Transcribed by Gladiatrix (=Lisa)

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"Quills"-article from the September 29 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine:

Marquis Value
Forget Shakespeare. This fall`s litmovie It Boy is an 18th-century pornographer with a notorious fondness for the lash. cover your eyes, Lynne Cheney, it`s the Marquis de Sade - the subject of two new so-hyped-it-jurts flicks: "Sade", a French drama, and "Quills", a sumptuous period pic starring Geoffrey Rush as the agony-lovin` aristocrat. Grove/Atlantic, which publishes Marquis tomes, anticipates a sales surge when "Quills" comes out in November, but what will politicians make of a film that shows a priest (Joaquin Phoenix) having sex with a dead laundress (Kate Winslet)? Rush says the national decency dustup makes it timely: "It brings into the arena of debate all these issues about what should be censored and what shouldn`t" Sounds like fodder for a painfully good controversy.

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Jeffrey Wells mentioned Quills again as an Oscar contender for Best Picture in his "Hollywood Confidential" column:
The highbrow know-it-alls will be pushing Quills, the acclaimed Phil Kaufman film about the Marquis de Sade, for Best Picture and a bunch of other awards. Having seen Quills, I can say it deserves every honor its admirers might want to bestow — it's a well-made, meaningful, first-rate film. It's also, in my opinion, a marginally unpleasant sit. It is rewarding in every respect except the watching of it.

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"Quills" will play at the American Film Institute "Fest 2000".
Yahoo! news:
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Joel and Ethan Coen's ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' will kick off this year's American Film Institute Festival, to be held Oct. 19-26. A tribute to filmmaker Philip Kaufman (''The Unbearable Lightness of Being'') and the L.A. premiere of his period picture ''Quills,'' which stars Kate Winslet, Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Caine, will cap the fest, the AFI announced Monday.

"Quills" AND "The Yards" will be shown at the London Film Festival. "Quills" on Friday, November 3rd at the Odeon West End 2 at 8:45 PM.

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The latest results from an industry insiders' poll on probable Oscar winners (Edition #25 Updated for 9/16/00)
Picture: Quills
Director: Philip Kaufman, Quills
Actor: Ed Harris, Pollock
Actress: Joan Allen, The Contender
Supp. Actor: Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire
Supp. Actress: Julie Walters, Billy Elliot
Orig. Screenplay: Almost Famous
Adap. Screenplay: Quills

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There seems to be an article about Joaquin in the October issue of Movieline magazine (George Clooney cover). The main topic is Oscar Bait 2000 - and Joaquin`s name is mentioned on the cover.

... The increasingly interesting Joaquin Phoenix plays the priest who runs the asylum and tries to keep Winslet out of the Marquis's clutches. ...

For more infos on "Quills" look at the filmlover-page.

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Cuba Gooding Jr. and Gisele Bundchen will be hosting the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards 2000 which will be on October 20th. Don´t forget - Joaquin is nominated in the category "celebrity style - male" along with George Clooney, Russel Crowe, Samuel L. Jackson and Jude Law.

Joaquin Phoenix
A child actor who gave up the trade until he was offered a part in Gus Van Sant's darkly comic To Die For, the third-eldest of the Phoenix clan (formerly called Leaf) has risen from the ashes of a terrible family tragedy to establish himself as a forceful, original leading man in his own right. Though dating Liv Tyler might mark him as a ladies' man, Phoenix has said that his ex was in fact the first girl he ever asked out. With a brooding quality enhanced by the scar above his lip, the star of Gladiator and the upcoming Quills projects an anti-Hollywood vibe; he is just as likely to be dressed in a T-shirt as a suit from Prada, a company for which he once modeled.

