With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E. Grant (Paperback)

~ (Author) "This ad appeared in the Stage newspaper in a prominent black box on the vacancies pages and probably still does..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Hudson Hawk, The Player (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Film fans alert to the immense charm of the under-known British film Withnail & I will certainly enjoy the droll autobiography of the actor who played Withnail. The film--" bittersweet, sweet and sour, like King Curtis' definitive sax version of `A Whiter Shade of Pale,'" says its writer-director--tells the story of poverty-stricken drama school refugees in mid-1960s England. Of the film's script, Grant says "never before or since have I read something that conveys what goes on in my head so accurately." The image of the brusque, hilariously overbearing Withnail fits Grant, who has also appeared in Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Age of Innocence, and the Robert Altman films The Player and Pret-a-Porter. He writes of his passage through the world of the aspiring film stardom wonderfully well, producing a book far superior to the usual movie life story. "Oh up and down and forklifts, this is a dull madness," he says of the process of landing a role, but his book wittily presenting the madness is never dull. Mike Tribby --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

With just the right smattering of poison in his pen, this Swazi/British actor recounts the daily trials and tribulations of making movies. Grants moderately successful acting career is largely the result of one film, Withnail and I, a 1986 British cult film that garnered him substantial critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Until this role came along, Grant was wracked upon the wheel of increasingly despairing auditions; six months later, he was jetting off to Hollywood and taking meetings. His pleasant but slightly off-kilter looks brought few offers to play the leading man, but lots of juicy ``character'' roles as directors from Coppola to Altman to Scorsese cast him in small but telling parts. Grants recounting of making the egregiously bad Hudson Hawk, the madness of endless delays, rudderless direction, and cost overruns, are some of the most entertaining and appalling parts of this book. Grant is secure enough to reveal at length the insecurities and ego drubbings and monomania of the actors life. As both a fan and a player, he is close enough to see all the boggling, sordid workings of the star machine, but not quite caught in its gears. Each directors style may vary (and Grant is particularly insightful on directing actors), but certain things remain the same: the long delays, punctuated by intense moments of activity, the close camaraderie that dissipates once filming is over, the struggle to find the truth of a character. In the service of their egos, actors often try to increase their lines, expand their roles, and if this book has a fault, it is along these linesit is just a little too long. But youd be hard pressed to find an American actor who could deliver such a refreshing combination of comedy, confession, and coruscation. (14 b&w photos) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 337 pages
• Publisher: Overlook TP (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879519355
• ISBN-13: 978-0879519353
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #748,439 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and entertaining, July 24, 2001

By	Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is quite an entertaining book that traces Richard E. Grant's career from his very early days in WITHNAIL & I all the way through to his role in the Spice Girls movie, SPICEWORLD. A varied career indeed. It's fascinating to read about his rollercoaster ride through filmmaking, bouncing from gigantic bombs to critical successes in a seemingly random fashion.

This is a captivating look at the behind the scenes activities from several movie sets, yet Grant manages to keep both his feet firmly planted on the ground even when meeting and socializing with the biggest of stars. The result is an often hilarious tour of the madness and method that goes into making films. We encounter several very famous people within this text: Grant parties with Madonna, receives multiple high-fives from Bruce Willis, accepts strange fan-mail from Steve Martin and gets stuck on a never ending film-shoot in Budapest with Sandra Bernhard. Each of them are seen through his grounded eyes and interacted with in his neurotic, slightly sarcastic manner.

Although this is not even a complete account of all (or most) of the films that he has acted in throughout his career, there are a few places where his private life does occasionally intersect on the pages of his diaries. There are some extremely tear-jerking moments, the most moving of which is during the shooting of WITHNAIL & I where he is caught going back and forth between the film work and his wife's pregnancy complications. The book is a whirlwind of emotions and random observations. It's slow and thoughtful during the breaks between shooting, but quickly speeds up to a breakneck pace when the real work begins.

This is a great book for anyone who has the slightest interest in a behind the scenes peek at the movie industry from someone who doesn't have their head already in the clouds. Richard E. Grant shares his philosophies, his outlooks and his wit with us in these diaries and they come highly recommended.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the perfect book for movie lovers, June 6, 1999

By	Kate C. (Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

i have always been an avid fan of character actors; they are better than the real thing. Richard E. Grant is a gifted actor who is like everyone, constantly asking the universal questions: "am i doing this right?" and playing through his roles in films and his life by ear. His stories about the stars are strikingly personal and amusing. most of the book is REG vomitting in various embarrassing venues in hollywood in front of various famous people, adding to the amusement of the tale. i especially enjoyed the story about rachel ward's daughters trashing steve martin's house and terrorizing his cats. my only complaint about this book is that REG did not cite som of his other films that he starred in like IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY and JACK AND SARAH. but the book is well written and personal, a delight to read on a sunny afternoon.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richard E Grant is a genius!, April 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: With Nails: The Film Diaries of Richard E. Grant (Hardcover)

The book is a fantastic read, both witty and sad in places. Thoroughly enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone.