Stephen Frears is an English director that has been working on films since the 1980’s. He started out as an assistant director, mostly for the BBC and in the commercial sector. His films are a bit hard to get into unless you happen to like the genre but it he is typically adamant about getting everything right so the joy of watching is never really dampened by the need to forgive the cast for small mistakes. As directors go he’s not so much aloof as he is a bit fumbling in his manner sometimes. He admits to not being a writer and actually needing to see a story in front of him to get things right. But his talent as a director comes from the idea that he is attempting to something new each and every time.
Here are a few other things you might not have known about Stephen Frears.
5. He likes making movies that involve tragic love triangles.
Why not add a bit of drama to a movie by creating a love triangle that has the potential to derail the lives of the characters and create even more conflict? Frears is pretty good at this method and has shown as much in several of his films. His use of the dreaded love triangle has been seen more than once to cause a disruption in the plot that makes it a bit more interesting and a lot more lively.
4. Many of his movies have female leads.
In an industry where male leads are the norm it is very exciting to see more women taking the lead and driving the movie forward. This often can offer a very different perspective and point of view that isn’t always taken into account. Women taking control of the story is an interesting development and quite honestly we need it a little more often.
3. He studied law at Cambridge University.
It makes you wonder why he didn’t pursue a law degree rather than becoming a director. The funny thing about this is that he really couldn’t tell you since he professes that he is just grateful to be where he’s at. One very big way this could come in handy however is that by knowing various laws and practices pertaining to film, if he’s gone this far with it, he would already know what he can and can’t do in various situations where legal precedents might come into play. It’s just a thought really.
2. He’s a fan of Breaking Bad.
To hear any director say that they’re a fan of something is very impressive. We all need to remember that directors are normal people just like anyone else and have their favorite programs. The only difference is that a director would most likely be able to pinpoint certain aspects of the show and come up with a thought as to how they would have done things differently.
1. He’s still not sure how he became a director.
This might sound a bit odd but it’s true. Frears really doesn’t know why or how he got into the practice of directing. He enjoys it, he loves where he’s at, but looking back he can’t seem to find a single reason, a unifying reason anyway, that can explain his life’s choice. Thankfully he did though, as a lot of us have come to enjoy his work.
Stephen Frears is one of the better directors to come along in the last few decades, and his work has been interesting to say the least.
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