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"Lesson in love from wise Kate
From The Daily Mail (UK) September 15th, 2000

JOAQUIN PHOENIX has spoken of passionate clinches with Kate Winslet on screen. Phoenix, who was the schizophrenic emperor Com-modus in Gladiator, appears with Kate in the movie Quills. The film explores how the Marquis de Sade overcame hardship to express his artistic desires. Phoenix, who plays a priest, said: 'I learned a lot from Kate because, while I want to examine every which
way of a line or a scene, she's natural and relaxed. 'Acting out a love scene is never easy, but Kate guided me through it. I think she was nervous, but didn't show it. I was scared, but she led me like a little lamb, even though the scene wasn't meant to be gentle. She's a great actress.' Kate plays a chambermaid who helps the imprisoned Marquis, played by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush, to continue writing. Michael Caine, who won an Academy Award for The Cider House Rules, is the brutal doctor who runs the asylum where de Sade is held. Phoenix added: 'It was like having a master-class. There's Michael Caine, Geoffrey Rush and Kate Winslet, and you just observe everything they do. Kate's a wise woman with exceptional taste.' This week, the actress was resting as she and director husband Jim Threapleton await the birth of their first child. She told me that Quills is not preoccupied with sex. 'All the Marquis wants is to write what he feels and use any means to do it. It's not about getting hot and steamy,' she said on the set of her most recent film, Enigma. Quills will be screened at the London Film Festival in November and goes on release in early January. Phoenix can also be seen in The Yards, which is premiered at the festival on November 7".

(Thanks to Samantha for sending this in!)

Monday, September 25 2000
Good news for all of you who were already wondering what Joaquin might be doing next: (thanks to Becky and Genoka!)

Hollywoodreporter.com: Friday September 22 04:01 AM EDT
Phoenix draws 'Soldiers' duty

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Joaquin Phoenix is set to topline FilmFour/Odeon Film's dark comedy "Buffalo Soldiers" for writer-director Gregor Jordan. Production on the $15 million-budgeted film is slated to begin Nov. 3 in Germany. Based on Robert O'Connor's cult novel of the same name, the book deals with a criminal subculture that exists among a group of young U.S. soldiers in West Germany during the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

The story centers on Army Spc. Ray Elwood (Phoenix), clerk to the battalion commander, who uses his street smarts to swing deals and manipulate the system to create a relaxed atmosphere in which to spend his two-year stint in the military. Unbeknownst to Elwood, Army investigators operating through Elwood's enemy, Sgt. Lee, are zeroing in on him. Meanwhile, Elwood is falling in love with Lee's daughter Robyn.

FilmFour, the stand-alone film company of U.K. broadcaster Channel 4, is co-financing the project with German production, distribution and financing company Odeon Film. Germany's Gorilla Entertainment, headed by Rainer Grupe, will co-produce the film with Odeon Film chairman Reinhard Kloos and New York-based Good Machine's James Schamus.

Good Machine International will sell worldwide rights for FilmFour outside Germany, where Odeon retains all rights and is expected to license the theatrical rights to distributor Constantin. FilmFour Distributors will handle the release in the United Kingdom. FilmFour head of acquisitions Bobby Allen brought the project into the
company during this year's Cannes International Film Festival and will oversee production alongside FilmFour deputy head of production James Wilson.

Phoenix, co-repped by CAA and Iris Burton, most recently starred in the summer boxoffice blockbuster "Gladiator" and next stars in Miramax Films' "The Yards" and Fox Searchlight's "Quills." "Gladiator," which Phoenix starred in for director Ridley Scott and DreamWorks and Universal Pictures, has grossed $185 million domestically to date.

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From Variety.com (sent in by Jill)

D'WORKS TO BOW COLOSSAL 'GLADIATOR' DVD
Massive homevid marketing campaign on horizon

DreamWorks is hoping to slay all comers in the DVD arena with its elaborate double-disc special edition of "Gladiator" on Nov. 21. Package will include more than four hours of extra material -- among the most for a release of a recent theatrical hit. Studio is expected to announce today that it is mounting its biggest single marketing campaign ever for homevid. Release includes a rental-priced VHS edition, but most of the media blitz slated for Thanksgiving weekend will focus on the DVD edition, the most elaborate ever created by DreamWorks.

