MY ZINC BED

Synopsis

This powerful, provocative and at times sinister drama from Oscar-nominated writer Hare (The Reader, The Hours) explores the nature of addiction – whether to drink, to relationships, or to business – with outstanding performances from the trio of actors, whose characters are each enslaved by their own resilient habits. When recovering alcoholic Paul Peplow is sent to interview wealthy businessman Victor Quinn (Jonathan Pryce), he unwillingly finds himself on the receiving end of Victor's outspoken views on addiction.To his surprise Paul is offered a job by Victor in his internet business, which Paul, struggling to make ends meet, accepts. Victor's obsession with addiction soon makes sense when Paul meets Victor's beautiful wife Elsa (Uma Thurman) – who reveals that she herself is a recovering alcoholic. Finding a kindred spirit in each other Paul and Elsa embark upon an affair – but the dependence that pulls them together is also the force that drives them apart.

Paddy's Role

Paul is a starving poet struggling to live off his talent he takes up work as a part-time freelance journalist. Paul has been in AA for a long time and is a recovering alcoholic. He's always walking on a high wire, and he has problems dealing with relationships. Living on his own he deals with his addiction.

Director:

Anthony Page

Main Cast:

Paddy Considine - Paul Peplow
Uma Thurman - Elsa Quinn
Jonathan Pryce - Victor Quinn
Mat Curtis - AA Member
Neg Dupree - Kissing Couple
Helen Mallon - Alley Girl
Lisa McDonald - Lady in toilet

Killer Quote:

"There are always a thousand reasons to drink and not many reasons not to. I told myself it was because I was being d*cked around. It wasn't my fault. People were behaving in bewildering ways and what was I meant to do? That's one of the things about being an alcoholic. It's always easy to play the victim. But looking back on the summer you might well ask 'which one of us was the victim and which one was doing the d*cking around?'"

Awards:

TBA

Trivia

My Zinc Bed was originally a stage play written and directed by David Hare which was staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London during 2000. The Theater version starred Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, The Full Monty) as Victor with Julia Ormond and Steven Mackintosh as Elsa and Paul. Julia Ormond was nominated for a best actress award at the Olivier Awards for her role.

My Zinc Bed is the second role for Paddy as a journalist in 12 Months.The first role was as Guardian journalist Simon Ross in 2007's 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.

Victor and Elsa Quinn live at 13 Hanover Terrace in Regents Park, London. In some scenes you can clearly see a genuine British 'blue plaque' outside the front door which commemorates the fact that the author H. G. Wells (The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds) lived and worked in that house until his death in 1946.

My Zinc Bed is the second film that Uma Thurman and Jonathan Pryce have featured in together. The first being 'The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' in 1988; twenty years earlier.

Copyright G. Roberts, Design V. McAulay 2005-2007
All views expressed are solely that of the author
and nobody else unless stated otherwise