So you’ve already read my opinion about the Bourne Ultimatum after I returned from seeing it on the opening night – (In short, it’s just brilliant!) Well here’s something related that is rather funny, especially if you are a football (soccer) fan, although that is not necessary (I have little or no interest in it myself).
If you don’t already listen to Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo every week (most conveniently via their podcast), let me say right away that you should, since it is just an excellent and often highly entertaining discussion of film and movie releases. As a film reviewer, Kermode is not as good with words as, say, the New Yorker’s Anthony Lane (although it is not a fair comparison – the media are different), but his rants can be just great to listen to when he truly hates (and occasionally loves) something -whether you agree with him or not. Simon Mayo is sometimes thought of as his sidekick in this duo, but he’s really the anchor of the whole thing (and often the pragmatic link back to the everyday that keeps the whole show rooted), and from time to time the focus shifts to him. He’s also into his sports, while Kermode is not, which also makes for an amusing backdrop since the broadcast (on Radio 5 Live) is usually done live from some sporting context or other, which takes a sort of backseat role while they talk about movies. Anyway, it is an excellent podcast to listen to every week. I highly recommend it. You can find it on iTunes. (They also have started doing occasional video podcasts too, but the thing to go for is the radio show – another convenience of it is the fact that you can keep the podcast until after you’ve seen the films if you like (this is what I usually do – I mostly prefer to not hear anything about a film before I see it), and then listen to it and shout at Mark if you so desire.)
As I mentioned, Mayo is a big sports fan, and his team, Tottenham, apparently got slaughtered by Crystal Palace and are now at the bottom of the premier league (can you tell I’m faking this and I’ve no idea what I’m talking about?) The next day, he’s interviewing (not with Kermode though) the director Paul Greengrass and the actor Matt Damon (both of the Bourne Ultimatum, in case you did not know, and that explains the link to the film). Greengrass, who is English, is a Crystal Palace fan, and of course Matt Damon is supposed to know nothing about football (soccer) at all, being from America, right? (I know, it is a cliché…)
Well, during the interview they’re supposed to be talking about the film, but they both can’t resist taking several opportunities throughout the interview to tease Mayo about the recent football result. It’s particularly funny (and a bit sad) since Simon Mayo seems such a nice fellow as well, but they can’t stop themselves. It’s also really funny to hear it coming from Matt Damon, since you don’t expect him to keep coming back for it at those clever moments. Whether you like sport or not, it is just really funny. This is not on the usual podcast (it is on the “Daily Mayo” one instead), so go ahead and click here for a direct link to the audio file.
Enjoy!
-cvj
Huh? How so? The show regularly has stars as “big” as him or bigger. Pretty much anyone in mainstream entertainment has quite a high likelihood of appearing on it… if they have an agent worth their salt. It has a huge audience.
-cvj
It’s surprising that a star as big as Matt Damon is involved in this show.
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Enjoy! All three are excellent films.
-cvj
That was fun. Good job faking it, Matt Damon. It’s always good to be able to fake your way with sports, although I fail regularly when I discuss soccer with my international colleagues and the guy I tutor. For example, I only realized this year that the World Cup takes place every 4 years, which helped me realize why so many of my Latino friends and colleagues thought I was a clueless gringa–I *am* a clueless gringa. I didn’t see The Bourne Ultimatum because I haven’t seen the previous two films, but I placed them in my Netflix queue so perhaps I’ll get to them before this Bourne film leaves theaters, and then I’ll finish listening to the broadcast (if it is still around).