Company officials are said to expect near-record initial sales of 2 million to 3 million units and anticipate that the pic -- which generated $185 million at the domestic B.O., the second highest tally of the year -- will be the best-selling DVD of the year. The price point of $29.99 (comparable to some standard edition releases) will help. It is also one of the few titles to feature both Dolby Digital and the space-hogging DTS surroundsound on the same dual-layered disc featuring the 2½-hour movie, just as DreamWorks' "American Beauty" will when it is released on Oct. 24.

The second dual-layer disc contains all the extra features, which include 11 deleted scenes with commentary by director Ridley Scott; a complete film audio commentary by Scott; a seven-minute montage of never-before-seen footage put together by editor Pietro Scalia exclusively for the DVD edition; and HBO and TLC cable specials related to the movie. While some upcoming DVD releases, including Universal's "U-571," are being held for release by several weeks after the VHS version, DreamWorks is releasing both editions simultaneously in hopes that the strategy will help the title become one of the biggest rentals of the fourth quarter as well. That's a new approach for DreamWorks, which has released titles such as "Saving Private Ryan" and "American Beauty" first on VHS only at a rental price, and months later at a reduced price on VHS simultaneously with the titles' debut on DVD.

The "Gladiator"-DVD is up for pre-order at amazon.com. The Release date will be November 21th and the price is 17.99$. With many many special features:
• Commentary by director Ridley Scott
• Commentary by editor Pietro Scalia
• Commentary by cinematographer John Mathieson
• Two-disc set
• "HBO First Look" Making Of
• The Learning Channel's "The Bloodsport of a Gladiator"
• 25 minutes of Deleted Scenes with director's commentary
• 7 minute montage of additional unused footage

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In the sept. 20th Daily news, page 19, rush & molloy, you will find a picture of Joaquin Phoenix at the NY premiere of TIGERLAND, starring Colin Farrell.
(thanks to Bridge from the Jude Law fansite)

Wednesday, September 20 2000
Sorry for the lack of updates in the last week, but I am really busy in the moment. Now I found some time and I am posting all the news you sent me during the last week:

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From the new People-Magazine (sent in by Tracy)
I just found this in the new People, with the best dressed list in it. It's from the Insider page and goes as follows:

•Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, costars in the upcoming urban drama "The Yards", "went at [a fight scene] with such ferocity that it left them black - and - blue for days," says a source close to the production. "They tore each other to pieces." The actors, who are friends offscreen, were so sore the next day, "they walked like robots."

Also at the bottom there is a little picture that is so cute with him smiling and all, and the caption says: "Gladiator's" tough Joaquin Phoenix takes to the streets.

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From the L.A.Times (sent in by Nina)
No, It's Not Too Early to Start Talking Oscar A film likely to generate heated debates about censorship--the film's theme--is the period drama "Quills," which has all the ingredients of a sophisticated Oscar-caliber vehicle. Directed by Philip Kaufman ("The Right Stuff," "The Unbearable Lightness of Being") and based on the life of the Marquis de Sade, "Quills" stars Oscar winners Geoffrey Rush and Michael Caine, two-time nominee Kate Winslet and Joaquin Phoenix. As former winners, Rush and Caine both have an inside track, and it's been a banner year for Phoenix, who starred as a mad Roman emperor in "Gladiator" and has a prominent role in the drama "The Yards" opposite Mark Wahlberg. One of those performances could earn him his first Oscar nomination.

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From the Toronto Sun (sent in by Lisa, who actually met Joaquin! her report: I was lucky enough to shake Joaquin's hand and tell him how much I loved his performance in 'Gladiator' yesterday as he entered the Uptown theatre in Toronto for the premiere of his new film 'The Yards'. He was a true gentleman -- accepting my praise with a quiet 'thank you' and nod of the head. He's also entirely scrummy to look at -- those EYES -- liquid, incadescent, piercing. Ok, sorry, I'm gushing...)

article: Joaquin on the rise from Toronto Sun

TORONTO -- James Gray, the director of a Toronto filmfest movie called The Yards, turns to the door of a room in the Hotel Inter-Continental yesterday to shoo away actor Joaquin Phoenix.

