Its hard not to have a little sympathy for
Harvey The Wolf
Keitel. One of the very finest screen actors of his generation, he is synonymous with starring in the very best films of the very best directors of his era. His turns for Martin Scorsese, Abel Ferrara and Quentin Tarantino are still as engrossing as they ever were, and yet, against all sense, Keitel has been virtually without an outstanding leading role in over a decade. This trend maybe about to be reversed, however, as Keitel looks to be taking on just about the most incongruous role of his career as an American headmaster of an Indian school in
Against Itself. According to
The Hollywood Reporter, Keitels schoolmaster character is a secular man trying desperately to prevent his pupils from being drawn into sectarian battles of their local communities. Keitels enthusiasm for the narrative and cognizance of Indian politics and culture has reportedly impressed producers and he has already attended successful script-reading sessions with several members of the crew and potential co-stars on a recent visit to the Indian capital of Mumbai. What is clear is how seriously Keitel is taking this opportunity, and a quick rundown of the talented individuals involved in the film makes for exciting reading. The producer, Sanjay Singhs latest film, Udaan, has enjoyed massive critical acclaim- including multifarious awards- in both Europe and India, while writer/director Kranti Kanade is regarded as a lavishly talented film-maker whose screenplay for the film has already earned awards. A look at recent ventures underlies why this film could be so important to Keitel, and why he is so willing to take such chances. Having played a small role in the no less than awful Little Fockers, he has finished a film called The Last Godfather, whose trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbms93W2SyQ ..seems to be indicative of a career in need to resuscitation. Both the concept of Against Itself imply the capacity to give the necessary boost to the 71 year old Keitel- and he has a legacy of work to demonstrate that his talent demands it.