Movies Reviews

Jamie Bell talks The Adventures of Tintin

By Anne Brodie Dec 12, 2011, 15:11 GMT

The Adventures of Tintin" stars Jamie Bell as Tintin, the intrepid young reporter whose relentless pursuit of a good story thrusts him into a world of high adventure, and Daniel Craig as the nefarious Red Rackham. ...more

The little boy who popped out of the screen as dance phenom Billy Elliott in the film of the same name got his gift honestly.  He was born into a family of dancers and pursued his passion of it from the time he was a toddler. 

Then came Billy Elliott, a dancing spectacular requiring a phenomenally talented young actor/dancer.  Bell won the role over 2000 competitors, and a Best Actor BAFTA award. 

It’s been eleven years and he’s performed in all kinds of roles since then, not limited to physical work, to stretch his acting muscles. However his physical abilities were noticed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, who gave him the coveted lead in the motion capture outing The Adventures of Tintin. 

Motion capture requires a certain flexibility for technical reasons and of course, the Belgian boy spy is a perpetually chasing treasures.

Monsters and Critics spoke with Bell in Toronto:

M&C: Tintin is an example of motion capture animation/live action.  Explain that what you do is more than provide a voice?

Bell: This is the common misconception.  This is the issue with the industry which needs to realize this is an actor’s medium which requires every part of an actor, visually, emotionally, vocally, I put out a rib and two vertebrae making this film. 

I don’t think anyone’s ever done that doing a voice.  So for me the issue is and the reason Andy Sirkus needs to be supported  and Id launch a campaign is the guy is so  amazing, he’s just as touching as any kind of acting  this year from any other actor. 

He hits emotional notes di Caprio doesn’t get it to in J, Edgar at all and yet because its live action, suddenly we’re harping on Di Caprio.  I’m not saying he isn’t a great actor.  About performance, if you feeling something you feel it’s because it’s coming from the soul of an actor, not from an animator. 

So for us with this movie and Spielberg we want to push out the idea that motion capture is a very viable medium and one the industry needs to recognize.

M&C: He got it right here, too.

Bell: You can only get it good from other people trying.  Spielberg and Zemeckis are really pioneering in their medium and it’s a worthwhile medium for directors to work in too.  Steven has had so much control over this film more than he’s ever had in his life.  He’s panting almost every frame. 

He’s achieved things especially in sequences and cinematography he’d never achieve in real world live action. So for both directors and actors, it’s a great space and place to be in. 

M&C: So you wear a green suit that’s fitted with electronic gizmos for the digitalization of your character.  What’s that like?

Bell: The Lycra is tight fitting, not incredibly breathable but it is flexible and it’s definitely snug and form-fitting.  The first time you get into it you’re like “this is insane”. This isn’t acting, this is technology. This has nothing to do with me. 

I’m serving everyone else and that’s annoying.  You want to give your performance.  It’s called Tintin but then you realize, everyone’s here for me, it’s about me performing.  So yeah, it’s weird at first and then becomes familiar because it’s just performance.

M&C: Did you get any advice from Serkis?

Bell: He’s so interesting. He’s not like “Let me show you how”.   You don’t ask questions, you just watch him do it. The easiest way was the first couple times we loaded up together, he would just look at the screen and see himself physically morph into character.

That’s how he defines its first – physically.  Often when we’re doing a scene together I would switch off and just watch him.  He’s so immersive.  He ceases to be Andy and becomes the character, he does this every time. His hit ratio is pretty good!

M&C: There is always pressure for an actor taking on a comic book role, and you were a fan of Tintin as a kid.  Did that add to the pressure?

Bell: Yes I was a massive skeptic.  How can you recreate everyone’s best ideas to embrace this character in the eyes of a child? You’re not going to achieve that in the same way.  It is invented by the child; I invented everything I loved about Tintin. 

I became Tintin and Tintin became my version of the character, not emotionally defined.  He doesn’t come with baggage; it would be difficult to satisfy everyone because everyone has a version of who he is.  

What we managed to get is the spirit of the books and our interpretation of the character seems to be very true to what it is.  Haddock has difficulty controlling his vices and that’s from the book and that’s what I loved about the character.  And that Spielberg didn’t shy away from that. 