A few minutes earlier, Phoenix had scurried in to sit in the director's lap. He was back now for another shot of security, the kind that Gray, as a kind of surrogate older brother, can give his fragile, shy star with a little friendly attention.

"Not now," Gray cautions him quietly, with affection in his voice. "I really have to finish this. I'll see you later."

Phoenix leaves. Gray smiles and says of his friend and Yards star: "He's fantastic. But he's crazy."

....... read on

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From foxnews.com (sent in by Harumi)
Liv Tyler, Ex and Friends Boogie at Mom`s Birthday Party:
A great time was had ba all at Don Hill`s rock emporium in West Soho Wednesday night as rocker/mother/model Bebe Buell celebrated her 46th birthday.
...
In the audience: Liv Tyler, who had invited actress Summer Phoenix, who came with boyfriend Casey Affleck, and her own brother, Joaqin phoenix. This could have posed a problem since Liv and Joaquin used to date, but Tyler handled the surprise very good-naturedly. She even asked New York Daily news photographer richard Corkery not shoot any pix of the Phoenixes until the show was over.
...

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From the new Premiere magazine (Oct.) (sent in by Jennifer)
Interview with James Caan.
Q: "In The Yards you worked with young Hollywood's hottest, Mark
Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix. Big futures?"
James Caan: "Some of these kids are great...Joaquin is extremely
talented, although neurotic, nuts."
Q: "How so?"
James Caan: "The first day, I felt like some god. He was like
(whining), 'You think I stink, don't you?' I'm like 'How about saying hello, how do you do? I don't know you!' But we got pretty close. He's a great kid."

In the b.c.c section. It says, "Joaquin Phoenix is quite the conquering hero in casting circles. Not only did he beat out British beauty Jude Law for Gladiator, but he also vanquished Law, Billy Crudup, and Guy Pearce for the young priest-in-love role opposite Kate Winslet in November's Quills. And with Phoenix's performance in James Gray's The Yards already getting critical praise this year at the Cannes film festival, it looks like Phoenix will have three performances with potential Oscar buzz this year." There's also a small picture beside this article of him at the Gladiator premiere. I hope this helped out, I just figured I'd go ahead and type it up for you so you could get it on the website faster.

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Check Discover Kate for updates on "Quills"!
Quills will be screening at a more "publicized" event, the London Film
Festival, on November 3, 2000.

This is London:
If bad-guy actor Joaquin Phoenix gave you a thrill as Commodus in the movie, Gladiator, imagine what it would be like living at his address. He's moved out of the Westbourne Park Road house he was renting through Leslie Marsh, but now the four-bedroom property has come up for sale through the same agent. If Phoenix, who'll soon be seen starring in The Yards with Faye Dunaway and Quills with Kate Winslet, fancies buying the house, he'll need £1.75 million.

Friday, September 8 2000
Thanks to Antonella (again) who found that hilarious little story at the Toronto Festival - site:

According to reports from last year's Toronto International Film Festival, American actor Joaquin Phoenix found himself in an elevator at the Four Seasons Hotel with a tall English gentleman. With deference bordering on shyness, the Englishman approached the young star of Clay Pigeons: "Excuse me. You're Joaquin? I'd just like to say how much I admire your work." Phoenix, who had been out partying much of the previous night, mumbled a quick "thanks" before brushing the fellow off by smiling vacantly and turning his back on his new admirer. It wasn't until the Brit had exited the elevator that Phoenix's co-star, Vince Vaughn, blurted out the identity of the courteous "fan." "You idiot! Don't you know who that was?" "No," came the reply. "That was Eric Clapton," groaned Vaughn, who's 10 years older than Phoenix and knows a major rock star when he sees one. Joaquin seemed nonplussed: "How was I supposed to know?"

Sunday, September 3 2000
Antonella discovered an old interview with Joaquin on the net (from 1997, when he did promotion for "Inventing the Abbotts") which is called "Five questions with Joaquin Phoenix: Out from the ashes". Here an excerpt:

What kind of roles attract you?

