cjvornheder

I wasn't that familiar with Hugh Jackman before I watched this interview. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a fan so much as to say I have a great deal of respect for the artistry and talent and hard word of this man. Perhaps I only imagined it, but he seemed more transparent than most.

I wish I could find out how Mr. Jackman learned to play Leopold in "Kate & Leopold." I heard him talk about the part on this Actor's Studio interview on Bravo before I saw it. When I saw it, I was blown away by the strange stillness of that character, the other-centeredness that is so uncharacteristic of . . . well, I don't know about others . . . uncharacteristic of me. I wondered who Mr. Jackman studied etiquette with for this role. Maybe they've written a book or something.

This movie wouldn't really be anything to write home about. You could call it science fiction because it's about time travel, but any serious science fiction buff would know better. But, there's something absolutely extraordinary about this movie that has me watching it again and again. I wasn't a big Hugh Jackman fan when I watched this movie. I suppose I'm still not. I'm too old for that kind of thing, but the character Leopold has a stillness, a quality of listening and putting other people (man or woman) first. He demonstrates an etiquette that is not at all stiff, that is less about precise forms and rules than about a genuine care for other people. I go back and watch Kate and Leopold when I wish I knew somebody who cared that much for me.