Tintin is undefined, he’s earnest, intrepid and fearless and that definitely comes across.  For me I was skeptical but Steven has really crafted a Hergé Tintin adventure like his Indiana Jones movies which is a perfect blend.

M&C: Was there anything you as an actor wanted to bring considering how little opportunity there is for improvisation?

Bell: I think with a movie like this, it’s different to live action, if you wanted to change the scene around, they would have to build it digitally, but that’s kind of easier to do that then film something physical, something real.  But Tintin isn’t really an off-book guy. 

He goes by the book.  So in terms of that, it is possible and feasible and welcome but I don’t think Tintin has that quality about him.  We just wanted to keep an innocence and childlike enthusiasm about him. 

But we wanted that specific dynamic with Haddock where Tintin is the parent and Haddock is the child.  He is the responsible adult to Haddocks under achieving baby.

M&C: Prisoners of the Sun is listed as the sequel to Tintin.  Is it confirmed?

Bell: I haven’t really heard anything. I know they’re writing something right now and some of the other characters that they want to introduce. 

Peter Jackson is a little tied up now with making The Hobbit, so I’ll probably be 30 the time the second one comes out. That’s the great thing about technology. I could be fifty and do it.

M&C: Tintin is based on a comic book but there is violence and Haddock is an alcoholic.  Who is the audience?

Bell: If you consider the demographic of the Tintin following – the books are followed by people 7 – 70.  But for people who don’t know it, they can see the trailer and go.  I don’t know the demographic. 

There is generation of older people who know who the character is who would genuinely have a good time.  And there are young kids who have no idea, except that it’s a cool Spielberg film and they’ll see cool stuff.

It’s not exclusive to children.  Spielberg does cross demographics quite well.

M&C: Was it important to keep European elements?  It could have been American.

Bell: Hugely. Everything about those books is 20th century, the character lives in a 20th century world.  He doesn’t have technology to fall back on.  “Where’s Red Rackham?” he can’t just use (GPS). 

There is an aspect of the old great movies where he relies on his instincts, nothing but himself.  It’s hugely founded in a European sensibility, of humor and aesthetic.  To have lost that would have lost a large part of its soul and heritage.

M&C: Is it strange to see yourself up there with orange hair and this big round face?

Bell: I think there is a massive disconnect and the thing you have as an actor, all you’re seeing is your choices.  Not your performance. Others don’t see it on the day, for you, you’re thinking of the decisions you made. The most impressive thing is we made the film in one room in six weeks.

The post is crazy but as actors, we performed the movie in six weeks.  You see the performance in the fully realized fully fleshed out environment. 

You’re not seeing one room; it’s in the middle of an ocean or a Moroccan city or in the middle of a desert.  That blows your mind.  I was freaking out.

M&C: Where in the film were you injured?

Bell: I think it was chasing the damn cat around the room.  It was bad and I didn’t want to slow anything down.  I popped a rib out.  You can’t breathe, and you have to exist on really shallow breaths and it’s difficult if you are an intrepid fearless adventurer. 

So I had a chiropractor come in at lunch he said “Yeah, that’s a rib and you have two vertebrae out of line. You’ve been really running yourself around”.  And it’s all you.  I know in the credits it says “Stunt Performers” - yeah, who don’t do anything!  

When you have a physical actor they want you to do it because it makes sense. This chiro went like this [quick shove down] and popped it and you’re like “Thank you so much!”

M&C: You call yourself a physical actor and that started out with Billy Elliott and your dance ability.  This puts another tool in your arsenal.  You’ve extended your career.

Bell: For sure, it’s the best. The days of the studio contracts where you had to sing and dance and sword fight, you know, I think I would have excelled in those days, as an actor.  Shame really.

M&C: Tell me about Filth.  Sounds interesting.

Bell: It’s based on an Irving Welsh book; he wrote Trainspotting.  It’s not a similar vein but it’s a similar world, of corruption and deviancy and it’s something very different from Tintin.  It’s me and James McAvoy and Alan Cummings and we play corrupt Edinburgh policemen. 

There is a promotion at the station we’re vying for and there’s lots of competition.  This is a character for James that we don’t know.  It’s a totally different side to this character. He’s very talented.

M&C: Chalk to cheese.

Bell: That’s it. You have to change it up!

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