Phoenix: I'm definitely a sucker for family movies - I love those kind of films. I mean, I have no problem with explosions. I'm a huge fan of `Star Wars' movies. That's all fine and dandy. But, generally, I like to see real people. That doesn't mean I'd turn down any specific role. You know, movies can also be a good time and I'm still having a blast acting. Actually, I'd do anything.

Like, say, Chewbacca?

Phoenix: I'd be Chewbacca. Absolutely. I love that guy.

Saturday, September 2 2000
Thanks to Ruth who posted the following info on the m.board:
Joaquin and Philip Kaufman are representing "Quills" at it's world premiere tonight in Telluride Colorado. You can get more info at
www.telluridefilmfestival.com or at the Yahoo!Movie coverage of the festival.

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Also Sky posted some new info on the board:
The October 2000 issue of 'Teen People' has a little article on Joaquin with a picture:

He had to be fast on his feet for 'Gladiator's' fight scenes, but Joaquin Phoenix says his latest movie, the crime drama, 'The Yards,'
really kept him on his toes. His toughest challenge? 'The disco scene. You have no idea...having to swagger around like that,' recalls the 25-year-old actor. 'James [Gray, the director] basically had to lie and say, 'You're great! You look fantastic!' and try to boost my ego.'
While the notoriously humble Joaquin probably won't be celebrating 'The Yards'' release with a victory dance, he will admit he's thrilled
about his latest bad-guy role opposite mark Wahlberg. 'I've never had this reaction to a movie I was in,' he says. '[When] I saw it, I paced around for an hour and then called James and apologized for all the times I told him I hated him. I'm so blown away. I love it.'

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"Quills" review from roughcut
...And keeping the space between Sade and Caine's Dr. Royer-Collard is Joaquin Phoenix. This has really been the year of Joaquin Phoenix. In Quills and Gladiator, Phoeniz went from a curiosity to a leading man. Here he plays Abbe de Coulmier, the keeper of Sade before Caine is brought in to clamp down on the writer who is as prolific behind bars as when free. Coulmier is a man twisted alive by his belief in virtue and his compulsion to treat even the most loathsome man with kindness. He is the moral ping-pong ball who gets batted back and forth from the earliest part of the film to its final frames. And Phoenix gives his most complex performance yet.

But it's more than just acting. Writer Doug Wright, adapting from his own play, brings a clear focus to the storytelling here. He manages to control the wave of emotion without allowing the story to become trite or predictable. His taste in using Sade's words is impeccable. And he allows all four major characters and a number of secondary characters fully rounded lives, even when we just see a sliver of their worlds. Particularly effecting are Coulimier's young wife and Winslet's washerwoman mother.

And then there are the lunatics. And this is where director Philip Kaufman must be given credit, blurring into the screenplay. Kaufman creates the most realistic, yet still macabre, cast of lunatics since One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. They are bizarre and extreme, yet each has a distinct and predictable personality. And so, when they act out, you are not surprised, and they are
not just there for effect. Of course, this is just the start of Kaufman's
wonderful work in this movie. This is the Kaufman of The Wanderers and The Unbearable Lightness of Being. The Kaufman who can work on a large canvas while keeping the intimacy palpable. ...

read the whole review

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more "Quills" from roughtcut:

So, of the four movies I've seen, which one do you think is the one that will garner between 7 and 11 Oscar nominations if its studio handles it right?

A. Bring It On
B. Dancer In The Dark
C. Quills
D. The Way of the Gun

The answer is a resounding "C." I wrote that Almost Famous was one of the three best movies of the year. That may well still be true. But Quills has taken over the second slot, behind Erin Brockovich, who is holding on by her fingernails. I'm not going to expound on Quills right now, as I have a bunch of other films to write about. Look for more on Monday. But I see serious Oscar® contention for Philip Kaufman (Best Director), Doug Wright (Best Adapted Screenplay), Geoffrey Rush (Best Actor), Kate Winslet (Best Actress), Joaquin Phoenix (fighting himself for a Best Supporting Actor slot for his Gladiator performance…what a year for this kid!), Rogier Stoffers (Best Cinematography), Jacqueline West (Best Costume Design), Martin Childs (Best Production Design), Nuala Conway, Peter King & Jeremy Woodhead (Best Make-up) and for Julia Chasman, Peter Kaufman & Nick Wechsler (Best Picture). Plus, maybe, Michael Caine as Best Supporting Actor in a role diametrically opposed to the one he won for last year. And I wouldn't be shocked if every single one of these people got a nod. The movie is that good. The production is that fine. The acting is that perfect. And the movie is that important. Damn it, I love it when a movie I wasn't really expecting magic from comes through in spades.

