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February 17, 1999 This Year's Love is a contemporary partner-switching comedy set in Camden Town. When I read the script I felt as if I knew all the people. I think Kathy Burke, Jennifer Ehle, Ian Hart, Dougie Henshall, Catherine McCormack and Emily Woof - all of us - did. I play Cameron, an artist who lives life like one of his heroes, artist Egon Schiele. He wants to live in poverty, which he more or less does, although he probably doesn't have that much choice because his art isn't going to make him money. Nor would mine. I painted some of the pictures in the film, including one of a dog that my character sells at auction for a pittance. I've kept it - it hangs on the wall in my study at home. I went to an art teacher for a couple of months to learn how to paint and tried to paint that dog in the style of Modigliani. I rather like Cameron. He's an attractive character. He spends time looking at the lonely-hearts columns - not something I've ever done. What would I say? "I want to meet somebody, help!" It seems an easy way to meet someone without emotional commitment. Cameron meets three or four women a week and has no qualms about dumping them or cheating horribly on them. When he's with them he's great company, very loving, but totally uncommitted. He treats everything and everybody as an experience to be savoured and doesn't waste any time on regrets. He's quite honest about it. He doesn't think he's sad. He believes he'll die young and thinks life is to be enjoyed. He celebrates life on the edge. He's quite louche, really. I've never thought about whether I am. It'd be nice to go round saying "Yeah, I'm louche." © Associated Newspapers Ltd. |
