FILM: VIGGO MORTENSEN

LOCATION: Hayden Orpheum, Cremorne

DATE: Monday 23 March, 2009

WITH: Nole, Vince, Phil

This wonderful experience begun with the preview of the latest film by Viggo Mortensen called Good. An interesting Holocaust film, about a 'good' man who gets 'swept up' in the Nazi uprising at the beginning of World War II. It is a different side to already well known history and film subject. Instead of the usual good vs bad side, this is a man who was good and an ordinary man, an intelligent man, a family man who happens to become a man who helps collect Jews for the Nazi's. He is not bad and simply just does not realise the implications of his actions until he is well into what he is doing. The movie was (no pun intended) good and whilst not the best film I have seen depicting this period in history it was an interesting one and Viggo was outstanding in a departure from recent screen roles for him.

But really, what we were all there to do was to 'meet' him and have a audience with him....how exciting! Yes, we were almost up the back of the largest cinema at the Hayden, yet he exuded sexuality, style, grace and intelligence from the stage! First he answered questions about this film and his career with some interviewer, who I thought was a bit of a dope. Viggo was honest, thoughtful, intelligent, and witty. The second half was audience participation - here was where it got interesting. Yes, most of those who ran (literally) for the opportunity to ask Viggo a question were LOTR fans - as we were. Some asked interesting questions and got great answers, I mean I am sure the guy has had everything under the sun asked of him about Aragon. Then there was some plain creepy things - the woman who visited New Zealand and had taken photos of his horses (from the film) that he keeps there and wanted to present them to him...she got a hug and kiss....bitch....stalker! The woman who brought him dutch biscuits or chocolate or something, the woman who waxed lyrical about his poetry and then asked him questions regarding the subject matter of them that even he seemed not to understand, the woman who asked silly questions on behalf of her mother the fan, the woman who.......you get the picture. Sometimes my sex really have a lot to answer for! He was gracious, understanding and kind. Despite the banality of some of the questions, he was just gorgeous and it was certainly a night to remember.