Sunday March 15, 2009
Chamber music
Compiled by MUMTAJ BEGUM
George Michael meets court action. No, we’re not talking about the singer’s personal life but his music which is a feature in the whimsical series about a lawyer and divine intervention.
OVER the years television viewers have met legal eagles of every stripe. There’s the one who confronts the murderer in a dramatic courtroom scene near the end of every episode (Matlock), a sleazy divorce lawyer who chases every pretty woman in sight (L.A. Law), and the kooky lady who has a vivid imagination – including that of a recurrent dancing baby – and a penchant for extremely short skirts in court (Ally McBeal).
Now get ready for more hallucinations and legal tangles in the form of a lawyer who receives messages – usually in the form of a George Michael song – from a higher power on who his next client should be.
Eli Stone uses all the neat tricks that legal dramas have, and takes the opportunity to comment on what is right or wrong with the society and the government, and even the world at large, while cases are being argued in court.
But, most of all, getting messages from a song ... now, that’s really cool. Sometimes it’s the famous British crooner himself singing, other times it’s Eli Stone’s colleagues singing and dancing (what else but) George Michael numbers. One can’t help but laugh at this series ingeniously created by Greg Berlanti; it’s a show that perfectly balances humour and drama.
Eli Stone (portrayed by a truly amazing Jonny Lee Miller) first glimpses George Michael in his living room belting out Faith as a result of a brain aneurysm (according to The New Oxford Dictionary of English, it’s an excessive localised swelling of the wall of an artery). While he attempts to understand the visions and help the people he’s supposed to, the ambitious lawyer finds himself re-evaluating his values in life. The re-evaluation may have been prompted by a medical condition but it soon becomes clear that it also crosses the spiritual line.
Eli Stone stars (from left) James Saito as Dr Chen, Matt Letscher as Nathan Stone, Victor Garber as Jordan Wethersby, Natasha Henstridge as Taylor Wethersby, Miller, Julie Gonzalo as Maggie Dekker, Loretta Devine as Patti and Sam Jaeger as Matt Dowd. Only problem is this new calling has made him a loony case in the prestigious law firm where he works. Before long he becomes something of a joke in court despite his undeniable capability as a legal adviser.
British actor Miller, 36, has accumulated plenty of film credits which include Trainspotting, Hackers, Mansfield Park and Plunkett & Macleane before adopting an American accent to play Eli Stone on television.
In the Q&A below from Star World, Miller offers further insights into Eli Stone which also stars Victor Garber, Natasha Henstridge, Loretta Devine and James Saito.
You had a steady movie career. What attracted you to Eli Stone?
I have no snobbery about what kind of medium I’m working in. If the writing is good and you get the opportunity to play a great part, you’d be a fool not to take it. Also, everything is an adventure and I haven’t done anything like this before. So it’s great to get the chance to go to another country and do some work.
What do you admire about your character?
What I find interesting about him is that he can be a real idiot. And that’s attractive to me because he’s human. He makes big mistakes and treats people badly. But he has redeeming qualities. He tries to make amends in whatever way he can. I don’t want to play someone who gets it right all the time.
What was it like shooting the show with pop legend George Michael?
It was a lot of fun. He’s very good and very natural. He was a little nervous at first but he settled in well. He’s in the show at the beginning as a vision and then he comes back for a case. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Can viewers expect more guest stars on the series?
I don’t know. We work so fast, it makes things a little more complicated when guest stars come in like that.
Eli Stone has elements that are both silly and serious. Are you more comfortable with the dramatic or comedic scenes?
The good thing about the show is it can do both because of the concept of hallucination. We have really good scope. I wouldn’t want to see it go either strictly comedy or legal drama; well, that’s my hope anyway.
What differences are there between working on a British film and a US TV series?
I’ve worked on smaller films than this, so it’s very similar. The pace with TV is a lot faster. The sheer volume of pages that you shoot in a day is bigger. But we’re managing to do it. Our director of photography is extraordinary and it’s really amazing how professional the crew is. It’s a really great thing to see and to be a part of. It’s a faster pace and I like it. It’s also a greater discipline and I like the energy involved in that. I don’t like dwelling on things for too long.
- ‘Eli Stone’ premieres on Star World (Astro Channel 711) on Friday, March 20, at 10pm.
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