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discoverkate is a really good always updated Kate Winslet fanpage, with many infos and news about "Quills". It even has a own Quills-section with news, articles, photos and links.

Visit also this Quills-page with news, gallery, articles, reviews, info about the play , ...

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"QUILLS" from NYdailynews
Stars Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslet, Michael Caine. Directed by Philip Kaufman. Scheduled opening: Nov. 10.

Phil Kaufman has always been one of those Hollywood "what if?" stories. What if the critically acclaimed "The Right Stuff" had been a hit? What if "Henry and June" had not been the first studio film to receive an NC-17 rating? What if "Rising Sun" had actually been good?

Kaufman has directed everything from cult classics such as "The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid" to the highly regarded film of Milan Kundera's novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being."

But he's never been on Hollywood's A-list. And it's doubtful if "Quills," Kaufman's first film in seven years, will put him there. Not that it doesn't sound interesting: It's based on Doug Wright's controversial play about a spiritual contest between the Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush) and a priest (Joaquin Phoenix) for the soul of a maid (Winslet) working at the asylum where the marquis is an inmate.

Sexy material. Outrageous. Maybe even compelling. But does anyone think this will be box-office catnip? And as far as Kaufman is concerned, he keeps making the films he wants to make — grosses be damned.

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"THE YARDS" from NYdailynews
Stars Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron, James Caan, Faye Dunaway, Ellen Burstyn. Directed by James Gray. Scheduled opening: Oct. 20.

An ex-con (Mark Wahlberg) is hired by his uncle (James Caan) to work on a New York City subway repair firm and is lured into a world of sabotage, payoffs and murder. Director James Gray showed a good feel for local atmosphere with his Brighton Beach flick "Little Odessa." He also grew up in Queens hearing all about the ins and outs of city politics from his dad. The word on the street is that this is an effective and gritty crime drama.

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Premiere - Magazine - September 2000 - "Quills"
The Pitch: In early-19th-century France, the Marquis de Sade (Geoffrey Rush), the notorious author of The 120 Days of Sodom and the sexual libertine who put the "S" in S&M, scribbles away in an
asylum under the watchful eye of the kind but naive Abbe Coulmier (Joaquin Phoenix). A feisty chambermaid (Kate Winslet) helps the chronically imprisoned writer smuggle out his salacious manuscripts, but soon an emissary (Michael Caine) of Napoleon arrives to break his pen.

The Big Picture: "It's about the timeless debate over censorship," Phoenix (Gladiator) says of the movie, which playwright Doug Wright adapted from his controversial off-Broadway play. "Amidst the tumult of France during that period," Phoenix adds, "the safe haven is in the madhouse." From the madhouse to the White House, then: "[The script] came to me during the summer of '98," says director Philip Kaufman (The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Henry & June), "when Ken Starr was busily pursuing Bill Clinton. That kind of moralizing, persecuting spirit was revived in America." Kaufman relished the opportunity to indulge his own provocative impulses. Says Rush: "He was always sort of gleaming off-camera in the rehearsal room, saying, 'It's the Marquis de Sade! He's the alchemist of sssexxx!' " But the film gives voice to a rigorous moral debate as well. "It's a true story that is humorous and witty in its inception," Kaufman says, "but finally shows some of the bloody, dire consequences of both pornography and the repression of pornography." Not to mention the perverse fun of it. "In every waking
moment of his life, [de Sade] was out to challenge the world and what it stands for," Rush says. "And he kind of enjoyed that the world hit back pretty hard." (Fox Searchlight, November)