Film Review: BILLY CONNOLLY ON RED CARPET FOR BRAVE
On my way to the red carpet, Australian premiere of Disney PIXAR's new animated film BRAVE, I was blessed with time to spare. The heavens had opened attempting to wash the scum from our streets and as I paused a moment I seemed to be lured into a store by shiny red, ankle high Wellies with a small heel. Red shoes for the red carpet, all sense is abandoned and I make a rash purchase... 'so good for rainy days, gardening and trudging across the English countryside - who knows where they may take me'
I arrive at the red carpet 
with time to kill, secure a posi and chat to a couple of photographers. Bag Pipes whine desperately and small girls in curly red wigs begin a jig - cute. The kiddies are beaming.
Then suddenly the man himself, BILLY CONNOLLY, has arrived apparently coming from a junket in New Zealand and he's in high spirits, joking to everyone and no one, while posing for photos. He flexes like a body builder and laughs. He talks to himself or to us, I'm not sure, but he's cracking jokes on the run
BILLY CONNOLLY STRUTS HIS STUFF ON THE BRAVE CARPET
Got my pics, sent a quick tweet & it's off to the film screening. I love it when there's champagne & popcorn, although the kiddies waste no time in carpeting the floor with it - the popcorn I mean.
The film was great fun with a strong message for littlies to follow their dreams while also appreciating what you have.
The young protagonist in the film, voiced by Kelly MacDonald (also fabulous in BOARDWALK EMPIRE) is a tom-boy and her mum, the Queen (voiced by Emma Thompson) is trying to make her into a little lady, but fat chance of that, especially as her Pop (voiced by Billy Connolly) is happy to indulge her tom-boy pursuits.
Early on the Princess makes some monumental mistakes and spends the rest of the film trying to fix them.
I have a memory moment as I photograph Marta Dusseldorp (top right) an actor I recognise from Jigsaw Entertainments' BLACKJACK TV series (I was Production Secretary & designed the DVD covers) ...and two weeks ago I photographed Thomas Kenneally (above) for Northside magazine. He's a talented and fascinating man, who is also very sweet, & has a fabulous voice for movies.
Other celebs below are Saskia Rosendahl the star of LORE and Sophie Lowe, star of BEAUTIFUL KATE and BLAME and a few more groovy people.
Before the film begins, BILLY CONNOLLY steps up front to give us an intro and has a chat to Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley. A few of his quips...
'I genuinely have a deep love of Australia'
'In THE HOBBIT I'm playing a bloody dwarf, the devil chose me to play one'
'Animated films seem to be more artistically driven and they're a rather jolly bunch' he giggles maniacally
'Oh I, you make these things on your own, you show up with the director and do it in the different ways. A very weird way to make movies but I found it inspirational. And I doo like Australia, I wasn't fibbbin, yer girt by sea' 'I’m going to my home girt by sea'
And then he's gone.
I would have loved this movie when I was young, I remember being totally enraptured with ROBIN HOOD, MARY POPPINS, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and Penelope Pitstop's cool running style in THE WACKY RACES.
In our current times SHREK has set the bar so high, not even it's own creators seem to be able to reach it, but BRAVE turns out to be an enjoyable movie for the kids, with lots of laughs, action and bouncy red hair.